Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • A view from atop Rattlesnake Mountain in Washington State. Maibox Peak to the left with Dirtybox Peak just to the right and behind it. On the right side is Mount Washington with Cedar Butte (the large hill) in the foreground. Between the mountains is a part of the Upper Snoqualmie Valley and the South Fork Snoqualmie River.
    Upper Snoqualmie Valley and Cascades
  • Change Creek flows down Mount Washington to the South Fork Snoqualmie River about 30 miles east of Seattle.
    Change Creek
  • The majestic Mount Rainier towers above the other mountains of Washington state on a hot summer day in early August. This is the north face, photographed at about 4800 feet, just above Spray Creek.
    Mount Rainier
  • At approximately 6400 feet above sea level, Spray Park isn't actually a park but a large subalpine meadow and part of the greater Mount Rainier National Park. From here you are at the top of the tree line and get the most spectacular views of this active volcano and all of its glaciers. It may not be the easiest of places to get to, but the long climb is totally worth the effort!
    Mount Rainier from Spray Park
  • Above the snow line on Mount Rainier on a gorgeous Pacific Northwestern summer day.
    Summertime Snow on Mount Rainier
  • Mount Rainier photographed from the south on a gorgeous Pacific Northwestern summer day.
    Mount Rainier
  • Rolling hills, alpine meadows, and mountain peaks from the tree line on a gorgeous summer day on Mount Rainier's southern face above. It may look like winter, but the abundant wildlife and profusion of brightly colored wildflowers would tell you otherwise.
    Summertime on Mount Rainier
  • The upper part of Christine Falls on the southern side of Mount Rainier.
    Waterfall on Mount Rainier
  • It may look like a winter scene, but this close-up of Mount Rainier was photographed from the tree line where altitude and elevation inhibits further growth of trees and shrubs and the lush evergreen forests peter out into icy, snow-covered expanses of white. Look closely and you will see one of the 25 major glaciers on the peak that look much like a rocky, frozen river of ancient ice that ever so slowly flows down this enormous active volcano at its own pace. Some of the glaciers you can see here are (from left to right) Van Trump Glacier, Wilson Glacier, and Paradise Glacier.
    Mid-June on Mount Rainier
  • Mount Spry and East Temple are two of the landmark rock formations of Zion National Park in southwestern Utah. On this warm late spring afternoon, the snow is gone and the sun is shining on a spectacularly clear day.
    Mount Spry and East Temple
  • Indian paintbrushes growing on a meadow hill on Mount Rainier. One of the most beautiful sights in the Pacific Northwest is to see huge sweeping views of subalpine meadows full of Indian paintbrushes, mixed with lupines, asters, and other summertime delights!
    Great Red Paintbrushes on Mount Rainier
  • Silver Falls, one of the most spectacular and violent waterfalls to be seen on Mount Rainier.
    Silver Falls on Mount Rainier
  • The clear, icy and swift Ohanapecosh River tumbles over Silver Falls on Mount Rainier as it flows from its headwaters in the glaciers and snowfields on to the sea.
    Ohanapecosh River
  • Late summer afternoon on Lake Washington in Medina, WA as snowy Mount Rainier rises above the landscape.
    Mount Rainier
  • Second tallest of Oregon's stratovolcanoes, and one of the youngest (less than 100,00 years old) this remote mountain in Central Oregon is absolutely beautiful during sunset when viewed from the high desert plateau from the east!
    Mount Jefferson
  • The Carbon River gets its start from the Carbon Glacier high on Mount Rainier in Washington State and flows generally northwestwardly with a lot of meandering toward the valleys below. It gets its white, mineral-rich water from silt and sediments washed down this active volcano's peaks downhill where it joins the Puyallup River where it empties into the Puget Sound. This portion of this beautiful river was photographed just a few miles upstream from Carbonado, Washington on a sunny, warm July day, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier.
