Zach's Rock Climbing (senior) Portraits :)
DO YOU SEE HIM?
... look at about the halfway point of the cliff, on the right side of the waterfall ~
~ In Zach's free time, you'll find him in the mountains ~
:D woot woot! This was near the completion of our time together ~ we built UP TO the waterfall ~ we started (relatively) smaller :)
First: completion of preparations: Zach scheduled a neat trim-up with Barber Val, at Gene Juarez Men, at The Bravern.
All he needed was packed in his car, so immediately after the Barber, Zach drove East to Snoqualmie Pass.
I followed, and when arriving at our first location, I was a bit confused - I never saw the trailhead.
The entrance felt hidden & secret ~
Zach led the way through tall off-road undergrowth. The moment we were standing at the entrance, I didn't know how I could have missed it ~
a huge wildlife tunnel led to our climbing range. Within thick summertime foliage, the yawning tunnel is discreetly hidden from the nearby mountain road.
Headlamps? Check.
At one point, as I followed Zach, his silhouette was so picturesque, and to my eye, shows so much that we don't see in color photos, I had to pause:
Our Wildlife Tunnel leads to "Fun Forest" , a quintessential PNW rockscape of climbing routes.
Fellow climber, Brenna, is here to belay & double-check all the safety equipment ^.
I also appreciate our sherpas, thank you Joy & Nancy!
Okay, Forgive Me Now! for mistakes in naming Zach's climbing routes - or better yet - message me the corrections you can see are needed, please!
I LOVE route names!!!! They are whimsical, fun, fantastical :)
Here Zach is starting a route called:
MYSTICAL GARDEN OF FREE-WHEELING ANIMALS
The bolt Zach has clipped into ^ is shared by several routes: "POST-WIRED", "KILL ME IF I START TO LIVE", and "FLIGHT TO MARS" after the 4th bolt ~ these names make my heart sing & laugh & give me big smiles :)
Given, it seems that there are likely multiple names for the same routes! Because... everyone who conquers a route would like to name it ;)
To me, THE iconic route in this part of the playground is inside the detached pillar that forms:
Luckily for this photographer, there is a semi-circular scramble around the back, rounded side of the cliff ~ that brought me to a closer view as Zach climbed:
YES! Our Warm-Up is finished ;) Next up, Franklin Falls!
I LOVE Franklin Falls, I've enjoyed photographing here several times and its beauty is outrageous. I have yet to do a Winter shoot here with the "ice fall" and snow all around... hmmm...
A delightful trail through old growth forest leads to a narrow staircase, where we stopped to take some potential yearbook shots :)
The wet slick rocks are FAR too dangerous for climbing. Zach will rappel.
Securely roped above, and with Brenna belaying below, Zach carefully began his descent.
Waterfall top to bottom:
At this point, Zach is in the middle at about the mid-point of the Falls :)
Exhileration, through the misty view ~ a couple more moments as Zach finishes his descent:
HOORAY!!
Successful Senior Portrait Shoot! Whew! Oh my!
This was exhilarating for everybody involved. Thank you to Zach & his family for offering this opportunity to me :)
CONGRATULATIONS, ZACH!
Eastlake High School
&
Lake Washington Institute of Technology.
Class of 2021
