Siouxon Creek Trail, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Chelatchie, Washington

Canon 5DII, 24-70mm @ 34mm, CPL and 3-stop ND

-2, 0 exposures H/S-fused in Photomatix Pro

This relatively seldom-visited 37-foot falls lies along a lesser-used portion of the Siouxon Creek Trail. Most visitors turn left across a footbridge over the creek on their way to the usual destination, Chinook Falls, but there are several substantial and picturesque unnamed cascades further upstream on the Siouxon (pronounced “sue – sawn,” in case you’re wondering).

Getting to this particular vantage point entails some modest off-trail scrambling, with the main thoroughfare out-of-frame beyond the top right aspect of the image heading toward the top of the falls. I thought about scrambling over the massive timbers for an unobstructed shot, but time was short and the footing was shaky (my camera and lens had already luckily survived a tumble when the wood beneath a tripod leg gave way), so I decided instead to artistically* incorporate them into the composition from where I was.

Before now** I’d never really understood the point of writing “Best viewed larger,” which always struck me as akin to saying “water is wet”. But in this case, for some reason I really do feel compelled to tell you that water is indeed wet.

Cheers!

_{* In other words, I was lazy and a scaredy cat.}

_{** Much thanks to Dale (Husky) for explaining it to this newbie!}