Olympic National Park – Sequim Daily Photo

More Snow on the Mountain

Hurricane Ridge on a spectacular winter day…

When a Facebook friend posted video of snow at her house yesterday, I was surprised that we didn’t see it as well. With our temps well into the 30’s I dread that it won’t be long until we’re shoveling the driveway – but I delight in the chance to capture the amazing snowboarders who turned this hillside into such a calligraphic expression of joy!

Lenticular Clouds, Hurricane Ridge

Another image from my day at Hurricane Ridge (with the dreaded snowshoes)…

Not only were the snowdrifts amazing, the sky was getting darker and more intense by the moment. Soon waves of clouds swirled across the mountains threatening even more snow, wind, and COLD.

After removing the snowshoes, I grabbed my sled, headed off to a section of hard packed snow, quickly landed on my butt and captured this shot shortly thereafter. In my world, success comes at a price!

First Winter

This time of year brings back memories of a friend who led us on a snowshoeing field trip to Hurricane Ridge. The drive up from Port Angeles gave no indication of the sight we’d see when we arrived at the Visitors’ Center, which sadly, was destroyed in a fire the next year.

The volume of snow was startling with the trees drooping under its weight. Although the sun was shining overhead and creating beautiful shadows on the drifts, it was extremely cold and one wonders how the birds and wildlife survive it.

I brought a sled, a handy way to transport my tripod and camera gear, and trudged my way through the snow for about 20 feet before questioning my sanity…did I really think I could walk with these things? Being unable to convince my “other half” to pull me on the sled, I resorted to sucking it up and pressing on.

Clearly, I have no appreciation for snowshoes whatsoever, but that view was amazing and I was not going to go home without capturing it, which I did here.