Badwater, Telescope Peak

Glad you got in first! Very nice, regards J.

Is it the fault of Park Services , or the idiots who do stupid things, get hurt then yell lawyer anthem of "I'm gonna sue"?
Nice photo ops in parks all over north america are being filled with signs, railings and closed trails.
Oh and very nice photo by the way.

Thanks for the positive comments. I went back here last winter (any other season is foolish) after being warned of new "improvements." There is now a board walk, fences, railings, signs and a raised parking lot--all done in the name of tourism. On the morning that I took the above image, in 1993, I was alone at the site, as I have been on 6 other mornings since 1990. This last winter I returned for dawn and there were 2 others. The "huge crowds" hardly justify the erection of a pavillion designed to minimize the impact while ruining the experience of solitude and stark natural beauty. From now on, all the natural beauty resides in old negatives.

Inflated egos need inflated budgets. The Park Service screams that it has no money and charges the public additional fees to provide services no one wants in places no one visits for McDonald-like 'improvements' that destroy the reason you went there in the first place. Get use to it, they are the masters and you are the serf.

I was furious when I could not get within a million miles of a water fall in wales due to railings etc Its kinda like putting the land into a zoo and asking people to pat it on the head, buy postcards and ultimately forget the experience. You need to get mucky to feel you've been there.....I usually look like a dogs thats gone rolling, but then again thats welsh weather!

Super image, but after ripping down the railings and scaring the other tourists away, it had better be

Tom,
No ripping. No scaring. This image dates from 1995. Pre"improvements"

Nicely done.

Well done, and glad you got it when still pristine. Here in New York, the state parks have so many regulations that forbid anything other than staying on the 'trails' (technically referred to as 'established ways') between dawn and dusk that finding pristine scenes is a challenge to one's willingness to remain within lawful constraints.