Pre-Dawn blue, wonder lake, denali

Certain iconic images are worthy of a sheet of film. This image of Denali, also known as Mount McKinley) was more than worth the exposure. I captured this image on my first photography trip to Alaska. This experience was a life changer, and this image represents the scale of that experience well.

It is a well known fact that seeing the Denali, actually having it peak out from the clouds, is a rarity. So, you can imagine my joy when, after rolling out of my tent very early on this dark Fall morning and hiking the five miles, still in the dark, to my intended photo location, that the sky cleared. Looming mightily, 12,000 feet above my camera, was the majestic peak of Denali! What a thrill. The massive snow capped peak contrasting against the ice blue sky, Wonder Lake in the foreground.

Certain locations are iconic for a reason. This one is not easy to get to. Nor is the weather cooperative very often. This image is iconic because it is worth earning. The tallest peak in North America towers above an indescribably beautiful and still wild landscape. The depth of emotion felt in this place can only be equalled by the scale of the land here. This image represents the grandeur of the great American landscape. Enjoy the View!