Above Multnomah Falls

A few days ago I took advantage of the recent snow and climbed up into the mountains of the Columbia River Gorge in search of snow-covered winter wonderland. There I came face to face with the fact that I am really not used to the existence of snow, being a California boy, and I'm confused by its properties. For example, it is white. Therefore photographing rivers in a snowy forest requires completely different camera settings than I expected. Plus it didn't help that my favorite lens is in the shop and I only have my zoom lens to rely on. But I still came away with some gems. Let's see how they turned out!

Multnomah Falls comes from the sky. Courtney and I came with an out of town friend a couple foggy days before my hike to the top. I tried using her Canon camera. It was a very unpleasant experience.

A small cascade tumbles along Multnomah Creek

A tree watches over the creek.

The river tumbles over some fallen trees as it makes its way down the mountain

Weisendanger Falls, about 50ft tall, is watched by both the living and the dead foliage. The flow of water over the edge resembles that of furrowed brows, a strange and elegant rock formation.

Ferns stand guard at a side creek along Historic Highway 30

Looking out at the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, you can see the effects of a recent snowfall and the heavy cloud cover of winter.

A panther lurks in the river just above Multnomah Falls.

Take the plunge!

Courtney points something out to her friends on Benson Bridge overlooking Mulnomah Falls.

A shapely seasonal cascade along Historic Highway 30

Multnomah Creek

Upper Multnomah Falls, plus winter.

The panther returns! This time with 3-seconds exposure.

The forest above the falls

Drawing snowy lines in the water

Weisendanger Falls, with a graceful 1/8 second exposure, my favorite shutter speed yet for this beauty.