DECEPTION FALLS

Our destination!

Except the water was crashing too furiously over the Falls for us to get close with our cameras.

This is a view downstream:

And this is mid-stream from a footbridge; not even close to the upper falls:

The next 3 shots are as close as I dared get:

 And even these are "below" the Falls.

I really like the way, when I shot for "slow water", it showed up 

as individual burbling fountains:

We took the trail below the Falls into the woods, and suddenly we were away from the overwhelming roaring sound and into a magical grotto: 

A favorite author of mine, Timothy Egan,  calls himself a "son" of the Pacific Northwest, as I am a "daughter".  He says, "I grew up with wrap-around green, water everywhere, and a horizon always interrupted by mountains."

What could exemplify that more than where we found ourselves, below the Falls?

Bunchberry, a lovely and common ground cover in the Northwest:

And this infant Devil's Club has already learned its role of being fierce:

THEIR MAJESTIES

At the village of Index, the mountains become more visible where the corridor of old growth forests opens up a bit:

I tried a different lens filter on this shot because of the bright sun.
The other mountain photos I made are without the filter, and I like them better, but oh well, this is the only one I made of this view.  I will learn.

Shallows under the RR trestle were as green as the powerful depths:

At Index and beyond, this part of the Cascades really resembles the Alps, with signature

high green valleys.  These "hills are alive"!

HIGHWAY 2 AT LEISURE

I am a native to North-Western Washington, and so many lovely places are second nature to me as destinations.  It occurred to me, however, that Pat would not know of some of them.

So I have made a hit list of waterfalls that she must see.

I took her to Granite Falls (see recent post, below), and last week was the ideal time to visit Deception Falls. 

Highway 2 is a small, winding mountain road which goes through several tiny old railroad whistle-stop towns.  Startup is the first in the line.  We used to joke that it has the name because we are "starting up" the mountains.  Actually, it was named for the founder of the local lumber company in the late 1800s.  

This photo op on a farm road behind Startup caught my eye because of the lines, faded colors, textures:

On the same property:

 Off the highway is a fishermen's favorite place, called Big Eddy where

the Skykomish River indeed makes a wide, powerful curve under the RR trestle:

:

We couldn't believe how green the river water was; but add to that the stunning blue in some places:

Not to be out-done in the green category was the riverbank growth:

HIGH IN THE SKY PERSONALITIES

A favorite professional photographer of mine and Pat's (one of the reasons we make a pilgrimage to Michigan) has a philosophy of "Clouds are our friends."

What person with a camera would not agree?  Clouds give character (and shade) to landscape pictures. 

A couple of days ago I had to make a distasteful errand, so I sweetened the prospect first by heading up to Rattlesnake Lake on my way; also because the clouds looked wonderful.

The lake was nothing spectacular, but the clouds did not disappoint:

Always good for a chuckle is this sign, obviously early in the season before the boat ramp is visible. 

Still, I loved the reflected colors in the water, from my friends, the clouds:

Rattlesnake Ledge, with the Locals out for morning exercise:

And a little adolescent sibling rivalry:

I was again rewarded at the end of my errand.  I was getting into my car.  The clouds were fat and happy white puffs in a blue sky, except for what I saw straight ahead from the driver's seat.

Of course, I had to get out with my camera!  

WE'LL BE COMIN' 'ROUND THE MOUNTAIN ...

Dick and I took off yesterday morning, headed for Mt. Rainier, based on the forecast for sun and warmth.  We were not disappointed!

This is very early in the year for a visit to Rainier, but our goal was to circumvent, not be on.  This is a view from the east side where we seldom go:

This may be Little Tahoma Peak.  Again, we are unfamiliar with the east side, as we usually go into the park, on the mountain.

We were in short sleeves all day, even with snow still about 4 feet deep along the higher roadsides.

Waters were raging, this being the ideal time for the first of the snow-melt, water run-off.

This is the Ohanapecosh River:

We were alone on almost all the roads.  We picnicked 

in one of the most peaceful spots we have ever stopped.

Oxalis is a prolific ground cover in NW woods: 

And wild grasses were just getting started

View of Rainier from the south.

This is so different from the iconic view we see all the time, from the north-west.

SUNNY YELLOW!

 My most recent photos seem to have a colors scheme.  It was not planned, but could it be a result of the joy found in having sunshine at last?

Color me yellow-happy!

Before arriving at Granite Falls, Pat and I did some farm-road scoping.

This great barn with the aging yellow edges had a side-kick:

In the pasture at the feet of the barn:

Earlier this season, Mother Nature displayed a different combo of blooms with the same complimentary colors.  Not buttercups, but I was on my tummy to make this photo just the same: 

 Closer to home; in fact, in our own backyard is an entire orchestra of iris.  They are all the same instrument: yellow.  This was made as the sun set behind it:

How accommodating this fat little goldfinch was to arrive in our garden when yellow was on my mind: 

My

GRANITE FALLS

Earlier this week I invited Pat for a ramble to a place I haven't been for many years, and to where Pat has never been:  Granite Falls.

This is part of the Stilliguamish River that rumbles through a narrow chasm.  It is not a "falls" of great height, but a long cascade over immense granite walls and boulders.

Looking down-river, in sun and shadow:

 Looking up-river to a singularly-tenacious fir tree atop the granite wall: 

Example of the granite and lovely green river:

The granite gorge is fairly  narrow, so we were making photos in the unfortunate situation of stark sun and shade.  

I was working with a new filter, and was quite pleased with the results; experimenting with metering  and settings to make pics of the extreme contrasts that we saw, plus trying to capture "slow" water:

Along the trail to the river, I cannot keep from making photos of Northwest growth: 

I have no idea what this pee-wee growth is - some kind of fungus? - but it was so blush-bright and tiny that it grabbed my attention; I nearly stepped on it. It was no larger than my little fingernail: 

Infant Goats'--beard?  I am not sure.  I don't think I have ever seen Goats'-beard before it is mature:

Quintessential Northwest: flora grows ANY-place!  This tiny fern - about the size of a salad plate - found a foothold in a seam of granite:

A less delicate fern, but still such an art form:

More ferns, as tree coverings:

And back-lit:

Under an arched old root, backwaters reflect the forest growth.   This is not slime, but moving, fresh water:

Here the sun was backlighting young maple leaves, but it was the silhouetted old growth stump that added to the photo op for me: