Author: Sharon Mitchler

One of the great benefits of living in the lowlands of western Washington State is that this area was once interlaced with multiple railroad lines. As these have been abandoned in favor of roads and…

At the far southwest corner of Washington State, the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean. While best known to visitors as the place where the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery arrived in November…

When the fall rainy season starts in Western Washington, it can feel fairly gloomy, but outside of Olympia, Washington is the Capitol State Forest, where opportunities to hike abound. And of all the places to…

In 1966, an unusual area south of the city of Olympia and north of the town of Rochester, WA, was set aside as a National Natural Landmark. Known most often by it’s shortened, local name,…

The Hood Canal, a naturally formed fjord that separates the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas, is long and quite narrow, generally about a mile and a half in width. Most of the canal shoreline is occupied…

The far northwest of Washington state takes a bit of work to get to, but I love the rougher, more isolated terrain. I usually stay in the town of Port Angeles, and then drive to…

Hurricane Ridge is well named. In the winter, hurricane force winds sweep over the 5,000 ft / 1500-meter ridge, sitting only a few miles south of the sea level Strait of Juan de Fuca. While…

At the start of the summer season, I look forward to warming up with a hike up to Carter Falls. I generally do this hike as a first chance to work back into steep mountain…

Hiking in the rain is to be expected in the Pacific Northwest, and there are benefits to spending a day in the soft drizzle and low clouds. There are fewer people, and the air is…

When visiting the Pacific Northwest, it is well worth the effort to take a ferry ride out to the islands north of Seattle. My favorite is San Juan, accessible by a vehicle and passenger ferry…