Palouse, WA & ID, and Oregon Cascades

July 19 - 25, 2008

      The Palouse is an unusually picturesque area in southeastern Washington and western Idaho. It is characterized by small towns and farm buildings surrounded by undulating fertile farmland. Adding to the area’s charm are the many old wood barns and farmhouses. One of the most interesting farms features a fence constructed of hundreds of metal wheels. The Palouse is a snapshot of rural America 80 years ago.
      Steptoe Butte, which towers thousands of feet above the rolling farmlands, gives ethereal views of the landscape below. In July, the greens, golds, and the browns of the landscape combined with the rolling topography to provide dramatic patterns.
      The Cascade Range in central Oregon contains several outstanding locations. Mt. Hood has been called the “perfect mountain” because of its beautiful and symmetrical shape. Sparks Lake and the Sisters volcanic peaks near the town of Bend also provide exceptional photographic opportunities.
The John Day Fossil Beds east of the Cascades contains beautifully colored bentonite hills and fossils of 33 million year old plants and animals. Iron and manganese oxides give the rocks their beautiful colors. Erosion by water, freezing and thawing, and wind has shaped the colorful patterned hills we see today.
      We will also photograph the waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge. This week in eastern Washington and Oregon will provide you with many varied and spectacular images.

Old Barn & Rainbow                                                      Joe Lange
Palouse, WA

Mt. Hood from the North                                                Joe Lange
Mt. Hood, OR

Painted Hills Pattern                                                       Joe Lange
John Day Fossil Beds, OR

Waukeena Falls                            Joe Lange
Columbia River Gorge, OR

Sunset at Steptoe Butte                                                    Joe Lange
Steptoe Butte, OR