In shoulder season or on mild days in winter I hike in the windswept hills.   In exposed spots I often find lone standing snags and wind-shaped trees.   On this clear fall day I hiked off-trail through the hills in the Dewdrop Range enjoying views and looking for lone trees on the edge of cliffs and hilltops.

There was a brush fire in the area a few years ago and a few burned snags stand above the open slopes.

On the edge of the hill a few pines have been shaped by wind when snows blanketed the hills in winter.

Douglas firs stand straighter, but heavy limbs break off in the wind giving each one its own character.

When trunks break off in the winds, limbs extend outwards and upwards to the sun’s rays.

The spiral growth in junipers, pines, and sagebrush can be spotted in the opens pots.

Freezing winter winds or lightning strikes can kill off the upper trunk of a tree.    It will break off in a winter storm sometime in the future.

Stunted trees are the norm on the edge of the cliffs where strong winds sculpt weak points.

A few trees in partly-sheltered spots withstand the winds better and  robust lower limbs provide a bit of anchoring in strong winds.

On the way back down the hill I passed by a few more burned snags.

A small herd of bighorn sheep watched me as I descended off the ridge to the road.

More ventures onto windy ridges will follow, searching for lone snags and wind-shaped trees.