We've all seen it as we drive through the Gorge.  In the day-time, it's a perfectly perched castle on top of the ridge.  At night, it's an alien spacecraft that has just landed and is on the prowl for victims.  The night-time story is one that I was told as a child. I don't remember who told me the tale, but I'll just default the blame over to any one of my older brothers.  Every-time we drove by the Vista House at night I was fairly confident that it would be our last.  I was also very impressed that we drove through the Gorge at the EXACT time the spacecraft landed EVERY SINGLE TIME. Impeccable timing on our end..... or theirs?  These were the things that occupied my mind on these ominous drives with my family. 

The world famous Vista House is one of the most photographed locations in the Gorge.  With good reason too.  Dedicated almost 100 years ago in 1918, it sits proudly at 733 feet above the mighty Columbia atop Crown Point, an area that was often referred to as "Thor's Heights".  In short, this is where I would live if I were to design the ultimate "house."  Not because of my Thor-Like biceps*, but because of it's pure awesomeness.

Although the Vista House is an excellent stopping point as you travel along the Historic Hwy, an even better stop is at the Women's Forum Viewpoint just west of the Vista House.  From this point photographers capture the iconic view of the Gorge seen on millions of postcards since 1918. 

Although this location is anything but obscure, I feel like it's a must for inclusion in our ongoing project.  We gave it a shot on our way back from Portland recently, but being the perfectionist that I am, the lighting wasn't quite good enough.  I'll be back soon when time allows, but in the meantime, here's a quick shot pulled from the lapse that just won't make the cut.


*And when I say "Thor-Like Biceps", I mean the opposite of that thing.

Early Friday morning I took a shot at a sunrise session from the top of Mitchell Point in the Columbia River Gorge.  First of all, let's just talk about the obvious.  My name is Mitchell, and this place is called Mitchell Point... If it's not 100% awesome, then I would be thoroughly disappointed. 
Good news, Mitchell Point IS maximum awesome. One thing that surprises me though is this:  Not many people realize that the quaint little viewpoint looking over the river next to the parking lot is NOT Mitchell Point.  It's just a place to get hyped up about the REAL Mitchell Point. With that being said, the wheelchair accessible view off of the parking lot is great.  So great, that while stopping at it for a rest break,  I oft-times proclaim its greatness via song.  And yes, I have video to prove it. 

Onto Mitchell Point. I got to the trailhead at about 5:30am.  Time was short, so I knew I had to run up the trail with all my gear if there was even a chance of me making it to the top before the sunrise. It was dark, it was foggy, it was awesome. I strapped my headlamp on and plowed up the trail. I wish I would have snapped a pic as I was heading up.  It felt very surreal as my headlamp cut through the fog as I ran through the trees.  A person could have easily been a bit scared, and by all means, I'm sure a zombie attack was imminent, but getting to the point before sunrise was all I could think about.  The trail up to the point isn't all that long, (1.2 miles) but it's very steep.  I got to the top with just a few minutes to spare before sunrise.  Initially, I had planned on shooting directly into the sunrise.  This is what I normally do, and seems like the natural direction to capture the most dynamic light.  For whatever reason, I decided to shoot West and away from the sunrise.  The fog and clouds developing in that portion of the Gorge piqued my interest, so I decided to take a chance on something a little unconventional.  For the record, here's a shot I took after the time-lapse was complete in the opposite direction.  Without a doubt, I'll be back to capture this view, but believe it or not, I was PSYCHED that I shot in the opposite direction.

Looking West in the direction of the time-lapse, right as the sun was coming up, a rainbow began to form within the fog and clouds above the river. I was so excited! It wasn't an entire rainbow, but I was elated because the lapse started before its' formation!  I felt exactly like the "double rainbow guy" on Youtube, and wasn't reluctant to echo his feelings from the top of Mitchell Point. Disclaimer: If you don't get the reference, just know that I'm not a weirdo, and that this is a joke. :)
PS: the video is flipped, and I don't care to flip it back. Don't panic!

In summary, although the direction of the sunrise was incredible, how often is a full-blown RAINBOW going to form right in front of your camera as it's running a time-lapse?  This was an awesome day, and the trip up to the point was well worth my time.   Here's one frame of the completed time-lapse showing the rainbow starting to turn into a double rainbow. Hooray Gorge!

Indian Point is one of those places that you've probably seen multiple times driving through the Gorge, but perhaps have just left it at that.  Indian Point is a prominent "thumb-like" outcropping that towers over the Oregon side of the Gorge just across the river from Carson, WA.  I promise you, once you notice it for the first time, it will be difficult to miss on subsequent trips through the Gorge.  I'm pretty sure that it's a giant magnet.  I'm also fairly confident that all of our eyes are made of metal.  See what I did there?  

The trail to Indian Point is fairly straight forward.  And when I say straight forward, what I mean is that the trail gains 2,400 ft in just under 4 miles.  Your calves will grow to 4 times their normal size in a matter of 2 hours.  In summary, Indian Point is your one-stop shop for acquiring horse legs. 

I took a buddy with me on this hike, as I wanted to scout out the location for some portions of time-lapse.  We got an early start and starting plowing up the trail at 7am.  After 500 switchbacks and about 50 high-fives, Josh and I made it to the top.  Here's a tip regarding Indian Point.  You will have 0 fun if you're terrified of heights.  The hike is fantastic, as it cuts its way through sections of old growth trees up the side of the mountain, but once you get to the top, it's all business, and there aren't many places to stand without being exposed to 1,000 ft drops on both sides.

As expected, the views from this vantage point are incredible.  We were up there around 9:30 am, so the nice glows of the sunrise were gone, but it was still beautiful! With some careful planning, this location is going to be top notch.  I'll continue to add to each individual blog post as I gather  footage worthy for the final product!

I'm sure we've all had it. The time when we're driving along the road and we see something so awesomely mysterious that we double take like a broken bobble head doll just to be sure we're seeing what we think we're seeing.  To me, this house is the definition of that exact thing.  

Tucked away just outside of The Dalles, this house asks a myriad of questions, yet answers none of them.  It's fantastic.  I don't have many details relating to the history of it, but if my memory serves me correctly, it has looked like this for many moons. 

My first time visiting this house was at about 1am. I was by myself, it was completely dark and I was in the middle of nowhere.  I knew that I was in the right place, but because the house is off the road a bit, I couldn't see it.  I got outside of the car, turned off all the lights, and waited for my eyes to adjust. A few moments passed, and then slowly, the house began to take shape in the middle of a freshly cut field.  Here's a tip for those of you wanting to photograph this house at night. BRING SOMEONE. I like to think that I'm a pretty tough dude. I down beef jerky like it's water, have watched every episode of Walker, Texas Ranger, and shave my face with a samurai sword.  However, this place is creepy at night.  I set up some various shots, and felt a sense of nervousness every time the photo was complete and it was time to review the shot.  I think I was afraid of the camera picking up something in the window.  I also hated the fact that every time I looked at my camera screen, my night vision was lost again.  I know it wasn't true, but I felt like I was being watched.  And once that feeling is there, it's difficult to shake.  I have spoken with a few other individuals who had similar experiences when there by themselves at night.  This is pretty uncommon for me, as I'm the type of guy who prefers to leave the flashlight off as I lone wolf my way through the forest in the middle of the night. I didn't stay much longer than 30 minutes or so, but will certainly be back with a buddy to try and do this place justice when the grass has grown a little more around the perimeter of the house. 

With that being said, this location is A+ any time of day.  Here are a few more pictures taken around the house at daylight.  The night shots will have to wait until the release of the video. :)

First of all, if you live anywhere near the Rowena Viewpoint and you haven't been there to watch an entire sunrise, DO IT. Ok, good talk.


I woke up early Wed morning and did a quick check of the weather.  All seemed well and there were a few breaks in the clouds.  Perfect!  As Jesse has a constant urge to punch all mornings in the face, I went solo just a few miles down the Gorge to Rowena Viewpoint.  It was an awesome morning. Hardly any wind, and I could tell that there was big potential for an excellent sunrise.  I didn't have much time to set up once I got there, so I hurried and set up the camera and began planning the sequence.  Here's an obligatory phone picture of my setup before things started happening.  I sometimes like to bring the GoPro along to snap pictures as well, as I'm often surprised with the results, so that's why you can see it attached to the top of the cam.

This picture is pulled from about 700 that I took in about an hour.  I have yet to process them all, but am pretty hopeful that it will turn out to be a rock-solid sequence.  Only time will tell!

