Spring Fling

Always nice to strike out into the Pacific Northwest during springtime, especially when you can spend quality time with old friends along the way. First, we hit the road north to Portland and Crown Point (above), then east for a hike into Latourell Falls, one of many in a series of great waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge.

Lower Latourell Falls (right) plunges nearly 250 feet over the lip of an eroded lava flow.

The trail climbs to the top of the falls, then continues to a secluded upper falls, which drops 100 feet to a spot near the trail bridge, spraying those who may venture too closely. Bigleaf maples provide a lush overstory, while maidenhair fern and waterleaf dominate as ground cover, along with bleeding hearts and cordyalis.

Next up: a trip to the Owl Conservatory for a summit meeting with more friends and a conference with nature at the center of the universe. Flying to Seattle and renting a car, we sailed over Stevens Pass on our way to the “capanna montagna” near Lake Wenatchee and Plain in the Upper Wenatchee Valley in Washington state.

The flora returned after a long winter, and balsamroot (above) was ubiquitous. The beach below our property was literally “bird central,” with geese, ducks and kingfishers, paired off in twos, while an osprey and a golden eagle eyed each other suspiciously from their respective perches on either side of the river. Ah, spring.