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A Short Break

July 10, 2016 – 5:25 pm
Posted in Harts Pass, Uncategorized
Tagged Harts Pass, hike, North Cascades, snow, Swainson's Thrush, wildflowers
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To the mountains. The season to visit is short and seems shorter each year. Maybe because of aging and the sense that time flies ever faster each year, or maybe because of the impact from fires on our small community. Whatever it is, I always feel like I don’t get enough time in the mountains. So on Friday I left at noon, knowing it would be a long drive and I’d not have too much time, but it was worth it. The dogs were ecstatic to play in the old snow and I relished the early summer mountain wildflowers – some so similar to what bloomed here months ago and others much different. The weather was cool and there was a little bit of rain. We didn’t care.

The dogs really enjoy running and playing in snow. They take turns being the chaser and the chasee but Luna gets to decide when it’s game over.

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The flowers and the views were outstanding. Swainson’s and Hermit Thrushes sang from the tops of trees and under the brush.

A thrush, I think it is a Swainson’s Thrush.

Anemone?

Monkshood?

Phlox

Heather

Buttercup. These bloomed at home in April!

Arnica peaking out of the talus slope

A very interesting buttercup

I got a raindrop on my lens.

Despite the Best Laid Plans

Sometimes a hike doesn’t go as planned. This one was thwarted by wide, cold creeks. I removed my socks and shoes and crossed one only to find another one just around the corner! Then I remembered that last fall these two creeks were tiny and also, there were many more tiny creeks so after just an hour on the trail I turned back. I could still go to the lake that I had bypassed to save for later. Ready to cross the creek again, I saw a group of friends who I’d seen at the trailhead with their three dogs. They too, had been thwarted when they tried to get to the lake. One of their dogs was old and could not make a necessary log crossing. Three of their group had gotten across the same creek where I was and upon hearing it wouldn’t be the last one, they turned back too. Not before we attempted to get a photo of the five dogs. It was probably the worst circumstance for a group dog photo. Two of the dogs are black; two are blonde and one is a light colored basset hound. And the lighting was mottled shadows in the forest. Oh well. It was a fun attempt.

After the photo attempt, we parted company and I took a short spur trail that went to the near side of the lake. It had some hard packed snow on it and then there was some mud that I tried to skirt around. Well, that was a bad idea. I slipped and found myself ankle deep in mud with my socks and shoes soaked and dirty. The dogs, in the meantime were at the lake wondering what was taking me so long! I was able to rinse the mud off and left the socks and shoes in the sun to partially dry while I ate my sandwich and threw sticks for the dogs.

It was a beautiful day and the dogs had fun and the scenery was lovely.

Highway 20 approaching Liberty Bell and Washington Pass

One creek crossing had a nice bridge

Lots of water!

Brrrr.

Even Joolz thinks the water is cold.

Some dogs are not paying attention

Good. They are all looking the same way.

Hey – did you know there is a lake just around the corner?

Sure enough

Throw the stick. Now. I’m not kidding.

White pine

Columbine

Goat Peak

On Saturday there was a lot of rain and I was able to finish up most of my work inside. Sunday I worked outside. And so that gave me a free day yesterday to go for a hike! What a relief to get out in the mountains again. Isn’t that what summer should be all about?

I guess today is the first day of summer and yesterday didn’t feel particularly summer-like, but on this hike, it is good to have a cool day. The trail climbs steeply, going pretty much straight up the north face of the mountain. It’s not a long hike – five miles round trip but for me it seems grueling even going down. My knees complained with every step on the downhill stretch.

But the views. They are terrific. And that’s fitting for the site of a historic lookout that continues to be staffed in the summer months. The trail also provides lots of opportunities to look at wildflowers early in hiking season. Later it will be dry and dusty. And there was lots of old snow to satisfy the dogs.

Rather dismal trailhead

That’s the mountain but you can’t see the lookout.

North Cascades

I enjoyed watching this bee on a flower that looks like groundsel.

Noisy Hairy Woodpecker. I wonder if she had a nest nearby.

Glacier lillies tell you that the snow just melted

Nice to see you on the trail Luna

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Finally past the steep part and now a view of the lookout

Mt Gardner. I was worried about the misty rain that moved around but never did get wet.

Looking down valley, more light rain

This took about ten tries.

Outhouse with a view

Crazy clouds

Penstemon

Larch

Buttercup.

Spring beauty and glacier lily

Buckwheat

How many kinds of plants are in this small patch of ground?

Forget me not

Clematis

For more information about this hike the WTA website.

Lookout Mountain in November

November 13, 2015 – 4:13 pm
Posted in Lookout Mountain
Tagged hike, ice crystals, lookout, Lookout Mountain
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This was the third time I’ve been to Lookout Mountain this year. And each time some clouds obscured the views allowing only peek-a-book scenes of the mountains all around. Each time I started in a different place too – the first time in Smith Canyon, making it a longer hike, the second time at the trailhead and this week – more than a mile down the road from the trailhead due to a road closure to protect mule deer. It’s always up, up, up though.

We started with sunny skies but fog had formed in the valleys below us and as we went uphill, so did the fog, sometimes completely obscuring any view and other times revealing bits and pieces of it. When we got near the ridge top, the trees were covered with ice crystals and the temperature was rising slowly. As the air warmed, many of the crystals loosened their grips on the needles and branches and began to tinkle to the ground making a magical sound. They would fall in waves and then stop. We were careful not to stop under any heavily laden trees.

Fall is certainly past its peak and winter is beginning to take over the landscape. However lots of color reminds us of the season just past.

Here is how it looked in May.

The Alder mine still affects water quality near Twisp

Luna collected stuff in her fur

Snow-capped mountains to the west

Icy flakes of crystals tinkling to the ground

Ice crystals

Ice crystals on lichen

Ice crystals fallen to the ground

Bits of scenery

Piles of ice crystals

Wind-blown ice crystals?

Lookout through the fog

And then the fog parted

Ice crystals on the lookout

Ice crystals piled up under the lookout

The lookout on Lookout Mountain

Bitterroot leaves already growing for next year’s flowers

Twisp

Winthrop in the distance. The lake is called Buck, Shaw or Frost Lake.

Rose hips

Lingering aspen leaf

Aspens

Cottonwood and aspens

Cutthroat Pass Hike

October 8, 2015 – 5:24 am
Posted in hike, North Cascades
Tagged Cutthroat Pass, fall colors, hike, North Cascades, Rainy Pass
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This is another great fall hike! We started at the Cutthroat trailhead and hiked five and a half miles to the pass where we connected with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and hiked down another five or so miles to Rainy Pass where we had left a second car in the morning. We did not have the blue skies and sunshine of the previous week’s hike and that made the dogs a lot more comfortable. Also there were numerous stream crossings, especially on the Rainy Pass side, where the dogs could wet their whistles. At the pass we saw quite a few PCT through hikers who were nearly to their goal on their hike from Mexico to Canada. The ones we talked to said they should reach the border in just four more days. They were all cheerful and looked healthy and hearty. After such a long journey on foot, I think I expected them to look gaunt and tired.