Twelve hours on Hurricane Ridge (MASSIVE DIAL-UP WARNING)

[regnaD kciN]

It had been a couple of years since my last trip up to Hurricane Ridge (the "DU group shoot" documented in this thread). This time, I was going up for an overnight to Port Angeles, enabling me to be at the Ridge for one late afternoon and one early morning -- the two "golden hours" for landscape photography.

The main difference from the last trip was the larger amount of lupine covering many of the hillsides, including the slope directly down from the visitor's center.




Columbia Lilies




Avalanche Lilies




Yes, the deer were out in force as usual. None were posing for me, but a couple of young males kept wandering back and forth as I was trying to set up shots. This was one of the best images I could get of one of them.




The visitor's center in early evening.




View from the Hurricane Hill trail just before sundown.




Sunset shots.










The same viewpoint on the Hurricane Hill trail, this time just after the sun has gone down.




On the way back to the Ridge itself, the full moon was rising.







After a far-too-short couple of hours of sleep, it was back up into the mountains for early morning. As luck would have it, having left just after moonrise, I got there just before moonset.







A panorama of the scene, shrunk to fit DU. (Those who wish to see a larger version can find one here.)







While I was waiting for the sunrise, a handful of early-rising deer appeared on the slope.




I had been warned that sunrise on the Ridge came and went very quickly, and the warnings were correct. One moment, the pink light was bathing the peaks.




A few minutes later, the show was over, and the glare of daylight was all that remained. It was time to return home -- but the morning had one more surprise for me, as the light hitting the layers of haze along the road back to Port Angeles fairly called out for abstract telephoto shots. (This one you've seen already, as it's my entry for this month's contest.)

[Blue_In_AK]

1. These are beautiful, regnaD

It does my heart good to know that the sun is actually shining somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. It sure isn't showing its face here. :(

[DS1]

2. these remind me of windows wallpapers

that's a good thing

[Tindalos]

3. Stunning pics

What a beautiful place. Now I miss the mountains.

[gblady]

4. stunning captures....

I live very close, have visited many times...
you did a great job of capturing the beauty...
and you are so right about the sunrises...
they transition so rapidly.

[sandnsea]

5. Those are gorgeous

Do you have a web site?

[regnaD kciN]

6. Yep...

...and the link's in my signature.

[uppityperson]

12. looking through your gallery there, you do beautiful work.

[regnaD kciN]

7. A little experiment...

After looking at it a while longer, I decided I wasn't too thrilled with the next-to-last image...



...so I played with Lightroom's "Fill Light" control to try for a subtle pseudo-HDR effect.



At the moment, I tend to prefer the second version. What do you think? :shrug:

[bridgit]

8. great pics!!

thanks for posting :)

[Maestro]

9. Stunningly gorgeous

Just lovely. Wow!

[Eurobabe]

10. Outstanding work!

My husband is a huge fan of Washington State, the NW in general. Our 'if we ever return to the US talks' usually include considering living there. :D We did not make it over to that side of Washington while we were there in 2005, we might visit next summer, our cousins live in Vancouver.

Thanks for sharing, you made my morning.

[uppityperson]

11. Beautiful! The hills are alive, with the sound of cameras!

If you want to spend a night in Port Townsend, drop a line beforehand or on the way.