Cascade Range

Here are a few pictures from my last trip to the states of Oregon and Washington. We were extremely lucky for this roadtrip as we got plenty of sunshine. I was certainly not expecting that from these green coastal states with lush vegetation. Instead I was more or less bracing for impact with raindrops and snowflakes... What a pleasant surprise!

A few loops here and there along the Pacific Coast and Cascade Range

The road trip took us from Seattle to Aberdeen and then along the Pacific coast down to Lincoln City, Fort Klamath and Crater Lake National Park. We then proceeded north along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range up to Portland and Mount Saint Helens. At that point it started to rain and we elected to change course and go for a short loop around the Olympic Peninsula. After that we proceded to Mount Rainier, Anacortes and the North Cascade National Park before ending the trip in Seattle.

Cape Arch and the coastal waters of Oregon

During the first part of the trip, we drove South and we followed the picturesque Pacific coast. The landscapes are oscillating between large forests, wild bays and capes. The coast being somewhat wild, it is a heaven for bird watchers and marine mammal spotters. We got our fair share of terns, cormorants, pelicans, puffins, yellow crested puffins, murres and hummingbirds as well as seals and sea lions.

Continuing further South, we ended up in Oregon Dunes which is a pretty place where one may enjoy the sight of large sand dunes meeting a wild pine forest. Next we drove towards Crater Lake National Park. The park encompasses Crater Lake's caldera, which rests in the remains of a destroyed volcano called Mount Mazama. Around 5700BC Mount Mazama collapsed during a tremendous volcanic eruption loosing about one third of its height. The eruption formed a large caldera that is now filled with water forming a beautiful lake with a deep blue hue. Crater Lake is one of the deepest lake in the world.

Panoramic view of Crater Lake. These are deep blue waters...

We then proceeded North to Portland visiting the town of Bend as well as Newberry Volcanic National Monument, a park with lava tubes and lava flows. North of Portland lays Mount Saint Helens. Mount St. Helens is most famous for its catastrophic eruption on May 1980 which was the deadliest and most destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States. Former President Harry Truman died during the eruption.

Shaken by an earthquake, the north face of the then tall symmetrical mountain collapsed in a massive avalanche. At the same time a mushroom-shaped column of ash rose thousands of feet skyward and drifted downwind, turning day into night as dark, gray ash fell over eastern Washington and beyond. The eruption lasted about nine hours, but Mount St. Helens and the surrounding landscapes were changed forever.

Mount Saint Helens, obviously after the explosion...

After visiting Mount St. Helens, we elected to visit the Olympic Peninsula and reach Cape Flattery the northwestern-most point of the continental United States. The peninsula is home to lush forests due to the high humidity. Mount Olympic, the highest point of the peninsula stops the eastbound clouds coming from the Pacific Ocean. The humidity contained into these clouds condenses when the air tries to rise over the slopes of the mountains and this results in abundant precipitations.

Huge moss-covered pines and firs along the road

The peninsula is also home to some very scenic and deserted beaches. With no one around, there is no better place to listen to the sound of rolling waves. Deadwood and tree logs are everywhere in this part of Washington. A lot of them are peacefully laying on the beaches after having drifted for a while over the sea. A testimony that violent storms can happen in this area of the country.

Dead wood along the coast of the Olympic Peninsula

After driving around the Peninsula, we headed back inland towards Mount Rainier. Most of the roads over there were still closed because May is too early in the season and layers of snow are too thick to be removed. We therefore continued our way to the North Cascades National Park and to Anacortes. In Anacortes we boarded a ship for a cruise in the Georgia Strait trying to spot some Minke whales, Killer whales, Porpoises and some other large sea mammals. We got treated by a pod of Resident orcas roaming along the Canadian coast of Saturna Island. There was even an energic young orca that breached twice over water!

A female killer whale taking a deep breath in the waters of the Strait of Georgia. Orcas are the ultimate killers of the seas

After the cruise we went back to Seattle stopping in Everett. In Everett we visited the Boeing factory and got a glimpse at the Boeing 787-800 and let me say that this bird will be a mighty one. And if it actually delivers on its promises, this is going to be a killer of an aircraft both performance-wise and economically-wise.

Seattle skyline with Mount Rainier in the distance

And that is all about this trip. We did not get a chance to climb the iconic Space Needle this year but instead we enjoyed the view from Magnolia Bluff over the city with Mount Rainier in the background. And even better... there is a short movie of the trip available here. Ain't that a blessing?