As I get older, I have increasingly become more liberal in my environmental stance. Driving down I90 is the worst, a bit of me cries as I watch fancy exits and carpool lanes extend out into what was once pristine forest; now torn down for big-box stores surrounded by vast oceans of cars and mono-culture "planned communities".

...But the torture is worth it. This summer I hiked into Melakwa Lake - one of the many lakes that dot the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Thankfully the early June weather had not melted the high-elevation snow--leaving the lake-area desolate, save for the few brave hikers willing to trample over the snow covered trail. Sadly, I was not prepared and should have brough a neutral density filter; thus most of my high-elevation pictures are trash.

High Melakwa Lake One of the many falls as the snow melt makes its way down into Denny Creek Water More Water

a trashed picture looking back down where I came from

These are photos from a hike to Mt. Forgotten on Mtn. Loop Highway (N. Cascades) and two hikes in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness (Snoqualmie Pass). We are extraordinarly blessed to have such beautiful country right in our backyard.
Melakwa Lakes fall color
Mt. Forgotten summer flowers
Glacier Peak (from Mt. Forgotten)
Butterfly (Bandera Mtn.)