My Everyday Photos

If I could I’d be up in the mountains most of the summer. But that’s not practical. There’s work to do, a house and yard to keep up, and various other commitments in this life. Yesterday I played hooky from the computer taskmaster and headed to one of my favorite places – Slate Peak. I’ve made up my own hike and returned to it each year in mid-summer. Combining two trails, a bit of a cross-country climb and a walk down on a road I’ve come up with a nearly four-mile loop hike through the high Cascades of northern Washington. Last summer Mary from Montana joined me on this hike and you can see images from that day here. As you can see, it’s vastly different this year. Even accounting for the two week difference in dates the differences are huge. Yesterday there was no snow. Anywhere. Most of the little creeks are already dry. The wildflowers are far less numerous.

Here are the images from yesterday’s hike.

Down that steep talus slope, across the basin, up to the ridge to the next trail and then up to Slate Peak. Follow the road on the other side of the ridge back to the car.

Quit fooling with your pack and let’s get going!

Slate Peak

Oh gosh, she’s making another picture!

Looks like we’ve already gone a long way.

Gentian is one of my favorite wildflowers

I don’t know this one.

I used to know this one.

Paintbrush. There are so many variations in this colorful wildflower.

Paintbrush

Paintbrush

Painbrush

Painbrush

Mouse on a stick

Another one I’ve forgotten

Pretty umbel flower

Late for columbine

Pink monkeyflower

Normally this monkeyflower would bloom over a creek. This creek bed is dry

Downstream a few tiny pools for animals to get a drink

Waiting in the shade while I work my way slowly up to the ridgetop

This Common Raven has learned that people like to eat their lunch at the lookout

Sky thought she could put a sneak on raven

Raven simply unfolded her wings and was instantly airborne

Mount Baker, a semi-active volcano near Bellingham

Layers of mountains in the North Cascades

You can see a tiny view of Glacier Peak here. It’s another of our volcanic mountains.

North to Canada

Upper end of the Pasayten River which flows north into Canada

On the left you can see remnants of 100 year old gold mining operations

And looking down valley towards Winthrop you can see smoke from the Wolverine wildfire on the shore of Lake Chelan.