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  • Cathedral Peak reflects in Cathedral Lake, Yosemite National Park, California, USA. Cathedral Peak is the highest summit of the Cathedral Range, an offshoot of the Sierra Nevada Mountain in south-central Yosemite National Park in Tuolumne County. The sharp cathedral-shaped top of the peak was left uneroded as Pleistocene glaciers scraped its flanks smooth. The west peak (left side) of Cathedral Peak is called Eichorn Pinnacle, after Jules Eichorn, who first ascended a route (difficulty = YDS 5.4 ) in 1931. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" book by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    96CAL-06-05_Cathedral-Peak-Lake-Yose...jpg
  • Mount Reka (1991 feet / 607 meters elevation) reflects in Eidsfjord, lit by the midnight sun. Langoy Island, Vesterålen (Vesteraalen), Norway, Europe. Published in Wilderness Travel Catalog of Adventures 1989.
    81NOR-02-17_Mount-Reka.jpg
  • Cactus and jagged rock formations in Superstition Wilderness, Tonto NF, Arizona, USA
    03AZ-09-17_Superstition-Wilderness_T...jpg
  • Sitting on the edge of the Pulpit (Prekestolen) invokes fear and takes your break away, 1959 feet above Lysefjord, Forsand municipality, Rogaland county, Ryfylke traditional district, Norway, Europe. The nearest city is Jørpeland, in Strand municipality. 1981 photo.
    81NOR-08-38_Lysefjord,_legs_perch_Th...jpg
  • A side view reveals a long vertical crack in the Pulpit (Prekestolen), 1959 feet above Lysefjord, in Forsand municipality, Rogaland county, Ryfylke traditional district, Norway, Europe. The nearest city is Jørpeland, in Strand municipality. 1981 photo.
    81NOR-08-29_Pulpit_side_view_people.jpg
  • The "Svolvær Goat" rises to 1955 feet elevation on the Lofoten Islands, above the Arctic Circle, Norway. 1981 photo.
    81NOR-03-26_Svolvaer_Goat_1955_ft.jpg
  • Pink cactus flowers bloom in a pattern at the Sonoran Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
    03AZ-10-01-Pink-cactus-bloom-pattern.jpg
  • Weaver's Needle is a rock pnnacle in the Superstition Mountains, Arizona, USA
    03AZ-09-25_Weavers-Needle_Superstiti...jpg
  • A green alpine plant defends itself with sharp jagged leaves in the Andes Mountains, Peru, South America.
    00PER-Sharp-Alpine-Plant.jpg
  • Calf with sharp anti-suckling nose ring for weaning from mother's milk. Swiss Via Alpina 1, Day 2: ascending Foopass from Wiesstannen in Switzerland, Europe. Swiss Via Alpina (National Route 1), Day 2: From Hotel Gemse in Wiesstannen, we arranged a taxi to save 4.2 miles of walking to Alp Walabutz, from where we hiked over Foopass to Elm (9.1 miles, 2840 feet up, 4100 ft down). From Elm, we rode a Postbus to Schwanden then train to Linthal Braunwaldbahn Talstation, to catch the funicular to Braunwald, where we walked 0.6 mile with 340 ft ascent to Alexander´s Tödiblick hotel.
    22ALP-07421.jpg
  • Sharp peaks (part of the ridge between Annapurna III and Gandharba Chuli), with fluted ice ridges, in the Annapurna Range of Nepal, seen from the Annapurna Sanctuary.
    07NEP-2429.jpg
  • A mountainous wall of sharp rocks rises to the south of Big Quilcene Trail #833.1 near Marmot Pass, in Buckhorn Wilderness, Olympic National Forest, Washington.
    0807MAR-136.jpg
  • Swiss Via Alpina 1: sharp blue ridges of the Alps seen from atop Mt. Titlis, near Engelberg, Switzerland, Europe. In Engelberg, we rode the Titlis lift, the world's first rotating cable car. The Titlis cable car system connects Engelberg (996 m or 3,268 ft) to the summit of Klein Titlis (3,028 m or 9,934 ft) via stations at Trübsee and Stand. At Klein Titlis, we visited the illuminated Glacier Cave and Titlis Cliff Walk, the highest elevation suspension bridge in Europe, opened in December 2012, giving views across the Alps. We enjoyed walking 2 miles around scenic Trübsee, a circuit where six play stations for kids make an ideal family excursion, suitable for strollers. Scheduling 3 nights in Engelberg provided a well-needed rest break in the middle of hiking the first ten stages of the Swiss Via Alpina (National Route 1).
    22ALP-08598.jpg
  • Swiss Via Alpina 1: sharp blue ridges of the Alps seen from atop Mt. Titlis, near Engelberg, Switzerland, Europe. In Engelberg, we rode the Titlis lift, the world's first rotating cable car. The Titlis cable car system connects Engelberg (996 m or 3,268 ft) to the summit of Klein Titlis (3,028 m or 9,934 ft) via stations at Trübsee and Stand. At Klein Titlis, we visited the illuminated Glacier Cave and Titlis Cliff Walk, the highest elevation suspension bridge in Europe, opened in December 2012, giving views across the Alps. We enjoyed walking 2 miles around scenic Trübsee, a circuit where six play stations for kids make an ideal family excursion, suitable for strollers. Scheduling 3 nights in Engelberg provided a well-needed rest break in the middle of hiking the first ten stages of the Swiss Via Alpina (National Route 1).
    22ALP-08596.jpg
  • Sharp seracs of Perito Moreno Glacier, El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, Patagonia, South America. The spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field (the world's third largest reserve of fresh water). Moreno Glacier melts into Lake Argentino, surrounded by Los Glaciares National Park. Lago Argentino is the biggest freshwater lake in Argentina and reaches as deep as 500 meters (1640 feet). Its outlet, the Santa Cruz River, flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Despite most glaciers worldwide retreating due to global warming, Perito Moreno Glacier has been a relatively stable exception for the past hundred years. Located 78 kilometers (48 mi) from El Calafate, the glacier was named after explorer Francisco Moreno, a pioneer who studied the region in the 1800s and defended the territory of Argentina in the conflict surrounding the international border dispute with Chile. Los Glaciares National Park is honored on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
    2002PAT-1718.jpg
  • Sharp stalactite pattern, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, in the Guadalupe Mountains, Chihuahuan Desert, southeast New Mexico, USA. Hike in on your own via the natural entrance or take an elevator from the visitor center. Geology: 4 to 6 million years ago, an acid bath in the water table slowly dissolved the underground rooms of Carlsbad Caverns, which then drained along with the uplift of the Guadalupe Mountains. The Guadalupe Mountains are the uplifted part of the ancient Capitan Reef which thrived along the edge of an inland sea more than 250 million years ago during Permian time. Carlsbad Caverns National Park protects part of the Capitan Reef, one of the best-preserved, exposed Permian-age fossil reefs in the world. The park's magnificent speleothems (cave formations) are due to rain and snowmelt soaking through soil and limestone rock, dripping into a cave, evaporating and depositing dissolved minerals. Drip-by-drip, over the past million years or so, Carlsbad Cavern has slowly been decorating itself. The slowest drips tend to stay on the ceiling (as stalactites, soda straws, draperies, ribbons or curtains). The faster drips are more likely to decorate the floor (with stalagmites, totem poles, flowstone, rim stone dams, lily pads, shelves, and cave pools). Today, due to the dry desert climate, few speleothems inside any Guadalupe Mountains caves are wet enough to actively grow. Most speleothems inside Carlsbad Cavern would have been much more active during the last ice age-up to around 10,000 years ago, but are now mostly inactive.
