A little Autumn Reading

I haven't been too good keeping up with blog posts lately as I have been in the field an awful lot making up for lost time from all of the snow we had earlier in the summer- and trying to get in as much research before the snows once again start covering the mountains. I am primarily working on research for Day Hiking Eastern Washington which I am over 2/3 done with and mapping a brand new Stevens Pass-Alpine Lakes Map for Green Trails-which I still have lots of miles to track. Anyhow-here are some pieces I recently published if you are interested in a little autumn reading now that the weather will be keeping us inside a little more.

Check out three wonderful hikes that happen to share the name Table Mountain-but that's all they share as they are quite different geographically and ecologically-other than the fact that they are all flat topped! It's in the latest issue of Outdoors NW magazine.

And check out the Mount Misery Trail in the Blue Mountains of Southeastern Washington. This high country trail traverses the Wenaha Tucannon Wilderness in the Blue Mountains. It is a featured hike in my new Backpacking Washington book too-so check out this article for a little more background on one of Washington's least hiked and known areas. It's in the newest edition of Adventures NW magazine.

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.

Court House Continuum

You can add to my list of favorite Washington courthouses (no, I haven't spent time in them fighting infractions!), the Jefferson County Courthouse. I can't believe I forgot that one! I was in Port Townsend this past weekend giving a talk at the Jefferson County Historical Museum and had the opportunity to walk around town a bit later. (Also the opp to view a special comic book collection-thanks, Bill!) I forgot how beautiful PT's courthouse is.

And you can add Port Townsend to my favorite towns for doing a book talk at. PT has surpassed Bellingham in the number of attendees I have gotten at an event. I had over 80 fellow hikers crammed in the city council chambers to hear me talk about hiking in the Olympics. Sold a considerable amount of books too. Thanks PT!

And if I wasn't a guidebook writer maybe I would go in business printing left-wing bumper stickers. I'd make a fortunate selling them in PT. What is it with far lefties anyways with their constant need to be a walking billboard to shove their views in your face? You rarely ever see a far-right winger with more than two bumper stickers on his/her vehicle. But lefties-their entire VW van is plastered in them-maybe its holding those junkie carbon-belchers together! Bumper stickers are like cats-if you have more than two you definitely have some personality disorder! And don't even get me going on tattoos and piercings. At times when I was walking around PT I felt like I was back in the 1890s at a circus sideshow! Oh, Romano you just don't understand free expression- the hell I don't I'm using it right now!

Seriously, PT is a beautiful town and a great place to hang out and there are definitely some characters there. But there are characters everywhere-conservative, liberal, apolitical, apocalyptic-they just are more noticeable in PT. Or to paraphrase New York Comedian Eddie Diaz when he commented on meeting me in Seattle years ago. "Romano-uh? back in my hometown Romano is like dog crap in the city-there's one on every corner!" And in PT there's one shall we say confromed non-conformist (I swear they all read the same handbook on how to dress, dance, and what to eat and say) on every corner as well. Ain't America grand?!

Now Appearing: Bellingham

Tonight at 7:00 pm at the downtown Bellingham Public Library, I'll be presenting a slide show and book talk on my Day Hiking North Cascades Book. The event is sponsored by the Mount Baker Club, an outdoors organization that among other things maintains the wonderful lookout at Winchester Mountain (hike no. 68 in my book). Come on down if you're in the area. Let me help get you motivated for the 2009 hiking season. Certainly these past few days of sunny warm weather has helped adjusted your attitude. I'll have plenty of books on hand for sale at the recession-proof price of $15-and that includes the tax-I'll eat it-the gov should thank me for that! And if I miss you here, I'll be presenting in Tacoma on April 17, Seattle on April 25, Issaquah on May 13, Wenatchee on May 15 and 16, Spokane on May 18, Walla Walla on May 21, Lynnwood on May 27, Bellingham again on May 28 and Port Townsend on June 5. Click here for details on all of these events. Hope to see you this spring--and this summer too on the trail!

Coming Soon

to a Bookstore Near You!

Day Hiking: Central Cascades: Stevens Pass, Alpine Lakes, Lake Wenatchee
by Craig Romano; photography by Alan Bauer
Available in May 2009
The Central Cascades in Washington State offer some of the most accessible wilderness areas
for urban Seattleites, with trails no less stunning or enjoyable than those in more remote
regions. Accompanied by stunning images from prolific outdoor photographer Alan Bauer, 125 cream-of-the-crop trails are presented here from Craig Romano, called “one of the better
guidebook writers around” by the Seattle P-I.

My latest book is scheduled to start hitting bookshelves any day now! What will you find in it? Hikes from Whidbey Island to Lake Chelan- The US 2 Corridor- Alpine Lakes Wilderness, the new Wild Sky Wilderness-Icicle Valley-Wenatchee foothills, Entiat Valley, Lake Wenatchee, suburban Snohomish County and Stehekin.

Come down to the Mountaineers Club House Celebration on April 25th to learn more or one of my other upcoming appearances around the state from Spokane to Skamokawa. Check out CraigRomano.com for more info.

2009 Book Tour

Destination: Everett

The 2009 Day Hiking Book Tour continues. Tomorrow I will be giving a slide show and talk at the Everett Library in downtown Everett, WA. Come on down. The event is free and I'll be signing and selling books for the recession deal price of just $15 (tax included). I'll give you some great suggestions on excellent hiking destinations in the North Cascades region-from the San Juan Islands to the Loomis State Forest. And before you come on down tomorrow, be sure to check out the feature that Andy Rathbun of the Everett Herald wrote about me. Also check out Karen Sykes's latest Hike of the Week in the Seattle Post Intelligencer which also features me as well as the Skagit Land Trust and some great terrain right in my backyard. Hope to see you tomorrow.

Heading to Victoria

On Wednesday February 25th I'll be doing a talk on Day Hiking the Olympic Peninsula and Day Hiking the North Cascades for Club Tread in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia. If you live on Vancouver Island, come on down and say hello. I always enjoy giving book talks in BC, because so many of the province's residents love the outdoors. I also love doing talks in BC because I get to stop at one of Canada's greatest institutions-no not Parliament, a curling rink, Brian Adam's or Celine Dion's home-but Tim Horton's! They better have some blueberry fritters ready for me!