After a couple of months of unseasonably dry weather, the Pacific Northwest winter rains have finally began to come down. And as a result, my motivation and inspiration for photography have both gone into hibernation. This is pretty typical of the winter though. To be honest, I would rather keep dry and warm in the comfort of my home, rather than out shooting in the wind, rain and cold. Then add the fact that it gets dark at 4:00, so after work shooting is out of the question. But I have felt stuck. This is painfully evident by the fact I've been on the same two rolls of film for a couple of months now.
Read MoreLinhof Technika III Restoration /
I have been interested in trying out 4x5 photography for a while. I think it's the natural progression of film photography - 35mm is easy and accessible, and then you get the itch for trying bigger and bigger negatives. Then, add the fact that all the cameras look vintage and cool. I mean who doesn't want to be the guy hiding under a dark cloth to take photos with a 60 year old camera?
Read MoreTable Mountain - Wind and Fog /
This year for MLK day, I grabbed Adam and headed out to the Columbia River Gorge for another winter-time adventure. Miraculously we both had the day off. We set out to do Table Mountain on the Washington side of river. Table Mountain is one of the higher points in the Gorge, with a sheer triangular face and and 360 degree view from the summit.
The Table Mountain is noted for it's long, difficult hike to the summit from the Bonneville Trailhead. Adam and I decided to do the hike from Aldrich Butte Trailhead. This newer trailhead shortens the hike to 8 miles with 3350 feet of elevation gain. It starts among the power lines and largely follows old, abandoned sections of service access roads. The Aldrich Butte was a location for a WWII defense site. After ascending a portion of Aldrich Butte, the trail splits off to follow the Cedar Creek drainage, and parallels and eventually joins the Pacific Crest Trail.
Read MoreRock of Ages Loop Hike /
Right before the new year, my buddy Temo and I drove out to the Columbia River Gorge to do the Rock of Ages Loop. This trail is 10 miles long, while gaining around 3000 ft of elevation. Over the last hiking season, I have been trying to knock out all the steep, scrambling hikes in the Gorge. This trail in particular sees a lot of traffic by those training for the alpine treks up the Cascades.
This loop starts at the Horsetail Falls trailhead, and begins by climbing up to Ponytail Falls.
Read MoreTom, Dick, and Harry Hike + Timberline /
Sometime after Christmas and before the new year, my buddy Tom invited me up to Mt Hood to run around in the woods. He had been sick for the couple weeks prior, and was in much need of some fresh mountain air, beautiful scenery, and exercise. And of course I am always down for an adventure.
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