We took a break while on our walk up at Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park on May 3rd. While we were enjoying a snack and the view, we had this raven come in to visit (and/or beg for some of our snacks). Its beak is open, but it wasn’t squawking. I think it was trying to cool off … it was a record warm day (for May 3rd) and I don’t think it was used to the temperature.
This was taken a few years ago when I was more able to wander around the high country. We were on our way up to the High Divide and then down to Hoh Lake and back. (Note that the pack doesn’t have a sleeping bag or other items strapped to it … a sure give away that this is a day hike.) We were camped down in the basin (which requires a hard to secure reservation for camping) and were enjoying the scenic highcountry without having a heavy pack. The 7 Lakes Basin is a frequent camp location to those hiking the High Divide loop trail, which provides some of the most stunning views of Mt Olympus and the central Olympics.
Going through my hiking photos from years past. I didn’t take nearly as many photos when it was foggy or misty or raining. Since I primarily hiked in the Olympic National Park, that meant that I had my camera in the pack a lot of days. After a while I got a couple of different waterproof (or resistant) cameras … first a Minolta and then a Nikonos. But the Minolta didn’t have a real good lens on it and the Nikonos was a brick. Like real heavy. I was delighted when I found the digital cameras became available in a waterproof, rugged vesion (my favorite was the Nikon AW series). These were all taken the same day, but I’m not sure what camera. It was film, though.
Mount Washington is outside the Olympic National Park (but in the Olympic National Forest) … but it is visible from Seattle as one of the two major peaks (along with Mt Ellinor) on the south end of the western skyline. I took this from the shoulder of Mt Ellinor … which has a trail to its summit and I have been up Ellinor a number of times (along with thousands of others … some carrying coolers and “boom boxes”). If you go in the off season, you can still find solitude… or at least more so than in summer. I have not been up Mt Washington, however. It is a more technical climb … although still in the ‘easy’ category.
This was taken from a favorite spot of mine along the North Fork Skokomish River in the Olympic National Park. As you may remember (if you are a regular follower) the North Fork valley burned its full length this summer. With the weather we have had the fire is no longer burning. However, there still is no access to the area due to the hazardous conditions: falling rocks, branches and trees. I have some hope that this is one area that survived with only partial loss of trees. Interestingly enough, the area along the trail on the uphill side in this area was burned back in the late 1980’s (I saw the smoke from near my house in Seattle). There are a few burned snags in the left side of this image. While that area burned, there were many scattered trees that survived. I am hopeful that is the case in this area. I am looking forward to taking a look next spring if the area is open to the public.