Landscape at Oregon /

Hi all,
I know that a lot of photographers here are american photographers. so that I want to ask you regarding my next trip to America.

I will have a work in hawaii for one week then I'm planning to go to Oregon in 20th of April 2013, I read a lot and I think my time is a bit too early. I want to take photos for waterfalls and lakes.

but my experiences is weak regarding shooting waterfalls specially.

I read about the waterfalls and all of them as per Google maps are close to each other and since my time is limited in Oregon, I will try to catch photos as much as I can.

I organized a draft for the first day in Oregon and I don't know is it too much for one day or not?

From To Distance Time
Portland Fairy Falls 42 Km 30 min
Fairy Falls Elowah Falls 19 KM 16 min
Elowah Falls Wahclella Falls 6 KM 6 min
Wahclella Falls Middle Oneonta Falls 12 KM 12 min
Middle Oneonta Metlako Falls 20 KM 16 min
Metlako Falls Lower Punch Bowl 38 KM 15 min
Lower Punch Bowl Lost Lake 61 KM 56 min

also I want to ask how are the lost lake, crater lake and Trillium
Lake in the specified date, are they good for photography?

last thing, I have one week for photography, can I divied the period to 4 days for oregon, 3 days for utah or should I concentrate on oregon ?

thanks,

It will still be winter above 4,500-5,000 feet,with snow measured in feet. The prettier passes through the Cascades, like McKenzie Pass, will still be closed. The rim road at Crater Lake will still be closed.

As for Columbia Gorge and the waterfalls, I spent a whole day photographing Elowah Falls once, so I'm probably not the best guy to ask. But I'd say your itinerary is overly-ambitious. Utah and Oregon in the same week is impractical, if not impossible. Be aware that if it is sunny at high elevation, the light will be impossibly bright from 10 AM to 4:00 PM. Photography can be very challenging.

Finally, there can be quite severe storms in late April in the high Cascades. Plan accordingly. On a cross-country ski expedition in mid-April some years ago, from the saddle between North Sister and Middle Sister, about 8,000 feet up, we watched a storm blow in. From clear blue skies to a howling blizzard in 45 minutes. Be prepared.

Hello, Abdulmajeed! May I suggest that you post this query in the PNWNP Forum. We are in the process of organizing an outing to the Columbia Gorge to shoot waterfalls. We've targeted the weekend of April 27-28. If you have the leeway to modify your plans, you'd be more than welcome to join us. The Gorge waterfalls are not at high elevation, but the weather is changeable in spring time. Plan to bring rain gear for self and camera. Recommended to shoot streams and falls when sky is overcast, so don't let rain or fog stop you.
Anyway, you'll get lots of info from members of PNWNP, who know the Gorge well. I agree with Jim, though, I think your itinerary for waterfalls in the Gorge is ambitious if you want any time to linger and enjoy the sights. Combining OR and UT? Impossible! Need two weeks minimum for each, imho!

April is too early for the mountain lakes unless you are a backcountry snowshoer. It is a perfect time, however for the Columbia River Gorge. I think focusing entirely on the gorge is a good idea. It's close to Portland, you can spend two days or so there, then fly from PDX to Utah and spend a few days there.

The gorge waterfall itinerary you shared looks good except that some of those waterfalls require 2-3 miles (5-6km) hiking in from the road to get to them. For example, I think it is possible to do Fairy Falls and Middle Oneonta one day, then Elowah and Wahclella another. Metlako and Punchbowl would be another, but the water might be high enough that Punchbowl is hard to access from a pleasing perspective.

In Utah, you might pick one park or area (Moab is close to an airport and Arches and Canyonlands are compact) to get a taste of that landscape.

It may be true that 1 week is not enough time to do Utah and Oregon, but if I were in the country for only one week, I would try also, and I think Utah and oRegon are great choices!!!

Jim DeWitt

thanks a lot for your feedback, I don't have experiences with snow and the weather changing so fast may coz health problem for me :\
I might reconsidering crater lake and focus only on Columbia Gorge waterfalls.

regarding Utah/ Oregon, I will study this option again and see what can I do.

thanks a lot

I think three days in the Portland area and 4 in Utah would work. it's not ideal but no 1 week trip anywhere is ideal. Nonetheless, I can imagine trying to do Thailand and Vietnam in two weeks if I were in SE Asia...not likely I'd get ideal situations, but when you are in a country for a week, do what you most want, and make plans to return soon for the rest.

Dear Catherine,
that's very good idea, The time is a little pit late for me but I will try my best to extend my vacation to get to know you all.
I love the rain, it will be fun.

I'm thinking to cancel Utah,
Thanks a lot

Dear Marylynne,
I will cancel the lakes totally, I will try my best to get the most of the week
thanks a lot for your feedback

Hello, Abdulmajeed: I think others here have given you good advice. The roads to Lost Lake and Trillium will still be blocked by snow until the end of May or even later. You could drive up to the rim of Crater Lake, as that road is kept open all year, but the road around the lake will not be open and it is a very long drive from Portland to Crater Lake.

There is certainly plenty in the Columbia River Gorge (and nearby) to keep a photographer busy for a week. In addition to the waterfalls, late April and into May there will be excellent opportunities for wildflower photography at places like Tom McCall Preserve at Rowena and across the river on the Washington side at Catherine Creek, Coyote Wall Trail and Dog Mountain Trail. Hood River Valley is also very beautiful at that time of year as the orchards of apple and pear trees are blooming in late April.

If you run out of things to photograph in the Columbia River Gorge, it is only 1.5 hours from Portland to the Oregon Coast.

As much as I am an Oregon fan, I am also a former resident of Hawaii, so I have to ask: if you going to be in Hawaii, why not just stay there for your week? Certainly plenty to photograph there!

Hello, Abdulmajeed;
First to shoot waterfalls, you want to have a good polarizing filter and use long exposures with a good tripod and/or a good beanbag. Except if you want to freeze the action and shoot very short exposures. . .
Second, you might also consider Silver Falls State Park just South of Portland in addition to looking at waterfalls along the Columbia Gorge. If you have a car and do not mind driving a few hours farther South, the Umpqua River just East of Roseburg is also very pretty and has a lot of really nice waterfalls that take short hikes to get to. The creeks along the trails can be just as nice to photograph as the larger falls too.
You might be best to fly into Las Vegas and then drive to Zion National Park, and depending on the weather, perhaps Bryce Canyon and even the Grand Canyon in Northern Arizona. Along the way from Las Vegas, you could go through Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. Just some thoughts that are not the everyday major tourist attractions that might work well for you with the time frame you are talking about.
Either way, you will just be scratching the surface . . .
Hope you have a great trip.

Great advice on this forum. I bought Greg's book and it is fantastic.
I will be visiting my Daughter and 2 year old Grand Daughter for several weeks in May in Ashland.
Photographing Oregon is helping me plan my shooting schedule as well as replies here.