True Colors
Blue Lake, North Cascades, Washington
I still have quite a few photos from my North Cascades trip to post, so I thought I would share another one today. This is Blue Lake, for which the trail I hiked is named, and for many people the main attraction of the hike. Its striking color makes it easy to see why.
[As a side note, due to the number of glacial lakes in Washington, this is but one of six of them not-so-creatively named, "Blue Lake”!]
This alpine lake lies in a cirque, gouged by glaciers from the surrounding walls of granite and granodiorite. And it is glacial flour in the runoff from its source that gives the lake its vibrant hues. Though on this day, the gleaming gold of the larches sought to compete with the lake for the role of lead soloist, as the evergreen trees and the red shrubs on the hillside provided the lower register harmonies in this concerto of color.
Most of the shoreline of the lake is not easily accessed, so the few areas that are, were crowded on a "larch madness" weekend. (Off to the left below and out of the photo are all the people hanging out on the large boulder nicknamed Lunch Rock.) So I hiked above the lake to take some photos and then continued on to the previously posted tarn loop where I found a more peaceful and less populated atmosphere.
**Link to the song from which the photo title was borrowed. Though originally recorded by Cyndi Lauper, I have to (again) give the nod to Eva Cassidy's version. I just love her voice so much.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdYj89Mx6ik
And for those who like colorful songs, Eva also sang a lovely version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow:
True Colors
Blue Lake, North Cascades, Washington
I still have quite a few photos from my North Cascades trip to post, so I thought I would share another one today. This is Blue Lake, for which the trail I hiked is named, and for many people the main attraction of the hike. Its striking color makes it easy to see why.
[As a side note, due to the number of glacial lakes in Washington, this is but one of six of them not-so-creatively named, "Blue Lake”!]
This alpine lake lies in a cirque, gouged by glaciers from the surrounding walls of granite and granodiorite. And it is glacial flour in the runoff from its source that gives the lake its vibrant hues. Though on this day, the gleaming gold of the larches sought to compete with the lake for the role of lead soloist, as the evergreen trees and the red shrubs on the hillside provided the lower register harmonies in this concerto of color.
Most of the shoreline of the lake is not easily accessed, so the few areas that are, were crowded on a "larch madness" weekend. (Off to the left below and out of the photo are all the people hanging out on the large boulder nicknamed Lunch Rock.) So I hiked above the lake to take some photos and then continued on to the previously posted tarn loop where I found a more peaceful and less populated atmosphere.
**Link to the song from which the photo title was borrowed. Though originally recorded by Cyndi Lauper, I have to (again) give the nod to Eva Cassidy's version. I just love her voice so much.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdYj89Mx6ik
And for those who like colorful songs, Eva also sang a lovely version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow: