THERE’S SOMETHING FREEING about following a road into the mountains to see where it leads, and letting it turn from highway to back road to gravel track. Nothing but time and the road conditions determine your fate. I took this road back to the East Rosebud Area of the Beartooth Mountains.

Under normal conditions, this road would be almost impassible in the winter. This year’s lack of snowfall left it dry (crossed with the occasional snow drift) and open to exploration, letting me stumble upon scenes like this.