WINDING LIGHT ADVENTURES

Winter Arrives In The Eagle Cap Wilderness

2010-11-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

Returning to our base camp in Aneroid Basin after climbing Dollar Pass from both sides and retrieving some remote "trail cameras" that were set up near recent wolf activity in hopes of capturing images of Oregon's wolves.

Wallowa Mountain Mists

2010-11-30T12:25:00.000-08:00

Winter arrives in the Eagle Cap Wilderness.

Wallowa Mountain Playtime

2010-11-30T12:20:00.000-08:00

Having a little fun on the way back from our trail cam retrieval mission.

Winter Evening In The Eagle Cap Wilderness

2010-11-30T12:10:00.000-08:00

Dropping into the Aneroid Basin, Eagle Cap Wilderness.

Winter Afternoon In The Wallowas

2010-11-30T12:05:00.000-08:00

Dropping down into Aneroid Basin from the top of Dollar Pass on a mission to retrieve trail cameras that had been set up in hopes of capturing wolves.

Misty Mountain

2010-11-30T12:02:00.000-08:00

Dropping into the mountain mist on a fine winter's day in the Wallowas.

Wallowa Mountain Crossing

2010-11-30T11:37:00.000-08:00

Crossing over Dollar Pass into Aneroid Basin.

Upper Bonney Lake Frozen

2010-11-30T11:26:00.000-08:00

Standing beside Upper Bonney Lake. We made a 3 day snowshoe trip into the Eagle Cap Wilderness to retrieve 3 remote trail cameras I had set up in hopes of capturing images of wolves. We captured many pictures of elk, but no wolves. We also found fresh wolf tracks in the snow within a mile or two of the cameras on the retrieval trip. They escaped the narrow view of the cameras though sadly.

Cusick Mountain Basecamp

2010-10-27T16:42:00.001-07:00

Cusick Mountain/S. Fork Imnaha headwaters basecamp by moonlight.

(Hand-held about 4 seconds)

Cusick Mountain Basecamp II

2010-10-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

Cusick Mountain/S. Fork Imnaha headwaters basecamp on my last night of a 4 day solo trip to climb Cusick Mountain and explore the S. Fork headwaters.

(Hand-held about 1 second)

Evening In The Wallowas

2010-09-16T23:27:00.000-07:00

Heading down the last 8 miles of a 30 plus mile trek through some of the Wallowa Mountain's most remote backcountry. (Nothing like dropping from alpine tundra into a darkened twilight forest for a good sore footed night hike.)

Another Hike In The Dark...

2010-09-16T23:17:00.000-07:00

The beginning of a long hike in the dark. (8 miles and a 4,000 ft. drop as a matter of fact). At least we were finally on the trail though. We hiked 17 miles with 50lb. packs that day, much of it off trail. Started the day by dropping 1,600 ft. out of the S. Middle Fork Imnaha and then back up 2,000 ft. to this pass (8,000 ft. elev.) between the N. Fork Imnaha and E. Fork Wallowa Rivers. Then 8 miles and 4,000 ft. down to the car at the Wallowa Lake Tramway. Total we dropped 5,600 ft. and climbed 2,000 ft. that day. (My feet hurt that night. A lot.)

The first day we traversed the three mountains in the background, summiting Aneroid (9,700 ft., back right) and Dollar Point (out of frame on right), then dropping into the N. Fork Imnaha.

Glassing From Cover

2010-08-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

Glassing a herd of about 60 elk from cover, and watching for any wolves that might be hunting them. This was the early morning after the first snowfall on Wallowa wolf country, August 29, 2010. (For those of you familiar with this blog already, you will recognize yet another photo of Jordan, the elusive Backcountry Dirtbag, in his native habitat. In the absence of any other dirty wild creatures close enough to photograph, I often end up photographing Jordan, as it can be hard to find anyone else willing to traipse through the wilderness wet and cold in the wee hours of the morning. Oddly enough. Can't figure this out... but I'm working on it.)

Glassing For Elk And Wolves

2010-08-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

Watching a herd of about 60 elk, and for any wolves that might be hunting them. Jordan didn't have an "elk call", but was managing a pretty good call without one, especially with the spikes. (I think one particular spike developed a bit if a crush on ol' Jordan and was about to come pay him a visit). We were hoping to photograph some wolves, as is my hope pretty much every time I go to the Wallowa backcountry these days. Sadly unsuccessful again. But we enjoyed a conversation with some elk in the first snowfall of the season on Wallowa wolf country, August 29, 2010.

Layers Of Sunrise

2010-08-17T04:37:00.000-07:00

Summer sunrise over the Seven Devils Mountains of Western Idaho, seen from the Snake River/Hell's Canyon borderlands of Wallowa County Eastern Oregon, the heart of Oregon's new 'wolf country'. I was awakened at sunrise by a pack of wolves howling while camped near hear this summer.

