This is my first trip west. I've been northwest (CA Rockies) and southwest (Guatemala) but newer west. This year the NSS has their national convention and annual cave photography salon/competition at WWU in Bellingham.
Sat early AM (Aug 5th) we fly into Seattle and will head to Bellingham. Sunday morning I need to turn in my prints and I will usually help them hang prints for judging so I can get a good look at the show. We then plan on heading out "somewhere" to return Thursday evening for the awards ceremony and a photo crit on Friday morning and then fly out that night from Seattle.
We are renting a blazer or something similar and will be camping in it. I'm looking for recommendations on where to go for such a limited time. There's too much to see and photograph and not much time.
What does this group recommend? I'm drawn to the coast, but would like to see Ranier and St. Helens and. . .
Are there any photo guidebooks for this area?
Posted by Simon Allenby on July 14, 2006 at 11:30 AM
Rob,
As your time is limited I would suggest splitting your time between Baker and Rainier.
Regards, Simon
Posted by Sean Watson on July 14, 2006 at 12:16 PM
Simon's got a point; it'd be easy to spend your time driving from one pretty place to another.
Looking at his suggestions, you should head up WA-542 to Heather Meadows (between Shuksan and Baker); it's well worth the trip if your anywhere near Bellingham. Going up to Heliotrope Ridge (Glacier Creek Road, past Glacier) is a good side-trip if you're OK with taking a rental on a dirt road. Heading up WA-20 to North Cascades NP and Washington Pass (beyond North Cascades NP) is also a worthwhile trip. WA-20 follows the Skagit River up to the dams in the NP, so there should be some nice photo ops along the way.
There should be lots of wildflowers at Rainier, especially in the Paradise area. The time of year is anybody's guess, but August is in the right ballpark. You should also think about Sunrise/White River and Carbon River/Ipsut Creek.
You also might want to swing by Deception Pass State park (a narrow passage between Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands); go the other way (West) on WA-20. You might be able to catch this between Baker and Rainier. Take 20 to the Clinton-Mukilteo Ferry.
You mentioned the beach. The place to go in that case is the Olympic coast. There are plenty of mountains and forests to shoot out there as well, but the Olympic NP is a bit more remote so perhaps not something to do with limited time.
You also mentioned St. Helens. This'll also be a bit of a drive. I'm sure we can fill in details if you want them.
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look into those options.
We are planning on meeting up with some friends and go to the Hoh rainforest on Saturday. One of them, who is driving out a week earlier from Ohio, used to be a guide at Rainier, and really wants me to head that direction with him.
I do want to get to the coast though, and spend at least 1 or 2 days/sunsets around Olympic. I'm always awe struck by the tidal pools and the great sunset shots. Any suggestions for certain beaches or areas of Olympic?
Any recommendations on places to SUV camp?
Mt. St. Helens would be awesome, but it is the wrong direction, so we will probably have to miss it this trip.
Since you're already close, think about a trip to the San Juan Islands. Take the ferry out of Anacortes. It's a short, beautiful trip.
If you're heading for the Olympic Coast, there's good camping at Mora near La Push (also near Forks)
for beaches, Ruby Beach is always a good bet. Rialto can be nice too, though it's probably best about a mile up the beach (pretty good tide pools there at low tide--there are some good low tides around the 9th and 10th I think they're around 8am or so..
The best place for tide pools is Tongue Point at Salt Creek Campground just west of Port Angeles. Decent campground too. With showers!
And since you'll be in the general area, be sure to visit Hurricane Ridge. Some flowers will be past their prime by then but it will still be nice. Be sure to drive down the Obstruction Point Road (dirt road to the left just as you get to the H Ridge parking ares.)
And for arguably the best view in the park (that you can drive too), go up the Deer Park road to the top of Blue Mountain. 360 degree view. Great sunrise/sunset potential. Allow about 45 minutes to an hour to drive up there from Port Angeles
Posted by Doyle Thomas on July 16, 2006 at 10:56 AM
The Ape Cave is a lava tube on the south side of Mt St Helen's. Take exit 21 off I5 at
Woodland east and follow the signs from Couger. This is also the route to Windy Ridge where you can look into the caldera at St Helen's..
www.primaryfocusphoto.com
If you need to hit Seatac (airport), Bellingham, and Hoh on Saturday, you've got a long drive. Streets and Trips says 6h 20m (1h 40m Seatac to Bellingham, and its -- let's say -- optimistic about the ferry lines and traffic in general.
