al piste

-
al  piste

skyline ridge
(click on image for larger size)
location: strawberry mountain wilderness
 
season: winter          
 
backstory: this photo may resonate most with cross-country (nordic, backcountry) skiers. al piste is french for off trail.

a lot of cross-country skiing is done at ski resorts or recreation areas. often the terrain is flat and the trails are well groomed and maintained. this scene is off trail.  no grooming. plenty of steep hills and no easy access. that's what makes it so enjoyable.

at 7500' elevation, 60" base with 18" of fresh powder, these are the conditions backcountry skiers dream about. often, it takes some effort to get here.  (see tree spirit for details of getting to this spot.)  it is about 5 miles of skiing and 1500' elevation climb along forest service roads to the wilderness border.  then, it's plenty of open spaces and deep powder, allowing treks to unfold to... wherever.

what calls most loudly to me is the freedom provided by off trail skiing.  break your own trail. ski to that viewpoint over there. find the most interesting way to get there. or, my favorite, just wander around. it's beyond the road less traveled, there's not even a road.

this area, particularly in winter, is conducive for these kinds of treks.  there's a little more space. on a cold winter day, bright sun against deep blue background, big white snowflakes swirling in the sky, there is a joy found when spirit runs free, skiing along ridges and down slopes, following the call of al piste.
 
 
 

Comments

  1. JimJanuary 8, 2021 at 9:32 AM

    Al Piste

    Sweet Strong Warm Clean Attractive. Makes on want to go there or at least get out into winter more.

    ReplyDelete
  2. kyleJanuary 14, 2021 at 7:23 PM

    thank you for your comment. yes, this is why i go out there. winter is it's own reality.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownMarch 23, 2021 at 10:17 PM

    Beautiful--perfect for a Christmas card.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

setting sun/rising moon

-
Image
setting sun/rising moon juniper gulch (click on image for larger size) location: owyhee reservoir season: spring backstory: there are planned photos and then there are spontaneous photos. this is the later. i often organize backcountry treks around the full moon, a few days before and after the peak. most of the time i'm interested in using the moon to light a landscape. on this journey, i had planned a series of moonlit photos along several miles of leslie gulch. the canyons wind around affording different lighting angles based on moon and canyon positions.  i finished one scene with the moon cresting the horizon along a jagged ridgeline. it wasn't quite the right composition. figuring that was the horizon/moonrise chance for the night, i began hiking toward the next planned shot with the moon at a higher angle providing a light source. walking the high desert backcountry at night feels... other-worldly, except that i now consider it this-worldly; the rest is other. after a ho
Read more

winter brilliance

-
Image
winter brilliance cathedral rock john day fossil beds (click on image for larger size) location: kimberly, oregon season: late winter backstory: cathedral rock was one of my initial photography muses in this area. that first drive down hiway 19 thru condon, fossil & spray felt like entering another dimension.  when i came around the curve and saw cathedral rock it felt like a gong reverberating in my head. it hasn't stopped since. the popular name may be cathedral, it is a temple to me. this muse inspired, pushed, teased & demanded i embrace the photographic creative process, if only to create one image that did this place honor. it took awhile. during a six year process i made over three dozen pilgrimages here, thru each of the seasons. kayaking down, then wading thru the river. at dawn, at sunset.  wandering under a summer full moon. scampering up hillsides & across scree. bushwacking thru 10' tall weeds. looking at each angle.  listening to the wind, river and d
Read more

leslie gulch by moon light

-
Image
leslie gulch by moonlight owyhee canyonlands    (click on image for larger size) location: leslie gulch      season: spring       backstory: leslie gulch is a place i often visit, which is reflected by the number of photos from there in my portfolio.  the rock formations are unique in oregon.  the range of colors and textures is fascinating.  seeing these canyons in different seasons, light, weather brings out different qualities. night photography appeals to me because of the differences in quality and quantity of light.  an advantage of digital cameras is the ability to record very minute amounts of light, especially stars.  less intense light softens a landscape and the eye is drawn to different features compared to daylight. moonlit scenes are exquisite for this quality.  there are photos with the moon as the focus, subject or a part of the composition ( see setting sun/rising moon ). then there are photos where the moon is the source of light, unseen.  size of the moon (how full),
Read more