Black Diamond NOW

Return to Icy Creek

Each year, I have to do at least one post on the varying moods of Icy Creek in the Green River Gorge.  It's typically very lush even in the middle of summer, but this year, it's really green and the creek is flowing strong.

Because of it's location on the shaded east side of the river. there are plenty of areas that get very little sun year round.

We should call it Fernville.

Even foxgloves eke out an existence in areas that seldom see sun.

The Green River continues to flow at relatively high levels given all the snow melt.  A great spot for wading in hot weather later in the summer.

For those not familiar, this is the site of salmon rearing ponds used just prior to juveniles' release into the river.  Currently empty this day, but we should expect to see the ponds full later in the season.

For directions to the trailhead and more of the sights, follow this link to my earlier post Hiking to Icy Creek.

 

Tales of Nectar & Pollen

What's your favorite insect?  For me, it has to be bumble bees.  Large, cute and fuzzy when compared to honey bees, they don't produce much honey but are important pollinators.  And they don't sting me either, like their much more aggressive cousin the yellow jacket - who make me swell up like a basketball when stung.  Here's one of the cuties that doesn't seem to mind having it's picture taken.  Note the red tongue protruding forward in the following photo.

Like other bees, they thrive on the nectar of flowers, rich in sugar, that provides the energy they need to make their rounds all day, even in cold weather.  Add some of their saliva to the pollen they collect and we have honey.  Note how the pollen collects on one of their legs while their tongue laps up the nectar and that's how we get pollination between flowers and the makings of honey.

Why don't we get stung a lot bumble bees?  In part, it's because only females have stingers, and not males.  They also form in small groups, typically 50 or less, and stay close to home.  Because they have long thin tongues, they can reach nectar in long tubular flowers that other bees can't and don't have to compete with other bees feeding off the same flowers.  You can see how long their tongue is in the follow photo.

Only the queen bee survives the winter, with enough honey stashed away to support her until the spring when she starts a new colony.  

So much fun to watch.

Forest Fires - Hiking in the Aftermath

In the year 2015, our state recorded the highest number of acres consumed by forest fires ever, totaling over 1 million acres burned.  This significantly exceeded even that of the infamous Yacolt Burn of 1902 in which there were 65+ deaths.  Fortunately, the death toll in 2015 was much smaller but still, 3 fatalities is 3 too many.  During our recent hiking trip to Trout Lake and Mt. Adams, we chose to take one hike to Bird Creek Meadows on the east side of the mountain, known by Native Americans as "Pahto", on the Yakama Nations reservation.  Unknown to us as we headed up, this site was also home to one of the big burns in 2015 called the Cougar Creek Fire which burned 53,523 acres and covered forest land right up to Pahto's snow line.  The stark beauty of the fire's aftermath was worth the visit.  Here's our first view as we stepped out the car.

Snow-melt streams - naked.

We were at an elevation of about 5,500+ ft. in early June and nature was beginning to emerge.

Trees turned silver as if retired, but still standing tall.

And then!

Yeah - our first Glacier lilies of the year.  

There is hope - here and elsewhere in our country.

Yeah - The Lake is Open for Fishing

This is the time of year when the "pros" return to Lake Sawyer for a summer of outstanding fishing.  Though they don't need a fishing license from the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife, the timing of their annual visit typically mirrors the official "opening day" for the rest of us.  And no concerns about social distancing for these pros.  Who am I referring too - osprey of course,  otherwise known as the fish hawks/aka Seahawks. 

These are real pro fishermen and nobody does it better.  While local bald eagles will dip their talons in the lake to snatch a fish near the surface, they would just as soon have a lunch of duck, fish carcass or squirrel fricassee than go diving for live fish.  Osprey diets are 90% + fish and they really know what they are doing, often diving fully submerged in order to latch on with their talons for dinner.  We get to see lots of "fly-byes" this time of year as local osprey patrol the lake.

