Kevin Palmer

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  • 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
  • Clouds swirl around Bighorn Peak before sunset as seen from the High Park lookout
    Bighorn Peak Panorama
  • This was the view above Mistymoon Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness on Friday night. After hiking past this spot on the first day of my backpacking trip, I knew I would have to pitch my tent here the second night. When storms rolled through around 6:30, I was beginning to doubt if there would be a good sunset. But then the sun broke through in the west. First the sunlight painted the lower slopes of Bomber Mountain a salmon hue, but then the colors intensified further. There's something magical about a sunset at 10,000 feet. The mountain got it's name after a B-17 bomber crashed there during World War II. The crash site wasn't found until after the war and the wreckage still remains today.
    Mistymoon Panorama
  • While climbing Ryan Mountain, I got a great view of a distant thunderstorm, along with shadows and sunlight. The road at the bottom is Park Boulevard.<br />
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Date Taken: August 20, 2014
    Ryan Mountain Panorama
  • Delicate Arch is the most famous landmark in Arches National Park. The 65 foot tall arch is depicted on Utah license plates and postage stamps. In the background you can see the snowcapped La Sal Mountains.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 11/7/2013
    Delicate Panorama
  • It was just me and a marmot on the summit of Burroughs Mountain admiring this view of Mount Rainier at sunset. The enormity of this mountain is humbling. Rainier is the most prominent peak in the lower US and the most glaciated containing rivers of ice up to 750 feet thick. This volcano is dormant, but not extinct, and it holds the potential for major destruction if it erupts. The greatest hazard wouldn't necessarily be a lava flow, but what's known as a "lahar." A lahar is a mud and debris flow caused by magma destabilizing the rock and rapidly melting snow and ice. These mudflows can travel many miles (as far as the Puget Sound) and signs in the campground warn visitors to head uphill in the event of an earthquake or a rumbling sound. After spending a week in Washington, this was the first sunset I saw that wasn't extremely smoky. It was a long hike back by headlamp, but the pictures were worth it.
    Rainier Sunset Panorama
  • There were no trails to this spot, but I knew if I could reach the top of the cliffs there would be a scenic view of the Powder River below. But I nearly got bit by a 4.5 foot long rattlesnake since I didn't see it sunning itself.
    Moorhead View Panorama
  • It was 17 miles completed, with 6 more to go on the longest hike I've ever done. It's hard to appreciate the size and depth of the Grand Canyon without seeing it from within. From many of the viewpoints along the rim, you can't even see the bottom because the canyon is so deep with many layers. The park service advises against hiking to the bottom and back in the same day, but it's not impossible with the right planning and preparation. And a dayhike was my only option since I lacked a backcountry permit. On my way back up the Bright Angel trail, I made a detour to Plateau Point, where I found this sweeping view of the Colorado River. The river flows 1400 feet below this point, while the rim rises 3-4 thousand feet above. The upper portion of the trail was the most brutal part with 35 switchbacks in the last 3 miles. The weather was as nice as it could have been, with the temperature swinging from the 20's to 80°F during the course of the day.
    Plateau Point Panorama
  • Several feet of dry powdery snow covered the ice at Sibley Lake. It was nearly 4AM on the longest night of the year and the crescent moon was lighting up the cold scene.
    Snowy Sibley Panorama
  • Pictured is a highly unusual weather event called a derecho. Derechos are a long-lived wind storm that may travel across multiple states and cause widespread damage. They occur a few times a year in the Midwest or Eastern US. What was unusual about this derecho is that it began in Utah at 9AM. Normally the Rockies disrupt organized storm systems, but this one had no problem plowing 750 miles all the way to North Dakota. Hundreds of wind reports ranged from 60 to 110 mph. I intercepted the squall line near the Wyoming/South Dakota border. The severe thunderstorm warning mentioned a storm motion of 100 mph which was a bit difficult to comprehend. I tried to make it to a mountaintop, but then had to go with plan B, which turned into plan C which was pretty much the side of a road off of I-90. The shelf cloud was very ominous. The air was notably calm and quiet just before it struck. One mountain after another vanished into the rain and dust. Then seconds later the wind was roaring and I couldn't even stand up straight.
