We had already extensively explored the mountains near the Carrabassett Valley and Katahdin, as well as the White Mountains over in New Hampshire, but we had not spent much time in Grafton Notch. On a recent winter trip, we planned to hike Baldpate Mountain. Then, several miles into the hike, we hit the clouds and decided it wasn’t worth continuing, so we turned around and hiked to Table Rock, a fantastic lookout over the Notch. When we arrived, clouds still blanketed the entire valley. As we enjoyed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, strong winds began to lift the clouds.

This photo captures the ridgeline on the flank of Old Speck Mountain across the Notch, just as the clouds clear. I am always blown away by the interplay between weather and light in the mountains; conditions change quickly and unexpectedly, creating dramatic scenes where none existed moments before. Sure enough, we were given just a few minutes of drama before the cloudbank settled back in, and the sun sank behind the ridge. We packed our cameras back in our packs and scrambled down the slippery trail to our car before darkness set in, happy with yet another beautiful day in the mountains of Maine.