Opal Creek

Jenny and I had a great trip out to Opal Creek this past weekend. We intended to walk up the creek but the water was painfully cold and we decided against it. We enjoyed the hike and spent a good deal of time there. The above photo was taken at our first stop where we decided it was too cold. As you can see, the water is crystal clear. It was much higher than it was the past times that we have gone and the waterfalls were more impressive.

The above picture is of one of the small falls that are all along the road leading to Jawbone Flats. This is at my favorite spot along the road. A small stream flows its way through and around large trees and rocks. It is about 10 degrees cooler right by the falls than it is on the road.



These falls are just above Opal Pool. We sat on logs for our lunch and watched the tougher people dip in the pool. I had a scare when my lens hood and polarizer fell off my camera and into the water. Luckily I was able to grab them before they got away and I was very grateful that my camera was not the victim.

Waterfalls

These waterfalls are part of the Opal Creek Ancient Forest just east of Salem. The first is of a small stream that flows into the Little North Santiam River, south of Jawbone Flats. The second is of Opal Creek as it flows into Opal Pool.

This is one of my favorite places to shoot. I love the crystal clear water of the river and the streams running through the old growth forest. The water is a beautiful lime green from the trail into Jawbone Flats. The "town" itself is also a lot of fun to photograph, especially the old mining equipment throughout.



This last one is South Falls in Silver Falls State Park, another favorite spot. The Trail of 10 falls is very popular and each of the falls on the trail is very different. Some can be walked behind while others are dry half the year. The stream running through the park is pretty and the light creates good shadows on the water.