Taken at Upper Cathedral Lake in Yosemite National Park, California, on August 30th, 2009.

I’ve long been inspired by John Muir’s love of the Sierra, as well as his eloquent writings about the Range of Light. As such, when I was in the early years of my photography career, some of the first places I wanted to photograph were locations that Muir had written about. One such spot was Cathedral Peak in the wilderness near Yosemite’s Tuolumne Meadows. With its soaring towers and pinnacles, Cathedral is surely one of the most iconic mountains in the Yosemite high country. I first visited this fabulous granite paradise on a solo trekking trip in the summer of 2009. I was living in Santa Cruz, California at the time, and though I was in good cardiovascular shape from thrice weekly beach volleyball games, my lungs were not used to the alpine elevation of Tuolumne Meadows. To make matters worse, a wildfire had sprung up in Yosemite the month before my trip, and with every breath I inhaled a lungful of smoke. Suffice it to say I was fairly lightheaded when I arrived at Upper Cathedral Lake after a few hours of hiking. That evening as I scrambled around the southern edge of the lake looking for compositions I made my way to the top of some bluffs overlooking the lake. The view from here was incredible: a sweeping vista across the water to the soaring peak beyond. I knew that with the right light this could be a portfolio image. But as I swayed dizzily in the thin air and smoke, I realized that setting up my camera near the edge of a 100-foot drop was not the wisest decision, and I took a few steps back. In fact, as the smoke grew thicker and snuffed out the light of sunset, I scrapped my shoot altogether and retreated to camp. The next day brought a shift in the wind and the smoke wasn’t nearly as intense, giving me a second chance for the photo I had envisioned. That evening I climbed back to my high granite perch and set up my camera, willing the light to come. There was still smoke in the air, but it was a diffuse haze as opposed to a thick cloud. As the sun sank lower towards the horizon, it shined through the smoke, turning the color of molten lava. This light struck Cathedral Peak, igniting it with crimson radiance. At the same time, a brief calm settled across Upper Cathedral Lake, allowing just the peak of the mountain to reflect in its waters. I was blown away by the gorgeous view, and I hit the shutter button to record this moment.