Sunday, December 30, 2018

Padilla Bay Trail



Padilla Bay


Padilla Bay is located where the Skagit River meets the Salish Sea. It has very extensive eelgrass  beds on the west coast, second to Izembek Lagoon. The eelgrass (鳗草) is a kind of saltwater plant, which grows in shallow estuaries (入海口). It's an important native grass harboring small salmon, crab, and other invertebrates that, in turn are food for the eagles, herons, otters and seals.

Brant are small, stocky geese with black heads and necks. They have a white ring around the neck and are distinctly white underneath the tail. The eelgrass is their primary source of food and freshwater. So every year Brant will migrate from come to visit it.


Brant (https://www.allaboutbirds.org)

Padilla Bay Trail


This is 4.4 mile round trip tail. This hike can be enjoyed by almost anyone in any season. It is also a very trail to watch birds! Before you start, be sure to check out the large tree on the road to the trail head, there is a pair of bald eagles that sometimes hang out here.

Padilla Bay Trail

The name Padilla--which means 'breadpan' in Spanish--was given to the bay by early Spanish explorers, although native people had long taken advantage of the natural abundance of food found here. One of the first features you see as you start your walk is an oft-photographed old barn with some rusting equipment lying about in the mud. This is a remnant of one of the so called ‘stump farms’, land purchased cheaply after the area was logged in the early 1900s then converted to farming. Much as you may wish to explore the old barn, the timbers are rotten and the barn best left to the swallows. Great blue herons can frequently be seen hunting in the muck around the barn, maybe one will pose for you as you take your barn picture. [1]


Padilla Bay Trail

Padilla Bay Trail facing the south

Padilla Bay Trail

Enjoyed the view and bird watching on Padilla Bay Trail

Northwest view from Padilla Bay Trail

South west view on Padilla Bay Trail

West view on Padilla Bay Trail (Mt Erie on the left)

Great blue heron on Padilla Bay Trail



Great blue heron on Padilla Bay Trail

References:

    [1] https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/padilla-bay



Saturday, November 24, 2018

Revisit Mash Island Seattle

Marsh Island is on the north end of the Washington Arboretum.  The Arboretum's Waterfront Trail can lead you to Marsh and Foster Islands.

I visited it in the early Autumn. Yesterday, I took that trail again, but arrived at West Montlake Park, wanted to see the remaining Fall colors over the water with my 35mm Lens.

3 miles trail from WA Park to West Montlake Park through Marsh Island


Fall colors are still visible on the trail

Fall colors along the trail to Foster island

There are a couple hundreds feet of floating bridge that connects Foster island and East Montlake Park through Marsh island. Its surrendering views are pretty awesome in the nice day. Here you can see the bridge, union bay and the stadium of the University of Washington (UW).

Floating bridge over the bay with the UW stadium in view on front
Early morning it's good time to spend for few hours bird watching. Usually there are eagle, heron, geese and ducks wandering in this area. Today I noticed one heron stayed on the wood stick. I regretted not bring my Tele-lens to catch a nicer picture.

A heron enjoyed the view of the Marsh Island

From the end of the Marsh island, you can walk along the Montlake Cut on Arboretum Waterfront Trail to cross Montlake Bridge and arrive at the West Montlake Park. Here is one capture from its north east corner:

Montlake Cut and Montlake Bridge on the West Montlake Park




Saturday, September 1, 2018

Trip to Winthrop WA


Introduction


Winthrop is a small western-themed town on east of Washington state, on State Highway 20. It's just on the east of North Cascade National Park. It's on the east of Mazama and north of Twisp.

Winthrop is known for the American Old West design of all the building in town. It is popular cross-country skiing, rock climbing. hiking. mountain biking, river rafting, horse-back riding, and etc.

Trip from Seattle to Winthrop


I have planned this trip for a while. Fall and winter are the good seasons to enjoy the colors and winter scenes. But I picked up the Labor Day long weekend to pay the first visit. I started from Seattle, took I-90 Highway, and backed from State Highway 20, I-5 Highway. During 13 hours' trip, I stopped on few points to either have lunch, or had short time breaks.


Route from Seattle to Winthrop back and forth, Sept 2018

          Legend:

                  A - Seattle
                  B - Wenatchee
                  C - Lake Entiat
                  D - Winthrop
                  E - Washington Pass
                  F - Diablo Lake Overlook


HWY 97 near Cle Elum, 2018

A barn near Cle Elum and Ellensburg, 2018

Lake Entita, 2018

Downtown Winthrop, 2018

Winthrop Town Hall, 2018



Spring Creek Suspension Bridge, Winthrop, 2018


Downtown Winthrop, 2018

Shafer Museum, Winthrop, 2018

Washington Pass, 2018

Diablo Lake, 2018

Saturday, August 18, 2018

Mazama Ridge, Mount Rainier


This summer the wild fires in northern California and BC Canada caused the air quality on Seattle region pretty bad. But today the weather in Mount Rainier was forecast sunny, and the air quality improved little bit. So I picked the weekend to try out Mazama Ridge near Paradise visitor center.

Mazama Ridge is very popular place for photographers. Usually August is the best season for the wild flowers. In sunset moments, Mountains (Mount Rainier, Tatoosh Mountains) would provide the beautiful contrasts for photographing.

As usually, I drove to pass Paradise Visitor center, and continued about one mile down the Paradise Valley, and parked in the small parking lots, which is just over the creek. I picked Fourth Crossing Trail, and arrived up to the ridge just half mile causal hiking.


Step stairs on the Mazama Ridge towards Mount Rainier, 2018

The hot weather in the past month caused the wild flowers to skip their prime season for blooming.

Mazama Ridge towards Tatoosh Mountains

Mazama Ridge towards Mount Rainier, 2018

Mazama Ridge towards Mount Rainier, 2018

Beargrass on the Mazama Ridge, 2018

Wild flowers in Edith Creek Basin

Beargrass on the Mazama Ridge, 2018

Rainier Wildflowers and the Tatoosh Range from Mazama Ridge, 2018


Beautiful Sunset with mixture of smoke, 2018

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Ruby Beach, WA

Ruby Beach is one of the beaches on the west coast of the Washington state. There is a tremendous amount of driftwood. It's notable for the number of sea stacks over there.


Ruby Beach

Ruby Beach stays just about 10 miles north of Kalaloch lodge. It has a pretty big parking lots. From there you just need take the trail about half a mile down the hill, pass the drift wood area, and you will arrive at the beach. During the lower tide period, the beach is very big for you to enjoy.

Here are two shots few minutes before the sunset:

Sunset at Ruby Beach

Sunset at Ruby Beach

Ruby Beach is also one of the best beaches on the west coast for night photographing. Here are few of them I took on this trip:

Milkyway

Milkyway

Milkyway

Milkyway

Milkyway

Saturday, June 2, 2018

Marsh Island, Seattle

Marsh Island is on the north end of the Washington Arboretum.  The Arboretum's Waterfront Trail can lead you to Marsh and Foster Islands.

A floating pathway is set on the north end of the Union bay, so you can park your car in the parking lot of the Washington Arboretum, and then walk north along the tail, and walk along the path under Hwy-520 bridge, across water to the Foster Island and Marsh Island.



Marsh Island loop from Washington Arboretum Park

You can start the trip in the sunny day, and you'd better take a pair of waterproof hiking shoes. The path along the island are walkable during the non-rainy season, but few sections are either under the water or moist. With the waterproof hiking shoes, you can spend more time on enjoying the birds and pretty views.

After you cross the hwy-520, the open view you will see is the open picnic area near the lake. This is call Foster Point in the Foster Island. From here you can enjoy the view of the Union Bay, and Hwy-520 floating bridge on the east side.


Hwy-520 floating bridge viewed from Foster Point

From the Foster Point, you will find the path to Marsh Island on the left. The trail is pretty enjoyable, and the view is fantastic. 


Water lilies in Marsh Island

Northeast view from Marsh Island

Kayakers and water lilies

Kayakers and water lilies

Montlake Cut and Montlake Bridge viewed from
Lake Washington Ship Canal Waterside Trail