The Mountaineers may be best known for their book, Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills, but they also publish the Outdoor Expert Series, as well as various guide books. One of their most recent releases is a conveniently-packaged card deck series titled Winter Hikes of Western Washington. Compiled by Craig Romano, the deck features 50 hikes located across the Western portion of the state. You have your pick of hikes in the Olympic Peninsula, the Puget Sound, the Central Cascades, or even San Juan Island.
I have seen a few card decks like this before, often for tourist destinations like San Francisco or New York City. The idea of using them for hiking guides had not occurred to me, but immediately, the convenience of the deck is obvious. It’s a lot easier to stash a single 4.5 x 6 inch card into a pocket than a whole trail book. Plus, on longer hikes, you’ll appreciate the weight you saved!
The deck is separated and color-coded into 4 location categories: Southwestern Washington, Olympic Peninsula and Coast, Puget Sound and Central Cascades, and Northwestern Washington. There is also a wide variety of hikes for all levels of difficulty–anywhere from an easy 1.5-mile Coastal Forest Loop along the Columbia River, to the more strenuous 10.6-mile Duckabush River Trail near the Hood Canal on the Olympic Peninsula, though the specific hikes featured were chosen for their easy accessibilty, and limited snow-fall during the winter months. Each card is double-sided; on the front there is the standard information about the hike (distance, difficulty, elevation gain, etc), as well as a brief write-up of the trail, places to visit while in the area, and how to get there. On the back, there is a detailed topographic map that outlines the trail for you. An added bonus: each card gives you information for locating a more detailed map, if you are interested.
In addition to the 50 cards, there are 6 cards with tips for how to use the cards, winter hiking advice and essentials, things to look for on your hike. For those who love to hike with their dogs, each trail card indicated whether dogs are allowed, and if they need to be on leash or can run off leash.
Winter Hikes of Western Washington retails for $15.95.
