Vistas of Skagit Valley

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Skagit valley stretches a long way from Ross Lake to Anacortes. Along the way there are many promontory spots from which to view its magnificence!

Diablo Lake is a emerald jewel at the foot of Colonial Peak.

Sauk Mountain rises more than 5,000 feet above the valley

Sauk Mountain
Sauk Mountain

Samish Overlook affords spectacular views of the valley.

Samish Overlook
Samish Overlook
Samish Overlook

Mount Erie and Cap Sante in Anacortes are wonderful vistas.

Cap Sante
Cap Sante
Cap Sante
Mt Erie
Mt Erie
Mt Erie

2021 Washington State Scenic Calendars are now on sale! Here is the link to see the images and order your copy!

An evenings walk near Conway

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There is a boat ramp and you can walk atop the dike, along Dike Road, near Conway.

The South Fork of the Skagit River is nearby.

Several of the farms nearby have wonderful old barns…

Here are a few images.

Skagit River Images

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The Skagit River plays a very big role in life here in the valley. Transportation; electricity; salmon; irrigation; and more are centered around the river.

The early days of white settlers along the Skagit River are chronicled here quite well, in the Skagit River Journal.

Traveling along and across the river affords some good opportunities to capture images, from time to time. These are some recent images, some over the last few years of journeys.

Skagit Valley Tulips and Daffodils

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Skagit Valley Tulips and Daffodils

Spring, thankfully, brings the colors back.

The winter creates a grayish monochrome of everything that is interesting for about a week.

When the colors come back, things are better. The snow just melted yesterday and we’ll probably see more before the end of the winter.

So I shouldn’t get myself all excited just yet, but I can sense the subtle stirrings of green.

In February the hints of green will become more pronounced and then, finally, the yellows will arrive with Skagit Valley Daffodils.

Rows of Daffodils
Daffodil Sunset

Depending upon the year the daffodils start coming up in late February or early March. Skagit Valley has a rather mild climate, rarely getting snow. Early spring brings almost daily rain. The daffodils emerge slowly, reluctantly.

Once the temp starts rising a bit, tulips start to pop up. The anticipation of the coming color explosion is tantalizing!

Every year the tulips and daffodils are planted in different fields.

You can see their location and bloom status with the Bloom Map.

I usually visit the tulip fields 10 times each season, sunrise is my favorite, because of the light and lack of people. Workers are in the fields then, harvesting and at the end, topping the tulips. I offer guided Photo Tours of Tulip Festival each year, at sunrise and sunset, details and prices can be found here.

Because the fields rotate every year, so do the backdrops, and foregrounds!

Barns, school busses, tractors, irrigation ditches, and puddles all serve well for offsetting the beauty of the flowers.

I teach basic Photography Classes through Parks and Rec in Burlington. Here is the link for more info.
Starting in Jan 2020 I will also be teaching basic Photography Classes through Parks and Rec in Bellingham.

Sometimes a visit can bring good luck in the form of rainbows, long shadows, dirty kids and much more.

Need a 2020 Calendar? There are still copies available of the Night Sky Images of Washington State Calendar! Click here to order your copy.

Fir Island Sunrise

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Its always good to start any day with a colorful sunrise. Some nice clouds, water for reflections, a wide panoramic view…maybe some mountains off in the distance all make the scene perfect.

These images are from two very recent visits to Fir Island sunrise.

Sunday, November 24

Thursday, November 28

The broad expanse of sky, over the ocean and mouth of the Skagit River. There are several vista spots alone Fir Island Road, most require a Discover Pass.

2020 Night Sky Calendars are available here.

Interested in a Photo Tour? Tulip Photo Tours in April are now filling up fast. 

Night Sky Photo Tours are my favorite! More info here. 

Skagit River and Mount Baker

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Not long ago I saw an image of Skagit River with Mt Baker looming above. It was a gorgeous image and started me on a hunt.

I have been here in Skagit Valley for 15 years now and have never encountered a vista that encompassed both the Mountain and the River. Skagit River runs east to west through the valley and Baker sits about 10 miles to the north.

A short study of the map revealed that there are several spots where the Skagit turns back on itself so that you can look “down the river” and right at Mt Baker. I started my search along the Concrete Sauk Valley Road, looking to visit the confluence of the Sauk and Skagit Rivers. It was a lot of fun tooling about, on both sides of the river, scouting for views, vistas, and access trails down to the gravel bars along the river.

Here are a few pics from my endeavors:

After a bit of search I finally found a spot along the Concrete-Sauk Valley Road where you can scramble down to the gravel bar and out to this view: Looking north to Mt Baker, from the Skagit River

Skagit River and Mount Baker
Skagit River and Mount Baker
Skagit River and Mount Baker

 

Autumn in Skagit Valley and North Cascades

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One doesn’t normally associate the northwestern corner of the US with fall colors. New England the Mid-Atlantic states in the northeast are usually the focus of any autumn photo spread.

But autumn in Skagit Valley and North Cascades is not too shabby.

The valley and the rivers make wonderful spots for fall.

Double Rainbow, Fir Island
Gordon Skagit Farm
Sedro Woolley
Grandy Lake Sunset, Skagit County
Gordon Skagit Farm
Sedro Woolley Panorama
Fir Island
Berries
Skagit Valley Sunset
Skagit Valley Sunset
Sedro Woolley
Skagit Valley Barn
Mt Baker and Mt Shuksan

Up the valley a bit along the Baker and Skagit Rivers fall colors abound. Salmon spawn in the fall. The entire valley is lit up and on display!

