Quartz Creek

Last weekend, I hiked the Quartz Creek trail in the North Fork Skykomish area. Only one other hiking party was out on the trail while we were; it's been a long time since I've had that kind of solitude on a hike! The trail (at least the part we hiked) is a gentle climb through old-growth forest with a couple glimpses of surrounding hillsides and Quartz Creek itself. Even though there aren't any dramatic vistas, lakes, or other destinations, the forest was very majestic. And because of how quiet the area was, photo stops were a fun opportunity to tune my eyes to the birds, and my ears to the chittering of forest animals.

First, some devil's club showing fall color. F/16.

A similar forest view, this time with huckleberry shrubs (I think) giving a little hint of fall color. F/16.

In the next one, I really like the sense of perspective. The fungus growing on the tree helps give a visual anchor point. F/16.

At one point, the trail crosses a stream with a pretty little waterfall and pool. I enjoyed all the tiny cascades, as well as the colors of the rocks. F/16, 5 seconds.

Lastly, some colorful bunchberry leaves on the forest floor. Mostly, I'm happy with how this one turned out. When I look closely, though the colors in the background leaves look a little funky - the borders between the red and the green are quite stark. The JPEG preview didn't have this problem, so there must be a way to do the edit from RAW to get the colors to show up properly; I'll just have to tinker with it. F/5.

Goat Lake 2025

For what will probably end up being my last hike of the official summer season this year, I visited Goat Lake off the Mountain Loop highway, which is probably among my top five favorite hikes that I've ever been on. The bright sunshine along with the haze (presumably from wildfire smoke, including the relatively nearby Red Mountain fire) made photography challenging. I still had a great day, though - even though the trail is mostly forested, it still has a very majestic and open feel, and is very fun to hike (I always take the lower trail, so I can see the creek). And the lake view is spectacular.

First, a view of the lake with some hints of fall color in the distance. In this picture of the lake (as well as others you'll see), I went for a foliage foreground. The haze took away enough detail from the distant mountains that I needed to add some with other elements. F/14.

Next, a more classic view of the lake, again with a foliage foreground. I tried this image in a couple of different ways. I timed the one you see here for still water, with a reflection visible. I also tried this composition after a breeze had stirred up the water, making it look bluer and glittery. Ultimately, I prefer the reflection. With the haze, I needed all of the detail and definition I could get. F/16.

One more from the lake. Even though this one shows the sweep of the scenery a little more fully than the previous two, I don't think all of the elements come together quite as well. But this one is a good representation of how the view looks when you first come to the lake. F/16.

Now, some pictures from the trail. First, Elliot Creek (don't quote me on the spelling; I've seen it a couple different ways). I got lucky with the lighting; the sun was behind a hill at this point in time. I wouldn't have been able to expose this one properly in the sunshine. F/14, 3 seconds.

Lastly, a rare open view along the trail, just before the final climb to the lake. F/14.

All for now. It was nice to end summer 2025 on a high note. Here's to fall!

Boardman and Evan

On Saturday, I took my first photo hike in a number of weeks, to Boardman Lake and Lake Evan off the Mountain Loop Highway. These lakes are mostly wooded, lacking the dramatic mountain views of, say, Lake 22 or Heather Lake. They're very peaceful, though, and easy to get to once you navigate the gravel access road. Fortunately, that access road was in good condition on Saturday; reading reports from prior months and years, I understand that this hasn't always been the case.

First, Lake Evan, which is really just a few steps from the trailhead. The air was very still at this point, and I enjoyed the reflections on the lake's surface. F/14.

Next, an image from just a few steps away, but this time with some foliage in the foreground. F/14.

Next, Boardman Lake. I'm not sure what caused the stripes visible in the rock - perhaps they're markings left by fluctuating water levels? In any case, I think it's a cool foreground. I also like how the first hints of fall color are visible on the hillside on the right. F/14.

Here's another one from Boardman Lake. I was intrigued by this little plant/tree growing on the rock; I think it adds some interest and depth to the foreground. F/14.

I also took a few pictures in the woods around the lakes. There are a lot of big old cedars to gawk at, and it looks like there would be some fun forest flowers in the spring, too. I think if road conditions allow, a return visit in May or June could be rewarding.

First, a closeup of aptly named bunchberries. F/5.

Finally, some hazy sunshine in the woods. The haze helped even out the contrast just enough to make this picture work. The big tree in the foreground is a cedar. F/16.

