Peak Northwest

On this week's episode of the show, we depart the beautiful Pacific Northwest — purely hypothetically, of course. As many folks dream of vacations they'll take post-pandemic, we share some of the big trips we've dreamed up. You can support this podcast and our local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-o...

Traveling during the shoulder season – just before or just after the peak season for tourism – is not just a way to beat the crowds, but an opportunity to see the Pacific Northwest in a whole new light. On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we go over some of our favorite shoulder season destinations and some of the precautions you might need to take before heading out there this spring. You c...

On this week's episode of the Peak Northwest podcast, two representatives from the nonprofit Trailkeepers of Oregon discuss what it takes to maintain hiking trails and how you can get involved. You can support this podcast and our local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more abo...

Henry Backus and Matisse Nash set out late to the Cascade Mountains from Portland. The two planned to stay the night at a secluded campsite east of Eugene, then visit a nearby hot springs in the morning. What was supposed to be a quick overnighter turned into a three-day nightmare, as heavy snow started to fall in the mountains, trapping their car on a remote forest road. Their story is a cautiona...

Gray whales will once again migrate past the Pacific Northwest this spring, bringing some 25,000 of the massive mammals to the Oregon coast. Even though that seems like a sizable crowd, they can be hard to spot. This week on the Peak Northwest podcast, we have some whale watching tips and tricks that are sure to help you out. You can support this podcast and our local journalism with a subscriptio...

Aching to go camping? You don't have to wait for warmer weather. We provide a rundown of how to go snow camping in the snow — and stay warm while you're out. You can support this podcast and our local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone....

Watch a powerful storm batter the coastline, hike through a lush coastal rainforest, enjoy a good meal from a local restaurant and catch a radiant sunset over Haystack Rock. Winter is a magical time at Cannon Beach, and one that scores of tourists have been enjoying this season, even as the experience is blunted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. On this week’s episode of the Peak Northwest podc...

Watch a powerful storm batter the coastline, hike through a lush coastal rainforest, enjoy a good meal from a local restaurant and catch a radiant sunset over Haystack Rock. Winter is a magical time at Cannon Beach, and one that scores of tourists have been enjoying this season, even as the experience is blunted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. On this week’s episode of the Peak Northwest podc...

If you’re looking for bald eagles, head to the border between southern Oregon and northern California. Every winter, the Klamath Basin hosts the largest concentration of bald eagles in the continental U.S., according to the Klamath Basin Audubon Society. The birds tend to hang around between late November and early March, with the largest numbers showing up in January and February, so it’s the rig...

On this week’s episode of the Peak Northwest podcast, we discuss the challenges of travel planning in a strange and uncertain year, using this year’s Northwest Travel Guide as a jumping-off point to generate a few ideas. Uncertainty doesn’t have to mean stagnation, but the unique circumstances surrounding this year will require Pacific Northwest travelers to be strategic and creative See acast.com...

Late last year, Peak Northwest co-host Jim Ryan took a tour of the Salmonberry Trail, a historic rail line that’s currently closed to the public but could one day become an 86-mile multi-use path connecting the Portland area to the Oregon coast. For this week's episode of the podcast, we connected with Jon-Paul Bowles, executive director of the Salmonberry Trail Foundation and Jim's guide on the S...

We all know that nature can be healing, but sometimes it’s not just as easy as going outside. On this week’s episode of the Peak Northwest podcast, we spoke with Zoë Presley, a Portland-based psychotherapist and forest therapy guide, to talk about "forest bathing" and help us understand how best to find healing in the great outdoors. Read Jamie’s previous story about finding healing in nature at h...

Crowded trailheads. Packed campgrounds. Busy beaches, rivers and lakes. Oregon outdoor recreation areas saw a huge flood of visitors in 2020, many of whom were new to outdoor recreation. We discuss the crowds and offer some advice for people who don’t have a lot of outdoor recreation experience. (Don’t miss our previous episodes on Camping 101, Backpacking 101 and relieving yourself responsibly wh...

Many outdoor enthusiasts have dreamed of building their ultimate adventure vehicles— the type of rigs you can use to get where you’re going and sleep comfortably along the way. For this week’s episode of the Peak Northwest podcast, we caught up with Brooke Weeber, a Portland-based artist and adventurer who built out her own adventure van in 2020. You can support this podcast and our local journali...

Traveling with friends and family is fun, but there’s something special about enjoying the Pacific Northwest on your own. On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we dive into both the joys and difficulties of solo travel – from day hikes to road trips – getting some advice from Kim Waara, an avid solo traveler based in Portland. You can support this podcast and our local journalism with a subscr...

A mysterious monolith placed in — and later removed from — the Utah desert captivated the country this fall. And while we were following the twists and turns of the story, our minds wandered back to another high-profile case that raised questions about art and vandalism in nature, this on in southeast Oregon. You can support this podcast and our local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive....

Why pay top dollar for a perfect Christmas tree when you can pay a nominal fee, tromp off into the woods and cut down your own? While you might not walk away with the prettiest fir in the world, harvesting your Christmas tree from the national forest is a Pacific Northwest pastime – and a great excuse to get outside this time of year. On this week’s episode, we get some advice from Heather Ibsen,...

Back before the COVID-19 pandemic set in here in Oregon, Peak Northwest co-host Jim Ryan schemed up a mission: try to see as many Columbia River Gorge waterfalls as possible — from sunrise to sundown. He recruited co-host Jamie Hale and video producer Brooke Herbert, and they headed out to the gorge. By sundown, they’d seen 16 waterfalls — and captured each of them on camera. This week on the Peak...

As the Northwest weather turns dreary, we're looking for ways to stay active through the winter — especially this year, when we're staying close to home. We'll also take a look back at lessons learned from Oregon's first coronavirus shutdown. You can support this podcast and our local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/privacy fo...

As the smoke clears on yet another devastating wildfire season in Oregon, questions naturally begin to arise: How bad is it? When can we go back? How long will it take for the forests to grow back? Answers don’t always come quickly or easily, but to the question of “how long,” we can at least turn to some of the forests in Oregon that have been devastated by other major fires – most notably the Ti...

On this week’s episode of the Peak Northwest podcast, we speak with Dave Tragethon from Mt. Hood Meadows about what precautions the ski resort has made amid the coronavirus pandemic, and what skiing will look like this season. You can support this podcast and our local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and op...

This week on the Peak Northwest podcast, we make the case for spending that time hiking in Camas — the small suburban town in southwest Washington. And to help us out, we brought on Camas resident Sally Hale, who just happens to be Jamie's mother. You can support this podcast and our local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/priva...

On this week’s episode of the Peak Northwest podcast, we’re highlighting some of the spookiest travel destinations in Oregon, whether you’re planning a Halloween vacation or are in search of a spooky day hike for the season. You can support this podcast and our local journalism with a subscription to OregonLive. Go to oregonlive.com/podsupport. Thank you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-...

Oregon’s rivers and lakes hold endless appeal, beckoning enthusiasts of all kinds to their chilly waters. There are the swimmers and boaters, the kayakers and the stand-up paddleboarders. And then, of course, there are the anglers: those casting out in search of their latest catch. Peak Northwest podcast hosts Jim Ryan and Jamie Hale are fishing novices. But on this week’s show, colleague and avid...

Seven days, 19 hours, 23 minutes. That’s how long it took Eugene resident Emily Halnon to run the length of Oregon, from south to north, on the famed Pacific Crest Trail this summer. Halnon set a new record time on the Oregon section of the PCT, which totals over 450 miles, and raised more than $33,000 for rare cancer research in the process. This week on the Peak Northwest podcast, Halnon discuss...