    Carbon River
  • The Carbon River gets its start from the Carbon Glacier high on Mount Rainier in Washington State and flows generally northwestwardly with a lot of meandering toward the valleys below. It gets its white, mineral-rich water from silt and sediments washed down this active volcano's peaks downhill where it joins the Puyallup River where it empties into the Puget Sound. This portion of this beautiful river was photographed just a few miles upstream from Carbonado, Washington on a sunny, warm July day, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier.
    Carbon River
  • One of the most beautiful places I've been to in the State of Washington, and well worth the long climb and hike on the northern side of Mount Rainier National Park - this subalpine meadow opens up as one just reaches the highest point where the forest gives way to open meadowlands.
    Mountain Meadow
  • A gorgeous winter day on Mount Spokane in Eastern Washington in late January. The forest is quiet, the drifts are deep, and the western hemlocks are frosted with fresh snow.
    Silent Forest in Winter
  • This mid to high-elevation member of the rose family is associated with wet, rocky soils of the western states and provinces of North America. These were photographed on Washington's Mount Rainier.
    Mountain Meadow-Sweet
  • A few-flowered shooting star blooms in a mountain bog on the northern face of Washington's Mount Rainier near Lake Mowich.
    Few-Flowered Shooting Star
  • The tall northern white bog orchid is a fragrant water-loving orchid found across all of Northern North America. This one was growing in a bog on the north face of Washington's Mount Rainier.
    Tall White Northern Bog Orchid (Plat..ata)
  • Ganoderma oregonense, and other closely-related members of the Ganoderma genus are much-revered for their medicinal properties in the East, where they've been used for millennia by the Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. as a cure for a plethora of symptoms and diseases. Found in supporting habitats all over the world (excluding Antarctica) this one was found growing in the Mount Rainier Wilderness area, just outside of Mount Rainier National Park near the town of Carbonado in Washington State.
    West Coast Reishi (Ganoderma oregonense)
  • Ganoderma oregonense, and other closely-related members of the Ganoderma genus are much-revered for their medicinal properties in the East, where they've been used for millennia by the Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc. as a cure for a plethora of symptoms and diseases. Found in supporting habitats all over the world (excluding Antarctica) this one was found growing in the Mount Rainier Wilderness area, just outside of Mount Rainier National Park near the town of Carbonado in Washington State.
    West Coast Reishi (Ganoderma oregonense)
  • A red fox licks its chops on a snowy spring morning on the slopes of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Hungry Red Fox
  • Deep Lake near the Green River Gorge is about 40 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington is particularly beautiful in the late afternoon. It also happens to be an amazing place for biodiversity. The woods around this lake are filled with all kinds of birds, especially during migration, and the astounding variety of wildflowers changes every time you visit. This image was taken during a rare early spring day when it wasn't raining. Just over the trees you can see the peak of Mount Rainier in the distance.
    Deep Lake, Late Afternoon
  • This commonly-encountered, weird cup-shaped mushroom is a type of cup-fungus. Like whenever looking at mushrooms - what you are actually seeing is the above-ground fruiting bodies of the year-round fibrous strands that are actually the real mushroom. These were found growing near the summit of Little Mount Si in North Bend, Washington, and are edible, but may have little to no taste.
    Orange-Peel Fungus
  • Found in the eastern and western thirds of North America, Carolina bugbane is absent from the center of the continent. Carolina bugbane is most often found growing in wet mountain meadows and wet forests from medium to high elevations, such as this one on Washington's Mount Rainier.
    Carolina Bugbane
  • A red fox that was seen trotting through the snow about a third of the way up the Mount Rainier in Washington State. Even in May, this one still had most of it's winter coat.
    Red Fox
  • Deep Lake near the Green River Gorge is about 40 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington is particularly beautiful in the late afternoon. It also happens to be an amazing place for biodiversity. The woods around this lake are filled with all kinds of birds, especially during migration, and the astounding variety of wildflowers changes every time you visit. This image was taken during a rare early spring day when it wasn't raining. Just over the trees you can see the peak of Mount Rainier in the distance.
