United States
Grand Teton National Park
September 2020 • Six months of pandemic lockdown, street protests, and Martian wildfire smoke made it easy to gun the engine for Grand Teton, but this was no place for solitude. Park employees were caught off guard by the late-season rush: parking lots for popular trailheads were full by 9:00 am, and the Colter Bay Village general store was looted of nearly everything edible. But visitors had the right idea. Skies were clear, temps were crisp, fall colors were heartbreaking. Being there, even among hordes of the masked and maskless, was a blessing in this otherwise godforsaken year.