Minot to Seattle

Heading west from Minot the winter scenery is stark. It looked cold. The wind and blowing snow had polished the surface of the snow so it gleamed. But the sun was shining and the sky was blue with only a few high wisps of clouds.

There wasn't a lot of wildlife to be seen. Quite a few ring-necked pheasants around. They aren't native but they're still pretty birds. We saw a few bald eagles although I wouldn't think they'd like this extremely cold weather with little if any open water. There were a few groups of deer. Flocks of pigeons, especially around the grain elevators. Some groups of smaller birds that I couldn't identify. A few magpies.

It was nice to wake up in the mountains and watch the sun rise as we ate breakfast. Pretty scenery through the Cascade mountains. Warmer, judging by the puddles, but lots of a snow. Even peeking through the snow the green moss and ferns seem very lush compared to the frozen prairie.

We were three hours behind last night but we've made up time and are estimated to arrive in Seattle only an hour late. After sitting in the car and train for two days we're looking forward to stretching our legs wandering around Seattle.

See also: all the posts from this trip and all the photos from this trip