Autumn Comes to Baker River

Last weekend, I took advantage of a dry day to visit the Baker River trail in the north Cascades, a year-round favorite of mine due to the lush forests and grand river views. The day was sunnier than expected, but there were enough periods of filtered sunshine to make photography productive. For the most part, the foliage had not begun to turn color, but I found a few hints of fall here and there.

Here's my favorite from the hike, a view of the Baker River itself framed by some foliage starting to turn. F/14, 1/8 of a second.

Next, another view of the river, this time framed by an old tree. In the middle of the image, you can see evidence of times that Lake Creek has flooded, taking trees (and sometimes trail improvements) with it. F/16.

Here is an image I wasn't expecting to turn out well, due to the sunlight streaming through the forest. Thankfully, some passing clouds filtered it just enough to keep the contrast manageable. A devil's club plant starting to turn color anchors the image, and was what attracted me to the scene. F/16.

In the next one, the river is more obscured than in the compositions earlier in the post. I think you can see enough of it, though, to make it interesting. F/16.

Finally, another forest scene. The colors are more muted than I thought they would be, so I don't know that I'm thrilled by this one. F/18.