From her current home base near Seattle, WA, Sharon hikes and travels every chance she gets. She’s always got a bag packed and her passport at the ready for her next adventure
At the far southwest corner of Washington State, the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean. While best known to visitors as the place where the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery arrived in November…
When the fall rainy season starts in Western Washington, it can feel fairly gloomy, but outside of Olympia, Washington is the Capitol State Forest, where opportunities to hike abound. And of all the places to…
In 1966, an unusual area south of the city of Olympia and north of the town of Rochester, WA, was set aside as a National Natural Landmark. Known most often by it’s shortened, local name,…
The Hood Canal, a naturally formed fjord that separates the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas, is long and quite narrow, generally about a mile and a half in width. Most of the canal shoreline is occupied…
The city of Lhasa, capital of the autonomous region of Tibet, China, is a powerful blend of ancient culture and fast paced changes. Ringed by enormous mountains. The city rests at 12,000 ft. / 3600…
The far northwest of Washington state takes a bit of work to get to, but I love the rougher, more isolated terrain. I usually stay in the town of Port Angeles, and then drive to…
Hurricane Ridge is well named. In the winter, hurricane force winds sweep over the 5,000 ft / 1500-meter ridge, sitting only a few miles south of the sea level Strait of Juan de Fuca. While…
At the start of the summer season, I look forward to warming up with a hike up to Carter Falls. I generally do this hike as a first chance to work back into steep mountain…
Hiking in the rain is to be expected in the Pacific Northwest, and there are benefits to spending a day in the soft drizzle and low clouds. There are fewer people, and the air is…
The time when bison (also called buffalo) roamed the western prairies in herds that could take all day to pass one spot are long gone, yet seeing a bison herd is still possible. The National…
When visiting the Pacific Northwest, it is well worth the effort to take a ferry ride out to the islands north of Seattle. My favorite is San Juan, accessible by a vehicle and passenger ferry…
Once a hike goes above tree line, around 5,000 feet, there are three furry types of friends I always listen for, and sometimes get a chance to see. All three are built to blend in…
