Landscape Photography | Russ Bishop Photography

March 26, 2021March 26, 2021

Worlds Away on Hawaii’s Big Island

Umauma Falls along the lush Hamakua Coast, Hawaii

The Big Island of Hawaii is well-known for its active volcano, black sand beaches, and magical Kona sunsets, and that’s more than enough reason to visit this island paradise. But what many may not realize is that the eastern side of the island is a lush tropical landscape of cascading waterfalls and jungle-lined valleys in a primordial setting.

Traveling north from Hilo on the old Mamalahoa Highway is a journey back in time. Passing countless sugar cane fields, the primary industry here during the last century, the landscape soon enters the dense jungle as the road winds along the rugged Hamakua Coast. With constant views of the Pacific on the right, the highway passes countless verdant chasms lined with an amazing variety of plants and trees that fill every available space with green. Needless to say, you soon find yourself looking for every available pull-out.

Akaka Falls State Park is one of the highlights of the coast. A short nature trail leads through giant bamboo forests and tropical cascades before arriving at its namesake waterfall. Further north, just before the highway turns west towards the town of Waimea, a spur road leads through the sleepy hamlet of Honoka’a to the spectacular Waipio Valley. The overlook at the end of the main road provides stunning views of this valley of the kings and the dramatic cliffs of the north coast, but traveling into the valley down the 25% grade (reported to be the steepest in the US) requires several hours and a guide or 4-wheel drive vehicle.

Boasting 4 out of the 5 major climate zones in the world, and 8 out of 13 of the sub-zones, the Big Isle really does have it all! Unlike the other Islands, which require less travel time, it takes a bit of planning to fully experience the largest of the Hawaiian Islands – but this is one part you don’t want to miss.

November 30, 2020November 30, 2020

Glacial Waters

St. Mary Falls, Glacier National Park, Montana

Glacier National Park in northern Montana is a world carved by ice. Known to Native Americans as the “Shining Mountains”, canyons flow down from this alpine environment along the Continental Divide that were formed a millennia ago when mastodons roamed the earth.

Moving just inches a year, the glaciers fill the rivers and streams below with silt giving them their unique turquoise hue. And set against the red and green sedimentary rock (the oldest in the entire Rocky Mountain chain), the colors provide a visual feast while the chill in the air is a constant reminder that the ice is not far above.

Glacier is recognised as an International Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site, and preserves more than a million acres of forests, alpine meadows, lakes, rugged peaks and glacial-carved valleys. Though evidence shows that within thirty years all of the ice may be gone, rangers are quick to point out that the park was named as much for the forces that formed it as the glaciers themselves.

A trip to this magnificent park should be on anyone’s bucket list to North America, but it’s frozen remains are just one facet of the many awe-inspiring sights waiting to explored.

November 16, 2020December 20, 2021

White Sands National Park

Yucca and dune patterns at dusk, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico — Yucca and dune patterns at dusk, White Sands National Park, New Mexico

White Sands National Park in southern New Mexico is probably the least iconic spot within the National Park system. It has no sheer cliffs, no grand waterfalls, no red-rock strata, and no great clefts in the earth – in fact, it doesn’t even have a forest to call its own. And that’s just fine.

What it lacks in the notable landforms shared by other parks, it more than makes up for with an endless sea of the most glorious pure white gypsum sand and a special quality of light found nowhere else. Visiting White Sands is not so much a trip to see natural wonders as it is pilgrimage to experience an unparalleled expanse of light and form.

Our newest park is so vast and featureless in fact that once you leave the road in the main dune area it’s quite easy to get lost. The park service has placed pickets along major trails, but these often are blown down or buried in the shifting sands so carrying a GPS and noting distance land forms on longer hikes is a must.

The best times to visit are spring and fall when the temperatures are moderate, and as with any desert environment it’s essential to carry sun protection and water. Dusk and dawn provide the sweet light this park is known for and the rangers are very accommodating with gate closures. So the next time you’re heading to the southwest, make time to visit White Sands. It might be a little out-of-the-way, but it’s an experience you won’t soon forget.