September is a great month for a day hike. I shared my hike to Mount Pilchuck’s historical, restored fire lookout in a story in Sunday’s Seattle Times. The mountain also has some historical significance for me. I’m old enough to remember seeing the lights from the old ski area at the top of the mountainContinue reading “Mount Pilchuck is a peak set apart”
Author Archives: scoopricklund
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE …. WITH HISTORY
This was a story that was decades in the making. As a young boy, I remember riding in the car over Stevens Pass and my dad pointing out, “you see those collapsed snowsheds over there? An avalanche of snow wiped out a passenger train, and many people lost their lives.” So when Seattle Times FeaturesContinue reading “THE HILLS ARE ALIVE …. WITH HISTORY”
A visit to Indiana’s Cathedral of Basketball
I have a deep affinity for college basketball and football venues. It’s no secret to Vicki, our daughters (trust me, they have childhood memories of trips to college campuses to prove it), or anyone who knows me very well. For me, it’s as if the place the game is played is as interesting as theContinue reading “A visit to Indiana’s Cathedral of Basketball”
Backpacking equipment 101: What you need for your overnight hike
I certainly don’t consider myself an expert on backpacking equipment. But I’ve hiked enough, and accummulated enough gear over the years to know what’s needed. I used an anecdote from a group hike with Jeff Whidden and other friends in the lead of the story. He/she will remain nameless. Would never want to embarrass him/her.Continue reading “Backpacking equipment 101: What you need for your overnight hike”
Hiking Oyster Dome …. and looking down on those sleeping oysters
When I was a young boy, our family would occasionally make our way up Chuckanaut Drive after church to have Sunday dinner at the Oyster Bar. The Oyster Bar back then wasn’t anything like today version, which is gourmet and pricey, a restaurant you’d go to celebrate a special occasion, like your wedding anniversary. TheContinue reading “Hiking Oyster Dome …. and looking down on those sleeping oysters”
Sonja’s big day
The loop has closed. All three of our daughters are now married, and their dad couldn’t be happier, more grateful. Our beloved middle daughter, Sonja, was the last to tie the knot. She and JB Foreman exchanged vows April 3 on the dock at College Club, a boathouse and headquarters for a rowingContinue reading “Sonja’s big day”
When it was ‘Miller Time’
Oregon State basketball’s glory years, under the late, great – and chain-smoking – Ralph Miller These are heady times for Oregon State fans. The Beavers, picked in preseason to finish last in the Pac-12, won their first-ever conference tournament on Saturday night, thereby earning a rare appearance in the NCAA Tournament this week against Tennessee.Continue reading “When it was ‘Miller Time’”
This one was a real mind Bender
The meteoric rise and fall of Bob Bender, Washington’s once promising, young college basketball coach. With apologies to soccer star David Beckham, no one could bend it like Bob Bender. He had it all. Good looks. Infectious personality. Energetic recruiter. A son of a successful high-school basketball coach. A standout player at Indiana and Duke,Continue reading “This one was a real mind Bender”
It’s your turn, Isaac. Run with it!
My third hike to spectacular Spider Meadow in the central Cascades, which turned out to be a passing of the baton to my grandson, Isaac Richardson It was supposed to be a story about backpacking in the era of COVID-19. At least that’s how I originally pitched it to an editor at The Seattle TimesContinue reading “It’s your turn, Isaac. Run with it!”
The Inside Scoop 