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  • A ferry cruises by a waterfall on Geirangerfjord, the epitome of Norwegian fjords. Geirangerfjorden (the Geiranger fjord) is a stunningly beautiful 15-kilometer (9.3-mile) long branch of Storfjord (Great Fjord, the fifth longest in Norway). Geirangerfjord is one of Norway's most visited tourist sites and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. Take the car ferry for an impressive sightseeing trip between Geiranger and Hellesylt, in Stranda municipality, Sunnmøre region, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Published on the cover of Wells Fargo Lifescapes magazine August 2012. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    81NOR-06-23_Geirangerfjord-ferry-wat...jpg
  • Ascend steep switchbacks up Knapsack Pass, a notch in Mother Mountain at the headwaters of Mist Park, in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington. Mount Rainier rises to 14,411 feet elevation. Caution: the unmaintained and unmarked Knapsack Pass trail exposes experienced hikers to slippery scree and steep snow (possibly icy), best hiked in late summer using a good GPS device, map, and trekking poles.
    2008WA-094.jpg
  • Fractured rock pattern in Hoover Wilderness of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Eastern Sierra Nevada, Mono County, California, USA.
    2007CA-2275.jpg
  • Sunrise at Green Lake in Hoover Wilderness of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Eastern Sierra Nevada, Mono County, California, USA. Our backpack from Green Creek Trailhead to Summit Lake was 7.6 mi with 2360 ft gain, 310 ft descent, over a leisurely 3 days, then out on the fourth day. A day hike from our Green Lake campsite to West Lake was 3.9 mi with 1830 ft gain to 8896 ft elev. Multiple overlapping photos were stitched to make this panorama.
    2007CA-2110-18-Pano.jpg
  • Magenta sunrise illuminates the Towers of Paine seen from Refugio Chileno, in Ultima Esperanza Province, Chile, Patagonia, South America. The salmon dinner & dessert served at Refugio Chileno was our tastiest meal along the W Route! Torres del Paine National Park is listed as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
    2002PAT-6378.jpg
  • Bright red flowers of notro, also known as Chilean firetree or ciruelillo (Embothrium coccineum in the family Proteaceae). Location: Lago Grey, in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile, Patagonia, South America. This small evergreen tree grows in the temperate forests of both Chile and Argentina. In the background is Grey Glacier, which has receded 4 km and lost 17 square kilometers from the mid 1900s through 2010. Torres del Paine National Park is listed as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.
    2002PAT-5717.jpg
  • Paso Quadrado affords a spectacular panorama south to Lago Quadrado, the North Fitz Roy Glacier, and peaks including Guillaumet, Mermoz, Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre, and Aguja Pollone (left to right), near El Chalten, Argentina, Patagonia, South America. We hiked scenic Rio Electrico Valley to Refugio Piedra del Fraile ("Stone of the Friar", 14.5 km round trip) to stay overnight in dorms. A path from the refuge ascends very steeply to Paso Quadrado (gaining 1340 m vertically in 8.4 km round trip). The last kilometer climbs up steep snow which could require crampons if icy (but was passable in soft snow using our trailrunning shoes). Views keep improving as you ascend. Monte Fitz Roy is also known as Cerro Chaltén, Cerro Fitz Roy, or Mount Fitz Roy (3405 m or 11,171 ft elevation). The first Europeans recorded as seeing Mount Fitz Roy were the Spanish explorer Antonio de Viedma and his companions, who in 1783 reached the shores of Viedma Lake. In 1877, Argentine explorer Francisco Moreno saw the mountain and named it Fitz Roy in honour of Robert FitzRoy who, as captain of HMS Beagle, had travelled up the Santa Cruz River in 1834 and charted large parts of the Patagonian coast. Mt Fitz Roy was first climbed in 1952. Cerro is a Spanish word meaning hill, while Chaltén comes from a Tehuelche word meaning "smoking mountain", due to clouds that usually form around the peak. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    2002PAT-4313-47-Pano_Monte-Fitz-Roy_...jpg
  • Sunrise illuminates Cerro Torre (3128 m meters or 10,262 feet elevation), seen from Mirador Condores near Los Glaciares National Park Visitor Center, in El Chalten in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, Patagonia, South America. Cerro is a Spanish word meaning hill, while Chaltén comes from a Tehuelche word meaning "smoking mountain", due to clouds that usually form around the peaks.
    2002PAT-3465.jpg
  • The icy blue face of Perito Moreno Glacier melts into Lake Argentino, in Los Glaciares National Park, near El Calafate, Argentina, Patagonia, South America. The spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field (the world's third largest reserve of fresh water). Lago Argentino is the biggest freshwater lake in Argentina and reaches as deep as 500 meters (1640 feet). Its outlet, the Santa Cruz River, flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Despite most glaciers worldwide retreating due to global warming, Perito Moreno Glacier has been a relatively stable exception for the past hundred years. Located 78 kilometers (48 mi) from El Calafate, the glacier was named after explorer Francisco Moreno, a pioneer who studied the region in the 1800s and defended the territory of Argentina in the conflict surrounding the international border dispute with Chile. Los Glaciares National Park is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
    2002PAT-1769.jpg
  • Visit the impressive Marble Chapel Nature Sanctuary (Capillas de Mármol) via popular boat tours from Bahía Manso on General Carrera Lake, near Puerto Rio Tranquilo, Chile, Patagonia, South America. This beautiful Chilean Nature Sanctuary sculpted by water and wind has three main geological formations: the Cathedral, the Chapel, and the Cave. You can join a Marble Caves tour in Puerto Río Tranquilo; or save money and time by driving directly 8 km south to Bahía Manso, via a pot-holed very steep side road, where we spontaneously joined a 2-hour tour boat on short notice. The best time is a sunny summer morning in calmer waters. The side road to Bahía Manso was nervously passable with our 2-wheel-drive compact car, but 4WD might be required to return back up if wet.
