Camas Meadows

Blog for Camas Meadows Lodge™. Located on Camas Meadows Natural Area Preserve outside of Leavenworth, Washington. http://www.camasmeadowslodge.com All materials and photos copyrighted 2006-2017©

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Springtime East of the Divide......Camas Meadows




Springtime East of the Divide......Camas Meadows

East of the Cascade Divide spring comes in blue and white.  The flowers come in white and yellow. The clouds still have enough energy to cross the Cascade crest, but they start breaking up by the time they reach Camas Meadows.  So we end up with partly cloudy days.  Now and then a front is strong enough to push more clouds across the crest and we end up with scattered showers.

As you can tell by the picture the aspens have not yet broken bud.   By the last week in April, the soft green of the aspen buds will be visible.   However, the end of winter is always announced by the Spring Beauties and Glacier Lily's.

Every Glacier Lily has its own character.  Some are short, others come in pairs.  No matter their appearance, the announcement is the same:  spring is here, winter is gone.

Glacier Lily's do not wait long after the snow disappears to announce the arrival of spring.  Likewise, they do not hang around for very long. Their job is to announce the end of winter and then wait for next year.

Soon the elk will filter back to the meadow, and hopefully the Sandhill Cranes will drop from the sky for their spring romantic tryst.


Spring is the best time to visit east of the Cascades.  There is a lodge much farther north whose name echo's the sun and mountains of the Cascades.  The owner lamented that it was hard to get western Washington residents to visit in May, since they cannot believe that the weather is warm and sunny east of the Cascades while they sit in the gray mist.

The views from some of those rooms are just as nice as Camas.  The walking trails are just as nice as Camas, but much more crowded.   There is not a elk herd out the back deck.  There is a world renown chef to prepare meals, however, we are sure our guests, with the fully furnished kitchen, can match their culinary skills.

The kicker is that for less than the price of a lodge room, you can rent the entire house at Camas.  The drive up to the Methow is also three hours longer than the drive to Camas Meadows.

Camas Meadows, Methow Valley, Lake Chelan, or Lake Wenatchee springtime in the Cascades Mountains is a special time.  Don't miss it!!  Trade the gray mist for the blue sky sunshine of the east slope of the Cascades.  Our solar panels are on duty pumping out clean, solar energy to meet all your needs up at the meadow.


The peak wildflower season is between the first week of May and the first week in June.  We are booked the week after Memorial and mid-week the second week of June.  Memorial Day weekend is quiet and serene at Camas Meadows and is open.

Book your spring stay now....and check with us for last minute openings.