|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 10:40:08 pm
I'm a little ashamed to admit this but I only got two days of skiing in this April. I spent a day at Crystal Mountain and another at White Pass. Below is a picture from what's left of one of my ski poles. Wish I had a good story to go with the snapped pole, but I just accidentally busted it while goofing off with some friends. Didn't even fall.  So just two days in April. Well, La Nina has made May the new April for skiers and boarders this year so maybe I'll do better in May. Alpental and Summit Central are open Saturday, Sunday and Monday then close for the season. Lift tickets are $5 on Monday. Believe it or not, the snow is still dumping. Eight inches at Alpental last night.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 01:54:28 pm
From the Bureay of Lane Management:
Categories: Mount St. Helens
Posted by Craig Hill @ 09:48:25 am
Somebody placed what appears to be a snowboard-toting lawn gnome in front of the Johnston Ridge Observatory Web cam at Mount St. Helens.  The sign to the gnome's right says "I will get the snow." The sign is getting attention from media outlets around the Northwest. This morning a second sign was added to the gnome. The National Weather Service recently told The News Tribune that snow levels in the Cascades are 150 percent of normal this season. Holly Lippert of the Summit at Snoqualmie says the ski area received eight inches of new snow overnight. The ski area, the only one in the area still operating, will reopen Saturday. It plans to close for the season on May 5. Lift tickets will be $5 on Monday.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 09:21:53 am
One of the primary concerns for athletes as they train for this summer’s Olympics in Beijing is the air quality. The International Olympic Committee has even warned that endurance events could be postponed if air pollution is at a dangerous level. Pat McDonough, director of athletics for USA Cycling, says preparing for Beijing is a bit tricky. “We have air purifiers for the rooms,” McDonough said. “But there is not a lot we can do on the course.” McDonough says athletes can’t really acclimatize to pollution. “Some athletes have tried and the only thing that really happens is that their level of performance has gone down,” McDonough said. In the USA Cycling’s previous experience in polluted areas all days have been equally as nasty,” McDonough said. “In a 10-day period maybe two days are pretty good and two days are really bad and the rest is someplace in between,” McDonough said. “We will plan for the worst and hope for the best.” Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 03:39:25 pm
A local mountaineering company is facing more than the usual challenges as it tries to get 24 climbers to the summit of 29,035-foot Mount Everest.
Categories: Craig Hill, Mountaineering
Saturday, April 26th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 08:29:47 pm
I got e-mail from reader M. Mullins recently asking the whereabouts of the new trail in Milton. The paved 2.5-mile multipurpose trail was dedicated Tuesday. We were unable to run a map of the trail because the City of Milton could not provide us one. Making matters more confusing we accidently left out a box with additional info the trail from Thursday's section. This prompted many phone calls from readers like M. Mullins. Thanks for pointing it out. My bad. Here's what we meant to say:
Friday, April 25th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 07:19:55 pm
Just got back from a quick trip to the ocean. Considering the unrelenting snow dumps in the mountains I expected the weather to be nasty. In fact, I’d heard it was snowing on the coast in Oregon earlier this week so I was hoping to see some white beaches. However, with the exception of a stiff wind, the weather in Westport was quite pleasant. At least for the hour I spent there. Surprisingly I saw only one surfer at the jetty riding some fairly sweet waves. While I didn’t see any snow on the beach, by dinner time I was teaching my son how to start a fire in the rain. Good enough.  A windy but lovely day at Westport …  … and on the beach south of Grayland.  Westport’s famous dummy cop keeping speeders honest.  Volunteers are heading to the coast this weekend to clean the beaches of trash like this. If you want to participate just show up at your favorite beach Saturday morning.  A deer prancing across the trail at the Westport Lighthouse. Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 03:15:34 pm
I got back a while ago from Paradise Inn, a beehive of activity as the May 16 reopening of the inn fast approaches. Contractors and subcontractors were racing to finish the final work of the two-season renovation. In the meantime, crews from Guest Services Inc. and Olympic Moving were busy bringing in room furnishings and setting up the tables and chairs in the dining room. Finally, a group from Mount Rainier National Park were checking out the lobby to see where they could hang art work. Some of the changes are remarkable. The Douglas fir woodwork and floor in the gift shop glowed. The expanded cafe will quickly become a popular nightspot for park visitors. But the historic and rustic feel of the inn is intact. While there, I interviewed Melinda Simpson, operations manager for Guest Services. She was literally bouncing with excitement as we talked about the reopening of the inn. "It's like coming home," she said.