    2002PAT-1308.jpg
  • Island Lake in the San Juan Mountains, near Silverton, Colorado, USA. I hiked Ice Lakes Basin as a memorable loop (8.9 miles with 3120 feet gain) from USFS South Mineral Campground to Lower and Upper Ice Lakes, then up to Fuller Lake, and back via Island Lake, near Silverton, Colorado, USA. Or, to Upper Ice Lake alone is 7.4 miles round trip with 2400 ft gain. San Juan National Forest. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1909US1-4659-63-Pano.jpg
  • Ruins of Idarado Mine, north of Red Mountain Pass along the Million Dollar Highway, in Colorado, USA. Winding through the San Juan Mountains, the Million Dollar Highway is the scenic 25 miles of US Route 550 between Silverton and Ouray. It was named for the twelve miles south of Ouray through the Uncompahgre Gorge to the summit of Red Mountain Pass. As part of the San Juan Skyway Scenic Byway, the Million Dollar Highway twists along sheer cliff edges with hairpin curves and few guardrails, past spectacular yellow foliage colors in autumn. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1909US1-4061-65-Pano.jpg
  • Square Tower House, built 1100 CE on Chapin Mesa. Mesa Verde National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Montezuma County, Colorado, USA. The park protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites in the United States. It was established by Congress and President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 near the Four Corners region of the American Southwest. Starting around 7500 BCE, Mesa Verde was seasonally inhabited by nomadic Paleo-Indians. Later, Archaic people established semi-permanent rockshelters in and around the mesa. By 1000 BCE, the Basketmaker culture emerged from the local Archaic population, and by 750 CE the Ancestral Puebloans had developed from the Basketmaker culture. The Mesa Verdeans survived using a combination of hunting, gathering, and subsistence farming of crops such as corn, beans, and squash. They built the mesa's first pueblos sometime after 650, and by the end of the 1100s began building massive cliff dwellings. By 1285, following a period of social and environmental instability driven by a series of severe and prolonged droughts, they abandoned the area and moved south into what is today Arizona and New Mexico.
    1909US1-2936.jpg
  • Clear Creek Valley, seen along the hike from Green River Lakes to Slide Lake (13 miles round trip with 2100 feet gain) in the Wind River Range, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Rocky Mountains, Wyoming, USA. The Continental Divide follows the crest of the "Winds". Mostly composed of granite batholiths formed deep within the earth over 1 billion years ago, the Wind River Range is one of the oldest mountain ranges in North America. These granite monoliths were uplifted, exposed by erosion, then carved by glaciers 500,000 years ago to form cirques and U-shaped valleys. Glaciers scoured the terminal moraine which naturally dams the Green River Lakes, the headwaters of the Green River (chief tributary to the Colorado River).
    1909US1-0263.jpg
  • Built in 1905 on Lynn Canal, Eldred Rock Lighthouse is the oldest original lighthouse in Alaska and the only remaining octagonal frame lighthouse of those built between 1902-1905. It was established because of the many shipwrecks nearby especially during the 1898 Gold Rush, when Lynn Canal was in heavy use. Eldred Rock Light was automated by the United States Coast Guard in 1973 and downgraded to a minor light. Photogrpaphed from the ferry (Alaska Marine Highway System) from Haines to Juneau, Alaska, USA.
    1906AKH-3573.jpg
  • Pots on old wood-fired stove. Barkerville Historic Town & Park, British Columbia, Canada. Historically the main town of the Cariboo Gold Rush, Barkerville is now the largest living-history museum in Western North America. The town was named after Billy Barker from Cambridgeshire, England, who struck gold here in 1861, and his claim became the richest and the most famous. This National Historic Site nestles in the Cariboo Mountains at elevation 1200m (4000ft), at the end of BC Highway 26, 80 kilometres (50 mi) east of Quesnel. Gold here was first discovered at Hills Bar in 1858, followed by other strikes in 1859 and 1860. Wide publication of these discoveries in 1861 began the Cariboo Gold Rush, which reached full swing by 1865 following strikes along Williams Creek.
    1906AKH-0304.jpg
  • A short walk on Devils Punchbowl Walking Track in Arthur's Pass National Park goes through lush beech forest to a striking waterfall which plunges 131 m. Start at the northern end of Arthur's Pass village (740 m elevation), just off SH73 at the Punchbowl car park, in the Canterbury region on New Zealand's South Island. Walk 3 km round trip with 100 m gain. Five kilometers north of the village is the actual saddle of Arthur's Pass (920 meters or 3020 feet elevation), reached via paved auto road or the Arthur's Pass Walking Track. Arthur's Pass straddles the Southern Alps between the Canterbury and West Coast regions (between the Selwyn and Westland districts).
    20190130_134840.jpg
  • Rock patterns from Siberia Valley side streams. The Gillespie Pass Circuit follows the Young and Wilkin Rivers in Mount Aspiring National Park, in the Southern Alps. Makarora, Otago region, South Island of New Zealand. UNESCO lists Mount Aspiring as part of Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.
    1901NZ1-4108.jpg
  • Ice-filled Crucible Lake in summer in Mount Aspiring National Park, Southern Alps, Otago region, South Island of New Zealand. Beginning in the Siberia Valley, the Crucible Lake Track departs from the Gillespie Pass Circuit about an hour above the Siberia Hut. UNESCO lists Mount Aspiring as part of Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.
    1901NZ1-3844.jpg
  • Seen along the Hooker Valley Track, in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, Canterbury region, South Island, New Zealand. In 1990, UNESCO honored Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand as a World Heritage Area.
    1901NZ1-0785.jpg
  • The pleasant stone Philosopher's Path follows a canal lined with cherry trees through Higashiyama district in Kyoto, Japan. The 2-kilometer path begins at Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) and ends in Nanzenji neighborhood. A famous Japanese philosopher Nishida Kitaro was said to meditate while walking this route to Kyoto University. This is part of Lake Biwa Canal which tunnels 20 kilometers through the mountains to Lake Biwa in nearby Shiga Prefecture. Built during the Meiji Period to revitalize the stagnating local economy, the canal powered Japan's first hydroelectric power plant.
