North Cascades Highway, June 1st
As promised in my previous post I am sharing a bit of my recent road trip before deep diving into Vermont natural history. Not every day of the trip will get a post, but day one definitely does.
After twenty-six years of living in my second home of western Washington I began my journey back to my first home of Vermont on the first of June, 2024. I-90 would take me most of the way, but at a dear friend’s brilliant suggestion I took a circuitous and very scenic route for the Washington leg of the journey. I had taken I-90 over the Cascades many times already, and Highway 2 quite a few, but somehow had never done the whole stretch of North Cascades Highway. This was a fine time to rectify that folly.
Those who are kind enough to follow my photography generally seem to think of me as a wildlife photographer. I am endlessly enamored with birds and other animals, and can’t seem to stop trying to take their pictures. But, wild landscapes also capture my gaze and stir my heart, so I am always hoping to improve my landscape photography. North Cascades National Park is a spectacular place for such efforts. I could easily spend several days there shooting landscapes, but several hours was all I could afford. Luckily this was enough time to yield a few keepers, and I am happy to share them with you below.
Mossy Western Redcedar by the Skagit River. The light was difficult for this shot, but I loved the juxtaposition of dark, mossy trees against glowing aqua water.
Douglas Fir and Western Redcedar tower along the Skagit. Bigleaf Maple and Red Alder lean out from beneath them.
Douglas Fir line the rocky cliffs of the North Cascades.
Putting the cliff in the previous image in context, we see the massive boulders below which are buried in raging snow melt every spring.
The presence of Paper Birch in the northernmost part of Washington’s North Cascades is an ecological novelty to me. Having this common and iconic tree of Vermont growing among the Douglas Fir that epitomize the Pacific Northwest forests connects my two homes. Paper Birch is actually present from coast to coast in Canada, and in much of Alaska, but only dips down into the coldest northern regions of the lower forty-eight of the United States.
Subalpine Fir in the North American Alps. The spires of this high-mountain specialist predominate around tree line on this western slope, with Mountain Hemlock being the second most common species. Tree diversity declines sharply at high elevations.
Mountain Hemlocks frame rugged peaks. The yellow seen on the dead ones is Wolf Lichen.
Kinnickinnick thriving on a south-facing granite outcrop.
A Lodgepole Pine limb hangs over lichen-speckled granite.
One of the spectacular views from Washington Pass Overlook. The leaning tips (“drooping leaders” in ecological jargon) of the Mountain Hemlock distinguish them from the Subalpine Fir.
I’ll leave this on a high note, 5,477 feet to be precise. I do hope you enjoyed these images, and maybe learned a thing or two. If you are a subscriber please consider forwarding this email to someone who might enjoy it. If you are reading this on my website please consider subscribing at geraldlisi.net. If you would like to support my work please visit my store at https://www.geraldlisi.net/store-1. If you would like prints of any of the images in this post please email me at woodsling@geraldlisi.net. Or, if you are so inclined you can make a patronage gift on Venmo where I am @Gerald-Lisi or PayPal where I am Gerald Lisi Photography. I thank you sincerely for taking the time to read this and look at my photography. Please be kind to yourselves, to each other, and to the land you live on.