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 03:10:19 pm
The recognition of the volunteer effort to repair flood damage at Mount Rainier National Park continus to garner awards. Park staff learned today that on May 8, Mount Rainier's volunteer program will receive the George B. Hartzog Jr. Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service, the National Park Service's highest honor. The Hartzog Award recognizes the efforts of the individual volunteers, the 1,724 people who turned out to build trails, plant trees, scan historic images and work in the park's visitor centers. “You are the ones who've been keeping our greenhouse running and helping to rescue people lost on the mountain. You're the ones who've invested weekends to patrol trails at Carbon River and summers to serve as Campground Hosts at Cougar Rock and Ohanapecosh. You're the ones who've been coming out faithfully for 20 years, or who chose to spend four months living in a platform tent last summer, or who took a long weekend to camp out and serve as Meadow Rovers, or who spent a day of your vacation volunteering with the Washington Trails Association, or who squeezed in few hours to help restore the Longmire Campground with your kids on National Public Lands Day,” wrote Kevin Bacher, who heads the park’s volunteer program. On Monday, the park and the coalition of organizations that led the volunteer effort received the Cooperative Conservation Award.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 01:55:11 pm
Here's a story from Jeff that will run in tomorrow's Adventure section:
Posted by Craig Hill @ 12:16:20 am
As a mountain biker, I don't think of myself as evil. However, a reader in San Ramon, Calif., says otherwise. Mike Vandeman, a vocal hater of mountain bikers, has e-mailed after my last two stories about mountain biking insisting that I'm being irresponsible by writing about this sport. He is, of course, right. Mountain biking does damage. Although the amount of damage is questionable. Mountain bikers, of course, strongly disagree with Vandeman's opinions. Click here to check out an article by Seattle's Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club that claims Vandeman is a "kook." I asked some mountain bikers to defend their sport for an article a couple of years ago: They claimed the sport's impact was similar to that of hiking. "When people say we are having a negative impact on the trails, that's a surrogate for not wanting to see bikes on the trails," said Gary Sprung, the national policy adviser for the International Mountain Bicycling Association. "When people are honest and just say they don't want bikes on the trails, we have much better conversations." Before working for IMBA, Sprung was the president of a Colorado group that helped stop logging and mining projects that endangered the environment. "We care about the environment," Sprung said of mountain bikers. "We could bring a major source of energy to support conservation, but instead we have to spend all our time defending mountain biking." Sprung and (Justin) Vander Pol (of the BBTC) say opposition to mountain biking comes mostly from older people. "People in their 20s and 30s have had mountain biking around for as long as they can remember," Sprung, 51, said. Sprung, also an avid hiker, says there should be some hiking-only trails, but says there is no need for bike-only trails. "You're not going to find a mountain biker who is opposed to hikers," Sprung said. "This is a one-way social conflict." Mountain bikers say it's also a myth that they are blazing new trails in forests. " Mountain biking is all about the trail," Vander Pol said. "If you try to ride a bike off the trail, you probably aren't going to get very far. Mountain bikers stay on trails more than hikers." Vander Pol and Sprung might be pedaling uphill when it comes to spreading the word that mountain bikers respect the outdoors as much as hikers do. "It doesn't have to be a competition" between hikers and bikers, Vander Pol said. "We should all be able to use and take care of the trails." Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 04:40:53 pm
Kevin Bacher, who heads Mount Rainier National Park's volunteer program, has posted some photos from Monday's awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on his park blog. Click here to see photos from Kevin. The park and its volunteer partners received one the highest honors in the National Park Service, the George B. Hartzog Jr. Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service. Honored along with the park were The Mountaineers, National Parks Conservation Association, Student Conservation Association, Washington Trails Association and Washington’s National Park Fund.
