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Morning by the lake

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I could see my own breath condensing in the fresh cold air. The faint October sun had still not penetrated the towering peaks and deep valleys, leaving me shivering even with the layers I had adorned. Across the lake, the fringes of the conifers caught this cold morning light, glowing with a vibrant gold color.

All around, the morning forest was waking up. A thick scent of mountain pine and earthy tones permeated around. Songbirds, eagerly awaiting their winter migration, started their wake-up calls. And a lone kayaker took off from the tiny dock, hoping to get a lucky catch. This poignant scene lasted for but a moment. The roaring sounds of a dozen vehicles soon echoed through the valley - early morning hikers eagerly dashing off to the trailhead on a beautiful fall day in the North Cascades National Park.

I am eagerly awaiting the summer hiking season in this gem of a National Park so close to home.

North Cascades National Park

WA USA

The high and the low

The journey from the highest point in Death Valley to its lowest point spans ~11,300ft or ~3,450m. That journey takes one from the freezing snow-capped peak of the Panamint range to through rocky canyons down through the alluvial fans onto the lowest point in the lower 48 states - 250ft below sea level. And being able to witness this gradual transition of altitude, terrain, and climate, in one single glance is not possible anywhere else except at Dante's View in Death Valley National Park

I had arrived at the 5,500ft summit of Dante's view at sunrise, hoping to witness the first light on the mighty spine of the Panamint range. And after a colorful sunrise, pockets of warm light began to shine on the dynamic terrain of the Badwater basin and the stunning landscape all around. This was one such view capturing a well-lit alluvial fan that drained the Panamint range behind a hardy shrub that survives the harsh climate of Death Valley.

Death Valley National Park

CA USA

Blessed by the crescent

In the pre-dawn light, the landscape around was ethereal. Long rows of bright yellow daffodils stretched to the horizon, culminating in bare birch trees. A low-lying fog hovered above the horizon, lending a mystical aura to the pastoral scene.

I sleepily dawdled outside from the warm confines of my car into the crisp cold atmosphere. I had left home at a time when most of the city was still sleeping, or recovering from shenanigans of a Friday night. But that meant I had this scene entirely to myself. But misery deserves company, and hence I pinged Chris Gering Photo to join me there.

While waiting for the sun to rise up, I found the crescent moon waiting above the field with a tinge of pink morning glow hovering above the horizon.

Skagit Valley

WA USA

Wildflower Season

The longer days of warm sunlight and the rising temperatures of spring leads to the remarkable transformation that is the vast California wildflower display. Tiny seeds in the rolling hills, meadows and open grasslands all over the golden state await for the right conditions before sprouting with early spring shoots and young buds that lead to colorful displays of wildflowers every year like clockwork. Colors range the specturm, from the vibrant orange state flower (the California Poppy) to the bright yellow of the Coreopses and the blues of the Gilias and baby blue eyes.

I long for the days when I would go hunting for wildflowers during its month-long migration northward, and where I would sense joy in seeing nature come alive in a grand spectacle for the birds and insects that pollinate the tiny plants. Here is one such memory from the Antelope Valley Poppy preserve from a bloom a couple of years ago

And if you want to ensure that future generations get to see this amazing spectacle, please give these hardy plants a little space and lots of care when you go to admire them.

Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve

CA USA

Leading Away

Death valley. The name conjures up an image of a vast desolate wasteland where life struggles to survive, where time stops ticking, and where the no one in their right mind would want to visit. And it may have certainly kept that image were it not for the contrivances of modern civilization: paved roads and automobiles that zoom across the desert landscape in a matter of hours.

While one can still plenty of peace and quiet in this park, trying to do so at sunset time along the dunes is probably an exercise in futility; throngs of tourist scramble all over this sandy center of the park hoping to find their perfect spot.

As the last light crept through the clouds, I had to make do with dunes already imprinted by the footsteps of a previous passerby.

Death Valley National Park

CA USA

Land of diverse landscapes

I am excited to be going back to the dry deserts of Death Valley National Park after over 7 years. While the name conjures images of isolation and desolation, this place is anything but. It is a tumultuous landscape interspersed by dry salt lakes and towering mountains, where the sinuous curves of smooth sand dunes stand side by side with colorful jagged rock formations. It is a place where sunrises are magical, sunsets are spectacular, and where the night sky is sublime.

Looking at photos from a trip years past brought back many nostalgic memories of scurrying along dusty back roads and hiking in jaw-dropping terrain. This one is from a hike to Zabriskie point early one winter morning.

Death Valley National Park

CA USA

Down but not out

You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.

It has been a tumultuous week in the world with two major mass shooting incidents in either corners of the world, New Zealand and Netherlands.

New Zealand has been one of my favorite countries to travel to. To have such a tragedy befall it, especially in Christchurch which has already seen so much pain, is disheartening.

But if I know anything, it is that the Kiwis have some of the strongest hearts and minds. And while their spirits might be down momentarily, I am sure they'll rise up to the occasion, coming together as a community and society, unifying in their collective wisdom. I do wish the best for them, and hope they emerge stronger than before.

They may be down, but their spring will come again.

Lake Tekapo

Canterbury New Zealand

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Dawn on the Jailoo

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I stepped out from the warmth of the dark yurt to a freezing cold outside. In the gentle pre-dawn light, I spotted the beautiful rolling hills covered with a thin crust of overnight snow. A cold fog was flowing down from the heavens along the smooth contours of the surrounding hillscape. High above, the sky was aglow with a bright pink, while down below, horses and cattle gently grazed on the fresh summer grass.

This is life on the jailoo, a harsh, silent and beautiful landscape in the heart of the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan.

Songkol

Kyrgyzstan

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The Wildflower Season

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The vibrant spring greens of California are an annual occurrence, turning the rust brown to a delightful shade of emerald green, post the unpredictable rainfall that quenches the thirst of the parched golden state. But it is the accompanying wildflower blooms that brigthen the rolling green hills with shades of pastel colors; bright yellows, oranges, pings and whites dominate the sun-drenched landscapes, growing along winding highways, gentle valleys and lush green meadows.

The next wildflower season is upon us. Happy hunting photographers, and don't trample on the delicate blooms; they are needed for the future wildflower seasons.

Pacheco State Park

CA USA

The High Point

The high point on the landscape was a tall sandstone butte towering above the desert environs; the deep red twilight clouds amplified the ochre sandstone, turning it into a shade of vibrant pink. As I watched, the deep reds slowly turned to dark shades of twilight, signalling the end of a beautiful day in Monument Valley Tribal Park in the Southwest of USA

From the mystic slot canyons in Page, through the windy roads that twisted their way through the colorful desert terrain of northern Arizona, the entire trip was a feast for the visual senses, with the scenery and colors changing every mile. I can't wait to return to this colorful corner of the country this year.

Monument Valley Tribal Park

UT USA