Media Contact: Amy Spain, 425-348-5802 x. 101, [email protected]

From Mild to Wild in Snohomish County, Washington

In our corner of the Northwest you can explore a tide pool, hike to a mountain lake, and reel in a prized salmon all in a day. But nobody’s keeping score, so spend the whole day strolling under an ancient forest canopy hunting for exotic chanterelle mushrooms.

If you prefer “in your face” action, try staying upright in a kayak on the class IV+ rapids on the upper Skykomish River. Or you could don a wetsuit and explore an underwater park loaded with shipwrecks. Of course there’s rock climbing, mountain biking, glider rides and skydiving. And as long as you’re keeping that kind of pace, why not end the day by hiking up to camp out at a remote fire lookout. For a complete rundown of all the action in Snohomish County, visit www.snohomish.org.

1. Beach Walking From rocky shores teaming with tide pools, to sandy beaches perfect for sunset strolls, it’s all in Snohomish County.

Every summer thousands of people take guided shoreline walks with Everett Parks and Edmonds Beach rangers. They take the mystery out of things like tides, why starfish are called fish, why beach creatures can be hard to find and how they survive out of water. For details on the walks call us toll-free at 888-338-0976.

You could spend an entire evening watching the sun set over the Olympic Mountains It goes down as late as 10 p.m. at Brackett’s Landing, just north of the Edmonds ferry terminal. The waterfront park has picnic tables, and a paved trail around a jetty. You could spend an entire evening watching the sun set over the Olympic Mountains. It goes down as late as 10 p.m. at Brackett’s Landing, just north of the Edmonds ferry terminal. The waterfront park has picnic tables, and a paved trail around a jetty. Edmonds Visitor Center (425) 776-6711. Page - 2

2. Visit an Historic Lighthouse On summer weekends you can tour the Mukilteo Lighthouse. The building and its French-made lens are more than 100 years old, and although they’re now fully automated, the lighthouse still sends its signal out to guide ships through Possession Sound. The U.S. Coast Guard recently turned stewardship over to the Mukilteo Historical Society, which has restored the building. It’s only open weekends from 12p.m-5p.m., and groups of four or more can even climb the circular staircase up into the top of the lighthouse. (425) 513-9602.

3. Skate, Saddle or Stroll Four designated trail systems in Snohomish County offer miles of scenic cycling, rollerblading, walking or horseback riding. Stroll or cycle along 10.5 miles of the paved Interurban trail between Lynnwood and Everett, or take your horses (they stick to a grassy trail beside the paved path), blades or bike and meander along the 30-mile Centennial trail between the town of Snohomish and northern Snohomish-Skagit County border. Or explore the Lowell Riverfront and Langus Riverfront trails in Everett, which offer history, wildlife viewing and peaceful walks. Catch your breath at picnic tables and benches that dot the trails. You’ll even find a watering hole for horses on Centennial trail in Machias. Snohomish County trails are convenient and fun for everyone. Ample trailhead parking and restrooms; handicap accessible. Snohomish County Parks Dept (425) 388-6600.

4. Easy Forest Forays Nothing will humble you quicker than wandering through an ancient forest. In an old-growth forest, the trees are at least 200 years old - and growing. Some may be 800 years old, reaching 9-feet in diameter. In the forest primeval, it’s the journey that counts, not the destination. Notice the spongy “give” of the carpet of needles below you, taste the salal berry, a favorite of Native Americans. Or sink your fingers into the deep grooves in the bark of one of these giants, and when the wind is just right, hear the tree perform a creaking solo.

Here are some of the easiest lowland trails through old-growth forests: • West Cady Creek-one of the best examples in Western Washington of an undisturbed (and unprotected) old growth forest on US Hwy 2 near Index. Skykomish Ranger District (360) 677-2414. • North Fork Sauk River Trail-Giant trees Free Hiking Guides line the first mile, including red cedars 9- are available by calling the feet in diameter on the Mountain Loop. Snohomish County Tourism Bureau at (888) 338-0976 or visiting Boulder River-Thick old-growth in a • www.snohomish.org. lowland river valley between Arlington and Darrington. • Youth on Age-This easy trail is less than a mile long and wheelchair accessible. You’ll see trees 500 years old with interpretive signs alongside. Stop in at the Verlot Ranger station on the Mountain Loop for a guidebook. • Lake 22 and Heather Lake Trails-Two short trails outside Granite Falls, each with distinctive cathedral cedar and fir forests. Lake 22 trail also has a series of lovely Page - 3

waterfalls. Heather Lake trail starts out in dense second-growth forest and tops a ridge into a fairy tale forest primeval. Both trailheads are well marked off the Mountain Loop. For a list of 25 popular day and overnight hikes, contact Snohomish County Tourism Bureau office. Verlot Ranger District. (360) 691-7791.

