TPT 2025 Photo Contest Winners
I hope that this will encourage people to take those cameras/phones out while on the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail. These winning photos from this year’s contest show the amazing scenery the TPT passes through.
Lori Bellis is an amazing wildlife photographer, as her photo entries show. Her photo of the bobcats won the votes of many of our board members, who are the voting pool. I felt the need to create the Best in Show category due to the voting. She also took a shot of the osprey that won first in flora/fauna. I follow Lori’s Facebook Postings and enjoy whatever she posts!
For the flora/fauna category, Nikki Hussein won second place for her beautiful photo of the horses taking a rest. If anyone has been out on the section between Mustang Ranch and USA Parkway, you probably have seen the horses or what they leave behind! The willow arch is in this category since its focus is on the willows along the Truckee, on the Nature Conservancy land. Nikki was also the photographer. Many volunteer hours are spent opening this archway so people can ride or hike through it. It’s a challenging job, but when the trail opens up, you have an opportunity to go through something magical.
Will Stoeger, who has been a winner in our previous contests, took first place in the People Category. The cyclist pushing up his bike on that steep staircase has my sympathy. I feel his pain every time I look at that photo. Going down, it is no joyride either. Second goes to “Stick Feet”, taken by Sarah Bousfield. That section above Floriston, in the Spring, can be a muddy mess. We are trying to rectify that situation and worked on it this year. We shall see what the Spring of 2026 brings to that area. Hopefully, sticky feet will give way to happy and dry feet! Third goes to Michael Casper. When I look at this, it feels like the cyclist was on a time crunch with those clouds following him. Will I make it home before that raincloud opens up? Many of us know how that feels. Where did my sunshine go!!!
The Landscape Category always has the most entries, and this year proved to be a very challenging one for voting. For that reason, we had a tie for 3rd place. Will Stoeger, again, submitted some amazing shots and took first and second in this category. His colors and framing of shots are amazing. They make me want to experience the moment his photo was taken. They captivate me. Third went to Michele Welch for the bridge from a perspective different from what most of us have seen on the Quilici Ranch Road in Verdi. Tied for third, Kurt Golgarts photo, taken near the 102 Ranch, draws me into the picture, with how he captured the Truckee. You also see a little sun on that left bank, but the clouds are moving in.
The TPT board appreciates the entries we received. Thank you for all the photographers that participated. These photos, along with others submitted, will be used in our social and print media throughout the year.
~ Written by Mary Beth Roselli