Pine Siskin
Spotted this little finch eating seeds in a shrub alongside the Nooksack River. Pine siskin live year-round in Washington State, and are seed-eaters closely related to gold finch. This little guy can increase its metabolic rate by 5X in order to survive overnight temperatures as low as -85F. They store extra seeds in a portion […]
Frosty Morning in Snohomish River Estuary
It was a frosty early morning of bird watching on Spencer Island in the Snohomish River Estuary. An extremely high tide (12.0 feet) flooded through breaches in the dikes and into the estuary, providing great fishing habitat for great blue heron and bald eagles. The sun rose in a spectacle of color and began melting […]
Skyline Divide Trail – Washington North Cascades
If you the to do some hiking in Washington State’s North Cascade mountains, consider the Skyline Divide trail. This classic ridge hike is accessed from a 4400 foot altitude trailhead that quickly gets you up into flower-filled sub-alpine meadows. Mount Baker’s north face dominates the view to the south, while Mount Shuksan fills the eastern […]
Mountain Heather, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington Cascades
“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread.” — Edward Abbey
Liberty Bell Mountain, Washington Pass, Washington
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” — Thomas Jefferson
Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington State
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” — Abraham Lincoln
Western Red Cedar, Cascade Mountains, Washington State
“It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men’s hearts, as for that subtle something – that quality of air, that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.” — Robert Louis Stevenson
Snowshoeing in the North Cascades, Washington
“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.” — Aristotle
Downey Creek Trail, Cascade Mountains, Washington State
“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” — John Muir
Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” — John Steinbeck
Snowshoeing Mount Baker National Recreation Area, Washington
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Scrambling in Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington State
“The gladdest moment in human life, me thinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” — Sir Richard Burton
Snow on Liberty Bell Mountain, Washington Pass, Washington State
“Despite all I have seen and experienced, I still get the same simple thrill out of glimpsing a tiny patch of snow in a high mountain gully and feel the same urge to climb toward it.” — Edmund Hillary A classic view of Liberty Bell Mountain from the Washington Pass Overlook on a snowy early […]
Seattle Skyline Reflecting in Elliot Bay
“I often think that the night is more alive and richly colored than the day.” — Vincent Van Gogh
Giant kelp air bladders, Salt Creek Recreation Area, Washington
“Nature is pleased with Simplicity.” — Isaac Newton
Lime Kiln Lighthouse, San Juan Island
“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” — Aristotle
Lonely Tree, Palouse, Washington
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” — Robert Louis Stevenson
Mystic Lake, Mount Rainier National Park
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” — Edith Wharton
Alpine Stream, Cascade Mountains
“Coming near the edge of the snowfield I find running water close to the surface, visible among the rocks. I stop to drink. The water is bitterly, brilliantly cold with particles of glacier silt — utterly delicious.” — Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
Winter Hike in the Cascade Mountains
“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.” — Edward Abbey
Skagit Valley Tulip Sunrise
Another year, another spring and another sunrise in the colorful RoozenGaarde fields of tulips in Washington State’s Skagit Valley. Now at least a 15 year tradition, my family makes the 45 minute pre-dawn drive to witness and photograph another spectacular sunrise over 350 acres of tulips standing in neat rows organized by Dutch settlers since […]