    Beulah Derecho 3:1 Panorama
  • This was the 3rd time I've been to Chino Hills State Park and I've never seen it this green. Fresh snow on the mountains and clear air made for some great views. This was taken from the top of San Juan Hill.<br />
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Date Taken: February 24, 2015
    Chino Hills Panorama
  • 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
  • Clouds swirl around Loaf Mountain before sunset as seen from the High Park lookout.
    Loaf Mountain Panorama
  • Northern lights dance in the north and the zodiacal light shines in the east. This view was seen from the 6700 foot summit of Cougar Peak in Montana. This sky was untouched by light pollution, allowing the fainter stars and aurora to be visible. This 4 shot panorama covers a large portion of the sky.
    Aurora and Zodiacal Light
  • By 2AM the northern lights were not as bright as before, but they still pulsed and flickered in red and green over Devils Tower. Meanwhile the milky way began rising to the southeast in a giant arc. Near the base of the tower I found a cliff where I could see and capture everything in a panorama.
    Aurora Tower and Galaxy
  • At the end of October I had the the chance to spend a week in Alaska. I timed this trip with the arrival of a solar wind stream so the northern lights would be extra active. The sky only stayed clear for a couple hours on this night, but that was enough to see this bright ‘aurora rainbow.’ Only by shooting a panorama with my widest lens could I capture all of it. Most of the lakes and wetlands around Fairbanks had these bubbles in them. They are made of methane gas suspended in the ice. Just 30-40 cm underground is the permafrost, which normally stays frozen year round. But as the Arctic warms and the permafrost thaws, the decaying plant matter (also known as peat) releases methane into the atmosphere. During the summer this gas is invisible. But for a short time after the water freezes and before it gets covered with snow, these frozen bubbles are visible. Many area lakes have such a high concentration of methane that it’s actually possible to pop these bubbles and light them on fire.
    Rainbow of Aurora
  • The last sunrise of 2016 covers the Teton Mountains in a golden glow while strong winds gust around the peaks. This is a 100 megapixel panorama and is suitable for large prints.
    Last First Light
  • 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
  • Colorful wildflowers cover the desert floor in Anza Borrego Desert State Park. I was on my way to Panorama Outlook which is the short hill on the left.
    Borrego Bloom
  • When I passed by this overlook of Seminoe Reservoir earlier in the evening I knew I had to return at midnight. As the milky way first rises it forms a huge arch from the northeast to southeastern sky. The only way to capture it all is by shooting a panorama with my widest lens. Stripes of green airglow crossed the sky and the yellow glow is light pollution from the Denver suburbs 150 miles away.
    Midnight Arch
  • I wasn't expecting to see such a scene on this day, since the storm chances were low. But once I heard the thunder rumbling at 11am, I quickly left the house. After driving southeast I let the storm overtake me near the town of Kenney, and shot this panorama shortly before it started raining.  This time of year the corn is often 8 feet tall which restricts the view of approaching storms. I have to look for somewhere else to shoot such as this field of soybeans.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: July 14, 2014
    Kenney Thunderstorm
  • As the sun rose behind me, the nearly full moon set in front of me. This panorama was shot at the Snake River overlook in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Ansel Adams took one of his most popular photos at this same spot.
    Teton Moon Cropped
  • By 2AM most visitors had left the park. Coyotes quieted down as the temperature fell into the mid 20’s and frost appeared on the grass. Clouds were still keeping their distance. The moon had set hours ago. The northern lights had dimmed since their peak at 10pm. But the night was not over. In the southeast the core of the Milky Way galaxy was just peeking over the horizon. It formed a huge band that arced to the northeast, where it was drowned out by the gently pulsing green and red aurora. With fresh batteries in my headlamp, I climbed up to a cliff marked on my map. From this viewpoint I could capture the entire scene in a panorama, with Devils Tower in the middle. Below could be seen the meandering Belle Fourche River with the Bear Lodge Mountains beyond. The Milky Way first returned from its winter slumber a couple months ago. But I like to wait until this time of year to see it because it’s easier to stay up. These rare views are the reason I will always be a night owl.
