iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The completed collection is now on my website. 😀⛰️✌️ auntieelk.com/freedom/

auntieelk.com

Freedom - On The Trail With Auntie Elk

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

FREEDOM 31/31 The trees here may be stunted and deformed, but on the peninsula, they have grown tall enough for a human to crawl inside. In the shade of their malformed limbs we find safe haven from the unrelenting sun and wait for darkness to descend. #naturephotography #backpacking 🙏

Low, dense krummholz conifers fill the foreground below a large white cloud. Behind them, steep green and gray slopes curve around Horseshoe Lake, with patches of scree and lingering snow.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

FREEDOM 30/31 HORSESHOE LAKE - ELEVATION: 11,980 TAOS MOUNTAIN RANGE August 10, 2023 #naturephotography #NewMexico

Horseshoe Lake curves through a high alpine basin below steep green and gray slopes. A small peninsula reaches into the dark blue water, with low shrubs, lingering snow, scree fields, a rocky trail, and dark conifers under a clear summer sky.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

FREEDOM 29/31 We skid down the Serpent, back to basecamp, where breathing was easier and there were trees - however stunted and deformed. #naturephotography #backpacking

A rocky downhill trail drops through orange and gray scree toward Horseshoe Lake far below. A dark conifer forest fills the middle distance, with rounded alpine slopes, broad valleys, and layered blue mountains stretching to the horizon.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

FREEDOM 28/31 It had been an utterly exhausting day, but it feels good to do hard stuff. With the sun pulsing overhead, we finally began our descent. #naturephotography #backpacking

A hiker and two dogs pause on a narrow alpine trail cut across a steep grassy slope. A broad rounded peak fills the right side of the view, while distant mountain ridges, a small snow patch, and bright clouds sit under a deep blue sky.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

FREEDOM 27/31 There was an engraved plaque on the summit. The plaque had been sitting on the mountain top for so long that World War One was known only as the World War. It makes me wonder, if war is the solution, why is there still war? #RockyMountains #Peace

A plaque rests among pink and gray summit rocks, with blurred alpine peaks and blue distance behind it. The inscription names Simpson Peak in memory of Charles Everson Simpson, a U.S. Forest Service ranger who died in the World War on October 3, 1917.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

FREEDOM 26/31 Today's journey will summit the four highest peaks in the Taos Mountain Range. Every summit is "officially" named after a man. As a woman, that is alienating and rude. And besides, it was more fun to imagine I had conquered THE SERPENT. However, PEAK #4... #naturephotography #hiking

A rocky alpine ridge curves across the foreground toward a chain of rounded high peaks under a deep blue sky. Steep green and brown slopes fall into a wide basin below, with dark forest, distant blue mountains, and scattered white clouds beyond.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

FREEDOM 25/31 After a peanut butter bagel and corn nuts, we were back on the trail. One more peak. #hiking #dogs

A hiker, two dogs, and the shadow of another hiker walk across an alpine summit ridge. The trail is rocky, but plant life still flourishes. In the distance, steep slopes of the Southern Rocky Mountains lay beneath a deep blue sky. Wind swept clouds rush by.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

FREEDOM 24/31 All of us except for Ember. Ember was still chasing rocks. #hiking #dogs

A black dog trots toward the camera across a high alpine ridge: a rock in her mouth, tail raised and ears forward. The serpent lurks in the distance while even further, hazy mountains and long white clouds stretch beneath a deep blue sky.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

FREEDOM 23/31 PEAK #3, ELEVATION: 13,113 When we made the summit, we sprawled upon the alpine tundra and dissolved into the sacred land. #naturephotography #hiking

A steep sunlit slope of loose alpine rock rises toward wispy clouds in a bright blue sky. Small grasses and tiny yellow wildflowers grow between the stones, with bright lens flare spilling down from the high sun.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

FREEDOM 22/31 Eventually, the trail turns into a jagged razor’s edge, with the mighty mountain crashing downwards on both sides. #naturephotography #geology

Jagged boulders gradually erode as the trail traverses a narrow alpine ridge.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

