SECOND PLACE Pole Mountain lightning strike Vedauwoo Recreation Area Matt Ley | Cheyenne, Wyoming Nikon Z 6II; 1/3 sec., f/11, ISO 100 I n August 2023, a late summer thunderstorm produced some nice cloud-to-ground lightning over Pole Mountain in southeast Wyoming. With this strike, I captured the landing point of a nice bolt that almost perfectly mirrored the dead tree in the foreground. The warm, backlit sunset pierced through the storm clouds, creating a mix of warm and cool tones that balanced well with the colors of the small granite outcrop. As the storm approached, I quickly retreated to my car to avoid a front-row seat at the next landing point. Wyoming Wildlife | 27