Darin and I had not been on Heybrook Ridge since back before we started dating. We were up there in February 2012 for a Mountaineers Navigation class and he called me the next day to ask me out.
It was fun to walk a trail with a personal history. We've been slacking in our training for spring/summer mountaineering season and so we opted to carry the weight up a nice, easy trail. Even with the only 800' of gain we sure felt it in our legs. It was a bit of a reality check as we stared out over so many beautiful mountains from the lookout at the top.
Over the Mountains
This past Monday I had the privilege of making an amazing trip over the mountains with my mom. I loved driving from rain, to snow, to sunshine in Eastern Washington. With the rain that had fallen earlier in the Eastern Washington day we found some interesting puddles that reflected the basalt formations, and the sage is starting to come out in all its beautiful greenish blue hues. Spring is certainly on its way.
Sultan River Canyon Trail
Today was a beautiful day to pay an overdue visit Spada Lake. The lake itself was gorgeous, and the downhill walk to the canyon was full of cascading water and glistening trees. This meant, of course, that we had to turn around and hike up the 700' hill after arriving at the river, but that made for a good, quick workout. The water in Spada Lake and the Sultan River (its outlet) has such an interesting cloudiness and verdancy to it. Good friends, blue sky, and the quiet forest made for a wonderful Saturday morning. I was happy to be able to snap a few pictures amid the catching up as well.
A Study in Details
Somewhere, somehow I have found the inspiration to pay more attention to the details around me, like mossy rocks in a stream, glistening hemlock needles, frosty icicles, and the harbingers of spring that are beginning to appear. Landscape photographs are crowd pleasers, and nearly every print I have sold falls into what I'd call the landscape category. Landscapes, however, don't show the whole scene but rather the scope. To really fill yourself in on all the details, I think you have to get down on your proverbial (sometimes literal) hands and knees to have a closer look.
So, this midwinter I have been taking the time to look down and to look close while I'm out on the trail. Many thanks to my hiking companions for their patience with me! These are just a few of the details that have caught my eye over the course of the past month. They are elements of nature that would not show up in the same way were they just another part of a landscape photo.
Landscapes are still my bread, butter, and my passion, but I've found that much of the enjoyment in making art is the possession of freedom to explore and imagine.
A Night on the Peninsula
Sometimes forecasted rain isn't such a big deal. We saw nothing but rain in the forecast, but found some absolutely gorgeous sunshine on both Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. I was completely prepared to leave my camera in my pack to keep it out of the rain, but what I saw was dramatic clouds and beautiful sunbreaks.
That said, I recommend not watching old X-Files episodes the night before you go camping. My friend Katharine and I spent the night at the empty Mora Campground, and the sound of the rain pattering on our dining fly sounded like footsteps. Something sneaked amongst the bushes. Our imaginations were both running wild. We carried our hatchets with us to the bathroom. Of course, come daylight, we were just fine. We made coffee and chai on our campstove, packed up, and headed toward home with a stop at Marymere Falls.
