3.20.14 : hanging lake.

I've discovered one of the coolest things about having a significant other is having someone to go on adventures with. For those that have followed my blog for any real length of time, you know I go on a lot of adventures armed only with my camera and a tripod. Since the recent addition of a human, however, I've noticed I really do enjoy having a walking, talking buddy along for the ride.

We ventured out on our day off this week to go hike up to Hanging Lake. I'd never been there before and despite the iced-over snow we had to slip and slide our way up the course of the mile long trail, it was well worth the hike to see the sparkling turquoise water and listen to the waterfalls while we had the place to ourselves. It was a quick trip since I was dying to get my hands on some BBQ I'd been promised after the hike, but I'm excited to go back sometime later in the summer when the trail is a little less treacherous.

10.15.13 : snoqualmie falls.

On my way to North Bend, Washington, I swung over to nearby Snoqualmie Falls to check out yet another waterfall (I have a weakness for them, ok?) and was surprised to find it right there on a busy road with a hotel built looking down upon it. I guess I got spoiled by the hike-in spots I'd been previously visiting. The falls were gorgeous, however, and I enjoyed the fact that they seem to be fairly famous for its appearance in the tv show, Twin Peaks (which I'd heard of, but never seen). Having added a new tv show to my docket of Netflix shows to watch this winter, I moved on, satisfied that I'd crossed yet another waterfall off my list.

This is my attempt at "free-lensing" – a technique that involves removing your lens and holding it freehand to replicate a tilt-shift effect. I found my results to be more like a pin-hole camera than a tilt-shift lens. I suppose that means I need more practice.

10.12.13 : cascade falls

I skipped Washington. Don't worry, I definitely did the Washington coast, but I had a goal to be in British Columbia for their holiday weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving!) and my plan just didn't leave enough time to do the Washington coast on the way up.

Having visited the greater Vancouver area three times in the last few years, I'd have thought I'd exhausted the local waterfalls, but in fact, there was at least one I hadn't seen yet, so my friend Jeff and I headed that way on my first day there.

It was a perfectly beautiful fall day, only tainted by some unfortunate graffiti on the rocks surrounding the falls…left for us by the class of 2014. I'll try to avoid a soapbox rant, but seriously people…if there's one thing that should be left untouched by the hands of miscreant youths, it's nature. Go graffiti something manmade and leave my waterfalls alone!

Ok. Rant over.

I also have to give some photo credit to Jeff, whose hand is pictured in the photo of him taking a photo of me on my iPhone (a gal's gotta Instagram). He came up with that one all on his own.