Rapids

New Nooksack location

Jan 18

By now, it should be apparent that I spend a lot of time scouting for new locations up in the Nooksack River valley near Mount Baker. It’s such a large area but through research using aerial photos and maps, I’ve been able to identify some potentially nice sections of river that may not be that obvious. On this particular day, the morning was stunning thanks in large part to bluebird conditions- fresh snowfall and clear skies the next morning. Before I enjoyed the fresh snow at the Mount Baker Ski Area, I took some photos of some of the surrounding views.

The Nooksack Ridge was encased in a thick,fresh coat of snow and the mid-morning light was casting interesting shadows across the ridgeline. Higher winds were present along the Shuksan Arm ridgeline of Mount Shuksan and the snow was being blown off as spindrift that was also backlit by the rising sun. My attention turned to more recreational pursuits for the rest of the morning. Having my fill of the fresh snow conditions, I left the ski area to go exploring.

First up was more of a hunch rather than research. Two weeks ago, I snapped a few pictures of Galena Creek which crosses underneath the Mount Baker Highway about a mile or so before the ski area. Lately, I’ve glanced over to a particular open area just off of the highway that was down hill of where I took my previous pictures. Parking is an issue here (a chain-up area so only 30 minute parking) so I had to work fast.

A short trek through some overgrown brush brought me to Galena Creek and a very pleasant surprise- a waterfall! It turns out this was the site of a bridge for a decomissioned logging road. On either side of the creek were some reinforced bridge abutments (but no bridge). After some snaps of the waterfall, I negotiated up to the top edge of the waterfall to find another small log “ledge” and mini-waterfall. More quick snaps and I headed out to make sure I didn’t get my truck towed or ticketed.

My last stop was another spot along the Nooksack and was about 1/4 mile east of my last location. I found the hike down to the river not too bad and would probably be easier in a normal snow year (currently there is no snowpack in the valley bottom). I found this location to be full of good potential, particularly in the presence of a nice snowpack and/or fresh snowfall. Lots of interest in the river due to some well positioned boulders and the river’s edge also has some interesting rock formations.

From this vantage point, I paralleled the river and traveled upstream just a bit to reach one of the horseshoe type bends in the river. Once again, a number of elements are in place that should provide some great photos in different conditions!..

Boulder River

Jan 10

An El Nino forecast of rain and a 5,000 foot+ snow level was forecasted for the weekend so I opted to revisit the forest alongside the Boulder River. I ended up having a springlike day with no rain and even some blue skies. The Boulder River and Boulder River Wilderness drain the slopes of Three Fingers and ultimately spill out into the North Fork Stillaguamish River east of Arlington. The river is mostly constrained in a tight canyon and has some pretty good volume.

The hike alongside the river reward the hike with views of a few waterfalls which flow directly into the river. My only visit to this area was about 2 years ago but I didn’t spend much time exploring sections of the river. This time, I explored three locations along the river. The first location was located on the “front side” of the hike in and was a hunch due to a louder than normal sound of the river. Once I reached the water’s edge, I was not disappointed…

After I was done here, I regained the trail and continued along it until I reached the first waterfall (a minor one). From above, I noticed a nice series of boulders in the river downstream of the falls so I made my way down to take some photos…

My last stop for this day was only just a bit further and was the main bridal veil type waterfall. I initially set up downstream of the falls but the breeze that’s generated by the river blew in a lot of spray onto my lens. I repositioned upstream of the falls but, by this point, it was pretty late in the day and the fading light was making it difficult to take any more photos. A very enjoyable day..

More from the Nooksack

Jan 04

I returned to the North Fork Nooksack River to explore one of the many locations I’ve identified for potential photo opportunities. I actually took some photos in the forest located in this area last winter but did not have the chance to explore this section of river. As I’m discovering, one’s exploration of the river is limited without the use of waders or even rubber boots!

