The Dying Embers of Chickaloon

It was late in the season when I landed my helicopter beside the Chickaloon River, about 30 miles upstream from its confluence with the Matanuska in the Talkeetna Mountains northeast of Palmer. The spot I found was deep into wild country, far from any trail or habitation, very difficult to reach. It was probably only a week from snowfall. On that day, the foliage glowed with the setting sun and the final warmth of summer. I set up my tripod along the crystal water. A five-second exposure captured the river’s flow and the glimmer of the late-season magic light on its wavelets.