Two Weeks on the Palouse

Back in March, when I thought I would be returning to the office on June 1, I decided to plan a two week visit to Eastern Washington during the latter half of May to take advantage of my last little bit of locational freedom.  The Palouse region around Pullman is well known among landscape photographers, but relatively unheard of otherwise.  It features miles and miles of rolling hills planted with crops, and in the late spring the new growth is at its most vibrant.   Unlike other areas where there is some iconic subject to photograph (think Delicate Arch or Maroon Bells), the appeal of the Palouse is in the texture of the landscape and the way light and shadow create emotion and perspective in shots.  The composition possibilities are endless and a visit had been on my list for a while.  Being based out of Denver and it being May would mean that I could finish work around 4:00 pm and have nearly 5 hours of daylight to explore and shoot each evening.  In a way, it was going to be like I was getting two full days out of each one.

I set out on the drive up the afternoon of Friday, May 14 and after a brief overnight in Salt Lake, I arrived on Saturday, May 15.  Other than a visit to see my parents in Connecticut after they had been vaccinated, this really was the first venturing out for me since the onset of Covid.  I have to admit that it felt strange at first and I think I even had some mild agoraphobia, but I got over those feelings quickly.  I had reserved an Airbnb in Pullman for the duration of the stay.  It was a very basic accommodation - pretty much a studio with a small kitchen - but at what amounted to ~$55/night, it more than fit the bill.

Upon arrival, the first spot I hit up was Steptoe Butte, a state park and hill that rises 1,000 feet above the surrounding landscape, providing 360° views of the Palouse.  Not only was this helpful to get oriented, it was the perfect introduction to the amazing landscape that I only had seen in photos prior to that.  Throughout the course of the trip, I would return to Steptoe Butte several times at different times of day and in different weather.

In addition to Steptoe, the other photography highlight of the trip for me was Palouse Falls.  Not technically in the Palouse region, its name comes from the Palouse River that makes up the falls and traverses downstream to the Snake River.  Similar to what I’ve found with other canyons, the landscape around Palouse falls is somewhat unremarkable and you’d never know the beauty hidden there.  Like Steptoe Butte, Palouse Falls is a state park, but I planned my two visits for weeknights when I figured the crowds would be smaller.  There were plenty of people there both times, but it never was annoying or impacted my ability to get the shots I wanted.

With so much to explore, it would be impossible to recount all of my Palouse activities without boring you, but the following are a few other things I did while there:
-Walked around the downtowns of Pullman, Moscow, and Colfax
-Visited the Moscow Farmers’ Market and the booth of Alison Meyer, a local photographer
-Climbed Kamiak Butte
-Drove miles of dirt roads through fields looking for that perfect composition
-Visited with my friends, Louie and Elise, who drove over from the Seattle area one weekend
-Became friends with the employees at the Stadium Way Starbucks where I went for my a tea every morning
-Had a perfect pizza at Maialina in Moscow
-Got my Chipotle fix probably 10 times

Before I knew it, it was May 30 and my two weeks were up.  Although my time on the Palouse went by very quickly, it lived up to every expectation I had of the trip.  I would love to return one day to experience the unique landscape during other seasons as well.

Some of my favorite images from this trip can be found in my Forests & Grasslands gallery.