Cascade Canyon 2026: Scenery

After a great time photographing bison in Yellowstone -- and an adequate night's sleep in my tent at the Gros Ventre campground -- I turned my sights the next day to righting a 16-year-old wrong: hiking Cascade Canyon in Grand Teton National Park.

Calling my previous hike a "wrong" might be a bit harsh.  I covered six miles in five hours and saw a mother moose with two calves.  This time I wanted to make it the full 10+ miles to where the trail forks.  So as I had back in 2010, I grabbed the shuttle across Jenny Lake at 7 a.m. and started off.

Being one of the first on the trail meant I had fairly uninterrupted shots from the first bridge across Cascade Creek...

...and at Hidden Falls.

By Inspiration Point, though, the trail was already getting crowded.  But people in shots can add helpful context and scale.  At least that's what I always tell myself when there are people in my shot. :)

The morning was humid, and wispy clouds clung to the peaks flanking the trail.

But roughly a mile and a half in, blue skies appeared just as the trail emerges from the trees and offers these stunning views up the canyon.

One of my favorite things to do with my new 10-24 lens is to shoot a scene at 10mm...

...and then zoom in (relatively speaking) and shoot the same scene at 24mm.  Honestly, I normally end up liking both shots.  This is one of those cases. :)

The middle section of the trail provides a seemingly endless string of breathtaking views along the creek

Wildflowers blooming, waterfalls flowing, clouds drifting by.  The morning was truly idyllic.

Switched to 24mm and landscape orientation.  Truly stretching my photographic skills. :)

Good news: I made it to the fork this time.  And back, in a little more than six hours.  Four more miles in just one more hour had me feeling pretty good about my fitness level compared to 41-year-old me, too.

Teaser time: As good as the scenery in Cascade Canyon is, the wildlife is easily its equal.  Proof in an upcoming post!

Brainard and Isabelle Lakes, July 2026

It had been four years since I'd been to Brainard Lake Recreation Area to take pictures of moose and hike to Lake Isabelle.  That was quite long enough in my opinion, so I talked a fellow photographer in the neighborhood into joining me for a trip up there this past Wednesay.

Setting the alarm for 3 a.m. turned out to be be the right call, because we got there just in time to catch this predawn color in the clouds.

Brainard Lake was noticeably lower than in the past, but no less beautiful during golden hour.

We scoured the willows on Brainard Lake's southern shore, but moose were nowhere to be seen.  So we were left with shooting reflections in the still waters at the lake's western edge.

Some driftwood in the water did its best to make up for the absence of moose, with compelling textures.

After giving up on the moose it was time for my favorite hike in Colorado.  My sixth time on this trail, and it never disappoints.  The wildflowers and cascades were as striking as ever.

The final cascade before reaching the lake was absolutely bursting with bluebells.

I have never not taken a picture at this spot in all my visits.  Why wouldn't I?

Like Brainard, Lake Isabelle was also lower than I've seen it in past years.  There was less snow on the surrounding peaks, too.

The outflow was likewise modest.

As we headed back, my buddy hiked a bit farther down along the cascade you walk across right before reaching the lake.  Not surprisingly, it's just as lush and picturesque wherever you look.

As pretty and plentiful as the wildflowers are along the trail now, I didn't find myself compelled to stop and shoot close-ups of many of them.  Just this lone Subalpine Fleabane poking from between some rocks.

Even without moose, the hike was as enjoyable as ever.  We covered 5.89 miles and 627 feet of elevation gain in a little more than  2 1/2 hours, not counting the roughly 45 minutes we spent taking photos.  A truly terrific morning!

Related Links:

• Lake Isabelle, June 2022: Part II
• Lake Isabelle, June 2022: Part I
• Brainard and Isabelle Lakes, July 2018
• Lake Isabelle, July 2015
• Lake Isabelle, August 2014
• Lake Isabelle, July 2012

Columbine Trail

Prior to today I'd gone hiking in North Cheyenne Cañon Park in Colorado Springs three times, and enjoyed every one.  So when I was looking for a place to hike today, I decided to make Trip #4!

The Columbine Trail was today's option, which was made even more attractive by the road being closed for construction so I wouldn't hear cars as I was enjoying my nature.  North Cheyenne Creek was looking pretty as I started off from the trailhead around 7 a.m.

It's not immediately obvious how big this waterfall is.  Not sure I can even call it a waterfall, since it's only about two feet tall.  Charming, though.

I'm getting some really nice sunburst shots with my new Nikkor 10-24 lens.  Possibly because it hasn't gotten sand and oil inside yet to add distracting lens flare?

Helen Hunt Falls were flowing more briskly than I'd expected.  I didn't lug my tripod with me, but handheld was still fine.

I lowered the ISO to 100 and shut down the aperture to f/29 to see if I could get that nice feathery look to the water.  This was the best I could manage, which tells me that if I intend to shoot waterfalls in the future I should bite the bullet and carry the tripod to get the longer exposures.

