Forum Index > Other Birds and Wildlife > Wildlife on the Trails, in Parks & Natural Areas
 Pacific Northwest Trails and Wildlife
 |  Printable Version
By: PacNorWest (offline) on Friday, September 03 2010 @ 02:40 PM EDT  
PacNorWest

DAMFINO LAKES * EXCELSIOR PASS * HIGH DIVIDE trail * 9-2-10

Yesterday, I hiked this trail which is in the North Cascades, about 50 miles from Bellingham.

Click on image to download

Click on image to download

Parking lot at trail head.
Click on image to download


Doug
Bellingham, Washington

Forum

Status: offline

Registered: 01/12/10
Posts: 3268

Profile Email   PM
   
By: PacNorWest (offline) on Friday, September 03 2010 @ 02:44 PM EDT  
PacNorWest

DAMFINO LAKES * EXCELSIOR PASS * HIGH DIVIDE trail * 9-2-10

Click on image to download

Click on image to download

Damfino Lakes are two small, shallow mountain ponds.
Click on image to download


Doug
Bellingham, Washington

Forum

Status: offline

Registered: 01/12/10
Posts: 3268

Profile Email   PM
   
By: PacNorWest (offline) on Friday, September 03 2010 @ 02:54 PM EDT  
PacNorWest

DAMFINO LAKES * EXCELSIOR PASS * HIGH DIVIDE trail * 9-2-10


Click on image to download

After the Damfino Lakes, the trail climbs through a beautiful forest to this alpine meadow.
A few weeks ago, this meadow was ablaze with wildflowers.
Excelsior Pass is seen in the background.... at about 5500'.
Trailhead is at about 4000'.
Click on image to download

Click on image to download


Doug
Bellingham, Washington

Forum

Status: offline

Registered: 01/12/10
Posts: 3268

Profile Email   PM
   
By: PacNorWest (offline) on Friday, September 03 2010 @ 03:01 PM EDT  
PacNorWest

DAMFINO LAKES * EXCELSIOR PASS * HIGH DIVIDE trail * 9-2-10

Mt. Baker as seen from Excelsior Pass
Click on image to download

The trail continues eastward along High Divide, a ridge that runs for miles towards Welcome Pass and Yellow Aster Meadows.
About a half mile past Excelsior Pass, you enter a designated Wilderness area.
Click on image to download

Click on image to download


Doug
Bellingham, Washington

Forum

Status: offline

Registered: 01/12/10
Posts: 3268

Profile Email   PM
   
By: PacNorWest (offline) on Friday, September 03 2010 @ 03:06 PM EDT  
PacNorWest

DAMFINO LAKES * EXCELSIOR PASS * HIGH DIVIDE trail * 9-2-10

Yellow Jacket enjoying a Fireweed flower.
Click on image to download

Bumblebees
Click on image to download

About 3 miles down the ridge, I stopped for lunch.
This is the view to the east, looking into the heart of the North Cascades, a very rugged area.
The views from this ridge are much more breathtaking than is depicted in these photos.
Click on image to download


Doug
Bellingham, Washington

Forum

Status: offline

Registered: 01/12/10
Posts: 3268

Profile Email   PM
   
By: PacNorWest (offline) on Friday, September 03 2010 @ 03:11 PM EDT  
PacNorWest

DAMFINO LAKES * EXCELSIOR PASS * HIGH DIVIDE trail * 9-2-10

On this hike, I heard many birds, but saw very few.

Raven
Click on image to download

Unknown woodland bird ??
Click on image to download

Sharp-Shinned Hawk.
Click on image to download


Doug
Bellingham, Washington

Forum

Status: offline

Registered: 01/12/10
Posts: 3268

Profile Email   PM
   
By: PacNorWest (offline) on Friday, September 03 2010 @ 03:29 PM EDT  
PacNorWest

DAMFINO LAKES * EXCELSIOR PASS * HIGH DIVIDE trail * 9-2-10

Mt. Shuksan
Click on image to download

While passing Damfino Lakes on my return trip, I spotted this creature in a few inches of water.
My high school biology is a little rusty, but I believe this is a frog going through metamorphosis.
It is large {about 5 inches long}. Metamorphosis takes only about 24 hours.
After watching this animal for a couple minutes, it buried itself in the mud and disappeared.
Any other ideas or thoughts about this are welcome.
Click on image to download

Click on image to download


Doug
Bellingham, Washington

Forum

Status: offline

Registered: 01/12/10
Posts: 3268

Profile Email   PM
   
By: PacNorWest (offline) on Friday, September 03 2010 @ 03:37 PM EDT  
PacNorWest

DAMFINO LAKES * EXCELSIOR PASS * HIGH DIVIDE trail * 9-2-10

Douglas Squirrel
Click on image to download

Click on image to download

Click on image to download


Doug
Bellingham, Washington

Forum

Status: offline

Registered: 01/12/10
Posts: 3268

Profile Email   PM
   



 All times are EDT. The time is now 07:44 AM.
Normal Topic Normal Topic
Locked Topic Locked Topic
Sticky Topic Sticky Topic
New Post New Post
Sticky Topic W/ New Post Sticky Topic W/ New Post
Locked Topic W/ New Post Locked Topic W/ New Post
View Anonymous Posts 
Able to Post 
HTML Allowed 
Censored Content 

?

Please Donate

Five Easy Ways to Donate to HWF!

Current & Ongoing Promotions

 

 

 

 

 

My Account





Sign up as a New User
Lost your password?