Cave

Taken in the Ape Cave lava tube in Washington, June 2026.

I regularly forget that the Pacific Northwest is a very volcanic region, but one of the things to do in the area is go up to the Mount Saint Helens volcanic monument area and take a hike through a lava tube. It’s a cool experience, really, although a hike where a headlamp is, effectively, mandatory is definitely different.

Trying to get photos in the cave is also an interesting challenge – knowing how to do long exposures, including using a remote trigger to avoid wobble, is one thing; timing things right so you don’t wind up with another hiking group (and their lights) in the photo is quite another. That said, sometimes the surprise guests yield something beautiful.