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DISCOVER
FALL-WINTER
2000/2001
Welcome
to the Fall/Winter edition of Discover, The Olympian's magazine
of travel and adventure in the Northwest. We devote this
issue to Winter Sports and Destinations. Whether you're
a novice or an old hand at winter sports, you'll find something
for you in these pages, from ski lessons to apres ski action.
Not to mention snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing
and tubing. Looking for other diversions? Our Destinations
articles focus on everything from wildlife watching to storm
watching. And no guide would be complete without a look
at shopping. So, sit back, relax and plan your winter adventure.
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So
you think you want to learn how to ski?
Start slowly,
and by all means, invest in lessons
DARREN SAMUELSOHN,
THE OLYMPIAN
OLYMPIA --
Like
many Pacific Northwesterners, Charles Shelan isn't originally
from the Pacific Northwest
He's not from
the mountains. And he's not from a family that spent time on the
ski slopes.
click
here for full story
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One
man's introduction to skiing
DARREN SAMUELSOHN
THE OLYMPIAN
I
really wanted to understand the fascination with downhill skiing
.For years,
I'd asked myself where was the fun in bolting at high speeds down
steep slopes, risking death and reconstructive knee surgery, while
spending hundreds of dollars on lift tickets and equipment.
click
here for full story
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Into
the mainstream
Once a sideshow,
snowboarding is all the rage
ELLIOTT
SMITH,
THE OLYMPIAN
OLYMPIA --
For years, skiing has been viewed as the ultimate winter sport,
especially in the Northwest, where the opportunities to learn
and master the activity have been plentiful.
Skiing's
cousin, so to speak, snowboarding, had been frowned upon as a
strictly "punk" sport with a small base and limited resources.
But times
have changed
click
here for full story
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Peaks
and valleys
Spectacular views make the work worth doing for enthusiasts
GAIL
WOOD,
THE OLYMPIAN
OLYMPIA --
Val Hyer escapes the winter drizzle by heading to Mount Rainier
to cross-country ski
Mount Rainier
National Park is a haven for cross-country skiers, with the park's
Paradise an ideal launching place. It's there that Hyer goes to
her favorite cross-country trail, a four-mile trek to Reflection
Lake.
click
here for full story
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Retailers'
recommendation: Rent gear before buying
GAIL
WOOD
THE OLYMPIAN
Seven years
ago, cross-country ski manufacturers took a lesson from a distant
relative of the business -- snowshoes.
These engineers
of motion shortened the skies about four inches and widened them
an inch. In so doing, they essentially duplicated the function
of snow shoes.
click
here for full story
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Making
tracks
Snowshoeing, snowmobiling and tubing all have their fans
ALEX GOFF,
FOR THE OLYMPIAN
OLYMPIA --
Enjoying snow is by no means limited to those on skis and snowboards,
as any kid with a cafeteria tray and a sloped backyard will attest.
Throughout
the Northwest, people have fun in the snow on sleds, inner tubes,
snowmobiles, and snowshoes. Such activities allow them to enjoy
the snow and enjoy nature without a long learning curve.
click
here for full story
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Always
be prepared
Keeping your adventures fun means avoiding the disasters
DAVE
WORTMAN,
THE OLYMPIAN
On those dark November days when storms blanket the Pacific Northwest
with brooding skies and driving rain, nothing lifts my spirits
more than knowing that nearby, the Cascades and Olympics are turning
into a sparkling winter wonderland.
click
here for full story
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Now
all we need is some snow
For skiers, the waiting can be the hardest part
DARREN
SAMUELSOHN,
THE OLYMPIAN
Snow, please.
It's a simple
plea, echoing through the hearts and souls of many a northwestern
skier and snowboarder.
Waiting impatiently,
these recreation fanatics watch the weather forecasts for the
first sign of snow -- and the subsequent opening of the Pacific
Northwest's ski resorts.
click
here for full story
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RESORTS:
Places to go, things to see
THE
OLYMPIAN
To find out
when the following ski sites open, call the resorts or check their
Web sites. Ski resources Northwest Avalanche Center Hotline: (206)
526-6677. Cascade Ski Report: (206) 634-0200. Washington State
highway and pass conditions: (888) SNO-INFO. Olympia Ski Club:
(360) 754-0912.
click
here for full story
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Winter
in Whistler a visitor's delight
BETSY MODEL,
FOR THE OLYMPIAN
When a summer destination offers visitors just about any warm-weather
activity you can think of -- horseback riding, golf, alpine hikes,
fly fishing, kayaking, backpacking, mountain biking, sailing --
well, just how much fun could the place be when everything's covered
in snow?
If the place is British Columbia's Whistler/Blackcomb from October
through May, the list of activities is at least as long as in
the summer. Just wear your mittens.
click
here for full story
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All
eyes on Vail
Late snowfall
has pushed business the Northwest's way lately
ROBERT WELLER,
ASSOCIATED
PRESS
VAIL, Colo.--
Ross Davis and his partners in a popular bar-restaurant are praying
the law of averages will give them good snow, and early.
For two consecutive
years, many resorts in the Rockies have had to wait until January
or February for their famed champagne powder.
click
here for full story
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Off
the slopes, into the night
There's no
end to selection of food and drink
DARREN SAMUELSOHN,
THE
OLYMPIAN
Swapping
stories of a sublime run. Aching feet, out of ski boots and back
in sneakers. And beer flowing freely as another day on the slopes
comes to an end.
Just as golf
has its 19th hole, skiers too have their haven for post-participation
relaxation and reflection.
click
here for full story
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Watch
in wonder and comfort
On the coast,
plenty of rooms come with a view
NATALIE BAUER,
THE OLYMPIAN
Joan Payne,
who used to take her family camping along the coast during the
winter storm season, says now that she lives in Ocean Shores she
tends to take 10-foot swells and ferocious 90 mph winds for granted.
But during
February when the storms are at their wildest, Payne said she
still feels a little awestruck at the power of mother nature.
click
here for full story
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A
true shopper wouldn't have it any other way
DW KANA SHEPHARD,
FOR
THE OLYMPIAN
Sure, online
shopping is trendy. But to diehard shopping fans it's just another
quick fix, a digital version of catalogues and cable shopping
channels.
True shoppers
need to bite into that Godiva chocolate and taste its savory pleasures.
True shoppers are waiting in line at 6 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving,
ready to whip out their plastic for some killer deals.
click
here for full story
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EDITORS:
Mike Burgess
Carolyn Cox
Jerry Wakefield
SECTION
DESIGN:
Craig
Lancaster
COVER DESIGN:
Carolyn
Cox
On The
Cover:
A snowboarder
takes to the air
at Crystal Mountain.
Snowboarding has quickly
gained popularity.
Photo by:
Colin Meagher
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