    1810JPN-8126.jpg
  • Standing 131 meters tall just across from Kyoto Station in Japan, Kyoto Tower is the city's tallest structure. The tower was completed in 1964, the same year as the opening of the shinkansen (bullet train) and the Tokyo Olympics. A viewing platform is located 100 meters above ground with a 360 degree view of Kyoto, and as far as Osaka on clear days. Kyoto Tower stands on top of a typical commercial building with souvenir shops, restaurants, hotel and public bath in the basement. The Kyoto Station (Kyoto-eki) building opened in 1997, built on the 1200th anniversary of the capital's foundation in Kyoto, Japan. Its futuristic design was conceived by Japanese architect Hara Hiroshi (who also designed the Umeda Sky Building in Osaka). The city's transportation hub is served by Japan Railways (including the Tokaido Shinkansen), Kintetsu Railways, the Karasuma Subway Line and a large bus terminal. Kyoto Station has two sides: Karasuma and Hachijo. The busier Karasuma side to the north faces downtown and is named after the main street leading downtown. The main bus terminal is located on the Karasuma side, as are many hotels, shops and Kyoto Tower. The calmer Hachijo side to the south access es more hotels, Toji Temple and some highway bus stops.
    1810JPN-7387-p1.jpg
  • The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows. This bird was photographed in Gion district, Kyoto, Japan.
    1810JPN-6827.jpg
  • Zenkyoan boar shrine in Kyoto, Japan. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1810JPN-6602-p1-Pano.jpg
  • Carved marble rock bull at Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Kyoto, Japan. Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, a scholar and politician who was unfairly exiled by his political rivals. A number of disasters were attributed to Michizane's vengeful spirit after his death in exile, and these shrines were built to appease him. Kyoto, Japan.
    1810JPN-6400.jpg
  • Seiganto-ji (Temple of the Blue Waves) is a Tendai Buddhist temple within the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex, in Nachikatsuura, on the Kii Peninsula, on the island of Honshu, Japan. Don't miss the iconic view of thundering Nachi-no-Taki waterfall (133 m, Japan's tallest) paired with Seiganto-ji pagoda. According to a legend, it was founded (near a previous nature worship site) by the priest Ragyo Shonin, a monk from India. Seiganto-ji is part of the Kumano Sanzan shrine complex and is one of the few jingu-ji still in existence after the separation of Shinto and Buddhism forced by the Japanese government during the Meiji restoration. Seiganto-ji is is stop #1 on Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed as the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range". Access: by bus from Nachi Station (20 min) or Kii-Katsuura Station (30 min). Ask driver to stop at base of the Daimonzaka trail ("Daimonzaka" stop); or at the entrance to Nachi Waterfall ("Taki-mae"); or at the bus terminus 10 minutes climb below Nachi Shrine ("Nachi-san"). Cars can park at Seigantoji Temple. I recommend this scenic, short walk (3.5 km with 265 meters gain): starting from Daimon-zaka bus stop, ascend a stone-paved path, humbled by massive evergreens, up to the gates of Nachi Taisha shrine, descend to Seiganto-ji pagoda, then to the falls, just below Taki-mae bus stop.
    1810JPN-5743.jpg
  • Lit at night, Matsumoto Castle reflects in the moat by its red bridge. The castle was built from 1592-1614 in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Matsumoto Castle is a "hirajiro" - a castle built on plains rather than on a hill or mountain, in Matsumoto. Matsumotojo's main castle keep and its smaller, second donjon were built from 1592 to 1614, well-fortified as peace was not yet fully achieved at the time. In 1635, when military threats had ceased, a third, barely defended turret and another for moon viewing were added to the castle. Interesting features of the castle include steep wooden stairs, openings to drop stones onto invaders, openings for archers, as well as an observation deck at the top, sixth floor of the main keep with views over the Matsumoto city.
    1810JPN-4878.jpg
  • Outward views from upper floors of Matsumoto Castle, built in 1614, in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Honshu, Japan. Matsumoto Castle is a "hirajiro" - a castle built on plains rather than on a hill or mountain, in Matsumoto. Matsumotojo's main castle keep and its smaller, second donjon were built from 1592 to 1614, well-fortified as peace was not yet fully achieved at the time. In 1635, when military threats had ceased, a third, barely defended turret and another for moon viewing were added to the castle. Interesting features of the castle include steep wooden stairs, openings to drop stones onto invaders, openings for archers, as well as an observation deck at the top, sixth floor of the main keep with views over the Matsumoto city. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1810JPN-4622-p1-Pano.jpg
  • Delicious yakisoba dinner.  <br />
Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
    1810JP2-154.jpg
  • Ornate wood bird carving at 1600s Toshogu Shrine in Nikko, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Japan. Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3623.jpg
  • The Sleeping Cat Carving (Nemurineko) protects the entrance gate to the grave of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu. Toshogu Shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 1600s. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements, as was common until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Toshogu is part of Shrines and Temples of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site.
    1810JPN-3569.jpg
  • Long stairways lead to viewpoints above Kurobe Dam, on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, Northern Japan Alps. Kurobe Dam is Japan's tallest dam at 186 meters / 610 ft. Built with many difficulties over 7 years, it was completed in 1963. Over 170 people lost their lives to the project. Its hydropower plant supplies electricity to the Kansai Region. Kurobe Dam spans across Kurobe Lake in an arc, and it can be accessed via electric bus from the east or the cablecar from the west. Visitors walk over the dam to get between the bus and cablecar stations in about 10-15 minutes. At the eastern end of the dam, a long flight of stairs leads up the concrete-covered mountain slope for an aerial view of the dam and its surroundings. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route carries visitors across the Northern Japan Alps via cablecars, trolley buses and a ropeway. Completed in 1971, this transportation corridor connects Toyama City in Toyama Prefecture with Omachi Town in Nagano Prefecture. The Tateyama Mountain Range lies within Chubu Sangaku National Park.
    1810JPN-3124.jpg
  • Mt Kidd along Highway 40 (Kananaskis Trail), Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada.
