SMOKY SUN

We were on a long hike to Blue Glacier in the Olympic Mountains. On our fourth morning of the backpacking trip, we awoke to choking forest fire smoke. We didn't know where it was coming from, and we had 18 miles to hike back to the trailhead. We made it to the next campsite, and the following morning the smoke was even thicker, turning the rising sun a brilliant orange-red among the conifers. That's when I took this picture. As we approached the trailhead, we asked other hikers about the smoke and learned that it had blown in from other parts of the northwest, so we weren't in danger. It wasn't great for the lungs, but it made for an incredible photograph.