Up Hatton Road

Hatton Road runs west from Tieton up onto the highlands of the east slope of the Cascades, climbing from apple orchards into an increasingly rare native sagebrush steppe landscape.  I have driven up the road in my truck many times, in search of fine light on the splendid geography.  The road is not too bad when dry; the landscape is open and wild, both rugged and fragile.  

Every year the eastern edge of the sagebrush retreats a little farther up the slope, pushed west by new orchards.