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 03:25:19 pm
Lousy weather this winter and spring is allowing the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to extend the razor clam season. The department this afternoon announced it has tentatively scheduled a morning razor clam dig in May at four ocean beaches. If marine toxin tests show the clams are safe to eat, Long Beach and Twin Harbors will open for morning digs May 3-7, while Copalis and Mocrocks are scheduled to open May 4-5 only. No digging will be allowed after noon on any beach. Fewer diggers than expected showed up for last weekend’s dig, kept home by the snow, rain and cold. That has been the case several times late this season, allowing the department to hold additional digs. We’ll have more details in next week’s Adventure section.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 03:06:33 pm
Diane Kerlin doesn’t live in Milton, but she was as happy as anybody this morning when the city dedicated a new 2.5-mile multi-use trail.  A section of the new Milton Interurban Trail. (Photo by Craig Hill, The News Tribune) Monday, April 21st, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 04:21:42 pm
The Student Conservation Association-Mount Rainier Partnership was one of 21 recipients nationwide of the Department of the Interior’s Cooperative Conservation Award at a ceremony earlier today in Washington, D.C. The 21 awards recognized the work of more than 700 groups and individuals who achieved excellence in conservation through collaboration and partnerships. Jay Satz, the association’s regional vice president in Seattle, accepted the award for the partnership. The award recognizes the partnership’s outstanding contributions to restoration of Mount Rainier National Park after floods devastated the park in November 2006. The Mount Rainier Recovery Initiative was coordinated by the Student Conservation Association, along with the National Park Service and a coalition of nonprofit organizations. They recruited volunteers, raised public awareness, and enlisted the help of the local business community. During the summer of 2007, more than 700 people worked on more than 100 recovery projects. Volunteer contributions reduced costs and helped preserve wilderness values by completing work with traditional hand tools instead of power equipment. “The Student Conservation Association’s Initiative is largely responsible for the near doubling of Mount Rainier’s volunteer program from 2006 to 2007,” the award noted. “More than half of the trail work at Mount Rainier in 2007 was completed by volunteers.” I talked with park superintendent Dave Uberuaga this afternoon and he said the award ceremony was a nice way to recognize the efforts of the volunteers and the people who guided the partnership. “It was great to see all that work be recognized back here,” he said.
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 10:37:01 am
Hey there folks, have you dumped your Nalgene water bottle yet? The company that makes the popular bottles and stores ares pulling them from shelves over concerns that bisphenol A used in the bottles poses a health risk. If you've switched give me a call, I would like to talk to you. Call me at 253-597-8640 or e-mail me at jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 09:49:01 am
The Mount St. Helens Institute received a $163,000 grant today for a new seismic exhibit at the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The exhibit will be called “Taking the Pulse of an Active Volcano at Mount St. Helens” and will show visitors how scientists are learning from recent eruptions. It’s expected to open in May 2010. The project is a collaboration between the Forest Service, the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network and the Earthscope and Plate Boundary Observatory. “Multiple elements including a volcano mural, videos about volcanic gas measurements and earth deformation, and a special ‘Make-a-Quake Exhibit’ will make this the most interactive and engaging exhibit at Johnston Ridge Observatory” said John Bishop, chairman of the Mount St. Helens Institute. “This proposal was written specifically to include partners such as the Northwest Film Center and the Vancouver School for Arts and Academics who will assist with the videos and other components.” The grant comes from the M.J. Murdock Trust – a trust created by the will of former Oregon businessman Melvin Murdock - however, the Mount St. Helens Institute will need to raise a minimum of $60,000 in matching funds to finalize the project.
