Weather Nerd: 3/1 - 3/7

Well guys, here we are-- right smack dab in the middle of one of the worst winters in recent memory. Myself, I've been cycling back and forth between winter-mode and spring-mode, trying to get up and ski whenever conditions warrant, but also taking advantage of the ample mid-winter sunshine we've been getting in the Seattle area. Throughout this ski season, I've tried my best to maintain a sense of optimism, thinking that we're forever only a storm away, and that if all else fails: There's always March! Even in 2004-05, "the bad year" as we've lovingly dubbed it, March delivered, right??

Introducing: 'The Weather Nerd'

 

The Weather Nerd will be a weekly bit that I'll be putting together analyzing our current weather, forecasts, models, and long-range outlooks-- and hopefully scribbling it all together in way that your average winter enthusiast (ski bum?) will be able to not just comprehend, but enjoy.

Searching for Spring Along the Oregon Coast

As a series of late-winter storms continued to throttle my home along the fringe of Washington's Cascade Mountains, we decided it was time to get away. I'd learned through conversation that the Oregon Coast is an affordable springtime trip-- you can often luck out, finding some pretty nice weather while scoring cheap, winter rates. Here's what we found:

- Lake Wenatchee -

Stonehenge West: The Megalith at Maryhill

I'd heard rumors of a Stonehenge replica somewhere along this old road, here in the rolling hills of southeastern Washington. The site proved elusive. Google assures me that the stone structure does, in fact, exist-- somewhere near the town of Maryhill. It turns out that the town of Maryhill isn't really too much of a town at all.  We passed through a sprawling wind-farm along the aging highway, no signs, no markers. Nothing. Then, all of a sudden the sign appears: Stonehenge.

Outdoor Spotlight: Summer Musings in Washington's High Country

North-Central Washington is an outdoor enthusiasts dream come true. Even the most pessimistic downer you know would have trouble denying this. Right on the cusp of the arid plains of the Columbia Plateau and the voluminous Cascade Mountains, the area is an Eden of sorts for skiers, mountain-bikers, kayakers-- so on and so forth. As a pretty impressive winter season now retreats into memory, a certain question comes into play: what's next?

From winter springs new life. Summer in Bavaria approaches. Carefully we plot our seasonal exploits, planning each hike, trip or ride in intimate detail. Here-- deep in the wilds of Cascadia-- snows are receding, flowers are blooming, and children painstakingly endure through their final weeks of school. Summer is coming...

Natural Escapism: Finding Peace at Icicle Creek

Everyone does something different to unwind-- to "reset." If you find solace in nature, Icicle Gorge is quite the offering. From the canyon floor and raging white-water, to jagged alpine peaks, from wildflowers to wild wolves, the Icicle offers some of the quickest access into true wilderness found anywhere in the lower 48 states.