Humboldt County has come a long way from the days when railroads dominated the conversation about economic development and few local politicians saw trails as a community priority. It took trail pioneers working for many agonizing years to complete the Hammond Trail. And the Bay Trail seemed forever mired in a mountain of feasibility studies […]
Rees Hughes
Rees Hughes, editor of the Pacific Crest Trailside Reader, lives in Arcata.
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Throw Like the Irish
When I think about Ireland, step dancing, Liam Neeson and Guinness beer come to mind. Just recently I’ve become aware of another Irish export: road bowling. As I researched Irish road bowling, it became apparent that it is destined to become the next rage on the empty country roads of the North Coast. Already, competitions […]
Posted inStories
Eureka’s Mural Walk
Working on a walking guide to Humboldt County over the past year led me to the far corners of our region, but some of the best discoveries turned out to be incredibly close to home. For example, the walk that visits the murals dotting Eureka’s Old Town is a perfect way to get some exercise, […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Thar She Blows
The migration of the gray whale is a phenomenon on a par with the mass movement of the wildebeest across Africa’s Serengeti and the monarch butterfly’s journey from the Eastern U.S. to Mexico. And for those of us living on the North Coast, this practically happens in our front yard. Dawn Goley, director of the […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
New at the Zoo
Over the years, I have written about rooting around for mushrooms, long walks around the bay or along the coast, cycling the Avenue of the Giants, tidepooling, ziplining and wrestling bears (OK, I didn’t write that one). But I overlooked something that takes no planning, no preparation and no special skills or knowledge — the […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Bay Walk
My feet felt like tenderized beef and there was still a layer of sweat salt on my forehead. I had several new rips in my hiking pants and ritual scarification from aggressive blackberry canes. But, nine hours and some 16 miles later, we had arrived back where we started. Circumnavigating the northern portion of Humboldt […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Where the Wild Things Are
I recently wrote a column for the Journal about the river otter, one of the many adorable, cuddly denizens of the North Coast. “They’re so cute,” several readers commented, seeing the photo in the story. Then the April issue of National Geographic arrived in our mailbox with an article about our desire to bring wild […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Otter Spotter
While hiking the King Range, I saw a flash of brown just up Cooksie Creek. Then a splash. The small, slicked head of a Lontra canadensis created a gentle wake as it spiraled upstream away from me. The river otter kept a wary eye but never stopped its aquabatics until I entered the creek to […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
On the Right Tract
The confetti of fallen leaves and needles littering the old logging road dampened our footsteps as we walked parallel to Bob Hill Gulch toward Ryan Creek. The canopy of alder and young conifers filtered the sun. I found it difficult to believe that just a short distance to the west were Cutten’s homes, schools and […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Happy Trails
After seemingly endless days of sun, it was one of those bone-chilling, gray mornings that make staying home very attractive. But Jane Stock and Susan Penn, Volunteer Trail Steward coordinators for Eureka’s Hikshari’ trail, had tasks and tools to keep the several dozen volunteers busy and refreshments to take the edge off of the marine […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Next Time I’ll Try Skydiving
I hit 60 this past week, and my youngest daughter turned the ripe old age of 18 on the same day. To celebrate, and in my case, to prove that I was not nearly ready to kick the bucket, I suggested that we take on the zip line in the Arcata Community Forest. To my […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
The Joys of Bocce
I got the ball rolling by just showing up at the Larson Park Bocce Ball courts in Arcata one Saturday morning. Intending only to watch, I was surprised when John, Dave and Rochelle invited me to join them. As I soon learned, playing with four is much preferred to any other combination, even if the […]