Sequim Daily Photo

The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a busy shipping channel. Incoming ships on the U.S. side of the Strait will slow down at Port Angeles long enough to pick up a local pilot and then continue on to Puget Sound. Local pilots are required for ships to navigate through our waterways and transfers are quick and sometimes dangerous in rough seas.

The ship above is the Hanjin Madrid. It is of German registry and was destined to Seattle at just under 24 knots when I snapped this shot. I was able to find lots of interesting shipping details about this and other incoming and outgoing ships at this website that posts virtually real time information about shipping in waterways around the world. Victoria, on Vancouver Island, B.C. is in the background of this shot.

Here is another photo from last Thursday, while the snow was still solidly on the ground. The Dungeness bluffs looked very different cloaked in snow. They are usually a dark, sandy grey. This is a view looking south and west toward Port Angeles and the Olympic Mountains are hidden in cloud cover beyond the distant bluffs.

I took these photos on Thursday, our third day of snowfall. By midday yesterday, Friday, the temperature began to slowly rise and it was around 40F by sunset. Winds from the south initially brought heavy rains and rainfall was predicted overnight with flood watches and advisories in regions all over Washington state. For the next few days I’ll continue to post photos that I took of the snow and try to include some weather updates.

The trails at Dungeness Recreation Area showed evidence of skiers and snow shoers who were out enjoying a rare opportunity to play in snow at sea level.

Chord, the Wonder Dog, puts playing in snow up at the top of his favorites list and can barely wait to get out the door once he sees snow. He tolerates the girly jacket which means there’s less of him that needs drying off when we get home.

Yesterday was our third consecutive day of snow. We’ve limited our travels to walks in the Dungeness Recreation Area; it snows infrequently enough here that we’re a little leery of other drivers. It stopped snowing long enough yesterday for me to finally pull out my camera.

It’s hard to estimate just how much snow has fallen. Some areas have deeper drifts from wind but enough has fallen that there’s even plenty in forested areas. It’s still light and powdery; I’m guessing there’s at least four to six inches. I’ll post more snow pictures over the next couple of days. In the meantime, for those of you watching the white stuff come down: do stay warm!

Like Mount Baker, posted here on Thursday, the other mountains in the Cascades are often nestled under overcast. They are a beautiful and dramatic chain with sharp ridges. It’s always nice to see them. This is a view from the beach at the end of Sequim-Dungeness Road.

Today I’m remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. on what would have been his 82nd birthday. He was assassinated at age 39. I respect the courage of people involved in civil and human rights struggles. Among many other things, I’m reminded to never take voting for granted.

We had an amazing sunset last night. It came and went in a flash.

Thank you to my dear husband for the sky alert or I might have missed it entirely.

Yesterday was a clear and sunny day. Mount Baker about 75 miles east of us made a dazzling appearance. It’s often hidden under clouds or haze so it’s a treat when there is a bright view of it, which I caught just before sunset.

Mount Baker is 10,781 feet high and part of the North Cascade Range. It is the second most active volcano after Mt. Saint Helens in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. The explorer George Vancouver named the mountain after 3rd Lieutenant Joseph Baker on the HMS Discovery who saw the mountain on April 30, 1792.