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Maunsell 'U' Class 2-6-0 No. 31790 of Guildford MPD (70C) heading a Reading-Redhill passenger at Kemps' Farm, between Betchworth and Reigate, in the early 1960s.
© Gordon Edgar collection - photographer unknown - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission
The Great Patriotic War (Russian: Вели́кая Оте́чественная война́, romanized: Velikaja Otečestvennaja vojna) is a term used in Russia and some other former republics of the Soviet Union to describe the conflict fought during the period from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945 along the many fronts of the Eastern Front of World War II, primarily between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. For some legal purposes, this period may be extended to 11 May 1945 to include the end of the Prague offensive.
History
The term Patriotic War refers to the Russian resistance to the French invasion of Russia under Napoleon I, which became known as the Patriotic War of 1812. In Russian, the term отечественная война originally referred to a war on one's own territory (otechestvo means "the fatherland"), as opposed to a campaign abroad (заграничная война), and later was reinterpreted as a war for the fatherland, i.e. a defensive war for one's homeland. Sometimes the Patriotic War of 1812 was also referred to as the Great Patriotic War (Великая отечественная война); the phrase first appeared in 1844 and became popular on the eve of the centenary of the Patriotic War of 1812.
After 1914, the phrase was applied to World War I. It was the name of a special war-time appendix to the magazine Theater and Life (Театр и жизнь) in Saint Petersburg, and referred to the Eastern Front of World War I, where Russia fought against the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The phrases Second Patriotic War (Вторая отечественная война) and Great World Patriotic War (Великая всемирная отечественная война) were also used during World War I in Russia.
The term Great Patriotic War re-appeared in the official newspaper of the CPSU, Pravda, on 23 June 1941, just a day after Germany invaded the Soviet Union. It was found in the title of "The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet People" (Velikaya Otechestvennaya Voyna Sovetskogo Naroda), a long article by Yemelyan Yaroslavsky, a member of Pravda editors' collegium. The phrase was intended to motivate the population to defend the Soviet fatherland and to expel the invader, and a reference to the Patriotic War of 1812 was seen as a great morale booster. During the Soviet period, historians engaged in huge distortions to make history fit with Communist ideology, with Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov and Prince Pyotr Bagration transformed into peasant generals, Alexander I alternatively ignored or vilified, and the war becoming a massive "People's War" fought by the ordinary people of Russia with almost no involvement on the part of the government. The invasion by Germany was called the Great Patriotic War by the Soviet government to evoke comparisons with the victory by Tsar Alexander I over Napoleon's invading army.
The term Отечественная война (Patriotic War or Fatherland War) was officially recognized by establishment of the Order of the Patriotic War on 20 May 1942, awarded for heroic deeds.
The term is not generally used outside the former Soviet Union, and the closest term is the Eastern Front of World War II (1941–1945). Neither term covers the initial phase of World War II in Eastern Europe, during which the USSR, then still in a non-aggression pact with Germany, invaded eastern Poland (1939), the Baltic states (1940), Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina (1940) and Finland (1939–1940). The term also does not cover the Soviet–Japanese War (1945) nor the Battles of Khalkhin Gol (1939).
In Russia and some other post-Soviet countries, the term is given great significance; it is accepted as a representation of the most important part of World War II. Until 2014, Uzbekistan was the only nation in the Commonwealth of Independent States that had not recognized the term, referring to it as World War II on the state holiday - the Day of Remembrance and Honour.
Visita ad uno sperduto villaggio tradizionale.
Panni stesi ad asciugare al sole.
Un ricordo della mia gioventù prima delle lavatrici ed asciugatrici.
Visit to a remote traditional village.
Clothes hanging out to dry in the sun.
A memory of my youth before washing machines and dryers.
IMG20241210100655m
A typical Portuguese letterbox in the streets of Lisbon.
My Insta: www.instagram.com/mathias_leon_
© Mathias Leon Fischer
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Sunrise, a rain shower and I arrived at Yaki Point at roughly the same time. I narrowly missed getting wet, and had the opportunity to watch the storm and stray beams of morning light.
