Patapsco in the Early Freezing Morning!

Sunday morning (early!) Larissa, Kim and I headed out for a hike/photography session at Patapsco State Park. After starting our engines with some coffee from Panera - we headed out!

We took the Cascade Trail which winds around the woods following a stream.
Here is the start of the trail:

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The morning light was beautiful coming through the trees and even though it was freezing - we were too busy looking around in awe to care...



We reached the Cascade Falls not long after we started. The water level throughout the park seems to be rather low and it was no different at the falls. The volume of water seemed on the low side, but it still made a picturesque spot for some photography.




Besides the larger main falls - there were plenty of little mini falls and rapids...




And in case you don't believe me that it was cold... check out the ice formations!





I couldn't get over these ice "bubbles". I have never seen anything like this before! So so cool.


This frozen twig baffles my mind:



How the heck did that happen?! It's encased in a solid inch of ice on all sides!


It was fun to learn a little more about the settings on my camera. I played around with f-stops and shutter speed a bit more than normal. I think I ended up with some good shots.



Larissa and Kim were great teachers!



Kim brought her tripod and was practising long exposures - she got some great shots too - take a look at her site if you get a chance.

Larissa and I were prone to wander a bit more though and went ahead to see more of the park. We found some great little settings like this serene little waterfall and pool:



The crazy ice formations didn't end at the main falls either - we saw this in the frozen mud near the small waterfall:



Ice crystals! It reminded me of Superman's ice cave!

There lots of other little treasures around too...







After our hike to the falls - we headed back to the main parking area in the Orange Grove section of the park and spent some time at the Swinging bridge.



The water was so calm and reflective - such a beautiful day!



I was a site in handknits that day too - I wore my new Fading Cables hat and an old Multi-directional scarf.



Go check out Sarah's blog for the hat pattern.

Here are some better pics of the hat:





I just love how the cables get smaller and smaller towards the top. An awesome pattern made even much luscious with some M-M-Malabrigo yarn.

*Sigh* I love it!