Explore the wilderness nearby in North Cascades book

  • By Jessi Loerch Herald Writer
  • Friday, October 10, 2014 1:57pm
  • Life

William Dietrich has explored the North Cascades ecosystem for decades. He has climbed Mount Baker, and puffed up countless switchbacks. He loves the mountains and he lives near them. Yet, when he started work on a book on the North Cascades, “I was surprised how little I knew,” he said.

“The North Cascades: Finding Beauty and Renewal in the Wild Nearby” was published recently. An event to celebrate the book is Wednesday in Everett.

The book reminds people about the wilderness just hours from major cities. The North Cascades are so much more than North Cascades National Park. It’s a huge ecosystem, and many parts of it are protected and intact, like the park, but others are not.

Dietrich’s essay (Read an excerpt) on the cultural and natural history is combined with a series of profiles by Christian Martin. Martin takes a look at a diverse group of people who live, work, play and teach in the North Cascades. Craig Romano, the author of many hiking guidebooks, offers practical advice to those who want to hike, paddle or otherwise explore the North Cascades (read an excerpt).

Martin said he hopes the profile helps people see the value of the ecosystem, beyond board feet and dollars. Athletic challenges, science, education and inspiration are all important resources in the region.

Martin talks to people who find value in the ecosystem that’s hard to quantify. He profiles Molly Hashimoto, an artist whose works have been inspired by the beauty of the North Cascades. He also features Fred Beckey, a true icon of the climbing world in general and the North Cascades in particular.

While the authors all say it slightly different, they all have the same basic hope. They hope the book inspires people to care for the North Cascades. The area has had many tireless supporters, but many of them are aging and it is important that new stewards take up the cause.

“I hope the book introduces more people who aren’t familiar with the North Cascades to inspire broadened awareness of the gifts of this ecosystem, as well as inspire future stewards of the area,” Martin said.

Craig Romano, who has hiked countless miles in the North Cascades, said he hopes people see how special it is to have such a fairly intact, wild ecosystem on the fringes of two major metropolitan areas. It creates both opportunities and challenges.

“I hope too this book serves as an invitation for folks from all walks of life to explore this incredible landscape in our back yard and reconnect to nature and be motivated to help protect it,” he said.

If you go

A book release for “The North Cascades: Finding Beauty and Renewal in the Wild Nearby” is 7-9 p.m. Wednesday in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness Auditorium at Everett Community College. Dietrich, Martin and Romano will all speak and present a slide show. The event will be led by Peter Jackson, son of Sen. Henry Jackson. Admission is by donation.

Explore: the Mountain Loop Highway

The Mountain Loop Highway meanders for more than 50 miles along the south forks of the Stillaguamish and Sauk rivers, connecting Granite Falls and Darrington. This roadway probably provides more hiking, fishing, and camping choices per mile than any other road in the North Cascades. From its array of trails, explore ancient forests, soaring summits, wild rivers, thundering waterfalls, alpine lakes, flowering meadows, and historical mining towns and fire lookouts.

Hike: Lake Twentytwo

Waterfall-fed Lake Twentytwo is perched in a big basin beneath 5,340-foot Mount Pilchuck’s sheer north face. The embracing forest is equally impressive. Follow a kid-friendly trail alongside Twentytwo Creek through colonnades of giants.

Roundtrip: 5.4 miles. Elevation gain: 1,350 feet. Difficulty: Moderate. Trailhead: Mountain Loop Highway, 13 miles from Granite Falls.

Hike: Goat Lake

Set within the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness, Goat Lake boasts fine views, good swimming, family-friendly camping, and a lot of history. It was once the site of a bustling mining operation, complete with company town and lakeside hotel. Though more than 10 miles, this loop hike is a fairly gentle journey through impressive forest alongside roaring Elliot Creek.

Roundtrip: 10.4 miles. Elevation gain: 1,400 feet. Difficulty: Moderate. Trailhead: From Granite Falls, drive Mountain Loop Highway 35 miles, turn right on Forest Road 4080, drive 0.8 mile.

— Craig Romano, excerpt from “The North Cascades”

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.