by John D’Onofrio With the string of warm, sun-drenched days that we’ve been enjoying this month, the snow in the mountains is melting fast. If you’ve been itchin’ to get out on the trail, wait no longer! Here are some choice hiking options that you can enjoy right now. Sauk Mountain: Virtually snow-free to the top of the ridge, this …
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Story and photos by John D’Onofrio A blessing…and a curse. Here in the ragged northwest we are blessed with some of the most dramatic mountains in the world. The peaks are sharp against the sky, wild fangs of rock and ice. The weather has had its way with them and they are shaped and chiseled by its ferocity …
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by John D’Onofrio with Caroline Van Hemert. Photos by Patrick Farrell. Imagine taking six months out of your life. Quitting your job. Finding a cat sitter. And then imagine setting off on an adventure through the mostly-untouched wilderness of British Columbia, the Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories and Alaska. No car. No powerboat. No machine at all. Imagine …
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Story and photos by John D’Onofrio I’ve been thinking about the 22-mile Kalalua trail for many, many moons. The trek is a world classic; winding along the breathtakingly beautiful Na Pali coast of Kuai’i on an ancient route that skirts heart-pounding cliffs and dives into primordial jungle. Na Pali is aptly named. It means, literally, the cliffs. Direct and to …
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by John D’Onofrio With winter knocking on the door, it’s time to start thinking about getting the snowshoes down and planning some fun in the snow. The Mount Baker Highway (WA 542) provides convenient access to a number of wonderful and scenic adventures west of the mountain. Here are a half dozen options – all accessed from a 20-mile long …
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Sure, the East Coast is famous for it’s fall colors, and yes, those hardwood forests are breathtaking. The Rocky Mountains are also renowned for stunning display of aspens at this time of the year. But neither color show exceeds the splendor of the high altitude larch forests of the eastern slopes of the North Cascades. Larch forests are scattered among the …
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Story & Photos by John D’Onofrio From high meadows blanketed in vibrant magenta and orange to riverside groves of crimson maple, the North Cascades offer an autumnal palette to satisfy the most discerning fall color aficionado. And while the hardwood forests of New England get all the hype when it comes to fall color, our own northern mountains provide unique …
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Bellingham Filmmaker Hits the Festival Circuit The Mountain Runners, a feature documentary released this year that tells the amazing story of the Mount Baker Marathon has been nominated for “Grand Prix Graz 2012” award and the “Alpine Camera in Gold” award at the 24th International Mountain & Adventure film festival in Graz, Austria. This festival, which runs from Nov. 9-12, …
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The venerable Squalicum Yacht Club, a fixture in the boating community of the northern Puget Sound region turns 75 this month. The club was formed on September 29th, 1937 as the Bellingham Boater’s Association (BBOA), organized to help create safe moorage in Bellingham Bay. Eventually a large part of a new moorage facility in Fairhaven was leased to the BBOA …
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Sierra Designs Zissou 15 Sleeping Bag It’s been a subject of debate among backpackers in the Pacific Northwet for decades: Down vs. synthetic sleeping bags. Down offers unsurpassed warmth and packability for its weight but frankly, ain’t worth a damn if it gets wet. And sometimes, let’s face it, it rains in these parts. Sierra Designs’ answer to this age-old …
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AdventuresNW
