Matt and I threaded pieces of cord through holes we had drilled in makeshift footbridges and tied the bridges to the backs of a couple of old snowmobiles we had purchased for Baker Mountain Guides. The goal for the day was to drag the bridges up to the trailhead for North Twin Sister and place them over numerous creeks …
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The orca population of the Pacific Northwest is dying. There isn’t much debate about this; every expert in marine biology agrees. The local orcas, known as the southern resident killer whales (SRKW), have had population fluctuations since the 1970’s, but the latest data shows a population in permanent decline. This is really bad news. As apex predators, the orcas are …
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I delight in using my camera in unusual ways to discover scenes in nature that may not stand out at first glance. I enjoy taking long exposures while moving my camera; discovering art that the ocean left behind; shooting from an unusual angle; or finding detail in a flower that when isolated from the whole, presents a little world unto …
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Sierra Designs Garnet 20 Daypack The Sierra Designs Garnet 20 Daypack is a 19-liter panel-loader that is easy to like. Our tester got to know the pack on a series of hikes on the island of Maui’i and she sang its praises. The Garnet 20 has a molded HDPE frame sheet, a balance between load-carrying comfort and relatively light weight. …
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by Lance Ekhart I’ve been poking around the San Juan Islands with my sailboat for 12 years and I keep coming back to three little islands in the group: Matia, Sucia and Patos. Their fantastic sandstone formations perched above narrow and precipitous ledges compel me to find a way to access them, often a risky endeavor by dinghy, rewarding …
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Story and photos by Jessica Newley When the water first hits my face, it’s like being stung by little bees all over my cheeks. To top that off, I have an instant ice cream headache and if I don’t get my footing soon I’m likely to drown in four feet of water. As an avid scuba diver, the irony of …
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Story and photographs by John D’Onofrio The surface of Diablo Lake is a turquoise mirror. The air is still, without the faintest breath of wind. I dip my paddle into the water and the canoe moves silently away from the shore. Behind us, the boat launch at Colonial Creek recedes as we move down Thunder Arm and out into the …
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The twin peaks have occupied a spot in my imagination since I first took note of them many, many years ago. Slate blue and stately in the summer, bedecked in a gown of snow in the winter, the peaks, just north of the United States-Canadian border, stand slightly apart from their Garibaldi Range brethren—two “ears” that, on a clear day, you can see anywhere from Vancouver, BC, south to Bellingham, Washington, where I live. I often wondered what the view would be like from atop.
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|| story by John D’Onofrio || photos by or courtesy of John D’Onofrio || Ah, wilderness! The open country, uncrossed by roads. The silence, unbroken by the clamor of machines. Here in the Great Northwest, wilderness is a cherished concept, a chance to refresh our souls and recharge our psychic batteries. But what is wilderness exactly? And what is our …
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The year was 1911 and Bellingham was a sleepy town on the northern reaches of the Salish Sea. Aside from the logging industry and the salmon canneries, not much was going on. The Mount Baker Club, a business group at the time, wanted something to draw attention to their corner of northwest Washington. Inspired by Mount Rainier National Park, which had been created in 1899 and had become an instant tourist attraction, club members resolved that if Rainier could draw a steady stream of gawking (and well-moneyed) tourists from back east, then surely nearby Mount Baker could too.
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Reflections from the back of a canoe || story & photos by ADAM JEWELL || I walk out into the garage and in passing I notice my canoe is dusty. “That’s odd,” I think to myself, “it hasn’t been that long since I last used it.” Or has it? I start counting backwards: “One…ah, two… three…four…No!—it can’t be—eight months?” With …
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Some trips stay with you because of what you see. Others leave an impression through how you move through a place, whether that’s following wildlife across open plains, tracing old routes between cities, or working your way along a coastline shaped over centuries. The journeys below fall into that second category. They aren’t quick stops or single highlights. They unfold …
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Trips are not the same now. Many people travel more and stay for weeks, not days. They work on the go. They look for sun, hills, or sea. But they also need a calm spot to rest and plan the next day. This is where co-living homes shine. A co-live home is a shared stay. You get your own room. …
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You won’t want to miss the Washington Trails Association’s (WTA) third annual Crescendo concert on April 24 at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. This celebration of music and nature is a collaboration between the Northwest Symphony Orchestra (NWSO) and WTA. Experience photos from WTA’s annual Northwest Exposure Photo Contest on the big screen while listening to sweeping melodies performed live by …
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Therm-A-Rest NeoLoft Sleeping Pad The Therm-A-Rest® NeoLoft pad has too many features to cover here, but the two that stand out for me are the side rails and the super soft surface material. The side rails keep you in place if you twist and turn in the night, like I do, so that you stay right where you want to be: on …
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Positively Uncivilized By Rena Priest, Raven Chronicle Press, 2025 Studying the epigraph to 2021-2023 Washington poet laureate Rena Priest’s new essay collection, “Positively Uncivilized,” is a worthy endeavor. 19th-century journalist Ambrose Bierce expands the definition of “positive” to mean “mistaken at the top of one’s voice.” …
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Jones Island Loop Located in the San Juan Archipelago, Jones Island is a place apart: rocky shores, sculpted cliffs, beautiful madrone forests, and impressive groves of weather-beaten Garry Oaks. From the dock on the northern shore of Jones Island, an ADA-accessible trail crosses through deep coastal forest to the southern shore and the delightfully named Raccoon Island Campground. From here, …
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This winter I’ve spent a lot of time running. The Chuckanuts have been their usual mix of wet roots and mud—a good test for any trail shoe. If you’ve spent time in an Altra Lone Peak (and plenty of folks have), the Topo Ultraventure 4 compares nicely. Both offer a roomy toe box that lets your toes spread out, but …
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It sounds ridiculous to say that I had already let the first 26 eruptive episodes of Kīlauea slip by unappreciated. Life has a way of carrying us along in autopilot mode. So, this time when I saw the fountaining lava on the webcam, I made the spontaneous decision to go and watch Kīlauea’s fiery display. After navigating the madhouse that …
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Saturday, April 25, marks the return of a historic Seattle bike ride that gives people the opportunity to bicycle on a car-free highway. First held in 2016, the Emerald City Ride starts in the Stadium District of Seattle and proceeds onto SR-99 for a short distance before bringing participants up and over the West Seattle Bridge, which rises more than …
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I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. At the current moment, I find myself sitting on the couch next to my wife–the kids are in bed, and I’m staring down the barrel of my 35th birthday. I suppose you could accuse me of “Peter Pan Syndrome”, never really wanting to grow up, …
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AdventuresNW
