After three weeks of tense news about the northern Washington wildfires, perhaps a change of pace is in order. Readers of the fire news might be tempted to ask why anyone would want to inhabit a landscape that is prone to going up in flames.
It’s easier to answer that question with pictures than words. On Thursday afternoon I had two spare hours while waiting for the Farmers Market in Tonasket to open. It had been a few years since I had driven the loop northeast to Havillah, west on Chesaw Road to Oroville, and south on US 97 back to Tonasket.
Despite Montana’s claim to the term, this is big sky country, too. Clouds spread across the sky, some building up and becoming dark, threatening a bit of rain. The sun demanded equal time, and got it. I soon found myself pulling off the pavement, camera in hand.
All of these pictures were taken along a 25-mile stretch of that loop, within a 50-minute time span. Okanogan County has thousands of miles of roads. This is a tiny slice of the scenery the county has to offer.
The first two images are looking west, and panning left to right. As usual, all pics are in lightbox mode; click to enlarge.
Where the land is flat enough and rocks few enough, wheat fields fill the view. An interesting wooden building serves as a grain shed.
Around a few more bends in the road is the Sitzmark Ski Area. Cattle roamed among the buildings and underneath the lift. I felt as though I had been transported into a Far Side comic strip.
I waited a few minutes for the sun to emerge from behind a cloud, in order to bring out the bright red colors.
I didn't get very far before a distant barn and a busy sky got my attention.
The occupants of this bird house have plenty of room to roam and forage.
On a long downhill slope, the vista includes farmers stacking hay bales, and a weathered, abandoned house.
Around the bend on Chesaw Road, wheat fields give way to trees and grass. Timber on the distant hill has been thinned so that the trees are widely spaced, better to survive the next fire.
Then the road descended into a winding canyon full of ponderosa pines. As soon as the land opened up again, the road passed through land charred by the 9 Mile fire. I have posted enough fire pictures for now. The 25 miles of sunny Okanogan highlands get the spotlight today.
Now, back to that question: Why would anyone want to live here? I’ll let you answer that one.