These shots from a climb of Mt. Olympus in WA aren't my most esthetically pleasing of the year - but they hold the deepest meaning and memory - which is also a large part of why I take pictures. The mid-day light in most of them isn't anything special, but the air was clear of the wildfire smoke that smudged the skys in mid-summer. To save weight I brought my Sony RX100 V instead of my A7rII.
My partner had boot problems so he couldn't accompany me on the final summit climb after 2 days of hiking in. On this perfect September day I was the only person on the mountain, so I knew I couldn't make any mistakes. I relied on almost 50 years of experience to heighten my awareness and focus on everything I did. This
meditation in action is the
high I seek in the mountains (and my photography). The final technical summit pitch upped the ante another notch, but I worked it out carefully, which put a nice icing on the cake.
Approach hike up Hoh River Valley
Crossing the bare ice of the Blue Glacier
Looking up final pitch to the summit - moderate by modern climbing standards, but very exposed.
Summit Pano
Looking down on the Rappel off the summit