Maple Pass Loop

The Maple Pass Loop (along the North Cascades Highway) is one of my favorite hikes, and I had the chance to pay it a return visit earlier this week. Diverse wildflowers, natural environments, and mountain views characterize the trail. For my visit, wildflowers in the higher meadows were at their peak, skies were generally overcast (with most peaks still at least partially visible), and the breezes were moderate, adding up to excellent conditions for photography.

To begin, here are three landscapes juxtaposing wildflowers and mountains, each with a wide depth of field. Paintbrush (genus Castilleja) are the prominent flowers in the first and third of this set, lupine (genus Lupinus) in the second. F/16, F/14, and F/14, respectively.

Next, two landscapes with a narrower depth of field. Aster flowers (genus Aster) are in the foreground of the first, subalpine spiraea (Spiraea splendens) in the second. F/6.3 and F/5.6, respectively.

Next, a few landscape compositions that aren't quite as good as the images above, but that are still worth posting and discussing. The image below is from the same vantage point as the image above, with a wide depth of field. I deliberately underexposed the image to avoid washing out the sky, resulting in poor detail quality. In print, I could get away with an 8x10 or 8x12 size, I think, but would need to be cautious about anything bigger. The lighting was easy enough to fine-tune in Lightroom that I wish I had tried just a bit harder to perfect this one in the field, perhaps using an exposure setting a touch brighter - a good lesson for next time. F/18.

Below is a view of Lake Ann. I liked the tangle of trees in the foreground, as well as all of the different shades of green. F/14.

Here is a view from Heather Pass. Again, I was inspired by the vibrancy of the multiple shades of green. F/14.

Finally, a closeup of a wildflower that is new to me. I spotted it near Heather Pass, and believe it to be bird's beak lousewort (Pedicularis ornithorhyncha). F/5.6.

Tonga and Sawyer

On Saturday, I hiked the Tonga Ridge trail to Mount Sawyer, near Skykomish. The trail has been on my radar for years, but this was my first visit. I was impressed by the density of wildflowers, especially lupine, and by the views from Mount Sawyer. Sunshine and clear skies made for challenging lighting but excellent visibility. I would love to return here on a cloudy day during wildflower season; there would be lots of opportunities for closeups and meadow compositions not involving the sky.

First, horizontal and vertical compositions from a lupine-filled meadow along the trail up Mount Sawyer. I think the horizontal version is a bit more aesthetically compelling; the flowers feel closer. The vertical one, on the other hand, ended up having better detail quality, and fewer issues with overexposure of the distant mountains. Both F/16.

Next, some tiger lily (Lilium columbianum) with out-of-focus mountains in the distance. I've had trouble getting orange or yellow flower highlights like these to look right in print, and I think the sky could stand to be brightened a bit more, so the processing here is probably a work in progress. Nevertheless, I like how the composition turned out. F/8.

Bench and Snow Lakes

Yesterday, I visited the short trail to Bench and Snow Lakes in Mount Rainier National Park. The wildflowers were blooming and the mountain views from Snow Lake were impressive; the only disappointment of the day was that clouds obstructed any views of Rainier itself.

First, two views of Snow Lake and the surrounding terrain. Landscape compositions from this vantage point were challenging, due to the high contrast between dark trees and bright clouds. Occasionally, however, clouds that were slightly darker would pass over the lake, and a bit of filtered sunshine helped brighten the trees; this enabled me to avoid complete overexposure or underexposure in any areas. The first of this pair is probably my favorite; the image quality is a bit better, the reflection on the lake is more prominent, and lake's color is more vivid. F/18 in both cases.

Next, a closeup of beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax). It was fun to see these blooming abundantly all along the trail. F/5.6.

Pete Lake and Cooper River

Earlier this week, I visited the Pete Lake and Cooper River trails in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (northwest of Cle Elum and Roslyn). Since these trails are very near each other and both follow the valley of the Cooper River, I'm going to condense these two hikes into one post.

My favorite images from the trip were flower closeups, including some of flowers that I haven't photographed before, or haven't photographed as well. First is candystick (Allotropa virgata), a myco-heterotroph. (Myco-heterotrophs do not use photosynthesis and thus have no green leaves; they instead depend on fungi for their nutrients.)

Second, another myco-heterotroph, this time what I believe to be western coralroot (Corallorhiza mertensiana). I've photographed western coralroot before. In this case, while the colors aren't quite as striking, I'm happier with the focus point that I chose, and the background is more even. F/5.

Below is subalpine spiraea (Spiraea splendens; I've also seen Spiraea densiflora). Rain started to fall when I was photographing these blossoms; the raindrops shook the flowers, making this image challenging. I'm glad I was able to make it work. F/5.6.

Finally, pipsissewa, or prince's pine (Chimaphila umbellata). F/5.

Now, some landscapes from the trip. First is a view of Pete Lake and the peaks beyond. The high contrast between the bright clouds and the darker areas of the trees made it necessary to underexpose slightly, costing me some detail and increasing noise. Truth be told, however, I wasn't expecting this image to work at all, so I'm still pleased. F/18.

Here are two alternative views of Pete Lake. In the first, I think the flowering shrub is red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera). The image quality in the first ended up being a bit better, but I think I like both of these compositions. F/18 and F/20.

Next, some lupine and thimbleberry blooming in a clearing along the Pete Lake trail. I envisioned the lines and shapes of the trees in the upper third of this composition coming through a bit more clearly, but I still like this composition. F/18.

Finally, two views of the Cooper River. I think these compositions were both a bit more dramatic in my mind's eye than they are in actuality; the foreground trees diminish the scale of the river a bit in both cases. The colors in the first one are interesting, though. F/20 and F/18, respectively.

