Out in the woods, I often look at the sky seeking out patterns in the tree cover. Sometimes, they are to frame the night sky, while others are to seek shapes and patterns where they do not exist, just as one would read the clouds. During one such hike in the forests of California, I came across a dense grove of conifers whose crowns covered the sky except for a bird-shaped gap providing an open view of the sky.
It felt like a sign of redemption and freedom, fleeing from the past and flying towards the future, and it certainly was appropriate for what I was seeking for during those trying times.
John Muir Trail
CA USA
A Golden Retreat
High in the Sierras, there exists mythical places where the skies are red and the water is a turquoise blue, where rugged granite behemoths were carved into graceful shapes, where glistening lakes and gurgling streams wind their way down mountains, valleys and canyons. Some of these mythical places are hard to reach, while others, including this one, are just a day's hike away from civilization.
Ansel Adams Wilderness
CA USA