Album Your favorites from 2016

[Yvonne]

@Miss Buffalo... that Milky Way shot is unbelievable. What's the source of that light inside the crater?

there is a lava lake inside the crater. The level of the lake sometimes changes daily and even overflows once in while. Unfortunately you can't get any closer because the entire area is so unstable and there are hazardous sulfur fumes.

 

[trampalong]

Many of you all are stunning photographers. I gathered up some photos that I enjoyed taking this year, but really the pictures of my bike are always my favorite. They're the ones that make me smile the most, but I've also included a picture of the waterways in Tennessee that I couldn't get enough of, the cypress swamps in the lower south that I've always wanted to see, one of my early pictures taken of the west, which has been the goal of my trip, and a picture of me on Guadalupe peak, which may be the highest point I've ever been. *Edit* I'm not sure how to remove the broken image links at the bottom.

 

[Nick]

Many of you all are stunning photographers. I gathered up some photos that I enjoyed taking this year, but really the pictures of my bike are always my favorite. They're the ones that make me smile the most, but I've also included a picture of the waterways in Tennessee that I couldn't get enough of, the cypress swamps in the lower south that I've always wanted to see, one of my early pictures taken of the west, which has been the goal of my trip, and a picture of me on Guadalupe peak, which may be the highest point I've ever been. (Hopefully I can post the images right the first time.) *Edit* Clearly not. I'll figure out how to fix it.

Your photos aren't showing up because you are inserting the Flickr page URL into the image insert, not the image URL. To make it work, you need to grab the BB Code from the Flicker image page. Choose the image size (large is great) and then copy that code and paste it here. You don't need the image insert button at all with that method.

 

[trampalong]

@Nick Thanks. I was just searching the old threads and found the answer. I just can't seem to get the old image links to show up in the editor so that I can delete them.

 

[Jackson]

@Jackson this photo is amazing!

Thank you! The stars (actually the clouds) aligned for a great sunset. It always makes adverse weather worth it.

 

[Nick]

@Nick Thanks. I was just searching the old threads and found the answer. I just can't seem to get the old image links to show up in the editor so that I can delete them.

I deleted them for you. Nice pics. All that stuff on a bike reminds of me of the Where's Bixby guy except he has the benefit of electric motor support and a dog on the back.

 

[trampalong]

I deleted them for you. Nice pics. All that stuff on a bike reminds of me of the Where's Bixby guy except he has the benefit of electric motor support and a dog on the back.

Thank you for the help. I haven't heard of Where's Bixby, and I've actually never seen someone touring on a Yuba Mundo, so that's very cool to see! It's a similar bike to mine, though (a Surly Big Dummy). I'd love to have a dog around, but it sounds like a lot of work, and I don't know if a motor can make up for a canine. I guess if I could teach the dog to pull me like a sled, then maybe.

 

[b.stark]

This was a good year for trips.

First off was the Grand Canyon. A new and amazing place for me.

View from camp above the redwall on the Tanner Trail.

Grand, Middle, and South Tetons from Hurricane Pass

Norris Geyser Basin (almost) all to myself on an early August morning

Sunrise at Wupatki National Monument

 

[Ugly]

So Many GREAT shots, not to mention so many great places I would like to go!

I was not blessed this year with quantity, but I sure had some quality trips this year.

There were quiet moments, where the stars greeted the dawn, and coyotes answered back in the stillness:

BEAUTIFUL mornings...
Including one that made a somewhat failure of a trip and a burning fever, forever burned in a good place in my heart.

And a few moments of brilliance on some trips that could not have gone better.
http://backcountrypost.com/threads/meeks-mesa.5637/

http://backcountrypost.com/threads/a-return-to-la-verkin-creek-and-kolob.6325/

A frigid cold morning near home with some of the first snow (8d F), up among some old friends.

