The mother of all solar storms slammed the planet on May 9th. I even briefly observed the Kp scale going down to an unheard level of Kp9. The strength of the storm was 4x of the typical that I had witness in the PNW in the past. And it wasn't just one event, it was a train of half a dozen storms that impinged the planet in that timeframe. And during the height of these impacts, the auroral displays were observed as far south as Mexico, Austria and India, and as far north as Australia.
The internet has been flooded with plenty of images of this event over the past few days. Here is my contribution to this, an example of how the faint glow in the sky was really a dazzling spectrum of colors that arced all over.
North Cascades National Park
WA USA
Summer in the Cascades
Mt Baker shines on a glorious summer day in the North Cascades. Hikes like these won't be open for another six months.
Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
The Beginning of Summer
While the Pacific Northwest is already in the binds of fall with cooler temperatures and shorter days, I still remember the beginning of summer as though it was yesterday. During one of the early heat waves, I made it out to this famed reflection of Mt Shuksan before it lost its coat of snow and ice later in the summer. Walking around in balmy 60 degree weather at sunrise, when it would have normally been close to freezing, was surreal
Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
A Sunny Fall
Fall is here in the PNW, admittedly. Wandering around the neighborhood and on the hiking trails, the signs are unmistakable: the reddening leaves of the tiny blueberry shrubs, tall fireweed, and the broad leaved maples. That it is here a couple of weeks early, despite the mercury hovering around the nominal for this month. It meant that I had to prepone plans for capturing the rather short season when color changes around the Pacific Northwest.
Despite the spells of wet weather, I was able to head out during one of the sunnier days to capture the burst of colors carpeting the slopes of the North Cascades.
Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
A Night Out
Unlike the previous one, which was a fortuitous coincidence of circumstances, shots of the Milky Way, like the one above, are far more planned. Having had an image in mind of a composition involving the galactic arm rising above the snow-capped volcanic cone of Mt Baker, just as the first rays of moonlight light up the east-facing slopes, I trudged up an appropriate viewpoint at sunset hoping to stake out such a location. But despite the planning, this too required quite a bit of luck: a cloud-free smog-free sky unaffected by the wildfires raging the Pacific Northwest, and snow-free access to a location where this shoot was possible.
Thankfully, the atmospheric conditions cooperated for the most part, and except for the light polution at the horizon, and the light haze from the fires, it was a blissful night for photography. I watched as the sky slowly transitioned from the orange hues of sunset to the deep purple of twilight, and small sparks of light slowly appeared in the sky, starting with the brightest planets (Venus and Jupiter) followed by the dimmer stars. Soon thereafter, the band of the Milky Way slowly made its appearance, first visible only to the camera, and then to the naked eye. The mercury dropped too, and I found it ever more harder to keep myself warm, but I persisted, waiting until the band slowly moved over to the summit of Mt Baker.
Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
Mountain Summer
The month of July in the Pacific Northwest is typically characterized by balmy weather and sunny skies, with just the occasional shower to keep the temperatures at a reasonable level. The Cascades still retain a bit of their winter snowpack while down below, meadows take their summer green coat and burst with wildflowers. This year though, was a tad different. By late July, the Pacific Northwest had already endured two months of dry heat, thanks to the heat dome. Without any precipitation, wildfires spread far and wide, and their smoke spread through most of the Cascades. The heat also caused most of the snow capping the volcanic peaks to melt away and reveal the dirty understory. It didn't take long for us to realize it wasn't a normal summer.
The mercury has certainly dropped in August, but the smoke is still hanging on, and during one of the clearer weekends, I caught sight of the characteristic volcanic cone of Mt Baker rising high above the green meadows and wildflowers of the North Cascades ranges
Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
Summer mornings
High in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest lay wilderness areas which I can only dream about. Many are inaccessible, requiring scrambling up steep mountains just to get glimpses of snow-capped peaks. Thankfully, this was one of those places where wide open vistas of Mt Baker greet any hiker. And if you are the lucky ones to spend the night up here, beautiful sunrises and sunsets await them.
It is a rather short season season to visit this destination in the Pacific Northwest. Are you making the most of the amazing time in Washington?
Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
This is the Pacific Northwest
As the temperatures finally start warming, and the daylight hours extend to the better side of bearability, I can finally start planning for the summer hiking season. Though short, the four month window of summer is the main reason that I put up through the drudgery that is the long and gloomy winter. Endless mountains ranges dotted by glacier-capped volcanoes, breathtaking scenery with innumerable hidden hiking destinations, and glistening lakes surrounded by swaths of wildflowers, all make the summer a refreshing escape for the mind and a rejuvenating experience for the soul.
I can't wait to get out again.
Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
Beyond Sunset
I almost didn't get this shot.
It was getting dark and cold at the summit of the peak near Mt Baker. My shoes, having been soaked in slushy snow for the better part of the evening, was starting to freeze over. And I didn't relish the thought of walking down on snowy trails in pitch black.
But last light of twilight wasn't done yet. As a dark blue hue enveloped the sky from the eastern horizon, the western sky transitioned from bright yellow to a deep orange the likes of which I had never seen before. And against this backdrop, the unmistakable cone of Mt Baker rose up framed by a gradation of colors. And I knew I had to stop and get this.
Mt Baker Wilderness
WA USA
High in the Pacific Northwest
The short summer season leaves very little room to explore the mountains. So when July comes around, I try to take every opportunity to head to the vast wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.
This year, it will likely be a different experience: the pandemic will most certainly shape the number of people I go with and limit interactions in the outdoors. It also will remove one of my favorite parts of hiking: the post-hike burger, beer and ice-cream, which will most likely be relegated to flimsy takeouts.
Nevertheless, I still hope to head outdoors, and capture the wonder that is the wonderland of the Pacific Northwest.
Here are four images from different parts of Washington and British Columbia, showcasing the endless mountain-scape of rugged peaks with mighty glaciers and volcanoes interspersed amongst them.