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News & Press
WENATCHEE — While much of Wenatchee was still in bed or just getting their day going, Batman and Superwoman were roaming the Wenatchee foothills.
With the help of a local guide, the young brother, sister duo led a group of about a dozen up a dusty trail through the Jacobson Preserve. Batman — true identity Miles Radillo, 5 years old — scampered along out the front. Superwoman, 3-year-old Alanis Radillo, did too, but sometimes rode on mom or dad’s shoulders, red cape bobbing in the breeze.
I used to be scared of bats. Let’s be honest, their tiny faces can be terrifying at first glance. On top of that, plenty of myths about bats fed my fears.
But the truth is, once I learned a little bit about them, I realized they are some of the coolest creatures on earth. They rarely pose a threat to humans. In fact, if you hate mosquitos, you should probably love bats! Now, I think seeing a bat at dusk is a treat.
If ever there existed a place where timber is more valuable as scenery than as plywood, the south shore of Lake Wenatchee is it.
Anyone who has spent time at Lake Wenatchee State Park understands this. The park, one of the most popular in the state, sits just below Nason Ridge, with clear views of the forested hillside.
And so, not surprisingly, when Weyerhaeuser asked the state DNR for a permit to clear-cut and selectively harvest 206 acres of its property on Nason Ridge last year, people around here got mighty upset.
Earlier this month, my co-worker was talking about how much fun her kids had on the Sauer’s Mountain Trail the previous weekend. I was surprised — that trail is beautiful, but it’s a steep climb. Sometimes I turn whiny on that trail, and I am a full-fledged adult. Her kids are 6 and 9 years old. I asked her what her secret was — how did she keep them having fun?
LAKE WENATCHEE — The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust and Western Rivers Conservancy have teamed up to work on permanently conserving Lake Wenatchee’s Nason Ridge.
“There’s a tremendous amount of interest in seeing this area conserved in the greater Lake Wenatchee community,” Sue Doroff, president of Western Rivers Conservancy, said Monday.
Western Rivers signed an agreement to buy 3,714 acres from Weyerhaeuser Company in March. It includes a steep, forested mountainside on the southeastern shore of Lake Wenatchee.
WENATCHEE — Wenatchee Public Library and the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust have teamed up with the help of a local Eagle Scout to promote reading and hiking in the Wenatchee Foothills this spring.
Thirteen new displays were recently put up along the popular Jacobson Preserve Trail, each containing pages from the bilingual children’s story book “Call Me Tree” by Maya Christina Gonzalez. The colorfully illustrated book encourages children to dream and reach to be as free and unique as trees.
NCW - With summer approaching, our foothills get hot and dry, and sometime wildfires ignite. Come find out how our local shrub-steppe habitat not only survives, but thrives, and how people fit into the picture. Plan to spend one hour of your Wednesday evenings meeting both native plants and the local people working to increase our community’s fire resiliency. Stop by and enjoy the view from the covered shelter at the new Saddle Rock trailhead.
Earth Day takes place on April 22 every year, when wildflowers are blooming, birds are singing and we’re surrounded by growing green things. It’s a wonderful time of year, and a great excuse to get kids outside to celebrate nature in all its glory!
The Wenatchee Foothills trails system west of the city will open Saturday to hikers, bikers and nature lovers. But please don’t pester the deer. The Chelan County PUD, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust and state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Wednesday that the opening comes one day early because the traditional opening day of April 1 falls on Easter Sunday.
Did you know that there are already wildflowers blooming on the trails? These little treasures can be a great incentive to get out with your kids for a hike.
by Pete O'Cain, Wenatchee World
CASHMERE — The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust has helped save more than 2,000 acres in Hay and Nahahum Canyon near Cashmere for public use.
The move permanently protects the land, to be known as the Cashmere Canyons Preserve, from development and will open 10 miles of trails to the public once a trailhead is constructed within the next year or two, according to a Land Trust news release.
In just a few weeks, the Wenatchee Valley will celebrate what has become an unofficial holiday around here: The opening of the Wenatchee Foothills Trails on April 1.
Until then, we close our eyes and imagine ourselves up there — running, hiking or biking along the rolling trails high above town, with views of the Columbia River, of the entire valley. Soon we will watch the shrub steppe hills turn a soft, velvety green. We will once again be reminded of the wisdom this community displayed when it decided to protect the foothills and our access to them.