Spring is definitely springing in the Columbia River Gorge, and I couldn't be happier.  Although I truly love the winter season, a little green and warmer weather is always welcome with arms wide open. (Yes, like the chart-topping song)

Me and Jesse had a great trip down the Gorge to a place we've never been, Summit Falls. This is a pretty obscure little falls, and doesn't boast the mind-blowing heights of other more prominent tourist stops.  These types of locations have always been my favorite, and this little jaunt didn't disappoint. Summit Falls has an upper and lower section, and the "trail" is accessed by a service road that most would overlook along I-84 East.  The falls would certainly be enough reason to stop at this location, but there's another pretty impressive draw.  A decent portion of the route to the falls is over an incredible moss covered portion of a now abandoned section of the 1916 Historic Highway.  That's right, a road of moss. I didn't believe it until me and Jesse saw portions of perfect looking pavement between the moss, as well as old highway guard rails made out of stone. This moss has been growing here for over 50 years!  If you want to feel like you're the last person on earth after a zombie takeover, this is a solid choice.

Naturally, with inklings of zombies around every corner, Jesse felt it was appropriate to take up arms and "attack with the north", as quoted from this short clip displaying her sheer strength.

The most impressive part of this mighty charge was how far Jesse ran. Good solid charge Babe!

On to Summit Falls! 
The lower portion of Summit Falls was fairly easy to get to, with just a bit of scrambling down the scree slope to get there.  Like I said earlier, Summit Falls doesn't necessarily have any impressive stats to boast about, but me and Jesse loved our little pocket of solace we discovered, and it was all ours for over an hour.  This was a great spot to get some slider shots and audio for the ongoing project, and of course was a great place to snap some regular pictures as well.  

After we were satisfied with our efforts at the lower section, we trekked our way up the "trail" to the upper section.  We had quite a time traversing and scrambling our way up along the steep bank, but were rewarded with this when we finally made it to the top.

We lucked out with this portion of the falls, as water was flowing pretty steadily.  We especially enjoyed the nurse stump that you can see in the upper right of the picture.  Here we collected more footage and audio, and then started our way home.

With future plans to reopen and refurbish many of the old sections of the Historic Hwy in 2016, I can't help but think that this series of falls is bound to get way more attention in the future.  I also can't help but have mixed feelings about the restoration of this section of the highway, as the ruins and deterioration of what once was provided a pretty special experience. 

It was a beautiful day today, so me and Jesse decided we'd go explore another area of the Gorge.  Slightly east of Hood River on the Washington side, Courtney Rd starts winding it's way up the mountains starting at Look Lake.  Courtney Road is used regularly by Mtn Bikers as they enjoy the Coyote Wall trails commonly known as Syncline.  There wasn't much going on in regards to dynamic weather today, but I knew that I wanted to scout the location before hauling the rest of my equipment up the windy trail.  After hiking a couple miles to the location, we were rewarded with incredible views of Hood River and a perfect straight shot down the Columbia River Gorge!  As  usual, Jesse came prepared with blankets and warm clothes so she could cozy up on a rock while I explored the area looking for the best shots.  Jesse isn't able to make it out with me on many of my wanderings, so it's always awesome to have her be able to come along.  Here's a picture of her demonstrating her technique of staying warm in the great outdoors. : )

Even though the conditions weren't ideal at all for time-lapse, I still set up the camera and let it run so that I can get an idea of how I'd like to shoot the area when conditions are ideal. 

Although not much happened in regards to movement during the time-lapse, it's always fascinating to see how the water carves its way through the Gorge. 

Once the sun came out, Jesse was comfortable coming out of her cozy shell and showing her face!

I plan on shooting this location as a dusk-to-night-time transition. I will be closely watching the celestial data for the most ideal time to do this location justice.  Stay tuned!

