PHOTOS PAGE
All photos on this page, unless otherwise noted, are copyright 2010 by Andy Boos.  Hold cursor over thumbnail for caption, click to open full-size picture.
AlpineAndy.com
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July 18- Hike - Silver
Falls/Grove of the
Patriarchs--  It was a
gorgeous day at Mt. Rainier
National Park and we enjoyed a
walk in the woods to a powerful
waterfall and a grove of ancient
trees, some 1000 years old.  
Fun for the young ones and the
not-as-young ones too.
Rainier shines on a crystal clear morning
On the trail to Silver Falls
Crossing one of the many little side streams
Silver Falls
Nice group shot on the Ohanapecosh River bridge
Getting a close-up look at the falls
Crossing the bouncy bridge on the way to see the Grove of the Patriarchs
This is NOT actual size
Truly impressive trees
Young girls posing with ancient trees
Fascinating detail in the trunk of a giant cedar
Blow this up and count the rings
An uprooted tree makes a bizarre-looking place to pose
This tree tipped over so the girls offered to stand it back up
A last look at Silver Falls on the way back
Gorgeous forest walk
July 20- Hike - Sourdough
Ridge- Mt. Rainier--  Another
gorgeous day at Mt. Rainier, and
we got to enjoy the views from over
7000.'  We took two vanloads down
and started on the road to Sunrise
and followed the ridge top trail for
three miles or so to Sunrise, taking
a side trip to the top of Dege Peak,
elevation 7006.'
July 27- Hike - Lake Dorothy--
  A nice summer day, a hike on a
good trail to a beautiful mountain
lake, a refreshing dip into the water--it
doesn't get much better than this.  
The Lake Dorothy Trail is reached at
the end of the Miller River Road, off of
Highway 2 near Skykomish.
Mount Rainier, here we come
Start of trail. Not far to go, but being at the high elevation makes it a little tougher than you'd think
Anemone blossom along the trail
The group (at right) coming up the first part of Sourdough Ridge
My sentiments exactly
Classic view of the Mountain's NE side, with Sunrise area at lower right
Upper portion of Emmons Glacier
Oh, you too?
Panoramic view from top of Dege Peak, our lunch spot
Another Dege Peak view, now looking NE
Say cheese, Mt. Rainier
View of Grand Park from Dege Peak
Looking up at Sourdough Ridge and Dege Peak
Little Tahoma
Hiking the nicely built stairsteps on the Lake Dorothy trail
Cascading waters of Camp Robber Creek are crossed after the first mile
Part of our group on the nice trail bridge over Camp Robber Creek
Our smallest hiker checks out an interesting triangular pool
Gorgeous forest and easy walking on the boardwalks
Silhouette of bizarre Cedar snag
Taking a nice break on a resting log
Huge tree, little boy
Relaxing on the shore of Lake Dorothy
Testing the waters
Dorothy view
Beautiful blue skies
August 2- Hike - Noble Knob--
  The toughest part of this trip is the
drive to the trailhead.  You go past
Enumclaw, almost to Crystal
Mountain, then turn onto a steep,
rough gravel road for 6 miles up to the
trailhead at 5700.'  If you survive that,
the hike is a breeze, strolling along a
gentle ridge with views of Rainier and
wildflowers galore
Just minutes into the hike, the Showstopper makes it's first appearence
We were surrounded by this kind of stuff pretty much all day
A water break at a viewpoint
Wildflowers and the Mountain, what more do you need?
The meadows were lined with flowers and so was the forest
Finishing off the last bit to the top of Noble Knob
A noble-looking snag on Noble Knob
Amazing-looking tree skeleton
Ahhhh, this is the life
Resting atop Noble Knob with Lake George below
A profusion of Indian Paintbrush
August 15- Hike - Anderson
Butte--   It was hot, it was steep,
and it was very buggy, but the vista of
the North Cascades from this
one-time lookout site could take your
mind off the discomforts.  Baker and
Shuksan were close, and scores of
other peaks commanded our
attention too.
