The Other Side of Skookum Flats

Last weekend, I hiked part of the Skookum Flats trail, starting from the southern trailhead, which was new for me (I've hiked from the northern trailhead a couple times). A hike beginning at the southern trailhead is arguably less scenic - there are fewer good views of the river, fewer huge old-growth trees, and getting to a riverbank is more of a project. On the other hand, I imagine it tends to be quieter for these reasons. The sunshine made photography tricky - sunlit scenes had their usual contrast challenges, and shaded forest areas were extremely dark, requiring exposure times of 10 seconds or more. Long exposures can make it hard to get things like branches and leaves sharp, of course, but another challenge is time management. My usual trial-and-error process cumulatively took much longer than usual, and there was at least one instance where I ultimately didn't take enough time to get everything right.

First, my favorite shot from the hike: looking over the White River with morning sunlight starting to illuminate the treetops. F/14.

Below, three images from a lovely area of forest near the trailhead. A thick carpet of salal and moss meant that the area was still very lush and green, which was a welcome surprise this time of year. I'm not sure which I like the best, so I've posted all three. F/16, F/14, and F/14, respectively.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Perry Creek in the Snow

Never one to leave well enough alone, I recently visited the Perry Creek trail for the fourth time this year. My timing was great - there was enough fresh snow to make the scenery interesting, but not enough yet to render the parking lot (or that section of the Mountain Loop Highway) inaccessible. The temperature was just above freezing, rendering the snow a bit chunky and cumbersome. A below-freezing temperature would have made the snow more fun to walk in, but I was thankful that at least it hadn't melted from the trees before my hike.

First, a view down the valley with a few tenacious autumn leaves in the foreground. I don't like how centered the leaves are, but tripod placement was tricky on this narrow section of trail. This is my best result; I was able to observe the rule of thirds more faithfully in other attempts from this location, but I didn't get the focus right. F/16.

Next, a composition that looks more wintry. I think the detail on the foreground rocks, and distant mountain slopes, makes up for the relative lack of color. F/16.

Speaking of color, in the next image, I like how the mossy maple trunk in the foreground contrasts with the whites and more muted greens of the background. F/16.

Next, an image that looks almost monochromatic. I was attracted to the way the snowy branches framed the view of the valley. F/14.

Finally, a view up the steep valley slope. F/14.

For some reason, I've been craving a hike closer to a river or other large body of water. Hopefully my next hike will provide such an experience, although changing conditions always create new challenges and opportunities. Stay tuned!

Snow at Chinook Pass

When I noticed that Chinook Pass had not yet been closed for the winter, I chose that area for this weekend's hiking destination. There was more snow on the ground (and on the trees) than I had expected, but that made for fun scenery. I opted to hike the short Naches Peak Loop, which, though short, ended up being plenty of work in the fresh snow. Remarkably for that trail, particularly on a Saturday, there were very few other hiking parties present. Unfortunately, clouds and fog rolled in early in the hike, hiding Mount Rainier, Dewey Lake, and other features normally visible from the trail. To make matters even more challenging, snow and ice pellets began to fall. Thankfully, I got a few good shots before the conditions deteriorated. And the otherworldliness of the fresh snow, combined with the solitude, more than made up for the less-than-ideal weather.

First, two early views from the Naches Peak Loop. F/16 and F/18, respectively.

Next, an image that came later in the hike, after the clouds and fog had thickened. There is a bit more white space than I would prefer, due to the snowy slope, but there are some faintly discernible contours there, so I think it works. F/14.

Finally, from the highway near Chinook Pass on the way to the trailhead. As would be the case on the trail, the clouds obscured some of the more eye-catching views, but created an interesting atmosphere. F/14.

 

Halloween Hike

I celebrated Halloween with a hike to the Monte Cristo ghost town. Most of the hike is along an old road and isn't as scenic as a lot of the hikes I do, but there some nice views and fall scenes throughout. I didn't do any photography at the old town itself, but it was fun to explore; there were more intact buildings than I had expected to see, and I enjoyed reading the signs about the area's history.

First, my best image of the day, taken early in the morning after crossing a channel of the South Fork Sauk River. F/16.

Next, a colorful late-fall scene from farther up the valley. I originally tried this at a wider angle, with a mountain peak visible. While this peak was an obvious visual point of interest, it was so bright that the high contrast lessened the visual impact of the color contrast between the maple leaves and the distant evergreens. I ended up liking the result below a lot better. F/18.

Finally, two more images highlighting the day's late-fall scenery. I think I like the first of these two better, due to the distant waterfall. F/16 and F/14.