    1404NM-5151_Carlsbad-Caverns-NP.jpg
  • Sharp stalactites, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, in the Guadalupe Mountains, Chihuahuan Desert, southeast New Mexico, USA. Hike in on your own via the natural entrance or take an elevator from the visitor center. Geology: 4 to 6 million years ago, an acid bath in the water table slowly dissolved the underground rooms of Carlsbad Caverns, which then drained along with the uplift of the Guadalupe Mountains. The Guadalupe Mountains are the uplifted part of the ancient Capitan Reef which thrived along the edge of an inland sea more than 250 million years ago during Permian time. Carlsbad Caverns National Park protects part of the Capitan Reef, one of the best-preserved, exposed Permian-age fossil reefs in the world. The park's magnificent speleothems (cave formations) are due to rain and snowmelt soaking through soil and limestone rock, dripping into a cave, evaporating and depositing dissolved minerals. Drip-by-drip, over the past million years or so, Carlsbad Cavern has slowly been decorating itself. The slowest drips tend to stay on the ceiling (as stalactites, soda straws, draperies, ribbons or curtains). The faster drips are more likely to decorate the floor (with stalagmites, totem poles, flowstone, rim stone dams, lily pads, shelves, and cave pools). Today, due to the dry desert climate, few speleothems inside any Guadalupe Mountains caves are wet enough to actively grow. Most speleothems inside Carlsbad Cavern would have been much more active during the last ice age-up to around 10,000 years ago, but are now mostly inactive.
    1404NM-5126_Carlsbad-Caverns-NP.jpg
  • At moonrise, the Pala Dolomites (Pale di San Martino) soar majestically above Passo Rolle, near the mountain resort of San Martino di Castrozza in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy, Europe. The sharp peak of Cimon della Pala (right, 3129m) is eclipsed in height by Cima della Vezana (behind left, 3192m, highest of the Pala Dolomites). 200 million years ago, Triassic coral reefs fossilized into Dolomite. Collision of tectonic plates lifted the Dolomites within the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009. This panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    13ITA-20070-71pan_Pala-Dolomites.jpg
  • A green tree trunk is defended by seriously large, sharp, cone-shaped thorns in Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America.
    05ARG-50220.jpg
  • A green tree trunk is defended by seriously large, sharp, cone-shaped thorns in Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America.
    05ARG-50219.jpg
  • Sharp mountains were carved in the Glacial Ages on Moskenesøya (the Moskenes Island) above Reinefjord in the Lofoten archipelago, Nordland county, Norway.
    11NOR-1102.jpg
  • Cholla cactus grows sharp yellow spines amid white and red sandstone formations in White Domes area of Valley of Fire State Park (dedicated in 1935) in Nevada, USA. Starting more than 150 million years ago, great shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs were compressed, uplifting, faulted, and eroded to form the park's fiery red sandstone formations. The park also boasts fascinating patterns in limestone, shale, and conglomerate rock. The park adjoins Lake Mead National Recreation Area at the Virgin River confluence, at an elevation of 2000 to 2600 feet (610-790 m), 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Las Vegas, USA. Park entry from Interstate 15 passes through the Moapa Indian Reservation.
    11NV2-4058_Valley-of-Fire-SP-Nevada.jpg
  • Hike on Sahale Arm above Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. The Triplets are the sharp peaks in center and Cascade Peak is on the right.
    0609SAH_040-Triplets_Cascade-Peak.jpg
  • Hike on Sahale Arm above Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. The Triplets are the sharp peaks on the left, and Cascade Peak is on the right.
    0609SAH_031-Triplets_Cascade-Peak.jpg
  • Hike on Sahale Arm above Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. The Triplets are the sharp peaks on the left, and Cascade Peak is on the right.
    0609SAH_020-Triplets_Cascade-Peak.jpg
  • Hike on Sahale Arm above Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. The Triplets are the sharp peaks on the left, and Cascade Peak is on the right.
    0609SAH_018-Triplets_Cascade-Peak.jpg
  • Hike to Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. The Triplets are the sharp peaks on the left, and Cascade Peak is on the right.
    0609SAH_010-Triplets_Cascade-Peak.jpg
  • Hike to Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. The Triplets are the sharp peaks on right.
    0609SAH_006.jpg
  • Hike to Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. The Triplets are the sharp peaks on the left, and Cascade Peak is on the right.
    0609SAH_003.jpg
  • Sharp rock pattern, seen on the hike to Dragon's Tail ridge, starting from Hidden Lake Traihead at Logan Pass, in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
    2209RV-0254.jpg
  • Sharp stalactites, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, in the Guadalupe Mountains, Chihuahuan Desert, southeast New Mexico, USA. Hike in on your own via the natural entrance or take an elevator from the visitor center. Geology: 4 to 6 million years ago, an acid bath in the water table slowly dissolved the underground rooms of Carlsbad Caverns, which then drained along with the uplift of the Guadalupe Mountains. The Guadalupe Mountains are the uplifted part of the ancient Capitan Reef which thrived along the edge of an inland sea more than 250 million years ago during Permian time. Carlsbad Caverns National Park protects part of the Capitan Reef, one of the best-preserved, exposed Permian-age fossil reefs in the world. The park's magnificent speleothems (cave formations) are due to rain and snowmelt soaking through soil and limestone rock, dripping into a cave, evaporating and depositing dissolved minerals. Drip-by-drip, over the past million years or so, Carlsbad Cavern has slowly been decorating itself. The slowest drips tend to stay on the ceiling (as stalactites, soda straws, draperies, ribbons or curtains). The faster drips are more likely to decorate the floor (with stalagmites, totem poles, flowstone, rim stone dams, lily pads, shelves, and cave pools). Today, due to the dry desert climate, few speleothems inside any Guadalupe Mountains caves are wet enough to actively grow. Most speleothems inside Carlsbad Cavern would have been much more active during the last ice age-up to around 10,000 years ago, but are now mostly inactive.
    1404NM-5132_Carlsbad-Caverns-NP.jpg
  • Sharp stalactites, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, in the Guadalupe Mountains, Chihuahuan Desert, southeast New Mexico, USA. Hike in on your own via the natural entrance or take an elevator from the visitor center. Geology: 4 to 6 million years ago, an acid bath in the water table slowly dissolved the underground rooms of Carlsbad Caverns, which then drained along with the uplift of the Guadalupe Mountains. The Guadalupe Mountains are the uplifted part of the ancient Capitan Reef which thrived along the edge of an inland sea more than 250 million years ago during Permian time. Carlsbad Caverns National Park protects part of the Capitan Reef, one of the best-preserved, exposed Permian-age fossil reefs in the world. The park's magnificent speleothems (cave formations) are due to rain and snowmelt soaking through soil and limestone rock, dripping into a cave, evaporating and depositing dissolved minerals. Drip-by-drip, over the past million years or so, Carlsbad Cavern has slowly been decorating itself. The slowest drips tend to stay on the ceiling (as stalactites, soda straws, draperies, ribbons or curtains). The faster drips are more likely to decorate the floor (with stalagmites, totem poles, flowstone, rim stone dams, lily pads, shelves, and cave pools). Today, due to the dry desert climate, few speleothems inside any Guadalupe Mountains caves are wet enough to actively grow. Most speleothems inside Carlsbad Cavern would have been much more active during the last ice age-up to around 10,000 years ago, but are now mostly inactive.
    1404NM-5131_Carlsbad-Caverns-NP.jpg
  • See the sharp peak of Grand Tokosha from Denali State Park, Alaska, USA.
