Ramparts Aglow - a photo on Flickriver

Ramparts Aglow

            2022-09-02, Day 7
A dark band of spruce and fir patiently waits for the day's first rays of sun to descend from the glowing ramparts of Mount Machray (9,019 ft; 2,749 m), Jasper National Park, Alberta.

The previous evening wove a tapestry of color over the mountain, and then the clouds vanished to reveal millions of stars with the galaxy curling its bright arc over the horizon. Eventually we shook the dew from our sleeping bags and found our way to the tent, which was nestled in a little patch of meadow and surrounded on two sides by thick trees. I removed my wet shoes and discovered that the abuse to which I had subjected them over the past few days had imbued their very soles with wailing spirits and a less than delightful scent. I removed them carefully, placed them under the half-open vestibule, changed into my clean sleeping socks, and lay back into the enveloping goose down and abundant darkness. I set my alarm for 30 min before sunrise, hoping for some sort of mountain light trifecta on the morrow.

I awoke in the pre-dawn light, extricated myself from my sleeping bag, grabbed my headlamp, and began searching for my poor despairing footwear. I was more than a little disconcerted when a thorough scan of the half-open vestibule revealed exactly zero hiking shoes. My mind immediately panicked, focusing sharply on the 30 miles of backcountry separating me from the trailhead. Where could they be? What animal could have picked up one my heavy hiking shoes a mere 18" from my head as I slept and moved them off to who knows where? I crawled out of the tent and was somewhat relieved to find one of my hiking shoes several feet away. And now the second one? Continued fraught searching eventually revealed my other hiking shoe, dragged several feet into the thick trees on one side of the tent. My body flooded with relief.

Shod at last, I found my camera and made my way down to the meadow where we cooked and lay out under the stars on the previous night. The morning was clear and cloudless, and the cool air that filled the valley did not move. I sat on a rock waiting for the sun, thinking of shoe-thieving animals in the night, and of the wisdom of brewing a cup of coffee once the sun finished painting the cliffs with sunrise light.

Taken in: Canada / Alberta / Geikie (show map)

Taken on: September 2, 2022

Tags:

Alberta

Asteraceae

Jasper

Jasper National Park

Landscape

Mount Machray

National Park

Northern Rockies

Rocky Mountains

alpenglow

alpine

asters

backpacking

crepuscular

crepuscular light

fir

flower

flowers

glacier

high country

high elevation

ice

magic hour

meadow

morning

morning light

mountains

reflection

spruce

subalpine

sunrise

wilderness

wildflower

wildflowers « less

Sets appears in: • Crepuscular Light • Mountains and Sky more » • Northern Rockies « less

Groups appears in: • The Light Fantastic • Mountains more » • Landscape photography • Landscape Exploration • The Nature Conservancy • Landscapes!!! • Rocky Mountains Landscape & Wildlife Photos • Landscape Beauty ! • ☯ la quinta essenza ☯ • * Sunsets & Sunrises * NOT B&W Photos • A NATIONAL PARK • Mountains and Forests of the U.S. and Canada • My favourite Photographers • ☆The Power of Now / Die Kraft der Gegenwart ☆ « less

Camera: Nikon Z 6, f/11.0, 1/25 sec, 29.5mm (=29mm), ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon Z 6
Lens:	NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S
Aperture:	f/11.0
Exposure Time:	0.04 sec (1/25)
Focal Length:	29.5mm (35mm equivalent: 29mm)
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Manual
Exposure Mode:	Manual
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 12.5 (Macintosh)
Show full info

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