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Tag Archives: wildflowers

Windy Pass

Last weekend Marcy and I hiked to Windy Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s a pleasant hike – never steep – with outstanding views all along the way. In addition to the fantastic views of the North Cascades a hiker gets to see evidence from the mining adventures dating back to the 1890’s. Given the rough and narrow road that we have to drive nowadays to get to the trailhead, it is amazing to imagine miners traveling to these distant mountains on foot or horseback and hauling immense loads of equipment too. One spot in the road is called Deadhorse Point and scares the beejebers out of some folks in cars.

Guthrie, Marcy’s dog blew out his knee last year and is just a year out from surgery and injuring his other knee. It’s good to see him running and grinning with the other dogs. Even with three dogs we got to see a little bit of wildlife including lots of ground squirrels and a few grouse.

As we finished our lunch and got ready to head back, we heard a familiar voice and saw a friend from the Okanogan. He had scaled nearby Tamarack Peak and joined us for the hike back to the parking area.

The weather was cool and sunny – perfect for a late summer hike on the PCT.

Slate Peak can be seen from the beginning of the trail
Mount Baker
I have forgotten the name of this mountain
Guthrie
Magenta paintbrush
Magenta monkeyflower
Cool beetle
Anemone seedhead
The yurt is used in the winter for helicopter skiers
He’s a handsome fella!
We have such a long wildflower season
The way back
Ground squirrel with nesting material
Dusky or Sooty Grouse?

And Another Great Hike

These last couple of weeks I’ve been very lucky to share so much time in the mountains celebrating summer with dear friends and our dogs. On Wednesday Kim and I took our dogs up above Harts Pass and did an afternoon amble around a basin below Slate Peak. It’s a wonderful wildflower walk with lush green meadows and meandering streams. We climbed out of the basin to visit the lookout and take in the 360 degree views of the North Cascades. My dogs got to be in snow again in August. Last year I could not find any for them late in the summer. It is my goal to find snow for my dogs every month of the year. Luna loves snow. It’s a great relief to see it lingering into late summer once again. What a gorgeous day!

Ziggy
Pink monkey flower
Western anemone seedhead and lupine
Getting that close up flower photo
Elephant head
Magenta paintbrush
sedum
Orange paintbrush
Cooling her feet
Slate Peak
Canada is out there, not too far away
Layers of mountains of the North Cascades
Ziggy makes my dogs look small

Another Day, Another Mountain

Mary had to cut her Washington vacation short rather abruptly when a wildfire threatened her community and even her home. So far her place is safe and hopefully will stay that way. She was able to get some stuff out when she returned and then stayed at a place out of danger. With fires threatening people and landscapes all over the west, we all seem to live in a state of fear during the summer.

But for one day, before the fire, we enjoyed a beautiful hike in the high country, going to the top of 8000 foot Tiffany Mountain. It was sunny and cool and NOT buggy! Once again we had incredible views – this time into the Pasayten Wilderness, the Sawtooth Mountains and even into the Okanogan Highlands. A perfect mountain day.

On the trail through the meadows
Prairie Smoke, my favorite little wildflower these days.
Luna resting in the lupine
Sky on a rock
What bird is this?
Are you going to eat that Mary?
Views!
Can I help you?
Luna sees something
Sky isn’t sure about the puffball.
It’s the black dog gang!

A Few Good Bird Sightings and Some Wet Weather

The weather forecast indicated about 20% chance of rain in the mountains yesterday. Around here, that means it’s not likely to rain. It was sunny and reasonably warm at home when the girls and I left for the 6500′ Freezeout Trailhead and the hike to Tiffany Mountain. The temperature was 46 degrees Fahrenheit and it was sunny when we started walking. Good weather for an uphill hike to the 8242′ summit.

In the burned forest (this is part of the Tripod burn from ten years ago) I heard and saw numerous birds, including lots of young ones with adults searching for food to feed the nestlings.

When we walked away from the trees, the sky was solidly overcast but still no sign of rain. Nearing the top, I started to feel occasional pelts of small hail. At the top, it was obvious that the weather was going to take a turn for the worse. We shared my peanut butter sandwich and I put on my extra layers (two coats, gloves and a wool hat) and tucked my camera away. Normally we would linger on the mountain top and look around for more birds and flowers and maybe ladybugs but not this time. It was hailing pretty solidly by then. And as we walked downhill it was soon raining. We didn’t notice the birds or flowers much on the way down. Still, it never got too cold and it wasn’t windy and I had the right extra gear with me. Overall it was a nice day.

Roger Lake is a real gem
Lots of downed lots on the lower part of the trail but they didn’t slow Sky any.
Paintbrush
A very young grouse – either a Dusky Grouse or a Spruce Grouse, depending on who I ask.
This game camera is aimed right at the trail. Are they counting hikers and dogs or looking for something else?
Lupine
Lupine
Mountain Bluebird nest hole
Male Mountain Bluebird feeding young
Male Mountain Bluebird at the nest hole
Female Mountain Bluebird feeding young
I think this is a Savannah Sparrow
Reliable water following rainy summer days
Luna was wet before it even started raining
Horned Larks nest on the side of Tiffany
Near the top looking back at the trail
Approaching storm
Approaching storm
I was hoping it would go towards the Okanogan and not towards me
See the storm on the other side of the ridge past Tiffany Lake?

A Short Break

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.