Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Alpine Adventure

One way to beat the heat is to rise above it... literally. Around here there's snow in the high-country year-round!

I missed out on this adventure because of an appointment, but Kerry and Grandpa Grasshopper took the boys on a great day-hike in the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest.


Wyatt, of course, took a bazillion pictures.




Behind Tate and Gunnar you see a mountain that I'm told is the second most photographed mountain in the world. (After Mt. Fuji.)

Do you know it?





Even Gunnar carried his pack (without any complaints) up the steep trail to the top of Table Mountain. See the other boys up ahead?



Here's my favorite three grasshoppers, at the top of Table Mountain, overlooking the Mt. Baker Ski Area.




And Kerry, with Mt. Baker behind him.



Do you know the bird? He's changing from his white winter coat to his speckled summer coat.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

What beautiful mountains! I love that snow is there in July!

The dB family said...

A ptarmigan??

It looks so funny to see them all in shorts and t's hiking in the snow. Definitely one way to beat the heat. Beautiful photos too!

leah said...

Mt. Jefferson? I'm totally guessing, after doing a Google search and coming up with several different answers (the most photographed mountains are listed as either Mt. Fuji or the Matterhorn, with several different answers for the second most photographed)!

Not sure what that bird is- we don't have those in our neck of the woods!

Herding Grasshoppers said...

Deborah is right - it's a ptarmigan. They change color twice a year.

And the mountain is Mt. Shuksan, most often photographed from Picture Lake.

Ruby said...

In your neighbourhood?
Wow! I mean WOW!!!!!

Herding Grasshoppers said...

Gorgeous, isn't it :0)

tammy said...

Absolutely gorgeous! Your boys are so lucky to have such nature around them! I just love how they're standing in snow with shorts on!

Herding Grasshoppers said...

I know that whole "shorts in the snow" thing probably seems weird, but it happens. The snow pack is SO THICK up there that the weather can be warm for a long time before it all melts.

In fact, I used to work at that ski area (Mt. Baker) long ago, and they would routinely be open for business into late April and even May. Still plenty of snow, just not enough customers! You'd see people skiing in shorts and T-shirts.