FREEDOM 21/31 As the trail slithers and slides, the balance between the plant kingdom, soil formation, erosion, and weather begins to break down. #naturephotography #geology

A narrow gravel trail fades into the distant alpine ridge. Boulders and loose scree are taking over. Nonetheless, there are small grasses and even some yellow wildflowers that continue to flourish here at the top of our world.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

FREEDOM 20/31 Our quest continues on a little used trail. #dogs #hiking

A hiker and his dogs walk along a narrow rocky trail cut into a steep alpine slope. Pink wildflowers and loose stones line the path, while beyond lies a jagged mountain ridge.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

FREEDOM 19/31 I have summitted the HIGHEST PEAK in New Mexico many times. You can do it as a day trip. I've seen men in pink bedazzled cowboy hats and men who summit and immediately launch into pushups. Today we were the first to summit. The second was a solitary, and very elderly woman. #NewMexico

A narrow rocky trail zigzags toward the highest peak in New Mexico: a rounded summit of broken stone and sparse alpine grass. Yellow wildflowers bloom beside the path. In the distance steep gray ridges with isolated snow patches endure beneath a blue sky.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

FREEDOM 18/31 PEAK #2, ELEVATION: 13,141 THE VIEW FROM THE SERPENT'S TAIL: Horseshoe Lake - East Inlet #naturephotography #hiking

From a high rocky slope, yellow alpine wildflowers bloom among loose stones above the East Inlet of Horseshoe Lake. A dark forest, distant valleys, and hazy blue mountains stretch beneath a bright sky streaked with white cloud.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

FREEDOM 17/31 … and the tip of her tail is the second-highest summit in the Taos Mountain massif. #LandscapePhotography #NewMexico

A rocky alpine trail follows a rounded ridge toward a shadowed summit under a bright sun. Golden tundra slopes fall away on both sides, with layered blue mountains and thin white clouds stretching across the horizon.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

FREEDOM 16/31 At 13,000+ feet, the primal beauty of the place was worth any physical discomfort in being there. THE SERPENT lay before me: her hair a fancy flowing forest of trees, while her segments live where trees cannot … #LandscapePhotography #RockyMountains

A bird gliding over a vast alpine basin that spreads below a rocky ridge under a deep blue sky filled with white wind-stretched clouds. Brown-green tundra slopes roll toward a dark conifer forest and distant mountains.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

FREEDOM 15/31 … and stumbled across her segments. Here in alpine country, I was lagging far behind because I could not breathe. At any moment, I might have thrown up. #naturephotography #hiking

A narrow rocky trail cuts across a steep alpine slope of grasses, small wildflowers, and scattered stones. Dark ridges drop away to the left while a rounded green mountain rises on the right beneath a vivid blue sky and wispy clouds.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

FREEDOM 14/31 My summit quest begun, I staggered up the serpent's head… #LandscapePhotography #NewMexico

High in the Taos mountain range, I am reminded that 4 ½ billion years ago, the molten Earth began to solidify and water began to accumulate.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

FREEDOM 13/31 DAY 3 - SUMMIT DAY As the sun rose, the serpent's head cast a shadow over the tranquil lake and my stomach roiled. Then, I walked across the bridge of rocks and weathered logs. #LandscapePhotography #NewMexico

Morning light spreads across steep alpine slopes above Horseshoe Lake, New Mexico. A looming mountain shadow cuts across the water and lower basin, while golden ridges, green patches, snow remnants, and wispy clouds reflect in the still surface.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

FREEDOM 12/31 Tonight, we were the only humans to inhabit the lake and a sense of otherworldliness flourished in the solitude. Tomorrow will be SUMMIT DAY. #LandscapePhotography #NewMexico

West Inlet of Horseshoe Lake lies still beneath a wide bowl of green alpine slopes, gray scree, rocky ridges, and lingering snow patches. Low shrubs and grasses fill the foreground under a vast, saturated blue sky with a few wispy clouds.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

FREEDOM 11/31 Jackson and Ember were ready to summit, but we set up camp instead. #hiking #dogs

