Evening light on Lembert Dome and the Tuolumne River, Yosemite National Park, California
(click image for larger view)

It’s always nice when the stars align and this year in the Sierra Nevada they’ve done just that. Today is the summer solstice – the longest day of the year and the official start of summer. And in celebration, the National Park Service is waiving the entrance fee for all 58 parks in the country. Even better, if you live near or are visiting Yosemite, the Tioga Pass road into the high country has finally been cleared of snow opening up the pristine Tuolumne Meadows area for the first time this year.

This image was taken on a backcountry ski trip over Tioga Pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. For adventure photography one of my favorite lenses is the Nikkor 16mm. Its small size and easy handling make it a perfect choice for fast action and its wide field of view really lets the viewer connect with the scene. An added plus is the beautiful sun star that is achieved when the lens is stopped down to its smallest aperture.