Eel River in Humboldt County

People had been asking me for photos of the Redwoods and Humboldt County, so I started doing some research. I wanted more than just trees, so I wondered if there was a view of a river flowing through the forest. Then I came across this view they called "High Rock," and as soon as I saw it, I thought, "that's it!" My friend Todd who lives in the area helped me figure out where it was exactly; the best time of year for it, which was early spring, and the best time of day - sunrise. It was 4.5 hours away, so I would have to spend a night up there.

Once early spring came around, I began checking the forecast up there obsessively. I had the time early in the week, but the forecast was saying it was going to rain. It looked like I could make it work on Monday morning before the rain came, but I had a market I was selling at on Sunday, so I would have to come home, unload quickly, then load up all my gear and head out. 

When I arrived it was already dark, so I just made my bed in the back of my car and tried to go to sleep. I got up around 6:15, got dressed quickly, put my headlamp on and set off in the dark forest to find the viewpoint. It was supposed to be a short hike, so it shouldn't have been difficult. My map showed two trails that I thought went to the same spot, but unfortunately, the one I ended up on took me down to the river instead of the high point. I could see it from the river, so I rushed back up to get on the right trail. It was a little difficult to find and navigate in the dark, but after a little trial and error, I finally made it. It was just before sunrise and the light was dim. I waited to see if I was going to get any color in the clouds, but it didn't seem like it was going to happen. I started taking photos of the moody scene before me, and I started thinking, "I don't think a colorful sky would have been best for this shot anyway." I couldn't have asked for better conditions. The turquoise river, tall trees, dynamic clouds, it was perfect. All the effort and planning had paid off.