During a day trip on the hunt for a good trail to hike, my partner Christy and I found ourselves near Detroit, Oregon in the Willamette National Forest.  We originally wanted to hike to Phantom Bridge, a natural rock bridge, mostly because it has a really cool name.  Unfortunately, when we drove up French Creek Road, the snow level was still low enough to barricade our path to the trail head. We’ll have to return for this one later on in the year, so keep checking back for those photos.

Along the way up the road, which follows the path of its namesake French Creek, we were floored by several spots along the way that would make for excellent photo opportunities.  Since we could go no further along the road, this gave me an excellent chance to double back and get those shots I thought I was going to miss.  On either side of the creek were several smaller streams pouring down the hillside over moss covered rocks.  The water in some areas looked to be coming straight off the side of a glacier, radiating that chilly light green glow as it swirls about

Our purpose of the day was to find a trail to hike, so after exploring French Creek, we headed to the other side of Detroit to the trailhead for Stahlman Point.  From there, it was a fairly tough 1200 feet climb to the summit, switching drastically from fresh new growth to what felt like ancient old growth.

We made it to the summit, which used to be the location of an old forest fire lookout tower, though all that remains are the foundation blocks.  From there we would have had an incredible view of Mt. Jefferson but a mid-level cloud cut most of it off from view, save for a small portion of the peak.

Soon we were away back on the trail, which was much more comfortable doing downhill.  The sun was falling low in the sky, which gave me a great pallett to work with photographically.  From among the trees of the forest, the low lying sun became a huge rim light for nearly everything it touched, while it’s warm glow seemed to bring it all to life.

Overall, today was yet another example of why I am in love with living in Oregon.  Barely two hours outside of Portland, we were engulfed in nature and felt completely at home.   There are many other photos in the full gallery, but for now, here are a few samples:

To most of us from Portland, Earth Day is every day.  But when the holiday actually arrives, we really know how to celebrate it.  A local organization called City Repair organized a fantastic gathering in Wallace Park in Northwest Portland.  As a group, City Repair’s primary purpose is to inspire people to get involved and stay active in their communities.  This inspirations comes from their many projects, activities, and in this case their events.

Inspiration was most definitely in abundance on this Earth Day.   For those wanting to learn about Earth Day is all about, there were plenty of booths to explore based on a variety of subjects. There were also plenty of activities for the kids, and different kinds of food to enjoy.  But the real action was around the stage.  Apparently, in Portland, Earth Day means celebrating through music. The artists played music throughout the day, and I was lucky enough to catch several of the bands.

When I arrived, the band Alpaca! was just beginning their set, and the people were ready. As soon as the first flowing, funky bass line dropped the grass was covered with enthusiastic dancing feet.  It was easy to see the enjoyment on everyone’s faces, and I was trying to capture every smile I saw through my lens.

As the sun dropped in the sky and the light softened and warmed to a glow, I went exploring  the park for more photo opportunities.  What did I find, but one of my favorite subjects to shoot:  hoopers!  In fact, Lauren Rose, a very talented fire spinner I’ve shot several times in the past, was there displaying her many talents with the hula hoop and poi.

After Alpaca! finished their set, Tapwater was set to do a drum performance in front of the stage.  They began with a funky march towards the stage, keeping the rhythm alive for those dancing feet.  They chanted and drummed and kept the people moving.  It was the second time they played during the celebrations, so it was unfortunate that it was so short.  But even so, we all had a great time getting down to their drums.

I managed to collect many photos of the day, and below are a few samples.  As always, view the full gallery through the link below.  And remember, the full gallery is separated into smaller photo albums based on subject, so feel free to explore them all!