In 2024, I went back to the North Cascades and the Methow Valley in the fall. I have made the trip quite often in the past but had not for several years. I was shocked to find that the more accessible hikes had somehow "gone viral". The shoulder seasons used to be good times to visit parks and trails with less hassle. Now, even midweek, the trailhead parking lots were overflowing, hundreds of vehicles parked along the highway as the hordes came to experience the magic of the larch in fall color.

We also went back to Kauai and did some hiking on the Kalalau Trail and in Waimea Canyon, snorkelled and had a great time photographing Makua/"Tunnels" and other north coast beaches.

Finally got to Brookings and the Sam Boardman Scenic Corridor along the south Oregon Coast and checked out some iconic locations there. Secret Beach, of course, is no secret, and the Natural Arches' rough trails are technically closed with signage indicating the hazards that have resulted in several falling deaths over consecutive years. This evidently does not deter the numerous intrepid internet-inspired adventurers from risking their lives in pursuit of the epic selfie.

Which makes it a little surprising that my best-received shot of the year, below, was one that I originally had no plan to even download from the memory card at all much less process. After several days of joining the crowds and planning for good light in what I found to be the most popular locations, we headed to some previously scouted areas with less company that are striking in their own right. Unpredictable weather and high winds blowing foregrounds around and sand in my face, I was left to experiment with composition and timing.