Explored July 31, 2024
The Serra dos Órgãos National Park is the third oldest park in the country, representing an important milestone in the history of Brazilian Conservation Units. It was created during the Getúlio Vargas government on November 30, 1939. It currently has an approximate area of 20,024 hectares in the municipalities of Teresópolis, Petrópolis, Magé and Guapimirim.
It is one of the best places in the country to practice mountain sports, such as climbing, hiking, abseiling and others; besides having fantastic waterfalls. The Park has the largest network of trails in Brazil. There are more than 200 km / 124 miles of trails at all levels of difficulty: from the suspended trail, accessible to wheelchair users, to the heavy Petrópolis-Teresópolis crossing, with 30 km / 19 miles of ascents and descents through the high part of the mountains.
Among the climbs, the peak of God's Finger stands out, considered the starting point of climbing in Brazil, and God's Finger, chosen as one of the 15 best rock climbs in the world.
Selection of mountains and presenting other peaks besides God's Finger which is the most famous and known worldwide, get ready to know the other peaks such as: Devil's Needle, São João Hill, Santo Antônio Hill, Fish Head, Our Lady's Finger, Escalavrado (where I'm on the video), Friar's Crown, Friar's Wart, Carboy, Castles of Açu and Bell Stone.
SCOUT: "Daddy? Daddy!"
DADDY: "Yes, Scout?"
SCOUT: "Daddy, can we go out for a walk, please?"
DADDY: "Yes of course, Scout. Is there somewhere in particular you’d like to go?"
SCOUT: "Anywhere there are flowers, please Daddy!"
DADDY: "Well, it is wintertime now, Scout, so a lot of the flowers will be asleep, but we will see what we can find."
SCOUT: "Come on Paddy and Rosie! I know Daddy says that it’s wintertime, but if Cornelia found some pretty flowers for Moesje, maybe we can find some pretty flowers for Oleg and mijn beste vriend Peter."
ROSIE: "Who also happens to be mijn prins Peter! Yes! Let’s go, Scout! Peter saw me in his magical crystal ball, so I want to give him some beautiful flowers as a thank you for thinking of me!"
PADDY: "Yes, let’s go, but let’s wrap up nice and warmly first, everybear. "
SCOUT and ROSIE: "Yes Paddy!"
DADDY, PADDY, SCOUT and ROSIE: *Go for a walk.*
PADDY: "Oh look Scout and Rosie! There is a whole bush of pretty red Prunus flowers! We can pick some of them for mijn best vriend Oleg and your beste vriend and prins, Peter!"
ROSIE: "Prunes? Oh yuck! I hate prunes!" *Sticks out cute little pink bear tongue.* "They taste disgusting! Blagh!"
SCOUT: "Oh, I hate prunes too, Rosie! Yuck!" *Sticks out cute little pink bear tongue.* "Daddy makes me eat prunes when I can't..."
PADDY: "Ahem!" *Clears throat.* "Scout!"
SCOUT: "What?" *Looks at Paddy questioningly.*
PADDY: "There is no need to discuss bodily functions in public, Scout!" *Blushes pink beneath plush fur.*
SCOUT: "But it's true, Paddy! Daddy makes me eat them when..." *Lowers voice to a whisper.* "When I can't... can't... can't go visit the... the... the Lady Louisa!"
ROSIE: "Considering that mijn poor prins Peter got stuck on the poop chair, he might not like these Prune flowers that help you go poop."
SCOUT: "Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. We don’t want to upset mijn beste vriend Peter."
ROSIE: "Who also happens to be mijn prins Peter!"
SCOUT: "Maybe we better find a better kind of flower than these Prune flowers then, Paddy and Rosie!"
PADDY: "Prunus flowers, Scout and Rosie, not Prune flowers."
DADDY: "Actually Paddy, I think you'll find that those red flowers are actually Japonica and aren't Prunus at all. Sorry to correct you."
PADDY, SCOUT and ROSIE: "Oh thank you for telling us Daddy!"
SCOUT: *Scratches head.* "What is a Japonica, Daddy?"
PADDY: "Isn't that a type of Camellia, Daddy?"
DADDY: "Well, it is, but it is also the proper name of the Japanese quince or Maule's quince."
