I get a special thrill out of photographing scenes with fast-moving atmosphere because compositional opportunities can come and go in the wink of an eye. The atmosphere may shroud certain peaks, isolate them, or interact with them in ways that tell a different story from one moment to the next. On this very memorable morning the sun was able to shine behind the atmosphere just at the moment when all of the grand forms flanked one of my favorite peaks in this area, making it look like a sailboat or a figure arching its back while being pushed through space. Life had been treating me rather well at that time, and I felt as though I had something of a tailwind propelling me through space in the same way. A few months later fate would deal me a heavy blow, leaving most of what I owned in ashes after a wildfire incinerated my home and office. Now I look upon this image as a reminder of how it felt to be in that magical zone when everything seemed to flow so easily, and I know that I’ll be there again eventually.