Jen and I spent three weeks in various parts of Patagonia Chile. Instead of making everyone wait and writing up multiple blogs, I am just going to dump all the decent photos I have into this post. I ended up with +600 photos from the trip and have distilled them down to a mere 192 photos. So grab a drink and have a nice scroll through the photos!
Jen and I spent three weeks in Australia, visiting as much of the eastern coast as we could. We started by seeing the sights in Sydney. Then flew north to Port Douglas to summit a mountain in the world’s oldest rainforest and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. Then flew south to Melbourne to rent a campervan and drive the Great Ocean Road. Flew back up to Sydney and caught a train out to Katoomba to backpack the Blue Mountains. And then finished the trip on the outskirts of Sydney at the old Quarantine site in Manly Beach.
Instead of making everyone wait and writing up multiple blogs, I am just going to dump all the decent photos I have into this post. I ended up with +700 photos from the trip and have distilled them down to a mere 123 photos. So grab a drink and have a nice scroll through the photos!
On our previous, and first trip to the Enchantments, we visited during the beginning of the summer and stayed in the Stuart zone. This year we were able to get a better location and Jen scored a permit for the Snow zone during the fall season. Our visit was timed to coincide with the changing of colors that the larches undergo as fall gives way to winter. And in addition to viewing of the larches, there were a couple summits we wanted to check off our list, Little Annapurna and Dragontail Peak.
So join us, and our Florida friend, as we embark on another multi-night backpacking adventure in lovely Washington state!
There is a little know secret hiding along the trail of one of the more popular trails. And all it’s going to take is a bit of scrambling to make your way to the top.
With the 4th of July holiday quickly approaching, I decided it was time to set up the season’s first backpacking trip. And with the extremely warm weather, I decided to focus my efforts into the Olympic National Park. So after a bit of researching, and back and forth with various options, I ended up choosing the Seven Lakes Basin, aka High Divide Loop.
Port Orford Heads State Park is a coastal state park in Curry County, Southern Oregon. Established in 1976, the park offers meandering trails and spectacular views of the Pacific Coast. In addition to the trails, there is a lifeboat museum and remains of the US Coast Guard lifeboat launching station.
I went through my long list of blog posts and deleted a lot of my early posts where there wasn’t much substance. However, hidden within these posts were a few sunset gems. I decided I would take all these shots and place them into their own post.
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Summer was quickly coming to a close, and I had yet to take any coastal backpacking trips. So with a sunny weekend on the forecast, we packed up the car, and made way for Shi Shi Beach.
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With a slight break in the weather, I decided I would head off to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and do a bit of backpacking.
With a break in the grey weather, it was the perfect time to pack up the camera and head out to the ocean for the afternoon.
Another favorite among locals is the Lake Serene, Bridal Veil Falls trek. Located in the Central Cascades this hike boasts a combination of powerful waterfalls, steep inclines and alpine lake views.
Nestled deep in the Wild Sky Wilderness, Lake Blanca rests as an emerald jewel hidden behind a staircase of switchbacks.
Located along the the Mount Saint Helens blast zone, the South Coldwater Trail takes you from wildflower meadows to ridge-lines and ends with a stunning view of Mount Saint Helens.
With waterfalls, ridge lines, cliffs, alpine views, and wildflowers, Hamilton Mountain has it all.
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If you’re looking for wildflowers, a great workout, and a view of the Columbia River Gorge, then Dog Mountain is a must. Just keep in mind you won’t be the only one. So try to make it to the trailhead before 8am.
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When I last wrote about my trip along the Three Capes Scenic Route. It ended with me barely catching sunset at the third and final cape, Cape Kiwanda. This time, I went back to Cape Kiwanda and devoted an entire day to exploring and enjoying some of the local fare.
My previous, and first camping trip on San Juan Island, was in the cold harsh winter. Even as such, I had a great time and wanted to go back as soon as I could. So with the weather a little bit warmer, I took some time off from work and reserved another spot at the San Juan County Park.
Spring vacation was quickly approaching and this time I decided to do a little bit of camping on San Juan Island. During my island explorations, I came into contact with foxes on multiple occasions. Here are the photos of those encounters.
Touted as one of the best scenic drives along the Oregon coast, the Three Capes Scenic Route offers not only spectacular views from the road, but also stunning parks along the shores edge.
Easter weekend was quickly approaching and I had yet to plan anything. Taking a look at the weather revealed that once again we would have two days of pure sunshine. Last weekend I did some camping on San Juan Island. So this time I wanted to kick things up a notch and do some backpacking along the coast at La Push in the Olympic National Park.
Winters in the Pacific Northwest tend to drag on at times. It’s not the cold or the rain. It’s the constant grey skies that start to wear on you. So when I saw a weekend forecast that called for blue skies and warm weather, I decided it was time to make an early trip to the San Juan Islands.
Back in the summer of 2012 I managed to fracture my foot. As my foot slowly healed, I started looking for an easy day hike in order to test out my progress. That’s when a friend recommended I go check out the Triple Falls in the Oneonta Gorge.
Smack-dab in the middle of a Pacific Northwest winter, I came up with a stellar idea. Let’s go camping in the Olympics! Even with my over the top enthusiasm, I couldn’t find anyone else to agree with this plan. Sure, the weather might be a bit much, but that wasn’t going to stop me…nooo sir!
It was the last day of 2012 and I had decided instead of boozing it up, I was going to spend it camping at Fort Stevens State Park in Northern Oregon. To be honest, I only chose this location because of the Wreck of Peter Iredale. That, and its close proximity to my previous night of camping back in Cape Disappointment State Park in Southern Washington.
Back from a Christmas break in Florida, I decided I would do something different this New Years and go camping in a couple State Parks. First up on my list was Cape Disappointment State Park in Southern Washington.
Back in February, before moving out to the Pacific Northwest, I wanted to make one more kayak run down the Turner River. So I loaded up the car the night before and made it down to the kayak launch at first light.
Living in Portland, I always looked at the sharp point of Mt Hood and wondered when would I make my way out there. A combination of beauty and mystique, I felt like it would take a large about of planning to get involved with such a hike. However, one summers afternoon a co-worker showed me some trail maps and insisted I hike out to Paradise Park on Mt Hood. After looking at a couple photos online and doing a bit more reading, this was the push I needed to make it happen.
One Thanksgiving, when I was visiting my family in South East Florida, I decided I would make a side trip and head down to Flamingo in the Everglades National Park. The last time I had been to the park was when I was a small child. So knowing I would be moving to the Pacific Northwest soon, I wanted to check things out one last time while it was still convenient.
It’s creeping into the rainy season here in Seattle. And that means I’m either going to hide in my studio and work on releasing my older projects, or get off my butt and get out there and learn to shoot for the conditions. After talking with several friends, It was evident that I needed to go check out Wallace Falls State Park. So with moderate rain on the forecast, I packed up early Saturday morning and headed out into the grey.
Just south of Anacortes, between Fidalgo and Whidbey Island, you’ll find Deception Pass State Park. I’ve never been up towards this part of Washington, so with the rare chance of a sunny day in the winter, I loaded up the car, left Seattle and started driving North.
© 2024 Nick Botner.
