Kaleberg Archive for Keyword: high country, Page: 1

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08/06/23 - Mount Rainier - The Skyline Trail - Part 1 With access to our local national park restricted, we decided to make a quick trip to Mount Rainier. We don't live that far from Mount Rainier, so we decided to drive there, spend a night, take a hike in a new high country and then drive home. Mount Rainier is open, but access is tricky. We lucked out and got a room for one night at the Paradise Inn, so we didn't have to worry as much about parking or entry lines. As it turned out, our plan worked. We rose early and were soon on the Skyline Trail heading up the slope with Mount Rainier and its streams and glaciers looming over us. It was a busy trail but beautiful. The flowers were blooming: lupins, mountain spiraea, bear grass and, inevitably, dirty sock plant. It was wonderful. The country around Paradise at Mount Rainier is greener and wilder than the high country we are used to in the Olympic National Park. Those glaciers above melt and form rivers that seem to run everywhere, punctuated by dramatic waterfalls. There was less of a sense of exposure to wind and sun, but so much was familiar. There were lots of hikers. Most were day hikers like us carrying a small pack or a bottle of water. Some were mountaineers with heavy packs and ice axes and clearly on their way to attempt climbing to the peak. There were quiet moments on the trail followed by hiking groups and family get togethers. All told, our trip was a success. We made it to 1050' or so. Our GPS cut out as it often does and didn't restart until they launch a new satellite or the like. As we climbed, Mount Rainier grew closer and dominated the scene. It was spectacular, and we are already planning a return trip.	Mt. Rainier in the distance with clouds
The clouds constantly shifting	Another look up, now closer
Clouds, glaciers and mountain framed by greenery	Lush high country
One of the many streams	A little waterfall
Dramatic skies	Another dramatic view
A stretch of trail	Lush fields and other, lesser mountains
Those distant peaks	Pasque flowers
Another field of color	Yet closer to the mountain
Gray skies but only a light drizzle	Gentians
More of Mt. Rainier	Buttermilk sky
There's a waterfall a bit left of the center.	That waterfall
More scenery	A stream down below

Keywords: flowers, high country

08/05/23 - Mount Rainier - The Skyline Trail - Part 2 Here are some more pictures from our hike on the Skyline Trail up Mount Rainier.	More dramatic sky
Pink paintbrush	A small stream
A rocky scene	Just a bit of lupine
More high country	More flowers
More rich green	Another waterfall
Another artistically framed photo	Rocks, rich green and glaciers
Green country	Bear grass among others
A tiny stream doing its bit to keep the high country green	A valley view
More corn lilies	Forest and green
More green	A typical array
Bright flowers	A lone mushroom
More flowers	A field of flowers

Keywords: flowers, high country

07/27/23 - Obstruction Point - Part 1 Ever since the lodge at Hurricane Ridge burned down, only a limited number of cars have been allowed to drive up to the ridge. There is the city bus, but we wanted to get out to Obstruction Point, so we rose early and had only a short wait at the entrance gate. The drive out to Obstruction Point was its usual spectacular self with tight turns, a narrow road and vertiginous drop offs. There were also amazing views of Mount Olympus, the other snow capped mountains in the Olympic range and the green river valleys below. We headed out on the trail and slowly got more used to the altitude. Usually, by late July, we're comfortable at 6000', but we haven't been getting up to the high country much. We made our way up to the plateau then down the staircase and across the fields to the ridge with its cirque of winter snow still melting and the lakes forming below. We headed up and on a bit, out to Eagle Rock where we soaked in the view before heading back.	The high country, at last!
Greeting us was a grouse.	The start of the trail
A typical view	Alpine flowers, we missed you.
More along the trail and some distant snow	More trail and clouds
Clouds playing with a mountain ridge	A peek at Mount Olympus and the Blue Glacier
The little lake we always check as we descend the staircase was doing well.	A stone garden
Our first few lupines of the year	More along the trail
Not shown, but we found a last bit of phlox with a touch of its wonderful scent lingering..	Another look at Olympus
One of the seasonal lakes	A high ridge
Lupines!	More lupines!
More lakes!	Paintbrush
A deer, an unusual sighting up here	Another mountain view

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

07/26/23 - Obstruction Point - Part 2 Here are some more photos from our magical journey to Obstruction Point and beyond. Back in 2020, we had worried that COVID would have made the high country off limits. We were wrong. It was a great year for the trails and wildflowers, but this year, 2023, has been different. The fire that destroyed the lodge also destroyed the electrical power system, the water pumps, telecommunications and the septic system. The lodge was going to be closed for renovations, but the park service had made arrangements. The fire changed that. Instead, they have had to limit the number of visitors, so we haven't had much opportunity to explore. We made it up to Obstruction Point despite this. We were hoping to do some more hiking in the area, but a cougar attack led to the closing of the Lake Angeles Trail, Heather Park and Klahane Ridge. It's a sensible precaution, but this is not going to be a great year for the Kalebergs and the high country.	A view from near Eagle Rock
The lakes below	The hiking trail
Yet another mountain view	Mountain garden
Mountain trail	Paintbrush and snow
Harebells	More of the garden
The Olympic Mountains	Snow below
Lupines	Mountain clouds
Another bit of the trail	And yet more
Another peek at the peaks	Lupine leaves
Clouds again	More mountain rock garden
More flowers	A fascinating flower
The staircase	Returning to base

Keywords: flowers, high country, obstruction point, trails

06/20/23 - A Shooting Star

We saw this flower at the entry station for the Dungeness Spit. We usually see this up in the high country, but with the lodge fire closing the road, we haven't been climbing mountains lately.

Keywords: dungeness, dungeness spit, high country

08/26/22 - Obstruction Point Road - Part 1 We took what is probably our last hike of the season out from Obstruction Point. The park is closing Obstruction Point Road on the day after Labor Day, and probably not reopening it until 2023. Hurricane Ridge Road is going to be closed a few weeks later as well. According to the park service, Hurricane Ridge Road was collapsing onto Obstruction Point Road below it, and they're hoping to have both roads more or less rebuilt and repaired in the next few months. Meanwhile, we enjoyed the hike across the high country, down the staircase, then along the ridge with its spectacular views of Mount Olympus. We took the side spur out to Raven Rock and looked down at Moose Lake and Grand Lake way far below. I doubt we'll ever make the thousand foot plus descent. If nothing else, we'd have to climb back up which seems daunting. We're past the peak flower season. Colors are already starting to change. We did see a blue grouse and her chicks scrabbling about in the dry grass not far from the trail. They are so well camouflaged that seeing them was just a matter of good fortune. We may get another chance to get up to the high country this season, but it we don't, this was a great way to say goodbye to it.	Top of the world
The high country trail	A bit of the staircase
Mountains across the valley	Our first peek at the plains of Mars
Foliage just starting to turn red	Still some lingering snow
Another bit of trail	Two lakes below
Another seasonal lake	Mountains and sky
Friable rock	Another spectacular view
Way down below	Early autumn colors
Fading fields	We'll miss the trail.
Blue mountains beyond	More on the hiking theme
Some more fall color and great scenery	More trail, color, snow and sky
Mount Olympus	Yet more of the trail

Keywords: high country, hurricane ridge, obstruction point

08/25/22 - Obstruction Point Road - Part 2 This is a continuation of our post on our last visit of the season to Obstruction Point Road with a bit more focus on details.	Some late lupines
Some flowers	Harebells and others
Paintbrush	Juniper
Yarrow	We're not sure what this is, but it's a great composition.
More flowers	And more flowers
Some fall flowering phlox	Paintbrush
Another bouquet	And another
A blue grouse	One of her chicks
Grousing	More grousing
There were three or four grouse chicks.	Another chick, or perhaps the same one again
Bright flowers	Lithiculture
Amongst the rocks	Magenta