And all year, around every turn there were vistas and views worth contemplating.

http://backcountrypost.com/threads/...-cirque-to-shadow-lake.6208/page-2#post-74657

Many with Family.
http://backcountrypost.com/threads/morat-lakes-over-labor-day.6196/#post-73815

http://backcountrypost.com/threads/mill-b-south.6255/#post-74568

Even some with Drama.

http://backcountrypost.com/threads/wind-river-range-part-2-pyramid-lake.6209/

So as the sun sets on this year, I expect next year to keep adding the experience.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

My annual favorites post on my blog: http://adventr.co/microposts/my-ten-favorite-photos-of-2016/

Here's a few of them...


Blue Hour Fog by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Lone Eagle Cirque by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Hesperus Mountain by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr


Alien Throne Sunset by Randy Langstraat, on Flickr

 

[Nik]

Here are my favorites pictures from 2016:

Fox Kits by Nikunj Patel, on Flickr

Female Red Winged Black Bird by Nikunj Patel, on Flickr

Osprey going fishing by Nikunj Patel, on Flickr

Contemplation by Nikunj Patel, on Flickr

Snow Goose by Nikunj Patel, on Flickr

Field of Sunflowers by Nikunj Patel, on Flickr

Bald Eagle by Nikunj Patel, on Flickr

Bald Eagle by Nikunj Patel, on Flickr

Bald Eagle by Nikunj Patel, on Flickr

Fish Check by Nikunj Patel, on Flickr

 

[Aldaron]

I had some nice trips this year that ended with some decent photos. As always, I feel like a wanna-be when I compare my pictures to everyone else's, but here's what I got.

Of course, there were several caving trips in northern Alabama and middle Tennessee.






And then we had a week of exploring the Highlands of Scotland.



And then there was a three week trip back out west that included a week in the Beartooths of Montana, and a week in the Flat Tops of Colorado.





And just a few weeks after the Rockies trip, I turned around and drove back for a week of canyoneering in Robber's Roost.





Someday I'll start using a tripod more...

 

[Dan_85]

No Utah trip was a big bummer for me this year. I almost made it out there in October but plans didn't quite come together. Instead I visited a few places closer to home in the UK and Europe, plus I squeezed a month's trip to California into the summer to finish up the JMT.

Twice this year I visited the Isle of Skye, Scotland - a place I haven't been since I was a kid. The April trip was really nice, with a mixture of unseasonably warm weather and also a few days of light snow. When I went back in August the island was much busier with tourists and the skeeters were a nightmare.



^^ That's genuinely one of the most northerly points in Scotland, in April. Not the Caribbean.



At the start of July I spent 4 days in Slovenia and I fell in love with the place. I think this might be the hidden jewel of Europe, it's so beautiful but nobody knows about it. Parts of it look like the Sierra Nevada in California and parts of it look like the Pacific Northwest. This is a country of granite peaks, lakes, canyons, gorges, rivers as blue as Havasupai and more waterfalls than you can count. If I could speak the language I think I'd honestly think about moving here.



Almost immediately after getting back from Slovenia I headed to California. I hiked a little over 200 miles from Mammoth Lakes to Horseshoe Meadow at the southern end of the Sierra. The weather was hot but the hiking was beautiful. Summiting Mt Whitney was the highest point on Earth that I've been to which was cool.



Finally, in September, on a whim I took a flight to Stockholm, Sweden and then spent 20 hours on a train that took me right up north into the Arctic Circle where I did a 6 day, 70 mile hike in what is considered to be one of Europe's last true wilderness areas. I arrived at the peak of autumn, everything was lit up in shades of red, gold and orange. The only slight disappointment was not getting to see the northern lights. Skies were a bit too cloudy and I was a little too early in the year.

 

[Laura]

My favorite trips this year were unplanned escapes-several times this year Stan and I just couldn't take it anymore and we ran off to either Utah or the Eastern Sierra, with the goal of doing nothing but hiking and relaxing.
The year started off with a winter escape to the Eastern Sierra, where it snowed all the way down to the 4,000 foot level. It was 9 degrees where I shot this predawn scene. The Eastern Sierra is beautiful no matter what time of year, but in the cold winter light the colors come alive, especially sunrise.



Later in the day I headed to the higher elevations above the Owens Valley, and caught this very cool 22 degree halo around the sun:



I'm hoping to see another one when I go to White Sands next February. Seeing one over sand dunes could be seriously cool!

