This is the view of the boundary between Yosemite and the Ansel Adams Wilderness at Donahue Pass – bleak but spectacular terrain: primeval in a way that make one consider one’s own existence and place in both nature and the universe.

This was photographed just a few feet away from our camp site one of the nights on our very first backpacking trip to Yosemite back in 2003.

This composition presented itself on the our climb to Donahue Pass along the John Muir Trail, and it reminded me of similar photographs taken by Ansel Adams, my favorite photographer and kindred spirit.

Sharp contrasts define the terrain near Donahue Pass – light and dark, hard and soft, near and far, heaven and earth.

This was taken on our first of several trips over this section of the John Muir Trail, and the clouds that day provided the most impressive backdrop for a most impressive landscape.

I’ve always found this photograph an ethereal experience – Teresa, self-sufficient, exploring a land of mists and craggy peaks: a harsh and unforgiving environment that provides a stark and majestic landscape.

On the John Muir Trail between Lyell Glacier and Donahue Pass.