rainy Miyajima

Posted on February 25th, 2015 under Japan. Tags: miyajima, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, pagoda, Senjokaku (千畳閣). Comments Off on Senjokaku (千畳閣) and 5-story pagoda (五重塔)

Miyajima’s Daishoin steps lined with Buddha statues

There are several ways up and down Mt. Misen on the island of Miyajima (AKA Itsukushima). Most people take the ropeway. Be adventurous and ascend and/or descend on foot instead, through Daishoin (大聖院) and these steps.

Posted on February 24th, 2015 under Japan. Tags: buddhist, Daishoin 大聖院, miyajima, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600. Comments: 1

@BLMOregon @TravelOregon

I went back to finish what I started back in January, reach Boundary Springs. This time I didn’t start in the Mazama Viewpoint parking lot. Instead, I followed Google maps which sent me down a forest road for several miles. The road is called “Old Diamond Lake Road” or NF-281. The road gets really sketchy after a couple miles. You probably don’t want to be on this road in a normal winter. Even in summer it probably isn’t smart to take this road without 4WD. I stopped a hundred yards or so before crossing Mazama Creek as the snow started getting pretty deep. I walked from there.

After passing West Lake (which was completely frozen in the morning, but mostly not frozen when I passed it on my way back in the afternoon) I saw a trail sign for Boundary Springs. A couple hundred feet before reaching the springs I took today’s photo.

Once I got to the springs (which is where the Rogue River begins, straight out of the ground) I saw a trail of sorts on the other side of the Rogue River. I started to take it, but it soon disappeared. I don’t really like out and backs as much as loop trails so I continued (mostly bushwhacking my way north on the east side of the Rogue River) hoping the trail would appear again. Big mistake. There is no trail (that I could find) on the east side of the river. A couple hours, bloodied hands, and torn clothes later I made it back to Old Diamond Lake Road which crosses the Rogue River so I could get back to my car.

Despite the blood, it was an awesome adventure. I didn’t see a single person the entire time. In a normal winter you will definitely want snow shoes. I could have used them in several places, but for the most part I was on dry ground or only an inch or two of snow.

Posted on February 18th, 2015 under Oregon. Tags: hiking, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D750, rogue river, rogue valley, waterfalls. Comments Off on Boundary Springs Waterfall

Shosenkyo Gorge (昇仙峡) and the Arakawa River

As previously mentioned, Kakuenbo (覚円峰) is the most common photo you see in advertisements for Shosenkyo (昇仙峡). After seeing it only in photos for 25 years or so, today’s photo shows my first glimpse of it in the flesh.

Posted on February 16th, 2015 under Japan. Tags: arakawa, kofu, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, shosenkyo. Comments Off on Kakuenbo

torii tunnel of love (Inuyama, Japan)

At the end of this series of torii are hundreds of heart-shaped ema. You can see them a bit better in my photo from last year’s Valentine’s Day (バレンタインデー) post.

I’m hoping for some 本命チョコ but not counting on it this year (or any year). 😉

Posted on February 14th, 2015 under Japan. Tags: ema, inuyama, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, torii, valentine's day. Comments Off on Happy Valentine’s Day