Views of Sequim, the Olympic Peninsula. . .and beyond
Here’s a tiny splash of fall colors as seen at Gig Harbor last week. Gig Harbor is a pretty town located on the Kitsap Peninsula, not far from Tacoma.
Early rains and occasional wind has beaten up some of the native trees around Sequim and I haven’t had a lot of time lately for picture scouting. There’s color to be found, but it seems like it’s always been in the rearview mirror these days.
This weathervane rarely fails to capture my attention. It’s located in Port Angeles.
The light has never been right when I’ve seen it. But hopefully you can get the idea.
Yesterday I showed you Mt. Baker in the Cascade Range east of Sequim. Here’s another majestic peak from the same range, Mt. Rainier. It is further south in the Cascades and not in view from Sequim. I took this shot last week from Gig Harbor on the Kitsap Peninsula. Rainier can be seen on clear days from Seattle and often can be seen from Portland, OR.
According to Wikipedia, Mt. Rainier has a number of superlatives. It is the highest mountain in Washington State and the Cascade Range with a summit elevation of 14,411 feet. What’s chilling, however, is this Wikipedia statement, “Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, and it is on the Decade Volcano list.” The Decade Volcano list notes that such volcanos are “worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas.” It is classified in the company of other volcanoes you may have heard of: Vesuvius, Sanforini, Mauna Loa, and Etna.
Sometimes hidden but always present, the Olympic Mountains are a touchstone when you live in Sequim. Sunny day? Good! There are the Olympics.
The Cascade Mountains east of here are another story. It takes an extra clear day to see Mt. Baker and even then it usually looks ghostly. The forested lower part of the peak recedes from view, leaving the snow capped crest appearing to float. Mt. Baker is the third highest mountain in Washington State at 10,781 feet.
This shot is sort of cheating because it was taken from Marrowstone Island, which is east of Sequim and closer to Mt. Baker. It still has that dreamy, ethereal look to it but you can see Baker a little better than you can from Sequim. Full disclosure: I boosted the contrast on this shot to strengthen the image. Even from Marrowstone Island Mt. Baker presents a faded view.
This little fellow is called a spotted towhee (pipilo maculatus) and is a common bird in western North America. Common they may be, but I find them attractive and was glad to get this portrait.
Seems like I often spend time wandering around or waiting for my husband at the Northwest Maritime Center. On this particular day I enjoyed reflections in the window of the chandlery, a source of high quality marine supplies.
It’s nestled off the main road into town, but you can see the Port Townsend Paper Corporation facility from Old Fort Townsend State Park. After Port Townsend’s economic boom and bust cycles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the mill’s arrival saved the local economy and provided needed jobs. This facility produces kraft and containerboard papers. I know there are scrubbers and various controls to protect the environment, but sometimes you can really smell this place as you drive by, as we did just yesterday. If you’ve never smelled a pulp mill, count yourself lucky.