    Aurora Tower and Galaxy
  • A lenticular cloud hangs above Hesse Mountain at 3AM as seen from Powder River Pass. Lenticular clouds are sculpted by the wind and form repeatedly over the same area, usually a mountain peak. In the upper right of this panorama is Jupiter, with the bright star Vega on the top left.
    Hesse Mountain Lenticular
  • As the sun rose behind me, the nearly full moon set in front of me. This panorama was shot at the Snake River overlook in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Ansel Adams took one of his most popular photos at this same spot.
    Teton Moon
  • The more well known Horseshoe Bend is in Arizona. But Bighorn Canyon has a horseshoe bend as well. This view is near the end of the Stateline Trail just barely in Montana. This is a 7-shot panorama.
    Montana's Horseshoe Bend
  • Golden larch trees dot the mountainside below Lolo Peak. As the sunset, a lenticular cloud turned bright pink on the right side of this panorama.
    Lolo Peak
  • Pictured is a highly unusual weather event called a derecho. Derechos are a long-lived wind storm that may travel across multiple states and cause widespread damage. They occur a few times a year in the Midwest or Eastern US. What was unusual about this derecho is that it began in Utah at 9AM. Normally the Rockies disrupt organized storm systems, but this one had no problem plowing 750 miles all the way to North Dakota. Hundreds of wind reports ranged from 60 to 110 mph. I intercepted the squall line near the Wyoming/South Dakota border. The severe thunderstorm warning mentioned a storm motion of 100 mph which was a bit difficult to comprehend. I tried to make it to a mountaintop, but then had to go with plan B, which turned into plan C which was pretty much the side of a road off of I-90. The shelf cloud was very ominous. The air was notably calm and quiet just before it struck. One mountain after another vanished into the rain and dust. Then seconds later the wind was roaring and I couldn't even stand up straight.
    Beulah Derecho 2:1 Panorama
  • At 1AM the aurora spread out and filled almost the entire sky above southern Iceland, while the moon illuminated the landscape.
    Green Skies at Night
  • The courthouse towers are a large rock formation in the middle of Arches National Park. The three spires on the right are known as the "Three Gossips". The early morning light gave the scene more depth and even brighter colors.
    Courthouse Towers
  • The last hour of hiking had been pure misery. Head down, one foot in front of the other, wondering if I’d ever dry out. Rain jackets, pack covers, waterproof boots all have their limits. Unless the rain is light or brief, eventually water will soak through. Hiding under a boulder did not work as the wind changed direction. The views I had enjoyed on my way up to the Grinnell Glacier had vanished, and the trail was now a stream. But suddenly the light began to brighten behind me. Sunlight made its way across the turquoise lake and spilled across the landscape. I hurried to get around a bend in the trail to prepare for the inevitable. It was one of the brightest rainbows I’ve ever seen. This type of rainbow is really only possible in the mountains. Since the height of the sun was still over 42°, the rainbow was below the horizon. But because I was at a higher elevation looking down the valley, it was visible. This was the only longer trail I had time for during a brief visit to Glacier National Park. Sometimes it’s the miserable hikes that are most memorable.