I did the 9.18 miles and 1,674 feet of elevation gain in a tidy 4:06.  Apparently I can hike faster with only one camera body, a smaller lens, and no tripod. :)

Related Links:

• Mount Muscoco
• Kineo Mountain via Seven Bridges Trail
• St. Mary's Falls, April 2024

Elk Falls

Given our dry winter, I'm really glad I did my Great Colorado Waterfall Tour last year.  But I figured if I was going to have any chance of seeing a waterfall in the state actually flowing briskly this year, now was it.  So I headed to Staunton State Park to hike to Elk Falls.

You have to want to see this waterfall; the hike is nine miles with roughly 1,500 feet of elevation gain.  It starts steep, with nice views to the southeast.  The mountain in the distance with just a bit of snow still remaining is Pikes Peak.

The sun did eventually come out, but temperatures stayed cool.  Really perfect hiking weather.

I'd hiked to the Elk Falls Overlook with Zak and Ginny 12 years ago, but not to the falls themselves.  Elk Falls Pond is en route to both.

The final stretch of trail is a very steep third of a mile that even has a chain to grab onto for assistance at one point.  The payoff, fortunately, is worth it.

The waterfall is pretty (duh, it's a waterfall).  And once I got back to the pond I ended up essentially retracing the steps I'd taken with Zak and Ginny a dozen years earlier back to the parking lot.  A solid and beautiful workout on a late spring day!

Fall Foliage Road Trip 2025

The fall foliage forecast declared that most locations in the state would be past peak by the time my Fall Break and accompanying road trip with Danelle rolled around.  Forecasts such as this are further evidence that human beings are absolute hot garbage at predicting the future.

Pagosa Springs was our first destination, which meant a stop at Wolf Creek Pass.

This was my third time stopping at Wolf Creek Pass for photos.  And the third time the views were stunning.

Treasure Falls was next up.  It, too, never disappoints.  Late afternoon light certainly doesn't hurt.

Rain came in overnight, so my plans to shoot sunrise didn't materialize.  But Wolf Creek Pass was still worth another visit to capture its moodier side.

The view of Wolf Creek itself from just across the highway was also beautiful.

Overcast conditions often result in boring landscape shots.  Low clouds, however, can be really cool.

You know what else are cool?  Cows?  And this little herd found me fascinating.

I find the stretch of highway from Durango to Silverton in many ways more spectacular than the Million Dollar Highway from Silverton to Ouray.  Consider this photo Exhibit A.

And here I present Exhibit B.

Not that the Million Dollar Highway is hideous.  Crystal Lake may not have been especially crystal on this gloomy day, but water in a scene is nearly always a good thing.

Even better than still water is running water, and the day's rains had this cascade along the Uncompahgre River flowing briskly.

And with the recently fallen (and therefore still vibrant) leaves strewn along the bank?  This is quintessential autumn in Colorado to me.

We made one last stop outside Crested Butte to pick up some log furniture, where this unique piece of roadside art provided the perfect foreground element for the golden aspens and grumpy skies.

Past peak?  Not from what I could see!

Related Fall Foliage Links:

• Guanella Pass, 2024
• Gunnison County Fall Foliage, 2023
• Ohio Pass
• Crested Butte to Cottonwood Pass
• Carbondale to Crested Butte
• Ptarmigan Peak Trail
• Bear Creek Lake Park: October 2013

French Polynesia 2025: Tahiti

When our cruise around the Leeward Islands of French Polynesia came to its sad but inevitable end, we found ourselves back in Papeete with nearly 12 hours until our flight back to the States.  Danelle had once again brilliantly arranged a way for us to pass half of that time -- a guided driving tour around the perimeter of the island.

First stop was 'Ārahurahu Marae, which had the statuary I'd expected on Raʻiātea.

It also had Plantains, which have a uniquely photogenic flower.

Next stop was Cascade Vaimahuta.  I'd decided to forego my tripod and wide angle lens on this tour and was simply carrying my Nikon D750 with its 80-400m zoom lens, mostly due to fatigue and also so I could spend more time just enjoying the sites with Danelle and less time composing photos.

Here at the waterfall I somewhat regretted that decision, but I'm not not happy with the shots I did get.  No chance of capturing the falls' full 263-foot height this way, though.

Botanic gardens like the Jardins D'eau De Vaipahi are always target-rich photo environments.   This Giant Red was an obliging subject.

And yet another waterfall at the water gardens, which were honestly very nice.  We even got to see some of the sacred blue-eyed eels that we'd missed on our ebike tour of Huahine.

The last stop was a lively public beach -- Plage de la Pointe Venus, so named because Captain Cook chose this spot to observe the transit of Venus between the Earth and the Sun here in 1769.  My attention was focused lower, where I noticed this Brown Land Crab...

...and this Red-vented Bulbul, apparently unfazed by the nearby plastic bag.

A fitting farewell to a truly beautiful part of the world that I'm privileged to have been able to visit!

Related Links:

• Bora Bora
• Raʻiātea
• Mo'orea