“Snow-capped Slioch” — Trees frame the snow-dusted summit of Slioch.
This photograph is an example of my policy of not knowing too much when I travel. It drives some people (hi, Patty!) crazy, but it does mean that I get to “discover” things before knowing that they are iconic. Almost two months after photographing this “random” impressive Scottish mountain I learned that it is well-known. The peak is Slioch — or “The Shield” — and a “munro,”* one of the peaks reaching over 3000′. I read that there is a well-known climbing route to its summit. Apparently, photographs of the peak have been used to represent this area of northern Scotland.
“Slioch and Loch Maree” — Snow-dusted peak of Slioch towers above Loch Maree.
The impressive, fortress-like mountain is Slioch, one of the Scottish peaks that reaches above 3000′. We passed by after driving south from Ullapool, Scotland, then cutting west toward Torridon and later heading to Applecross, on the coast looking westward toward the Isle of Skye. The route passes all sorts of beautiful country — coastal bays, long valleys, lochs, tall peaks.
“Fog and Forest, Pena Palace” — Fog and rain in the forest on the grounds of the Pena Palace, Portugal.
You would probably never guess by looking at this photograph, but it was made in a location where there were a lot of other people nearby. It looks like a lonely, fog-filled forest scene, but I made the photograph while walking along a paved path to the entrance of the Pena Palace. The Palace is a remarkable structure that sits on top of a ridge above the town of Sintra, Portugal, not far from Lisbon.
“Boulder Mountain Aspens, Evening” — Autumn aspen trees near Boulder Mountain, Utah.
I took me a while to figure out this location in Utah, along the edge of Boulder Mountain. Years ago we drove through here in the spring, and I was astonished by the huge aspen groves. I resolved to return in the autumn, and a few years later we did —timing our visit to synchronize with peak of California’s Eastern Sierra aspen color. It turns out that the color change earlier in Utah, and by the time we arrived the groves were past their peak.
