Pacific Northwest Photography Road Trip (Grand Tour de PNW)

Traveling and Photographing During a Pandemic

Disclaimer: 2020 has been, at best, a difficult and disappointing year for just about everyone. Like many, I have had friends and family infected and killed by the coronavirus. This post isn’t intended to be about the pandemic (at least not directly), but I do want to acknowledge that there is unavoidable risk inherent in traveling during a pandemic. I did not take traveling lightly and did everything I could to minimize the risk to myself and to others. This meant self-isolating before and after traveling; wearing a mask when in-transit; ensuring good fresh air ventilation; regularly washing my hands; sanitizing anything that I would touch in every airplane, rental vehicle, and hotel room I went in; and keeping at least six feet away from others. Before you decide to travel during the pandemic, please consider the risk to yourself and others, and if you do decide to travel, do everything you can do to minimize those risks.

From Iceland Dreams to the Pacific Northwest

I had been hoping to visit Iceland for the very first time this year, but as international travel was no longer in the cards, I decided to visit a part of this country that also has waterfalls and mountains and volcanoes in abundance: the Pacific Northwest. And if my timing worked out, I’d be heading there right around the time that the region’s world-class wildflowers would be peaking.

Day 1 – Oregon Coast and Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor

It was strange flying during a pandemic, but everyone was respectful of others. Delta’s middle-seat-blocking policy was very much appreciated: not only did it seem much safer than filling the plane to capacity, but it was also far more comfortable and there was no worrying about overhead bin space either.

I relaxed most of the flight, until Mt. Hood eventually appeared just outside my window, its shapely summit at eye-level. After grabbing my bags and car, I quickly left the Portland airport, geared up, and headed south along the Oregon coast. My first stop was the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, a small stretch of rugged coastline about an hour from the California border. There were so many interesting scenic spots along the way that it was tough to resist stopping every few minutes!

Sunset Along the Rugged Coast

I finally got there, less than an hour before sunset. There were a few small turnouts and parking areas, with a number of trails that zigged and zagged along the shore. I knew the general area I wanted to end up at, but it wasn’t at all clear which trail to follow, so I took off down one, then another, and then had to double back a few times. It reminded me of all the unmarked social trails around Bonsai Rock by Lake Tahoe. I eventually found my way down closer to the rocks and the shore, and there were a few others exploring too, but it wasn’t crowded. Actually, it was nice to meet people with similar interests again, as that’s something that has pretty much been impossible to do during the pandemic.

Aerial Perspective at Dusk

After climbing the short but very steep trail (steep enough to have a rope on the ground for you to use) back up, I again took a couple wrong turns before finally getting back to my car. I decided to send my drone up for a quick flight to get a different perspective as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Day 2 – Redwoods, Fog, and Fern Canyon

My first full day started from the Mill Creek Campground in California's Del Norte Redwoods State Park, where I had spent the night. The campground was very nice, with facilities that were well maintained. I was glad that I had brought a synthetic sleeping bag, since it was so humid there near the Pacific coast.

First Encounter with Coastal Redwoods

I typically avoid traveling during the summer, in part because the days are just so long. In order to be anywhere for sunrise and sunset, you have to get up painfully early and stay up late. My plan for this morning was to try to find some of the famous marine layer fog that frequently parks itself along the coast and which provides critical moisture and nutrients for the iconic redwoods to thrive. I went over to the Damnation Creek trailhead and hiked a few miles in along the Coast Trail, but found not even a hint of fog.

While I had hiked among giant Sequoias before (around Yosemite and the western slopes of the Sierras), I had never seen a coastal redwood up close in person before, and I was blown away by them. Still on the lookout for fog, I found my way over to the Boy Scout Tree Trail, passing a small handful of other people and cars along the way. It wasn’t busy at all. The trees along the whole trail were impossibly enormous.

