Cougars in Heat

Okay, before I get started here. Absolutely no jokes about attractive older women in pursuit of younger men or randy Washington State University students here. This post is about mountain lions following nature's orders to make more mountain lions. And it's about how I nearly walked in on a mating couple. Several weeks ago I was on a solo hike on the Barnaby Buttes Trail in the Kettle River Range of Northeastern Washington. It is a wild and lonely area where I was once stalked by a cougar. You nearly always sense big and wild critters around you here even if you don't actually see them! I was just making a mental note to myself on how good of cougar habitat this area is. Lots of game for them-lots of open space-and very little human activity. Lots of footprints and scat in the area confirmed my observation.

As I left the lonely summit late in the day and headed down a shadowed slope through rows of lodgepole pine, I soon tuned into a disturbing sound. It grew louder as I continued down the trail. What the hell is making that wretched noise, I thought. It sounded like someone or something having rough sex-or something caught in a leg hold trap. My spider senses began tingling telling me that it is something I probably don't want to interrupt. The sound grew more audible as I marched down the trail. My heart racing grew more audible too and I picked up my pace. The noise makers were just below me. I had to make a big switchback in which the noise makers were soon above me-then I bolted down the trail to get the hell out of Dodge.

Upon concurring with others and listening to some audio clips, I have concluded that the culprits to this unnerving sound were a pair of cougars mating. It is not a really pleasurable experience for the female cougar so hence the groans of agony and not ecstasy. And while I relish in yet another cougar experience in Eastern Washington (I saw my first cougar in the Blue Mountains two years ago) I'd rather not stumble upon or near big kitties rolling in the hay again. Okay, now you can make your jokes. But I am seriously interested in some of your cougar (that would be the big cats) experiences as well!

A Reading from the Book of the Columbia Highlands

Today, Mitch Friedman of Conservation Northwest and I had the opportunity to talk about the Columbia Highlands on KUOW's Weekday program. To those who know this area, no introduction is needed. But to most residents of Washington state, a blank stare is what usually follows when you mention this area. Or worse, a false image. The northeast corner of the state from eastern Okanogan County to the Idaho border is a mountainous, forested, sparsely populated region. Politically, economically, and geographically resembling more the northern Rockies than the Pacific Northwest, it is truly a unique region of the Evergreen State. A good portion of the area lies within the Colville National Forest. Yet this 1.1 million acre public forest reserve only contains 40,000 acres of wilderness; a mere 3% of its base. Of all the national forests within the country, the Colville ranks among the bottom in wilderness protection. The Kettle River Range, the crown jewel of the Columbia Highlands was negotiated out of the 1984 Washington Wilderness Act. One of the biggest conservation shames in our state's history. Conservation Northwest and others have been working hard to correct this--and we are getting really close to having new legislation introduced to protect over 200,000 acres of this ecological haven as federal wilderness. I hope you join in the movement. Below are some excerpts from my book, Columbia Highlands- Exploring Washington's last Frontier. I hope they inspire you to explore this area and vow to protect it.

Beyond the craggy and glacial-covered Cascades, and north of the arid Columbia Plateau lies Washington’s Columbia Highlands. Spanning from the Okanogan River to the Idaho border, this isolated region contains the wildest lands remaining in eastern Washington. Rising to heights exceeding 7,000-feet, the Highlands’ Selkirk and Kettle River Mountains are impressive and imposing landmarks.

But it’s not the lofty peaks, the highest in eastern Washington that attract me here. It’s the region’s pure wildness and remoteness that I find so alluring.

The Columbia Highlands are a land of incredible biological diversity; where east meets west in the Evergreen State. A transition zone between the wet Cascades and the drier Rocky Mountains, the Highlands act as a land bridge for wildlife populations from these greater ecosystems. Moose and lynx, species more associated with the Rockies, thrive here. Flora too mingles in this ecological conversion zone. Sagebrush creeps skyward on south slopes, while north facing ravines shade dense stands of moisture loving fir and cedar.

Deer are profuse in the region’s open pine forests and rangelands. This land is a refuge for grizzly, wolves, and wolverines. Black bear and cougar roam freely within this wild country, and woodland caribou hang on to their last stomping grounds south of the Canadian border.
To the Colville Nation these mountains are sacred-a sanctuary for young warriors engaging in vision quests. And I too, have felt spirits in these mountains; in winds whistling through silver snags and in thunderous clouds swirling over high peaks aimed toward the heavens.

