A Whole New World

After many long years (6 to be exact, but whose counting?) I have finally moved back to the Pacific Northwest. My pictures are about to be dark green... all of the time. In any event, the next little bit will be a few from my last hikes in Lamoille Canyon. That is a truly beautiful place!  Going to miss hiking there a lot.   There are more cougars to worry about while hiking where I am now.

Ruby Mountains Panorama, Lamoille

Went for a fabulous hike- the range front trail is open to about 3 miles in. I love this time of year... the mountains are still tipped in snow and spring is starting to take over.


Ha! You can tell I wrote this a couple days ago. Why? Because it is snowing right now. I feel like this picture is 'dreams of spring.'  Coming from Oregon to Northern Nevada, I definitely prefer seeing snow now and again versus the endless rains of my childhood. It's so light and airy, fluttering down around you, changing sound. But at 5am on the way to work? April? (I've seen it snow here into June too). 


Zen. Zen. Zen. I feel like I'm yelling "Serenity now!" LOL


Have a great day.

The Mountains

First time since I lived here that I braved a hike in the mountains. Really stunning. Didn't get as many photos as I usually do,  but they convey how wonderful the day was.

Wonderful day for a hike!

It's getting to be early winter around here. Got up in the mountains and had a wonderful day. It was very chilly, good day to test out the new winter jacket and other gear. Almost too warm, really.

Fall in Lamoille

Working on my zombie blog; turns out I might be a bit overextended, lol. But here are some fall photos from this weekend in Lamoille.

Isn't it amazing? I think I will try Liberty Pass one last time this year.

This last photos is from near the power house. I just love all the color the Aspens have in the fall. Orange, green, yellow...

Lamoille- Boyscout Camp

I did not bring my good camera this weekend, it ends up taking in the sun too much.  

What a lovely fall day!

I am working on a huge painting but this one I don't feel like posting in stages.

Fall Photos- Aspen and leaves

Magic Mountains

The fog in the mountains make me feel like I walk through it into another world. I know, I've said that before. But I always feel that.

Fall lurking

Fall is softly falling upon us

This week will be full of fall photos in the mountains, with the unusual addition of fog. It was very lightly snowing up in the Rubys at times, and I admit to not having quite the correct gear for the day. Still was amazing!

One of the Dollar Lakes

I can't believe we all made it through the week! It's been raining pretty hard off and on around here, as a tropical storm circles over the region.  Not too much going on around here, so I guess I better dive into the chores... 

Lamoille Lake

Enough panorama's, eh? Well too bad. There were many this go around out hiking. But, that red plant in the background it what I was talking about on the last post. Very pretty from a distance!

The Reward

The last two weekends I've been doing a few very long hikes.  Today was the best, probably close to 16 miles.

Photography is going to be the main art for a few days.

LIberty Lake, Lamoille Canyon

Short week... already Wednesday! A beautiful lake photo to remind me of my hiking this last weekend.

Lamoille on a Rainy Day

 

 

It was raining by the time I got up to the back parking lot in the canyon. There were a few minutes when I sat; noticing the patter on my windshield and that the temperature was 58F. Up at the pass it could be snowing in this weather. I thought of heading back to town. I thought of sitting until the rain stopped. Finally, I put on my rain jacket, a bright green that quite happily makes me look like a frog. It is thin and keeps me dry and warm. I got myself to hiking. After 15 minutes the rain let up, with occasionally drips and drops. The wet changed the canyon. Today, for a little while, it was a place I didn’t know. On a normal day the dryness of the high desert suppresses scent, but today the fragrances of all the different wildflowers lifted, humidity making a rich, tropical tapestry. The smell of rocks, ground down by snow every year added the scent of a workman’s shop in the mountains; and then the pine trees, the wet sage brush...  It is the smell of land and sky.

 

 

Each turn up the hill is new, the wet vista transforming place and time. I see that someone has freshly carved their name in gigantic letters in the pine tree, and I’m sad for the tree. I see it’s sap slowly trying to ooze out to cover it’s hurt. I apologized to the tree.

I see people I know (this is Elko, after all).  My mind at first pours through my troubles, frustrations at work, or what not, then excitement for coming trips and plans… and then it stops. I see the rain drip from the pine trees, the willows and the flowers. All colors are vibrant from the rain. I walk as far as I can, not quite to Favre Lake, not yet.  Today I saw that all the tools I need are within me.

the zen of lamoille

Island lake

Isn't Island Lake spectacular? Just a two mile hike up.  I love the view from the Ruby Mountains, have I mentioned that already?

My friend and I must have looked bushed. Every person we passed, as they were coming down, told us we 'were almost there.'  LOL

Lamoille Showing Off

Lamoille Canyon

The glory of Lamoille Canyon! I made it all the way to Liberty Pass for the first time this year.  If you have never heard of it, it's in the Ruby Mountains east of Elko. The entrance is standard Great Basin fare. Sagebrush and other brush and grass.

 

 

 

Driving up, into the canyon. 

 

Then the hiking! Fabulous!

 

Thomas Canyon

 

 

Main trail to Liberty Pass. Starting at the back of the canyon, 8800 ft elevation (middle of the photo has the parking lot, not easy to see at this scale.)  

 

 

 

 

From Liberty Pass, about 3 miles in. Elevation 11,032 ft. 

 

 



Sketching

This is that baroque-not-really piece I'm working on. It at least has a pretty feeling so far.