Fresh Air and Old Memories...
When I was very young, my mother told me once how where she came from there weren't any mountains around, and once she lived among the mountains, it made her uneasy to go back to the fields.
I'm sure for different reasons, I ended up feeling the same. Perhaps it's my love for views from high places (despite my mild fear of heights in general), in recent years my drive of bouldering, or perhaps the fond memories of my childhood.
Years back, my Mother passed away, and memories of hikes in Montana, adventures in Northern California, a grueling hike up Mt. Baker in Washington... These stuck with me, along with many of her stories. While I can't say for certain, I have a belief that I am perhaps unreasonably drawn to mountains because of how much my Mother enjoyed them.
Regardless though, I have my own reasons for enjoying them still! One being having my own kid to take up to these areas. The Rockies, and neighboring areas, are all quite enjoyable to me. They have a wide variety of weather if you aren't too far out, and quite a lot of lakes and mountains.
If you're ever wondering what the Northwest U.S. looks like, or have considered going here, let this be a collage of how great it can look in all seasons!
Chapter 1: Mountains, Mountains, Mountains...
Considering we have the Rockies here, as well as tons of other mountains, hills and valleys: You're going to see a lot of peaks. Hilltops, Rocky Outcrops, Snowy Peaks, Vast Ranges... Yeah, a lot. There are places of solace if you are against vertical terrain, which I'll show a little later, flatter areas.
Here's some of my favorite mountain shots I've taken in Montana, Idaho and Washington over the last few years:
Lower Peak of Chilco Mountain.
A beautiful road trip. Many roads have plenty of areas to stop and enjoy nature.
If I recall correctly, this is a shot of the northern side of the Coeur D'Alene Lake
I believe this would be the southern side of the previous lake.
A shot of Paddlesack Mountain.
Unknown peak during a small snowstorm.
I can't remember where this was either haha, but one of the lakes up north for certain.
I believe where the river curves on the right is the lowest elevation in Idaho. Lewiston and Clarkston can be seen below, the Washington/Idaho border lies here as well.
Chapter 2: The 4 Seasons Observed (most of the time!)
If you happen to be from the areas where you feel like you get 3 Winters and 1 Summer, you know what I'm talking about. But some of the more mountainous areas in the Northwest can be quite Cold. Same goes for areas around the Canadian Rockies. More often than not, it's a tad on the colder side, with a good balance of weather.
Some of my favorite shots of snow, plantlife and weather:
An unusually warm December day in which the melted snow and sun makes for an Orange/Green forest such as this. A Personal Favorite.
Still December, above a trainyard in Missoula, Montana.
A home staying warm in the darkness of January. Winter campfires are not too uncommon in the colder regions.
I believe this is a bend on the Spokane River, in Washington. In March, the snow is typically gone on the ground and remains in the mountains.
April arrives roaring with the freshness of nature, snow only remaining on higher peaks.
May welcomes you with increased foliage and calmer waters.
Summer strikes, and it's time to check out some water!
While August is usually more yellow, higher up in the National Forest areas the air is cool and the plants are green. My daughter is running down the path.
Alas, fall has returned, but it doesn't mean you don't get some good views!
Finishing off 2020 with a winter campfire of my own.
Chapter 3: Final Notes and Farewell...
The Google Pixel phones aren't too bad at capturing the stars, which you can see plenty in the mountainous areas!
I have tons of photos to share, so I'll stop here to keep things from getting too long.
I also would like to collect newer, better pictures as well.
These photos on the post are from 2018-2021. I definitely recommend coming to visit the Rockies and surrounding regions someday if you can! Even if you can't visit an interesting place you see, I feel it is always interesting to see how things are different, yet how they are the similar too. I have seen mountain ranges posted on Hive that look very similar to some of the rocks Here in Washington but are on the other side of the world.
I hope you enjoyed these shots, I am somewhat of an amatuer and resort to my Pixel phone 98% of the time haha!
A picture of the Sunset in the city of Spokane, Washington.
Thanks for reading!
Credits and referrals:
All photos taken by myself or @doobeedoodle
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