Recreation

Hit the Trail with Soph: No, Not Like That

By Gabriel Cruden / July 3, 2026 /

We all know there are things you don’t do at family gatherings if you want to keep the peace and not have a brawl before you get to dessert. Don’t…

Hit the Trail with Soph: Take Mom Outside

By Gabriel Cruden / June 5, 2026 /

If you’re like me and prefer to put off more pressing matters and procrastinate by doing menial side quests like reading this column, you may recall when my brother, mother,…

What Not to do on an Early May Hike in NE Washington

By Gabriel Cruden / June 5, 2026 /

A friend and I – let’s call her B – decided to go on a hike last week. The weather over the winter was mild, meaning lack of snow and…

Hit the Trail with Soph

By Gabriel Cruden / May 1, 2026 /

It doesn’t happen often, but every once in a while, when I tell people I occasionally hike alone, they look at me like I just told them I wrestle bears…

Hit the Trail with Soph

By Gabriel Cruden / April 3, 2026 /

Greetings, fellow trekkers, may this column find you well, or at least high-spirited enough to be a thorn in the side of hustle culture. I was remiss in catching up…

Enjoying the Outdoors

By Gabriel Cruden / October 31, 2025 /

If you’ve spent time in this area for any amount of time, you may know fall and winter is a popular time for the hunters to emerge. Maybe you’ve been…

Hiking with Soph: What’s in My Pack?

By Gabriel Cruden / August 29, 2025 /

  By Sophia Mattice-Aldous This is a list of what I keep on my person as a day hiker. Be sure to do your own research and reach out to…

Hit the Trail with Soph

By Gabriel Cruden / August 1, 2025 /

By Sophia Mattice-Aldous While perusing a list of local hikes sent to me by a correspondent from the Washington Trails Association (WTA), I felt a skittering of exercise insecurity. Don’t…

Berries

By Gabriel Cruden / August 1, 2025 /

By Ray Bilderback When I was 11 and 12 years old, I lived with my maternal grandparents on their little farm. On that farm, there was a respectable raspberry patch…

How Fishing Rods Are Made

By Huckleberry Press / April 3, 2023 /

Have you wondered from time to time just how fishing rods are made today? The simple answer is pretty much like they were in the 1800s and 1900s, with the understanding that the technology used to design rod blanks, and the tools utilized by the maker have advanced considerably over the years.