Walkers Follow a Gravel Path Toward Snowy Peaks

A line of hikers in jackets and daypacks winds along a pale gravel path that cuts across a brown, sparse hillside. In the foreground a man in a blue jacket with an orange pack walks toward the group, and a few small, dry shrubs sit beside the trail. The slope falls away to a wide, flat river valley in muted grey, and beyond it a range of white, snow-covered mountains stands under a deep blue sky with a few thin clouds. The light is bright and clear, and the mood is relaxed and unhurried.

The caption places this walk on the Tundra Loop near the Eielson Visitor Center in Denali National Park & Preserve, led by a park ranger. Tundra is a treeless landscape of low shrubs, lichens and hardy plants that stay close to the ground because of cold, wind and a short growing season. Early summer, as the caption's date suggests, often leaves snow on the high peaks while the lower slopes turn brown and green. Staying on the established path helps protect the fragile ground cover. The wide frame and the strong blue-to-brown colour split suit a widescreen desktop monitor, where the mountains can sit along the upper left and the trail can lead the eye in from the right.