    06AK_5121-Grand-Tokosha-6000ft.jpg
  • Hike to Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. The Triplets are the sharp peaks on the left, and Cascade Peak is on the right. Sun rays cause lens flares.
    0609SAH_129.jpg
  • Hike on Sahale Arm above Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. The Triplets are the sharp peaks on the left, and Cascade Peak is on the right.
    0609SAH_035-Triplets_Cascade-Peak.jpg
  • Hike to Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. The Triplets are the sharp peaks on right.
    0609SAH_005-.jpg
  • Hike on Sahale Arm above Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. The Triplets are the sharp peaks on the left, and Cascade Peak is on the right.
    0609SAH_066.jpg
  • Steep mountains surround the fishing village of Reine on Moskenesøya (the Moskenes Island), in the Lofoten archipelago, Nordland county, Norway.
    11NOR-1491.jpg
  • Fog from the Norwegian Sea (part of the North Atlantic Ocean) flows over mountains towards the sunny fishing village of Reine on Moskenesøya (the Moskenes Island), in the Lofoten archipelago, Nordland county, Norway. Panorama stitched from 13 overlapping photos.
    11NOR-1497-1509pan_Reine_Moskenes-Lo...jpg
  • Steep mountains surround the fishing village of Reine on Moskenesøya (the Moskenes Island), in the Lofoten archipelago, Nordland county, Norway. Panorama stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    11NOR-1320-21pan_Reine_Lofoten-Islan...jpg
  • Fog from the Norwegian Sea (part of the North Atlantic Ocean) flows over mountains towards the fishing village of Reine on Moskenesøya (the Moskenes Island), in the Lofoten archipelago, Nordland county, Norway.
    11NOR-1488.jpg
  • Cathedral Spires Area, Custer State Park, South Dakota, USA. Completed in 1922, the Needles Highway includes sharp turns, low tunnels and impressive granite spires along the northern 14 miles of South Dakota Highway 87 (SD 87). The road lies within Custer State Park, 30 miles south of Rapid City, in South Dakota, USA. Needles Highway is part of the figure-eight route of Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway. South Dakota's largest and first state park was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
    1709US1-3243_Custer-SP-SD.jpg
  • Cathedral Spires Area, Custer State Park, South Dakota, USA. Completed in 1922, the Needles Highway includes sharp turns, low tunnels and impressive granite spires along the northern 14 miles of South Dakota Highway 87 (SD 87). The road lies within Custer State Park, 30 miles south of Rapid City, in South Dakota, USA. Needles Highway is part of the figure-eight route of Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway. South Dakota's largest and first state park was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
    1709US1-3181_Custer-SP-SD.jpg
  • Hikers admire sharp peaks of the Cadini Group in the Sesto Dolomites, Veneto region, Italy, Europe. In the Cadini di Misurina, Cima Grande rises to 2999 meters (9839 feet), between Cima Piccola and Cima Ovest. The Cadini Group is in the municipality of Auronzo, in the Sesto Dolomites (Dolomiti di Sesto, or Sexten/Sextner/Sextener Dolomiten) which lie north of the Fiume Ansiei valley. From the Rifugio Auronzo toll road, hike for spectacular views around Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Italian for "Three Peaks of Lavaredo," called Drei Zinnen or "Three Merlons" in German). The Dolomites are part of the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-50065-p1a_Cadini-Group-Dolomit...jpg
  • Sharp spires of the Geisler/Odle Group soar above green Alpe di Seceda, above Ortisei, in South Tyrol, the Dolomites, Italy, Europe. The beautiful ski resort of Selva di Val Gardena (German: Wolkenstein in Gröden; Ladin: Sëlva Gherdëine) makes a great hiking base in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy. For our favorite hike in the Dolomiti, start from Selva with the first morning bus to Ortisei, take the Seceda lift, admire great views up at the cross on the edge of Val di Funes (Villnöss), then walk 12 miles (2000 feet up, 5000 feet down) via the steep pass Furcela Forces De Sieles (Forcella Forces de Sielles) to beautiful Vallunga (trail #2 to 16), finishing where you started in Selva. The hike traverses the Geisler/Odle and Puez Groups from verdant pastures to alpine wonders, all preserved in a vast Nature Park: Parco Naturale Puez-Odle (German: Naturpark Puez-Geisler; Ladin: Parch Natural Pöz-Odles), including the deeply glaciated U-shaped valley of Vallunga (Langental). As sheep and cows graze en route, Saint Sylvester's Chapel (San Silvestro) in Vallunga is fittingly dedicated to the patron saint of cattle and contains 300-year-old frescoes depicting the life of Jesus. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-20912_Alpe-di-Seceda_Dolomites.jpg
  • The sharp peak of Weisshorn ("White Peak") rises to 4506 meters or 14,783 feet elevation above a tepee (tipi or teepee) tent in the Pennine Alps, Switzerland, on the High Route (Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route), Europe.
    05ALP_4106.jpg
  • Alphubel peak and Dom (center of three sharp peaks) at sunrise. Dom (4,545 m or 14,911 ft) is the main summit of the Mischabel group (German: Mischabelhörner), which is the highest massif lying entirely within Switzerland. Saas-Fee is the main village in the Saastal, (Saas Valley), in the district of Visp, canton of Valais, in Switzerland, Europe. The village perches on a high mountain plateau at 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) elevation, surrounded by 13 peaks above 4,000 meters (13,123 feet). This classic ski resort features a car-free city center and well-preserved Swiss wood architecture.
    22ALP-06736.jpg
  • Clyde Minaret (12,281 feet elevation) cuts a sharp shadow in late afternoon over Minaret Lake in the Ritter Range in Ansel Adams Wilderness, Inyo National Forest, in backcountry near the town of Mammoth Lakes, California, USA. We backpacked for 5 days from Agnew Meadows to Thousand Island Lake, Garnet Lake, Ediza Lake, & Minaret Lake.
    2108CA2-1193.jpg
  • The sharp point of East Temple Peak rises above Deep Lake in  Bridger Wilderness. At left is the shoulder of Haystack Mountain. Backpack to Big Sandy Lake Campground (11 miles round trip with 1000 feet gain). Day hike from Big Sandy Lake to Clear Lake and Deep Lake below East Temple Peak then loop back via Temple Lake, Miller Lake, and Rapid Lake (7.5 miles, 1060 ft gain) on the Continental Divide Trail. Wind River Range, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Rocky Mountains, Wyoming, USA. The Continental Divide follows the crest of the "Winds". Mostly composed of granite batholiths formed deep within the earth over 1 billion years ago, the Wind River Range is one of the oldest mountain ranges in North America. These granite monoliths were uplifted, exposed by erosion, then carved by glaciers 500,000 years ago to form cirques and U-shaped valleys. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1909US1-1002-Pano-2.jpg
  • Cathedral Spires Area, Custer State Park, South Dakota, USA. Completed in 1922, the Needles Highway includes sharp turns, low tunnels and impressive granite spires along the northern 14 miles of South Dakota Highway 87 (SD 87). The road lies within Custer State Park, 30 miles south of Rapid City, in South Dakota, USA. Needles Highway is part of the figure-eight route of Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway. South Dakota's largest and first state park was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1709US1-3259-62-Pano_Custer-SP-SD.jpg
  • Needles Eye arch. Completed in 1922, the Needles Highway includes sharp turns, low tunnels and impressive granite spires along the northern 14 miles of South Dakota Highway 87 (SD 87). The road lies within Custer State Park, 30 miles south of Rapid City, in South Dakota, USA. Needles Highway is part of the figure-eight route of Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway. South Dakota's largest and first state park was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1709US1-3124-39-Pano_Custer-SP-SD.jpg
  • Needles Eye Tunnel. Completed in 1922, the Needles Highway includes sharp turns, low tunnels and impressive granite spires along the northern 14 miles of South Dakota Highway 87 (SD 87). The road lies within Custer State Park, 30 miles south of Rapid City, in South Dakota, USA. Needles Highway is part of the figure-eight route of Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway. South Dakota's largest and first state park was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
    1709US1-3149_Custer-SP-SD.jpg
  • Needles Eye arch. Completed in 1922, the Needles Highway includes sharp turns, low tunnels and impressive granite spires along the northern 14 miles of South Dakota Highway 87 (SD 87). The road lies within Custer State Park, 30 miles south of Rapid City, in South Dakota, USA. Needles Highway is part of the figure-eight route of Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway. South Dakota's largest and first state park was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
    1709US1-3108_Custer-SP-SD.jpg
  • Columbian lewisia flowers bloom on Table Mountain Trail #1209, near Blewett Pass, Wenatchee National Forest, Washington, USA. The Columbian lewisia (scientific name: Lewisia columbiana, in the purslane family) is native to western United States and British Columbia in rocky mountain habitats. Several stems rise up to 30 centimeters tall, each bearing up to 100 flowers. The flower has 4 to 11 petals, each up to about a centimeter in length and oval with a notched tip. The petals are white to pale pink, usually with sharp dark pink veining (stripes).
