Cauldron in the Sky

Lohagad - My last trip to Lohagad was about 7-8 years back and impression in my mind was that the trek from Malavli railway station was quite long, boring and on a tar road which was not scenic or interesting, hence visit here was never again in my list of things to do. However unexpected calling came from my friendly neighbor who wanted to a half day outing for their guests. Due to Lohagad's proximity, connectivity by vehicle and also not so strenuous climb, I suggested this place and they ok'ed it. We drove right up to the base of the fort and climbed up the fort.

It turned out to be a very beautiful October day.

The view is of a pond at top of the fort "Ashtakon Talav" with clouds rising from below the fort hill.

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Calm

Our starting point for the day was Gaupne from where we visited various glaciers of the Jotunheimen National Park. Our next stop was Geirenger via route 51-15-65. It was nearly 6pm when we reached junction of 15-65. At this junction we saw that route 65 was closed and it was covered with snow. The alternate route via Stryn-Hellesylt-Geiranger seemed too long at this late hour which involved one ferry crossing as well. So called up our campsite and cancelled the booking for the day. We got a campsite along our way at Oppstryn. This view was just across Oppstrynsvatn.

Tranquil

Gaupnefjorden along the Sognefjellet scenic route. Even during noon the fjord was clear and free of any waves providing a very peaceful place for a short lunch break.

The Humble and Proud

In perspective with nature - makes me feel how small and miniature we are. At the same time its a proud feeling to see how we are surviving the forces. Its a more sad feeling of how we are exploiting our gifts making our own environment and living spaces so unlivable.

Location: Same as Back to Basics post

Back to Basics

Landscape overlooking the Ullswater lake - Sometime in Oct2011, we did a drive around the Lake District. This was the first lake we stopped by and had our breakfast. It was a very nice morning and peaceful time to spend at the banks of the lake overlooking the mountains on the other side. The crisp sunlight reflected the bright green mountains. Watching people enjoying the hike on this beautiful day made me think of going back to basics of life and enjoy nature.

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Solitude

Same location as previous picture. Looking back on the trail the image is of peaceful green landscape with mountain lakes. Just 15-20mins ago I was in a crowd and now I was all alone without a soul in view for miles.

Serenity

After passing through the beautiful region of Lake Lamond and Glencoe it was nearly 4pm and we had to reach Isle of Skye for night halt. The still water, evening sun and low hanging clouds made a wonderful view at Loch Cluanie.

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View from Snowdon

Snowdonia Peak (Yr Wyddfa), part of the Snowdonia National Park. We took the easy climb to reach the new visitor center via the Snowdon Mountain Railway. We were fortunate to witness the Snowdon Mountain Race. It was a very beautiful day and the peak was totally crowded. Next time we will ensure not to take the easy route :)

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Looking Down

Looking down the Grand Canyon at Skeleton Point. Same trip and trail as this one. We completed the short hike to Skeleton Point on the South Kaibab Trail. It was exciting to see the vast expanse below with the little master who carved the marvel flowing below in what looked like a small stream from this point. This trip was just a starter for our subsequent trans-canyon trip about 7 months later.

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Going-In

Tourist boats going in Periyar Lake for the first sight-seeing tour - After completing the hectic, unorganized and unnecessarily complicated procedure to get the boating ticket for the first slot tour, we thought we conquered the world ! This first slot is a 2 hour ride and has the maximum chances of spotting wildlife and birds. Our ride was fruitful and we could glimpse elephants, wild-boars, bison, sambars, turtles and numerous birds.

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Mount Rainier from Reflection Lake

Mt Rainier in Reflection Lakes: Similar situation as Mt Hood. After so many tries to get reflection of Rainier in this place (as it is most accessible and highly visited), this was just less than perfect day. As we looped around the road after my Mt Rainier in Tipsoo Lake capture towards evening, I just happened to get this. One of the very satisfying days !

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Many Glaciers

Visit to Glacier National Park - Many Glaciers. We had the fortune to spot a fox at this location. The road further was closed and we had to satisfy ourselves with this view ... and imagine the rest.

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Mt. Shuksan in Picture Lake

One of the amazing days ... the same day as "Suspended" . On our way back we stopped at picture lake to take the snap of Mt. Shuksan reflected in the lake. This was the second try as during the first try, the lake was full of small waves and ripples that there was no reflection. This time we were amazed as it as quite late in the day and we did not expect the lake to be so still.

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Are you lonely?

Seems the lone tree is waiting for the spring and sunshine ... This was at St. Mary's Lake in Glacier National Park. Members of our group have a mixed feeling on the timing when we visited the park - some say it was not good as most of the time it was cloudy and drizzling. I consider it was a great time to visit the park to view the raw and natural ambiance it gave in the cloudy and rainy environment - an experience of being humbled and being helpless - the constant fear of making sure shelter is around ... The nature's beauty is just amazing ...

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Suspended

Lost ... willingly, as we wandered through the beautiful trail. Not only us, all others also seemed to be lost between heaven & earth or was that we were in heaven !
Place: Artist ridge trail, Mt Baker, WA

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The Wall

Glaciers from St. Mary's Lake in Glacier National Park ... one of fragile places of our planet. Glaciers are fast disappearing due to Global Warming. Its sad to think that this magnificent sight is only for a few years to come. When we visited the national park, we were rightly told by the forest rangers to visit this area for "dramatic effect" of the glaciers.

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Fantasy Land

Mountains, lake and forest - all so still and clear - waiting for an unicorn to appear.
This picture was shot at Picture Lake near Mount Baker, Washington.

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Growing in the Sky

Bright clear day, cloud streaks gracing the sky, perfect still lake, pleasant temperature and no winds - what more can you ask for! It was getting late to reach home and had earlier decided to skip this Picture Lake point (on way to Mt. Baker). But last minute thought I should stop by and it was worth. After taking some shots of Mt. Shuksan I noticed the lake was reflecting other things - big and small.

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Mt. Rainier & its reflection

23Aug2008 Mt. Rainier in Tipsoo Lake: Any photographer is fortunate to have a peak like Mt. Rainier in vicinity. It is so majestic, beautiful and is multi-facet, that how much ever you try to capture it, it is always different. Over the last three years, I had tried to capture reflection of Mt. Rainier in one of its lakes - Reflection lake, but was never fortunate. This time, I made a try at Tipsoo Lake. I decided to reach Tipsoo Lake (near Sunrise point) by dawn and managed to reach by 6:30am (I had to start at 3:30am from my home !). I found already two professional photographers already clicking away with cameras set on tripods. I tried my luck and was satisfied. I missed the graduated ND filter as the peak with sun rays was way too much illuminated than the below trees and flowers at the lake. I managed some basic image manipulations in Picassa and this was the outcome.

Colorful drop

16Aug2008 - Lake Serene: Today I had been to Lake Serene - this is a Glacier lake. I was surprised to find snow even at this time of the year. This shot is of tree leaves fallen into the water near the bank. At time of taking this shot, I did not notice the whirlpool due to some drop, but was pleasantly surprised when I downloaded this pic. It has been processed for sharpness, saturation and cropped. I will post some more snaps Lake Serene later.