Keywords: high country, grouse, flowers, obstruction point

06/16/22 - Hurricane Hill - First Time We made it up to Hurricane Hill for the first time this year. We've been watching the webcam and following the park road announcements. The road from the lodge opened maybe a week ago, so we got a moderately early start and headed up the hill. There are now two booths at the entry station, a result of last year's construction, which should help somewhat this summer. The road was busy, but we have seen it busier. The parking lot where the Hurricane Hill trail starts was full, and the lot at the closer picnic area was almost full. No one wanted to park in a huge puddle, almost an inland sea, that spanned three spaces, so we parked offshore. That's what hiking boots are for. The hike itself was wonderful. The views of the mountains and glaciers were magnificent. There were glacier lilies out but no phlox yet. Most of the trail was clear, but the shady patch was still covered with snow. Once again, that's what hiking boots are for. The high country was beautiful with melting snow and fresh green. The marmots were out, still plump and eagerly chowing down on the greenery. It was good to see them after most of a year. The high country is open. Here's to a good hiking season.	Mountains and melting snow
The first segment of the trail, out in the sun	Those mountains again - Are they really that far away?
Weathered rock	The first marmot sentinel
Another marmot	That guy again on young grass
Another marmot on a hill	Yet another marmot
Almost summer, but the ground not yet green	A glacier lily
Another view	Mountains and clouds
The same mountains, a different sky	More glacier lilies and friends
A grayer sky	Another view
Yet another	The view north

Keywords: high country, hurricane hill, marmots, summer

06/23/21 - Hurricane Hill We've been getting an early start on the hiking trail and heading out along the Hurricane Hill Trail. The snow along the trail has melted, but the climb is as steep as ever. The rewards are the wildflowers, the marmots and the amazing views.	The view of the mountains, as spectacular as ever
Morning clouds over the Elwha	One of the marmots
Another marmot	Yet another golden marmot
Melting snow	The start of the little lake
Pask flowers	Other flowers
Across the high country	Another mountain view
Glacier lilies	Avalanche lilies
Mountains and mountains	Western wallflower
More glacier lilies	More avalanche lilies
Lots of larkspur	Early lupines

Keywords: elwha, flowers, high country, hurricane hill, marmots

05/16/19 - Hurricane Hill The Hurricane Hill Trail is open. It is still being rebuilt, so it is only open about half the time. Check the park web page and scroll down to the calendar before you head up expecting to take this hike. Note that the trail is ALWAYS closed on Wednesdays. Also note that the road is closed at the second picnic area, so the trailhead is now an additional ten minute walk from parking. That said, the view from the trail is as beautiful as ever. Most of the trail is free of snow, and the snow is melting rapidly. The glacier lilies are out as is the phlox, so keep your nose peeled for that latter flower's wonderful scent. There were many marmots about which was a nice treat. We didn't quite make it to the summit, so that's for our next try. We had a long winter this year, so it's great that the high country is finally open again.	The Olympic Mountains
Phlox	A view from the trail
More of the mountains	A late winter scene
One of the many marmots	Another mountain view
Another marmot	A marmot in a field of delicious, to a marmot, spring flowers
The marmot by the trailside	That marmot checking us out
That marmot again offering us a closeup	A bit of snow on a shady stretch of trail
More spring flowers	Some of the trail work, a stone retaining wall where the trail has been widened
More phlox	Glacier lilies
Glacier lilies in closeup	Goodbye to the mountains

Keywords: high country, hurricane hill, marmots, spring

07/07/18 - Klahane Ridge We made it up to Klahane Ridge via the Switchback Trail. As usual, it was hard work and breathtakingly beautiful. The hillside snow has melted, and the flowers are coming into bloom. It was an amazing hike with amazing views. Despite the road work, we've been getting up to the high country.	At 1000 feet above the trailhead the mountains are level with Sunrise Point.
A view from the ridge	Snow on the north face, not where we hiked
Clouds pouring into the bowl below	More clouds
Rocky outcrops	Lush green along the trail
Another dramatic view	Another piece of the trail
The stream below, quite full	A view up to the ridge

Keywords: high country, klahane ridge

10/12/17 - Fall Colors on Hurricane Hill The rainy season starts in the fall. That means autumn color and the start of the rainy season. The brilliant, almost crystalline summer sky is replaced by a sky of clouds and mists. Rivers of cloud snake their way through the river valleys and drape the mountain sides. The snows many come at any time and close the roads to the high country, so we try to get up as often as we can while we can.	Mountains and autumn haze
Some color	Mount Baker from afar
Port Angeles from above	Another mountain view
Snow on the north face	The season of the misty mountains and golden grasses
More golden fields	More grasses

Keywords: autumn, high country, hurricane hill

08/20/17 - Hurricane Hill as Summer Passes The summer is passing. More gold and brown are creeping into the colors of the high country. We hiked the Hurricane Hill Trail again and saw a bit of drama, two young marmots were attacked by a hawk. They were unharmed, but one tends to thing that these things are just staged for nature documentaries. Not true. We also ran into the team planning to rebuild the trail. The Hurricane Hill Trail is heavily used in season, and it has been showing signs of wear. We're hoping they don't have to close the trail for too long. We've been having a lot of trail and road closures lately.	Summer colors
Still plenty of green	Mountains in late summer
Another view	The view to the north
Clouds add drama.	A silky sky
Late summer flowers	The season
Yet another view	The trail planning team at work

