First Ice

First Ice, a photo by DeForestRanger on Flickr.

The first serious snow has come to the high country, and soon the Stevens Canyon Road will be closed to vehicles. It was slick today with compact snow and ice in many places, but I was able to get to Reflection Lake again for a short hike and a little photography. A crust of ice has begun to form on the north and west edges of the lake, almost enough to interfere with the reflection of the Mountain but not quite.

Mountain...Mt. Rainier..."MT." Those letters signify "mountain" first and foremost in my lexicon. "Montana" was my second thought...too far away...and "empty" registered much later. I live and breathe mountains, particularly "the Mountain," the icon of the Pacific Northwest.