Dusk Falls In Wolf Country

2010-08-17T04:30:00.000-07:00

A large wolf track in the Imnaha Divide country.

Forest Pathways

2010-08-17T04:29:00.000-07:00

Good sized cougar tracks I found next to some deer tracks one evening while exploring the Imnaha Divide country of Eastern Wallowa County.

Nez Perce Salmon

2010-08-17T04:24:00.000-07:00

Nez Perce Fisheries technician and traditional fisherman Levi Carson pulls a Chinook salmon out of the remote Imnaha River of Eastern Oregon the same way his people have done it here for millennia.

Nez Perce Traditions

2010-08-17T04:15:00.000-07:00

Nez Perce Fisheries Technician and traditional fisherman Levi Carson pulls a Chinook salmon from the Imnaha River, while his trusty sidekick Hootie looks on eagerly waiting to "help". Levi's family have fished this river for generation after generation, (well, minus the Blue Heeler, but with many a 'wolf descended' mutt I'm sure).

The River Brings Life To The Nez Perce

2010-08-17T04:14:00.001-07:00

Nez Perce fisherman Levi Carson cleans a fresh Imnaha River Chinook salmon and returns it's blood to the river from which it came, fertilizing the riverside trees and grasses that provide shade to these waters, which in turn helps to sustain the life of the Imnaha River salmon. Levi's people have depended on these salmon and fished these waters for millennia.

Ridin' Range In Oregon's Wolf Country

2010-08-17T04:07:00.000-07:00

"Range rider" Jason Cunningham, a local cattleman and horse trainer hired jointly by ODFW and Defenders of Wildlife, patrols wolf affected grazing areas in Wallowa County with a telemetry receiver looking for the collared wolves' signal near livestock. Jason is experienced with cattle and can recognize when they are unusually distressed or missing a calf. The hope is that he can prevent depredations via hazing, or find them in time to confirm them so that compensation can be issued.

Being a rancher himself Jason is very sympathetic to the wolf affected ranchers, and is going to do everything he can to prevent any more depredations from happening. He admits however that he is pretty grateful for an opportunity to have a cowboy's dream job as a backcountry range rider, patrolling the beautiful wild of Wallowa Country on a good horse. It's like getting paid for a favorite pastime, and having the opportunity to help friends and neighbors that he cares about at the same time.

A ranchers' love of time spent in wild country speaks to a sort of conflict of interest regarding wolves. Many ranchers don't have ill feelings towards wolves in general, and even view them as beautiful respectable animals. They just feel they can't afford to give up any of their livelihood to them. A lot of small ranchers operate on a slim profit margin. This speaks to their love of the land when you think about it. The small rancher is not "in it for the money". It's love of the lifestyle and the land. Many don't hate wolves per se, and value wild land and it's creatures. However they simply view it as a "them or me" situation when it comes to their livelihood and livestock losses.

Wolf Country Range Rider

2010-08-17T04:06:00.000-07:00

Range rider Jason Cunningham patrols wolf country doing his best to protect cattle from depredation, and to document it if it does happen.

Wolf Country Range Rider II

2010-08-17T03:57:00.000-07:00

Range rider Jason Cunningham waits at a gate in wolf/cattle country with Suzanne Stone the Defenders of Wildlife wolf conservationist who helped initiate as well as gain funding for the range rider program, jointly funded by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Wolf Country Range Rider III

2010-08-17T03:44:00.000-07:00

Suzanne Stone (Defenders of Wildlife) and range rider Jason Cunningham return from a ride in Wallowa wolf country.

24 Hours Above 8,000 Feet

2010-08-17T03:20:00.000-07:00

Nightfall in the Wallowas during a trip to try and photograph wolves near a place where I found wolf fur earlier that week.

I left the summit of the Wallowa Lake Tramway at about 4 PM on a Tuesday, traversing East Peak (9,360 ft), Hidden Peak (9,495 ft.) and reaching the summit of Aneroid Mountain at 6:15, then sleeping in a deer bed with no tent or sleeping bag at the treeline on the right flank of Aneroid Mountain's Southern ridgeline, dropping down into Big Sheep basin on the opposite side of the mountain for fresh spring water in the morning, and back up over Tenderfoot Pass to jump in Dollar Lake, (seen on the far slope here at 8,300 feet), and then up Dollar Ridge and down into the rugged North Fork of the Imnaha River basin, then up over the pass and down into Aneroid Basin and out the Wallowa Lake Trailhead around 9 PM Wednesday with sore feet and a happy soul.

