Changes on the Clear Fork

Fall Color on the Clear Fork

One of the areas I visit close to my home to photograph is the Clear Fork of the Trinity River.  I literally live right on the banks of the river and often, walk, bike and explore sections of it.  Over the years I have picked out several spots I visit on a regular basis to photograph.

One such area is a spot with some deep water under the trees on steep banks.  I like the tunnel effect of the view here and have photographed it many times.  What you see here for images are just a few of the shots I have taken there.  I have to walk up the river to get here.  I have a pair of Wellies and the river is usually a foot deep or less to get to this spot.

Hint of Fall Color

I really like the change of the seasons here.  From the bare branches of winter, to the light green of spring, the full and leafy green of summer, the first hint of autumn color, trying to time peak fall colors and finally as the last of the leaves fall.

In addition to the trees, the water and river is always changing.  Periods of high water and floods are always making the river different.  Islands form, sand bars wash away and it is always changing.

This autumn I made a trip out here in October and got some early color change on the river.  Then in Mid-November I went back and found the water had come up in the river and my Wellies were not going to be tall enough to get to the sandbar I wanted to photograph from.  I went back home and traded from the boots to the hip waders.  Wading up the river I found the water was up over my knee but with the hip waders I still had several more inches of wader.  I got the top image in this post of the bright yellow color in the trees.

Winter trees

I went back this last weekend to do one more image as we are late in our fall color season only to find the river was up again.  In fact the sandbars were gone and the river was a good 18" deeper.  Then I found out the cause.......a beaver has dammed the river and flooded the area I want to get to.  What used to be a foot or two above the water was now a foot or two under the water level.

My hip waders were no longer tall enough.  I would be in at least waist deep water (and I am 6'4" ).  I was not going to be able to get the shot.

High Water

This last shot is as close as I could get.  It is the ever changing nature of the river.  When spring rains return, I wonder if the beaver dam will survive the high water?  How long will it be before I can wade here?  Should I borrow my buddies canoe?

It is fun not knowing what will be next.  I can only keep going out and finding what I find.  It is part of the joy of landscape photography.