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!