Leavenworth in December

In the steep peaks of central Washington is an unexpectedly European-looking Alpine village.

Broad Creek Park Annapolis

It has been an exceptional year for Fall Foliage Photos.

It was finally time for me to re-visit these trails in the wake of wildfire and in a window of dry weather.

I tried to leave, but the views were gorgeous.

Some of the best adventures are those that are completely unexpected.

It was our last day and I pushed through the pain in my feet to keep going.

See that? No, you don’t, because of the smoke.

On our second day we continued to climb in elevation and into the heart of the Goat Rocks Wilderness.

The trailhead is at about 4000 feet elevation and we climbed about 1700 feet that day in only 4.5 miles.

My brother told me that the skies over Montana have been swathed in wildfire smoke for a long time.