Steve Cole Photography

Pacific Northwest Landscape / Nature Photography

Washington State

Top 10 of 2009

Dec 16

On one of the photography forums that I frequent, someone posted their “top ten” images for 2009. I thought that was a great idea so, in honor of the first full year of my blog, I went through my images and selected my top ten. It was very hard since I had such a tremendous year of growth thanks in part to this blog. So- in no particular order, here are my top ten images for 2009….

1. Autumnal Sunset – Mount Rainier National Park

Taken from the Tolmie Peak lookout, the warm light of sunset really stands out making this a “classic” Mount Rainier photo for me.

More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.

2. Horseshoe Bend – North Fork Nooksack River Valley

This panorama was the payoff of exploration. I’ve been interested in finding someplace where I could create a panorama centered on a horseshoe bend of the river in a snowy scene. My first attempt wasn’t quite to my liking but I happened to stumble across this location which turned out to be very accessible.

More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.

3. Park Glacier Icefall

This shot was just a quick one while I waited for some cloud cover to lift from the summit of Mount Baker. Over time, this photo has really grown on me and I think a great example of how telephoto zooms are beneficial in landscape photography.

More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.

4. Deception Creek Panorama

Beautiful is a word that comes to mind for me with this photo. This photo was taken at my first stop on this particular outing. It wasn’t until I got home and pieced the panorama together when this scene’s impact really became apparent. When I now look at this photo, I’m really drawn into the movement of the creek as well as its expanse across the entire image.

More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.

5. Trees in Threes – Mount Rainier National Park

Taken on a wet morning on Mazama Ridge, this is another example of a photo that really struck a chord after processing it back home. For me, the photo has a lot going for it- a variety of wildflowers in the foreground and a repeating sequence of trees which eventually fade into the mist and fog of the background. I’m very proud of this image.

More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.

6. Inside Out – Mount Rainier National Park

I had been on a mission to find a better representation of this perspective. My previous attempts, while successful, looked out at a largely uninteresting forest. I happened to spy this log downhill off trail and knew that this was the one. I thought the jagged appearance of the opening added interest while the stump located just upslope ties the foreground to the background. This photo was physically a challenge to take since it did require crawing into the hollowed out portion of the log to gain this perspective. Now add in steady rain and things got even more difficult.

More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.

7. Winter’s Frost

I took this photo along side a creek in a cold pocket. The shaded area facilitated the development of this frost but the steep sideslope made taking the photo a bit challenging. I just love the pattern of frost and fir needles.

More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.

8. Wrapped in Fall

This is another shot composed with the aid of a telephoto zoom. I shot a series of photos trying different compositions and really loved the contrast between the vibrant oranges and the darker, muted tones of the trunk of the tree.

More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.

9. Cougar Divide

I remember this outing very much, primarilly due to my disappointment in this day’s sunset (or lack of one). The oranges and reds of sunset never made their way towards Mount Baker on this afternoon since a storm system seemed to move in quicker than forecasted. Still, I shot what was presented and this image really struck me and a beautiful combination of foreground, sky, and mountain.

More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.

10. No Better Time – Mount Rainier National Park

Taken during my first visit to Mazama Ridge, this small pocket of widlflowers in prime bloom seems to have a nice flow across the image, anchored by the False Hellebore on the left side of the frame. A very pleasing image for me.

More photos from this trip can be found in my blog post here.

Thank you for visiting throughout this past year and I look forward to more posts and photos during the upcoming year! Seasons Greetings!

Nooksack Wetland

Nov 30

Thanksgiving meal bloat left me feeling a tad lazy so I just managed to explore another minor forest service road in the upper North Fork Nooksack River valley. I picked this location because of a couple of streams which bisected the road but those didn’t quite pan out. Instead, I was drawn to a huge wetland complex that feeds the Nooksack..

Unnamed Creek

Nov 23

I wanted to explore a new portion of the North Fork Nooksack River this weekend but the lack of a lower elevation snowpack made things too dangerous to continue. While in the general area, I decided to explore a different section of an unnamed creek that I’ve looked at before…

Going Green Again

Nov 18

Another foolish weekend in the rain down at Mount Rainier National Park and along the Carbon River valley. I had some regret for NOT taking a particular shot last week so I decided to head back down to get it. Once again, the weather was steady rain and a complete challenge to keep my camera & lenses moisture free.

