Kevin Palmer

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  • This meadow with towering cliffs behind it is 2.5 miles in to the Penrose Trail. The pinnacles reminded me of those in the Black Hills.
    Penrose Cliffs
  • The milky way shines in the dark skies behind a cliff at Garden of the Gods, Illinois. I used a flashlight to light paint the cliffs from an angle, which created shadows and texture. The sky was a bit hazy which made the stars a little less clear.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: July 22, 2014
    Behind the Cliff
  • The snow-covered cliffs of Ten Sleep Canyon glow in the evening sunlight.
    Leigh Creek Cliff
  • On my way back from Yellowstone, I stopped at Four Dances Recreation Area, to shoot the sunset. Here cliffs rise up to 500 feet above the Yellowstone River. The best view is looking south, away from Billings.
    Four Dances Cliff
  • There were plenty of wildflowers blooming in the upper reaches of Tongue River Canyon.
    Lupine Cliffs
  • Inspiration Point is located in the Larue-Pine Hills in the far southern part of the state. Below the cliffs lies a marshy area that is part of the Mississippi River floodplain. In the distance the river itself can be seen, along with the hills of Missouri. The view can look different depending on the time of year and the water level. Even though the weather had been quite dry, a thunderstorm had just passed through a few hours earlier. The storm cleared the hazy air and seemed to make the colors even more vivid. Evening is the best time to visit this viewpoint as you can watch the sun set to the west and light up the cliffs and the wetlands below with a golden glow. At the bottom center of the photo you can see Snake Road. Twice a year this road is closed to vehicle traffic to allow the large population of snakes to migrate back and forth from the cliffs to the swamp.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: July 23, 2014
    Inspiration Point
  • On Thanksgiving I went for a hike up Layout Canyon on the east side of the Pryor Mountains. The trail ends at this interesting spring. Most of the Pryors are arid, but this place is an exception. Water gushes out of the side of the cliffs and flows over this mossy domed rock. The shady spring with a backdrop of sunlit cliffs made this a challenge to capture, it's a 5-shot HDR.
    Layout Springs
  • Vivid fall colors fill the valley of the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This state park preserves one of the largest areas of wilderness left in the Midwest The steep cliffs known as The Escarpment rises 500 feet above the Lake of the Clouds. It is a fitting name since I never did see this lake without a cloudy sky above it. On the other side of the cliffs is Lake Superior. It can just barely be seen in between two hills at the top of the picture. This picture was taken at the beginning of a 28 mile backpacking trip into the wilderness.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 9/30/14
    Escarpment View
  • Inspiration Point is located in the Larue-Pine Hills in the far southern part of the state. Below the cliffs lies a marshy area that is part of the Mississippi River floodplain. In the distance the river itself can be seen, along with the hills of Missouri. The view can look different depending on the time of year and the water level. Even though the weather had been quite dry, a thunderstorm had just passed through a few hours earlier. The storm cleared the hazy air and seemed to make the colors even more vivid. Evening is the best time to visit this viewpoint as you can watch the sun set to the west and light up the cliffs and the wetlands below with a golden glow.<br />
Date Taken: July 23, 2014
    Inspiration Point Panorama
  • In early September I spent some time exploring central Montana. One of my stops was Lost Lake, which I only discovered by accident. As it's name implies, the lake is hard to find and information about it is scarce. Among the rolling hills north of the Highwood Mountains you would never guess there's a lake hidden away here. It's not until you walk right up to the edge of the cliffs that you can see the water. According to geologists, this lake formed during the last ice age. An ice sheet dammed up an ancient channel of the Missouri River. When the water eventually broke through the blockage, the floodwaters formed massive waterfalls over these cliffs. I was standing on top of Dry Falls, where the flow would have once exceeded that of Niagara Falls. Now the flow is only a trickle, and the water hundreds of feet below is mostly stagnant with algae at the edges. Lost Lake is located on a private ranch, but the landowner allows access if you can find it.
