November Skiing

I took a much needed day out of the city yesterday to look for some snow.  We found it. 

 

Oregon UCLA Game at Autzen Stadium.

I made the trip down to Eugene yesterday for the Oregon Ducks stomping of UCLA.  Not really a good game, but certainly a good experience.  Here are a few photos of the evening.

Another first down for the ducks.

Autzen Stadium

The Duck.

It was a pretty night for a game.

This game was pretty much over after the first two possessions.

Patty Murray Fundraiser with Bill Clinton.

Here are a few photos from the Patty Murray fundraiser with Bill Clinton yesterday. 

One Last Trip to Mt. Baker Before the Winter Season.

Last week I did a final trip to Mt. Baker for the year.  I had a choice of going to either the south or the north side, and because I had not been to the south side all year, that was the choice.  It turned out to be a good choice.  Pretty views, lots of blueberries, and several wildlife encounters with almost no other people around made for a great final trip of the season.

Sunset on the Easton and Deming glaciers on the south side of Mt. Baker.

The nights are getting long this time of year, so after a lot of sleep we headed up to the glacier to work on some skills.  The hike to the glacier was as pretty as I have ever seen it.  The sun low in the sky makes for great light from a photo standpoint.

The Twin Sisters from the Railroad Grade.

I have not seen a larger population of marmots anywhere in the Cascades as there currently is on the south side of Mt. Baker.  I spent a lot of time bothering these guys.  I have always thought I am not the most patient person in the world, but when it comes to patients, the marmot may be the least patient of all.  After being scared and running into their hole I quickly set up the shot I wanted and waited less than a minute for the marmot to poke his head back out.  It really is amazing that more predators have not figured this out.

The vicious protector of the high alpine.

Curious Marmot

An evening walk in dark and foggy weather made this photo possible.

Looking west at sunset.

The following day I had some time to wander around and  check out some of the other wildlife, and head up to the Park Butte lookout.  With a forecast of 6-8 inches of rain overnight chances were the sky would be interesting making for some good photos, but in typical North Cascades fashion when I got there it was foggy and wet.  

A dusky grouse.

Fall colours.

The mountain hemlock.

Western hemlock trees near camp.

Another curious marmot.

Park  Butte lookout on a Cascades fall day.

I dont see these guys often, but its always a treat when I do.

A few hours after getting back down from the lookout the weather cleared for what would surely be a sunset to remember, so I ran back up to the lookout for the second time in four hours and shot the following photo. 

The Twin Sisters range from Park Butte lookout.

A Trip to the Enchantments.

Pat and I just spent two days in the lesser traveled parts of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area.  Our cross country journey covered more that 20 miles and some of the most amazing terrain on what may have been one of the most perfect days of weather in Washington this summer. 

A perfect lake with perfect colors.

Maybe we should just camp here.

My shadow on the fall larches.

I think this may be my new favorite spot in all of the cascades!

Our tour took us through a well traveled part of the Alpine Lakes which is the only place we saw any people.

The Lost World?

Pat on a summit.

The Enchantments from up high.

So you may have noticed that I did not really go into depth on where this trip took us.  We had no real plan on this trip.  It was just a trip into the mountains.  It was an adventure to cover some ground we had not seen before.  We did that.  You should too.  Go out and adventure in the mountains and see somewhere you have not seen before.