Winter Storm at Hug Point

Large storm waves are a grand attraction on the Pacific and can make for drama and also danger. These are not really "sneaker" waves in this context. It's simply a continual powerhouse of surge, current and beauty. These waves are so large they actually break on the reefs far off shore, so the ocean has the appearance of a gigantic washing machine of chaos.

One of my favorite places is Hug Point in all weather. No tourists dragging their coolers and umbrellas at this time of year. It's also high tide, so the dynamics are in full swing.

My main "position" is approaching the beautiful falls of Falls Creek from the highway, descending wet vegetation and mud. This platform before the creek makes it's final leap to the beach is roughly 15 feet high. A great view but can, at times, feel like it is not high enough. Occasionally there are logs perched on the ledge at the top of the falls, and then swept away.

Surging water from the north

The drama of water surging, tossing logs like they are matchsticks, shows the power and beauty of water.

Surging water from the south

Transforming clouds, changing their shapes and patterns.

The sun peaks through the maelstrom

A much higher platform and a grand view of the waves and their power.

Safely above the turmoil

The waves full force

A Break in the Northwest Storm Parade

Finally able to leave the confines of the Portland metro area for a few days, we headed to the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula. Knowing there was going to be a series of storms marching through, we were prepared for rain and wind inside our trusty cabin on the shores of Lake Crescent.

With a break coming in the storms, we headed to the Pacific coast. My wife read her book in the River's Edge Restaurant in La Push (lovely setting, friendly people and nice food) while I headed to Second Beach. Been coming here for 40 years, revisiting the beautiful and ever changing familiar features, as well as discovering new and unexpected beauty.

With a building wind and incoming tide, I headed north towards Quateata, the final headland on this beach. The sun was already low in the sky at 3p. Had some nice sun and interesting darker clouds. Scattered on the beach was an array of well worn sticks. I loved the remorseful, bone-like features randomly strewn on the beach.

Bone like sticks on the sand

Shifting patterns with each wave

 As the tide approaches and the sun appears and reappears, present new water and cloud patterns. The wind is now approaching 30 knots from the south.

The "bones" are now washed into the sea

 

Waves of Clouds

Time to find some shelter from the wind, so headed into the wind to a favorite resting spot.

Pools and Sculptured Rock

A brief clearing and some sun gave some hope of a colorful sunset, but it was short lived as the clouds quickly moved in. Another wonderful time at the dynamic and beautiful Pacific coast.

Olympic National Park New Year 2015

Winter is a relatively quiet time on the Olympic Peninsula. The weather gods can change their mood overnight, but on this occasion, after some light snow, it was calm and somewhat cold for a week.

Lake Crescent is a restful and beautiful retreat in winter. There was a slight wind this evening, so with a long exposure with the camera, the lake appears to be covered in ice. New snow, lit by moonlight, adorns the ridges, with the summit of Storm King Mountain veiled with a thin line of mist in the background. The distant lights below Storm King are from Lake Crescent Lodge, with the lights from our cabin to the right.

Lake Crescent in moonlight

Second Beach is always a place of beauty.  The feeling of summer was here on this visit. The normal winter surf was absent, a clear sky at sunset, and completely calm.

Calm waters after sunset

As darkness approached, sunlight was exchanged for moonlight reflecting off the beach. A few fine clouds added to the beauty of the sky and the stars. In the photograph below, this portion of the Milky Way, featuring Cyngus, the Swan, while overhead in summer, was now descending in the Northwest. The sea stacks and water were illuminated by the rising moon in the SE. The sea spread across the shallow beach as the tide rose. A tranquil evening, alone, surrounded with beauty.

Sea Stacks lit by the moon, framed by the Milky Way

 We have a small tradition, weather permitting, of visiting Hurricane Ridge on New Years Day. There was just enough snow at this elevation to have a wintry feel. A lovely sunset with warm skies and and very blue light from the east lighting the east side of the Olympics made for a beautiful color contrast on the peaks.

Lovely light after sunset highlights Boulder Peak

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Lovely Winter Oaks at Coyote Wall

After what seemed to be months confined in the city, a drive to a favorite place is always a welcome change, even for a few hours. In this mountain bike haven of Coyote Wall, this time of year one sees very few if any people here. While walking next to the great basalt wall, two men passed, staring in tandem at their cell phones. Later, one girl came by, walking down the trail, staring at her cell phone. Strange times.

Snow was lightly falling at times, and the creeks had some water in them, making for a nice atmosphere of tranquility. Wind can be fierce here, but today it was calm and serene. 