SCOUT and ROSIE: "Oh! Thank you Daddy!"
PADDY: "Yes, thank you for correcting me, Daddy."
ROSIE: "You are so knowledgeable Daddy!"
SCOUT: "I bet you know the names of every flower, Daddy!"
DADDY: "Well, perhaps not every flower, Scout, but quite a few common ones."
SCOUT: "Daddy? Daddy! "
DADDY: "Yes Scout?"
SCOUT: "Do quinces help you..." *Lowers voice to a whisper.* "Go to the Lady Louisa?"
DADDY: "Well they can Scout if you eat too many of them, but they don't work as well as prunes do. Why do you ask, Scout? Do you need some help?"
SCOUT: "No! No! No, Daddy!" *Shakes head vehemently.*
ROSIE: "Good! Well, now I know that it isn't a prune tree! I like these Japonica flowers! They are pretty! Maybe we can pick some for mijn prins Peter" *Smiles.*
My Paddington Bear came to live with me in London when I was two years old (many, many years ago). He was hand made by my Great Aunt and he has a chocolate coloured felt hat, the brim of which had to be pinned up by a safety pin to stop it getting in his eyes. The collar of his mackintosh is made of the same felt. He wears wellington boots made from the same red leather used to make the toggles on his mackintosh.
He has travelled with me across the world and he and I have had many adventures together over the years. He is a very precious member of my small family.
Scout was a gift to Paddy from my friend. He is a Fair Trade Bear hand knitted in Africa. His name comes from the shop my friend found him in: Scout House. He tells me that life was very different where he came from, and Paddy is helping introduce him to many new experiences. Scout catches on quickly, and has proven to be a cheeky, but very lovable member of our closely knit family.
Rosie is Scout's cousin, because like Scout, she is a free trade knitted bear from Africa. She was made in Kenya by one of the Kenana Knitters, Martha Wanjira. She is made from home spun and dyed wool. She was a gift to me from two very dear friends, includng the one who gave Scout to Paddy.
Being colder here, Paddy and Scout are wearing hand knitted scarves, Paddy is wearing hand knitted hat and Rosie is wearing a hand knitted cape made by Lorna's Lovely Looks. Paddy sports a heart pin and Scout insisted on wearing a pink cupcake one, which seems most appropriate considering his perpetual grumbly tummy. Both were gifts from a good friend who is very fond of both Paddy and Scout.
Trying to catch up my delay ... (which is still very big) ... but I need to post a new photo from time to time ...
Thank you in advance for all your faves and comments. I might answer several WEEKS/MONTHS later. And I might post several photos in the meantime.
Merci d'avance pour tous vos faves et commentaires. Je vous répondrai peut-être dans plusieurs SEMAINES/MOIS. Et je posterai peut-être plusieurs photos entre temps.
France. Alpes. Département des Hautes Alpes (05). Massif des Arves. Photo prise lors d'une randonnée effectuée en solo sur le très célèbre et très fréquenté Plateau d'Emparis, au départ de la station du Chazelet, en passant par le Lac Noir et le Lac Lérié. C'était mon 10ème jour de rando sur les 18 jours où j'ai pu randonner lors de notre séjour alpin de 3 semaines pendant l'été 2022.
Je fais une petite parenthèse pour dire que dans 1 semaine, nous partirons pour notre séjour alpin de l'été 2023, en espérant qu'une fois de plus nous vivrons beaucoup de moments magiques et inoubliables. 😊 Mais d'ici là, j'ai du pain sur la planche pour finir de préparer les randos ...
Cette photo a été prise au début de la montée au Plateau d'Emparis, depuis la station du Chazelet, très tôt (à 7h58), à une heure où les couleurs et la lumière étaient particulièrement belles. Je me suis levé particulièrement tôt ce jour-là mais j'ai été amplement récompensé de ce départ inhabituellement matinal. 🙏😊
Tout au long de la rando, je n'ai pu que constater à quel point l'herbe du Plateau d'Emparis était complètement desséchée, même aux abords des 2 grands lacs du plateau, témoignage de cet été 2022 particulièrement chaud et sec. Et les paysages que j'ai pu voir n'étaient pas ceux d'un début de mois d'août mais d'un mois de septembre déjà bien avancé. Mais cela ne m'a pas empêché de goûter à la beauté de ce plateau, avec de nombreux sommets prestigieux visibles dans toutes les directions, et tout particulièrement la star des lieux, la Meije, située tout près du plateau, juste de l'autre côté de la Vallée de la Romanche. J'ai hésité à choisir une photo de la Meije. Finalement, c'est cette photo du Pic du Mas de la Grave (3020m) et du vallon du Torrent du Gâ que j'ai choisie. Mais ci-dessous, j'ai mis des liens vers des photos de la Meije et de ses glaciers.
