Blog
More than 200 Miles and $5000-Thanks for a successful Hike-a-thon
August was a tough month here in the Northwest with excessive heat, wildfires, and poor air quality. But after a slow start I managed to get in gear and completed my Hike-a-Thon for the Washington Trails Association with 205 miles for the month of August. Three hikes alone accounted for 75 miles as I tried…
Read MoreClassic Hike Threatened with Clear-cut and Trail Closure
Lake Serene and Bridal Veil Falls perched within the craggy forbidden spires of Mount Index is a hike beloved by thousands of recreationists—and it’s one of my and the late Harvey Manning and Ira Springs 100 Classic Hikes in Washington. What many hikers don’t realize however is that the beginning of this hike is on…
Read MoreGetting My Goat
Quick! Name non-native invasive species in the Olympic Mountains; species that have altered the natural environment. Man, obviously! How about Scotch Broom, purple loosestrife, Robert’s geranium and mountain goats? Mountains goats? Yes, mountain goats, those furry lovable alpinists and members of the cattle family (Bovidae). They don’t belong here. The mountain goat, indigenous to the…
Read MoreIndependence Day Themed Hikes to set you Free!
Happy Independence Day! Hiking and spending time in the outdoors is a great way to celebrate our nation’s independence. Our parks, forests and preserves are one of the best attributes of our nation (along with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness of course)! Here are eight great Independence Day themed Washington hikes for you…
Read MoreHappy 150th Birthday Canada!
I have lived most of my life in two states—Washington and New Hampshire–that border our northern neighboring country, Canada. So naturally being the adventurer that I am, I have made many a trip to Quebec and British Columbia. I love both these provinces for their parks, trails, beautiful landscapes and one of them especially for…
Read MoreRash of car break-ins on the Olympic Peninsula
Here we go again. Summer has arrived and hikers are hitting their favorite trails in full force. Unfortunately it appears that smash-and-grab car prowling low-lives are out in full force hitting their vehicles—and the Olympic Peninsula is seeing a rash of car break-ins this year. Reports have been coming in of car break-ins at Graves…
Read MoreKlahowya Tillicum
Have you ever given much thought to where many of the place names for our mountains, rivers and other natural features were derived from? Contrary to what many hikers think–these place names are not of Native American origin (entirely), but of Chinook Jargon. Not an actual language, Chinook Jargon is a collection of several hundred words…
Read MoreTicked off!
Romano’s Hiking Tips No. 1 Ticks Ticks! They make my blood crawl just thinking about them crawling on me looking for blood! Just last week while hiking through a coastal forest in North Carolina, one managed to sneak into my car and another followed me back to my hotel. I once had one hitch a…
Read MoreDiscovery Passes No Longer Required!
Note: This post was an April Fools Day Post! There is no such thing as Discovery Passes and DISCOVER PASSES are still required at state parks and lands. Here is the original post that duped so many- Barraged by thousands of confused hikers and campers on whether Discovery Passes are needed at trailheads, state officials…
Read MorePopular Trailhead in Gorge Permanently Closed
Just what we need! As trail use continues to escalate and many of our close to the city trails become downright crowded-we have just lost access to a popular trailhead in the Columbia River Gorge. What does that mean? Two wonderful Columbia River Gorge hiking destinations—Aldrich Butte and Table Mountain just got a whole lot…
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