2012, Day 57 - Sentinel

We have been inundated with the occasional snow shower today and yesterday with more possible tonight.  It is hard to believe that despite a relatively mild winter we have had so many little winter storms.  If the snow actually stuck to the ground I would be pleased but mostly it just means it is going to be wet and cold outside.

This is a photo from my recent trip to central Oregon.  As you can see the clouds were pretty solid but the occasional ray of sunshine would break through highlighting some part of the landscape.  I liked this old tree, it look so gnarled and has probably seen thousands of people pass by in its lifetime.  Now it is just a husk serving to remind us that wildfires in central Oregon are common and the last was recent enough that the surrounding trees display the willowy trunks of their youth.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
20mm, f4, 1/1000 sec @ 200 ISO

2012, Day 44 - Frozen flow

This morning we awoke to a few inches of fresh snow which meant one thing, epic snowshoeing!  Today's trip was three times the distance of yesterday's adventure but there was less than 800 feet of elevation gain which made it much more relaxing.  We made our way out to Newberry Crater and suited up for the icy breezes.  The trail was well marked and our destination was Paulina Falls.

We made it there in good time and Paulina Falls was spectacular!  The clouds were moving quickly in the strong winds which made standing at the viewpoint a little nerve-wracking.  Despite my initial reluctance to get too close to the railing I inched closer and closer as the wind died down to a gentle breeze.  When the clouds obstructed the sun I knew my moment had come and below is the result.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f22, merged layers of 2.5, 5, and 10 sec @ 100 ISO