Wallowa Mountain Bivouac (Or How To Sleep In A Deer Bed With No Shelter)

2010-08-17T02:55:00.000-07:00

I saw this bunch of trees standing straight along the mountainside near the ridgeline, unlike many of the alpine trees that dot the mountain slopes and ridgelines, sculpted by blasting winds to look like giant Bonsai trees. (Those can make good rain cover as they arch over in one direction like an umbrella, but are very poor wind cover as they sit in windswept slopes.) It is better to look for a 'survival bivvy' on a slope or hillside as opposed to a valley or ridgetop, since warm air rises up the mountain slopes at night and you want to sleep in it's path not down in the cold pocket valleys or on wind crossed ridgetops). When I saw these trees standing straight I headed towards them, as I knew they were in a protected wind pocket because they were straight and not bent under the ages of mountain wind. I also liked that they were protected on one side by the last 60 feet of rocky, brushy ridgleline.

Sure enough when I walked into this little mountain grove I found two well used deer beds, generations of Mule Deer having used this place on the mountainside just as I was, a respite from the high altitude cold and wind. I chose the "big daddy throne" bed seen here on the left, which fit me perfectly. Below was a doe bed, well used, but smaller. And this wonderful lava rock in right in the middle. Scooping out a hole in the soft dirt on the other side of it, (as seen from this angle), I built a fire pit against the rock, pushing the soft dirt up into a heap downslope to keep any coals from rolling out. The rock funneled the heat right onto my back, and the smoke neatly over and above where my head lay. I had no sleeping bag/tent, only a thin $4 Coleman pocket folded aluminum lined plastic "emergency space blanket". The rock still radiated warmth in the morning. Every time the cold began to creep at my back during the night before I would wake and toss a couple pieces of wood on the fire, having to go once shortly out into the forest for more wood, then back to my sandy bed and warmth. I easily scooped the earth and dirt I had earlier removed for the fire pit back onto the embers in the morning, suffocating the fire and covering it's trace. Then I threw soft dirt onto the fresh soot on the rock, which will cling to it and help wash it off in the coming thunderstorms and winter snows, eventually filtering into the mountain slope the last traces of a night's warmth.

Morning Drink

2010-08-17T02:20:00.000-07:00

A mountainside spring running off the Southern face of Aneroid Mountain into the headwaters basin of Big Sheep Creek. I dropped about 700 feet down from my night's rest in a high deer bed to this place to get water in the morning, as I did not have a filter and I could see that this was good clean water to drink, running out of the mountainside rocks and down into this stream, filtered through several hundred feet of mountain shale and rock. Snowmelt and high lake water can be dangerous to drink as it can carry bacteria. Fresh rock-fall filtered spring water is much cleaner and less likely to cause illness. In fact it is probably better than any 'spring water' you can buy in the store, and certainly tastes better! Worth the hike back up over Tenderfoot Pass just for the water.

24 Hours Above 8,000 Feet

2010-08-17T02:09:00.000-07:00

On the way home from approximately a 21 mile traverse leaving from the summit of the Wallowa Lake Tramway at about 4 PM on a Tuesday, traversing East Peak (9,360 ft), Hidden Peak (9,495 ft.) and then sleeping in a deer bed with no tent or sleeping bag at the treeline on the right flank of this mountain after summiting it (Aneroid Mountain 9,702 ft.), then dropping down into Big Sheep basin on the opposite side of the mountain for fresh spring water in the morning, and back up over Tenderfoot Pass to jump in Dollar Lake (8,300 ft.) at about 9 AM, and then up another unnamed peak and over the Northern Imnaha Divide and down into the N. Fork of the Imnaha River basin to scout for elk and wolves, then up and over this pass and down into Aneroid Basin (pictured here) and on to Aneroid Lake, then out at the Wallowa Lake Trailhead at about 9 PM Wednesday. Good times. Good times.

Storm Over The Imnaha Highway

2010-08-17T02:03:00.001-07:00

Hell's Canyon Adventure

2010-08-17T01:40:00.000-07:00

A white water adventure trip led by Paul Arentson and Morgan Jenkins of Winding Waters River Expediions in Hell's Canyon on the mighty Snake River. Forming the Northern border of Oregon and Idaho, Hell's Canyon is the deepest gorge in North America, it's rim on the Idaho side reaching over nine thousand feet at the summits of the Seven Devils Mountains. This late May river run was made in a four-man Aire raft, through high level class 4 rapids.

Really...?

2010-08-17T01:24:00.000-07:00

Ummm...I'm just not entirely convinced people are supposed to go here.

Bath Time

2010-08-17T01:20:00.000-07:00

Things are about to get a little wet...

One In The Drink, One On The Way

2010-08-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

Paul went in, and Lauren is coming in right on top of him in this photo. Hopefully they both read the "May get wet if attempting to run major class 4 rapids in the deepest gorge in North America" warning label of their four man Aire raft. (They put those on there right?)

