The false summer that the PNW underwent over the last week certainly gave a taste of the next few months. But in the mountains, the winter is still hanging around. The higher elevations still hides pristine snow-capped landscapes that would continue to draw winter adventurers up to the mountains for a few more weeks.
Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA
A Slow Winter
The winter weather in the PNW has been a mixed bag so far. Freezing conditions with light precipitation, followed by much milder conditions and moderate precipitation. Neither are great for catching the classic winter landscapes of the PNW.
So here is one from an earlier time when the winter weather actually followed through, and thoughtfully provided a gap during a weekend to catch the powder.
Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA
Fairies of Winter
A fresh snow storm transformed the steadfast conifers into angels of white. While trudging to the knee deep snow, I paused for a moment to seek solace in the silence amidst these fairies of winter.
Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA
Rainier Scenes
Rainier Scenes
January in the Pacific Northwest is usually characterized by grey gloomy skies and precipitation that lasts for days on end. And rainy weekends were the norm. So it was a rare coincidence that January of 2022 had plenty of sunny weekends where one could spend the outdoors under clear skies.
On one such weekend, I headed up the slopes of Rainier to capture remarkable winter scenes like this one. Such days more than make up for the less than average daylight in the PNW
Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA
Fruits of Labor
The reward for a steep climb up the slopes of Mount Rainier is a panoramic vista of the snow-capped ranges all around. With most peaks topping out at 9000ft in the North and Central Cascades, this winter destination offers a great reward-effort ratio for hikers. I chose to frame this composition with two hikers enjoying a sunny respite on a cold winter day
Mount Rainier 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
Morning in the Mountains
One of those rare sunny bluebird winter days earlier in the year yielded this wonderful view of Mount Rainier
Tahoma State Forest
WA USA
The Shimmer of Snow
Have you ever stopped to notice the sheen of light on the undulating snow. It is not a sight one encounters everyday, and I happened to chance upon such a scene while slogging back towards the trailhead after a long day out in the snow. The light, filtered by a thin layer of clouds, was soft, and gently highlighted the smooth slopes. A plethora of tracks wound through this undisturbed snow, and yet, there were vast unspoilt patches remaining this late in the day.
A few groves of pines stood steadfast, acting as waypoints on this vast landscape of endless mountains. These framed this vast alpine scenery as I encountered it.
Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA
Summitting Success
I was struggling on my uphill ascent on the brilliantly white slopes of Mt Rainier. Even in early spring, it felt like on a hot and sultry midsummers day. But the views goaded me on: with each minute of climbing, the surround landscape opened up more and more. As I scouted for compositions, I noticed one hiker gazing at the vast cloudscape in front of him.
I will never get to find out what caused this hiker to power pose and gaze at the vast snowscape on the sunny slopes of Mount Rainier, but I believe that he was perhaps celebrating a triumph of having climbed up so far to enjoy this grand panorama. Who knows what other demons he he has been dealing with!
Mount Rainier National Park
WA USA
The Heart of the Pacific Northwest
Windswept snowscapes, cowering ice-rimed trees, undulating banks of snow, frozen lakes and gurgling streams, and in the distance, snow-capped volcanoes and ice-covered peaks jutting out of the craggy landscape of the cascades. Out in the hinterlands of the North Cascades, covering a vast swath of the Pacific Northwest, there lies hundreds of square miles of such undisturbed terrain, far out of the reach of many an explorer.
On a day like this, it is a landscape that evokes feelings of grandeur and majesty, like this scene from the far more accessible part of this rugged region. If even the fringes of such a place can evoke such emotion, I can only imagine what the rest can inspire.
Mt Baker Wilderness
WA USA