Dream Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Driving winds polish the ice to reveal deep fractures traversing Dream Lake.

'Twas the morning after Christmas, and I was the first person on the trail. The temperature was 14°F with high, sustained winds and gusts well over 50 mph. I was tasked with route finding and breaking trail by headlamp. The wind had driven snow drifts across the trail and in some places I was postholing to my waist with snowshoes on. I reached the lake with time to spare, but the wind was punishing, blowing directly into my face all morning. It was strong enough to knock me over and push me across the ice at one point. At first, I was worried that the mountains would remain hidden in the clouds and blowing snow. But, as the light breached the horizon, they started to peak through. The light continued to get better all morning. I worked my way across the lake from East to West, finding interesting foregrounds. This was one of the last images I captured on the lake, and it is easily my favorite from the morning.