February 2, 2011
Sorry all my midwestern and southern friends. I know you guys are having some horrific weather right now. Part of me wishes I were there with y’all, snowed in and snuggled up in my home. While you guys have been getting frigid air and dumped on by snow, up here in the PNW we’ve had three (THREE!) beautiful, glorious sunny days. I say this, not to brag, but to let you know how wonderful sunshine feels after several weeks of clouds. I’ve gone along these few weeks thinking that the cloudy, mostly sunless days haven’t been bothering me. And really they haven’t that much. I still get out, run outside, hike on the weekends. I think that really helps during these cloudy winter months. But yesterday driving home, I can’t begin to tell you how exhilarating it felt to have the sun on my face.
Yesterday, the skies were so clear we could see the Olympic Mountains, the Canadian Cascade Mountains and the U.S. Cascade Mountains including Mount Baker AND Mount Rainier. Mount Rainier is over 100 miles away folks, if that tells you anything. I’ve been so happy having my camera lens back, I’ve been taking my camera everywhere with me.
First up, when I came to Deception Pass on my way to work, I spotted the Olympics. They are glorious in the morning with the rising sun shining off their ragged snowy tops.
To give you a little perspective, "A" is where I was taking the pictures, and the mountains are across the strait on the Olympic Peninsula.
Deception Pass with the Olympic Mountains in the distance.
I love the sun shining off the mountain tops.
The trees you see across the pass are on Whidbey Island. I am standing on Fidalgo Island.
That afternoon at lunch, I just had to try to get closer to the mountains. It’s amazing to me how much difference elevation can make in your perspective of them. Some places they seem so far away, while other times they look monstrous. I took the following pictures from the west side of Whidbey Island, just outside of the town of Oak Harbor.
Everything is so blue in this picture. The water, the sky... gorgeous!
As I stood there looking through the view finder I saw some birds flying around that piece of driftwood 50 yards or so in the distance. The longer I watched them, an eagle flew into the mix! In case you didn’t know, I’m totally in awe of eagles.
That's the eagle with his talons down on the left. He was going after some prey.
He landed for a bit on the driftwood. (Oh what I wouldn't give for a 500mm lens!)
Eagle with the Olympic Mountains in the background.
Then he went over and started picking at a fish. You can barely make it out when this photo is zoomed WAY in.
Then he took off and landed in some trees nearby. Why couldn't he fly *toward* me!!
Painfully, I tore myself away from the water and headed back to work to finish up my day. On the way home I thought that surely, with as clear as the skies were, Mount Rainier would be visible from the top of Mount Erie. I’m so glad I took the time to make the drive to the top! The sun was just beginning to lower in the sky. (And just for reference, the sun sets here about 45 minutes or more earlier than it does in the Central Time Zone.)
I stood atop Mount Erie and just took in the beauty. From Mount Erie you get a very good view of the surrounding waters and land. Here are maps looking South and to the East. If you look West, you look out over the Rosario Strait and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which leads to the Pacific Ocean.
Looking East from Mount Erie, across the Skagit Valley Farmland to the Cascades. "A" is Mt. Erie and the orange marker is Deception Pass.
Looking South from Mount Erie you look across the Puget Sound to Mount Rainier which is more than 100 miles away.
Mt. Rainier 100 miles away from Mt. Erie in Anacortes, WA. Elevation of Mount Rainier is 14,411 feet.
Cascade Mountains seen from Mt. Erie.
Cascade Mountains, Skagit Valley Farmland and Similik Bay.
Lake Campbell and Similk Bay from Mt. Erie. Mt. Rainier in the distance.
View of Rosario Strait from Mt. Erie. I love the way the sunlight cuts over the hills in sheets. Olympic Mountains in distance.
So, there you have it. Our gorgeous three days of sun. Common phrases heard when the weather is like this are, “Enjoy the sun!” or “Are you enjoying the sun!?” or “What did you do out in the sun today!?” I hope all my Midwestern and Southern friends and family aren’t too mad at me for posting these. 
Hopefully they will make you feel a little warmer. If not, rest easy knowing that this is what the rest of my week is forecasted to look like:
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Good job! Beautiful pictures as always, the picture of the eagle is quite remarkable! In the back of my mind I can hear Napolean Dynamite asking “if the eagle has large talons”. Lol
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I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto! The snow pile by my driveway is nearly as tall and magnificent as Mt Rainier!
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Your pictures are absolutely beautiful! I have never visited the PNW. I’d love to head up that way. Enjoy your weather!
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Breath-taking pictures Kami! Love the ones of the eagles!
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Awesome photos…..again. Love the eagles! Your photos of those views would make me want to be outside all day!
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Okay, you just need to make a big ole coffee table book of all your pictures. And I can so see them blown up covering an entire wall like those awesome galleries in City Center in Vegas. Awesome pictures, as usual!
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