Frosty Morning at Oxbow Loop

Yesterday morning, before the rain hit, I took advantage of those precious dry hours by hiking the Oxbow Loop Trail in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie area. Although the trail is at its best in the spring and fall, a fun feature of winter is that with the bare maple and alder branches, there is greater visibility of the lake and surrounding peaks. I also enjoyed seeing the frost in some of the more open areas.

First, Oxbow Lake, with frost and ice evident. The gray, blank sky doesn't serve this composition very well, but it was what I had to work with, and I decided that this shot would still be best with the hilltops fully visible. F/14.

Here are two more views of Oxbow Lake, from uphill just a ways. I'm not sure which of these variations I like better. In the first, I like the presence of the snow-covered hills in the background. In the second, though, because of the lower contrast, the exposure and image quality were better. Both F/14.

Next, a forest shot. I like the color contrast between the mossy maple trunks in the foreground and the more distant alder trunks. I also like how the maples are mostly leaning, and the alders are straight. F/14.

Finally, an early-morning view of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. F/18.