1st stop - The Palouse

3/29/09

The forecast called for snow again over the weekend proving that spring was still far away, yet the vibrant colors in the flower stalls in the market prior to my departure rallied my hopes that spring would indeed be right around the corner. Furthering my hopes that spring would be quickly on its way, the drive over the pass to Spokane revealed more land as the snows receded, the ice in the waterfalls replaced by flowing water. Yet this morning we woke to snow falling on the hills of the Palouse - winter was refusing to release its hold on the northwest.

However, I had been looking for this up close look at the Palouse by people who lived in the area, I was not going to let it pass. We did pass planned photo-op after photo-op as the falling snow made distant views non-existent. At breakfast we were joined by a local farmer turned historian, Glen Leitz, who shared with us bits and pieces of the history of the Palouse. I always enjoy listening to oral history and this gentleman had a lot to tell, so much in fact that we had to leave before he even finished his stories.

We continued on our journey as the snows started slacking off so we were able to stop at more places - museums, barns, mills, churches and cemeteries. All unique in their photographic qualities. I began to realize I would need to come back for several days to truly capture this rare and beautiful place. Finally, the clouds started breaking apart in the late afternoon and the sun highlighted the hills in the distance. Just in time too, our final stop near sunset would be Steptoe Butte.

Never seeing Steptoe before, I was extremely excited as I drove up the winding road to the top. Each turn revealed more of the scenery - rolling hills touched with snow stretching in every direction. I decided to leave before sunset - eager to be on my way and hoping to be someplace really cool for sunset. I was in a gully at the best color, but a not too disappointed because I knew my trip had started off great - even if spring was reticent in its appearance.