My good friend, Joe Berentsen, wrote me to say “I think buying the camera was one of the best investments I’ve ever made. It’s relaxing, peaceful, and fun. There is also a certain excitement going out and exploring. Opening your eyes and really looking at what’s around you. It reminds me of being a kid when everything was new and wonderous.”

Doesn’t that perfectly capture how many of us feel? I think so.

Below are photos Joe took on a recent hike into Shepperd’s Dell Falls near the Columbia River on the Oregon side. The old stone work of the Shepperd’s Dell Bridge, the inviting woods below and the nearby waterfall are typical of many hikes in the vicinity.

photography--shepperds dell bridge-joe berentsen-swittersb

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Photography-Oregon-Shepperd's Dell Falls-Joe Berentsen-SwittersB

 

“In 1915, a local dairy farmer named George Shepperd gave all that he had (this tract of land) to the City of Portland as a memorial to his wife. Today, thousands of visitors along the Historic Columbia River Highway visit this beautiful spot, with its roaring waterfall cascading down steep cliffs into Youngs Creek and out to the Columbia River far below. The upper fall is around 42′ tall. The lower tier is around 50′ tall.

One of the most beautiful and historic highway bridges crosses the canyon here, but you can’t see or appreciate it unless you leave your car and take the short trail to the falls.” Oregon State Parks