On the way you'll hit Deception Pass (which I mentioned above), Keystone (supposed to be nice birding there, but maybe not in August; have to wait for ferry anyway), Oak Harbor (nice view of Rainier), pretty short ferry ride to Pt. Townsend (slight chance of Orcas), Dungeness Spit (5 mi hike out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca to a lighthouse; nice spot for sunset), Deer Park (really nice campground at about 6000' with awesome views of Puget Sound/N.Cascades/Strait of Juan De Fuca, San Juans); 17mi dirt road in good condition to get there, blacktail deer that often won't stay on the right side of the minimum focusing distance on a long lens), Huricane Ridge (similar views of Strait, better views of Olympics, paved road; no camping; friendly deer; nice hike up Huricane Hill; nice drive on dirt road to Obstruction Point which has lots of Marmots and some nice longer hikes), Lake Crescent (beautiful deep lake with 101 hugging South side of it; nice turnouts along the way), Sol Duc (easy hike to water falls, nice views of river on drive up, campground I think), road to Rialto Beach (camping at Mora/Rialto beach, short hike up beach to Edith Creek where "backcountry" camping starts to be allowed, slightly further hike to hole-in-the-wall w/ nice tidepools), Forks (last chance for a greasy burger), Bogachiel State Park (looks like nice campground; useful backup if you find one full), Hoh. Beyond Hoh 101 cuts back out the the coast for Ruby Beach (probably my favorite beach in the Olympics; seastacks and a stream, but no tidepools; distant view of Destruction Island w/ lighthouse) followed by a run of numbered beaches counting down to Beach 1, Kalaloch (expensive hotel probably no vacancies, so-so restaraunt, nice bluf with significant stream flowing out), then South Beach (huge campground, probably packed with RVs), follow 101 inland to Lake Quinault (another rainforest, campgrounds, much prettier than Hoh IMHO), 101 leave the NP then and heads to Grays Harbor (with a nice little wildlife refuge) and then heads back to Olympia and I-5.
In other words, you're gonna have a blast in the Olympics, but you're gonna have to pass a lot of stuff up. The main thing to worry about is fog; it can be crytal clear and fog up 1000 yards from the beach. Same goes for the higher points (Hurricane ridge and/or Deer Park).
Camping is liable to be difficult on Saturday night. I don't know if you can reserve at Hoh. If it were me, I'd think hard about Hoh Sunday morning or Sunday evening.
Thanks Rod and Sean for the specifics. That helps a lot. I'm not 100% sure what the plan is for Sat. Probaby going directly to Hoh and meet there rather than in Bellingham. We would have to be back at Bellingham Sunday morning though to turn in my prints. I'm doing a wet cave photo trip with my friend and his wife this weekend and we will try to figure some of this out then.
Do cell phones work in those areas? I have national coverage through AT&T.
I need to get a good map of the area. I'll probably order a Delorme Gazeteer of Washington. We have the option to Camp a WWU over the weekend if we need to during the convention.
I wouldn't mind visiting Ape Cave, but getting underground isn't on the top of my list this trip. There will be lots of opportunities for wild cave/lava tube trips during the convention, but I'm drawn to the topside landscapes this trip. I don't have good telephoto lenses, so even wildlife won't be a big thing, though I would love to see it, even if I can't capture a good image.
I hate to fly out on Friday night, but I have a booth at an art fair in Dayton, Ohio that Sunday, so I need to fly home, load my displays on Saturday, and hopefully sell enough to pay for part of the trip on Sunday. . .
Discussion
7 repliesSat early AM (Aug 5th) we fly into Seattle and will head to Bellingham. Sunday morning I need to turn in my prints and I will usually help them hang prints for judging so I can get a good look at the show. We then plan on heading out "somewhere" to return Thursday evening for the awards ceremony and a photo crit on Friday morning and then fly out that night from Seattle.
We are renting a blazer or something similar and will be camping in it. I'm looking for recommendations on where to go for such a limited time. There's too much to see and photograph and not much time.
What does this group recommend? I'm drawn to the coast, but would like to see Ranier and St. Helens and. . .
Are there any photo guidebooks for this area?
As your time is limited I would suggest splitting your time between Baker and Rainier.
Regards, Simon
Looking at his suggestions, you should head up WA-542 to Heather Meadows (between Shuksan and Baker); it's well worth the trip if your anywhere near Bellingham. Going up to Heliotrope Ridge (Glacier Creek Road, past Glacier) is a good side-trip if you're OK with taking a rental on a dirt road. Heading up WA-20 to North Cascades NP and Washington Pass (beyond North Cascades NP) is also a worthwhile trip. WA-20 follows the Skagit River up to the dams in the NP, so there should be some nice photo ops along the way.
There should be lots of wildflowers at Rainier, especially in the Paradise area. The time of year is anybody's guess, but August is in the right ballpark. You should also think about Sunrise/White River and Carbon River/Ipsut Creek.
You also might want to swing by Deception Pass State park (a narrow passage between Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands); go the other way (West) on WA-20. You might be able to catch this between Baker and Rainier. Take 20 to the Clinton-Mukilteo Ferry.
You mentioned the beach. The place to go in that case is the Olympic coast. There are plenty of mountains and forests to shoot out there as well, but the Olympic NP is a bit more remote so perhaps not something to do with limited time.
