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Tag Archives: Methow photography

Blue Lake in August

Last year I went to Blue Lake twice in the fall so this year I wanted to make sure and get there during its short summer season. The snow has only recently receded and still covered the trail in one place – maybe an avalanche chute. There were still a couple of small icebergs floating too. And given that the weather up there on Thursday was cool and cloudy, it was very early in the short summer for Blue Lake. Winter is the major force in the North Cascades, lasting from October through July; well that’s when there is snow on the ground.

 

Looking towards the lake outlet

 

And back at the talus slope still mostly covered with ice and snow

 

Small iceberg. My hiking partner said it would be fun to swim out to it and climb up on it. She didn’t do it.

 

Luna swam

 

Chilly on the trail. Down in the valley it was near 90.

 

These elephant’s head lousewort, Pedicularis groenlandica, were blooming in a bog at the trailhead, along with white bog orchids, Platanthera dilatata

 

 

Summer Scenes

Biggest news last week was the big lightning storm that shut off the power one evening and then when everyone was wondering what to do, the light was Wonderful! And the Rainbows were Remarkable! Other than that, just a few summer scenes from the past week.

Some of our friends are in the local marimba band. They performed at the Twisp Farmers Market.

This group is very together.

Nancy raps out the lead

Linda is very focussed.

Chokecherries are getting ripe!

Just had to slip in a black and white image, despite the vibrant colors of summer.

At agility practice, Frida and Trip are very focussed on whatever it is that Marti is holding.

And Marti, how could you resist Frida?

Jane seems indifferent

Pie cherries! They are in the dehydrator right now!

And a parting shot of the rainbows following the storm.

Hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) stretches from Mexico to Canada along the crest of the mountains – from the Sierra Nevada in California to the Cascades of Washington. It intersects roads in many places so day hikers can get a taste of what the through hikers do everyday for months on end. One of my favorite pieces of the PCT follows a ridgeline to Grasshopper Pass. I like this trail for a variety of reasons – one, it’s never steep; two, the views are outstanding; three, the wildflowers are grand; and four – later on the larch trees change to a lovely shade of orange before dropping their needles. Oh, there are also lots of marmots and ground squirells and pikas! Pikas, if you are not familiar with them, live in talus slopes and are the smallest member of the lagomorph family; they are tiny rabbits. They do not hibernate like many of the mammals of the high alpine country. Instead, during the summer and fall months, they gather grasses and vegetation and create little hay piles to keep them nourished through the LONG winter! And it is long. The snow has only just recently melted from this region.

Only 35 miles to Canada. Doesn’t sound so bad.

The trail starts out crossing this rocky talus slope where the pikas live.

Anemone

I do not know this pretty blue flower

I think this is Lewisia columbiana

Its tiny delicate flowers up close

A vibrant red Castilleja (paintbrush)

Really, do I always have to include an image of lupine?

Ground hugging phlox

I think this is a penstemon

I knew this one last year!

Columbine

Maybe a lousewort?

The trail is carpeted with last year’s needles from the alpine larch trees that are now covered in fine green foliage.

Nothing better than finding a snow field on a July hike!

See the smoke in the lower left hand corner? Probably a result of the previous night’s lightning storm.

Bugs do it.

Anyone know what kind of bug does it? The flower is an anemone seedhead.

Looking back on the trail across the talus slope

Ahhhhh.

Thistles are not well liked by most but they are attractive

Cow parsnip?

I think these are non-native daisies but they sure are pretty little things.

Tiffany Mountain

Trying to get in one hike per week is not always easy. Everyday life and work gets in the way, of course, and then there’s the weather. Friday I was planning a mountain outing and the weather forecast was for extreme thunderstorms and lots of rain. I cancelled my plans and was glad of it. We were lucky to have lots of rain, thunder and lightning and wind. Other places also had flash flooding and 80 mph winds that pushed down trees and knocked out power.

I managed to get some work done on Friday and changee my hike to the other side of the valley and headed for Tiffany Mountain, elevation 8242′. It’s a long drive up Boulder Creek from the East Chewuch Road, 22 miles from Winthrop to the trailhead. The valley had scattered fog from the rain the day before and puffy white clouds appeared up high. The Freezeout trail to Tiffany is three miles, one way, with a steep part to start, then a gradual grade and finishing with another steep part to get to the top. The elevation gain is 1740′. This area is great for wildflowers but Luna and I were a couple weeks early for the main part of the bloom. We may have to do it again!

Looking up at the mountain I could always see white clouds behind it. At the top, looking down the other side towards Tiffany Lake, all I could see was cloud – no view of the lakes or even towards the Okanogan. The clouds were piled up against the ridge. It was mostly sunny for us with a few sun blocks off and on. The temperature was comfortable and I needed my windbreaker at the top where it was breezy and cool.

Fog in the river valley before I left home.

This area is part of the Tripod fire from 2006.

I have to confess – I saw this piece of wood from a long ways away and was convinced it was a grouse.

 

I think these are dead whitebark pines. Whitebark pines are in decline around the west for a variety of reasons. You can learn more about them here.

 

The ‘easy’ part of the trail, with the summit in view. In a couple of weeks, the meadow will be ablaze with wildflowers.

 

From the top, looking south along the ridge. The Okanogan and Conconcully are on the other side that is covered in clouds.

 

And looking northwest; down to the right in the mist, way down, is Tiffany Lake. I did get a glimpse of a pika in the rocks and heard their high-pitched calls

 

Ladybugs clustered on lichen covered rocks near the summit.

 

Good Luna – look at the camera!

 

Even with several tries, I never did get her to look at the camera with me!

 

Heather is just starting to come in to bloom

 

Close-up of a whitebark pine

 

I learned a long time ago from a botanist that flowers like this are commonly referred to as DYC’s – darned yellow composites.

 

Asters – another member of the composite family

 

Sedum lanceolatum, maybe. Definitely a sedum.

 

Luna and I took a side trip to look at First Butte Lookout. Only five miles the sign said. Five rough miles. Now I’ve seen it and don’t have to wonder about it anymore.

 

Always have to remember to cool my feet after a good hike.

 

And the reason I picked a hike on that side of the valley? Ken was playing music with his friend Bill at the Methow Valley Ciderhouse! A cold glass of Howling Wolf Cider really hit the spot!

Mid-Summer Images

It’s hard to believe that July is already more than half over. Before we know it, fall will be here and we will be thinking about skiing again! But for now, the weather is very summery. Hot days interupted by exciting thunder storms. The storms have produced quite a bit of rain and even hail. The rain’s been good for garden crops; the hail is probably hard on the fruit trees.

 

Grass seedheads are starting to dry and turn gold.

Serviceberries are very ripe. Our dogs enjoy a serviceberry snack on a walk.

 

Sockeye salmon season is in full swing on the Columbia. Here Ken is showing off a fillet from one of the beautiful fish he caught this week. This fish is sushi quality.

 

The tourist town of Winthrop is full of dogs and kids and others seeking respite from either the heat or the thunderstorms or looking for refreshment and shopping opportunities!

 

Lots of motorcycles in town too. The Rhythm and Blues Festival is this weekend.

 

Winthrop reflection

 

At home, raspberries need to be picked, again.

 

First canned food of the summer

 

And look! The first ripe tomato!