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Color in the Oregon Cascades

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8 replies
Posted by Marcy Ugstad on October 17, 2010 at 12:06 AM
Color in the Oregon Cascades
A few images from my trip over the pass on Friday - nice color over Santiam Pass and in the Aspens around Black Butte Ranch west of Sisters.
Vine Maple is peaking in most areas with some areas already past prime color. Great time to grab the camera and head up into the Oregon Cascades!

Canon 5D
Canon 70-200mm EF USM F4
Canon 24-105 EF IS USM F4
Bogen tripod
Posted by Marcy Ugstad on October 17, 2010 at 12:11 AM
Vine Maple along the highway between Hoodoo ski Area and Suttle Lake
Posted by Marcy Ugstad on October 17, 2010 at 12:14 AM
Taken near the PCT off the highway near Hoodoo Ski Area - where the "B & B Complex" fires raged through the area several years ago.
Posted by David Bostock on October 17, 2010 at 11:04 AM
Wow, Thanks for posting these, Marcy. Looks like you've got more color than we do over here on the western side. I drove from Portland to Olympia yesterday and was astonished and saddened to see nothing but brown. This is the worst fall color I've ever seen in the NW...
Posted by David Bostock on October 17, 2010 at 11:05 AM
Oh, I meant to comment on the images. The first one is my favorite. I like the warm glow on the foreground grasses, against the color of the Aspens. Well seen.
Posted by Marcy Ugstad on October 17, 2010 at 11:21 AM
Thanks, David - appreciate the comments! Yeah, fall color here has been pretty spotty and is already over in many areas. Windy weather has blown a lot of leaves off, plus the weird late season warm weather didn't help either. Once you crest the pass, there is still quite a bit of color on the east side, but nowhere near as good as last year. Just a tip, there are a lot of Aspen stands and Cottonwoods around Black Butte Ranch which is just west of Sisters - a lot of local photographers frequent this Aspen stand this time of year. Lots of areas to park and walk around to find the right composition. Best light is early morning for this particular groups of Aspen....Vine Maple around Suttle Lake and Hoodoo Ski area still pretty nice, and some very nice color in higher elevations off Hwy 20 east of Sweet Home.
Posted by wade pettitt on October 17, 2010 at 2:50 PM
marcy, thanks for the update. I love the third photo, lots of layers of color. Well done!!
Posted by Cliff Dodge on October 17, 2010 at 3:29 PM
I like the third one also. Great color all around in all of them.
Posted by Catherine Reilly on October 19, 2010 at 1:33 AM
Great photos, Marcy. Thanks for posting. We went up to the Stevens Pass area (Deception Creek Trail on west side in WA) and found it was one of the "spotty" areas with no color. Lots of trees with leaves all off already, many other stands with still green leaves. :confused: But the forest and creek were still lovely and we had a great time. We didn't have enough time to go farther east.