Then there's Plan B

Plan A:

It's my sister's birthday and we decide to gather our gear and hoof it out Eagle Creek in the Columbia Gorge. Check another trail off Kristi's bucket list, sleep under the Pacific Northwest sky, and shake out the cobwebs.

Eagle Creek is the most traveled trail in the Columbia Gorge - for good reason. While you will not have summit views, you will hike through a river canyon with moss covered walls, towering big leaf maples, fern-lined trails and 5 named waterfalls (and dozens of smaller unnamed falls). Most who hike the trail go in about 2 miles to see Punchbowl Falls. Others continue on to travel through Tunnel Falls - the trail is high on a cliff and they drilled a tunnel behind the falls to hike through. Stunning but not for those who have a fear of heights.

Even though it's highly traveled, it is so very worth experiencing. So it is on my sister's bucket list.

We invited our friend Evie, who will be joining us on our John Muir trip. Evie brought along her husband. I brought along Zillah.

The day wasn't shaping up to be perfect like the weather reports read, but we had faith the rain wouldn't start falling until we set up camp. We weren't 2 miles in when we needed to get our rain gear out and I looked at Zillah, already soggy and thought sharing a tent with her would not be good for either of us. After a quick consensus, we turned tail and hoofed it back to the car.

Plan B:

A waterfall tour of the gorge with short little hikes.

Our first stop was to Starvation Creek Falls for lunch. Perfect! The rain hadn't yet reached the area so we enjoyed the sun glistening through the new green foliage overhead. The new leaves sparkled in the sun. We left there just as the rain hit us and traveled back to Horsetail Falls. Then on to Multnomah Falls where we walked up to the overly crowded bridge and then bought Kristi a birthday ice cream.

Next stop Bridal Veil Falls where we stopped to photograph the wildflowers along the way. The sun began to peak out again, but we weren't too upset about that - we were having fun. The hike around the lower loop of Latourell Falls had us all giddy. We each saw something exciting to photograph and investigate. On up to Vista House to see the view, we noticed the clouds looked awful dark back the way we had come. Our last stop on Plan B was the Portland Women's Forum at Chanticleer Point for one more view. Just as we got there, the sun peaked through the clouds to light up Vista House. We congratulated not on the pretty picture though - we congratulated ourselves on calling it quits and avoiding the dark band of rain clouds on the horizon.

Photographing Waterfalls

Someone had once told me tht waterfalls give off negative ions which gives a person feelings of comfort and happiness. As a waterfall enthusiast, I can attest to my feelings of joy when I encounter even the smallest of waterfalls along the trail. So I'm wondering how many of you also feel wonderful when near a waterfall?

But my happy doesn't leave when I leave a waterfall - it lingers with me. Do you think back on the scene with a smile on your face? Do you pull out your camera to photograph the waterfall, hoping to keep it with you just that much longer? I know I do.

Of all my subject files, "Waterfalls" has the most images in it. I have found that I dedicate a lot of time with waterfalls and I'm still working out the process. Approaching each waterfall (even if I've been there a dozen times) anew.

But I have noticed that all I really need when photographing waterfalls is 2 things - Timing and Time.

1. Timing

This can be seasonal, the day or the time of day.

Seasonal - Here in the Pacific Northwest, waterfalls can run with high volume during the spring run-off and during autumn rains. The late summer brings a lesser flow. Winter months bring snow and ice. Each season has its own charm and depending on the effect you want, time your visits for that effect.

The Day - As waterfalls take on different personalities with the seasons, they can take on personalities on different days. A bright sunny day makes a waterfall difficult with harsh highlights and dark shadows, which in turn can make the photographer a grumpy person. An overcast even rainy day smooths out the harsh light and makes for a more relaxed atmosphere for both the waterfall and the photographer. For tips on protecting your gear on the wet days go to this post.

The Time of Day - If you so happen to be out photographing waterfalls on a sunny day, try timing your visit for the early morning or late afternoon. The golden hour is great for more than just beautiful landscapes. The harsh light is reduced during these periods and images can come out glowing.

2. Time

Now all you need is some time. Be patient, wait it out, and keep working the scene.

Sometimes patience is a virtue, like waiting for a long exposure. (Have a sturdy tripod, cable or remote release, neutral density filters and camera protection). Long exposures are ideal for waterfalls to create that beautiful silky water. But it could be several seconds to several minutes to get the image. To help with longer exposures, try moving your ISO to the camera's lowest setting, close down your aperture and add a neutral density filter.

Patience is also needed when the wind is blowing which happens a lot near waterfalls. Windblown branches can create a distracting blur in your images. You might have to make a couple of images when the breeze isn't blowing much to have as little of the motion blur as possible. Also windblown mist can blow onto your lens so you'll need to wipe down the lens between images.

