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Category Archives: Harts Pass

A Few Days in the Mountains

Willow and I did a volunteer stint in the mountains last week. Our time there was cut short by evacuation orders concerning a fire in the wilderness to the north of there. The fire people are concerned that it will expand to the south and west, endangering hikers and others. It was hard to leave under those circumstances.

We did enjoy good weather, blue, smoke-free skies and wildflowers. We did not enjoy the flies and mosquitoes! Lots of interesting hikers came through and a French man doing the Fastest Known Time on the Pacific Crest Trail. It is over 2600 miles and he did it in 45 days! That’s 60 miles per day, on average, for 45 days. Can you even imagine? Search on FKT, Fastest Known Time, for more information. He had quite a support crew including a content creator and a French journalist.

But mostly it was quiet and beautiful. We did go up to Slate Peak to see the collapsed lookout. It was very sad. I found a Dark-eyed Junco nest within two inches of one of the trails.

A Few Sights from Harts Pass

Recently, the girls and I spent eight days volunteering at Harts Pass. The weather was pretty good but the bugs were unbearable. Also, there were many visitors so I was busy most of the time. The bugs made it nearly impossible to do photography or to do much birding. We made the best of it and here are a few images from our time up there. The bird in the rocks appears to be the western Arctic subspecies of the Horned Lark. But I could be wrong. As for the grouse, she’s probably a Sooty but maybe a Dusky? The hoary marmots were a long ways away and after sunset so not the best quality images.

Another Week in the Mountains

Willow and I spent five days at Harts Pass recently. We had some weather, rain for part of three days, some frosty mornings, fog and lots of sunshine and blue skies. Almost had it all. Lots of people to talk to but we also had some time to get out for walks. Not enough for either of us but sometimes that’s how it goes. Sky stayed home with Ken and had a relaxing time.

Fall colors were just beginning with the huckleberry bushes changed to brilliant red. The berries were still yummy and numerous. I ended most of my walks with stained fingers. Willow helped herself to a few too. The Campanula (bluebells) were still blooming, here and there, and pearly everlasating was living up to its name. The cotton grass clung to its seedheads. The one remaining (not a vernal as I thought earlier in the year) pond still had some tadpoles and tiny frogs too. Some tadpoles had grown legs. I don’t know what kind of frog or toad these might be. Seems like kind of late in the year to be turning into frogs.

Sights from the Mountains

A few more sights and fun stuff. A bird, a bug, ungulates, dogs and interesting scenes.

Mountain Views

The girls and I spent a week in the North Cascades recently. It started out chilly with some rain and then it gradually warmed up. Good news about being chilly is that the mosquitoes were not bad. By the end of the week, they were more than annoying. I heard they were much worse this week. Oh well. Most of the trails were still snow-covered but by the end of the week, they were in good shape for walking without spikes. Meadows were already unbelievably green and full of wildflowers.