Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

Last autumn I went to the mountains for the first time in my 40-plus years of life, and my travel buddy and I chose to do a llama trek in Taos. After huffing and puffing my midwestern lungs through stands of aspen (breathtakingly yellow against the blue sky) to about 10000 feet, we emerged at a plateau with a clear alpine lake. The view was stunning, but I was completely unprepared for the next morning -- As our guide Stuart prepared our gourmet breakfast on an open fire, he suggested I go back to the lake to see "the morning mirror effect," and don't forget to bring my camera. This is what I saw, and have made prints for framing that I hopefully have oriented in the right direction. The reflection was crystal clear, the scene pristine, and there were turtles and elk!