Saturday, April 2, 2011

A Morning Hike, in Pictures

out west

A week ago today I took a morning swim in the warm Pacific ocean before going to the airport to fly home from Hawaii.  Don’t worry-I changed out of my swimsuit first-back into long pants, with a sweatshirt at the ready.  I knew we were heading back to a colder climate.

This morning we went for a nice walk in the woods, Pacific Northwest style. (We are still trying to work off all that Hula pie.)  It was cool and windy, and we knew most definitely that we weren’t in Hawaii any more.

The scenery was still beautiful-and interesting, and here are some photos I took.

 snakes

This is the sign that greeted us at the start of the trail.  Luckily, it’s still too early for the snakes to be out of hibernation.

 

cattle guardmail box

Two reminders that we do indeed live in the wild west-cattle guards and elk antlers on things like mail boxes.

 

lone pine

I liked this lonesome pine tree, and the way it was growing on the edge between sagebrush terrain and the denser forest.

 

snow flurry

It’s hard to tell in this picture, but it was snowing and the sun was shining too.  There must have been a “snowbow” somewhere!

 

ponderosa pine

The bark of a Ponderosa pine.  If you scratch it, it smells like vanilla.

 

raging river

Between the recent rainfall, and snow melt, the rivers are full to overflowing.  There has been quite a bit of flooding lately…

 

beaver work

…which would explain how this beaver chewed log came to rest in the middle of the old road trail we were following, high above the river.

 

wet Kona

One little side puddle was just a little deeper than Kona thought.  She was quite surprised!

 

around the next bend

The eternal question.  To stop and turn around, or keep going long enough to see what is around the next bend.

 

After a couple hours, it was time to go home.  It’s hard to believe that our house  is a mere 13 miles away from this wild place!

7 comments:

  1. NOT liking the sign!!!

    Welcome back! Spring is here.. Yeah!!
    I didn't know that about the Ponderosa smelling like vanilla.. I am going to have to go experiment!

    ♥♥

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  2. What a perfect Saturday morning. I'm a walker, and would love to walk on the trails there. What beautiful scenery. I'd have kept going around that bend, not being able to stop the walk.

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  3. Really? Ponderosa pine smells like vanilla? that's cool.

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  4. Lisa and Lisa-I read that about the Ponderosa pines, and tried it-and I really could smell vanilla...but then I also can hear the ocean when I hold a sea shell up to my ear LOL!

    Joanne, I think you would enjoy walks out this way too-the scenery really is beautiful!

    And I was very glad that the snakes are still sleeping!

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  5. Wow, every bit as beautiful as Hawaii, in it's own special way. Poor Kona, at least she looks like she is having fun!!

    Did you know if you scratch a palm tree, it smells like Coppertone??? Just kidding.....

    ALOHA!

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  6. Hiking is one of my favorite things to do. I have always been a bit enchanted with the Pacific Northwest. Gorgeous.

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  7. Lisa-that's hilarious!

    Tina-It really is gorgeous out here, and there are so many places to hike too.

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