Ember, a dog in a bright red pack, steps onto a bridge of rocks and weathered logs that crosses the outlet stream on the east side of Horseshow Lake. Ahead, Jackson, a tan dog stands on the trail as green slopes, windblown conifers, and scree fields rise toward a deep blue sky.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

FREEDOM 10/31 At almost 12,000 feet above sea level, the peninsula will be home for the next two nights. #backpacking #dogs

A tan dog trots through dry alpine grass on a narrow path on the peninsula of Horseshoe Lake. Krummholz conifers and rocky green slopes surround the lake, with blue water visible behind the dog.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

FREEDOM 9/31 Welcome to the farthest edge of the subalpine! Here the trees are shaped by wind, cold, heat, snow, and a brutally short growing season. On the north side of HORSESHOE LAKE, there is a peninsula between the west and east inlets. #LandscapePhotography #RockyMountains

From above, Horseshoe Lake curves around a small green and yellow peninsula below pale alpine ridges. Krummholz conifers fill the foreground, as the land flows downward.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

FREEDOM 8/31 As we left Lost Lake behind, a bighorn sheep ran by — not pictured, but feel free to use your imagination. #naturephotography #backpacking

A steep alpine slope rises under a vivid blue sky, with a trail cutting through loose gray scree and green patches of grass. Dark conifers cling to the left ridge while yellow wildflowers dot the rocky ground.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

FREEDOM 7/31 Day 2 is a next level 1.8-mile hike, 500-foot bounce to the very edge of the subalpine. #hiking #dogs

A black dog wearing a bright red pack stands in a shallow rocky stream on a steep green trail. A hiker and a tan dog climb ahead through dense wild plants, with dark spruce-fir forest dropping away below.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

FREEDOM 5/31 After a long and terrifying night, the sun rose. I made a cup of hot coffee. Then the dogs and I walked down to Lost Lake. #backpacking #dogs #worldphotographyday

Two dogs stand on a rocky trail in morning sun, with dark spruce trees rising behind them. One tan dog looks off camera while a darker dog stands partly in shadow, caught in warm lens flare.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

FREEDOM 4/31 LOST LAKE - ELEVATION: 11,500 - NIGHT 1: A thin “proprietary ultralight nylon double ripstop, mixed denier fabric” was all that protected us from wind, thunder, rain, and hail. Over and over, the wind blasted, then silence. #backpacking #dogs

A dog wearing a bright red pack stands on a pale fallen log at the edge of Lost Lake. Clear shallow water, scattered rocks, dark conifers, green alpine slopes, and small snow patches rise behind them under a streaked blue sky.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

FREEDOM 3/31 5-miles and an 1800-foot elevation bounce later, the Lost Lake Welcoming Committee greeted us on the outskirts of their subalpine lake. A robust family of spruce gather in the darker forest, while a Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine endures the open, rocky edge. #trees #BristleconePine

A Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine fills the foreground. The needles grown in dense groups all the way around the branches like the puffed-up tail of a cat. The branches are also laden with male pollen cones at peak maturity. Here, mixed-conifer forest, steep rocky slopes, and a small alpine lake live under a deep blue sky.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

FREEDOM 2/31 DAY 1: The trail begins at the end of Forest Road 58 at 9, 700 feet above sea level. We climb through spruce forest and summer wildflowers toward Lost Lake. #naturephotography #hiking

A narrow dirt trail climbs across a steep green mountainside scattered with yellow wildflowers. Dark spruce-fir forest lines the slope below a rocky ridge and a bright blue sky brushed with thin white clouds.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

FREEDOM 1/31 FREEDOM is a three-night backpacking quest to summit the four highest peaks in the Taos Mountain Range, New Mexico. #photography #backpacking

A wide mountain basin opens beneath a blue sky streaked with white clouds. A rust-colored scree slope fills the right foreground, dropping toward dark evergreen forest, green alpine meadows, rocky ridges, and small patches of lingering snow.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

ALPINE CRITTERS 5/5 At 10,000+ NEW MEXICO - There is a rust color next to this squirrel on these scree rocks. It likely comes from iron-bearing minerals weathering in oxygen and water — the mountain slowly rusting in place. #photography #geology

