Abstract Ice

Abstract Ice
With a recent cold snap of wintery weather we were treated to some fantastic ice formations opening up a world of abstract shapes, patterns and colors not often seen in the Temperate Rain Forest of Northwest Washington. These images were taken near the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River.
 

Ice formations near the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River in Northwest Washington

Ice formations near the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River in Northwest Washington

Ice formations near the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River in Northwest Washington

Cascade Creek Falls

Cascade Creek Falls in North West Washington near the town of Glacier.  Cascade creek flows directly into the Nooksack River in the Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest of Northwest Washington State.

One of the most wonderful things associated with the heavy rainfall we receive in the Pacific Northwest are the numerous waterfalls.  Add in the North Cascade Mountains and the lush Temperate Rainforest and you have a combination to cherish.  The Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest of North America extends 2,500 miles in a narrow coastal corridor.  The Pacific coastal temperate rainforest of North America represents the largest area of coastal

temperate rainforest in the world.

A coastal temperate rainforest is defined by the following characteristics:

•Located within 93 miles of the coast

•High annual precipitation ( 33 inches - 105 )

•Over 100 days of precipitation seasonally, with 10% during the summer months

•Dominance by numerous coniferous species

•Some of the greatest biomass accumulation and highest productivity levels of any rainforest in the

world--temperate, tropical, or boreal