I did the Ediza Lake to Thousand Island Lake Loop in Ansel Adams Wilderness on July 15-17, 2016. It was such a beautiful trip! Here are a few pictures and thoughts below.
I took a day hike alone to Iceberg Lake after setting up camp at Ediza Lake. I heard it was beautiful and I didn't want to miss it when it was only about a 2-3 mile round trip from camp. Hiking uphill to the lake felt like a regrettable decision when I could have been relaxing with my friends, but I always know that it is a Type-2 Fun kind of deal.
When I got to the lake, I was greeted with solitude; this is what I love about the backcountry. The ability to get away from people and all the chatter. It was nothing but the breeze and clashing water that filled my ears. I took out my snack and just hung out on a small rocky platform that protruded into the lake. I've always considered nature therapeutic and this was definitely a moment I won't forget.
I did not expect much of a sunset at Ediza Lake because the sky did not have much clouds in the afternoon, but when the evening rolled around, the clouds rolled in and the light grew intense. I really loved how vivid the clouds became from the setting sun! The glowing reflection off of Ediza Lake helped make the photograph pop just a little more.
I found this picture to be really neat because of the random chance of everything coming together. I didn't have to do anything but be there at the right time. I don't know who this person is, but he and his family (yes! they brought their young son to the backcountry!!! which is what I want to do myself.) placed their tent in the perfect spot. The late afternoon light provided an eye-drawing backlight to the tent, and the person inside the tent sat up just for a few seconds for a recognizable silhouette - not to mention the rainfly happened to be up also.
I woke up throughout the night to see what the waxing moon would do. It finally went behind mountains around 3:30 am, but the lunar glow stayed for quite a while. It wasn't until 4:30 am when I was finally able to get a decent shot of the Milky Way without much light, but as you can see, the moon was still be able to light up the clouds with its warm glow.
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