The Blue Blood of Winter
This shady and rapidly flowing alpine creek is close to freezing at air temperatures below –20°. This is the time of the year where glaciers accumulate their annual snow pack. The snow amount in the European Alps is often much lower compared to other mountain ranges. Largest precipitation amounts occur when mountain ranges work as a North to South barrier in the mid-latitudes. Then the rising air-masses of low pressure systems within the west wind drift cause record snowfall. This is more infrequent in the West to East located European Alps.
December 2000
Pentax K2, Pentax 50mm, f/22, 10sec, Kodak Ektachrome E6, ISO 100, tripod