Outdoor Photo of the Week: Sunrise and on the water

These photos were taken by Jim Cleary. Here's what he had to say about them:

The first one I took in Snoqualmie, near Mount Si, the second photo was taken from a ferry I was on heading to Bainbridge and the last photo was taken on a ferry from Kingston to Edmonds. I hope you enjoy them!

You can view more of Jim's work on his flickr page.

Think you've got a great outdoor photo? Want to see it hosted on Just South of North? Send your submissions to justsouthofnorth@gmail.com.

Please include your name, a short caption about the photo (date, location, and what makes it special) and your location.

Check back each Sunday for a new Outdoor Photo of the Week.

Mount Si closing

There was an article that ran in the Seattle Times yesterday that talked about how to help save costs, the state is considering closing over 20 trails and campgrounds across Washington.

This list includes a number of local trails that I have either hiked, or are planning to hike in the near future. The big ones on the list are Mount Si, Little Si and Rattlesnake trails.

The Northern Rangers shot a video up on Mount Si last year. This photo shows us on the Mount Si trail early last year. And yes, that is back when I had long hair.

These three trails serve over half a million hikers each year.

Outdoor recreation groups will lobby the 2010 Legislature when it convenes today in Olympia to find the $276,000 in general fund money necessary to keep the trails and recreation areas open.

And don't think that Eastern Washington is out of the mix. The Lake Spokane campground, which is very popular during the summer months and sees about 30,000 visitors annually, is also on the chopping block.

I think these are some of the dumbest moves the state could be considering making right now. In these tough economic times individuals and families are traveling less. This means that this year's summer trips will probably involve hiking and camping for many Northwest families. The closure of these trails and campgrounds will only increase the traffic at other places.

What does that mean? More traffic (both foot and car) in local outdoors areas will cause other trails to deteriorate faster. Awesome.

But what can we do?

The Washington Trails Association site provided a link so that you can contact your state senator and local lawmakers.

Also, February 3rd is Hiker Lobby Day in Olympia. Here's a link to some FAQs about just exactly what Hiker Lobby Day is, as well as a link to register for the day.

(This is from Just Northwest)

Memorial Day weekend in Washington

This weekend is Memorial Day. That means an extra day of freedom. What are you're plans?

Well, if you're a last minute decider, I ran the numbers, Googled the results, and added my own bias into the mix and in no paticular order, here are the JustSON Top 10 Washington state destinations for the extended weekend.

1. Paradise, WA - Nothing beats Mount Rainier in my opinion. And for a long time I wanted to be a park ranger. Still might try it if this writing thing never pans out. I haven't been up to Paradise since they opened the new vistor's center. If you live in the area, and have never been up to the mountain, you're missing out on a lot.

2. Cougar, WA - Explore Mount St. Helens. There are a ton of great stuff around the area to discover, from the visitor center to the ape caves to the lava canyon.

3. Anacortes, WA - Ferry to the San Juan Islands and you won't be disappointed. This is a great trip with plenty to see. Some of the highlights include: ferry ride, scenic views, great dining, whale watching, histroic landmarks, Mount Constitution, and sea life.

4. Mazama, WA - Take a drive in the North Cascades. This 132 mile drive throught the Cascades Mountains allows breath taking views of high mountain peaks, deep valleys, waterfalls, rivers and dams. Also, get out and go for a hike in the area.

5. Seattle, WA - If you're more a one-day event person, why not hit up the city? Go to the zoo, the shops, Pikes Place Market, enjoy lunch on the waterfront, catch a Mariners game or a trip up the Space Needle.

6. Snoqualmie, WA - The Snoqualmie Falls provides a great backdrop for pictures and you could eat lunch at the lodge. Or, if you're rich, stay there. There are tons of hiking trails around the area and lots of campgrounds. Take a trip up Mount Si in nearby North Bend, or if shopping is more your thing, then check out the North Bend Outlet Mall. Also, if you like to hit the slots, you can head over to the new Snoqualmie Casino.

7. Port Angeles, WA - The Olympic National Park offers a huge range of items. This area can be explored by bike, car, foot, trail, path, kayak, canoe or even motor boat. There is so much to do here.

8. Lake Chelan, WA - The home Web site of the lake promotes 101 things to do while visiting. On this list is wineries, boating, golfing, river rafting, music, fishing, need I go on. This is one awesome place to visit.

9. Long Beach, WA - Beach. Right there. All you need to know.

10. Leavenworth, WA - Tucked in the mountains is a great little town called Levenworth. Thjs town is rich in history and caters to tourists.

Honorable mention - Brandon's house, Spokane, WA - Joking aside, Spokane is a great place to go for a weekend. The mountains are close by, golfing is all around, Spokies provide excellent entertainment and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho is just down the road.

Close call - Pullman, WA. Hanging out with Ryan Leaf. Wait, this is the BEST places to visit for the long weekend. Scratch that. I vote we just give the Pullman area to Idaho.

Northern Rangers: Mt. Si

Today we headed up to Mt. Si. We're still training for our backpack trip around Mount Rainier and climbing Mount St. Helens. Our goal to make it to the top was 1 hour 30 minutes. We also ran into some hail and rain. But it is Washington after all.

Hiking in High Winds

For anyone who pays attention to the blog and saw the video yesterday posted by Casey you may have noticed that it was sort of windy yesterday in the Pacific Northwest and up on Mount Si. I always figured that in high winds while hiking you would have to watch out for falling branches or trees and of course if you were near a cliff not to get blown off.

Another risk that came to mind was the possibility of getting crushed by a boulder. When Casey and I were on our way up the mountain we heard something in the distance which sounded like thunder. When we came back down we saw this in the trail:

As the wind was blowing and the trees were swaying it appears that the base of the tree moved enough to dislodge a large rock from here:

The rest of the rock ended up on the other side of the trail here:

If we had come down the trail about 15 or 20 minutes sooner than we had you may have been able to see one or both of us squished by the rocks. So I learned something yesterday about hiking in high wind and that's to not do it. Just thought I'd pass the friendly reminder along to beware of more than just falling of cliffs and getting smashed by falling trees and or branches. Have a good Tuesday everyone!!

Northern Rangers: Mount Si winds

Today we headed up to Mount Si for another training hike. But a storm came in and we decided that it was probably safer to turn around and call it a hike for today.