    1807CAN-1405.jpg
  • Mount Worthington (2915 m or 9564 ft) reflects in Three Isle Lake (2180 m) in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1807CAN-1344-47-Pano.jpg
  • Seed heads of Western pasqueflower (Anemone occidentalis, aka Pulsatilla occidentalis, in family Ranunculaceae). The Hound's Tooth (2819 meters) rises above Bugaboo Glacier in Bugaboo Provincial Park, in the Purcell Range of the Columbia Mountains, British Columbia, Canada. The Spires Trail to Conrad Kain Hut is 6 miles round trip with 2400 ft gain.
    1807CAN-359.jpg
  • Golden Canyon Trail under Red Cathedral, in Death Valley National Park, California, USA.
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  • Sunrise seen from Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park, California, USA.
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  • Hike the Hermit Trail from Hermits Rest to Lookout Point. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA. Starting at least 5 to 17 million years ago, erosion by the Colorado River has exposed a column of distinctive rock layers, which date back nearly two billion years at the base of Grand Canyon. While the Colorado Plateau was uplifted by tectonic forces, the Colorado River and tributaries carved Grand Canyon over a mile deep (6000 feet), 277 miles  long and up to 18 miles wide. Please inquire about licensing options for this image.
    1804SW-1839.jpg
  • Bands of pink and white layers demark the 1.19-billion-year-old Bass limestone of the Grand Canyon Supergroup, on the fascinating Trail of Time interpretive exhibit on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA. Starting west of Yavapai Geology Museum, walk for 1.3 miles on the paved trail backward in time from today toward the oldest rock in Grand Canyon, Elves Chasm gneiss, 1.840 billion years old. Or begin east of Verkamp's Visitor Center, walking forward in time toward the youngest rock in the Grand Canyon, Kaibab Limestone, 270 million years old. Starting at least 5 to 17 million years ago, erosion by the Colorado River has exposed a column of distinctive rock layers, which date back nearly two billion years at the base of Grand Canyon. While the Colorado Plateau was uplifted by tectonic forces, the Colorado River and tributaries carved Grand Canyon 6000 feet deep, 277 miles  long and up to 18 miles wide.
    1804SW-1677.jpg
  • West & East Mittens and Merrick Butte at dawn in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona, USA. The Western movie director John Ford set several popular films here. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1804SW2-252-253-pano.jpg
  • Hike from Elephant Hill to Chesler Park, in Needles District of Canyonlands NP, Monticello, Utah, USA.
    1804SW-0785.jpg
  • Admire colorful microbial mats contrasting with turquoise water at Grand Prismatic Spring overlook in Midway Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. Starting from Fairy Falls Trailhead (OK5), walk 2 miles round trip to the Grand Prismatic Spring overlook, up a side trail. Grand Prismatic is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world, next to those in New Zealand. The sterile blue water in the pool’s center is too hot to support life (87 degrees Centigrade or 188 F). Pure water selectively absorbs red wavelengths of visible light, making the center deep blue. But in cooler water along the edges, microbial mats of thermophilic (heat-loving) cyano-bacteria and algae thrive. Yellow, orange, and red pigments are produced by the bacteria as a natural sunscreen. As a result, the pool displays a spectrum of colors from the bright blue water of the center to the orange, red, and brown algal mats along the edges. Summer mats tend to be orange and red, whereas winter mats become dark green. Yellowstone was the first national park in the world (1872), and UNESCO honored it as a World Heritage site in 1978.
    1709US1-3956_Yellowstone-NP-WY.jpg
  • A golden sunrise illuminates Grand Teton, the highest mountain (13,775 feet) in Grand Teton National Park. Wyoming, USA.
    1709US1-3543_Grand-Teton-NP-WY.jpg
  • In mid October, bright yellow cottonwood tree leaves frame Devils Tower in Belle Fourche River Campground, in Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, USA. Devils Tower is a butte of intrusive igneous rock exposed by erosion in the Bear Lodge Mountains, part of the Black Hills, near Hulett and Sundance in Crook County. Devils Tower (aka Bear Lodge Butte) rises dramatically 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River, standing 867 feet from base to summit, at 5112 feet above sea level. Devils Tower was the first United States National Monument, established on September 24, 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt.
    1709US1-3471_Devils-Tower-WY.jpg
  • Prairie dog (genus Cynomys) in Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming, USA. Prairie dogs, a type of ground squirrel, are herbivorous burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America.
    1709US1-3424.jpg
  • Cathedral Spires Area, Custer State Park, South Dakota, USA. Completed in 1922, the Needles Highway includes sharp turns, low tunnels and impressive granite spires along the northern 14 miles of South Dakota Highway 87 (SD 87). The road lies within Custer State Park, 30 miles south of Rapid City, in South Dakota, USA. Needles Highway is part of the figure-eight route of Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway. South Dakota's largest and first state park was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
    1709US1-3243_Custer-SP-SD.jpg
  • Golden sunset illuminates layers of ancient sediments on the Loop Road near the Interior Entrance of Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA. This park has the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States.
    1709US1-2603-p1_Badlands-NP-SD.jpg
  • A pattern of windows distorts reflections of buildings in downtown St Louis, Missouri, USA.
    1709US1-2244.jpg
  • The Maroon Bells and yellow aspen leaves reflect in Maroon Lake. The Maroon Bells are two adjacent peaks of the Elk Mountains: Maroon Peak 14,163 feet on left, seen behind North Maroon Peak 14,019 feet, in Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness of White River National Forest. The mountains are on the border between Pitkin County and Gunnison County, about 12 miles southwest of Aspen, in Colorado, USA. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1709US2-084-88-Pano_Maroon-Lake_CO.jpg
  • Skyline Divide trail, Mount Baker (elevation 10,781 feet) in Mount Baker Wilderness, in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, near Bellingham, Washington, USA.
    1708BAK-31.jpg
  • McCaig's Tower rises prominently on Battery Hill overlooking the town of Oban in Argyll, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe. It is built of Bonawe granite with a circumference of 200 meters with two-tiers of 94 lancet arches. The structure was commissioned by the wealthy, philanthropic banker (North of Scotland Bank), John Stuart McCaig, his own architect. The tower was built between 1897 and his death in 1902, intended as a lasting monument to McCaig's family and as employment for local stonemasons during winter. As an admirer of Roman and Greek architecture, McCaig had planned for an elaborate structure based on the Colosseum in Rome, but only the outer walls were completed. Oban is an important tourism hub and Caledonian MacBrayne (Calmac) ferry port, protected by the island of Kerrera and Isle of Mull, in the Firth of Lorn.