    Pillar of Lost Lake
  • It rained most of the morning at my campsite on Lost Twin Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. The cold rain was at times accompanied by thunder and lightning, gusty winds, and graupel (snow pellets). Nearby waterfalls grew louder and the sound of a distant rock slide echoed across the lake. My plan of summiting Darton Peak would have to wait for another day. After the last rain shower, the clouds descended and obscured the highest peaks. I took this picture while enjoying a cup of hot coffee as the rain finally stopped. It's difficult to convey just how massive these cliffs are. The sheer granite walls rise 1-2 thousand feet above the lake. If you can see the white speck at the base of the cliff on the right, that is a tent. The top of this bowl-shaped valley, known as a cirque, was carved out by glaciers long ago.
    Clouds Descended
  • It rained most of the morning at my campsite on Lost Twin Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. The cold rain was at times accompanied by thunder and lightning, gusty winds, and graupel (snow pellets). Nearby waterfalls grew louder and the sound of a distant rock slide echoed across the lake. My plan of summiting Darton Peak would have to wait for another day. After the last rain shower, the clouds descended and obscured the highest peaks. I took this picture while enjoying a cup of hot coffee as the rain finally stopped. It's difficult to convey just how massive these cliffs are. The sheer granite walls rise 1-2 thousand feet above the lake. If you can see the white speck at the base of the cliff on the right, that is a tent. The top of this bowl-shaped valley, known as a cirque, was carved out by glaciers long ago.
    Clouds Descended B&W
  • The temperature was somewhere around 10 to 15 degrees below zero when I went for a hike besides Piney Creek in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains near Story. There were all kinds of interesting ice formations along the edge of the creek. Delicate frost feathers had formed on top of the clear layers of ice and all the boulders were simply lumps of snow. The water flows fast enough that I didn't see any parts of the creek that were frozen over completely. Standing above snowy trees at the entrance to the canyon is this colorful stained cliff. It doesn't see any sunlight until late afternoon.
    Piney Creek Cliff
  • I've been to Bighorn Canyon many times, but never the northern part near Fort Smith. So I took advantage of the warm weather and paid it a visit. This area is well known for it's exceptional fishing, but there are no hiking trails. That meant I had to find my own overlook. Starting near the Okabeh Marina, I headed up a ridge, squeezed in between scratchy sagebrush, and descended to the edge of a cliff. Wind whipped across the water far below while the scattered clouds began to glow after sunset. Bighorn Lake stretches 71 miles from Montana into Wyoming and was created in 1968 after the completion of the Yellowtail Dam. As beautiful as it is now, I can't help wondering what the canyon looked like before it was flooded.
    Cliff's Edge View
  • The Lost Twin Lakes are found at 10,300 feet  in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. A 6 mile hike from the West Tensleep Lake trailhead, it's the perfect spot for an overnight backpacking trip. The two lakes are in a glacial cirque surrounded by massive granite cliffs up to 2,000 feet high. This was a stitch of 6 pictures.
    Lost Twin Lake Panorama
  • Deep within a canyon in the southern foothills of the Bighorn Mountains is found the Outlaw Cave. This area is rich with Wild West history and legends. Only a few miles away is Hole In the Wall, where Butch Cassidy and his gang used to retreat after robbing trains and hustling cattle. There is evidence that at least some outlaws used this cave for shelter, as well as Native Americans before that. The cave is only the size of a large room, barely high enough to stand up in. But it is well hidden from the canyon rim, and the proximity to the river allows for great fishing - the leftover fish bones in the fire ring were proof of that. It took 2 visits before I was able to locate the cave, which is at the end of a steep trail that traverses cliffs above rushing rapids. The land here is just as wild today as it was in the 1800’s.