    1405WA-564.jpg
  • Flowers of purple Grasswidow, yellow Glacier Lily and white (pink striped) Columbian lewisia bloom together on Table Mountain Trail #1209, near Blewett Pass, Wenatchee National Forest, Washington, USA. Erythronium grandiflorum is commonly known as glacier lily, yellow avalanche lily, and dogtooth fawn lily. // Grasswidows have the scientific name Olsynium douglasii, with synonyms Sisyrinchium douglasii or Sisyrinchium grandiflorum, in the genus Olsynium, native to western North America from southern British Columbia south to northern California, and east to northwest Utah. Grasswidow is a perennial herbaceous bulbiferous plant which grows 10-40 cm tall with flowers having six purple tepals. // The Columbian lewisia (scientific name: Lewisia columbiana, in the purslane family) is native to western United States and British Columbia in rocky mountain habitats. Several stems rise up to 30 centimeters tall, each bearing up to 100 flowers. The flower has 4 to 11 petals, each up to about a centimeter in length and oval with a notched tip. The petals are white to pale pink, usually with sharp dark pink veining (stripes).
    1405WA-549.jpg
  • Sharp peaks of the Cadini Group rise in the Sesto Dolomites, Veneto region, Italy, Europe. In the Cadini di Misurina, Cima Grande rises to 2999 meters (9839 feet), between Cima Piccola and Cima Ovest. The Cadini Group is in the municipality of Auronzo, in the Sesto Dolomites (Dolomiti di Sesto, or Sexten/Sextner/Sextener Dolomiten) which lie north of the Fiume Ansiei valley. From the Rifugio Auronzo toll road, hike for spectacular views around Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Italian for "Three Peaks of Lavaredo," called Drei Zinnen or "Three Merlons" in German). The Dolomites are part of the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-50197_Cadini-Group-Dolomites.jpg
  • Hikers admire sharp peaks of the Cadini Group in the Sesto Dolomites, Veneto region, Italy, Europe. In the Cadini di Misurina, Cima Grande rises to 2999 meters (9839 feet), between Cima Piccola and Cima Ovest. The Cadini Group is in the municipality of Auronzo, in the Sesto Dolomites (Dolomiti di Sesto, or Sexten/Sextner/Sextener Dolomiten) which lie north of the Fiume Ansiei valley. From the Rifugio Auronzo toll road, hike for spectacular views around Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Italian for "Three Peaks of Lavaredo," called Drei Zinnen or "Three Merlons" in German). The Dolomites are part of the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-50187-p1a_Cadini-Group-Dolomit...jpg
  • Hikers admire sharp peaks of the Cadini Group in the Sesto Dolomites, Veneto region, Italy, Europe. In the Cadini di Misurina, Cima Grande rises to 2999 meters (9839 feet), between Cima Piccola and Cima Ovest. The Cadini Group is in the municipality of Auronzo, in the Sesto Dolomites (Dolomiti di Sesto, or Sexten/Sextner/Sextener Dolomiten) which lie north of the Fiume Ansiei valley. From the Rifugio Auronzo toll road, hike for spectacular views around Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Italian for "Three Peaks of Lavaredo," called Drei Zinnen or "Three Merlons" in German). The Dolomites are part of the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-50164-p1_Cadini-Group-Dolomite...jpg
  • Hikers admire sharp peaks of the Cadini Group in the Sesto Dolomites, Veneto region, Italy, Europe. In the Cadini di Misurina, Cima Grande rises to 2999 meters (9839 feet), between Cima Piccola and Cima Ovest. The Cadini Group is in the municipality of Auronzo, in the Sesto Dolomites (Dolomiti di Sesto, or Sexten/Sextner/Sextener Dolomiten) which lie north of the Fiume Ansiei valley. From the Rifugio Auronzo toll road, hike for spectacular views around Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Italian for "Three Peaks of Lavaredo," called Drei Zinnen or "Three Merlons" in German). The Dolomites are part of the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-50085-p1a_Cadini-Group-Dolomit...jpg
  • Hikers admire sharp peaks of the Cadini Group in the Sesto Dolomites, Veneto region, Italy, Europe. In the Cadini di Misurina, Cima Grande rises to 2999 meters (9839 feet), between Cima Piccola and Cima Ovest. The Cadini Group is in the municipality of Auronzo, in the Sesto Dolomites (Dolomiti di Sesto, or Sexten/Sextner/Sextener Dolomiten) which lie north of the Fiume Ansiei valley. From the Rifugio Auronzo toll road, hike for spectacular views around Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Italian for "Three Peaks of Lavaredo," called Drei Zinnen or "Three Merlons" in German). The Dolomites are part of the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-50078-p1_Cadini-Group-Dolomite...jpg
  • A hiker admires sharp peaks of the Cadini Group in the Sesto Dolomites, Italy, Europe. In the Cadini di Misurina, Cima Grande rises to 2999 meters (9839 feet), between Cima Piccola and Cima Ovest. The Cadini Group is in the Sesto Dolomites (Dolomiti di Sesto, or Sexten/Sextner/Sextener Dolomiten) which lie north of the Fiume Ansiei valley, in the municipality of Auronzo. From the Rifugio Auronzo toll road, hike for spectacular views around Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Italian for "Three Peaks of Lavaredo," called Drei Zinnen or "Three Merlons" in German). The Dolomites are part of the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-50021_Cadini-Group-Dolomites.jpg
  • Sharp spires of the Geisler/Odle Group rise above green Alpe di Seceda, as seen from the pass Furcela Forces De Sieles (Forcella Forces de Sielles) in the Puez Group, in the Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy, Europe. The beautiful ski resort of Selva di Val Gardena (German: Wolkenstein in Gröden; Ladin: Sëlva Gherdëine) makes a great hiking base in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy. For our favorite hike in the Dolomiti, start from Selva with the first morning bus to Ortisei, take the Seceda lift, admire great views up at the cross on the edge of Val di Funes (Villnöss), then walk 12 miles (2000 feet up, 5000 feet down) via the steep pass Furcela Forces De Sieles (Forcella Forces de Sielles) to beautiful Vallunga (trail #2 to 16), finishing where you started in Selva. The hike traverses the Geisler/Odle and Puez Groups from verdant pastures to alpine wonders, all preserved in a vast Nature Park: Parco Naturale Puez-Odle (German: Naturpark Puez-Geisler; Ladin: Parch Natural Pöz-Odles), including the deeply glaciated U-shaped valley of Vallunga (Langental). As sheep and cows graze en route, Saint Sylvester's Chapel (San Silvestro) in Vallunga is fittingly dedicated to the patron saint of cattle and contains 300-year-old frescoes depicting the life of Jesus. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009. This panorama was stitched from 4 overlapping photos.
