After a long rainy day, it was a pleasant surprise to see moonlight glazing over the glaciated peaks of the French Alps. And at this remote refugio deep in the heart of the alps, I thought I had found the perfect location to capture the swirls of foggy peaks. But what I didn't expect, and grew tired of, was the incessant barking of a guard dog from a nearby farm. And for the next hour, nary did a minute pass without interruption, leaving me wondering when I was going to get bitten by a guard dog in the middle of the Alps.
Tour du Mont Blanc
France
The Wild Coast
One of the treasures of the Pacific Northwest is the wild Pacific coast - miles and miles of a windswept driftwood beach, where the cold waters of the swirling Pacific meet the thick lush temperate rainforests, where a few rocky stalwarts stand steadfast against the incoming waves and rhythmic tides, and where sunny sunsets are a photographer's dream.
One of the few places to seek out this unspoilt wonderland is along the protected shoreline of Olympic National Park. Time and again, I retreat to the its wild coasts and seek solace in this enthralling meeting point of water and land, hiking through mossy forests and sandy beaches. This was taken on one such journey to this spiritual coast.
Olympic National Park
WA USA
Irish Sun
On a late afternoon drive on the windy roads and rolling landscapes of Ireland, I spied this beautiful pastoral scene out of the corner of my eye. Swinging the car around on that narrow road while driving a manual wasn't particularly easy, but after two days of grey skies and gloomy weather, I was ready for a break in the sun.
Sometimes chance encounters offer great rewards.
Cork
Ireland
A Golden Retreat
High in the Sierras, there exists mythical places where the skies are red and the water is a turquoise blue, where rugged granite behemoths were carved into graceful shapes, where glistening lakes and gurgling streams wind their way down mountains, valleys and canyons. Some of these mythical places are hard to reach, while others, including this one, are just a day's hike away from civilization.
Ansel Adams Wilderness
CA USA
A fall in Japan
The art of stone in a Japanese garden is that of placement. Its ideal does not deviate from that of nature.
Every blade of grass, every branch of a tree, every stone lantern, and every curve of the pond, planned and placed ever so carefully to create a beautiful harmony of light, color and nature. After having experienced it extensively in Japan, I was delighted by the nostalgic memories a visit to Seattle's Japanese garden brought me.
And to witness the fall color diorama was a special treat.
Seattle Japanese Garden
WA USA
Nostalgia
The past is a candle at great distance: too close to let you quit, too far to comfort you.
This quote comes to my mind when I look back at the amazing summer in the Pacific Northwest; an ephemeral wisp of thought for a short fleeting season. This nostalgia towards the short and sweet summer spent tramping around the mountains of the Pacific Northwest may not comfort me through the long grey winter, but will definitely make me yearn for the glorious sunrises and sunsets in this wonderland.
Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
After the Storm
I was not expecting to see this that day. I was not even expecting to make it out alive .
.
.
It was barely an hour earlier when I left the safety of the rifugio in the French alps under moody skies. The wind was picking up, but nothing to deter from hiking. A couple of far-away lightning strikes signaled an approaching storm. A light drizzle started, that turned to a torrential downpour in a matter of minutes. And the strikes came nearer and more frequent, the accompanying thunder reverberating across the entire valley.
I passed a couple of hikers coming the other way, and they urged me to turn around. I wish I had heeded their advice. For what lay ahead of me was a vast open stretch of trail in rocky terrain with nary a protective zone. And I was in the heart of the storm.
The gale-force winds gripped my tangled poncho, eager to yank away my only barrier to the rain. I held on, fighting the wind and the rain, slowly trudging forward. I had given up all hope of seeing the light after a storm; my only focus was on taking the next step.
And without warning, the clouds parted, the sun shone, and I was treated to dramatic view of the glacier-capped slopes of Mont Blanc.
Courmayeur
Italy
From Fall to Winter
It doesn't take much to bring winter to the mountains - a little of cold weather and moisture-laden winds, and the dramatic terrain of North Cascades gets covered with powdery white snow. But the unique geography of the Cascadian range can result in some remarkable sights such as this, where precipitation is directed to only one side of the valley.
I yearn for landscapes like this, where the fall splendor of the mountainous Pacific Northwest gets showcased in a unique way.
North Cascades National Park
WA USA
Forgotten Fall
The golden hues of last fall are a distant memory as winter sets in early in the Pacific Northwest. It has been barely a year since I had visited the this amazing region, exploring the rural countryside of New England, driving around rivers ensconced in forests, rolling hillscapes, petite pastoral communities and rustic farmland, in search of splashes of colors in nature.
White Mountains
NH USA
Jupiter Descending
Some nights are not meant for sleeping; they are meant for talking to the stars!
Ever since moving to the Pacific Northwest, the short summer has meant that observing a clear night sky at high altitude has been more challenging. So I treasure every I night I get to spend in the mountainous wilderness praying for a jeweled night sky.
Here, the setting Jupiter catches the icy summit of Rainier on a clear night in Mount Rainier National Park, while the glow from a fire lookout reminds me that I am not the only one enjoying this beautiful sky.
Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA