Location: Seattle.
Length: About a mile.
Level of difficulty: Flat to moderately steep dirt and gravel trails; gently sloping entries at Cowen Park and Northeast 55th Street.
By Cathy McDonald | November 28, 2002
Hike of the Week
With the ski season on hold and snowlines still high, Mount Catherine near Snoqualmie Pass is an ideal hike close to home. Days are short, but so is the trail -- only three miles round-trip, with an elevation gain of 1,300 feet. The summit is well within the capacity of most hikers.
By Karen Sykes | November 28, 2002
If you want to visit Timberline Lodge on Oregon's 11,239-foot Mount Hood, now's the time to make plans for coming months because rooms sell out well in advance.
The lodge, about an hour's drive east of Portland, is open year-round and sits within easy driving distance of three ski areas: Timberline, Mount Hood Meadows and Mount Hood Skibowl. Snowplows keep the roads open for crowds of merrymakers, who enjoy the roaring fires and special seasonal meals served at Christmas and New Year's.
November 28, 2002
Sometimes Bainbridge Island seems like just another rich suburb of Seattle, although with a nicer commute on ferries instead of freeways. It has the same oversized houses, and its 20,000 residents have the same fierce debates about development.
By Kristin Jackson | November 28, 2002
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND When husband-and-wife philanthropists Paul and Debbi Brainerd founded Puget Sound Environmental Learning Center, publicity focused on the wooded campus's mission to inspire schoolchildren about nature. But as the center is finding its feet a process including a significant name change it's also luring adults, with classes on everything from cooking to passive solar energy.
Actually, the $52 million, 255-acre compound, now known officially as IslandWood, also appeals to curious adults who want to see what the kids get, and what they're missing.
By Gordon Black | November 28, 2002
After snapping a few photos of a wolf eel, I start to move on. As I do an octopus arm comes out of the kelp and reaches around. I get the attention of my dive buddy.
We're diving in the San Juan Islands, where these undersea creatures can be spotted, usually without incident but this encounter would be different.
The octopus has been sitting right above the wolf eel the whole time, but it has camouflaged itself well, looking just like the rock. It has about an 8-foot span when it flares out, and weighs about 50 pounds.
By James Johnston | November 28, 2002
Gig Harbor is an unusual small town that has worked hard to maintain its maritime heritage and identity over the years, even as urban forces in Pierce and Kitsap counties close in around it.
Nestled in a quiet, protected harbor on Key Peninsula -- and linked with Tacoma by the Narrows Bridge -- the downtown waterfront portion of greater Gig Harbor is the town's true maritime identity. That historic identity is what city leaders would like to maintain, despite the rapid growth in other parts of Gig Harbor. With just a few glitches over the years, they've been pretty successful.
By Jeff Larsen | November 28, 2002