Categories: Mount St. Helens
Posted by Craig Hill @ 09:19:21 am
Karen Gustin will be the new superintendent of Olympic National Park, the National Park Service announced this morning. Gustin, who currently has the same job at Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve, is expected to start her new job in July. Gustin replaces Bill Laitner, who retired earlier this year. “Karen Gustin has shown the ability to collaborate with park users and community groups on controversial issues like off-road vehicle use,” said park service regional director Jonathan Jarvis. “I am impressed with her ability to work with partners to accomplish park goals.” As superintendent of Big Cypress National Preserve Gustin managed maintenance, interpretation, administration, resource management, and ranger operations. She worked with community groups on issues ranging from off-road vehicle use to panther management. She oversaw the largest prescribed fire program in the national park system. She also led construction planning for a new welcome center and coordinated a lands management program. Gustin, a graduate of Colorado State University, has served in leadership roles in national park units from Guam to Alaska. She was superintendent of Michigan’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore from 2001-2004 and spent three years as superintendent at War in the Pacific National Historical Park on Guam and American Memorial Park on Saipan.
Categories: Olympic National Park
• 1 comment
Sunday, April 20th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 09:19:33 pm
Here's a good story from one of our sister papers, The Bellingham Herald:
Saturday, April 19th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 01:22:47 pm
It's spring and most ski areas have shut down for the season due to a lack of skier visits. However, not only can you ski at Alpental and White Pass this weekend but you can even rip through some fresh powder.
Categories: Craig Hill, Skiing/Snowboarding
Posted by Craig Hill @ 11:13:20 am
The City of Milton will dedicated a nearly 3-mile section of trail Tuesday morning at 11. Activities will start at the West Milton Ball Field parking lot at 700 Kent Street. When completed the section of the Interurban Trail will stretch from South 380th Place to 70th Avenue East and connect with section of the trail in Fife and Edgewood. Friday, April 18th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 10:53:35 am
Jordan Hanssen, one of four UPS graduates who rowed across the North Atlantic in 2006, has finished his latest adventure. Hanssen arrived in Sydney today completing his trans-Australia bike trip more than three months after it started. Hanssen notified friends at 7:15 a.m. of his arrival in Sydney. Hanssen, 25, pedaled 3,000 miles through 100-degree heat, snow and long stretches of lonely outback. He started Jan. 15. He’s spent a day tasting wine on the Margaret River. He’s dropped his bike bags for easier day trips along the white beaches of Esperance and through the mountains near Victoria. He camped on the side of the road most nights but occasionally stayed at hostels. “I like the freedom of just riding,” Hanssen said midway through his ride. “Depending on who I talk to I can change plans or make detours as I see fit.” Read much more about Hanssen on his blog, bikeperthtosydney.blogspot.com For his next adventure, he plans to team up with fellow Atlantic and UPS teammates Greg Spooner to row from New York to Nome, Alaska in 2011. Thursday, April 17th, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 02:47:54 pm
After weeks of exceptional salmon fishing, fishery managers for Washington and Oregon this afternoon announced they will close the spring chinook fishery on the lower Columbia River beginning Monday, when anglers are expected to reach their pre-season catch target. By then, the sport catch from the west Hayden powerlines upriver to Bonneville Dam is expected to reach a total of 22,300 fish -- about 2,000 more fish than anglers had been expected to catch through the end of April. Spring chinook fishing will close from the Hayden Island west powerlines upstream to Bonneville Dam at 12:01 a.m. April 21. Fishing for steelhead and shad will also close at the same time in that area. Fishery managers will continue to monitor the status of the spring chinook run on a daily basis and will consider re-opening those fisheries if returns are larger than expected. That determination will be made later this month or early May, after a greater portion of the run has arrived. Meanwhile, fisheries will remain open for hatchery spring chinook salmon on Columbia River tributaries, including the Cowlitz, Kalama, Lewis, Wind and Klickitat rivers, as well as Drano Lake. The Columbia River above Bonneville Dam also will remain open to salmon fishing. About 269,300 upriver spring chinook were forecast to return this year, one of the largest runs in recent years.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 11:55:42 am
Reader "RickB" has pointed out that the Mount Tahoma Trails Association has updated its website with information about the Snow Bowl Hut fire. Included is information on how you can help the association recover. Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 11:42:41 am
A seven-month overhaul of Hurricane Ridge Road in Olympic National Park starts Monday, the park’s acting superintendent Sue McGill said this morning. The $12 million project will resurface the road, the main parking lot and the pullouts along the road. The road, built in the 1950s, was last resurfaced in 1979. Three sections of the road severely damaged during a December storm will also be repaired. The project is a partnership between the park service, the Federal Highway Administration and Lakeside Industries, a Washington contractor. Motorists should expect delays of up to 20 minutes during the summer months, with delays of up to 30 minutes in the spring and fall. Flaggers and pilot cars will guide motorists through the active construction areas and temporary traffic signs and signals will be installed for weekend and evening travel. Cyclists will not be allowed on the road until construction is complete. “The combination of heavy construction equipment, unpaved roadway and the need to employ pilot cars poses too many risks to allow bicycles this summer,” McGill said. While the project starts Monday, driving delays won't start until May. “Over 350,000 people visit Hurricane Ridge each year and while we recognize the inconvenience that road construction can pose, we are eager to get this project underway and to provide a safer, more enjoyable roadway for visitors,” McGill said in a statement released by the park. “And we’re very pleased to announce that the construction will occur during only one summer season, rather than two as originally planned.” Click below for a tenative work schedule.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 09:17:33 am
There aren’t many views more spectacular than a look inside Mount St. Helens from the crater rim.
