There's something about mountains that makes us feel a special way. Whether we hike on them, climb their rock cliffs, or admire them in a photo from an armchair, we love mountains. I try to capture them in photos in ways that show them in all their glory for everyone to enjoy.
DSC1305 - MOUNTAINS ALONG THE RICHARDSON HIGHWAY NEAR VALDEZ, ALASKA: Driving along the Richardson Highway on the way to Valdez, there are magnificent views across the Lowe River. On this day, the clouds and fog created an incredibly beautiful vista.
22 / 39 DSC9191 - NEAR KACHEMAK BAY HOMER, ALASKA Outside of Homer, Alaska, I found this field with bales of hay, with a backdrop of late season autumn foliage and snow capped mountains.
DSC1546 FOGGY VISTA AT THE LOWE RIVER VALDEZ ALASKA: Near Valdez, just off the Richardson Highway, I found this spot by the Lowe River. Wow, it was beautiful, with the river slowly flowing, the misty fog hovering over it, and the massive mountain peaks shrouded in clouds in the distance.
DSC9232 - A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF THE MOUNTAINS WEST OF HOMER, ALASKA On a roadway high above Homer, Alaska, there's a viewpoint overlooking Cook Inlet and the mountains beyond. It's easy for the mind to wander and thinking about the hundreds of miles of wilderness further to the west on the other side of those mountains.
37 / 39 DSC1676 SCENIC LAKE ALONG THE RICHARDSON HIGHWAY ALASKA: This small lake was by a campground where I stayed for a couple nights on this trip to south-central Alaska. In the morning, the water was still, and the clouds made a slight view of the distant peaks possible. Talk about a photogenic scene!!
20 / 39 DSC4429 - MOUNTAINS AND CLOUDS VIEW IN JOHN MUIR WILDERNESS ABOVE CONVICT LAKE I came across this unusual scene while backpacking in the John Muir Wilderness in the eastern Sierra. I was above treeline, and the stark rocky slopes formed a dip through which I could see the White Mountains on the eastern side of the Owens Valley. The layer of clouds above helped form a window.
DSC1753 WORTHINGTON GLACIER RICHARDSON HIGHWAY ALASKA: The Richardson Highway runs past the Worthington Glacier. This rather famous view is even more spectacular in person!
19 / 39 DSC4437 - BACKCOUNTRY VIEW IN JOHN MUIR WILDERNESS Here you'll see some rugged terrain in the John Muir Wilderness in the Sierra. The dark clouds over the lake created a dramatic effect.
35 / 39 DSC3056 - GRANITE WALL IN YOSEMITE VALLEY: This shot near the base of Half Dome in Yosemite captures the massive granite slabs, positioned at opposing angles, creating a bit of drama in an otherwise simple scene.
DSC1761 RICHARDSON HIGHWAY ALASKA: Here the highway passes through dense forest, with steep mountain peaks towering ahead.
DSC4519 - MOUNTAIN SHOWERS IN JOHN MUIR WILDERNESS On this hike, the clouds dumped water on the mountains while clear blue sky was visible in the distance. Fortunately for me, the rain stayed over by those mountains, and didn't get to my location.
DSC3070 - ALTERNATE VIEW OF HALF DOME IN YOSEMITE: One might not think of this as Half Dome in Yosemite, but it is :). It's a few from a different angle than the typical shots. The evening light created a nice glow on the granite.
DSC0121 STRIPES OF LIGHT ON THE DESERT - FROM GREAT BASIN NATIONAL PARK NEVADA I captured this scene from one of the roads up into the higher portion of Great Basin National Park. The sun was setting, creating long shadows across the desert landscape and distant mountains. The billowing clouds were a bonus :-).
DSC3787 - EVENING LIGHT IN JOHN MUIR WILDERNESS HIGH COUNTRY: While on a backpacking trip in the John Muir Wilderness in the eastern Sierra, I hiked up to this area from my campsite. The sun was setting behind the mountains, lighting up the clouds overhead. It was peaceful, and a beautiful place to be.
DSC4575 - BACKCOUNTRY VIEW IN JOHN MUIR WILDERNESS This spot provided a great view to the north from where I was hiking in the eastern Sierra in California. It was a picture perfect day, with good weather yet just enough clouds to make the sky interesting.
DSC9511 - MOUNTAIN PEAK SHROUDED BY CLOUDS ALONG THE SEWARD HIGHWAY, ALASKA From a viewpoint along the Seward Highway on a rainy day, the clouds parted, providing a glimpse of this rocky peak.
