There is just no getting around this fact: this location is hard to get to. My first attempt was in March. My friend and I braved a heavy downpour of rain heading down a 10-mile stretch of dirt road. That road had now turned to thick mud. On the way out to our proposed campsite, the weather forecast changed. The forecasters were now calling for three days of rain and snow. We probably could have driven the rest of the next section of the trail, but the journey seemed pointless with endless rain forecasted. So, we left and decided to return a few months later with better weather.

Finally, we arrived at the parking area for White Pocket. You can't see much from there, but we packed our gear and headed out. It didn't take long to see what all the fuss was about. We spent hours exploring the area. For a bit, we lost track of time and didn't make it back to the vehicle for dinner before sunset. As soon as the sky started to show some color, we both scampered off, looking for the best compositions.

I had seen this tree earlier, but there were a few people around, and I wasn't sure how the clouds would line up. So, I left the spot, hoping for something else. Once the sunset started taking shape, I knew I needed to get back to this tree.

It took a lot of manoeuvring to get my tripod in a good position. The rocks are oddly shaped and pitted everywhere. I was looking for two main objectives with this shot. I really wanted to use the strange lines of the foreground rock to show interest in the texture and shapes. Then, I wanted to use the light and the color of the clouds. At that point, the sky provided the perfect and unexpected backdrop to this amazing scene.