Landscapes

White and Black

I stumbled through the soft snow to the frosty riverbank of the Merced river. The cold waters meandered glacially, it's still surface reflecting the winter landscape of Yosemite valley. Skeletons of trees hugged the icy shores, frostbitten remnants of a lush green summer. Tall dark conifers punctuated the landscape beyond, stalwarts of the polar temperatures. A moody grey sky completed the mood, with a thick mist dropping down to the treeline lending a mysterious aura.

This was one of my winter sojourns many winters ago in Yosemite National Park. It saddens me that such a beautiful treasure has to stay closed due to the shutdown. My thoughts go to the Park employees and Rangers.

Yosemite National Park

CA USA

Remarkable Queenstown

The Remarkables is a remarkable set of mountain ranges that dominate the mountane terrain of Queenstown. And one of the best places to appreciate this vista is from atop the Skyline Gondola. An endless blue sky punctuated with clouds drawn by a paintbrush reflects on the glistening waters of Lake Wakatipu. Rising up from it's long coastline are the Remarkables on one side, and towering mountain peaks on the other. This is the amazing setting for Queenstown, an unforgettable adventure destination.

Queenstown

Otago, New Zealand

High above Thailand

The trail wound it's way along a sun-dappled slope, weaving in and out of trees, with vast vistas of a hilly landscape beyond. Passing through the highest point of Thailand, the trail was in the domain of a montane cloudforest, with fast-moving clouds rising up from the steamy lowlands below and condensing on the cool and crisp slopes of the Shan Hills in the northern corner of the country.

Walking along this trail, with a spectacular scenery to give company, was a great way to end 2018.

Doi Inthanon

Thailand

In Memory of National Parks

One of the country's best kept treasures are it's amazing systems of 60 National Parks. I have spent countless sunrises and sunsets exploring nooks and crannies of many of the parks, and every one of them has managed to surprise me, not just in their natural beauty, but in the people who have worked to preserve this for posterity. It takes incredible foresight and effort to manage the many competing goals of such a system, and that has constantly left me in awe of this challenge.

And now, the unneeded shutdown, instigated by the theatrics of a clown, has thrown a wrench in a delicately balanced environment. While federal employees all over the country do suffer, it pains me to see the what the park system is going through to continue it's mission. Full props to the brave people who have worked tirelessly to this effort. And if you are a fan of the National Parks, I urge you to do your part: volunteer your time or money to the various Park foundations that assist the National Park System.

When my hands are finally healed, I hope to lend my hand to heal the National parks as well. I feel it is a moral obligation to return the favor for all the joyous moments I have experienced in the amazing National Park System. You can help too: purchase my 2019 calendar, and all proceeds will be split between the National Park Foundation and WildAid

Seattle

WA USA

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Welcoming Spring

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The cold winds blowing down from the Cascades chills me to my very bone. The count of weeks without seeing the blue sky even a single day keep increasing. The struggle to wake up at dark to leave in the freezing hours of the morning, and return hours after sunset is getting to me. The dreaded Seasonal Affective Disorder is upon the Pacific Northwest, and trying to keep spirits up in these trying times requires a spirited effort.

It is this dearth of light that makes spring and summer glorious here, where the rays of sunlight evokes a new awakening, a warmth that revitalizes the soul. And that is why I look forward to the next spring, where the bloom of the tulips heralds the welcome to the new year.

Find this image in my 2019 Calendar.

Skagit Valley

WA USA

Beckoning the New Year

I am super excited to announce this year's 2019 Calendar. It features 13 photos that highlight the diversity of the National Parks all over the country, and the spectacular beauty of the Pacific Northwest, which I now call home.

And remember, this calendar is for a good cause - all proceeds will get donated to two charities whose work I empathize with: National Park Foundation and WildAid.

Having visited 40 National Parks, I have come to realize the vital importance of our National Park system in protecting and preserving nature, culture, wildlife, and landscapes for the future. The National Park Foundation helps safeguard our national heritage, ensuring generations of national park enthusiasts can enjoy the parks we love.

Illegal wildlife trade has had a serious impact on the populations of many endangered species. While there are efforts to curb poaching, WildAid believes in attacking the demand side of the equation by persuading consumers and strengthening enforcement. I do hope that they succeed in their mission.

You can now purchase this calendar at Lulu.

Heralding Spring

The grass, green after their long winter slumber, carpeted the rolling hillscape. Skeletons of oak trees dotted this early spring landscape, awaiting warmer temperatures to don new leaves. And it was in this beautiful setting that I was wrapping up one of my last spring hikes of the East Bay foothills before I moved out of California.

The various parks and preserves that dot the eastern side of the Bay Area were a haven of peace and solitude, a welcome retreat from the bustling activity of the Bay. While they stay golden through most of the year, in spring, the life-giving rains paint the hills with a verdant green quite reminiscent of England. And for a short time that the green lasted, the trails here were my pathway to multitudes of photographic opportunities.

As the New Year approaches, nostalgia for one of my favorite hiking destinations rises strongly in my mind. I hope I get to hike there once again.

Sunol Regional Wilderness

CA USA

Fading Footprints

I watched as the sun slowly set behind the distant dunes and as my footprints slowly faded away into the sand; wind wiping away memories just as the sun wiped away the day, setting up for a new dawn, a new beginning amidst the mighty dunes of the Great Sand Dunes National Park in CO.

As I reflect upon the year that is almost ending, this image seemed an apt metaphor for the multitude of events that happened this year. And just as the sun set on that day, so it will on this year. And just as the footsteps were erased by the wind, the canvas will be wiped clean for the next year, a canvas where we can forge new stories and new experiences.

In the last remaining month of the year, lets take a moment to remember the defining moments, and carry over the learnings to the future.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

CO USA

Memories of Summer

I peered over the edge, nervously balancing my tripod. It was a long way down, and I couldn't afford to slip, even as I was hurrying to catch the last of the sunset colors. My heart was still rushing from the nerve-wracking drive to catch this sunset, and with the sky turning a vibrant crimson on the western side, it was not going to slow down anytime soon.

Palouse falls was just as I had remembered it. I had visited this amazing destination many years ago, at the time it was just starting to get well known. The cavernous canyon formed by the waterfall cuts through the bedrock as it makes it way downstream is a sight to behold. And the roar of the waterfall is certainly unforgettable

As the sun descended on the horizon behind me that day, the clouds lit up, the colors reflecting gently on the winding river below. I paused for a moment, trying to soak in the sights and the sounds, know that it will be a while before I return back here. With the Pacific Northwest getting ready for a cold and dark winter, memories like these keep me going until the next summer.

Palouse Falls State Park

WA USA

Blues of Mt Rainier

I turned my head east, into the glowing orb of the sun. A silhouette of endless peaks beckoned. Mountaintops were lit bright, while shadows stretched deep into the dark misty valleys below. This was a blue sunrise at Mt Rainier

I had arrived at that lookout point at dawn, hoping to capture sunrise lighting the imposing massif of Mt Rainier. As the deep whites of the glacier-capped Mt Rainier cycled through a vibrant scarlet, lush orange, and bright yellows, I became completely engrossed in shooting the light unfolding in front of me. And I had completely ignored the blue silhouette of endless peaks forming behind me. Until I turned my head east.

From atop this peak, I circled round and round: the massif of Mt Rainier on the west, the distant glowing summit of Mt Adams to the south, an unending series of blue mountain ranges on the east, the glacial summits of Mt Baker and Glacier peak to the north. Nowhere else could one be treated to such a noble sunrise vista.

Mt Rainier National Park

WA USA