A Walk Along a Wintery Pacific Crest Trail
A beautiful day of transition from Autumn to Winter,
We take a stroll along the Pacific Crest Trail.
The late afternoon light trickles across the golden branches of the larches.
The sky turns a deep sapphire,
showcasing the fresh flocking of snow.
Slate peak standing tall,
Watching over any of the last few hikers finishing their pilgrimage
Along the Pacific Crest Trail.
Old Man Winter unfurls his cloak upon the landscape.
Days of snowshoeing, and Evenings in front of the wood stove call to me.
Winter Awakens In The Mountains
Winter descends upon us.
A few days ago we went back up to Harts Pass,
which will probably be our last trip up there for this year.
While frolicking in the snow, these were the scenes that surrounded us.
In the first photo, a snowshoe hares tracks point straight to Slate Peak.
The beauty of walking a ridge is the amazing views that surround you in every direction.
The snow tells the tale of our wandering path.
A Mountain catching our attention this direction,
The snow sitting gracefully upon a tree drawing us that direction.
To me this looks like a family portrait with one inquisitive child standing on its own.
There are so many wonderful textures in the mountains.
And on a day like this, all highlighted with the elegance of winter first mantle of snow.
Some snow formations tell a tale of cold and windy nights.
Betraying the peaceful blanket that lays upon the ground.
And the Larch bid their farewell until their next season of warmth.
They put on their finest gown and dance one last time upon the white marble ballroom.
As I type this rain falls outside my window with chunks of snow in it,
I have watched the snow line drop on the hills around us all day.
This could be a first tease of winter,
or he could be settling in for the long haul.
Like a Ptarmigan shedding its summer plumage,
the Methow Valley is shedding its gown of yellows,
to slip on a cloak of white.
Morning Moods of the Methow
This collection of photos is from one morning up at Sun Mountain.
It shows how the feel of the valley changes on a moments notice some times.
This time of year the Methow Valley wakes up in a bit of a fog.
Only being coaxed out of its slumber when the strength of the sun penetrates through the layers,
illuminating the golden hills and blazing aspens.
The sleepy energy of fall is swept down the valley with the fog,
and we are blessed with moments of an Indian summer.
Fall descends upon us.
The trees are changing,
The Garden is done,
And the crispness of the air alerts us that winter is soon to awaken.
Welcome to Fall Everyone!
I played around with a panoramic program, stitching several photos together.
And while it is not perfect (you can see a stitch line),
its a fun perspective to have.
This is truly what the view looks like up there.
The Dynamic Methow
Another reason I really do enjoy working mornings is the beautiful light of the early hours.
The other morning as I pulled into the employee parking lot at work this is what I saw.
I stopped in the middle of the parking lot, jumped out to take this picture, and then drove to the other end to park.
After doing my prep work first thing at work I looked out the dinning room window and saw this.
I am so glad I am bringing my camera to work with me now.
This is what I love.
You just can’t beat that early morning light.
There is something so dynamic about the Methow Valley in the early morning.
A Blessed and Snowy Adventure
Thursday evening we drove up to the Harts Pass area.
Arriving at the Pacific Crest Trail parking area right at dark,
we got out of the car to discover two thru hikers camping right there.
After a lovely conversation and a congratulations on their nearing accomplishment,
we started off on the trail.
A five mile night hike along the PCT, a fun adventure.
The moon was shining bright, and the trail felt smooth.
After some late night and early morning snow,
we spent a little time exploring the area around our camp spot.
The sun did not emerge as we had hoped, but teased us with little glimpses here and there.
We continued down the trail a couple more miles.
We were treated with a few moments of sun gracing the landscape around us.
And blessed with the experience of the larches changing colour.
And on our return visit we were blessed with several very special wildlife encounters.
A Golden Eagle drifted upon a thermal, gently raising into the sky.
Then we happened upon a family of 5 ptarmigan.
What gentle and sweet souls they were.
They so enjoyed our presence, that we were able to walk with them for about a quarter of a mile.
They simply wandered along the trail in front of us,
sometimes dipping down below the trail,
and returning to visit with us as we all strolled along.
When they finally decided to wander down the hill and say their goodbyes, we continued along.
Then what would be lumbering along the trail in front of us?
A Porcupine!
What an amazing treat it was to see this grand creature.
He waddled down the trail in front of us, his quills gently swaying back and forth.
His nervousness got the better of him, and he started trotting a little faster.
Eventually he found a stand of trees next to the trail to hide himself in,
and after talking to him for a few minutes we said our goodbyes and continued on.
It was an invigorating, exciting, and blessed trip.
To see Bernie’s perspective on our outing, visit Here.
Same Place Different Perspective
This view gets me through days at work when I feel a little cloudy within.
Some mornings I will be flying around the dinning room serving people their food,
and I will come to a table where the people don’t even realize I am there,
because they are absorbing the view.
In one instant I am reminded to stop,
and once again take a moment to absorb the beauty that nature is sharing so freely with me.
This view from the dinning room is one of the reasons I went back for my old job.
If you have to work, how can you beat looking out across this scene each morning.
The view across the Methow Valley can be so dynamic.
I truly love watching how it changes each and every day.
I wish I had my camera with me yesterday, it was so amazingly beautiful up there.
And so I am going to try to remember to bring my camera with me each morning.
This was today’s feel upon the mountain.
