June 2008
Winter snow storms that closed the mountain passes in Washington state
kept us from a planned trip to Yellowstone NP in February but it was an easy
drive this month. We entered from West Yellowstone and spent most of a
week at Madison campground and a couple of days at Canyon and Mammoth.
Conditions at the Lower, Midway, and Upper Geyser Basins were good for photography. We liked photographing the steam from the geysers early in the morning when it was cooler. Midday was a good time to photograph the gorgeous blue, gold and orange colors of some of the springs and evening light added a golden glow to the basins. We also had an opportunity to photograph a family of bison walking alongside the boardwalk in the midway geyser basin one evening. As always, Old Faithful lived up to its name and we were able to photograph eruptions from various locations, including Observation Point. The other geyser basins that we photographed were Norris and West Thumb. Some of the geysers at West Thumb were under the shimmering water of Yellowstone Lake and fun to photograph.
The terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs have changed dramatically over the years we
have visited. The boardwalk from the lower to the upper terraces is an
interesting interpretive walk and some of the changes are illustrated with photos
from years past. We found Canary Spring a good spot for photography early
in the morning and late in the evening when there were fewer people on the
boardwalk and tripods could be set up.
Lower Yellowstone Falls, Tower Fall, Hayden Valley and Lamar Valley were beautiful landscape subjects and the valleys were a brilliant green. We saw a few bison, elk, deer, sheep, coyotes, bears, and pronghorns in the Hayden and Lamar Valleys but most of the animals were near Madison and Mammoth. There were hundreds of adult bison with dozens of calves in the herds near the roads by Madison so we were able to photograph from close range. Along the Firehole and Gibbon rivers, we photographed bison swimming across the rivers and calves scampering about once they reached the opposite shore. All this happened while people fished just a few yards away. Mammoth seemed to be the favorite spot for elk to gather and at this time of the year they were there with their calves, providing another photo op.
The
geothermal features and animals of Yellowstone are awesome to see and photograph
thanks in part to the presence of the army when the park was established in
1872. For 32 years the army protected the park from poachers who killed
the animals, souvenir hunters who broke off pieces of the geysers and developers
who set up camps for visitors with bath and laundry facilities in the hot
springs. The buildings of the old army fort at Mammoth are still used
today and make another good subject for photography.
We enjoyed this summer trip to Yellowstone and maybe next year we'll be able to make it for the winter photography that we missed this year.
April 2008
Our trip to southern Utah this spring was as much appreciated for the warm climate
as for the photo opportunities. We left the Pacific Northwest in snow
flurries one morning
and arrived at Zion NP the next afternoon where the temperature was in the 70s. The leaves of the cottonwood and maple trees were bright
green and the oak leaves were just beginning to show at Zion. They added a
colorful contrast to the red rocks for photography and the warm weather
continued while we enjoyed hiking and photographing in the the canyon.
From Zion, we made our way to several locations near Kanab that we hadn't photographed before: The Toadstools, Buckskin Gulch, and Coral Pink Sand Dunes. The Toadstools are a geologic wonder and just a short, easy hike from the trailhead along hwy 89. There were only a few other people in the area and we were able to wander around all evening to find photo compositions. The only other photographer we saw that evening was also happy with the solitude because he had been in Upper Antelope Canyon earlier in the day where there were hundreds of people trying to photograph the same subject. We were grateful that we had photographed Antelope Canyon when it was off season last fall and that we were heading to Buckskin Gulch for our slot canyon photography.
We drove to the trailhead for Buckskin Gulch and stayed there overnight.
The trailhead is also the starting point for the popular hike to Coyote Buttes. Permits are
required for both Buckskin Gulch and Coyote Buttes but Coyote is restricted to 20
passes each day. Ten can be obtained in advance and ten are awarded each day in
a lottery when there can be hundreds
of hikers trying to get a permit. We
talked with a hiker at the trailhead who was returning from Coyote at the end of the
day and he had gotten his permit on the second try. However, another person he had
met at the lottery was there for the fifth day, had five tickets in the lottery
(an extra one for each day he had shown up), didn't get chosen, and had to
return home from vacation without doing the hike! Though we would love to go to Coyote Gulch some
day, on this trip we felt lucky to get into Buckskin. Buckskin Gulch is less
than two miles from the trailhead and there were unending photo opportunities in
the canyon as the direction of the trail and position of the sun constantly changed.
