Ray Urner Photography

Ahhhhh, from Crater Lake a couple summers back.
Had this shot pre-visualized for years before that!

Crater Lake National Park

Well THIS was a sweet second hand find.

I feel like I’m learning from the GOAT Ansel Adams Photographer, Artist & Activist himself!
This is an unreal book, he explains his thought process behind 40 of his best photos. 📸

And no idea if the autograph is authentic or not, but I’m going to tell myself that it is. 😎

That time I backpacked to Mt Assiniboine in a Britney Spears shirt, and I got a sick calf pump. 💪💪

(Not sure how the two are actually related, but….)

📸: Mark Fuson

Horseshoe Bend.

Two visits within 12 hours.
Same place.
Different light.
Completely different experience.

I photographed Horseshoe Bend twice—once at sunset, and again at sunrise.

At sunset, the canyon settled into softer, moodier tones as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. It was beautiful—but it was also an absolute zoo, with crowds of people lining the overlook to watch the final light of the day.

By sunrise, the experience couldn’t have been more different.

The same landscape had completely transformed, with golden light spilling across the canyon walls and bringing the desert to life. And instead of the sunset crowds? Just a handful of people scattered around the overlook, quietly watching the canyon wake up.

That’s one of my favourite things about landscape photography. You can stand in exactly the same spot, point your camera at exactly the same scene, and come away with two photographs—and two experiences—that feel entirely different.

The landscape hasn’t changed.

The light has. The atmosphere has. The experience has.

And sometimes, that’s all it takes.

Which would you choose? The dramatic sunset with the crowds, or the softer sunrise with the solitude?

Two years ago today, I attempted to summit Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.

The thing that stopped me wasn't the cables.

Half Dome had been on my bucket list for years, but I never expected the biggest challenge wouldn't be the cables – mainly because I didn’t make it QUITE that far! The biggest challenge was actually my own dumb ass forgetting something VERY important in the car, but more on that later.

My plan was simple: hike past Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall, work my way through Little Yosemite Valley, climb Sub Dome, and finally tackle the famous Half Dome cables.

I hit the trailhead at 5am, and enjoyed the quick walk in the (almost) dark on a flat paved road to the trailhead. It was good for getting the legs warmed up, because the elevation hits quickly on the JMT! I was feeling strong as I crossed over the Vernal Fall footbridge, which is the first real attraction on the trail. Soon afterwards, I was at the junction for the Mist Trail, and was ready to get absolutely drenched by Vernal Fall!

The wind was quite calm as I climbed the seemingly infinite number of steps past Vernal Fall, so I barely even got a drop of mist on me. Made it easy to take good photos without having to worry about my camera lens getting wet! I took a quick snack break at the top of Vernal Fall, then continued climbing up past Nevada Fall. What I didn't know yet was that I had forgotten the one thing that would end up changing the entire day.

I reached the top of Nevada Fall, where I took a quick break to photograph some of the local wildlife – a squirrel, a lizard, and a jay who seemed to be enjoying some hiker treats. I too enjoyed some hiker treats – I deserved them after that relentless uphill!

The next part of the hike was the easy part. Little Yosemite Valley is relatively flat, so it was a nice break for the legs and the lungs, both of which were still feeling strong. The sun was cresting the granite peaks by this point, so I figured I should probably put on some sunscreen. Put down my daypack, start sifting through it, and….. uh oh, it’s not in the bag. This is REALLY not good.

Thankfully, by the time I hit the junction for the Half Dome Trail, I knew the next section of the hike would be forested, so I wasn’t too concerned about not having sun protection. The flat section was over, now we’re really climbing again. And on that trail is where Half Dome starts to look a little scary!

At the base of Sub Dome, a ranger is stationed to check permits and go over hiker safety on Sub Dome and the cables. Even with the permit system in place, the ranger said it would be about three hours on VERY exposed granite. On a hot sunny day, that would be an absolute hell no without sun protection. At that point, I decided that I would simply ascend Sub Dome until things got sketchy, and then I would turn around. And let me tell you, Sub Dome IS sketchy!

I turned around about half way up, before reaching the cables.

Standing on Sub Dome, I knew I could probably keep going physically.

My legs felt great.

My lungs felt great.

But I also knew I had several more hours on exposed granite with no sun protection.

As much as I wanted to reach the cables, I knew turning around was the smart decision.

Slightly sunburned and only somewhat bummed out, I headed back down Sub Dome, then back down the Half Dome trail through the forest. Then one of the most random trail exchanges of my life happened. A hiker asked if I'd seen a pair of spare gloves at the bottom of the cables, which I read was quite common.

I hadn't.

But I did have a pair of gloves I was no longer going to need.

He had sunscreen.

Seconds later, we made the easiest trade in Yosemite history.

I worked my way back down through Little Yosemite Valley, where another hiker told me he just saw a bear with two cubs down the trail, so be careful. Never saw them!

Chilled at the top of Nevada Fall for a little while, snapped some more photos, then descended down the John Muir Trail. It is longer than the Mist Trail, but way easier on the knees. Before I knew it, I was back down at the bottom, and ready for my post-hike pizza and beer.

Looking back, Half Dome taught me something I didn't expect.
I never stood on the summit.
I never made it to the cables.
But I still spent the day climbing past two of Yosemite's most spectacular waterfalls, photographing wildlife, testing months of training, and experiencing one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever done.
Not every adventure needs a summit to be a success.

Have you ever attempted Half Dome? Or are you thinking about it? Let me know below!

SWEET double rainbow in the Columbia River Gorge! 🌈🌈

Love me some badass mountain weather!

This is Mt. Washington, in Oregon. I think whoever named it was slightly confused and/or inebriated. (Not sure how the Central Oregon beer scene was way back then!)

Coco wanted to go on a “first day of summer” adventure up to the Ghost Stump!