[/caption] The PCT cuts directly through the heart of the Columbia River Gorge and allows hikers to immerse themselves in the temperate forest. The PCT requires hikers to cross over the bridge of the Gods which spans over the Columbia River. Both Washington state and Oregon offer some of the most spectacular hiking trails as well as views during this leg of the trail. Some of the most beautiful and spectacular waterfalls and creeks are found along the PCT or just a few hundred yards from the main trail. Whenever I’m hiking in the Gorge I usually find myself hiking parts of the PCT in order to get to one of the many waterfalls. This photo was taken on the Oregon side and is just 1 mile from the river. You will find yourself surrounded by mossy Douglas Fir trees and hundreds of plants that resemble Costa Rica or Brazil. The trail is well maintained and there are several small bridges taking hikers over the fast moving creeks. Water is abundant along the Gorge and hikers will never have to worry about dehydration during this leg of the National trail. I used to always set up my tripod whenever I took photos of the forest but it got so cumbersome and time consuming that I stopped. However, I finally decided to figure out the best way to photograph the lush green forest without ending up with blurry photos. I remove my CIR-PL and attach my warming filter and UV filter. This helps bring out the colors of the vegetation but also eliminates the blurring effect created by the neon green plants. I usually increase the ISO to 200 and then find the correct white balance. I then just check the histogram to see if it came out alright, without too much over or underexposure and no blur or camera shake. I then make sure to use the sharp tool in Adobe Photoshop in order to ensure the shot is tack sharp. Without a tripod you can take thousands of photos as well as get deep into the forest without fumbling around. However, I do recommend having the proper filters and always utilize the histogram. This will eliminate the need to delete several of your photos when you get home.