 Jeff Ursino of Seattle wears a safety harness tethered to a fellow climber so he can peer over a snow cornice into the crater below. (Photo by Drew Perine, The News Tribune)
Posted by Craig Hill @ 08:21:12 am
Got this picture via e-mail today from avid cyclist Bob Myrick. This is a family that found an innovative way to get everybody out to enjoy the sunshine on the Foothills Trail. Looks like the photo was originally taken by Earl and Glory Mikkelson.  Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 04:17:14 pm
From Mount Rainier National Park:
Posted by Craig Hill @ 12:19:29 pm
This story will run in tomorrow's TNT:
Monday, April 14th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 08:23:50 pm
From the Associated Press:
Categories: Search and Rescue
Posted by Craig Hill @ 05:33:51 pm
Snowmobiler John Slemp's fall into the crater of Mt. St. Helens on Saturday prompted Gifford Pinchot National Forest to issue this statement a few minutes ago.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 04:26:56 pm
Pictures courtesy of the MTTA. BEFORE  AFTER 
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 02:47:00 pm
Washington team captain Chris Lambert of Olympia, Wash., won The Bass Federation 2008 Western Divisional Championship on Lake Havasu Friday. His winning three-day total of 15 bass weighed 41 pounds, 15 ounces. For his victory, Lambert earned a $500 Wal-Mart gift card. Lambert said he caught most of the bigger fish drop-shotting a 4-inch Roboworm in a staging area and caught a few key fish on the new Berkley Hollow Belly swimbaits, but had to change his plan for the final day of competition. “I was mainly fishing prespawn fish, and there was a new wave of fish that had just moved up,” Lambert said. “They were going really close to one of the off-limits bays, so I wouldn’t have been able to follow them in if they moved. I think the weather was a factor and, finally, on Day 3, they made the move back to spawn, so I ended up having to go up river and threw swimbaits and drop-shots to catch smallmouth.” The top-finishing angler from each 12-person state team will advance to the 2009 TBF National Championship. Advancing as a co-angler is David Kromm of Kennewick, with a 15 bass limit weighing 39 pound, 10 ounces. Washington was the top-finishing team in this week’s divisional, taking home the traveling cup and $3,600 cash award for bringing in 156 bass, weighing 353 pounds, 5 ounces over the three-day competition.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 09:25:16 am
The popular ski hut south of Ashford that burned to the ground recently was not insured, according to a board member of the Mount Tahoma Trails Association. Judy Scavone said the MTTA could not get the hut insured because it's "just too far from the nearest fire hydrant." The fire that destroyed the hut likely took place late last month and is being investigated by the Department of Natural Resources, which owns the land the hut was built on. Sunday, April 13th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 12:19:29 pm
Check out this story from the Associated Press. The thing about climbing to the top of St. Helens when there is a lot of snow is that you sometimes can't even see into the crater without walking out on a cornice. This is why you shouldn't take that risk. Instead, if you work your way along the crater rim you can often find a view of the lava dome from a safe place. On a side note, Anybody else think it's a shame snowmobilers are allowed to drive to the crater rim? Might as well let them ride their ATVs up there in the summer.
