Morning mist on the water has always been a favorite of mine, and this morning light on the Clearwater River as I drove to work yesterday was simply too good to pass up.

I have been wanting to photograph this stretch of the Clearwater for a couple of years now. It’s a stretch along Highway 12 between Kamiah and Greer where every turn out is a photo shoot waiting to happen. There’s one spot in particular where the river straightens out just enough to give you a view of jagged rocks spilling into white flecked water, train tracks cut the opposite slope, and the wilderness calls from far upstream. Then the road turns and you’re back in the moment, driving past white sand beaches and cool swimming holes at 60 miles per hour on your way to somewhere important for sure.

The routine of life can it make it so easy to forget the beauty all around us. We can get so caught up in trying to “get away” to places of wildness and majesty that we forget we already live there. I want to remember to create enough space in my routine to be able to enjoy the beauty all around me. I’m truly blessed to live where I do, to soak in such beautiful landscapes on a simple drive to work.

These photos were totally worth the effort, but I didn’t get the shot I really wanted. Guess I’ll just have to go back….