That's all for now. From now through October is one of my favorite times of year for hiking, so hopefully I'll be posting more soon!

East side camping trip

I recently returned from a multi-night camping trip that started in Spokane. I was there for a wedding in the family, and thought I might as well camp my way back across the state. Due to forecasts for heat and thunderstorms, piecing together an enjoyable itinerary was a bit difficult, but I think I made the best of the time and the weather.

Riverside State Park

Our first night of camping was at Riverside State Park in Spokane. The Bowl and Pitcher is a busy spot in the afternoons (understandably so, due to the many trails, easy river access, and unique scenery). At sunrise, however, I had the river to myself. F/16, 1.3 seconds.

Maple Pass Loop

The next stage of our trip was three nights in the north Cascades; once there, we hiked the Maple Pass Loop trail, which is one of the most scenic hikes in the area. The wildflower displays were not as impressive as they've been other years I've visited, possibly because of how dry it's been this spring and summer. The hiking experience was also more strenuous than my prior visits due to the heat. Because of those factors, and because of the harsh lighting, I didn't do as much photography as I did on those prior visits, and didn't end up with any closeups at all. I think I made the best of the lighting with my landscapes, however.

Here's one nice patch of paintbrush that was still hanging on near Maple Pass. F/16.

Next, the classic view down to Lake Ann, with fireweed in the foreground. F/14.

On the way down from Maple Pass, I found this fun patch of pasqueflower seed heads. In the glare, I was having a hard time getting the focus point just right, so the foreground isn't as sharp as I wanted. On the other hand, I like that this isn't totally front-lit; the mountains are more interesting that way.  F/14.

Below, a patch of heather still blooming near the trail's summit. I like how this ended up compositionally, but I'm less fond of the harsh midday lighting. F/14.

Finally from the Maple Pass Loop, a mountain view with some larch trees (I think) in the foreground. I liked how the gnarly branches framed the mountain. F/14.

Cutthroat Lake

The final hike was to Cutthroat Lake, also off the North Cascades Highway. This trail was much, much easier than the Maple Pass Loop, perfect for a very hot day. The lake itself is different from other mountain lakes I've visited, with a grassy/marshy shore and not a lot of access points to get right up to the water. On the other hand, the mountain views are quite dramatic for such an easy hike. At any rate, I like the landscapes below, and think they do a good job of showcasing the scenery. Both F/14.

That's it for now! I'm not sure whether I'll get out on another camping trip this year. Hopefully I can, but if not, here's to the rest of the summer's day hikes! This time of year is a trade-off - the wildflowers aren't as nice and I sometimes have to dodge smoke, but bugs and trail conditions tend to be more manageable. See you soon!

Waterfall Perspectives

Last weekend I visited the Boulder River trail near Darrington, hoping for an outing that wouldn't be too physically challenging. For most of the hike, due to the sunshine and breezes, I had a hard time with photography in this densely forested environment. I did have some success at the double waterfall early along the hike, with some very different perspectives.

First, vine maple seeds in the foreground, with one of the falls in the background. I wasn't expecting to photograph anything other than green that day, so this was a fun surprise. F/4.5.

Next, two landscapes including the double falls. I think the vertical one is my favorite, because you see more of the falls themselves and the lighting is a bit more uniform. Both F/16, 1/2 second and 1/3 second respectively.

Esmeralda Basin 2025

About a week ago, I hiked the Esmeralda Basin trail, which is one of my favorite wildflower hikes this time of year. Every time I go, I notice something new, and this year's visit was no exception.

First, two classic flower-and-mountain landscapes, with lots of scarlet gilia (or skyrocket) in the foreground. These were from the same vantage point. I think the lighting and depth are more interesting in the first, but I do enjoy the valley perspective in the second. Both F/14.

Next, a meadow of shooting star and a lone paintbrush that caught my eye. The Esmeralda Basin has a fun diversity of flowers, partially because some meadows are quite dry (like the one above, with the scarlet gilia) and some are wetter (like the one below; shooting star likes these conditions). F/18.

The summit was quite cold and windy, and I wasn't able to do much photography. I did, however, like this shot of Hawkins Mountain through short, weather-worn trees. F/16.

Now for some closer flower shots. First, what I think is a color variant of scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata), which is usually red. I've never seen it growing in a different color like this. F/6.3.

Next, shooting star (genus Primula). I like the linear contrast between the angled foreground stem and the straight background stems. F/5.

