Snoqualmie Falls and Psycho Chickens

The other day I visited Snoqualmie Falls, a huge waterfall not far from Seattle. It's 268 feet (82m) tall and generates about 42,000 kilowatts of hydroelectric power -- and it's purdy.

Even though I visited the waterfall on a clear, sunny day, I didn't see any rainbows. (Usually people can see a rainbow here.) But it was still a spectacular waterfall all on its own. Unfortunately, the hiking trails around the waterfall are all under construction until 2013, so I wasn't able to do too much exploring.

So after I took a zillion waterfall pictures that all look the same, I wandered into the Salish Lodge, a resort that sits right up against the top of the waterfall. It's a popular place for weddings and fancy dinners and stuff. I spent some time in the gift shop, debating whether to buy my mom a coffee-table book called "Extraordinary Chickens." (She hates chickens.)

I decided against the purchase, but now I regret it. I mean, who could resist this psychotic face?



Pictures of Snoqualmie Falls and surroundings:







After that I headed further into the Cascade Mountains, up to the Snoqualmie Pass. This is a popular skiing area for Seattlites. There was still plenty of snow up here.

Pictures of Snoqualmie Pass:





A cool ring around the sun (this was natural, not a camera trick; I saw it with my own eyes):