I missed out the Larch Madness of 2024, for the reason that I was in a completely different continent at the peak of the larch season. Larch madness, so named for the precise and synchronous change of color by the Western larches, whose needles take on a amber hue as the temperatures start to dip in early October. Walking in a larch forest at this time is a surreal experience, with backlit trees exhibiting a golden hue. And since they grow in large clusters, the color is very pronounced both up close and from a distance.
This is one such larch grove at one of my favorite destinations for the larches. I happened to arrive at the right time to capture beautiful reflections at this golden lake in the eastern eaves of the Cascade range.
Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest
WA 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
Floral explosion
The wild and unpredictable weather of California may have impacted the superbloom that was expected after the wet winter. While the colors may be more muted in most of California compared to the color explosion last year, Death Valley is experiencing a resurgence of colors after a perfectly wet winter. It remains to be seen if the other drier regions of the state experience a similar floral bloom.
Here are some of the blooms captured in the various wilderness areas in Southern California
CA USA
Chasms in the sandstone
In the red sandstone canyons of the Navajo Nation, there lies one replete with mysterious curves that bend and reflect the light in strange ways. Even mid-day sometimes never makes it down the canyon, but it highlights the striations that wind along the sinuous walls. Its a delightful photographic journey to walk down the canyon and immersing in the beautiful creation of water.
Navajo Nation
AZ USA
Tulip Season
Its perhaps the last week for the blooming tulips out in the Skagit valley. It is a a bit earlier than other years, perhaps aided by a few warm days last month. But it was as colorful as ever.
Did you get to see the blooms this year?
Blooms of the Gorge
Old wagons, run-down stagecoaches, rusty barns and worn out corrals dot the green hills that slope down to the still waters of the Columbia River a thousand feet below. These were the only vestiges reminding us of the rich history of homesteading in this beautiful region dating back to the mid-19th century. Today, these are part of the Columbia Hills Historical State Park in the Columbia Gorge, which in spring, bursts with brilliant blooms of balsamroot.
Here is one such bloom framing an old wagon, a remnant of a bygone era.
Columbia Hills Historical State Park
WA USA
Wildflower Closeups
I always wonder what led to rich diversity of wildflowers every time I witness a spring bloom event. The blooms I have witness comprise of anything from dainty buttercups with shiny golden yellow petals, blue petaled baby-blue eyes dotting the undergrowth near creeks, vivid reds of the Indian paintbrush in the thick bush, the soft orange of the ubiquitos California poppy fluttering in vast swathes under a sunny sky. And even though I have seen them from up close and from far away, I can never get tired of looking at nature's artwork.
Central California
USA
Spring Palette
Here are more visions of the California landscape from springs of years past. Vast surfaces of dusty brown that characterize the rolling hills and fallow lands during summer acquire a fresh coat of green. And out in the Central Valley, dry dustpans suddenly become wetlands harboring migratory birds. This is often the time I seek out hiking trails that take me out of civilization, to witness biomes and climate as it once had been.
Visions of Spring
The fallow lands in the agricultural plains of California are often a shade of rusty brown through most of the year, a side effect of the hot and dry climate experienced by the interior of the state for most of the year. These conditions do not spare the rounded hills that run along the western spine of the state. But the spring rains rejuvenate these lands, adding a fresh coat of green, and a dash of color from wildflowers.
Wild mustards, with their distinct lemon-yellow blooms, are the first ones to crop up on vast swathes of fallow lands. Soon after, the still-moist meadows proliferate with various flowering plants and spring grasses. The California black oak, a tree well adapted to this climate, acquires a fresh set of leaves after laying dormant all winter, and quickly envelop any mistletoe growing on their branches.
Driving through these lands often provide a window into the past, of how California used to be before it got as densely populated as it is now.
Central Valley
CA USA