18° Below on the Salmon River
It was -18°F (-28°C) when this image was taken in early January. Not the coldest I've experienced, but even a truck heater has trouble keeping it warm inside at this temperature. Exposed fingers and face start to sting in about five minutes.
It's moments like these that remind me I'm alive! We all like to be comfortable, but experiencing an extreme can be exhilarating... for a change.
A fog rises off the river as it's warmer than the surrounding air. The Salmon River has a number of hot springs along its banks, which may contribute to the temperature differential, to some very small degree. The vapor crystallizes on the trees nearest the river, giving them a "sugar coating".
A few miles upstream, otters, seemingly oblivious to the cold, frolicked in the water. Then they found a sunny spot and piled on top of one another, several feet ashore. Maybe they were cold after all.
I feel peaceful when I view this scene, with its subdued color palette of blues, grays, whites, black, and the slightest tinge of violet.
"18° Below on the Salmon River" is available in the Landscapes gallery.
Wishing you the "Peace of Light".
Tom
Comments
