Signs of Spring

Spring is coming! On Saturday, I visited the Lime Kiln trail, and there were hints that my favorite season is approaching, including flower buds, catkins, and lots o' mud. I realized that even though I've hiked the trail several times, I've only ever done so during winter. I don't know whether the Lime Kiln trail would hold up as a summer destination - I'd rather get to older forests, or higher elevations - but the idea of a spring or fall visit intrigues me.

Anyway, I'll start with one of the aforementioned buds, this one of salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis). Getting this one right was a struggle. Under the cloud and tree cover, it was fairly dark outside, so I used a shutter speed of 1/25 of a second. This made it hard to set the focus point properly and get the bud sharp; the wind, though light, frequently caused the bud to move. At long last, an image worked well enough to use. F/5.6.

Next, two versions of a view of the South Fork Stillaguamish River from the trail's end. I think I like the vertical version better - you see more of the trees in the upper third of the image - but I'm glad I tried a horizontal version. In any case, I think the striped rock at bottom right really helps anchor the foreground. Both F/16, 1 second.

Here's another view of the river, with more of the river shore in the foreground. I was worried that it would be too busy, but I actually like it. The branches create converging lines, and I like the look of the water. F/14, 0.8 seconds.

Lastly, a mossy forest view early in the hike. The creek at the bottom of the ravine isn't as perceptible as I would have liked, but I like the lighting and the mossy branches. F/16.