Over the weekend, I hiked the Old Sauk River Trail near Darrington, an easy but scenic trail with river views, lush second-growth forests, and a handful of older trees. I've been there in late spring/early summer and in late fall, but never in the early spring. The spring foliage wasn't as advanced as I'd hoped it might be at this point (perhaps our cold April has played a role in that), but I still enjoyed seeing the place in a new season. There were lots of small flowers and scenes of new growth; my favorite pictures from the day were along these lines. I was less pleased with my landscape shots.
First, Indian plum (Oemleria cerasiformis), with bare mossy trees in the background. The flowers are a bit close to center, but I think the background framing makes the placement work. F/10.
Next, fern fiddleheads unfurling on the forest floor. I was worried that the sunlight in the background would be a problem, but it isn't too harsh. F/4.5.
Finally, buds and blooms on a shrub, probably a huckleberry of some kind (genus Vaccinium). If I had to guess, I'd say it's red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium), which seems to flower early in the season relative to others in the genus. F/5 and F/4.5, respectively.
That's all for now. Hopefully more spring adventures will be on the way soon!
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