Two In The Drink

2010-08-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

Kind of an "oh shit!" moment. Paul went in then Lauren came in on top of him.

Reeling Em' In

2010-08-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

You could get wet if you try this.

Hell's Canyon Whitewater

2010-08-15T15:27:00.001-07:00

Diggin' White

2010-08-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

You Only Live Once...

2010-08-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

There are 4 human beings in this picture.

A Close One

2010-08-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

Morgan dives from the back to keep the front end down. Paul and the girls keep digging. (Everyone stayed in on this one.)

Hells Canyon Afternoon

2010-08-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

Paddling a relatively peaceful stretch of the Snake River between Wild Sheep and Granite rapids on a late spring afternoon.

'Four Man' In A Class 4

2010-08-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

Shooting Granite rapids right after the "Greenroom" on the mighty Snake River.

Hells Canyon Cinnamon Bear

2010-08-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

A "Cinnamon" Black Bear foraging along the banks of the Snake River. (Shot from the middle of the river.) Often Black Bears in Eastern Oregon have a Cinnamon-Brown color to them.

Goal0 Sunrise

2010-05-03T15:49:00.001-07:00

I shot these photos of the Seven Devils mountains on the Idaho side of Hell's Canyon from Mt. Joseph in the Wallowa Mountain Range of Eastern Oregon during an overnight climb I made to test the Elite Sherpa50 unit for a company called Goal0. These photos and a cell phone video I made (posted at the bottom of this page) were shot on a DSLR camera and phone that were entirely charged by the Goal0 Elite Sherpa50, a lightweight 50W solar charged battery that accompanies a foldable and portable solar panel array. The cold temps at high altitude winter camps usually kill camera and cell phone batteries overnight, but not when they are plugged into the Sherpa50! (As you can see here. These photos were powered by the sun that rises in them!)

Goal0 Sunrise II

2010-05-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

This photograph powered by the sun that rises in it and Goal0.

Mountain Dog

2010-05-03T15:36:00.001-07:00

Kira, Mountain Dog

(Like any good climber, she's looking up. She is a Great Pyrenees/Akbash, so it's in her blood!)

Catching Some Rays

2010-05-03T15:32:00.001-07:00

When the sun showed back up for a few minutes I threw the Nomad panels out to get as much of a charge on the Sherpa as I could. I left it out for about 15 minutes in mixed sunlight, and it was enough to bring the Sherpa back from a dead/blinking 20% to a solid 20%, which would have to brought my cell phone back to life once more or powered the led light for quite awhile.

Camp 0

2010-05-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

Camp 0
(Mt. Joseph Base Camp)

The Goal0 Sherpa50 and the Estrella 3W LED lighting up the A-frame tent shelter at Mt. Joseph base camp, Eagle Cap Wilderness, OR.

Sacajawea Trail Run

2010-05-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

A nice (and wet) early Spring trail run up Hurricane Creek Canyon in the Wallowa Mountains of Eastern Oregon. Wasn't much of a "trail" yet actually with all the snow still there.

Hurricane Creek "Trail" Run

2010-05-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

Heading back after an early Spring trail run up Hurricane Creek under Mt. Sacajawea in the Wallowa Mountains of Eastern Oregon.

Jordan Jumpin' The Crick

2010-05-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

A "crick" is what we call a creek in Wallowa County. This one is located out in the Zumwalt Prairie Butte Country. My buddy Jordan may actually be flying a little bit here... those prairie winds can do funny things on an early Spring afternoon trail run!

Zumwalt Run

2010-05-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

Nothing wrong with having your head in the clouds!

Prairie Afternoon

2010-05-03T14:33:00.000-07:00

Once in awhile and old fence like this will take down an elk or a deer. The wires twisted when it's foot gets caught jumping over will act like a vise trap and just hold it there until the predator population, likely coyotes here, arrives to finish the job and return that energy to the cycle of life. At least this young elk (perhaps a yearling by the size) provided sustenance to any number of birds (the highest concentration of raptors in North America resides on the Zumwalt Prairie), coyotes, cougars, wolves, or bears.

Prairie Winds

2010-05-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

Walking into the prairie wind out in the Zumwalt Butte Country.

Running Below The Buttes

2010-05-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

Jordan runs through the prairie grass below Harsin and Findley Buttes on the Zumwalt Prairie.

Time To Bed Down

2010-05-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

Five bull Elk and a string from one herd we saw during our trail run on the Zumwalt Prairie. All in all between two herds we estimated at the very least 700 Elk, but counting all the little bunches we saw it may have been closer to a thousand. (Check out the big daddy up in the right corner watching the others come up. You can barely see his rack against the sky. The bulls take the lead in the move to find suitable bedding for the cold prairie night.)