In May we escaped to Springdale for a long weekend. We have a good thing going here-he mountain bikes while I go off and shoot/hike, then we meet back up in the afternoon for a beer, dinner, and soaking in the hot tub. An unexpected thunderstorm rolled into Zion that weekend, and while I was anxiously waiting for him at the trailhead, I couldn't help but shoot this amazing light over Zion:


Another escape to the Eastern Sierra in July meant lots more hiking (and more beer, more time in the hot tub for sore muscles) but it was the ultimate in relaxation. We hiked a side trip to Chocolate Lake, with Cloudripper in the background. Yes, that it the real name of this peak.



In August I made my last trip to Utah in the summer-it's gotten so crowded and expensive it just isn't worth it anymore. The idea was to go from one end of southern Utah to the other, shooting lighting and then the Perseid meter shower with my friend Kurt Robinson in Kanab. I had the worst luck with lightning, and I spent most of the trip trying to avoid crowds and the heat. I got a few decent star shots, this one in Capitol Reef:



Capitol Reef never disappoints. The crowds were minimal, and standing under all these stars was worth it. Less worth it was the meteor shower. Kurt had rescheduled back surgery so we could shoot, and we headed out around 2:30 a.m. We drove around aimlessly until his jeep got stuck in the sand, so we decided that was a sign. We set up our cameras and watched meteors fall around us, everywhere but inside our camera frames.

Finally fall came, and with that a weeklong trip to the Eastern Sierra. Nothing makes me want to retire early like spending the day hiking in the Eastern Sierra.

I also finally got to see the famous Sierra Wave, caused by the unique cold and warm currents that flow over the area:



I took a workshop with Guy Tal and Michael Gordon in Death Valley in November, and it was an amazing, intense experience. I highly recommend these guys-they put 200% into their workshops, and I can't wait to take another one.







I can't go to Death Valley without spending at least one night in the Owens Valley. After the workshop I spent the night in Bishop. As I drove home a storm was clearing, so of course I had to pull over and shoot. As the clouds parted I saw the moon was setting just behind this Eastern Sierra peak, whose name I still haven't determined, but it's somewhere between Big Pine and Independence:



And of course, my favorite trip of all was in March, when Stan and I ran off to the Cook Islands and eloped!





Here's to an awesome 2017 and I can't wait to read everyone's trip reports. Nick, after seeing that Forbidding Canyon video I have to see it. I'm going to drag Stan, Kurt, and Kelly to do it. Go Glen Canyon Rising!

 

[Artemus]

And my favorite trip of the year, my first-ever Colorado 14ers:

Mount Sneffels summit by Dennis Udink, on Flickr

I like this one best Dennis. Hardcore!

 

[Artemus]

No Utah trip was a big bummer for me this year. I almost made it out there in October but plans didn't quite come together. Instead I visited a few places closer to home in the UK and Europe, plus I squeezed a month's trip to California into the summer to finish up the JMT.

Twice this year I visited the Isle of Skye, Scotland - a place I haven't been since I was a kid. The April trip was really nice, with a mixture of unseasonably warm weather and also a few days of light snow. When I went back in August the island was much busier with tourists and the skeeters were a nightmare.

View attachment 51063 View attachment 51064 View attachment 51065
View attachment 51067
^^ That's genuinely one of the most northerly points in Scotland, in April. Not the Caribbean.

View attachment 51066

At the start of July I spent 4 days in Slovenia and I fell in love with the place. I think this might be the hidden jewel of Europe, it's so beautiful but nobody knows about it. Parts of it look like the Sierra Nevada in California and parts of it look like the Pacific Northwest. This is a country of granite peaks, lakes, canyons, gorges, rivers as blue as Havasupai and more waterfalls than you can count. If I could speak the language I think I'd honestly think about moving here.

View attachment 51068 View attachment 51069 View attachment 51070 View attachment 51071 View attachment 51072

Almost immediately after getting back from Slovenia I headed to California. I hiked a little over 200 miles from Mammoth Lakes to Horseshoe Meadow at the southern end of the Sierra. The weather was hot but the hiking was beautiful. Summiting Mt Whitney was the highest point on Earth that I've been to which was cool.