August 10- Hike - Table Mountain
/ Artist Point--  You wouldn't have
guessed it was August from the Artist
Point parking lot at the end if the Mt. Baker
Highway.  The snow is still very deep in
places, but we were still able to hike the
two short trails from there.  The rain
stayed away, and the clouds provided
some very dramatic scenery.
August 12- Hike - Yellow
Aster Butte--   Another Mt. Baker
area hike, this time a good strenuous
one climbing up to 5700' , just below
the top of the Butte.  Flowers and
views were outstanding, and the
clouds again made the views all that
much better.
August 14- Hike - Thorp
Mountain Lookout--   Thorp is
east of Snoqualmie Pass, kind of near
Roslyn.  The lookout cabin sits at 5854'
and the view on thiis warm, clear day
was terrific.  The hike was short but
tough, and the rewards at the top more
than made up for the toil.  It was also
fun meeting the fire lookout Lori and her
dog Gracie.
Snow piles higher than the bathroom, oh my
On deep snow not far out of the parking lot.
Scattered clouds made for very cool views
Trail up Table Mountain is not for the faint-hearted
The plateau on top of Table Mountain was quite snowy
Mount Baker peeking through the clouds
Table Mountain panorama
Coming down Table. The steepest parts of the trail were always snowfree.
More snow hiking to get over to the top of Artist Point
Little tarns were almost melted out
Coleman Pinnacle juts out like a shark fin through the clouds
Trail enters the wilderness area soon after leaving the trailhead
Great mid-summer conditions-- flowers, blue skies, views...
Walking through the alpine gardens below Yellow Aster Butte
A Sitka Valerian (Heliotrope) and one of its admirers
You can almost feel the fresh air here
This trail is very near the Winchester Mountain Trail. Here's the west side of Winchester.
Where we stopped at 5700', we had this view of meadows and Tomyhoi Peak.
Afternoon clouds filled in some of the valleys, making for mystical-looking views
The lake and meadow country under Yellow Aster Butte is prime backpacking terrain
In contrast to Table Mountain, there were only a few scattered snow patches here
Cloud snugging in below Winchester Mountain
Colorful bundle of Rosy Spirea
Some people like to feel boulders
A stray arachnid on the boulder
Nice bunch of Rattlesnake Plantain seen on the way down in the forest
PLodding up the steep slope in the warm August sun
Butterflies were omnipresent
A first glimpse of the lookout cabin, 30 minutes away
Mount Stuart was huge to the east
At the top. What a place to work, if you're the fire lookout person
A close-up view of Chimney Rock, a few miles to the north
Say hello to Gracie
Signing the summit register book
Looking out the window of the cabin toward Mount Rainier
Hanging out with the lookout dog
Thorp Lookout
A fine-looking crew, don't you think?
Gazing down to Lake Kachess
Bet those people think they're having fun
Boardwalk path leads through meadow toward Anderson Butte
Heather bells were everywhere in the meadows
Climbers on top of a neighboring peak
South side of Mount Shuksan as seen from top of Anderson Butte
Keeping cool on a warm day
Hanging out on the ledge enjoying the view
Some of the group posing with Baker and Shuksan
Feeling that Cascade Mountain High
Zoom shot of top of Baker
Mount Triumph, a few miles east of Anderson Butte
The trio of peaks are Pugh, Sloan, and White Chuck
Wide-angle shot of the North Cascades
Smells like a Christmas tree
A lovely little Queen's Cup in bloom
August 20-22- Backpacking
the Wonderland Trail -
Sunrise to Mowich Lake--   
This trip was the first of its kind for
Everett Parks-- a three-day, 24-mile
backpacking trip.  A group of nine took
on the incomparable Wonderland Trail
which encircles Mount Rainier.  The
entire route is over 90 miles, so we
did a segment across the northern
flank of the mountain.  Beginning in
the high country from the Sunrise
area, we shouldered packs weighing
from 30-40 pounds and set off,
enjoying terrific views and wildflower
displays the first day.  We camped in a
backcountry site on Granite Creek the
first night.  On day 2 we passed two
major glaciers, a beautiful subalpine
lake, and finished at a campsite near
the Carbon River.  Day three saw us
battling cold, drizzle and fog on a long
climb up to the high country of Spray
Park before coming to the finish where
the van awaited at Mowich Lake. What
a challenging but rewarding journey.  
