The Frosty Falls

Thanks to an impromptu call from a friend, I got a bonus trip to Multnomah Falls for a couple hours. Little did I know I was heading into winter wonderland, the waterfall surrounded by an amphitheater of white ice formations and plants encased in translucent sheathes. Besides the meteors in Crater Lake, this was probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in Oregon.

Still, it was not without danger. The trek to the Benson Bridge spanning above the lower tier of Multnomah Falls was slippery and slow going - in fact, access to the falls was restricted in general, although people had no qualms about stepping over the caution tape blocking the way. On the path past the bridge and heading to the top of the falls, we saw some people walking in the opposite direction who had passed us earlier on the way up. They said they had seen someone farther on the trail take a slip, and if he hadn't grabbed hold of a tree at the last moment he would have fallen off the face of the cliff. That's when we decided to head back.

But it was still so beautiful! Enjoy the photographic evidence below. And as far as top music of 2012 lists go (because I know none of you can wait), I'm still working on them. Be patient if you can!

Upper tier of the falls. I couldn't get too many pictures from this spot because of all the mist swirling around my lens. Here's a link to a photo taken a few days after this shot by someone who was able to keep his lens clear.

Classic view of the icy falls

With my new wide angle lens, I can easily fit the plaque and the top of the waterfall in the same shot.

Individually wrapped pine needles

The frozen log at the base of the lower tier

Twigs dripping with ice at the upper falls

A wide view of classic Multnomah

Walking from the parking lot to the falls

Close up on the upper tier

The base of the upper tier. That boulder on the right fell off the cliff in the 1970s, causing cold water and stones to rain on a wedding photo taking place on the bridge at the time. No one was seriously injured.

On the trail to the Benson Bridge

A 620-foor waterfall casually looks on

Photos From the 2012 Beach Vacation/For the Victims of the Clackamas Mall Shooting

These North Carolina photos have been a long time coming, I know, and most of my readers have already seen these shots, having been there when I took them. But I would like to share anyway because there are some photos in the group I am particularly proud of, and now that I've fixed my photo problem from earlier I can flaunt my artist's ego a bit.

But these photos are especially pertinent for today because of the recent tragedy that took place yesterday here in Portland. While I have never been to the mall where the shooting took place, apparently it's not far from where I live and Courtney and our roommates go there from time to time. It's times like this when something horrible happens close to home like this when I think of how precious my family is to me and how devastating it would be to lose someone I love in such a gruesome manner. It was emotions like this that inspired me to write "Unraveling" and even though the song is old it's still relevant. So let's enjoy the photos of a group of precious people, listen to the song of mourning, and keep the victims in our minds as we celebrate how lucky we are that our loves ones are safe.

Unraveling

Austin, the newest member of our family!

Little Sophia playing with my brother

Mad Antz: Aunt Marsha and Aunt Jan

The ocean outside the house where we stayed in North Carolina

Nana, the star of the show!

Four generations: Shira holding Sophia, Aunt Marsha, and Nana

Another sunset beach shot

Another adorable shot of Austin

Upper Latourell Falls

I think I've figured out a way to get some new photos up on this site and get around the sad truth that I'm out of upload space. Here's the test post to see if it works! I finally made it back out to the Columbia River Gorge for the first time in months, which feels like an unbearably long time when my mind is almost entirely occupied by these insufferable law school applications (some of which ask for the site of my blog on my resume, so, hi there University of Washington!). I got to see Upper Latourell Falls for the first time, along with Latourell Falls (my favorite in the Gorge) and the above-pictured Shepherd's Dell Falls. Hopefully, should this photography post work as I hope it does, I should be able to time travel and bring you some of the photos I've been sitting on since summer.

While you're waiting, however, you can always check out my Facebook photo page, which I will start to add more photos to now. Also I have a Flickr account that mostly has only my favorites for those of you who, like me, aren't fond of Facebook, but unlike me can avoid using it.

And I guess I should say something about the election. You know, that election that conservative pundits had so many of us convinced would be a nail-biter? The one Fox News couldn't believe was a blow-out even when the numbers started coming in? Just a good example of how I was right.

Latourell Falls, over 200 feet tall, magnificent in autumn

It doesn't look like it, but that's the trail!

Fall-swept Latourell

Upper Latourell Falls as seen from the trail. That's Courtney and Rebecca looking on in their rain gear.

Beautiful Upper Latourell

The leaves of fall abound!

No, really, they abound!

Upper Latourell Falls as first seen from the trail

Another black and white of Upper Latourell

Shepherd's Dell Falls is a toughie for photographers because the few views are obstructed, and the tall waterfall's twists and turns make it hard for a lens to wrap around. Somehow it's become one of my favorites to photograph. Go figure.

