Feather Falls

This large waterfall, near Oroville, California, takes some effort in getting to. A round trip of almost 9 miles will keep the “tenderfoots” away. Luckily, the hike in the Plumas NF is quite shady and enjoyable. The diversity of plant life is impressive, with even some rare plants, like the California Nutmeg, finding places to grow. This view of the falls only includes about two thirds of the entire height.

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Southwest Oregon Rainforest

During a wet April, I was doing stand exams in old plantations in southwest Oregon. No, those days of wearing “tin pants” and “corks” are not over with! On my one day off that wet week, I woke up early on Sunday morning and was out the door before any of my co-workers even got out of bed. I found plenty to shoot, exploring the area around the south fork of the Coquille River, east of Powers.

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Ouachita: That’s easy for you to say!

Pronounced Wah-shi-tah

I spent a few weeks in Mena, Arkansas, doing stand exams. My Mom tells me that her father used to come here, from the Quad Cities, to do his hunting thing. At one time, he was considering moving his family to Arkansas. (I wonder if the fact that Mena is in a “dry” county had any influence on my Scotch-Irish grandpa) You can see that these forests are thick. While I still remembered a lot of my Dendro class, the rest of my co-workers didn’t all know their southern species. Amazingly enough, the poison ivy didn’t bother me, despite wandering through the knee-high growth. I’m very reactive to poison oak, in the west.

I spied this odd shortleaf pine, and immediately called it the Medusa Tree.

The Black Hills, Where East Meets West

It is no wonder that outdoor enthusiasts so treasure the Black Hills. Where else do western and eastern trees mingle, living in apparent harmony? Spruce, pine, birch, aspen and burr oak are some of the combinations. I shot these pictures while doing goshawk surveys. These are also available for free limited use.

This sure beats walking in manzanita or bear clover!

It is the wet areas that harbor the most biodiversity. Lush and green.

The higher elevations in the Spearfish RD have these spacious meadows. I ran across this old truck, abandoned long ago.

My best (photo) work is from National Parks. I have extensive amounts of pictures from Yosemite, Crater Lake, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. I’m currently building this Facebook fan page but, there are enough photos there now to keep you distracted for a while. If you like them, please “Like” Larry Harrell Fotoware. Thanks, and enjoy!

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Save the “big” trees!

Some people consider a 24″ diameter tree to be “big”. This one transcends “big”. I didn’t measure the diameter or height of this tree but, my estimates are 70″ dbh and 230 feet tall. The Mendocino National Forest has excellent growing conditions, and can grow huge trees faster than most National Forests. This picture, stitched together from three vertical shots, is available free for limited uses. Enjoy!

Towering Peaks of Central Idaho

This will be the first of many postings to share my photography associated with our National Forests. I have worked on 23 National Forests across the country, in 11 states. The photos I took while working for the Feds will be available for free limited usage, if someone thinks it might help their cause. Others can be available matted and/or framed *smirks*

(Edit: Sharon wanted bigger!)

Several of these peaks in the Lost River Range of Idaho are over 12,000 feet.  I met this other detailer, who was doing wildlife surveys, and was shocked to learn that he was climbing part of the way up these mountains, looking for rare species. Yes, he was over 50 years old! I was doing aspen surveys, mapping, photographing and analysis, in support of a new grazing plan. It was in my power to recommend protective measures for the impacted aspen stands. Of course, everything that eats grass, eats aspen. I felt it was meaningful work.