Spring in the Columbia Gorge, 2017

Deluge only begins to describe the weather here in the Northwest from October, 2016 to June, 2017. One of the escape areas from the city hum is the Columbia Gorge, and this winter greater escape from rain was often provided by just driving further east to the rain shadow east of Hood River.

 Lovely Oak and pine trees, rolling grasslands and billowing clouds.

Oregon Oak, Columbia Hills State Park, Washington

There was also quite a bit of water there at times as well.

High water through a narrow gorge, Washington

When we had some nice breaks and when it was possible, heading to Hamilton Island for the open and expansive views was a welcome investigation.

Beautiful sun beams on the Oregon side, Columbia Gorge

Checking Photographer's Ephemeris, the moon would be making an appearance over the ridge. Time for the long lens to capture this ridgeline in front of the moon. This is one of those type of images where it is good to go a day or two before the full moon so that there is light on the hills.

 

Moon rising, Columbia Gorge, Oregon

 Images can be seen here>>

Columbia Gorge Waterfalls and Vistas Workshop

Although many visits and workshops have taken place over the years in the Gorge, every visit has unique and interesting aspects. This June workshop was focused on visiting familiar areas as well as some beautiful and less well known areas to photograph.

We started the workshop at one of finest vistas in the Columbia Gorge, Women's Forum Overlook. This gives everyone a chance to meet, discuss gear and other make adjustments while taking in the view and scouting different compositions along the Overlook. This is a place worth visiting time and again, as the light and clouds are always changing. The view of Vista House is an added bonus.

Here are two versions of the same scene from different angles, with different light and processing.

Kira Bartlett, ©2016

Larry Holmes, ©2016

The first waterfall visit was to the unusual and varied Panther Creek Falls north of Carson. After a very short walk, one can shoot from the well placed platform, or venture along the creek for a wide variety of compositions.

Many falls and streams to photograph at Panther Creek

Steve Synder, ©2016

After lunch at Skamania Lodge Cafe, we headed back to Oregon and visited Starvation Creek with it's falls and variations in compositions in the creek. It seemed the creek had been scoured a bit, with a very humble amount of vegetation this visit. Participants found their own unique and intimate views of this lovely creek, as well as the falls.

Back in Washington via the Hood River Bridge, we stopped at one of my favorite small falls in the Gorge, Dog Creek Falls. With some very nice late afternoon light, the falls was quite charming. Chinook Salmon spawn here in the fall.

Suzanne Michalik, ©2016

Our last area was Hamilton Island, overlooking the Gorge to the west. Although sunset was a bit demure, we still had some pleasant light on the clouds, promenades and features around St. Peter's Dome. Pearson Island, Beacon Rock and the surrounding bird sanctuary are a most pleasant place at sunset.

Photographing along the Columbia River

 

Steve Synder, ©2016

Photographs from this workshop can be seen here>>

Lunar Eclipse Beauty

In hopes of capturing some interesting color with the red moon, the hills and view of the Columbia River from Coyote Wall seemed liked a good choice. The weather was ideal. A warm, gentile breeze blew over the dry grass. A few mountain bikers and hikers were in this open and spacious area.

There was quite a bit of haze at lower elevations, with the moon slowly revealed itself as it rose in the growing darkness.

Columbia River with Lyle, Washington in the distance

It was quite a lovely sight. The deepening blues of night with a few stars appearing. An appealing aspect of these eclipses is, because of the shading, the moon appear to be a nice round ball.  The lights of Lyle, Washington added a nice warm shade of lights.

Darker sky with deepening color

Later, as the shadow of the earth moved away from the moon, the light returned to one side, making a very interesting orb in sky with stars and and meteors.

Fall in the Gorge I

I love the fall. It's a great time here with fast moving storms and color. Whenever things look promising and I can get away, I'll head to my closest playground, the Columbia Gorge. It's also amazing how fast things can change in an hour near sunset.

When I first arrived and walked to the Columbia River near Beacon Rock State Park, elk tracks were along the shore, and a family of eagles was hovering over Pierce Island just to the east.

Looking east, with fall colors, eagles and changing clouds

 Moments later, to the west, the sun emerged again to display some amazing colors in the clouds. A strong, low, blue-gray cloud formed overhead, twisting and turning in the wind just above me.

Beautiful warm west light and cool blue light from the north

After the display was fading, the color to the NE near Beacon Rock was developing, so I ran with my gear and tripod over slippery, moss covered stones to a better vantage point with Beacon Rock and Hamilton Mountain.

Fast fading color to the NE

The warm colors receded and darkness approached quickly. A dead Turkey Vulture was in my path along the shore. It seemed fitting to see another cycle in nature. Clouds were still on the move, so I headed nearer to Beacon Rock. Silver Salmon were jumping as I set up the tripod and took some longer exposures of the dynamic motion as darkness approached.

