Walking nature trails is my FAVORITE exercise!

Diatonic12 wrote: »

This seems like a safe place to put these pix. This sweet little owl lost its way and was found on the sidewalk. Game and fish were called but it did fly up into a tree when they tried to help it. The magpies were bullying it and pecking at it on the sidewalk. As it was shielded and protected until the G & F arrived it looks like it literally smiled at the favor. Sometimes, nature will find you right where you're at. Critters make everything better.

This is fantastic!! The owlet looks adorable, and you probably saved him or her. Sounds like an incredible experience, too.

It looks a little nervous in the first one and happy in the second.

Here are a few more photos from this summer. (I'm getting over an injury, and living vicariously through this thread!)

I did White Chuck with some friends in July. We had been looking forward to it for about six months, it's not a mountain that's done often, and we expected a walk in the park, which was not at all how it turned out. It's a magnificient view peak, but it's like a marble table turned on its side, covered in ball bearings.







Thornton Lakes, outside Newhalem ("goat trapping place").



Speaking of goats ... I'm the one in blue. This is a nasty climb known as Aasgard. I've gone up twice, never down, don't want to. Can't believe people do it in snow and ice.



Enchantments.







Hidden Lake. A hiker died here a week ago in a blizzard. They haven't found her body yet, too much snow. Everybody was hoping she'd turn up alive in the lookout, but no. This is day 7 of the search.





Ross Lake from Desolation Peak.





Desolation Lookout - a room with a view!



This is how you get to the trail. You just tie the boat up to a stump, and it'll still be there when you get back. Living in Seattle, that's mind blowing! (Pyramid and Colonial in the background, plus the Ross Dam where most of our electricity comes from.)



Cascade Pass - one of my all time favorite places.





A sooty grouse on the trail. I shot all of these with my phone, to give you an idea how close it let me get.



Somebody fell through a snow bridge while I was up there and perished. Here's search and rescue looking for them.



Evening light coming down from Mount Forgotten. The nearest "town" to this trail is Verlot, population 23 or something like that, so the trail got the nickname "What Verlot Forgot." Long day, fun peak.



Morning light in the Pasayten. But this is what the beginning of pretty much every hike in the Cascades looks like.



Getting disenchanted.

La Luz Trail in Albuquerque is one of my favorite local hikes.



It's about 7.5 miles up with 3200 ft of elevation gain and then another 7.5 miles down though many, including myself often opt to take the Tram down from the crest.

Unfortunately, as one of the most popular trails in the area, it is often frequented by tourists who are not accustomed to the elevation as you start at a little over 7,000 feet and end at the crest at over 10,000 feet. Rescues are pretty regular occurrences. A lot of times people aren't dressed or prepared with proper clothing...it can be quite warm and comfortable in the foothills with lots of sunshine in the high desert portion, but it gets colder and more shaded by forest as you climb. It can easily be 60*F at the bottom and below freezing on the crest with ripping winds.

It's actually a great hike to do in mid summer if you start early when it's still cool out...you can stay comfortable most of the day. We've done it in May and had to turn around with the last 3 miles or so in front of us because it was getting too snow packed and icy to continue safely. Turns out there were three rescues that day due to people trying to get through the snow.

Couldn’t agree more! 😊 We have a lot of parks and trails around our city that I’m gradually getting to know. On a non-workday I’m usually out 3-5 hours.