Of Eagles and Mountains...

As mentioned in the FIREWATER blog, this has been a mild winter in the Okanogan Highlands. Just before dawn this morning I noted this rather large bald eagle perched in the upper reaches of the shoreside cottonwoods, watching the coming of light on the river surface below. As eagle watched river, I watched eagle. The foundation of this rendered image was captured before the sun rose over the Kettle River Range to the east. Double click on the images for a larger, more detailed view.

The day dawned clear and sunny. Work took me over Wauconda Summit and  into the Okanogan River Valley. On the way home captured this image of 7,257 foot Mount Bonaparte. In proper terminology, Bonaparte is a monadnock - a high, solitary mountain. It is the highest summit in the interior of the OKanogan Highlands. Higher summits are to the west are in the eastern Pasayten area of the Northern Cascades. About 30 miles to the east is the Kettle River Range with it's highest summit being 7,140-ft Copper Butte.

Below: Mount Bonaparte