Photography, Biking, Fishing, & Hiking

Washington State

2010-09-11T10:50:00.008-06:00

It's been some time since I put anything on here but life has been keeping me pretty busy with some big changes. I am no long in the Air Force, giving the civilian life a shot. I did managed to find a job working on cell phone towers which has kept me extremely busy. I had been working a ton of over time but now the hours are a little more normal. My wife and I just moved into an apartment with a back yard. If your anything like me this sounds kind of strange but it exists and we are living there. The reason for this is so we could get our dog Apollo back from my parents house. Everything is in shambles and we still don't have all our stuff from Utah yet.

Enough about moving and life lets get to the fun stuff. I have been in South East Washington for a couple months now and have been doing a lot of researching trying to find some places to do what I love the most photography, biking, fishing, and hiking. I have found no shortage of any of this. Just in the area there are many rivers to choose from as far as fishing is concerned. There is the Columbia, Snake, Yakima, and Walla Walla rivers. I have also ventured out to Grand Coulee Dam, Dry Falls and the scab lands which is very much worth the drip. The Grand Coulee Dam is worth the trip by it's self. During the summer months there is a laser show on the river side of the dam which is produced by opening the spillways to let rushing water over the top of the dam creating a great white movie screen that is roughly half a mile wide. On the movie screen the laser portray the history and reason behind the Columbia River and the dams we have put to control it.

Dry Falls which is also fairly close to Grand Coulee is an area where an ancient water falls where. This falls dwarfed Niagara falls in every aspect but was only flowing during the great floods of the last ice age. Now it is an amazing cliff with pools of water down below fallowed by a large coulee (canyon). There is a visitor center near the viewing area of the falls that is right along highway 17. In there you can find out about the history behind the falls and the natives that inhabited the area. If you love fishing and water activities there are several lakes, boat launches, and camp grounds that are what a feel a little expensive at $14 a night for a primitive campsite. There are other areas for RVs that are much more expensive and the amenities go up to even having free WIFI access. There are several hiking opportunities in the area while I was up there I did not have the time to go through many but I did take the time to do a short hike up up a hill side to ancient caves (wholes in the cliffs)where the natives took shelter. This was also just off of highway 17.

Another trip I took was to Palouse Falls, this area is a state park North East of Pasco Washington. The great news about this state park is there are no fees. While I was there I saw two very impressive water falls. The first which is the biggest is right in the parking area. This falls is 200ft tall and is pretty impressive to see in the middle of a dessert. The viewing area for this falls is right off the main parking lot and is accessible by wheelchair. The second falls can be seen by walking North about a quarter mile on a dirt path.from there you can see the smaller but in my opinion just as impressive water falls which are very photogenic once you get down into the canyon. This is possible by walking North another quarter mile and walking through a narrow down hill trail to the railroad tracks. Continue along the railroad track about 50 yards and another trail starts the goes down into the canyon. The trail is a little difficult so be sure to wear good shoes, I would suggest nothing open toed, however my wife wore Chaco sandals and they seemed to fair just fine. Once you are down there there are several pools of water that are great for swimming, many flat rocks to lay out on in the sun if that is your thing. The falls are the most photogenic during early morning and evening with a slow exposure and a tripod. I was not able to stay long enough to get amazing pictures but I did manage to get a few before we left.

As far as fishing in the area of Tri-Cities, the Clumbia looks to be the closest best option. salmon, sturgeon, and steal head trout are among the many fish that you can catch in this area. I have not gotten the chance to do any fishing since all my fishing gear is still in storage but believe me, it will be one of the first things I try when I get all of that stuff back.

Directions to Grand Coulee Dam from Pasco WA.:

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1. Head south on N 8th Ave toward W Marie St 85 ft
2. Take the 1st left onto W Marie St 0.3 mi
3. Take the 3rd left onto N 4th Ave 0.7 mi
4. Turn left to merge onto I-182 E 0.5 mi
5. Take exit 14 to merge onto US-395 N/N Oregon St toward Spokane 23.5 mi
6. Take the WA-17 N exit toward Mesa/Moses Lake 0.4 mi
7. Turn left at WA-17 N/Pepiot Rd 44.4 mi
8. Turn right to stay on WA-17 N 15.8 mi
9. Slight right to stay on WA-17 N 29.0 mi
10. Turn right at US-2 E 4.3 mi
11. Continue onto Coulee Blvd/State 155 N/Washington 155 N/Washington 155 N (signs for Grand Coulee Dam) 27.2 mi
12. Turn right at Grand Coulee Dam 0.4 mi

Directions to Palouse Falls state Park:

View Larger Map

1. Head south on N 8th Ave toward W Marie St 85 ft
2. Take the 1st left onto W Marie St 0.3 mi
3. Take the 3rd left onto N 4th Ave 0.7 mi
4. Turn left to merge onto I-182 E 0.5 mi
5. Take exit 14 to merge onto US-395 N/N Oregon St toward Spokane 32.5 mi
6. Take the WA-260 exit toward Connell/Kahlotus 0.4 mi
7. Turn right at WA-260 E 23.9 mi
8. Turn right at WA-261 S 8.7 mi
9. Turn left at Palouse Falls Rd 2.4 mi

Returned from Iraq

2010-04-03T17:24:00.002-06:00

I have recently returned form Iraq and have been on R & R if you want to call it that. Most of my time has been either spent doing school work or trying to figure what the hell is going on with my life.

While I was in Iraq I was informed that I would be leaving the Air Force within three months of returning to the states. So I have been scrambling trying to figure out how to out process the Air Force and trying to find work in an economy that seems to not want to cooperate with me at all. With all this being a problem at the moment I also don't have a drivers license any more since mine expired will I was in Iraq. Now I must wait for the documents from Oregon to be sent to me in the mail so I can fill out the paper work and send it back to hopefully receive and new drivers license in the mail some day. Other wise I will be forced to get a Utah drivers license.

