Life as Improvisation: Harriet Bullitt      07/10

   A quaint Bavarian mountain town of bakeries, boutiques, bratwurst stands and small artisan gift shops, Leavenworth, Wash. is nestled against the spectacularly wild backdrop of the Stuart Mountain Range, Icicle Creek, and the Wenatchee National Forest in the Cascade Mountains.
    About two miles outside of Leavenworth’s bustling downtown corridor, at the end of Icicle Road, is the Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat — a serene, 67-acre wooded oasis owned by Harriet Bullitt . . .

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Internet zaps Tacoma outdoors icon      07/10

   I suppose I’ve always known it would happen. With new gear arriving every day and an optimistic feeling that maybe the economy is on the rebound, I wasn’t really expecting it to happen right now but when things end, I suppose it always seems sudden.

   Backpackers Supply, the only independently owned gear shop left in Tacoma (and my place of employment for most of the last 18 years), is closing its doors. . .

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Living in the backyard of an active volcano      05/10

   Recent images of the ash cloud of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland left many of us glued to our TV’s in awe of the power of nature, or perhaps just frustrated as the ash wreaked havoc on travel plans and life in general across Western Europe.

   For longtime Northwesterners though, this event harkened back to another eruption closer to home. On the morning of May 18, 1980 we watched in amazement as Mt. St. Helens in southwest Washington blew her top . . .

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Getting out of your comfort zone      04/10

   I watch the focused determination on my daughter’s face as she launches her scooter down a good size hill near our house. I admit I am nervous. A wobbly foot on the brake, she executes a perfectly controlled descent, swings around and stops a few feet in front of me, a proud grin on her face . . .

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