Hike of the Week
MYSTIC LAKE -- the name alone is enough to pique a hiker's interest with visions of emerald meadows, desolate moraines and shimmering mists. This enigmatic lake in Mount Rainier National Park is reached via the world-class Wonderland Trail and was given its name by two visiting professors because of a mysterious whirlpool they observed near the outlet of the lake.
By Karen Sykes | September 15, 2005
While it's true that I loved camping as a kid, I'll be honest with you: It wasn't clambering around waterfalls or watching black bears and sunsets that stoked my love of the outdoors. What I really cherished most, what I remember best, was eating outdoors.
Those were the carefree days when Mom did all the camping cooking, before Clif Bars and GU Energy Gel became standard fare in my pack, and the only thing dehydrated on our trips was usually my sister, who always managed to get sick on the drive to Yosemite or Lake Tahoe.
By Phuong Cat Le | July 28, 2005
It's a warm, sunny day in late April, and Marblemount's Jeff Muse is telling me about the epiphany he had during his senior year at a small college in Indiana.
We're on the shores of Diablo Lake, that jade-colored mini-ocean at the foot of a forested hillside that rises to an icy-topped North Cascades peak over a mile high. From the Highway 20 overlook at Milepost 132, this place drops jaws by the dozens.
By Mike McQuaide | May 26, 2005
CAPE JOHNSON -- You expect a winter hike on the Olympic National Park's jumbled and jagged ocean coast to be wet, cold and magnificently miserable. But sitting here on a crescent bay, as a flaming winter sun screams pinks and reds across the sky as it sets behind sharp-angled sea stacks, it almost feels as if you're in a South Seas paradise.
By Greg Johnston | March 3, 2005
Hike of the Week
You don't have to go far up Mount Rainier to break trail in fresh snow. A favorite snowshoe trip of mine is the Eagle Peak Trail, which begins at Longmire and winds through fine old-growth forest before climbing to a treasure chest of views.
You'll need to work to reach the saddle between Eagle and Chutla peaks, with views of Rainier and other mountains. But you'll probably have the trail to yourself. It's a mystery as to why this quiet route doesn't attract many hikers any time of the year.
By Karen Sykes | December 9, 2004
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK Balancing a 4-gallon water jug on my knee while trying to make peace with a 50-pound backpack, I was filling out the Park Service backcountry-use permit at the trailhead with a government-issue eraserless pencil stub. My 5-year-old daughter and her friend were scampering around my feet searching for smooth, round rocks, "to ward off wood nymphs." We were about to embark on a hike short in steps and long in natural brilliance, a beach trek that has become an annual family tradition.
By Kathryn True | October 7, 2004
It's nothing that I'm proud of, but when it gets right down to it, I'm probably not the backpacking type. I'll run-hike the Loowit Trail around Mount St. Helens, climb Mount Baker or Adams or Shuksan, but when it's time to lay me down to rest, I want a bed. And maybe a TV with a clicker so I can watch the day's highlights on "Baseball Tonight."
By Mike McQuaide | September 2, 2004
Gearing Up
A few weeks back, I promised a column on how to dry your own spaghetti sauce, which is a fantastic and easy way to bring some home-cooked flavor to the woods. You either can make your own sauce from scratch (see my favorite recipe below), or use your favorite jarred sauce -- just choose a brand that doesn't have chunks of veggies or meats in it. Smooth marinara works best.
By Kristin Hostetter | July 22, 2004
In the Northwest, Mount Rainier is nearly an equal partner with the sun and the moon. Sometimes the foothills seem to disappear and the mountain truly appears to float in the sky.
Yet despite its celestial appearance, the rock-and-ice reality of the mountain is relatively close by.
The Carbon River region, in the park's northwest corner, is only a two-hour drive from Seattle, making exploring the flanks of the volcano relatively easy.
By Andrew Engelson | July 15, 2004
Gearing Up
I recently had the privilege of judging the first nationwide REI/Backpacker Camp Cook-Off outside Denver. Two days of chowing down on gooey s'mores, fruit-infused pancakes, crazy trail mix concoctions, even backpackable sushi and more pasta dishes than I could count. So much for my low-carb lifestyle.
The grand prize winner was Chris Gilliam, a 32-year-old Denverite, whose hearty, spicy lentil stew stole the show (and it's really a show; the competition will be featured on a one-hour special next spring on the Food Network).
By Kristin Hostetter | July 8, 2004