Finally, play with the waterfall. Zoom in to a feature - does it splash off the rocks or trickle over them? Go low and use leading lines of the rapids draw the eye up to the waterfall. Frame it with surrounding vegetation.

And now, go out an have some fun photographing waterfalls.

And the water falls up or Protecting your Gear in wet conditions

This past weekend, I went with friends to the Columbia River Gorge - a world of history, forests and waterfalls. The Gorge, as photographers call it (unlike The Gorge in Eastern Washington that is famous for summer concerts) is a must-do destination for anyone wanting to photograph all types of waterfalls. The most famous and iconic of the gorge waterfalls is Multonomah Falls. But there are other beautiful falls along both sides of the Gorge.

The waterfalls on the Oregon side have easier access, most are right along the old historic Columbia River Highway. The falls on the Washington side require a little bit more driving and hiking. But waterfalls are one of those subjects that inspire and challenge us as photographers. Sometimes that is just worth a little extra effort.

However, my friends and I stayed on the Oregon side of the Gorge, to photograph some of the more accessible waterfalls. Only problem was, our 20% chance of rain for the day turned into 100% chance. Normally, cloudy days are ideal for photographing waterfalls - the soft light helps to diminish blown-out areas in the water and softens shadows. Plus the softer light can aid in a longer shutter speed to create the silky look of waterfalls.

The problem with rainy days is keeping the mechanics of your camera dry. Waterfalls do have the added discomfort of spray. Which goes everywhere. The force of the water falling and hitting the pool below causes a wind which carries the spray onto your lens. So keeping your camera dry on just an overcast day is difficult add to it rain falling down and what you have is an inconvenient mess.

Heading out to a photo session with waterfalls requires that you come prepared to keep yourself and your camera dry. Those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest know the value of layers and a good rain coat and pants.

But what do we do with our cameras?

There are several little tricks. A rainsleeve for your camera (that you can buy at any camera store) is probably one of the best ideas I have seen for northwest weather. They cost about $6 to a whopping $50. I have also used ziplock bags and shower caps to help protect the camera body. Another ingenious idea is to clamp an umbrella to your tripod - just be careful on those long exposures, the wind can catch the umbrella and shake the tripod resulting in an unsatisfactory image. Each of these allows for the lens to have a clean view of your subject matter.

Yet with waterfalls spraying water everywhere, what do you do to protect the front of the lens? I generally carry a lens cleaning cloth to wipe down the lens between exposures then immediately cover the lens with a sandwich bag. I will take several of the same exposure and one usually comes out without too much spray on the lens which can easily be cloned out in photoshop.

You just have to be patient, release the shutter between breezes, and ready to take several images of the same exposure and compositions. And this is where your layers and rain gear will come in handy to keep you warm and dry.

Hometown Tourism

Do you know all the "secret" spots of your favorite destination? Do you know the best place to get sunrise? Sunset? When you should head out for the colors of spring or autumn? Where you should go on bright sunny days or dreary wet days?

But then you see an image from someplace in your own backyard and you think, "where is that? I thought I knew everything there is about my home. But I've never seen that."

I do that a lot. There are a few place I know well. So well that I am the "go to" person for my friends, friends of friends, and acquaintances.

But my own back yard? Not so much. Is it because I don't think there are images to be found in the parks and locations closer to home? 

No, not really. 

When I have a day to explore I'm heading out, away, to the far reaches. I just feel as if I've gotten something accomplished if I drive a long distance to hike and photograph.

And so I miss some great places.

I grew up along Highway 2 in Washington. A wonderful road (if you don't mind sitting in a parking lot on a Sunday afternoon as you head back home from a great weekend adventure) of trail heads, waterfalls, rivers and in the fall, colors galore. I've driven over this road so many times in my years in Washington that I should know every turnout, every destination, every sight.

But alas, I do not. I was always heading for another destination - not making the road itself a destination. 

Recently I volunteered to take a group of photographers along Highway 2 for a photo tour, only to realize I was at a loss as to where to stop for the best photo opportunities. Could we have chosen a place I know like the back of my hand?

But then, I thought - why not? It will finally give me a chance to explore an area that I keep saying I'll have to stop there someday. 

Do you ever tell yourself that? "I should stop there someday?" as you drive past a pretty turn out or sweet little park. 

I say make today that someday. Take the time, explore that little corner of your backyard. Become a tourist in your own home. You might never know what you find.

The above image was made at Deception Falls along Highway 2. A turnout (parking lot that's usually closed) that I've been saying for years - I should stop there. I finally did.