Congrats to Chris and Debra, Herb
and Carrie, Colleen J, Laura, Nancy R,
Cheryl, and Julie O.  You were
WonderFUL to be with on the
Wonderland!      
The group at the trailhead at Sunrise, just about ready to go
Leaving the parking lot, only 24 miles to go
Gorgeous day, the Mountain is out
This is the way, people
Walking in high, open country near Sunrise
Bracted Lousewort was common in this area
Pretty wispy clouds accented the blue sky and green meadows
Upper part of Berkley Park. Mt. Fremont (L) Burroughs Mtn. (R)
Rainier's Emmons Glacier is visible over the ridge line on Burroughs Mtn
A side trail at Skyscraper Pass led to the top of Skyscraper Mtn, 7016'
Vibrant cluster of low-lying Paintbrush at nearly 7000'
Sluiskin Mountain seen from just below Skyscraper Mtn.
Top of the Skyscraper
Little Tahoma from Skyscraper Mtn.
Meadow wildflowers near Skyscraper Pass
Trail dropped down to forest again, but wildflowers were still gorgeous.
In our camp site at Granite Creek Camp, end of Day One.
We hung our food on these hooks so the animals wouldn't get into it at night
Evening sun paints the ice cap on Rainie, as seen from near our campsite
Crossing Granite Creek on our way out of camp, start of Day Two
The lower Winthrop Glacier, with rocky rubble covering most of the ice
Rainier looms above the Winthrop Glacier. The power of nature is awesome.
Surveying the scene of the glacier's immensity
...and alongside the huge body of ice, the delicate monkeyflower blooms
Granite Creek tumbles in a refreshing cascade
Relaxing at Mystic Lake, early afternoon of Day Two
Good for a dip, though kind of chilly at 5700.'
Unusual flower near the lake
A view of Winthrop Glacier and Steamboat Prow from Mystic Lake
High clouds dropping onto the upper slopes of Rainier
Old Desolate Mountain, lying to the north of Mystic Lake
Rocky slopes of Old Desolate. Note the large cave at lower right
We sighted a bear near Mystic Lake
He was probably 150 yards from us, and paid us absolutely no attention
Elephant Head in a meadow near the Carbon Glacier
Marmot was almost the same color as the bear
Clouds were dropping in, but there was no shortage of beauty to behold
A misty afternoon in the meadows of Rainier
Taking full advantage of a rest break
The debris-covered Carbon Glacier appears to almost fall out of the sky
The snout of the glacier is a 200-foot high wall of ice covered in rocky debris
Crossing the Carbon River on the suspension Bridge
She's very focused
Our second camp--very close quarters in the group campsite near Carbon River
Day Three started under mostly cloudy skies.
We steadily climbed over 3000', transitioning from Carbon River forests to Spray Park meadows...
...and to high barrens of rock...
...and snow, and oh yes, fog and drizzle
After topping out at over 6000', we steadily descended again
Beargrass blossoms in Spray Park (among others)
Spray Falls tumbles dramatically down the misty cliffs
Nearing Mowich Lake. Was that the van I saw?
So much for those boots
Nicely done everyone!
August 19- Midweek Walkers -
Bellevue Botanical Gardens--  
 Not many of you know this, but the
people who do the midweek walks get
to do some of the COOLEST trips.  
This one was a prime example.  Not
far from downtown Bellevue can be
found an immaculate park (Wilburton
Hill) and right next door is the
breathtakingly beautiful Botanical
Gardens.  We made a nice an easy
walking route of about 2-3 miles, and
had a great day.
August 24- Hike - Lake
Valhalla--   A perfect weather day,
sunny and 70.  An excellent trail to a
lovely lake.  Doesn't get much better
than this.  Valhalla is off of the
Smithbrook Road near Stevens
Pass, along the Pacific Crest Trail.
Very nice forest trails in Wilburton Hill Park
Several of us enjoyed a ride on a mini zip-line at Wilburton Hill Park.
Pondering the rock art at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens
Lovely red grasses
Whimsical statue near the visitors center
Waterfall in one of the gardens
Just a cool little fern
Owl statue in the Native Discovery Garden
The botanical gardens also have some nice wooded trails
Eye-catching maple tree
Wildlife in Bellevue? Yep
Lots of colorful flowers in the Perennials Garden
Splash of color
More cool colors in the Perennials Garden
A personal favorite: red flagflower
The gardens were a photographer's playground
Playin' around
Neighboring mountains under clear blue skies
A couple from our group opted for a side trip up to the top of McCausland Mountain
First view of Lake Valhalla
Wonderful lunch rock on Valhalla's shore, with Lichtenberg Mountain hanging above
Folks from our group and others enjoying the beach
Wide shot of Valhalla from the eastern side. Mt. McCausland is at upper right
The steep west face of Lichtenberg Mountain
August 28- Hike - Mount
David  (SWITCHED to
Navaho Peak)--   This was
to be our big 14-mile, 5200' gain
hike to Mt. David, but a nearby
wildfire caused the trail to be
temporarily closed.  Instead, we
headed for the Teanaway
Country and climbed 7223' tall
Navaho Peak.  It was only 13
miles, 4100' gain.  Views were
fantastic, especially the Stuart
Range right next door.  The
thunderstorm at day's end
added extra spice to the trip too.
We took the Stafford Creek Trail to get to Navaho. Nice forest and meadows
Trail heads toward Navaho Peak. Looks pretty gentle, but it got pretty steep.
Just below Navaho Pass was a barren, moonlike slope
Just above Navaho Pass, looking back at the trail and Earl Peak in the distance.
Part of the Stuart Range peaks that formed a granite wall across our viewpoint
Mount Stuart (L) and other giants came into view
Steep trail section above Navaho Pass heading to Navaho Peak
Meadow flowers at 7000' elevation.
I'm thinking they've reached the top.
Great views from our high summit. Ingalls Peak and Stuart are seen near center here.
Close-up of Ingalls Peak (L) and Mount Daniel (R). Ingalls Lake is in the bowl below the peak, at the sun/shade line
The black and white world of the Stuart Range commanded our eye's attention
A few of our
Keep an eye on the skies! Thickenig clouds overhead
Fine- looking group at the top
I don't know these people
Indian Paintbrush near the summit
Lots of wind-sculpted trees enhanced the scenery
Andy on a twisted old snag tree
Another shot of a twisted old snag...
LaVerne gets a head start back to the parking lot
Rock formations typical of the Teanaway region
Skies were pretty, but the thunderstorm caught us during the last hour or so of the hike. Not bad, just got a little wet was all.
Rainbow over the van in Cle Elum
August 30- Hike - Lake
Ann--  It's always nice when
the weather turns out better than
expected.  That was the case
today, and we couldn't have
been in a nicer place to take
advantage of our good fortune.  
Lake Ann is very near Mt.
Shuksan in the North
Cascades, and not far from
Baker.  We had peek-a-boo
views of both, as well as great
alpine scenery and meadows.  
A very enjoyable day.
Meadows along the Lake Ann trail, not far below Austin Pass
Broken clouds over Mt. Shuksan. Our trail to the lake passes over the small pass just right and below the center of the picture
Pretty glacier-clad peak on the shoulder of Mt. Shuksan.
Coming up the rocky path
Lots of lovely heather in bloom in the meadows
Still a few snow patches at higher elevations along the trail
One of the first glimpses of Lake Ann
Ate lunch next to the lake with this view of Shuksan
Dramatic view of the Lower Curtis Glacier
Lake Ann sits in a basin of nice meadows and interesting rocks
Lake Ann outlet stream
Looks like we're right next to the glacier. It's actually nearly a mile behind them.
Lake Ann and Mount Watson
Example of the swirly texture in many of the rocks near the lake
Breaks in the clouds revealed Mount Baker
Samll peak reflected in a meadow pool
Brief afternoon shower at one point
Tiger Lillies
September 1- Hike - Scott
Paul Trail--  This trail is on the
slopes just south of Mt. Baker, and
much of it meanders through
beautiful meadow land just a stone's
throw from the Easton and Squak
Glaciers.  Turned out to be a very
nice day, and we completed an
8-mile loop from Schrieber Meadows
trailhead.
Schriebers Meadow had lots of berries
Clouds were giving way to sunshine throughout the day
Temporary bridge over Rocky Creek made the crossing easy
Farther upstream, a temporary suspension bridge helped get us across the same creek
Looking down Rocky Creek
Pink Monkeyflower was among many delightful varieties of wildflowers we saw
Carefully crossing Rocky Creek on the suspension bridge
Part of the trail crossed on glacial moraines
Seemed like there were miles of this type of scenery
This guy joined us for lunch
More meadow scenery. The clouds gradually revealed the surrounding peaks
The upper slopes of Mt. Baker starting to come into view
Taking a side trip up a glacial moraine to great view at about 5400'
Presto-- Baker comes out completely
Typical trail through the meadows
One last view of Koma Kulshan from the forest near the trailhead
September 3- Walk - Northern
State Recreation Area--  Another
fun discovery, this time at this Skagit
County park on the grounds of the former
mental hospital near Sedro Woolley.  We
enjoyed nice easy walking, often
passing old farm buildings which were.
part of the facility.
September 4- Hike - Mount
Higgins--  A good strong group
tackled this trail to a former lookout
site near Darrington.  The trail
climbed through a nice old growth
forest, passed meadows full of berry
bushes, and reached the lookout
site and some awe-inspiring views.  
Congrats to all who did this
3400-foot climb
Informational kiosk near the parking lot
A field of teasel
Strolling down a nuce wooded lane at NSRA
Passing one of the old barns
Picnic shelter and frisbee golf course hole
Checking out some more of the old farm buildings that date back to 1921.
Remote Control airplane pilots were doing their thing too
Moving steadily up the hillside under gray cloudy skies
Nice forest scenery
Oh boy-- can't you just taste 'em?
Clouds rolling up the cliffside near the summit
East and Middle summits of Higgins
You're gonna get purple fingers from doing that
Looking over the edge from the Mt. Higgins LO site
Myrtle Lake is seen far below, taken from the top
Sitting on top, you look straight down to the Stillaguamish Valley
Broken boardwalk and stately cedar
Another successful day and a good time had by all
September 5- Tour -
Northwest Trek--  We had
a wonderful day of wildlife
viewing at this 700-acre park in
Pierce County near Eatonville.  
Our tram ride through the
"free-roaming" area was
especially successful, as we
spotted most of the 100
(non-predatory) animals that
are found there.
Female moose
Woodland Caribou
I like the look the little deer is giving the caribou
That's QUITE the rack of antlers
One of the herd of bison
Bighorn Sheep
A Bison's HEAD weighs over 200 pounds, we were told
Another moose
Great Blue Heorn
A young Bighorn sheep
Mountain goat
Bull elk
Red-tailed Hawk
Lynx
Bobcat. Similar to the lynx, but far more common in Washington
Coyote
Nose-to-nose with a beaver
River otter playing in the pool
Oh-oh
A very docile badger
Barn owl
Great Horned Owl
Black bears
Gray wolves