Elk On The Prairie

2010-05-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

Another bunch from a second herd we encountered along either side of the road flees as we drive past on our way home from our Zumwalt run. Several cows wanted to cross over to the bunch on the other side of the road and kept attempting to head off and turn back the fleeing herd as we drove past. Often on Wallowa County's back roads you will have to part a herd of cows to continue a drive to wherever your destination may be, but occasionally the cows are elk, not those of the Bovine nature!

Nightfall Greets The Herd

2010-05-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

A bull and a small bunch of cows after sundown. We counted over 700 Elk during a 3 hour afternoon trail run in wolf country.

Wallowa County Pastime

2010-05-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

Sixteen year old Erich Roepke finds some air at "Fergi Fest 2010".

Fergi Fest

2010-05-02T16:25:00.000-07:00

Thirteen year old Kyle Roepke in the middle of sticking a sweet 180 at "Fergi Fest", Wallowa County's annual end of the season ski bash festival held at Fergison Ridge, the small rope tow local ski area in Wallowa County. Wallowa County's serious skiers are all accomplished back country skiers, as that's what it takes to spend a winter doing "serious" skiing in Wallowa County. But if "serious skiing" is your game, then we've got some of the best! (For more information on that search "Wallowa Alpine Huts". Also more posts will be coming at a later point from "Fergi Fest".)

Zumwalt Prairie Trail Run

2010-05-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

I got tired of running the same trails so I started driving out to the Zumwalt Prairie to go trail running. Of course I still seem to be starting around sunset about every time. I try and see if I can make it out to the Imnaha breaks and back before it's too dark to see anything anymore. It is also a respite from running in the Wallowas and having to wear my mountain boots to do so. It's easy to find an excuse to be lazy and run the soft prairie earth at lesser inclines when icy and snowy mountain trails are your routine.

Somewhere around February my motivation waned and I started heading out to the Zumwalt Prairie more often for my runs. Plus I am more comfortable in the open running after dark as I can see better and worry less about cougars hiding in trees. But of course Zumwalt is now wolf country. Trade cats for dogs I guess? (The Zumwalt Prairie is a large steppe prairie in Northern Wallowa County that breaks over the Imnaha Canyon. It holds the highest concentration of birds of prey in North America, namely due to all the squirrels I believe. They also attract many other predators.)

A Boy And His Dog Go Running

2010-05-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

Kira. My ever faithful trail companion. Protector from cougars, bears, wolves, coyotes, or any other potential threat we may encounter on our adventures together. Friend. Family member.

Prairie Run

2010-05-02T15:54:00.000-07:00

Breathe in the smell of grass and earth. Taste the evening wind.

Run...

Night Falls On The Prairie

2010-05-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

My Akbash Guardian Dog Kira listens intently to a pack of coyotes howling in the distance off toward the Wallowa Mountains. Light diminishes and we are far out on the prairie.

Time To Head Back

2010-05-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

Darkness chases as we press the earth under our feet racing along the breaks of the Imnaha, wondering if our scent in the evening breeze gives cause for the curious among that family of coyotes howling behind us, or perhaps the wolves now living here that are so often a part of the local conversation as of late?

Just Follow The Moon

2010-05-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

I took a hike on my 35th birthday this February with my buddy Jordan in the Imnaha Canyon Country of Wallowa County. The Imnaha River Canyon runs parallel to Hell's Canyon and the Snake River.

Take Five, At Least

2010-05-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Gaining ground on the Imnaha canyon wall. To the West behind Jordan the Wallowa mountain range can just barely begin to be seen above the canyon rim about 15 miles West as the crow flies. Imnaha and Hell's Canyon country can be a nice outdoor respite from the snow and cold back in the Wallowa Mountains. In less than 40 miles as the crow flies from the near 10,000 ft. peaks of the Wallowa Mountains runs the Snake River at the bottom of Hell's Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America, at 1,480 ft. elevation. Imnaha Canyon separates the Wallowa Mountains and Hell's Canyon.

A Little Canyoneering Action

2010-05-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

I'd hate to be dropping down into this mess in the summer when the Rattlesnakes and scorpions are awake and hiding in this brush and under shady rocks. Winter is a good time for canyoneering in Wallowa County. Mountains are for the summer. That is what the Niimipu Nez Perce did when they lived here. They would summer in the high green country of the Wallowa Valley and Mountains, and winter in the warmer low elevation canyon country. It works quite well.

