RHH's photos with the keyword: alpine larch

When this was taken we were descending from Maple Pass. It was early autumn in the mountains and the larches were beginning to change color. They are the Alpine Larches, Larix lyallii, found only in the Pacific Northwest.

This was taken over a year ago while hiking the Maple Pass - Heather Pass trail with my wife. This was almost the only snow we had last winter both in the mountains and at lower elevations, but we are getting snow now and that's why I've posted this. Where we live the weather has been windy, cold and rainy, but in the mountains they have already gotten more snow than all last winter. The Mount Baker ski area already has nearly five feet at the top with more predicted over the next few days with the ski area opening for business on Thursday. The road beyond the ski area is closed for the winter and so is the North Cascades Highway. It is wonderful to see some real winter in the mountains again, though I prefer it up there and not down here. If the weather is decent on Friday I plan to go snowshoeing at Mount Baker.

This is another photo from the Heather-Maple Pass Loop, a trail my wife and I hiked in September. The trees are Alpine Larches and the photo was taken near Heather Pass.

Another shot from Heather Pass when my wife and I hiked the loop trail through that pass and Maple Pass, a hike of about eight miles with 2000 feet elevation gain. The Alpine Larches were starting to change color and some of them were near their peak, as were these were. This was shot looking across Lake Ann to the ridge on the other side of the lake.

A lone Alpine Larch at Maple Pass in the North Cascades. Taken on a recent hike there, the larches were just starting to change.