Smoke and Mirrors

Autumn at Louise Lake, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

 

 

This image is of the same lake as in my previous post, but taken down by the lake shore. After an extremely dry summer and autumn you can see the water level is quite low and I was able to walk around the edge of the lake where it would normally be covered with water.

 

Looking this direction there was only a slight haze in the sky, but behind me was a very noticeable layer of wildfire smoke covering the sky and trees. There has been a significant amount of smoke where I live over the last month, causing unhealthy air quality. The lack of rain and conspicuous absence of the usual marine breeze has caused it to linger much longer and later in the season than it usually does. Higher elevations at Mount Rainier National Park have been one of the few places to be outside without inhaling the scent and taste of smoke, but even here the smoke was clearly visible to the south and east, and by the time I got back to my car, the smell of it was in the air.

 

So I was very grateful for the chance to escape that for a few hours and enjoy clear skies and cleaner air.

Done