Spring Snow

Last weekend, I visited the Tolt River-John MacDonald Park in Carnation. The trip before that, as you might recall, was to Sharpe Park in Anacortes under warm sunshine. What a contrast! This time, I was met with cold temperatures and a dusting of snow. The juxtaposition of spring growth and snow made for some interesting scenery, and I came away with some fun compositions along those lines despite tricky and quickly-changing lighting conditions.

My favorite image from the day is this one, of red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) just starting to bloom, with a bit of snow and ice still on it. I was worried about the picture while I was taking it, because the best-looking subjects were all at an awkward height for the tripod. I had to keep the tripod's legs together, to give it a bit more height, and brace the camera with my hand. Thankfully, the area was bright enough that I was able to use a shutter speed of 1/60 of a second, compensating for the loss of stability. F/6.3.

Next, willow catkins with the Tolt River in the background. F/11.

Finally, some restored wetlands with a dusting of snow. In the foreground (lower left) is Oregon grape with spring buds visible. I would have liked those to be more prominent in the frame, but I still like the composition. F/16.

Stay warm, everyone!

Spring begins!

On Saturday, inspired by the gorgeous weather, I went to Sharpe Park up by Anacortes and Deception Pass. Sharpe Park is smaller and more rugged than the better-known Deception Pass State Park - the trails down to the water in particular are a bit tricky - so it tends to have fewer visitors. But the views from the park are great, even the trails down to the water at Porpoise Point are well worthwhile if you're up for a challenge. By the calendar, it was still winter, but since the weather was warm and I found a few wildflowers, I'm considering it the first trip of the spring season!

First, Indian plum, or osoberry (Oemleria cerasiformis). F/5.

Next, looking north-ish from Sares Head. I like the lighting in this one, particularly the illumination of the tufts of grass. I think it adds to the sense of depth. F/16.

Below, a closeup of some cool moss and lichen growing together. I'm not very good at identifying mosses and lichens, so I'm not going to try right now, but they were still very fun to see! F.6.3.

Next, a view from Sares Head out to the Olympics. F/16.

Finally, looking down from Sares Head toward Rosario Head, Northwest Island, and Deception Island (from left to right), with Whidbey Island in the farthest distance. F/16.

I'm glad that I chose a destination like Sharpe Park on Saturday - the good visibility under clear skies was very rewarding. We were also able to see some wildlife, including distant seals and chattering eagles. I'm guessing my next hike will be of a more nearby, forested variety, involving some different wildflowers or signs of spring. See you soon!

Licorice Fern Trail

Spring seems to be getting off to a slow start here in western Washington. This is anecdotal, of course, but it seems like I've been seeing fewer early-blooming flowers, like salmonberry and Indian plum, than usual by this time of year. Last weekend, I hiked some trails at Cougar Mountain, and didn't find any wildflowers at all. I wasn't too disappointed, fortunately, because I found some other colorful scenes, and generally had a peaceful day in the woods. I started by hiking the Licorice Fern trail, which was one of the few corners of the park that I hadn't yet seen. I enjoyed it - the steepness of the ravine, and the lushness of the forest, helped conceal the trail's proximity to surrounding civilization. From there, I hiked farther into the park, turning around at Doughty Falls.

First, some unexpected color from the red leaves of an Oregon-grape plant. The color was quite eye-catching against the muted greens, grays, and browns of late winter. At this point, the clouds were thinning a bit, and the sunlight was coming toward my lens, so I had to get creative using my hands to eliminate glare. I'm glad I persisted, though, because this one is probably my favorite from the day. F/18.

Next, one of the few obvious signs of spring I noticed on the hike - Indian plum just starting to open. F/7.1.

Below, the ravine of the Licorice Fern Trail. The sense of depth doesn't come through as well as I'd like, but I do enjoy all the mossy green. F/18.

Finally, Doughty Falls. It isn't as eye-catching as Coal Creek Falls or Far Country Falls. The upshot of that fact, though, is a greater degree of solitude. F/18, 3 seconds.

That's all for now. Stay tuned; wildflower season will be kicking off soon!

Sugarloaf

The weekend before last, I went on one of my favorite off-season hikes, from Whistle Lake to Sugarloaf in the Anacortes Community Forest Lands. There is a shorter route to Sugarloaf from another direction, but I like to see the lake as well. While Sugarloaf's expansive views make for one of the best destinations in the area, Whistle Lake has scenic highlights of its own - reflections, rock formations, colorful madrones, and interesting birds.

First, a view from Sugarloaf. I like the definition in the clouds, and the sense of depth. The foreground branches could stand to be a bit brighter, but this isn't too bad. F/18.

Most of the area has a second-growth feel, but there are a few bits and pieces of older forest. Here is an older Douglas fir, with cedars in the background. F/16.

Finally, Whistle Lake. This composition is similar to the last image in this post from last year, but with a simpler foreground. Even though there wasn't mist this time, I like the newer composition better - it isn't as busy, and the treetop reflections are much clearer.

That's all for now. I've sometimes found wildflowers (specifically, Indian plum) blooming as early as mid-February around the Puget Sound. Maybe there will be some wildflower photography in the near future!

Grand Ridge, south side

As I suggested I might, I recently returned to Grand Ridge Park to hike some of the trails that I didn't reach last time, starting from the south side. I think I prefer the trails I hiked a couple weeks ago - the north side of the park feels a bit wilder, the forest seems just slightly older and more diverse, and you're farther from buildings and road noise. I still enjoyed the trails on the south side, though. 

First, detail on a trunk (alder, I think). I used my macro lens for this, which I'm trying to use more often on subjects other than spring florals. I didn't get close enough to consider this true "macro" or close-up photography, but the more intimate perspective is still nice. F/6.3.

Next, a forest shot that does a good job of depicting both the day's fog and the varied winter colors visible in the forest. F/14.

Here's one with a similar concept. I like the depth created by the foreground trunk at left, but the image overall is busier than the one above and ultimately less compelling. F/16.

Lastly, an interesting view through some mossy trunks. Due to the higher lighting contrast here, and the wide depth of field I needed, the detail quality suffered just a bit. The sense of depth is effective, though. F/18.

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.

Winter Color at Grand Ridge

Last weekend, I visited Grand Ridge Park near Issaquah. I had been there several years ago doing some volunteer trail work for the Washington Trails Association, but had never been on an actual hike. It's an impressive park - I got at least 7-8 miles of hiking in, part of which was on a loop, and there is still a good portion of the park that I didn't see. Scenically, second-growth forest parks like this one can be a bit hit-or-miss, but rolling terrain, variation in forest type, and little creeks and wetlands kept things interesting. I also got lucky with very calm winds throughout the day.

I've wanted to do more close-up photography of non-floral subjects, as I've mentioned in my year-in-review posts. Below, moss and bark patterns on a cedar trunk. It's different from my usual fare, and I like the vivid colors. F/5.

The forests of Grand Ridge Park aren't really what I would consider old-growth, but there are some groves of decently large trees, especially cedars. Here are two such spots, both photographed at F/18.

One more forest scene, this one looking a bit more obviously wintry. F/18.

That's all for now, but I'm excited to go back sometime soon and explore the rest of the park!