36 EXTREME VISITBELLEVUEWASHINGTON.COM VISIT BELLEVUE ( LY ski hill,thefrontseatofafloatplane,jumping-off point ofazipline,oreven the14,410-foot summitof high, whether viewedfromthetopofabackcountry Washington state isatitsmost gloriousfromon Mount Rainier. Allittakes isalittle gumption. HOW HIGH ARE YOUHIGH HOW ) PREPARED TOGO? OUTDOOR RUSH HOW TOGETAN IN BACKYARD WILLIAMS 'S BELLEVUE'S ALLISON BY BY WASHINGTON

GRANT GUNDERSON / TANDEMSTOCK.COM North Cascades Heli-skiing the Heli-skiing HELL-BENT HELI-SKIING The North Cascades aren’t close to anything. But that’s North the best feature of the angled peaks— Cascades Heli-Skiing all it takes is a little work to access the wildest, most untouched land in the state. And an ASTAR B2 chopper. Before taking off in a helicopter, a Kenmore Air over the San skier must cross the north-south Cas- Juan Islands cade mountain range on Highway 2, then head to the old-timey western town of Winthrop. An epic ski begins, oddly enough, at the elegantly rustic Freestone Inn, home of feather pil- lows, soaking tubs, and one North Cascades Heli-Skiing Heli Barn crammed with demo gear and skis as fat as snow tires. SOAR, SAIL, SEE WHALES Don’t take it personally when Like any flight, floatplane in Port Townsend is just visible out By law, watercraft cannot venture you’re asked to step on a scale; weight routes on Kenmore Air have the left. Rain? No problem. Only fog within 100 yards of marine mam- distribution is carefully calibrated. one seat that’s just better. No, not grounds this 50-year-old seaplane. mals; too bad the animals never got LESSER After practice with avalanche bea- some exit-row or bulkhead seat, but Landing at Roche Harbor on San the memo. Harbor seals, insatiably EXTREMES cons and reminders not to wave ski the one beside the pilot, knees just Juan Island is smoother than most curious, pop up in dark blue waters, poles near helicopter blades, it’s time Don’t float? Several inches from important-looking dials airliner touchdowns, and it’s time to and the black fins of killer whales for takeoff. outfitters offer boat and switches. For this shotgun view, leave the aircraft in favor of a human- break the waves. When they’re close, tours, and captains Within moments, no houses or you have to request it—it’s worth it. powered sea kayak on the San Juan no one breathes—in awe, not fear. The share sightings, so cars are in sight, just the occasional From takeoff on Lake Union, pow- archipelago. Sky-blue double kay- resident orca pods are so familiar to an orca encounter is glimpse of the snowed-in North ering past floating homes and between aks form a floating wagon train that locals that some whales even have almost guaranteed. Cascades Highway winding between San Juan Outfitters sailboats, you’re elbow to elbow with slowly bobs out of the sleepy marina, names and known personalities. the slopes. After a 10-minute flight, has kayak and boat the pilot—who also acts as ticket agent, past docks, beach houses, and pocket- Even if orcas don’t appear, there choppers drop skiers among the jag- tours. Both Western baggage handler, dockhand, navigator, sized islands dotted with a few trees. are waterfowl, otters, lighthouses, and Prince and San ged peaks, below granite spires, and and flight attendant (so don’t expect By the time the flotilla reaches Haro rugged bits of shoreline to distract the Juan Safaris leave above glades of trees in a 300,000- peanuts). Then it’s over the Ballard Strait, which separates the United kayaker. And one has to dig deep— from near the acre zone—and always above perfect, Locks, Elliott Bay, and wide-open States from Vancouver Island, there’s where are you, core muscles?—to Friday Harbor Whale untouched powder. Museum, which Puget Sound for a 45-minute flight. nothing but a distant sailboat here, a paddle back to Roche Harbor in time And yes, this is powder. One, two, houses three orca Whidbey Island is a patchwork of passing ferry there, and little wind to for the floatplane trip back to dry land even three feet of light, airy, sugary skeletons. LESSER small farms to the right, a lighthouse disturb the surf. in Seattle. From $242 per person. EXTREMES snow. It’s into an open bowl one run, onto a tree-covered slope the next, Think an outdoors- always room for long, smooth turns. man can’t enjoy Guides direct the bird to the razor- a loud, rumbly snowmobile? edge ridgelines so fine that there’s The machines nowhere to go but down. can quickly cover Skiers need to fuel up at the same ground that would time the chopper does, so during take a hiker all day lunch the pilot returns to base and to navigate—and leaves the group stranded, gloriously, they’re pretty fun in the wilderness, the only sounds the to whip around corners. Guided whomp of a distant avalanche. snowmobile tours A single day is seven runs of about leave from Moun- 12,000 vertical feet. Additional runs tain Springs Lodge are available for a fee, depending on Kayaking the in Leavenworth the snow conditions. Most skiers will San Juan Islands and head as far as be daydreaming of those feather pil- the 5,814-foot-high Sugarloaf Lookout. lows back at the lodge. From $1,077

per person. TANDEMSTOCK.COM / GRANT GUNDERSON OPPOSITE PAGE: THIS PAGE, FROM TOP: COURTESY KENMORE AIR, GARY LUHM / DANITADELIMONT.COM

VISIT BELLEVUE BELLEVUE VISITOR GUIDE 2014 VISITBELLEVUEWASHINGTON.COM VISITBELLEVUEWASHINGTON.COM 3838 VISITBELLEVUEWASHINGTON.COM 39 ZIP TRIP Of course zip-lining is safe. closed-toe shoes. This tangle of coarse After all, you’re wearing a hel- rope swings in every plane, making met and harness, and two separate the inch-by-inch climb humbling. It attach to the zip line. Kids looked so easy from below, and now do it. But when the time comes to step you’re flailing like a too-green sailor HELI-SKIING off a stable 50-foot platform and sail caught in the rigging. Freestone Inn through the leafy Washington out- But then, finally, on the sky level 31 Dr, Mazama; doors, it seems preposterous. Who of the play park, stability: a series 509-996-3906; jumps off a perfectly good ledge? of small platforms, all separated freestoneinn.com Mountain Springs Woodinville’s Adventura adven- by goofy, tricky passages. Travel Lodge 19115 Chi- ture park at Redhook was erected in by grasping a rope swing, navigat- wawa Loop Rd, Leavenworth; the middle of the region’s winery and ing a tangle of slack lines, taking a 509-763-2713; brewery playground; it’s an off-the- giant leap, or going hand-over-hand mtsprings.com North Cascades ground jaunt to do before flights of through suspended loops. Every route Heli-Skiing the chardonnay kind. has a trick testing balance and coor- 509-996-3272; heli-ski.com Orientation is kind of like ; dination. It only takes one fall, and a WHALE WATCHING you’re kitted out with harness and catch by the secure harness, to lose Friday Harbor Whale Museum helmet, then asked to the fear. Former strang- 62 First St N, parrot back instructions ers yell encouragement Friday Harbor; to master the safety or advice, and no one 360-378-4710; LESSER whalemuseum.org protocol. Practicing the EXTREMES cares anymore about Kenmore Air 425-486-1257; prescribed routine— their dorky helmets or kenmoreair.com hook one to Discovery Chal- graceless movement. San Juan Outfit- the thick cable, then lenge, inside Until, of course, it’s ters 360-378- Bellevue’s Eastgate 1962; sanjuan the other, and always time to take the zip islandoutfitters.com Park, features with a buddy—sparks line down. The final fall San Juan Safaris ropes courses and 360-378-1323; easy camaraderie within a 150-foot zip line. isn’t about dexterity, it’s sanjuansafaris.com Western Prince the group as everyone The Northwest Trek about letting go. “You 360-378-5315; exchanges names before Zip Wild course, can go upside down,” orcawhale near Mount Rainier, watch.com agreeing that no one the staffer says, as if that MOUNT RAINIER has swinging looks good in this odd would make the 50-foot Alpine Ascents bridges suspended crotch-cradling, bubble- drop more reasonable. 206-378-1927; above a safari-like alpineascents.com headed, getup. animal preserve. And so, halfway down Crystal Mountain 33914 Crystal Then it’s up on the Friday Harbor’s Zip to the rural valley floor, Mountain Blvd, play structure, a rope- San Juan has eight almost everyone flips Crystal Mountain; zip lines through crystalmountain and-log jungle gym upside down in a moment Inter- the island forest. resort.com located five stories off of fast, free, pure, giddy national Mountain Down near the the ground. The initial abandon. Washington’s Guides 360-569- Columbia Gorge, 2609; mountain Mount Rainier BAG MOUNT RAINIER ascent up via a rope cargo Skamania Lodge’s greenery becomes a blur, guides.com Rainier Moutain- LESSER net is the hardest part— Zip Line Tour is a and feet hit the hard dirt eering Inc. 360- EXTREMES they have challenges canopy trip with an of Woodinville while the 569-2227; Step, pause, breathe, repeat. in the wildflower-laden Paradise ing; because ropes must stay taut for the sun