Archive for ‘Washinton’

November 15, 2015

Enchanted Rainforest of Hoh

Hidden in the north west corner of Washington state is a treasure of a primeval, temperate & enchanted rainforest – Hoh. Walking thru these forests brings in an overwhelming sense of the timelessness. The huge amounts of rainfall and the storm dumps from the near by pacific ocean results in the lush, green canopy of both coniferous and deciduous species. Layers and layers of green, moist moss adorns the whole place, making even the once dead trees & logs of long time, come alive.

Hoh – The place is whimsical and magical, but is still as much real :)

 

Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 18 mm : f13 : 10 sec

   Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Forest 
Forks, Washington, USA
July 15, 2015

Rugged Terrain of Mt. St. Helens

The most fertile lands were built by the fires of volcanoes – Andrea Gibson

35 Years later, Mt St Helens is still recovering. It was interesting to read that time of the day (8:32 AM local time) and the season of the event play a lot in its recovery. Many nocturnal animals were already bedded down for the day and so were more likely to have been protected in burrows and to have survived the explosion than their neighbors up and about during the daylight. You just don’t think about that; that’s a chance event – But then nothing else is by chance either :)

Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 12 mm : f22.0 : 30.0 sec

Buy Print    Mt. St Helens
Mt. St Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington, USA
January 26, 2015

Magical Sunset by Mount St. Helens

Getting to Mt St Helens by itself is fun. The Highway 504 enroute is just perfect – be it bicycle, motorcycle or a casual car drive. It has some sweeping turns and plenty of turn offs at viewpoints to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Pacific North West. The drive up takes you to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. A little rustic building filled with history and even more adored with a picture perfect view of the Mt. St. Helens.

The volcanic eruption of the 1980 created a huge crater, losing almost 14% of its elevation and resulting in the flattened top. The debris spurred around for ~250 miles, impacting the entire ecosystem. Even today, after decades, one could still witness the ashes on some part of the wilderness trees. Each element around – the landscape, the deteriorating but majestic trees, the mountain, the fissures of lava – each remind us of the power of nature.

The sun actually sets behind you as you enjoy the mountain view. But this particular evening the light was just magical and it was fire across the sky. Given the vicinity to the visitor center and the concrete paved walkway, it lends itself well for night photography, especially if ur worried to hike up in the dark. It is amazing to view the milky way above St. Helens. Additionally the expansive view also opens up possibilities for some creative panoramas too :)

Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 13 mm : f22.0 : 20 sec 

Buy Print   Sunset by Mt. St. Helens
Mt. St Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington, USA