Two Lake Visits

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, I had opportunities to revisit two favorite lake destinations in the Cascades. What a pleasure to spend some time in the mountains, and to see wildflowers blooming!

Hope and Mig Lakes

My Tuesday destination was the hike to Hope and Mig Lakes in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, via the Tunnel Creek trail and the PCT. I've done this hike twice in the fall - the colors are exceptional - but this was my first time coming for wildflower season. I don't imagine that I will come back specifically for wildflowers, as there are plenty of places in the Cascades with more concentrated wildflower displays in more dramatic settings. I did, however, enjoy the solitude - I saw only one other hiker all day!

I began hiking in sunshine, but while I ate lunch and photographed at Mig Lake, clouds bubbled up and occasional showers began to fall. While I was on my way back to the trailhead, a thunderstorm hit, complete with heavy rain and hail. I was thankful that the bulk of the day's precipitation fell after I'd had some photography time, and that I was able to keep all of my gear dry.

First, a closeup of a Sitka valerian (Valeriana sitchensis) flower cluster just beginning to bloom. F/5.6.

Second, Mig Lake, with what I believe is pink mountain-heath or pink mountain-heather (Phyllodoce empetriformis) blooming in the foreground. Because of the high contrast between the sky and the trees, I purposefully underexposed this one a bit, to keep the sky from having unsightly white splotches. Unfortunately, this method tends to diminish sharpness and increase noise. I think this one is good enough for standard print sizes, but I'd have to be careful about anything very large. F/18.

Finally, a more intimate view of pink mountain-heath and Mig Lake. Due to the small size of the flowers, I think this image might be more compelling as a print than it is on a computer or phone screen. F/18.

Lake Twenty-Two

On Wednesday, I hiked to Lake Twenty-Two (off the Mountain Loop Highway). For all of my images, I used my wide-angle lens. Some distortion (e.g. the apparent tilting/convergence of vertical lines like tree trunks, due to the lens being angled slightly up or down) is thus apparent in all of these compositions. Usually, this bothers me. This time, however, I find myself more accepting of the distortion; I think it helps convey the size and scale of the environment around the lake.

First, the lake itself. F/18.

Next, boulders and cliff faces along the south side of the lake. F/18.

Finally, Sitka valerian (Valeriana sitchensis), with the lake in the background. If you look closely at the background trees, you'll notice the aforementioned apparent distortion. F/18.

Emmons Moraine

About a week and a half ago, I made an early morning trip to the Emmons Moraine trail in Mount Rainier National Park. It's a short but rewarding hike that provides quick access to some stunning views. Skies were blue and the sun was bright. This meant that managing contrast was a challenge, but it also made for excellent visibility of surrounding peaks and glaciers.

All of my compositions were conceptually similar - views of mountains and the glacier-fed headwaters of the White River, set against foreground trees - so I've posted them all below without any further commentary. Apertures F/16, F/18, F/16, F/16, respectively.

And with that, this blog is officially caught up. I've got some hikes planned for this week, though, so stay tuned for summer adventures!

Favorite Places

While I enjoy exploring new parks and hiking trails, I spend a sizeable amount of photography time each year at locations that are already familiar to me. There are artistic advantages to repeat visits: when I know from prior experience what to look for, I can be more focused with my time, with clear concepts or objectives already in mind. Furthermore, I can experience and document a place in different seasons and meteorological moods. But I will admit that I also grow attached to places, particularly if my first visit represented a personal milestone, or provided needed relief during a hard time of my life. Earlier this month, I visited two trails that I've been coming back to repeatedly ever since I began hiking on my own - Goat Lake, along the Mountain Loop Highway; and Gold Creek, near Snoqualmie Pass. They feature enough scenery to make repeat visits artistically fruitful, and also bring back memories of the summer when I began to hike independently. Gold Creek, in fact, was my first solo hike in a wilderness area.

Goat Lake

First, a view of Goat Lake, with the lake itself out of focus, and what I believe are false hellebore leaves (Veratrum viride) in focus in the foreground. I think the narrow depth of field helps mitigate the effects of the high-contrast midday sunshine, keeping the image from becoming too busy. Due to the length of the hike and the unpredictability of cloud conditions, this lighting is a challenge I frequently face at Goat Lake. F/5.6.

Second, a more direct view of Goat Lake, from the lake shore at the day-use area. The contrast is a bit high, but I like the color gradient of the lake water. F/18.

Finally, three bunchberry flowers (Cornus canadensis) in the woods along the Lower Elliott trail. F/5.6.

Gold Creek

My trip to Gold Creek, in early June, was probably the earliest in the year I've ever made a visit. As such, I found different scenery than what I'm accustomed to from my summer and fall trips, including earlier-blooming wildflowers and bright new greenery. Below is one such scene, with Pacific bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa) blooming in a clearing. F/18.

Next, a view of the waterfall in the large avalanche area a few miles in. I wanted to try setting it out of focus, with the avalanche clearing's abundant willows in the foreground (genus Salix; not sure of the species). F/5.

From the forest, a view of a wet area filled with devil's club (Oplopanax horridus). F/16.

Here's a cool shot of a trillium (Trillium ovatum) flower. Trillium petals are initially white, but turn pink or purple as they age. This is my first good picture of a trillium flower with aging petals. F/5.

Finally, a shot of Gold Creek itself, with a willow in the foreground. F/5.6.

One more post and I'll be caught up! Stay tuned for some sweet mountain views in Mount Rainier National Park!