Here are some fun facts about my wife, Jesse.  
1. She hates being cold.  Not in a "I'd rather not be cold" type of hate, but a "Me and cold will someday meet on American Gladiators" type.
2. She likes being cozy.  I have learned that being "cozy" doesn't just mean being warm.  It's much more than that.  To be cozy, not only must one be warm, but they also must be wearing pink fuzzy socks and be wrapped so tightly in a blanket that they resemble a newborn in a freshly wrapped papoose pouch.
3. If she's not warm and/or cozy, she has every right to sling belittling one liners my way at an intense rate.  Simply put, a cold Jesse = Mrs. Grumpy Gills. This isn't a problem, it's just a fact that has made itself more clear every day.  If I want to keep my self esteem up, I had better keep the warmth levels up as well.  No problem.
4. Jesse also is incredibly supportive.  She wants to be with me whenever possible and take part in what I enjoy.  I love this, but it creates some problems, as most of the things I like doing include being outside regardless of the weather.  
5. Lastly, Jesse is impressively resourceful. When I asked her if she wanted to trek up to the Rowena Viewpoint with me, I figured that because of the cold, the answer would most certainly be no.  Jesse arrived at a different conclusion.  When I came back into the room, she was proudly wearing this:

Full-Blown "Caterpillar of the Night" adventure jump-suit.  She waddled her way out to the car and we were on our way. 

The Rowena Overlook is a pretty popular viewpoint West of The Dalles, and offers awesome views of certain portions of the Columbia River and its' surroundings.  It's a perfect starting spot to gather footage for the Gorge Project. I eventually want to gather both day and night footage at this location, so we started with our 1st visit for night-time footage.  We were there from about 9pm to 12:30am, and Jesse was happy as can be sitting in the car in her Caterpillar Suit with her reading material as I scurried around taking pictures at various locations.  It was very peaceful.  A light wind blew up the bank as cars painted the freeways down below.  It was a great opportunity to leave technology behind and just sit quietly and listen.

I haven't completely processed the footage yet, but it looks promising.  The cloud cover made for perfect combination of bright stars and smoothly moving clouds.  Before we left, I decided that I wanted to try a light painting experiment with a portion of the curvy road leading up to the viewpoint.  Because no other cars were around, I recruited Jesse to drive the car on a particular portion of road, and I captured the light from our car for about 90 seconds straight.  Jesse's a good painter, and I have proof... Here's the result of our little experiment.

Without a doubt, we'll be back here soon.  After this somewhat successful staging, I got ideas for additional ones.  Perhaps the "Caterpillar of the Night" suit will find a new place hanging alongside our coats and jackets. 

I love having projects.  If I don't have something I'm currently working on, I'll wander around the house aimlessly organizing and re-organizing everything we have.  This is not ideal, and makes Jesse uncomfortable.  Now that we're back in the Columbia River Gorge for a while, I have adopted a huge personal project.  I hope to expose the beauty of the Gorge via another long-term time-lapse photography project.  Along with some of the popular locations, I'm excited to expose and share many of the obscure places off the beaten path.  These places are always my favorite.  I love discovering new areas, and as my wife can attest, I ALWAYS have to see what's around the corner, over the hill, in the pit, etc.  I explore the wilderness like a squirrel pumped full of Mtn. Dew in the middle of a lightening storm.  Unless you know exactly what I'm talking about, you probably don't want to go exploring with me.  Jesse has learned this over and over again, and is a VERY patient with me.  
To me, time-lapse photography is extremely rewarding as well as challenging.  At times, 5 seconds of completed footage is the result multiple trips to the same location for many hours at a time.  If you don't simply love being outside, you won't enjoy any part of serious time-lapse landscape photography.  And that is a full-blown mega-fact.
One of my first more serious time-lapse projects was recently completed in Jacksonville, Florida.  I was out exploring and shooting whenever possible during a period of 8 months.  Although the motivations for my Jacksonville video were much different than the motivations for this project, the end result may be similar.  My Jacksonville project ended up being the compilation of over 20,000 pictures taken at many different locations.  Naturally, this large number of pictures takes a great deal of time to edit and process into the final product.  I estimated that for every 1 second of time-lapse footage in the final video, roughly 3-4 hours of work was needed either out in the field shooting or editing at my workstation.  To others, this may seem a bit insane, but to me, it's completely worth the effort involved.  I met a ton of great people and made great memories.  To find out more of the details regarding the Jacksonville video, click here.

Naturally, as anyone continues to develop a skill, they will become even more proficient.  With some new and improved equipment, lessons learned, and new techniques, i'm excited to see how this next venture turns out, and even more excited to share it with others.  I'll be sure to keep this blog updated by posting pictures of my various locations, setups and experiences.  Naturally, all blog posts having to do with this project will contain "Gorge Project" in the title.