Eagles will sometimes perch in a tree waiting for an osprey to catch a fish, then dive bomb the osprey as it struggles to fly with a heavy load.  The osprey has little choice but to let go, dropping its dinner while the eagle swoops in behind snatching the fish in mid-air before it hits the water.

Turnabout is fair play, however.  Here is an eagle reacting to being dive bombed by an osprey from above.

Although smaller than an eagle, the wing span of an osprey approaches that of an eagle, making the osprey quite strong when lifting fish from the water.

I took the above photo at Hayden Lake Idaho, showing an osprey flying away with a kokanee salmon it had just captured.  Here's another one with an even bigger fish.

Spawning kokanee, which by the way we once had here at Lake Sawyer, weigh probably on the order of 3 lbs or more - heavier than an osprey for sure.  My biggest kokanee catch at Lake Sawyer weighed less than this and had not turned red yet, but was sure fun at the time, and tasty too.  Alas, no more kokanee at Lake Sawyer these days.

Enjoy the sights and theatre this summer and hopefully you'll get to see some real pro fishing.

 

Lake Sawyer Triathlon

What do you miss most by being housebound?  Socializing with friends and family - certainly.  But for me, I really miss not being able to go to the gym and getting my regular exercise.  It's going to be tough hiking when the mountain trails finally open up if we aren't in shape.  Finally, I found something that's fun, challenging and great exercise - a weekly Lake Sawyer triathlon which includes kayaking 2 1/2 miles down the lake and back, a 4.6 mile run and a 6.0 mile bike ride.  Extend the run to 6.2 miles (10k) and to 10 miles biking and we're on track for some good summer hiking.  I do cheat a little while kayaking.  I can't resist taking some pictures along the way, like these from yesterday morning.

Making exercise fun keeps me motivated.

And having the expectation of extending myself to do all three in one day (kayaking, running and hiking) once a week keeps me motivated for regular running.

What works for you to keep motivated for regular exercise?  

And maybe Patty Swedberg with Raise the Bar, who also lives on Lake Sawyer and is a wonderful promoter of athletic events, can bring us a real triathlon.  

Lake Sawyer in Spring

Unique sunrise, sunset and Mount Rainier views make Lake Sawyer a special place to be.  Following are some recent photos taken while staying at home and being unsocial in my kayak.

This is a great time of year for kayaking both early and late.  Sunrise and sunset occur at decent hours of the day (6:18 am and 7:58 pm respectively), so you can enjoy amazing morning and evening colors and still get your beauty sleep.  The above photo shows Mount Rainier bathed in morning pink during sunrise and every day the views are different.  This was taken Tuesday morning.

The morning before, this was the view.

And then there is sunset - the following image taken on Monday evening.

A couple of nights before, sunset had very different colors and sky..

At sunset, Mount Rainier lighting is entirely different from sunrise.

My biggest challenge at sunset is trying to take both mountain and sunset photos at the same time while balancing it all in the kayak.  Lighting is entirely different looking to the southeast for Mount Rainier compared to the sun setting nearly due west at this time of year.  And then even a light breeze wants to spin you around.  Try taking pictures while paddling the kayak at the same time.  To make it all work, I've ended up using two separate cameras with different lens focal lengths.  I use a 70-300mm lens for mountain shots and my wide angle 16-35mm lens for sunset images.  Auto settings just don't work well in either case, so I use manual settings including manual focus.  The good news - you get better pictures this way but it tests your agility.

All for a good cause too!  In addition to having fun, 100% of all proceeds from photo sales are donated to help support our Black Diamond Community Center.  Note cards of all photos you see are available for $4 or 3 for $10, 8x10 matted prints for $25 each and 13x19 prints for $30.  I deliver locally too, free of charge.  The Community Center really needs our help during these trying times.

Here's sunrise from our dock.

For more information, you can contact me at craig.goodwin99@gmail.com or on Facebook at Black Diamond NOW Photography.

