Mountain Heather, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington Cascades

“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread.” — Edward Abbey
Mountain Ridges, Glacier Bay National Park, Southeast Alaska

“In the presence of eternity, the mountains are as transient as the clouds.” — Robert Green Ingersoll
Downey Creek Trail, Cascade Mountains, Washington State

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” — John Muir
Punchbowl Falls, Eagle Creek Recreation Area, Oregon

“Look at everything as if you were seeing it for the first or last time.” — Betty Smith
Ponytail Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Confucius
Bristlecone Pine Reaching for the Stars

“Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.” — Theodore Roosevelt
Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone National Park

“A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.” — Jim Watkins
Giant kelp air bladders, Salt Creek Recreation Area, Washington

“Nature is pleased with Simplicity.” — Isaac Newton
Coastal Trail, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, California

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” — John Muir
Alpine Stream, Cascade Mountains

“Coming near the edge of the snowfield I find running water close to the surface, visible among the rocks. I stop to drink. The water is bitterly, brilliantly cold with particles of glacier silt — utterly delicious.” — Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
Multnomah Falls Featured by Printed Art Curator’s Blog

The curators over at Printed Art have featured Multnomah Falls as part of a portfolio on “The Motion of Water“. “Cascades of color and energy flying by, and there you are, taking it in, trying to create the feeling for the viewer. Many say that timing is everything. I like to think that creativity, patience […]
16 Images That Show Why I’m Proud to Live in the Pacific Northwest

It’s pretty hard to beat the Pacific Northwest as a place to hang your rain hat. This post illustrates some of the things I love about home in the PNW, which I originally wrote for the Matador Network. It all starts with the forces that form this land. As the Pacific plate slowly slides down […]
Even More Boulder River

My wife and I enjoyed the Boulder River Trail so much last weekend, that we decided to hiked it with friends again this weekend.
Boulder River Waterfalls

The Boulder River Trail is a spring classic in my book. When the high country is packed with snow and I want a quick spring photo trip on a cloudy day, it’s the Boulder River that I turn to for its waterfalls, mossy boulders, canyon walls, old-growth forest and wildflowers. This natural beauty is protected […]
“Autumn Leaves in Duck Brook” Featured by PrintedArt

The curators at PrintedArt.com have kicked off 2013 with a blog post on the moods of water, featuring my image “Autumn Leaves in Duck Brook.” I discovered this little stream-side scene while biking the carriage roads on a fall morning in Maine’s Acadia National Park. To me, the image is about the passage of time flowing […]
Camera Bags Part 1: The Addiction

Hi … my name is Brad, and I am a camera bag addict. No less than 16 camera bags are loosely stacked in my closet, accumulated over the last 18 years. And this is something my wife reminds me about whenever I contemplate yet another bag. So, exactly how many camera bags does a photographer […]
Camera Bags Part 3: Lowepro Photo Trekker AW for Nature Photography

The Lowepro Photo Trekker AW is my bag of choice for “serious” nature photography, when I want to be ready for anything with a lot of gear. I also have Lowepro’s largest back pack camera bag, the Super Trekker AW, but that bag is actually larger than I really need. The Photo Trekker AW is […]
Walking Through a Land of Rock and Ice

The heavily crevassed Emmons Glacier dwarfs two hikers on First Burroughs Mountain in Mount Rainier National Park.
Mount Rainier Showing It’s Autumn Colors

Mount Rainier was displaying it’s fall color this last weekend, as seen in this image from near Chinook Pass. Here are a few more images with Tipsoo Lake.
Glacier Peak – Washington Cascade Mountains

While the original 4-day plan was to backpack to Buck Creek Pass, climb Buck Mountain and then traverse the Massie Lake High Route, I had to settle for just Buck Creek Pass due to boot problems. The sole of my left boot came off 10 miles from the trailhead, making extensive off-trail travel and scrambling […]
Peak Wildflower Bloom at Mount Rainier National Park

August 27, 2012 A heavy snow pack and beautiful summer weather have conspired to produce a stellar wildflower bloom in the subalpine meadows of Mount Rainier National Park. I found the meadows in peak bloom this weekend in the Paradise and Mazama Ridge areas, with lupine, paintbrush, bistort, aster, arnica, sitka valerian and more all […]
Rialto Beach

Images of sea stack, sea stars, surf and sunsets on Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington Coast. Rialto Beach offers stunning shoreline scenery, rich intertidal life and makes for a great family backpacking adventure.