Moving Day!

No, I haven't left Oregon, but the Wahkeena Exposures website has not only moved on to it's own domain, but, to a fancy new layout and design!

Special thanks to my friend Sarah at Sarah Bee Designs for creating such a beautiful new home for both my photography and stories. If you are in need of web design services, or some of her great soap, pay her a visit!

The new website, www.wahkeenaexposures.com is the place to follow along with my family's photography adventures. We will see you there!!

Seeing the Light at Cape Meares

Remember my friend Sarah? She comes out to the Pacific Northwest a couple times a year to visit. When she does, I "kidnap" her for a day or two, and take that time to introduce her to some things she can't see back home in North Carolina. Like the time I took her for her first foray into the Columbia River Gorge... Or the time I took her to the Hood River Valley to try some barbeque, Oregon style and then we watched the alpenglow on Mount Hood reflected in Trillium Lake... Or the time I took her hiking at Wahclella Falls

Part of the fun of kidnapping Sarah is she never has a clue where we are going. I plot for weeks beforehand, somehow managing to never drop a hint and keeping the secret not only from her, but from most of our mutual friends as well.

Sarah had mentioned on several occasions that seeing the Pacific Ocean is on her "bucket list" and in her previous visits was a little disappointed she hadn't made it over to see "our" coast yet. As our jaunts through the Columbia River Gorge were becoming almost predictable, I opted for something a little less expected to surprise her with - an overnight visit to the Oregon Coast.
After visits to the Tillamook Cheese Factory for squeaky cheese samples and ice cream, and the Blue Heron French Cheese Company for "provisions" (including her first tastes of brie!) we headed out along the Three Capes Scenic Route for our next destination - Cape Meares State Park.

At the first viewpoint, one could see Sarah was immediately in awe of the scene in front of her. In fact, I don't think I have ever seen anyone pull out a camera so fast and start snapping away (and that is coming from a photographer).

We were blessed with a rare winter day - blue skies, calm winds and not a storm in sight. I am certain if you squinted your eyes just right, you coul make Japan out on the horizon - the sky was just that clear.

The real attraction here is the historic lighthouse. Measuring only 38 feet tall, it is the shortest lighthouse on the Oregon Coast. In 2010, vandals shot out the Fresnel lens, which had been created in Paris in 1888 and survived a trip around the tip of South America to Oregon. Sadly, due to estimates ranging from $50,000 to $500,000, the damage to the lends has not been repaired and is still clearly visible. You may make a contribution to Friends of Cape Meares Lighthouse, who are collecting donations to repair the lens.

Unfortunately, the interior of the lighthouse is not accessible to the public during the winter. While it would have been fun to climb the stairs to the top of the light, not being able to do so did not diminish our visit in the least. The ocean views. along with the surrounding grounds and nature trails still make a stop here worth your while.

If you are planning a visit for yourself, the interior of the lighthouse and its gift shop are open to the public from April through October, and admission is FREE. Make sure to bring your camera. As Sarah can tell you, the views are picture postcard perfect.

Speaking of light, we were burning the daytime variety and it was time to head to our destination for the night - Oceanside.


Plan Your Own Visit:

Tillamook Cheese Factory
Blue Heron French Cheese Company
Three Capes Scenic Drive
Cape Meares State Park
Cape Meares Lighthouse

Waterfall Wanderlust: Bridal Veil Falls

The Friends of the Columbia River Gorge have started their annual hiking challenge aptly named Waterfall Wanderlust. The challenge is to visit 25 waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge between now and October 31 for both fun and prizes. I have decided to take a crack at it, and you can track my progress here on the blog.

My first waterfall, and also coincidentally first on their list, is Bridal Veil Falls. Located about 15 minutes east of Troutdale via Interstate 84 and the historic highway, I visited here late last Thursday afternoon.

It's a relatively easy hike, even for those not in the best of shape, and is one of my favorites to embark on with my kids.

