Wind on the Water: Happiness is...an alpine hike!

I left home early last Sunday morning, with plans to hike up to McNeil Point on Mt. Hood. I didn't get out the door as early as I wanted, because I was up a little too late the night before, but I got out and started hiking up by 8:30. I parked at the Top Spur Trailhead, just as I did on my last hike, and I headed out in the same direction, determined this time to see more of the high country and wonderful vistas. And DID I! It was a strenous hike with 2,200 ft of elevation gain over 9.8 miles, and I'm itching like crazy this week, because the deer flies enjoyed my flesh while on the way up through the forested parts, but the sights along the way and the glorious destination were totally worth it! What a great way to beat the heat - go higher!

I was surprised to see that the pretty little pond I took photos of on my last hike 2 weeks before, was dry! The vibrant Leopard Lillies were all gone, too, along with many of the other wildflowers I photographed along the way. But the higher I got, the more new things I got to enjoy: lots of Indian Paintbrush and another flowering shrub that reminds me of Heather. Not sure what it is. I also saw Pasque Flowers up at McNeil Point, which added interest to my photos of Hood there. I could never articulate just how beautiful and rewarding that hike was, but I can share some pretty pictures. I wanted to post this to have a memory of this special day. If you really want to enjoy the photos, just click on them to see a larger version. I wish I'd taken the advice about getting a graduated, polarizing filter for some of these shots of mountains with snow and bright sky, but some of these didn't come out too badly despite that missing tool.