    Deep Lake, Late Afternoon
  • Surprising in the Easter-egg lilac/blue/purple color of this mushroom alone, these stood out in sharp contrast to the forest greens and rich browns on the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington's Cascades Mountains on a cold and wet November morning alongside the Greenwater River. Upon closer inspection, the sudden intense odor of rotting fruit, wet dog, and those orange circus peanut candies came to mind. The underside of these mushroom was cinnamon brown, and so was the spore print I made from one of them.
    Gassy Webcap Mushroom (Cortinarius t..nus)
  • Surprising in the Easter-egg lilac/blue/purple color of this mushroom alone, these stood out in sharp contrast to the forest greens and rich browns on the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington's Cascades Mountains on a cold and wet November morning alongside the Greenwater River. Upon closer inspection, the sudden intense odor of rotting fruit, wet dog, and those orange circus peanut candies came to mind. The underside of these mushroom was cinnamon brown, and so was the spore print I made from one of them.
    Gassy Webcap Mushroom (Cortinarius t..nus)
  • Surprising in the Easter-egg lilac/blue/purple color of this mushroom alone, these stood out in sharp contrast to the forest greens and rich browns on the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington's Cascades Mountains on a cold and wet November morning alongside the Greenwater River. Upon closer inspection, the sudden intense odor of rotting fruit, wet dog, and those orange circus peanut candies came to mind. The underside of these mushroom was cinnamon brown, and so was the spore print I made from one of them.
    Gassy Webcap Mushroom (Cortinarius t..nus)
  • Surprising in the Easter-egg lilac/blue/purple color of this mushroom alone, these stood out in sharp contrast to the forest greens and rich browns on the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington's Cascades Mountains on a cold and wet November morning alongside the Greenwater River. Upon closer inspection, the sudden intense odor of rotting fruit, wet dog, and those orange circus peanut candies came to mind. The underside of these mushroom was cinnamon brown, and so was the spore print I made from one of them.
    Gassy Webcap Mushroom (Cortinarius t..nus)
  • Surprising in the Easter-egg lilac/blue/purple color of this mushroom alone, these stood out in sharp contrast to the forest greens and rich browns on the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington's Cascades Mountains on a cold and wet November morning alongside the Greenwater River. Upon closer inspection, the sudden intense odor of rotting fruit, wet dog, and those orange circus peanut candies came to mind. The underside of these mushroom was cinnamon brown, and so was the spore print I made from one of them.
    Gassy Webcap Mushroom (Cortinarius t..nus)
  • I found these cool little jelly mushrooms yesterday while looking for bigger Pacific Northwest fungus species to photograph. This unique and very interesting toothed jelly mushroom is found throughout the world and grows mostly on decaying coniferous wood. Although it is considered edible, it is reported to have almost no taste, and is often "candied" with sugar and sometimes other ingredients. This one was found in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest near the Greenwater River, in the Cascade Mountains in Pierce County, Washington.
    Cat's Tongue
  • This great little oddball of the mushroom world looks just like a birds nest filled with eggs, even though it is only about half an inch wide. It is often found in groups on old berry canes, rotten wood, or rich soil, mostly in the Pacific Northwest, north to Alaska. This one was found past-season (November 2015) in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in mid-November near the Greenwater River in Washington's Cascade Mountains. In this photo you can see one "egg" (or peridiole) left in the nest - these spore-ladden reproductive structures are ejected by raindrops hitting the cup.
    Bird's Nest Fungus
  • This unique and very interesting toothed jelly mushroom is found throughout the world and grows mostly on decaying coniferous wood. Although it is considered edible, it is reported to have almost no taste, and is often "candied" with sugar and sometimes other ingredients. This one was found in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest near the Greenwater River, in the Cascade Mountains in Pierce County, Washington.
