Photo of the Day: Mount McKinley

Denali (or Mount McKinley as the official maps call it) is the tallest mountain in the world from base to tip. Mount Everest's peak is higher above sea level, but no mountain comes close to the rise and vertical size that Denali has. On our more recent trip to Alaska, we stayed at the Denali Backcountry Lodge in Kantishna within the heart of Denali National Park. On the evening of our arrival, there was clear weather around Denali - a rare event. Usually the mountain is shrouded in clouds and impossible to see. We went with a small party from the group that was staying in Kantishna that evening and was driven to the northern shore of Wonder Lake (in the foreground) for a clear view of Denali. I set up the tripod and took a few photos when the guide wanted to head back and asked us to return to the vehicle. I was a little upset - on my previous trips to Alaska I had never had the opportunity to see Denali and here it was! It was a bit past 10:00pm so I could understand why the guide wanted to return to camp, but we were only half an hour or an hour from the magic Golden Hour before sunset (which in Alaska in the summer lasts about 2 to 3 hours). Unfortunately, I didn't make a fuss about it and I missed it. The next day the mountain was completely obscured and it was the last we saw of Denali. You can see that the light has just started to change and produce that yellow glow that would have made this picture great. I still regret not making more of a point to stay.

Tripod, 1/350 sec at f/5.6 on ISO 200, 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens