And This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Summer of 2013 found me excitedly exploring Point Reyes National Seashore for the first time. I camped just outside the park in Point Reyes Station and drove most days through the small community of Inverness and their iconic shipwreck, the S.S. Point Reyes.

The S.S. Point Reyes has been stranded on a sandbar in Tomales near town for as long as anybody in town remembers. Photographers and tourists stopped to photograph this very picturesque derelict of a ship.

That is until recently.

Oh folks will still be able to stop and see the wreckage but the wreckage is greater than it used to be because of some unthinking fools who thought a cool picture was worth the risk. Read an article describing what happened here.

Steel Wool Spinning has gained in popularity over the years as a photographic gimmick. Set fire to steel wool and spin it around on a string as sparks fly of in arc - it creates really cool photos that get lots of likes on FaceBook and Instagram.

The problem is, well, those sparks. They spinning is casting off sparks of molten hot steel. They burn when they land on skin. They burn when they land on dried wood, grass and other burnables. They don't just evaporate into thin air. And when they land on something, they don't just disappear.

All too often, photos of spinning steel wool are made in our wild places. Places that are protected, places that are sensitive, places that could burn. And even if the sparks from spinning steel doesn't set off a fire, there is still the matter of the bits of steel left behind. This is basic Leave No Trace Principles - leave a place as you found it.

A friend once posed this question (and this goes towards biologicals too). Ask yourself - would this/these bits of steel wool be here if it wasn't for me? If the answer is no (and generally the answer to this question is no) then it doesn't belong there and you need to pack it out. Period. Little bits of steel left behind are littering and damaging. Even if you can't see them, they're still destructive by adding elements to the land that weren't there to begin with.

But if you find you must spin steel wool for a cool photo, do me a favor. Look around you and imagine this space as your home. Would you spin burning steel wool in your home? Then maybe you shouldn't spin it here either.

At this point the National Park Service is considering removing the S.S. Point Reyes as it's now a safety hazard. And that is sad for photographers, tourists and residents alike.

The Distraction of the Camera

SPOILER ALERT!!! If you have not seen The Secret Life of Walker Mitty stop reading right now, head immediately to Netflix to watch one of the most endearing films in recent years. Then you can come back and finish reading this blog post.

In the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Walter played by Ben Stiller heads out on a quest to find renowned photojournalist Sean O'Connell played by Sean Penn. When Walter finally finds Sean, he is sitting watching the den of a snow leopard, lens pointed towards a mass of rock. During the ensuing conversation, the snow leopard appears. They watch as the leopard emerges and looks around. Finally Walter asks Sean if he going to take the picture. Sean replies "Sometimes I don't. If I like a moment, for me, personally, I don't like to have the distraction of the camera. I just want to stay in it."

That line resonated with me and is one of several reasons I fell in love with the movie. (Not the least of those is Ben Stiller's performance - there's nothing like a grizzled man in a parka to make me smile.)

It's a statement about being in the moment. Enjoying what is there - the sights, sounds, emotions.

How often have you set aside your camera to watch the sun set below the horizon? Or stopped washing dishes to watch the kids play tag? Sat in silence watching how the sun sparkles off the leaves around and above you.

Be in the moment. Don't worry about camera settings or your to-do list. Believe me, most every destination you're heading toward will be there when you get there. And certainly if you want to catch the emotion of a scene in your photography, put the camera down and feel. Immerse yourself in the moment. Then and only then do you lift your camera back up to create your image.

I was reminded of this on a recent trip to the Skagit Valley to see the Snow Geese. Every winter 10's of thousands of Snow Geese descend on the farmlands of the Skagit Valley to feed before heading back to their nesting grounds near Russia. Their numbers turn the fields white. With so many the noise is almost deafening. Their high notes are the honking of the geese communicating to each other. The base is a humming as they graze - a sort of yum-yum-yum-yum as they eat. An eagle flies near and as one they honking becomes higher as they lift off away from danger, circle around, land and graze some more.

I stopped photographing them after a while to just listen to their song and watch as they moved past me. Leaning against the fence protecting the birds from us, I watched as a story of life played out before me. And every now and then one goose would stop to watch me too.

February Foto-Challenge

A portrait photographer friend of mine has a fun little tradition every February. She asks her clients, friends and family to join her on a creative adventure - a photo a day for the month.

She gives them a list of topics/subjects/ideas - one per day - and those who take her up on the challenge have the creative license to interpret the daily task as they see fit. They then tag her on social media so she can see what they do.

It's so much fun, I wanted to put one together myself with a twist. If you are a photographer, artist or writer join me a get your creative juices flowing.

So I hereby challenge you my friends, my family, my followers. The creative souls who inhabit this space with me. Here is the 1st annual HIWalkerPhoto Foto-Challenge:

Day 1: Safety 1st                                        
Day 2:Shadows                                          
Day 3: Red                                                 
Day 4: Building Blocks
Day 5: Out the Window
Day 6: Snow Day
Day 7: Secrets
Day 8: Wake me Up
Day 9: Reach for the Sky
Day 10: Cravings
Day 11: My Family
Day 12: Good Friends
Day 13: A Good Pair of Shoes
Day 14: X's & O's
Day 15: Dead Presidents
Day 16: A Duck's Life
Day 17: Life's Imperfections
Day 18: Textures
Day 19: Laughter
Day 20: Where I'm Going
Day 21: Where I've Been
Day 22: Monday Morning Blues
Day 23: Contrasts
Day 24: Life is a Playground
Day 25: I Ate What?
Day 26: My Happy Place
Day 27: Fast Food
Day 28: Early Spring
Day 29: I Love You Because . . .                            

Cooper

I've always been a bit of a sucker for big brown puppy-dog eyes. My dad was a dog person so we always had dogs around. My first real friend was Lady, a German Shepherd with a taste for rubber squeaky mice. Oh how she loved to gnaw on them until the squeak was gone. She was my playmate, confidant and protector.

As a child, I would have most likely identified with being a cat person. I couldn't wait until we moved to the farm to get a cat (or several - it was a farm, you need lots of barn cats, right?) But dogs were always present.

Now I would consider myself an animal person. I would have a menagerie if I could. In the meantime, I will love on the critters I meet.

That is how I got to go for a walk with my friend's Golden Retriever Cooper. I had gone to Cle Elum for a business meeting, staying in Michelle's vacation home at the Suncadia Resort. Cooper was there too, keeping his favorite human company.

While she worked on a few things before our meeting, I decided to go for a walk to stretch my legs after my drive. I coaxed Cooper to come with me. A little reluctant at first, he soon became enthusiastic for the adventure. He trotted off ahead of me on the trail, a very large doggy smile on his face.

My 12 Favorite Images from 2015

What an amazing year 2015 was. I spent most of the year touring the various state parks of Washington, research for my book. Visiting new parks and old favorites opened my eyes to just how remarkable my already beloved Washington truly is. With every park, I became more inspired to research more, go further and share what I've experienced with my friends. Here are 12 of a few of my favorite images from the year, although it was hard to narrow it down. (They're not in any particular order.)

1. Day Lily in Rain - This lovely lily was found at Peace Arch State Park in Blaine. It had been a pretty dry summer here in Washington but when I reached the U.S. Canadian border I discovered where all of our rain went. It was a fun afternoon running around photographing rain splattered flowers in the gardens.

2. Joy - Weekends spent at the beach with my cousins is always a joy. Here three of them are gleefully jumping in the waves at Grayland State Park.

3. Umatilla Rock at Twilight - While exploring Dry Falls/Sun Lakes State Park, I admired this view of Umatilla Rock reflected in Vic Meyer Lake. Later, Zillah and I made our way back to the shores and waited for the vibrant blue of twilight.

4. Cama Beach Cabins - I spent a quiet weekend in a cabin along the beach at Cama Beach State Park. At twilight I ventured out for an image of lit cabin windows against the royal blue sky.

5. 3-on-3 - This summer Kent sponsored a 3-on-3 basketball tournament for all ages. One court was reserved for a small group paraplegic players who gave the game their all. Even more impressive was the one woman who played with and against the guys. She never backed down, never gave up and had the respect of her fellow players.

6. Sand Dollar in Sea Foam - Beaches have been an inspiration in my life since my youngest days. I search out the beach for serenity and to remind myself of my place in this world. Small vignettes of sea creatures and sea life are easy for me to bring home to give me peace in my normal life.

7. Kayaks on the Lewis River - Sometimes special places come from the most unexpected places. Paradise Point State Park is no exception. Located under I-5, one would wonder if there is anything photographic here. But hike the trail up river and you come to this overlook. It's a reminder to always keep your eyes and creativity open no matter what.

8. Meadowrue - Meadowrue is a delicate forest flower with male and female plants (left is female, right is male) growing close to each other in shaded areas. The female flower reminds me of fireworks and the male flowers remind me Chinese lanterns. The trouble with photographing the flowers is that they quiver at even the slightest thought of a breeze and since they grow in low light, they can be difficult to capture.

9. Contemplation - Hiking with my sister this summer on our training to climb Mt St Helens, we hiked out to Pratt Lake. It was one of those days that was just perfect - perfect light, perfect weather, perfect hiking partners. I was able to photograph my sister looking out over the calm lake, contemplating her coming climb (I didn't make it).

10. All Lines lead to Mt Rainier - There wasn't a lot of snow this past winter at mt Rainier, but there was enough for a snowshoe or two in the upper meadows. The winds had carved beautiful curving lines the led straight to our state's mountain. Who could resist the photo opportunity?

11. Sunset over the Palouse - With the dry hot summer we had, wildfires scorched hundreds of acres of tress and far too many homes and businesses. And the smoke was devastating to Eastern Washington with several days where the air quality was so bad as to be deadly for people with breathing problems. Even by October, the smoke still hadn't cleared but then sunsets like this only happen when the air quality is bad. Good tidings from bad.

12. In The Rays - Finally, after so many time driving by the Oregon Coast Aquarium I was able to visit this past Thanksgiving. What a remarkable place - go if you ever have the opportunity. While walking through the underwater passages, I captured this Ray swimming through the rays of the sun. Makes me smile every time I see it.

