What Lies Ahead?

“What lies ahead?” Hiking the Skyline Trail at Mt. Rainier National Park. The limited pastel palette captures the muted atmosphere of fog and glacial snow as hikers approach Panorama Point at 7,000 feet of altitude. Sharp pastel strokes characterize the horde of fallen slabs of volcanic andesite along the escarpment, challenging the hikers’ stability.  A faint trail, attracting a glimmer of sunlight struggling to emerge through the dense air, leads hikers as they vanish toward their objective. The diagonal lines in this composition convey direction and the tension of the task at hand. They still hike, they still believe. A sense of mystery begs the question: 'What lies ahead?"  12x16 pastel.