8×10” oil on hardbord.

Back in March I snagged a backcountry permit for the Glacier Gorge campsite in Rocky Mountain National Park with the intention of doing a plein air painting of Black Lake. Summer finally came around, I hiked the 3.5 miles in past Mills Lake and set up camp. As I was drinking my coffee at dawn, a family of elk strolled through my campsite. The big bull, velvet hanging in strips off his antlers, was entirely too close for comfort but he didn’t seem bothered by me. I then hiked up to Black Lake to catch the beautiful morning light as the waxing moon set over Chief’s Head Peak.

Black Lake lies 10,623 ft above sea level, one of many alpine lakes left over from when glaciers carved out these mountain valleys during the last ice age.

I donate a percentage of all proceeds to the National Park Conservation Association and the National Park Foundation.