Ruth Mountain

The toughest part of this climb is the approach. The glacier is pretty straightforward.

But there is a few hundred foot tall gully of nothing but roots and slippery wet dirt to ascend on the way to basecamp, well before you hit the glacier. And even more challenging? The descent down that gully.

The views are clearly worth it. Every single slip backward, every bit of mud under your nails when there was nothing else to grasp, all of it. We packed our stove up with us and had coffee and breakfast at the summit.

View from basecamp

I may have to do a whole series called something like, “Darin eating Grape Nuts in cool places”

Marmot Pass

While my guys were away at scout camp, I got to go backpacking with a friend close enough to be a sister. We camped just below the pass and wandered up for a stunning misty sunset. (No comment on the mosquito situation.)

One of the most stunning fog phenomena I’ve ever seen. That figure in the ring is me. My friend was standing about 50 feet to the left, and saw the same thing, just of her! We stopped for coffee at Catkin Coffee in Quilcene on the way home. When Katharine showed the barista a picture, she commented on how back before we had an understanding of what causes things like this, it’s totally understandable to imagine how it looks like magic, or a sign from heaven. Such a magical experience.

An Overcast Yellowstone at 65-300mm

I had the opportunity to take a trip to Yellowstone National Park in May. The variety, beauty, and constant change in the park fascinate millions of visitors a year. These pictures were all taken under a cloudy sky.

For this project, I shot each scene with my 65-300mm lens for an intimate and detailed perspective.

Springs and pools

So many textures on the ground

“Bobby socks” snags that soak up the minerals, turning the base of their trunks white.

A piece of the Grand Prismatic Spring

The walls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Mammoth Hot Springs

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WILDLIFE

While not a wildlife photographer, I still love taking pictures of them! All taken at a safe distance, with many also cropped. Have you heard of the thumb rule? If you hold your thumb out at arms length, and your thumb covers up the animal, you’re a safe distance. Don’t pet the fluffy cows!

Swauk Forest Loop

This short but sweet loop hike has become an autumn ritual for my family. This was our fifth year hiking it as the western larches glowed their autumn gold. We were on a few inches of snow for the entire hike this time, which we were all very excited about. (It’s coming!)

The western larch is different than the alpine larch, which I didn’t know until about five years ago. In our mountains the western larches are generally taller, grow at lower elevations, and turn color later.

My son gets homework now that he’s a second grader, and his assignment for the coming week is to write about a family tradition. He said he plans to write about this hike. When he first did this with us, he was carried in a backpack. Now he’s running down the trail carrying a pack.

Rainy Pass to Methow Pass on the PCT

I think I’ve picked my favorite stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail. At least in October.