Liens vers cette sortie et son album de 76 photos sur le site AltitudeRando :
www.altituderando.com/rando22386
www.altituderando.com/spip.php?page=album-photo&id_ra...
Et voici une sélection de 24 autres coups de cœur de cet album :
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/3/e/7/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/c/c/2/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/6/1/4/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/c/1/b/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/7/3/3/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/1/0/3/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/f/5/1/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/6/c/5/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/e/6/6/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/b/c/a/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/c/b/3/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/6/1/4/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/4/8/1/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/5/e/9/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/4/2/1/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/f/3/e/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/4/2/b/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/c/f/f/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/d/8/f/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/9/7/a/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/b/0/d/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/5/7/4/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/2/2/9/041-chazelet-emparis-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/7/1/2/041-chazelet-emparis-...
The AYAS VALLEY, one part, photographed from Punta (Peak) della Regina (Queen) near Colle (Pass) della Ranzola, where a plaque is placed in a chapel commemorating the ascent made by the poet Lev Nikolaevic Tolstoj in 1857. Aosta Valley, ITALY.
Trying to catch up my delay ... (which is still very big) ... but I need to post a new photo from time to time ...
Thank you in advance for all your faves and comments. I might answer several WEEKS/MONTHS later. And I might post several photos in the meantime.
Merci d'avance pour tous vos faves et commentaires. Je vous répondrai peut-être dans plusieurs SEMAINES/MOIS. Et je posterai peut-être plusieurs photos entre temps.
France. Alpes. Département de l'Isère (38). Massif des Écrins. Vallée du Vénéon. Photo prise lors d'une randonnée en aller-retour effectuée en solo, au départ de la Bérarde, jusqu'au Refuge de Temple Écrins. C'était mon 17ème jour de rando sur les 18 jours où j'ai pu randonner lors de notre séjour alpin de 3 semaines pendant l'été 2022.
La photo a été prise en remontant le Vénéon sur sa rive droite, un peu au nord du Refuge du Carrelet.
Cette randonnée s'est déroulée dans un cadre absolument grandiose, foisonnant de sommets de plus de 3000m, dont certains très célèbres. Les 2 sommets que j'ai trouvés les plus photogéniques sont la Tête du Chéret (que j'ai choisie de mettre à l'honneur sur cette photo) et Les Bans (dont le Sommet Sud culmine à 3669m), qui domine le superbe Glacier de la Pilatte, où le Vénéon prend sa source.
Par contre, cette journée fut très éprouvante pour moi physiquement, et cela pour plusieurs raisons. D'abord parce que j'étais diminué par le COVID, avec le dos courbatu. Ensuite parce qu'il faisait chaud. Et enfin parce que la montée finale au Refuge de Temple Écrins était particulièrement raide et éprouvante (450m de dénivelé concentrés sur seulement 2km, soit une pente moyenne de plus de 20%). Mais grâce à la beauté des lieux et avec l'aide d'une boisson énergisante qui donne des ailes, j'ai réussi à monter jusqu'au refuge. Et cerise sur le gâteau, en plus de la magnifique vue panoramique sur le plan incliné du refuge, j'ai eu une 2ème récompense pour mes efforts, en ayant la chance de pouvoir observer une marmotte pendant mon pique-nique, et cela malgré la forte fréquentation des lieux. 🙏
NB : Je ne sais pas si vous voyez ce que je veux dire mais les 2 pentes de devant, le sentier et le cours d'eau forment presque une espèce de X. 😉
Liens vers cette sortie et son album de 65 photos sur le site AltitudeRando :
www.altituderando.com/rando22154
www.altituderando.com/spip.php?page=album-photo&id_ra...