    17UK3-3029_Scotland.jpg
  • Erected 4600 years ago, the Callanish Standing Stones are one of the most spectacular megalithic monuments in Scotland. The main site known as "Callanish I" forms a cross with a central stone circle erected circa 2900-2600 BC. More lines of stones were added by 2000 BC (the close of the Neolithic era), and it become a focus for rituals during the Bronze Age. From 1500-1000 BC, farmers emptied the burials and ploughed the area. After from 800 BC, peat accumulated 1.5 meters deep and buried the stones until removed in 1857. Visit this spectacular ancient site near the village of Callanish (Gaelic: Calanais), on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides (Western Isles), Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe.
    17SC2-351_Scotland.jpg
  • In a large painting in St Giles' Cathedral, a Scottish unicorn paired with an English lion defines the coat of arms of James VI, as the first king of Great Britain and Ireland. What's with the unicorn? Unicorns were first depicted in 2600 BC in ancient seals of the Indus Valley Civilization and were mentioned by the ancient Greeks. In Celtic mythology the unicorn symbolized purity, innocence, masculinity and power. The proud, haughty unicorn was chosen as Scotland's national animal because it would rather die than be captured, just as Scots would fight to remain sovereign and unconquered. The unicorn was first used on the Scottish royal coat of arms by William I in the 1100s, and two unicorns supported the shield until 1603. When James VI became James I of England and Ireland in 1603, he replaced one unicorn with the national animal of England, the lion, to demonstrate unity. Believed to be the strongest of all animals, wild and untamed, the mythical unicorn could only be humbled by a virgin maiden. However, Scotland's unicorn in the coat of arms is always bounded by a golden chain, often shown around its neck and body, symbolizing the power of the Scottish kings, strong enough to tame a unicorn. Today, the version of the royal coat of arms used in Scotland emphasizes Scottish elements, placing the unicorn on the left and giving it a crown, whereas the version used in England and elsewhere places the unicorn on the right and gives English elements more prominence. The Scottish version uses the motto "Nemo me impune lacessit," meaning "No one wounds (touches) me with impunity." The English version says "Dieu et mon droit," meaning "God and my right," the motto of the Monarch of the United Kingdom. St Giles' Cathedral (High Kirk of Edinburgh) is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.
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  • Landing at the ferry terminal at Tarbert, the main town of Harris in the Outer Hebrides (Western Isles) of Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe. In Gaelic, Tarbert means "isthmus," "crossing point" or "portage". The Tarbert ferry connects to Uig on Skye.
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  • Sunrise views from Digg, near Staffin, Isle of Skye, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe. This image was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
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  • Orange rays of sunrise spotlight the Scottish Highlands including Munros (over 3000 feet elevation) in the Fannichs mountain range, seen across the sea from Digg, near Staffin, on Isle of Skye, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe.
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  • Bioda Buidhe mountain is a short, scenic walk along Trotternish Ridge, with views south to eroded landslips and north to the Quiraing, an active landslip. Photos here are taken from a hike 2.2 miles round trip with 700 feet gain, starting southwards from the summit of the minor road between Staffin and Uig, on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe.
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  • Visit spectacular Whitby Abbey which dates from 657-1538 AD, in the fishing port of Whitby, in North Yorkshire county, England, United Kingdom, Europe. This Christian monastery later became a Benedictine abbey, which was confiscated by the crown during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII in 1537-8. The abbey church overlooks the North Sea on East Cliff above Whitby. Whitby Abbey became famous in fiction by Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, as Dracula came ashore as a creature resembling a large dog who climbed the dramatic 199 steps leading to the ruins above the Esk River. England Coast to Coast hike day 13 of 14. [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.]
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  • Today we toured North York Moors National Park from Grosmont to Robin Hood's Bay on foot and via van, plus Whitby on the Esk River, in North Yorkshire county, England, United Kingdom, Europe. England Coast to Coast hike with Wilderness Travel, day 13 of 14. We walked a rural path through bracken, purple blooming heather moors, and farmland before descending cliffs to the beach and village of Robin Hood's Bay. We dipped our boots into the North Sea, having completed our journey via foot and car from the Irish Sea over two weeks. Lunch at Wainwrights Bar at the Bay Hotel. Visit spectacular Whitby Abbey and the seaside fishing port of Whitby. Overnight at Best Western Forest & Vale Hotel, in Pickering, North Yorkshire. [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.]
    17UK-6094_England.jpg
  • From Grosmont we take a steam-hauled train through North York Moors National Park to Pickering on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, in North Yorkshire county, England, United Kingdom, Europe. Along the way, see Goathland station, the setting for fictional Hogsmeade Station for the Hogwarts Express in Harry Potter films. England Coast to Coast hike day 12 of 14. [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.]
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  • Smardale Gill Viaduct, built 1861, was closed in 1962 as the Barrow steelworks closed, and was restored in 1990 as a cultural icon. Yorkshire Dales National Park, England, United Kingdom, Europe. England Coast to Coast hike with Wilderness Travel, day 7 of 14: Smardale Gill Viaduct (built 1861) and Smardale Gill National Nature Reserve. Visit Kirkby Stephen Parish Church (built in 1240, partly rebuilt in 1847 and restored in the 1870s). Overnight 2 of 2 in Brownber Hall Country House, Cumbria county. [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.] This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
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  • Permissive Path and Public Bridleway sign. We hiked the valley of Smardale Gill to cross its historic Viaduct and visit Smardale Gill National Nature Reserve, in Yorkshire Dales National Park, England, United Kingdom, Europe. England Coast to Coast hike day 7 of 14; overnight 2 of 2 in Brownber Hall Country House, Cumbria county. [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.]
