Fernlicious

I first visited this little oasis a year prior with Willie, Rami, and Terence but didn't come away with any photos due to ... well, to be honest, it was Terence’s fault! Terence was so late in meeting us that by the time we arrived at this waterfall the sun started invading the photo. Willie managed to snap a photo but by the time we switched spots, the light was ruining the scene. Zack, Willie and I went back this year and we made sure to arrive with plenty of time (of course cloudy skies also helped). March and April had been very dry in the Portland area and a lot of the greenery, the moss and ferns, that we had hoped would be at peak bloom, simply weren’t there. The scene is still stunning and we all came away with some gorgeous photos. This place has been photographed a billion times and the most common spot was taken a little bit behind where I took this photo. I just loved the shape of the ferns in the lower right here and the way they framed the waterfall and creek. Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8: 14mm, f/13, 3 sec, ISO 100

The stream at Mossy Grotto Falls

The stream at Mossy Grotto Falls

The stream at Mossy Grotto Falls

Resting Place

There’s something about the Columbia River Gorge that keeps calling me back every spring. I think I’ve visited the Gorge for the past 4 or 5 years in April or May. I just love all the waterfalls and the moss, the green plants, the ferns ... and the beer! Last year Willie and I visited this spot with Terence and Rami, except Terence was so late that by the time we got here, the sun had crept into the scene and ruined all the photos. This year we ditched Terence and Rami and brought Zack instead, and we made sure to arrive with plenty of time for all of us to take photos before direct light hit the trees above the falls. We were a little bit early in the season and a lot of the moss was still dead and a number of the ferns were just starting to grow, but I found this patch of ferns that was just calling my name. I loved how the waterfall and stream behind it sucked the eye into the scene and then finishes with the giant plants. This place is so relaxing that we didn’t want to leave. You could just plop down and spend the whole day here! Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8: 18mm, f/14, 1.3 sec, ISO 100

Willie sets up for his photo at Mossy Grotto

The stream at Mossy Grotto Falls

As we were walking back to the car we found these little flowers and stopped for a photo

Gorton Creek is all dried up. Usually these are covered in moss.

Gorton Creek is all dried up. Usually these are covered in moss.

Roadblock

I’ve visited Panther Creek Falls before and it’s a little bit of a tricky waterfall to find. There’s a marked trail that takes you to a viewing platform at the top of the upper falls (which you can see peaking out at the top of the waterfall here) but that’s not the best place to actually *see* the waterfalls here. Instead, you have to backtrack a little and find the unmarked “trail” that takes you down the steep cliffside to the base of the falls. The first time I had visited Panther Creek I only photographed the Upper falls, afraid that getting down to the lower falls was a little bit sketchy. This time, though, Zack, Willie, and I found a safe route down to the Lower falls, put on our frog suits, and crawled out into the river with our cameras. The trees that lodged themselves inside Lower Panther Creek Falls have been here for years. They’re part of what makes this scene so photogenic. The waterfall is best viewed from in the river but we had to make sure to be verrrrrrry careful when walking in the river: the current was fairly strong and the rocks below it extremely slick. We basically plopped the tripod down for support, then shuffled our feet a bit, and repeated until we got in the right spot. Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8: 14mm, f/11, 1/5 sec, ISO 250

Roadblock

I’ve visited Panther Creek Falls before and it’s a little bit of a tricky waterfall to find. There’s a marked trail that takes you to a viewing platform at the top of the upper falls (which you can see peaking out at the top of the waterfall here) but that’s not the best place to actually *see* the waterfalls here. Instead, you have to backtrack a little and find the unmarked “trail” that takes you down the steep cliffside to the base of the falls. The first time I had visited Panther Creek I only photographed the Upper falls, afraid that getting down to the lower falls was a little bit sketchy. This time, though, Zack, Willie, and I found a safe route down to the Lower falls, put on our frog suits, and crawled out into the river with our cameras. The trees that lodged themselves inside Lower Panther Creek Falls have been here for years. They’re part of what makes this scene so photogenic. The waterfall is best viewed from in the river but we had to make sure to be verrrrrrry careful when walking in the river: the current was fairly strong and the rocks below it extremely slick. We basically plopped the tripod down for support, then shuffled our feet a bit, and repeated until we got in the right spot. Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8: 14mm, f/11, 1/5 sec, ISO 250

Me, standing over Lower Panther Creek Falls

Log Catcher

I’ve visited Panther Creek Falls before and it’s a little bit of a tricky waterfall to find. There’s a marked trail that takes you to a viewing platform at the top of the upper falls (which you can see peaking out at the top of the waterfall here) but that’s not the best place to actually *see* the waterfalls here. Instead, you have to backtrack a little and find the unmarked “trail” that takes you down the steep cliffside to the base of the falls. The first time I had visited Panther Creek I only photographed the Upper falls, afraid that getting down to the lower falls was a little bit sketchy. This time, though, Zack, Willie, and I found a safe route down to the Lower falls, put on our frog suits, and crawled out into the river with our cameras. The trees that lodged themselves inside Lower Panther Creek Falls have been here for years. They’re part of what makes this scene so photogenic. The waterfall is best viewed from in the river but we had to make sure to be verrrrrrry careful when walking in the river: the current was fairly strong and the rocks below it extremely slick. We basically plopped the tripod down for support, then shuffled our feet a bit, and repeated until we got in the right spot. Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8: 14mm, f/11, 1/5 sec, ISO 250

Panther's Tail

It’s funny how places change when you visit them a second time. The first time I came to Panther Creek Falls I titled my photo “Quad Buster” because the hike down and up was (short but) intense. It seemed like a breeze when we visited this time. Maybe I just knew what to expect? Panther Creek Falls is known for the giant cascades that often wrap around the entire cliffside after heavy rain. We didn’t quite get the wrap-around waterfalls that we had hoped for but it still was nice to come visit the waterfall. Visiting Panther Creek Falls is both entirely serene and also kinda creepy at the same time; you drive into, more or less, the middle of no-where and are just surrounded by forest, more forest, and even more forest. In order to take this photo there’s a trunk of a large tree in the middle of the river that you can crawl out on, setup your tripod, and pray you don’t slip and fall into the stream. Last time I was here I didn’t bring a wide-enough lens and I made sure to have my super wide lens with me this time! Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8: 14mm, f/10, 1/3 sec, ISO 100