Wenatchee Foothills
Blossoming greenbelt on the edge of the Apple Capital

It’s a short hike to the top of Saddle Rock, an imposing monolith of andesite cliffs rising above the Central Washington city of Wenatchee. But it’s a steep climb to this locally prominent landmark. Once used by miners searching for mineral riches, the trail now grants determined hikers with scenic rewards. From the notched ridge that hovers 1,000 feet directly above the self-proclaimed Apple Capital of the World, a diverse landscape on the urban fringe is revealed.
Face west and view rows of evergreen-draped ridges yielding to lofty craggy Cascade peaks. Stare east at golden slopes and basaltic canyons radiating from the desert-steppe Columbia Plateau. Then cast your eyes north and south upon the Northwest’s mightiest river, the Columbia. Here it cuts a deep gorge into the heart of the state bringing life to the bustling center of commerce, recreation, and industry below. You are smack dab at one of the most dramatic transition zones in the Pacific Northwest—where its lush coastal mountains and forests converge with its interior sun-baked arid plateaus.
And here at Saddle Rock you can look north and south and witness another dramatic transition zone, one between urban and wild. Cradling the bustling city below is a western flank of steep buttes, sage covered hills and pine draped knolls, collectively known as the Wenatchee Foothills. And containing the growing city from marching up upon them is not the hills’ rugged physical nature, but the resolute drive of hundreds of local citizens determined to see this scenic and ecologically rich front remain wild.

Read the rest in this issue of Adventures Northwest Magazine

So Much to be Thankful for!

Okay. Yep, I know the past year has been tough for many of you. Believe me, this self-employed writer is feeling the current economic downturn too. But you know what? There is a silver lining to this economy. Perhaps now, we Americans can begin rediscovering just what makes our country so great. And it has little to do with accumulating material objects. It has everything to do with our families, friends, communities, nation, and freedom.

Happiness is not measured by nor gained by consumption. Happiness is attained by strong bonds to family, friends, community and the natural world. Tough economic times? Yep, but we have so much to be thankful for here in America. We're resourceful people who etched out a great nation from wilderness- survived civil war-fought the Nazis and Imperial Japan, and persevered through the Great Depression that lasted for over a decade. We're better off as a people and a nation because of all of these challenges. Sometimes we don't really see our true selves and real nature until a crisis. Look at 9/11. It didn't destroy us. It brought us together. No one can take away our freedom and way of life if we don't take it for granted.

This is a great time to reflect on what is truly important and to be thankful for all that we have. And we as a people and a nation have so much! That's worth celebrating over. We've come a long way since Jamestown and Plymouth were founded in the early 1600s. The colonists then survived great odds. They were thankful for their bounties, the help of others (especially Indigenous people who had little to gain by helping them) and for Providence's divine hand. Amen. Happy Thanksgiving everyone for we have so much here to be thankful for!

Slip Sliding Away!

Northwest hikers looking to shed some post Thanksgiving calories may want to reconsider a trip to the Larrabee-Chuckanut Area. While this region is a popular fall and winter hiking destination, it is also prone to landslides-and just about every November when the heavy rains fall-big boulders come a sliding down. Currently sections of SR 11 (the Chuckanut Highway) are closed. Heavy rains are returning tomorrow which might bring some more rocks a rolling down the steep hillsides. Consider a hike to the Skagit Flats instead like nearby Padilla Bay. Consult my Winter Hikes of Western Washington card deck and Day Hiking North Cascades guidebook for some good hikes in northwestern Washington. Or just roll up in front of the fireplace and read a good book!

Trying to understand the Forest Service

Okay, let's get someting straight. I am a big supporter of the Northwest Forest Pass, but as long as:

A. The pass is kept at a fair and equitable price
B. The money collected remains in the national forest and is not siphoned to pay for wars, bail out Wall Street or go to corrupt agencies like ACORN
C. The Forest Service doesn't waste money trying to collect the fees in the first place
D. The money actually goes to trail maintenance and development and less so for quarter million dollar privies-
E. Fees are charged at only developed trailheads

Okay, D seems to be an issue, but I'll bring that one up later. Right now I want to address E. The majority of trails that require a Northwest Forest Pass tend to be developed. That is they have ample parking, a privy, perhaps a picnic table or two and some other amenities like a reader board. Then why does the Marten Creek Trail off of the Mountain Loop Highway require a Forest Pass when this trail doesn't even have a place to park! Yep, you need to squeeze on the side of the road. Privy? Nope! Reader Board- yep, but only this year thanks to an Eagle Scout, but there is no information on it!

