Time for Serenity, Anyone? I like to live in the sound of water in the feel of mountain air. A sharp reminder hits me: this world is still alive; it stretches out there shivering toward its own creation, and I’m part of it. Even my breathing enters into this elaborate give and take, this bowing to sun and …
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The Cascade Loop: Washington’s Ultimate Road Trip
I’ve spent a lot of time exploring the magnificent nooks and crannies of northwest Washington, enjoying untold splendor along the way. But I had never driven the meandering scenic excursion known as the Cascade Loop. Described as Washington’s Ultimate Road Trip, the 440-mile loop traces an oblong circle from saltwater to the Columbia Highlands and back to saltwater, crossing the …
Read More »The Finest Kind of Madness
Origin — a beginning. We all start somewhere. This is where the Madness begins, I suppose; In random passing, a glancing blow. Driving the sinuous byway of Washington State’s North Cascades Highway, some three hours after turning east from the high-test thrum of the Interstate corridor and onto the only road to cleave the wilderness of the North Cascades National …
Read More »Autumn in the North Cascades
In 1976 I planned my first trip to the Pacific Northwest. With two friends, I hitchhiked from Eastern Pennsylvania to Cascade Locks in Oregon and hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) south to Crater Lake. I borrowed a friend’s Nikkormat camera for the trip and tried hard to capture the look and feel of what I saw. Since that first …
Read More »Pass or Fail: A Gravity Lesson at Rainy Pass
Through the sweat dripping from my brow, I squinted to read the sign: “Rainy Pass, elevation 4855.” I collapsed on the gravel. Staring up at the pine trees in the forested rest area I silently celebrated and waited for the other two. Nate and Bayly should have been just behind me. They never showed up. The morning of July 2, …
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