Trail Running in the North Cascades: Festival 542
Highway 542, the Mt Baker Scenic Byway, runs east-west from Bellingham to Artist Point. It is the access point to some of the Northwest’s best mountain terrain: fantastic trails, North Cascades National Park, mountaineering, skiing at Mt. Baker Ski Area, and some of the best backcountry skiing in North America …
Annette Lake Trail
Sad to say, as far as area hikes go, I tend to replay my “greatest hits” list over and over. I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest since 1994 and only just got around to the Annette Lake Trail last weekend. Last Saturday I volunteered to help at the mile 10.4 …
Experience Tour de France Alps Stages 12 & 13
Francesca Carmichael, owner, brain, and sole “woman power” behind a Seattle-area Italy-focused business, has come up with an exciting last-minute itinerary for a trip to France and Italy planned around viewing stages 12 (Bourg-Saint-Maurice Les Arcs/Alpe d’Huez) and 13 (Bourg d’Oisans/Valence) of this year’s Tour de France. Those Tour stages …
UltraPedestrian Wilderness Challenge 2018
Ultra running events (events longer than a marathon distance) are up 1,000% in the last decade according to The Guardian. Although racing events have the most visible presence, here in the Pacific Northwest there are a couple intriguing variations on the ultra running theme. Aspire Adventure Running, one of Northwest …
Ras & Kathy Vaughan: Just Ordinary Human Beings
Within the progression of ultra running, Ras & Kathy Vaughan are rather unlikely activists. Ras’ first backpacking trip at age 11 ended with his Boy Scout troop being rescued by helicopter. When Ras and Kathy met in 1996 neither had any formal athletic experience, and Ras in particular was doing …
A Lexicon for Ultra: Running | Mountaineering | Hiking | Walking
Like all athletic disciplines, ultra running has its own unique vocabulary which can be off-putting at first. For starters, the term “ultra running” is a bit of a misnomer. A major misconception is that “ultra (and trail) running” involves running at all times. Yes, depending on the route, the very …
Destination: West Coast Trail
Located along the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, the West Coast Trail (WCT) is called “the (backpacking) trip of a lifetime,” and it’s been on my hit list for over 20 years. Because of the relatively remote location, it is as much a project as a backpacking trip, and I …
Central Oregon Nordic Club Plays Year Round
More than just a ski club, Central Oregon Nordic Club (CONC) invites members to maintain friendships throughout the year with hikes & work parties. While Mount Bachelor clings tenaciously to her snowy cap despite the advance of Spring, the Nordic ski season is winding down for most members of the …
Cross-Training Weekend
What an exceptional weekend to play! Saturday was a ~50 mile “urban cycling” outing from Seattle to Edmonds where we made the requisite bakery stop. The tour was complete with a stroll across the Ballard Locks, a classic Seattle sight on a summer weekend morning: The day’s ride organizer has …