Timelapse: Post-Sunset over Mount Iliamna in Cook Inlet, Alaska

I caught this incredible afterglow from the bluff, watching the sky turn these deep shades of pink and purple over Mount Iliamna. In the winter, the Cook Inlet is filled with shifting ice flows, and seeing the colors of the sunset reflect off the water and the ice is something I never get tired of.

This timelapse captures the transition from dusk to twilight, with the massive silhouette of the volcano standing out against the horizon. Mount Iliamna is a prominent feature of the western skyline across the inlet, and on clear winter evenings like this, the visibility is perfect. The way the light changes so rapidly in the subarctic is always impressive, and being able to sit here and watch the ice move with the tide while the sky glows is truly peaceful. It’s a quiet, cold, and beautiful moment that highlights the vast and untamed character of our coastal home.