Juvenile Bald Eagles

It's going to be a great week with lots of sunshine.  A perfect time to go birding in the Samish Flats along Bayview Edison Road near the town of Edison in Skagit County.  Salmon runs up the Nooksack and Skagit rivers have ended and a large number of eagles head west to feed on migrating birds that congregate here.  I saw over 30 eagles perched in one tree.  What caught my attention was the large number of immature juveniles under 4 years of age.  At least two thirds were juveniles.  How can you tell a juvenile from mature bald eagles?  Pretty easy.  Following is a picture of a youngster learning to fly here at Lake Sawyer.  

Despite being just 3 or 4 months old, Junior (my nickname for him/her) had grown to be pretty large by then - nearly the size of an adult.  Junior was learning to fly by hopping between branches where they were nesting.  Note the black beak.  That's a sure sign of a first year bald eagle.

Here's another 1st year juvenile feeding on fish in our front yard.  They grow to full size quickly.  Note their feathers - more white feathers on their back and definitely not very graceful.

In the second year, juveniles acquire more white mottling on their back and underwings and their bill begins to turn yellow-brown.

As you can see, they aren't afraid to take on the adults.

In year three, almost there.

And finally, in year 4, ready for a post card.

 

 

Lake Sawyer - Sunrise Winter Capital of the Pacific Northwest

Well, I may have gotten a bit carried away with this post's headline, but it's not that far off either.  Living in Black Diamond and at Lake Sawyer, we certainly fly below the radar screen of the photography community in the northwest.  What makes our location so cool is that at this time of year, particularly in December, January and February, the sun rises and sets as far south as it gets.  The angle of the sun is also at it's lowest which results in particularly intense colors.  With Lake Sawyer waters often calm like glass and given spectacular views of both the Cascades and Mount Rainier, we live in a pretty neat area.

Earlier this week, we saw some of this season's most spectacular scenes to date.  Following are photos of my favorite sunrises over the Cascades and of Mt. Rainier so far this year.  This first one was taken on Thurs. 1/30/2020 and the other on Monday 1/27/2020.  For those interested, I've included camera settings used for each photo.  As you will see, I experiment a lot and change settings frequently to best fit changes in lighting and satisfy my penchant for learning through experimentation.

18 mm focal length, f16, 15 sec., ISO 800

Earlier in the week, the clouds parted long enough to give us some great views of Mt. Rainier.  Since the trees have grown tall enough over the years to obscure our view of the mountain, I find it best to head out in my kayak.  This gives me the mobility necessary to find the best locations.

84 mm focal length, f20, 1/100th sec., ISO400

The other advantage of taking photos from a kayak is this keeps you very low in the water and a perspective you don't often see.  I like vertical shots too, though using a longer focal length brings you closer to the mountain.

154 mm focal length, f20, 1/100th sec., ISO 400

Time doesn't stand still either.  The changes in scene and lighting over a short period of time make it challenging to make the appropriate changes in camera settings needed, which I do manually, while also trying to keep my kayak properly oriented.  Without use of a tripod, all pictures are taken with a hand held camera, which results in faster exposures than one might use if on terra firma. 

92 mm focal length, f16, 1/100th sec., ISO800

72mm focal length, f16, 1/100th sec., ISO1000

Back on our dock, more time to play with different camera settings, focal lengths and compositions.

26 mm focal length, f4.0, 4 sec., ISO200

The above photo was the first one I took while experimenting with alternative camera settings and compositions.

16 mm focal length, f22, 3.2 sec., ISO200

35 mm focal length, f22, 30 sec., ISO200

Some fog in these last two photos as the sun began to show on the horizon.  While in my kayak, I use manual focus and a faster shutter speed to keep the image sharp, while on the dock, I can use longer exposures and more auto-focus.

Having too much fun and enjoying the beauty we have at Lake Sawyer - Sunrise Winter Capital of the Pacific Northwest.

Feeling Housebound? A Cure for What Ails You!

