Today we did Hurricane Ridge and - WOW! Drove 17 twisty miles up-up-up to the visitors center. Did the little easy hikes around the immediate area, followed by a long hike (it seemed long to us!) up to Hurricane Hill. These pictures tell most of the tale, but there's no way to completely convey the magic and wonder of this beautiful spot in the mountains. With such a clear and sunny day, we saw SO much: subalpine meadows full of flowers, patches of snow (in August...!) views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Canada, multiple peaks of the Olympic Mountain Range, glaciers, flowers, wildlife, sunset... Oh my. Sensory overload! But what a wonderful day it was!
 |
| Kindly note the elevation.... |
 |
| Roadsides were just gorgeous. |
 |
| They call this "lingering snow".... |
 |
Deer everywhere. Fearless.
It was fun to watch the visitors be astonished by the deer in the parking lot! |
 |
| The facts. |
 |
| And the reality! |
 |
| Nice to be still and just look. |
 |
| While I was standing still on the trail, this young buck walked by and went to bed. |
 |
| This rabbit was also unafraid of humans. |
 |
| Marmot? What the heck is a marmot? |
 |
| This one was ambling across the meadow. |
 |
| This one was having a little siesta. |
 |
| This one was eating. |
 |
| Another sizable patch of "lingering snow". |
 |
This deer walked right past us on on the trail.
Could have reached out and touched her as she went by. |
 |
| Paintbrush, and Pussytoes. |
 |
| Sunset at 5,200 ft. |
 |
| A little alpenglow remains as the sun sets. |
Such a beautiful place - ain't it grand you get to experience it!!
ReplyDeleteMost definitely wonderful that we managed this one on a clear day!
DeleteWowzers Indeed. Glad you're enjoy some time away. The south is still steamy with daily rains.
ReplyDelete