The 2020 Washington State Night Sky Calendar is now on sale! Get your copy here.

Mt Baker from Baker Lake Road
North Fork, Skykomish River
Baker River
Mt Baker from Baker Lake Road
Baker River
Baker River
Baker River Trail footbridge
Mt Baker from Baker Lake Road
Baker River Trail
Baker Lake
Baker Lake
Mt Baker from Baker Lake Road
Baker River
Baker River Salmon
Baker River Bridge
Baker River
Baker River Trail

The main contributors to Fall here in the North Cascades are the blueberry/huckleberry bushes, which carpet the mountains in bright reds and the larch, who’s green needles turn bright orange in the first week or October. . .

North Cascades Photo Tours are also available!

Above Cascade Pass, North Cascades National Park
Mt Shuksan and Picture Lake
Doubtful Lake, North Cascades National Park
Artist Point
Lake Ann and Maple Pass
Lake Ann
Heather Pass
Washington Pass
Mt Baker from Artist Point
Twin Lakes
Heather Pass
Lake Ann and Maple Pass
Cutthroat Pass
Cutthroat Peak

Larch grow new green needles each spring, and in early October they turn orange and fall off! The elevation of the larch varies in Western Washington, usually you can find the larch between 5,000 and 7,000 ft elevation.

Fine Art Prints as well as Canvas Wraps are also available in a wide range of sizes and frames. Here is the Gallery Page.

Colchuck Lake, Enchantments
Prussik Peak, Enchantments
Amphitheater Mountain, Pasayten Wilderness
Blue Lake
Goats in the Enchantments
Early Winter Spires
Early Winter Spires
Amphitheater Mountain, Pasayten Wilderness
North Cascades Pond
Perfection Lake, Enchantments
Prussik Peak, Enchantments
Windy Peak, Pasayten Wilderness
Cathedral Peak
Cathedral Peak, Upper Cathedral Lake

Vistas of Skagit Valley

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Always in the hunt for new vistas of Skagit Valley, here are some of the vistas I’ve visited in the last few years.

Sauk Mountain
North Cascades and Skagit River
Mt Erie
Cap Sante
Samish Overlook
Mt Erie
Sauk Mtn and Skagit River
Ross Lake
Big Rock
Samish Overlook
Double Rainbows over Fir Island
Diablo Lake
Samish Overlook
Cap Sante
Samish Overlook
Mt Erie
Washington Park
Padilla Bay
Sauk Mountain
Sauk Mountain
Big Rock
La Conner
Ross Lake
Samish River
Valley Sunset
Samish Overlook
Skagit River
Mt Erie

North Cascades Photography – Skagit Valley Sunrise

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North Cascades Photography – Skagit Valley Sunrise

Photographing sunrise requires a bit of luck. You have to decide where to be for the sunrise, and so you go, in the dark, hoping for nice light…

Once you’re there and the sunrise starts, its usually too late to change locations. Today was one of those exceptions!

There are many wonderful vantage points along the Cascade Loop Scenic Highway from which to photograph the Skagit Valley. One of my favorites is Sauk Mountain. The Skagit River loops in broad curves to the west…

Skagit Valley from Sauk Mountain

But this is only a hike for the summer months, access to the trail usually begins in late May.  Depending upon the years snow fall the wildflowers start blooming in June. Its quite a sight. Here is the link with directions.

For year round access the view from the Samish Overlook is not to be beat. The overlook is located near the Alger exit on I-5. You need a Discover Pass. There are rest rooms at the Overlook and a trailhead leading to Oyster Dome and other places.

Here are directions to the Samish Overlook:

Directions: Samish Overlook    Lake Samish Rd     Bow, WA 98232
From I-5 exit 240, Alger. Go northwest on Samish Lake Road for .5 miles. Turn left on Barrel Springs Road for .7 of a mile. Turn right on B-1000 Road signed Blanchard Forest Block. Go 1.5 miles to intersection with the B2000, signed for Samish Overlook. Turn left and drive 2.1 slow miles to the Samish Overlook and the trailhead.

Skagit Valley

This morning I got an early start and headed to the Samish Overlook, but the road was closed. At Barrell Springs Road there was a barricade…so no luck.

Sunrise over Samish River, March 17, 2019

It looked like it might actually turn out to be a nice sunrise, so I headed to my 3rd go-to place for sunrise, The Samish River.   Here is the image from this morning. I swear the clouds were trying to spell out something for me. I will work on decoding the message later.

Here is a pano from the same spot.

Sunrise Panorama over Samish River, March 17, 2019

If you can read the message (maybe its in Italian!) please send me a translation!

Photo Tours!

  • Tulip Photo Tours will start soon, these are 3 hour sunrise or sunset tours through the tulip fields.
  • Summer brings North Cascades Photo Tours, day hikes and overnight hikes to awesome places in the North Cascades.

These next images of the Samish River were taken from a bridge along the Bayview-Edison Road.

Here are some images from past visits, from the bridge facing the mouth of the river.

If you go to visit the Samish River be sure to stop by the Bread Farm, in Edison, and bring lots of cash.