Island of Wildness

This morning, I visited the short Sultan River Canyon Trail in the Spada Lake area. It's a fun journey: The forest around the hike-in access road is very clearly second growth, but as you descend down the short hiking trail, you quickly find yourself surrounded by a much older and more diverse forest. Old-growth cedars steal the show, as they tend to do. Indeed, the forest near the end of the trail is so dark, lush, and quintessentially Washington that, when I shared a few phone snapshots, someone requested that I add "Edward the glittering vampire" to one of the images. Tempting, but as I don't really have the time to find or revise my artist's statements, I'm going to have to stick with my usual aesthetic here.

First, my favorite composition from the morning. Fall in the lowland forests of western Washington can be tricky, as deciduous leaves (particularly in the understory, it seems) can turn brown or pale yellow and droop down, without putting on much of a photogenic fall color display. There's a bit of that going on here, but there are enough reds and residual greens to keep things interesting. The bare alder trunks and the distant Sultan River in the top third of the photograph also provide some contrast. F/18.

Second, my favorite old-growth cedar trunk from the trail, with a few yellowing leaves for contrast. This one's not as unique or as much of a show-stopper as the first, but it gets the job done. F/20.

Deception Falls

On Saturday morning, not having time for a full day hike, I visited a spot that I've passed by on numerous occasions while driving to and from other trailheads: Deception Falls along Highway 2. If you haven't visited, make a stop there next time you're traveling through the area! As short highway stops go, it's one of the more scenic ones - waterfalls and rapids to gaze at, a few old trees, and interpretive signage, all along a short and easy loop trail (less than a mile).

First, the falls itself. F/18, exposure time 3 seconds.

Next, the view downstream over Deception Creek from the footbridge. F/18, exposure time 2 seconds.

Clear Day at Cascade Pass

The weather was amazing yesterday, and I had a day free to take what might be my last hike in the mountains this season before the weather really turns. My destination was Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park, a long drive from the Seattle area but well worth the effort. (For any readers who know the area, I didn't make it up Sahale Arm. I'm saving that journey for another time, preferably in the summer, when I can camp near the trailhead and start hiking at 5am rather than 9am. I'd love to do photography at Sahale Arm but don't work/move quickly enough to make it happen on a day trip).

The scenery was grand, as always, with mountains close at hand, bright fall colors, and blue skies. But this combination presented its own set of challenges. The juxtaposition of colorful ground plants and mountains lent itself well to wide focal lengths; I exclusively used my wide-angle zoom lens yesterday. At wide angles, though, particularly at high elevations, the sky can polarize unevenly in the frame when using a polarizing filter. A certain amount of this will look natural, but it easily gets out of hand in these conditions, and I had to correct for it in almost all of the images in this post. Another challenge was the high contrast created by the midday sunshine (although this is more manageable right now than in the summer due to the lower angle of the sun).

The first image, from just west of the pass, is my favorite, due to the stark contrast between the sunlit plants and trees and the shaded mountainsides. F/20.

The second image, also from just west of the pass, suffers a bit from the uneven polarization that I mentioned earlier. I improved it a lot in Lightroom, although it's never final until I've seen it in print. Beyond that, though, I'm pleased with this composition. F/18.

The next image is from just east of Cascade Pass, from the trail that leads down into the Pelton Basin.  I liked the contrasting colors of the grass and leaves in the foreground, and wanted to set that against the classic Cascade Pass view beyond. If you look closely at the sides of the image, there's some discernible perspective distortion. Having the vertically oriented trees at the center helps (as does the grass) - they provide what the late photographer Galen Rowell called "visual sea level," a reference point in the presence of distortion or extreme angles. F/20.

The final image is from the same vantage point as the previous, just a few steps away. Again, the vertical orientation of the center trees helps make the perspective distortion manageable. I am on the fence about whether the sky takes up too much of this image. F/20.

A Splendid Larch March

On Saturday, I rose early for a long drive to the Teanaway area. My destination was the Ingalls Way trail, where I hoped to find some larch (larches? Not sure about the grammar) to photograph. It was a longer drive and harder climb than I usually attempt for a day hike, resulting in a relatively short amount of time actually shooting, but it ended up a worthwhile investment. My timing was perfect - when I arrived at the pass en route to Ingalls Lake (where the larch appear), there was an interesting interaction of sunshine and clouds, and snow lingered on tree branches. By the time I had done photography for about an hour and stopped for a late lunch, most of the snow had melted from the trees and the skies had cleared, resulting in harsher and less interesting lighting.

This first composition is my favorite, due to the contrast of clouds and sunlight. F/22.

Next, two compositions with Mount Stuart in the background. The summit was clouded, to the dismay of some fellow hikers. Indeed, it would have been nice to see the full mountain. On the other hand, the clouds added some mood and mystery to the scene. Both F/20.

Lastly, a view roughly east from just beyond the pass. F/18.

Lake Valhalla

Yesterday, I hiked to Lake Valhalla near Stevens Pass (via the Smithbrook trailhead). Owing to the good weather and the spectacular fall colors, it was a busy day on the trail! I was expecting a cloudier day, but skies were sunny and the lighting actually somewhat harsh. The air was occasionally breezy as well. Nevertheless, I think I came away with a few decent compositions. And a sunny fall day in the mountains is always enjoyable, photographs notwithstanding. Due to the lighting challenges, the edits of the images in this post are works in progress.

First, a composition with the lake and Lichtenberg Mountain. I noticed this framing on my way out; I was worried about the lighting, but am glad I stopped. F/18.

Next, the lake from the trail above. The perspective distortion is fairly pronounced here, but I think the image still works. F/20.

Another composition of the lake, from right by the lakeshore. F/18.

Finally, a view of the forest along the PCT leading to the lake. By this point in the afternoon, high clouds were starting to filter the sunshine, making a forest composition like this possible. F/20.

Hope and Mig Lakes

Last weekend, I hiked to Hope and Mig lakes, which are on the PCT south of Stevens Pass (accessed via the Tunnel Creek Trail). Skies were grey and distant mountain views shrouded by clouds; this hike, with the most interesting aspects of the scenery nearby, was the perfect choice. And the fall colors were in full force! Below are the two lakes, first Hope and then Mig. F/20 and F/22.

Next, a view from the forest between the lakes. F/20.

Lastly, three more autumnal landscapes. It was a great day for them! All three at F/22.

Gold Creek

A week ago today, I visited one of my favorite places, the Gold Creek trail north of Snoqualmie Pass. I had originally planned to perhaps head to higher country on that day, or at least go farther up the Gold Creek trail (maybe to Alaska Lake), but I woke up sick and having had a poor sleep. Hiking the easier sections of the Gold Creek trail was a good compromise that still allowed me to spend some time in the wilderness.

First, two forest compositions that I was quite happy with. F/18 and F/20, respectively.

Next, two compositions involving Gold Creek itself, with pearly everlasting blooming in the foreground of the first. I don't know if these compositions are exactly show-stoppers, but they turned out better than I was afraid they might, so I thought I'd still post them. Both F/22.

Finally, a closeup of an aster of some sort. I'm not quite skilled enough to make a definitive ID. F/5.6.