    Looking Out of Outlaw Cave
  • Every summer I try to climb at least one big mountain, and this time it was Darton Peak. It's one of the highest peaks in the Bighorns, and is very prominent from Highway 16 far below. With a goal of standing on the summit at sunrise, that meant a 3:30AM wake up time. But the bright moonlight helped illuminate my route as the stars faded out. The wind chill up here was in the lower 20's and fresh snow lingered from a couple days earlier despite it being August. Darton is typical of other peaks in the Bighorns and is covered with car-sized boulders. With towering cliffs on 2 sides, the long and rounded peak requires a 16 mile roundtrip hike, but I was able to camp at Lost Twin Lakes the night before. At an elevation of 12,275 feet, the air is only 63% of what it is at sea level. There's always something beautiful about the way the the light appears at high altitudes at the edge of day. It's amazing how the colors can seem both soft and intense at the same time.This view is looking south towards Bighorn Peak.
    Bighorn From Darton
  • Evening sunlight illuminates the cliffs of Sayle Canyon beyond a grove of aspen trees.
    Aspen Bark
  • The Lost Twin Lakes are found at 10,300 feet  in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. A 6 mile hike from the West Tensleep Lake trailhead, it's the perfect spot for an overnight backpacking trip. The two lakes are in a glacial cirque surrounded by massive granite cliffs up to 2,000 feet high. Treeline in the Bighorns is at about 10,500' feet so most of the trees were very short around the lake.
    Edge of Treeline
  • I liked the way Tongue River was reflecting the golden cliffs above. This canyon is always tricky to shoot because the sunlight disappears much sooner than I expect.
    A River Runs Through It
  • Layout Canyon in the Pryor Mountains is filled with towering cliffs like this one. I balanced the crescent moon on one of the pillars.
    Fortress of the Moon
  • The Lost Twin Lakes are found at 10,300 feet  in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. A 6 mile hike from the West Tensleep Lake trailhead, it's the perfect spot for an overnight backpacking trip. The two lakes are in a glacial cirque surrounded by massive granite cliffs up to 2,000 feet high. The light from the crescent moon was sparkling in the lake before it set. The planet Jupiter can also be seen just below the moon.
    Sparkling Lakeshore
  • The last sunlight of the evening shines on the cliffs north of Steamboat Point in the Bighorn Mountains.
    North of Steamboat
  • This was the first major snowfall of the season in northern Wyoming. Up to 12" fell in the valleys, with more in the higher elevations. I went to take pictures at one of my favorite places to hike, Tongue River Canyon. This deep canyon ascends into the northern Big Horn Mountains west of Dayton. The canyon looked stunning with snow clinging to the sheer cliffs and trees, and the river gurgling below. Above the walls are found interesting geological features likes arches, spires, and caves, one of which has over a mile of passages. I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it up the narrow gravel road which was unplowed, but it wasn't a problem with 4WD. Last time I was here I spotted a black bear running up the road, but I'm sure most of them are in hibernation by now.
    Snowy November Sunset
  • The Bighorns contain quite a few deep canyons with towering cliffs like this one. I've driven past this canyon near Lovell before but had never stopped and explored it. I knew based on the name alone that there would be lots of color this time of year. Cottonwood trees grow next to creeks and rivers in otherwise dry areas, and turn a brilliant gold in the fall. They get their name from the cotton-like fibers that are shed in the spring. The fibers contain the seed which gets spread in the wind, and can look like snow at times. In the distance the Bighorn River can be seen, with another stripe of golden cottonwoods beyond.
    Cottonwood Canyon Colors
  • Bar-C Road in Barnum, Wyoming passes between massive ranches flanked by red cliffs.
    Bar-C Road
  • I found this white horse along the side of the road in Barnum, Wyoming, with a backdrop of red cliffs.
    Barnum Horse
  • The views are spectacular from Inspiration Point. You can see the cliffs of the LaRue Pine Hills and the marshy area beneath. The sunset colors were reflecting on the still waters of the ponds below.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: July 23, 2014
    LaRue Pine Hills
  • Early morning sunlight lights up the cliffs in Canyonlands National Park. This view is from Dead Horse Point, looking south into the canyon formed by the Colorado River 2000 feet below. The juniper tree in the foreground is a tough plant that survives the dry heat and cold of the desert. It can take decades for it to grow to even this small size.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 11/6/2013
    Canyonlands Vista
  • While backpacking at Upper Crater Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness, I set my alarm so I could wake up and capture the milky way. But since the cliffs in the cirque were so high, I couldn't see much of the milky way.
