Back to Iceland: Round the Ring Road Part 3

Much of the story of my trip around Iceland can be told in the rows of images on my screen here as I type.  Time spent in the North.  Time spent in the East Fjords. Much time spent in and around Hofn, and from there to places like Jokulsarlon, the Ice Lagoon, or Stokksnes.  Then back to Hofn each night after sunset.  I had found a nice hotel in the town and craving a shower and solid bed, I stayed there for three nights.

One evening, I came out to find one of my tires flat.  I was irritated but grateful it wasn’t on some side road in the night, raining all around me.  I made some calls and found the local car shop which fixes tires.

Iceland Tire Repair Hofn

Patched up, I visited a place called Stokksnes three time in the next few days.  I got ok weather, awful weather, and lastly amazing weather.  Stokksnes is the place where the landowner charges about 8$usd to visit his land.  Once you see the view from out along the beach, you’d pay almost any price.

Iceland Stokksnes Beach Sunrise

Later on that morning, heading back to the camper and watching for great reflections in the smooth-as-glass tideflats.

Iceland Stokksnes Sunrise Dramatic Tideflats Reflection

All this while also watching for sunstar opportunities on the black sand dunes.

Iceland Stokksnes Black Sands Dunes Sunstar Sunrise

I had a great first visit to Stokksnes with the light and sunrise.  I knew I would be back on this visit, but didn’t know I would have to go through a weather apocalypse of sorts before I got another amazing sunrise.  Once done here each morning, I would head out east or west for as much good light as I could get.

Iceland Clouds on the Move

Iceland seems to be a lot about the scenery but also about the wind.  It’s constantly going.  I got in the habit of opening the door, and holding onto it as it opened.  I was happy to have brought quite a bit of Windstopper gear. My camper was my travelling photo taking operation.  This was great not only to have everything you need with you, but also for impromptu napping.

GOCampers Iceland Mobile Photographer and Napping Space

Being based around Hofn, I had to stop in at Pakkhus for my one splurge meal.  Langoustine (lobster), fresh off the boat, baked in butter, garlic and other secret herbs and spices.  I had a nice pint of  a local beer called Wee Heavy, which reminded me of the old Hales Brewing Wee Heavy.

Iceland Pakkhus Hofn Lobster Langoustine Feast

Back on the road for more early morning scenery. Sunrise was about 330am, so it made for an early start this time in May.

Iceland Southeast Morning Symmetry

More from Hofn here shortly, and then moving west again.

 

Back to Iceland: Round the Ring Road Part 2

One of my highlights of this second trip of mine to Iceland was discovering Seydisfjordur along the Eastern Coast.  I had read about the photogenic Blue Church and decided to head there one morning since I was in the area on the Ring Road.   I descended into the town, nestled into a cozy fjord at sunrise:

Iceland Seydisfjordur at Sunrise

The town reveals itself as you work your way down winding roads:

Iceland Seydisfjordur Morning

Iceland Seydisfjordur Blue Church

Morning light was kind to me and I captured the church in a nice reflection.  Sony a7r2 and Zeiss 100-300mm lens.  I also discovered great pizza and coffee in town and had the chance to take a nice nap. I ventured back here later on in my trip for sunset, to discover this is a better sunrise shot.

Navigating the road along the fjords takes time but is one beautiful revelation after another.  In the morning and evening, the birds come out and can be found nestling around the shallow parts of each fjord, or congregating on the meadows.

Iceland EastFjords Snow Capped Peaks

Icelandic horses are out as well in the calm morning light.

Iceland Horses at Pasture Below Towering Peaks

At this time of the year, May, there is still a bit of snow around in the East Fjords area.

Iceland Ring Road May Snow Remnants

So at this point, I am heading down the coast to my base at Hofn.  More to come soon.

Back to Iceland: Round the Ring Road

After last year’s revelations on my first trip to Iceland, it was a matter of time before I returned for another view.  Go Campers Gocampers.is had generously offered me a serious discount on one of their campers in exchange for a selection of my images, which helped considerably with costs.  The Photographers Ephemeris, TPE , and its SkyFire add-in suggested that the good weather, or at least not bad weather was to be found to the north so I headed out that way on the Ring Road.  After stopping at Costco of course 🙂 

Driving along the northern part of Iceland was a great choice.  It was gray and cloudy but the landscape of pastures, fjords and geothermal activity was a lot different than the southern route.

The fjords spoke of an active fishing industry, as well as remnants.

Iceland Older Fishing Boat

I covered most of the northern part of the Ring Road in two days.  In early May, most of the snow was gone, with little ice in the lakes.  I really wanted to see the East Fjords and then the South, where TPE was telling me the weather was improving.

Three Weeks of Rain in Seattle: Time for a Zion and Bryce Canyon Roadtrip

It’s been raining in Seattle now for a few weeks and I really needed to get out of town.  The weather forecast for Zion and Bryce Canyon was the opposite:  Sun and clear skies for two weeks.  So I flew to Vegas, rented a car and set out into the desert.