This was the shot I noticed last week:

I also took advantage of the hike in to explore the old growth forest:

Green Lake

Nov 08

My first visit to Washington State was in the summer of 1992 and I spent a week with my best friend staying with his aunt and uncle. His uncle took us out on a few tourist type outings down to Mount Saint Helens and to Mount Rainier National Park. I was in awe of everything I saw but what left a lasting impression on me was a simple hike to Green Lake in the northwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park. I can’t explain it but the stillness and peace of the setting has always been something I’ve looked forward to. Now that I live here, the opportunity to visit Green Lake in a winter setting is really special to me.

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Back in 1992, accessing Green lake was pretty easy. The trailhead lies at the side of the road halfway between the Carbon River Park Entrance and the end of the road at Ipsuit Creek Campground. Flooding in the late 1990s changed all of this and sadly, the road can no longer be driven (and most likely will never be repaired). What used to be a 1.8 mile hike is now requires a 3 mile hike along the road just to reach the trailhead. The extra hike along the road makes this a long day but the flip side is that it allows you to enjoy the temperate old growth forest that would normally blur past you while driving the road.

On this particular outing, I expected rain and hoped for snow at the lake (both of which I got). I also enjoyed the entire day in solitude. At the lake, the weather was steady light rain with some brief sleet. After 2 1/2 hours of hiking in the rain, I was saturated and slightly chilled so I was not able to stay as long as I would have liked. After some quick pictures and lunch, I was headed back and trying to take photos of all the things I made a mental note of. I’ll have to make a return trip just to explore the forest along the road..

Frog Mountain and the Upper Beckler Watershed

Oct 26

Having studied the weather forecasts, Saturday was projected to be a dry day as a lull between storm systems. The snow level would also drop so I figured some early snowfall shots might be in order. During my visit last week, I noticed a mountain just east of Jacks Pass which had red tinted meadow slopes near the summit. The mountain is named Frog Mountain and, from looking at maps, it could be scaled halfway on a series of abandoned logging roads.

On my way to Jacks Pass, I could see that portions of the very top did have fresh snow and the weather seemed to be clearing out more. I was hoping that some visual navigation would be possible once the old roadway faded away. The first challenge was finding the entry point of the road. From Jacks Pass, the old road begins clearly but that leads to a huge open area littered with way too much target practice debris- shell casings, clay pigeons.

This made me very nervous because I didn’t want to be heading back only to be BEHIND some people firing guns. Anyways, I found the entry point which had grown over, making it less obvious. Once on the old road, however, it was still fairly well defined. Young alders are filling in the road surface but the going isn’t too bad. Without signage, some decisions had to be made at a few of the road spurs but I made good time along the road section.

I reached what I decided was the end of the road in short order but was not encouraged by what I saw. Above me, the more mature forest above the regenerating clearcut I was in was pretty thick, and there was no direct line of sight to the upper slopes. Being alone and without my GPS, I thought better of continuing. After that decision, I did spy a road spur that continued further upslope. I determined that one spur dead ends in a clearcut but the second spur is promising. I will have to check it out some other time.

I made it back down fairly quickly and still had most of the afternoon so I explored some of the other Forest Service roads in the area. Always good to know what’s out there for future pursuits!

The next storm system starting making its appearance in the late afternoon and on my way home, I across two rainbows at two different locations. Pretty cool!..

Soggy Cascades

Oct 19

Despite the 100% certainly of rain, I ventured into the Cascades for a forest hike. The heart of the Central Cascades and the end of Forest Service Road 63 is what attracted my attention. At the end of that road are several trailheads: West Cady Ridge, North Fork Skykomish River, and Quartz Creek. Of those options, I decided on Quartz Creek after some research on the web. The normal access to this area is provided by the Index-Galena Road near the town of Index (also identified as Forest Service Road 63) but an alternate route is now required due to the 2006 flood damage.

Access is now achieved via the Beckler River Road (Forest Service Road 65) which goes up and over Jack Pass (2,000 feet) and then intersects FS Rd 63. This was my first visit to this area and it’s simply amazing. Fall color is now really taking off all along the Beckler River as well as the upper North Fork Skykomish River valley and the road is in really great shape. In what seemed like short order, I arrived at the trio of trailheads.

