Backpacking the Northwest

Paradise Inn reopens Friday after a 31-month renovation – much of which won’t be noticeable to visitors JEFFREY P. MAYOR; jeff.mayor@ thenewstribune.com Published: May 11th, 2008 02:00 AM | Updated: May 9th, 2008 04:03 PM The $22.5 million work on the historic inn in Mount Rainier National Park , which closed the facility in October [...]

Being a “Mount Rainier VIP” (did you realize that volunteers are labeled “VIPs” because they are “Volunteers In Parks?”) allowed me to recently take a private tour of the new Jackson Visitor Center and remodeled Paradise Inn. Both are still under construction (which has consumed the Paradise upper lot for the last 2 summers) but [...]

Here are a few good options: * Good Morning Exercise Keep a bar with some weight on your shoulders. Bend at the waist with your knees bent a little and the back straight till the trunk is parallel to the ground. Relax in the upright position and repeat. * Hamstring Stretch Lie on your back [...]

Philemon Van Trump 1839-1916 Van Trump was the pioneering mountain climber on Mount Rainier in Washington State and wrote extensively about its history and beauty. He made at least 5 climbs to the summit between 1870 and 1892 including the first successful ascent in 1870. Van Trump worked with Muir to support and expand new [...]

Timeline 5000 B.C. – 1800s For thousands of years, Taidnapam, Upper Cowlitz, Yakama, Nisqually, and Puyallup tribes live in the foothills of the mountain they call Tahoma. They fish, hunt, and gather berries and herbs on its lower slopes. However, because they have a great reverence and awe for Tahoma, they never go near its [...]

Highlights: Busy trail used by hikers, bikes, and horses. Pretty waterfalls and nice camping Summary: Siouxon Creek is well known in the area for having easy access, miles of nice trails, good camping spots scattered along the trail, and many options to make side trips. There are many spots to sit and reflect on the [...]

Latourell Falls is a wonderful introduction to the many waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge. It is a plunge falls with a height of 249 feet. You can access the main or lower falls from the parking lot in the Guy W. Talbot State Park; this falls on Latourell Creek is named after Joseph Latourell, [...]

I think these tips apply to all of us who are Endurance Hikers / Backpackers too! ( I know this is from the Powerbar website, and I am not trying to plug them on purpose, but hey its good info so I left it intact..) By: Fiona Lockhart, CTS Pro Coach An abundance of information [...]

I love these snowshoes, despite their price. This is the third winter I’ve used them. The winter season is ending so look for these snowshoes on clearance. These snowshoes come in two sizes, 22 and 25 inch. Everything is a compromise and snowshoe size is no exception. In many parts of the country the snow [...]