Trails – Page 10 – Sequim Daily Photo

Mother Nature does her thing

Last Saturday I’m sure this part of the trail at the Dungeness Recreation Area was open. We didn’t walk on Sunday. Monday, the way was blocked as you see here. The length of the trail from this overlook to the next is blocked.

Further down the trail at the next overlook you can peer back and see a gouge in the land where the undercut, sandy cliff gave way. Barrier posts that marked the edge of the trail are now dangling by their wire over thin air. We’ve lost track of how many parts of this trail have given way.

It reminds me: Years ago, driving through a desert pass, we came upon a jumble of rocks tumbled across the road. Trying to be good citizens, we stopped at the nearest outpost of civilization to report this road hazard. The man we breathlessly told looked across the counter at us, shrugged and replied, “That’s just Mother Nature doin’ her thang.”

Theme Day: Photo of the year

I had over a dozen candidates for today’s City Daily Photo theme day, “Photo of the year.” This, however, was the only one that I’d enlarged and hung on a wall. I took that as a sign. It was taken on a walk in the Olympic National Park Hoh Rainforest, a place of incomparable beauty.

Click here to see other photos of the year from City Daily Photo participants.

Happy new year!

Veterans Day

Thanking Veterans today for their service and many sacrifices. Thank you, one and all.

Heart Lake

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.

Little Lakes Valley

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.

Up the grade

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.

The destination

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.