With all this going on I am still try to plan some trips around the area and to take some new pictures. So I hope to have some new things up soon who knows what will happen.

Fishing Willard Bay Utah

2009-07-04T00:11:00.004-06:00

Today I headed out to a place called Willard Bay. This particular body of water is part of the Great Salt Lake but is fresh water because of man made structures around it. This makes Willard Bay a prime recreation area and all around it is a state park. this means fees people. For the spot I went to it was just 3 dollars for the day, other areas are 10 dollars a day. My intent today was to catch some catfish. I was a bit ill prepared but I went out with a spinning rig and a pack of hot dogs. The last time I was here I used chicken liver. The chicken liver yielded much better results. I arrived at the lake at about 5 pm and left at 8:30pm. If I hadn't had a prior appointment I would have stayed later the fish where just starting to role and not small fish mind you. I left the area with no fish and no bites, I was disappointed. my fishing parter says he had gotten a few bites but the area was dead for the hot dog fishing. The good news is just getting outside makes it worth while to me.

To get to Willard Bay get on I-15 and take exit 357 once at the light head West. On the West side of the interstate you will see a dirt road heading off to the North West and a paved road to the East. Take the road going North West there is a fee collector on the left side of the road for you to fill out your information and pay the three dollars. I would suggest paying the fee during my time there, there had been 4 sheriffs in the area. If you don't pay it's at your own risk.

This place is great just for a quick escape for me as it is one of the closer places to where I live. I hope you have better luck than I did, I will try again in a couple days and will post the new information if any should arise.

Antelope Island

2009-06-29T17:10:00.004-06:00

This past weekend some of my extended family and I took a trip to Antelope Island Utah. If you are from you area I'm sure you know what this place is. The island is a great place to take families for day hikes and to see some things that can't really be seen anywhere else in the country with out exerting your self to much, however you you can choose to do some of the many trails on the island if that is more your style. The island is located right in the middle of the Great Salt Lake so you if you live or are staying anywhere from Sandy to Ogden this is a must see place.

To reach Antelope Island head towards Layton on I-15 and exit at Antelope drive. once off the Interstate turn west and stay on this road. You will come a cross a tole booth. The island is a state park so it does cost to enter the park. The fee isn't to much its 9 dollars for a car load of people per day. More information about the fees can be found at http://www.utah.com/stateparks/antelope_island.htm.

As for things to do you can choose to go camping on the island. It is a little pricey for my taste for the style of camping you are doing. there is a marina for a boat if you wish you boat on the lake. Be careful with boating, remember that the water is salty, very salty and could damage your boat if you don't take the appropriate precautions. The lake is not that deep and it veries a lot depending on weather. There is a visitor center on the island with some historic information, talking about the lake, how it was formed, and the unique smell you get to experience there. there is also two gift shops on the island for the nick nack inclined and small resteraunt that you can eat bisan burgers. On the sothern end of the island there is the GARR Ranch. On the island you can rent horses to ride on the trails and see all the places that you can't see from the road or you can adverture on foot or Bycikle. Getting off the beaten track is the best way to see the wildlife, wich include bisan, antelope and many other animals that are more common.

I would also highly recomend people take a moment to stop and the Ranger Air Force memorial on the island. It is the first turn off on the island. This memorial is to remember the brave Army Rangers and Air Force indiviuals that died in a terrable helicopter accident on the lake during a training exersize.

For pictures it would best suit you to get off the road and hike the trails to see tha animals and a telephoto linse is a must. Many of the animals are used to people being around but to get the good canded wildlife shots keep your distance and utalise a telephoto linse. There are several other things to get pictures of but the island is mostly deserty terain. I found that othere than wildlife you are most likely going to get a few good macro shots. You can also get some interesting pictures of people floating in the salt lake for the more people/creative photographers.

Waterfall Canyon

2009-06-21T16:12:00.006-06:00

This weekend I braved the weather and headed up to waterfall canyon. You might jump to the conclusion that there is a waterfall at the end.... and you would be correct. This hike is a personal favorite in the Ogden Utah area. Its not to difficult of a hike so its perfect for the novice and families with kids of all ages. the waterfall at the end is one of the bigger in the region at 200ft. The trail is also accessible year around. In the winter months, where you have to get off the Bonneville shoreline trail and head east up the mountain you find that it is a little tough to navigate because of snow. However in the winter the falls freezes but is well worth the extra effort.

To get to this trail head all you have to do is go into downtown Ogden and get on 29th street. Fallow 29th street east, you will come to a point where you have to go around a school but that is no problem just goto the next street on either side and go around. At the end of 29th street you will be at the base of the Wasatch front mountains and to the right is the trail head with a parking lot. there is information boards there that will show you the different trails around the area, however waterfall canyon is not shown on the board. I would recommend looking at a forest service map to find out where to turn on the trails or go with someone that has done it before. If you brave it your self with out doing the research like I did the first time, you have a pretty good chance of not finding the right trail.

Once you get to the falls there are good pictures to be taken of the falls. You can get pretty good pictures with a standard point at shoot camera. However if you want to get some more impressive pictures I would suggest a decent digital SLR and what ever lense of your choice as long as its not a big time telephoto linse. If you arrive at mid day I would probably use a polarizer to get the most color. It is best to take a tripod and goto the settings where you have manual control for your shutter spead. Leave your apacher to auto if you can at set your shutter spead to 1/5 or slower so you get the soft angelly affect of the waterfall. There are many other ways to take the picture but if I told you everything it wouldnt be that much fun now would it? So have fun with it.