    Alpine Midnight
  • Between the tiny village of Hellnar and Arnarstapi there is a path along the top of the sea cliffs. This was at the end of the trail overlooking Hellnar.
    To Hellnar and Back
  • It's difficult to find a village with a more beautiful view than that of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. Set in a deep valley in the Bernese Alps, the name of the town means "many fountains." There are said to be 72 waterfalls cascading over the sheer cliffs into the valley, and it seems the sound of falling water is never out of earshot. At the head of the valley is Grosshorn which was covered by a fresh snowfall the day before.
    Valley of 72 Waterfalls
  • It's difficult to find a village with a more beautiful view than that of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. Set in a deep valley in the Bernese Alps, the name of the town means "many fountains." There are said to be 72 waterfalls cascading over the sheer cliffs into the valley, and it seems the sound of falling water is never out of earshot. The largest waterfall is Staubbach Falls (on the right) and at 300 meters, it's one of the highest unbroken waterfalls in Europe. At the head of the valley is Grosshorn which was covered by a fresh snowfall the day before.
    Lauterbrunnen
  • At the end of June I returned to one of my favorite places: Bighorn Canyon. Located on the Wyoming-Montana border, this vast canyon ranges from 1,000 - 2,500 feet deep. The remote location and dry desert air makes it a great place for stargazing. But capturing a canyon on a dark night can be a challenge. In pictures they only appear as a dark void, since very little light makes it's way down between the steep walls. But on this night I had the assistance of the crescent moon just out of frame to the right. The moonlight was bright enough to light up the cliffs, but not bright enough to drown out the Milky Way. This natural arch is set back against a steep hillside, which meant there was really only one spot to place my camera. After a hot day, I heard several rockslides echo from down below. And while walking back to my car, I met a baby rattlesnake who was not too happy I was there.
    Window to the Universe
  • The warm sunlit cliffs of Tongue River Canyon contrasted with the cold river ice. It was a beautiful afternoon for a hike.
    Reflected Gold
  • The warm sunlit cliffs of Tongue River Canyon contrasted with the cold river ice. It was a beautiful afternoon for a hike.
    Path to Sunlight
  • Wind River Canyon is a scenic canyon just south of Thermopolis, Wyoming. The canyon cliffs are up to 2500 feet high. A railroad and Highway 20 pass through the canyon on either side of the river. This view is near the northern entrance of the canyon.
    Wind River Canyon Entrance
  • I woke up early to catch the sunrise at this overlook near Freeze Out Point. There weren't any colorful clouds, but the cliffs glowed gold.
    Cliffs Aglow
  • I've seen pictures taken from this arch above Bighorn Canyon, but I've never been able to locate it until now. And it's not too difficult to reach. Compositions are limited because of the way the arch is set against the cliff and you can't get very far back. Just as I started to leave, the sky unexpectedly took on a pink glow and I ran back to the arch to capture the color before it faded away.
    Bighorn Canyon Arch
  • The two brightest objects in the night sky appear side by side in front of the milky way in a rare alignment. Venus is the blue object, and the yellow object is the moon. Even though the moon was only an 8% crescent, it was brighter than Venus. The band of yellow along the horizon is from the last colors of twilight before it was completely dark. This incredible sky is framed over the Colorado River in Utah. The 2000 foot deep canyon is part of Canyonlands National Park. But this view was actually shot from the edge of a cliff at Dead Horse Point State Park.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 11/5/2013
    Canyon Alignment
  • The 60 meter tall Seljalandsfoss tumbles over a cliff in the evening sunlight.
    Mist in the Air
  • I witnessed about a dozen small avalanches off of the face of this cliff. Some of them were loud enough that the sound would thunder across the valley and I would hear it before I saw it. I waited along the shore of Elk Lake until I was able to get a clear shot of this avalanche.