Though there wasn’t any fog, there’s still something very humbling about standing in the presence of such giants. At least, I thought they were giants, until I got to the Boy Scout Tree. It’s honestly a tree the size of a small mountain. It made all the other trees along the trail look modest by comparison. It got its name because an entire troop of boy scouts were able to fit along just one side of it for a photo many years ago. It has to be seen to be believed.

On the way back, I stopped at the only diner I had passed, which caught my eye because they were advertising a 16” pancake (!). I had hiked close to 10 miles so far without breakfast, so this sounded amazing. I got a 3 egg omelette, hash browns, and a 16” chocolate chip pancake. It wasn’t the best in the world, but it was huge and plenty good enough. I ate everything except the final third of the pancake before I was full. Not sure, but I think I was hungry.

Gold Bluff Beach and the Marine Layer

After a short rest back at the campsite, I went over to another part of the Redwoods National and State Park complex, the Gold Bluff Beach. It was completely overcast with heavy fog (finally found it!) and a balmy 55 degrees. Perfect beach weather... After watching the waves come crashing in and a seal lazily swim by, I went over to the nearby Fern Canyon for sunset.

Fern Canyon at Dusk

Fern Canyon is an easy to access, short, family-friendly hike through an interesting canyon with walls lined from top to bottom with many species of ferns. Not surprisingly, it’s very popular and usually very busy. Rangers were turning people away when I first got there a couple hours before sunset. When I finally got to the parking lot around 7 or 8pm, there were still maybe 15-20 cars in the lot. I made myself a quick hot dinner, then hiked along the short trail. The lighting wasn’t great (it was totally overcast and a little rainy), but it was still a cool short hike. Felt like something out of Jurassic Park. It’d be a good hike for a family or if you’re short on time, but otherwise it wasn’t a must-see hike, at least in my opinion.

Day 3 – Chasing Fog and Light in the Redwoods

Finding the Marine Layer

The next morning was my last morning in the Redwoods, and I was again hoping to find some of the marine layer. Fog can add drama and interest to just about any image, and I had seen some beautiful shots of foggy Redwoods. After breaking camp, I stopped by Damnation Creek again, but again, no fog. This time I kept going along the main road, keeping my eye out for any foggy patches along the way.

Shortly before some ongoing roadwork, a patch of fog caught my eye. There was a small pullout, and I was happy to see that there was a trail into the trees right there too. Putting on all my rain gear (the marine layer is basically a cloud of water vapor), I ventured along the trail, having no clue where I’d end up. Much to my surprise, the trail connected with the Coast Trail, which I followed for several miles, until the fog started to visibly clear, at which point I doubled back into the fog cloud.

Photographing Forests: Chaos and Composition

I find it often particularly challenging to get good compositions in forests. There’s just too much chaos with trees and branches and leaves and plants everywhere. Much more difficult to isolate any particular subject or to follow the rules of composition like having leading lines or compelling foregrounds. Not to mention the patchy light. It’s not impossible to get good images in forests - I’ve seen it done, and when successful, the results can be amazing - but it often takes a lot of time and patience.

A Breakthrough Scene at Sunrise

I was loving every second of walking through the misty mystical redwood forest. It was magical to be there in the solitude and silence of the early morning, just me and these ancient giants. Eventually, reluctantly, I arrived back at the car, and went back the way I came. I noticed the fog had moved and was now visible from the Damnation Creek trailhead, so I made one final stop there, not sure what to expect. By now the sun was starting to break through the fog and trees. I made it not even a quarter-mile along the trail when I was stopped dead in my tracks by an incredible scene. This is where I got what ended up being one of my favorite photos from this entire trip.

Day 4 – Crater Lake Sunsets and Astrophotography

Mt. Garfield and Scouting the Rim

My next stop was Crater Lake National Park, back across the border in Oregon. I was hoping to find some interesting wildflowers to use as a foreground for some sunrise/sunset photos, so I scouted along the rim around the Merriam Point area, and then did a quick summit of Mt. Garfield (made it up in under an hour!). Lots of small, brightly-colored wildflowers along the trail, but couldn’t really find any along the rim. I think it was probably 2-3 weeks before peak wildflowers here.