You also mentioned St. Helens. This'll also be a bit of a drive. I'm sure we can fill in details if you want them.
Have fun,
Sean
We are planning on meeting up with some friends and go to the Hoh rainforest on Saturday. One of them, who is driving out a week earlier from Ohio, used to be a guide at Rainier, and really wants me to head that direction with him.
I do want to get to the coast though, and spend at least 1 or 2 days/sunsets around Olympic. I'm always awe struck by the tidal pools and the great sunset shots. Any suggestions for certain beaches or areas of Olympic?
Any recommendations on places to SUV camp?
Mt. St. Helens would be awesome, but it is the wrong direction, so we will probably have to miss it this trip.
If you're heading for the Olympic Coast, there's good camping at Mora near La Push (also near Forks)
for beaches, Ruby Beach is always a good bet. Rialto can be nice too, though it's probably best about a mile up the beach (pretty good tide pools there at low tide--there are some good low tides around the 9th and 10th I think they're around 8am or so..
The best place for tide pools is Tongue Point at Salt Creek Campground just west of Port Angeles. Decent campground too. With showers!
And since you'll be in the general area, be sure to visit Hurricane Ridge. Some flowers will be past their prime by then but it will still be nice. Be sure to drive down the Obstruction Point Road (dirt road to the left just as you get to the H Ridge parking ares.)
And for arguably the best view in the park (that you can drive too), go up the Deer Park road to the top of Blue Mountain. 360 degree view. Great sunrise/sunset potential. Allow about 45 minutes to an hour to drive up there from Port Angeles
Woodland east and follow the signs from Couger. This is also the route to Windy Ridge where you can look into the caldera at St Helen's..
www.primaryfocusphoto.com
On the way you'll hit Deception Pass (which I mentioned above), Keystone (supposed to be nice birding there, but maybe not in August; have to wait for ferry anyway), Oak Harbor (nice view of Rainier), pretty short ferry ride to Pt. Townsend (slight chance of Orcas), Dungeness Spit (5 mi hike out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca to a lighthouse; nice spot for sunset), Deer Park (really nice campground at about 6000' with awesome views of Puget Sound/N.Cascades/Strait of Juan De Fuca, San Juans); 17mi dirt road in good condition to get there, blacktail deer that often won't stay on the right side of the minimum focusing distance on a long lens), Huricane Ridge (similar views of Strait, better views of Olympics, paved road; no camping; friendly deer; nice hike up Huricane Hill; nice drive on dirt road to Obstruction Point which has lots of Marmots and some nice longer hikes), Lake Crescent (beautiful deep lake with 101 hugging South side of it; nice turnouts along the way), Sol Duc (easy hike to water falls, nice views of river on drive up, campground I think), road to Rialto Beach (camping at Mora/Rialto beach, short hike up beach to Edith Creek where "backcountry" camping starts to be allowed, slightly further hike to hole-in-the-wall w/ nice tidepools), Forks (last chance for a greasy burger), Bogachiel State Park (looks like nice campground; useful backup if you find one full), Hoh. Beyond Hoh 101 cuts back out the the coast for Ruby Beach (probably my favorite beach in the Olympics; seastacks and a stream, but no tidepools; distant view of Destruction Island w/ lighthouse) followed by a run of numbered beaches counting down to Beach 1, Kalaloch (expensive hotel probably no vacancies, so-so restaraunt, nice bluf with significant stream flowing out), then South Beach (huge campground, probably packed with RVs), follow 101 inland to Lake Quinault (another rainforest, campgrounds, much prettier than Hoh IMHO), 101 leave the NP then and heads to Grays Harbor (with a nice little wildlife refuge) and then heads back to Olympia and I-5.
In other words, you're gonna have a blast in the Olympics, but you're gonna have to pass a lot of stuff up. The main thing to worry about is fog; it can be crytal clear and fog up 1000 yards from the beach. Same goes for the higher points (Hurricane ridge and/or Deer Park).
Camping is liable to be difficult on Saturday night. I don't know if you can reserve at Hoh. If it were me, I'd think hard about Hoh Sunday morning or Sunday evening.
Good luck
Do cell phones work in those areas? I have national coverage through AT&T.
I need to get a good map of the area. I'll probably order a Delorme Gazeteer of Washington. We have the option to Camp a WWU over the weekend if we need to during the convention.
I wouldn't mind visiting Ape Cave, but getting underground isn't on the top of my list this trip. There will be lots of opportunities for wild cave/lava tube trips during the convention, but I'm drawn to the topside landscapes this trip. I don't have good telephoto lenses, so even wildlife won't be a big thing, though I would love to see it, even if I can't capture a good image.
I hate to fly out on Friday night, but I have a booth at an art fair in Dayton, Ohio that Sunday, so I need to fly home, load my displays on Saturday, and hopefully sell enough to pay for part of the trip on Sunday. . .