    Beartooth Avalanche
  • Normally I'm not scared of heights, but Sullivan's Knob at Bighorn Canyon was not a place I could stay for very long. It is surrounded on 3 sides by a drop of 500+ feet down to the Bighorn River. It wouldn't have been as bad if it wasn't so windy. I didn't want to set up my tripod because it might have blown over. There were several of these tough little trees growing right on the edge of the precipitous cliff, bending in the wind.
    Precipitous Ledge
  • The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River thunders over a cliff as seen from almost a mile away. At 309 feet high, this waterfall is nearly twice the height of Niagara Falls. It is the largest waterfall in the Rocky Mountains by volume, although the flow rate was a lot less in September when this was taken. The 24-mile long Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone starts here and in some places is over 1,000 feet deep. The canyon walls consist of a volcanic rock called rhyolite, and display a wide variety of colors. Hot springs and other geothermal features are scattered throughout the canyon along the river. If you look closely you can see a viewing platform just above the falls to the right.
    Falls of the Yellowstone
  • While the aurora was still going strong I wandered down to Abisko Canyon to capture the lights here. There wasn't much space to set up my tripod next to the cliff's edge so I had to be careful. I shot a time lapse  as the aurora slowly faded away. Clouds would move in soon afterward, so I was glad the lights were so active early in the evening.
    Abisko Canyon Aurora
  • On previous visits to Yellowstone I've passed by this Calcite Springs overlook without stopping. But I knew I wanted to see it in the winter. Since the road here is closed it requires hiking a couple miles down the road. Sulfur gas emerges from the ground at the base of the cliff along the Yellowstone River.
    Calcite Springs
  • This scenic view is often mistaken for the Grand Canyon. It is actually Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah. It is the same Colorado River that carved this 2000 feet deep canyon that flows into Canyonlands National Park. As I stood on the edge of this cliff, I wondered how much of a push it would take to dislodge this boulder. It was perched right on the edge of a sheer 500+ foot drop.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 11/6/2013
    The Edge of Day
  • This halo stayed in the sky for most of the evening over the Icelandic village of Arnarstapi. The pyramid-shaped mountain is Stapafell, which is a lower peak of the glacier-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano behind it.
    The Halo of Arnarstapi
  • Cathedral Rock is locatred halfway up Bunsen Peak in Yellowstone National Park. Mammoth Hot Springs can be seen in the distance.
    Cathedral Rock
  • The snow was very deep on this part of the Abisko River near the top of the canyon in Swedish Lapland.
    Upper Abisko Canyon
  • There are no trails in this part of Bighorn Canyon, so I had to find my own overlook.
    Little Pine and Sagebrush
  • Yellow wildflowers bloom on the hillside above Lower Lost Twin Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness.
    Granite Wall Flowers
  • Before heading back, I wanted to make it to the Upper Lost Twin Lake. This was more difficult than I expected, since there was no trail, and I had to hop across boulders still wet from the morning storms. This was the view from the hill above the lower Lost Twin Lake.
    Taken for Granite
  • I've seen pictures of this arch at Bighorn Canyon before, and haven't been able to locate it. But after visiting a 3rd time, I finally found it. The arch frames an incredible view of what is sometimes called Montana's Grand Canyon. After waiting here until 9PM, I gave up on seeing any color in the sky. But before I could make it back to my car, an orange glow emerged in the west and pink clouds briefly overtook the sky. I hurried back to the arch to take this final picture. It always amazes me just how empty this place is. It's not unusual to see more wild horses than people. I had to drive very carefully back to the campground to avoid hitting the mustangs that were standing on the road in the dark.
    Through a Window
  • Morning sunlight illuminates an unnamed peak in Montana's Beartooth Mountains. This was the view I woke up to while camping in the East Rosebud Valley in Early May. In this mountain range are found dozens of glaciers, and the largest high elevation plateau in the US outside of Alaska. In the upper reaches of these steep slopes avalanche activity was high. A cornice, which is an overhang of snow caused by strong winds, can be seen on the upper right. Overnight the snow solidified as the temperatures cooled. But once the sunlight touched the snow and temperatures warmed, the snow became unstable and gave way. In my 10 mile hike through the wilderness I witnessed about 20 avalanches, most of them small. Sometimes I would hear them before I saw them, with the noise sounding like distant thunder. See below for a picture of one.