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  • Lenticular clouds turn pink at sunrise over the Kings Oak at Irton Hall, in Lake District National Park, Cumbria county, England, United Kingdom, Europe. Traditional stories tell of Henry VI sheltering at Irton Hall under the Kings Oak, shown here, now 1000 years old. The then owner, Irton a Yorkist, refused him lodging, so King Henry VI spent the night under the great oak. The next day Henry VI fled over the fell to Muncaster where he was welcomed and so impressed with his reception he presented a glass bowl to Muncaster which is known as "The Luck of Muncaster." Irton Hall now offers luxurious Bed & Breakfast accommodation.  England Coast to Coast hike with Wilderness Travel, day 2 of 14. [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.]
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  • Stockley Bridge over River Derwent in Borrowdale valley, Lake District National Park, United Kingdom, Europe. England Coast to Coast hike with Wilderness Travel, day 3 of 14: from Wasdale Head to Seathwaite. From Wasdale Head, we climbed to 1637-foot Styhead Pass, then descended via Styhead Tarn to the valley of Borrowdale. Overnight at Keswick Country House, in Cumbria county. [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.]
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  • Trail sign and hikers at Wastwater lake in Wasdale valley, in the heart of Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom, Europe. Wastwater is England's cleanest and deepest lake (72 meters deep). England Coast to Coast hike day 2 of 14: from Eskdale in Cumbria county, we walked to Boot for lunch at a local pub and a visit to a working medieval corn mill. We then climbed to Burnmoor Tarn, and descended to Wasdale Head. Via minibus we returned to Irton Hall for night 2 of 2. [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.]
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  • Seen descending into Wasdale valley, down to Wastwater lake and the hamlet of Wasdale Head, in Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England, United Kingdom, Europe. England Coast to Coast hike day 2 of 14: from Eskdale in Cumbria county, we walked to Boot for lunch at a local pub and a visit to a working medieval corn mill. We then climbed to Burnmoor Tarn, and descended to Wasdale Head. Via minibus we returned to Irton Hall for night 2 of 2. [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.]
    17UK-0837_England.jpg
  • The mysterious Castlerigg Stone Circle dates from circa 3000 BC, in Lake District National Park, Keswick, England, United Kingdom, Europe. This Neolithic circle is about 97.5 ft (30 m) in diameter, with 38 stones remaining of formerly 42, varying in height from 3.3 to 7.5 ft. England Coast to Coast hike day 4 of 14. [This image, commissioned by Wilderness Travel, is not available to any other agency providing group travel in the UK, but may otherwise be licensable from Tom Dempsey – please inquire at PhotoSeek.com.] This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
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  • Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. Visit it near Ripon and Aldfield, in North Yorkshire, England, UK, Europe. The adjacent Studley Royal Park features striking 1700s landscaping, gardens and canal. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for 407 years becoming one of the wealthiest monasteries in England until its dissolution in 1539 under the order of Henry VIII. Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The abbey is a Grade I listed building owned by the National Trust. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
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  • Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom, Europe. Holy Island history dates from the 500s AD as an important center of Celtic Christianity under Saints Aidan of Lindisfarne, Cuthbert, Eadfrith of Lindisfarne, and Eadberht of Lindisfarne. After Viking invasions and the Norman conquest of England, a priory was reestablished. A small castle was built on Holy Island in 1550. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
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  • The charming Shambles is one of the best preserved medieval streets in the world, and sits amid a district of twisting, narrow streets in York, England, United Kingdom, Europe. The Shambles was mentioned in the Doomsday Book of William the Conqueror in 1086. Many of its buildings date from 1350-1475, when the street hosted butchers' shops and houses. The overhanging timber-framed fronts of the Tudor buildings shelter the "wattle and daub" walls below and would keep direct sunshine off of the butchers' meat. "Shambles" may derive from "Shammel," an Anglo-Saxon word for the slaughterhouse shelves of the open shop-fronts. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
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  • Greylag Goose (Anser Anser) by the river Ouse. The historic walled city of York lies at the confluence of rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe. York is renowned for its exquisite architecture, tangle of quaint cobbled streets, iconic York Minster, the longest medieval town walls in England, and a wealth of visitor attractions. Founded by the Romans as Eboracum in 71 AD, it became capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior, and later of the kingdoms of Northumbria and Jorvik (mostly controlled by Vikings 875 to 954). In the Middle Ages, York grew as a major wool trading centre and became the capital of the northern ecclesiastical province of the Church of England, to this day. In the 1800s, York became a hub of the railway network and center for confectionery manufacturing. The University of York, health services, and tourism have become major employers.
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  • York Minster, built over 250 years 1220-1472 AD, is one of the finest medieval buildings in Europe. Also known as St Peter's, its full name is "Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of St Peter in York," located in England, United Kingdom, Europe. York Minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England. "Minster" refers to churches established in the Anglo-Saxon period as missionary teaching churches, and now serves as an honorific title. York was founded by the Romans as Eboracum in 71 AD. As the center of the Church in the North, York Minster has played an important role in great national affairs, such as during the Reformation and Civil War.
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  • Statue of a woman riding a turtle on a wave, in front of Hilo's Tsunami Museum, which was established in 1997 inside the 1930 First Hawaiian Bank building. The movie room is in the old bank vault. Hilo is on the Big Island of Hawaii, USA.
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  • See high waterfalls streaming down the lush green flanks of Kauai’s Mt. Waialeale, one of the wettest spots on Earth, via a thrilling rain-spattered helicopter ride, in the state of Hawaii, USA. (But approaching the base of this remote tropical mountain via land is a serious all-day adventure requiring a four-wheel drive vehicle plus 8 miles round trip of advanced hiking on slippery, unmarked trails to viewpoints, or further rock hopping to the mystical Blue Hole deep within Wailua Gorge.) Located in the center of Kauai, Mt. Waialeale rises to 5148 feet elevation (the second highest peak on the island, after Kawaikini at 5243 feet).
