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Your weekend hike: Ape Canyon Trail, Mount St. Helens
The weekend forecast looks glorious, so if you’re in Portland (or don’t mind a little longer drive from the Puget Sound area,) you should check out Craig Romano’s write-up of the Ape Canyon Trail near Mount St. Helens, now online at Cascadia Magazine.
One of the most popular trails in the National Volcanic Monument, Ape Canyon takes you through a variety of landscapes: a gorgeous old-growth forest, the narrow slot of Ape Canyon and the impressive Muddy River Lahar. The remains of this mile-wide mudflow caused by the 1980 eruption is an awe-inspiring site, and a great way to get a sense for the massive scale of the blast.
Plus there are fantastic views of the volcano as well as Mount Adams and Mount Rainier. Check out the full write-up, driving directions and trail guide now online at Cascadia Magazine.
Cascadia Magazine original:
We Hope You Enjoy Portland Spirit
It’s just another strange day in Portland in Terrence Petty’s essay “We Hope You Enjoy Portland Spirit” as protesters and counter-protesters clash, a colorful cast of characters pass by, and tourists seem oblivious to the whole kerfuffle. Read the full essay online here at Cascadia Magazine.
Grieving orca mother carries calf for fourth day
Lynda Mapes, writing for the Seattle Times, reports on an orca whale in the Salish Sea near Washington’s San Juan Islands that has been carrying the body of its dead calf for four days now. The grieving whale is part of an endangered pod that is down to 75 animals. “Everybody is worried about her,” Swalla said of J35. “I am just so sad, and they are in decline so this is just so worrisome. And she is a grieving young mother. This is just very hard to watch.” At the Tyee, read an essay by naturalist Casey Brant on the painful process of watching orcas die and grieve for one another.
Anti-abortion measure qualifies for OR ballot
The Oregonian reports that a measure to ban using any state funds for abortion has gained enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in Oregon this fall. The Portland Mercury has a detailed analysis of the current campaign, spurred on by the fact that Oregon has some of the most progressive abortion laws in the US (and has never passed an anti-abortion ballot measure).
Immigrant families in WA still separated despite deadline
Lilly Fowler, writing for Crosscut, notes that some immigrant children detained by ICE in Washington are still separated from their families despite a federal deadline of July 26 to reunite them all. In other immigration news, KNKX reports that Puget Sound-area colleges are seeing a drop in foreign enrollment because of a decline in the number of visas issued by the US government.
Will small growers be forced out of BC’s legal weed market?
As British Columbia approaches cannabis legalization, some wonder if bureaucratic rules and red tape are going to make it very difficult for small-business growers in BC to compete with the big players, writes Alastair Spriggs in The Tyee. To learn more about the need for racial equity in Cascadia’s legal weed industry, read Matt Stangle’s feature in Cascadia Magazine.
Cascadia start-up explores possibility of electric jets
John Stang, writing for Seattle Business, reports on the Kirkland, WA-based startup Zunum Aero, which hopes to build the world’s first electric powered commercial jet. The small company, funded in part by Boeing, is working on a design for a hybrid-electric 12-passenger plane.
John La Greca’s poetry explores life being homeless
The Vernon Morning Star has a great profile of poet John La Greca, who is homeless and lives in the eastern British Columbia town of Vernon. With the help of poet and mentor Harold Rhenish, La Greca was able to publish his work, some of which dates back to 1977.
Can Seattle’s Showbox Theater be saved?
Seattle Weekly covers the news that the 79-year-old Showbox Theater across from Seattle’s Pike Place Market is threatened with demolition to make way for a 42-story apartment tower. A group has assembled to preserve the historic theater, which has hosted many local and national music acts, and has a petition to the Seattle Landmarks Preservation board available online.
“It’s Possible Sex is Elegy” — poetry by Chelsea Dingman
Over at Crab Creek Review, you can read a poem by Chelsea Dingman (who’s originally from British Columbia): “It’s Possible Sex is Elegy.” It’s a brief, intense poem about letting go of imposed sexual norms:
“Who doesn’t want to say what can’t be said?
This body is mine. This body uncocked.”
Read the full poem online here. And be sure to support this great journal by subscribing.
Photo credit: orca by Oregon State University,