Wildflowers and Snow-capped Peaks in Washington State

[ben greenberg]

<p>I will be visiting Washington and Oregon soon to photograph the natural beauty of these two states. I am wondering if I am too late in the year to find wildflowers in the same shot with snow-capped mountain peaks. Does anyone know if I am not too late and, if so, where I should go to find them. Thanks for any help folks could give me. </p>

[doug andrews]

<p>The one time I visited the area was the end of July/first of August. Plenty of wildflowers around and Mt. Rainier always has snow.</p>

[david_henderson]

<p>You need to look at</p>

<p><a href="http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/wildflower-status.htm">http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/wildflower-status.htm</a></p>

<p>Which is the NPS' current take on the issue. You might get the impression that peak is drawing towards a close this year in the Mt Rainier area. Clearly its not the same time every year-depending on weather and snowpack. </p>

<p> </p>

[User_6502147]

<p>You didn't specify the week or date when you intend to be here in the NW. I'd suggest you find some web cams to determine the latest snow conditions....since that seem to be important to you.</p>

<p>This one was taken in Cascades (several miles East from Bellingham) on 8/18/11. I noticed that the snow pack was quite diminished. But each year things can be somewhat different.</p>

<p>Les</p><div></div>

[Matthew Brennan]

<p>From my 2 trips to Washington and Oregon I saw plenty signs of a continuous wildflower / flowering shrub roll out as summer built up.</p>

<p>This shot of Mt St Helens was taken in the last week of June in 2014 - these were the first lupins to open up in that particular roadside clearing with plenty more to come in the following weeks.</p>

<p>As discussed above, snow conditions and flowering times are variable over the years but I'd be surprised if there was nothing left to line up with some snow capped peaks in both Washington and Oregon right now.</p><div></div>

[sknowles]

<p>David is right about Mt. Rainier NP. Due to the record low snowpack and early snowmelt, the wildflower season is winding down in most low-mid elevation areas, but there will be some wildflowers through July in the upper elevations, and into August, just not an abundance of them as earlier in June into early July. The NPS reports conditions on the Facebook page and Twitter account.</p>