Something is horribly wrong with spring in the pacific northwest. It seems more rain has fallen this past month than during the winter season and as a result the surrounding mounts are now prone to severe avalanches. So with both the alpine climbing season at a halt and all nearby rock drenched one might see how pleasant a 16 hour drive south could be. Although a climb up Mt. Shasta proved to present some difficulties - AMS and a mild case of frostbite were the obvious - hitting the 105 degree Mojave desert days later provided the necessary rest from dreary Oregon. All in all I thank my nana, Dave Waite, David Wong, my brother and California for a wonderful vacation.
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There is no photo of the week this time around. The reason for not having such is due to my being on vacation and attempting to remain far away from technology, a goal I am currently failing to do at this very moment. The above image however shows that I have kept myself fairly remote in the desert; more to come from Joshua Tree National Park soon. Above photo by Isaac Holk.
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Last week was incredible. After spending an evening hiking Saddle Mountain and a night on Manzanita’s beach I proceeded to drive home, where upon arriving was greeted with this warm sunrise. Looking at the fumarole gasses emitting from Crater Rock - the bulge to the right - it was a bit nerve wracking to think about passing it again, but also continues to intrigue me. I look forward to checking out the West Crater Rim variation next time I’m up there climbing.
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In an attempt to summit Diamond Peak this past weekend, my brother Isaac and I found ourselves hauling 50lb packs across a snow packed Pacific Crest Trail. To be honest we really weren’t even on the trail half of the time and by the time we had setup camp here I know for a fact we would have been lost without a compass and map. I am not certain, but believe we were camped at Lils Lake in the Diamond Peak Wilderness, just a mile or so north of timberline on Diamond Peak. Although the summit bid was yet another failed attempt, the climb itself was a success!
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I find, especially with age, that I am a creature of habit. This is somewhat strange considering all of my desire toward exploration and seeing new places, but I suppose familiarity always seems easier. Hiking in the Gorge is no exception here as I often hike the same four trails on a weekly basis. So when a friend asked to go with me on one of my spontaneous hikes I figured I’d better do something new (thank you, Ashley). The above image was our hikes end result and a mighty fine reward after four miles. Indian Point sits at about 2800ft a few miles East of Cascade Locks.
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Upon returning to Elowah Falls for an engagement portrait session with Andrew and Alexis I found that the conditions had far improved and were more favorable toward a leisurely day of photography. Instead of a cold wintry downpour there were pockets of warm breezes mixed with a slightly chilly mist all while a soft midday light graced the environment with an even touch.
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It’s been an uneventful week so far and so concludes a span of impatience to be in the wilderness with one more day of work tomorrow. It will be nice to get out and hike, if nothing else, but camping is what’s been on my mind as of late. I want to spend a night in the Mt. Thielsen wilderness once more.
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When a long winter finally ends, rolling over into spring, one receives quite a refreshing breath of life. It’s when old man winter continues to produce his storms, mind you worse in effect than during the previous season, that my temper tends to flare with a bit of frustration. Luckily I have yet to lose the stubborn mentality of ignoring such unpleasant conditions. With my spiteful attitude in full swing I soon found myself where I often do, the Columbia River Gorge, but instead of peak bagging I took a low elevation approach and sought out waterfalls. The wintery downpour was of little consequence while Elowah Falls consumed me with it’s powerful mist. The Gorge was an awesome place this day and it reminded me that good weather doesn’t always provide the best experiences.
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My gaze was continually diverted to the mountain’s southwest ridge at this unknown rib, or shoulder, while climbing up Mt. St. Helens last Saturday. I thought that it seemed to be an even funner looking climb than the summit. By the time I’d reached near the summit rim I could look back down at this rib and see that it is an equally steep slope on the backside, creating a rather exciting knife ridge. Next time I head up there I think I’ll check it out.
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My main website has been updated with all of my winter 2010 photography. A lot of the shots were taken high up in the mountains. I’ve grown to love those regions of Oregon and the surrounding areas. You can count on seeing more imagery from such places in the future. Note that I have taken down the older “Recent” photography pages from the site, but those images will soon be dispersed throughout the entire site. For now check out the Two new pages at: www.holkphoto.com.
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