Two weekends ago I went on a road trip with my family to Denali. We camped outside of the National Park near Healy. Then, we drove 4 hours in to Eielson and 4 hours back out. It was a beautiful trip, we saw dall sheep, a grizzly bear, and non-stop views of the mountains.
We drove on narrow dirt roads surrounded by the beautiful wilderness and terrifying cliff drop offs just outside our window. The weather had forecasted a cloudy day but we were lucky. It was mostly clear skies and wonderful sun. The wind carried the winter mountain bite and kept the heat off perfectly.
Every time I stepped out of the car I was greeted with nothing but silence. A comfortable silence with the presence of nature. It is easy to forget this type of silence, especially living in a city where we become used to sirens, cars driving by, shouting, dogs, airplanes, etc. This type of silence, out in the mountains, is grounding and peaceful.
I spent nights in a tent smothered under blankets and burrowed into my sleeping bag to keep off the chill, listening the prolonged sounds of the train as it crossed the highway nearby and the indistinct murmurs of another nearby campsite. We woke to dewy mornings, clean forest air, and warm morning rays tempered by cold of the North. In the evening, we sat huddled around a large campfire, scooting our chairs closer and closer as the skies slowly darkened to black.
Wandering Soul Photography 