HIGH CASCADES PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG

Foggy winter morning

2010-02-06T22:09:00.000-08:00

I spotted this field of towering wind turbines creating shadows across the hills near Maryhill, WA just as the sunlight peeked through the fog. The wind turbine fields are becoming a common sight along the Columbia River that divides Oregon and Washington. It's a perfect place to install this form of alternative energy as there is rarely a day that the wind isn't blowing!

Stormy day at the Oregon Coast

2010-02-04T21:27:00.000-08:00

The end of January promised some great "storm watching" over on the Oregon Coast, so my husband and I decided to drive over to the Newport area to do some photography and eat some clam chowder. (More on that later)

One of my favorite areas for crashing waves is Boiler Bay State Park. There are several good sites along the paved road into the park, and at the turn-around area, you will find picnic tables and several great viewing spots. If you look back toward the highway, you will see a small waterfall just back from the tide line which offers some great photo opportunities. Just make sure to protect your camera gear from the ocean spray!

Newport and Depoe Bay both offer some great restaurants offering everything from fresh seafood to Japanese sushi! One of our long-time favorites had been Mo's Restaurant in Newport - down on the historic bayfront. While on our trip, w decided to go to Mo's for the famous chowder and ordered a couple large bowls. But when the waitress brought out our lunch, we noticed the chowder didn't look the same as it had before. After tasting it, it didn't taste like the Mo's chowder, either! When the waitress came by to ask how our lunch was, we told her we were very disappointed in the chowder - one of the bowls even had small pieces of gravel or large sand pebbles in the bottom! The waitress informed us they had been inspected recently by the USDA and were told they needed to change the way they processed their chowder. They manager the employees that the new procedures would affect the taste and texture of the chowder and he was worried that long-time patrons would be upset. He was right! After that lunch, we will be searching for a new place to eat clam chowder, that's for sure! Too bad, we've had lots of good memories of eating chowder at Mo's for over 40 years!

Long break between posting

2010-02-04T21:18:00.000-08:00

I realize there has been a long break between my last posting to this blog but I hope to catch up and get back on track again now. Thanks for your patience and I'm glad you have checked back to see what's new!

I recently started a new blog that you might want to take a look at, especially for those of you who might be planning a trip to Alaska in the near future. This blog deals with travel writing including reviews and recommendations for hotels, restaurants, tourist sites, and much more. It's located at http://alaskatravelwriterblog.blogspot.com

Marcy

The scenic Deschutes National Forest in central Oregon

2009-06-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

The Deschutes National Forest near Bend, Oregon is a scenic forest with a variety of natural landscapes. From forests of Ponderosa Pine and fir trees, to sagebrush flats with rocky lava flows. Dormant volcanoes and sparkling clear lakes, wildflowers and wildlife everywhere. This is truly an outdoor lovers paradise! Whether you are a fisherman, hiker, mountain biker, kayaker, golfer, windsurfer, camper or photographer, the Deschutes National Forest has something for everyone.

Beautiful Elk Lake is popular with windsurfers and fishermen, and the beach area is a favorite for families. Wildlife in the area includes Osprey, Mule Deer, Elk, Black Bear, Coyotes, Chipmunks, with a wide variety of other birds and insects.

Travel the Cascades Lakes Highway out of Bend for unprecedented views of snow-capped mountains, clear blue lakes, and deep green forests. Adjoining the forest are beautiful resorts and golf courses including Inn of the Seventh Mountain, Black Butte Ranch, Sunriver Resort, and Widgi Creek.

For an unforgettable outdoor vacation - spend your next one in central Oregon on the beautiful Deschutes Naitonal Forest. And don't forget your camera!

On the trail of Wildflowers

2009-06-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

During the months of June through August, the Ochoco National Forest in central Oregon is a haven for wildflower lovers. Photographers will find a large variety of wildflowers on each district of the forest, with some locations providing an outstanding variety in a single area. Examples of wildflowers to be found on the forest include Indian Paintbrush, Penstemon, Columbine, Lupine, Yellow Violet, Yellow Bell, Scarlet Gilia, and many more.

One of the top wildflower viewing areas is Big Summit Prairie. This area not only has a wide variety of flowers, but also offers some wonderful camping areas and fishing in nearby streams. Other great wildflower viewing areas include Walton Lake, Maury Mountains, meadows along Mark's Creek, and on the far east side of the forest around Paulina.

When visiting Central Oregon in the spring and summer, don't pass up a trip to the Ochoco National Forest east of Prineville. Wildflowers, wildlife, camping, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and more!

