Whether you want to prepare early for the 2008 Seattle-to-Portland ride or dream of becoming the fastest woman on a bike, there’s a book for you.
If you weren’t quite up to doing this year’s STP, start training now with the help of “The Cyclist’s Training Manual: Fitness and Skills for Every Rider” ($20, Falcon).
This book and its plentiful color photographs leave no stone unturned to help you develop the muscles and the attitude. If you’ve entertained thoughts of racing, there’s plenty in this book on that aspect, too.
The subtitle of “One Gear No Breaks” ($16, Key Porter) sums it up pretty well: “Lori-Ann Muenzer’s Ride to Belief, Belonging and a Gold Medal.”
Her goal is simple: to be the fastest woman on a bike on Earth. Yet she’s smart enough to know that athletes should have an outside activity, and hers is photography, an antidote to competitive cycling’s cycle of triumph and defeat.
“Hiking Whatcom County” ($15, Northwest Wild Books”). Ken Wilcox’s backpack-size book covers hundreds of miles from historic Bellingham to two Pacific Crest Trail hikes on the eastern edge of Whatcom.
He also groups them: best for visitors, best by season, best for kids, etc. There are photographs, some maps and descriptions of 110 hikes. He also has pages on other hikes, parks and a good section on viewpoints and water access.
“With a Pinch of Salt” ($14, Sheridan House). Join Captain Nick Bates for his interpretation of nautical expressions and other stories. Warning: If you’re not interested in reading yourself into a better mood, don’t bother.
But if you’re curious and have a funny bone, you’ll love learning about flogging the clock, blighty, son of a gun, eight bells, shiver me timbers, horse latitudes or hanky-panky, this humorously illustrated book is for you.
“Don’t Forget the Duct Tape” ($8, Mountaineers Books). Kristin Hostetter offers tips and tricks for repairing and maintaining outdoor gear even without duct tape. Repairing a broken zipper tooth, rebuilding worn heels of your hiking boots, cleaning your backpack and dealing with a tent’s water problems are just some of her helpful tips.
“Packing Up a Picnic” ($10, Gibbs Smith). Let Rick Walton and Jennifer Adams combine recipes and activities for picnic-bound children. These ideas aren’t for just any picnic. No, this book will help them plan a haunted picnic, a snow picnic, a bicycle picnic and many more. Why, they might not even miss their computer!
“How to Live in the Woods” ($20, Key Porter). Dreaming of escaping civilization? Sam Martin and Christian Casucci offer the skills you’ll need to really be on your own for an extended time. They focus on preparation, shelter, water, fire, food and finding your way, describing what you need and how to accomplish the task.
“Vancouver, Howe Sound &the Sunshine Coast” ($40, Harbour) is Anne and Laurence Yeadon’-Jones’ Dreamspeaker cruising guide with excellent photographs, hand-drawn shoreline maps of anchorages and marinas, and well-written descriptions.
“151 Dives in the Protected Waters of Washington State and British Columbia” ($30, Mountaineer Books). One of the most trusted names in Northwest diving is author and diver Betty Pratt-Johnson, who has updated her long-awaited where-to-dive bible.
Each chapter has several pages of informational lists followed by two-page dive descriptions. In our area, she’s included Rosario Beach, Deception Pass, Fort Casey Underwater Natural Area and Edmonds Underwater Park.
In the Edmonds’ dive park section, learn what divers can find, when the visibility is best, bottom type and depth, hazards, contact information, facilities and access.
“Under Pressure: An Underwater Investigation” ($7, Signet Mystery). Here’s a bit of fiction among the nonfiction list. Kathy Brandt’s merges mystery with an appreciation for the ocean and its inhabitants around the British Virgin Isles.
Nature is a significant thread as detective and scuba diver Hannah Sampson follows clues, deals with dead ends, and winds up with an unexpected bonus.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
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