I was first attracted to these cabbages by their odd blue color but soon became fascinated by the geometry of the converging lines in the field. This is another image of the autumn harvest time and illustrates the rich agricultural abundance found in western Oregon.

The temperature was 120 degrees. This was the largest and most perfectly formed Joshua tree I found that day. These spiny tree-like plants are actually Yuccas, members of the asparagus family and close relatives of Agave, the plant used to make tequila. On my drive into Joshua Tree National park Frank Sinatra’s song “Old Devil Moon” was playing on the car radio. I still think of this place every time I hear that song.

These are the tallest living things on planet earth and some are more than 2000 years old. During the age of the dinosaurs much of the northern hemisphere was covered by vast forests of them but today excess carbon in the atmosphere is threatening their existence. Ironically, Redwoods capture more carbon than any other living thing. A single mature tree can hold as much as 800 tons in its trunk alone. Walking through this forest I felt a great calm as if time had stood still.

This geologic moonscape was created by volcanic fissures in the earth that are called the Great Rift. The Shoshone tribe probably witnessed some of this volcanic activity and future eruptions are likely. On a hot summers afternoon it can feel like there is indeed hot lava beneath your feet. A good way to avoid the heat is to explore the underground caves in the area that were also formed by this vulcanism. Oh, and during the early days of America’s space program astronauts trained here in preparation for their trip to the moon.

The falls at the moment of sunset. As the sun slips behind the canyon wall it slowly draws a curtain across the face of the waterfall. Shoshone Falls is often referred to as the “ Niagara of the West” but at 212 feet in height and 900 feet in width it is higher than Niagara Falls and is one of the largest natural waterfalls in the United States. The volume of water is governed by needs of irrigators upstream and by a hydroelectric generating plant just above the falls. This is a modest summertime flow.

On the drive to the City of Rocks near Oakley Idaho, my Dad told me a chilling tale about running into a rattlesnake while riding horses here. Today this place is popular with rock climbers and the views are stunning especially before or after the thunderstorms that frequent this area in summer. So, I found this window formation, made my exposure, looked down and there it was…a snake! It must have been 6 feet long and the damn thing just sat there looking at me as I recoiled in horror. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a rattlesnake but it didn’t slither away when it saw me. That was my reaction…did I mention that I hate snakes?!

Harvest time is magical! There is something special about the angle of the sun in September and October that creates wonderful light for photography and feels like radiant warmth when it hits the skin. When you have a day this perfect its a shame not to combine the opportunity to make photographs with a search for the perfect Halloween gourd.

This is the front line in a battle between two forces of nature. With man’s help the forest is winning the war with the sand dunes. The dunes are normally moving along the coast. Early settlers planted a robust variety of European beach grass to stabilize them and keep them from shifting and renewing themselves. The result is the trees and vegetation are slowly spreading across the now stabilized dunes. Which force will be victorious depends upon how successful land managers are in controlling the spread of the non-native European beach grass.

Dierkes Lake is actually a series of small lakes formed by irrigation water filtered down through porous lava rock in southern Idaho’s Snake river canyon. It is a city park popular with local kids as a good place to go fishing or swimming on a hot summer day. The high rock caverns are used as diving boards and for sunbathing. As a fourteen year old kid I attended my very first dance here one warm summer evening long ago. The band that night was Paul Revere and the Raiders.

This is area is home. I never tire of visiting this valley. Eleven thousand foot peaks surround a valley sprinkled with aspen groves and pine forests all stitched together by the Big Wood River. This image was made on a perfect fall afternoon.

Silver Falls is one of Oregon’s hidden treasures. The Silver Creek canyon trail is a 7 mile jewel built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The trail follows Silver Creek as it flows through the canyon and passes 10 spectacular waterfalls. My quiet hike through this Oregon state park was like meditation but with the odd juxtaposition of two different sensations…the reassuring calm of of being in touch with nature and the uncertainty of being in a place that was unfamiliar.

Oregon trail pioneers camped here and left their names written in axel grease on the rocks. It was a place of decision making. Those who wanted to build a new home went northwest to Oregon territory. Those who wanted to make their fortune in the gold fields turned southwest to California.