Mammoth Hot Springs - Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park is truly an amazing place. Trying to pick your favorite area within the park can be quite difficult with everything that it offers. What are you into? Geysers? Waterfalls? Springs? Large lakes? Wildlife? Hey, its all there!

We started our tour of the park at Mammoth Hot Springs in the northwest corner of the park, choosing to stay at nearby Indian Creek Campground. This has always been a favorite campground of mine. It's within a 10 minute drive from the Upper Terrace Drive, and offers more privacy than Mammoth Campground.

The Upper Terrace Loop Drive is an excellent place to start your tour of this area. Early morning offers the best viewing time, in my personal opinion. The lighting can be magnificent at this time, and the steam rising from Canary Spring can add a magical element to the sun's rays. You also stand a very good chance of seeing wildlife; bear, coyote, deer, elk and rabit all visit this area, and I was fortunate enough to observe all of them during my visit.

A quick drive around the loop soon brings you to Orange Mound Spring. I found early morning to be an excellent time to photograph it from the north (which I found to be its most attractive side). Mid-morning to mid-afternoon better serves the more popular south and west sides. The spring, though viewable from the west, is best viewed and photographed from the east via the viewing platform.

Continueing along the loop, you pass Angel Terrace (also beautiful in early morning light) before returning to the begining at Canary Springs.

A boardwalk allows visitors access to multiple viewpoints along the Main Terrace and extends to Canary Springs. It is a highly recommended walk. Again, early morning is an excellent time to capture the mystique the steam offers as the sun peaks over the ridge to the east. It can, however, make close-up compositions challenging. If your desire is to isolate certain elements with a telephoto, you would do best to come back later in the day after temps have warmed up, resulting in less steam.

If you like to capture patterns, you will love this walk along the terrace! The are many opportunities to isolate patterns and formations in the limestone, colored by bacteria and algae - the stuff us photographers love!

I was more moved by the ambience of the morning, watching the travertine crusts play peek-a-boo as the curtains of steam opened and closed. It struck me as fascinating in an eery way, adding - yes, I said it before - mystique.

The sub-surface rock at Mammoth Hot Springs is limestone, which is very soluble in hot water. When the calcium-rich waters rise to the surface, they deposite the terraces of travertine seen in these images. Again, bacteria and algae add the color to these features. Mother Nature can be beautiful, can't she?

There are a lot of contrasts to be witnessed too. The most obvious are the dead trees that the travertine crusts have enveloped. The terraces provide a rather hostile environment for vegetation!

Minerva Terrace, though not nearly as active as it once was, is still very attractive and worth the visit. It can be reached by descending the boardwalk from the Main Terrace, or by hiking up from the lower parking lot.

Palette Spring, shown at the very top, is a relatively new feature to the area, forming in only the last few years. It is beautiful! Early morning is the only time it receives direct sunlight due to its northeast facing. Soft light serves it best, in my opinion.

From a pull-out along the main road, one gets a great view of Canary Springs from below. Mid-morning is the best time for photographing this angle, and requires a telelphoto lens if you wish to isolate its colorful features.

Proceding further north along this road, one arrives at the lower parking lot and the town of Mammoth Hot Springs, where most all conveniences and supplies are offered. Elk are often seen lounging in the lawn and wandering thru town!

Speaking of wildlife, remember the variety I mentioned that inhabit this wonderful area? I witnessed this sow and cub my very first morning as I was driving down to Mammoth Hot Springs from our camp. I spotted the yearling out of the corner of my eye first, then watched it catch up with mom on the other side of the road and continue to graze with her. I photographed them for well over an hour, and could have continued longer!

That evening, my daughter and I watched a black bear traverse the slopes below Canary Spring and wander past the lower parking area and boardwalk before disappearing in the trees above, much to the relief of the rangers monitoring the situation!

We also had a resident bison at the entrance to our campground at Indian Creek. It became so comfortable that it wandered further in towards the campsites, requiring a ranger to be called to scare it off. There were many other wildlife sightings as well.

This is first part of a series I will be posting from our visit to this wonderful park last June. I hope you have enjoyed it and that it has given you some ideas for a trip to one of our national Parks, or even motivated you to plan a visit to Yellowstone itself.

Next up: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

National Geographic Central Cascades Map

Spray Park has always been one of my favorite destinations in Mount Rainier National Park. The hike to it is relatively short by hiking standards. It offers some of the best wildflower displays in the park. And it provides incredible up-close views of the mountain. The park is a paradise for photographers - offering numerous lakes and tarns as well!

Others appear to agree as I have sold more images from this side of The Mountain than any other.

So it is with great pride that I share my recent endeavor with National Geographic and their Central Cascades map.

You may download the digital version of the map for free here.

Added: This image also accompanies an article by Terry Richard in today's (Wednesday) Oregonian explaining the scope of the project, and the partnership of The National Geographic Society, traveloregon.com and experiencewa.com in putting it together. It's a very informative piece and a recommended read.

(link fixed!)

Zoolights at Point Defiance

Every year I try to make a point to take the family to Zoolights at the Point Defiance Zoo. It's just an amazing show of lights! They really go all out in their decorations, and the effort shows.