Words like, awesome, stunning, and defiant roll off the tongue when describing the beauty of the Cascade and Olympic Mountains. The mountains of northeastern Washington rarely garner such lavish praise. Here the landscape is more likely to soothe the soul than stimulate it. The beauty in this region is subtle. It is measured in rays of sunlight filtering through a cathedral forest of ancient pines; a golden hillside teeming with deer; an alpine meadow kissed by morning dew and brushed in a rainbow of colors; or a colonnade of blue peaks fading into the night. Solace is felt in the soft breezes that whistle through shiny snags perched in heavenly gardens. The highlands are cherished for its vastness-its lack of human intervention-its rejuvenating properties, and its abundance of God’s living creations.

Yet, while the Columbia Highlands contain some of the most beautiful, remote, and wildlife-rich lands in Washington, only a mere fraction of it is protected. Less than 3% of these public lands are classified as federal wilderness. Just one small wilderness area of 41,000 acres is all that has been set aside from the ever-present and ever-growing threats of road construction, resource exploitation, and off-road vehicles.

For decades the Columbia Highland’s best protection was its obscurity. But as Washington’s population continues to burgeon, pressure is mounting to open up these wild lands to development and other incompatible uses. How we respond to these impending threats depends on how much we cherish and value this special place?

Solitude and Serenity flow from the Kettles

In a state bursting with so much spectacular alpine scenery, it would seem hard to pinpoint my absolute favorite area. And it is. I have hiked Washington State quite thoroughly in the past two decades. From the soggy saturated Olympic Coast to the sun-kissed canyon country of the Blue Mountains—and everything in between. I love the teeming with wildlife Olympic Mountains; the icy cloud piercing jagged crags of the North Cascades; the sprawling flower carpeted alpine meadows of the Central Cascades; the glittering lakes of the Snoqualmie Region; the in your face superlative nature of Mount Rainer; the volcanic country of the South Cascades; the waterfalls and basalt walls of the Columbia River Gorge; the swaying grasses and basalt canyons of the Columbia Plateau; the emerald ridges harboring grizzlies and caribou of the Selkirks; and the lonely sun baked Blue Mountains.

And then there are the Kettles—which may very well be my favorite place in the state. Why? They are not the highest, most rugged mountains in the state. And they’re certainly not the subject of countless calendars and placemats either. What is it then about the Kettles that lure me to them over and over again? There is simply nothing else like them anywhere. When I hike these old rounded gentle giants, I feel like I am hiking in the Appalachians—but without the crowded eastern seaboard nearby. And when I look out at the golden rangelands and rolling empty hills below I feel like I am in the foothills of the northern Rockies, not the Pacific Northwest. And when I walk along the Kettles’ empty trails, I feel like I am in northeastern British Columbia—far removed from the burgeoning urban centers of the West Coast.

I share these mountains with wolves, lynx, the occasional grizzly and the spirits of hardscrabble miners, prospectors, trappers, and First Peoples. I feel the hand of Providence here as only a divine being could be responsible for making this place so perfect. And I fear the power of man here, for only man can denigrate this place—if he chooses to—or preserve it and cherish it and seek it for rejuvenation and celebration if wisdom and stewardship prevail. I love the Kettles and have devoted a good part of my life as a writer to help protect this vestige of the past.

I invite you to walk among these mountains leaving your preconceptions behind. Here, you won’t have a two mile high glacial clad peak bringing you to your knees. But you will have a soft breeze whisk through you touching your heart and alerting your senses to an incredible natural world that remarkably still exists despite the advancement of civilization on practically every other corner of the world. These mountains are gentle and inviting but among the wildest places left in America. In the Kettles I seek rejuvenation and reflection, guidance and redemption. If you have never stepped foot in this wild and enchanting area, I urge you to do so. And if the Kettles touch your heart and tug at your soul, I invite you to join me and many others working to make sure this place remains wild and special forever. For more on the movement to protect the Kettles visit Columbia Highlands.org. For more information on exploring the Kettles check out my book on the Columbia Highlands. And at anytime you want to talk about the Kettles, I’m always interested in what you have to say.

Go East Middle Aged Man!