According to the sign at the trailhead, it's a 2/3 mile roundtrip. At the bottom of the trail you are greeted by a rippling creek and a beautiful falls that, yes, do resemble a bride's veil.




Would you like to try this challenge for yourself? You can sign up here on the Friends of the Columbia Gorge website. If you are not up to the challenge, the website includes detailed information on each waterfall featured. Why not go visit one or two for yourself?

One waterfall down. Only 24 more to go!

Random Photo: Ready for Departure

This past Saturday night I enjoyed a rare ladies night out on the town with some great friends. One of our stops that night was for drinks at Departure, on the 15th floor of The Nines Hotel/Macy's in downtown Portland. I captured this view of Pioneer Square with my iPhone camera while we laughed and enjoyed a cocktail.

Photo of the Day: Ominous Sandy River Delta Sky

Today I took my girls (including the dog) hiking at Sandy River Delta, just east of Troutdale. A huge off leash area, it's a great place to let your furry (and not so furry) children run off some energy on miles of trails.

The weather has been typical late winter/early spring: clouds, rain, hail, snow, sun and repeat. We got lucky and were able to squeeze our hike in during one of the sun breaks. However, ominous skies approached as we neared the trailhead, as you can see in the photo below.



Note: My friend Sarah loves sky pictures. I thought of her when I snapped this with my iPhone.

Photo of the Day: Bridge of the Gods View

The Bridge of the Gods crosses the Columbia River at Cascade Locks. This image was captured mid-span, looking east towards Hood River.

Photo of the Day: Frosty Ferns

When the east wind blows through the Columbia River Gorge during the winter months, it sometimes freezes everything in it's path. That was the case this past December when I was hiking along the Eagle Creek trail near Cascade Locks.

Photo of the Day: Sunset at Three Arch Rocks

As some of you may know, my friend Sarah came to visit again recently. This time I took her for an adventure along the northern Oregon Coast. We were lucky enough to see this sunset from the porch of our cabin in Oceanside.

Photo of the Day: Making Friends

My family met this little guy at Bonneville Fish Hatchery yesterday.




I guess you can say we had him eating out of the palm of our hand.

Photo of the Day: Tulum Beach

Oh baby! It's cold outside. Snow is in the forecast, the east wind is blowing, and everyone has been pulling out the hat and gloves to bundle up now that winter has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest!

In an attempt to warm everyone up, here's a image captured on my honeymoon to Mexico. The beach in Tulum was warm, the palm trees were swaying, and as I recall I was clamoring for shade as I took this picture.

Feeling warm yet?

Photo of the Day: Ladybug in the Hand

A ladybug in the hand is worth how many in the bush?
My oldest daughter captured this one in the gardens behind the Gorge White House near Hood River, Oregon. She wanted to bring it home as a pet, but I told her she had to fly away and take care of her children, who were surely missing her!!

Photo of the Day: Strutting Pelicans

These pelicans were certainly strutting their stuff. Captured on the beach near Pacific City, Oregon. What song do you think they were hearing in their heads? I am thinking something from the Bee Gees...

Why I...

...take pictures.

I suppose you could say "Why I am a photographer." Regardless of what people tell me, sometimes I am a little insecure about my abilities. "Photographer" seems like a term to be only used by professionals -- people that do it as their job and depend on the income they receive from practicing their craft. While I sell a print here and there, I don't consider myself a "professional" by any means. As someone that is completely self taught, there are so many things I still have to learn. Every once and a while, however, I get lucky and capture something that amazes even me.

So why do I take pictures?

I take pictures to share the beautiful things I see when hiking the trails of the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood National Forest because there are people that will never be lucky enough to see the part of the world I am lucky enough to live in and photograph, but I can show it to them through my camera lens:

To make a record of the adventures experienced with my family on one of our crazy road trips around my beautiful state of Oregon and beyond, so we can remember them together at a later date:

So when my two sweet little girls become surly teenagers, I can remember their smiles when they thought mommy was the coolest person in the world:

Last, but not least, simply because I like it. It brings me joy and peace as I literally bring the world before me into focus:

My favorite capture!

