The Hidden Worlds of Perry Creek

Yesterday, I hiked one of my favorite trails, the Perry Creek trail off the Mountain Loop Highway. Conditions were challenging for landscapes, as winds and lighting were both unpredictable. Although I did manage landscapes that took advantage of that changing light - more on that in a moment - my favorite images of the day were closeups of plants and foliage that I hadn't noticed before, or that I saw in a new way. I think my early difficulties with landscapes forced me to notice smaller-scale scenes that, in an environment like Perry Creek, I usually pass by.

First, a new flower for me - spotted saxifrage (Saxifraga austromontana). The small flowers looked simply white or off-white from above, but a close inspection revealed some very interesting orange and red spots. There's a bit of empty space in this composition that I'm not thrilled about, but I'm still very happy that I found these flowers. F/6.3.

Next, the colorful foliage of a stonecrop (genus Sedum). My best guess is that it's Oregon stonecrop (Sedum oreganum); that's the closest match from other photos I've seen, and there's documentation of Oregon stonecrop in the Perry Creek area. F/5.6.

Here's another wildflower, Fendler's waterleaf (Hydrophyllum fendleri), F/5.6.

Next, one I've photographed before, red columbine (Aquilegia formosa). It's uncommon to see one of these flowers turned up like this instead of hanging down, so I wanted to capture that new perspective. F/5.6.

As promised, there were some landscapes as well. Here's the classic view down the Perry Creek valley toward Hall Peak (obscured by clouds). The rapidly changing sunlight was tricky to expose for, but I like the way it looks in the final image. The color contrast with the rock is also fun. F/16.

Next, one of the many waterfalls coming down the valley walls, with lush maples providing the setting. F/16.

Finally, the colorful seeds of vine maple (Acer circinatum), with another waterfall in the background. I would have liked the seeds to be a bit more prominent in the composition, but the vivid red helps them stand out, at least. F/8.

Spring at Ohanapecosh

A few weeks ago, I visited the Silver Falls area of Mount Rainier National Park, near Ohanapecosh and the Grove of the Patriarchs. I haven't really been able to get to the images until now (or go on another hike since then), because it's been a very busy June, with a move and other things on my plate (all the rain hasn't helped, either). Hopefully, with the weather straightening itself out and my life calming down ever so slightly, I'll be able to get back into the swing of hiking and photography.

Silver Falls

Despite the relatively even overcast lighting, I had some trouble getting the exposure right in my waterfall shots, with the waterfall ending up much brighter than the surroundings. Ultimately, I had to rely on brightening the shadows and darkening the highlights quite a bit in Lightroom to make the images work. Contrast this high takes a toll on image quality, but most of my shots turned out better than I had expected. First, my favorite composition of the falls. F/16, 1/4 of a second.

Next, a view of the river just above the falls. I like how colorful this composition is - the reddish driftwood, yellow-green moss, and blue water contrast with each other very well. F/18, 1/2 of a second.

Lastly, two more views of the falls. Both F/16, 1/3 and 1/5 of a second, respectively.

Eastside Trail

I also crossed the road to hike a bit of the Eastside Trail. The main attraction of the trail from this direction is the access to the Grove of the Patriarchs, but that's been closed since a flood damaged the bridge last fall. Since the main Eastside Trail was still open, I decided I would just hike that as far as I wished. The trail past the Grove turnoff was enjoyable and, I think, worthy of a return visit. There's a particularly fun section where the trail ascends an open slope, with views down to the colorful Ohanapecosh River through vine maples and mossy rocks. I had been expecting more dark, dense forest, so this change of scenery was a pleasant surprise. Here's a view from this spot. F/16.

The vine maples (Acer circinatum) were in full bloom; below is a closeup of some of those flowers. F/7.1.

Next, a view of the Ohanapecosh River near the trailhead. I took a picture from the same riverbank in 2019 (fifth image in this post), but wasn't satisfied with the sense of depth. This time, I set the tripod at a lower height, making the river appear closer, and showing more of the water's texture. For these reasons, I think this year's version was more successful. F/11, 1/13 of a second.

Here's another view of the Ohanapecosh River, with abundant spring foliage in the foreground. F/16, 0.4 seconds.

Finally, some colorful old-growth trunks. F/16.

That's it for now - hopefully, my next hike (and next post) will come soon. Enjoy the sunshine, everyone!