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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

View from Steptoe Butte--Eastern Washington


Steptoe Butte is a quartzite island jutting out of the silty loess of the Palouse hills in Whitman County, Washington.
The elevation is 3,612 feet (1,101 m), while the rest of the countryside is pretty flat farm or ranch land.
The rock that forms the butte is over 400 million years old, in contrast with the 15–7 million year old Columbia River basalts that underlie the rest of the Palouse. Steptoe Butte has become an archetype, as isolated protrusions of bedrock, such as summits of hills or mountains, in lava flows have come to be called steptoes.
The Butte is named after Colones Edward Steptoe.

15 comments:

VP said...

A huge palette of brown and greens...

brattcat said...

like a giant, much loved blanket.

Gaelyn said...

Beautiful rolling hills does look like a patchwork quilt.

George said...

I really like the pattern of the fields and hills you've captured in both of these photos, but the first is especially beautiful.

Nancy Jo said...

Hi MB,
Boy that would be a really big lawn to mow.
Love the picture of the outhouse in the other picture. We had an outhouse on the farm I grew up on. It was good for the men when they were outside working.
Nice here today, one good day then two not so nice. But can't complain when you see all that bad weather in the mid states.
Going through that stage again where I want to give up my blog, but I'm hanging on.
I watch your weather on tv, and you have been pretty wet this year too.
Nancy Jo

Anonymous said...

It really looks like a neat place to look out over and daydream about Indians in a long row, riding silently over the hills.

cieldequimper said...

Argghhh.

cieldequimper said...

P.S.: you missed last week's Stanwood doorway on HTE! :-)

Anonymous said...

That is gorgeous - like a big quilt.

Beemoosie said...

Hello friend! Your photos are stunning as always! I hope all is well with you and yours!
Bonnie

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Wow Mary Beth, What a beautiful place... I'd love to see Steptoe Butte someday... SO pretty. Thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
Betsy

Elaine said...

Ah, you can see a long ways in Eastern Washington. Lovely photos!

Magpie said...

The rolling hills look so fluid...like waves on the water. What a beautiful place!

Anonymous said...

I think of mountains & very very very tall trees when I think of Washington... but you're showing us more of the state & that's one reason I love blogging... what awesome WoW! shots, MB!!! =)

EG CameraGirl said...

Interesting about the steptoes. I like the rolling hills here.