Please send in your wildlife photos if you got ’em. We’re running a bit lower than I’d like, and the holidays are a good time to get some photos together..
Today’s batch comes from James Blilie of Washington state. His captions are indented, and you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them:
I recently joined a Facebook group called Life In Northwest Washington which posts photos from Washington state. This is the inspiration for this set: Washington state landscape photos. I have tried to ensure that none of these are repeats; but some could have slipped through my review. I was crazy about mountain climbing in my 20s and this resulted in many photos from Washington’s Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges. (Please bear with my obsession.) Photos were taken with Pentax K-1000 and Pentax ME Super 35mm film cameras, except the last one.
1984, me on the top of Mount Si, with North Bend Washington in view below (it is much changed since 1984!). A friend and I climbed a short 5th class (roped rock climbing) route up the east side of the “haystack” at the top of the peak. Mount Si is a well known hike to Seattleites. Scanned Kodachrome 64. Pentax M 20mm f/4 lens:
1984, View of Mount Rainier and the moon from the Cascadian Couloir on Mount Stuart. Scanned Kodachrome 64. Pentax M 20mm f/4 lens.
1984, Mount Rainier from Kaleetan Peak, central Washington Cascades. The Granite Mountain Fire Lookout is visible in the middle distance, left. Pentax M 135mm f/3.5 lens. Scanned Kodachrome 64.
1985, La Push Beach 1 at sunset, on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula. Pentax M 135mm f/3.5 lens. Scanned Kodachrome 64:
1985, Walking above the clouds. A friend on our climb of the North Ridge of Mount Adams. I’ve climbed Mount Adams 3 times, always by this less frequented route. Pentax M 20mm f/4 lens. Scanned Kodachrome 64:
December 1985, Seattle from Tiger Mountain. Pentax M 135 mm f/3.5 lens. Scanned Fujichrome:
October 1986, climbers in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Pentax M 20mm f/4 lens. Scanned Kodachrome 64:
February 1988, Climbers on the upper Ingraham Glacier on Mountain Rainier at sunrise. We did summit. I attempted Rainier twice, once in summer and once in winter and summited both times. I was younger and much stronger then! Pentax M 20mm f/4 lens. Scanned Kodachrome 64:
June 1989, Climbers on the south side of Mount Baker. Pentax M 20mm f/4 lens. Scanned Kodachrome 64:
1990, kayaker off Brown’s Point, near Tacoma, Washington. This is a good friend of mine paddling the skin & frame kayak that he built himself. I was big into sea kayaking and white water kayaking at this time. Pentax A 400mm f/5.6 lens with matched 2.0X teleconverter. Scanned Kodachrome 64:
Mount Adams at sunset, taken at about 4:30 pm on this Thanksgiving Day (23-Nov-23). Photo is taken from our driveway. When our new house is complete, this will be the view from our living room, dining room, kitchen, and one bedroom and from our front porch. Olympus E-M5 Mark III m4/3 mirrorless camera; LUMIX G Vario 100-300mm f/4.0-5.6 MEGA O.I.S. lens at 150mm:
Magnificent and mind-blowing, thanks!
Wonderful photos – many thanks. the Mt. Si climb was a good one – easy, but takes a bit of effort. Views from the haystack were wonderful and it was good training for a Mt. Rainier climb. Did the Mt. Rainier summit once – guides said it would be the hardest thing I had ever done, and they were right. These photos bring back wonderful memories of my 35 years in Washington – now a Phoenix resident and climbing our “mountains.”
When I was young, fit, and flexible, I once climbed and descended the normal haystack route on Mount Si without using my hands. It was just a stunt; but I could do it then!
The photos are so realistic. I’m a little bit dizzy now.
There’s a saying :
“Get out …”
I think it applies here – both meanings!
Whoa! Stunning. I love these. Thank you.
“June 1989, Climbers on the south side of Mount Baker.” – Perfect shot.
Awesome pictures. I’m familiar with most of those locations and their grandeur—from my warm and dry vantage point near sea level. The Mt. Adam’s peak is really interesting. It looks so symmetrical and fully snow-covered from sea level, but is (obviously, from the picture) bare basalt or andesite at the top.
Breathtaking photos. You make me proud to be a Washingtonian with our beautiful outdoors. I’ve walked around the base of Mt. Rainier, does that count! 😉
Once your house is built, you’ll have an amazing view; I bet you can’t wait to move in.
Absolutely wonderful photos – thanks James!
And your new house is going to have a fantastic view – wow!
Ah, Cascadia. One of the leading contenders for the site of the first (probably ever) megadeath earthquake. (Including tsunami victims.
Once you start looking at the scenery through geological eyes, it just looks different.