Dirtbag Canyon

2010-05-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

I know this little canyon probably has several more appealing names than that, both in modern local terms and in Native history. However for this afternoon it was dubbed "Dirtbag Canyon". Dirtbags are mountain man-climbing type bums who live to spend every minute possible in the wild doing what they do, be it skiing, climbing, backpacking, rafting, canyoneering, etc. This day was a perfect way for a Dirtbag like myself to spend a birthday, and Jordan being just such a Dirtbag himself, was more than happy to join!

We are heading down towards a cave where there is known to have been a beautiful Native American pictograph that was chiseled off and stolen back in the Seventies.

Stolen History

2010-05-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

This is the wall of a cave we visited where it is known there used to be an impressive Native American pictograph and ceremonial site. It was still used by the Nez Perce as recently as the mid 20th century. This photo shows where a vandal chiseled and cut the rock containing the pictograph off the cave wall and stole it.

(The photo has been manipulated to help the scar be more visible. The rock is a monotone color so it was not well defined. You can see on the right where the chisel went in to make the initial crack. Then it was probably tapped off.)

Visible History

2010-05-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

I found this pictograph while exploring through the brush around the edges of a Nez Perce cave site that had a large pictograph chiseled off and stolen. This one appears to be a bird or winged spirit of some sort. It does seem to have sustained minor damage, although I am not sure if it is natural or intentional. Something just pulled me through the brush wondering if there was another one somewhere on more flat rock, even though everyone I spoke to who had been there before told me there wasn't. Sure enough... there it was.

It's Going To Be A Good Year

2010-05-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

I took this upon returning back to the Wallowa Valley and Mountains after spending a day down in "Imnaha Canyon Country" exploring on my 35th birthday this year.

Winter Morning Sun

2010-02-04T01:29:00.000-08:00

After dropping Mia off at the school bus stop the other morning, my car just kept driving past the turn off back to my house. It does that occasionally when the morning sun tries to break through a cold night's fog. Lately the bus leaves around sunrise, and often there is enticing light to chase on those early Winter mornings. This was just such a morning. Sometimes when you feel a picture out there about to happen, you just have to drive, or ride, or hike, or run, or paddle... until you find it, or until you realize you missed it. Sometimes you find it, and sometimes you don't. But the joy of the chase is always fun regardless, and will keep you coming back!

Winter Morning

2010-02-04T01:02:00.000-08:00

Another cold misty morning in the Wallowa Valley.

Mia In The Snow

2010-02-04T01:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes an adventure can be as simple as stopping the car and stepping into a quiet January snowfall to take some random pictures.

On our way home from a dinner theater production that Mia played a part in, we were both struck by the colorful streetlights and rapidly accumulating snowfall in the quite town of Enterprise. Mia said I should take some pictures of her out in it, and I concurred that was a fantastic idea. We drove around and looked at a couple scenes before settling on this one. It was fun to wonder what the small town cop was thinking about us as he drove slowly down a side street staring... two weirdos standing out on the sidewalk late at night during a snowstorm (that ended up dumping 10 inches) taking pictures. Living the simple adventure that is life, and enjoying the simple pleasures like a soft snowfall in a quiet little town on a vibrant Winter evening.

Ruby Peak And Crows

2010-02-03T23:59:00.000-08:00

Crows fly overhead as morning mist parts and the summit of Ruby Peak can be seen through clouds. Another typical Winter morning in the Wallowa Mountains.

Mt. Joseph Morning

2010-02-03T12:48:00.000-08:00

Nine thousand six hundred foot Mt. Joseph rises above wisps of valley fog on an early January morning. I will be climbing this peak in a couple weeks to test a new portable adventure based solar charging unit for a company called Goal0, so stay tuned for posts from that adventure! (I may even post something from the summit. Of course in February in the Wallowa Mountains it's possible I will get no where near the summit! It all depends on conditions.)

The Sun Falls On Twin Peaks

2010-02-02T23:09:00.000-08:00

A Winter Sun drops toward the Western horizon and the summit of Twin Peaks in the Wallowa Mountains of Eastern Oregon. This scene just grabbed me as I was driving down the highway between Enterprise and Joseph. I had to pull over and shoot a few frames. I love the sun filtered through cold Winter clouds.

Christmas Trail Run In The Moonlight

2009-12-26T21:17:00.000-08:00

This was taken on a trail run up the East Fork of The Wallowa River, Christmas, 2009. It's not a bad idea to check the trees above you when running through the wilderness after sundown. Outcrops and trees over the trail make great locations for a Cougar to pounce on you from. (Wallowa County has one of the highest Cougar populations in the U.S., although I have only heard of one human attack here several years ago.) Twilight is when they hunt, and surprise attack is their preferred method. They tend to find other animals moving in "flight" motion across their field of vision irresistible. This is a typical predatory response, especially for those of the feline nature. Teddy Roosevelt said "walk softly and carry a big stick", I walk loudly and run with a big dog! (As well as a hunting knife.) I honestly don't think I would trail run after dark without my Akbash guardian dog Kira though. She comes from thousands of years of breeding designed to the detriment of predators, mainly those seeking to harvest a sheep or goat from a herder's field. She makes a good trail partner, and has my back in case a sneaky kitty decides to take a run at it one of these nights! I also find myself shouting the occasional Marine Corps style "Devil Dog" bark into the darkness as I run. Just to keep any predators apprised of my presence, and hopefully respected position on the food chain, which is generally recognized by most of the other animals in the forest when given the chance...but not always...