    13ITA-21075-78pan_Naturpark-Puez-Gei...jpg
  • Sharp spires of the Geisler/Odle Group soar above green Alpe di Cisles/Cisles-Alm, near St. Christina, in Val Gardena, in South Tyrol, the Dolomites, Italy, Europe. The Puez Group rises on the right. The beautiful ski resort of Selva di Val Gardena (German: Wolkenstein in Gröden; Ladin: Sëlva Gherdëine) makes a great hiking base in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy. For our favorite hike in the Dolomiti, start from Selva with the first morning bus to Ortisei, take the Seceda lift, admire great views up at the cross on the edge of Val di Funes (Villnöss), then walk 12 miles (2000 feet up, 5000 feet down) via the steep pass Furcela Forces De Sieles (Forcella Forces de Sielles) to beautiful Vallunga (trail #2 to 16), finishing where you started in Selva. The hike traverses the Geisler/Odle and Puez Groups from verdant pastures to alpine wonders, all preserved in a vast Nature Park: Parco Naturale Puez-Odle (German: Naturpark Puez-Geisler; Ladin: Parch Natural Pöz-Odles), including the deeply glaciated U-shaped valley of Vallunga (Langental). UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009. This panorama was stitched from 10 overlapping photos.
    13ITA-21031-40pan_Puez-Group-Dolomit...jpg
  • Sharp spires of the Geisler/Odle Group soar above a hiker on green Alpe di Seceda, above St. Christina and Ortisei, in South Tyrol, the Dolomites, Italy, Europe. The beautiful ski resort of Selva di Val Gardena (German: Wolkenstein in Gröden; Ladin: Sëlva Gherdëine) makes a great hiking base in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy. For our favorite hike in the Dolomiti, start from Selva with the first morning bus to Ortisei, take the Seceda lift, admire great views up at the cross on the edge of Val di Funes (Villnöss), then walk 12 miles (2000 feet up, 5000 feet down) via the steep pass Furcela Forces De Sieles (Forcella Forces de Sielles) to beautiful Vallunga (trail #2 to 16), finishing where you started in Selva. The hike traverses the Geisler/Odle and Puez Groups from verdant pastures to alpine wonders, all preserved in a vast Nature Park: Parco Naturale Puez-Odle (German: Naturpark Puez-Geisler; Ladin: Parch Natural Pöz-Odles). UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-20982_Alpe-di-Seceda_Dolomites.jpg
  • Sharp spires of the Geisler/Odle Group soar above a hiker on green Alpe di Seceda, above St. Christina and Ortisei, in South Tyrol, the Dolomites, Italy, Europe. The beautiful ski resort of Selva di Val Gardena (German: Wolkenstein in Gröden; Ladin: Sëlva Gherdëine) makes a great hiking base in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy. For our favorite hike in the Dolomiti, start from Selva with the first morning bus to Ortisei, take the Seceda lift, admire great views up at the cross on the edge of Val di Funes (Villnöss), then walk 12 miles (2000 feet up, 5000 feet down) via the steep pass Furcela Forces De Sieles (Forcella Forces de Sielles) to beautiful Vallunga (trail #2 to 16), finishing where you started in Selva. The hike traverses the Geisler/Odle and Puez Groups from verdant pastures to alpine wonders, all preserved in a vast Nature Park: Parco Naturale Puez-Odle (German: Naturpark Puez-Geisler; Ladin: Parch Natural Pöz-Odles). UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-20979_Alpe-di-Seceda_Dolomites.jpg
  • Sharp spires of the Geisler/Odle Group soar above a hiker on green Alpe di Seceda, above St. Christina and Ortisei, in South Tyrol, the Dolomites, Italy, Europe. The beautiful ski resort of Selva di Val Gardena (German: Wolkenstein in Gröden; Ladin: Sëlva Gherdëine) makes a great hiking base in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy. For our favorite hike in the Dolomiti, start from Selva with the first morning bus to Ortisei, take the Seceda lift, admire great views up at the cross on the edge of Val di Funes (Villnöss), then walk 12 miles (2000 feet up, 5000 feet down) via the steep pass Furcela Forces De Sieles (Forcella Forces de Sielles) to beautiful Vallunga (trail #2 to 16), finishing where you started in Selva. The hike traverses the Geisler/Odle and Puez Groups from verdant pastures to alpine wonders, all preserved in a vast Nature Park: Parco Naturale Puez-Odle (German: Naturpark Puez-Geisler; Ladin: Parch Natural Pöz-Odles). UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-20977_Alpe-di-Seceda_Dolomites.jpg
  • Hikers admire the sharp spires of the Geisler/Odle Group which soar above green Alpe di Seceda, above St. Christina and Ortisei, in South Tyrol, the Dolomites, Italy, Europe. The beautiful ski resort of Selva di Val Gardena (German: Wolkenstein in Gröden; Ladin: Sëlva Gherdëine) makes a great hiking base in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy. For our favorite hike in the Dolomiti, start from Selva with the first morning bus to Ortisei, take the Seceda lift, admire great views up at the cross on the edge of Val di Funes (Villnöss), then walk 12 miles (2000 feet up, 5000 feet down) via the steep pass Furcela Forces De Sieles (Forcella Forces de Sielles) to beautiful Vallunga (trail #2 to 16), finishing where you started in Selva. The hike traverses the Geisler/Odle and Puez Groups from verdant pastures to alpine wonders, all preserved in a vast Nature Park: Parco Naturale Puez-Odle (German: Naturpark Puez-Geisler; Ladin: Parch Natural Pöz-Odles). UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-20976_Alpe-di-Seceda_Dolomites.jpg
  • Sharp spires of the Geisler/Odle Group soar above green Alpe di Seceda, above St. Christina and Ortisei, in South Tyrol, the Dolomites, Italy, Europe. The beautiful ski resort of Selva di Val Gardena (German: Wolkenstein in Gröden; Ladin: Sëlva Gherdëine) makes a great hiking base in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy. For our favorite hike in the Dolomiti, start from Selva with the first morning bus to Ortisei, take the Seceda lift, admire great views up at the cross on the edge of Val di Funes (Villnöss), then walk 12 miles (2000 feet up, 5000 feet down) via the steep pass Furcela Forces De Sieles (Forcella Forces de Sielles) to beautiful Vallunga (trail #2 to 16), finishing where you started in Selva. The hike traverses the Geisler/Odle and Puez Groups from verdant pastures to alpine wonders, all preserved in a vast Nature Park: Parco Naturale Puez-Odle (German: Naturpark Puez-Geisler; Ladin: Parch Natural Pöz-Odles). UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-20944_Alpe-di-Seceda_Dolomites.jpg
  • At sunrise, the Pala Dolomites (Pale di San Martino) soar majestically above Passo Rolle, near the mountain resort of San Martino di Castrozza in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy, Europe. The sharp peak of Cimon della Pala (right, 3129m) is eclipsed in height by Cima della Vezana (behind, at its left, 3192m, highest of the Pala Dolomites). 200 million years ago, Triassic coral reefs fossilized into Dolomite. Collision of tectonic plates lifted the Dolomites within the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-20083-p1_Pala-Dolomites.jpg
  • Spotlit by sunset, the Pala Dolomites (Pale di San Martino) soar majestically above Passo Rolle, near the mountain resort of San Martino di Castrozza in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy, Europe. The sharp peak of Cimon della Pala (right, 3129m) is eclipsed in height by Cima della Vezana (at its left, 3192m, highest of the Pala Dolomites). 200 million years ago, Triassic coral reefs fossilized into Dolomite. Collision of tectonic plates lifted the Dolomites within the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009. This panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    13ITA-20055-56pan_Pala-Dolomites.jpg
  • Spotlit by sunset, the Pala Dolomites (Pale di San Martino) soar majestically above Passo Rolle, near the mountain resort of San Martino di Castrozza in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy, Europe. The sharp peak of Cimon della Pala (right, 3129m) is eclipsed in height by Cima della Vezana (at its left, 3192m, highest of the Pala Dolomites). 200 million years ago, Triassic coral reefs fossilized into Dolomite. Collision of tectonic plates lifted the Dolomites within the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009. This panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    13ITA-20050-51pan_Pala-Dolomites.jpg
  • At Refugio Baita Segantini, fog swirls around the Pala group (Pale di San Martino) and reflects in a pond. The sharp pyramid of Cimon della Pala (or Cimone, 3184 m/10,446 ft) is known as the Matterhorn of the Dolomites (il Cervino delle Dolomiti). To its left is Cima della Vezana (3192m), highest of the Pala Dolomites. Walk from Passo Rolle to Baita Segantini near the mountain resort of San Martino di Castrozza, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy, Europe. 200 million years ago, Triassic coral reefs fossilized into Dolomite. Collision of tectonic plates lifted the Dolomites within the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009. This panorama was stitched from 6 overlapping photos.
