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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 7m

The Liberty Bell Group is a collection of five granite spires near Washington Pass in the North Cascades. They include Liberty Bell Mountain, Concord Tower, Lexington Tower, and the North and South Early Winters Spires. This is a very popular destination for alpine rock climbers and photographers.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 4h

Tuesday evening at Blue Lake in the North Cascades. The sky turned a beautiful pink and lavender, and the golden larches really stood out against the rocky spires of the Liberty Bell Group. It was a beautiful way to end the day in the mountains. 🍂 🏔️ #LandscapePhotography #LarchSeason #PNW

Soft pink evening light glows behind the jagged spires of the Liberty Bell Group above Blue Lake in Washington's North Cascades. Golden autumn larches and dark evergreens cover the slopes below, with a small section of the lake visible through the trees. The scene feels peaceful at the end of the day.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 23h

Tuesday evening at Blue Lake in the North Cascades. The last sunlight lit up the rocky spires of the Liberty Bell Group, with golden larches surrounding the lake. I was really glad I stayed long enough to see the mountains light up like this. 🍂🏔️ #GoldenLarches #LandscapePhotography

Jagged granite spires of the Liberty Bell Group glow orange in the last evening sunlight above Blue Lake in the North Cascades. Golden larches and dark evergreen trees cover the rocky slopes below. The calm, deep blue lake reflects the forest and a large mountain on the right. A tall golden larch frames the left foreground beneath a pale blue sky. The scene feels peaceful and still.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 22h

Thank you! I was lucky to catch that last bit of sunlight on the mountain peaks. Really glad you enjoyed it! 😊🏔️

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 22h

Thank you, Molly! 😊 Happy Thursday to you too! Hope you have a wonderful day and a great weekend ahead. Take care! 🍂❤️

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 23h

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Golden larches around Blue Lake near Washington Pass along the North Cascades Highway. The softer light really helped the fall colors stand out, and I liked having the lake reflection complete the scene. What catches your eye first, the larches or the reflection? 🍂🏔️📷

Golden larches surround deep blue-green Blue Lake beneath rugged granite peaks near Washington Pass along the North Cascades Highway. Evergreen trees mix with the bright fall color, while the mountains and trees reflect in the calm water. The scene feels quiet and peaceful.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Wilson Glacier Falls from the Glacier Vista Trail at Mount Rainier, Washington. What caught my eye was how the waterfall stood out against the rugged rock and glacier terrain. Amazing to see how much water was coming directly from the glacier.

Wilson Glacier Falls descends through steep, rugged rock and glacier terrain on Mount Rainier, viewed from the Glacier Vista Trail. A narrow ribbon of white water drops more than 300 feet from the Wilson Glacier toward the lower portion of the Nisqually Glacier, standing out against dark gray rock, patches of ice, and rough mountain textures. The scene feels powerful and remote.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Jane's Lake, just off the Emmons Moraine Trailhead in Mount Rainier National Park. I liked the contrast between the blue water and the green reflections, with the foreground trees adding some depth to the scene. What catches your eye first, the water or the reflections? #LandscapePhotography

Jane's Lake near the Emmons Moraine Trailhead in Mount Rainier National Park, surrounded by dense evergreen forest. Green trees and pale trunks reflect across the calm blue-green water, with several evergreens framing the foreground. The scene feels quiet and peaceful.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

While I was hiking the Skyline Trail in Mount Rainier National Park, I stopped to photograph Stevens Peak to the south. I liked the contrast between the warm sunrise sky, cool blue ridges, and rugged mountain slopes. It felt good to be out on the trail with a view like this.

Stevens Peak in the Tatoosh Range, viewed south from the Skyline Trail at Paradise. Pale slopes and darker rock stand against a yellow and peach sunrise sky, with blue ridges in the distance and gray clouds overhead. The scene feels quiet and expansive.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Fall color covered the hillside at Paradise in bands of pink, red, gold, and green between the evergreens. 🍂📷 #CarlProthmanPhotography #FallColors #PNWPhotography #MountRainierNationalPark #LandscapePhotography