Short days, dreary skies and wet.  Sounds like January in the pacific northwest.  Rather than mope around complaining, it's time to get outside and go exploring.  When was the last time you hiked down into the Green River Gorge, visited the Seymour Botanical Conservatory at Wright Park in Tacoma or went for a walk in the Washington Arboretum in Seattle?  We have boundless choices that will put a smile on your face.  For me, being a Cougar, I had never before been to the Washington Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens just south of the UW campus.  So, on a wet overcast day last week, Judy and I headed off to go exploring and what a great experience it was.

We even found Winter Gardens full of flowers now in bloom.

What a beautiful natural setting.

I think what surprised me most was the size (234 acres) and natural character of the arboretum with trails galore.  And so much color for this time of year.

Over 1 mile from end to end, you have an opportunity to get some exercise too.

Any idea what these are?  Or these?

And don't forget your umbrella!

What's Your Favorite Color?

You sure can tell a lot about people - their asperations, their mood, their personality - simply by observing individual color preferences.  What color clothes do they wear?  What color cars do they drive?  What does their home décor look like?  What color artwork or photography do people buy to hang on their walls, often indicative of people's "comfort zone"?  With our daughter (E.R. physician) and son (pastor) both having intense professional lives, yet also immersed in artistic endeavors (fabric/clothes/quilt design and photography), I've become more observant about color and its meaning in our every day lives.  

According to the "experts", color has great symbolism.  For example:

• Red - excitement, energy, passion, aggression, heat, danger
• Blue - peace, tranquility, calm, harmony, wisdom, stability
• Orange - energy, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant
• Yellow - joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism
• etc. Symbolism of Color

So if I wanted to take a photograph of Mt. Rainier, for example, what colors am I looking for that would appeal the most to people?  The mountain can be  impressive even in black and white and scene composition matters a whole lot too, but so does color.  What colors do I want to see?  Would you believe PINK?  Part of it is the overall lighting that tends to go along with pink hues, but this is certainly my favorite during both sunrise and sunset.  It's also highly symbolic:

• Pink - love, romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance, calm

For example, here's one of my favorite "calm and tender" photographs of Mt. Rainier in recent months.

In a cold and icy environment, pink tones seems to make it much more comfortable.

The same can be said for Mt. Adams even though it was just 20 degrees when I took this from the shore of Trout Lake.

You can even see a silhouette of Mt. Rainier in this one.  How about Mount Hood?  Pink and peaceful to be sure.

And Mount Baker too.

As you can see, just a hint of pink is enough to soften an image and bring calm, while even in cold and snowy conditions.  Here's Mt. St. Helens dressed in pink.

Can you guess which colors top the list for 2019 Color Trends - the worlds most popular colors?  If you guessed Plastic Pink along with Proton Purple and UFO Green, you would have been right on the money.  I think I'll stick with Landscape Pink, slightly ahead of our time in the northwest.

Next up, how to predict Pink skies.

Lake Wilderness Rocks

With Lake Sawyer and all of the many acres and miles of trails through Lake Sawyer Regional Park and the Black Diamond Natural Area, many of us who live here probably under appreciate our neighbor to the north - Lake Wilderness.  Though smaller in size and more developed for recreational uses, Lake Wilderness is another of our area's real gems.  Recently, I've grown to particularly appreciate the Lake Wilderness Arboretum and the many plants and flowers that we can find growing there in a beautiful natural setting.  But I must say, it's been years since I explored the lake.  So armed with my camera, it was time to go exploring.  Good decision.

Were you aware of the fantastic views of Mt. Rainier that you can find here?  I certainly don't recall seeing the mountain from here before.

Now, if only I can find a way to get on top of the roof of the Lake Wilderness Lodge. 

Here's one of my favorite photos of fall colors that I've taken this year.

Even the Lodge is beautiful in its setting.

Between the lake, the park and the arboretum, plenty to see while you wander about.  And did I mention the Cedar to Green River trail that borders the east side of the lake?  Bring your jogging shoes too or take your kids and grandkids for a bike ride!

