Sunrise Moulton Falls

Another angle of the Lewis River (north fork) at Moulton Falls, taken on the snowier day. This one gives a better idea of how the river moves, swiftly through the small canyon it is carving. The river bend at the footbridge (90 degrees to my left) is a rather sharp S-shape, and a large portion of that S curve is fairly shallow, the river having cut more deeply on one side than the other. This allows for the outer bend to give off a nice glassy, reflective surface. I had a hard time with this shot. I think it comes at you a bit too much, but the canyon is narrow here, and I had to frame it that way to get the sunlight reflection on the tree tops. So it's a bit extreme, I think. But it's got a nice frosty feel to it.  When we get snow, it tends to be a warm, wet snow that clings to branches, with temperatures hovering around 32-33 or even slightly higher. So it wasn't really that cold of a day, even at sunrise. The frostiness is a bit deceptive; unless our temperature dips into the 20s (a rare event) it's always more damp than cold.

Moulton Falls, Version 2

So this is the other Moulton Falls photo, which was taken after our first snowfall. We got several inches, and so I headed out to Moulton Falls mid-morning thinking that the roads would be cleared. The driving was still pretty slow because Lucia Falls Rd. runs along the river so it's damp and shady. And even though the elevation is rising as you drive, for some reason (which I still can't figure out) the snow cover got lighter and lighter. And once I got to the falls there was hardly any snow on the ground! Still, the morning light was really nice. I've tried photographing here in the fall and the morning light is harsh and the fall color not great. This light was really ideal. Soft and clear. I love the glacial blue water on this day, and the softer, more painterly light. I redid the trip after our second snowfall because I heard that the snow was heaviest in this area, and because I didn't like where I had placed the little foreground tree. I thought it intersected awkwardly with the bridge. So when I went back on the snowy day, I moved further to the right (which required that I literally be a tree-hugger to get the composition for the snowier version). Now I'm not sure which composition I prefer. 

Moulton Falls

Finally, we got some snow! And just when I was starting to think we weren't going to have a winter this year. I had two local spots I've been waiting to visit in the snow if it ever came. One was the Witch Hazel blooming in the park, but turns out it's done blooming already (it is practically spring here; crocuses blooming, daffodils about to bloom, the forsythia even starting to bloom), so that one was a strike out. The second was the foot bridge at Moulton Falls, which thank goodness was successful (bridges being a good bit more permanent than winter blossoms!). I have a few different versions of it, because we've had several little batches of snowfall this week. This one is the snowiest, and maybe the prettiest. I'll post another version tomorrow. Moulton Falls is northeast of Battle Ground, heading up the back side of Mount St. Helens. Falls is a bit of a stretch, but the river moves swiftly in the winter and spring. This is the north fork of the Lewis River.

Lucky Bird

 

A light fog was still lingering over the Lewis River this morning,

perfect feeding time for this heron,

who graciously decided to take flight right as I clicked the shutter release!

Lucky :)
Linking to Weekend Reflections.

A Beautiful Spring Day

We've got some perfect spring weather today.  Our forecast calls for showers throughout the day.  That means sunglasses, and an umbrella, and probably a few rainbows. 

 A great day to celebrate the 7th Anniversary of 45 Journal!

Linking to Weekend Reflections.

Moulton Falls

The classic view of Moulton Falls, taken the same day as my 'Lewis River' photo from October 22nd. This walking bridge leads to the trails connecting Moulton Falls and Lucia Falls. The bridge has No Jumping signs posted, but when we visited here last summer, there was plenty of jumping going on. I'm monitoring weather to try this photo again when the light is better. I was disappointed with how washed out the colors looked in this direction. So if I'm lucky, I'll post another shot of the bridge in the next week or so. Linking to Weekend Reflections.

Lewis River

Finally a break in the rain!  And an early morning drive out to Moulton Falls on the Lewis River just south of Yacolt (with emphasis on the 'yac', rhymes with jackal). I was hoping for a little mist on the water, but I'm not going to complain.  The sun felt great, and a little sunshine does wonders for a reflection shot. Clover and I got a nice walk in.  Now for some hay-making while the sunshine lasts.

Linking to Weekend Reflections.

On the Lewis River

The drive to the tulip farm in Woodland, Washington takes me along the banks of the Lewis River, and so far at least, the river is reflectively calm in the early morning. Of course I can't help but stop and photograph, and on this morning I wasn't the only one who thought the view was photo worthy. This canoer was also inspired and momentarily stopped her paddling to capture the early spring scene.

Linking to Weekend Reflection

Lewis River at Dawn

The tulip farm in Woodland is close to the Lewis River, and in fact once you exit I-5 you drive along the river to get to the farm.  I had a few extra minutes before sunrise, so I made a short stop along the river's edge to photograph the river and trees in this soft layer of fog.  The photo has a nice early spring feel with the young leaves just opening.

Ice Clouds

In the Central Valley, when there is a danger of a hard freeze, orange growers will water their orange trees coating them in ice to protect them.  It seems counter-intuitive, and yet it works.  Well it turns out the same thing is true for the saplings at this reforestation farm along the Lewis River near Woodland, Washington.  Fields with trees less than a year old received a heavy dose of ice this week, as did the two year old hemlock field that I photographed here.  I guess hemlock saplings are just extra sensitive to the cold.  After several years, these little saplings are sold to foresting companies to replant forests after logging.  As far as the photography goes, this sure made for a surreal scene!  I was imagining it like a forest in the clouds.