Day Hiking & Scrambling
A strenuous, 12 mile in-and-out day hike with 4,370 ft in elevation gain up to Icicle Ridge near Leavenworth. The trail switchbacks up steeply over open slopes with small groves of Ponderosa Pine, to a lookout with views of the Cascades.
Cross-country Skiing & Snowshoeing
Approximately 25 miles of trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the greater Spokane/Coeur d'Alene area with access to ungroomed backcountry trails. There are two warming huts and great views plus plenty of snow.
Sea Kayaking
Sea kayak 11 nautical miles around Fox Island in South Puget Sound, just 5 miles from Gig Harbor. It's a South Sound classic. Also consider padding across Carr Inlet to Penrose Point, paddlign to Hale Passage & Wollochet Bay, paddling in Toliva Shoal, or hiking on the island's beaches.
Day Hiking
A moderate day hike just south of Bellingham in the Chuckanut Mountains on a trail that switchbacks up to Fragrance Lake and then onto the more isolated Lost Lake.
Backpacking
Hike to the rarely visited, beautiful Frances Lake, nestled in a high alpine basin below Hurricane Divide in Oregon's Wallowa Mountains. Ascend well-graded switchbacks over an 8,600 ft pass and descend 900 feet to the lake. Explore meadows, streams and tarns in the lake basin, enjoy birds near the trail and lake, and other wildlife on slopes of Hurricane Divide.
Naturalist
View the dramatic flight of thousands of migrating Vaux Swifts into their tall roosting chimney at the Frank Wagner Elementary School in Monroe. The best time for viewing is at sunset from mid-August to early September.
Day Hiking & Snowshoeing
An easy 2 mile hike or snowshoe from the Denny Creek Campground near Snoqualmie Pass to a beautiful waterfall. Great in summer for cooling off or in winter for a magical snowy adventure with your family.
Day Hiking & Urban Walking
Follow an old railroad grade on this easy hike along the Green River near Black Diamond, through the history of the 1880's coal-mining ghost town of Franklin. It's an easy walk up to the abandoned and now sealed mineshaft, past a large coal cart bearing the town's name, and on beyond to the powerhouse foundation and cemetery. This is an interesting forested low-land walk that is good year-round and for the whole family.
Climbing
Backcountry Ice Climbing in the Fraser Valley east of Chilliwack and south of Yale, BC.
Day Hiking
Visit one of North America's largest gatherings of bald eagles converging on spawning salmon in the Fraser Valley from November through January, with peak eagle numbers reaching between 1000 and over 2000 during late November to early January.
Urban Adventure & Urban Walking
An urban adventure and stairway walk in the Seattle neighborhood that is the self-proclaimed "Center of the Universe." Explore the funky--the Lenin statue, the Fremont Troll, Waiting for the Interurban--and normal urban amenities plus plenty of stairs for exercise.
Sailing
Sail with skipper Christine Nelson on her Beneteau First 345 "French Kiss" out of Delin Docks Marina.
Day Hiking
An easy four-mile hike to a waterfall in the eastern Washington desert near Vantage. A great leisurely hike for naturalists and photographers.
Sea Kayaking
Sea kayak along the northern coast of the Olympic Peninsula just west of Port Angeles and east of Crescent Bay. If your route takes you to Crescent Bay, you will discover excellent rock gardening and dynamic cliffs.
Day Hiking
This 7.3 mile loop hike heads up steep switchbacks with 1,800 feet of elevation gain to reach a ridge with panoramic views over the town of Leavenworth and its orchard-studded valley. It's a trail popular with mountain bikers.
Scrambling
Frigid Mountain is a scramble of 7 miles with 4,900 feet of gain.
Day Hiking
A moderate hike of 8 miles and 2,200 feet of elevation gain in the Central Cascade's Wild Sky Wilderness. It offers views of the Skykomish Valley from the summit as well as Glacier, Sloan, and Kyes Peaks.
Sailing
Sail with skipper Dwight Motz aboard his Jeanneau 410 "Frolic" out of Des Moines Marina Slip D45 in Des Moines.
A 10 pitch sport climb north of Squamish.
Day Hiking & Urban Adventure
This Thurston County Park near Olympia is on the Steamboat Island Peninsula. A loop trail winds around Frye Cove and Eld Inlet, and sports a varied terrain that includes beaches and bluffs. At low tide you can extend your trip with a walk on the beach.