Punchbowl Falls

Punchbowl Falls is another iconic location in Oregon's Columbia Gorge. It is a several mile hike along Eagle Creek trail, claimed by some to be one of the most picturesque hikes in America. The falls themselves are outstanding. I used a polarizing filter to eliminate the glare of the water and bring out the rocks below, and waited for a brief moment of light to iliuminate the foliage around the falls. As I learned the hard way, the rocks are quick slippery and when I was wading out in to the ice cold water I slipped, falling on my back. In my final moment of clarity, I held up my tripod and mounted camera and saved it from death by drowning. The funny part of the story is that the photographers I was with rushed over, and immediately grabbed my camera to save it, while I lay in the water. It was a cold hike back to the trailhead.