2012 Tulip Season in the Skagit Valley

Roozengaarde Gardens

Tulip season has come and gone in the Pacific Northwest.  There was no better place to spend it than the Skagit Valley throughout the month of April.

I enjoyed three separate visits to the area.  My first visit was a solo trip to photograph the daffodils - a beautiful precursor to the tulips, which usually peak in late March.
Subsequent photography trips were made with photographer friends Brad Wetli and Kevin Ebi.  Kevin and I were fortunate enough to hit Roozengaarde Gardens at their prime.

Rows of tulips at Roozengaarde Gardens

Of course, we weren't alone when visiting Roozengaarde Gardens.  Not even close.  This place packs them in fast, especially on weekends.  I highly recommend arriving early.

The fields were a little disappointing this year.  The few we could find were still a week away - I suspect the final days of April.  This is extremely late for them.  The exception was the field directly behind (east) of Roozengaarde Gardens, which was spectacular.  Access was the issue, however.  If you wished to photograph it during prime light, I'm not sure access was legally available (though the fact they demanded to see your ticket stub upon re-admittance to the gardens tells me it was possible).

All the fields I have enjoyed photographing over the years were not planted this year.  They remained barren.  This includes my absolute favorite, the field that surrounds the parking lot across the street from Roozengaarde Gardens.  Why do I like this particular field so much?  Because it has a gentle up slope to it to better catch the rows of different color tulips, and offers the snow-clad Olympic Mountains as a backdrop on sunny days.


Tulips at Roozengaarde Gardens in Skagit Valley.

Hopefully the planting rotation awards photographers next year.  We can hope!

I will be adding tulip images to my web site at http://www.mountainscenes.com/ soon.  In the meantime, feel free to visit for any of my other photography from around the Western U.S.

Thanks for visiting.

It's Tulip Time in the Skagit Valley!

Tulips at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Mount Vernon, Washington.

That's right, it is that time of year again!  The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is in full swing and the tulips are strutting their colors!  Now is the time to get up and pay them a visit!

A drive around in search of colorful fields will yield few results, despite what the Bloom Map might say.  However, the field behind Roozengaarde is absolutely spectacular!   It is also huge, offering many varieties of tulips - the largest collection I recall seeing in any one of their fields in the past.

Of course, the Roozengaarde Display Garden is the highlight of any visit, and is easily worth the $5 admission fee.  If visiting on a weekend, arrive early!

A sea of daffodils in the Skagit Valley.

If daffodils are your thing, it's not too late to catch them either!  There is a prime field on Beaver Marsh Road, just south of Roozengarde.  There are also many varieties still on display within the Gardens themselves.

Photographers - bring all your lenses!  There is so much opportunity here that you will tire of shooting long before you are even close to "finishing".  One can spend days here and still not come away feeling complete.  Wide-angle lenses are great for catching the fields.  Mid-range lenses work well for capturing the artistic arrangements in the display garden.  Telephoto lenses are excellent for getting up close and personal.  You can use them all here!

Definitely waterproof your gear and yourself.  I would recommend rubber boots if planning to visit any of the fields, even on a nice day.  The fields can take days to completely dry out after a period of showers.

I hope to have tulip and daffodil images from this year and years past on my web site soon. 

Daffodils in the Skagit Valley



Rows of daffodils in the Skagit Valley.

 Each spring hundreds of thousands of people descend upon the Skagit Valley to enjoy the millions of tulips in bloom.   The rows upon rows of magnificent flowers are breathtaking.  I encourage all to experience it.

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival officially runs from April 1 - 30th.  The tulip show, in my experience, typically hits peak about the second week of April.  However, the bloom dates are heavily dependent on weather and can vary greatly from year to year.

Fortunately, we have a tool available to us to take the guessing game out planning our visit.  Roozengaarde, one of the premier tulip growers in North America, publishes a bloom map with daily updates!

And now, to share another secret with you.  Want to avoid the crowds?  Go now!  Daffodils are at peak bloom right now and the fields are amazing!  There is a good chance you will find yourself all alone as you explore them.  It will be a much different experience in a week or two when the tulips hit peak.

Enjoy, and feel free to share your experience!

Death Valley National Park Display

Hiker in Fall Canyon, Death Valley National Park.

Two years ago to the week, I shared a fantastic trip with my dad to Death Valley National Park.  It was a pretty special trip for both us, and he later voiced that of all the trips we had done together over the years, this one quickly became his favorite, and remained so to his death.

