The Great Pacific Northwest

Ahhhh, summer is here! The time everyone looks forward to.... especially teachers like myself. Nine weeks without alarm clocks and students :) Luckily, I have a kick-ass wife who supports my travel and photography during these months off. A trip to the Pacific Northwest has been on the bucket list for awhile and it was about time to check it off! On this trip I was joined by a good friend and old college roommate as we adventured for 9 days in an RV across Washington.  It was the perfect time to get out of the Arizona heat and do some hiking, camping, beer drinking, and of course, PHOTOGRAPHY.

Our trip began with a flight to Seattle and a few nights in the city. Highlights included: Pike's Public Market, amazing seafood, a Mariner's game, and watching the city light up at Kerry Park. Check out my favorite pics from the city in the gallery below....

After picking up the RV (and seeing Richard Sherman pumping gas next to us) we began our road trip to Mount Rainier and Olympic National Park. Mount Rainier just opened for the season and definitely not the summer oasis I imagined. We were greeted by huge snow banks, zero wild flowers, and frozen lakes. The clouds were also thick so the mountain was only visible for brief moments. Photo opportunities were limited although we did some hiking and checked out a few waterfalls along the way. We camped for the night and headed for warmer weather and the beaches the next day.

On a bitter note, a few days after we left we discovered 6 hikers were missing and later assumed dead while hiking Mt. Rainier. We were at the base of the mountain and saw the Alpine Company vans with hikers getting ready to climb. We are not sure if that was the group we saw, but very well could have been. Sad to hear but there are definitely risks when taking on mother nature.

Christine Falls, Mount Rainier National Park

Our first stop at Olympic National Park was Lake Quinalt Rain Forest and Merriman Falls. You can see the color and vibrance of the moss and water, simply beautiful.

Merriman Falls, Olympic National Park

We headed to Ruby Beach to catch the sunset against the ocean and the beach's sea stacks. The weather did not cooperate and the sun never popped when setting. I did find a cave to keep my camera dry and capture a time-lapse video. 

Hoh Rain Forest was the next stop and the hikes were pretty darn fun. I've never been anywhere quite like it and it felt like we were in a fairytale movie. 

Moss everywhere!

Hoh Rain Forest

Spent the next two days and nights on the beach. Campsites were very close so I had access for sunrise and sunset photos. Below is a gallery of the images from both Second and Rialto Beach.

More time-lapses from the beach!!!

Heading north we made stops a Lake Crescent Lodge, Sol Du Falls, and Hurricane Ridge. The weather was fantastic and the camping spots along the way were too.

Sol Duc River

Star Trail @ Tongue Point

The last night was spent at Tongue Point. Looking across the bay was Canada. We camped yards from the beach and had an awesome star display for some fun star pics!

Overall the trip was a success! My new favorite beers are Rainier and Alaskan White and we had a blast cruising in the RV to Eric Church and ZBB!  Although we didn't have any dramatic sunsets that you see on postcards or online, I was still happy with the images I captured during this trip. If I would do it over, I would go later in the summer to catch the wildflowers, lake reflections and also check out some of Oregon. Thanks Luke for putting up with all my camera gear, early mornings, and late nights. 

Thank you for checking out my blog and cheers to the rest of the summer!!!

CHEERS!!

Arches and Canyonlands NP

I decided to make use of a four day weekend and head up to Moab, UT to photograph the beautiful natural arches and landscapes in the area. I planned all of the locations around the best times of light for photos which is always sunrise and sunset. I was fortunate to borrow an extra camera and tripod from friends so I was able to make the most of the time and have different vantage points using different lenses. 

Mesa Arch, Canyonlands

Mesa Arch, Canyonlands

After driving 7 hours from Phoenix, I arrived at Canyonlands NP just before midnight. I slept a few hours in the car and set my alarm for 5:00a.m. The arch is a very popular spot so I had to arrive almost 2 hours before sunrise to claim my spot under the arch. The trail is only .25 from the parking lot so it was an easy hike. I wasn't the first to arrive, four other photographers already had their tripods set. I snuggled in and set my two tripods up and waited for the magic to happen. The bottom of the arch lit up at sunrise and I was able to get that classic shot that I wanted! I set a narrow aperture of F22 to get that sunburst effect. Great start to the trip! 

 

Delicate Arch, Arches, NP

Delicate Arch, Arches, NP

The first evening I headed to Delicate Arch for sunset and star photos. The hike up was difficult (1.5 miles uphill with all of my gear) but I made it plenty early to catch the sunset. Clouds moved in and created a little drama in the sky. The light at sunset hit the red rock and gave it a beautiful color. As it started to get dark, I began asking around to see if anyone was staying for star trail and milky way shots over the arch. I found a hand full of guys that were staying and after a few hours, the clouds cleared and the fun began. We used LED flashlights and a pop of flash to light the arch during our 30 second exposures.  I also set up my other camera for a star trail which ran for over an hour. It was a fun night of shooting and I met some great photographers from all over!

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I slept again in the car for a few hours and headed to Dead Horse State Park for another sunrise. This location showcases a turn in the Colorado River with the rock turning a golden red as the early light rises. I was able to find a nice Juniper Tree also in the light for a nice foreground. 

Dead Horse State Park

Dead Horse State Park

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The following night was the most anticipated shoot of the trip. It is a hike with a viewpoint featuring a false Kiva. The location is not well known and is not included in park maps in attempt to preserve the area. I found directions online and was able to locate the trailhead and begin my hike before sunset. I reached the inside of this cave area halfway up a gigantic cliff just before sunset.. what a view!  

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As darkness settled in, the other photographer (who also found the location)  left. I was alone in the middle of no where with this amazing view of stars and the milky way ready to POP! I used small tea candles to light the inside of the ritual circle and a few behind me along the arch. The soft glow from the candles gave the images a very warm look. Eventually, the milky way shot down straight down the middle of the arch. Awesome! In one photo I even captured a shooting star! The hike back in the middle of the night by myself wasn't ideal and it was a relief when I arrived back at the car!

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The sky was so clear that night I headed back to Arches after getting the Kiva shots. I was up until 3 am shooting milky way and star trails inside Arches NP.  

Double Arch

Double Arch

The Turret

The Turret

I had one last sunrise location before heading back to Phoenix. The shot in Arches NP of the Turret formation through the window. It was worth getting up early! 

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Had to break up the ride home with a stop at Monument Valley!!!

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I highly recommend visiting these national parks, Utah is beautiful! 

Hope you enjoyed this blog! Next stop..... Havasupai Falls! :)