Your Top 10 Photos of 2010...

About this time every year, we all begin to recap and recall the year in hiking, and reflect upon all of the wonderful places we've been. Many of us take our camera along with us, and capture special moments. These may be aestetically beautiful, or capture something with a special meeting.

I invite you all to join me in looking through your photo vault this last week before the holidays, and post you top ten shots. Perhaps include a nice blurb about what, where, and why too...

A little history, a little inspiration from past years...and I'll be back to post mine after some reminiscing and narrowing!

2009:
http://vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=33595

2008:
http://vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=26831

2007:
http://vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=19465

Note: As always when posting pictures here, please host them on a third party site, and post a smallish picture here!

Here's 11 photos that sum up my year pretty well... all my favorites (tried to eliminate 1 more photo but just couldn't ):

Great shots...nice way to start off the thread!

Northern Presidentials from Mount Surprise, 23-Jan-2010


Wildcat D, 05-Feb-2010


Crawford Path above Lake of the Clouds, 02-Mar-2010


Mount Washington Tower, 02-Mar-2010


Top of Cannon Cliffs, 28-May-2010


Flagstaff Lake from Bigelow, West Peak, 20-Jul-2010


Saddleback, The Horn from Saddleback, 23-Jul-2010


Gibbs Falls, Crawford Path, 10-Oct-2010


Coming off Pierce, 10-Oct-2010

Tim

My top 10

This seems like fun and provided a nice retrospective of the hiking I got to do this year.....

1) A beautiful night near Carrigan Pond and a great morning shot of Mr. Beaver in the pond. Only the beavers around to make any noise.



2) The big falls as you head up Bennett St Trail toward Flat Mountain Pond. If you like water this is a great trail.



3) Sunset at Icewater Spring Shelter on the AT in NC. The crowds were not so nice, but the sunset was truly spectacular.



4) The Godlight as seen from somewhere on the Piper Trail up Mt. Chocorua. Alas, it is not shining down on me.



5) Mt. Jefferson from just above treeline and just above the Cabin (Grey Knob?...I just can't remember the name right now). -15 degrees at the base that morning....yeeee haw.



6) Bullwinkle near the Rainbow Trail. I just couldn't get closer than 15 feet without peeing myself....I'm not Forestgnome you know.



7) Sunrise over Lions Head after a night hike of Mt. Washington. The weather started well then got very windy.



8) The boys coming down in Tuckerman Ravine. Yeaaaah they like to hike!!



9) A morning stop at Stratton Pond on the LT. The fun activity for the day was asking all the Thru-Hikers their trail names.



10)...and my favorite of the year. The boys just below the summit of South Baldface, just as it began to clear. Got to teach the boys how to navigate in the fog that morning.




Now that was fun!!!

View in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada



View from Elk Lake, with Nippletop, etc.



View from Sunrise Mountain, looking South



View from Sunrise Mountain looking NW to Elk Lake and the High Peaks

Mine are not nearly as dramatic as some of the ones that have been posted, but here are my top 8...

The two girls and us on top of Moosilauke, January 2010


Not a hiking pic exactly, but a climbing one from the middle of nowhere


My best friend standing atop South Twin Summer 2010


Introducing a new friend to the joy of the 4ks (Hancock, summer 2010)


Carrigan's summit - before the break August 2010


Gray Jay on Jewell Trail August 2010


Tom the Conqueror in the Northern Presidentials August 2010


My buddies and me on top of Cabot - my final peak on my first round of the 48

Eiger Nest - Maine

Jewell Island - Casco Bay

Camp on Aziscohos Lake - Next to Bigelow Mountain

Whaleback Island - Casco Bay

Wasseralm - Berchtesgaden Alps

Funtensee - Berchtesgaden Alps

Towards Watzmann - Berchtesgaden Alps

Lake Umbagog

Squam Lake

Zealand Hut Croo

End of Morse Mountain Trail

Wow, great photos everybody! And I love seeing all the pictures with the kids in them.

DSettahr, especially love your winter pictures.

Tim, my fave is the Crawford Path picture.

Mahony, love the animal shots - especially the beaver - great shot!

Nice views Tom.

DiamondRidge, awesome pic of your girls in the winter.

Brambor, nice set. I like the nest - how did you find it?

It was really hard to narrow down, but here are ten (in no particular order):

Somes Sound, Maine



Joshua Tree National Park, CA



Before a storm, Beartooth Mountains, Montana



Norah the Polar Explorer in the Beartooths, Montana



Sunrise in the Beartooths, Montana



Morning mist on Lady of the Lake, Beartooth Mountains, Montana



Mammoth Springs, Yellowstone NP



Fall in the Blackhead Range, Catskills





Fall in Sage's Ravine, CT




And sneaking in my favorite wildlife:

My Top 10!

