11,249 ft. Mt. Hood, the tallest peak in Oregon, dominating the greater Portland skyline, has an especially graceful profile from the west. The town of Sandy, about 35 miles east of Portland, has an even better view of the mountain along the bluff north of town.
In the winter, temperature inversions often create a layer of fog along the Sandy River below the bluff. On this particular January morning, several photographers and I were treated to a magnificent pre-dawn display of color in the sky, with fog shrouding the river below. I chose a moderate telephoto framing to simplify the elemental nature of the scene. Nature at its most beautiful.
