Joey Priola Wilderness Photography

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  • Sometimes a photograph comes to fruition at the spur of the moment, with little to no planning or previsualization. Other times, however, much preparation and just the right circumstances are required for a vision to become reality. This photo of sunset from the snowy alpine zone below the summit of Mount Marcy falls squarely into the latter category, as I had been wanting to make this image for the past three winters before everything came together in early March 2020. After the Adirondacks got covered in 3 feet of snow from possibly the last snow storm of the season, I set off from the Adirondack Loj hopeful that I would finally be able to make the images that I had long sought. The trail conditions were fantastic, as other hikers and skiers had thankfully packed the powder down the previous day. As I gradually crept closer to the summit, my excitement grew as I realized that I'd finally have a chance to capture the photo that I sought for so long. I arrived at the summit area later than I had hoped, as I stopped often en route to the summit to photograph the snowy paradise that I hiked through. The quiet serenity of the forest was abruptly replaced by the howling winds of the alpine zone, and I searched out some compositions while struggling to stay warm. As the sun went down and the landscape was bathed in soft light, the beauty of the scene and the fact that I was capturing the photos that I had sought for so long made me forget about the cold and wind and the long hike out in the darkness. As the sky began to darken and I packed up for the journey down the mountain, I took one last look towards the summit of Marcy, and it dawned on me that in that moment, I was the highest  person in the state. In elevation, as well as spirit. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Above All Else
  • The alpine zone of the Adirondack High Peaks is one of the most unique geographic zones in New York state. Home to rare and fragile alpine plants, not to mention some unforgettable views, the high mountain summits reward hikers in many ways. While beautiful year-round, there's something extra special about the alpine zone in winter. Constantly evolving based on snow and wind, each trip to this paradise in the sky is filled with surprises in the winter. On this trip to Algonquin, I was intrigued by patterns in the crusty snow that reminded me of the swirling lines of a fingerprint, as if mother nature was leaving her signature on her winter handiwork. Adirondack High Peaks, NY.
    Winter's Fingerprint
  • The alpine zone of the Adirondack High Peaks turns into a strange, beautiful, and often inhospitable land in winter. After climbing Algonquin Peak on an atypically sunny and calm day, I spent hours on the summit enjoying and photographing the wind-carved snow drifts and evergreens coated in rime ice.
    Top it Off
  • Wind-carved snow and trees covered in rime ice created a magical winter scene near the summit of Algonquin Peak, on one of those rare winter days where the sun shines so bright and the air is so still that it makes you wish that spring would never come. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Euphoria
  • I was afraid that the high winds on this frigid evening would blow over my camera while taking this self-portrait, which was how my first camera met its demise in Shenandoah National Park in 2014, but thankfully my current set-up made it through this unforgettable sunset unscathed. Adirondack High Peaks, NY.
    Mountain Rules
  • Wind-carved snow and trees covered in rime ice created a magical winter scene near the summit of Algonquin Peak, on one of those rare winter days where the sun shines so bright and the air is so still that it makes you wish that spring would never come. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Mesmerized
  • High winds below the summit of Mount Marcy carved the snow into interesting patterns and lines. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Hostility
  • Wind-carved snow and trees covered in rime ice created a magical winter scene near the summit of Algonquin Peak, on one of those rare winter days where the sun shines so bright and the air is so still that it makes you wish that spring would never come. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Chiseled
  • The snowy summit of Whiteface Mountain barely pokes above the clouds at dusk. The pink glow in the sky is known as the "Belt of Venus" and is commonly seen on clear days before sunrise and after sunset. It appears 10-20 degrees above the horizon on top of the Earth's dark blue shadow that's found just above the horizon, and the crisp low humidity days of winter seem to make this phenomenon appear stronger than other times of the year. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    Island in the Sky
  • Towering Mount Marcy pokes through the clouds and catches the warm light of sunset. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    Layers of Marcy
  • The setting sun broke through the clouds just enough to bring the snowy landscape to life. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Renewal
  • Snow-caked trees enjoy the sunset as Mount Colden towers over the valley in the distance. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Marshmallow World
  • Evening lights shines on snowy krummholz and distant mountains as the valley in between plunges into darkness. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    The Darkness In Between
  • An evergreen branch coated in rime ice reaches out like the frosty hand of winter on a sunny but frigid January day. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    A Touch of Frost
  • Intense sunset light illuminates the snowy mountains on a cold winter day. Light like this is incredibly fleeting, but witnessing the snowy landscape come to life while on a deserted summit makes the time and effort required to experience and photograph these special moments oh so worth it. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    Always Worth It
  • Soaking in a cold and beautiful winter sunset from just below a mountain summit in the Adirondacks.
