June: Presidential Range Perch, New Hampshire

The Presidential Range in the White Mountain of New Hampshire is home to 6288' Mount Washington and "the World's Worst Weather." It certainly has its iconing spots, but this view of Castle Ravine on Mount Jefferson isn't one of them. Once while hiking, I noticed this perch on the opposite side of the ravine. I looked at my map and realized it would get painted beautifully with alpenglow around the summer equinox when the sun sets in the northwest (yes the sun changes angle throughout the year and doesn't always rise and set due east or west). I used no apps, no previous social media image, no drone. I just simply imagined what it would be like to hike up, roam the range, settle into this spot for hours to watch the sunset, and crawl into my sleeping bag (at a legal site nearby but not there) while listening to the sounds of the night take hold in the mountains. Actually doing it was the fulfillment of imagination. This is one of the most rewarding parts of backcountry nature photography.
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