Peak Northwest The Oregonian/OregonLive

Saddle Mountain has long been one of the most popular hikes in Oregon’s northern Coast Range, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, but for two years it remained shuttered, leaving hikers to find other trails to climb.
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, a few months after the state park’s big reopening, we return to the classic Coast Range adventure, mounting the saddle and taking in the panoramic views.
Those returning to Saddle Mounain will find new features, some big changes and the same beautiful scenery that made this spot so popular in the first place.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

Vickie talks about what drew her to Saddle Mountain this spring.

What’s new now that the park is back open?

What it’s like to hike to the top of Saddle Mountain.

Why this is a great trail for the beginning of spring.


Subscribe to Peak Northwest on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re not into gambling in any form, is there any reason to visit a casino?
Oregon’s casinos may not have the same allure as our beautiful natural attractions, but they remain among the most popular destinations in the state. For people more apt to hike the Cascades or explore the coast, is there any appeal?
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we take a trip to Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde to find out, exploring all the non-gambling aspects of the Coast Range attraction.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

Jamie explains why he has stayed away from casinos – and why he visited this one.

Food and drink are a big draw at Spirit Mountain.

Searching for all the best places to sit and read in the casino.

Other nearby attractions make Spirit Mountain a good home base. 

-- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Mount Hood climbing permits are being implemented this year, in an effort to help educate the public about the risks associated with ascending the 11,245-foot peak.
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we spoke with Ryan Matz, the climbing ranger program manager for Mt. Hood National Forest, who went over the new permits and offered some helpful tips and safety information for prospective climbers.
Matz also told us why he loves climbing to the top of the towering volcano, which attracts thousands of climbers each year.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

How are climbing conditions looking this year?

What’s the deal with the new permits

What do people need to know before trying to climb Mount Hood?

Matz shares his experiences climbing the mountain. 

-- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oregon is now home to the largest Dark Sky Sanctuary in the world, but found in a remote corner of the state, some people may be left wondering how, exactly, to explore it.
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we break down this 2.5 million acre swath of southern Oregon, highlighting some of the best places there to go stargazing/
While remote, this part of the state features some truly breathtaking scenery, as well as amenities like hot springs, campgrounds and a historic fire lookout that offer special kinds of cosmic getaways.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

Hart Mountain is a rugged high desert destination with a relaxing hot spring campground.

Summer Lake Hot Springs is an incredible place to soak under the stars.

The Drake Peak Lookout is a great rental – if you can snag a reservation.

Lakeview is the biggest town inside the sanctuary, and a good place to stock up on supplies.


-- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oregon isn’t much of a snorkeling or scuba diving destination in the way people typically think of the activities: There are no tropical waters here, no clownfish or coral reefs.
What Oregon does have is Clear Lake, a beautiful setting high in the Cascade Mountains where divers and snorkelers can swim through crystal clear waters to an ancient underwater forest.
On this week’s episode of Peak Northwest, we speak to Bend-based freelance journalist Haley Nelson, who shadowed scuba divers at the lake last summer. She talks of a beautiful, otherworldly scene, which divers must brave frigid waters to see.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

How Clear Lake, and its underwater forest, were formed.

Just how cold is the water anyway?

Diving in Clear Lake requires some specialized gear.

There are other things to do at Clear Lake, other than explore underwater.


-- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You don’t have to be a stair freak to appreciate the many hidden stairways around Portland.
The stairways lead through charming neighborhoods and beautiful parks, found in nearly every corner of the city. On this week’s Peak Northwest podcast, we string those stairways together for three beautiful stair walks – perfect outings to get your legs moving at the start of spring.
Based on the book “Portland Stair Walks” by local author Laura O. Foster, these excursions are just the beginning. You can find more stair walks and other urban adventures in her book, or by wandering on foot and finding them yourself.
Here are some highlights from this week’s show:

Why should you climb stairs for fun?

Mt. Tabor Park offers stairways in a beautiful natural setting.

The Kings Heights Stairs are serious business.

A stair walk along Alameda Ridge is like a treasure hunt.


-- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices