olympic national park

Winter escapes

In a PNW winter, the high summits of the Cascades or the Olympics beckon us to hike through wooded lowland trails, cross deep banks of snow, traverse icy ridges and reach rocky summits. And if you are lucky, you would be the first person of the day to break trail. When the conditions are right, the PNW rewards you with a remarkable experience: traversing through powder snow under bluebird skies to guide you to panoramic vistas of icy peaks, sun-kissed summits and rocky ridges. Higher up, conical edifices of conifers that braved the winter storms dot the soft embankments of white, resembling ancient creatures traversing slowly through the snow.

This year is quite unlike any other. With higher than average temperatures, the snowline and snowpack have receded to historically unprecedented levels. Whether it is a temporary quirk of nature or a symptom of a longer-term climactic pattern, the coldest month in the PNW has proved not to be. So here are scenes from prior years of the blue and white jewels of the PNW.

National Parks of Washington
USA

Winter Blues

It is going to be a frigid weak ahead. Icy winds from the north will push the mercury to below freezing in the latter half of the week. And it is likely going to result in conditions that create this scene over the weekend.

How are you going to prepare for the cold wave?

Olympic National Park
WA USA

Winter Light

On a rare storm-free winter weekend in Washington, I managed to sneak out to the Olympic coast in search of some color after a long spell of the famous PNW greys. Thankfully the sky opened up that weekend for what turned out to be a remarkable sunset. I tried multiple compositions of that sunset, trying to frame the seastack and the small tidepools with the setting sun. This was one such outcome from that memorable sunset

Olympic National Park
WA USA

Rainless Sky

Sometimes I just stare in wonder at what nature can create. On a rare sunny winter day in the Olympics range of Washington, a small cloudburst empties itself into the thin dry air. I found myself drawn in to its inverse pattern created by the pyramidal mountains of the Olympics

Olympic National Park
WA USA

Colors to Remember

There was not much holding me back from heading back to the comfort of my parked car that evening.
I was freezing on that beach and the best of the light had already left the skies. I was looking forward to a warm meal on that winter evening, but my gut instinct kept me back. Thankfully my instinct proved right, and the burn lasted for a long time

Olympic National Park
WA USA

Misty Woods

Unlike the last photo which was taken on a sunny weekend, this one instead was on a cloudy day, typical of winter in the pacific Northwest. Instead of grand landscapes, I chose to focus on the ethereal fog that keeps the rainforests of the Olympic peninsula rather wet and moist.

Olympic National Park

WA USA

Idyll in the Wild

And finally, not all winter destinations in the Pacific Northwest are of snow-covered landscapes. There are a few low-altitude destinations that are accessible year around, and provide spectacular vistas for photography on crisp winter days. This is one such location in the Olympics that I visited on a rare sunny day in the Pacific Northwest

Olympic National Park
WA USA

The Pineapple Express

A strong atmospheric river has been dumping moisture (picked up from Hawaii - hence the Pineapple express) into the Pacific Northwest over the past couple of weeks. As a result, the higher elevations have picked up more than their fair share of this white powder. Rare sunny days like the one where the above image was shot provide a great window into this winter wonderland. This week, I am going to focus on such scenes from the Pacific Northwest

Olympic National Park
WA USA