A golden-mantled ground squirrel sits sideways on a rust-colored rock in a scree field. Their plain face, rounded ear, golden shoulder, and pale back stripe bordered by dark fur are visible against a softly blurred background of lichen-covered stones.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

ALPINE CRITTERS 4/5 The golden-mantled ground squirrel is big and territorial, but the chipmunk is small and fast. The scree field is home to both. #photography #wildlifephotography

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

ALPINE CRITTERS 3/5 Test time! 🏆 Chipmunk or golden-mantled ground squirrel? #photography #wildlifephotography

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

ALPINE CRITTERS 2/5 Chipmunks share the scree field with golden-mantled ground squirrels. These squirrels have a single pale stripe bordered by black running along each side of the back. #photography #wildlifephotography

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

ALPINE CRITTERS 1/5 Scree fields are more than a pile of rocks. The spaces between the stones create cool shelters, escape routes, and hidden homes for small alpine animals such as this cute little chipmunk. #photography #wildlifephotography

A small chipmunk stands upright among lichen-covered rocks, holding a bit of food in their tiny paws. Sunlight catches their striped face (which identifies them as a chipmunk) while the rocky background falls softly out of focus.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

BLUE Wildflowers 5/5 - Elk in the Valley - #photography Elk are keystone herbivores. In a balanced ecosystem, a grazing herd can cultivate a staggering abundance of wildflowers.

A large herd of elk gathers in a green valley below a forested mountain. Sagebrush and meadow grasses stretch behind them, while cloud shadows move across the slopes under a bright blue sky.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

BLUE Wildflowers 4/5 - Sidebells Penstemon - #photography Blue Sidebells penstemon bloom down in the valley. Sidebells are named for the way its flowers grow mostly along one side of the stem. All the blossoms face the same direction, as if ringing out for the elk to come down from the mountains.

Blue-violet Sidebells penstemon bloom in the foreground, its small tubular flowers gathered along one side of each stem. Behind it, a herd of elk grazes softly out of focus in the sagebrush.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

BLUE Wildflowers 3/5 - Rocky Mountain Columbine - #photography In the cool shade of the last trees before timberline, I found this lovely Rocky Mountain columbine.

A blue-and-white Rocky Mountain columbine grows beside a rushing mountain waterfall. Its white petals face outward while long blue spurs sweep backward, filled with sweet nectar for bumblebees.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

BLUE Wildflowers 2/5 - Monkshood - #photography Monkshood is found along cool, moist mountain streams. Delicate and easily hidden, a beautiful wildflower with a dangerous reputation. Classification: poisonous

A deep blue-violet monkshood blossom hangs from a slender green stem, its upper petal forming a small hood like a folded cloak. The flower emerges from soft, blurred mountain greenery, delicate and almost hidden.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

BLUE Wildflowers 1/5 - Harebells - #photography Fewer than 10% of flowering plants produce blossoms that humans perceive as blue.

A slender blue wildflower rises from a tangle of grasses and sunlit leaves. Its stems are thin and wiry, almost threadlike, bending gently under the weight of several small, bell-shaped blossoms.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Clouds Beyond Clouds in Black and White #photography Check out the full series! auntieelk.com/clouds-beyon...

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

The Galactic Neighborhood and a Cluster of Ponderosa Pine Trees #photography

A juniper and a few ponderosa pine trees in the foreground, a dark mountain in the distance, and beyond are stars from other planetary clusters of our galaxy shinning in the night sky.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Coyote Creek State Park, Guadalupita, NM #photography Summer Camping 2026! Although sporadic thunderstorms have arrived, this terrible drought continues, so that's right - no campfire this year.

The sun sets on a campsite surrounded by mature ponderosa pine trees.

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Auntie Elk @auntieelk.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Coyote Creek State Park, Guadalupita, NM #photography Gathering for the afternoon summer thunderstorm, the clouds rush by overhead.

A cluster of young ponderosa pine trees stand together in the wildflower meadow. As the ponderosa grows they will prune their lower branches to help prevent a forest fire from reaching their crown. But this little cluster is so new, that their low limbs create a sheltered space for the rabbits and birds who live in the meadow.

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