Nature's Magic

What a great time of year it is right now.  Leaves are turning brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow and falling from trees in bunches.  There was a time growing up when I didn't appreciate all those leaves.  It took time to rake them up into piles and haul them away to compost.  Today, I have a much better appreciation for nature's magic and look forward to time in the mountains to experience the change of seasons.  This weekend, I observed and learned something new - one of the better places to see brilliant colors in the forest now is to visit areas recently logged.  An area recently replanted can be perfect, like this Gifford Pinchot National Forest land shown below.

Young douglas fir trees have been replanted here but this still "leaves" (pun intended) quite a bit of land area at risk of erosion.  Air borne seed from deciduous trees, like alder and maple, help fill the voids and hold the ground until youngster firs can begin their tall reach for the sky and shade out their temporary companions.  So much beauty here right now.  The above photo was taken along Hwy 23 just north of Trout Lake.

And then I return home and look out the window across Lake Sawyer.  I gotta say, this view is pretty tough to beat.

 

 

More Birds of Prey - Some Odd Shots of Owls

What does a baby Great Horned Owl look like when it first ventures out of the nest?  It looks like it had a rough night!

Taken from a very long distance but managed to get focused on this one's eyes.  These two youngsters were moving about very carefully in the crotch of a tree at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Wildlife Refuge.  Both had what looked like a feather "crust" still clinging to them around their head area.  Lots of growing up yet to do for these two.

Fierce predators.  Because most owls are nocturnal and silent hunters of the night, finding and photographing them has for me been very challenging.  Short eared owls in the Skagit Valley have been the easiest to find during the day.

For Burrowing Owls, who also hunt and wander about during the day, Othello is the place to go.  You'll find them burrowed under some old irrigation ditches.

Cute little guys.  Speaking of little guys, try to find a tiny Northern Saw-whet Owl like this one hiding in the bushes at Nisqually trying to get some sleep.  Not much larger than my fist.

This Long-eared Owl was nearly impossible to find and photograph hiding among all the branches.  Finally, it was his eye that blinked open, giving him away.

In Black Diamond, Great Horned Owls seem to be the most common in the forested areas around Lake Sawyer and I have heard reports of a Great Grey Owl.  Though I have heard a lot of them, I have yet to get a decent photo here.  But it's a fun challenge.  Keep your ears open and let me know where you see or hear them.  Thanks

Northwest Wildlife Photos for Sale

Current Northwest Wildlife favorites include:

Tommy Talon

Bully Boy

Gone Fishing

Kokanee for Dinner

Bomber

Talons Out

Sweetie

Here He Comes

Shorty

On Patrol

Price List:

• Greeting Cards  $4 each, 3 for $10
• 8 x 12 Matted Prints   $25
• 13 x 19 Print   $25
• Call or email for quotes on other sizes, canvas prints and metal prints

craig.goodwin99@gmail.com

 

Northwest Scenes Photos for Sale

Current Northwest Scenes favorites include:

Plummer Peak Tarn Reflections

Milky Way over Sunrise and Mount Rainier

Full Moon Rising

Tipsoo Sunset

Tipsoo Moring Reflections

A Star is Born at Shi Shi

Sunset at Bench Lake

Tipsoo Sunset as Winter Arrives

Moonlit Night

Snowmelt Reflections

Price List:

• Greeting Cards $4 each, 3 for $10
• 8 x 12 Matted Prints $25
• 13 x 19 Print $25
• Call or email for quotes on other sizes, canvas prints and metal prints

craig.goodwin99@gmail.com

 

 

Black Diamond Scenes Photos for Sale

Current Black Diamond Scenes favorites include:

Lake Sawyer Sunrise

Lake Sawyer Mountain Reflections

Winter Wonderland

Time to Get Up

Time for Bed

Evening Calm

Morning Magic

Price List:

• Greeting Cards $4 each, 3 for $10
• 8 x 12 Matted Prints $25
• 13 x 19 Print $25

Call or email for quotes on other sizes, canvas prints and metal prints

craig.goodwin99@gmail.com

 

