The Way of the Mountains

There are sunsets.
And then there are sunsets in the Sierra Nevada.

The play of shadow and light on the steep rocky slopes of the granite escarpment of the Sierra Nevada gives rise to unreal sunsets. And nowhere is this more evident than the hallowed landscape of Yosemite National Park. The long rays of sunlight filtering through the remnants of a spring thunderstorm often end up lighting the sheer granite cliffs, creating a evanescent landscape with different geologic features alternately lighting up and disappearing into the shadows.

And sometimes, that scene would transpire to an Sierra Nevada sunset, where the last fleeting rays set fire to none by the highest peaks, while the valleys below get mired in a deep shadow.

This was one such sunset, captured on an spring evening in May many such years ago during one of the many sojourns to my favorite National Park

Yosemite National Park
CA USA

A lake, a cabin, a church, a mountain

A lake, a cabin, a church, a mountain.

That was all I remember seeing in the brochure about Königssee. But in a span of just a few hours there, I came to realize that this wonderful little corner of Germany had so much more to offer: alpine views rivaling the Swiss Alps, the convivial atmosphere of a traditional biergarten, the camraderie of German hikers, and hundreds of delightful surprises everywhere.

I did manage to tick off all the bucket-list items in the brochure, but Königssee left me wanting for more. So while doing my part to reduce the spread of Covid-19, I get to reminisce my past travels, and look forward to creating more travel bucket-lists when travel to these amazing destinations is once again possible.

Königssee
Bavaria, Germany

Happy Earth Day

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The mountains are still there. The wild places still abound. Nature still exists.
And they'll be there when we return to seek solace in the wilderness.

But lets take a pledge to preserve where the wild places are. Because if not us, who else

Happy Earth Day

North Cascades National Park
WA USA

Mittelrheintal

When I learnt that I was going to be staying in the heart of the Rhine valley a few years ago, I imagined watching fairytale castles and medieval forts go by as I passed tiny villages and towns meticulously preserved for centuries. I envisaged sampling wines from the very vineyards lining the gentle slopes of the Rhine and Moselle.

It almost seemed too good to be true. But when I did visit this region, it was everything I described and much more. Staying in a tiny village with houses that dated to the 12th century lining cobblestone streets that exuded a German charm, I spent hours tramping up and down the nearby hills, and discovered many a hidden gem. I learnt how to distinguish between trocken, halbtrocken, and süss wien from the numerous visits to the many wine cellars, sample delicious sherry, and savor dozens of varieties of German bread.

Someday, I hope to retire in such a village, enjoying a simple life surrounded by the beautiful Rhine Valley

Mittelrhein
Germany

Shutdown

Everything will be be okay in the end.
If it's not okay, it's not the end

John Lennon

With every single passing day, where grim news pervades the constant news-stream, it may seem we are in a hopeless place. While some countries have already started to turn the tide and have started pushing back, the epidemic has plenty of room to grow, and it'll be a long while before the last waves of this pandemic washes on the shores of humanity.

How the nations react, and how the people come together (by going apart) in this time will determine how impacted we become. Separated, we stay united in the fight against this invisible invader. I appreciate the steps the state and the country have taken to encourage social distancing. But, deep in my heart, it pains to have the wilderness separated from humanity.

I hope that this too shall pass.

Olympic National Park
WA USA

Life in Isolation

Just as the Pacific Northwest was getting out of one of the longest spells of darkness with short days and gloomy skies playing havoc with sanity, the region got hit with one of the more contagious viral diseases. The stay-at-home order instituted by the Governors of Washington and Oregon, necessary to slow down the spread of this disease, not only has a devastating economic impact on the region, but also affects our own mental stability.

To keep my brain occupied while being couped up in the walls of my domicile, I go through my archives of the wonderful collection of photos I have taken. It helped remind me that there is a world outside of the viral epidemic, fresh and ready for exploration when the epidemic simmers down. It'll be my salvation for the months that I have spent staring longingly at the outdoors.

