Picture of the day - September 30, 2008

Autumn at Mt. Baker

Photo courtesy of Winston Rockwell. Frequent contributor Winston Rockwell has managed to capture yet another amazing view of Washington State's Mt. Baker, and he offers this interesting story behind the image: "I took a run up to Mt. Baker yesterday, up near the Canadian border... gorgeous day for photos, though the light was a bit harsh... still, I liked the way this came out... Mt. Baker, located in the North Cascades of Washington State about 30 miles south of the Canadian border, is one of the taller peaks in the Cascade range at 10,778 feet. Like Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens, it's an active stratovolcano, though it hasn't erupted since the mid-1800's. But there is still quite a bit of geothermal activity, and the mountain is capable of producing dangerous lahars (mud flows), as well as lava flows and explosive  pyroclastic eruptions. On a sunny morning in September, though, with blue skies and brilliant fall colors, and the perpetual snow on the mountain gleaming in the sun, such dangers seem remote indeed, and one can easily get lost in the pure alpine beauty of this magnificent peak. Very soon, though, the spot where I stood to take this photo will be buried in snow... Mt. Baker is also known for record-breaking snowfalls... in 1999, a ski area near the mountain set a world record for snowfall in a single season: 1140 inches. That's 95 FEET! Places like this recharge the soul, and it's easy to simply sit and gaze at the wondrous beauty God has wrought. The hustle and noise of the city seem far, far away, and there's a feeling of tranquility and peace that simply must be experienced to be understood... it cannot be described. Taken with a Canon 40D and Tamron SP 17-35mm lens with a graduated neutral density filter. Exposure was set at 1/60 @ f/13; three photos were taken with auto-bracketing set at +1.6/0/-1.6, and blended in Photomatix Pro to produce this image."      --Winston Rockwell   Visitor Comments... Name: Ron Trees Town: Spokane, WA Once again, Mr. Rockwell's Photo of the Day of Mt. Baker, is just beautiful!! I like it very much. I also very much appreciate him giving his camera settings and telling how he took the picture. This one is a keeper.     Name: Phyllis Helton Town: Bristol, VA Majestic!!!!     Name: Robert Schwarztrauber Town: Buffalo, NY Another terrific photograph by Winston Rockwell. I think the light at that time was just right for creating magnificent contrast and detail throughout the scene. Excellent skill and selection of viewpoint Mr. Rockwell. Thanks for sharing.   Click here to comment on this picture.   Visit the POTD Archives for previous "Pictures Of The Day"!     Submit a photo of your own!                                 Place the "Picture of the Day" on your website, for free! Why I publish the "Picture of the Day"