That is why I take pictures!!

This post is part of my friend Sarah Bee's blog carnival today. To check out the posts of others participating, head over to her blog www.myownbeeswax.com

P.S. She also makes pretty awesome soap and candles. Check out her wares at http://sarahbeecreations.com/

Photo of the Day: Frozen Horsetail Falls

When the east winds blow (also known as Hurricane Columbia Gorge) blow, they freeze everything in their path. Waterfalls are not immune to this.

Horsetail Falls is both easily viewed and accessed from the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway. In fact, is sits so close to the highway, the winds blow the freezing mist on to the roadway. This image was captured last winter on an excursion to view the frozen waterfalls during an especially prolonged cold snap.

Photo of the Day: Wahkeena Falls

The new year is bringing a new feature to the Wahkeena Exposures blog: Photo of the Day. Yes - all the cool kids are doing it and now so am I.

It may not be a true "Photo of the Day" feature, as many of you that follow me know that I am often out and about, adventuring around Oregon. Time and internet access may not always make it possible. However, several times a week I hope to feature photos here - whether captured with my DSLR out on a hiking trail or with my iPhone while battling the urban jungle on my way to the office. Expect landscapes, still lifes, and anything else that may happen to catch my eye. WARNING: This may include photos of pork products.

To kick it all off, the waterfall that inspired the name for this blog and all things related to my photography: Wahkeena Falls.

I hope you enjoy viewing my images as much as I loved capturing them!

Ringing in 2012: Tubing at Hoodoo

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Years Day." - Edith Lovejoy Pierce

New Year's Day is my reward for surviving Christmas. After spending most of the past month stressed out with THAT holiday and everything that comes with it, I spend the first day of the new year outside, getting back to nature, and just taking a moment to say "Ahhhhh!!"

This year my family traveled to Central Oregon to ring in 2012, and luckily the rain turned to snow just in time for our arrival. Of course, we took full advantage.

Hoodoo Ski Area is located at the summit of Santiam Pass, along Highway 20, just a short drive west of Sisters, Oregon. The tubing park there, called the Autobahn, was our destination for the afternoon.

We procured our passes at the yurt in the tubing area, and went to select our tubes and stand in line for our turn to ride up the hill on the tow rope.

Ready to hit the hill!

I have to admit, this was my favorite part of the day. Kicked back in a cushy tube and leisurely drug up the hill I enjoyed both the scenery and the ride.

The view from the top of the tubing hill was spectacular. Unfortunately, due to a lack of snow we were unable to slide from the top and ended up having to walk back down the hill a bit.

At the top of the tubing hill, Three Fingered Jack in the distance.

The ride down, all dozen or so times, was an absolute thrill.

What were first screams of fear as we zoomed down the hill, turned to shrills of absolute excitement.

Her first time tubing? You think she liked it?

My family rang in 2012 outdoors with a thrill and a "YEAH!!! WOO HOO!!" rather than our traditional "Ahhhh!"

That is, unless you count hot chocolate in the lodge after a hard day on the slopes!

Enjoying a hot chocolate with my cousin.

Plan your own trip:

Hoodoo Ski Area

Autobahn Tubing Park

My Head in the Lenticular Clouds - Mount Hood

"A cloudless plain blue sky is like a flowerless garden." - Terri Guillemets

If you have spent much time looking at my pictures, you might be tempted to believe that every time I walk out the door with my camera, the weather and lighting are perfect, and the photography muses are being generous to me. I have to tell you, that's just not the case. Sometimes, the weather doesn't cooperate. Sometimes, I set in the car and watch the clouds roll in and the rain start falling. Other times, no matter how hard I try, the light just isn't right. However, a bright blue sky isn't always ideal, and to be honest, can be a little boring.

