Suddenly it's Summer!

We had it all today- sunshine, blue sky, mountains, moon, and an obliging hawk that came out of nowhere as I was composing the shot.  The sun didn't shine all day, which was a good thing, as the temperature was up in the high 20s.

Here the moon is about to set behind Castle Hill Peak.  The Gap, on the right, is the distinguishing feature of the Torlesse Range when viewed from far out in the Canterbury Plains.   It is a popular climb, but it is approached from the other side.

Great in large.  I took this photo early, before the heat haze fuzzed the details.  I like seeing features that are normally unseen, such as the promontory on the ridge just below the moon, that retains the snow and casts a shadow across the slope.  I wonder about the subtle colours in the scree.  Some of them look like weathering, but others could be substances other than greywacke.  Or there might be alpine plants.