    Cat's Tongue
  • This unique and very interesting toothed jelly mushroom is found throughout the world and grows mostly on decaying coniferous wood. Although it is considered edible, it is reported to have almost no taste, and is often "candied" with sugar and sometimes other ingredients. This one was found in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest near the Greenwater River, in the Cascade Mountains in Pierce County, Washington.
    Cat's Tongue
  • This unusual trumpet-shaped club lichen is found throughout the world in cooler climates in both the northern and southern hemispheres and is usually growing from either moist forest soils or from wood. This colony was found growing in soggy soil in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest near the Greenwater River in Washington's Cascade Mountains.
    False Pixie Cup
  • This unusual trumpet-shaped club lichen is found throughout the world in cooler climates in both the northern and southern hemispheres and is usually growing from either moist forest soils or from wood. This colony was found growing among tree roots on Little Mount Si in North Bend, Washington on a chilly autumn late afternoon.
    False Pixie Cup
  • This unusual trumpet-shaped club lichen is found throughout the world in cooler climates in both the northern and southern hemispheres and is usually growing from either moist forest soils or from wood. This colony was found growing among tree roots on Little Mount Si in North Bend, Washington on a chilly autumn late afternoon.
    False Pixie Cup
  • This commonly-encountered, weird cup-shaped mushroom is a type of cup-fungus. Like whenever looking at mushrooms - what you are actually seeing is the above-ground fruiting bodies of the year-round fibrous strands that are actually the real mushroom. These were found growing near the summit of Little Mount Si in North Bend, Washington, and are edible, but may have little to no taste.
    Orange-Peel Fungus
  • This commonly-encountered, weird cup-shaped mushroom is a type of cup-fungus. Like whenever looking at mushrooms - what you are actually seeing is the above-ground fruiting bodies of the year-round fibrous strands that are actually the real mushroom. These were found growing near the summit of Little Mount Si in North Bend, Washington, and are edible, but may have little to no taste.
    Orange-Peel Fungus
  • A sunny summer day on Washington's Mount Rainier just at the top of the tree line above Paradise on the mountains southern face. While the meadows might still be covered in snow, the air was warm and the open spaces were full of blooming wildflowers!
    Alpine Meadows in Summer
  • This attractive bright-pink water-loving wildflower in found throughout much of the west coast of North America where middle to high mountain altitudes and icy cold mountain streams meet. Pollinated by bees, the pink monkey-flower (Mimulus lewisii) is named after famed American explorer, Meriwether Lewis. Photograph taken on Mount Rainier, Washington.
    Pink Monkey-flower
  • A lone avalanche lily photographed in the rain late in the summer season on the southern slope of Washington's Mount Rainier. It is easily distinguished from its close relative the fawn lily by the fact that the leaves are uniform green, and not mottled like so many other members of the Erythronium genus.
    Avalanche Lily
  • Pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea), also known as "coyote's arrows" to some native American tribes are parasitic plants that feed on the roots of pine trees and other conifers where they are found where the soil is rich. These pinedrops were photographed about one-third up the southern face of Washington's Mount Rainier.
    Pinedrops
  • The giant rattlesnake orchid - the most frequently encountered orchid I've seen so far in the state of Washington in bloom on Mount Rainier. I've seen these orchids from the lowlands near the Puget Sound to almost the tree-line in the Cascades Mountains. While the leaves are beautifully patterned and evergreen, the flowers are quite simple and white.
    Western Rattlesnake Orchid (Goodyera..lia)
  • These tiny mushrooms are very common in the mountain areas of the Pacific Northwest in the fall. These were photographed in a coniferous forest on Mount Rainier in Western Washington.
    Red-Orange Mycena
  • An incredibly blue (and brazen) Steller's Jay photographed about one-third the way way up Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Steller's Jay
  • St. Johns' wort is the name given to the nearly 400 species of the Hypericum species found around the world. Traditionally collected and harvested on St. John's Day (June 24), this particular species is native to Eastern Europe extending deep into Asia. Medicinally collected for use to treat depression, I've made tea from the leaves that was not only delicious, it also left me feeling quite (and perhaps overly) cheerful! This one was found about one third of the way up Mount Rainier's western face in Washington State.