Wallowa Lake Freezing By Moonlight

2009-12-26T21:08:00.000-08:00

This was shot on the way home from a trail run up the Aneroid Lake Trail the other night. (I actually used a tri-pod for once in this one!) Mt. Joseph is pictured to the left and above Wallowa Lake. I will be attempting to summit Mt. Joseph in January or February to test a new outdoor product. (Sometimes I serve as a gear tester for outdoor gear product companies.)

Wallowa Lake Twilight

2009-12-26T21:07:00.000-08:00

A pretty standard shot of Wallowa Lake I pulled over and quickly took on my way up to the Wallowa Lake Trailhead to run the other evening. Once again I was racing the coming darkness to try and get a decent run in. A common happening on these short Winter days. I had to start doing my trail runs from the trailhead at the Lake once the snows came, as my Volkswagon can no longer get to the Hurricane Creek Trailhead on the other side of Mount Joseph (about one quarter of which is pictured in the right side of this photo). That is where I usually run in the Summer.

Blue Mountain Crossing

2009-12-08T23:43:00.000-08:00

I decided to take a back road over the Blue Mountains returning from a trip to the dentist in Pendleton, OR, about 2 hours away from my home in Enterprise, OR. This route is called Emigrant Pass Road, and it follows roughly the Old Oregon Trail over the Blue Mountains, winding through the Umatilla Indian Reservation (home of the Confederated Umatilla Tribes) and down towards the Columbia River.

Wallowa Lake Trailhead

2009-12-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

Returning to the Wallowa Lake Trailhead in the dark after a long trail run in the Wallowa Mountains on a late November evening.

Prairie Creek Sunrise

2009-12-06T15:05:00.002-08:00

Taken on a cold Winter morning at my daughter's school bus stop.

The Morning Hunt

2009-12-06T15:05:00.001-08:00

A young Bald Eagle that was perched along the Imnaha Highway watching a field for prey. He didn't seem to appreciate me pointing my camera at him when I stopped, so he quickly split from the tree he was in before I so rudely interrupted his search for breakfast.

Last Light On Zumwalt Country

2009-11-16T03:06:00.000-08:00

Twilight falls on Harsin Butte in the Zumwalt Prairie country. The Zumwalt Prairie in Eastern Oregon has the highest concentration and variety of Raptors (birds of prey) in North America. This was taken from my turn around point on a recent trail run ascending almost to the summit of Doug Peak. (I ran until the sun went down, then raced the darkness down the mountainside.)

Last Light On Imnaha Country

2009-11-16T02:47:00.000-08:00

Last light settles on the rim of the Imnaha Canyon during an Autumn trail run on Doug Peak.

Twilight Falls On The Forest

2009-11-16T02:34:00.000-08:00

I took this while trail running off of Doug Peak in the twilight. A great time of day to make yourself interesting to a cougar! I don't recommend doing this in Cougar country if it's not necessary! It helps to have a big dog and know your route though.

Mountain Ghost

2009-11-16T02:16:00.000-08:00

To be quite honest, this creeped me out when I looked at it on the back of my camera. It was just slightly darker than this outside to my eyes, and I was about half way down the mountain on my trail run off of Doug Peak. (Once again exiting in my typical fashion, racing the dark and making myself prime Cougar bait running during the hunting hour! I don't recommend this! My Akbash guardian dog Kira was with me though, reducing my Cougar risks significantly.) Anyhow I snapped several frames of this scene that did not have this misty thing in them. This was the second one I took, the first didn't have it and neither did the third, and I took them quickly in a row. I'm sure it is something on the lens or a snow flurry or something. But I can't lie and say the hair didn't stand up on the back of my neck a little when I checked and the lens was clean, the wind wasn't blowing, and I could not see my breath yet! I didn't waste any time in my descent.

Roadside Portrait

2009-11-16T01:56:00.000-08:00

An old snag stands watch over Hurricane Creek Highway as twilight falls on the Valley.

