Simply Nature

winter solstice at allen creek starr ridge         location: bear valley          season: winter          backstory: allen creek is one of those local places that i love to find.  there is no real reason to go there. locals may hunt or snowmobile around the area.  i found it while cross-country skiing. it reflects what i call backyard nature: close to town, not remote like many of my photo treks.  no grand landscapes or features.  simple. down home. and...in the right light, season, conditions, it revels a deep beauty that is always there if...we take the time to notice. from spring through fall we might drive past and hardly see it.  in winter, snow sets off the colors of aspen, sky, willows and pines.  that's one of the reasons i love winter photography: a little snow changes everything. it becomes another place, shows a different aspect...

homestead in winter cant ranch (click on image for larger size) location: kimberly, oregon                                      season: winter                                backstory: as i wander around this region, i often wonder how this place looked when the first european settlers arrived. outside of the towns and highways, not much has changed. this scene is the original homestead at the cant family ranch near kimberly. before settlers arrived, native tribes, umatilla, wasco, warm springs and northern pauite, seemed to have a nomadic lifestyle, moving from river valleys to mountains with the seasons, animals and food sources. the arid desert climate is naturally conducive to ...

al  piste skyline ridge (click on image for larger size) location: strawberry mountain wilderness   season: winter             backstory: this photo may resonate most with cross-country (nordic, backcountry) skiers. al piste is french for off trail. a lot of cross-country skiing is done at ski resorts or recreation areas. often the terrain is flat and the trails are well groomed and maintained. this scene is off trail.  no grooming. plenty of steep hills and no easy access. that's what makes it so enjoyable. at 7500' elevation, 60" base with 18" of fresh powder, these are the conditions backcountry skiers dream about. often, it takes some effort to get here.  (see tree spirit for details of getting to this spot.)  it is about 5 miles of skiing and 1500' elevation climb along forest service roads to the wilderness border.  then, it's plenty of open spaces and deep powder, allowing treks to unfold to......

tree spirit skyline ridge (click on image for larger size) location: strawberry mountain wilderness season: winter backstory: i'm quite fond of tree snags, of which there are many in the forested mountains around the region. there's something about them that draws my attention like a magnet. it's almost as if they have a personality, an aura that calls out, maybe ghostly. when i see one in the distance i'll ski way out of my way to go meet it. i have hundreds of photos of tree snags, which when reviewed at home, simply look like dead trees. somehow the subtle energy felt in the moment doesn't transfer thru camera to ink and paper. this one is different. i do a lot of cross country skiing in and around the strawberry mountain wilderness area where i draw much inspiration for the winter photos in this portfolio; see al piste , road's end , winter solstice at allen creek. skiing here is not like developed ski areas in other areas. i call it back road skiing. the sn...

winter brilliance cathedral rock john day fossil beds (click on image for larger size) location: kimberly, oregon season: late winter backstory: cathedral rock was one of my initial photography muses in this area. that first drive down hiway 19 thru condon, fossil & spray felt like entering another dimension.  when i came around the curve and saw cathedral rock it felt like a gong reverberating in my head. it hasn't stopped since. the popular name may be cathedral, it is a temple to me. this muse inspired, pushed, teased & demanded i embrace the photographic creative process, if only to create one image that did this place honor. it took awhile. during a six year process i made over three dozen pilgrimages here, thru each of the seasons. kayaking down, then wading thru the river. at dawn, at sunset.  wandering under a summer full moon. scampering up hillsides & across scree. bushwacking thru 10' tall weeds. looking at each angle.  listening to the wind, river...

nourishment osprey family   (click on image for larger size) location: kimberly, oregon season: early summer backstory: osprey seem to tolerate humans a little more than other raptors. their nests can be easier to see, possibly because they prefer being close to a river. i've found several nests while kayaking down the north fork john day river from 20 miles east of dale to kimberly (about 60 river miles) where it joins the main stem of the river. this scene was after spending a lovely day kayaking, then returning by rig with camera gear. i don't take the expensive gear in the kayak. with this, and the other osprey photos, i often spend several days at the nests, watching their daily life, the comings and goings.  sometimes they tolerate me, other times they don't. this opportunity unfolded after a lovely early summer day.  spring green and growth transitioning to summer.  pleasantly warm into the evening sunset. watching a nest like this can be a very meditative pr...

road's end logan valley (click on image for larger size) location: strawberry mountain wilderness   season: late winter backstory: at 9,000 feet elevation, strawberry mountain is the center point for the local mountain ranges. it is a favorite subject for photographers, mainly from the north side.  this scene is from the south side. venturing off the two main highways here (26 & 395) takes us onto county and forest service roads into logan valley. a smaller forest service road (1640) heads north up to the wilderness border: road's end . this is one of my favorite cross country ski routes. it is 12 miles from forest service 16 rd to road's end with a 3000' elevation climb.  lots of switchbacks.  it's a lot of work skiing up; quite fast on the return trip. while skiing, i sometimes think about hitching a ride with passing snowmobiles to the top. the opportunity never arose until this day. the late winter snow wasn't great and after 4 miles i decided to turn b...