And yet here I was

JMT DAY 23 - SUNRISE AT SAWMILL PASS JUNCTION

Sunrise at Sawmill Pass Junction

Morning at Sawmill Pass Junction was windy and cold. I crawled out of my tent and walked back to the spot where I caught the sunset the day before.

There were two different directions that I could point my cameras at. One being the crest led by Acrodectes Peak (13,182 ft), just like I did the day before, and the other being the valley where Woods Creek ran through. And it was the direction where we were headed.

Again, no clouds in the sky. I set up my camera and simply waited for the sun to cast its glow on the crest. And it did. The intense colors got me excited. But what I really loved more was the solitude that I was enjoying. It is often a lonesome landscape photographer’s journey taking photos by him-herself, but I have grown to love the sense of being there. Belonging in nature, where I would soon to return.

The idea of accepting the fact that we are extremely vulnerable and easily swayed by the comfort and warmth that the civilization provides seemed as natural as drinking water when thirsty.

And yet here I was still tolerating the discomfort and trying to capture the moment that makes it all simply worthwhile.

Sawmill Pass Junction, Kings Canyon National Park, CA
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