Scratcher of heads, rubber of bellies
Even in the late fall, with a minimum of moss as the rainy season is just getting under way, Wahkeena Falls is a beautiful place to be. The trail winds right in front of the falls so the spray of the water blows right over you, particularly refreshing after a day of hiking. Also a nice mental image at the moment, as even though it is only early July, Portland is in the midst of an unusual, and extended, heat wave.
I photographed this mountain stream on the trail above Wahkeena Falls in the fall and realized when I got home that I had photographed these same rocks a few years earlier. I love the look and sound and smell of mountain streams and the Columbia River Gorge never disappoints. While I find the picture calming, the trail is popular and I had to keep moving the camera when people approached to avoid blocking the trail with my tripod.
I took a much needed day off from work to go hiking in the Columbia River Gorge. I got a bit of a late start and intended to hike from Wahkeena Falls to Angel’s Rest but I was having so much fun taking pictures on the way up that by the time I got to Fairy Falls I decided to take a few self-portraits with my new backpack and head back down. The tricky part was standing still for nearly a second, especially since I couldn’t hear when the shutter clicked due to the waterfall so I had to guess at when it was OK to move.
The Columbia River Gorge has a variety of spectacular waterfalls but little Fairy Falls is one of my favorites, I find it so relaxing that every time I see it I think how nice it would be to have even a small version of it in my backyard.
If things get a little quiet around here for the next month, it’s because I signed up for NaNoWriMo again this year. I reached the 50,000 word goal the previous two times I participated in 2005 and 2009 but I think it’s unlikely I’ll get that far this year. Partly because in previous years I had a better idea of what I wanted to write and partly because there are other things I’d like to do this month, especially taking pictures, editing pictures, and updating my site. Goodness am I behind.
And partly because I haven’t been sleeping as well lately and am often tired at the end of the day, normally my favorite time to write. The other day I fell asleep as soon as I finished eating dinner, for a night owl like me that’s rather embarrassing so let’s just keep that between us, shall we.
In the meantime enjoy this lovely mountain stream flowing over moss-covered rocks, taken on the trail above Wahkeena Falls in the Columbia River Gorge. I went hiking a couple of times in the Gorge in the weeks before my Wyoming trip, trying to get myself back in hiking shape while lugging the camera gear around.
Boolie 