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.
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.
The Beauty of Gold
On Saturday we went for a beautiful hike along Gold Ridge near Slate Peak.
The magical thing about the Harts Pass area is that you gain all of your elevation driving.
Then when you get out to hike, you are on top of the world.
We had never hiked Gold Ridge before, and were so glad that we did.
The 360 degree views are amazing up there.
All around us there were all kinds of different valleys and Mountains.
We could even see down into the Methow Valley.
The ridge itself even changed with every step we took.
Look at all those amazing jagged peaks in the background.
The North Cascades are just amazing.
There is something so raw and spectacular about every section of the Mountains that surround us here.
We had SO much snow this winter, and such a late spring/summer,
that we have large patches of snow still up in the mountains.
This was a very unusual year as far as weather goes.
As we turned around to return home,
the evening light kissed the mountains all around us.
I love the pink hue that the bewitching hour casts upon the landscape.
In the two photos above you can see the tower that is perched upon Slate Peak.
And right before we made it back to the car we were blessed with a sunset.
Above you can see Jack Mountain on the right, and Mount Baker in the center.
I always love seeing this side of mount baker,
as I grew up on a property that looks at the other side of
this majestic mountain.
I can’t help but wonder if my parents are looking at the mountain at the same time as I am.
What a beautifully healing hike this was for my soul!
I am glad we had the chance to explore a new hike!
Summer Slipping Away
Where did this summer go? It truly melted away on me.
So what have I been doing with my summer?
It doesn’t feel like a whole lot actually.
Primarily I have been working, and often I am so tired from my morning of running around the restaurant, I feel like doing little else.
And so many afternoons are simply spent relaxing around home, and sometimes even napping.
When I do keep my energy up for the day, we make it out into nature for hikes.
And while there have been a lot less hikes this summer than usual, they have all been equally stunning!
These photos are from our hike to Cutthroat Pass.
We took the Cutthroat Lake trail up, and arrived at the Pacific Crest Trail at the pass.
It is fun to re-visit the Pacific Crest Trail any time we can.
These moments in nature have been very healing for my soul, and a wonderful workout for my body.
So often I wish I could just sit in one spot for days and absorb all the beauty that surrounds me in these areas.
And my garden has been keeping me busy these days.
As you can see in comparison to my earlier photo, the garden has filled in a Lot!
It is amazing how much food can be produced from such a small amount of land.
I have to admit I am not keeping up with my garden as much as I would like,
but I am managing to harvest and preserve a lot of what is coming out of it.
And eating some amazing fresh meals from it all also.
The other night I made a spectacular roasted tomato and basil soup.
The freshness of all the ingredients, and then the intense flavor of roasting was amazing!
I have also been enjoying canning.
I have a great abundance of jams, along with a few other canned items.
Now as our cooler evenings roll around, and the plants in my garden and nature mature,
I am reminded that summer is coming to a close already.
While I wish I had more of it to enjoy, I value the memories I did make this season.
I hope you all had a most magical summer, and were able to experience some of natures wonder!
North Cascades ~ Day 3
Its easy to be in a good mood when you wake up to a view such as this. The morning light cast a whole new feel to the mountains around us. It was so lovely to sit in our sleeping bags and soak up nature around us.
Why would you ever use a tent? We only put up our tarp when we are pretty sure it is going to rain over night, and even then its open all around. Its an interesting symbol, many feel safer in their tent than if they slept out under the stars. What can a thin layer of fabric really protect you from? I would much rather be immersed in nature around me. And how magical to wake up in the middle of the night and be able to look up at the stars. They shine so vibrant when you are far from any city lights.
We even had a little patch of snow on top of our mountain. A testament to the long cool spring. The snow took a long time to melt off in the North Cascades this spring/summer.
Wow, I can’t believe these mountains are in our backyard. They are so raw and wild!
After soaking in our amazing views, eating breakfast and packing up we started our trek down the mountain. We were headed for Ross Lake. In the picture above I am dropping down off Devils Dome.
There is nothing like mountain spring water. Its such a treat to be able to drink straight from the source. If all you have ever had the chance to drink is city water or bottled water, you have no idea what real water tastes like. Everyone should drink true spring water at least once in their life.
We stopped very often on the trail down to admire the view. Jack Mountain played a starring role in our North Cascades hike. We essentially circled around it on our hike, getting to see many perspectives of it. It never failed to amaze. Ah, I am standing there right now. What a magical place! I could have just sat in that spot and pondered life for days, weeks, months, years.
How could you not stop and just soak it up?
After hiking down the trail for a few miles we got our first view of Ross Lake. Periodically it would peek out from behind a hill, teasing us with views on our way down.
The trail snaked along the lake at some points and twisted up through the trees for long stretches. It felt good to stretch out the legs on the long flat stretches through the forest.