Heceta Head and the Oregon Coast

2009-06-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

The coast of Oregon is not only well-known for it's picturesque beauty and the relaxing sounds of waves breaking on the sandy shores, but it has a history full of wonderful stories and colorful unique buildings.

One of the favorite stops for travelers is the Sea Lion Caves which is located south of Newport on Highway 101. Here visitors can either take an elevator down into the caves, or walk to several viewpoints where Sea Lions rest on the rocks below.

Another popular destination is the historical Heceta Head Lighthouse State Park also located off Highway 101. There are several turnouts along the highway that offer outstanding views of the lighthouse and lightkeepers residence. For the more adventurous visitor, tours are offered to the top of the lighthouse for amazing views. There are docents that will lead tours and offer information about the history of the lighthouse and the people who worked here.

The Oregon Coast is a must-see for visitors traveling to the western United States, and be sure to take your camera!

Alaska Highway - Delta Junction

2009-06-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Delta Junction, Alaska is the terminus of the 1422 mile Alaska Highway. This scenic small town (Population under 1000) offers the visitor many interesting sites to check out and is well worth spending a couple of days enjoying.

The Visitor Center is a great place to have your photo taken with the monument that marks the end of the Alaska Highway. There are also giant mosquito sculptures, a display of pipe used in 3 different pipeline projects, and of course, plenty of free brochures, displays of wildflowers, and mounted wildlife and examples of furs that visitors can touch. Don't forget to pick up your certificate, certifying you have reached the end of the Alaska Highway!

Delta Junction is home to many family-run farms and also the well-known "Delta Meats" where visitors can taste free samples of their famous sausage. Other sites to see in Delta Junction include: Rika's Roadhouse, Sullivan Roadhouse, Pipeline Crossing, wildlife viewing including Bison herds and bird watching, not to mention camping and fishing.

Delta Junction is also the junction of the Alaska Highway and the Richardson Highway. The scenic views of the Alaska Range are sure to have you grabbing your camera at each turn in the road.

Delta Junction is a special place and often becomes a favorite of everyone who takes time to investigate and explore this gorgeous part of Alaska. Take lot of photos for a lifetime of memories.

Thunderstorms over Central Oregon

2009-06-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

Early season thunderstorms peppered the high desert of Central Oregon over the past week. Photographers were treated to some outstanding displays of cloud formations, including these "Mammatus" clouds which are indicators of a severe storm and can sometimes be a precursor to a storm cell spawning tornadoes.

Trans-Alaska Pipeline

2009-01-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

The 800-mile long Trans-Alaska Pipeline runs from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez with several places along it's route that offer close-up views to inquisitive visitors.

One such viewpoint and information area is located north of Fairbanks along the Steese Expressway. Here the the visitor can find extensive information on the history of the pipeline including interpretive signs, a paved trail that offers visitors a chance to walk alongside an elevated portion of the pipeline, and a small gift shop that offers books, postcards, t-shirts, and more.

To reach this viewing area, just drive north of Fairbanks on the Steese Expressway to milepost 8.4. Watch for signs and a turnout on the eastside of the highway. The Alyeska Pipeline Service Company operates a visitor center at the site which is open daily from May to September.

Valdez, Alaska

2009-01-08T08:55:00.000-08:00

Looking for a great vacation spot? Want to fish for halibut, salmon and rockfish? Enjoy seeing wildlife such as the Humpback Whale, Puffins, Sea Lions, Sea Otters, Bears and much more? Then you should check out Valdez, Alaska!

I had the opportunity to make a 2-day trip to Valdez, Alaska last summer and had one of the most enjoyable trips I've ever had. Valdez is accessible by boat or highway, and sits on Prince William Sound. It is the southern terminus for the 800-mile long Alaska Pipeline and large ships regularly go in and out of the harbor.

This colorful small town is surrounded by steep, rugged mountains and beautiful views of Prince William Sound. There are plenty of hotels, good restaurants, stores for shopping, espresso shops, wonderful museums along with charter boats for fishing, and companies offering wildlife cruises. There are also camping areas, RV parks, hiking and biking trails, and a nice park for the kids.

One of the most enjoyable trips I took while there, was on the "LuLu Belle" a smaller vessel used for offering day cruises to view wildlife on and around Prince William Sound. Although there are a couple of companies offering these day trips - and both are excellent- I prefer the smaller ship that can get into the shallower waters and closer to shore. On our cruise we saw Humpback whales, Sea Lions, Sea Otters, Seals, Bald Eagles, Arctic Terns, Orca, Porpoise, and much, much more! That's not to mention the close-up views of glaciers, watching commercial fishing boats haul in their catch, and seeing the vast beauty of the Alaska shoreline. It was a trip that will be in my memory for a long time.