Sunset Along the Discovery Trail

I quickly went back down towards the Lodge, passing a large cluster of photographers set up for sunset. Generally, whenever I see a pack of photographers at one spot like that, I’ll make a point of going somewhere else (unless that’s the only vantage point). It can be tough to create original photos. Trying to stay ahead of the quickly setting sun (and the even quicker mosquitoes), I hurried a couple miles along the Discovery Trail.

Milky Way Over Wizard Island

It had been a long day, but I had timed this trip to also line up with the new moon. Combined with the cloud-free sky, this meant that the conditions were perfect for some astrophotography. Heading to the north side of the lake, I found a pullout that had an unobstructed view of the lake and the Milky Way in the southern sky. While I was able to get a great view of the Milky Way, I struggled to find a compelling foreground that was either visible at night or which I could illuminate. Since I was using an ultra-wide angle lens, the lake itself and Wizard Island seemed much smaller and less impressive than they looked in person.

Photographing the NEOWISE Comet

This was also around the time that the NeoWise comet was making its appearance, but I couldn’t really see it anywhere from this spot. I was thinking about shooting some star trails, but that would have required setting up somewhere for several hours. It was already close to midnight and I was exhausted and hadn’t found a great foreground, so I decided against it (though I guess I could’ve slept in my car if I really wanted to). On my way back to the lodge just outside the park, a faint object in the sky caught my eye, and I realized it was the comet! Obviously I had to get a photo, and I’m glad I did since it was the only one I would end up getting of it.

Day 5 – Waterfalls and the Oregon Coast

I managed to get about 2 hours of sleep at the Union Creek Resort. Not sure if all the rooms are like the one I got, but it wasn’t all that great - it did have a microwave, mini fridge, and small window AC unit, but the room and everything in it was old, musty, not in great shape, had bugs and cobwebs, and was not terribly comfortable. Plus there was no wifi signal at all in my room. It met my needs fine, but I was just using it as a place to lay my head briefly overnight. It wouldn’t have been great if I was spending any longer in the room. But I suspect most people stay there just as a base camp for exploring the rest of the region.

Anyways, I almost ended up bailing on sunrise because I was so tired, but I didn’t, and I’m glad I didn’t. I had found a large patch of grayish wildflowers (couldn’t identify them) the previous afternoon near the Watchman Overlook, and so went straight there.

There were a couple other people at the overlook, but otherwise it was quiet, save for the relentless buzzing of the mosquitoes. The horizon grew brighter and brighter until the sun appeared, igniting and quickly warming the landscape. I enjoyed hanging out there for a while.

Toketee and Watson Falls

Today I was heading west, back towards the coast, and on my way stopped to hike a few trails and explore some of the area’s many waterfalls. Toketee and Watson falls were enormous and looked as though they could have easily belonged in Iceland. Toketee Falls, in particular, was much more crowded than I expected for the middle fo the week.

Remote Clover Falls

Also stopped by Clover Falls, which was WAY farther off the beaten path than I realized. Beautiful waterfall, though not particularly easy to get to either by road or from the trail, once you finally make it there.

Bandon Beach Sea Stacks at Sunset

By the time the sun was setting, I had finally made it to Bandon Beach, where I was looking forward to photographing the dramatic sea stacks. The conditions, however, weren’t all that great - heavy clouds and fog which pretty much killed any chance of a sunset. Still, I took a few photos and tried a different approach in post to end up with a more unique image.

I camped about 20 minutes north, at a campground filled with RVs in nearly every site. I skipped sunrise, but still had to get up early since I’d be covering a fair bit of ground today.

