Escaping the Smoke

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My brother and I had made plans to hike the South Sister a few months back, but we ended up canceling the hike due to the smoke and proximity of the forest fires. Instead, we made our way west to the coast through Siuslaw National Forest and crossed the Coastal range through the endless logging roads that wove through it. My brother is studying forestry so every time I wanted to stop to take pictures, he gladly jumped out and told me the story of the forest around us. 

Once we made it to the coast, we realized it was labor day weekend and discovered quite quickly how many people enjoyed taking their ATVs to the ocean. As we explored the beach, my brother found a displaced crab caught in the surf that we helped to its liking or not makes its way back to the water, all I discovered was a few seashells. After lunch, we headed further south and noticed. It was low tide in a nearby bay. We decided to get out for a bit of hiking, finding many stumps of long ago old growth, driftwood, remnants of a pier, and many curious things washed ashore. 

Finding the Fire Lookout

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I was looking at some old map data and found a Fire lookout, not in Google GPS. I had no idea if it was active or not, but was ready for some adventure. The Lookout was north of where I've been exploring in the Willamette National Forest, but It was heading closer to a massive forest fire. As I was making my way, I drove parallel to a beautiful river and was able to find a little rapid off the road. There is nothing quite like the sound of the river early in the morning. Once on the forest road, the climb was steep and fast, but that got me out of the valley in time to see the sunrise over the Cascades. 

After a few more stops I came to the old road that should lead me up to the Lookout. It was gated off, but an easy path around the gate got me heading in the right direction. This road was clearing trying to be forgotten. It was soon apparent I wasn't going to make it to the top and would need to head out by foot.

Once I made it to the top, I found the abandoned Fire Lookout. It was immensely overgrown and showed visible damage. I grabbed the side of the structure and gave it a shake and watched as the entire tower swayed. I climbed up around 10-12 feet to where I had access to the ladder and pondered for quite a while. I finally decided it was better to get out another day than risk it all for a few shots. As I left the site, I passed by the support cables... I could have pulled them out by hand, that tower will not stand for much longer. 

Solar Eclipse 2017

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Being a photographer, it was hard for me to escape the hype around the eclipse; but I just wasn't that excited for it. I had a lot going on and wasn't able to plan out a trip. So I decide to let it go and share the moment with my son. Being located in Eugene Oregon, we were still going to be able to experience 99 percent totality.  As the eclipse began, my excitement exponentially increased, and I ran into the house and grabbed my camera.  I'm pleased with the results. These shots are not the typical shots of the eclipse, but something that I feel that makes them unique is how they captured the feeling of the moment.  

Smoke over the Water

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There are a few large forest fires in Oregon right now, so bad that the smoke is getting pretty far into the valley. I decided to go out and see what the smoke looks like up in the forest. I checked the map data on the fires to stay a safe distance away and to keep out of the way of the firefighters.  

While making my way up the highway, I came across a fantastic viewpoint and jumped out to capture the moment. Soon after I started hearing a strange rumbling sound, it was at this time a realized I jumped over a few train tracks to get to my shot and didn't have enough time to make back across before the train came. This wouldn't typically be a problem being stuck on the wrong side of a mile long train except my truck was unlocked with my phone, wallet, and the rest of my camera gear inside. I just jumped out and ran towards the photo, there is a lesson here, but I did get the shot.

The area of the forest I ended up exploring wasn't too affected by the smoke, but it was still quite visible. It added a depth to the woods similar to fog, but it's different.