Tag Archives: featured

Was this the worst coffee I’d ever tasted?  A definite possibility. Clearly, the pot had been sitting on the burner for many hours (days? weeks?) with just enough viscous liquid in the bottom to pour two cups, one for Susan and one for me. We were sitting in a somewhat shop-worn restaurant perched above the shores of the Strait of …

On a chilly evening, not long ago, I heard them.  Maybe you did, too.  You must be asking, “Heard who?” I heard the frogs.  In the dark of night, while the days were still short, long before the crocus had broken through the ground, and well before the tulip magnolia buds began to open, the frogs woke up as if …

            Paddling futilely like a one-winged albatross, I watched the bow of the balloon-like inflatable kayak swing inexorably broadside into the muddy four-foot waves. I struggled to straighten the lethargic rubber boat with my one good arm, but found myself wallowing imbalanced in the deepest trough.             “Oh my God,” I thought incredulously, “I’m going to flip.”              I clenched …

18 -20 mph winds and three to four foot swells met us as we paddled our kayaks out of Lund Harbor heading north. Waves sloshed over the boats, and, even though we had skirts and rain gear, they soaked us. Steering was next to impossible. Our intrepid group of seven was just beginning a trip to Desolation Sound with the …

The off-season in Desolation Sound, on the British Columbia Coast, has a mysterious feel. I haven’t seen another boat for hours, and nothing interrupts my boat’s wake trailing dutifully behind Elenoa for miles on the otherwise still water. Have I been transported back to prehistoric times, and am I the first to witness this astounding beauty?  In my dinghy, lost …

Wildlife travel works best with planning and preparation, while remaining flexible to local conditions. These destinations offer reliable opportunities to see animals in their natural habitats, though sightings can depend on season, weather, and timing. Guided experiences improve both safety and success, and in many locations, permits or advance arrangements are required. The reward is seeing wildlife in ways that …

Most public policy conflicts have well-defined opposing camps. Left vs Right, Rich vs Poor, Permissive vs Puritanical, the Yankees vs the Red Sox, etc. Yet sometimes a policy decision is so knotted that even similar minds find themselves at odds. This is where the finer points of ethics and morality become deeply explored. Such is the case with the barred …

My morning watch began the way it had all summer. At 03:56 a.m., I stepped into the wheelhouse of the MV David B and wrote in the logbook: August 10, wind calm, depth 110 feet, barometer 1012.  Comments: rain and fog. Then I walked back to the galley, turned off all the lights, save one dim lamp under a cabinet. …

Washington Trails Association (WTA) is the largest state-based trails non-profit in the U.S. But that wasn’t always the case. What began in 1966 as Signpost, a grassroots newsletter pioneered by Louise Marshall to share backcountry adventures and trail conditions, evolved into one of the most recognizable resources for hikers in the Pacific Northwest. Plenty has changed for the Washington Trails …

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 …