    Energy
  • On clear and cold winter days after a fresh snowfall, nothing is more fun to me than tramping through the snowy mountains seeking out the beauty of winter. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    Tramping Through the Snow
  • A skier works their way towards an Adirondack summit on a rare calm and sunny winter day. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    Ascension
  • Warm sunset light contrasts with frigid temperatures and illuminates snow-covered evergreens and distant mountains. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Closing Time
  • The snowy landscape picks up a brilliant sunset glow high in the Adirondack Mountains.
    Ice in the Veins
  • The Adirondacks in winter is quite possibly my personal favorite photography subject. In particular,  the gnarled and hardy evergreens that occupy tree line and the beginning of the alpine zone make my heart pound and creativity flow unlike anything else found in nature when they become covered with snow in the depths of winter. After climbing the surprisingly deserted trail to the summit of Cascade, I was greeted with a windchill that approached -30 degrees Fahrenheit, and a fantasy-land of pure winter magic unlike anything I had seen before. The challenging weather conditions only added to the experience and made it that much more memorable, and as the sun dipped below the distant mountains and the most intense post-sunset glow I've ever witnessed emanated through the sky, I raced around like a madman capturing as many photos as I could. After the sky shifted from orange, to pink, to blue, to black, I began my descent down the dark and lonely trail, reveling in the feeling of pure ecstasy that only comes from the wilderness and doing what you love most in the world.
    Ecstasy
  • Hardy, snow-covered trees found high up the mountains are one of my favorite winter photography subjects, but what really drew me to this scene was the blanket of clouds on the distant mountains at dusk. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    Insulation
  • Beautiful sunset light makes the snowy winter landscape come alive. The solitude and dramatic beauty of winter makes it my favorite time of year to explore the mountains. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    Higher and Higher
  • Evergreens covered in rime ice stand like frozen sentinels at dusk keeping guard of the alpine zone of Algonquin Peak. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Summit Sentinels
  • Snowy evergreens on a mountain summit bask in an incredible post-sunset glow. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Frozen in Place
  • Snow-covered trees frame a distant mountain on a cold and moody evening in the Adirondack Mountains.
    The Road That I Must Choose
  • Low-angled evening light struck the snowy landscape at just the right angle to allow a little evergreen sapling to project a shadow much larger than the tree itself. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    Projecting Confidence
  • A beautiful winter sunset from the windblown slopes of Mount Marcy, looking west towards Algonquin. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Leaders of the Pack
  • Beautiful, glowing, and warm sunset light contrasts with snowy evergreens on a frigid winter day. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Floating in Fire
  • Snowy evergreens on the summit of Cascade bask in an incredible post-sunset glow. The stunning beauty of the mountains on this frigid winter day was made all the more memorable by the frigid -30 degree windchill that the evergreens and I endured as we took in the most beautiful winter sunset I've ever seen. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Transcendence
  • Krummholz (a German word meaning "crooked wood" that's used to describe stunted, windblown trees) coated in rime ice picks up the delicate post-sunset glow on a frigid summit in the Adirondacks.
    Alpine Ice Garden
  • Day transitions to night high in the Adirondack Mountains as the final faint glow of sunset yields to the sparking stars.
    Transition
  • Blowing snow sculpted a winter wonderland on the summit of Street Mountain, on an absolutely frigid February day where the temperature dropped below -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    Snow Globe
  • Skiers hoof their way to some backcountry turns in the Adirondacks. Watching them whiz down the mountain as I trudged along made me wish I could replace my snowshoes with some skis!
    Summit Reward
  • Fiery sunset light sets krummholz (a German word meaning "crooked wood" that's used to describe stunted, windblown trees) coated in rime ice ablaze. Adirondack High Peaks, New York
    Flamethrower
  • Beautiful sunset light makes the snowy winter landscape come alive. The solitude and dramatic beauty of winter makes it my favorite time of year to explore the mountains. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    My Fingers Hurt
  • Krummholz covered in rime ice catches the brilliant sunset light on a perfect winter day in the Adirondack High Peaks.
    Warp Speed
  • Snowy mountains rise from the glacier-scarred landscape exposed by the receding Athabasca Glacier. Jasper National Park. Alberta
    Recession
  • Soft sunset light spreads across the sky and adds some warmth to the snowy winter mountains. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    A Winter Friend
  • A band of post-sunset color adds a touch of vibrancy to the snowy and moody winter mountain landscape. Adirondack Mountains, New York.
    The Thrill of Exploration
  • This photo of Mt. Edith Cavell and its icy-blue Angel Glacier at sunset is one of my favorite photographs that I’ve ever taken, and captures one of the most beautiful moments that I’ve ever experienced. On the final evening of a winter trip to the Mt. Edith Cavell hut, I left my two friends in the toasty hut to try to finally catch a glimpse of the elusive mountain that the First Nations people referred to as “the White Ghost”, which had remained hidden behind the clouds for the past three days. As I snowshoed towards the mountain and the sun got lower in the sky, the clouds began to peel away from the summit, finally revealing the mountain in all of her glory. Ecstatic, I hoofed it through waist-deep snow to a high plateau where I was face to face with the mountain, with not another soul in sight. The entire world seemed to be holding its breath in anticipation of the sunset. There was no wind, no noise, and no movement. I stared in awe and wonder at the mountain which seemed close enough to touch, and as the setting sun lit up the clouds above the White Ghost, I thankfully remembered to press the shutter button and captured this unforgettable moment in the photograph that you see here. Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.
    The White Ghost
  • There's nothing like exploring the High Peaks after a snowstorm. After photographing the sunset from just below the summit of Marcy, descending into the sanctuary of the forest was a welcome escape from the hostile, wind-raked alpine zone. Soft moonlight illuminated the snowy evergreens with delicate light, and my descent of the mountain took much longer than it should have as I stopped often to attempt to capture the beauty. I passed this stand of evergreens on my way to the summit earlier in the day, and immediately became enraptured by the large tree on the left of this photo, as I had never before seen a tree caked with so much snow. The light from the moon was just strong enough to illuminate the snowy trees, and a slight halo in the thin fog around the moon added a final touch of etherealness. Knowing that I was the only person still out on the mountain made this moment all the more special, and helped to make the experience one of the most memorable ones I've had in these mountains. Adirondack High Peaks, New York.
    To the Heavens
  • Sunshine, bright  foliage, breaking morning fog and unusually calm winds all combined to create an enchanting autumn scene. It's tough to beat fall in the Adirondacks!
    Infinity
  • On my final morning of camping at Floe Lake, calm winds and a spectacular sunrise finally coincided, allowing for the peaks of the Rockwall and golden larch trees to be perfectly reflected in Floe Lake. Look closely and you'll see the crescent moon poking through the clouds. Kootenay National Park, British Columbia, Canada.
    Glorious Dawn
  • Nature can often be a source of quietude and peaceful serenity, but sometimes its raw and savage power is vividly on display. On days such as this one at Nevada’s Great Basin National Park, she displays both personalities. After spending the morning lounging in my hammock, adjusting to the 10,000 foot altitude and relaxing after the previous day’s 15 hour drive from Badlands National Park, I shouldered my pack to hike up towards some high alpine lakes for sunset. As I was about to leave my campsite, a ranger came up to tell me that they were evacuating the campground, due to a wildfire in the area. I thought he was joking at first, since it was a pristine summer day. He was serious, though, and just like that, my plans changed. I tore down my tent and began the winding drive down the shoulder of Wheeler Peak, thinking about where I would sleep that night and where my next destination would be. Distracted by these thoughts, I had almost forgotten the reason I had to leave the campground. That is, until the road broke free from the forest and I saw a scene unfold before me unlike anything I had ever witnessed. Gigantic clouds of smoke rose from the forested mountainside, glowing orange from the flames below and the sun above. The otherwise cloudless blue sky was barely visible. The power and indifference of the fire was overwhelming, and although I knew I needed to get the hell out of there, I just couldn’t look away. I eventually ran back to my car, and began the white-knuckle drive down the mountain, keeping one eye on the fire and one on the twisting road.  After such an exhilarating experience, the answer to the question “where to next?” was now abundantly clear – nowhere but here. This photo is my favorite from the three days I spent photographing the fire, and was captured at twilight on the first night of the fire when billowing clouds of smoke invaded the night sky and the moon hung over Wheeler Peak and silently watched the mountainsides burn.
    Luna & Lucifer