Few places in the world offer more dramatic and impressive vistas than the Sierra Nevada range of central California. The Sierra Nevada is truly one of the last vast wildernesses in the United States. One can walk for days and never see a manmade object.

I set out to capture the essence of this grand place from a perspective not commonly seen, that of a long-distance hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail. On April 16, 2006 my wife, Nathalie, and I set out to hike from Mexico to Canada on the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail which spans the states of California, Oregon and Washington. Hiking through hundreds of miles of the Sierras Nevada range was the crown highlight of our trip, an unforgettable experience.

This book contains over a hundred images capturing the light, color and boldness of the Sierras. I hope that as you move through these pages, each image presents its own beauty. Perhaps they will summon memories of your own time in the Sierras, whether you came as a tourist or as a climber or hiker who challenged the many peaks or trails.

So turn the pages and begin your journey of light and color into the Sierras.

- Aaron Doss