    Common St. John's Wort
  • This tiny nondescript orchid was growing in the middle of a gravel road north of Mount Rainier in Western Washington State. Surprised to see it doing so well on a dry and dusty road so high up in the many ridges climbing to the subalpine areas, I almost missed it as I was concentrating on keeping the car from going off the mountainside.
    Slender White Piperia (Piperia candida)
  • Close-up portrait of a Steller's jay on Mount Rainier on a chilly spring afternoon in Washington.
    Steller's Jay
  • A stunning view of a meandering river on the north side of Mount Rainier in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest,  photographed after trying and failing to correctly expose a bald eagle that was circling overhead. I missed that shot, and got this one instead!
    An Eagle's View
  • The broadleaf lupine is one of my favorite wildflowers on Mount Rainier. They can be so numerous at the sub-alpine level that they can create a sea of blue mixed with spatters of other well-known wildflowers of other vibrant and contrasting colors. These were photographed on Mount Rainier's southern face close to the tree line.
    Broadleaf Lupine
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-12.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-11.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-9.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-7.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-6.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-5.jpg
  • Close-up look of one of my favorite native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid. It is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-3.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-2.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-1.jpg
  • Easily distinguishable from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-3.jpg
  • Close-up view of the slender white piperia orchids, easily distinguished from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-2.jpg
  • Easily distinguishable from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-1.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-10.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-8.jpg
  • My favorite of the native piperia orchids, the flat-spurred orchid is found only in the western states of Washington, Oregon and California, and also in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is also one of the easiest to identify. The white flowers are quite large, and the sepals have a green stripe through the center of them. More strikingly, the extra-long tube-like or horn-like spur is almost always horizontal to the stem. In this case, it wasn't exactly horizontal, but close enough to fit the description. The closely related elegant piperia (Piperia elegans) also has a greatly elongated spur, with similar flowers, but the spur hangs downward against the stem. This was one of several found in a deeply wooded area in rural Thurston County between Yelm, Washington and Mount Rainier.
    Piperia transversa-4.jpg
  • An American pika stands guard over its rocky scree near Lake Mowich on Mount Rainier. Like most of these rabbit-relatives, pikas send out a loud, barking warning to let others know that a potential threat has wandered into their territory.
    American Pika
  • A view of the summit of Mount Rainier with Goat Island Mountain in the foreground, flanked by Tamanos Mountain on the left and Burroughs  Mountain on the right, with the White River meandering through the valley on its way down to the Puget Sound.
    The Mountain and the Valley
  • The American red raspberry is an incredibly delicious native and wild fruit found throughout every Canadian province and territory, as well as every American state except for Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, Hawaii, and all of the Gulf Coast states. Most could argue that they are even tastier than the commercially grown raspberries found in grocery stores! These were found growing in the mountains above the Carbon River near Mount Rainier, Washington on a hot summer day.
    American Red Raspberry 2
  • The American red raspberry is an incredibly delicious native and wild fruit found throughout every Canadian province and territory, as well as every American state except for Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, Hawaii, and all of the Gulf Coast states. Most could argue that they are even tastier than the commercially grown raspberries found in grocery stores! These were found growing in the mountains above the Carbon River near Mount Rainier, Washington on a hot summer day.
    American Red Raspberry 1
  • The American red raspberry is an incredibly delicious native and wild fruit found throughout every Canadian province and territory, as well as every American state except for Kansas, Kentucky, Arkansas, Hawaii, and all of the Gulf Coast states. Most could argue that they are even tastier than the commercially grown raspberries found in grocery stores! These were found growing in the mountains above the Carbon River near Mount Rainier, Washington on a hot summer day.
