Sunday, December 25, 2016

Winter Waterfalls

Winter arrived suddenly in here in Oregon.  The past two weeks we've battled cold temperatures, freezing rain, and even two snowstorms!  This past Sunday I was tempted to head up skiing on Mt Hood.  But then I heard reports of freezing waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge. 

Frozen waterfalls are an uncommon occurrence here.  And many times when these cascades freeze, the roads are too icy to attempt driving.  So when a chance to photograph these lovely works of nature comes around, I take it.


Multnomah Falls

That's why I spent the final Sunday before Christmas not shopping, not skiing, not hiking (although I considered visiting the ornament trail).  No, I took advantage of the rare frigid conditions to travel through the Gorge and capture nature's incredible works of beauty.

And so, dear readers, I present my Christmas gift to you.  No words, just a collection of beautiful winter scenes. 


Lower Multnomah Falls




Benson Bridge, Multnomah Falls





Ice coated tree branches



Icy rock wall below Multnomah Falls




Horsetail Falls



Horsetail Falls




Icy splash pool below Horsetail Falls




Horsetail Falls close-up




Icy shoreline




Wintry creek




Ponytail Falls




Icicles behind Ponytail Falls



Frozen vegetation from the waterfalls' spray makes interesting patterns




Another view of Ponytail Falls



Behind Ponytail Falls



Wide angle view behind Ponytail Falls



Creek below Ponytail Falls (with one cold photographer!)



Ponytail Falls parting view


To all my readers, Merry Christmas!  May you have a wonderful holiday.  Enjoy this special time with your loved ones.

31 comments:

  1. Linda, I can't think of a more enjoyable and peaceful way to celebrate the final Sunday before Christmas...just being and capturing the beauty of nature in winter. Thank you so much for these lovely gifts, they are gorgeous! Merry Christmas to you. :)

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  2. Wonderful, magical images Linda...Merry Christmas.

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  3. It's a good thing you did go out as you got some excellent photos. Have a great holiday.

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  4. Merry Christmas, Linda. These pictures are gorgeous!

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  5. Stunning pix! Hope you had a Happy Holiday!

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  6. Merry Christmas!! Your photos are wonderful! :)

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  7. Your photos are lovely and thanks for sharing. Hope you had a nice Christmas. Ours was quiet with 3 of us. Went to see grandchildren last evening. Of course I took photos of Lydia's 1st Christmas. She did well and was is so cute. I'm hoping there's not alot of snow ahead in the valley although it is fun to see it and just be careful of the ice. I enjoyed it while it was here for awhile. Have a good week!

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  8. Gorgeous! I can't imagine how icy it was to get those shots. On a semi-related note, have you been to Crater Lake in the winter? I bet you'd love it!

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  9. Absolutely stunning, must have been amazingly cold to freeze up the waterfalls like that. Best wishes for the holiday season

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  10. Fabulous captures, Linda.
    Merry Christmas!

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  11. What a beautiful gift you shared with us by spending that special time in nature. Thanks, Linda. Merry Christmas to you. Greetings Jo

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  12. Enjoyed these beautiful photos. Thank you and Happy Holidays- Mary Lou

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  13. Very nice- especially like the bridge in front of the falls

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  14. We skied to a frozen waterfall the other day. They are so beautiful. If the gorge wasn't so icy and the highway closed so much, I'd be tempted to go over there in winter.

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  15. Oh my goodness! Such glorious captures Linda - thank you for the gift (and for your stoic perseverance! These are spectacular scenes. Wishing you and yours a safe and healthy 2017.

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  16. Thank you, Linda, for this wonderful gift of photographs. I just love your icy winter wonderland photos, and these are especially spectacular. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family!

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  17. Thank you Linda for this very special gift to us all, of amazing icey scenes of incredible beauty. My best wishes, as a tad late for Merry Christmas, are sent to you from 'down under'.

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  18. Amazing place.
    Awesome pics.
    Greetings

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  19. A natureza mostrando toda a sua beleza de Inverno.
    Um abraço e Boas Festas.
    Andarilhar

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  20. What a "priceless" Christmas gift! Bravo on your generosity! You were well rewarded for heading out into the fridgid cold. Thank you for sharing this gift with us!

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  21. Absolutely wonderful! What a fine Christmas gift. Thank you so much. :-)

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  22. Lovely and unusual set of photographs. Hope you had a nice Christmas.

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  23. I was thinking of your ornament trail the other day! Hope you make it out there.

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  24. Wow, Ponytail Falls is so pretty. And does look just like a ponytail.

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  25. Absolutely beautiful but I bet it was a challenge getting to those to get the photos! I remember some of those trails. I think my favorite was the one of Horsetail Falls. So thrilled to see the nature around you as always. So many of my favorite places. Hope you had a lovely Christmas and onward to 2017! Woop!

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  26. I know just how cold you were! :) Especially love the icicle shots!

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  27. Fabulous. It's hard to get a picture of the bridge at Multnomah falls without people in it! Really beautiful.

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  28. Wow! I'm so glad you ventured out for these shots! That's the upside of winter--beautiful nature.

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