But here's the real point what I can't understand why the Forest Service requires a Trail Pass on this trail. It hasn't been maintained since the Eisenhower administration. Okay I exaggerated-probably the last time a trail crew came down here was during the Bush administration-and no not W's , it was during his old man's tenure. Yep, we are looking at least 20 years, probably longer since this trail has had any work on it. So, why then require a pass? Again, I have no problem displaying my pass (I buy an annual America the Beautiful Pass, so I guess it doesn't really matter to me if a pass is required or not)-but it does seem kind of silly to require one here when we the fee-paying public aren't getting anything in return. Yep-we need a citizen action trail crew here ASAP. Which is fine because I don't want to depend too much on government anyway. I think its great that we have volunteer trail crews. But if the government is going to require a fee for this trail, then the government needs to at the very least deliver something in exchange. Instead, we continue to get a growing backlog of trail maintenance and a growing debt that is going to ruin this nation. Sigh.

Snowshoeing (and eating)

in the Land of the Rising Sun

Continuing my World Hiker special series of my favorite countries and places based upon their culinary contributions, I lead you now to Japan. A decade ago Heather and I headed to Hokkaido in the heart of winter. Here upon Japan's big island-which makes up 20% of the country's land mass but harbors only 5% of its population, we found plenty of open spaces to snowshoe and ski. Japan has an amazing national park system and there are plenty of parks in Hokkaido. We skied calderas, snowshoed up volcanoes and across massive frozen lakes (as pictured below in Akan National Park) and saw some great wildlife like the Tancho (red-crowned crane). And then when it was time to retreat, we headed back to a warm Minshuku (Japanese bed and breakfast) to enjoy delicacies that were not only gastronomically out-of-this-world, but aesthetically pleasing to look at too, arranged as if part of an artist's masterpiece. And when we left the backcountry and spent some time in the big city, I enjoyed buying hot coffee in a can from vending machines and beer too that was dispensed from a sidewalk vending machine. Beer and coffee at my command on every street corner and no freaky barista or gruff bartender to dispense it-just a few 100 yen notes will do, arigato! What a country!

Once, Twice, Three, Four Times a Creme Brulee!

C'est Bon!

Hey, it's Thanksgiving Week and I have food on my mind. C'mon, I'm Italian afterall-I have food on my mind all the time. One of the ways that I judge a country is by its cuisine. One of the things I enjoy most about traveling is trying new foods and any foods. Yep! Just about any foods. I've had every conceivable part of a cow served to me in Argentina. Chicken hearts in Brazil-and just recently served to me right here in my house by my wife. I've had urchins and other gushy things-the entire darned dredged harbor served to me in Japan. Kim chi coming out of my-well, never-mind, in Korea. Haggis in Scotland. Beetle larvae in the Amazon, fiddleheads in Quebec, cow head in Uruguay, Octopus jerky in Korea, prickly pear in Sicily, hot dogs in New Jersey! So, how about this week we salute some of my favorite countries and places of distinguished culinary tastes.

Today-Quebec! Think North American game and bounties served by a people who gave us the word-cuisine. Anyone who doesn't think there is a Canadian cuisine has never been to Quebec. And it was those wonderful French-Canadians that also gave us Cajun cuisine. Yep, when the English who don't know how to boil water, never mind make a decent meal (hey but they know how to brew a good ale) started throwing the French out of Acadia (that would be Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Gaspe for those of you not versed in Canadian history and geography) they ended up in the bayous of Louisiana. Cajuns are Arcadians and they like the Quebecois, trace their ancestry to one of the finest countries on the planet when it comes to good food- France! Anywhere the French have had an impact, expect good food. Can you say Vietnam, Lebanon, Senegal, Foie gras? Bon appetit!

(Photo-me in Montreal contemplating which Creme brulee to attack first!)

Time to Adopt a State Park?

These are tough times for state parks across the nation. States grappling with record deficits are cutting from their appropriations funding to their parks and forests. Not, that they ever funded them adequately even during good times. Now a state senator in New Hampshire is proposing legislation to adopt a state park to keep them afloat. Read and listen here from NH public Radio.

Adopt-a-Park: A Plan for New Hampshire State Parks
NHPR, by Rick Ganley

New Hampshire has 71 state parks. It's the nation's only self-funded park system, and it's operating at a loss. That leaves many smaller, lesser-known parks with little care and oversight. State Representative Jeffrey St Cyr, a Republican from Alton, thinks he has a solution. He's proposing legislation to form an adopt-a-park program.

