I envisioned a dusty old lake, a few drying trees swaying in the wind, and a bare rocky terrain rising up from the basin getting backed in the hot Idaho sun. What I didn't expect was a placid gem of a lake nestled amidst granite monoliths towering over the alpine terrain. As I watched the jagged peaks of the Sawtooths catch the first light of the day, and captured in the mirror-like reflections on the still lake, I felt transported from the grounded imagination I had had to a scene far more memorable than what I had expected.
I felt a joy freezing a slice of time and preserving for eternity a moment that has probably been repeated for aeons.
Sawtooth Wilderness
ID USA
The Canyon Walk
The graceful red sandstone slot canyons of Antelope Canyon has always had a special draw, and a few years ago, I satiated my yearnings with a photography tour of these photogenic canyons. Photography the mid-day sun beams light up the canyon in a golden red glow is an experience like no other. So it saddened me to hear that photography tours have been stopped here. From a financial perspective, these photography tours paled in sales compared to the bread and butter tours that they run in the canyon, due to the smaller group size as well as interruption to the regular tours.
Antelope Canyon
AZ USA
One More Summer
As one more summer slowly transitions to fall, I have realized that, at least in the Pacific Northwest, I live for the bountiful summers. The short sweet summers abound with life and color, and more than make up for the dreary winters. Summers are when I seek out the mountains teeming with wildflower laden meadows, glistening alpine lakes, and snow-capped peaks.
We are halfway done now, and only a precious few more weeks remain for one more summer to be done.
Bridger Teton Wilderness
WY USA
The Long Open Road
The housebound nature of life over the last few months has created a yearning for the long open road, traversing along mountains and through valleys, over deserts and across rivers. In moments like these, I look back to memories of past travels, including this vista of the rugged red sandstone hills of Capitol Reef National Park. By juxtaposing a lone campervan speeding away from where I was, helped add a sense of scale to the vastness of the landscape all around.
Capitol Reef National Park
UT USA
Waiting for Showtime
The reflection was every bit as astounding as I had remembered it. My first visit to this location was nine years ago, a sunny evening where I rushed on the windy mountain highway to catch the last light. And my first sight of the glacier-capped Shuksan towering over the lake was sublime, and worth every bit of effort taken
This time, I ambled into the viewpoint with plenty of time to spare. While the reflection was amazing, the sublime light just wasn't there. I was, instead, rewarded with mobs of mosquitoes hanging on to every breath. I captured a few images at last light.
Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
High on Light
When we found these delightful little blooms, my partner referred to these as Einstein heads, for they had a straggled appearance of Einsteins unkempt hair. Later, I discovered that these were the seedpods of the Western pasqueflower. And they are really soft as they look.
So I returned back to the spot for sunset, hoping to capture these delightful little blooms at sunset. I just wished I had cleaned my lenses prior to taking the photograph.
Paseytan Wilderness
WA USA
The Early Bird
It pays to wake up early, but sometimes this action borders on the verge of stupidity.
I had a grand old goal of climbing to a viewpoint near Mt Rainier to catch sunrise in the summer. And when it was announced that the roads had just opened to the area, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to head up there. What I didn't factor into the calculations were the early 5:30am sunrises that meant leaving home at 2:30 in the morning to give enough time to drive and hike up in the dark.
And yet, I somehow managed to yank myself out of the cozy confines of my bed after a mere 4 hours of sleep, drive in the pitch black inkiness of the night, and hike up the rocky trail just as dawn colors were breaking in the sky.
But the reward was worth it: a beautiful sunrise over a serene mountainous landscape, with Mt Rainier to give me company.
Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA
Mountain Magic
Grand Park was unlike any other place I have been: a vast meadow budding with wildflowers, with the classic profile of Mount Tahoma and and Little Tahoma framing the background. It almost took me back to a fairytale wonderland, and I would been transported to such a place, were it not for the swarms of mosquitoes, I certainly would have been.
Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA
Mountain Magic
The billowing clouds gathered moisture over the Pacific and moved inland, where it encountered the mighty peaks of the Sierras. Never before had it seen such a formidable foe blocking its path. But as it got closer, it realized the mountains needed help, needed rain.
And the clouds whispered to the mountains, you look a little parched, and then let loose a torrent of rain and snow into the freezing winds.
June Lake Loop
CA USA
When Out of Officee
A few years ago, I decided to take a break from work and go back to school for a couple of years. And while that was a high loss of opportunity cost (compared to staying at work), I never regretted that decision. Apart from those two years being a life-changing decision, I got quality time to take leisurely trips and enjoy the outdoors, do backpacks in amazing destinations and tick off a few bucket list items.
Driving cross country was one of them. Revving up my Civic through those sinuous mountain roads while enjoying glorious sunsets with vistas of endless peaks was nothing short of sublime. That trip made me realize that there is so much out there to see, and I have but experienced just a fraction of it.
Perhaps one of my most memorable trips was to the heart of Italian Dolomites. I spent a week climbing steep rocky terrain, hiking through incredible landscapes and witnessing incredible sunrises and sunsets from rifugios aptly placed on mountain-tops. And while the days were exhausting, the urge for photography kept me going. The Dolomites are like nothing else.
Looking back at those pictures from mountainous north of Italy, memories come flooding back to me of this amazing trip, replete with the delicious food paired with crisp local wines, friendly company, towns and cities steeped in history and culture, and so much more. It pains that I cannot travel and retrace my steps at these destinations, but I hope that fortunes turn in the future.
But this trip, and the many others I took during a two year break from work, taught me that gathering experiences by immersing yourself at a location, and expanding your worldview is perhaps as important, if not more, than the pedantic knowledge obtained through books and lectures.