Well with the Columbia River Gorge and Backpacking books now behind me, it's time to focus on Day Hiking Eastern Washington. I am excited to be working on this book for so many reasons. First and foremost is that it is going to be so much easier to work on than my last two projects. I just completed 2 complete manuscripts in which I hiked over 2,000 miles- did all my own photography and mapping. Now I am working with a co-author, Rich Landers, and we are splitting the tasks of researching, photographing, mapping and writing. So my work load goes from toiling over 2 books to now working on a 1/2 book-that means I am only working at 25% of my previous capacity! Now, normally working below your capacity is nothing to celebrate about -but boy do I need a break right now after working on my hardest project to date. So. it's off to Eastern Washington for me for the next several months. I'll be researching trails in the Kettle River Range, Columbia Plateau and Okanogan Highlands. What's really cool is that this was the area that I originally proposed doing a book on many years ago. I have finally gotten my wish-and I get to revisit so many of favorite places and scope out lots of new places too. And though I have written about Mount Rainier, the North Cascades, the Olympic Peninsula, and the Columbia River Gorge-places of incredible beauty-I find that the northeastern part of the state is one of the most beautiful places in Washington too. I hope you will as well when you pick up this great book. Okay, I have work to do! Happy hiking!

(Photo-looking northwest from Sherman Peak in the Kettles)

Railing for Trails

In the golden hills and pine cloaked mountains of northeastern Washington, a broad coalition of folks have gotten on board to create the state’s next great rail trail.
The proposed 28-mile Ferry County Rail Trail will not only provide hikers, cyclists, and cross-country skiers with stunning views of the Kettle River and the lofty and wild Kettle River Range rising above it, but it’ll also become the first international rail trail in the western United States.
Named after the sparsely populated county it traverses, the trail will run from just outside of the historic gold mining town of Republic north to the riverside burg of Danville on the Canadian border. From there the trail will tie in with B.C.’s extensive Kettle Valley Rail Trail. Utilizing a rail bed that served as the local timber industry’s lifeline for nearly a century, the new trail has great potential in promoting an economy based on sustainable ecotourism.
A major highlight along the trail, Curlew Lake, is home to one of Washington’s loveliest state parks, Curlew Lake State Park (where Heather and I tied the knot in 2006), with lakeshore camping and wonderful swimming, fishing, and paddling opportunities. At the north end of the seven-mile long lake is a historic trestle, destined to be a popular feature along the trail.
While local support for a non-motorized trail is strong, spearheaded primarily through the efforts of Bob Whittaker and the Ferry County Rail Trail Partners (FCRTP), a small but vocal faction would like to see the proposed trail open to motorcycles and ATVs. Don't let that happen! Help the Ferry County Rail Trail Partners make this trail Washington's next great non-motorized rail trail!

Wildest not-yet-wilderness canyon in Washington!

Last week I had the opportunity to once again take a hike up Thirteen Mile Creek in the Colville National Forest in remote Ferry County. Accompanying me was Jasmine Minbashian of Conservation Northwest. Jasmine worked with me on my book, Columbia Highlands: Exploring Washington's Last Frontier. This area is truly Washington's last frontier and both Jasmine and I have an immense love for this wild country and would like nothing less for Thirteen mile Canyon, the Kettle Crest and other roadless areas in the Colville to be designated as Washington's next federally protected wilderness areas. If you haven't hiked here yet-this is a good time right now before it gets really hot later in the summer. Be mindful that this is one of the rattlesnakiest trails in the state. Jasmine and I watched a good size one (she claimed it wasn't so big-I have a different view!) slither in front of us while she was photographing a lone Ponderosa pine snag on the canyon rim. Want to learn more about this area? Check out my book and pay a visit to Conservation Northwest's website. See you in the Kettles!

Trek on over to Vulcan Mountain

Continuing on my reporting of my recent Eastern WA-northern Idaho road trip:

I headed over to Republic for a couple of days to do some hiking for my upcoming backpacking book. Trouble was there was too much snow on the Kettle Crest and I was forced to abort my intended hike-will need to return in a month or so. With a half a day of gorgeous weather still on my side though I decided to check out nearby Little Vulcan Peak, a prominent mountain that rises above the Kettle River and the community of Curlew. There are so many neat and "undiscovered" mountains in Northeastern WA, this one being one of the many. Of course Vulcan and Little Vulcan aren't really undiscovered-they received their names from early prospectors due to the iron ore (not Captain Spock) found on its slopes. But with the miners long gone, very few bipeds traverse this mountain these days. Today the area is managed primarily for grazing and wildlife management. There are some neat ledges along its summit and some spectacular views of the Kettle River Range from the lower open slopes. My advice if you want to explore this area-mountain bike! The roads are a little too roady for hiking-but perfect for mountain biking with nothing extreme or radical. Beam me back to Republic Scotty! Little Vulcan and other peaks are calling me!

