A deep valley and a high alpine vista along the Olympic Mountain's South Fork Tunnel Creek trail

The South Fork Tunnel Creek trail climbs westward through the Buckhorn Wilderness beginning on the eastern flank of the Olympic Mountains. The termination presents one of the best views of 7,743 ft. Mt. Constance in the Olympics. There is a little of everything on this hike; a moss filled valley, cascading creeks, old growth forest, and unobstructed high alpine views of the Olympic Mountains to the east and Puget Sound to the west.

 

Blake Island Marine State Park, a treasure in our backyard

Just south of Bainbridge Island, Blake Island Marine State Park is accessible only by private boat, with the closest portage near Southworth and about a two-mile paddle. Blake Island was historically used as a camping location by the Suquamish tribe, and is considered a possible birthplace of Chief Sealth, for whom Seattle is named. The island was designated a state park in 1959. 

Blakely Rock; eagles, seals, sea life and kayaking

At high tide Blakely Rock is a boat-treacherous rock extending about 15 feet above water line. At low tide, it transforms to a small island with a spectacular view of the Seattle skyline with a gorgeous white shell beach. Low tides open up the island to exploring. The island is considered one of the best places in Puget Sound to see rocky-shore sea life and always has an abundant population of harbor seals sunning and swimming. The island's reef is home to the giant pacific octopus, which can weigh up to 150 pounds with arms as long as the length of a car.

Night Skies in the Southwest

No city lights, and only clear skies and stars. Everyone should experience these kinds of nights. This is from inside Zion National Park.

Canola fields in the Pacific Northwest

Canola fields in the spring are an easy target for photographers. Plants grow between three to five feet tall and produce small, yellow flowers. Canola belongs to the same plant family as mustard, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Around two million acres of canola are currently grown in the United States.

Ruth, geology field camp and the famed mines of eastern Nevada

Visiting Ruth in eastern Nevada brings back memories of geology field camp while in the Mackay School of Mines Geological Engineering program/University of Nevada. The famed open pit mines around Ruth, including the largest in Nevada (the Liberty Pit) produced vast fortunes from copper, gold, and silver mining.  Kennecott closed the Liberty Pit (pictured) in 1978. The mine was reopened briefly in 1996 to 1999, and then again in 2004 to present. There were 2,300 residents in Ruth during peak mine operations, but today I don’t think there are more than a couple hundred residents.

Great Basin National Park; Wheeler Peak, Bristlecone Pines, Lehman Caves, record snow and no crowds

Great Basin National Park is only a small portion of the much larger Great Basin region extending from the Sierra Nevada east to the Wasatch Mountains. The Park’s three main attractions for the relatively few visitors venturing here (and a big plus for those that do!) include 13,000-foot Wheeler Peak, 2,000-year-old stands of Bristlecone Pines, and the fragile rock formations within Lehman Caves. Due to this past winter’s record snowfall, many feet of snow remain at the higher elevations making much of the park only accessible by snowshoes or skiing. The much-needed snowpack has creeks flowing strong, and Lehman Cave pools are as full as park staff have seen in the last 30 years.