    Grinnell Valley Rainbow
  • A rain squall approaches Peoria, Illinois. The heavy rain was close, but it never actually fell where I was shooting from. The top of a bluff in East Peoria provided a perfect view to the west of this storm.<br />
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Date Taken: June 18, 2014
    Peoria Rain Squall
  • Bald Knob in Missouri is a great place to go backpacking and watch the sunset. Most of the area is a thick forest, with no view. But once you reach this glade, there is a beautiful view of the Belleview Valley below.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: May 5, 2014
    Belleview Valley Sunset
  • The 290 foot long landscape arch is the longest in the world. But it is also very fragile and could collapse at any time. In the 1990's the arch lost 3 large chunks one at a time. The trail you see in the picture has been off limits for over 20 years because of the danger from rock falls.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 11/7/2013
    Landscape Arch
  • 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 part of the Missouri Ozarks has very dark skies that allow for a stunning view of the milky way. The thick forests can make it hard to find a clear view. But the top of Bald Knob was the perfect place to spend the night and see the stars above the small town of Belleview in the valley below.<br />
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Date Taken: May 6, 2014
    Belleview Milky Way
  • Every day this peak is the last to see the sun in Southern California, and the first to see it rise. San Gorgonio Mountain stands 11,500' above the deserts and valleys. At this elevation the trees are stunted, and deep winter snows occasionally last through the summer. Growing up underneath it, climbing to the top has long been a goal of mine. But doing the long 19-mile trail as a dayhike would have put me on the summit during the worst time of day for photography. Camping at the top instead let me experience sunset, the stars, and sunrise. But it came at a cost of having to carry a much heavier pack more than a vertical mile upward.<br />
One of the best parts of being on a summit at the edge of day is watching the shadow of the mountain. This shadow is almost always triangular, regardless of the shape of the peak. A perspective effect makes the light rays appear to converge at the antisolar point. The haze and smoke in the lower atmosphere only amplified this effect. The mountain fully in sunlight on the right is San Jacinto Peak, which towers 10,000 feet above Palm Springs. The evening was calm enough. But towards morning the wind picked up to gale force, breaking my tent and robbing me of sleep.
    The Long Shadow
  • After climbing one of the highest hills near Moorhead, this is the view I found looking north. Although Western Montana gets most of the attention when it comes to natural beauty, the eastern part of the state has some very scenic areas as well.
    Wilds of Southeast Montana
  • The views from Highland Park in the Cloud Peak Wilderness were even more beautiful at sunrise than they were at sunset. Dozens of elk were grazing in the meadow below while alpenglow touched the highest peaks. This might just be my favorite campsite I've ever found while backpacking.
    Highland Park Campsite
  • 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
  • In the middle of the Mojave National Preserve lies the Cima Volcanic Field. The field covers almost 60 square miles and contains 40 cinder cones. The cinder cones vary in size, but the one pictured is the tallest. This would have been an amazing sight to see when the volcanoes were erupting.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 1/31/14
    Cinder Cones
  • The snowcapped La Sal Mountains form an incredible backdrop for all the red rock formations in Arches National Park. This was taken after sunset while there was still a soft glow in the west to light up these formations known as fins.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 11/6/2013
    La Sal Mountains
  • The milky way looked stunning at Lily Lake, Idaho. The stars were extra clear because there was no light pollution at all, the weather was perfect, the moon was out of the way, and this was at a higher elevation. The purple spot at the top is known as the North America nebula. The 3 brightest stars in this picture form the summer triangle.
    Lily Lake Milky Way
  • This is only a fraction of the large herd of elk that winters at the National Elk Refuge in Jackson.
    Uncountable Elk
  • This storm was at my heels, but I had to make a quick stop for this view near Whitewood before getting on I-90. A tornado warning was issued a few minutes later.
    Acorn Ridge Road
  • From left to right is Cloud Peak, Bomber Mountain, Mistymoon Lake, Florence Pass, and Lake Marion. This was a much different view with all the snow and ice compared to the last time I saw it in July.
    Overlooking Mistymoon
  • In the desert within Mojave National Preserve you can find some of the darkest skies in Southern California. It was dark enough to see the zodiacal light, which was visible 2 hours after sunset in the west. The light is made up of dust particles within our solar system illuminated by the sun. Beneath the ghostly light you can see evidence of light pollution from cities to the west.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 1/30/14
    Mojave Zodiacal Light
  • In the middle of September, Yellowstone received its first snowfall of the season. The next morning, this herd of buffalo was found grazing in the Hayden Valley. This valley, which is located in between Yellowstone Lake and the falls, is a popular place to view wildlife.