Two years ago I enjoyed my first visit to Zoolights, and the highlight was easily the replica of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, with both Mt. Rainier and a rainbow behind it (see the photo on their web site). The bridge had extra lights below the deck, which really brought attention to it. The old and new bridges are well represented, and include red twinkling lights on the deck of one, and white tinkling lights on the other (headlights and taillights!).

This year the bridge was much darker and harder to see. But Mt. Rainier and the rainbow were much more prominent. I also think the administrative building was done up much better as it was certainly a centerpiece for many of my compositions.

There are also many animal light displays, including orcas, penguins, reindeer, etc. Lots to see!

I recommend arriving early to avoid the crowds, for parking as well as viewing the lights. The gate usually opens at 5:00, and punctuality is good. I've also discovered that viewing the lights after the holidays lessons the crowds substantially, though it is a short window.

As for photography, it's not as difficult as you might think with people wandering all around. Your exposures will likely be 3-5 seconds or more, depending on your aperature. So you can get away with some people movement in your compositions, just so it is in the distance and not obscuring a light display. I've found that rarely do I have to wait longer than 4-5 minutes for a composition to become available less people, and often the time is less. Even the busiest displays can become "people free" with an extended wait. So if you see a composition you really like, patience should win out.

I would plan on spending at least a couple of hours at Zoolights. If photographing, probably even more. There is just so much to see and so many compositions available. Grab some food and a hot cocoa at the concession stand when you feel you need a break, and then go view some more!

After Zoolights, we checked out another light display that I just learned about in Spanaway - Fantasy Lights. Fantasy Lights is very different than Zoolights in that you drive through them. They are also much more spread out, and offer a lot of motion in their displays. It was a lot of fun driving down a driveway with our lights off while reindeer jumped over us, canons shot presents over us, etc. Oh, I'm giving too much away!

The Fantasy Light drive is 2.5 miles long, at 5 miles per hour. You can stop any time, but you're not allowed to get out of your vehicle. It's very entertaining for the family, but somewhat challenging for photography. In fact, this was simply a scouting mission for me - my camera never came out of its bag.

Next year I have marked my calendar to do the walk through Fantasy Lights. That's right! A week before they open the display to the public, they have a special night when people can walk the 2.5 miles, photographing at will and leisure. Care to join me?

Leavenworth During the Holidays

As a climber and hiker, I have spent a lot of time around Leavenworth. A LOT of time.

Spring is a great time for rock climbing along Icicle Creek. It also attracts bicyclists and kayakers.

Summer is excellent for hiking and climbing in addtion.

Fall brings the rewards of the larches turning, rewarding hikers and photographers traveling from great distances to experience their beauty.

In winter, the area offers snowshoeing, skiing, and even ice climbing.

But there is something more...

Yes, the holiday lights! From mid-December through Valentines Day, the Bavarian village of Leavenworth is transformed into a grandeur of lights. They seem to cover every building, every tree, every...well, you get the picture! It's quite a sight to behold. Add to it the shopping, all the good food, sledding for the kids right in town, and it makes the perfect holiday geteway.

Due to scheduling, I only had a day to spend there with my family this year. But we made the most of it! The kids played on their new sled for the first hour, then it was off to Gustav's for a long-anticipated burger. We followed that up with some shopping at various gift shops around town. Finally, I finished off the evening with a few hours of photography after the sun set. Temperatures began in the low 30's middle of the day, but dropped into the upper 20's by evening. Be sure and dress warm!

What could be better than a full day in Leavenworth during the holiday season? Two days! There is plenty of Lodging in and around Leavenworth, but you need to plan well in advance as things fill up fast. However, lodging can easily be found just 20-30 minutes away in Wenatchee, last minute, for $50-$60.

The advantage of a stayover is that you can save the drive back over the pass(es) for daytime, as well as enjoy the evening around town as the crowds begin to dwindle.

There is certainly plenty of photography to be done in the evening, as I hope my pictures attest to. But the streets are busy and cluttered with vehicles and people and headlights and taillights and...well, again you get the picture. Lots of movement when you're shooting 5 second exposures to capture the lights.

A better time for photography is actually early morning before and shortly after sunrise. The streets are bare and you can compose at will. Yes, this is a great reason for photographers to stay for a second day!

Coming up next, I'll have ideas for lights a little closer to home for us westsiders.

Seattle Skyline

Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that 2010 is already upon us, and that Christmas came and went so fast.

2009 held some great memories for me. It held some sad ones as well. I don't spend a lot of time reflecting on the past, admittedly. Life just seems too busy to have the time to do so. In fact, I really need to start thinking about my plans for 2010 so that I can begin preparing! So many trips to plan and so little time! Yosemite? The Canadian Rockies? The Southwest? Alaska? The Sierras? Death Valley? I don't know. But I need to start thinking about it.

How about you? Any interesting plans for the new year? I hope so. And I hope you have a lot of fun experiencing them!

December brought a lot of fun my way. Shortly before Christmas, I turned a year older and celebrated the weekend in downtown Seattle. Rain kept the camera in its bag, but that's OK. It had plenty of other opportunities to come out. Those opportunities included Snoqualmie Falls (see previous post), Leavenworth, and these pictures of the Seattle skyline across Elliott Bay from West Seattle.