We only went one or two miles into the canyon but met
backpackers who were taking three days to
hike the entire length of 21 miles.
Our next stop was Pink Coral Sand Dunes. When we visited the dunes in the past, it was difficult to photograph because of the dune buggy tracks in the sand but conditions were better this trip. A strong wind the night before we arrived had blown away the tracks and footprints. Though not our favorite dunes for composition, the color is amazing.
The lure of Bryce Canyon NP was too strong to ignore and we ended up there for the last few days of our trip. It was close to freezing when we photographed at sunrise but the temperatures reached into the 60s by the afternoons when we hiked the Navajo, Wall Street, Peekaboo, and Fairyland trails. Photographing with reflected light in the canyons of the southwest is a photographic treat for those of us living in the Pacific Northwest.
November 2007
A trip to Arizona in early November when Phoenix recorded four days in a row of
record high temperatures in the 90s was a welcome relief from the rain storms
and cool temperatures of the Pacific Northwest.
We had hoped to hike and photograph along the West Fork of Oak Creek when the
oak trees were at their prime but the leaves were down by the time we arrived.
There were still great photo opportunities, however, with the colors of the maple
and cottonwood trees along the creek and the red sandstone walls adding a backdrop to the
scenes. There were also wonderful compositions along Oak Creek at Slide
Rock State Park and at Red Rock Crossing. Many of the red rocks were also
great subjects for photography as well as vortex locations and spiritual sites.
Some of the roads to good viewpoints were not suitable for passenger cars
but were accessible through jeep tours.
Also near Sedona are Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle National Monuments and the historic mining town of Jerome. All are interesting sites historically and offer possibilities for photography.
From
Sedona we traveled north to Grand Canyon National Park and the slot canyons near
Page. We were especially interested in seeing Upper and Lower Antelope
Canyons since we have seen so many photos of them. There are no sunbeams
in the canyons at this time of the year but the reflected light was beautiful
for photography. The canyons are on privately owned property and a fee and
tour guide are required to visit and photograph. There is also a boat tour
into Antelope Canyon from Lake Powell that provides good views of the canyon at
the inlet while sitting in
the comfort of the boat.
Our past trips to the Grand Canyon were to camp and hike and bask in the awesomeness of the canyon. We enjoyed the wonder of the canyon as much as ever this trip but photographing it seemed almost as much of a workout as our previous hikes down to the bottom of the canyon and back. There is a wide range of contrast at the canyon, even at sunrise and sunset, but by taking multiple exposures we were able to compensate for the high contrast with a High Dynamic Range program. For afternoon photography, we liked Hopi and Pima Points and for morning we liked Yavapai Point. Lipan Point is a fantastic viewpoint with photo possibilities for both morning and afternoon. Like so many other natural wonders, this is a location that we would like to visit and photograph often.
October 2007
Once again, we searched for fall color in the Cascade mountains of the Pacific Northwest. We hiked to several lakes, some for the first time, to find good locations for photography. The places we liked for fall were Gem Lake, Merritt Lake, Valhalla Lake and Janus Lake. The best photo oppportunity of the season was at Ingalls Pass where the golden larch trees were covered with fresh snow from an early storm and Mt. Stuart was visible in the background.
May 2007
Our trip to the southwest this spring gave us a better appreciation of the early cultures and architecture in that area and a chance to enjoy the climate where one day we were belted with hail stones and the next we were seeking relief from the heat. Our tour included north central and northwest New Mexico and southwest Colorado. The population of the state of New Mexico is about the same as our local King county so it was relaxing as well as interesting traveling the open roads.
In Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos, we photographed the adobe architecture and colorful markets and shops in the historic old towns. The mission churches and cathedrals were also good subjects. A favorite was the sanctuary at Chimayo which has a reputation for miraculous healing and cures. Though photography is not allowed, the Georgia O'Keefe museum in Santa Fe was an inspirational stop.
Visits to the archeological sites of Mesa Verde in Colorado and Chaco Canyon,
Bandelier, and Aztec Ruins in New Mexico were trips back through time and great
places to photograph. The
remains of the cliff dwellings, multi storied stone buildings, and kivas
provided a glimpse of what the ancestral Pueblo communities looked like a
century or so ago and the displays of pottery, tools, and other objects helped
us imagine what a day might have been like for the people who lived there so many
years ago. The full moon rising over the ruins at Chaco Canyon, the
reconstructed kiva at Aztec Ruins, and the tours through Balcony House and Cliff
Palace at Mesa Verde were highlights at these locations. Another
interesting archeological stop was the Petroglyph National Monument near Albuquerque.
From these ancestral sites, the Pueblo people moved south. Today there are
nineteen pueblos in New Mexico and one in Arizona. Some of the pueblos
allow visitors and photography, for a fee, though there may be
restrictions on what may be photographed. The historic Acoma and Taos
pueblos were especially interesting and photography permits were available for
purchase.
Popular with local hikers is Tent Rocks National Monument. The park is convenient to get to from both Albuquerque and Santa Fe yet is like wilderness. The main attraction and subject for photography is the uniqueness of the cone or tent shaped rocks. We found good compositions along the trail circling the bases of the rocks and along the trail to the mesa top.
As always, there are more places to see and things to do in this area and we look forward to a return trip some day,.
November 2006
Autumn
color in the Pacific Northwest seemed better than average this year but,
unfortunately, it didn't last as long as we would have liked. We
photographed red huckleberry patches along the trails and lakes in the Cascades
and colorful aspen, maple and cottonwood groves by the rivers and ponds east of
the mountains.
A backpacking trip to one of our favorite locations--the Enchantments in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area--was the highlight of the season. Located above 6,500 feet, Enchantment Lakes is a wonderland of lakes and larch trees nestled in the light colored granite rock and, for just a brief time before they are blown off by the wind, the needles of the larch trees turn golden. This is not only a fabulous location for photography but a great place to renew one's spirit.
September 2006
The first day of fall is quickly approaching and, as we review the photos we took this summer, one theme is evident. It's the Cascade mountains of Washington state.
In late June, the meadows near the Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center at Mt. St.
Helens NVM were filled with lupine and other wild flowers. The meadows,
Johnston Ridge, and Spirit Lake were all unique and interesting vantage points
for photographs of Mt. St. Helens. The mountain itself was letting off
steam and the cone in the crater was continuing to grow. The increase of plants
and animals in this devastated area has been amazing to see over the past 26
years. Stopping your vehicle to allow a herd of elk to cross the road is
an awesome experience anywhere but is especially touching at Mt. St. Helens.
We enjoyed camping and photographing in the Goat Rocks Wilderness last fall and returned in mid July to see how the area compared in the summer season. Only one snow patch remained on the trail to Snowgrass Flat and there were many flowers, including beargrass, magenta paintbrush, pink mountain heather, and yellow buttercups. The trail to Cispus Basin was also snow free and only a few patches of snow remained on the hillsides, offering refuge for the 50 to 60 mountain goats we saw there.
We made two trips to the Mt. Baker area in August. On the first trip, we
hiked to the Skyline Divide, Lake Ann, and Yellow Aster Butte. All three
hikes included spectacular scenery with views of either Mt. Baker or Mt. Shuksan
or both. On the second trip, we did two hikes in the Baker Lake area, one
to Park Butte and the other to Anderson Butte and Watson Lakes. These were
also scenic hikes with great views of Mt. Baker.
This month we've enjoyed hiking to some of the peaks and lakes near Snoqualmie Summit. The locations we liked best for photography were Snow lake, Upper Melakwa Lake and Melakwa Pass. Fall color is starting to show in the Cascades but we don't know how extensive the color will be due to the shortage of rain all summer.