News

Conserving Lily Point: Honoring Chelhtenem

Lily Point is located at the southeast corner of Point Roberts with the waters of Georgia Strait on one side and Boundary Bay on the other, just a half-hour drive from Vancouver, B.C. To get there from Bellingham, you must cross into Canada and then again cross the border to enter Point Roberts, U.S.A. When Canada and the United States …

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4 Essential Outdoor Activities to Rejuvenate Your Mind

Life’s gotten pretty crazy lately. Between work deadlines, social media notifications, and just trying to keep up with everything, it’s no wonder we’re all feeling a bit fried. I’ve found that one of the best ways to hit the reset button is simply getting outside. You don’t need fancy equipment or expensive retreats. Nature’s been the ultimate stress-buster long before …

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Lessons from the Glacier Peak Wilderness

One warm summer morning in early August of 2005, a small group of grad students from Western Washington University and I gazed across a small lake at one of America’s most spectacular mountain views. The lake was indeed small, really a small tarn, its glass-like surface reflected a perfectly clear upside-down image of Glacier Peak, a gleaming white volcano of …

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A Day in the Life of a Park Ranger

 One of the first things I spot when entering Olympic National Park is the gray shirt, dark forest-green trousers, gold national park badge, and iconic flat-brimmed hat of a park ranger in uniform. I have to wonder: What is it like being a ranger? What makes up their typical day? On a mission to find out, I call the park …

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Recovery Beyond: An Audacious Idea

In 2011, two mountaineering friends had an audacious idea – get people off the streets and to the summit of Mt. Rainier (also known as “Tahoma) Along with a team of committed volunteers, Mike Johnson and Mark Ursino led groups of men and women from the Seattle Union Gospel Mission through a 10-month training program culminating in a successful summit …

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Chuckanut Drive: 21 Miles of Cascadian Splendor

Washington State Route 11, also known as Chuckanut Drive, is a beautiful scenic byway that never makes the cut in lists of America’s great scenic drives. Perhaps, at 21 miles long, it isn’t epic enough to rate. But as an experiential journey, it is easily one of the finest ribbons of road in the United States. It is a gorgeous …

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On Horses, Humans, and the Trail Ahead

My horse, Joey, and I were nearing the top of a ridge, glad that the last 15 miles back to the trailhead were downhill. The area had changed since our previous trip many years ago. Although fires had devastated the forest, in its aftermath it had left vast vistas and fields of wildflowers. As we approached the ridgetop, mountain peaks …

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A Reflection on Hope in the 21st Century

            Last October, while in Bellingham for the launch of my book Teaching in the Rain I was asked several times whether I was hopeful about the future of the planet and the environment around us, and if so, what cause for hope buoyed me in these difficult times. I answered as best I could, citing the wisdom of my …

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Up in Flames

When I heard about Jasper burning, I wept. This little town, long a venerable outpost in the Canadian Rockies, is (was) one of my favorite places in the world. Located way up at the northern terminus of the world-renowned Icefields Parkway, Jasper was a special place, a throwback to the days of old-fashioned mountain civility, embodying elegant beauty and inspiring …

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Whatcom Land Trust & Rand Jack Celebrate 40 Years of Conservation

Since 1984, Whatcom Land Trust (the Trust) has worked to protect and steward Whatcom County’s special places for future generations of all species. Adventures Northwest readers have likely experienced that impact without realizing it—perhaps while hiking, biking, or exploring in one of the 19 Whatcom County public parks created with the help of Whatcom Land Trust over the past 40 …

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