A mountain hike brought an unanticipated opportunity to photograph a hillside of spring wildflowers in late summer.
Wildflowers near a mountain lake in August. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
Summer is often a good time for us to travel in search of new images, but the pandemic has severely limited our traveling—like it has for everyone. Fortunately, we are not far from the northern Cascade mountains where we can hike and photograph while easily maintaining a safe distance from the relatively few people on the trails.
Heavy snow was finally cleared from the last two miles of road on the mountain in the third week of August, making it easier to access the higher trails. We decided to go for an out-and-back hike one that led to several mountain lakes—not for photography (because the light seemed too harsh) but for exercise.
Footpath traversing a steep mountain slope in the Cascades. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
Nancy hiking up the trail. Mt. Baker is hidden by clouds in the center left.
As usual, we carried water and food and extra layers of clothing—conditions can change quickly in the mountains. The trail traversed a steep slope as it gained altitude. We passed other hikers. Most wore a mask; those who did not moved well off the trail as a courtesy. After an hour, we reached a pass and headed down the other side.
View to the left of the trail in the previous video. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
Having come directly from sea level to 6,000 feet, we felt the altitude on the long uphill. The equally long descent to the lakes was easy but knowing the route back would sap a lot of our energy, we paced ourselves.
From the trail on the descent. The highest peak is Mt. Baker. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
Snow still clung to the higher slopes. Meltwater streamed down the flower-laden hillsides above the lakes and in wildflower-bordered gullies. We snacked, drank some water, and enjoyed the scenery. Rested, we decided to push on a bit further before turning back.
After climbing up and over another ridge, we were greeted by the view of an emerald green lake, nestled in a cirque at the base of the steep slope of a flat-topped mountain. On the far side of the lake, a hundred-meter-wide patch of snow covered the base of the rocky talus slope where it met the water. A mirror image was reflected in the lake.
Emerald-colored waters on the near shore. Photo: © Nancy Rommes
As we progress along the trail, the hillsides were now covered in blue, white, and yellow wildflowers.
We were taken by surprise—the rugged serenity of the still emerald lake on one side, a profusion of delicate wildflowers gently moving in the slight breeze on the other. Admiring the scene and lost in the moment, we lingered, wishing we had brought our larger (heavier) cameras to try to record the beauty we were witnessing.
The harsh afternoon sun dropped behind a stand of conifers on the nearby ridge, enveloping the field of wildflowers in the soft, even light of shade—perfect for flower photography. The conditions were too good to pass up. Taking out our small and lightweight cameras, we made a series of side-by-side exposures that we intended to "stitch" into the larger file size needed to make big prints. .
The image below is a small version of the scene. Clicking on the image will take you to the final photo on the Iris Arts website. We hope it communicates our feelings of joy and tranquility—without the challenge of getting there—to those who are ill or otherwise unable to get to such places.
Panorama of wildflowers "stitched" from several photographs. Photo: © Nancy Rommes
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