I spent the last 3 days at Steamboat Rock State Park, about 4 hours east and north of Seattle. It takes its name from a massive basalt rock that now rises 800 feet above Banks Lake; it was originally an island in the Columbia River bed. Banks Lake is a man-made 27-mile-long lake formed by the North Dam near Grand Coulee and the Dry Falls Dam near Coulee City. The landscape here is very different than what we are used to on the West side of the Cascades; when we first camped here last year it I couldn’t get over how much it looked like what I think the moon might look like. It seems very prehistoric. At first it looks like nothing but brown, but if you look closely at the cliffs in the right light all kinds of colors emerge. And at this time of year, there are wildflowers blooming in yellows, pinks and purples. And always the gray green of the sage brush.
Yes, the change of scenery and routine are big reasons for dragging out half the contents of my house four hours east for 3 days with friends. But also, there is this.
foible and folly 
7 responses to “steamboat rock”
Beautiful photographs, and the one at the end is the best! Thank you for sharing….
Thanks, Jennie – I like that one best too.
Hard to convey how much fun it is to spend time with your family. When we are with your family good times are always a plenty. The next adventure can’t come soon enough. Thank you
Aw, thanks! Glad you and Jeff got to bond over weaponry. Looking forward to Grayland! 😉
Nice pics! We had a great time.
Hopefully one day I can learn to relax quicker than Sunday. Still wondering why you didn’t take any photos of me. Are you trying to tell me something?
[…] Usually we camp 3 or 4 times in a year, so it was a bit strange not to have any trips on the docket. We watched from the sidelines while friends planned the now-regular trip to Steamboat Rock. […]