Trail Camp at Sunrise

This is one of the more iconic views from the trip: the needles to the south of Mt. Whitney as seen from Trail Camp. We spent two nights at Trail Camp, which sits at an elevation of about 12,000 feet. It is as barren as the face of the moon and has a stark beauty about it that will stay with me always.

The sun rising on the needles is an amazing symphony of color. Even before the sun peeks up over the horizon, there is a warm, coral alpenglow. Then, as the light gets stronger, the color heats up to a fiery orange. When the sun is fully in the sky, the bright spires become the color of bleached bones that have lain in the sun for a million years.

Have you ever been somewhere that you know will remain etched in your memory forever? Where was it? Why were you there?

This painting is acrylic on canvas. It is 18" X 24".