Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you'd like to explore Puget Sound
or Seattle's Lake Union in a sea kayak,
contact the
Northwest Outdoor
Center,
2100 Westlake Ave. N., Suite
1, Seattle, WA 98109 (
&
800/683-
0637
or 206/281-9694; www.nwoc.
com). This center rents kayaks and
also offers various classes and guided
trips. Day trips are $70, 3-day trips are
$295, and 5-day classes are $625.
In the San Juan Islands,
San Juan
Kayak Expeditions
(
&
360/378-
4436;
www.sanjuankayak.com) offers
multi-day kayak trips, charging $380
for a 3-day trip and $480 for a 4-day
trip.
Orcas Outdoors
(
&
360/
376-4611;
www.orcasoutdoors.com)
offers 3-day trips for $350.
Crystal
Seas Kayaking
(
&
877/SEAS-877
or
360/378-4223; www.crystalseas.com)
runs kayak camping trips ranging
from 2 days ($279) to 6 days ($839),
and inn-to-inn trips ranging from
2 days ($569) to 6 days ($1,999).
Sea
Quest Expeditions/Zoetic Research
(
&
888/589-4253
or 360/378-5767;
www.sea-quest-kayak.com), is a non-
profit organization that sponsors edu-
cational sea-kayaking trips through
the San Juans. Three-day trips are
$359 and 5-day trips are $599.
SKIING & SNOWBOARDING
Washington has about half a dozen
major ski areas and about the same
number of lesser areas. The major ski
areas are all located in the Cascade
Range. These include Mount Baker, a
snowboarding mecca near Bellingham;
Mission Ridge, which is located near
Wenatchee and is known for its pow-
der snow; Stevens Pass, which is near
the Bavarian-theme town of Leaven-
worth; the Summit at Snoqualmie,
which is located less than an hour from
Seattle; Crystal Mountain near the
northeast corner of Mount Rainier
National Park; and White Pass, which
is southeast of Mount Rainier National
Park. For information on all of these
ski areas, see chapter 9. Smaller and
more remote ski areas include Mount
Spokane and 49 Degrees North, both
north of Spokane; and Ski Bluewood,
near Walla Walla (see chapter 10 for
information on these three ski areas).
Tiny locals-only ski areas with only a
handful of runs include Hurricane
Ridge, in Olympic National Park (see
chapter 7); Loup Loup, near Winthrop
(see chapter 9); and Echo Valley, near
Lake Chelan (see chapter 9). Heli-
skiing is also available in the Methow
Valley (see chapter 9).
Many downhill ski areas also offer
groomed cross-country ski trails. The
most popular cross-country areas in
Washington include the Methow Val-
ley (one of the largest trail systems in
the country), Leavenworth, the Sum-
mit at Snoqualmie, White Pass, Stevens
Pass, and near Mount St. Helens and
Mount Adams.
WHALE-WATCHING
Orca
whales, commonly called killer whales,
are a symbol of the Northwest and are
often seen in Puget Sound and around
the San Juan Islands, especially during
the summer. Dozens of companies
offer whale-watching trips from the
San Juans. You can also spot orcas from
San Juan Island's Lime Kiln State Park.
For information on orca-watching
opportunities, see chapter 5. Out on
the Washington coast, migrating gray
whales can be seen March through
May. In the town of Westport, there are
both viewing areas and companies
operating whale-watching excursions.
For more information, see chapter 8.
WHITE-WATER RAFTING
Plenty
of rain and lots of mountains combine
to produce dozens of good white-water
rafting rivers, depending on the time of
year and water levels. In the Washing-
ton Cascades, some of the popular raft-
ing rivers include the Wenatchee
outside Leavenworth, the Methow near
Winthrop, the Skagit and Skykomish
rivers north of Seattle, and the White
Salmon River near Trout Lake. On the
Olympic Peninsula, the Queets, Hoh,
and Elwha rivers are the main rafting
