Nature: September 2005 Archives
Sunset over the Pacific Ocean, as seen from the Quillayute Indian Reservation along the coast near Olympic National Park.
We lucked out -- Hurricane Rita trended to the east and all we got here in Clear Lake (and in Conroe, where I'd evacuated) was some wind and rain and mean-looking clouds.
As we headed back to the car after our hike along the beach in Olympic National Park, I spotted these sunbeams coming through the trees.
In other news, I live on the border of Houston and Galveston County (Texas) but have headed north to get a bit farther inland and away from Hurricane Rita. The photoblog's on auto-pilot today and for a couple more days. Daily updates will follow as usual after that, unless Rita has other ideas!
We arrived at Rialto Beach in Olympic National Park early -- around 8:00 a.m. We wanted to be there at low tide to wander among the tidepools and around the headlands, but being there early also allowed us to see these beautiful, wispy morning clouds lit by the sun before it had fully risen on the beach.
In other news, I live on the border of Houston and Galveston County (Texas) but have headed north to get a bit farther inland and away from Hurricane Rita. The photoblog's on auto-pilot today and for a couple more days. Daily updates will follow as usual after that, unless Rita has other ideas!
Seagull footprints were all over the beach at Olympic National Park in Washington. Driftwood was everywhere as well. It was really a beautiful beach.
In other news, I live on the border of Houston and Galveston County (Texas) but have headed north to get a bit farther inland and away from Hurricane Rita. The photoblog's on auto-pilot today and for a couple more days. Daily updates will follow as usual after that, unless Rita has other ideas!
Gavin (and Jen and Ian in the distance) along the beginning of the trail to Grand Valley in Olympic National Park. The landscape there was so different, and so much more impressive, than what I had imagined. We passed through fields of yellow grass, clouds, slopes full of rock shards, and tall trees -- all in the 4 miles to the valley.
Elsewhere, it's my final day at Scene from my Life, so check it out.
On the last morning of our trip to the Seattle-area national parks, we walked along the Olympic National Park coast from Rialto Beach to Hole-in-the-Wall. It was low tide, so we were able to see a lot of cool tide pools and rock formations. I liked the look here as water from a nearby creek carved rivulets in the sand.
Elsewhere, I'm doing Scene from my Life this week, so check it out.
After an unexpectedly chilly night camping on the shore of Grand Lake in the backcountry of Olympic National Park, we woke up to frost covering all the grass and trees. It was cold! Fortunately, the sun came up and instantly warmed up, and resulted in this great reflection of the mountains in the lake.
Submitted for Theme Thursday, Parks.
Elsewhere, I'm doing Scene from my Life this week, so check it out.
On the trip back from San Francisco a few weeks ago, we flew through Denver. I was on a United flight, which I like because passengers are able to listen to the air traffic control communication from our seats. I heard the Denver center direct many a plane to fly directly over Longs Peak as they directed all the traffic carefully through huge thunderheads and onto the ground in Denver.
As we landed, my window faced west, and I saw the silhouette of the Rockies in the distance backlit by the sunset. I am not entirely certain, but my best guess is that the tallest mountain on the horizon is indeed Longs Peak, the 14,259 foot grandaddy of Rocky Mountain National Park. In late July 2004, seven friends and I climbed almost to the top of the peak before being turned back by late season ice and snow.
The photo wasn't sharp to begin with, so I enhanced the softness a bit to emphasize the clouds and rain we were flying through.
Tomorrow I'll be returning to photos from my more recent trip to Seattle.
Elsewhere, I'm doing Scene from my Life this week, so check it out.
As we flew out of Seattle on Tuesday evening, we got a final parting shot of Mt. Rainier below us. The funky shadowing on the right is a result of me pressing my camera as close to the window as I possibly could to get the entire mountain in the shot!
This was the view of Mt. Rainier as we drove away on Saturday morning. You couldn't see the mountain while you were standing on it on Friday, but Saturday from a distance it loomed large. I stopped the car on the side of the road to shoot this one.
From one west coast destination to another! From San Francisco to the Pacific Northwest! I'm back from a great extended Labor Day weekend in and around Seattle with more lovely photos to share.
Sadly, the weekend also uncovered my new nemesis: that hulking volcano otherwise known as Mt. Rainier. Despite being able to gawk at its size from 100 miles away in Seattle on Thursday, the top was hidden by clouds when we arrived at the national park on Friday to hike the Skyline Trail. This is the best view I got from the top of the trail -- a glimpse through the swirling clouds. (Here's a more, ahem, humorous take on the view.)
As we drove away Saturday morning, I could see it again. As we flew away on Tuesday, I could see it again. But while actually walking around on the mountain? Nada.
Stupid clouds.
This shot was taken at around 9:00 in the morning as we climbed Four Mile Trail from the valley floor to Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park. On the right is the stunning face of El Capitan, 3,000 feet from top to bottom. The Merced River runs through the valley below.
In other news, I'm in and around Seattle for the next few days, seeing some sights, taking in a baseball game, and hitting the trails around Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Park. The photoblog's on auto-pilot, and I'll be back next Wednesday.
Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California. Uncropped, shot from Sentinel Bridge with a 200mm lens. I love the different shades of the granite visible on the shear face. The top of Half Dome is about 8,800 feet above sea level, or about 4,800 feet above the floor of Yosemite Valley.
In other news, I'm in and around Seattle for the next few days, seeing some sights, taking in a baseball game, and hitting the trails around Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Park. The photoblog's on auto-pilot, and I'll be back next Wednesday.
