Castilleja, Indian Paintbrush

Day 253: I cannot adequately express the good fortune I feel to be able to live in the Pacific Northwest with its beautiful alpine areas almost immediately out my door. Here in the heart of Mt. Rainier National Park, there are more wonders than I could record in a lifetime of photography, from the spectacle of craggy peaks rising abruptly against the sky to the delicacy and vibrant color of myriad wildflowers.

The one scene which typifies our area is this: Indian Paintbrush against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains. This is not a secret spot known only to hikers. No, this photo was taken from a pullout alongside the paved Stevens Canyon Road. The elevation here is approximately 4000'. To the south lies the canyon, deep in its valley. To the north, rocky cliffs rise from directly beside the road, often with waterfalls cascading down from their heights. It is early in the season yet, a season late in beginning this year. In its peak, there will not be a color of the rainbow unrepresented on these slopes. Today I contented myself with brilliant vermilion Castillejas, pale purple Phlox, a few white Avalanche Lilies and the ever-present greens, a quiet day in the mountains I so dearly love.