Here are a couple of images I captured on a recent trip to central Washington for work. This is at Snoqualmie Pass, where Interstate 90 crosses the Cascade Mountain range, heading east or west across the state. The parking area features public restrooms (very helpful on cross-state trips), and is an access point for a multi-use trail that has been repurposed from a former rail line. Summer is mostly cyclists and hikers, while winter is mostly nordic skiers and snowshoers. Popular local Alpine skiing areas are conveniently located just west of this location.

Nice shots, great scenery!

Lovely shot AeroNW,  Love how you caught the clouds.  

Beautiful shots, and fantastic scenery.

Nice captures!

Great shots.    Beautiful scenery.  No doubt that location gets lots and lots of use year around.

Nice shots!

Depp Posted at 2-16 22:57
Nice shots, great scenery!

Thank you. The weather was uncharacteristically clear on this day, so lots of beautiful views to be had.

DAFlys Posted at 2-16 23:38
Lovely shot AeroNW,  Love how you caught the clouds.

Thank you. It was the clouds that initially prompted me to stop (in addition to the need for a nature break) and break out the drone.

Blériot53 Posted at 2-17 01:26
Beautiful shots, and fantastic scenery.

Thank you.  It was a pretty spectacular day, weather wise, compared to "normal", so lots of nice scenery from which to choose.

Montfrooij Posted at 2-17 03:10
Nice captures!

Thank you. The area is very scenic year 'round, but winter views are a particular favorite for me.

DowntownRDB Posted at 2-17 04:00
Great shots.    Beautiful scenery.  No doubt that location gets lots and lots of use year around.

Thank you. Yes, it is a very popular location, being only an hour or less from the major population center of Seattle. Outdoor recreation is a significant value for a large majority of Pacific Northwest residents.

AeroNW Posted at 2-17 13:50
Thank you.  It was a pretty spectacular day, weather wise, compared to "normal", so lots of nice scenery from which to choose.

You defintely chose well

enikdem Posted at 2-17 11:06
Nice shots!

Thank you, I appreciate your comment.

Blériot53 Posted at 2-17 13:53
You defintely chose well

Thanks. Winter views are a particular favorite of mine, so I was pleased to have this opportunity.

AeroNW Posted at 2-17 13:55
Thanks. Winter views are a particular favorite of mine, so I was pleased to have this opportunity.

We have had very little snow here this season.  Not much opportunity for winter scenes.

Blériot53 Posted at 2-17 14:00
We have had very little snow here this season.  Not much opportunity for winter scenes.

Not much snow in the lowlands here, we're close to the salt water which moderates the air temperatures and discourages snow most of the time. Every other year or so, conditions align for snow to accumulate and stick around for a week or so which is novel for a time, then gets old after a few days. We are fortunate to have mountain ranges around us which provide reliable winter conditions for those who want that.

PixelPro Posted at 2-17 15:12

Thank you.

AeroNW Posted at 2-17 13:51
Thank you. The area is very scenic year 'round, but winter views are a particular favorite for me.

You're welcome.
So it seems yes!

AeroNW Posted at 2-17 13:49
Thank you. It was the clouds that initially prompted me to stop (in addition to the need for a nature break) and break out the drone.

You're very welcome.

AeroNW Posted at 2-17 13:52
Thank you. Yes, it is a very popular location, being only an hour or less from the major population center of Seattle. Outdoor recreation is a significant value for a large majority of Pacific Northwest residents.

You're very welcome.  No doubt it is a paradise for outdoorsmen.  

AeroNW Posted at 2-17 15:32
Not much snow in the lowlands here, we're close to the salt water which moderates the air temperatures and discourages snow most of the time. Every other year or so, conditions align for snow to accumulate and stick around for a week or so which is novel for a time, then gets old after a few days. We are fortunate to have mountain ranges around us which provide reliable winter conditions for those who want that.