When going to Valdez, weather is very unpredictable. Make sure you dress in layers, bring a hat or have a hood on your jacket. Rain Gear is essential, although those that prefer to stay out of the weather can stay in the warm and comfortable seating in the main cabin. Bring lots of batteries for your digital cameras, and also lots of memory cards! There are plug-ins both inside and outside the ship, so you can use your batter chargers or download photos to a laptop.

If you are driving - make sure you go north of town to see the Valdez Glacier viewing area. Make sure to also stop by the RV park on the left as you turn onto the road that goes to the viewing area, to see nesting Bald Eagles. The area has a fence around it to protect the Eagles, but you can see them clearly and get some great photos.

For the fishermen, you can fish to your heart's content for Salmon, Halibut and many other types of saltwater fish, and there are plenty of companies to process your catch and ship it home for you.

I would highly recommend a trip to Valdez when planning your next vacation to Alaska. It is a small town with lots to offer!

Wind Energy in Oregon

2008-12-31T08:10:00.000-08:00

On a recent trip through eastern Oregon, I was excited to see several wind farms up and running in farming areas south of the Columbia River Gorge. This area is known for frequent winds and is a perfect area to harness this natural energy.

Hopefully soon, more and more states across America will build wind turbines to use the clean energy this natural resource will provide.

Alaska OIl - to drill or not to drill

2008-12-29T09:44:00.000-08:00

The ongoing controversy whether or not to continue drilling new wells in Alaska has been heating up in recent years. Along with the outrageous ideas to drill in one of the last pristine wilderness areas in the United States (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge), the "big oil" companies continue to secure leases to drill offshore which endangers the sea life and the ocean floor.

Does all this drilling, building new structures on platforms in oceans around the world contribute to global warming and the drastic reduction of sea ice? The ice shelves in Antarctica are collapsing at an alarming rate, Polar bears are facing a dramatic decrease in their icy habitat, what about other species that depend on the pack ice for their survival? Not only the wildlife, but what about the Inuit and other Alaska Native peoples that depend on the icy waters and arctic wildlife for their own daily needs?

It seems that Governor Sarah Palin's claims about her involvement in working with large oil companies has come under a lot of scrutiny lately - see link to a former government employee and journalist who is now a watchdog over Alaskan oil - http://www.finebergresearch.com/

During the recent presidential race here in the US, I was shocked at Governor Sarah Palin's "Drill Baby, Drill" reference. What an absolutely irresponsible thing to say. When many Americans are finally starting to give individual effort to reducing our dependence on oil by driving less, using other forms of heat besides oil furnaces, etc - the Alaska Governor stresses the need for more drilling to keep us oil dependent - whose side is she on and who exactly is she working for????

The Alaska pipeline is a huge tourist draw for Alaska, but many just see it as a "cool looking" structure. I will admit it is an amazing engineering feat, and they have tried to keep it as environmentally friendly as possible. But their claims that is not disruptive to the wildlife populations or to the delicate soils and vegetation is a bit hard to believe. On a recent trip to the interior of Alaska, I saw for myself the size of this huge structure, and also viewed many places where it crossed glacial streams, pristine landscapes, and migration grounds for many species of wildlife. What would happen to these areas if there was a rupture in the pipeline or some kind of malfunction? Most of these areas are far beyond any roads and it would take hours (if not days) for crews to get to the site to start repairing the damage. What would happen during that time? Irreversible damage to the natural landscape and wildlife?? We saw what happened with the Exxon Valdez!!!

We as Americans, need to give serious thoughts as to the world we want to leave for our children grandchildren, and their grandchildren. Will they get to see untouched wilderness areas, see birds and wildlife migrating on their annual journey, fish in streams of cold clear water? What about the Native peoples who depend on the land for their survival, what about their legacy for their children? Will the traditional cultures and way of life continue to be passed down or will they all have to move to the city to be able to find jobs and shop at grocery stores, their traditional ways of life gone forever? What will we choose?

Remote lands

2008-12-24T23:22:00.001-08:00

Alaska is a state that has divided loyalties - on one hand is the vast pristine landscapes with untold richness of biodiversity, and the other hand holds the energy resources vital to our nation's economy and security.

Controversial actions abound in national politics and in the politics of local villages and towns. Should they open protected lands for energy exploration? It would mean jobs and money for many remote Native villages, but at what cost?? Many Native village people still depend on the land for their survival, just as their ancestors have done for thousands of years. The land is a part of them and their cultural well-being. It is a spiritual part of them that they can't ignore. What will happen to their way of life if they allow big oil companies to move in? What will happen to their culture? Will the land be forever changed to a point that it can no longer support their traditional way of living? Once the decision is made, there is no going back.