Categories: Mountaineering, Mount St. Helens
Saturday, April 12th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 05:37:31 pm
A popular hut for cross country skiers near Ashford has burned to the ground, the Mount Tahoma Trails Association announced today. At meeting in Ashford this morning the group unanimously voted to rebuild the Snow Bowl Hut, one of four huts in a trail system that gets 1,300 overnight visitors each winter. The organization is seeking funding and volunteers to help rebuild the hut. Visit skimtta.org for more information. “Our volunteer force can use a lot of support right now, moral and financial,” MTTA board member Judy Scavine said via e-mail Saturday. MTTA officials believe the hut burned down on March 21. The cause of the fire has not been determined as in under investigation. Visitors to the MTTA’s Copper Creek Hut on March 21 reported seeing a large fire. However, because the Snow Bowl Hut has been inaccessible the last two years because of flood damage it wasn’t until April 3 that the organization could arrange for a flyover to check the hut. “The sight was devastating,” said MTTA board member Mike Dunn. “The hut was completely gone. To think of all the work that went into that Hut, the camaraderie of the volunteers, the enjoyment of the visitors. … It’s just so sad.” The two-story hut on Department of National Resources land accommodated 10 overnight guests and came equipped with a kitchen, sleeping pads and large sundeck. The MTTA recently celebrated the purchase of a new $165,000 Pisten Bulley Snowcat to groom its 50 miles of trail. They’d hope to start raising money for a second groomer.
Posted by Craig Hill @ 04:46:34 pm
If you aren't reading UPS grad Jordan Hanssen's blog as he cycles across Australia. You are missing out. Here's a recent post. Read much more at bikeperthtoaustralia.blogspot.com
Categories: Cycling, Paddling and rowing
Friday, April 11th, 2008
Posted by Craig Hill @ 10:41:54 pm
From the Associated Press:
Categories: Skiing/Snowboarding, Search and Rescue
Posted by Craig Hill @ 09:50:57 pm
From the Associated Press:
Categories: Adventure Guys, Sailing
Posted by Craig Hill @ 08:36:51 pm
There's enough snow on the slopes for another month of skiing, but due to declining skier visits Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass and Summit Central will call it a season Sunday afternoon. White Pass will keep the lifts going on weekends for the rest of the month. Alpental will run on weekends until May 4. I drove over Snoqualmie Pass yesterday and it sure didn't feel like the end of the season. My daughter and I hung out on the pass for about two hours while I-90 was closed for avalanche control. While the snow was a little slushy, there's clearly plenty of good skiing left. Here's a picture I snapped outside the Family Pancake House across the street from Summit West.  Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 02:50:54 pm
Crews from American Construction of Tacoma were busy today installing the floats for the new docks at the Point Defiance boat ramp. The work to expand the ramp to eight lanes should be done by the end of the month. The $2.2 million project has been four years in the making. The last big piece to be brought in is an 80-foot breakwater that will protect the facility. That is due to be completed and installed in the next few weeks. TNT photographr Liu Kit Wong was on hand this morning and will have a photo in tomorrow's South Sound section.
Posted by Jeff Mayor @ 02:35:54 pm
In tomorrow's Adventure section, we have a number of items touting volunteer opportinities for Earth Day. Local and state parks, as well as area organizations, are planning events. Our lead story is about a six-day trip spent sea kayaking the Southern California coast. The package comes from a sister McClatchy newspaper and has some great photos.  Joe Johnston/San Luis Obispo Tribune Brian Milne snaps a photo of a humpback whale in the waters off of Pismo Beach along the coast of Southern California. The folks at the Mount St. Helens Institute have released their list of summer programs, including a number of guided climbs to the rim. We've got the dates and the basic information. For hikers, the Hike of the Week is a two-for-one deal -- consider it an early Earth Day present. This week's offerings are the Twin Firs Loop and the Trail of the Shadows at Mount Rainier National Park. Both are simple treks that are great for young kids. Right now, however, you'll need snow shoes for Trail of the Shadows.
Categories: |
