As discussed in the last post, for my spring break last week, I took a six-night trip and enjoyed sunshine and mild temperatures every day! I can't remember a trip this long with weather this good. (The trip was also unusually free of other mishaps I've experienced in the past, such as wet gear, ticks, broken sunglasses, food stolen by birds, honey spills, flat tires...I could go on and on). The first half of my trip was to the Columbia Gorge near White Salmon and Bingen. I've been here before in the spring, and the early-blooming wildflowers are always a treat.
Coyote Wall
My first destination was a longtime favorite place of mine, the Coyote Wall trails system. I never get tired of looking at, and over, the massive basalt cliffs of Coyote Wall. I hiked farther up the wall than I have before, and I'm glad I did. The views of the surrounding terrain and Mount Hood become more impressive with each step, and there were more balsamroot flowers up high (with mostly desert parsley nearer the trailhead).
First, two images of Coyote Wall itself. Desert parsley flowers are visible in the first, balsamroot in the second. I think both have a good sense of depth. The second lost some image quality due to the higher contrast of the lighting, but it would probably work at a moderate print size like 8x10. F/16 and F/18, respectively.
The mostly clear skies, broken only by thin high clouds, allowed me to enjoy the near-constant views of Mount Hood from the trails. Here are two such views. The first is from the upper reaches of Coyote Wall, with balsamroot in the foreground. The second is from the Little Maui trail, with desert parsley in the foreground. While I'm not fond of how small the mountain is in the second composition, I like the color contrasts and the sense of open space in the meadow. F/16 and F/14, respectively.
Weldon Wagon Road
The next day, I hiked the Weldon Wagon Road trail near Husum. It's quieter than a lot of other Gorge hikes, perhaps because it doesn't feature any views of the Columbia itself, or because of its anticlimactic conclusion (it ends abruptly at an intersection of private gravel roads).
First, balsamroot blooming in a steep meadow along the trail. I tried this shot at a wider angle, with Mount Hood and other features visible in the distance. But the sky didn't polarize evenly, and even in Lightroom I couldn't get it to look right. This one isn't bad, though. F/14.
The native oak forests are also fun to see - Garry oak (Quercus garryana) is the only oak species native to Washington, and they grow extensively in the Columbia Gorge (other places to see them include the San Juan Islands and the remaining prairies of the south Puget Sound area). In fact, part of the trail passes through the White Salmon Oak Natural Resources Conservation Area, created by the state to preserve these oak woods. Due to the sunshine and the wind, I struggled to get a good image of them, but found this fun more or less backlit scene during a lull in the breeze. F/14.
Catherine Creek
For my final day in the Gorge, I made a quick early-morning stop at the Catherine Creek Universal Access Trail. I was happy to see camas (Camassia quamash) blooming abundantly in the meadows. Here's one such scene; I really like the look of the sunlight in this one. F/5.
Next, a view over Catherine Creek, with a Garry oak in the foreground just starting to open up. F/14.
Thanks for sticking with me! Coming up next: the waterfalls of the Lewis River area!
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