Granite Rising

Tucked into the far southwest corner of Denali National Park lies the Kichatna Spires, a realm of vertical granite known only to a few ambitious climbers and wilderness adventurers. When I set off for the 90-minute helicopter flight one late summer day, I had no way of knowing what the weather or light conditions would be upon my arrival. What awaited me was some of the highest walls on earth draped in sublime clouds—what we call the “lingerie effect”—and it was exactly what I was hoping for. Composing images while flying a helicopter off sheer rock faces is both exhilarating and exacting. Everything came together in this image to show what I consider to be one of the most spectacular spots on the planet.