The highest peak in the hills around here is just 636 metres. Not a mountain by any standards

Blériot53 Posted at 2-18 07:19
The highest peak in the hills around here is just 636 metres. Not a mountain by any standards

The Cascade range extends north and south through the western US states and into British Columbia, Canada, the nearest peak to us is over 4,400m, most others are near or over 3,000m. To the west, between us and the coast, is the Olympic Range, with peaks around 2,000m. A 45 minute drive brings us to either of the ranges.

AeroNW Posted at 2-18 09:07
The Cascade range extends north and south through the western US states and into British Columbia, Canada, the nearest peak to us is over 4,400m, most others are near or over 3,000m. To the west, between us and the coast, is the Olympic Range, with peaks around 2,000m. A 45 minute drive brings us to either of the ranges.

The highest peak in Britain is Ben Nevis, in Scotland. In the Grampian range, it is 1345 metres.
I once made the ascent, with a group of friends, long before the days of drones
You're lucky to have such majestic scenery around you

Blériot53 Posted at 2-18 09:25
The highest peak in Britain is Ben Nevis, in Scotland. In the Grampian range, it is 1345 metres.
I once made the ascent, with a group of friends, long before the days of drones
You're lucky to have such majestic scenery around you

The scenic nature of the nearby mountains is nice, to be sure, but when we want to visit our grandson & his parents on the east side of the state in winter, the trip can be harrowing if the weather turns adverse. I am rather envious of the very well developed passenger railway system in Europe, ours is unreliable and pretty limited by comparison.

AeroNW Posted at 2-18 15:39
The scenic nature of the nearby mountains is nice, to be sure, but when we want to visit our grandson & his parents on the east side of the state in winter, the trip can be harrowing if the weather turns adverse. I am rather envious of the very well developed passenger railway system in Europe, ours is unreliable and pretty limited by comparison.

We have a rather different view of the rail network, here in the UK.
Antiquated rolling stock, poorly maintained track. services cancelled without warning leaving passengers stranded, and on top of all that, frequent staff strikes, paints a rather different picture.

Blériot53 Posted at 2-18 23:16
We have a rather different view of the rail network, here in the UK.
Antiquated rolling stock, poorly maintained track. services cancelled without warning leaving passengers stranded, and on top of all that, frequent staff strikes, paints a rather different picture.

I appreciate the perspective of a local, that picture is certainly not how it's presented to us. I presume it also varies from country to country, depending on how they prioritize it in their budgets and actual approach to maintenance and upgrading of equipment, and staff contracts.

AeroNW Posted at 2-19 16:59
I appreciate the perspective of a local, that picture is certainly not how it's presented to us. I presume it also varies from country to country, depending on how they prioritize it in their budgets and actual approach to maintenance and upgrading of equipment, and staff contracts.

Having travelled by rail in Continental Europe as well as here in the UK, I can say their systems are far superior to ours.

Blériot53 Posted at 2-19 23:41
Having travelled by rail in Continental Europe as well as here in the UK, I can say their systems are far superior to ours.

I have ridden European trains only in Switzerland, which is probably not a great representative sample. The experience was very agreeable, of course.

AeroNW Posted at 2-20 16:50
I have ridden European trains only in Switzerland, which is probably not a great representative sample. The experience was very agreeable, of course.

My one journey on Swiss trains was from Zurich, around Lake Constance (The Bodensee), many years ago.
The trains were quite different back then. to what you might expect today

Beautiful spot.

Prezzodrone Posted at 3-1 04:14
Beautiful spot.

Thanks, it's one of my favorite places in this area.

Wow, amazing capture, what a composition!!

AeroNW Posted at 3-1 15:46
Thanks, it's one of my favorite places in this area.

I can see why.  

allyssongemelli Posted at 3-2 06:28
Wow, amazing capture, what a composition!!

Thank you. I am fortunate to have this area near where I live.

Fantastic scenery

ro_walker Posted at 3-12 11:03
Fantastic scenery

I agree, I feel fortunate to live where I do and enjoy spectacular views in nearly every direction.

AeroNW Posted at 3-17 13:44
I agree, I feel fortunate to live where I do and enjoy spectacular views in nearly every direction.