The trees are patiently waiting for spring, but their beauty is very fine in the depths of winter. As darkness approached, I soaked in the noble forms and scouted a few more prospects before the drive back.

Waves and Rialto Beach Beauty

Sometimes, it's not a simple walk on the beach at high tide in winter here on the Pacific. Thankfully the sun graced the skies for another day of exploration and photography, this day at Rialto Beach. Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, is just north of the Quileute Tribe's village and fishing harbor of La Push. From Rialto Beach, there is nothing but wild beaches 40 miles north to Cape Flattery.

 James Island was a refuge for the Quileute when attacked by other tribes

Rialto Beach consists primarily of stones of various sizes. The water is also quite deep close to shore, so the roar of crashing waves from the west, pounding and pushing massive amounts of stones, makes quite an intense and powerful sound. Waves were washing up into the huge debris field of driftwood. This is no ordinary driftwood, as many of the trees here were old growth beauties, now worn down, sometimes thrown on top of one another during the big storms and waves at high tide.

The beautiful sea stacks and dark beach near Hole in the Wall (far right)

It was high tide as I made my way dodging waves and driftwood to the sea stacks at the north end of the beach. The waves keep me close to the shore, but it was a pleasant, slow walk with just one creek to ford. Sunset was imminent as I approached the sea stacks.

 "Split Rock" sea stacks at sunset

 Last light on the sea stacks with a short-lived ethereal sky

The walk back was gratefully easier, as more beach opened as the tide retreated. The light was quickly retreating as well. If I can see stars, the camera can capture many more. This time of year the summer Milky Way is in the WNW, with Cygnus pointing down to the horizon. A 30 second exposure captured the scene. In the far lower right, you can see the glow of crab boats as the crab season was just opened.

 Sunset Glow and The Milky Way

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Mountains of Snow

 The weather Gods smiled again this year in allowing a visit to Hurricane Ridge for the New Year. The winds howled last year, but there was a limited amount of snow. This New Year Day we were greeted with stillness and mounts and drifts of snow everywhere. The trees were beautifully coated with snow.

Subalpine Fir coated in snow

The landscape had a near black and white tonality, which contrasted well with the warm tones in the sky, created from the sunlight's low winter trajectory filtering through the altostratus clouds.

Mt. Olympus (left) and Mt. Carrie

Looking South, the peaceful Elwha Valley and the Bailey Range

Happy New Year!

A Few Days in the Olympics

Winter is a generally quiet time here in the Olympics. There are always a few hardy souls about, but the rain can be quite unrelenting. One has to come prepared for a wide variety of weather. Upon arrival after dusk, snow was falling quietly at Lake Crescent. The moon was near first quarter phase, so did a beautiful job of lighting the ridges and clouds at night during our stay.

Beautiful morning light lasting less than a minute

New Year's Day opened with this beautiful but brief sunrise, and the day looked like the clear weather was going to hold for a bit, so we headed up to Hurricane Ridge. A strong east wind was blowing and patience (and warm attire!) was needed. The patient part was waiting for lulls in order to capture the action and lovely light on distant peaks with my telephoto. Below are two shots about 1/2 hour apart of the same basic scene with rapidly changing conditions as sunset approached.

Mt. Olympus with Mt Carrie in the foreground. Huge clouds of wind driven snow.

Warmer, darker tones 1/2 hour later

Rain dominated the rest of our stay, but this is an expected part of the beauty here. No one on the trails, rain and green dominate the forest.

Patterns of the colorful Pacific Madrone tree

Moss delights in the damp air near Marymere Falls

The last evening was very stormy, with strong gusts at the lake well over 50 knots!

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

Winter Waves at Arcadia Beach

Arcadia Beach, just a short hop south of Cannon Beach, is a wide expanse of sand between Hug Point and a rocky northern partition with a few modest sea stacks. Having walked the beach and taken night photographs there, I wanted to explore the photographic possibilities of the rocks, just a short walk from the parking lot. Waves were running 12-14 ft. offshore, which means a strong and variable wash on the beach. It was a sunny day, with low wind, so, for January, it was quite pleasant. It's a popular spot for folks with kids and dogs, but the possibility of sneaker or rogue waves is always present with strong storms, sometimes thousands of miles away. While the sun was strongly shining at 3:30p, it afforded an opportunity to use a neutral density filter to slow the water down. and capture it's motion. Black and white works well for me in these higher contrast situations.

Churning water as the tide resides. 50mm, .6 sec exposure.