A steep alpine hillside at Paradise, Mount Rainier National Park, covered in vivid fall foliage ranging from pink and red to gold and green. Dark evergreen trees rise throughout the slope, with scattered rocks and a forested valley beyond. The scene feels rich, layered, and vibrant.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Layers of mountain ridges fading into the haze at Chinook Pass, WA. I like how the farther ridges become softer and bluer, creating a strong sense of depth. #LandscapePhotography #PacificCrestTrail #MountainPhotography

Layered mountain ridges fade into blue-gray haze near Sheep Lake along the Pacific Crest Trail, with each distant ridge becoming softer and lighter in tone. Evergreen-covered slopes frame the valley under a pale sky. The scene feels quiet and expansive.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Wednesday morning at Paradise last week, I arrived before sunrise to photograph the fall colors around Mount Rainier. Before the sun came up, the clouds above the trees turned deep pink and red. It was a beautiful way to start the morning. 🌄 📷

A vivid pink and red pre-sunrise sky fills the frame above a dark silhouette of evergreen trees at Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park. Textured clouds stretch across the sky, with taller firs framing the right side and a lone tree near center. The scene feels dramatic and peaceful.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I arrived at Tipsoo Lake before sunrise and found Mount Rainier reflected almost perfectly in the calm water. I photographed this during blue hour. I really liked the cooler tones, along with the grasses in the foreground leading into the reflection.

Mount Rainier rises above Tipsoo Lake during blue hour, reflected in calm water beneath a cool blue sky. Dark evergreen trees frame the mountain, while grasses along the shoreline add depth in the foreground. The scene feels quiet and still before sunrise.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Last Wednesday morning at Paradise, I followed the Skyline Trail through some of the strongest fall color I saw that day. I liked how the trail curved through the red and yellow foliage toward Mount Rainier. Would you stop here for a photo, or keep following the trail? 🍂🏔️📷 #FallColors

A dirt trail curves through red, yellow, and green subalpine foliage on the Skyline Trail at Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park. Small evergreens dot the slope, with Mount Rainier’s rocky, glacier-covered slopes ahead. The scene feels inviting and calm.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

While hiking above Paradise, I stopped for this view across the Tatoosh Range toward Mount Adams. I used a longer lens because I liked how it compressed the different mountain ridges together. The softer light and haze helped separate each layer as they faded into the distance.

Jagged peaks and rocky ridges of the Tatoosh Range fill the foreground beneath a layered cloudy sky. Successive mountain ridges fade into the distance toward snow-covered Mount Adams on the right. Soft golden light breaks through the clouds. The scene feels expansive and atmospheric.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Fall colors at Sheep Lake near Chinook Pass. 🍂 I liked the contrast between the orange and yellow foliage in the foreground, the deep blue water, and the mountainside reflected across the lake. #CarlProthmanPhotography #LandscapePhotography #AutumnPhotography #ChinookPass #NaturePhotography

Orange, yellow, red, and green autumn shrubs fill the foreground beside Sheep Lake near Chinook Pass. Deep blue water reflects evergreen trees, rocky slopes, and patches of fall color across the lake. The scene feels crisp, colorful, and calm.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Thank you so much, cocoromineko! I’m really glad you enjoyed it. ❤️

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Thank you for sharing that. I’m really touched that this brought back memories of your brother. ❤️ Climbing Mount Rainier every year, especially while living with juvenile diabetes, is an incredible story. I’m glad the video gave you that connection again. 🌌🏔️

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

No, the center of the Milky Way is just below the horizon in this video. I needed to be a little higher to capture it. Unfortunately, the Sunrise Road was closed because of a forest fire, so I couldn’t get to the location I had planned. Next year... 🌌📷

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Acy, many years ago, I remember climbing Mount Rainier and getting up around 2 a.m. to start hiking. It was a perfectly clear night, and the Milky Way was so bright overhead that I could see it clearly with my own eyes. I had never seen the sky like that before, and I’ve never forgotten it.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Thanks, Darksune! I modified the time-lapse so the Milky Way stays in the same location in the frame while the Earth and foreground move beneath it. It gives you a real sense that we’re the ones rotating, rather than the stars moving across the sky. It’s such a unique perspective.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Two hours of stars over Mount Rainier, compressed into one minute. 🌌 I photographed this from the White River area as the Milky Way moved across Little Tahoma Peak toward Mount Rainier. Airplanes, satellites, and even a searchlight crossed the frame.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Thank you, swandiveswim! When the sun broke through, those colors became even more brilliant. 🍂😊