I was planning on stopping at a few more falls on my way to meet up with a cousin I hadn’t seen in forever for a socially-distanced hike around Silver Falls State Park. However, after a brief lunch stop in Eugene, I ended up getting stuck in a long line of traffic behind a logging truck on a single lane mountain highway without a passing lane to be found. Frustrating road planning - I guessed that this sort of thing happened often. It delayed me enough that I had to skip any other stops and still ended up getting there 40 minutes late.

Feeling horribly guilty, I think I spent the first five minutes just apologizing profusely, and was grateful that my cousin hadn’t simply given up and left or hit the trail without me. He’s also a photographer who lives around there, so knew the park well and was able to point out some good spots and points of interest.

Eventually we went our separate ways, and I drove a couple hours to the Three Sisters Wilderness, near Camp Sherman. I arrived in the early hours, late enough that I skipped going to the campsite I had reserved and just went straight to the trailhead, where I shut my eyes for a couple hours before getting back up for sunrise.

Day 6 – Three Sisters Wilderness and Cougar Encounters

Sunrise at Canyon Creek Meadows

I started the morning by immediately losing a glove somewhere in the dark, then fastpacked up the Canyon Creek Meadows Trail to the upper meadows to catch the sunrise by Three Fingered Jack. Wildflowers were slowly starting to bloom around the upper meadows. A faint stream trickled by, and the wind gusted, blowing the lingering low clouds around the mountain. At first I thought they might clear enough to get a good view, but they just swirled around in place.

50 yards up hill a pair of mountain goats grazed while I tried to find a decent composition. It wasn’t until I started hiking back that I discovered I had bypassed a MUCH larger meadow filled with beautiful blooming lupines. It would have been a much better foreground, had the mountain really been visible. Just goes to show you how important it is as a photographer to keep moving your feet.

I stopped briefly back at the campsite to cook up some breakfast and try to rest for a minute. There was a bathroom there, but even in this somewhat more remote area it was in terrible shape. Apparently Oregon had decided to give up on trying to keep up public facilities like this during the pandemic. Or at least it sure seemed that way.

Tamanawas Falls

I was way behind schedule when I finally got back on the road. I had been planning on stopping by several more waterfalls in the region, but I barely had time now, so I did a quick stop at Tamanawas Falls (busy but beautiful), and then tried to visit Falls Creek Falls for sunset.

A Close Call at Falls Creek Falls

The giant Falls Creek Falls parking area was nearly empty. About a half mile into the trail, a woman and a pair of large dogs suddenly appeared, breathlessly running directly at me. “Cougar” she panted.

I wasn’t sure what to make of this - the last thing you want to do in a cougar encounter is to run (it’ll trigger their predatory chase instinct), so I quickly scanned the rapidly darkening woods but didn’t see anything at all. Not really wanting to risk an encounter, I walked back to the trailhead with her. After talking with her, she seemed credible: she was a hunter and seemed confident in her ability to distinguish between a big cat and, say, a deer or something that could look kinda like a cougar from a distance. My best guess is that it was a cougar and they both startled each other. Not easy to surprise a cougar!

Anyway, that was the end of that hike, so I got back on the road and began the long drive through Washington’s mountain roads to Mt. Rainier, my next stop.

Day 7 – Wildflower Sunrise at Mt. Rainier

I was staying on the Sunrise side of Mt. Rainier, and I arrived late enough that I barely had time to cook up a quick breakfast before I had to get going if I was going to make it to the mountain in time for sunrise. Those long summer days (and short nights) can be brutal!

Fog and Flowers on the Sunrise Side

I made it to the Sunrise Visitor Center and was on the Silver Forest Trail/Sunrise Rim Trail just as the sky was turning brighter and brighter shades of blue. I quickly discovered that the mountain was totally socked in with fog and visibility was maybe 50-100 yards at most. Lots of deer were trotting around the trail, which was surrounded on all sides by wildflowers in full bloom. Now I finally started to understand why this area is so famous for its wildflowers!