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Eric Noel | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Quincy Wildlife Area - Ancient Lake tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Quincy Wildlife Area - Ancient Lake

This was an early November visit to Central Washington for my first hike on the East side of the Columbia River this year. The day was cloudy but with higher and thinner clouds rather than the typical low lying clouds which cover the entire sky in Seattle and nice temperatures. Ancient Lake is an old bottom area formed during the end of the Ice Age as coulees were formed throughout this part of Washington. A pair of mesas running East to West provided a nice alley punctuated by a quartet of pothole lakes at the coulee cul-de-sac. Everything was brown with other hints of muted greens and typical desert colors of Autumn; very scenic but not with the obvious beauty of a desert in springtime bloom. The water wasn't exactly flowing but there were still several nice waterfalls along the way including the signature falls into the last pothole lake. The photos:
Dead Insect
Dead Insect		 Tree by Third Pothole
Tree by Third Pothole		 Black Beetle
Black Beetle		 Plant Detail
Plant Detail
Bush and Northern Mesa
Bush and Northern Mesa		 Sage Brush
Sage Brush		 Orange Bush
Orange Bush		 Third Pothole Alcove
Third Pothole Alcove
End of Northern Mesa
End of Northern Mesa		 Sage Brush and Mesa
Sage Brush and Mesa		 Desert Plant
Desert Plant		 Second Pothole Reflection
Second Pothole Reflection
Fourth Pothole and Falls
Fourth Pothole and Falls		 Second Pothole
Second Pothole		 Insect
Insect		 Tube Bush Again
Tube Bush Again
First Pothole
First Pothole		 Spiny Plant
Spiny Plant		 Rock Ledge
Rock Ledge		 Basalt Columns
Basalt Columns
Cottony Plant
Cottony Plant		 Little Grove of Trees
Little Grove of Trees		 Fourth Pothole Scene
Fourth Pothole Scene		 Gold Plant and Table Mesa
Gold Plant and Table Mesa
Inlet Falls
Inlet Falls		 Dripping Falls
Dripping Falls		 Trail
Trail		 Mesa Falls
Mesa Falls
Waterfall with Reflection
Waterfall with Reflection		 Second Pothole
Second Pothole		 Upper Portion of Waterfal
Upper Portion of Waterfal		 Beetle Caught in Spider Web
Beetle Caught in Spider Web
Mesa Falls Closer
Mesa Falls Closer		 Bush and Mesa Edge
Bush and Mesa Edge		 Colorful Shoreline
Colorful Shoreline		 Waterfall Shot
Waterfall Shot

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Dave Beedon11-Feb-2006 03:33
It's nice to know others enjoy this lind of terrain. After learning about the ice age floods I hiked here twice and loved it. Hope to return this year. I have some floods-related galleries too---for West Bar, Crater Coulee, and Dry Coulee. Happy hiking. You're on my list of favorites.
Eric Noel16-Nov-2004 15:27
Thanks Daniel.

The desert is a subtle beauty that doesn't really awe you. But with time it becomes easier to appreciate. Of course, by definition a desert also has that lack of precipitation thing going for it which makes it an attractive place to be, especially if you are from the West side of the Cascades.
Daniel Wickwire16-Nov-2004 04:20
Eric. You've really captured the beauty of this area....about 20 miles from where I grew up. It's amazing, when young I thought this area was ugly and devoid of any beauty. Now, I can't wait to travel home especially during the summer when you can drive with windows open and smell the sage. You've done it justice and created a great collection of images!! Daniel.
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