I was surprised by the absence of rain at the trailhead. After gearing up, I headed out on the trai, which was also in great shape. The Quartz Creek trail makes its way up the valley towards Curry Gap, a distance of about 4.5 miles. Not too long after starting, the rain began and alternated between stronger and lighter cells.

During my research, one of the trip reports I read mentioned a log which was large enough and hallowed out that it allowed someone to get inside of it. After finding it along the trail, I decided to get in for a photo opportunity:

I pushed further along on the trail and was taking some additional photos when thunder and lightning made an appearance. It was loud and it was close so I immediately packed up and scampered back to the trailhead. Since I had some extra time, I looked a little closer at the surroundings as I headed home. I was so impressed by what I saw, I returned the next day to take more photos (which I’ll post later this week).

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.

Failure at Lost Creek Ridge

Aug 21

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Plans don’t always come together like you intend. For me, I had planned on a five day exploration of the five mile long Lost Creek Ridge within the Glacier Peak Wilderness. Subalpine meadows, lakes and constant views of Glacier Peak sounded like a great combination for photography. It stands to reason that you have to GAIN the ridge to enjoy these sights. Several years ago, I day hiked up to the ridge so I already had some familiarity with the trail and what to expect.

The trail starts at 1800′ in the North Fork Sauk River Valley and, for the first half mile, affords a very rich forest understory. Water is common during the first half mile but only early in the season (bone dry during my trip). After the first half mile, the switchbacks begin and just don’t seem to stop. The steepest portion of the ascent does end with your arrival at Bingley Gap, a forested ridgeline 3 miles in at 4400 feet.

From Bingley Gap, additional switchbacks and 500 vertical feet finally reward you with your first unobstructed views of the Sauk River Valley. Leaving the forest, the trail contours the steep slopes and enters the subalpine meadows. About five miles in from the trailhead, you reach a fork in the trail which leads you to Round Lake, a beautiful lake tucked away in a bowl below the ridge. Excellent camping exists at the lake but they must be accessed by a steep 0.7 mile long trail down into the bowl.

My plan was to access the ridge on day one, hike across to the east end on day two, spend day three exploring the area around Lake Byrne, hike back across the ridge for day four and then hike out on day five. Forecasts called for sunny conditions (including a brief warm up during the week) the entire week. Unlike previous summers, I would be doing this trip solo (a first for me). My backpack seemed heavier than normal this year and weighed in close to 60 pounds. Unlike last year, I expanded my camera gear to 3 lenses along with other accessories.

The full pack, constant barrage of bugs, and underestimation of the trail with a full pack wore me down and I arrived at Round Lake much later than I would have originally expected. This trip was one of commitment and by the end of my first day, I knew that I just “didn’t have it” to make the full trip as I had planned. The wilderness is no place to be foolish and so I headed back out the next day. Disappointing to be sure, but there’s always tomorrow. Here are a few additional shots from the ridgeline overlooking Round Lake..

Cougar Divide

Jul 27

What’s worse than forgetting your camera?

Forgetting the memory card AND bringing the camera. Such is the reality I dealt myself this weekend as I arrived at the trail to Cougar Divide. More on that later..

This trail lies at the end of Wells Creek Road at about 5,000 feet and is only accessible for 4 short months of the year. I use the term accessible loosely because the road receives little to no maintenance (particularly after the bridge over Wells Creek). Still, as of this writing, the trailhead is still accessible with only one stretch of road that could unnerve the average driver or someone in a full size pickup.

Only one other car at the trailhead but TONS of mosquitos which should have been my first omen. I had sunscreen but no bug juice. Somewhat annoying but how bad could it be? Uh, BAD. Just 15 minutes in on the trail brings you to a viewpoint which would make any other hike worth it:

In this open subalpine forest, there are many interesting geological features:

After a brief open stretch the trail plunges back into forest before reaching meadows. On this particular day, however, my journey ended here in the woods:

Taking that three photo panorama resulted in my legs being devoured by mosquitos. Given the fact that I couldn’t use my primary camera, I decided to turn around and save the rest of this hike for an upcomming weekend. So what do you do when you can’t use your camera? In my case, I decided to press on and use my iPhone 3GS so every photo from this blog post is an iPhone photo. I thought it didn’t do that bad a job, though I did lighten the photos up in Photoshop. Live and learn!..

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