starts to rise, and the long, 800-foot-long ride. rmiguides.com like this on Survivor— shriek still echoes off the ZIP-LINING That’s all it takes to get to the meadows. Eventually the route hits safety, every climber gets a 40-foot Not every hike freezing slog ends at Mount Rainier’s and the reason you need brewery next door. Adventura summit of 14,410-foot-tall Mount a snowfield, which means crunching, island of solitude to step, pause, in Mt. Rainier summit crater. In the protected bowl, 14300 NE 145th Rainier, as long as you can repeat for slow steps up to Camp Muir, named breathe, and repeat. Mountaineers National Park has flat and big as four empty football St, Woodinville; to go to the sum- Adventura 866-981-8665; seven or eight (or more) hours in the for the famous naturalist. John Muir attempting Everest also often come to fields, it isn’t about the view but the adventuraplay.com mit; the 5.5-mile dark and the kind of cold that was bowled over by the mountain’s Rainier because it has every scary ter- company; conversation erupts after Discovery Skyline Trail from Challenge 14509 makes bones ache. beauty on his own climb in 1888, call- rain type as that sky-high peak. From Paradise’s visitor hours of silent stepping, and climb- SE Newport Way, The reward is worth every tentative ing it “the grandest excursion of all.” Muir on up, there are deep glacier cre- center delivers ers eat candy bars as rewards. Bellevue; 425-452- 4240; ci.bellevue. step, but an ascent up “the mountain,” No one sleeps easy at Camp Muir. vasses and dangers on an epic level. spectacular views Eventually everyone strolls to the wa.us/challenge- takes careful planning or a spot with Earplugs and a facemask help; nerves It’s too dangerous to even look at the of the Tatoosh highest point, where the wind whips course.htm Range; the paved Northwest Trek one of three local guide companies: don’t. The flat step is halfway up a and caves cut like hatchet at the tiny American flags that mark Zip Wild 11610 1.75-mile Alta Rainier Inc. was mountain but as busy as the park- marks into the glacier’s icefall; to peer the true summit, Columbia Crest. The Trek Dr E, Eaton- Vista Trail has gla- ville; 360-832- founded by local legend Lou ing lot below, crowded with tents into their eerie light-blue depths is to cier and meadow snow here has been so disturbed it’s 6117; nwtrek.org Skamania Lodge Whittaker in 1969, while the newer and an old stone hut, and the thin waste unnecessary seconds on a shift- panoramas. as if this were the sight of a snowball Zip Line Tour 1131 Alpine Ascents and International air still carries the chatter of dozens ing, lethal mountain. Outside the park, fight, and strangers share cameras Skamania Lodge Mountain Guides offer similar trips. of climbers looking to borrow a cup In the dark, it’s hard to tell each Crystal Mountain’s and pose for photos. Below, the state’s Way, Stevenson; gondola whisks 509-427-0202; Climbing can require up to a year of of noodles or brag about frostbite. person’s tiny headlamp from the stars. smaller hills and mountains ripple zipnskamania.com riders to a 6,872- athletic training but no special skills. Sometime around midnight it’s time Metal hit rock, a screech like water, still misty with morning Zip San Juan foot viewpoint and 360-378-5947; It starts at Paradise. After gear to hike again, but now clad in helmets, like nails on a chalkboard—this is the state’s highest clouds. But on top of Mount Rainier zipsanjuan.com checks and safety talks, the walking crampons, and harnesses that tether Disappointment Cleaver, a promon- restaurant. it’s as sunny as high noon. Turns out

truly begins up the crowded trails climbers together. There’s no talk- tory as discouraging as its name. Then JAMIE JUDY & WILD / DANITADELIMONT.COM ADVENTURACOURTESY the climb also ends at paradise.

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