Podcasts about Coast Range

This week, we're pulling off the road. The Backwoods Cryptid Road Trip takes a short break so I can open the inbox and share five Sasquatch encounters sent to me by listeners from five different states, spanning more than twenty-five years.A deer hunter in Michigan's Upper Peninsula gets paced through the dark in November of nineteen ninety-four by something that matches his footsteps and then corrects him with one extra step. A woman living alone in Oregon's Coast Range in two thousand eight tracks her dog's strange refusals on a kitchen calendar until the night something looks through the top of a seven-foot window.Two brothers running trotlines on an Oklahoma river in nineteen eighty-seven watch something cross knee-deep through a hole they wade waist-deep, then hear a second scream answer from their own bank. A pipeline surveyor working alone in the West Virginia hollows in twenty fifteen finds his survey stakes extracted, his wooden lath twisted like a wrung-out rag, and finally locks eyes with what's been undoing his work.And a father and son at a remote Maine ice fishing camp in February of two thousand one listen through one inch of spruce planking as something lifts the cinder block off their fish box and sets it down gently. Five witnesses who don't know each other, most of whom asked me to hide their names, all carrying stories they held onto for years before telling a stranger. If you have an encounter of your own, send it to brian@paranormalworldproductions.com. I read every email. The Road Trip rolls again soon.Have you experienced a Bigfoot sighting, Sasquatch encounter, Dogman experience, UFO sighting, or any unexplained cryptid or paranormal event deep in the woods? We want to hear your story.Email your encounter to brian@paranormalworldproductions.com for a chance to be featured on a future episode of Backwoods Bigfoot Stories.Backwoods Bigfoot Stories is a paranormal storytelling podcast featuring real Bigfoot encounters, Sasquatch sightings, Dogman reports, cryptid experiences, and true scary stories from the backwoods.Follow the show and turn on automatic downloads so you never miss a chilling encounter from the forest. Listen with the lights off… if you dare.

Oregon forests recently got a big win in court.Earlier this month, a US District Court Judge ruled that the Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, had broken the law during the planning of its so-called “Blue and Gold” timber sale, and threw out the entire project.The “Blue and Gold” is a nearly 3,500 acre tract of mature and old-growth forest on the eastern slopes of the Coast Range between Eugene and Roseburg.I actually visited the Blue and Gold forest a couple years ago. It was immediately clear that it was a special place deserving of protection, and I'm grateful to the organizers, lawyers, and activists who worked for years to do just that.I think it's always worth taking time to celebrate our victories.But the details of the BLM's behavior in pushing this timber sale were shocking, and I wanted to make sure that the details of their actions don't get lost, especially as they prepare to radically change their management plans to maximize industrial timber harvest at the behest of the Trump administration.So I invited Nick Cady, Legal Director for Cascadia Wildlands to talk with me about the lawsuit, why he thinks the BLM is unfit to manage public land, and why he is so optimistic about defeating Trump's maximum logging agenda.I would love to hear your thoughts, email me anytime at coastrangeradio@gmail.comhttps://www.instagram.com/coastrangeradio/

In this latest installment in our mini-series, How To Be A Bear Hunter, we talk to Dante Zuniga-West about hunting pumpkin-headed monsters. We talk stillness, visualization and readiness, as well as Dante's favorite bear gun and loads. Dante came to hunting by way of prep school in Bel Air. He is a mild-mannered high school principal, the offspring of educators, he holds a master's degree from an art institute and he is the Backwoods Blaxican. He grew up searching out and reading hunting magazines then found his way into the Northwest. Now he lives on a farm in western Oregon and hunts bear and deer and grouse in the Coast Range. If you want to support free speech and good hunting content on the Information Superhighway, look for our coffee and books and wildlife forage blends at https://www.garylewisoutdoors.com/Shop/This episode is sponsored by West Coast Floats, of Philomath, Oregon, made in the USA since 1982 for steelhead and salmon fishermen. Visit https://westcoastfloats.com/Our TV sponsors include: Nosler, Warne Scope Mounts, Carson, Pro-Cure Bait Scents, Spring Pilot, The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, TS&S Madras Ford, Bailey Seed and Smartz.Watch select episodes of Frontier Unlimited on our network of affiliates around the U.S. or click https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gary+lewis+outdoors+frontier+unlimited

