Twisted Elk, originally uploaded by Pacific Landscapes.

Bull elk on a ridge in Lamar Valley at sunset. Yellowstone National Park, October 2009.

The Eye of God, originally uploaded by Pacific Landscapes.

No, not the Helix Nebula made famous by the Hubble Telescope. Grand Prismatic Spring is one of the three largest hot springs in the world, and the star attraction in Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park, October 2009.

Double Rainbow Over Grand Lake, originally uploaded by Pacific Landscapes.

A recent trip to Rocky Mountain National Park has me thinking of my first successful image in RMNP, which is also my first and probably only compelling image of an after-storm rainbow. This scene is Grand Lake, Colorado as seen from the edge of the Grand Lake Lodge. In August of 2006 we were there for a family reunion, and this was one of the winners from the trip.

I’ve never seen such a clear double rainbow before or since, and the moment was adrenaline-charged for me. The smell of ozone after lightning, running in search of the rainbow and my gasp of surprise at seeing a true double-arch all made this an intense physical experience. I now understand why legends persist about gold at the end of a rainbow. Why not, it’s so beautiful, it doesn’t seem crazy that there would be more good fortune in store for anyone who can get there before it fades.