Is this a good idea? Any other good ideas out there to keep our parks afloat during the Great Recession? As more people lose their jobs and scale back their budgets, our public lands are more important than ever!

Climate Change is good for the Winter Olympics

This just in from Whistler, BC, Home of the 2010 Winter Olympics:

Whistler, B.C. - With 11 days still remaining this month, Whistler has already surpassed the record for November snowfall, as more than 430cm (172 inches) of white gold slammed the mountains by Thursday afternoon. The previous record, set in 2006, was 416cm (164 inches).

Of course it is an El Nino year, so anything can happen come January. Get out there and enjoy the skiing now!

Rain on the Scarecrow!

This time of year I have my own personal wildlife refuge across the street. I live just above the Skagit River overlooking the floodplain. In summer the plain is producing various vegetables. In winter and particularly after a deluge-like what we are experiencing right now, the plain is a sprawling shallow lake teeming with tundra and trumpeter swans. Very cool. Throughout the day swans in v-formation fly over the house. Giuseppe runs across the house tracking the noise. Scruffers just bats an eye. I particularly enjoy my daily runs this time of year with the swans flying overhead honking away-Mount Baker (when I can see it) and snow-brushed Cultus Mountain provide a beautiful backdrop. And when certain roads are closed due to the flooding, I enjoy heading out on a run on those roads-now temporarily car free -to get up close and personal with the wintering birds. No, I don't try to run on water. No messianic complex here. I just run up to the flooded terrain then retreat to higher ground-which I am thankful that I live on. For if flooding were to ever reach my humble abode, then a certain Noah may want to stop by and pick up a pair of trumpeter and tundra swans on his way to Ararat. Floods are important processes in nature recharging nutrients and enhancing habitat. Of course if you live on a flood plain, and over 1/3 the population of Skagit County does, floods can be a nightmare and a reminder to us that some places are better left in their natural habitat. Here's praying that this winter's floods claim no human life and losses and that no more flood plain here along the Skagit is claimed by human residences and commerce. Sounds like a fair deal to me.

"Alors, allez au ciel!"

Today marks the 124th anniversary of the hanging of Louis Riel. Metis leader, founder of Manitoba and leader of both the Red River and Northwest Rebellions, Riel is one of Canada's most fascinating, inspiring, and controversial figures. A traitor to some, a folk hero to many, to me Riel is an inspiration. My trip in May of 2006 to Batoche, Saskachewan where Riel forged a community and led a resistance remains one of my most inspiring and spiritual travels. Virtually unknown to Americans, Riel spent several years in exile in the Montana territory where he married and fathered two children. Alors, allez au ciel Louis! Your spirit still blows across the barren prairies and northern forests touching souls from coast to coast.

It's a Wind-fall in Skagit County!

Ooh boy-the winds are whipping up here right now in northwestern Washington. So far so good with my electricity supply. Later, I'll go for a run and assess how many trees and limbs have come toppling down. And yes, I'll make sure to run during a lull in the gusts! November is a rough month here-when we usually get deluged with rains and pounded with winds. It is also the month where we are most likely to experience ravaging floods-just what we need for our trails-and not to mention for the folks living in these flood prone areas as well. Still though, you haven't experienced strong winds until you have hiked on New Hampshire's Presidential Range during a a gusty front. I recall back in the 1980s being up on Mount Eisenhower with 70 mph gusts. You can't stand up in that kind of wind. It'll rip your parka right off. And the 70 mph is nothing to what Mount Washington can get. After all New Hampshire's highest summit holds the record for strongest wind blast on the planet-231 mph, and that was before the measuring instruments were blown off of the mountain (although that last part might be more of a legend)! What's the strongest wind gusts you have endured? And no, presidential state of the union addresses don't count (from either party!).

(Photo-Heather and Jeff stare out at Mount Washington from North Twin on a much more sedate September day)

The Fate of the Horn

Good article today in the Columbian of Vancouver (WA) on the fate of the Cape Horn Trail. One of the most spectacular trails in the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, there's just one major problem with it. The entire trail wasn't officially built. The lower half was pretty much created by bootleg trail builders. Is there a problem with this? Well, a couple actually. Parts of the lower trail traverse near peregrine falcon nests and through sensitive areas. Also, the trail wasn't built to proper standards and can be hazardous in certain conditions. The Forest Service is currently weighing in on several options and is taking input from the public. I'm hoping that a compromise can be reached that would do the following under the following conditions:

Continue the trail roughly over the same route and as a loop while rerouting around sensitive and nesting areas or allowing for seasonal closures; and create safe passage under SR 14 where the trail currently crosses it.

