SCENIC SECOND PLACE Vanishing Schoolroom Glacier Grand Teton National Park Carl Oksanen | Jackson, Wyoming Nikon D700: 1/500 sec, f/9.5, ISO 200 T his is the view you see shortly after descending Hurricane Pass on the Teton Crest Trail. You are looking at the headwaters of the South Fork of Cascade Creek. The background shows the west face of the Grand, Middle and South Tetons. The foreground depicts the receding Schoolroom Glacier, that at one time pushed out all the way to the moraine. The aqua-green color of the water is caused by the glacial silt melting into the run off. This used to be a good place for mountaineers to practice self-arresting. They would start sliding down and after gaining speed they would stop by digging in with their ice axe. But the way things are going, it may have to be renamed to the Schoolroom Snowfield. The challenge with this photograph was to balance the many elements of the vast scene into a pleasing composition. The colors were rather complementary, accented by the vivid water. The mountains could hold their own. The clouds helped. The leading lines of the shadows bring you back into the scene. The gentle, vanishing trail added calmness and a sense of scale. At the right time, I had only to take an ordinary photo of an extraordinary place. 26 | February 2023