Waterfalls & Wildflowers

I needed a break. I had received some not so great news earlier in the week which could have restricted my ability to head out to the Columbia River Gorge. But I was not to be deterred. I had been looking forward to this trip for over a month and the journey had been close to cancelled several times. The first group I was to head out with changed to the weekend prior, but I was already booked to go to Mt Baker. The second group ended up cancelling on me as they needed to finalize a few things in town. Then I was hit with a financial restraint. But I wanted to head to the gorge and explore a few waterfalls and trails I had never been on. So I packed up my tent, my camera & my determination to not let bad news spoil my life and drove south.

There are two times of the year that I love the gorge - Spring & Fall. I'd love to head down when the waterfalls are frozen, but have yet to make the time. Fall is great as sunlight glitters through the golden leaves of maples & alders, their brilliant colors reflected in the tumbling streams and rippling pools near the waterfalls. Spring brings great sprays of power of waterfalls gushing over the cliffs and wildflowers. Two of my favorite things to photograph, moving water and colorful flowers. It would be a perfect destination for me.

I took no time after setting up my tent in Ainsworth State Park before I grabbed my camera, put on the diopter filter and began playing with the flowers surrounding my camp: bleeding hearts, trillium, herb robert, spring beauty. I even focused in on leaf & fern details. I just wanted to immerse myself in my photography, forget about my troubles for a few days. My camp neighbor invited me to share his campfire with himself & his 3 sons as night approached and I gladly accepted. As the night wore on, I began spilling my troubles to him and began to feel relieved and thought his presence in my life for this one evening was no accident. 

The next morning he & his boys broke camp while began my day of hiking. I decided to head out from Ainsworth and connect with the Gorge trail which would lead me past several waterfalls and into Oneonta Gorge to Triple Fall - my destination for the morning. I hiked through sweet green light of the sun streaming through the new spring growth of the trees covering me, trillium & calypso orchids glittered beside the trail like jewels. I first came to Ponytail Falls - a horsetail fall spraying out over columnar basalt. A cave behind the falls gave me an interesting perspective to photograph. Oneonta Falls & Triple Falls were next but the smaller falls along the trail were just as marvelous. I spent all morning and most of the afternoon hiking, photographing, and chatting with the other hikers. All of us in good company enjoying the beginnings of spring in this place, filled with waterfalls & wildflowers.

A Visit to an Old Friend

Wallace Falls, 6.5 miles, 5/18/08

Back when I was first discovering the wonders of hiking, my sister & I found Wallace Falls. We would hike to the top of the falls and sit on the edge of the river watching the river rush past, racing to its tumult over the cliff. When my nephew was only a few months old, we introduced him to Wallace Falls on a very cold and chilly day - he fell asleep in the pack carrier my sister had perched on her back. This was our place to visit together in the spring when the green moss glowed against the wet black rock of the canyon walls.

I had revisited the falls only once again after I had returned home from school. Michael and I hiked through the golden maple leaves of autumn not long after we met. A quiet hike to a more sedate run-off for a blossoming romance.

This time, was with new friends met through the Mountaineers' Conditioning Hike Series. As it is early in the spring, the greens vibrated through the forest and new growth exploded along the river bed. We all gazed in wonder at the beauty around us in the company of the river's orchestra. The spring run-off exploded through the canyon, sending up mist from every fall, coating the walls in a glittering wet. And as in my memories with my sister, the mossed gleamed against the black rock.

Here I was, in the presence of an old friend, remembering the fun of sisterhood, shared with new friends. What day could be better?

A Day of Waterfalls

Columbia River Gorge, 3/24/08

I took a drive back through time to visit a few of the waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge. The Historic Columbia Highway runs through the gorge and back through time - to an era when Sunday drives meant something more than getting somewhere fast. It curves through the gorge along stone rails and bridges, parks meant for picnics, hills with vistas, and magnificent waterfalls. I set out on a leisurely pace like those who traveled this road years before.

My first stop was Sheppards Dell Falls - a falls that can be easily overlooked as it is tucked away in a little grotto, not easily seen by those accustomed to a faster paced life. It's a two-tiered waterfall dropping approximately 120 feet to the canyon below. Moss and ferns dripped from the rock wall lining the walkway a sign of the shadowy moist life in the gorge.

Next came Bridal Veil Falls cascading between moss encrusted boulders. The creek rumbled over rocks as the spring melt rushed towards the Columbia River. Anther trail takes the visitor along several viewpoints overlooking the Columbia River where the Portland can be seen far in the west and Bonneville dam to the east.

A short drive took me to Wahkeena Falls, falling 242 feet from the high cliffs then tumultuously tumbling downhill under a sweet little bridge. A short hike takes you to the base of the falls where the spray immediately cools you down from the exertion of climbing the hill. Another stone picturesque bridge awaits you here and beckons you to continue on.

I would recommend that you do continue for although the way is steep the beautiful little falls that awaits you a mile up the trail is well worth the effort. Fairy Falls cascades over a series of rocks in a horsetail reminiscent of waterfalls found on islands of paradise. There may not be a pool at the bottom to swim in, but I could easily imagine little sprite showering in the cool waters.

