I am fortunate enough to have my mother hike with me on various photo excursions. She is even stout enough to follow me on cold rainy November days like this one when most people have the sense to stay indoors by a fire. Alone on our hike down to Snoqualmie Falls, we headed out onto the boardwalk which was completely deserted. There had been warnings of flash flood danger due to the heavy rains, so it was no surprise the place was empty of people.
As we rounded the final bend, though, we were completely surprised to see a man out in the water fishing near the falls on a large slippery rock. I was struck by the sheer volume of water crashing down behind him and how small he appeared against this force of nature. Of course, I had to get closer!
Forgetting the warnings and my common sense, I climbed down the 50 feet or so of rocks to get the shot. Up close like that, the roar of the falls is absolutely deafening and you can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the place. All other senses are drowned out and your perspective shifts as you realize how small we really are as individual humans. It was powerful and moving to be in that place with this lone fisherman who was lost in his own world. These are the moments that keep me coming back for more and why I’ll never put my camera down for long.