(photo- Kettle Crest from Little Vulcan)

Back from my Eastern Washington (and a little bit of Idaho too) Whirlwind Tour

Last night at around 11:30 pm I returned from an 8 day trip that was quite productive and fun and a tad bit exhausting. I apologize for the lack of blog entries during my absence-but I don't travel with a laptop. Wouldn't have had any time to use it anyways even if I did travel with one. So where did I go and what did I do?
Okay-
Book and hiking talk and presentation in Wenatchee.
Run 6 miles on the Golden Tiger Rail Trail in Republic Washington
Hike 10 miles on the northern Kettle Crest and Little Vulcan Mountain
Hike 5 miles in 13 Mile Canyon Roadless area
Book talk and presentation in Spokane
Hike 4 miles on Tubbs Hill in Coeur d'Alene Idaho
Walk a few mils on the Centennial Trail
Run 10 miles on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes at Heyburn State Park, ID
Hike 14 miles on Tucannon River Trail and Hunters Spring in the Blue Mountains, Umatilla National Forest
Hike 4 miles in the Juniper Dunes Wilderness
Book talk in Walla Walla
Run 6 miles on the Mill Creek Trail and Bennington Lake Reserve in Walla Walla
Visit the Whitman National Historic Site
Hike Hat Rock State Park, Oregon
Hike Crow Butte
Run a 10K race in Moses Lake
Visit Dry Falls
Drive way too much thanks to a road closure on the North Cascades Highway

Quite a bit of activity there for 8 days uh? Tell me about it! I'm exhausted- time to rest on this Memorial Day Weekend. I'll tell you more about some of the places I recently visited in the my upcoming posts. Its great to be back home!

(photo-Garfield County Courthouse in Pomeroy-the middle of nowhere and one of my favorite corners of Washington)

Who wants to take

Cathy McMorris Rodgers

for a Hike?

This in from yesterdays Seattle Times:

Murray, Reichert take a hike with reporters
MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Archive More land sought for Alpine Lakes Wilderness
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, and U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, R-8th take a hike with reporters and supporters in Three Forks Park near the Middle Fork and North Fork of the Snoqualmie River to talk up their bill Friday, granting Wild and Scenic River protection for the Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers. The bill, introduced March 27, also would include wilderness protection for an additional 22,000 acres in the Alpine Lakes region.

That's great - bi-partisan support for wilderness. But how about actually getting Reichert and Murray into real wilderness and not some suburban park on the outskirts of North Bend? Be a real hiker and wilderness advocate like Peter DeFazio of Oregon. And how about taking Cathy McMorris-Rodgers for a hike along the Kettle Crest. Show her what wilderness looks like and show her what needs to be protected. C'mon Cathy, how about being a Republican in the traditional sense- like Teddy Roosevelt-Dan Evans-Richard Nixon-Judd Gregg, Silvio Conte, and Thomas Pelly?

I'll gladly take you on a hike here! Just shoot me an email. I'd love to show you why this place deserves to be wilderness. And I'd love to tell you why a good conservative believes in conservation. I'll be waiting by the computer for your response. I'll even bring along lunch for our hike-you like Tapenade and Foccacia?

(photo- Alan Bauer taking in the views from Wapaloosie Mountain in the Kettle River Range)

Washington Wilderness Coalition's

Photo of the MonthEach issue of Washington Wilderness Coalition's monthly e-letter includes a picture of the month of Wild Washington photographed by a WWC member or supporter. This month's photo of the month comes compliments of moi. It is of one of my favorite places in the state, the Kettle River Range, a large roadless area that I (and many other conservationists) hope that will soon be included in federal wilderness. Left out of the 1984 Washington Wilderness Bill, the Kettles have long deserved protection being one of the wildest and prettiest regions in all of Eastern Washington.

For more on the Washington Wilderness Coalition, click here.
For more on protecting the Kettle River Range, click here.
For information on my book on the wilds of Eastern Washington, click here!

And for more information about the picture of the month, read on!

