In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks
- John Muir
I certainly did not expect to experience what I did during a four day sojourn into the Teton backcountry. Even though it was nearly a decade ago, I still remember the trials and tribulations I endured during the traverse of the Teton high country, but the vistas that trek opened up was beyond anything I had ever imagined. It was truly one for the books.
Grand Teton National Park
WY USA
The object of art is to make eternal the desperately fleeting moment
The dancing dame of sand swirled and swayed with the light in the darkness of the canyon. It didn't last long - its fleeting motion dissipated in a blink of an eye, but just long enough to be frozen behind the lens of a camera. Thankfully, it didn't take much to reset and recreate the ephemeral vision once again.
Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park
AZ USA
This is one of those places in the North Cascades that has become too popular for its own good. Not just for the glistening alpine lake set amidst the towering granite peaks of the Cascades, but also for the larches that sprinkle gold on the rocky slopes that line the bowl-like depression where this beautiful lake lays. I remember spending a lot of effort into trying to pick up empty plastic bottles and food waste from around the pristine alpine lake.
I have witnessed how crowded up a popular area can get. And that increases the chance that visitors don't adhere to Leave No Trace principles. Not a day goes by when I don't read trip reports of trails and campsites littered with trash. At a popular backcountry location in the North Cascades I visited over a year ago, I was shocked to see the dirty remains of an illegal campfire covering over a dozen beer cans, innumerable cigarette butts, food wrappers and much more. I spent over an hour trying to clean up as much as I could and haul all the trash, but one can only do so much.
I urge you all to read about Leave No Trace , and adhere to it when you are out in the wilderness. Here are three key principles of the seven things you can do when you outdoors:
1. Leave what you find: Leave areas as you found them. Don't clear out sites or build fire rings, damage trees and plants/
2. Dispose of waste properly: Pack it in and pack it out, and this includes all trash, leftover food, fruit skins. litter and toilet paper. Always leave the place cleaner than you found it.
3. Travel and camp on durable surfaces: Concentrate usage on existing trails and focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent
These will help ensure that you such pristine locations are preserved for posterity.
North Cascades National Park
WA USA
I hadn't expected to find a heart of gold in the Pacific Northwest, a region not especially known for its fall foliage, especially against the stars of the show of colors - New England, the Smokies, Colorado and the like. But over the weekend, one little corner of Washington put on a show to delight any nature lover.
The subalpine larch, Larix lyallii, are hardy deciduous conifers that grow in the alpine and sub-alpine terrain along the dry eastern slopes of the Cascades, characterized by short dry summers and long cold winters. And in fall, their needles turn to a golden yellow color, making even a single tree stand out against the rocky terrain ubiquitous in the area. And I happened upon an entire forest of these larches all deciding to change color at the same time.
Okanagan Wenatchee National Forest
WA USA
Morning light had just started to illuminate the far end of the still lake. A raft of ducks made their way across, submerging periodically to fish for their morning meal. The cool air was silent, interrupted by the occasional shriek of osprey out on a hunting flight. High clouds swirled in the hazy skies above, a sign of an approaching front of smoke. I was not worried; it was my last day there, but I certainly didn't want this moment to end.
As I was pondering on composition ideas, I noticed a school of fish leaving tiny ripples in the still reflection, and wondered whether I could employ that to get a foreground. This image is the result of one such attempt.
Sawtooth National Forest
ID USA
I almost didn't get this shot.
It was getting dark and cold at the summit of the peak near Mt Baker. My shoes, having been soaked in slushy snow for the better part of the evening, was starting to freeze over. And I didn't relish the thought of walking down on snowy trails in pitch black.
But last light of twilight wasn't done yet. As a dark blue hue enveloped the sky from the eastern horizon, the western sky transitioned from bright yellow to a deep orange the likes of which I had never seen before. And against this backdrop, the unmistakable cone of Mt Baker rose up framed by a gradation of colors. And I knew I had to stop and get this.
Mt Baker Wilderness
WA USA
Everyone is excited about the colorful season of Fall coming up, where nature puts on a show before she finally settles down for the winter. Perhaps we can spare a moment for the balmy days of summer spent lying down on a green grass meadow watching the wispy clouds flutter away. Watching the fleeting patterns of clouds reminds me of bucolic summer days of years past, a time of carefree life and trivial experiences.
