A gnarled tree stands as testament to beauty of Sonoma County, after the fires

THE Traveler: Craig Vanderah of Prior Lake.

The scene: Afternoon light glowed on an autumn scene in Sonoma Valley, near Kunde Family Winery, less than a week after fires had famously scorched nearby areas in late October.

The Destination: "In spite of the devastating and extensive fires, there was still way more untouched beautiful countryside than areas destroyed by fire," Vanderah wrote in an e-mail. "Also it's really hard to beat the beauty of Napa and Sonoma in the late fall, weeks after harvest and after the crowds have died down." He stayed in Glen Ellen in early November.

Getting this shot: Vanderah was making his way to dinner in Glen Ellen in the late afternoon — about 5 p.m., 45 minutes before sunset — when he encountered this stunning scene and had to stop to admire it. He had brought along high-end camera equipment, but the scene was evolving quickly, so he took out his handy iPhone 6S to make this photograph. He wrote, "the leafless gnarly old tree spoke a late fall emotion as the last bit of color drained from the landscape."

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