DSC1842 - MOUNTAINS AND A GLACIER, SHROUDED IN CLOUDS, AS SEEN FROM THE GLENN HIGHWAY, ALASKA: This is a more close-up view of the shot in DSC-1843 elsewhere in this gallery. It provides a birds eye view of the snow-capped mountains, and the glacier, all capped with various layers of clouds.
DSC4651 - AUTUMN COLORS ALONG A FOUR WHEEL DRIVE ROAD IN THE EASTERN SIERRA This area in the eastern Sierra has a four wheel drive road to a lake high up between the mountains. I was here during the Autumn, and enjoyed the colorful foliage blanketing the slopes.
DSC1843 - DSC1842 - MOUNTAINS AND A GLACIER, SHROUDED IN CLOUDS, AS SEEN FROM THE GLENN HIGHWAY, ALASKA: This is a broader view of the shot in DSC-1842 elsewhere in this gallery. It gives a perspective of the glacier and snow capped mountains in the distance, with the treed terrain in the foreground.
DSC9652 MOUNTAIN SUMMIT BY PORTAGE LAKE, ALASKA At a roadside recreation area by Portage Lake, one can observe towering mountain peaks. This one, with the clouds blowing over the top, created a dramatic view.
_DSC4290 EASTERN SIERRA SUNRISE: Early Morning Light, view from a valley in the John Muir Wilderness, California. I arose early to capture this and several other shots, and was rewarded with the array of colors from the morning light shining on the distant mountains.
DSC9661 - SNOWY MOUNTAINS BY PORTAGE LAKE, ALASKA High above Portage Lake, I could see the wind blowing the snow & clouds across the mountains. It looked cold!
DSC9098 - MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS TOWER GIRDWOOD ALASKA: Girdwood is in a beautiful location overlooking the waterways of Turnagain Arm. Not far away there are mountain peaks towering over the landscape.
DSC9703 - OVERLOOKING PASSAGE CANAL IN WHITTIER, ALASKA From a small road above the town of Whittier, one can see the beautiful Passage Canal, bordered by snowy peaks.
DSC4354 SUN THRU CLOUDS AT MONO LAKE: While in the Mono Lake area in California to prepare for a backpacking trip the next day, I explored this road near the lake. The late afternoon clouds parted and these beautiful rays of light illuminated the mountains.
DSC0363 AT THE SUMMIT WHEELER PEAK NEVADA After (what seemed like) a long hike up to the summit of 13,064' Wheeler Peak, I had views of the open landscape in all directions. This view is from the summit area.
DSC9108-MOUNTAIN-VIEW-ALONG-SEWARD-HIGHWAY-ALASKA: The Seward Highway is one of the most scenic roadways anywhere. In this spot, the road curves among towering peaks, creating a beautiful sight.
9 / 39 DSC5849-HALF-DOME-EVENING-LIGHT-YOSEMITE-NATIONAL-PARK-CALIFORNIA This is a close-up shot of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park shows the dome aglow in orange due to the colorful sunset lighting up the clouds.
24 / 39 DSC4363 SUNSET AT MONO LAKE, CALIFORNIA: This shot shows some beautiful evening light causing the clouds and the lake to glow. The foreground is dominated by tufa along the lake shore.
DSC9778 MOUNTAIN VIEW TURNAGAIN ARM, ALASKA The Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm provides a steady stream of scenic vistas. This one shows the rocky coastline and the snow & clouds on the mountains across the bay.
DSC9111 MOUNTAIN VIEW ALONG THE SEWARD HIGHWAY, KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA: Similar to DSC9108 elsewhere in this gallery, this scene shows a spot on the Seward Highway where the roadway snakes among the towering peaks. There are scenic vistas at every turn.
6 / 39 EASTERN-SIERRA-SCREE-SLOPE-MONO-LAKE_Z6Z2971 This view is from a trail high up on the Eastern Sierra. The wide scree slope adds drama in the foreground, while part of the famous Mono Lake is visible in the background. Rocky cliffs towered over the canyon through which I hiked.
EVENING-LIGHT-ON-HIGH-SIERRA-SONORA-PASS-DJI_0469-HDR Shot from the air in a position impossible to see from the ground, this image shows the colorful terrain of a volcanic region of the high Sierra. The sun was setting & lit up the area with a glow.
TUOLUMNE-COUNTY-SIERRA-FOOTHILLS-COLORFUL-EVENING-LIGHT-_DSC4222 While out exploring the forest not far from my home, I came across an overlook. I make some photos, and waited for sunset. I continued shooting, as the light and colors were phenomenal, at least a half hour past sunset. This was a scene to remember!
EVENING-LIGHT-OVER-THE-FOOTHILLS-DJI_0919 Just above tree level, and just as the sun was setting, I was able to capture this stunning vista. The light cast over the trees and distant mountains created an amazing glow.