Kaleberg Archive for Keyword: winter, Page: 6

11/07/05 - Lake Crescent Panorama and the Snowline

The poorly assembled panorama below was taken from the Spruce Railroad Trail. The big mountain towards the left is Storm King, and you can see the snowline running across it. This time of the year, winter moves from the north to the south, but it also moves from high above to down below. You can click on this image for a larger version if you like, and you have a fast connection.

Keywords: lake crescent, panoramas, spruce railroad, storm king, winter

Snow is coming in on the Lake Angeles Trail

11/06/05 - Winter Calling: A Report En Route to Lake Angeles

It seems like only yesterday that we were wandering the high country of Olympic National Park, but the snows have been coming in and Hurricane Ridge Road has been closed early. Rumor has it that the park will be plowing, but for now we've retreated from Hurricane Hill and the Switchback Trail to one of our winter standbys, the Lake Angeles Trail which starts at 1870' above sea level, right near the entrance to the park.

There was no snow in the parking lot, but about 600' apl (that's above parking lot) we started seeing a thin crusting along the trail. The traction was great, so we kept on going. The wooden bridge over the stream was covered with perhaps a quarter inch of snow, but even we managed to cross it. It wasn't until about 1200' apl that the trail started to seem snowy. From here on up we could definitely feel that we were walking on snow, and as we ascended, the snow got deeper. We turned around about 1600' apl, and as you can see in the picture, there was an inch or two of snow.

We didn't go any farther, but there were a good number of people heading up and down the trail. They were all wearing boots, and most of them had made it all the way up to the lake. The snow there, around 2350' apl is over a foot deep, maybe a foot and a half. It sounds like rough going, but everyone we met said it had been worth it. Maybe next time.

Keywords: winter, high country, lake angeles, hurricane hill, hurricane ridge

10/20/05 - Obstruction Point Road Before Winter

The road to Obstruction Point from Hurricane Ridge is still open.The trails are still clear, and the views are stunning. We didn't go very far, but Mount Olympus and its glaciers dominated our journey, and there was just a bit of left over snow from the previous season. We found these ice crystals (lower left) on the ground, shaded by one of the firs.

In a month or two, the ground will be covered with snow. On our drive, we saw a coyote hustling about, but the marmots have taken cover. There was one other car in the parking lot when we set off, and ours was the only car in the lot when we returned. We were quite relieved when the car started. It's a rough 7.5 mile hike back to Hurricane Ridge

No Snow On The Trails at Obstruction Point

Keywords: winter, obstruction point, hurricane ridge, marmots, trails

10/16/05 - Home Cure: The Best Ham Ever

We just checked out our own home smoked Berkshire pig ham, and we were impressed. This is the second time we have bought a half a Berkshire pig from Nash Huber. The first time, we loved everything except for the ham. Unsmoked ham can be very dry, and roasting and braising just don't help very much. We managed to gret some of the ham down with sweet potatoes, Hawaiian style, but it was just not very good.

This year, we decided to brine and smoke our own ham, so we broke out our Alan Wong Hawaiian cookbook, from our luau, and found a recipe for pipikailua beef. We boiled up six quarts of water, 12 ounces of Kosher salt, three bay leaves, four tablespoons of light brown sugar, a tablespoon of black peppercorns, and a teaspooon of whole cloves. We let this cool, then chill in the refrigerator, then we dumped in the ham for 36 hours. We had a nice three inch thick slab of meat, so we figured that 24 hours might not be enough.

Then we fired up the classic Weber kettle grill with our Hasty-Bake hardwood charcoal and some of the old apple wood from a stump we had on our property. In went the ham, down came the lid. We poked at the coals every half hour or so, now and then adding a few more chunks of charcoal, but otherwise we just let the ham smoke. Sometimes the fire was a bit high. Sometimes it was a bit cool. With the lid down it averaged out just fine.

After three hours of smoking, we took out our ham. It had shrunk a bit, and it was brown and juicy looking. We cut off a bit. It was delicious. We let it sit on a plate in the refrigerator overnight to settle. This morning, it looked great and it was delicious. No, it didn't turn as pink as commercial cured hams. We didn't want to bother with curing salts. We just wanted to find a way to cook up our ham so we'd eat it, not preserve it for the winter. On the other hand, the wooly texture we associated with ham from the year before was gone. The meat was denser and moister. The flavor was rich and intense, without being too sweet or salty.

If you search the web for a ham recipe, you tend to get rather terse instructions, and they all call for curing salts. Think of this as a simple recipe for brined and smoked ham. With a little planning, you can make one yourself.

Keywords: food, luau, nash huber, winter, recipe

10/11/05 - Early Frost in the High Country

There is already frost up in the hills. We were up on the Hurricane Hill Trail this morning, and there it was alongside the trail in the shaded areas. The lingering snows vanished months ago, but now we are getting our first glimpse of winter as the temperatures drop at night.

Obstruction Point Road is still open, but they close it at night. The snow poles are up around the Hurricane Ridge Lodge. This is still autumn, but we are seeing signs of winter, and a mile above sea level winter starts a fair bit earlier than down by the sea.

Keywords: winter, high country, autumn, hurricane hill, hurricane ridge, obstruction point

08/27/05 - Art at Morse Creek

Have you been out to Morse Creek lately? If you look to the south as you cross the old (and lovingly restored) railroad bridge, there's a lizard painted with yellow on the creek bottom. Click on the image to the left for a closer view.

We are not sure of who the artist is, but last year someone painted a rainbow path on the north side of the bridge, and as the winter progressed and the river flowed, the rainbow was broken and its colored stones scattered. For now, the lizard is intact, and the river flow is weak.

We'll see how things go this winter, and look forward to next season's river bottom painting.

Keywords: art, morse creek, winter

08/12/05 - Dry Potholes Above Deer Lake

This has been a very dry summer, even in the high country, there is not as much water as usual We were up at the Potholes above Deer Lake, and the drought was really visible. There is usually water in the pothole shown on the left. That grass has been growing for a fair while. Let's hope that the autumn rains come soon, and we have a good snow pack this winter. We need it.

Keywords: deer lake, high country, autumn, winter

07/02/05 - Mountain Goat at Klahane Ridge

The Switchback Trail to Klahane Ridge is one of our favorite high country hikes. If nothing else, the trailhead is right off Hurricane Ridge Road a bit shy of the ranger station on Hurricane Ridge, so it is an easy drive. We got an early start today to avoid the Fourth of July crowds, and we fairly tore up the 1450' from the Switchback Trail trailhead to the ridge, but just as we got to the overlook, where one can see Port Angeles, Sequim, Dungeness, the San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island spread out below, we stopped short. There, by the sign post, was a mountain goat, chowing down on the foliage.

There are mountain goats, actually a type of sheep, in Olympic National Park, but they are rarely seen in this part of the park. This one was shaggy, still shedding its winter coat, but more than willing to cooperate with a photographer.

Keywords: klahane ridge, animals, high country, dungeness, hurricane ridge, port angeles, winter

02/15/05 - Snowshoe Report From Hurricane Ridge, snowshoeing

We went snowshoeing on Hurricane Ridge a few days back, and we were rather amazed at the lack of snow. There was snow, but not all that much as you can see in these two photos. Just as a reminder, these were taken in February, not June.

The road to the Hurricane Hill trailhead did have snow, but the thick section near the start was deceptive. There were portions of the trail where it was easy to bottom out and poke at the asphalt of the road with our sticks. Still, the snow was white, and the scenery spectacular. If you don't have snowshoes or cross country skis, you can just hike if you have a good pair of shoes.

The picture on the right is of Hurricane Hill. Most of the snow seems to have melted! There are usually bits of snow hanging around until August. Unless the heavens open up, it looks like it will all be gone by May.

The picture on the left is of the Switchback Trail to Klahane Ridge as seen from the road to Hurricane Ridge. It looks like most o fhte snow has melted, but you can see the snow on the trail as the criss cross of white lines just above the center of the picture. Judging from the trailhead, it looks like you can just walk up to the ridge if you don't mind the occasional snow drift.

Keywords: winter, high country, hurricane hill, hurricane ridge, klahane ridge, snowshoeing

02/09/05 - The Elwha River Trail

We took advantage of the excellent weather to check out Whiskey Bend and the Elwha River Trail. The dirt road that leads up to Whiskey Bend was in excellent shape, though there has been a bit of erosion. The Park Service seems to have matters in hand, and they've put in some new reflectors at one of the narrow points. We made it fine with our Honda Civic, but we're not sure we'd do it in an SUV.

There was no snow or ice at the trailhead and there was none along the trail. There weren't even very many downed trees or branches which made it easier going than along the wind damaged Spruce Railroad Trail. We made it all the way down to Lilian Camp where the river is in winter roar. Still, we've heard it louder.

As usual, the light along the trail that follows the river valley is glorious. Most of the trail is in the shade, but now and then there is a glimpse of the mountains or a view up the valley. The photos here do not do the trail justice.

Keywords: elwha, trails, spruce railroad, winter

02/03/05 - One Weird Winter

This has been a weird winter. It just hasn't been snowing on the North Olympic Peninsula. This has been bad news for skiers and snowshoers, but it is great news for us hikers. For example, the Lake Angeles Trail is clear, no snow, no ice, all the way up to the lake. In fact, there is nothing blocking the route but a couple of downed trees that you can step right over. Up at the lake, the water is clear and the mountains majestic. You can even a little snow here and there.

Keywords: winter, high country, lake angeles, snowshoeing

01/25/05 - Winter Blossoms

Here are two winter blossoms.

The flowers on the right are hellebores. They usually bloom in January, so they make a pleasant surprise, especially when the ground is covered with snow. They don't just bloom in the Northwest, a few years ago we noticed them blooming in Madison Square Park in New York City.

One of the foremost hellebore nurseries is located on the Olympic Peninsula. Heronswood Nursery is not far from the car ferry in Kingston, and they have a wonderful winter garden full of hellebores and other winter blooming plants.

The flowers on the left, enlarged a bit in this photograph, are rosemary. That's right, the familiar herb. Rosemary is a tough plant with its resinous leaves, and it blooms in the winter, even when there is snow on the ground.

Unfortunately, rosemary doesn't make a great floral display. It tends to lose its leaves, though you can save them and use them in cooking. The biggest downside is that it smells like good cooking, so it tends to encourage any craving for pasta with red sauce.

Keywords: flowers, winter, new york city

01/19/05 - Wind and the Trail

We were out at the Spruce Railroad Trail today, hoping for a walk around Lake Crescent. The snow and the ice have all melted, but you can see the tree damage caused by the heavy snow load and the strong winds. In fact, the winds were pretty strong today and were blowing around a lot of the little twigs and branches on the ground. There were white caps on the lake, and there were breakers at East Beach. You could see them from the road.

As for the trail, it is rough going. A lot of trees lost branches, and a lot of those branches, and in some cases entire trees, are blocking the trail. You can make your way along, but it is rough going. We cleared out a bit of this and a bit of that, then we gave up and went home. With the high winds still shaking the boughs, we were spending a lot of our time heads up, watching for potential deadfall.

We'll give things a few days to settle down and then we'll check things out again.

Keywords: spruce railroad, winter, lake crescent

01/09/05 - Snow on the Lake Angeles Trail

Not only did it snow big time in town, but it also snowed big time in the Olympic National Park, and wonder of wonders, Hurricane Ridge road is open to the ski area at the top. There is a bit of snow on the road, but they've cut and hauled all the downed trees, plowed the snow, removed the rocks and sanded the pavement, so it is a pretty easy drive as these things go.

If you don't feel like going to the top, there is great snow shoeing on the Lake Angeles Trail. The trailhead is down the road on the right just before the entrance station on Hurricane Ridge Road. If you do go, check out the snowman in the picture on the right. He's near the start of the trail.

Then check out the snow.

Keywords: winter, lake angeles, hurricane ridge

01/07/05 - Port Angeles Snow

We don't often get a real snow here in Port Angeles, but we're getting one today. Our house is only a few hundred feet above sea level, so we only have two inches or so, but everything is under a blanket of white. We didn't get out much, but we did walk around the yard taking pictures. That's a rose hip on the left, with our lavender beds below that, and one of our creeping rosemary plants rising from the rock garden below.

Keywords: winter, port angeles

12/18/04 - Our Candle Tree

Here is our candle lit cookie tree, all aglow.
There is nothing quite like the light from a tree lit by candles. Incandescent bulbs have a certain warm beauty and LEDs are pure and elegant, but there is nothing like a flickering candle to evoke the ghosts of the winter season.

To light up our tree, move your mouse cursor over the image to the left.

To see a bigger picture of the tree, follow this link.

Keywords: christmas, winter

12/03/04 - Hurricane Ridge in the Winter

Hurricane Ridge is once again open for cross country skiing and snow shoeing. This morning the road was open and there were five inches of snow at the "snow post" so we headed up to the ridge and checked things out. The road was open and well plowed. The scenery was spectacular with an amazing lemon sky. We had to blaze our own trail, but with so little snow it wasn't much of a problem. It was the true glory of the Northwest with white mountains and green trees. A great start for the winter season.

NOTE (for disbelievers): No, we did not Photoshop in that yellow. That is what you see. That is what our camera recorded. The sky really is yellow with notes of pink. This is a lemon sky. A buttermilk sky is similar, but the yellow is tinged with blue.

Keywords: high country, atmosphere, food, hurricane ridge, winter, oysters

06/03/04 - The Snows Are Melting

The snows are melting! The wildflower season is upon us!

We had heard that Hurricane Hill Road was open. In the winter, this is the cross country skiing trail that runs from the Hurricane Ridge Visitors' Center to the Hurricane Hill Trailhead. It sometimes doesn't melt out until July, but this year it was open in early May, despite 374" of snow on the Ridge. We tried driving up last week, but it was foggy and rainy and a bit unprepossessing.

Today was sunny, and you could see well into the mountains, so off we drove. Most of the snow is already melted and the wildflowers are already coming out. They were vacuuming out the parking lot at the Hurricane Hill Trailhead when we arrived for our hike. The trail was open, with just a few snowy patches. There were no glacier lilies or dirty sock plant yet, but the lupines, phlox, Indian paintbrush, and a host of other flowers were in bloom.

Don't way for July, the alpine flower season has already started at Hurricane Ridge.

Keywords: hurricane hill, spring, high country, flowers, hurricane ridge, winter

05/28/04 - Gravel Pit Tales

We were out on the Spruce Railroad Trail today, and we couldn't help noticing that the mud is back. That and the salamanders. You have to keep your eyes open, or you'll step on one of the unique species of the Olympic Peninsula. These little lizards are a sort of red gold, and as you can see in the photograph, they rather blend in to the background. The rain brings them out and it brings out the slugs, so this is a great time to explore the trails of Olympic National Park.

On our way west to the trailhead, we heard a cautionary tale about feeding wild animals. We picked up some gravel at the quarry a bit off of 101, west of the Elwha. We're retail customers and drive a Honda Civic. Most of the folks here drive umpty ton gravel trucks, or diggers, or grinders. It's sort of a grown up Tonka paradise.

Anyway, we stopped in at the office to be sociable, and pay for our gravel, and we heard the story of cougar.

It had been a hard winter, and the cougar was about as thin as a housecat. The owner of the quarry had never seen a big cat so skinny, and having several hundred pounds of hamburger going stale in the freezer decided to feed the poor thing. Needless to say, he carried his pistol, and he kept his distance, but the cat went for the beef and not for him.

As the season progressed, the cougar put on some weight and and started to flesh out a bit. A few hundred pounds of hamburger will do that to beast, or man. There's a documentary on this that just came out, which says something about restating the obvious. Needless to say, having been fed, the cougar was much more energetic, and the owner of the quarry was figuring it was time for the creature to return to the wild.

Then, one day, the cougar dropped by a neighbor's place and went for the ducks and geese right on the front porch. The neighbor shot it. So, if you do come to the Olympic Peninsula, think twice before feeding the wild animals.

Keywords: animals, spruce railroad, salamander, elwha, slugs, trails, winter

Newer Entries