My photography this year has been rather productive, but I didn't get out nearly as much as I would have liked after switching jobs. But, that's life, and I'm thankful for any time spent in the outdoors. Here's my Top 10 in chronological order!

Carter Notch Fox - A light snowfall really set a nice mood for this curious fellow at the bunkhouse after a great night at Carter Notch



Observing the Undercast - I picked a perfect day to be above treeline this time, and had one of the MWO Observers give a sense of scale to the view from Goofer Point towards Lakes of the Clouds



Spring at the Heath - If you've never been to the Saco Heath, it's one of the most unique and spectacular places in the region in Mid May...



Presidential Lupines - While the lupines at Sugar Hill get all of the attention, the Israel River Valley is just as striking!



Dew on Grass Pink Orchid - For the second year in the row, I've included a Grass Pink. I love this flower!



Roadside Moose - This Hayfield had gone to seed by early August, and this young Moose really was out standing in his field!



Washington from Lafayette - Caught a fantastic sunrise from the summit of Lafayette, and I loved the minimalist view of the ridges.



Godrays in Greenleaf - Not one hour after the previous shot, I was thilled with the way the steam of the coffee interplayed with the cold air inside the hut!



Hurricane Earl - Though the waves weren't that impressive with this storm, a long exposure really made the water and rock look powerful and surreal!



Chocorua Lake - Wanted this shot for a long time. Well over a dozen times. Finally got it!



Thanks for taking this journey through the year in pictures with me! To a safe, happy and beautiful 2011!

eiger nest

The nest was on ledge next to water in a patch of grass. I was not lokiklng for it.

We landed on an island, I took my camera and went to explore the surroundings.

It is important to note here that seeking out these nests is to be discouraged as it could lead to abandonment. If you do find a nest on an island not listed by MITA them please notify MITA and tell them the location. We did.

Here are some of my favorites from 2010.

First, a few from near my home - this one is a male peregrine falcon perched on the summit of Sawtooth in the Southern Sierra:


A wild burro in the Panamints:


A view from my porch of the first snows:


A view of the Sierras across the Owens Valley in the Inyos.


Whitney's switchbacks:


Several from British Columbia. The first is Lake Louise:


Abbot Hut on the skyline (top right of the glacier):


From Sentinel Pass:


The dot at the far end of the lake, on the left, is a moose:


From Valley of 7 Peaks:


Near Balu Pass, BC:


Takanah Falls, BC:

Kinsman Falls



Windblown on Adams 4



What's better than a winter hike up Mt Washington in short sleeves?



The Lakes Hut and Mt Monroe from a different perspective.



Whiteout near the summit of Mt Pierce



Whiteworld, Crawford Path



Contemplation



The Foxes: A mother and her five young ones ran and romped around the Crawford Path parking lot one morning before I headed up to Pierce and Ike. It was wonderful to see them.



My friend the moose. I saw her again a month later when I repeated the hike.



I took a lot of wildflower photos this year and I have many favorites from the year. However, my hike up Pierce and Eisenhower was the highlight with a profusion of Lapland Rosebay, Diapensia and Alpine Azalea all over the mountains. These Alpine Azaleas represent all the flowers.



JohnL

Well, I only have one favorite from this past year, but I didn't take it. However, Kevin was using my camera, and I'm in it, so that counts, right?

Nice MichaelJ

Journey to Nepal

Beautiful photos everyone, wow!
I thought I'd share my favs from our trip to Nepal!



Ama Dablem above and below





The road to Pumori above, Pumori in the mist below





The way to Base Camp



Feeling small in a big country



Awi Peak at night in the Pheriche Valley



Kala Patthar below Pumori



The Big Guy, Everest



My favorite, getting married in Kathmandu!

Hope you enjoyed, keep posting those photos, they are all great!

10 among my favorites so far, in chronological order:

Mt Monadnock


The Kiss


Raccoon


Mt St Helens


Mt St Helens


plover


13 Falls


Quincy Quarry



Quincy Quarry


Quincy Quarry

How About Top 12?

Heavy Snow laden trees


Cross country skiing by ice storm damage


Yucatan Sunrise


Lens fogged in, whoops


Cross Tie Walker


Letchworth Rainbows


Sunset Harris Hill NY


Window foliage


Sunapee Mtn Foliage


Kodak Ledges Kodak Moment


Moose mtn hazy afternoon looking at the Green Mtn


Mt Washington from Jennings Peak


Enjoy
http://grouseking.smugmug.com/gallery/15086253_Uvvuw#1127499419_NPjYU

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington



After the hail storm. North Cascades National Park, Washington.



Mount Shuksan, Washington.



Mount Baker, Washington



Salt flats, Death Valley National Park, California



Death Valley National Park, California



Joshua Tree National Park, California