    13ITA-11210-15pan_Pala-Dolomites.jpg
  • Walk from Passo Rolle to Baita Segantini on the Pala group (Pale di San Martino), which soars majestically above the mountain resort of San Martino di Castrozza, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy, Europe. The sharp pyramid of Cimon della Pala (or Cimone, 3184 m/10,446 ft) is known as the Matterhorn of the Dolomites (il Cervino delle Dolomiti). To its left is Cima della Vezana (3192m), highest of the Pala Dolomites. 200 million years ago, Triassic coral reefs fossilized into Dolomite. Collision of tectonic plates lifted the Dolomites within the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-11209_Pala-Dolomites.jpg
  • Rising majestically above Passo Rolle, the sharp pyramid of Cimon della Pala (or Cimone, 3184 m/10,446 ft) is known as the Matterhorn of the Dolomites (il Cervino delle Dolomiti). The Pala group dominates the mountain resort of San Martino di Castrozza, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy, Europe. 200 million years ago, Triassic coral reefs fossilized into Dolomite. Collision of tectonic plates lifted the Dolomites along with the surrounding Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-11201_Pala-Dolomites.jpg
  • In late December, orange-red flowers of Rhodophiala splendens (Amaryllidaceae family) bloom in an enchanting Monkey Puzzle Tree forest in Nahuelbuta National Park, Cordillera de Nahuelbuta, a coast range near Angol (north of Temuco), Chile, South America. Mysterious mists water a garden of yellow lichen draped over the forest. Monkey Puzzle trees (Araucaria araucana) are conifers which are usually dioecious, where male and female cones grow on separate trees, though some individuals bear cones of both sexes. Its edible seeds (about 200 in each female cone) are similar to large pine nuts. Araucaria araucana, the national tree of Chile, is native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina. As the hardiest species of its genus, this tree has become popular in gardens. Unfortunately, due to logging, burning, grazing, and habitat conversion to Pinus radiata plantations, Araucaria araucana is listed as an endangered species by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). Branches form an umbrella of sharp leaves on a straight trunk which grows to over 100 feet high. In France, the Monkey Puzzle tree is known as désespoir des singes or "monkeys' despair." In the native Mapuche language, Nahuelbuta means "big tiger." What international tourist literature calls the "Chilean Lake District" usually refers to the foothills between Temuco and Puerto Montt including three Regions (XIV Los Ríos, IX La Araucanía, and X Los Lagos) in what Chile calls the Zona Sur (Southern Zone).
    93CHI-06-31_Nahuelbuta-NP-flowers.jpg
  • Hear the warble of exotic birds as you walk through an enchanting Monkey Puzzle tree forest in Nahuelbuta National Park, Cordillera de Nahuelbuta, a coast range near Angol (north of Temuco), Chile, South America. Mysterious mists water a garden of yellow lichen draped over the trees. Branches form an umbrella of sharp leaves on a straight trunk which grows to over 100 feet high. Monkey Puzzle trees (Araucaria araucana) are conifers which are usually dioecious, where male and female cones grow on separate trees, though some individuals bear cones of both sexes. Its edible seeds (about 200 in each female cone) are similar to large pine nuts. Araucaria araucana, the national tree of Chile, is native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina. As the hardiest species of its genus, this tree has become popular in gardens. Unfortunately, due to logging, burning, grazing, and habitat conversion to Pinus radiata plantations, Araucaria araucana is listed as an endangered species by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). In France, the Monkey Puzzle tree is known as désespoir des singes or "monkeys' despair." In the native Mapuche language, Nahuelbuta means "big tiger." What international tourist literature calls the "Chilean Lake District" usually refers to the foothills between Temuco and Puerto Montt including three Regions (XIV Los Ríos, IX La Araucanía, and X Los Lagos) in what Chile calls the Zona Sur (Southern Zone). In Chile, Patagonia includes the territory of Valdivia through Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Spanning both Argentina and Chile, the foot of South America is known as Patagonia, a name derived from coastal giants ("Patagão" or "Patagoni" who were actually Tehuelche native people who averaged 25 cm taller than the Spaniards) who were reported by Magellan's 1520s voyage circumnavigating the world.
    93CHI-06-18_Nahuelbuta-NP.jpg
  • The Dempsey family explores an enchanting Monkey Puzzle tree forest in Nahuelbuta National Park, Cordillera de Nahuelbuta, the coast range near Angol (north of Temuco), Chile, South America. Monkey Puzzle trees (Araucaria araucana) are conifers which are usually dioecious, where male and female cones grow on separate trees, though some individuals bear cones of both sexes. Its edible seeds (about 200 in each female cone) are similar to large pine nuts. Branches form an umbrella of sharp leaves on a straight trunk which grows to over 100 feet high. Araucaria araucana, the national tree of Chile, is native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina. As the hardiest species of its genus, this tree has become popular in gardens. Unfortunately, due to logging, burning, grazing, and habitat conversion to Pinus radiata plantations, Araucaria araucana is listed as an endangered species by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). In France, the Monkey Puzzle tree is known as désespoir des singes or "monkeys' despair." In the native Mapuche language, Nahuelbuta means "big tiger." What international tourist literature calls the "Chilean Lake District" usually refers to the foothills between Temuco and Puerto Montt including three Regions (XIV Los Ríos, IX La Araucanía, and X Los Lagos) in what Chile calls the Zona Sur (Southern Zone). For licensing options, please inquire.