I drove first to Bryce Canyon, where I stayed for a night.  Sunrise was brutally cold but beautiful and serene.  It was all I could do to leave that afternoon for my next destination, Zion National Park.

Bryce Canyon Cold Morning at the Lookout

I got quite a few nice shots at Bryce Canyon and one morning hiked down into the Canyon for a different perspective.

Bryce Canyon Sunrise Light Closeup Canon 400mm

Bryce Canyon Sunrise Light Closeup Zeiss 85 Otus

I had been to Zion before and had a few ideas about compositions for sunrise and sunset.  This time of the year gave me access to Zion Canyon Drive as well, so more choices.  I found many nice compositions out the Drive.

View of Zion National Park Out Canyon Drive

Each time I drove out of the Drive, the Watchman appeared as I slowed for the turn into Springdale.  I had taken the traditional shot from the bridge many times and was wary of falling back on it.  I noted a trail heading down the river and promised myself I would check it out the following day.

I headed down the trail the next day, realizing I was running out of sunset light but very curious about opportunities for other compositions beyond what everyone was getting back at the bridge.  Eventually I found this shot and came back the next night to set it up.  So glad I did.

The next day, I returned to Vegas and back to Seattle, parka at the ready.

Golden Larches Fall Colors Hiking and Photography: Enchantments 2017

Enchantments Prusik Peak Perfection Lake View

Each year I contemplate the hike I will be making into the Enchantments for larches and fall colors.  I go over hiking gear lists, camera gear, food plans, compositions, etc.  I decided to go Snow Lakes route this year, having gone Asgaard Pass out of the Stuart Lake trailhead the previous two years.

My Zpacks pack ready to go at Snow Lakes Enchantments Hike Trailhead

We planned on staying 3 days near Leprechaun Lake.  The weather report indicated snow in the area we wanted to camp in and temps in the 20s so I packed accordingly.  My tent was the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1.  My sleeping bag was the Mountain Hardwear Phantom 0 degree and Thermarest Xtherm pad.  My pack was the Zpacks Arc Blast cuben/carbon pack.  Arc’Teryx Bora2 boots, Cerium SV and Alpha FL jacket, Rampart pants and Atom LT insulated pants.  There’s a reason why I worked retail at the ArcTeryx store for two years  🙂

My camera gear was my Sony a7r2, Zeiss 55 and Zeiss 16-35 lenses along with my Voigtlander 10mm.  I brought my carbon tent pole tripod, which was pretty underwhelming so my shots were all handheld.  For hydration, I brought two small bottles of gatorade and made more with Endurox R4 and electrolyte tabs as I hiked.  Food-wise, I had oatmeal and high protein granola, a stack of peanut butter and honey sandwiches and a pile of snacks heavy on Snickers bars.  I left the trailhead at 32lbs, which I was pretty happy with. FWIW, I don’t do poles after an unfortunately pole to tooth incident a few years back, and I drink straight out of fast-moving streams.  This has always worked for me, but I don’t necessarily recommend it for others.

Once the dates were in place, I put out some invites for others to go along.  All this inviting resulted in two people going with me: Jenn and Erwin.  Erwin insisted on camping halfway up which is new to me but we found camping at Snow Lakes to be a nice break and got some great shots there.

Snow Lake Enchantments Sunrise Light

Another nice part of staying at Snow Lake is that the next section is flat for a while.  Having rounded Snow Lake, however, the climbing begins.  We took it slow and got to Leprechaun Lake in a few hours.

Jenn and Erwin Climbing up Towards Lake Vivianne

We camped near Leprechaun Lake and set out getting photos.It was a great trip as always.  Oncoming snow showers sent us back down a bit earlier than expected but we decided caution was in order.  As I write this a few days later, I, of course, already want to go back  🙂  Here is a random sampling of shots from the hike:

Golden Larches and Lake Vivianne Enchantments. Sony a7r2 and Zeiss 55/1.8

Enchantments Perfection Lake Right Before the Snow Rolled In. Sony a7r2 and Zeiss 16-35/4

Prusik Peak and Leprechaun Lake at Sunrise. Sony a7r2 and Zeiss 16-35/4 Enchantments

Golden Fall Colors Larch Closeup Bokeh Zeiss 55/1.8 and Sony a7r2 Enchantments

Golden Larches and Granite Angles Enchantments. Sony a7r2 and Zeiss 55/1.8

Enchantments Leprechaun Lake and McClellan Peak Light Snowfall. Sony a7r2 and Zeiss 16-35/4

Many more shots at Mike Reid Photography

Road Trip to Banff for Golden Larches and Fall Colors

The Enchantments Lakes Basin in Washington State is my usual Hiking to Fall Colors Larch Fest, but this year I put together a trip to the Banff area for some camping and Larch photography.  My friend and I had about a week to play with so I arranged some last minute camping at Lake O’Hara to start the trip.  From there we would head to Lake Moraine for Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass.  I’d heard reports that the colors were glorious mid September and a bit of snow had freed up some of the reserved months in advance camping spots at Lake O’Hara.

