Early fall last year, we went to Mount Lillian Loop trail of Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington. The beginning of the route was a bit hard to find. Thankfully we met very nice people at the campground who showed us a map and the direction.
It was about a seven-mile trail, but it got longer because we kept going out of the path. A couple of sections of the course didn’t have enough trees to protect us from the sun. Because of these unexpected hiccups, the hike was more difficult than we imagined. In the end, we had to stop pretty often, and every time we did, Dingo lay down next to our feet.
But I loved the trail. Burnt trees from the fire back in 2012 made the forest feel eerie. Occasionally We met a bunch of colorful flowers. Intense-colored flowers on mostly dusty roads made it surreal.
When we finally finished the hiking and spotted our car, Dingo was ready to hop on. He started whining and pulling the leas so hard towards the car.
The road to the trail was narrow, and one side was next to a cliff. Many off-road vehicles were coming to the trail when we were leaving. We had to wait at a corner to be safe. It was a bit of a wait but fun to look at all the different cars.
When we got home, all of us took a nice long nap. After my husband and I woke up, Dingo followed us but decided to sleep more on his bed. I was looking at him, wondering if he was dreaming about the hike—so many smells to sniff for him from the trees, flowers, dirt, and small animals. I enjoy taking Dingo to mountains or flatland trails. I can see him being extra happy in those environments. I’m not sure when, but I’m already looking forward to our next hiking.
Acrylic and pencil on clay board 8″ x 10″ (20.32 x 25.4 cm)
After a couple of days from the hike, I made this small painting of Dingo walking on a narrow path surrounded by pink flowers. This scene was the most memorable area for me from the trail.
I also made Day Color paintings about the hike. I fear height, so I couldn’t go close to the cliff to take a good picture or video at the peak. But I took a nice picture of my husband. Drawing and painting only from the memories have a charm that making art from a photograph doesn’t have.
I hope everyone has a beautiful week!