Noble Knob

Last weekend I hiked to Noble Knob, off Highway 410. The highlights of the journey were Noble Knob itself, the site of a former fire lookout with an excellent view of Rainier, and the wildflowers growing on Dalles Ridge in areas affected by a past wildfire.

First, lupine and other flowers blooming in one of the previously burned areas. Although perspective distortion affects the trees here, the symmetry helps, and the eye is drawn mostly to the foreground anyway. F/16.

Next, a closeup of a paintbrush that I am guessing is magenta paintbrush (Castilleja parviflora var. oreopola), although I'm not very good at identifying paintbrush species. F/4.5.

Below, the view from Noble Knob itself, with lupine in the foreground. F/16.

Next, another variation on the wildflower-meadows-under-burned-trees theme. While I like this composition, some sections of the background trunks got slightly overexposed, so it isn't guaranteed that this one would look good in print. I'd try it, though. F/16.

Finally, just a nice view from the trail, with paintbrush and lupine blooming in the foreground. F/18.