Late On The Shores Of Mirror Lake

2009-11-16T01:48:00.000-08:00

This is the first of 3 images I shot just playing around with long hand held exposures and our various lights on the first night of the "Three Waters Trek 2009", on which we visited the headwaters of the three major Snake River tributary rivers that flow from the Wallowa Mountains; the Lostine River, the Wallowa River, and the Imnaha River. We left the Lostine Trailhead and packed in to Mirror Lake. The following day we summitted Eagle Cap Mountain, then traversed off the South Ridge and down into Glacier Lake and Frazier Lake. From there we crossed the Wallowa/Imnaha Divide via Hawkins Pass the next day and began the long 17 mile exit out the Upper Imnaha Headwaters to Indian Crossing Trailhead. Three nights, three headwaters, four days, covering about 40 miles. What a beautiful Autumn adventure it was!

A Light in The Forest

2009-11-16T01:21:00.000-08:00

You will see a lot of hand-held long night exposures in my work. I enjoy doing this because it reminds me of sketching... there's a free flowing element to it. You have a rough idea of what you want to portray, and then a certain amount is up to the whims of the Universe. I also have always been a great fan of The Impressionists, so perhaps in a sense it is a weak attempt at paying homage to them. The other aspect is that on my outdoor adventures I often do not have room to carry a tripod, or my pack is too heavy already with gear. So some of it is necessity in order to shoot at night when I'm in the backcountry. (It does limit print sizes to about 11x14 as you begin to lose definition in the "graininess" at much larger than that.)

Shadows In The Forest

2009-11-16T01:20:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just can't help but wonder what's out there past the light of your headlamp...

Sunrise Over Mirror Lake

2009-11-15T19:04:00.000-08:00

The sun rises over Mirror Lake on day 2 of the "Three Waters Trek", shortly before we began our traverse over Eagle Cap Mountain and down to Glacier and Frazier Lakes.

Eagle Cap Sentinel

2009-11-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

A somewhat curious Mountain Goat observes as we rest on the South Ridge of Eagle Cap Mountain. He seemed completely indifferent to the 65-70 mph gusts that were buffeting us on the summit of Eagle Cap and during our descent. For that matter he was mostly indifferent to us, maybe even annoyed at our presence.

Fog On Little Frazier Lake

2009-11-15T17:45:00.000-08:00

Fog hovers on Little Frazier Lake as we begin our journey over Hawkins Pass far in the Wallowa Mountain backcountry. We were relieved to awaken to the calm still fog instead of a blizzard as we feared after enduring 65 mph winds the day and night before, with a storm front moving in. When backpacking in the Autumn in the Eagle Cap Wilderness it's best to be prepared for snow. Things can turn from Summer to Winter in a matter of moments back there.

Three Waters Trilogy

2009-11-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

This beautiful mountain pass dropping into the Imnaha River headwaters (which are the three springs coming out of the mountainside in the left part of this image), reminds me of something out of The Lord of The Rings Trilogy. (My true nerd self coming out there. That probably goes back to my childhood when my mother used to read those books to us while we were backpacking, making the journey all the more magical for a young boy filled with daydreams of fantastical adventures!)

Snowstorm Approaches The Imnaha Headwaters

2009-11-15T17:24:00.000-08:00

Travis drops down off Hawkins Pass into the headwaters basin of the Imnaha River as a snowstorm blows in from the Southwest.

Camp Three Waters

2009-11-15T17:09:00.000-08:00

A full Moon and Jupiter help to light up our camp near the Imnaha River Headwaters on the final night of the 'Three Waters Trek 2009." Moses and Travis enjoy some campfire reading on this chilly Autumn night far in the Wallowa Mountain backcountry.

Full Moon and Jupiter On The Imnaha

2009-11-15T17:01:00.000-08:00

A full Moon and Jupiter gaze down on the Imnaha River during the final night of the "Three Waters Trek 2009". On this 4 day trek we visited the headwaters of the three major Snake River tributary rivers that flow out of the Wallowa Mountains in Northeastern Oregon, the Lostine River, the Wallowa River, and the Imnaha River. These eventually empty into the Snake River, then the mighty Columbia, and finally the Pacific Ocean, nourishing thousands of Salmon and other species along the way with rich Wallowa Mountain nutrients.

Sunrise On Ice Lake

2009-11-15T16:50:00.000-08:00

The sun rises on Ice Lake the morning of day 2 on "The Dragon's Back Traverse 2009". My friend Justin and I left from the West Fork Trailhead at Wallowa Lake and hiked up to Ice Lake the first day. The following day we climbed the Matterhorn via the East Ridge from Ice Lake. From there we traversed over a spiny ridge known as "The Dragon's Back" to the summit of Mt. Sacajawea, reaching the summits of the two highest peaks in the Eagle Cap Wilderness in one day. From there we descended cross country down into Hurricane Creek canyon via the West Face of Mt. Sacajawea, and came out at the Hurricane Creek Trailhead.