View attachment 51073 View attachment 51074 View attachment 51075 View attachment 51076 View attachment 51077

Finally, in September, on a whim I took a flight to Stockholm, Sweden and then spent 20 hours on a train that took me right up north into the Arctic Circle where I did a 6 day, 70 mile hike in what is considered to be one of Europe's last true wilderness areas. I arrived at the peak of autumn, everything was lit up in shades of red, gold and orange. The only slight disappointment was not getting to see the northern lights. Skies were a bit too cloudy and I was a little too early in the year.

View attachment 51078 View attachment 51079 View attachment 51080 View attachment 51081 View attachment 51082 View attachment 51083

Great. What the heck is that thing in the first pic?

The northern Sweden pics look like @Ben's pics 0f the Brooks Range in northern AK. I'll bet they are very nearly the same latitude, no?

 

[Artemus]

My favorite trips this year were unplanned escapes-several times this year Stan and I just couldn't take it anymore and we ran off to either Utah or the Eastern Sierra, with the goal of doing nothing but hiking and relaxing.
The year started off with a winter escape to the Eastern Sierra, where it snowed all the way down to the 4,000 foot level. It was 9 degrees where I shot this predawn scene. The Eastern Sierra is beautiful no matter what time of year, but in the cold winter light the colors come alive, especially sunrise.


View attachment 51091



View attachment 51092

Capitol Reef never disappoints. The crowds were minimal, and standing under all these stars was worth it. Less worth it was the meteor shower. Kurt had rescheduled back surgery so we could shoot, and we headed out around 2:30 a.m. We drove around aimlessly until his jeep got stuck in the sand, so we decided that was a sign. We set up our cameras and watched meteors fall around us, everywhere but inside our camera frames.

Finally fall came, and with that a weeklong trip to the Eastern Sierra. Nothing makes me want to retire early like spending the day hiking in the Eastern Sierra.

I also finally got to see the famous Sierra Wave, caused by the unique cold and warm currents that flow over the area:

View attachment 51093

I took a workshop with Guy Tal and Michael Gordon in Death Valley in November, and it was an amazing, intense experience. I highly recommend these guys-they put 200% into their workshops, and I can't wait to take another one.

View attachment 51094

View attachment 51095

View attachment 51096

I can't go to Death Valley without spending at least one night in the Owens Valley. After the workshop I spent the night in Bishop. As I drove home a storm was clearing, so of course I had to pull over and shoot. As the clouds parted I saw the moon was setting just behind this Eastern Sierra peak, whose name I still haven't determined, but it's somewhere between Big Pine and Independence:

View attachment 51098

And of course, my favorite trip of all was in March, when Stan and I ran off to the Cook Islands and eloped!

View attachment 51099

View attachment 51100

Here's to an awesome 2017 and I can't wait to read everyone's trip reports. Nick, after seeing that Forbidding Canyon video I have to see it. I'm going to drag Stan, Kurt, and Kelly to do it. Go Glen Canyon Rising!

Great photography! I love the purple one.

"And of course, my favorite trip of all was in March, when Stan and I ran off to the Cook Islands and eloped!"

- AND congrats!

 

[Scott Chandler]

Holy cow am I loving this. Bucket list is overflowing a lot.

 

[Dan_85]

Great. What the heck is that thing in the first pic?

Scottish black-faced sheep, looking kinda majestic haha. That guy followed me for a few hours whilst hiking.

The northern Sweden pics look like @Ben's pics 0f the Brooks Range in northern AK. I'll bet they are very nearly the same latitude, no?[/QUOTE]
Yeah, they must be very similar. Whilst I was hiking there I was thinking that the scenery definitely reminded me of Alaska, or maybe even parts of Iceland.

 

[Dave]

Lava awesomeness!!!

more lava awesomeness

even more lava awesomeness

I'm very impressed by the quality of what you got at HVNP. I went out on the water one morning but the weather and seas were so rough, almost nothing came out. Steam clouds were extremely thick as well, limiting clear views of the ocean entry. Very nicely done.