Salcantay is the highest mountain in the Cordillera Vilcabamba, a subsection of the Pervian Andes.

I saw the mountain from afar as I hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in 2004. The trip was spectacular and the views were stunning. At the end of our second day, we trudged along, tired from hiking over two killer mountain passes and still faced with one more.

As we topped the third pass, the trail ahead opened up to reveal Salcantay shining brilliantly in the setting sun. That single moment is one I'll never forget.

My name is Sarah Graybeal, I'm 29 years old, and I live and work in Houston, Texas. I grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and lived in both Atlanta, Georgia and Palo Alto, California during my college years.

In contrast to the popular saying, I didn't grow up in Texas, and I didn't get here as quick as I could. Houston is flat, hot and sprawling and I miss trees, seasons, and hills. But I work as an aerospace engineer and flight controller at NASA's Johnson Space Center, a job I couldn't do anywhere else, so I'll be here for a while. It's actually not so bad. Just flat. And sprawling. And did I mention hot?

I've been dabbling in web design since 1995, though technology has far surpassed my skills these days. I run, bike, and do triathlons but will never win any of them. I play soccer and softball, and am a big baseball fan. Since college, I've also developed a fondness for traveling, hiking, and camping. In the photo above, taken in 2004, I'm standing next to the ruins of Sayacmarca, located along the Inca Trail in Peru.

Oh yeah, I take pictures too.

I have a handful of cameras. I primarily shoot with a Canon 20D, and, if I don't happen to have that on me, a Canon S60. I've also got a Holga and a Lomo Fisheye that I occasionally play around with.

I've been fortunate enough to have been involved in a few cool things around the photoblogging world, including:

• Two photos selected for juried 600 sq mi: Photos from Houston exhibition, Sep 2007
• Sep 12-19, 2005 photographer at Scene From My Life
• "On the Shoulders of Giants," for the May 2005 Photoblogs Magazine
• Photo Friday Noteworthy for 9/13/05 "Order" and 3/14/05 "Obsession"

All photos are licensed under a Creative Commons License. You can display them as long as they are attributed to me, used in unaltered form, and for non-commercial purposes. Otherwise, please contact me.

A 5x7 print is $15, including shipping. Larger sizes are also available. Contact me for more information.

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