Here are a couple of shots of Galena Creek, up near the Mount Baker Ski Area:

Now onto the river. This stretch of river is located near milepost 43…

Eagles and Winter

Dec 31

Now back in more familiar territory, I headed out to explore a certain stretch of the North Fork Nooksack River that I attempted previously. Before that, however, I decided to swing by a part of the river which was recommended as a bald eagle viewing area by users of a hiking forum. The location is the Mosquito Lake Road bridge over the North Fork Nooksack River bridge:

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On this rainy morning, I counted about 8 eagles including 2 juveniles. Almost all of the eagles were perched high up in the adjacent trees so my 300mm lens comes up just a bit shy. Some of these photos are cropped versions of the originals so that the eagle fills the frame a bit more.

It was now time to move on so I drove up the Mount Baker Highway to the turnoff for the Wells Creek Road and Nooksack Falls. This winter I became intrigued with a stretch of the Nooksack upstream of the famous falls where the river flows through a deep gorge. Accessing this stretch of river is not without hazard because the only entry points are at either end of the gorge or down the steep side slope. During a previous attempt, I worked my way through the forest to the downstream end of the gorge but eventually cliffed out.

On this outing, I followed a small drainage gully down to the river’s edge and then followed it upstream. Despite being at the water’s edge, I met a similar fate. Entrance to the gorge was prevented by a cliff wall and swift currents of the river. If I am to enter this gorge, it will have to be from the sideslope or the upstream edge of the gorge. During my stay, the snow began to fall really hard. Given the longer exposure times I was using, this added some banding artifacts to my photos..

Elliott Creek

Sep 07

Washington’s weather has settled back into its normal pattern- sunny weekdays and cloudy/rainy weekends. Plan A was thwarted once again by the weather so I had to find a Plan B. Given the 100% chance of rain, I tried to keep in the forest and at lower elevation. After rejected a few options, I settled on returning to the Goat Lake Trail off of the Mountain Loop Highway. I had hiked this trail many years ago and remembered that it paralleled Elliott Creek for much of the way to Goat Lake. It seemed like the best option given the 100% chance of rain.

The trail to Goat lake is five miles long and actually has two options- an upper trail and a lower trail. The upper trail follows a decommissioned road while the lower trail follows Elliott Creek. About halfway in, both trails merge and continue onward to Goat Lake. On this day, I focused just on the lower trail and Elliot Creek. It gradually gains elevation as you head up valley and always stays within earshot of the creek. A nice added bonus is that the forest along the lower trail is very diverse and lush, offering even more to look at.

On this particular day, it rained steadily the entire time and both myself and my camera gear got drenched. Thankfully, Pentax makes cameras and lenses that are built to take these kind of conditions! As these outings tend to go for me, the destination wasn’t as important as the trail to it so I only managed to make it a fraction of the way in towards Goat Lake.

Deception Creek

Jun 22

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I decided to stay closer to home and explored Deception Creek. This creek is the source for the popular Deception Falls located between the town of Skykomish and Stevens Pass along Highway 2. I’ve made a few trips to Deception Falls (as I’ve posted before on my blog) but I’ve never visited the trail that travels up up the Deception Creek valley. The trail generally stays within earshot of the creek but I decided to stay much closer to the creek during my exploration.

Within a short distance, the trail enters the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and soon climbs up and away from the creek. I decided to leave the trail at about the point where the log bridge crosses the creek. I have to say that this bridge is one of the most “elegant” I’ve seen out on the trails!

Ruckel Creek Exploration

May 31

For the final day of my brief 2 day trip to the Gorge, I wanted to explore the highly touted stretch of the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side. It is best known for its high density of wonderful waterfalls and easy access off of Interstate 84. After some research, I narrowed my options down to a couple sites and selected Ruckel Creek. Access for Ruckel Creek is accomplished via the very popular Eagle Creek Trailhead. From here, a brief half mile hike eastward through lush forest puts you at the official trailhead.

A bit of a misnomer, the Ruckel Creek Trail starts next to the creek but quickly switchbacks above and away from it. I had no lofty goals so I explored the immediate banks of the creek above & below the trailhead. Sunny skies make for very tough photography so I made the best of it. I would love to return on a cloudy or overcast day!..