    American Red Raspberry 3
  • This rather small plain brown amanita mushroom, but if you stop and look at it, it has the spots very similar to it's famous relative, the Amanita muscaria. This one was found in a heavily forested area above the Carbon River near Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Candlestick Amanita (Amanita calyptr..des)
  • A herd of Rocky Mountain elk rest in the sagebrush desert on a sunny winter day east of Mount Rainier near the Tieton River in  Washington State. The large antlered bull stands guard as his harem of females relax and get some rest.
    Rocky Mountain Elk - Bull and Harem
  • Mouse-like in appearance, the American pika is a relative of rabbits and hares and is not a rodent. This one on Mount Rainier remained alert with the occasional surprisingly loud bark that is meant as an "intruder alert" alarm for other members of the colony. At least two different individuals were taking turns as I wound my way through the rocky trail across their home territory.
    American Pika
  • This stocky female black bear was photographed above Spray Falls above Mount Rainier's Lake Mowich on one of the final days of summer. Although she had two large cubs with her, she was so preoccupied with the wild blueberries she was gorging on that she didn't seem to mind me nearby. I had a hard time figuring out if she was a grizzly, mainly because of the large shoulder hump, but the size of the ears and flat facial profile prove that she is the common black bear (yes - they are often brown!) and is probably better described as the subspecies known as a cinnamon bear (Ursus americanus cinnamomum) found in the Pacific Northwest.
    Black Bear
  • A mature orange form of perhaps the world's most famous mushroom - the fly agaric -  growing halfway up the north face of Mount Rainier on one of the last days of summer. Normally bright red, this highly toxic mushroom can make anyone ingesting it extremely sick (and possibly fatally). This psychoactive fungus has had such an impact on most major cultures in the history of humans that it is mentioned in just about every culture's folklore and religious texts where it is found in the northern hemisphere.
    Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria)
  • The fruiting body of the highly poisonous fly agaric emerges from the forest humus on Mount Rainier. Normally a bright red, some colonies (like the one this was part of) tend to be either orange or even white. There is a lot of taxonomical work being done currently with this group of mushrooms, and time will tell if many of these aren't reclassified as distinct species.
    Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria)
  • Like other members of the Indian paintbrush family, these vibrant, high elevation-loving wildflowers are hemisitic. They feed at least is some part on the roots of neighboring grasses and wildflowers. If you look closely, the bright magenta part isn't the flower, but are colored leaves called bracts. The actual flowers are the tiny yellowish-green tubes sticking out of the bracts. These were photographed in the subalpine heights on Washington's Mount Rainier.
    Magenta Indian Paintbrush
  • A view of Paradise. This popular area of Mount Rainier toward the top of the tree line has extraordinary views of the surrounding ridges and mountains, especially at sunset!
    A View of Paradise
  • A snowy October day in the forested slopes of Mount Rainier near Paradise - that point where the roads end and the hiking trails begin. From here on up it's raw nature and the elements that reign.
    Snowy Paradise
  • Perhaps one of the most delicious wild berries one can ever find, the wild strawberry is about a half-inch wide, deep red and has an intense strawberry flavor that no commercially-grown strawberry can come close to reproducing. It is found in the wild in forests across most of Continental North America except the Southeastern States, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nevada and Alaska. This one was found, photographed and consumed for ecological integrity in the foothills of Mount Rainier above the Carbon River in Washington State.
    Wild Strawberry
  • One of those maddeningly fast and difficult to photograph butterflies, the cabbage white never seems to stop flying, even while it is feeding. Although it is native to Europe, Asia and North Africa, it was accidentally released in Canada in the 1860's and spread throughout North America where it has become a pest to Brassicaceae crops (cabbage, kale, broccoli, horseradish, etc.) as the voracious little caterpillars are better known as the cabbage worm (not a real worm). This one was found feeding on Himalayan blackberry blossoms in an open field near the Carbon River near Mount Rainier, Washington.
