Day trip: A few stops ahead of the rain

Last week I was snowed in, now I’m washed out (or would that be washed up?)

Curiously, moss seemed to be my element today moreso than anything else I encountered.

I had intended today to be a trip out to Concrete and Darrington, but weather and washouts had other plans. As such, today turned into a lot of driving and little actual shooting, with a change in plan to go way north to Birch Bay instead of all the way east to Darrington. I didn’t spend anywhere near as much time at a given place as I normally would (and should), but each time I wound up just barely outrunning a band of heavy rain.

On my drive out to the Dwelley Bridge there were brief sunbreaks that highlighted the snow-covered hills surrounding me, but I wasn’t able to pull over to get shots. (I need to better learn where I can safely pull over, as I err on the side of caution to the point my eyes see the giant pull-out for Dwelley as tiny when driving.) Nevertheless, I was able to get a few shots of these snowy hills from the upper reaches of Rasar State Park, my pick of the lot shown below along with an interesting droplet on moss found nearby.

The funny thing about Birch Bay is that, despite the vast gravelly beach access, the main attraction for me is the nature trail at the heart of the park with many dead trees. As of this writing, it is muddy beyond all belief; but still passable most of the way. It seems I’m getting addicted to using the 100mm f/2, as it can get reasonably close without me having to step into as many puddles.