Thanksgiving weekend, I was sitting home with the itch to go out with the camera. Sometimes I feel like an addict who hasn't had a fix in a while. I just need to go, even if I don't have any spectacular ideas on where I want to go. For lack of a better idea, my husband suggested we take a drive around Mount Hood. So we loaded into The Zombie (the nickname for my SUV), and headed out on Highway 26 east towards the mountain.

Despite the recent snow, the roads were pretty clear. The holiday crowds were strangely absent, but there was one remarkable visitor to the mountain - lenticular clouds.

Mount Hood from White River Sno-Park

They sat atop the peak like a baseball cap on a man's head, or as someone else described them, a fascinator on a royal wedding guest's head.

Others looked like cotton candy spun in the sky. What do you think they look like?

We continued our journey around the mountain on Highway 35 towards Hood River, taking a detour on Forest Service Road 44. There is a very large sign as you turn off Highway 35 warning that the road is not maintained for winter travel. We found some pretty deep snow, but nothing that The Zombie couldn't handle.

"The Zombie"

We drove about five miles up the road before turning around. We found this snowman, down a side road, who looked lonely out there by himself in the middle of the national forest. Someone should have at least left him a scarf or a hat. We stopped and gave him some company before continuing on towards Hood River.

Not far from Parkdale, there were several cars parked along side the road. My husband and I turned in unison to see exactly what the attraction was as we drove past. Once we saw what they were stopped to peer at, we turned around immediately.

The only apt description is it was an impromptu photographer "convention." There were a half dozen or so of us, all with our cameras held to our faces, capturing images of this:

We all stood there and snapped away until the light completely drained out of the sunset. Mother Nature had sent the clouds out to put on magnificent show and I feel lucky to have been there.

The Golden Lining - Crooked River Canyon

"Where would I live if I were a man of golden words or would I live at all?" - Andrew Wood, Mother Love Bone

My youngest daughter, Odessa, and I recently traveled to Central Oregon to both visit family and so I could participate in a craft show with my photography creations. I had set out a full agenda for our travel day over. Some hiking, lunch in Bend, and just doing what I love to do best - playing with my camera.

Mount Hood as seen from one of our stops

Unfortunately, my vehicle had other ideas. My Land Rover - which I affectionately call "The Zombie" because my husband has brought it back from the dead after rebuilding the engine - had some brake issues and we were forced to make several prolonged, unscheduled stops. By the time we reached Madras, to say I was  annoyed and frustrated would be a a gross understatement. The way I saw it, my day had been ruined and I just wanted both the day and the road trip over with.

 
As we reached Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint near Terrebone, "golden hour" had just started to set in. I decided this was a good time to make an unscheduled stop, this time that I chose, and see what I could capture with the camera.

Anyone who has met Odessa, knows that sometimes she can be a bit "bouncy", and after being cooped up in a sometimes moving vehicle most of the day, she had a lot of energy that needed to be burned off. She was very excited to have a chance to stretch her legs. However, when I saw this sign, I immediately began to rethink my decision to stop here.

 
The view here was incredible. Once we got to the rock wall, and peered over, I could understand why a warning sign is necessary at the parking lot. I snapped off a few shots, drinking in the last of the sunlight and the smell of sagebrush in the air.

Odessa wanted a turn with the camera as well. I nervously helped her hold it and she grabbed a few shots of her own. Apparently she thought everyone needed to see this image of the wall.

A photo by Odessa

The grounds here were absolutely littered with leaves, over ankle deep in places. Like any other little kid, Odessa could not resist such an opportunity, and ran and jumped in them with a look of pure glee on her face.

She then decided that it would be fun to bury herself in the leaves, kinda like a little crab in the sand.

Can you find Odessa in the leaves?

After I was able to locate my child again, we were back on the road. As we drove down Highway 97, I thought to myself that the day wasn't the complete disaster I had thought it had been. The chance to watch my girl, so completely happy playing in the leaves, and capture those images with my camera was truly the golden lining to the day.