    Hayden Valley
  • At 5am fog was slowly rising from the Rock River after an unseasonably cool night. Once the sun rose, it cast a warm glow across the river valley. This was taken at Castle Rock State Park, which sits on a 100 foot high bluff near Oregon, IL.<br />
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Date Taken: July 11, 2014
    Rock River Dawn
  • Sunset Shelf Panorama
  • An ominous looking shelf cloud approaches an old abandoned house near McLean, Illinois.<br />
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Date Taken: June 21, 2014
    Approaching Shelf Panorama
  • Date Taken: July 22, 2014
    Garden of Gods Panorama
  • At 1:30AM the milky way was rising and formed a giant arch in the sky. Airglow turned parts of the sky green. I needed a 7-shot panorama (with plenty of overlap) to capture it all.
    Arching Milky Way
  • Northern lights dance in the north and the zodiacal light shines in the east. This view was seen from the 6700 foot summit of Cougar Peak in Montana. This sky was untouched by light pollution, allowing the fainter stars and aurora to be visible. This 4 shot panorama covers a large portion of the sky.
    Aurora Zodiacal Light 2:1
  • As the sun rose behind me, the nearly full moon set in front of me. This panorama was shot at the Snake River overlook in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Ansel Adams took one of his most popular photos at this same spot.
    Teton Moon B&W
  • A soft pink glow hangs in the east as seen from Telescope Peak, the top of Death Valley National Park. The views from this 11,049 feet high mountain are outstanding. Nowhere else can you see both the highest and the lowest point in the continental US. On the upper slopes of the Panamint Range grow bristlecone pines, a tree with a lifespan measured in millennia. The pink glow in the sky is known as the Belt of Venus, and it's caused by the backscattering of reddened light from the setting sun. The blue band beneath it is the shadow of the earth projected out onto the earth's atmosphere. If I had taken a panorama you could see that this shadow is curved, matching the curvature of the earth. This phenomena can be seen on any clear evening in the east after the sun sets (or in the west before the sun rises). But the colors were especially vivid here, above all the dust and aerosols in the lower atmosphere. I wanted to stay on the summit to watch the stars come out, but I still had to hike 8 miles and descend 3600 feet to get back to the Thorndike Campground where I started.
    Highest to Lowest
  • In mid-September I went backpacking at Crystal Lake. This small lake is located at the edge of treeline at nearly 10,000 feet in the Bighorn Mountains. It was a chilly night with frost forming on my tent immediately after sunset. But soon after that the full moon began to rise out of sight to the east, illuminating the peaks to the west. Across the lake a waterfall tumbled down the cliffs and an early snow lingered above a rockfall of massive boulders. I left my wider lens behind, so I had to shoot a panorama to capture everything.
    Crystal Clear
  • Shining Cloud Falls is not an easy waterfall to get to. You can see it in the distance in the canyon below. But you have to make your way down a very steep hillside to get down to it. It's especially difficult while wearing a 40 pound backpack. But once you get down to it, there is a rock ledge that lets you move around easily enough to capture it at different angles. This is a panorama since it was shot at close range and I wanted to include the entire waterfall.<br />
<br />
Date Taken: 9/30/14
    Shining Cloud Falls
  • It didn't appear there would be any color at sunset, but then this lenticular cloud formed above Elk Lake in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. The cloud took on a fiery glow, giving the entire landscape a soft orange color as I hopped from rock to rock trying to find the perfect reflection. A lenticular cloud is nearly stationary and is formed by strong winds after encountering an obstacle like a mountain peak. It was calm at the moment, but the winds would soon descend and rage for most of the night. My tent was flattened and I was forced to relocate it to a more sheltered area. Ice was pushed across the lake and piled up. The shore would look very different in the morning. This is a 6 shot panorama.
    Elk Lake Sunset