A Short, Adventurous Hike to Abiqua Falls
On the last day of our short trip to Oregon, Nadeen and I chose a short, but adventurous waterfall hike over sunrise at the tulip farm. The hike to Abiqua Falls isn’t long, but it is steep and muddy, at times requiring the use of a knotted rope to keep yourself from slipping.
The adventure started before we even hit the trail. The road to the trailhead is a long, rough stretch of deep ruts and potholes, which my 4runner handled perfectly. Once we parked and laced up our boots, we made our way down the trail. Most of the hike follows a beautiful creek framed with moss-covered trees lining the edges of the creekbed. It feels classic Pacific Northwest, quiet and green, with the sound of rushing water leading along.
The trail ends at a massive basalt rock bowl, with the towering 92-foot waterfall plummeting into the jade green water below. With plenty of space to spread out, we explored the basin.
After composing a few digital images, I wanted to work on long exposures using the Polaroid I-2. I got so caught up experimenting with the modes, filters, and timing that I forgot to move around the basin to capture the falls from different angles. It is exactly what I tell people not to do when I teach at the Saltwater Retreat. It just goes to show that no matter how long I have been doing this, I still need to remember the basics.
I composed a few images with the Canon ae-1 before the promise of a picnic lunch drew us back up the trail.
Abiqua Falls on the Polaroid I-2 - Manual Mode + ND filter, Manual Mode no filter, Auto Mode
Abiqua Falls, Canon ae-1, Portra 400
Abiqua Falls, Canon ae-1, Portra 400