Darkness approaches in the Gorge

Rain=Waterfalls

Although it's been very busy this week with projects, getting out of town, even when it's drippy, is needed therapy. Even an hour in a beautiful location that you love can be rejuvenating.

One of those places is the lovely Elowah Falls. It's off the beaten path a bit, and a very nice hike is well rewarded. One interesting perspective to return to again and again is to drop down to McCord Creek and place it in the foreground.

22mm, 8 sec. exposure, f/11, Nikon D800e, Nikon 16-35mm f/4

Here in the Northwest, breaks in our weather can be difficult to time, especially with our busy schedules, but rewards can be found.

A Busy Spring

Wow, certainly been away from my blog for awhile, but have had a very busy 3 months. Getting out is always a pleasure, and I have found time to shoot, primarily in the Columbia Gorge, at the Oregon Coast and in the Olympics.

The Northwest has gone from the colds of winter. Snows greeted the end of March in the Olympics, all the way down to sea level. Quiet, restful days of roaming the rainforest, surrounded by beautiful moss and drippy sounds in the stillness.

A Fresh blanket of snow and storm clouds

The Oregon coast did not experience too many strong storms this spring. Some days were remarkably balmy and beautiful, with warm, strong offshore winds. 

Sunset near Cape Falcon

Spring came a bit later to the Columbia Gorge. It was quite wet, with quantities of snow and rain filling the streams and waterfalls. Spring also came in fits and starts, but the Balsamroot and Lupine made quite a fine show near the end of April.

 Beautiful Cirrus clouds with Balsamroot and Lupine

Spring Workshop in the Columbia Gorge

The first workshop of the year took place in the Columbia Gorge on Sunday, April 5th, after having to postpone our Saturday workshop due to heavy rain and wind. Not everyone was able to shift their schedules, but Sunday was a nearly rain free day.

We were met with rather flat, gray light at Women's Forum Overlook. It was serene and tranquil there, unlike the day before.

Calm and gray Columbia Gorge

Next we hiked in to Elowah Falls, where the water volume was anything but serene. It had been raining for weeks, and rained heavily the day before. As we approached the Falls, spray kept us back. It was a challenge to keep our gear reasonably dry so getting photos was also challenging.

Wild water at Elowah Falls

After drying out a bit with a nice lunch at Skamana Lodge, we headed to Dog Creek Falls on the Washington side. The water volume here was also not disappointing. I, in fact, have never seen this falls this big. It's a short wide falls that is lovely to shoot all times of the year. Even though it is a short walk, once you are there you are surrounded by canyon and solitude. Except for the occasional visitor, it can be quite tranquil.

One of the best places to shoot is to get right in the creek, far enough back not to have too much spray, but to get a feeling for motion and water with slow shutter speeds.

Getting in the creek for some nice water movement

Shooting the Falls and discussing water and rock placement in the frame

Last stop was back to Oregon near Wahkenna Falls to photograph some small streams. With fading light and steam, we called it a fun day, with participants voicing enthusiasm for the next outing!

Next Gorge workshop is scheduled for June 11th. More information here>

Six Hours in the Gorge

The clouds are breaking in town, and a gap has opened for the small chance of interesting and dramatic light. The choice of where to go is always a gamble, tempered with observation. As I drive into the Gorge, more opportunity seems to be appearing further east, so Dog Mountain looks like a good place to start.

Beams of Light on the Columbia

Dog Creek Falls is one of my favorite places. Even though it is close to the highway, there is rarely anyone here. The few who do stop, generally don't linger long. The canyon is steep, with interesting trees and hawks and eagles nearby. Ospreys will be here soon.

Generous flow at Dog Creek Falls

After shooting here for some time, sunset is approaching as well as a large bank of clouds. Looks like a small clearing to the west is forming, so it's time to head west, with the large open area near Beacon Rock my destination. Strong, colorful light, as well as strong rain met me there.

Last Light near Beacon Rock

As the rain and light faded, other, more intimate shots drew my attention.

Evening light with flood waters, grass and beautiful light

Horsethief Butte in the Central Columbia Gorge

With the unrelenting rain fest in the the Pacific Northwest, the only two places with some degree of sunshine was 90 miles to the east, in Central Oregon and 350 miles to the north, on the Sunshine Coast of B.C.. Needing more shots of the "dry" side of the Cascades in the Gorge, it seemed like a good time for some late afternoon photography.

The rain and mist grew heavy in the waterfall part of the Gorge, but blue was visible in the East!

A prominent formation of basalt known as Horsethief Butte always looked like a great place to explore and photograph. Many years ago I made a brief stop and vowed to return. It was a great day here, but also a great wind was blowing from the west, which added drama, interesting cloud formations and swaying vegetation.

Horsethief Butte

Horsethief Butte is a great promontory with interesting basalt formations and plant life. I climbed up the north side to do a bit of rock scrambling for fun. It was very windy, with gusts in the 35 knot range, so it was really blowing on top. Found a few back eddies to shelter from the wind and enjoy the view.