Courtney at the base of Latourell Falls, keeping dry

Shepherd's Dell Falls. I stole this composition from another Portland based photographer, but I like the fall colors here.

This composition is mine alone. Copyright.

Photos from Two Day Trips

Horsetail Falls

Last week during my mom and dad visit to Portland for the first time (yippee!), we took a little side trip to the Columbia River Gorge - how could we not? - and drove by a few of the waterfalls. Weather was odd, and my camera got so wet that my down arrow button still hasn't recovered and my pants are just starting to dry. Enjoy some photo evidence!

Shepherd's Dell Falls. Behind me as I was taking this photo was a camera crew shooting a car commercial in the pouring rain. They did not look pleased.

Horsetail Falls

Horsetail Falls

Horsetail Falls

Then on Monday I drove out to the Oregon coast with Courtney and her friends to see Cannon Beach, where Haystack Rock sits. It was a good time. We arrived at low tide when the tide pools were explorable and we could walk right up to the giant rock. The sun was too high for high quality beach photos, but I think I got some that are worth showing off:

The lighting isn't great on this one, but you can see how gigantic Haystack Rock is.

Cannon Beach

An unnamed waterfall, or possibly a sewage deposit, emptying into the ocean.

A rainbow opens up above Haystack Rock despite there being no sign of rain. The little dots in the shot are birds.

Speed Dating Seattle Part I

The top of the Space Needle has been painted orange in honor of the color it was during the world's fair for which it was built.

Memorial Day Weekend was my first opportunity to investigate the city of Seattle, Washington. In fact, it was one of my first chances to find myself in the state of Washington at all, despite living in Portland, Oregon, which borders Washington - once, on the way to the airport, I missed a turn and biked until I saw the "Welcome to Washington" sign, then continued biking until I was beyond it in order to say I had been in the state.

A couple of friends were heading to Seattle to visit family and offered to take me along for the ride. It was all very last-minute. I called my Dad's high school friend Steve on Thursday telling him I'd be there for the weekend starting Friday night, and luckily enough he was available to visit and give me a place close to the city where I could spend a couple of nights, although no plans were final until about mid-way through Saturday.

Mostly the visit was for travel's sake, but also I needed to evaluate Seattle's livability, since there is an excellent law school there that I may be seriously considering in a year from now (while Portland is just fine as far as cities go, it doesn't have any top notch law schools except Lewis and Clark, which is only top notch for environmental law). It turns out that big cities - Seattle - have much more going on than little metropolises - Portland - and there's still much more to see before I get a real idea of what living there would be like. I guess this means we have to schedule a second date.

Still, Seattle is beautiful and green, and it has some great architecture. I'll split this post in two parts just because there are too many photos to bombard you with in just one "welcome to June" announcement.

While I was there a large folk festival, "Folklife Northwest" was taking place. I did check it out, but it was far too crowded and noisy in general. I couldn't stand it, in short. But there were some small, removed patches where I was able to escape before I escaped the entire festival altogether. Off to the side one table sold books of poetry written by kids in juvenile detention, where an organization called Pongo Teen Writing teaches non-profit poetry. It felt like something I could support, and the poems, which now sit in my room, are often quite good for being written by kids aged 13-17.

Then I made my way to Kerry Park Viewpoint, up a huge hill that rewarded me with a sweeping view of the cityscape. This is where my picture taking of the day started, because it's the only place in the city where a shot of the Space Needle makes it look like it's actually within downtown Seattle, while in reality it's off to the side in a different section of town from the skyscrapers.

See? No skyscrapers nearby.

The next day I went to Waterfall Garden Park (of course) because the public transportation was limited during the holiday weekend and I couldn't make it out to Snoqualmie Falls as I had originally planned. It turns out I wasn't allowed to take pictures with a tripod in the park because it's a private garden and no professional photographers are allowed. I was too flattered to be considered a pro despite my dinged up tripod to protest.

Waterfall Garden Park is a quite, tucked away fountain in the shape of a waterfall. It

's a few blocks away from where the Seattle Seahawks play.

Later, on the way back to the Space Needle, I accidentally ran into the downtown public library, an example of Seattle's bizarre and amazing architecture. Portland also boasts a fine public library, but not ten stories of modern glassy book holdings, complete with a book spiral built exactly how I imagined my protagonist's home to be in the novel I'm writing. It was a legitimate research library and piece of art, and made the prospect of being a University of Washington student seem quite appealing.

A wall of the library

Outside the library's entrance

Part of the library's roof

All right, enough for part one. More travel writing to come in the next installment. Hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekends too.