5. Hunting Forest Fungi As you hike our forests (if you know where to look), you can find the same kinds of wild mushrooms you’ve probably eaten in fine restaurants. Morels, golden and white chanterelles, and American matsutake sprout up quickly in the dark, damp reaches of moist Northwest forests, especially Picking Points around Darrington and along the Mountain Loop Highway. 1. No mushroom is poisonous to Seasoned pickers guard their favorite spots the way fishers touch. protect their secret fishing holes. It’s no wonder, since 2.If in doubt on a mushroom’s mushroom buyers pay as much as $14 a pound for some identity, don’t eat it. varieties like matsutakes. Washington is the first state to 3.Only eat healthy mushrooms and regulate commercial harvesting of edible mushrooms. ALWAYS cook them beforehand.

Recreational picking is allowed without restriction on public lands. But, before you forage away, remember that in mushroom hunting, accuracy is a matter of life and death. So, it’s smart to hunt with a guidebook or better still, hire a guide. For help with identifying wild mushrooms call the Puget Sound Mycological Society at (206) 523-2892.

6. Go Cast a Fishing Line Salmon have always been a cultural icon in the Northwest. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of reeling in a 10-pound King or Silver Salmon. The fishing action’s good year-round in Puget Sound. Kings, Silvers and Humpies run through the summer, and by October, the Winter Blackmouth start running.

Charter operations out of Everett and Edmonds can take you out on Puget Sound year-round. Or hire a guide to join you on one of our fine local rivers.

You may not know about the hybrid salmon/trout species known as the Steelhead. It’s a sea-run trout that grows fat on the sea life in the Sound before returning to spawn in our rivers. For more info call All Star Fishing Charters (425) 252-4188.

The Stillaguamish and Skykomish rivers have some of the healthiest summer and winter runs of hatchery Steelhead in the state, and a not-to-be-missed spring run of prized Wild Steelhead. You would be wise to hire a guide though. These fish can weigh in at well over 20 pounds, and they fight.

There's also good saltwater fishing from the Edmonds Fishing Pier. It's open 24-hours a day and is wheelchair accessible.

And the bass fishing is also very good on some of our larger lakes such as Goodwin and Stevens. Contact us for a complete listing of charter operations and fishing guides in the area. For license info, call (360) 902-2200.

7. Rock Hounding Page - 4

Western Washington’s varied geology and geography make it a haven for rock hounds. They scour the beaches of Puget Sound and Cascade Mountains for everything from agates to petrified wood. Quartz crystals and fossils are some of the more popular finds, and both are plentiful near Sultan and Monroe on US Hwy 2 in Snohomish County. Around the Cedar Ponds Stubbs Hill area you’ll also find jasper and leaf fossils. In the High Rock, Tower Hill area rock hounds are excited about a new find of gold moss and plume in blue agate. They say all you need to be a rock hound is a bucket, watchful eyes, and an idea of where to go. You can dig at will on public lands. On private land, be sure you have any permits that may be required. You’re limited to packing out 25 pounds of petrified wood though, because it is the Washington State gem. And leave nature the way you found it... undisturbed. Marysville Rock & Gem Club (425) 334-6282.

8. Hot Sox! What better way to spend a summer night than watching the oh-so-hot Everett AquaSox, the Class-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. You get a chance to see tomorrow’s stars shine today. This is where Ken Griffey, Jr. belted out his first homer as a professional (he was playing for the Bellingham “baby M’s”). Randy Johnson pitched here summer of 1996 after his back surgery. The M’s first-round draft pick in 1995, Jose Cruz, Jr., got his professional start here in Everett. And most recently, the “King” – Felix Hernandez – pitched for the AquaSox as he rehabbed from a sports injury.

This is good old-fashioned baseball too. The AquaSox play on real grass, under starry skies: And after an AquaSox game, you can count on the players sticking around to sign autographs. The regular season runs mid June through Labor Day.

For ticket information, call (800)GO-FROGS. www.aquasox.com.

9. Dive Shipwrecks Come face-to-face with a gator-sized lingcod, or a 20-pound octopus, or just poke around a few shipwrecks covered with sea life. It's no wonder why the 27-acre Edmonds Underwater Park, just north of the ferry pier, is the most popular dive spot in Washington. But there is no shortage of other spots for the state's 75,000 certified divers to explore. The nutrient-rich waters of Puget Sound, plus the tidal interplay of salt and freshwater, mean there’s plenty of interesting aquatic life here. Slack current between every high and low tide is a perfect time to dive because the water is still.

Experienced divers can try drift diving too. That means being pulled along four feet off the bottom; slowly in the wider sections, and then whooshing through the narrower rocky spots. Or dive from a boat at the Edmonds oil dock, one half mile to the south of the underwater park. The pilings are home to white plumose anemones, spider crabs, red rock crabs and Dungeness crabs. Divers say it’s like climbing into an aquarium. For more information on local dives, call (425) 771-0230.

