Winter Road

Renowned films like Gladiator, Iron Man, and Star Trek, among many others, have all captured scenes in this breathtaking region of California, known as Movie Road. I encountered it in truly once-in-a-lifetime winter conditions, with the landscape transformed in ways few have witnessed. Snow was always something I dreamed of experiencing, and at 19, I finally saw it for the first time.

In a rare, once-in-a-lifetime experience, we headed to Alabama Hills to capture conditions locals said hadn't been seen in over 30 years. After a night of heavy snow, the earthy landscape transformed into a surreal whiteout, making it feel like we'd been transported to another world. The next morning, we hiked nearly two miles through shin-to-knee-deep snow to catch the first light of sunrise, carefully avoiding marking the untouched snow, even stopping an approaching car to preserve the pristine view. Then, with weather turning even wilder, we ended up stuck there for two and a half days. It was one of the coldest mornings I've experienced, staying in one spot for nearly four hours, but every second of that beautiful, unexpected adventure was unforgettable.