Pacific Northwest hikers wait with great anticipation for a warm summer day to visit a beautiful alpine area. All the rainy day hikes through dense forest are immediately forgotten.

My favorite destination is the McNeil Point Shelter on Mt. Hood via Bald Mountain.

Wildflowers of almost every color decorate the open meadows drawing dancing butterflies to their petals.

Clouds move through from time to time, creating ever changing patterns on the glacier-covered summit of the mountain.

As I sat and rested near the shelter built from rocks, a raven and a Clark’s nutcracker kept me company.

Another grand day in the Pacific Northwest.