    Cabbage White Butterfly
  • Unusual for a swallowtail, the clodius parnassian is mostly white-colored and is a member of the snow apollo family of butterflies. It is usually found in the mountainous regions of the western states where it feeds on a large variety of native wildflowers. This one was found about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in a meadow feeding on wild blackberry flowers near the Carbon River in Washington State.
    Clodius Parnassian
  • Western maidenhair ferns are one of the most attractive and distinctive-looking ferns found in North America. It grows on moist hillsides, ravines is most common near waterfalls, and is found in the wild in all of the western American states, British Columbia, and scattered locations in the northeast, the Great Lakes and Quebec. These were found about 15 miles to the Northwest of Mount Rainier on a rock wall over the Carbon River Washington State.
    Western Maidenhair Fern
  • While looking very similar to our native penstemons in both shape and color, the wooded beardtongue has a couple of minor differences such as its serrated opposite leaves and winged seeds. This beautiful member of the plantain family is found in the mountains between British Columbia and Northern California on the west coast. These were found and photographed above the Carbon River, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Woodland Beardtongue - 1
  • While looking very similar to our native penstemons in both shape and color, the wooded beardtongue has a couple of minor differences such as its serrated opposite leaves and winged seeds. This beautiful member of the plantain family is found in the mountains between British Columbia and Northern California on the west coast. These were found and photographed above the Carbon River, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Woodland Beardtongue - 3
  • While superficially it looks like your common dandelion, the common cat's-ear is an invasive Eurasian species of aster that has run wild in the Pacific Northwest, particularly west of the Cascade Mountains where it is listed as a noxious weed. This one was found about 15 miles to the northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington state in an open field by the Carbon River.
    Common Cat's-Ear
  • Unusual for a swallowtail, the clodius parnassian is mostly white-colored and is a member of the snow apollo family of butterflies. It is usually found in the mountainous regions of the western states where it feeds on a large variety of native wildflowers. This one was found about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in a meadow feeding on wild blackberry flowers near the Carbon River in Washington State.
    Clodius Parnassian
  • Western maidenhair ferns are one of the most attractive and distinctive-looking ferns found in North America. It grows on moist hillsides, ravines is most common near waterfalls, and is found in the wild in all of the western American states, British Columbia, and scattered locations in the northeast, the Great Lakes and Quebec. These were found about 15 miles to the Northwest of Mount Rainier on a rock wall over the Carbon River Washington State.
    Western Maidenhair Fern
  • While looking very similar to our native penstemons in both shape and color, the wooded beardtongue has a couple of minor differences such as its serrated opposite leaves and winged seeds. This beautiful member of the plantain family is found in the mountains between British Columbia and Northern California on the west coast. These were found and photographed above the Carbon River, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Woodland Beardtongue - 2
  • While looking very similar to our native penstemons in both shape and color, the wooded beardtongue has a couple of minor differences such as its serrated opposite leaves and winged seeds. This beautiful member of the plantain family is found in the mountains between British Columbia and Northern California on the west coast. These were found and photographed above the Carbon River, about 15 miles northwest of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Woodland Beardtongue - 4
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, Washington just west of Mount Rainier.
    Piperia unalascensis-15.jpg
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, Washington just west of Mount Rainier.
    Piperia unalascensis-17.jpg
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, Washington just west of Mount Rainier.
    Piperia unalascensis-16.jpg
  • Of the two green-flowered piperia orchids found in North America, this one is also the most common and is found in most of the Western United States and Canada, and parts of Eastern Canada including Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland. How you can tell the two apart is by the length of the spur, which is a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower. In this species, the spur is equal to or slightly shorter than the lip of the flower (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal" in the middle of each flower) as opposed to the closely related long-spurred Piperia (Piperia elongata) which has a spur quite a bit longer than the lip. As always, it always makes me very excited to see these unusual and often hard to spot wild native orchids out in the wild, such as this one growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, Washington just west of Mount Rainier.
    Piperia unalascensis-18.jpg
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