Myrtle Falls, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington This waterfall is on Edith Creek, amidst the wildflower meadows in the Paradise area. The early summer course of water was gracefully flowing past the rocks on its way to the join the Paradise River in the valley below. Both the creek and the falls were named in 1907 by a park guide for women he met while giving tours of the area.
Big Four Ice Caves, Cascade Range, Washington Avalanches leave piles of ice here at the base of Big Four Mountain, forming the lowest glacier in the country. Meltwater carves out these ice caves. The blue color appears where the ice is densely packed and has few air bubbles. The ice absorbs much more of the light in the red part of the spectrum, leaving the blue colors. I loved the way the small fall of water bisected the scene. Taken with a telephoto lens from outside the caves; they are dangerous to enter.
Palouse Falls, Washington An amazing place, appearing in the midst of dry scablands. It was originally called Aput Aput, meaning falling waters. This is the larger, lower falls, which drops 198 feet into a huge basalt canyon. We visited in the spring, when the water was flowing strongly. The water made me think of a pipe organ, and we enjoyed the music of the water while picnicking at the rim of the gorge. Taken with a long telephoto as the shadows began to move up the falls.
