Great Hikes Memorable Walks Await In Central Washington

Great hikes in the middle portion of the North Cascades and their foothills are detailed in a new guidebook, “Trailblazer Guide to 75 Hikes in Central Washington.”

The book was written by Ron Graham, hiker and reporter for the Yakima Herald-Republic, with obvious help and accompaniment from his wife and daughter.

The book offers a sampling of hikes in the Alpine Lakes, Norse Peak, William O. Douglas, Clearwater, Glacier View, Tatoosh, Goat Rocks and Mount Adams wilderness areas as well as Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and Mount Rainier National Park.

Also covered are nifty trails in the Yakima Canyon, ranging from the Yakima Greenway to the Yakima Rim Skyline.

Routes to several lookout towers are highlighted. However the majority of the 75 trips in the book lead to a spectacular view.

Each trip is illustrated with a photo and a general location map.

The reader, however, must rely on U.S. Geological Survey and Forest Service maps for more trail routing information.

The book is available for $12.95 plus $3 tax and shipping from Graham’s Guides, P.O. Box 9194, Yakima, WA, 98909.

-Rich Landers

In his latest book, Spokane writer Derrick Jensen interviews 29 authors, poets, activists, theologians and biologists in a search for in-depth perspectives on the most haunting questions ever faced by humans.

Questions raised concern population control, impacts of technology, assaults on biodiversity.

“Listening to the Land: Conversations about Nature, Culture and Eros” (Sierra Club Books, $15) is not light reading.

Environmental problems, as Jensen notes, often are the results of deeper problems within our culture. The environmental topics he explores are vast and perplexing. They reach to the end of mankind.

Depending on your threshold for environmental awareness, this book could set you ablaze or put you to sleep. Read a chapter at a time, then take a long, thoughtful walk.

Bob McNally begins by breaking bass fishing into two basic topics: how to find bass and how to catch them.

“Bass in Depth,”(McNally Outdoor Productions, 1716 Bayside Blvd., Jacksonville, Fl 32259, $16.95ppd.) then proceeds with 288 pages of details, photos, line drawings and graphics to lay a solid foundation for anyone pursuing the sport of catching both smallmouths and largemouths.

Good information is compactly presented to fortify novice anglers and send veteran bassers into an argument that will last all the way to the next fishing hole.

-Rich Landers

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