My dad died in a hiking accident this last fall.

When I remember my dad, this trip and the fun we had always jumps to the forefront. 

Shortly after my dad's death, I was approached to license an image for a new display at Death Valley National Park.  What a great way to honor my dad and our special trip together!

Artist's Palette, Death Valley National Pqark.

One image soon turned to two images as we negotiated, and an agreement was finalized.

So, it is with great excitement and pride that I share with you this announcement!

Next time you visit the Furnace Creek Visitor Center in Death Valley National Park, look for both these images on display!

Thanks for the memories dad, and the opportunity to photograph this wonderful park with you; a park with features that were so new and unbelievably different to the both of us.

More images can be viewed in my Death Valley National Park Gallery.

Thanks for visiting.

North Cascades National Park

My home state of Washington is blessed with three incredibly scenic national parks; Mount Rainier and Olympic being the most popular ones. These well known parks attract visitors in numbers from all over the world.

Though this park is traversed by the North Cascades Highway, or State Highway 20, it is best experienced from the backcountry where one can be alone on a number of long trails, remote ridges or peaks. It's paradise for those wanting to get away and is a local favorite for many.

These mountains take the full brunt of ocean storms, receiving heavy snowfall in the winter months. As a result, they are alive with life, movement and power.

They consist of a twisted, convoluted range which rises to majestic heights of over 10,000' above sea level. At their base, rivers twist through deep gorges and valleys on their way to the Puget Sound.

The North Cascades are a climbers paradise, with so many remote, rugged peaks begging to be climbed. There are too many incredible vantages to be experienced in a single summer - or perhaps many.

Along with those towering peaks are destinations to the backpacker and/or cross-country traveler seeking scenic and memorable destinations. There are many to be had.

The image above of Whatcom Peak was taken during such a trip, backpacking 17 miles to Whatcom Pass, and then traveling cross-country to a high tarn near a set of lakes with incredible views of the Northern Picket Range. Elevation gain was ~ 6,100', a taxing gain with a full pack of camera gear.

I took many photos on this trip, and they remain some of my most licensed images from this magnificent park. This reflection image was recently licensed to an international travel guide, appearing as an inside image and gracing the back cover.

Many more images from this fantastic park can be seen in my North Cascades Gallery, including more from this trip.

Thanks for reading!

Nearly Tulip Time!

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

April is sneaking up on us.  And in the Pacific Northwest, that means tulip time!  The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival will be starting up soon, and it will be time to drive to Mount Vernon and visit such places as RoozenGaarde, Tulip Town, and more!

Of course, it's not too early to visit now for the daffodils!  Fields of different varieties of flowers await you, less the crowds.

The Tulip Festival lasts April 1st - 30th.  However, the best time to visit is typically about the first couple of weeks, depending on the year.  The beauty is that you can monitor their web site and know exactly when the flowers hit their peak!

My suggestion is to arrive early to avoid the crowds and minimize people in your compositions (though they can be a desirable element as well) and capitalize on early light.  If its a clear morning, the backdrop of the snow-clad Olympic Mountains can be breathtaking.

Evening photography can also be very nice, with the chance to catch pink skies to the west at sunset.

Wear rubber boots for the muddy fields.  All lenses work here and I encourage you play around with different compositions, angles and vantages.  An interesting idea is to bring a small step ladder for an even higher perspective of the fields.  I have not done this yet, but I've seen the results and they are pretty cool!

The above image was taken several years ago from the fields at RoozenGaarde under overcast skies.  It was recently licensed to a prominent magazine with distribution of 2 million, which appeared on store shelves last week.

I hope you find the time to visit the Tulip Festival in the coming weeks.

Rainbow over a Pot o' Gold!

Rainbow above Elkhart Entrance, Wind Rivers.

Rainbows are a beautiful product of nature that capture the eyes, the heart and the imagination.
 
In Greco-Roman mythology, the rainbow was considered to be a path made by a messenger between Earth and Heaven.

The Irish leprechaun's secret hiding place for his pot of gold is usually said to be at the end of the rainbow.

There are also numerous religious connotations associated with rainbows.

Whatever your belief, you must admit that the spectrum of light we call a rainbow is a sight to behold and experience, especially after a storm.