On this week's EcoNews Report, we take an audio tour of the Siskiyou Crest with Luke Ruediger, chief evangelist for the rugged and wild mountain range that connects the Coast Range with the Cascades along the Oregon/California border. The crest is renowned for its amazing biodiversity, including species, like the Siskiyou Mountains salamander and Baker cypress, found nowhere else on the planet. Yet Trump's new push for more timber from public lands is putting this place at risk.Want to learn more? Check out the Siskiyou Crest Coalition!Support the show

IMAGINE YOU'RE A gold prospector from the Willamette Valley, on your way to the California gold fields in the first year of the 1848 gold rush. You're a little late to the party, and you've chosen to try to reach the gold fields in a somewhat unusual way: By going over the Coast Range to the beach, and traveling south along the coast. As you make your way southward by the great ocean, you reach a broad expanse of black sand. And when the sun hits it just right, you can see it's actually glittering … with tiny flakes and grains of gold. You're all alone on the beach. There aren't even any other footprints. Apparently nobody else was crazy enough to try to travel to the gold fields via Coos Bay. Everyone else in the area, such as there are, has decamped inland to the gold fields. It's just you, on the uninhabited edge of a continent, crunching a trillion dollars' worth of gold under your feet.... (Randolph, Coos County; 1840s, 1850s) (For text and pictures, see https://offbeatoregon.com/22-05.gold-on-the-beach-609.html)

Repost! In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness talks about Oregon's wildflower hotspots and the best times to see them with expert Greg Lief. Lief, who runs the website OregonWildflowers.org talks about some of Oregon's most interesting blooms and the best times to visit places such as the Columbia Gorge, Old Cascades, Coast Range and Eastern Oregon to find the best of nature's fireworks display. This episode was originally posted on April 18, 2024, but all the information should be about the same as last year in terms of wildflower blooms times.

The Northwest Forest Plan is one of the primary reasons that we have any forest left in the Northwest.  Without it, and other protections that are now also at risk because of the Trump administration, our public lands would look no different than the industrial clearcuts and monocrop tree plantations that surround me in the Coast Range.In December, the Forest Service released its planned amendment to the Northwest Forest Plan in what is called a ‘Draft Environmental Impact Statement', or DEIS, and we the public have until March 17th to submit comments on their proposal.We are going to release several episodes focusing on the good, the bad, and complexities of the Forest Service's proposed changes, and we'll provide as much guidance as possible for how to submit comments and get involved in other ways.You can find guides to submit comments in the notes of the podcast version of this episode, and we will also be sharing links to comment writing guides on our website and social media very soon!For now, I'm so excited to start this mini-series off with Ryan Reed.  Ryan is from the Karuk, Hupa and Yurok tribes in Northern California, an Indigenous Fire Practitioner, wildland firefighter, co-founder of the Fire Generation Collaborative, and a member of the Northwest Forest Plan Federal Advisory Committee, among many other things!  Ryan is a thoughtful, dynamic speaker, and I've wanted to have him on Coast Range Radio for a long time.Real quick before we get started, I love to get feedback, questions, show ideas or whatever else is on your mind.  My email is michael@coastrange.org.  If you appreciate what we do, please share this show with people in your community!Show Notes:https://www.firegencollab.org/https://fusee.org/Braiding Indigenous and Western Knowledge for Climate-Adapted Forests: https://depts.washington.edu/flame/mature_forests/pdfs/BraidingSweetgrassReport.pdfComment Writing Guides!Northwest Forest Plan DEIS Engagement toolkit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MOAORP7b1YenBZsZj27qfBJiJU4b6oXAX6vXKtqdQ-w/edit?usp=sharingRecommendations for Tribal Sovereignty and Environmental Justice in the Northwest Forest Plan Amendment Draft Environmental Impact Statement: https://blogs.uoregon.edu/nwfpjustfutures/resource-guide-for-making-public-comment/Support the showPlease Donate to Help us Keep This Show Free!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit chadcrouch.substack.comI love oak trees. Here in the Pacific Northwest, our western forests are dominated by conifers, so oaks have something of an exotic look to my eye. It wasn't always this way. Here in the Willamette Valley, oaks thrived in the rain shadow of the Coast Range. The entire 1.5 million hectare valley was not long ago dominated by native prairies and oak savannas. This is one of the most strongly human-modified ecoregions on the continent, with an estimated 99.5% decline of native prairies and oak savannas. Despite this devastating loss, the vegetation of this region and its history are fascinating, and the remaining remnants are often packed with rare and endemic species. (oneearth.org)In the last 175 years we have lost 98% of the oak savanna habitat here.(From: Rivers to Ridges Oak Habitat Flyer)It's not lost on me that, just a 30 minute trip from my home, a 100 acre oak savanna on Sauvie Island is a pretty special place. Not just because it's scarce habitat, but also because it's very tranquil, buffered from road and city noise by placid lakes and distance. So we're back, visiting Oak Island, the “island” within an island:This time I pointed my most sensitive mics (a Rode NT-1 stereo pair in ORTF placement) toward the long axis of the woodland, recording a detailed, spacious soundscape. One can walk around the margins of this woodland on the Oak Island Nature Trail, but there are actually no trails through it. It really preserves a sense of mystery about it, I have to say. You are an outsider looking in, here.Oak Savanna Suite is the second in a new series of more calm, more atmospheric, more classically ambient releases collected under the pseudonym artist name Listening Spot. As with the first release, Crane Lake Suite, Oak Savanna Suite is a group of self-contained instrumental movements of varying character in the same key. The instrumentation sounds vaguely orchestral, like a pastorale with flowing legato phrasing, but it's less melodically rigid, and not built up with traditional orchestral instrument sounds. In fact, in the beginning it's difficult to discern basic musical patterns: Meter is elastic, melodic phrases are indistinct and unrepeated, and the music barely rises above the soundscape. All this changes by degrees as the suite progresses. I hope you get to spend some quality time with it.If you enjoy it, please follow Listening Spot wherever you get your music, and consider sharing it with one other person. I'm heartened by the initial response, but also aware of the challenge of building momentum for a new thing, so I'm grateful for any support you can offer.Oak Savanna Suite is available on all streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple, Tidal, Amazon, YouTube…) tomorrow, Friday, November 8th.

