My Everyday Photos

Ken and I and the dogs were camping last week. It was good to get away from computers and electronic communication and enjoy time spent in nature. We kayaked, Ken fished, the dogs swam and jumped in lakes and we hiked and looked at wildflowers and birds. We enjoyed food cooked in the campfire, drank good wine and had a fine time!

Chopaka Lake is nearly to Canada in Okanogan County and sits at about 3000′ elevation. The landscape around it varies from riparian to shrub-steppe to forest and 7000′ Chopaka Mountain rises steeply behind it. The road to Chopaka is relatively steep and it seems daunting to some folks but we had no trouble pulling our little camping trailer up the grade. There are two small adjacent campgrounds – one run by the state DNR and the other by the federal BLM; both free. We were surprised and dismayed on Sunday afternoon to find every site full and we lucked out when two fellows left a site right on the lake! We laid claim to it immediately.

Chopaka is fly fishing only with a limit of one fish per day and it could easily have been a setting for a Cabela’s catalog photo shoot! Anglers had all the cool gear and clothes for the occasion. We probably stood out in the crowd (such as it was) with our own renditions of outdoor stuff. There was a great selection of boats also – some handmade. The dogs were delighted to have a lake in our front yard. Despite the campgrounds being full, it was a very quiet place. Folks were resptful of others and friendly too.

Looking back at Loomis as we drove to Chopaka Lake

And the view of Palmer Lake as we drove to Chopaka

Lakefront campsite

Light rain falling

The tiny marina in front of our campsite

Intrepid anglers stay out in the rain

Old man’s bear or Geum sp

Old man’s bear or Geum sp

Death camas

Lush green this month

A handmade boat on Chopaka Lake

A camper next to us brought us this wine saying that his group had drank quite a bit of during their stay and now it was time to go and did we want it. Heck yes. It was very good. Turns out, it is his winery. Good wine. Thanks Dave.

male Redhead

male Redhead

Four males pursue one female Redhead

Spotted Sandpipers were everywhere

Barrow’s Goldeneye male

Barrow’s Goldeneye male

Ruddy Duck males

Ruddy Duck

Ruddy Ducks are cute!

The view back to camp

Potentilla?

Barrow’s Goldeneye family

Bitterroot

Tent caterpillars

Hiking above the lake

Buckwheat sp

Another potentilla?

Chopaka Lake is pretty large – over 5000 acres.

Thompson’s paintbrush

Ken and Sky talk about sticks

Luna in the lush green grass

How many times did she do this?

Luna has her own style

Shake

Morning on the lake

These two Barrow’s Goldeneyes seem to be taking their time.

A pair of Barn Swallows attempted to build a nest under our canopy despite our attempts to discourage them.

This looks like a Bald Eagle nest and there were eagles in that vicinity but I never saw them on the nest

Great goldeneye habitat! They nest in tree cavities.

Where else would you be at that time of day?

Taking a break from the nest.

Penstemon hanging in great bunches from rocks over the lake.

babies

Got her ducks in a row.

And in a bunch.

And that’s just the first two days of our camping trip!