    93CHI-X2-30_Nahuelbuta-vista.jpg
  • The Trans Alaska Pipeline (or Alyeska Pipeline) crosses the Alaska Range and conveys crude oil 800 miles (1287 km) from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, Alaska, USA. Heat Pipes conduct heat from the oil to aerial fins to avoid melting the permafrost. The 48-inch diameter (122 cm) pipeline is privately owned by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. The Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) includes "The Pipeline", several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, 11 pump stations, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. Environmental, legal, and political debates followed the discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay in 1968. After the 1973 oil crisis caused a sharp rise in oil prices in the United States and made exploration of the Prudhoe Bay oil field economically feasible, legislation removed legal challenges and the pipeline was built 1974-1977. Extreme cold, permafrost, and difficult terrain challenged builders. Tens of thousands of workers flocked to Alaska, causing a boomtown atmosphere in Valdez, Fairbanks, and Anchorage. Oil began flowing in 1977. The pipeline delivered the oil spilled by the huge 1989 Exxon Valdez oil tanker disaster, which caused environmental damage expected to last 20-30 years in Prince William Sound.
    06AK_3202-Alyeska-Pipeline.jpg
  • The Trans Alaska Pipeline (or Alyeska Pipeline) crosses the Alaska Range and conveys crude oil 800 miles (1287 km) from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, Alaska, USA. The Pipeline snakes above ground in "S" shapes to enable expansion and contraction as weather varies. Horizontal slip-bars allow for sliding in a severe earthquake. The 48-inch diameter (122 cm) pipeline is privately owned by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. The Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) includes "The Pipeline", several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, 11 pump stations, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. Environmental, legal, and political debates followed the discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay in 1968. After the 1973 oil crisis caused a sharp rise in oil prices in the United States and made exploration of the Prudhoe Bay oil field economically feasible, legislation removed legal challenges and the pipeline was built 1974-1977. Extreme cold, permafrost, and difficult terrain challenged builders. Tens of thousands of workers flocked to Alaska, causing a boomtown atmosphere in Valdez, Fairbanks, and Anchorage. Oil began flowing in 1977. The pipeline delivered the oil spilled by the huge 1989 Exxon Valdez oil tanker disaster, which caused environmental damage expected to last 20-30 years in Prince William Sound.
    06AK_3197-Alyeska-Pipeline.jpg
  • The Trans Alaska Pipeline (or Alyeska Pipeline) crosses the Alaska Range and conveys crude oil 800 miles (1287 km) from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, Alaska, USA. The 48-inch diameter (122 cm) pipeline is privately owned by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. The Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) includes "The Pipeline", several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, 11 pump stations, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. Environmental, legal, and political debates followed the discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay in 1968. After the 1973 oil crisis caused a sharp rise in oil prices in the United States and made exploration of the Prudhoe Bay oil field economically feasible, legislation removed legal challenges and the pipeline was built 1974-1977. Extreme cold, permafrost, and difficult terrain challenged builders. Tens of thousands of workers flocked to Alaska, causing a boomtown atmosphere in Valdez, Fairbanks, and Anchorage. Oil began flowing in 1977. The pipeline delivered the oil spilled by the huge 1989 Exxon Valdez oil tanker disaster, which caused environmental damage expected to last 20-30 years in Prince William Sound.
    06AK_3195-Alyeska-Pipeline.jpg
  • The jagged, sharp spine of a Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) displays red and greenish breeding colors on the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, South America. Marine Iguanas, the world’s only sea-going lizard species, are found nowhere else on earth. Marine Iguanas feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, coating their faces with white. Marine Iguanas live on the rocky shore or sometimes on mangrove beaches or marshes. Most adults are black, some grey, and the young have a lighter colored dorsal stripe. The somber tones allow the species to rapidly absorb the warm rays of the sun to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the frigid water, which is cooled by the Humboldt Current. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while Santa Cruz males are brick red and black, and Fernandina males are brick red and dull greenish. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. The smallest iguanas are found on Genovesa Island. Fernandina Island was named in honor of King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the voyage of Columbus.
    94GAL-11-31_Sea-iguana-spines.jpg
  • Hike the trail to Marvel Lake, in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada (along the trail to reach Mount Assiniboine). See Mount Gloria, Eon Mountain (with sharp point, 3310m/10,860 feet), and Aye Mountain (right, 3243meters/10640 feet). This is part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO in 1984.
    09CAN-1196_Marvel-Lake.jpg
  • The sharp peak of Weisshorn ("White Peak") rises to 4506 meters or 14,783 feet elevation in the Pennine Alps, Switzerland, on the High Route (Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route), Europe.
    05ALP_4102-Weisshorn.jpg
  • Sharp mountains at Vindstad on Moskenesøya (Moskenes Island) rise above Reinefjord in the Lofoten archipelago, Nordland county, Norway, Europe. Panorama stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    11NOR-1153-54pan_Vindstad-Reinefjord...jpg
  • Sunset light turns orange over sharp peaks of the Dolomites, or Dolomiti, a part of the Southern Limestone Alps, in northern Italy, Europe. The view looks westwards from a trail west of Gasthaus Passo di Giau. The Dolomites are honored as a natural World Heritage Site (2009) by UNESCO.
    11ITA-2205.jpg
  • The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Crossings at the Potomac River are a set of railroad bridges (on the National Register of Historic Places) that span the Potomac River between Maryland Heights, Maryland and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, USA. Two bridges comprise the current crossing. in this image is the older bridge, a steel Pratt truss and plate girder bridge dating to 1894, carrying the B&O Valley line toward Winchester, Virginia along the Shenandoah River. A tunnel was built at the same time as the 1894 bridge to carry the tracks through Maryland Heights and to eliminate a sharp curve. The western end of the tunnel was widened in conjunction with the construction of the second bridge to allow the broadest possible curve across the river. Just downstream of the 1894 bridge, almost at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, are the ruins of two previous bridges on the same alignment. The newer of the bridges was a Bollman truss bridge that carried rail and highway traffic from 1870 until 1936, when it was swept away by a flood. As of 2008, Amtrak, the US national passenger rail system, provides service to Harpers Ferry twice a day (once in each direction). It is also served by the MARC commuter rail service, on its Brunswick line. The city's passenger rail station is located at the West Virginia end of the historic railroad bridge across the Potomac River. In addition about forty or fifty CSX freight trains daily pass through Harpers Ferry and over the bridge spanning the Potomac River.
    08WV-1201_Potomac-River-BO-Railroad.jpg
  • This view from the top of Carne Mountain into Glacier Peak Wilderness Area includes: Buck Mountain (left), Glacier Peak, Liberty Cap, Fortress Mountain (middle left), Chiwawa Mountain (middle), Spider Gap, Sevenfingered Jack (sharp peak on right) and Mount Maude (with white glacier to its right). Phelps Ridge runs from the lower left to the middle of this image, with Phelps Creek Valley in front of it, and the Chiwawa River Valley behind. (Panorama stitched from 8 images.) Hike 7 miles 3600 feet to top of Carne Mountain (elevation 7085 feet). This panorama was stitched from 8 images.
    0610CAR_073-80pan-Mt-Maude_Glacier-P...jpg
  • On the Continental Divide Trail below Temple Pass, see Temple Lake in Bridger Wilderness, Wind River Range, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Rocky Mountains, Wyoming, USA. At left is the sharp point of East Temple Peak. The Continental Divide follows the crest of the "Winds". We backpacked to Big Sandy Lake Campground (11 miles round trip with 1000 feet gain). A great day hike took us from Big Sandy Lake to Clear Lake and Deep Lake below East Temple Peak then loop back via Temple Lake, Miller Lake, and Rapid Lake (7.5 miles, 1060 ft gain) on the Continental Divide Trail. Mostly composed of granite batholiths formed deep within the earth over 1 billion years ago, the Wind River Range is one of the oldest mountain ranges in North America. These granite monoliths were uplifted, exposed by erosion, then carved by glaciers 500,000 years ago to form cirques and U-shaped valleys. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1909US1-1032-1037-Pano.jpg
  • Dead trees form sharp silhouettes against geothermal steam along Artists’ Paint Pots Trail in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA.
