forest

In the throes of truffle fever

Tyrone Beason — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

The moment I heard chef and truffle-worshipper Kevin Blaylock yell, "Holy crap, I found a really big one!" as he scanned the fluffy, upturned soil in a patch of Douglas firs south of Olympia, I knew he'd hit pay dirt.

He knelt and picked up a dingy white orb about the size of a gumball, brought it to his nose and took a whiff so deep and passionate I thought he was falling in love with it.

From an aesthetic point of view, the ugly little truffle seemed hardly worth all the excitement.

A wonderful welcome to the Alpine Lakes

Karen Sykes — Thu, 05 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700

If you are new to hiking, the Lake Dorothy Trail (No. 1072) is a superb introduction to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The trail also is kid-friendly -- it is only 1.5 miles to the lake, with an elevation gain of 800 feet. The trailhead is off U.S. Route 2, west of Stevens Pass on the Miller River Road.

The trail also is a favorite of veteran hikers because Lake Dorothy is the first in a chain of lakes nestled in the heart of the Alpine Lakes.

Hillcrest Park

Cathy McDonald — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Location: Mount Vernon.

Length: Over a mile of trails.

Level of difficulty: Level-to-moderately steep, dirt/gravel/bark trails (muddy after rains, although many trails have an absorbent top layer of bark).

Head north of the border for a magical mix of city lights and mountain heights

Greg Johnston — Thu, 07 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700

VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Avid hikers who visit Vancouver just may want to stick to the city, taking in the attractions and absorbing the energy of a very diverse metropolis.

Shop until you can't stop along fashionable Robson Street, or find a desperately hip place to dine along West Pender.

Visit the phenomenal First Nations Collection at the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology.

Stroll the famous Seawall at Stanley Park if you must.

Wilderness Creek Trail

Cathy McDonald — Thu, 17 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Location: Issaquah.

Length: Three miles round-trip; connects to other trails.

Level of difficulty: Level-to-moderately steep dirt/gravel trail (some parts muddy after rains).

Five Mile Lake County Park trails

Cathy McDonald — Thu, 20 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Location: Auburn.

Length: About a half mile.

Level of difficulty: Flat-to-gentle grass and dirt trails.

Setting: Set on land purchased by King County in 1966, this pleasant multi-use park offers large grassy meadows and a trail along the northeast shore of Five Mile Lake. In the southeastern part of the park, trails lead up to a forested knoll with a fort-like structure that overlooks the lake and its fringing marshes.

Issaquah's Squak Mountain is climbing in popularity

Mike McQuaide — Thu, 04 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0800

ISSAQUAH I've hiked and run Squak Mountain at various times of the year but there have always been two constants it's rained, and I've gotten lost. That's why, on my most recent visit to this 2,000-foot pinched hillock at Issaquah's back door, I decided to tag along on an Issaquah Alps Trails Club outing. Not that its members have the power to control weather, but I knew that they could keep me from becoming lost.

First-time camper? Try kid-friendly Second Beach

Kathryn True — Thu, 07 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700

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.

Point Defiance Park gardens

Cathy McDonald — Thu, 05 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Location: Tacoma.

Length: More than 25 miles of trails in the park.

Level of difficulty: Flat-to-gentle, grass and gravel trails within the gardens.

Setting: One of the region's premier urban parks, this lush peninsula offers stunning views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Forest trails lace the upper part of the park, and a sidewalk runs along the park's northeastern shore.

Burien: Two strolls in one — shoreline and shopping

Kristin Jackson — Thu, 08 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700

The walk: Unless you live in Burien, it's mostly a place you'd zip past on the highway.

But it's worth detouring to the overlooked city of about 30,000 people tucked between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Puget Sound.

Burien has a beach-rich park; old-fashioned business district; and lots of taquerias, thanks to a growing number of Mexican-American residents, that offer low-cost and tasty meals that you can take out for park picnics.

This is a two-part walk, divided between the beach park and quaint shopping district.