This was what I hoped to get when I drove there, got my snowshoes on and started off in the direction of the waterfall. With the bitter cold weather we had had, I knew the falls would be frozen. The path was full of footprints, but none belonging to a human being. Coyotes? Maybe. Deer? Probably. Raccoon and other wildlife, certainly. But no people. And I was out of cell phone range. And alone. And it was getting late. I was determined to get the photograph, so kept going, knowing my footprints would lead me back to the car if I got lost in the dense fores where the trees were bowed low with the heavy burden of snow on evergreen branches. Or if I failed to go home and a search party came looking for me they could use those footprints… hopefully. After I had gone into the woods for a distance I was able to follow the sound of the water.
I got to the top of the falls and saw this. Frozen solid. I could hear the water … but not see any. I didn't dare try to make it down the steep snow covered slope/cliff to the bottom to see if there was a better vantage point, as I suspected getting up would be much slower (especially if I fell) and possibly very difficult and if I hurt myself I could have been lying there for some time before anyone came to look for me. Call me a coward.
So this is the photograph I took. Disappointing. But c'est la vie. You can't always get what you want.
Note to self: Make sure you get to this spot by noon, or even a bit before when the sun is low in the winter, as it is in such a dip and so deep in the woods that no light will penetrate much after that.
#365project +G+ 365 Project curated by the hardworking +Simon Davis-Oakley and +Patricia dos Santos Paton
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+Jasbir S. Randhawa – that was a lovely thing to say, thank you so much, my friend.
Thanks a lot +Shelly Gunderson
Got that +Joyce Fay – next time you can go with me!
I think the coyotes (prospect of) and deer sound more attractive than the trip you had. City commutes are pretty horrendous and to miss the Archers to boot!! That's just too much! Hope you are well, BAB, +Hugo Burnham
They do look like sentinels, don't they Janet? Thanks a lot, +Janet Patterson
Should be the first rule of the photographer, +Sumit Sen – the taking care and travelling safely bit but I would not be the first to ignore it at times, I suspect. Thank you for the nice comment, Sumit.
Thanks very much +Heiko Mahr
Oh! coyotes are surely not the ones you like to meet on a hike…. take care! :o)
The colour is very yellow, +Ursula Klepper (even a little more yellow than this, to be honest) because of tannin in the water. I made it look a little less so, as it was not too pretty. And I don't think I will go alone there again. I now know that there are coyotes. My friend who lives nearby says they 'behave themselves', as far as she knows, but when she goes walking in the woods she has her 4 dogs with her. And two of those dogs are very big. I would think a coyote would think twice before behaving badly around those. 🙂 Next time I will take them with me. Thanks so much for your comment, Ursula.
Oh!! please take care the next time you get alone in the winter forrest! I am glad evererything went good! you are brave! This frozen waterfalls are amazing!! I only wandered about theyr color… :o)
Certainly different,be nice to see the water running free again
It is a great document of a extreme cold winter +Ellie Kennard…
but yes.. some can't get always what some wants.
I like the result. There is a forest-feel about it because of the light. But do take care and travel safely 🙂
Columns of ice! Really marvelous +Ellie Kennard. and It illustrates all too well how cold it is this year….especially if you were expecting to find running water beneath the ice and didn't. They look like sentinels.
Intrepid Ellie of the forest!
I've just got home battling through late buses and damp pavements and got no reward at the end. Missed The Archers and no splendid photograph!
C'est la vie.
Perhaps another tip would be not to go alone!!!
Still lovely!
+Ellie Kennard Wow, Ellie! I knew that you're a gifted photographer; now I also know that you're an amazing storyteller! Absolutely delightful! Á votre santé! 🙂