With apologies to summer, fall is a perfect season for hiking. On this week's episode of Peak Northwest, we cover some of the very best fall hiking destinations close to Portland, which areconvenient outings for the ever-shortening days. Covering Mount Hood, the Coast Range, the Columbia River Gorge and Portland proper, these hikes are great places to take in the crisp air, the changing leaves, and all the other sights and smells of autumn. Here are some highlights from this week's show: Why Silver Falls State Park is a no-brainer. Two spots in Portland that are perfect for the season. A walk to the tip of Sauvie Island has a fun surprise at the end. The Columbia Gorge and Mount Hood come with an added seasonal benefit: fewer crowds. Subscribe to Peak Northwest on Apple Podcasts,Google Podcasts,Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bigfoot witness-turned-researcher, Todd M. Neiss has been an active investigator for over 30 years. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he grew up hearing of these legendary creatures, alternately known as Bigfoot or Sasquatch, but gave it little credibility beyond that of an urban legend or just a good old-fashioned campfire tale designed to frighten young campers. All of that changed for Todd in the spring of 1993.As a Sergeant in the Army's 1249th Combat Engineer Battalion, he came face to face with, not one, but three of the elusive giants in the temperate rain forest of Oregon's Coast Range while conducting high-explosives training. His sighting was independently corroborated by three fellow soldiers who also witnessed these creatures.Since that fateful day, Neiss has conducted numerous investigations including several long-term expeditions in the Coastal, Cascade and Blue Mountain Ranges of Oregon & Washington, as well as Northern California, Arizona, Alaska, Ohio, Nebraska, Arkansas, Oklahoma and British Columbia.Todd believes that, in the tradition of Jane Goodall, Biruté Galdikas and Diane Fossey, the best way to obtain credible evidence of the existence of these fascinating beings is to insert a small research team into the heart of prime Bigfoot habitat for an extended period of time; ideally for 45 to 60-day rotations. In doing so, he hopes to acclimatize the creatures to their presence and eventually overcome their inherent apprehension of humans.https://americanprimate.org/Click that play button, and let's unravel the mysteries of the UNTOLD! Remember to like, share, and subscribe to our channel to stay updated on all the latest discoveries and adventures. See you there!Join Barnaby Jones each Monday on the Untold Radio Network Live at 12pm Central – 10am Pacific and 1pm Eastern. Come and Join the live discussion next week. Please subscribe.We have ten different Professional Podcasts on all the things you like. New favorite shows drop each day only on the UNTOLD RADIO NETWORKTo find out more about Barnaby Jones and his team, (Cryptids, Anomalies, and the Paranormal Society) visit their website www.WisconsinCAPS.comMake sure you share and Subscribe to the CAPS YouTube Channel as wellhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs7ifB9Ur7x2C3VqTzVmjNQ