Summer storm clouds dance over a procession of lofty peaks (Scar, Wapaloosie, Columbia, Sherman, Snow, Bald and White). The view south is grand from 7,140-foot Copper Butte, highest summit in the 75 mile long Kettle River Range and centerpiece of the 29,000-acre Profanity Roadless Area. Transition zone between the Cascades and Rockies, the Kettle River Range is an important land bridge harboring a wealth of flora and fauna including several threatened and endangered species. Photo by Craig Romano, used with Permission. Craig Romano is author of Columbia Highlands: Exploring Washington’s Last Frontier, and several other NW guidebooks. Visit him at http://CraigRomano.com

Watching the Winds of Change in Eastern Washington Last week's elections certainly brought change to the nation, and surprisingly to a few corners of the country that were probably not expecting it. One such place was Ferry County, home of the Kettle River Range, in Eastern Washington. Anti-wilderness incumbent Mike Blankenship lost his county commissioner seat to Bob Heath 1,672 to 1,441. This is of course bad news for Mike, but great news for those of us who are intent on seeing a Kettle River Range Wilderness.

But the news for wilderness proponents in the Columbia Highlands of Northeastern Washington is even better than that. According to Mitch Friedman, executive director of Conservation Northwest, the organization spearheading protection measures in this special corner of the Evergreen State:

"In each of the four counties of rural northeastern Washington–Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille – voters rejected an anti-wilderness candidate for county commission. Citizens chose collaboration over conflict, thoughtfulness over anger, solutions over reactions, tomorrow over yesterday. The Columbia Highlands will soon receive the wilderness protection and forest restoration it has long deserved."

I couldn't agree more, Mitch! The winds of change are a-blowin in the Columbia Highlands and I for one welcome this warming breeze!

(photo- Alan Bauer watches the winds of change-climatic in this case-blow in over the Kettle Crest)

Washington's Next Wilderness? The Colville National Forest is currently holding public commenting periods to help the agency evaluate Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) within the Forest for their potential recommendation as wilderness. Evaluation of IRAs for potential wilderness recommendation is a required step in the forest plan revision process. And if conservationists would like to see areas such as the Kettle River Range, Abercrombie-Hooknose, and Salmo-Priest Country protected as wilderness they just may want to attend one of these workshops. I have long supported wilderness additions in northeastern Washington. Currently only 3% of the Colville, a paltry sum, is protected as wilderness. Conservation Northwest has long supported wilderness protection in this important biologically and scenic area of the Evergreen State. Contact Conservation NW on how you can help persuade elected officials make an Eastern Washington Wilderness Act become a reality. Read my book Columbia Highlands to find out more about this relatively unknown area. Visit the region and take to one of its many fine and lightly traveled trails. Consider attending the upcoming commenting session in Republic on November 1st. Get involved and help protect the last wild lands in Washington east of the Cascade Crest.

(Alan Bauer hikes the Kettle Crest trail October 2008)

Subtle Beauty Perhaps it's because my first introduction to the natural world was in the rolling emerald hills of Southern New Hampshire. Rock walls and white pine groves and crimson leaved maples and golden beech leaves reflecting in placid ponds-the fading cry of the loon-all reasons why I have such a love and affinity for what I call subtle beauty mountains. Don't get me wrong- Mount Rainier casts her spell on me every time I see her. And I have hiked in the Andes, Alps, Rockies, Apennines, Pirin, and Pyrenees Mountains. Alpine Alaska, Alberta, and Argentina I have witnessed first hand too and they're simply awesome!

But I love the Appalachians, too. Their rolling pastoral hills soothe my soul. In the east Nature was painted by a French impressionist while out west its all post modernism. Now, we have subtle beauty mountains in the west too-and I am equally drawn to them-among my favorites are the Entiats, Blues, Selkirks, and my dearest, the Kettle River Range. The Kettles in particular feel like the Smokies in the Northwest. Nothing awesome here-just soothing-stimulating-and embracing. And of course one of the things I love most about these gentler mountains as opposed to the rock and ice in-your-face peaks is their biological diversity. The subtle beauty peaks are more inviting to critters and they support a far wider range of flora than the pointy top snow covered big bang peaks. Don't know what I mean? Take a hike in mid-spring in the Appalachians and stop and listen to how many distinct bird calls are ringing in a forest of well over 100 tree species. Subtle indeed!

(photo- Cougar Mountain- south Entiat Range, Wenatchee National Forest, WA)