A bit of snow at the camground near Lake O’Hara

Riding the bumpy bus to Lake O’Hara Campground

We spent two days at the campground and did a bit of hiking up around Opabin Prospect to capture amazing views that finally cleared up a bit on our last evening.  I brought my Mountain Hardwear Trango Assault tent, Mountain Hardware Phantom Zero degree bag and Kahtoola microspikes, all of which I was glad to have and made the trip a lot more pleasant.  We were warm and dry in the tent, I was warm in my bag and the spikes made getting up and back down the icy trails a lot safer.

Mountain Hardwear Trango Assault Tent at Lake O’Hara Campground

Hiking to Oesa Lake Above Lake O”Hara

 

Winter Snow on Lake O’Hara Cottages at Dusk

Peak of Odaray Mountain at Dusk from Opabin Prospect. Zeiss 100-300mm lens

View of Lake Mary and O’Hara from Opabin Prospect Voigtlander 10mm

We came back down after two nights and headed to Lake Moraine Lodge for some photography and hiking around the Lake itself and then up to Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass.  Lake Moraine was spectacular as always with a dusting of snow atop the Ten Peaks that surround the lake.

Colors Angles and Light of Lake Moraine

Colors Angles and Light of Lake Moraine – A View of the Ten Peaks

Colors Angles and Light of Lake Moraine – A View of the Ten Peaks

The next morning at 5am, we set out to hike into Larch Valley and up up to Sentinel Pass.  We hoped to hit the golden larches around sunrise and found ourselves in a wonderland of fall colors as the sun rose.

Golden Sunrise Light hits the Peaks around Larch Valley Banff

Golden Sunrise Light hits the Ten Peaks around Larch Valley Including Mount Tuzo Banff

 

Fall Colors Wonderland in Larch Valley Lake Moraine Banff

Eventually we headed back down the now-crowded trail, catching even more glimpses of Fall’s splendor in the valley.

Golden Fall Colors Bokeh Zeiss 85mm Otus

Mount Tuzo in a Fall Colors Wonderland

Autumns Beautiful Palette Zeiss 85mm Ptus

The next part of our journey took us to Bow and Peyto Lakes, before heading back to Seattle. Peyto was crowded and not its usual impressive self so we headed up the road to Bow Lake and waited for dusk  The dusting of snow on Crowfoot Mountain made for a dramatic reflection.

Crowfoot Mountain Reflected in a Calm Bow Lake Towards Sunset Banff Alberta

Crowfoot Mountain Reflected in a Calm Bow Lake Towards Dusk Banff Alberta Voigtlander 10mm

The next morning, we headed back west towards the border and on to Seattle. In two weeks we would be heading into the Enchantments Lakes Basin for 5 days of backcountry Cascades fall colors and beautiful tarns.

 

 

5 Days in Iceland – A Photographer’s Eden – Part Four

Time to finally check out Stokksnes.  I’d done some image research and decided to go around sunrise at 3:30am to see how the light looked. I arrived at the Viking Cafe, closed of course, and set about figuring out the self pay station.  The land owner charges a small fee to roam his land for photos.

The Stokksnes Self Serve Pay Station. Took a few tries but it worked and only charged me once.

I headed north out of the parking lot, which I later learned was an error.  If you want the typical shot that most people get at Stokksnes, you need to head east towards the Radar Station.  I kind of regretted my error but then no because I got some unique vistas and was able to catch a great sunrise as well.

So I wandered across beautiful black and past the “Viking Village Movie Set along the massive peaks of Vesturhorn.  The beach was mostly dry, with a tiny pool of water showing at this point.  It would grow considerably later on on my way back.  I reached the bog around which I could see Brunnhorn peeking past Vesturhorn.

At this point, sunrise skies were on fire and I was backtracking all over the black sand getting shots. I was in my Salomon shoes, and getting soaked but didn’t care.

Brunnhorn and Vesturhorn sunrise on the beach in Stokksnes Iceland

Looking back the other way was good too, as is often the case with burning sunrises.

Sunrise clouds above Vesturhorn on the beach in Stokksnes Iceland

I kept wandering back along the beach, while watching the sunrise.  I felt like I got some nice shots even though I didn’t make it out to the typical area.  I was thankful for the solitude, great light and calm smooth beach.

I got back to the pool of water on the black sand which was growing as I watched.  Looking back towards Brunnhorn, it looked like mercury reflecting the skies.

Vesturhorn sunrise skies reflected on a mercurial pool of water.

Vesturhorn and sunrise reflected

I made it back to the van and napped for several hours.  My Salomons were pretty much soaked to the core so I was happy I had several other pairs of shoes with me.  Eventually I ended up back in Hofn for coffee.  Daytime was either sleeping or scouting time.  I did a lot of both.  Checking the weather, I realized that the next morning was to be another day of gray rain so I had to make tonight’s sunset and sunrise count.  I planned on focusing on Jokulsarlon partially because I knew there was more to be found there and the ice had certainly been re-arranging itself. But also because I truly enjoyed being there.

One more view of the beach at Stokksnes