Ukiyo-e Prints

浮世絵版画

Port Townsend, Washington

NORTH CASCADES

NATIONAL PARK

View of Diablo Lake

A friend of mine and I decided to take a quick one day outing to the North Cascades. He had never been there and I sold the idea to him. We both took our cameras. It is amazing how many magnificent sites are within a short drive from Port Townsend - both urban and natural. I picked him up at 6:10 AM and was at the ferry by 6:15, but that wasn't good enough. We missed getting on the first run by three cars and had to wait an hour and a half for the next departure. Several hours later and after a gawd awful lunch at a lovely setting we entered the park. We stopped at the information center and then drove through the park for a total view with an expectation of stopping and hiking on the way back.

However, the best laid plans... It was cloudy and somewhat rainy - both manageable and not much of a detraction - but by the time we got to the trailhead it was pouring, pouring, pouring. I was prepared to bite the bullet and hike anyway, but was relieved when my friend nixed the whole scheme. "Okay" I said with a sigh while inside I was dancing a little dance. Whew! Glad he didn't want to drown in it because that meant I didn't have to either. Nevertheless, we were able to get a number of good shots at several quick stops and before we left the park we did get a very, very short hike in. Even that one was a treat because we were able to get shots of moss covered boulders. They look like a soft carpet while they completely carpet a very jagged and rough landscape. But it wasn't just the boulders which were covered. It was everything. Everything - except the path. Some of the pictures I have posted will give you a good idea of what I mean.

Diablo Lake with the sun trying to break through. It didn't much.

The view taken five minutes later than the example shown above this one.

Shot from the Diablo Lake overlook it is clear the clouds have won.

A peak and ridges towering above the north side of Diablo Lake.

The sun came out as soon as we left the park on our drive home.