PEDALING ALONG HIGHWAY 507 — Lucinda Williams sings that she envies the wind. Riding my bike on a gusty mid-July afternoon, I am beginning to despise it.
Seventy-five miles into the 2003 Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic, feisty headwinds are taunting me relentlessly just outside the town of Yelm, Thurston County. On an otherwise ideal day for cycling, the wind adds an extra burden to uphill climbs and erases the momentary relief of coasting downhill.
By Jake Batsell | February 19, 2004
Hike of the Week
It looked like winter but felt like spring when we visited Pine and Cedar lakes near Bellingham. The sun was warm, but there was a skin of ice on the lakes, and frost sparkled merrily where the sun hadn't reached.
These lakes are a fine destination any time of the year. The trail is user-friendly, can be hiked year-round and provides a scenic setting to stretch your muscles and get some elevation gain in preparation for those summer trails.
Seeking solitude? Try Pine Lake. A sunny lunch spot? Try Cedar Lake. For the best of everything, visit both.
By Karen Sykes | February 19, 2004
Short Trips
The bright-red Victoria Express passenger ferry, which usually sails between Port Angeles and Victoria, B.C., only during the summer, is now a winter transportation alternative to Vancouver Island -- at least for the time being.
The winter route to Victoria historically has been reserved for the larger MV Coho, an automobile ferry. But the Coho currently is in the shop for an engine replacement and won't be back in service until March 11.
By Jeff Larsen | February 19, 2004
Map of the route for the STP Classic.
February 19, 2004
When inspiration struck last winter to train for the STP, my cycling equipment consisted of a helmet and a bare-bones hybrid bike left over from grad school. Here's a breakdown of what it cost to make my rookie voyage to Portland:
New bike: $326.40 —
This is far below what most new road bikes cost, especially those with automatic gear switches on the handlebars. But I saved hundreds by opting for a 24-speed Fuji League, a model with manual gear-shifts, and found it to be comfortable and reliable.
By Jake Batsell | February 19, 2004
In a city rich with fine parks, Carkeek is easy to miss.
Embracing a narrow arborous canyon that spills into Puget Sound and cradling one of Seattle's healthiest streams, it's tucked away among the neighborhoods north of Ballard. You don't pass it on your way to anywhere like, say, Magnuson, Seward, Woodland and Lincoln parks.
That makes Carkeek Park, except on sunshine weekends, a pretty quiet place.
By Greg Johnston | February 19, 2004
Birders' Top Spots
Location: Whatcom County, adjoining the Canadian border.
Habitat: Municipal park with sandy beaches and grasslands by intertidal mudflats and marine waters of Drayton Harbor.
Best seasons for birding: Year-round.
February 19, 2004
Location: Mount Vernon.
Length: Several miles.
By Cathy McDonald | February 19, 2004