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  • Statue of the Roman goddess Diana at Allerton Garden, on the south shore of Kauai, Hawaii, USA. In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt, the moon, and nature (associated with wild animals, woodland, and talking to and controlling animals), and virgin goddess of childbirth and women. She was one of the three maiden goddesses, along with Minerva and Vesta, who swore never to marry. Although she was eventually conflated with the Greek goddess Artemis, she arose independentently in Italy. Deer and oak groves were especially sacred to her. According to mythology (in common with the Greek religion and their deity Artemis), Diana was born with her twin brother, Apollo, on the island of Delos, daughter of Jupiter and Latona. Nestled in a valley transected by the Lawai Stream ending in Lawai Bay, Allerton Garden is one of five gardens of the non-profit National Tropical Botanical Garden (ntbg.org). Address: 4425 Lawai Rd, Koloa, HI 96756.
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  • As a tribute to 1,177 crew lost in 1941, the American flag flies from a flagpole attached to the severed mainmast of the battleship USS Arizona sunk in Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA. The flag rises above artistic beams of the open-air Assembly Room of the USS Arizona Memorial which was built in 1962, straddling but not touching the sunken hull, at this active US Navy cemetery. On 7 December 1941, the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor dropped a bomb into USS Arizona's powder magazine causing a violent explosion which sank the ship. The attack united a divided America to join World War II. Reachable only via boat, the USS Arizona Memorial attracts more than 2 million visitors per year, and is part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, run by the National Park Service. USS Arizona (BB-39) was a Pennsylvania-class battleship launched by the United States Navy in 1916. The shipwreck shrine is a National Historic Landmark.
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  • Shrine Room of the USS Arizona Memorial, built in 1962 at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, USA. The USS Arizona Memorial marks the watery grave of 1102 sailors and Marines killed onboard that battleship during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941. The attack united a divided America to join World War II. More than two million people per year visit the USS Arizona Memorial, which is part of  the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, run by the National Park Service. Reached only via boat, the memorial straddles but doesn't touch the sunken hull. USS Arizona (BB-39) was a Pennsylvania-class battleship launched by the United States Navy in 1916. A Japanese bomb violently exploded a powder magazine and sank the ship, killing 1177 officers and crewmen. This shipwreck shrine is a National Historic Landmark.
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  • A black surfer flies high over waves at Banzai Pipeline surf reef break, offshore from Ehukai Beach Park in Pupukea on the North Shore of the island of Oahu, Hawaii, USA. Especially in winter, huge series of waves break into tubes upon reaching the shallows of the reef. This popular area, across the street from Sunset Beach Elementary School, has limited parking. Hawaii was first settled by Polynesians in several waves from about 300-1000 AD. Although surfing was first described in writing by Europeans visiting Hawaii in 1769 and 1779, the riding of waves with a wooden board likely originated in Western Polynesia thousands of years earlier. Hawaii is 2300 miles distant from the North American continent and is the northernmost island group in Polynesia. For this photo’s licensing options, please inquire.
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  • Path through orange fall color leaves by white tree trunks. Cadillac Heritage Nature Study Area, William Mitchell State Park, Cadillac, Michigan, USA. Walk the pleasant 2.5-mile Heritage Nature Trail on boardwalks and packed limestone starting from Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center, through old-growth hardwood forest then around an old dike system which retains rich wetlands.
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  • Eagle Cap seen from Mirror Lake. Backback to Mirror Lake in Eagle Cap Wilderness,  Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, Wallowa Mountains, Columbia Plateau, northeastern Oregon, USA. Hike 7.3 miles from Two Pan Trailhead (5600 ft) up East Lostine River to camp at popular Mirror Lake (7606 ft). Day hike to Glacier Lake via Glacier Pass (6 miles round trip, 1200 ft gain). Backpack out 8.7 miles via Carper Pass, Minam Lake and West Fork Lostine. From September 11-13, 2016 Carol and I walked 22 miles in 3 days.
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  • Eagle Cap rises above Moccasin Lake. Backback to Mirror Lake in Eagle Cap Wilderness,  Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, Wallowa Mountains, Columbia Plateau, northeastern Oregon, USA. Hike 7.3 miles from Two Pan Trailhead (5600 ft) up East Lostine River to camp at popular Mirror Lake (7606 ft). Day hike to Glacier Lake via Glacier Pass (6 miles round trip, 1200 ft gain). Backpack out 8.7 miles via Carper Pass, Minam Lake and West Fork Lostine. From September 11-13, 2016 Carol and I walked 22 miles in 3 days.
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  • The town of Pontresina is in Upper Engadine, in Graubünden (Grisons) canton, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. The Swiss valley of Engadine translates as the "garden of the En (or Inn) River" (Engadin in German, Engiadina in Romansh, Engadina in Italian).
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  • Zermatt, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe.
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  • Within 15 minutes walk from Stellisee lake, relax at Bergrestaurant Fluhalp at the heart of the Sunnegga-Blauherd-Rothorn hiking & ski region, in Zermatt, the Pennine/Valais Alps, Switzerland, Europe. Experience Stellisee best at sunrise with great reflections of the Matterhorn, after overnight stay at Fluhalp (half board meals, coin showers, private rooms & dormitory), 40 minutes walk from Blauherd lift. The best parts of the Five Lakes Trail / 5-Seenweg loop are the old wood buildings in upper Findeln, and the reflecting lakes of Grindjisee and Stellisee.
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  • In Zermatt near the entrance to Sunnegga Express funicular, see the Matterhorn and Gornergrat Railway bridge over the Matter Vispa (a river tributary of the Rhone), in the Pennine Alps, Switzerland, Europe.
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  • Butterfly on Edelweiss flower, in Trift Valley in the Pennine/Valais Alps, Switzerland, Europe. Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum) is in the Asteraceae/daisy/sunflower family. Ideal for hiking in a natural setting, Trift is the only Valley in Zermatt free of railways, lifts or ski runs.
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  • Zermatt, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe.
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  • The peaks of Grand Combin (4314 metres / 14,154 feet on left), Combin de Corbassière (center), and Petit Combin (right) rise above Cabane de Louvie hut on Lake Louvie in the Pennine/Valais Alps, Switzerland, Europe.  Optionally stay overnight in dorms at Cabane de Louvie. The dramatic Chamois Path (Sentier des Chamois) starts at La Chaux ski lift and ends at Fionnay PostBus. Cross Col Termin (2648m/8688 ft) in Haut Val de Bagnes nature reserve and descend to Lake Louvie via 1800s stone barns to the north, then to Fionnay (640 m up, 1415 m down in 8.5 hours).
