Hike of the Week
In a recent publication describing trails in the region, the Washington Trails Association refers to Gifford Pinchot National Forest as "The Forgotten Forest." However, calling it "forgotten" is misleading as this forest in the South Cascades certainly hasn't been forgotten by the Forest Service or by hikers who find their way there.
Despite limited funding, Gifford Pinchot National Forest is doing what it can to bring this recreational area to our attention. Those who venture there to hike, backpack, fish or ride are guaranteed to find it unforgettable.
By Karen Sykes | August 25, 2005
The outing: Do not say to a person who lives in Poulsbo the following:
"Well, Liberty Bay doesn't look like any fjord I've ever seen."
OK, sheer mountain slopes don't cascade into the water below, the narrow inlet doesn't necessarily pour into the Norwegian Sea. And, granted, it might be kind of hard to find an Azteca Mexican restaurant in Norway.
But why risk the instant frown you'll get when you point out these facts about modern Poulsbo?
Do say instead:
By Terry Tazioli | August 25, 2005
The outing: Port Gamble looks like a little town that time and geography forgot, a bit of unspoiled 19th-century New England dropped onto the shore of Puget Sound.
Founded in the mid-1800s by Maine lumbermen who came to harvest the rich Northwest forests, Port Gamble was a company town for mill workers and their families for almost 150 years. Since the mill closed a decade ago, it's morphed into a historic and easygoing tiny tourist town on the northern edge of the Kitsap Peninsula.
By Kristin Jackson | August 25, 2005
The budget outing: Discover Puget Sound's roots from the days when there were many firs and no freeways. Visit Suquamish, where the tribal chief for whom Seattle was named lived communally in what amounted to a mansion of the early 1800s: a beachfront longhouse reputedly more than 500 feet long.
Today, Chief Sealth is buried in a small cemetery just up the hill, with a glimpse through tall, guardian evergreens of the swirling waters of narrow Agate Passage.
By Brian J. Cantwell | August 25, 2005
Location: Bellevue.
Length: About five miles of trails.
Level of difficulty: Level-to-moderate bark/dirt/gravel trails and wooden boardwalks.
By Cathy McDonald | August 25, 2005
Short Trips
This time of year an early-evening temperature in the mid-80s for the Wenatchee area is considered moderate. For a heat-intolerant Seattleite like myself, a temperature that high any time of day is considered a heat wave. On the west side it's considered almost too toasty, even to play a round of golf.
By Jeff Larsen | August 25, 2005