After that, Olympia was a bit weary so I made a quick stop at Multnomah Falls before continuing on to Horsetail Falls and camp to rest for the afternoon. That evening I drove back to Crown Point to watch the sun set over the Columbia River - a sunset deserving of a standing ovation.

Slicker than Snot

Latourell Falls, 2 miles, 3/23/08

Step, slip, glurp. Euw! Step, slip, glurp. Euw! Step, slip, glurp. Euw! Sometimes, thinking about the weather and location, and what they might all do to a trail would be a good thing to do before heading out on a short hike to see a waterfall in your jeans and sandals. I had let Olympia trot ahead of me as we climbed up the hill - all I needed was a tug the wrong way and to slip again and for the second time that day be covered in mud. Then again, as I looked down at my feet, I might have to do that anyway. Olympia, happy to be hiking splattered mud onto her legs, tail, belly, neck, and is that mud on her forehead? This better be a damn pretty waterfall.

I had tried to be careful as I trudged up the hill - stepping in what looked like solid patches of ground. But it didn't take much time before mud was squishing between my toes. To make matters worse, I would have to walk back down that muddy hill! Then the mileage I thought I read turned out to be twice as much and I wondered if my journey would ever end.

That's when I heard it - the unmistakable roar of a cascading river, thick with spring melt. Turn a corner and there it was, a beautiful horsetail falls dropping over 100 feet to the pool below. Olympia played in the creek as it flowed from the pool while snapped a few shots, playing with views and exposures. And then it was back down the muddy mess of a trail carefully stepping around the biggest mudholes. Although I could have gone barefoot, it would have been less mud grinding into the soles of my feet.

A quick trip to the bottom of Latourell Falls finished off our hike. One last word - the towel I had brought for Olympia on the trip was truly mudfilled and it was only the second day of our trip.

A little rain must fall

Denny Creek, 6 miles, 2/16/08

I had heard that Franklin Falls below Snoqualmie Pass can be enchanting in the wintertime - with ice covered canyon walls from the spray of the waterfall. This is a sweet little hike during the warmer months that has in the past been an easy stretch of the legs on a sunny afternoon. This would be my 1st trip in the heart of winter when the snows lay deep on the forest floor. My sister tagged along with me hoping for a relaxing day in the trees and snow.

A forest sure can look different between the seasons - dense undergrowth is covered by snow creating a deceptively open environment to explore. But after a while all the trees can look startlingly similar and someone not watching their direction could easily get turned around and lost. Branches that stretch out far above your head will often wetly smack a person in the face as they're weaving through the trunks. And so it went as we left the snow-covered road to tromp to the canyon and waterfall - weave through trees, dodge the snow and rain laden branches.

We paused several times to watch as the creek rushed past us seemingly bouncing off rocks and fallen logs. Icicles formed on the canyon walls as the upper part of the creek cut through the hill. We reached the spot where the trail normally heads down into the canyon to the base of the waterfall, however, we found that at this time of year the way is too steep to safely descend so after a little deliberation, we turned around to find a spot for our snacks and warming hot apple cider.

Even under the canopy of trees, we were not protected against the lightly falling rain and soon resumed our journey back to the car. We met a few other people along the way, but generally enjoyed the solitude a rainy day can give you. The only sounds were the muffled engines from nearby I-90 as skiers raced off the the pass and our sniffling noses.

Perpetual Motion

Plan A fell through for the weekend, as did plan B, plan C and a few subsequent plans after that. But our adventurous spirits would not be squelched, so we packed up the puppies and drove north. Our 1st roadtrip right after we 1st met was along the cascades loop. Head north on I-5 to highway 20, turn east up over the mountains through the North Cascades National Park, when you reach the eastside head south on highway 97 until you get to Wenatchee where you turn west and head back over the mountains through Stevens Pass. We left late so weren't able to stop too often - our agenda was to continue on until we made it home again.

The snow is still melting from the high country - in fact snow still lingered along the highway at Rainy and Washington Passes obscuring the meadows that in a few weeks would be alive with flowers and critters. The run-off cascaded down the hills at every turn. Large vertigo inducing falls across the valleys to the small trickles running through the rocks at road side. They blurred by us as we sped along the highway. I wanted to get out and photograph every one I saw, but we had so many miles to go.

We finally stopped in Winthrop for dinner. Sitting on the deck of the restaurant, I sat mesmerized at the cottonwood tree on the river bank. The wind blowing down the river flipped and flickered the leaves of the cottonwood in an hypnotic dance.

All too soon, we were back on the road. With necessary breaks and dinner, we made it home 12 hours after leaving. Too bad we couldn't stop for real sight-seeing.