Impression Evergreen

Environmental Healing While we struggle to maintain some sense of normalcy, nature is thriving evidenced by cleaner air, clearer water, active wildlife and bountiful birds. This spring, trails leading into the backcountry are deserted so the environment is healing at a noticeably accelerated pace. Shackled by a strict quarantine, I spend my mornings traipsing through Elk Meadow with a camera slung over my shoulder before sheltering in place the rest of the day. The daily routine begins in a spacious meadow and expands gradually into a lively woodland. Some days are more photogenic than others but in general there has been a plethora of engaging creatures. Right at the forest’s edge is where most of the action occurs because the animals can easily withdraw into the nearby safe haven. Elk and mule deer graze out in the open on shoots of new grass while up in the ponderosa pine trees, red and Abert’s squirrels scamper from branch to branch. One morning I crossed paths with a cu

Phenomenal Light A long time ago at the outbreak of a confusing contagion, the foothills were pummeled by a big, spring snow. The morning after, Elk Meadow was interred in an arctic valley of ice. Dawn had broken clear and cold as the storm quickly dissipated, revealing the faint contour of Bergen Peak. Frosted pine decorated the hillside, windswept drifts choked the gulch and strong sunlight resulted in an effect of phenomenal light. The moody, gray sky was stubborn and it would not submit to the comfort of clarity for long. Foretelling desperate times ahead, the temperamental weather sullied the already dark mood. The restless clouds were constantly shifting shapes, creating an unsettled panoramic vignette that tempered any sense of optimism. They converged and closed back in, crushing a hopeful spirit while erasing the skyline from view. A second wave steam-rolled over the pass and we suffered the foreboding atmosphere in silence. Blue skies had made a brief appearance