Annette Lake

Yesterday, I hiked to Annette Lake, a nearby trail that I've known about for some time but had never visited. Much of the journey was through unremarkable forest, although there were a few old trees to admire and, farther up the trail, excellent views across the valley. The lake itself is quite scenic, and is currently in the process of freezing over for the winter. Despite overcast lighting, conditions were a bit difficult to work with, due to intermittent snowfall and high contrast between white snowfields/skies and trees that were not snow-covered.

First, horizontal and vertical compositions of the lake. The vertical one is cropped a bit, to reduce the visual prominence of some footprints that appeared in the frame. You can still see them if you look very closely, but they're unobtrusive enough that I think the image works in this form. F/18 in both cases.

Next, an interesting setting along the trail: a trickle of water that has built up quite a bit of ice. I wish the flowing water showed up a bit more distinctly, but I like the framing. F/22.

Perry Creek

Yesterday morning, I poked around the Perry Creek trail a bit (off the Mountain Loop Highway), hoping to use the relatively low snow levels overnight to my advantage. The snow had not fallen quite as low as I had hoped; that, time constraints, and concerns about slipping on slushy rocks meant that I did not quite get to full snow. Even so, I was glad I visited, for scouting purposes if for no other reason. The lower reaches of the trail pass through interesting maple groves and open rocky slopes, with the occasional old-growth conifer thrown in just for kicks, and plenty of interesting views of the valley and valley walls. I'd like to make a return visit in late spring/early summer, when the foliage is out and the waterfalls are in full force. (Add that to the million other places I want to visit that time of year, I know...)

Below is my most interesting composition from the morning, a view of waterfalls on the opposite side of the valley, with the snow line visible. The foreground trees, particularly the cedars, don't stand out quite as well as I'd like (not a lot of color contrast). But I like where all the elements are placed, and the mist and snow make things a bit more interesting. F/18.

Next, a view of Big Four Mountain, from nearer the trailhead. Sky is a bit washed out, unfortunately, but I like the effect of the valley fog. F/18.

Baker River sunshine

On Saturday morning, I paid a visit to one of my favorite places, the Baker River trail in the north Cascades. The hike was shorter than expected, due to a washed-out section of trail that I wasn't comfortable crossing. The sunshine was also a challenge at times, as I was contending with high contrast and glare. On the other hand, since I rarely visit that area in clear conditions, it was fun to see all the hilltops and distant peaks.

First, an image from the Baker Lake road, inside the national forest boundary, with Mount Baker appearing through the mist. Although it's never final until I've seen it in print, as always, I like how this turned out. The mist adds some drama to the scene, but there is still an adequate amount of detail on the mountain itself. F/18.

Farther up the valley, conditions were foggier. Here, a view of maple and alder trunks. If I had come to this spot a few minutes later, this composition would not have been possible, as the sun soon rose high enough to illuminate this area, clearing away the fog and mist. F/18.

Just for fun, compare the image above with this one, from the same spot during late spring of a prior year. Quite the change in mood! No matter how many times I hike this trail and stand at my favorite vantage points, there is always something new to see. In addition to biological seasonal variation, the Baker River and its tributaries regularly change the landscape. (Indeed, I saw a sign at the trailhead stating that access to this trail might change in the future to be a couple miles downstream, due to washouts encroaching on the current access road.)

Back to this past Saturday. As the fog and mist lifted, the mountains came out! I am still working on perfecting the lighting and white balance, but it's getting close. This composition was particularly hard to pull off due to glare from the sun. Of all my tries, this was the best, and while you can still discern a bit of the glare, with some more editing it'll probably be workable. F/18.

Next, two images looking over the river near the trailhead. I wanted to convey that last-gasp-of-fall feeling. F/22 in both cases.

Lastly, a well-framed view of what is either Hagan Mountain or an adjacent peak. The sunlit areas on the mountain are on the verge of being overexposed, but it looks okay on the screen and would be worth seeing in print. F/18.

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.