As the snow begins to fall in the mountains and the days are increasingly shorter, I begin to seek out hikes that provide gorgeous vistas in relatively little time. One recent dayhike I did that accomplishes this is Davis Peak, in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
If there is one thing you can safely assume about the staff here at The Wilderness Society it’s that we are passionate about spending time in our wild places.
By Tom O’Keefe, Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director for American Whitewater
Our raft dropped into Goodell Rapid a wave crashing over the side of our boat as my three-year-old son giggled with excitement. He sat on the center seat next to me, my parents were in the front, and the entertainment of watching Grandma and Grandpa being splashed by the Skagit River was providing more enjoyment than Saturday morning cartoons.
The ease of introducing our children to the North Cascades is one of the great advantages of living in the northwest. I remember family hikes and picnics in the 60’s from places like Denny Creek off of what was then Highway 10 (now Interstate 90).
My decision to hike on the east side of the North Cascades in the Leavenworth area, during the first weekend of June, was originally born from a severe discontentment with the unseasonably cold weather in Seattle. The possibility of sunshine and warmer weather was more than enough reason for my boyfriend and me to load up the car and head east for bluer skies. Little did I know what I was about to experience on this memorable day spent hiking in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