    1709US1-4248_Yellowstone-NP-WY.jpg
  • Cathedral Spires Area, Custer State Park, South Dakota, USA. Completed in 1922, the Needles Highway includes sharp turns, low tunnels and impressive granite spires along the northern 14 miles of South Dakota Highway 87 (SD 87). The road lies within Custer State Park, 30 miles south of Rapid City, in South Dakota, USA. Needles Highway is part of the figure-eight route of Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway. South Dakota's largest and first state park was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1709US1-3201-25-Pano_Custer-SP-SD.jpg
  • Cathedral Spires Area, Custer State Park, South Dakota, USA. Completed in 1922, the Needles Highway includes sharp turns, low tunnels and impressive granite spires along the northern 14 miles of South Dakota Highway 87 (SD 87). The road lies within Custer State Park, 30 miles south of Rapid City, in South Dakota, USA. Needles Highway is part of the figure-eight route of Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway. South Dakota's largest and first state park was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
    1709US1-3274_Custer-SP-SD.jpg
  • Cathedral Spires Area, Custer State Park, South Dakota, USA. Completed in 1922, the Needles Highway includes sharp turns, low tunnels and impressive granite spires along the northern 14 miles of South Dakota Highway 87 (SD 87). The road lies within Custer State Park, 30 miles south of Rapid City, in South Dakota, USA. Needles Highway is part of the figure-eight route of Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway. South Dakota's largest and first state park was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
    1709US1-3241_Custer-SP-SD.jpg
  • Cathedral Spires Area, Custer State Park, South Dakota, USA. Completed in 1922, the Needles Highway includes sharp turns, low tunnels and impressive granite spires along the northern 14 miles of South Dakota Highway 87 (SD 87). The road lies within Custer State Park, 30 miles south of Rapid City, in South Dakota, USA. Needles Highway is part of the figure-eight route of Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway. South Dakota's largest and first state park was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
    1709US1-3193-p1_Custer-SP-SD.jpg
  • Emerald Lakes reflect a sharp peak (the edge of an unnamed ridge). In the Bishop Creek watershed, enjoy a scenic hike from Lake Sabrina to beautiful Blue Lake, Emerald Lakes, and Dingleberry Lake in John Muir Wilderness, Inyo National Forest, Sierra Nevada, California, USA. The good trail is 8.5 miles round trip with 1850 feet cumulative gain. (Beyond Dingleberry Lake, the trail splits to Midnight Lake and Hungry Packer Lake.) This panorama was stitched from 5 overlapping photos.
    1507CAL-2151-55pan.jpg
  • A sharp tooth shape appears in a rocky mouth of Caverns of Sonora, Sutton County, Texas, USA. The world-class Caverns of Sonora have a stunning and sparkling array of speleothems (helictites, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, coral trees, and other calcite crystal formations). National Speleological Society co-founder, Bill Stephenson said, after seeing it for the first time, "The beauty of Caverns of Sonora cannot be exaggerated...not even by a Texan!" Geologically, the cave formed between 1.5 to 5 million years ago within 100-million-year-old (Cretaceous) Segovia limestone, of the Edward limestone group. A fault allowed gases to rise up to mix with aquifer water, making acid which dissolved the limestone, leaving the cave. Between 1 and 3 million years ago, the water drained from the cave, after which speleothems begain forming. It is one of the most active caves in the world, with over 95% of its formations still growing. Sonora Caves are on Interstate 10, about half-way between Big Bend National Park and San Antonio, Texas.
    1403TX-435_Caverns-of-Sonora_Texas.jpg
  • Hikers admire sharp peaks of the Cadini Group in the Sesto Dolomites, Veneto region, Italy, Europe. In the Cadini di Misurina, Cima Grande rises to 2999 meters (9839 feet), between Cima Piccola and Cima Ovest. The Cadini Group is in the municipality of Auronzo, in the Sesto Dolomites (Dolomiti di Sesto, or Sexten/Sextner/Sextener Dolomiten) which lie north of the Fiume Ansiei valley. From the Rifugio Auronzo toll road, hike for spectacular views around Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Italian for "Three Peaks of Lavaredo," called Drei Zinnen or "Three Merlons" in German). The Dolomites are part of the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-50087-p1c_Cadini-Group-Dolomit...jpg
  • Alpenrose (Rhododendron ferrugineum) flowers bloom by Refugio Baita Segantini beneath the Pala Group (Pale di San Martino) of Dolomites, above Passo Rolle, near the mountain resort of San Martino di Castrozza, in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy, Europe. The sharp pyramid of Cimon della Pala (or Cimone, 3184 m/10,446 ft) is known as the Matterhorn of the Dolomites (il Cervino delle Dolomiti). To its left is Cima della Vezana (3192m), highest of the Pala Dolomites. 200 million years ago, Triassic coral reefs fossilized into Dolomite. Collision of tectonic plates lifted the Dolomites within the Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009. This panorama was stitched from 5 overlapping photos.
    13ITA-11216-20pan_Pala-Dolomites.jpg
  • Rising majestically above Passo Rolle, the sharp pyramid of Cimon della Pala (or Cimone, 3184 m/10,446 ft) is known as the Matterhorn of the Dolomites (il Cervino delle Dolomiti). To its left is Cima della Vezana (3192m), highest of the Pala group, near the mountain resort of San Martino di Castrozza, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy, Europe. 200 million years ago, Triassic coral reefs fossilized into Dolomite. Collision of tectonic plates lifted the Dolomites along with the surrounding Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009. This panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    13ITA-11198-99pan_Pala-Dolomites.jpg
  • Rising majestically above Passo Rolle, the sharp pyramid of Cimon della Pala (or Cimone, 3184 m/10,446 ft) is known as the Matterhorn of the Dolomites (il Cervino delle Dolomiti). To its left is Cima della Vezana (3192m), highest of the Pala group, above the mountain resort of San Martino di Castrozza, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy, Europe. 200 million years ago, Triassic coral reefs fossilized into Dolomite. Collision of tectonic plates lifted the Dolomites along with the surrounding Southern Limestone Alps. UNESCO honored the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site in 2009.
    13ITA-11197_Pala-Dolomites.jpg
  • Hear the warble of exotic birds as you walk through an enchanting Monkey Puzzle tree forest in Nahuelbuta National Park, Cordillera de Nahuelbuta, the coast range near Angol (north of Temuco), Chile, South America. Mysterious mists water a garden of yellow lichen draped over the trees. Branches form an umbrella of sharp leaves on a straight trunk which grows to over 100 feet high. Monkey Puzzle trees (Araucaria araucana) are conifers which are usually dioecious, where male and female cones grow on separate trees, though some individuals bear cones of both sexes. Its edible seeds (about 200 in each female cone) are similar to large pine nuts. Araucaria araucana, the national tree of Chile, is native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina. As the hardiest species of its genus, this tree has become popular in gardens. Unfortunately, due to logging, burning, grazing, and habitat conversion to Pinus radiata plantations, Araucaria araucana is listed as an endangered species by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). In France, the Monkey Puzzle tree is known as désespoir des singes or "monkeys' despair." In the native Mapuche language, Nahuelbuta means "big tiger." What tourist literature calls the "Chilean Lake District" is termed Zona Sur (Southern Zone) in Chile (located between Zona Central and Zona Austral). Zona Sur stretches from below the Río Bío-Bío river to just below Isla de Chiloé.
    93CHI-07-09_Nahuelbuta-NP.jpg
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