Jefferson Park Backpack

Here are some pictures from Scott's solo backpacking trip (Angie couldn't make it due to work) to Jefferson Park in late July.

Jefferson Park is one of the most popular backpacking destinations in Oregon and the weekend crowds here can be overwhelming. I was able to get 2 days off mid week, which made this a very nice trip since there were very few people out. I only saw about a half dozen other backpackers on the night I was there. On the way out I passed ~30 people heading into Jefferson Park and it was only Thursday! I can only imagine how many people were there for the weekend. On the trail out I ran into Matt and Chris who were headed in that day for an overnight trip.

This was an amazing trip from a photography standpoint and the pictures definitely show it. It was basically an "early season" trip due to the amount of snow we had this past winter combined with the cool spring. The bugs were pretty bad in the evening (think head net, long sleeves and deet), but the scenery made up for it. I hope you enjoy the photos.


"Fractured Ice" 1/30 sec at f/16 ISO 100, polarizer. This scene worked perfectly in black and white. The ice crack was on an "iceberg" floating in this small tarn below Mt Jefferson.

"Thunderstorm Over Mt Jefferson" 1/20 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer. During the afternoon some fairly large thunderstorms built up over Mt Jefferson. Listening to the thunder rumbling in the distance was quite relaxing.

"Gently Down the Stream" 3 exposure blend for depth of field and exposure. 0.25, 0.5, 0.8 sec at f/16, ISO 100, polarizer. This was a beautiful spot where I spent the evening photographing the sunset...and trying to keep the mosquitoes from carrying me away!

"Stars Over Mt Jefferson" 30 seconds at f/4, ISO 400. This was from a small tarn near my camp at Russell Lake.

Self Portrait. 1/4 sec at f/16, ISO 200. Not a bad place to spend a morning!

Sunrise light on Mt Jefferson. 0.6 sec at f/16, ISO 200, polarizer, 3 stop GND filter. This is from the same area where I shot the sunset the night before.

Frog hanging out in the stream.

"Veratrum and Wildflowers. I really liked this scene. 1.8 sec at f/16, ISO 100

Mt Jefferson above Jefferson Park. Taken from the Park Ridge Trail north of Jefferson Park.

"Paintbrush and Mt Jefferson" It was a bit early for wildflowers in the park, but in the next few weeks this place will look incredible.

Middle Rock Lake Backpack

Angie, Scott, Cami and Warren backpacked to Middle Rock Lake in the Mt Hood Wilderness in mid July. This was a fairly short backpack for us (~4 miles round trip), but the hot weather (~95 degrees) that weekend convinced us that a short backpack was a good idea. We enjoyed a nice day at the lake with the warm water and sunshine. The mosquitoes were pretty bad on this trip, but with enough deet on they mostly left us alone. Here are a few pictures from the trip.

Middle Rock Lake is currently the central location of a search and rescue operation for a guy who has been missing since early July. He was reported missing the day we arrived at the lake. Other than his tent, we didn't see any sign of him. Hopefully they figure out what happened to him.

Large rock slide on the slopes around Middle Rock Lake.
Some wildflowers at Middle Rock Lake. 2 exposure blend, 1/3 sec and 1/13 sec at f/16, ISO 200.
Rhododendrons in bloom.
Upper Rock Lake. The lake was like a mosquito breeding pool and Scott was bitten about 6 times just trying to get this picture!
Middle Rock Lake looking east.
Warren and Cami both playing with the same stick.
Cami, Scott, Warren
Cami, Angie, Warren
Sunset at Middle Rock Lake. 1.3 sec at f/22, ISO 100
Campfire under the north star.
There was another group of backpackers across the lake who were in perfect position to capture this photo. This is a 5 exposure blend to capture the glow of the fire and the motion of the stars rotating around the north star. Exposure 1 (34 sec at f/4, ISO 100) was taken at twilight to capture some of the glow in the sky. Exposures 2-5 were started ~30 minutes later. Each exposure was ~22 minutes at f/4, ISO 100.
Cami watching the fish rise at sunrise.
Middle Rock Lake Sunrise
Bear grass