On to 2016. May your New Year be filled with adventure and beauty. H

Washington State Parks: Palouse Falls

Palouse Falls is so well-loved by Washingtonians that it is our official state waterfall. It is also well-loved by photographers. And it's not hard to see why.

There is drama in the landscape here. The walls of the canyon, carved from the land by the Missoula Floods expose rugged columnar basalt. The Palouse River winds through the canyon first dropping over the upper falls, a plummet of about 20 feet. It looks to be almost a set of rapids in comparison to the 198 foot drop of the park's main attraction, lower falls. It then meanders through curved canyons until it reaches its confluence with the Snake River.

Most people and almost all photographers come for the views of the lower falls as it plunges into a deep bowl. From the view points along the short rim trail, you can photograph the gentle rolling Palouse hill landscape in contrast with the rugged canyons. Even a snapshot gathers applause.

A wide angle lens is used for the sweeping vistas one can get from the view points. These images show the contrast between the surrounding hills and the deep canyons, hidden from view until you reach the rim.

But don't put your telephoto lens away. Details of the canyon such as the castle rocks that stand guard at the edge of lower falls can be isolated from the scene. And there's a lot of beauty in the details of Palouse Falls.

Late afternoon can bring a special show to the falls. Stand at the far north end of the rim trail, where the rim is blocked and you can see a rainbow near the base of the falls. You may not want to move as it shimmers in the spray of the falls.

As with most waterfalls, seasonal changes can be quite dramatic. Winter and spring rains can have the waterfall gushing over the edge and summer's droughts can reduce the falls to a trickle. The meadows of the park can also have varying changes for the seasons with flowers blooming in the spring and summer and dried grasses in the autumn.

There is a darker side to Palouse Falls State Park, a sad story of the misuse by the people who love it so. This past October, park staff erected a fence blocking entry to the north end of the park and with it blocking access to the upper falls and some of the more iconic views of the falls.

Why? Because visitors couldn't respect the park or the land.

Social trails criss-cross the north end of the park and once visitors got to the view of upper falls, they'd climb down the basalt walls to the canyon floor, sometimes getting stuck and needing rescue. Vandalism was also occurring regularly to park machinery in the area. Park staff decided the best way to protect the park and the visitors was to close off that section of the park.

The only authorized trail in the park is the rim trail. All other trails including the one to the base of lower falls are social trails. Please be careful if you decide to hike this trail as it is not maintained as it is not an authorized trail. Maybe with more funding and staffing it could be safer to hike, but if that trail is also misused staff may need to close off that section of the park too.

Palouse Falls State Park is a camping park but for tents only. All campsites are walk-in campsites. There are train tracks that go through a small canyon just west of the entrance and yes, trains travel through there during the night. So if you do camp out, take ear plugs.

Getting there: From highway 26 in Eastern Washington, head south on highway 260/261. Drive 6.5 miles and turn left staying on highway 261 (highway 260 continues straight). Continue on highway 261 for 8.5 miles to Palouse Falls Rd and follow the step road to the park.

The Bobcat

I had my choice of shaded spots to park my car so I chose a shadier one. But I feared as the morning lengthened, the shadows would shorten leaving my car and my after hike snack to bake in the sun. I nudged the car as close to the barrier as I dared. The day was already warm so I stripped off my legs of my pants and left the coat in the car adjusted my ball cap and left the parking lot.

A couple of days before while hiking the Point Tomales Trail, I chatted with a woman who had espoused the beauties of the trail out to Arch Rock. It was like walking through Middle Earth, she said. So green, so lush that she expected elves to walk out of the woods and greet her. Sounded marvelous and even though I had planned to hike the trail, I grew more excited to make the journey.

The trail at one point had been a road but had since been decommissioned. For most of the trip, the Beaver Valley trail is wide with a gradual incline to Divide Meadow and slowly descends down to the junction with the Arch Rock Trail.

It was at Divide Meadow where I saw it.

As I started my way down, I spied an odd shape next to the trail. It's shape similar to a sitting cat. Knowing Point Reyes has feral cats, I began a one-sided conversation with what I believed to be a cat.

It turned it's head towards me as I asked "Are yo a good kitty or are you a bad kitty?" Spying the tufts of hair on the tips of it's ears and a on its cheeks, I knew it was more than a mere cat. I was staring at a bobcat. My heart leapt.

I continued to talk to the beautiful feline as I slowly approached, crossing to the other side of the wide trail. Finally, it stood up and trotted into the tall grasses of the meadow showing me its short tail and large feet.

My head was spinning. A bobcat! I had seen a bobcat! And never took out my camera.

The rest of the trail was just as my previous acquaintance had described - lush greens that reminded me of home - to a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I easily sat on the overlook, my only company a bold sea gull who came to investigate me. I thought how lucky I was to have seen such a beautiful animal.

My way back seemed so uneventful. I got back to my car and thought I should report the sighting to the park. The ranger I spoke to was just as excited as I was about the incident.

Every now and then, something happens on the trail that makes me remember why I love being in the wilderness.