This particular area of Palouse brought back those memories, and I tried to render it as I imagined in my minds eye.
Palouse
WA USA
Far in the north, on the land border between United States and Canada, lies three iconic peaks rising one after the other: Mt Larabee, the American Border Peak, and the Canadian Border Peak. In between the latter two peaks the border line cuts straight through the rugged landscape. The line is not just an imaginary concoction present only in maps of the continent, but an actual clear-cut of the forest, over and above mountain passes and across steep valleys.
The border dividing the two countries represents not only the differences in nationalities, but in the recent days, even differences in democracy and the rule of law. But the people on both sides of the border are still the same. I found a heart shining brightly in the evening light, symbolizing the love the people on either side have for each other.
Mt Baker Wilderness
WA USA
Precisely a year before this image was taken on the eve of the Fall equinox, I had climbed up Fremont peak at Mt Rainier during a cloudy afternoon. The lookout at the summit had been socked in dense fog, reducing visibility to mere yards. And when all hope seemed lost, the inversion layer dipped below, and I was witness to one glorious sunset above the clouds.
I was hoping to repeat that this year, and with the dense smoke having finally receded, I was eagerly looking forward to a return visit. However, fire damage had temporarily closed the main access road to the area, and I turned to the next best fire lookout in the Mt Rainier area.
I started the hike in high spirits despite the foggy weather, hoping that the clouds would lift up just like last year. But as sunset approached, the snowy summit of Mt Rainier barely managed to peek through the thick fog rolling over the lookout. The glimpses of the inversion layer kept teasing me, prolonging the agony in the freezing cold. And just as I was about to turn around barely 30min before sunset, the clouds lowered.
I was now dropped into an ethereal landscape with the mist still clinging onto the nearby ridges and peaks, while the summit of Mt Rainier, towering over an alpine lake, managed to catch the last bit of alpenglow.
Mt Rainier National Park
WA USA
Ever since I had seen this image of Glacier Peak, I knew I had to make it there. It isn't easy to get there: it takes a 44 mile backpack up and down multiple mountain passes to get this vista. The long weekend before smoke enveloped the region proved the perfect opportunity to undertake one of the toughest backpacks I had ever done.
But this stretch goal of mine was made more challenging by 1: my water filter clogging up on day 2 (I relied on boiling water/borrowing from other hikers), and 2: a fire triggered by the heat wave on day 3, forcing an urgent 10mi hike back to the trailhead in the dark (for a total of 22mi on day 3). Nevertheless, it was one of the most exhilarating and exhausting treks I had done in a while.
On Day 1, I hiked 10 miles from the trailhead ascending 3600 ft, made more tiring by the fact that I had under 6hrs of sleep the previous night. But being the first day of the trek, my spirits were held high by the landscapes I was yet to encounter. I camped by the edge of the cliff overlooking the vast glacial valley, completely burnt out from the long day.
12 miles of hiking on day 2 up and over three mountain passes brought me to the destination I sought for shooting Image Lake. It was probably the most challenging day of the 4-day trek, and yet I was excited to get to this location. I beelined to the sunset spot after dinner, where I ran into Sonja Saxe and Alex Spaeth setting up for shooting through the night. This particular composition was from the colorful sunset that evening, where I framed with a few late-blooming western pasqueflowers.
I woke up in the wee hours of dawn on the prophetic Day 3, where we were rewarded with one of the most beautiful sunrises over Glacier Peak. We could not get ourselves to leave the epic scenery, but with 10 more miles of hiking left, I left the place with a heavy heart. After more uphills and downhills, I finally ended up at the destination for the third night, where I set up for a relaxing evening overlooking Glacier Peak.
But the evening bliss was not to be. Smoke from a nearby fire soon enveloped the camping area. Fearing fire, the camping area nearly evacuated. I started right at sunset, and that meant hiking 10 miles in pitch black with just the headlamp lighting the way. It was with sheer willpower that I made it back to the trailhead past midnight, notching more than 22mi with a full pack. The sight of parked cars was a welcome relief after close to 5 hours in the dark.
As amazing as the photographic opportunities were, the challenges I endured in this backpack were not something I would want to repeat in a while.
Glacier Peak Wilderness
WA USA
