One year in the Pacific Northwest.

One year ago I moved from the tiny high desert town of Bishop California to the rainy Pacific Northwest - Portland to be specific.  So far, I love it!  (Can't you tell?)

Thanks to my amazing girlfriend and better half, Nicole, I have acquired a slough of amazing new images!  From the sands of the coast to the snow of Mount Hood, from the weirdness of Portland to hustle of Seattle, and from blueness of Crater lake to the ashes of Mt Saint Helens, we've explored it all!  I wanted to share some of the images from our adventures of the last year in one happy little (well, maybe not so little!) blog post.  Please keep two things in mind as you scroll through the delicious eye-candy: 1 - Most of these shots look AMAZING when viewed large so make sure to click on them to view larger.  2 - We love traveling and exploring and sharing the photos but unfortunately it can get pretty expensive.  Every one of these images is for sale at www.shuttermeshort.com   If you can't afford my totally affordable images then please at least click on an ad to show your support.  Most of all - ENJOY!

 Seattle, WA

The Oregon coast is known for being absolutely beautiful - and it is...  I am a mountain boy by heart but the coast never fails to capture my heart.  We have made many trips out to the coast and I don't see any good reason to stop anytime soon!

 

The west coast is also known for it's lighthouses.  Every one has a story and is unique in its own way.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse.  Built in 1872.  At 93 feet tall, it is Oregon's tallest lighthouse.  There are stories of winds being so fierce here that rocks would be picked up at the beach and thrown through the windows and cows would routinely be blown off the cliffs! 

Coquille River (Bandon, OR) Lighthouse

The fourth-order Fresnel lens was first shown from this tower on February 29, 1896. A snowstorm settled in the next day, necessitating the first use of the fog signal.  In 1939, the Coast Guard assumed responsibility for Coquille River Lighthouse and decided it was no longer needed.

A joint restoration effort involving Oregon State Parks and the Army Corps of Engineers was launched in 1976 and she still sits beautifully today in the care of Bullards Beach State Park.

North Head Lighthouse - Cape Disappointment, WA.  Built in 1898 it is the second lighthouse at cape Disappointment.  Because of the sheer number of shipwrecks , it was determined a second lighthouse was needed on the northwestern spur.

The remains of the Peter Iredale which ran aground October 25th, 1906 while heading for the Columbia river.  Just one of the many ships of the "Graveyard of the Pacific"

 Crater Lakes blueness is like nothing else seen on this planet...

 Smith Rock 

 Swift Reservoir, WA 

 Coldwater Lake, WA

Sunset at Mt. Saint Helens

 Sunrise with a blanket of snow

 Got to see my favorite locomotive all dressed up for Christmas

 The moss that grows on the old-growth forests is amazing!

 To say there are waterfalls up here is simply an understatement.  We have managed to see a small percentage of them.

 The infamous Multnomah Falls

Elowah Falls

Upper Elowah Falls

Metlako Falls

Lower Lewis River Falls

 Punchbowl Falls

 The Columbia River Gorge

 Sunset on Mt Tabor

So far it has been a wild and crazy year full of awesome adventures and new places.  I am ever so grateful.  I hope you enjoyed my photos as much as I enjoyed sharing them.  :)  I would love to have another year as epic as this last and my goal is to keep it up!   PLEASE show your support and consider purchasing a beautiful print and by at least clicking on an ad to help keep the blog alive!  I can't do this without everyone!   Thank you!!!!!!  

Next up will be our trip back to Bishop, CA to backpack in the Sierras so make sure to subscribe!