columbia river gorge

Falling to Winter

Time is the one true constant—an invisible current that carries us forward, whether we’re ready or not. It’s the most honest measure of what we value: the hours we devote to work, the moments we share with loved ones, the days we steal away to travel and explore. Yet once spent, time is irretrievable. And as we age, its pace seems to quicken, propelling us ever faster toward the inevitable horizon.

In this digital age, one of the greatest thieves of time is doom-scrolling. I’ve succumbed to it more often than I’d like to admit—a habit I wrestle with, especially as the world around me slips by in fleeting seasons. The spring wildflowers I wandered among feel like they bloomed just yesterday, their colors still vivid in my memory. Summer hikes and backpacking adventures seem only moments ago. The joy of autumn’s fiery foliage still lingers. And tomorrow, surely, will be winter. The cycle spins faster now, each turn of the wheel a blur.

Sometimes I long to return—to the wide-eyed wonder of my teens, the boundless optimism of my twenties, the memory-rich tapestry of my thirties. But time doesn’t rewind. All I can do is move forward, carried by its current, hoping to make each moment count before it too becomes a memory.

Oregon
USA

Cascades in the Gorge

Watching the delicate dance of water as it winds its way down moss-clad rocks, or arc over a ledge in a beautiful waterfall, or spread into a million droplets of refreshing mist, is perhaps the surest sign of spring. The cool air was alive with the scent of damp earth and wildflowers, a fragrant reminder that life persists even in the hidden corner of the forest. It hearkens back to an era of unspoilt nature far away from civilization.

Here are a few scenes from the Columbia River Gorge, noted for its amazing variety of wildflowers which tumble down the steep slopes of the Gorge

Columbia River Gorge 
OR USA

Blurred visions

Balsamroot in full bloom stretch towards the horizon where the first light of day hits Mt Hood. Framed against the pink sky, the scene was a a perfect reminder of the beauty of spring in the Pacific Northwest, which encapsulates everything from the vivid tulip blossoms in Skagit Valley, the vibrant flowers in neighborhood gardens to vast blooms like this one.

I used the blur of the windswept blooms to highlight the gusty conditions that morning. While I attempted a few shots at a higher shutter speed to freeze the motion, I found that the blurred flowers worked equally well for this scene.

Columbia Hills Historic State Park
WA USA

,

Junuary

,

While summer has officially begun in the Pacific Northwest, it quite doesn't feel like one yet, especially when compared to the halcyon days of June last year. But I am not complaining as the rainy days have kept the temperatures cooler and landscape in spring-like conditions well into summer. I still get psyched about seeing puffy clouds march endlessly into the horizon, and colorful wildflowers showing off their blooms well into June.

While hiking recently along the Columbia River Gorge, I captured a few photos that symbolized the fresh conditions that the wet Pacific Northwest has been having.

Columbia River Gorge
WA USA

Horsetail Falls

Nestled in one of the lush green canyons lining the Columbia river gorge, this waterfall tumbles over an overhang of basalt columns. When I visited this place in spring, I saw the ribbon of white twisting its way through the lush undergrowth. The black walls of the canyon were adorned with fresh growth of mosses and lichens fed by the mist from the gushing falls. From this vantage point, I could spy the trail going under the overhang to give a unique perspective of the waterfall.

Columbia River Gorge
OR USA

Waterfalls of the Gorge

It had been ages since I had been to the waterfall, but the moment I entered the glade where the waterfall was nestled in, memories started flooding in: a tall column of stark white water set against the dark and sinuous basalt columns, a gushing creek flowing under a mossy wooden bridge, surrounded by the fresh greenery of spring. I still remembered the refreshing scent of petrichor, the ice-cold spray from the fall, and the thunderous roar echoing through the canyon.

Such was the impact of this lovely waterfall along the Columbia River

Columbia River Gorge
OR USA

The Misty Woods

Visiting the Columbia Gorge in the midst of a thunderstorm means that not only are you going to get pelted by rain, but you also get the occasional bouts of sunlight. And that light can add an ethereal and primeval feel to the waterfalls of the canyon. This was one of those waterfalls gushing from the recent rain-showers of April

Columbia River Gorge
OR USA

Hidden Delights

“There is a waterfall in every dream. Cool and crystal clear, it falls gently on the sleeper, cleansing the mind and soothing the soul.”

Few things bring mind to peace as hearing the sound of a gurgling creek gushing out onto a roaring waterfall. And on a hot day, the gentle cold sprays carried in waves by the wind is mana from the heavens.
This one was no exception, where a seemingly nondescript creek plunges through a deep ravine in the thick forested slopes of the Columbia Gorge.

Columbia River Gorge
WA USA

Sunblooms

The wind was incessant and unrelenting. The tiny flowers struggled to hold on, dragged by the breeze that blew up the rolling hills. It was a battle that the flowers would eventually succumb to, but not yet. And until then, these tiny balsamroot blooms would grace the green hillscapes with their colorful blooms, lending a brief bit of yellow to the otherwise brown and dusty slopes on the Columbia River Gorge.

The sun had't crested the distant range, and in the shadow of the morning light, I spied a dusty rustbucket nestled in a field of balsamroot. I was still contemplating how it made its way down here, far away from the nearby roads and ranches, when the sun slowly appeared, blooming with a vibrant sunstar over the eager balsamroot.

Columbia River Gorge

WA USA

The Yellow Fields

From the distance, it appeared as though somebody had taken a giant brush and painted the green hillsides yellow. Vast swathes of grassy meadows were covered with millions of balsamroot, a relative of the sunflower, all blooming in unison and creating this beautiful annual spectacle. And with the spring weather holding up relatively well, the conditions were ideal for photographing this remarkable event.

After a day of exploring this beautiful park, I drove along the road to find the promised land for sunset - a vast meadow blooming balsamroot with the unmistakable cone of Mt Hood soaking the last light of the day. And here, high above the gorge, the wind had picked up, gusting up from the gorge below and rolling over the vast open plains. The tiny little blooms were putting up a brave fight against the strong gusts, but it didn't seem they'd last more than a few more days. I, for one, was glad to be able to capture the last of the yellow spectacle.

Columbia River Gorge

WA USA