Autumn and Winter Collide

Our recent little spell of colder weather inspired me to seek some snowy mountain scenery, and I found it along the Pacific Crest Trail north of Snoqualmie Pass. A common day hike destination here is the Kendall Katwalk, a round trip of roughly twelve miles. I didn't make it that far; I decided to turn around at an icy stream crossing and use the extra time to hike back at a leisurely pace and stop for more pictures, something I don't always do on return trips.

First, an autumn-and-winter juxtaposition from the initial wooded section of the hike. F/18.

Next, another image on the same theme with a more distant view thrown in for good measure. I tried this composition twice, once early in the morning on my hike in, and once near midday on the way back. Interestingly, I prefer the midday attempt (what you see below). The morning light was warmer and more colorful, but the contrast between the shaded foreground and the brightly sunlit mountains in the background was troublesome. On the other hand, the midday sunlight was filtered by some high clouds, making the contrast more manageable. F/18.

Next, a view of Red Mountain (I think) over the Commonwealth Creek valley. In contrast to some of the other images in this post, the sky looks pretty good here. F/14.

I took a bit of a risk with the contrast in the next image. The sky isn't great - it's brighter than I'd prefer, and not saturated enough (though some additional work in Lightroom might help). But, frankly, I'm pleased that this one worked at all. F/16.

Below, an image with a concept similar to that of the last, but with a bit more sky color. F/14.

Finally, a small waterfall along the trail, with snow-dusted autumn leaves to add some color. F/16, 1/5 of a second.

While it was a treat to see some fresh snow, I'm hoping for some more true fall scenery before winter kicks in. Stay tuned!