I've occasionally seen camas on the trail, but I have never seen such a vast display of the beautiful blueish purple flower. On our way home from our road trip to Yosemite (I'll be posting pictures soon!) we made a stop at the mysterious Mima Mounds south of Olympia. The rain welcomed us back to Washington and we were glad to feel it. The meadow of camas looked beautiful with a layer of rain and mist.
Lazy Saturday on Heybrook Ridge
Darin and I had not been on Heybrook Ridge since back before we started dating. We were up there in February 2012 for a Mountaineers Navigation class and he called me the next day to ask me out.
It was fun to walk a trail with a personal history. We've been slacking in our training for spring/summer mountaineering season and so we opted to carry the weight up a nice, easy trail. Even with the only 800' of gain we sure felt it in our legs. It was a bit of a reality check as we stared out over so many beautiful mountains from the lookout at the top.
Over the Mountains
This past Monday I had the privilege of making an amazing trip over the mountains with my mom. I loved driving from rain, to snow, to sunshine in Eastern Washington. With the rain that had fallen earlier in the Eastern Washington day we found some interesting puddles that reflected the basalt formations, and the sage is starting to come out in all its beautiful greenish blue hues. Spring is certainly on its way.
Sultan River Canyon Trail
Today was a beautiful day to pay an overdue visit Spada Lake. The lake itself was gorgeous, and the downhill walk to the canyon was full of cascading water and glistening trees. This meant, of course, that we had to turn around and hike up the 700' hill after arriving at the river, but that made for a good, quick workout. The water in Spada Lake and the Sultan River (its outlet) has such an interesting cloudiness and verdancy to it. Good friends, blue sky, and the quiet forest made for a wonderful Saturday morning. I was happy to be able to snap a few pictures amid the catching up as well.
A Study in Details
Somewhere, somehow I have found the inspiration to pay more attention to the details around me, like mossy rocks in a stream, glistening hemlock needles, frosty icicles, and the harbingers of spring that are beginning to appear. Landscape photographs are crowd pleasers, and nearly every print I have sold falls into what I'd call the landscape category. Landscapes, however, don't show the whole scene but rather the scope. To really fill yourself in on all the details, I think you have to get down on your proverbial (sometimes literal) hands and knees to have a closer look.
So, this midwinter I have been taking the time to look down and to look close while I'm out on the trail. Many thanks to my hiking companions for their patience with me! These are just a few of the details that have caught my eye over the course of the past month. They are elements of nature that would not show up in the same way were they just another part of a landscape photo.
Landscapes are still my bread, butter, and my passion, but I've found that much of the enjoyment in making art is the possession of freedom to explore and imagine.