View looking north towards the Columbia Hills from the top

After exploring the central part of the Butte, I took the trail around. Sun was beaming in and out of view and getting close to the hills in the NW. I set up for taking a panoramic view, hoping the sun would hit the Butte one more time before disappearing over the hills. I was rewarded.

Sunbeam on the Butte with clouds haloing top

Strong winds and mountains can create interesting cloud formations. This long lenticular cloud formed down the Columbia River valley, constantly changing shape. There was also a bit of green in the grasses left before the heat of summer really takes hold here.

Lenticular cloud at Horsethief Butte

The clouds and light looked like it might develop well over Mt. Hood, so a found a clear view and waited. Rewarded again with the clouds clearing away and lighting up like a neon sign at sunset. It was the longest day of the year, so it was getting late.

Lenticular and clearing storm clouds over Mt. Hood

Spring in the Columbia Gorge

Rain, rain and more rain has been the theme here in the Northwest. Now that may not come as a surprise to many, but this year has been record setting. Although we don't have much in the way of thunder and lightning on the "west" side of the Cascades (three bolts of lightning is a big deal here) there has been a deluge or two.

All the rain has filled the creeks and rivers with scads of water, with no lack of water in the Gorge last weekend. I headed out a bit later in the day with hopes of storm clouds moving in towards evening (some came), and the landscape photographer's greatest desire; a colorful sunset.

All the rain prompted me to check out one of my faves, beautiful Elowah Falls and the trail beyond. After retrieving my forgotten glasses in the car, I noticed this beautiful Colombian Lily, suspended in mid-air on its stem, right along the trail. Had to sprawl down on the ground to see it properly. Got a few stares from passerbys.

Columbian Lily on the Elowah Falls Trail

Elowah Falls was humming. Lots of everything: noise, rushing water, spray, wind blasting at the base of the falls. First spent some time just absorbing the scene. Took a series of photos to create this composite at one of the usual but best spots. Creek raced by, spray came and went, lots of lens and camera swabbing. It was great.

Elowah Falls and McCord Creek

Now I needed to get over the bridge in front of the falls to continue on the trail. Looked like quite a bit of spray and wind. Donned my rain jacket, but thought I didn't need the rain pants. Not the right decision. It was a sideways cold monsoon on the bridge...soaked to the bone...

The trail was beautiful, covered at times by Salmonberry bushes on both sides. Clearings of heavily moss covered rocks below cliff faces. A nice group of Paintbrush.

Beautiful group of Paintbrush

Now for those storm clouds. Due to the jet stream taking direct aim on Oregon, things are moving through here quickly. Although it looked a bit threatening at times, it stayed dry. Except, of course for having to cross the bridge again by the falls on the way back. Put the rain pants on this time...

Storm clouds gather overhead

Coyote Wall in Winter 2

The open terrain of the central Columbia Gorge reminds me of sub-alpine meadows in summer and invites exploration. The soil is still moist, and the grass is still green. Spring is here. The Washington side gets dry early, so it's good to see the water still cascading down the hillsides and the small pockets of marsh.

Hiking on the old highway, it's evident why they moved the highway from this wall, as the old asphalt is strewn with debris. This rockfall leaves interesting, colorful patterns in the wall, with newly exposed rock next to older, weathered basalt.

Rock Patterns of Coyote Wall

Wind and weather are harsh here. These meadows are scattered with old and weathered Oregon White Oak. They will be one of the last of the deciduous trees to bare their leaves, making sure winter is behind them.

Sculptured Beauty before sunset

The area offers fine views of the Columbia River with relatively gentle walking. The trails are shared mostly with mountain bikers and other hikers. Far few people are here during the week. It's quiet and peaceful.

The new grass replacing the old as spring arrives

All the mountain bikers and hikers have left as I return. Coyote Wall wears different colors as the stars appear after dusk.

Twilight on the Wall

Columbia Gorge Water and Ice

The Columbia Gorge in winter can be very wet, icy and enchanting, and, as a bonus, far less populated. Travelling with my son Gabe, we ate lunch, overlooking the gorge at the Ainsworth State Park exit, then spent the rest of an afternoon at the ever beautiful Elowah Falls.

It was too icy to approach the falls without the right gear, but the overall scene was pleasant, cold and calm.

Composite image of Elowah Falls

Next we headed up to Upper McCord Creek Falls. We could see from below that there was plenty of ice, so we thought we would see if the trail was safe enough. One really wouldn't want to do this with the ice and no hand rail, unless you had proper climbing equipment. We had to duck under the beautiful icicles, which also formed smooth ice under our feet.

Gabe ducking the icicles. Elowah Falls below in lower left corner

After dodging the icicles, beautiful Upper McCord Creek Falls was gently surrounded by ice, frost and a light snow.

Upper McCord Creek Falls, near day's end