From winter springs new life. Summer in Bavaria approaches. Carefully we plot our seasonal exploits, planning each hike, trip or ride in intimate detail. Here-- deep in the wilds of Cascadia-- snows are receding, flowers are blooming, and children painstakingly endure through their final weeks of school. Summer is coming...
In this outdoor-centric corner of Washington State, knocking on winter simply doesn't fly. Everyone complains from time to time, particularly when it warms up and rains for a day or two. Yet winter's snows always seem to resume, and everyone enjoys this-- at least a little bit. If this weren't the case, you wouldn't live here. Eventually, sometime in March or April, the days get longer, snowfalls become fewer and farther between, and then, the sun comes out. Subsequently, after a bit of seasonal teasing, it stays out. For months on end. And herein lies the true beauty of our little piece of the pie: four amazing seasons-- like clockwork-- every year. This is a claim few other localities this side of the Rocky Mountains can make with any real merit.
Fall color is stunning. Watching a raging river squeezed to a frigid halt by subzero temperatures-- equally so. In an annual war of the seasons, winter's snows recoil against an advancing onslaught of green and spring wildflowers, retreating deep into the high-country-- eventually facing defeat even there-- amidst towering pinnacles of alpine granite. Then, as if on the turn of a dime, the tides of war shift dramatically. Temperatures plummet, towering storm clouds approach menacingly out of the west. Down in the valley, masked ghouls and goblins lay siege to the town, demanding enough candy and sweets to hold them over for the long winter ahead. Along the riverbank at the valley-floor, the orange and gold tones of autumn dawn on Leavenworth, shedding light on a fresh dusting of snow-- only a harbinger of what's to come.
Year in and year out the battle repeats. Leaves shift to the most vibrant of tones and ultimately fall to the earth, brittle and dry. Snow blankets the land, while a cold wind howls through gaps in the rock high above. Spring inevitably follows, returning warmth and color to the valley and eventually the surrounding peaks. And on and on. Yet, throughout all of this, we've left out one key piece of the puzzle; summer.
As spring reaches crescendo the flowers are at their most brilliant, the entire valley awash in a sea of green. The heavens thrust one final, heaving gasp of anger upon the land. Storm clouds approach, the earth trembles with the roar of distant thunder. Then suddenly, the storm envelopes the upper-valley with a deafening barrage of light and sound. Hail falls with gusto out of dark and painful skies, punishing flora for her presumptiveness. Rain, wind, thunder and lightning. This is nature's last ditch attempt to stave off what is coming. Night falls, bringing with it one final, remarkable spectacle of electrical fury. At daybreak birds are chirping, trees drip themselves dry in the comforting warmth of steady sunshine. The storm clouds have vanished. The onslaught of the previous days-- now only a memory. Blue skies and desert heat now prevail as storms move off the Pacific far to the north. Summer is taking hold.
Summer. Finally. Though each season carries its own rewards, experiencing summer along the eastern fringe of Washington's Cascade Mountains really is something special. Offering an explicitly unique blend of desert heat, abundant water and raw natural beauty, the setting alone justifies spending some serious time here. The area hosts an incredible variety of outlets for adventure-seekers and summertime outdoor-enthusiasts. Utilizing Leavenworth as a base of operations, you're within thirty miles of three different wilderness areas, the Pacific Crest Trail, class IV - VI whitewater on three different rivers, world class climbing and mountain-biking and so much more.
The prototypical Leavenworthian is friendly, accepting, outgoing, and actively engaged in outdoor pursuits throughout the twelve months of the year. As spring becomes paramount, skis and snowmobiles are tucked away, while other gear is released to the open air after months of steadfast confinement. Summer weather made a matinee appearance here in 2012. This May has been one of the warmest and most pleasant in recent memory. Yet one or two-- or three or four-- excitingly violent spring weather events are undeniably still to come. This is just part of the deal-- the whole package. Nowhere else in Washington, and few locations along the west coast for that matter, does a place experience all four seasons to such true extent. The scenery and weather constantly changing, so too is the plethora of things to do outside. As we now enter the month of June, spring is in it's final throes. Summer is imminent-- immediately impending-- right around the riverbend.
Get Ready.
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