STEVENS PASS -- There weren't enough burly hemlock trees to go around.
Each of us needed one to hide behind and shed clothes after 20 minutes of glorious sunshine.
As we crunched up the steep hill to Skyline Lake on snowshoes, with Stevens Pass in our rear-views, a slam-dunk stellar day unfurled.
David Coffman, an accountant with Snohomish County, was working on a new Christmas song based on the grinding, percussive sound we made on the packed snow.
By Barry Truman | December 30, 2004
The trail is a haven, among fast-growing suburbs, for bicyclists. Stop at a riverside park for a glimpse of pioneer history and take short detours off the trail for a meal, from gourmet to fast-food.
From its north end in Bothell, the flat and vehicle-free trail winds along the shallow Sammamish River (more a creek at many points), skirting busy roads and housing. As it turns south through Woodinville and Redmond, eventually ending at Marymoor Park, it opens into a valley where big-box warehouses give way to fields, both agricultural and athletic, and parkland.
By Kristin Jackson | December 30, 2004
Short Trips
STEVESTON VILLAGE, B.C. -- Steveston Village southwest of Vancouver boldly lists on its Web site 101 things to do (or consider doing) during a visit to that part of the world. Some of the suggestions are a little more esoteric than others -- "Toss your troubles away," compared to "Visit Britannia Heritage Shipyard and their new visitor center."
By Jeff Larsen | December 30, 2004
The outing:
For the holiday-frazzled, here's a Saturday outing that comes with its own mellowing agent: beer.
By Brian J. Cantwell | December 30, 2004
The outing:
It should not come as a shock to anyone's system — anyone, that is, who has lived for any number of years in Western Washington — that there are plants that don't lose their leaves in winter.
Or that the Yuletide Camellia sends forth gorgeous, dark-red, flat-pedaled flowers with starry-gold centers in December. Or that there are pansies that defy the pejorative meaning of the word and rage against the dying of the light we call winter.
But it does — come as a shock.
By Terry Tazioli | December 30, 2004
Hike of the Week
Perhaps I've been spoiled by high-country trails, but I find many of the trails in Tiger Mountain State Forest monotonous. However, aesthetics aside, they do serve a purpose and I am thankful for them. We need trails close to home that can be hiked year-round.
Besides, if you hike Tiger Mountain on a regular basis, you'll find several loops and one-way hikes that are quite satisfying and provide enough mileage and elevation gain to qualify as a good workout. You also will find a few hidden delights and experience solitude, especially if you avoid the most popular trails.
By Karen Sykes | December 30, 2004
Location: Redmond.
Length: One-mile round trip from Westside Park to Marymoor Park. The east-west Bridle Crest Trail is two miles long, and runs from Bridle Trails State Park east along the south side of Northeast 60th Street. On 156th Avenue Northeast, it jogs south a block to Westside Park, and emerges to the east just south of the entrance to Marymoor Park on West Lake Sammamish Parkway.
Level of difficulty: Flat-to-moderate bark trail. Access the trail at Westside Park at the back of the grassy lawn (muddy after rain).
By Cathy McDonald | December 30, 2004