Et voici une sélection de 17 autres coups de cœur de cet album :
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/7/6/5/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/c/0/6/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/2/6/e/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/6/6/2/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/c/4/2/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/8/9/9/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/2/1/d/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/6/f/4/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/a/0/b/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/2/3/d/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/1/1/0/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/b/7/b/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/e/4/b/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/e/0/1/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/4/2/8/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/a/a/0/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/2/8/e/040-temple-ecrins-22-...
The Cathedral of Christ the King in Reykjavik, Iceland. It was built in 1929 and became a Basilica in 2000. The Protection of Life Bell is to the right and the Köllun is to the left. The bell had a defect so it was't installed. #Iceland #Reykjavik #CathedralOfChristTheKing #Basilica
PRUNETTO, one of the many small villages of the Langa. The town is located on the ridge between the Bormida Valley and the Uzzone Valley and is dominated by the 12th century Del Carretto Castle and the interesting 14th century Sanctuary of the Madonna del Carmine. Piedmont, ITALY.
Trying to catch up my delay ... (which is still very big) ... but I need to post a new photo from time to time ...
Thank you in advance for all your faves and comments. I might answer several WEEKS/MONTHS later. And I might post several photos in the meantime.
Merci d'avance pour tous vos faves et commentaires. Je vous répondrai peut-être dans plusieurs SEMAINES/MOIS. Et je posterai peut-être plusieurs photos entre temps.
Si je le pouvais, j'aimerais partager sur Flickr d'autres photos de cette rando. Mais si je veux publier au moins 1 photo de toutes mes autres randos, ce n'est pas possible avec mon rythme de publication actuel trop faible. Du coup, j'ai publié un album de 72 photos de cette rando sur le site AltitudeRando (où j'ai un compte avec le même pseudo). Voici le lien vers la page de ma sortie, dans laquelle on peut ouvrir l'album de photos (le 2ème lien permet d'ouvrir directement l'album mais je pense qu'il est beaucoup plus susceptible de changer avec le temps que le lien de la sortie) :
www.altituderando.com/rando21732
More photos of this hike (72) there :
www.altituderando.com/spip.php?page=album-photo&id_ra...
France. Alpes. Département de l'Isère (38). Massif des Écrins. Vallée du Vénéon. Photo prise lors d'une randonnée en aller-retour effectuée en solo, au départ de la Bérarde, jusque vers le Refuge du Châtelleret dans le Vallon des Étançons. C'était mon 13ème jour de rando sur les 18 jours où j'ai pu randonner lors de notre séjour alpin de 3 semaines pendant l'été 2022.
La photo a été prise depuis le Vallon des Étançons en zoomant par-dessus le Vallon de Bonne Pierre.
On y voit 2 sommets de plus de 4000m :
- Le Dôme de Neige des Écrins (4015m) au centre
- Le Pic Lory (4088m) derrière sur sa droite
Quant au point culminant du Massif des Écrins (la Barre des Écrins à 4102m), il est caché derrière car sous ce point de vue, le Dôme et la Barre sont alignés et c'est le Dôme qui se trouve devant.
Cette rando dans le Vallon des Étançons fut assurément une des plus belles de mes 18 randos alpines de l'été 2022. Notamment parce que j'ai pu y voir de nombreux sommets de plus de 3000m, dont plusieurs d'entre eux particulièrement photogéniques, comme ce Dôme de Neige des Écrins sur lequel j'ai flashé. Et puis le parcours m'a permis de voir une grande diversité de décors avec plein d'ingrédients (des torrents, des vallées, des vallons, des cirques, des glaciers, des cascades, des sommets, des cols et des brèches de toutes formes ... bref ... à peu près tout sauf des lacs et des forêts). Et cerise sur le gâteau, j'ai rencontré 2 marmottons pas trop farouches (à moins que ça ne soit le même). J'ai rencontré un 1er marmotton qui se reposait tranquillement sur un rocher. Et un peu plus loin, j'en ai rencontré un 2ème (ou le même) qui jouait à cache-cache dans les herbes puis derrière les rochers. 😊
Pour illustration, voici une sélection de 5 des 72 photos de mon album sur AltitudeRando (3 photos de marmotton, 1 photo du Pic Nord des Cavales en forme de corne de rhinocéros et 1 photo de la Reine Meije qui trône au fond du Vallon des Étançons) :
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/d/f/d/037-etancons-22-219-0...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/4/2/f/037-etancons-22-219-0...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/7/4/e/037-etancons-22-219-0...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/4/6/6/037-etancons-22-219-0...
www.altituderando.com/IMG/jpg/3/5/5/037-etancons-22-219-0...
