It was snowing the whole drive there in whiteout conditions. The forecast said the clouds would break around 4:00, right before dusk. The drive there caused me to question if I made a wise decision or not. Hoping not to crash on the way up, my goal was to capture post-storm light rays over Lake Tahoe from Monkey Rock outlook, right as the sun was going down. I made it safely to the trailhead, and the clouds had dissipated a little bit to no longer be a whiteout, but the snow still hadn't let up. So I waited in my car for a bit to see if the clouds would break as the forecast said. I looked up around 4:00, and although it was still snowing, I could see the clouds starting to thin and the sun starting to come out. I had a two-mile hike to my destination, so I grabbed my camera bag and my backpack, and scurried off up the mountain in the fresh, falling snow. The mountain air was crisp, and the ground was soft from the snow. Not long into my hike, I came across this bench overlooking the lake with the sun glistening over the water. It looked so peaceful and enchanting. I got my camera out, and as I was framing the scene in my viewfinder, I began to feel something. I could picture what it would feel like to sit here, feel the fresh snowflakes on my shoulders, and the sun on my face. It was a magical experience. I put my camera away, gave it one last gaze, and continued up the mountain. As I walked on, I thought to myself, "whatever happens at the spot I came here for, I think I already captured something special." My wife and I have been in a tough time financially, as we all go through at times. Life is full of hills and valleys, times of abundance, and times of scarcity. Something I find fascinating though, is the light always shines in such a beautiful way right after a storm. The lingering storm clouds, making their last ditch effort to keep the sun covered, just make it more beautiful. So one day, this storm we have found ourselves in will pass, and the light will shine in a way like we have never seen before. Whatever hardships we face in life, always remember... The storm will pass, and the light will come, and what a marvelous light it will be.
