The Ascetic Aesthetic

Part of a dead saguaro’s skeleton is visible behind dried white flesh with black specks on the Chuckwagon Trail in McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale, Arizona on December 12, 2023. Originals: _ZFC8752.NEF to _ZFC8881.NEF

High on a snow-covered mountain I came across this secluded retreat, only the wooden door hinting at the dwelling behind, carved into the sheer cliff face. I wondered who would answer if I approached and knocked. Perhaps a desert ascetic meditating in the highest places. Perhaps a mystic who removed themselves from the world to better understand it, waiting to answer all my questions. Perhaps this is where all the rattlesnakes go to wait out the winter.

I decided not to knock.

📷: Nikon Z fc | Nikon 105mm macro
🗓️: December 12, 2023

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