For more information
read here on the Columbian
and here at WTA
Let your voice be heard.

And for more information on hiking the trail consult my Winter Hikes of Western Washington.
And don't forget to sign up as a fan of my guidebooks on facebook.

(photo-hovering on a basalt cliff above the Columbia River, one of the more spectacular and heart-pumping sections of the trail)

New Trail at Columbia Gorge Gateway

The next time you are traveling east along SR 14 (one of the state's most scenic highways) be sure to allot an hour or two to check out the new trail at the Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge located right at the entrance of the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area. A close getaway from the Portland-Vancouver Metro area, the urban sprawl abruptly ends right here at the gateway. Follow the Gibbons Creek Wildlife Art Trail for 1.2 meandering miles along sloughs and through columns of cottonwoods towards the Columbia River. Want to stretch your legs out more? Then head east or west on the East Dike Trail, a 3.5 mile trail that connects the wildlife refuge with the historic center of Washougal. All of this will be in my upcoming Day Hiking Columbia Gorge Book. You won't find it in any other book on the region. And it is just one of several other great trails and locations that is in my new book-but not in my colleague's guides. In the meanwhile-don't wait for my book to come out to explore the refuge-check it out this winter if you can, when wintering swans add to the beauty of this special place.

And don't forget to become a fan at Craig Romano Guidebook Author on Facebook for updates, contests, and more hiking and trail news.

Face-booking the Music!

Okay...It was inevitable. This New England native who hates change has had to acquiesce to so many of them over the years. First it was synthetic clothing-then the computer-the Internet-cell phones-and now social networking sites. Egads! But, to my Luddite curmudgeon friends out there-don't despair-I still don't have a blackberry, laptop, and cable-Yep-no cable-just lots of DVDs.

So, now I have joined Facebook and like many neophytes to it, at first I became intoxicated with the pings, dings, and hyperspace flings! But, I have to be honest with you. I am using it too, to shamelessly promote my work! Yep-to get you more interested in my books and writings. So, I am inviting you all to become a fan of mine on my facebook page. I have two pages-one is just my personal page which will be for BSing about whatever you, me and our friends want to talk about. The other, Craig Romano Guidebook Author is my business page. Please consider becoming a fan. We know what's in it for me-but how about what's in it for you? Well, you'll be notified of my upcoming talks, presentations, showings and works-and you'll be able to participate in contests in which I'll give away some of my books. How's that? So, come on by and sign up. And-of course I'd love to meet you in the real world too-so stop by one of my upcoming book talks. They are all listed on my website CraigRomano.com too.

Veteran's Day 2009

It's been said many times before, but it's worth saying again and again and again-Freedom isn't free. We live in the greatest nation on the planet because we believe in democracy and the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness, and have a dedicated armed services that will defend those rights and this way of life for all of us. Thank you Veterans. Thank you for defending this great nation and allowing me to live a life-of freedom, mobility and self-determination-a lifestyle that is all but unheard of in most nations past and present. Thank you Veterans for serving your country-serving us-serving America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. Happy Veterans Day everyone-and to my Canadian colleagues Happy Remembrance Day to you. Reflect on the brave and selfless Canadians that have helped make your nation a great one too.

(photo- Winchester Mountain, Mount Baker Wilderness)

Swan-nee River!

No, not that river in Georgia and Florida-that's the Suwannee! I'm talking about the Skagit River. It is once again the Swan-nee river! The trumpeter and tundra swans have returned from their summer homes and will now be taking up residency here in the Skagit Valley. Of course we don't have the sole franchise on wintering swans here in the Pacific Northwest. Other good swan viewing spots include the Fraser River Valley and Delta in BC, the Snohomish River Delta and Port Susan Bay in Snohomish County, the Snoqualmie River Valley in King County and along the Columbia River in Clark County. But for me-the best swan sighting is right here in Skagit and right from my home office window. I look out over the river and when it floods-like it is doing now-the swans take to the flooded fields! The honkers fly over my house regularly too driving my cats crazy-well Giuseppe anyway- Scruffers isn't too interested in the big birds, he's more interested in playing with his jalapeno on a stick! It won't be long now for the snow geese to fly by too! Enjoy the November rains!

(photo- posed swans at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, BC)