Sharon Wootton writes regularly about outdoor activities, including hiking and bird watching.
Herald file
You may be safer birding in orange Hunting is a topic I rarely address, yet it comes to mind each fall when bird hunters and birdwatchers have the same targets. [More] November 7
Court Leve
Warren Miller’s ‘Dynasty’ is a winner I’ve been known to criticize a few Warren Miller films but “Dynasty” is not among them. [More] October 31 Dippers are fascinating, swimming songbirds Moving to Western Washington from Maryland a few decades ago opened up a different ecosystem for me, although it was a give-and-take situation. [More] October 24 Skiers, it’s time to get in shape I’m sure skiers and snowboarders have started their preseason exercise routine to make sure those recalcitrant muscles are ready for the slopes. Right. [More] October 17 A 30-mile stretch packed with unexpected sights Wonder if Lewis and Clark were nearly blown off their feet in 1806 as they stood at Alpowa Summit, gazing across the windswept plateau that would someday turn into wheat country. [More] October 10 Larches put on a glorious show One of my favorite hikes is to Blue Lake, a popular alpine lake near Washington Pass, off the North Cascades Highway. Calling it a picture-perfect lake meets the trite standard, but it does show up in many hiking and photography-heavy... [More] September 26 Sharon Wootton: Kayaking event one of longest in the U.S. Port Townsend was rated one of the best paddling towns in America by Paddler magazine in 2008. The annual West Coast Sea Kayaking Symposium is one reason for its stature. [More] September 19 In nature, a little gall can be beautiful So here I am picking one of nature’s gems off a tall nonflowering wild rose at a four-way intersection. [More] September 12