This rainbow was just that, a sign that a strong storm in the Wind Rivers had come to and end, and promising drier times ahead.  It has been a popular image for me, appearing in calendars, magazines, and most recently as a cover for a world-wide published book.

This image appears in my Wind River Gallery, along with many others from the area - a true pot o' gold in Wyoming!

Presentation for Peninsula Wilderness Club, March 12th

I'm excited to announce that I will be giving a presentation for the Peninsula Wilderness Club in Bremerton, Monday, March 12th at 7:00 pm.  Come out and join us!

More information is available here!

My presentation will include a slide show on Mount Rainier and I'll talk about photographing throughout (and near) the park - including offering tips and suggestions!

I will also have signed copies of my book, Mount Rainier available for purchase.

We are going to have a lot of fun and I hope you can join us!  The event will be held at:

Kitsap Unitarian Fellowship Church
4418 Perry Avenue NE
Bremerton, Washington

Hope to see you there!

Snow Geese in Numbers!

Snow geese near Stanwood, WA.

Straight from Russia, in numbers!  Every year these magnificent birds migrate south from their breeding grounds on Wrangel Island off the northern coast in Russia's Siberia.  In any given February over 1,000 of them can be found residing in the Skagit Valley, most commonly on Fir Island.

This year I was fortunate to catch up to them near Stanwood, just off Thromle Road.  Look for large white patches in the fields as you drive along the country roads in the area.  They usually are not hard to spot.  Many Bald Eagles also winter in the area, and every so often one will fly over the flock, startling them and sending them into flight (typically not very far).

While you are in the area, watch for Snowy Owls as well.  I witnessed 5 in the area!  These birds tend to be at ground level as well, often perching on downed logs or drift wood.  They hunt at night and sleep during the day.  So if you see one, relish the experience and try not to disturb them.

Visiting Island Lake in the Wind Rivers

Mount Fremont and Jackson Peak above a tarn near Island Lake

While filling some book and print orders recently, I noticed a couple of print requests from the Wind River Range - both from the same trip.

Some images require more blood and sweat than others, and these were such an example!

Let me tell the story.

We arrived at the Elkhart Entrance parking lot late in the evening.  We moved all our gear from the back of my truck to the front cab, and crawled in under the canopy to sleep for the evening.  We didn't sleep much.  Shortly after 2:00 am, some local yahoos showed up and began trying to break into vehicles and vandalize them.  They also defecated on the hoods of vehicles, targeting specific out-of-state license plates.

Fortunately, we were not the only ones sleeping in our vehicles, and soon car alarms began going off.  With the added help of our voices and flashlights, the goons sped off.  We were able to provide a description of their vehicle to the ranger in the morning, and received assurance that they would watch our vehicle in the coming days.

Evening light on Elephant Head.

With that headache out of the way, we packed our gear and began our trek up the Titcomb Basin Trail in the morning.  We were only about 2 miles up the trail when it happened; I turned my ankle and crumpled to the ground in pain.  I couldn't seem to walk it off, and the pain grew worse as I rested.  In my mind, we had traveled too far (from Washington) to turn back.  We still had 8 more miles to hike to get to Island Lake - our desired camp.

Eventually, with the help of trekking poles, I was able to force some weight onto the ankle and get back on it.  We continued up the trail at a snail's pace, probably 1/3 of my normal hiking speed.  I found myself focusing on stepping squarely each step; a tedious and disconcerting process.

We successfully arrived at Island Lake late in the day and found a nice campsite.  It would be our home for the next few days. 

With the ankle injury, there would be no wanderings into Upper Titcomb Basin or Indian Basin on this trip, as originally planned.  I had explored both areas on a previous trip and desperately wanted to return for photography.  Instead, I focused my photography around Island Lake in mornings and evenings, which offered some benefits and new learning experiences.

What did I do during the middle of the day?  Mostly rest and soak my ankle.  After all, I had 10 miles of hiking ahead of me to get back to my truck!

We still enjoyed our trip immensely.  How could we not with such beauty all around us?  After all, we were in the Winds!  We experienced beautiful sunrises and sunsets, afternoon lightning storms, and beautiful rainbows.

I managed the return hike to my truck without issue, but was forced to cancel our trek into Cirque of the Towers due to the ankle.  I have subsequently returned to both these places and am happy to report I have not experienced any vandalism or theft issues, only more incredible times.

If you wish to see more images from the Wind River Range, you may check out my Wind River Gallery.

Thanks for visiting!