Views of Sequim, the Olympic Peninsula. . .and beyond
I don’t usually manage to capture shots of butterflies. But two came to rest near my feet as I stood at Rock Creek in California. I usually like to correctly name things I find but my reference shelf is bereft of butterfly books and I presently lack patience for Google. So, this is the one with blue dots.
This is the orange one with black dots. Both are very pretty.
If you can provide an accurate name, your comment is welcomed.
In my humble opinion if you’re lucky you’re sometimes blessed with finding beautiful, welcoming places that simply feel good. When you’re there all’s right in the world. This, for me, is one of those places. It’s called Heart Lake.
On a map Heart Lake is shaped roughly like a heart. In all the years I’ve visited I’d never before noticed this vignette. Look above the “D” in the Sequim Daily Photo watermark.
The heart you see here is darker coloring in the granite of the rock, a completely natural phenomenon.
I collect heart shaped rocks. I’m a fan of hearts. This has to be the coolest one I’ve yet seen.
Here’s one of the views that rewards hikers at the top of Crankcase Grade in the Little Lakes Valley of Rock Creek Canyon in California. It’s about two miles to the mountains in the distance.
The trail is less strenuous, though there is some moderate elevation gain in places.
One of the many appeals of the area is a string of small lakes that the trail skirts. Tomorrow I’ll show you my favorite.
I saw and walked this trail for the first time 18 years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. Not on its challenges, which can be considerable, but on what unfolds for the walker.
It’s called “Crankcase Grade” because that’s what old logging trucks left behind as they traversed this when it was a road. It’s now part of the John Muir trail system and peppered with boulders and a granite staircase of sorts. After a short grade from the parking lot, the trail goes up. It’s not so much that it goes up but that many walkers, myself included, have come from much lower altitudes. Thinner air and exertion make a hard combination.
This is the view looking back down the trail. It’s a good excuse to stop and catch a breath.
This is a partial view of the reason for our trip to California this month. It’s a place called Rock Creek or Little Lakes Valley, midway between the town of Bishop and Crowley Lake. The road you see here is the highest paved road in California and ends at an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet. Tomorrow I’ll introduce you to the trail that commences at the end of this road.
We took a plane trip recently to Reno, Nevada, rented a car, and headed south on Highway 395 into eastern California and a few of our favorite road trip destinations. This was a route we drove many times before we moved to Washington state. It’s a remote high desert area below the eastern slopes of the Sierra Mountains. Today’s shots are from Bridgeport, a small town surrounded by rangelands.
And here are some of the rangelands. It’s a beautiful spot near some gorgeous scenic regions of the state.
Early morning flights are no fun but it’s better if you bring a little friend along.