greenery

Spring Greens

The golden hills of California stay golden for a reason - the lack of rains through summer and fall. So when the rains do appear, the golden hills of California turn green, the barren oak trees sport new leaves, and colorful wildflowers sprout across the state. And as a nature photographer, hunting around for such idyllic Californian landscapes was an endeavor I looked forward to every spring.

I found this beautiful scene while on one such trip out to the Table Mountain Ecological Reserve near the town of Oroville. Here is to hoping that this year is just as colorful.

North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve

CA USA

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Nature's Eye

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Walking under that enormous overhang, the waterfall was a column of thundering white, draining amidst the lush vegetation growing from the plentiful mists all around. The overhang under which I was standing was precarious, jutting a dozen yards in front, and enveloping the deep undercut on either side of this vast gorge. It looked like an eye, a white pupil cutting vertically across gorgeous green iris.

To say that this is a unique occurrence is an understatement - there are very few places where I have seen such a deep undercut, let along with a waterfall as massive as this one. Nevertheless, the lower North Falls in Silver Falls State Park, a natural area with ten beautiful and unique falls, is worth multiple visits.

Silver Falls State Park
OR USA

 

 

A Bend in the River II

As I came across this bend in the river, ensconced in the vibrant coniferous greenery of the Canadian Rockies, I was reminded of another similar bend in the Colorado river near the town of Page, AZ. While the contrast couldn't be more different, there was common thread that connected these two natural wonders, ie, water.

It was water that carved away the deep gorge in the red sandstone layers of the desert Southwest, and it was water that carved away these layers of sedimentary rock of the geologically young Canadian Rockies. While one region was a waterless desert, this one had all the markings of a lush rainforest, signifying the over-abundance of water.

I enjoyed walking in this forest, even as I was getting soaked in the misty rain that was so typical of this breath-taking region of Canada

Banff National Park
AB Canada

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The Greens of the Pacific Northwest

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Barely 24hrs prior, I was slogging along an uneven ridge on the High Divide in Olympic National Park, with views of Mt Olympus on one side, and an amalgamation of green valleys and mountain ranges leading to the Pacific on the other side. The hot la…

Barely 24hrs prior, I was slogging along an uneven ridge on the High Divide in Olympic National Park, with views of Mt Olympus on one side, and an amalgamation of green valleys and mountain ranges leading to the Pacific on the other side. The hot late summer day and the lack of shade made hauling a 35lb pack all the more excruciating, but the scenery more than made up for it.

But the very next day, I found myself in a green haven, hiking through lush vegetation down one of the valleys along a leafy trail that followed the gurgling sounds of a life-giving creek. Tall conifers shared the canopy with vine maples and broad-leaved oaks while the undergrowth was dense with idyllic ferns and vanilla leaves, with huckleberry shrub loaded with juicy ripe berries spread all over.

A few hours in, the sound of rushing water, far more intense than the gurgle, caught my attention. Following it through the undergrowth, I came across this beautiful cascade where the creek wound its way through a leafy canyon. Barely any light filtered through, leading to a soft and mellow scene. It was a welcome respite from the prior twos of hiking in unbearably hot weather.

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Olympic National Park
WA USA

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A Forest visit

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In the silence, I could hear every twig on my feet, every rustle on the leaf, every squawk by a squirrel, every flutter by a bird, and every beam of sunlight that scintillated through the trees. I stopped, hoping to capture silence, while a minute p…

In the silence, I could hear every twig on my feet, every rustle on the leaf, every squawk by a squirrel, every flutter by a bird, and every beam of sunlight that scintillated through the trees. I stopped, hoping to capture silence, while a minute passed by, and then a few more. I lost track of time as I stood in awe of the dense forest with its mossy green trunks and lush vegetation covering every square inch all around.

It was a late morning in the heart of Olympics National Park, and I was making my way through a temperate rain-forest that is ubiquitous in the eastern lowlands of the park. The yellow sunlight (courtesy of a forest-fire somewhere) lent a warm quality to the green vegetation, making the foliage appear ever so photogenic. I scouted around for a few choice compositions, but the heavy pack and the fact that others in my group were waiting for me to catch up meant that I had to be quick about it. I finally lined up one composition with the sunlight peering through the trees for a starburst effect, which I captured at ISO 3200, 1/5s at F18

Olympic National Park
WA USA