Nature puts on an incredible display when the moonlight first hits Whitney. All discomfort from the freezing weather and the altitude sickness are washed away as this incredible scene unfolds.
I discovered this scene one year prior to this photo, and immediately made plans to return. I purchased the Nikon 14-24mm lens specifically for this shot, and lugged my heavy camera and a full size tripod (increasing my already heavy pack to over 75 pounds) up a steep, technical hike gaining over 4200 feet of elevation in 5 miles over granite slabs, scree, talus, and ledges, earning some elevation sickness in the process. After a miraculous recovery, I was able to exit my tent to capture this shot, and then rock climbed up the face of Mount Whitney to the tallest point in the contiguous US the next morning!
