Author Archives: Tyler

Hiking: Real and Virtual

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April felt like a very long month. I’m skeptical of my calendar saying it was only thirty days; I think an extra week or two might have been snuck in this year. As essential as it has been to stay home and stay indoors whenever possible, it has been a mental struggle for some (okay, at least for me). With the spring weather showing up my mind kept wandering to the outdoors and what hiking trails I’d like to explore before I remembered that outdoor recreation sites – like so many things – were closed to keep us safe.

Rejoice, though! Starting on May 5th the restrictions on some outdoor activities that can be done safely were relaxed, opening up state lands to hikers – with the expectation that those partaking in recreation activities follow safe social distancing procedures.

So why not check out some of the hiking ebooks we offer to get you ready for your next outdoor adventure?

One of the provisions in the new outdoor recreation guidelines is the request that those who wish to hike try to stay as close to their home area as possible to help reduce the risk of accidental spread of covid-19.

To help you with that, one great book is Take a Walk : 110 Walks within 30 Minutes of Seattle and the Greater Puget Sound. Sorted by city and full of information on nearby trails, parks and nature preserves, this guide has something for everyone who wants some ideas on where to take in some fresh air.

Another great series of trail guides are the Day Hike! books published by Sasquatch Publishing. Each title covers a specific region, such as the Olympic Peninsula, Columbia River Gorge, or probably the most relevant to readers of this blog, the North Cascades. Each hike listed can be done in a day, perfect for a quick getaway without needing to pack a tent (which is good, because camping is still prohibited).

For those seeking a more leisurely stroll instead of something more strenuous, The Creaky Knees Guide, Washington: the 100 Best Easy Hikes offers plentiful suggestions for trails suitable for all ages (including children) and athletic abilities.

Always be sure to check for the latest information before planning a trip to municipal, county, state or federal areas as restrictions may vary.

That said, maybe it’s just best to stay home, relax, and let someone else do the hiking. One of my favorite books is Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, his humorous memoir of trying to tackle America’s famed Appalachian Trail. Spanning over two thousand miles, there’s plenty of room for eccentric characters and beautiful landscapes, all brought to life by Bryson’s signature wit and keen observations. It’s an enjoyable read and you won’t even need to risk blistered feet, bug bites, or unexpected wildlife encounters to get a laugh.

We also offer a few outdoor related digital magazine titles as well. On Libby you can access issues of Backpacker Magazine, full of trail highlights from around the world, gear reviews, and other articles focusing on trail life, as well as Field & Stream magazine for content more focused on hunting, fishing and outdoorsmanship.

Green Thumbs Unite! – Apart

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Spring is officially here in the Northwest! The sun is shining, flowers are blooming, and pollen is flowing with wild abandon (usually right into my eyes, it seems). Yet despite all the beauty outside the window, we are still under a statewide stay at home order. So what to do? Well, garden, of course! Gardening is a perfect outdoor activity to get some sun and maintain safe social distancing. Whether you have a full garden, a few planters on the deck or are just curious about testing the greenness of your thumb, we have several ebooks for you to dig into.

Ask Ciscoe: Oh, La La!: Your Gardening Questions Answered by Ciscoe Morris.

In this book, Northwest gardening legend Ciscoe Morris answers hundreds of gardening questions ranging from soil nutrition, what to plant and when, pruning, what insects to be concerned about (and which to encourage) and more, all with his trademark quirky sense of humor. Don’t worry if you’re not an experienced gardener, there are tips for everyone. Ciscoe even starts the book off by writing “The real plant expert is the person who has murdered the most plants. That makes me uniquely qualified to write this book.” An accessible read for anyone with an interest in the world of backyard horticulture.

Field Guide to Urban Gardening: How to Grow Plants, No Matter Where You Live by Kevin Espiritu

Many of us city dwellers simply don’t have the space to do a full garden, but the Field Guide to Urban Gardening offers tips and tricks for growing your own greens in small spaces. From container gardening to raised beds, indoor growing options to rooftop gardens (I suspect my landlord wouldn’t appreciate that last one much) this book has tips and tricks for any living situation. Living in a second story apartment with limited patio room, I especially appreciated the container gardening and space saving tips this book had to offer.

DIY Gardening Projects: 35 Awesome Gardening Hacks to Better Your Garden by Cheryl Palmer

The DIY crafts movement has been growing for years, but now that we all have found ourselves with some unexpected free time and a need to take our minds off things, it’s become more popular than ever (by the way, have you checked out our Creativebug portal?). This book provides creative tips and ideas to improve your garden.

Grow Food For Free by Huw Richards

There is nothing like eating the first ripe tomatoes off the vine after months of work. Huw Richards’ Grow Your Own Food For Free is all about how to grow sustainable – and affordable – gardens.  Richards gives not just plentiful gardening advice but also tricks he’s learned to grow bountiful gardens on a budget by being resourceful and creative. He offers tips on seed saving and what you might already have in the fridge that can be planted (which is pretty timely advice, trying to get my hands on some of the seeds I want to plant this season has been about as hard as finding toilet paper), how to improvise a raised bed if building a ‘proper’ one isn’t exactly in the budget, and a lot of other great advice. 

Organic Gardener

Did you know the library also offers digital access to Organic Gardener magazine through Flipster?  Each issue is packed with gardening tips and tricks and you can have instant access to for the current month, as well as several years of back issues to branch out into.