Godafoss is certainly one of the most spectacular waterfalls, and sights in general, that I saw in Iceland. Clearly I'm not the only one who has thought so, as the name (Goðafoss in Icelandic) means "Waterfall of the Gods." Maybe it gets this name for its spectacular grandeur. Or perhaps from the myth that Iceland's parliament threw idols of their Norse gods over this waterfall when they switched to Christianity. Whatever the reason for the name, it certainly felt apt. While the waterfall is awe-inspiring when viewed from below, I fell more in love with this view from above. It's less photographed and less dramatic, but to me, this is how the gods see it.

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March is an interesting season at Hraunfossar. This portion of Iceland is rather low elevation, so the landscape's snow and ice have mostly melted away by March. On the other hand, the brilliant green grasses and tree leaves have not yet revived. Therefore, one might reasonably consider this the least attractive season to view Hraunfossar's lava falls. However, the waterfalls themselves, incredibly mesmerizing and beautiful, are at there most unobscured and unrivaled. You can clearly see the exact details of their structure, including how the glacial melt water seeps right out of the porous volcanic riverbanks. I've never seen a waterfall like it. And while some green grass or stunning icicles may have made this photo prettier, it also may have made me overlook what makes this place truly unique.

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Glacier National Park, Montana, is one of my favorite places I've been. The sweeping vistas there are truly stunning, as everyone is well aware, but the intimate scenes are no less stunning. It seems like the majority of the streams have carved themselves intricate canyons that would qualify as national treasures in their own right, if they were anywhere less spectacular. St Mary Falls, pictured here, is one such example. The canyon walls and turquoise glacial waters are hard to beat for beauty. But what actually drew me into this scene were the plants that grew on the rocky banks. It is them - the sparse flowers and stunted evergreen trees - that made this place feel like an idyllic oasis to me.

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Peyto Lake is pretty famous, at least as far as Banff National Park is concerned. I usually like to focus on scenes, or at least views, that aren't well-photographed iconic shots. I must admit, this isn't one of those times. This photograph's composition doesn't differ much from other photographs of the view. The unfortunate fact is that you are constrained to a small lookout deck. It may be possible to hike closer on an extended trip and with a back-country permit, but my visit didn't allow for that. Anyways, I still really wanted to see the lake, even if it wouldn't be a productive photography excursion. It's easy to see why: the lake is stunningly beautiful. The long stretch of towering bare-faced Rocky Mountains flanks one of the bluest lakes I've ever seen. I was also helped out by a really cool sky. While the composition may not be that unique, the scene is still unrivaled for beauty.

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Pictured here is Avalanche Creek, roaring with ice-cold snowmelt in Glacier National Park, Montana. The water gets it amazing blue color from silt that comes from the glaciers that feed Avalanche Lake. This photo was taken in early morning. The morning light coupled with the dense forest kept the light very low, permitting a long exposure to really bring out the color and power of the stream. Luckily there was very little wind, allowing most of the forest foliage to remain crisp! Looking back on it, I'm lucky to have pulled myself away from this scene fairly quickly instead of lingering too long, because finishing the hike and getting at Avalanche Lake by dawn was a truly magical moment.

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