    Beartooth Mountain Majesty
  • The view was amazing from the High Park lookout tower shortly before sunset. This is the view looking north. Meadowlark Lake can be seen on the left. Bighorn Peak and Loaf Mountain are the prominent peaks on the right.
    North of High Park
  • Snow covers the granite summit of Black Mountain. The fire lookout can be seen perched at the top of the 9500 foot peak.
    Snowy Granite
  • Bighorn Canyon and the Pryor Mountains glow in the early morning light on Thanksgiving Day.
    Bighorn Canyon Sunrise
  • This was my view while I ate lunch on Cloud Peak, the highest point of the Bighorn Mountains. I timed this 25 mile long, 3 day backpacking trip with the hottest day of the year. While the temperature topped 100°F down in the valley, up here at 13,167 feet it was much more pleasant in the 60's. At this high elevation the boiling point of water is 25° cooler than at sea level. In the cirque 1500 feet below lies the Cloud Peak Glacier. It is the only glacier in the Bighorns and is predicted to be gone 20 years from now. As the compressed snow and ice slowly slides down the mountain slope, it grinds up the bedrock beneath it and forms a very fine silt called "rock flour". This flour becomes suspended in the glacial meltwater and gives the lake it's greenish-turquoise color that changes with the lighting conditions. In the hour I spent on the summit I heard the sound of numerous rockfalls. Some of them would cause a chain-reaction lasting a minute or longer.
    Top of the Bighorns
  • Just below my campsite in Little Horn Canyon I found this small tarn or pond. It was shallow with no inlets or outlets, and the water color was a beautiful emerald green. I went back after sunrise to catch the reflection of the sunlit peaks in the still water.
    Calm Green Water
  • This meadow below "Grandma's Mountain" is one of many scenic views along the Penrose Trail near the town of Story.
    Grandma's Mountain
  • This rainbow appeared above Yellowstone Falls seen from the brink.
    Rainbow at the Brink
  • Crater Lake is a beautiful lake found at 10,300' in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. Reaching it requires a steep off-trail climb. I found it interesting how the color of the lake turned to emerald but only from this viewpoint. It must have had something to do with the height and angle of the sun.
    Emerald Water
  • I came back to shoot these icefalls in Abisko Canyon again since the light was better than the day before.
    Icefalls of Abisko
  • In between the upper and lower Lost Twin Lakes, there is a waterfall. After raining all morning, the sun finally came out at 1PM.
    Top of the Cirque
  • I've seen pictures of this arch at Bighorn Canyon before, and haven't been able to locate it. But after visiting a 3rd time, I finally found it. The arch frames an incredible view of what is sometimes called Montana's Grand Canyon. After waiting here until 9PM, I gave up on seeing any color in the sky. But before I could make it back to my car, an orange glow emerged in the west and pink clouds briefly overtook the sky. I hurried back to the arch to take this final picture. It always amazes me just how empty this place is. It's not unusual to see more wild horses than people. I had to drive very carefully back to the campground to avoid hitting the mustangs that were standing on the road in the dark.
    Overarching
  • I was just about to leave the Devil Canyon Overlook because I thought the sunset was over. But then the sky suddenly started glowing to the west, and I shot this panorama.
    Bighorn Canyon Glow
  • This is the view from the edge of the road near Tower Fall. If I slipped here I probably wouldn't stop until I got down to the river.
    Basalt Canyon Wall
  • Most of the snow had melted in Tongue River Canyon, but some ice remained near the riverbanks. After the sun set, I setup my tripod on the edge of the ice to try a long exposure.