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Paul, thank you! That’s exactly what I liked about this composition too. 😀 The color pulls you into the scene first. And then the trail naturally carries your eye toward Mount Rainier. I’m glad that came through. ❤️

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Wednesday morning I headed up to Paradise to see the fall colors. When the sun broke through, the foliage turned brilliant yellow and red. I loved seeing Mount Rainier rising above the trail. Which catches your eye first, the fall colors or Mount Rainier? 🍂🏔️📷 #LandscapePhotography #FallColors

Mount Rainier rises beyond the Alta Vista Trail at Paradise, with bright yellow, red, and pink fall foliage covering the slopes around the trail. Morning sunlight makes the autumn colors glow among scattered evergreen trees beneath a partly cloudy sky. The scene feels vibrant and peaceful.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” — John Muir I thought of that while hiking toward Sheep Lake last Saturday. With the fall color lining the trail, this was one of those stretches where I was happy to slow down and enjoy the walk.

A dirt hiking trail winds through bright red, orange, and gold fall foliage toward a rocky ridge above Sheep Lake near Mount Rainier. Evergreen trees rise along both sides beneath a clear blue sky. The scene feels inviting and peaceful.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Looking closer, the reflection has a slightly softer, warmer look than the mountain itself. I like that small difference between the two halves of the scene.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Saturday morning at Tipsoo Lake, I waited for alpenglow on Mount Rainier. The light started faint, then warm golden-red tones appeared on the summit, with pink reflected in the still water. A peaceful morning, well worth the early start. 🏔️📷 #Alpenglow #TipsooLake #LandscapePhotography

Mount Rainier’s snowy summit glows with peach-colored sunrise light, mirrored in the still water of Tipsoo Lake. Tall, dark evergreens frame the snowy mountain beneath a pale blue sky, with a grassy shoreline between mountain and reflection. The scene feels peaceful and still.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

While photographing Little Tipsoo Lake on Thursday, I noticed a trail behind the lake and decided to follow it. A short way up, I found this view with fall color all around the trail, Little Tipsoo Lake below, and Mount Rainier in the distance. I had to sit there for a while and take it all in.

Mount Rainier rises beyond Little Tipsoo Lake and a forest of dark evergreens. A narrow trail leads between large rocks and through red, orange, and gold alpine foliage in the foreground. The scene feels bright, colorful, and inviting.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Halo Cloud over Mount Rainier reflected in Little Tipsoo Lake, Washington. #MountRainier #LittleTipsooLake #LandscapePhotography #CarlProthmanPhotography #SonyAlpha

Mount Rainier rises above Little Tipsoo Lake at sunset, framed by dark evergreen trees on both sides. A tall evergreen stands left of center near the shoreline. Behind the mountain, a bright glowing cloud spreads across the sky where the sun has just dropped behind Rainier, creating a luminous halo above the summit. The same bright cloud, mountain shape, and dark tree line are reflected in the calm lake below, forming a nearly symmetrical vertical composition. Warm light in the cloud contrasts with the cooler blue-gray mountain and water. The scene feels brief, luminous, and almost unreal.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Gayle, I agree! It’s such a beautiful place to spend some time. ❤️

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Earlier this month at Reflection Lakes, the morning light began catching the mist along the shoreline. What caught my attention was the warm light moving through the mist against the darker trees behind it. It was a beautiful way to start the morning.

Morning mist glows in warm light above a calm alpine lake, reflecting dark evergreen trees along the far shore. Grasses and low shrubs fill the foreground, while sunlight catches the right shoreline and mist. The scene feels quiet and peaceful.

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

This is the world I get to see when I’m out with my camera. Mountains, forests, waterfalls, changing light, and those quiet moments you sometimes find along the way. I really enjoy being out there experiencing it, and I’m happy I can share a little of what I see with you so you can enjoy it too. 📷

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Tamcedrick, thank you! It really was peaceful up there. I especially liked how the clouds added some mood to the mountain and trees. ❤️

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Carl Prothman | Photography @carlprothman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Sunshine, thank you! I hope so too. Places like this are a big part of why I enjoy getting out with the camera so much. ❤️

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