I like seeing subalpine fir, partly because it means (typically around here, anyway) that I’m in the mountains. But this image also shows that a ‘panorama’ doesn’t have to be a distant scene. Closeup panoramas are one of my favorites.
Subalpine Fir
The Upper Dungeness Basin
These photos were taken from scans of photos that I took back years ago. Fortunately, I had shared prints with a friend and he still had them after my digital files were lost in a change to a new editing/organizing program (after which point I developed a significantly more thorough backup system). The Upper Dungeness Valley is outside of the Olympic National Park in the Buckhorn Wilderness.
Another Misty Ridge
Regular readers will have noted that I often have images of misty mountain ridges. And yes, I really like the mystery of watching clouds move through the forested ridges that are so common in the Olympic Mountains. So, I hope you enjoy this one, it’s a nice one that shows the misty mood pretty well.
Hurricane Hill
Hurricane Hill is one of the most visited spots in the Olympic National Park both summer and winter. In summer the trail is paved (and thus accessable) and heavily used. The number of visitors is restricted in the winter because the road to Hurricane Ridge is only open on weekends. At 5757 feet (1755 m) the “hill” is a snowshoe and crosscountry ski destination. This winter there isn’t enough snow for much of that … at least at this point. Hopefully, there will be some winter or spring storms dropping lots more snow.
Winter Elwha Valley Views
These were taken during the recent trip I made to Hurricane Ridge. The view above is looking south down the Elwha River valley at the heart of the Olympic National Park. I have hiked the valley a number of times, and it’s as lovely from ground level as it looks from this elevation. Below is looking more west towards the south end of the Bailey Range. The close valley is the Elwha and on the other side of the ridge running along the other side of the Elwha is Long Creek … the ridge is Long Ridge.