Near sunset, clouds rolled in from the north, creating some interesting light, but is this going to shut out the glorious sunset we all wait for? There is a nice contrast here between the black and tan rock formations. There is a black area also on the sea stack.

Waves moving in while I shoot with my gum boots on. 14mm, .4 sec. exposure.

As the sun was veiled a bit, I decided to move up on the rocks to the right. Although the tide had been going out, wave activity was strong, but I was about 8 ft. higher than incoming. In this position, I didn't have my usually planed escape route for large waves, and felt vulnerable. A cormorant perched on the large stack and dried his wings.

Waves washing up to the rocks. 6 sec exposure.

As the sun and light descended, I decided it was time to go. As I depressed the shutter for the last exposure, suddenly a large wave was heading my way. It was about 7-10 ft. larger than the others, and inundated my position. I held the tripod in place, or it helped to hold me in place. A ghost of the water can be seen in the photo below. It was more excitement than I would ever want. Water came up to the top of my boots. Glad it wasn't any higher!

Large wave inundates my position. 14mm, 6 sec. exposure

I had spotted another photographer a bit earlier contemplating making a rounding of the rocks from the north. After the wave, I thought about his condition. Shortly afterward, he rounded the rocks. He apparently ran up the beach, but was still hit and wet waist high. His camera bag protected his gear. We were both very fortunate.

Winter from above

Flying in winter always come with a degree of apprehension with the normal vagaries of the weather. This trip was blessed with smooth high pressure systems and pretty good visibility.

These simple textures and the cold snow of winter were tranquil.


The texture of the watershed is etched into the landscape in a stark form in winter.


These textures remind me of the complexity of the watershed and the similarity of leaf and other natural structures found in nature.

Winter at Coyote Wall 1

On the flanks of Coyote Ridge, just east of Bingen, Washington, is wide open oak and pine savanna with balsalt rock outcropping. It's also a haven for mountain biking. In winter, there are some very nice streams cascading from above, creating mini waterfalls through the grasslands. Having just a few hours there, I concentrated mainly on relaxing by these pleasant streams.

Before leaving, I took a walk as an exploration of things that seemed interesting for my next visit. Along the path were these fine, weathered native White Oak trees.

Awaiting Spring on a Clear Winter Day

When using ultrawide lenses with a polarizing filter, you have to be careful to use them a bit more gently, unless you can have the darkest area right over your subject.

Weathered Oak and Basalt Outcroppings

I also consider the potential of Black and White photography, especially with the mid-day light and stark contrasts.

Another view in Black and White

Sun(!!) and Stars at the Oregon Coast

After weeks of rain and cold, the weather finally looked like it was going to break for a nanosecond. It was time to head to the Oregon coast for some much needed sun therapy and hang out in one of my most favorite places on the coast, Hug Point State Park. The thought of having to put on sunscreen actually sounded good.

Although the tide was going out, large wave action was sufficient to make it difficult to round the head and get further north from the parking lot, so I approached the beach from above. Also wanted to get some shots of the caves, but it would have been too risky to venture in there. There were a few loonies tempting fate, but it seemed exceeding dangerous.

Freezing the action with this back-lit photo of Falls Creek Falls

Park-like tranquility above the beach leads to a very active and beautiful interaction between waves and waterfall. The worn sandstone with the basalt make for colorful and warm rock formations. One of the major highlights is the waterfall.

Colorful little rainbows dot the places where the creek meets the beach

The "plan" was to photograph here for some time and then head to Ecola State Park, but the weather was so inviting and the area so beautiful, it seemed better to stay and relax.

After meeting up with family members at Arch Cape, I headed back to Portland. Part of the plan was also to take some photographs with the light of the moon. Although tired, a few stops yielded some nice photographs before the clouds moved in, in advance of the next very wet storm, the very next day ;(

The famous Haystack Rock with the lights of the crabbing boats offshore

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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

Hawthorne Bridge Fog

Returning from an early morning harpsichord tuning at the Oregon Symphony, I decided to take the longer way home along the Willamette River. Clearing fog, especially in the morning, is always a draw.

Didn't have my "big" camera stuff with me, but did have along my little 6mp Fuji. It was cold, but there were quite a few people enjoying a morning run, etc.

Changing fog and colors

Fog breaking through with geese

The Hawthorne Bridge is a great subject, and is a vital link across the Willamette River. Fun to walk or ride a bike across, it has been dangerous for more than one motorist!

Morning stroll on the bridge

The fog also created interesting reflections on some of the buildings downtown.

Reflections in black and white