Forested Ridges Above a Fog-Filled Valley

A wide layer of pale fog fills the valley and runs to the horizon like a still, flat sea. Two dark, tree-covered ridges rise out of it. The nearer one has frost or a light dusting of snow in its trunks and branches, and behind it a smaller, rounded summit floats on the haze. In the foreground, conifers and rust-brown, leafless trees frame the bottom edge. Above the horizon the sky is a smooth band of warm orange that fades into blue-grey cloud, and the fog picks up the same soft peach and grey. The mood is quiet and cold, with very little contrast apart from the dark slopes.

The view was taken at sunset from the summit of the Ballon d'Alsace, looking over the valley of the Savoureuse in the Territoire de Belfort, eastern France. Fog like this forms when cool air settles into low ground and moisture condenses, often on still evenings. Higher ground then stands clear above it, which is why hilltops can look like islands. The wide, low-detail sky and the empty band of fog leave plenty of room for desktop icons, so the image suits a widescreen monitor or a laptop in landscape orientation.

More like this: Three Bears Walking Down a Northern Highway and Brown Bear Crossing a Dirt Clearing Below Conifers.