    16SWI-7298.jpg
  • Hike the dramatic Sentier des Chamois from Verbier, in Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. The Chamois Path starts at La Chaux ski lift and ends at Fionnay PostBus. Cross Col Termin (2648m/8688 ft) in Haut Val de Bagnes nature reserve and descend to Lake Louvie via 1800s stone barns to the north, then to Fionnay (640 m up, 1415 m down in 8.5 hours). Along the way, we admired a group fighting of Hérens cows, ibex with huge horns, and the glaciers of Grand Combins. Optionally stay overnight in dorms Cabane de Louvie. For licensing options, please inquire.
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  • Walk a narrow walkway carved through Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge / Gletscherschlucht, near Meiringen, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. In this deep ravine, the Weissenbach River has eroded potholes into a natural cathedral of slate and limestone. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
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  • Hike from First gondola lift station above Grindelwald, across Grosse Sheidegg pass, then walk down to Rosenlaui PostBus station for a ride to Meiringen. Switzerland, the Alps, Europe.
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  • Don't miss Eigeralp farm's traditional breakfast (or a longer farm stay), at Bussalp, above Grindelwald, in the canton of Bern, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. Every day, immediately in front of you, Eigeralp farm produces a variety of artisan cheeses and Alpine butter from raw milk in a large cauldron over an open fire. For breakfast, enjoy fresh bread from the oven, Alpine butter, various cheeses, yogurt, homemade jams, coffee, tea and fresh milk! While Eigeralp's huts were built in 1892, its traditional cheese hut dates from the 1600s. While grazing, gaze out over the peaks of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau in these astoundingly spectacular high meadows. The farm, on the internet at www.Eigeralp.ch, can be reached as follows: ride the private GrindelwaldBus.ch to the last stop in Bussalp, then ascend 40 minutes on foot. The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch region is honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For licensing options, please inquire.
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  • Sheep graze in the alpine meadows (alps) of Lötschental above Lauchernalp gondola lift station in canton Valais/Wallis, Switzerland, Europe. Kandersteg is a great base for hiking: an epic hike from Selden in Bern canton traverses Lötsch glacier and Lötschenpass (Lötschepass) to neighboring Lötschental in Valais canton; hiking poles are recommended for snow and rocks. The walk starts with a reserved Postbus ride from Kandersteg to Selden (in Gasterntal / Gasteretal / Gasterental), climbs 1350 meters, descends 925 m, and ends 13 km later at Lauchernalp lift station, which descends to Wiler in Lötschental, to reach Goppenstein via Postbus, back to Kandersteg via train. You can also reverse the route or stay overnight in dorms at Lötschepass hut.
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  • In the alpine meadows of Lötschental above Lauchernalp gondola lift station, see the Bietschhorn (3934 m/12,907 ft) in canton Valais/Wallis, Switzerland, the Alps, Europe. The northeast and southern slopes of the Bietschhorn are in Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kandersteg is a great base for hiking: an epic hike from Selden in Bern canton traverses Lötsch glacier and Lötschenpass (Lötschepass) to neighboring Lötschental in Valais canton; hiking poles are recommended for snow and rocks. The walk starts with a reserved Postbus ride from Kandersteg to Selden (in Gasterntal / Gasteretal / Gasterental), climbs 1350 meters, descends 925 m, and ends 13 km later at Lauchernalp lift station, which descends to Wiler in Lötschental, to reach Goppenstein via Postbus, back to Kandersteg via train. You can also reverse the route or stay overnight in dorms at Lötschepass hut.
    16SWI-2702.jpg
  • A farmers home at Meglisalp. Meglisalp can only be reached on foot in the spectacular heart of the Alpstein mountain chain in the Appenzell Alps, Switzerland, Europe. The authentic mountain hostelry of Berggasthaus Meglisalp, owned by the same family for five generations, dates from 1897. Meglisalp is a working dairy farm, restaurant and guest house surrounded by majestic peaks above green pastures.
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  • Wood-panelled private double room at Berggasthaus Meglisalp, which can only be reached on foot in the spectacular heart of the Alpstein mountain chain in the Appenzell Alps, Switzerland, Europe. Pitchers provide water, and shared showers are down the hall. This authentic mountain hostelry, owned by the same family for five generations, dates from 1897. Meglisalp is a working dairy farm, restaurant and guest house surrounded by majestic peaks above green pastures. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
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  • Alpine yellow composite wildflowers bloom at Meglisalp near Bötzel pass in the Alpstein limestone range, Appenzell Alps, Switzerland, Europe. The aster, daisy or sunflower family (Asteraceae or Compositae) is the largest family of vascular plants. Appenzell Innerrhoden is Switzerland's most traditional and smallest-population canton (second smallest by area).
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  • Cattle graze at Bollenwees alp, at scenic Fälensee lake in the Alpstein range, Appenzell Alps, Switzerland, Europe. Berggasthaus Bollenwees, founded in 1903, is a wonderful place to stay overnight in private double ensuite or dormitory rooms. A spectacular multi-day ridge walk covered in wildflower gardens starts at Hoher Kasten, reached via cable car from Brülisau, just 10 minutes bus ride from Appenzell village. Hike a scenic ridge via Staubern to beautiful Bollenwees and onwards to more wonders. Appenzell Innerrhoden is Switzerland's most traditional and smallest-population canton (second smallest by area).
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  • Train station in Switzerland, Europe.
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  • Dragon gargoyles decorate the rain spouts on the steeple of the Stadtkirche (City Church) in Stein am Rhein, a well-preserved medieval center in Schaffhausen Canton, Switzerland, Europe. The legend of St. George slaying a dragon was a brought back with the Crusaders. According to legend, St. George (who may have lived about AD 280-303) was a Roman soldier of Greek origin and officer in the Guard of Roman emperor Diocletian, who ordered his death for failing to recant his Christian faith. As a Christian martyr, he later became one of the most venerated saints in Christianity.
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