Sunday, December 27, 2009

WTA Feature on Cougar Mtn. credits N3C lifetime member Harvey Manning

Washington Trails Magazine, a publication of the Washington Trails Association (WTA) has a great feature in the current Jan/Feb 2010 issue about hiking in Cougar Mountain's historic mining district they titled Hike in History: Hitting the Mother Lode at Cougar Mountain. Read the full article HERE.

Harvey Manning (1925-2006), N3C lifetime member and legendary hiker/author, is credited by WTA writer Abby Wolfe as the conservationist who saved the Cougar Mountain area from encroaching suburbia:
Conservation activist and guidebook author Harvey Manning recognized Cougar Mountain's natural and historic value. Thanks largely to Manning's efforts, Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park was created in 1985, permanently preserving its rich heritage. Surrounded by Bellevue, Issaquah and Newcastle, it is the largest urban wildland in the US and the crown jewel in the King County Parks system.
WTA's website has a great short hike summary to go along with the magazine article. Note on the bottom of that page there's a link to a map so you can find the trail-heads and routes easily.

As the article says,
When winter shuts down hiking in the high country, I look to the Issaquah Alps for my inspiration.
It was N3C's Harvey Manning who gave them that name, and saved them for our enjoyment! To fully immerse yourself in Harvey's spirit, get a copy of "Irate Birdwatcher" on DVD, at the American Alps online store. You'll see why many of us revere him as the John Muir of the Cascades.

[And an insider tip: rumor has it that Washington Trails will feature articles about geology hikes in forthcoming 2010 issues. Experts will describe their favorite places to see spectacular North Cascades geology! Several of those hikes are likely to be in the American Alps study areas... stay tuned...]

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