This was a tougher one to approach, as I had to drop about 1300 feet from a ridgeline to get down low into the subalpine zone.

No sign of man down in this 'hole', but plenty of bears, elk, deer, and some really fresh cougar tracks.

The feeling of wild serenity was too nice for me, and wasn't really set up for overnight, but stayed here anyway, because it was very warm. I hunkered down in the trees you see on the right.

It got a bit cold at dawn, but had my small stove for oatmeal and coffee (2 cups, of course). It warmed up quickly on the long climb back to the barren ridgeline to retrieve my stashed gear I had hung off a tree limb.

Pentax 645n
Pentax-A 45mm lens
Velvia 100F

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The Beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax) was prevalent in every meadow crossing on this off-trail trip last week.

Sort of surreal to top a ridge, drop into the next meadow, and see the unusually numerous blooms. These went on for several miles, and made me feel like I was on another planet.

This was a tougher hike than usual, as the temps on this day were in the mid 90s according to my little zipper-pull thermometer. That heat is somewhat unusual for the high country on the SW side of the Olympics, though not unheard of.

Even with the heat, the 5 days of uninterrupted hiking was pure bliss, with lots of sweat dripping off my nose - as it should be.

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I agree. I use a digital camera as well as my film cameras. They both have differences in rendering or recording colors, although a definitive variation comes with 'processing' after the shot is taken.

Thanks for commenting, Richard, RG, UTMike, and NikonGal! I appreciate the feedback. :-)

The Alpine Blueberry leaves start turning red in mid-September most years, developing their intense red tones towards the first week of October.

This was a good time to have Velvia 50 transparency film, with its bold rendering of the primary colors, as well as the big camera - a pain to pack but a joy to use.

A few days of off trail wandering from cirque to cirque, and tarn to tarn, in colorful terrain. Strenuous? Yes. Rewarding? Yes.

Fuji GX680
Fujinon 80/5.6 lens
Velvia film

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Thanks jaymatt! That one word suffices! :-)

Soothing is a great word for this nice spot. Thank you!

Always good to hear from you, Carly Sue! Thank you for the nice comment.

Hey, I totally appreciate the feedback, and I will scan some other perspectives of this cool place. Just need to get those chromes onto the scanner. Stay tuned, I'll post some more to see what you think.

Thanks Erich! The air is so clear and fresh, and that really helps make the images clean and clear. I have yet to see anyone in the area. It's a little tough to get to, but I'm sure others have visited. But overall, quite pristine and wild feeling.

Vince8:Thanks, man!

Good point. I was trying for an 'unusual' perspective, but perhaps it's TOO unusual. I'll scan a couple of other chromes that I have on hand, and see what you think on those. I appreciate the feedback.

It wasn't ALL travel time, NJFrank. Some of it was "swimming time". :-)

Curmudgeon (I like your nickname): I have someone who wants a big print, so you must have read my mind. How big, you might ask? Well, she wants a print that will fill her wall above the fireplace, so somewhere around 3x4 feet. I'll need to work a bit on the shadows and sharpening, with a drum scan to do it properly. Luckily, the big 6x8 chrome will scan pretty nicely up into that large size.

UTMike, you are welcome. Got another one scanned from The Beast GX680, and will post within five minutes.