Easter Sunday morning is a perfect time for wandering around the countryside - everyone is inside, having breakfast, or already finished it and is recuperating. So nobody is outside, nobody and nobody's car will jump into the landscape. Neat!
Taken with Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital camera, with vintage Tamron AF 24–70mm F3.3–5.6 Aspherical autofocus zoom lens. Adjusted levels and cropped, nothing more.
✨ Thank you all for pushing this photo into Explore at #381 at one point in time. Yay!
Monument Valley, Arizona
John Ford Point, popular filming location for westerns, with the table mountain Merrick Butte in the background.
It was a wonderful early morning in Monument Valley. I took the Scenic Loop Drive for the 3rd time, but it was the first time that I visited the John Ford Point - and I think it was worth while - well knowing that my photograph sells more of a wonderful illusion.
Cowgirl in der Wüste
Monument Valley, Arizona
John Ford Point, beliebter Drehort für Western, mit dem Tafelberg Merrick Butte im Hintergrund.
Es war ein wundervoller früher Morgen im Monument Valley. Ich nahm den Scenic Loop Drive zum 3. Mal, aber es war das erste Mal, dass ich den John Ford Point besuchte - und ich denke, es hat sich gelohnt - wohl wissend, dass mein Foto eher eine wunderbare Illusion verkauft.
This was a super cooperative Moose, more photographs will definitely come from this encounter, the Moose is notorious for picking most noticeable hiding spots, this was located be tracing the footsteps in fresh snow, my first, utilizing newly acquired trapping skills.
Nature is amazing and it has its own ways of rewarding mysterious creatures holding cameras, called photographers.
Calçado and Cristal Peaks covered by fog at the end of the afternoon and without sunset.
We tested the trail to see if it was possible for all of us to climb the peaks at dawn. It was.
We trekked 5.22 km / 3,24 miles in 3:22 hours.
View of the Alaska Range, including Mount Foraker (17,400 ft/5304 m), Mount Hunter/Begguya (14,573 ft/4442 m), and Denali (20,310 feet/6190 m), from Talkeetna, Alaska
Having not had the opportunity to see Denali (the tallest peak in North America) on my previous trip to Alaska, it was high on my wish list for this trip. Unfortunately our helicopter flightseeing tour was canceled due to fog, so my hopes rested on a trip up to the town of Talkeetna. After two days of clouds and snow, the weather was not looking promising; as we drove out of Anchorage, the sky remained gray and occasionally spitting icy flakes.
For much of the drive through miles of snow-covered boreal forest, past small communities and long stretches of nothing but snow and trees (and the occasional moose, which thrilled both my daughter and I), the forest blocked the view toward the mountains. As we turned off the highway toward Talkeetna however, the trees began to thin out and I could catch an occasional glimpse of the the Alaska Range, and what I thought was a hint of blue sky. My hopes rose - perhaps there would be a chance to see Denali after all.
Then the road turned and suddenly, ahead of me I could see it, the glorious Alaska Range, bathed in brilliant sunshine, laying just underneath a thick layer of clouds! My next thought was to hope that the clouds would not descend again before I reached the overlook pullout above Talkeetna. Luck was on my side however, as Denali and the other majestic peaks remained in clear view not only from the overlook but long enough to marvel at an unobstructed view from down in the town. (The snowy foreground here is actually the Talkeetna river, frozen and covered with deep snow.)
It was an absolutely breathtaking sight to witness, and I stood there with a mixture of awe and reverence as the view and the moment soaked deeply into my soul. It is a memory that I will carry with me for a long time.