Here are memories from a winter snowshoe to Hurricane Ridge, a rare day when the winter wonderland opened up to a sunny day.

Olympic National Park
WA USA

Escaping Paranoia

The last few weeks have certainly not been peaceful: between the rapid onset of a contagious virus, hyperactive media coverage, and a lack of decisive action by multiple developed countries, paranoia has set it. And in paranoia, human beings have not been rational actors. Not a day goes by when you don't hear of people defying quarantine, or of hoarders stocking for the next decade, disrupting the finely tuned supply-chains. It makes you realize what a thin veneer of order human beings superficially present, and how quickly this can be subverted

In then end, I am eternally grateful for the people who keep civilization functioning: the medical personnel taking care of the sick and researchers finding the next cure, the expansive supply chain supplying essential goods, transit workers, safety services, and utility providers without whom nations would grind to a halt.

During these pressing times, what gives me solace are the little signs of upcoming spring: a poppy flower opening up its colorful petals, a budding field of color heralding warmer weather, bountiful waterfalls under fleeting light, and alpine meadows renewing under the growing warmth of the sun. I hope that by the time spring rolls around, things will become more peaceful again. And in the meantime, I am going to be hunkered down at home, admiring memories of these little signs of solace.

CA USA

Winter Blues

More often than not, the mountains of the Pacific Northwest are often mired in grey clouds under gloomy skies. But when the never-ending miserable weather does break, the mountains transform into a winter wonderland; acres of conifers laced with fresh snow stand guard like winter sentinels, smothered by the occasional fog drifting up the steep slopes of the Cascades, while high above, snow-capped peaks glint in the warm morning light under bluebird skies.

I trudged through fresh snowdrifts on one such recent outing under such conditions, the terrain transforming from featureless shade to fresh glinting snow in the early hours. My snowshoes sank a foot or more in heavenly powder, while the eerie silence of the forest made me forget that I was right across from one of the more popular ski areas of Washington. Despite being alone, I felt connected to the forest, the snow, the mountains, the wind and the silence. But by the time I returned however, that peace had given away to large groups of families and kids playing around in the winter wonderland.

Have you experienced that connection?

Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA

The Wilds of Central Asia

Descending down on that bumpy dirt road into a vast green valley dominated by a single glistening deep blue lake was an experience I'll never forget even though it was almost 3 years ago. Lacking any trees or vegetation except grass and ground-hugging wildflowers, the seemingly endless green meadow ringed by snow-capped peaks in the horizon had no sense of scale.

Soon after we arrived, the clouds started to coalesce together, a foreboding sign of a thunderstorm. Soon thereafter, the thunderhead towered over the lake and the distant mountains even while sun shined brightly. Nevertheless, it was time to head back to the safety of the yurt.

Eventually, the thunderhead did disappear, but not before unleashing a torrential downpour on this fragile landscape in the heart of Kyrgyzstan.

Songkol
Kyrgyzstan

Heart of the Dunes

Walking into the heart of the dunes sounded appealing at the visitor center when I first entered one of the newest National Parks. But at the trailhead, with winds gusting upwards of 20 miles per hour, I had to rethink my decision, since all I could see in front of me was a wall of white blasting down my face.

I had visited White Sands National Park when it was still a National Monument and had hiked down the same trail to the heart of the sands. But back then, it was a calm balmy day, with a gentle breeze and mild temperatures. Quite unlike today.

I decided to go on, climbing over dune after endless white dunes, with nary a sign of life, all while getting sandblasted by pure white gypsum sand. I couldn't even turn back as my footprints were getting erased as fast as I created them. The only thing leading me own were the odd markers sticking above the ever shifting sand dunes.

I survived, but was coated in sand from head to toe. And my camera fared no better. But at least it continued to take photos.

White Sands National Park
NM USA