Stein Butte (Southern Oregon) 30-Dec-2019

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After our first hike of Stein Butte at the end of 2014, doing so morphed into sort of a year-end tradition. We missed in 2015 because we inexplicably exchanged a snow slog up Stein for a snow slog up nearby Squaw Peak. Stein is a solid hike (9.4 miles round-trip; 2,400 feet of gain) on good trail to what, for the last four years, has been big views from the old lookout site. Well, not this year. Aside from a very brief view of Applegate Lake from the summit, valley fog and a cloud deck conspired to keep us in a fuzzy grey bubble for most of the day. Probably not a bad way to end a year that had many spectacularly great moments mixed with a few not so good ones. Not every doughnut comes with sprinkles. o_O Still, this was good hike and a very fine way to end what was for us another busy year in the out-of-doors. 😀

Ascending through the valley fog on the Stein Butte Trail, Oregon
Ascending through the valley fog
Dead madrone leaves
Leaves from seasons past
A twisted madrone tree that looks like a sculpture
A madrone as sculpture
A small leaf with water droplets
Don’t cry for us tiny leaf
On the Stine Butte Trail, Southern Oregon
Onward into the mists
The bright red root ball of a madrone tree
The colorful root ball of a very old madrone
A pine tree standing in a foggy valley
The mist persists
Stine Butte Lookout, Oregon
Whiteout on Stein Butte
Two people standing overlooking a foggy valley
Looking south – California is out there somewhere
Applegate Lake from Stine Butte, Oregon
A glimpse of Applegate Lake (arrow)
The Red Buttes from the Stine Butte Trail
On a good day you can see the Red Buttes from here
Madrones along the Stine Butte Trail, Oregon
Heading back into the mists through the madrones
A colorful knot in a madrone tree
Last abstract of the year (and of the decade)!
Sunset over the Green River, Utah
FAREWELL 2019! YOU WERE BOTH A PLEASURE 🙂 AND PAIN 😦

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020!

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2 thoughts on “Stein Butte (Southern Oregon) 30-Dec-2019”

  2. The clouds didn’t stop you from getting lots of nice shots. The Madrone, the leaf and the mists persists are all great ones. Have you migrated to the new camera or are you still mainly shooting with the TG-5?

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