The Path Back

Lake Arnold Trail, Adirondacks
_RP1431012.
Sometimes you hit one these days, after a few snow qualls have come through, and coated the forest with a nice frosting, then dissipated to blue skies and retreating clouds. I had spent more time than anticipated on Mt Colden, basking in sunlight on the ice encrusted peak. After several stops at vantage points coming down, it was now late afternoon and the trail was colder, in the shadow of a ridge here. Ahead of me the light seemed to gather against the far wall of mountains, and a promise of an opening in the woods. I almost hated to stop and set up here, when it seemed like it was all happening up ahead. The show of light on peaks and through forest would tease me all the way back, the contrast mostly too difficult to capture especially as shadows grew longer and urged me to the trailhead in hopes of beating sundown to an open field.

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Filename: The Path Back_RP1431012.jpg
Image Size: 4096x2719 / 10.5MB; landscape landscape photography Adirondacks Adirondack Mountains High Peaks Wilderness NY New York Ray Palmer winter The Path Back trail forest sundown Lake Arnold Trail Mount Colden snowshoe hike
Contained in galleries: Adirondacks

Lake Arnold Trail, Adirondacks<br />
_RP1431012.<br />
Sometimes you hit one these days, after a few snow qualls have come through, and coated the forest with a nice frosting, then dissipated to blue skies and retreating clouds. I had spent more time than anticipated on Mt Colden, basking in sunlight on the ice encrusted peak. After several stops at vantage points coming down, it was now late afternoon and the trail was colder, in the shadow of a ridge here. Ahead of me the light seemed to gather against the far wall of mountains, and a promise of an opening in the woods. I almost hated to stop and set up here, when it seemed like it was all happening up ahead. The show of light on peaks and through forest would tease me all the way back, the contrast mostly too difficult to capture especially as shadows grew longer and urged me to the trailhead in hopes of beating sundown to an open field.