Boulders on the side of the road - covered in moss, ferns and ivy
One solitary leaf resting on a bed of moss - our rainy winters make the moss softt and green
Boulders with lichen
Moss and ferns have grown over the top of this boulder
The boulders get bigger - turning into hillsides next to the roads - our car is dwarfed by this boulder cliff
Sandstone cliffs beside the road along Lake Whatcom. I don't know if animals or erosion have caused these holes.
Vines attach to the sides of the boulders
And the boulders become mountains
Covered with snow in the winter (North Mount Sister)
On the road up to Mt. Baker there are basalt pillars. These were pushed straight up from the earth by volcanic pressure. They can be broken off in chunks and in the Mt. Baker area are used as edgings for hiking trails and paths.
Boulders form mountains and erosion and gravity cause the rocks to crumble and become rock slides. Taken at Heather Meadows on Mt. Baker.
Rugged granite mountains in the Mt. Stuart Mountain Range in central Washington
Mt. Stuart - the second highest non-volcanic peak in the state, 10th overall, at a height of 9,415 ft (2,870 m)
Moving into Eastern Washington we find a landscape similar to the Grand Canyon - formed over the centuries by weather and erosion from the rivers
Gigantic basalt pillars were pushed straight up out of the ground from the lava flows 6 to 17 million years ago.
The cooling of the basalt columns caused cracks and fissures in the columns, and the columns begin to fall
There are stunning formations cause by erosion, weather and time. You see these formations along miles and miles of hiway through this area
The boulders and mountains of Washington are truly magnificent!
5 comments:
Such magnificent scenery - how wonderful to have all that on your doorstep.
Very nice post! Those basaltic pillars are so fascinating; definitely a favorite. And the mountains, of course, are gorgeous.
Not something I would have thought that was in Washington.
You are so lucky to live in such an amazing area. We have driven through, so know just how spectacular it is - although we have never stayed there.
I've never seen basalt pillars before - they are fascinating. Beautiful photos of a beautiful part of the country! I like how you progress from way down here to the soaring peaks!
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