tempus (1)
North Bend, Washington
After an unprecedented series of atmospheric rivers brought record rainfall to the Pacific Northwest and washed away much of the mountain snowpack, winter has finally begun anew with a weekend snowstorm. So when the skies cleared on Sunday morning I was unable to resist the lure of fresh snow and headed up to the mountains for a hike.
As I arrived at the ice and slush covered trailhead, I was greeted by some rays of sunshine that made me optimistic about the potential for great views at the top of the hike. The trail itself is mostly forested, with a series of rock ledges in the top section providing the views. As I climbed through the forest, I could glimpse fog rolling in, with occasional sunshine filtering through the trees. And when I stepped out of the forest into the open area of the first ledge, it was entirely fogged in and the mountains were hidden from view.
The fog stayed with me as a moody companion while I hiked up to the next few ledges, but watching it drift and swirl around the mountains and through the valleys, occasionally illuminated by the sun, made for a wonderful atmosphere, especially in concert with the snow.
And then as I hiked down, I emerged from a forested section to an open area of trail to find blue sky and brilliant sunshine. The snow sparkled on the evergreen trees, and mountains that had been invisible on the hike up were now on full display; the entire scene had been completely transformed in less than an hour.
tempus (1)
North Bend, Washington
After an unprecedented series of atmospheric rivers brought record rainfall to the Pacific Northwest and washed away much of the mountain snowpack, winter has finally begun anew with a weekend snowstorm. So when the skies cleared on Sunday morning I was unable to resist the lure of fresh snow and headed up to the mountains for a hike.
As I arrived at the ice and slush covered trailhead, I was greeted by some rays of sunshine that made me optimistic about the potential for great views at the top of the hike. The trail itself is mostly forested, with a series of rock ledges in the top section providing the views. As I climbed through the forest, I could glimpse fog rolling in, with occasional sunshine filtering through the trees. And when I stepped out of the forest into the open area of the first ledge, it was entirely fogged in and the mountains were hidden from view.
The fog stayed with me as a moody companion while I hiked up to the next few ledges, but watching it drift and swirl around the mountains and through the valleys, occasionally illuminated by the sun, made for a wonderful atmosphere, especially in concert with the snow.
And then as I hiked down, I emerged from a forested section to an open area of trail to find blue sky and brilliant sunshine. The snow sparkled on the evergreen trees, and mountains that had been invisible on the hike up were now on full display; the entire scene had been completely transformed in less than an hour.