Hike of the Week
The days are growing short and the flowers are gone. Snow has already fallen in the mountains but retreated again, pushed back by our lingering Indian summer. The Thorp Mountain lookout near Salmon La Sac is a great hike for that transitional season between fall and winter. Besides, a fresh dusting of snow only enhances the frail beauty of the lookout near Salmon La Sac.
By Karen Sykes | October 31, 2002
Gearing Up
A good hat serves many purposes, not the least of which is covering up your dirty, bedraggled, hat-headed hairdo. (OK, maybe your hair looks great after a few days in the woods, but mine does not.)
Hats are absolutely vital to our outdoor safety and comfort. They protect us from the rain, sun and wind. They keep us cool in the heat, and warm in the cold. I've used my hat to collect berries and seashells. I've used a mesh hat to strain pasta. And I've used a fleece hat as a pillow. The list goes on and on.
By Kristin Hostetter | October 31, 2002
Local snowboarders should finally be able to ride world-class halfpipes -- just like the ones built for the 2002 Olympics in Utah -- with both The Summit ski and Stevens Pass ski areas planning to offer pipes with 17-foot walls this winter.
If the ski areas pull them off, they will be the first "superpipes" in Washington.
By Greg Johnston | October 31, 2002
You're running through the forest on a rolling ridge under a deep green canopy of fir and maples, padding softly on a dirt trail, hopping the occasional root or rock, the cool fall air feathering around your sweaty forehead.
Your calves burn a bit on the ups, your thighs on the downs. But you feel a vague sense of exhilaration. You feel alive. You feel kind of like a kid again.
By Greg Johnston | October 31, 2002
It seems a little odd that, at home, where we can shower each day, most of us tend to launder our bedding at least weekly. Yet, our sleeping bags don't get washed more than every season or two, even though we tend to be far less clean when crawling into our backcountry beds.
By Dan A. Nelson | October 31, 2002
Been on a cruise lately? There's no need to wait for your next vacation or out-of-town visitors to sit back and watch the scenery while gliding over the water. It only takes an hour or two, in the fresh air on top deck or below deck out of the weather, to get away from it all on a cruise of Elliott Bay, Lake Union or Lake Washington.
By Madeline McKenzie | October 31, 2002
Short Trips
For years I always considered Mount Baker a ski destination. I don't ski, so I never had the itch to visit there, even during the summer. But deep down I've always wanted to see Mount Baker up close.
By Jeff Larsen | October 31, 2002
