Icy How It Is

Yesterday morning, I took a walk in the frost and ice up the closed section of the Mountain Loop Highway toward the Big Four Ice Caves area. While the final stretch of the trail to the ice caves is closed due to the removal of the bridge over the South Fork Stillaguamish, the short trails on the near side of the river still proved a worthwhile excursion, with excellent views of Big Four and other peaks. Walking conditions were tricky, with black ice on portions of the highway; I fell on my rump once, and had several other close calls. Still worth it!

This time of year, in the morning, sunlight reaches the valley and the trails. At midday, the sun moves to the south; due to the low angle of the winter sun, Big Four casts a shadow over the area. As such, midday felt colder and darker than had midmorning! This lighting was deceptive, making it seem like it could have been very early morning or late evening, and I had to keep a close eye on my watch.

First, a view of Big Four over the marsh, with the morning's frost and a dusting of leftover snow visible. I really think that everything - lighting, composition, image quality, the level of sky polarization - came together for this one. F/16.

Next, Hall Peak, with frosty branches in the foreground. There's a bit of uneven sky polarization here - a challenge I often face in the mountains on sunny days, particularly when the lens is at a wide angle - but it's not too bad here. Although this image would work as an 8x10, it's at its best as a square crop. F/14.

Two more views of Hall Peak, this time after the had sun moved behind Big Four. Both F/14.

 

Below, Big Four and the South Fork Stillaguamish, from a dispersed camping area along the closed road. The contrast is high, but I think it works (although I'd have to see it in print to know for sure). F/14, 1/13 of a second.

Finally, a view over the South Fork Stillaguamish from the road. I like the hint of snow at the top, and the look of the trees; but for some reason, this one lost quite a bit of image quality on the sides. Even so, it'd probably be fine as an 8x10. F/16.