a few more adventures

Wednesday I used my day off to go hiking in Cascade Canyon. I hiked here 3 times last year and took alot of photos (last year).  The mountains are still spectacular and melt water from the snowfields is rushing down the mountainsides to tumble into Cascade Creek.  Moose are a staple in this canyon, but I didn't see any that day.  Yellow-bellied Marmots were out sunning on rocks, while Pikas were busy gathering grass and plants to create their "haystacks" for winter food supply.
      I also had Thursday off and took advantage of an employee discount.  The aerial tram to the top of Rendezvous Peak carried visitors to nearly 11000 ft in about 12 minutes.  Last year I photographed many alpine tundra flowers.  This year the flowers are fewer because the earth so dry.  Less winter snow made less snowmelt water to feed the flowers in the Spring.  Warm temperatures have evaporated remaining soil moisture. 
Photo,  looking west from the top.

    Clark's Nutcrackers squawked from the top of spindly Fir trees, and Pink-sided Juncos squeaked from under the broad skirts of Fir branches close to the ground.
    Its been unusually warm, the Park doesn't see temperatures in the 80's until later in July.
I took the kayak to Two Ocean Lake yesterday morning before work.  The winds were calm and the water was smooth.  Two Ocean Lake is ringed with willows and alders in the riparian, with conifers and aspens further back in the forest.  I was in the middle of the lake and put my binoculars on a large brown lump. 
    A female Moose !!  I watched her for a few minutes, and noticed a small rusty brown calf coming out of the willows.  A little Moose calf !!   Watching the little one for a few minutes I realized there was another pair of ears behind it.  2 little Moose babies !!   Twins are unusual in the Moose world.     Mama Moose continued feeding on aquatic plants and decided I was not a threat.   Too far away for photos,  but what an amazing thing to see.

This photo was taken one morning I was out looking for birds when 2 deer came out of the Aspens and walked across the sagebrush.

 The bird list is on ebird, if anyone is interested.
A light haze has come across the mountains today, giving them a misty look.