Winter's Joyful Song
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
I am briefly interrupting autumn and the "larch madness" series, to celebrate the impending arrival of winter in the mountains. I hiked yesterday on a glorious sunny day, though winter's chill was in the air (as was the wind, which was gusting through the forested areas of the trail and howling on the exposed ridge tops). There was snow and ice covering the shady areas of the trail and patches of white among the fading autumn foliage. But Tahoma was majestic in its new covering of fresh snow and the entire day felt like a beautiful celebration of nature and life.
The hike started with the not-to-be-underestimated joy of being able to arrive at the trailhead at 10:07am and still find a parking spot! The sky was a shade of blue that seemed almost unreal and the sun lit up the green of the conifers, creating a color palette that relegated the reds and yellows of autumn to the deep recesses of memory. The views from every open area seemed to stretch on forever, with miles and miles of the Cascade range visible in every direction.
The tarns and lakes along the loop sparkled in hues of blue and green that mirrored the sky and trees, and the wind rippled their surfaces as the sunlight danced in concert with the movement of the water. Time seemed to lose its meaning as the hike went along, with each moment suspended as though in slow motion before floating and flowing into the next.
And overlaying it all was a feeling of joy. Both my own and that which was echoed back by the landscape as we sang together in silent harmony.
Winter's Joyful Song
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
I am briefly interrupting autumn and the "larch madness" series, to celebrate the impending arrival of winter in the mountains. I hiked yesterday on a glorious sunny day, though winter's chill was in the air (as was the wind, which was gusting through the forested areas of the trail and howling on the exposed ridge tops). There was snow and ice covering the shady areas of the trail and patches of white among the fading autumn foliage. But Tahoma was majestic in its new covering of fresh snow and the entire day felt like a beautiful celebration of nature and life.
The hike started with the not-to-be-underestimated joy of being able to arrive at the trailhead at 10:07am and still find a parking spot! The sky was a shade of blue that seemed almost unreal and the sun lit up the green of the conifers, creating a color palette that relegated the reds and yellows of autumn to the deep recesses of memory. The views from every open area seemed to stretch on forever, with miles and miles of the Cascade range visible in every direction.
The tarns and lakes along the loop sparkled in hues of blue and green that mirrored the sky and trees, and the wind rippled their surfaces as the sunlight danced in concert with the movement of the water. Time seemed to lose its meaning as the hike went along, with each moment suspended as though in slow motion before floating and flowing into the next.
And overlaying it all was a feeling of joy. Both my own and that which was echoed back by the landscape as we sang together in silent harmony.