I first envisioned this photograph on a summer hike of the south rim of Yosemite Valley. The composition struck me at once as an opportunity to photograph El Capitan in the larger context of the Yosemite Wilderness. I wanted to make an image that portrayed two worlds -- the pastoral valley floor, and the wild snowy highlands. After several trips on skis to Dewey Point, I realized the final version on New Years Eve, 2002.