Keywords: flowers, high country, hurricane hill, marmots, summer

07/20/17 - Klahane Ridge Again Our three favorite high country trails are the Hurricane Hill Trail, the Lilian Ridge Trail out of Obstruction Point and the Klahane Ridge Trail via the Switchback Trail. This season, the last of those of three keeps calling us back. We've been watching the flowers, with more and more lupines appearing as the phlox starts to fade. We've been watching the mountain goats, carefully, as there seem to be a lot of them. There were over a dozen on our descent. We didn't stop for photos. We wanted to keep an eye on them and be ready to react. We made it up past the ridge overlook and followed the trail leading to Lake Angeles. The "rooms", areas carpeted with alpine flowers and divided by crags, were a trip back to early in the season. Only a few flowers had blossomed, though we expect more when we answer the call of Klahane Ridge again.	A view from the ascent
As we approached the ridge	A mountain goat and her kid
Another view of them	A view of the Olympic Mountains
One of the alpine "rooms"	The end of our hike, lingering snow
Phlox, probably at its peak - It's a pity there isn't HTML to capture the scent.	Lupines, a great year
Blood wort	Bog orchid

Keywords: flowers, high country, klahane ridge, mountain goats, trails

02/16/17 - Marymere Falls in February It has been a wintry month, and we haven't been getting out as much as we'd like. If nothing else, the Spruce Railroad Trail and all of the Elwha Valley trails are closed for construction and the high country is covered with snow. We did get out to Marymere Falls. It was a short walk from the parking lot, less than an hour round trip, but it was a nice taste of northwestern forest for the season.	The falls
The misty mountain trail	Looking down at Barnes Creek
The trail with a new handrail (on the right)	Barnes Creek again
The side stream from the falls	Another view of Barnes Creek

Keywords: elwha, high country, marymere falls, spruce railroad, trails

09/30/16 - The Plains of Mars Winter is coming to the high country. The greens are turning into browns and reds and golds. At Obstruction Point the colors are brilliant, and the fields of bright red foliage remind us of the plains of Mars. Of course, thanks to NASA we now know that Mars looks nothing at all like Lilian Ridge, but the colors still evoke the fantastic Mars of Edgar Rice Burroughs. The high country is always a bit otherworldly, but it is at its most spectacular and alien when the colors start to change.	The mountains of Mars
More mountains with Martian vegetation in the foreground	Red and a shock of gold
Fields of Mars	More Martian landscape
Seasonal color change	Changing colors from a distance
The red land encroaches on a dying sea	Lakes and seas of gold
More plains of Mars	Another Martian view

Keywords: high country, obstruction point

09/18/16 - Smoke in the High Country The Cox Valley fire is still smoldering in the high country. We hiked the Hurricane Hill trail and could see the smoke filled valleys to the south. We also saw a number of blue grouse. The grasses on the hill sides have been turning golden, but it was the spectacular blue of the smoke and sky that caught our attention.	Autumn colors and smoke
More valley smoke	Smoke and clouds
Golden grasses and forest fire smoke	One of the grice or perhaps one of the grouses
More distant smoke	Smoke, sky and trail
Dried flowers	Even more smoke
A close up …	… and another one

Keywords: grouse, high country, hurricane hill

09/07/16 - Hurricane Hill in the Mist The weather in the high country is as changeable as ever. That means packing a light raincoat and making the most of whatever the mountains and clouds offer. We didn’t expect much from Hurricane Hill on a cloudy day, but the round trip walk takes over an hour and a half. That gave the clouds plenty of time to shift and change. At times we were wrapped in fog, but we still managed to discern a blue grouse and a marmot. We also had some spectacular scenery and a beautiful walk.	Mixed skies
Autumn colors	Mist
One of the views	A blue grouse
Autumn colors and autumn mist	The flooded foot path
A marmot in the mist	A closeup of that marmot
Some teasing blue sky	Another view

Keywords: grouse, high country, hurricane hill, weather

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