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10. Radical Rapids There's a mind-boggling mix of steep drops, narrow chutes and non-stop whitewater on the Upper North Fork of the Skykomish River. "Boulder Drop", the most famous rapid in the state, tests even the most experienced paddlers. This section of rapids is definitely not for beginners, and is only open during peak spring runoff. The "Sky" was the state's first federally designated "Wild & Scenic" river, protecting it from dams and other restrictions to its natural flow. Most of its nerve-rattling rapids are Class IV and even Class V, the toughest of all.

Or head to the Sauk River near Darrington to experience the Cascade Mountains’ "outback". This federally protected Wild & Scenic River runs through a pristine valley teaming with wildlife. As you navigate Class III to Class IV rapids known as "Jaws", and "Alligator Drop", you'll be surrounded by hanging glaciers and Cascade Mountain peaks.

Even experienced rafters and paddlers would be wise to hire a local guide. For a complete list call (888) 338-0976.

11. Airborne Fun Ballooning- A slightly milder alternative for seeing the scenery in the Snohomish Valley is a hot air balloon ride over the lush river valleys and farm land. Contact Airial Balloon Company in Snohomish for information on sunrise and sunset flights. (360) 568-3025.

Skydiving For thrill-seeking, jumping from a plane ranks pretty high. After instruction, even a beginner can make a static line jump at 3,000 feet. Your chute activates automatically, and then you glide gently to earth after about five minutes. Or you can tandem-jump harnessed to an instructor, and actually free fall for 30-60 seconds. The chute opens at about 4,000 feet, and your duo deftly drops to target in about five minutes. Skydive Snohomish offers both options at Harvey Field in the town of Snohomish. (360) 568-7703

12. Cascade Climbing If you like risks enough to rock climb, having the Cascades in your backyard has its advantages. There are climbs just about everywhere, but here are two of the bigger challenges. One of the Northwest's hottest technical climbs is the Index Town Wall, a 500-foot vertical climb that towers above the community of Index on US Hwy 2.

Another is three miles south of the town of Darrington on the Mountain Loop Highway. Exfoliation Dome's east flank has a 1,100-foot face known as Witch Doctor Wall, with a 75-degree angle. The west flank of the dome has a slabby area called Blueberry Hill. For more information on these and other climbs in Snohomish County, call (888) 338-0976. And if you aren't quite ready for the real thing, practice your technique at the climbing wall at the Vertical World in Everett. (425) 258-3431.

13. Trail Running Folks at REI, the Seattle mecca for extreme sporting goods, say they’ve seen an explosion of interest in trail running over the past year (it’s also called outdoor cross training). They credit two things: people enjoy working out in a beautiful natural setting, and improvements in Page - 6 footwear. Light-weight trail running shoes combine the sturdiness of a day hiking boot with the feather-weight of a stout running shoe. We can give you hot tips on the best trails to run.

14. Mountain Biking …at midnight Technology is also shifting the sport of mountain biking into ultra-high gear. With sophisticated new lighting systems that you can mount on your helmet or handle-bars, it’s possible to ride around the clock. Here are a couple of great night rides: • Old Sauk Trail - A three-mile ride is flat but it’ll sharpen your technical skills. Off the Mountain Loop Highway four miles south of Darrington. • Schweitzer Creek Loop-An 11-mile forest ride with a hefty climb and a winding, rapid descent. Midway along the Mountain Loop between Verlot and Silverton east of Granite Falls. • North Mountain Lookout This 13-mile round trip takes you up a good dirt road to an old fire lookout (see next item on renting fire lookouts), followed by a steep descent. It starts off of Highway 530 north of Darrington. Cross tracks, then take Forest Service road 28. After 3 miles take a right at the Y on Road 2810. Mount Baker Snoqualmie Forest office (425) 775-9702.

15. Fire Watching As long as you’re keeping this kind of pace, why not ride or hike up the mountain to spend the night in a remote fire lookout? You won’t actually have to watch for wildfires. Helicopters now handle fire surveillance.

At one time 466 lookouts were staffed in Washington’s forests. Once a firewatcher tried to build a piano in his lookout, but stopped when he couldn’t come up with a plan for hauling it downhill. Another firewatcher would run six miles downhill to Darrington every Friday night to take his girlfriend to the town dance. Then he’d run back up to the lookout a few hours later so he could make his shift early Saturday morning.

Most lookouts have either fallen into disrepair, or prey to vandals. However, an army of volunteers has lovingly restored some lookouts. One of those is Evergreen Mountain Lookout, which is now available for rent.

And take heart, since they began staffing lookouts back in the 1930s, there’s no record of any firewatcher being hurt by lightning at a lookout. We can tell you who to call for reservations and more information. For a complete list of lookouts call (888) 338-0976.