Leslie and I spent Sunday in the Olympics, the first time we’ve managed a hike in the mountains this year. Unfortunately, we were too late to catch the flowers. Truthfully, though, I go to the mountains for the views and the sense of standing on top of the world, as in this shot from the Visitor’s Center on Hurricane Ridge.
Of course, you can’t visit the mountains without testing yourself against the trails, most often guarded by ever-vigilant
chipmunks, rarely by flitting Pine White butterflies,
and sometimes by female Mountain Bluebirds.
Strangely enough, the view doesn’t look very different from the top of Hurricane Hill,
though the 1.5 mile walk up to the 5757-foot pinnacle makes it seem rather different.
great pr photos for the ridge. terrific opener, always keeps me floating when i am up there and you don’t miss a step. thanks.kjm
hi loren, thanks for these. i’ve never been in real mountains so i love to see what they look like. chipmunks – well we’ve got one living in our garden these years so it’s neat to see a distant cousin out there!!! have a lovely day. steven
I’m speechless at the first photo (and as you may know – I’m seldom speechless).
It’s easy for those of us living in the Pacific Northwest (perhaps the whole West Coast) to forget that most of the country has nothing to compare with our nearby mountains.
I remember offending most of Kentucky when I asked where the Kentucky Mountains were, and I was looking right at them. It didn’t help when I said that the hill I lived on in West Seattle was taller than most of those “mountains.”
When you live in a state where the highest point is about 600 feet above sea level, pictures like these are almost surreal. Jealous am I.
It’s been a long long time since I visited Hurricane Ridge or Washington’s ocean coast, for that matter. Seeing your recent photos is like being in those places. I can feel those places in my bones when I look at your photos. As far as I’m concerned, September/October is the best time of year to be in the mountains and at the ocean in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks so much, Loren!