January - The annual San Diego sabbatical found this day the calm before the storm - a unseasonably wet winter was in for the city boasting the best weather in the US. This shot was the day before it went sideways - literally with storm force winds, torrential rains and a general gray cover that lasted for almost a week - precisely as long as our visit.
February - This month can be as unforgiving in the Northwest as any a winter month - as the days of the month wane - there is a growing anticipation of nicer spring days - A rare nice day finds the Simpson Railroad at the Dry sort yard about 5 miles up from Shelton, WA - new signposts remind that this railroad is back under operations after repairs were made from a washed out bridge.
March - Leaving the long lasting winter behind for a week I set off on a trip to the desert southwest. I am in an emerald green Tehachapi at the beginning of a multi-day trip which has been the standard for us for the past few years. Here a BNSF reposition train is climbing between Caliente and Bealville - in the upper right you can see the train that went past less than 15 minutes prior as it exits tunnel 5 and is at the siding at Cliff.
April - A local shot of the Puget Sound and Pacific with its hodge podge scrambled consists as it rolls off the 1% downgrade between Rochester and Gate. As the saying goes those April showers will bring the May flowers...I sure hope that's not too far off!
May - The days are growing longer, and the rain from April resulted in green grass - at home the lawn required attention every 3 days from the John Deere. Also needing attention was the remaining cantilever signals of the Seattle Sub - a few had been replaced in the previous year and I made a point to get out and capture as many as I could in different light and conditions. Here a northbound train with a couple of Canadian visitors starts the pull on Napavine Hill at Vader. Before you know it Memorial Day is upon us and the unofficial beginning of summer....although we know better in the Pacific Northwest.
June - The days were long, the temperature is warm and this month. It's nice this time of year at N46 degrees in which it's still daylight out at 930pm and the sun is up at 5am - lots of great time to shoot. I managed to do quite a bit in this month including hiking in the Columbia River Gorge, a trip to the east coast, melting in the humidity of New Jersey afternoons, and getting myself ready for the best time of year - summer!
July - Well June teased us just enough as July started cold and wet but by mid-month we were in full swing summer. Mid month I set out for the Klamath Falls area. This was the first trip to the area for the Jeep - it didn't disapoint in its ability to take me where I wanted to go. I managed to catch some photos in areas that were new for me and focus on trains as part of a scene instead of the main focal subject.
August - This was the annual family trip to North Dakota - something that has been done for the past 5 or 6 years. Heading to Hebron, ND is like taking a set back in time. We traded the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives to a more simpler wholesome visit where everyone greeted you like you were their neighbor. Here storm clouds are gathering as a couple of old cowboys talk about everything from the old days to the last cutting of wheat while watching the calf penning at the Taylor Horsefest in Taylor, ND. Sometimes its nice to disconnect from the world and relax.
September - A trip back to the desert southwest proved to be a new exploration of some new areas along the LA&SL between Las Vegas and Barstow, CA. Situated in the middle of the high desert of the Mojave at the foot of Cima Hill lies the small town of Kelso, CA. The anchor of the very small collection of houses is the former UP depot - beautifully restored and is used as a desert interpretive center - a place to duck in out of the scorching sun.
October - As the days grow short, there is a crisp in the air as October rolls around. There is the first hint of frost and the last warm days quickly dissapate into night. Each year the Autumn Leaf Railroad Slide show brings in over 75 photographers from the Pacific Northwest and Canada - each year prior to the show many of us head out for a few days photographing the region. Here is first light (first light of the lower sun into the Gorge) mid-Gorge at Cooks.
November - The first real good rain and wind of the winter season is upon us. There is always a chance at capturing some great light especially in November but it was the night shots that captured the most this year. A strong chilly wind out of the east set up the scene for backlit idling power on a coal load waiting at Wishram, WA yard. Wishram is a place where the wind seems to blow incessantly - from a dry hot wind in the summer to a cold biting one in the winter - this night would be no different than the latter.
December - In most cases you have to head east of the Cascades to encounter a traditional white winter and this year it along with a new discovery was a welcomed event. Driving over I90 in the driving rain after topping over at Snoqualmie the temperature plummeted. The next morning the area was blanketed with a thick freezing fog and a nice base of snow. As this year would end - this was not only an encounter with the newly fallen snow, but it would also be a meeting with a new railroad - The Eastern Washington Gateway - here it heads east with a train heavy with wheat out of the fog at Coulee City, WA.
And just as quick as 2010 entered it is also gone - 365 days, 52 weeks, 12 months. Yet here we are in 2011 and we start our trip around again.
We have come full circle -
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