Finally the trail twisted away from the lake. We had passed our last view of Ross Lake. We cruised along the trail enjoying the soft light filtering through the trees. Before we knew it we were back at the car. What a magical 3 days spent in the North Cascade Mountains! This is a loop that I would recommend to anyone that loves to be immersed in natures beauty!
North Cascades ~ Day 2 ~ Part 2
We made it to the top of Devils Dome. Filled our tummies with a good meal, still not sure if we were going to continue on or camp for the evening.
After enjoying the view for a little while we decided it would be much nicer to camp up on top and watch the sunset and get to see the beautiful morning light on the mountains. From Devils dome we were headed down to Ross lake and then back to the car. It would have been a shame to hike on farther and not get to see the sun set on the North Cascades.
So we stopped early. It was only 5:30pm, we had lots of time to just sit on top of our mountain and admire all the mountains that surrounded us. We set up camp.
I enjoyed a brief cat nap in the warm sunshine, ahhhh!
After a few minutes of that I got up once again to stretch my legs around the top of our dome. Looking around at our 360 degree view. Ridges surrounded us, snaking in all directions.
Being out in nature brings great joy to the soul. Mind, body and soul can’t help but blossom when one is surrounded by such beauty and pure energy!
As we moved into the magic hour the light was AMAZING! Natures radiance glowed from everything that surrounded us. We were blanketed in her warm embrace. The sunlight seeped into each pore of my being.
I love the lavender hue that moves across the landscape as the sun gets ready to dip below the horizon.
When the light is just right you can see the magic that hangs in the air. Can you see it?
What an amazing place to spend the night! I am so glad we decided to camp on top of Devils Dome. Our evening was filled with so much beauty and magic! The sunset was Stunning!
North Cascades ~ Day Two ~ Part 1
On day two of our hike I am not sure we even made it 10 miles for the day. There were so many magical scenes to capture our attention. It really was a beautiful day filled with lovely hiking and many stops to just soak in the nature around us. We got so many pictures that I am making day two a 2 part entry.
We really were stopping all the time to absorb the feelings and beauty of nature around us. It seemed like even though we were looking at the same mountain range most of the time it really was changing with every mile or two that we hiked.
We saw so many different angles of Jack Mountain. It really is a stunning peak. I am not sure that many people even get to see it. One of the best hikes to view it is this loop, and there was no one out there except us. We heard from another hiker that there was a family that probably did the same loop as us, but it took them 11 days. In the above picture I loved the stripes of exposed rock on the left hand side of the picture. We actually walked right under those little rock shoots. I think it was rock pushed by snow/snow melt in the spring. It just had such an interesting feel to it.
The white peak on the left is Mt. Baker from the backside. Its so interesting to have a totally different perspective of the mountain that we get to look at from our yard. It just looks like one of many peaks from this perspective. From our house we only see it and the Twin Sisters, you would never guess the magnitude of the North Cascades lingering just behind it. Its always good to get another perspective in life!
Here Bernie is basking in the beauty of the mountains that are embracing us. Ah, such a peaceful moment with nature! He is stretching open his mind, body and soul. When we fully open ourselves to the world around us, we are often amazed by the feelings that flow through us.
All the different colours of the meadows, forests, rocks and skies made it feel as if we were immersed in a painting. You can feel the brush strokes of nature here! Look at the amazing colour palate that she chose. I think its called “Mountain Summer Splendor”.
And of course in between photo stops we had blueberry stops! I love to pick a handful at a time and then pop them all into my mouth at once, Mmmmm! Nature has the most pure tastes, so vibrant and full of energy!
We also got to overlap a section of trail that we hiked back in 2004 when we did the Pacific Northwest Trail. It travels from Washington’s outer coast to Glacier National Park. It came right through this part of the North Cascades. It was neat to see what parts of the trail I remembered and what parts seemed new all over again. I found myself drifting back to that hike a little bit.
As we neared Devils Dome we got to do a little bit of ridge walking. This opened up some of the views to the north, giving us even more expansive views of the mountains around us. We stopped often at different view points, pointing out other ridge lines and peaks that we know from other hikes, such as the Pacific Crest Trail.
We are almost to the top. Another pause to absorb these views. I could sit and look at each of these views for weeks and still not absorb all that there is to see and feel in these places.
There are so many special places on this earth. We could spend lifetimes exploring them all. I am endlessly grateful for the amazing places I have been able to experience in my lifetime, and I look forward to visiting many more. I am also very grateful that we have one of these beautiful places so close!
Nature has taught me so much through the years. I love her and am drawn to her embrace. With time I have learned to take her with me when I return to society, and each time I return to visit her wild places I bring even more of her back with me.