Below is a flowering shrub that I'm guessing is something in the genus Rhododendron. Best guess is either western Labrador tea (Rhododendron neoglandulosum) or white rhododendron (Rhododendron albiflorum), probably the former. F/5.

Lastly, some sort of buckwheat (genus Eriogonum), perhaps arrow-leaf buckwheat (Eriogonum compositum). I had to do this one handheld, so the sharpness isn't fantastic, but it's still fun to have a closeup of a new flower. F/4.5.

Rainy Day Details

On my most recent photography trip, because I had only a brief amount of time available, I chose the short and easy Big Four Ice Caves trail so I could still have some time to slow down for photography without feeling rushed. Due to ongoing drizzle, I didn't really have any success with landscapes - the mountains were hidden, and I was getting water on my lens every time I tried to apply or remove a filter. I had better luck with flower closeups by the ice caves. My macro lens is able to have a polarizing filter live on it more or less permanently, and my closeup shots generally didn't need to angle up the way mountain shots do in that location, so I kept the lens surface dry. The water droplets on the flowers were an added bonus.

First, partridgefoot (Luetkea pectinata), growing in a dense mat amongst other leaves and rocks. These flowers are small and I've often overlooked them; I'm glad I slowed down enough to notice how interesting they are up close. I like the color contrasts between all of the elements: stems, flowers, and leaves. F/5.

Next, raindrops on a tiger lily, or columbia lily (Lilium columbianum). F/5.

Next, subalpine spiraea (Spiraea splendens), with Sitka valerian also in the background. I was intrigued by all of the tiny water droplets on the flower cluster. F/5.

Lastly, red columbine (Aquilegia formosa), again with out-of-focus Sitka valerian in the background. F/4.5.

Happy summer, even if (for my local readers at least) it doesn't quite feel like it yet!

Blue Skies at Perry Creek

On Saturday, I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and hiked the Perry Creek trail, which is one of my favorite early-season mountain hikes. The weather was by far the warmest for any hike I've done this year. While hiking uphill, I had a moment where I thought to myself, "why am I sweaty and uncomfortable?" I realized that this feeling was indeed warmth, and I needed to shed some layers! Once I'd made that mental transition, I had an excellent time in the sunshine, admiring the mountains and watching hummingbirds zip around.

First, two shots of Hall Peak through maple trees. These are compositions I've never been able to try before, because clouds would make for too much contrast between the sky and the maple trunk. I haven't decided which of these I like better. The first one has a better sense of depth, and the mountain is more prominent; the second one has fun near-symmetry. F/14.

Because of the sunshine, and because of the breezes that the sunshine was generating, I didn't have as much success with wildflower closeups as I've enjoyed in the past. I like this shot of trillium, however; the different colors are due to the fact that trillium petals turn purple as they age. The sunlight was filtered through some trees, which helped moderate the contrast. I also like the yellow flowers (some sort of violet) that are out of focus in the background. F/5.

Next, a little stream along the trail, with what I think are devil's club leaves (among others) in the foreground. F/16, 1.6 seconds.

Lastly, one more shot of Hall Peak, this time framed through new maple leaves. F/16.

Clear Day at Deception Pass

Every spring, I try to see the wildflowers up in the Deception Pass/Fidalgo Island area. This year, I visited Lighthouse Point in Deception Pass State Park on an exceptionally clear, and exceptionally quiet, rare Monday morning off work. The sunshine and breezes made very close flower shots a challenge, but I enjoyed having blue sky and water colors to work with, as well as good visibility of the Olympic mountains.

First, camas flowers (Camassia quamash) with Deception Island in the distance. The Olympics are visible as well, but at this depth of field they don't stand out very well. F/6.3.

Next, chocolate lily (Fritillaria affinis). Because of the darker flower color, these ones are easy to miss, but I was fortunate enough to find this one growing alongside a trail. F/5.6.

Next, one of my favorite flowers: broadleaf stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium). I didn't get quite as close to the flowers as I have in the past (see the first photo here),  but I like how the shapes and colors of the plants are more perceptible. F/5.

Here's a new flower for me: I suspect it might be common woolly sunflower (Eriophyllum lanatum). I like the stark color contrast in this shot. F/5.

Lastly for the wildflowers, death-camas (Toxicoscordion venenosum). Neither of my tripods worked for the camera height I needed for this shot, so I had to shoot handheld. Because of that, the sharpness isn't quite what I'd like it to be. F/6.3.

Now a landscape from the day: looking roughly south from Lighthouse Point toward West Point and the Olympics beyond. F/14.