Behind the image: El Yunque Rainforest

El Yunque Rainforest is the only tropical rainforest in the US Forest system.  Located about one hour east of San Juan, El Yunque is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

I was hiking the El Yunque trail heading up to the summit of El Yunque peak.  It’s a 2-mile trail with about 1500 ft of elevation gain.  It was a cloudy morning, but as I approached the halfway point to the summit, the clouds parted and these remarkable sunbeams came shining through the forest.

I had my pocket camera attached to my backpack, and I immediately took it out and captured a couple of photos.  I’m glad it was easily accessible – the lightshow only lasted about a minute.

Even if I have a ‘serious’ camera with me, I’ll always bring my pocket camera for moments like this.  If my other camera was buried in my pack, there’s no way I would have captured this moment.

Always be ready – you never know what nature has in store for you.