In winter, the North Cascades are truly in their element; simultaneously softened by the blanketing snow and rendered more dramatic by the relentless fury of the elements. It is a landscape of extraordinary beauty, carved and chiseled by the weather of eons gone by. This is their season. Summer, as they say, is a beautiful lie. The Mt. Baker Highway …
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Three Great Winter Hikes
Hole in the Wall The Olympic Coast is magical in winter. The crowds are gone, the sea is tempestuous, and the broad expanse of Pacific Ocean and open sky is a tonic for the winter-closeted soul. From the trailhead at Rialto Beach in Olympic National Park it’s an easy two-mile hike north up the beach. The only obstacle is Ellen …
Read More »A Winter Walk in the Olympics
This was our third attempt to explore the Olympic Mountains in mid-winter. The first two tries had been thwarted by storms and we had ended up on the beach instead. Not this time. After procuring our permits at the Wilderness Info Center in Port Angeles, we drove up the Hurricane Ridge Road in a thick fog, emerging above the cloud …
Read More »Snowshoeing in Paradise: A Pilgrimage to Artist Point
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 …
Read More »Snowshoe Season is Almost Here: Six Trips for Winter Fun
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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