Winter Cactus

Yesterday I climbed several hundred feet up the side of a ridge to capture an unobstructed view of Four Peaks. I either have to get in better shape or give up photographing mountains!!! The sunset was cold and unremarkable. But, as I waited, I spotted this cactus and really liked the lighting. This image was captured using a Nikon D300, a tele-extender and the Nikkor 70-200 mm lens. I didn't climb up there just to photograph a cactus but the image felt warm while the blues of the sunset gave me a very harsh, cold feel. I went with warmth. For some strange reason, the hundred degree heat of August doesn't seem all that bad right now!!!