The Hood River wildflowers in spring are stunning if you time it right. This photograph was from our last sunrise of the trip in the Columbia Gorge. We hiked in pre-dawn light up a ridge to search for the elusive Hood River wildflowers. To our surprise, the blooming Arrowleaf balsamroot were in prime condition, showing off as we waited for morning light.
I composed the shot with Arrowleaf as foreground, Hood River in the midground, and Mount Hood crowning the background. Within minutes, Mount Hood lit up with subtle alpenglow as I snapped away. What a beautiful morning!