Blue Mountains 1: Odds and Ends

About a week ago, I wrapped up a multi-day camping trip to the Blue Mountains area of southeast Washington! I was able to visit a few destinations I'd had on my radar for years: Oregon Butte, the Mount Misery trail, and the Turkey Creek trail. Furthermore, I paid a visit to Fields Spring State Park, a favorite place that I had yet to visit at this time of year. Doing photography in the Umatilla National Forest can be labor- and time-intensive, due to the time and concentration that the long, unpaved driving routes between locations require. On the other hand, the wildflowers, views, high-elevation trailheads, and lack of crowds create amazing opportunities.

Before I post about my main destinations, I'll post some images from campgrounds and roadside viewpoints. First, a view of the setting moon from near the Wickiup Campground. The moon cycle had been off my radar - until the middle of the night, when I woke up to its flashlight-like glare in my tent! I made numerous moon compositions over the course of about twenty minutes. The ones before the sunlight had begun to hit the trees were not as good; the contrast between trees and moon was too high and the moon ended up overexposed. This one, however, just after sunrise, seems to have worked. F/18.

Next, a view from the road between Anatone and Wickiup Campground, with buckwheat and a few yarrow blooming in the foreground. F/20.

Here's a view of some lupine near the Wickiup Campground. I can't confidently identify it beyond that, as I believe there are a few light-colored lupine varieties that grow in the Blue Mountains, and lupines can also hybridize. F/22.

The view from Ray Ridge near Misery Spring Campground at sunrise. The temperature was 37F when I took this, and there was a strong breeze blowing as well. This camping trip was probably the coldest start to summer I've ever experienced! F/18.

Finally, the sunset from near Wickiup Campground. The top right corner is a bit empty, but I like the way the clouds and trees look. F/22.