It was a first: I visited a National Park and didn’t get one photograph of what I was there to see.
I’ve talked a little about what a strange Scamp this has been, with the entire West seemingly on fire and all. Smoke and intense heat in the early weeks made hiking and even camping (at Sequoia, where the smoke was so thick my eyes itched and chest felt tight) a challenge.
And then – rain. Rain, rain, rain, in Oregon and Washington. Yes! More, please!
I guess Mother Nature was listening and took my challenge to heart, because by the time I got to Mt. Rainier in Washington State she was like, Oh yeah? Sick of the heat? Well, how about this, in the last weeks of summer? What do you think of this, little miss photographer-on-a-mission-to-photograph-every-National-Park?
This is Louise Lake when the snow had just started coming down. I would have a photo of Mt. Rainier, up and off to the right, but it was hidden in clouds. As it was the entire time I was there. Sigh.
At this point I was thinking, hm. Maybe this shooting in the snow thing isn’t so bad. Look at those colors!
And then I couldn’t stop shooting that scene.
When I came down from the mountain and drove out of the snow, there was this:
It all made not actually seeing Mt. Rainier a bit easier to take.
If you liked this post, feel free to share it with the buttons below!
16 Comments
That second photo is absolutely incredible, one of the most magical I’ve ever seen.
Susan – Wow, thank you! That’s my favorite, too. 🙂
I agree about the snow and you got the most awesome images! But then my favorite time to photograph is when there was some snow – which is why when it snowed up at Crater Lake 2 days before we arrived I was dancing with glee! LOL My brother (from Sacramento) and I both commented about the cold and rain last week – but it wasn’t 105 degrees and smokey so yay on all counts! 🙂
Sherry in MT recently posted…We Are Back!
Sherry – Yes, you saw much of the same landscape I did and it was gorgeous, wasn’t it? And thank you for the kind words, as always.
I think all the photos are simply gorgeous. I wish California would get rain and snow.
Martha – Ugh, I know what you mean, it’s really bad in California. But I’m glad you liked these photos, which I hope offered a refreshingly different landscape!
oh, your photos are simply delicious – thank you
Oksana – What a wonderful compliment! Thank you.
As always, Mother Nature gets the last word!
Catherine recently posted…summer’s end…
Catherine – She can’t be denied. 🙂
Wow! Those colors are gorgeous. What a treat to experience that lovely snow.
Manisha recently posted…last days of summer
Manisha – It was gorgeous! When I was shooting there was a couple from Ohio who were in shorts and t-shirts – they were so happy with the snow, they said they didn’t even feel cold. I was in a down jacket, since I wasn’t quite so distracted, ha.
Join the club. It may not be small either. :/ When I visited Ranier several years ago it was socked in. Shrug. Sounds like your lemonade thinking cap is on right though. 😉
Bob – The elusive Mt. Rainier! Good to know and yes, the lemonade thinking cap was on tightly. 🙂
Your work is fascinating. I feel like I’m on these hikes too. Looking forward to more beautiful images ( new camera! ) and delightful comments!
Michael – Thank you for the kind words! It’s always my goal that the viewer feel like he or she is there with me, so it means a lot for you to say that. I can’t wait to get out there with the new camera and see how that changes the view! Soon.