Hiking to Park Butte - Another Gem

The more hiking and backpacking that we do, the more "must do" hikes we find.  And so many yet to explore.  The trail to Park Butte Lookout in the Mt. Baker Recreation Area is a great case in point.  We've heard about it and read about it, but somehow never had or found the time to go exploring there.  It is a bit of a drive (about 2.5 hours), but so much to see once you get there.  For this trip to the Mt. Baker area, I used a campground near the dam at Mt. Baker Lake as base camp.  The drive from there to the trailhead is about 20 miles along logging roads similar to driving along FS70 and FS73 just east of Greenwater that take us to Kelly Butte and Suntop respectively.  Graveled, dusty and bumpy but doable with patience.

The trailhead is a large one with parking for about 60 vehicles.  But with the many trails that begin here, including climbing to the summit of Mt. Baker, it's busy and don't even try to park here on weekends and get there early on week days.  My target for this day was the lookout trail - a hike of about 4 miles one way and 2,100 feet of elevation gain.  And did I tell you about the views?

Note the 3 glaciers that you can see coming down the mountain.  The one on the right is where you begin the climb to the summit.  A spur off the main trail can get you to the base.  Lots of wildflowers along the trail too.

You can see the top of the mountain just over the horizon and small streams flowing down the hillside through the meadows.

I love seeing tarns and trying to photograph mountain reflections in the water.  I found four that were still reasonable size, even in August.

Hard to photograph in mid-day with full sun, but pretty none the less.  Here's a view from the top.

Looking for a new and different hike?  You gotta go to Park Butte.

 

Hiking to Owyhigh Lakes and Tamanos Mountain

Looking for a hike that rates A+ for wildflowers, has expansive alpine scenery and great Mt. Rainier views?  Then now is the time to head to Tamanos Mountain, elevation 6,790 ft.  While gaining 3,135 ft. over 4+ miles, you will get your exercise - and views of Mt. Adams too.  Though the lakes are nice, hike past them and you will soon find the best display of wildflowers that we have seen this year.  Lupine and paintbrush are both now in their prime.

But for me, it's the unique and wide open views of Mt. Rainier that I really love up here.  Nice and close even with a wide angle lens.

What makes this viewpoint different is that it is taken from the east/northeast.  Summerland is over the ridge directly ahead, but you can't get a full view from there.  Directly behind us some miles back to the east is Shriner Peak, but it's not as close up.  You also get an interesting view of Sarvent Glaciers.  Snow melt from here, joins with runoff from Frying Pan Glacier flowing into the White River born at Emmons Glacier.

.

This trip, once we reached the saddle at the top of the ridge, we took the trail to the left heading south, rather that go right (north) to the peak summit  Great views from this side.  Stitching several wide angle shots togethers yield this broader view yet from this vantage point.

Oh, and did I mention the wildflowers?  This one was taken on the way back down.

A little steep as you can see.

Needless to say, Judy and I had lots of fun.  Following is a map of Mt. Rainier National Park that might give you a better idea of where Owyhigh Lakes and Tamanos Mountain are located in relation to more well known landmarks.  I added a red arrow pointing to Tamanos Mountain from Owyhigh Lakes.

To get there, drive to the White River entrance to the park as you would if heading to Sunrise.  Before you reach White River Campground, you will see a sign and pullout on your right for the Owyhigh Lakes trail.  To get to Tamanos, go a short distance passed the lakes and take a rough trail that heads off to the right through the wildflowers.  It's all uphill from there.  About 9 miles roundtrip.   Hope you have fun.

 

 

Predators

Living in the northwest, we are blessed with nature's bounty.  This includes the cute and cuddly looking bunnies, squirrels and chipmunks that we so love to see, even in our yards, as well as those predators who rely on these same creatures as a staple in their diet.  I didn't think that I'd ever see bears roaming around Lake Sawyer, but so they were this year, even swimming in the lake.  Raccoons are also regular visitors and not to mess with as are river otters and beavers.  We've even seen a weasel in our yard.  But it's birds of prey that we see most often among the predators and their antics can be amazing to watch as they target their dinner of the day.

What's the most amazing bird of prey that we've see while hiking and exploring?  Not eagles and not osprey, though they are so much fun to watch, but I would have to say seeing a peregrine falcon in action was the most exciting.

We saw this peregrine eating dinner after downing it's prey along Shi Shi beach.  Never thought that we would be so close.  Did you know that peregrines are the fastest bird in flight in the world with speeds topping 200 mph.  They literally dive bomb their prey, stunning them with the force of their hits.  They are not big (about the size of a crow) but they sure pack a wallop.  

Eagles, of course, are reining kings of the sky and appear to fear nothing.  Just look at those talons.

For the best form diving, however, it's osprey that win the prize.   And look at the size of the prey they can catch.

This kokanee salmon must weigh 2 or 3 lbs.  A family of osprey take up residency here at Lake Sawyer most of the year, while bald eagles typically head north by mid July or so for summer vacation - and summer salmon runs.  Here's one at Lake Sawyer with a large catfish.  Poor picture but it does show the catfish.

Not quite as glamorous perhaps as peregrine falcons, bald eagles and osprey, we also have quite a few of what I'll call "blue collar" birds of prey of the hawk and owl families that we can see more widely in the Puget sound area.  We even get to see short eared owls in flight during daylight hours.  Very graceful and very powerful.  I wouldn't want to be a rodent with these guys around.

Rough legged hawks are somewhat smaller but fast and also in pursuit of rodents.  Even saw one of these guys hunting at Kelly Butte lookout.

American Kestrels are one of the prettier, though petite, members of the hawk family.  

Kestrel will eat anything from insects (beetles, dragonflies, spiders and butterflies), to rodents, to small birds.  Really really quick.  Too many more to include in this post.  Soooo much fun observing and photographing them all.  One thing they all seem to have in common - so graceful and so determined.

 

 

Exploring Windy Ridge

For those seeking to see Mount St. Helens and learn more about the epic eruption of 1985, the Johnston Ridge Observatory is the go-to place.  Great trails, great facilities and wonderful wildflowers in bloom this time of year.  If you haven't been there, you must go.  However, if you want to avoid the crowds and see first hand the devastation wrought closer to the mountain, then Windy Ridge is the place.  But you really have to want to get there.  It's an adventure.

Johnston Ridge Observatory is located northwest of Mt. St. Helens.  Windy Ridge provides a completely different perspective located northeast of the mountain, closer than Johnston Ridge and also overlooks beautiful Spirit Lake.  Here's a view of sunset from Windy Ridge this past Monday.

This photo was taken using an ultra wide angle 16 mm lens.  The mountain is a lot closer than what it looks to be.

You can climb up on the ridge to your left and get even closer.  Not much snow left this time of year.  A great place for sunset too, overlooking Spirit Lake.

Notice the paintbrush blooming here now.  This whole ridge was once completely denuded with trees blown down and buried in ash.  It's great to see wildflowers coming back.  Also from this vantage point, I could see Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens all at the same time.

Mt. Rainier to the north.

Mt. Hood to the south.  Mt. Adams to the east was partially hidden by cloud cover.  I was so excited to see all the wildflowers, though only a small fraction of those we can now see at Johnston Ridge.  But it's a start.

By means of comparison, following is what we now see at Johnston Ridge.

There is no road directly linking the two Mt. St. Helens visitor sites.  If you are at Johnson Ridge and want to also visit Windy Ridge, you have to travel back to I-5, head back north to Hwy 12 and go east on Hwy 12 to Randle, head south from there on Hwy 131 and now the adventure begins.  It's only 34 miles from here on Forest Service Road 25 connecting to Forest Service Road 99 to get to Windy Ridge but it can easily take 1.5 hours.  The road is paved, sort of, very bumpy and as windy as it is windy.  Lot's more exploring to do here.