Spellbound

It is rumored that some mountains have the power to cast a spell on you and for some of us that spell will never be broken. This was taken on my first backpacking trip. (yes have to shamefully admit that inspite of being an aspiring landscape photographer I am not much of a backpacking expert). So when the opportunity presented itself to backpack 18 miles with a 1600+foot elevation gain and a 55lb backpack I was skeptical of my abilities. First I downed caffeine like it was going out of style and then for good measure packed enough of the local brew "Mate" to make sure I had enough fuel in me to make it. As luck would have it the shot I was hoping to get did not quite materialize. So ended up getting some "meh" shots and returned to the campground. As I sat in the tent and evaluated the blisters on my feet this scene unfolded right before my eyes! Grabbed my newly purchased 80-400mm and started shooting. Perhaps the sweetest reward is that which is unexpected, or when you feel you have lost only to realize that is not entirely true. Hope you like the picture. It will always be a sweet memory of my first backpacking experience and the inspiration for more to come.