It’s mid-September and I can already feel the crisp autumn chill in the air at where I live. This means it’s time again to post some highlights and photos of what I’ve been up to during the past season. Summer is a good time in the Pacific Northwest as weather is nice and it’s usually not super hot. We didn’t get a record-setting heat wave like 2021, but there were plenty of hot (by PNW standards) days. I didn’t take a long vacation or travel far during the summer, so pretty much all of the highlights are hiking and outdoorsy stuff in the PNW. Without further ado here are the photos
The absolutely gorgeous Summit Lake. Probably the most beautiful scenery I’ve encountered so far hiking in the PNW. Was here two years ago but couldn’t see much due to foggy weather. Picked a clear blue sky summer day this year and got this fantastic view.
First time hiking the North Shores. Eagle Bluffs up at Cypress Mountain provide an expansive view of the Strait of Georgia.
Mirror Lake, another pretty mountain lake in the PNW
Checked another famous trail off the list. This is Colchuck Lake near Leavenworth, with its gorgeous turquoise waters and imposing peaks in the backdrop.
The chipmunks at Colchuck Lake are pretty used to people. This bold little guy even tried to rummage through this backpack for treats.
Been to Deception Pass a few times, but first time getting down to the beach. Saw this group of nice folks painting the scenery with the Deception Pass bridge
Haven’t been to Olympic National Park in years. Colorful wildflowers line the trail to Hurricane Hill
This is on the way up the actual Hurricane Hill. Mostly paved trail with big mountain views the whole way.
In addition to Olympic National Park, I also visited the lavender farms of Sequim. The lavender fields had thousands of bumblebees collecting nectar.
First time viewing the July 4th fireworks in Seattle. Wish they had launched more shells during the finale
When it got real hot during the summer, I took to the nearby lake on a paddleboard. Fell in the water a few times (on purpose) to cool off.
Haven’t been to Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver for probably over a decade. The gardens there are still very nice.
Lake Tapps down in southern Puget Sound is a popular summer destination. Nice lake with Mount Rainier in the background.
Harvesting tomatoes from my parents’ backyard garden. They had an excellent yield of tomatoes this year. Ate quite a few when I was there.
That’s all for my summer highlights. Good times pass by quickly so summer rolled past pretty quick. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some more hiking in during the fall before the weather turns. Also planning to take some trips to places further out. Thanks for reading.
