Saturday, July 7, 2007

Skagit River, Highway 20 , WA



Highway 20 is part of the popular "Cascade loop" (www.cascadeloop.com). The route is scenic and incredibly beautiful in summer. However I think that in fall/winter it is even more beautiful. I would highly recommend that you drive along Highway 20 in the winter.

Skagit River, Highway 20 , WA

You can get some great shots if you can be around the area at sunrise. It's a couple of hours from Seattle - so you should plan to head out around around 4.30-5.00 am. Check to see if there has been snowfall in the last couple of days - snow always makes the landscape look interesting. Also a 4 Wheel Drive would be good option to be on the safe side. There are plenty of old barns and old broken down trucks in the fields right next to the road. Pick a spot you like and wait for the right light.

I like to make this trip in middle or late January. Another added benefit is that the eagles are in the area around this time of the year. If you get lucky you might catch one feeding on Salmon early in the day on the banks of the Skagit river. On the flip side the place tends to get pretty crowded with eagle watchers later in the day.

This particular panorama of the fisherman was shot from Howard miller Steelhead park

Directions to Howard Miller Steelhead park
Lat, Long: 48.485595,-121.595778

If you get hungry and you like burgers I would highly recommend the Buffalo Run restaurant in MarbleMount(buffalorunrestaurant.com). I have been there a few times and always liked the food.

In general get a good map of the area and just spend the day exploring. There are so many scenic by roads in this area it is definitely worth exploring.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I would suggest going there between Dec 10 through new year for best viewing of the bald eagles. Join a rafting trip (pick up at Howard Miller Steelhead Park) for the best viewing of eagles in the trees and on the sand banks. They cater to photographers by slow drifting under trees and around sand banks. I've seen between 30 and 150 eagles in a single morning, add spawning salmon, heron, and bear prints as bonus. Dress very warm when planing a rafting adventure.