    Tongue River Ice
  • The Pryor Mountains of south central Montana are filled with many towering pinnacles and spires like this one. Last week was my first time hiking in this rarely visited mountain range, going up a deep canyon to the unique Layout Creek Spring. A herd of 160 wild horses live in these mountains, but I didn't see any this time. To get the sun ray effect I went off trail until I found the perfect position to partially obscure the sun behind the pinnacle. Using a smaller aperture produced an 18-point sunstar.
    Pinnacle of Perfection
  • Fresh snow at Tongue River Canyon reflects the deep blue twilight sky as day turns to night.
    Arch at Twilight
  • This is the kind of view that you can stare at all day. The Big Carp River flows through a colorful forest valley in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 9/30/14
    Valley of Color
  • While camping at Garden of the Gods, I watched a storm roll through at 8am. I would have liked to make a time lapse but the storm was just approaching too slowly. A proper shelf cloud never formed, it was mostly dark scud clouds that drifted across the sky. Once the rain started falling, and the lightning started striking nearby, I quickly made it back to my car where I waited out the storm.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: July 23, 2014
    Garden of Gods Storm
  • After studying a topo map of the Cloud Peak Wilderness, one lake in particular caught my eye. Upper Crater Lake has a perennial snowfield at the end and I knew there was a chance part of the lake could still be frozen. It was a challenging 12 mile hike to reach it, involving detours around blowdowns, plenty of stream crossings, and a steep off-trail scramble. Trees don't grow at this altitude 2 miles above sea level, and it was tough finding enough grass to pitch my tent. Relentless swarms of mosquitoes, blisters on my feet, and gear breaking all added to the adventure. When I first arrived the ice was on the far side of the lake. But just before sunset the wind shifted and blew these icebergs to where I could reach them.
    Icebergs in July
  • The beaches of Olympic National Park in northwest Washington are a special place. There are few stretches of coastline in the US that are this wild and undeveloped. Sea stacks dot the shoreline, some with trees growing on them. Many of the sea stacks are cut off at high tide, but can be reached at low tide. I spent the night on this beach, pitching my tent on the sand above the high-tide mark. Thick forests grow in the area, and rivers carry fallen trees out to sea. This leads to big piles of logs that have to be climbed over to reach most of the beaches. The sun didn't really set this evening. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, but the red sun disappeared early into the thick smoke. The next morning it felt like I woke up on a different beach since the marine layer came in and the fog hid all the sea stacks from view.
    Sea Stack Sunset
  • I always feel a a sense of urgency this time of year to capture the fall colors before they're gone. Tongue River Canyon is always a great place to hike, and one of the closest trails to where I live. It was extra beautiful on this warm October afternoon. A patch of sunlight came out for just a minute.
    Overcast Sun
  • For most of the evening the sun hid behind clouds. But finally just before sunset, golden sunbeams emerged and flooded the canyon with light. I shot the sunset from Desert View, on the east side of the South Rim. I thought this viewpoint was off the beaten path, away from the watchtower. But just out of the frame at the bottom someone had spoiled the view with graffiti.
    North of Desert View
  • For most of the evening the sun hid behind clouds. But finally just before sunset, golden sunbeams emerged and flooded the canyon with light. I shot the sunset from Desert View, on the east side of the South Rim.
    Between Sunbeams
  • A colorful sunset fills the western sky above the Grand Canyon as seen from Yavapai Point
    Orange Glow at Yavapai
  • From Skeleton Point there is a good view of some of the many switchbacks on the South Kaibab Trail. This trail is very steep with no shade or water.
    South Kaibab Switchbacks
  • The area around O'Neill Butte was especially beautiful in the early morning light. The weather was as nice as it could be, starting in the 20's before warming to 80°F as I descended to the bottom of Grand Canyon.
    O'Neill Butte Morning
  • I waited on this precarious ledge for the sun to come out one more time over Bighorn Canyon before setting. The light only lasted a couple minutes. I'm not sure what caused the 2 different colors mixing together in the river.
    Below the Edge
  • The Needle's Eye or Keyhole Arch stands above the entrance to Tongue River Canyon. The thin lingering clouds behind it lit up with a soft pink glow after sunset.
    Needle's Eye Sunset
  • In between the upper and lower Lost Twin Lakes, there is a waterfall. After raining all morning, the sun finally came out at 1PM.
    Lost Twin Falls
  • The dramatic walls of the Lost Twin Lakes stand tall above this alpine meadow.
    Approaching the Cirque
  • Rock Creek Vista is the first scenic overlook on the Beartooth Highway, located at 9,200 feet. Looking southwest, the U-shape of the valley carved by glaciers was obvious
    U-Shaped Valley
  • It was a cloudy morning at Scottsbluff National Monument. Towering 800 feet above the river valley, Scottsbluff is one of the most well known landmarks on the Oregon Trail.
    Descending Scottsbluff
  • It was a beautiful day for a hike in Shell Canyon. The fresh green foliage on the cottonwood trees was catching the sunlight.
    Shell Canyon Spring
  • After coming around a bend in the trail in Tongue River Canyon, the Keyhole Arch came into view with some colorful clouds behind it.
    Keyhole Arch Sunset
  • The Pinnacle Buttes tower 3,000 feet above the surrounding forest. The mountain is part of the Absaroka Range, just below Togwotee Pass east of the continental divide.
    Pinnacle Buttes
  • Highway 14 winds through Shell Canyon on the west side of the Bighorn Mountains.
    Shell Canyon Entrance
  • The sun sets behind two pillars at Garden of the Gods, Illinois. This part of the Shawnee Hills is filled with strange rock formations and extensive views of the surrounding forest.<br />
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Date Taken: July 22, 2014
    Two Pillars
  • Date Taken: July 22, 2014
    Garden of Gods Panorama
  • Thousands of stars forming the milky way galaxy are seen above a deep canyon in Utah. The Colorado River flows 2000 feet below the rim of Dead Horse Point into Canyonlands National Park. The bright light on the horizon is the planet Venus. There is no other object in the night sky brighter than Venus except for the moon. The clear weather, dry air, and dark skies make this area one of the best in the country for stargazing.<br />
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Date Taken: 11/5/2013
    Dark Chasm
  • From my campsite next to Upper Crater Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness I had an amazing view in both directions. This is looking down at Lower Crater Lake shorty after sunrise.
    Overlooking Crater Lake
  • At nearly 2 miles above sea level in the Cloud Peak Wilderness, there is not much soil to be found, it is mostly rock. But the wildflowers grow wherever they can in between boulders.
    Growing Between Boulders
  • After climbing a couple thousand feet I reached the summit of Darton Peak. A cold wind swept across the barren boulder field. It did not feel like August. The moon which had helped illuminate my route in the dark was overtaken by the light of the coming day. Lost Twin Lakes where I had started at 3:30AM now looked small far below. In the western sky, a vivid pink band of light known as the Belt of Venus could be seen. Below this is the curved (not flat) shadow of the Earth projected out onto the atmosphere. The shadow gets lower and lower until the sun finally crests the horizon. The rays are the shadow of clouds found on the opposite side of the sky. The Belt of Venus is visible on any clear morning or evening, but there’s perhaps no better place to see it than on a mountaintop. Despite the breathtaking view, it was a miserable morning. A bout of altitude sickness caused a pounding headache and made me lose my breakfast. And just when I started to feel better on the way out I stepped in a hidden hole and sprained my ankle. Next time I climb a 12,000' mountain I'll have to take it a lot slower.
    Rays of Pink
  • I've been to the Devil Canyon Overlook many times, but this time I wanted to get a different perspective from higher up. This view shows how precarious the overlook is, it's not a good idea to go beyond the railing. It also shows why Bighorn Canyon is one of my favorite places: it's almost always empty.
    Above Devil Canyon
  • Paradise Falls is a scenic waterfall in the northern Bighorn Mountains. There are no signs for the trailhead, and you won't find it on most maps, it's sort of a local secret.
    Beaver Creek Canyon
  • The afternoon sun shines above a snowy pillar along the Penrose Trail. It was a warm 60 degree day despite all the snow.
    Early Spring Sun
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