I find Seattle to be a fun place to photograph in the winter months, particularly during cold spells. Cold temperatures mean clear air and excellent visibility.

I enjoyed three different locations for these images; the pullout off Admiral Way, Hamilton Park off California Ave., and various viewpoints along Harbor Ave. near Alki Point. I'm not sure which of these are my favorite. They each have something different to offer and are all worth visiting.

The pullout off Admiral Way offers a fantastic view point of the city. I particularly like this angle in late afternoon during the winter months as the low angle of the sun reflects off the downtown buildings in almost blinding fashion.

Hamilton Park is located on California Ave, just before it begins to wind down to Harbor Avenue. It offers a great vantage of sunset over the city and, because of its high vantage, offers separation of the ferry boats and other maritime vessels in Elliott Bay. OK, maybe this one is my favorite!

Harbor Avenue is the road that stretches from the West Seattle Freeway north along Elliott Bay to Alki Point. It offers many, many viewpoints - especially as it nears Alki Point. From Hamilton Park, simply follow California Ave. north as it winds down to the waterfront and intersects Harbor Ave near Salty's. Turn left and head towards the point.

The views near Alki Point across Elliott Bay really add perspective to the buildings and skyline of downtown Seattle. Unlike Hamilton Park directly above, you are now looking UP at the buildings across the water. I find this location particularly pleasing after sunset as the city lights begin to come on. Other opportunities tend to arise here as well, such as wildlife, boats, divers, etc.

I have many other parks I want to visit yet, including Kerry Park with its famous view of The Space Needle and the city. But these are my favorite locations in West Seattle. I hope you like them too.

There should still be many opportunities yet this winter to get out and photograph or simply enjoy some of the fine views around Seattle. I hope you find the time to do so!

Snoqualmie Falls in Winter

Snoqualmie Falls is one of Washington state's biggest tourist attractions, attracting over 1.5 million visitors per year. It's close proximity to Seattle makes it an ideal destination of convenience. And it is a worthy destination indeed.

The Snoqualmie River drops 270 feet over the famous falls in thunderous fashion. It is truly a spectacle to behold no matter the time of season you visit.

Some seasons do offer more than others however. Spring presents high water volumes as the snow begins to melt in the high country. The summer sun lights up the falls and northwest facing cirque, creating unforgettable evenings at sunset. November rains and warm temperatures often result in flooding along the Snoqualmie River, making the falls not only thunderous and wet while observing from the deck, but sometimes difficult to get to due to road closures. December brings freezing temperatures and scenery more typically associated with Alaska or some other cold climate. The rewards can be breathtaking!

A couple of weeks ago I packed the truck up in darkness and headed over Tiger Mountain to the falls in hope of finding a winter wonderland. I was not disappointed! The spray from the falls coupled with low valley fog created a serene setting in the bowl of the falls. It was an incredible sight!

I began my morning at the observation deck, which I believe to be the best vantage for the falls. The birds eye view is second to none in my opinion.

Though others had the same idea in mind, the viewers were few early on. I spent a considerable amount of time playing with compositions. When I felt I had exhausted most all opportunities, I changed lenses for a different feel and started all over again. The wider angle lenses showed the massive waterfall in all its surroundings, while the zoom lens allowed me to isolate on certain unique features of the area that I felt told a story.

Finally it was time to move down to the viewpoint below the falls. A quick drive had me at the lower parking area and walking swiftly towards the falls. The path is interesting as it takes you past a PSE generator building on a chain link fenced boardwalk.

The view from the lower platform is quite interesting, but not on par with the observation deck above. Photographers will and do grow frustrated with it as branches interfere with prospective compositions.

So, despite the signs saying to stay on the boardwalk, visitors have created a well-worn path down the steep rock to the river's bank below, and unobstructed views to the main event.
The ice presented a lot of interesting compositions from here. I had a lot of fun isolating different elements and playing with compositions. The possibilities were endless with the various ice formations teasing me at every turn.

The area was also quite slick. Very slick in fact! Another photographer I ran into was wearing Yaktrax. As a mountain climber in ownership of several pairs of crampons, I must admit to always hoisting my nose in the air at these "wannabe" devices. Not anymore. I requested and received a pair for Christmas!

I strongly recommend visiting the falls in all seasons. And since I have yet to view them in summer, I will heed my own advice! November during flood stage is truly an incredible time to see them. Make sure you check for local road access before heading out, or your visit may be one of frustration. As you can see, winter offers a totally different perspective of the falls and surrounding area; one in which ice is the focus.

I hope you enjoy my sampling from the area, and that it motivates you to visit them for yourself. You may view more of my images from this location here if interested.

Be safe and enjoy!

2010 Greater Seattle InfoGuide

I just received my copies of the 2010 Greater Seattle InfoGuide from Vernon Publications, which includes several of my images from around our state. It turned out quite nice!

The InfoGuide is a great publication to pick up if you are looking for things to get out and do, and is available at most hotels and tourist destinations around the greater Puget Sound area.