Whether you live in a city, a small town, or even if you get your water from a well like I do, one of the biggest threats to drinking water in the Pacific Northwest is industrial logging.(A hugely notable exception is portland, which as my guest will touch on in the interview, does not allow logging in its drinking water source, the Bull Run watershed.  Portland's water also happens to be famous for its purity and taste, probably a coincidence though…)However, by law, Oregon's drinking watersheds have no special protections to safeguard them from being polluted or destroyed by industrial logging, and many watersheds are in the hands of large timber corporations whose executives could not care less about our drinking water.One of the worst examples of this dynamic is Jetty Creek, which is the sole source of drinking water for Rockaway Beach on Oregon's North Coast.We at the Coast Range Association have long supported and assisted the work of North Coast Communities for Watershed Protection, and I'm excited to be able to highlight their work fighting to safeguard drinking water for their communities.They are a great example of a grassroots organizing campaign based around a local issue that also connects their struggle to the broader justice movement.Before we get to that, I wanted to give a very quick update on our campaign to protect the Siuslaw National Forest, or as some folks have called it, the Siuslaw Strategic National Carbon Reserve.Many of our listeners already know that the Coast Range is the most productive temperate rainforest in the world in terms of its carbon sequestration potential.  Basically, the trees grow really big, really fast, and can live for a very long time if we don't cut them down.As the only National Forest in the Coast Range, the Siuslaw not only provides critical habitat for endangered species, it can either serve as a carbon sink or a carbon bomb, based on the management practices of the Forest Service.And as we've discussed in depth on previous episodes, the Forest Service is in the middle of dual processes amending its management practices.  So what could possibly go wrong, right?The Coast Range Association is engaged in a summer of action to protect the Siuslaw, and we need your help.  Whether you can come out into the woods with us, help organize events, table at farmers markets, or don't know what to do, we can use your help!We'll have more updates as our campaign progresses, but for now, go to coastrange.org and click the Siuslaw National Forest Action Page to learn more and sign up, and you can email me at michael@coastrange.org anytime.Show Notes:Siuslaw National Forest Action Page: https://coastrange.org/coast-range-association/siuslaw-action/North Coast Communities For Watershed Protection: https://healthywatershed.org/Save Mothball Hill campaign: https://www.change.org/Save-MothballHill-DavisRidge-SloughHill-from-ClearcuttingSupport the Show.Please Donate to Help us Keep This Show Free!

In this final episode, Save Mount Diablo unfolds an audacious plan for winning broader protection for the Diablo Range in an era of climate change. The "Fire, Drought, Rain, and Hope" series explores life in California's inland Coast Range after the huge fires of 2020. It ventures into places off the beaten track for most Bay Area residents, yet deeply connected to places they already love. Presented by Save Mount Diablo. Photos by Scott Hein and others. Music by Phil Heywood. Writing, production, and narration by Joan Hamilton.

Host Dave Schlom talks to Reserve Caretaker Peter Steel, whose grandparents Heath and Marjorie Angelo deeded the land to the Nature Conservancy in 1959, making it the first Nature Conservancy landholding in the western United States.

CONDOR COUNTRY  In Pinnacles National Park, author and conservation biologist Joseph Belli “babysits” condors as a volunteer for the National Park Service. In this episode he teams up with soulmate Seth Adams of Save Mount Diablo to survey wildlife in the park and beyond.   The "Fire, Drought, Rain and Hope" series explores life in California's inland Coast Range after the huge fires of 2020. It ventures into places off the beaten track for most Bay Area residents, yet deeply connected to places they already love. Presented by Save Mount Diablo. Photos by Scott Hein and others. Music by Phil Heywood. Writing, production, and narration by Joan Hamilton.

This is the remastered version of my interview with Todd Neiss from episode 24 that aired back on May 14, 2021. Todd is a long time investigator with tons of field experience and some amazing encounters to share with us on the show tonight. He is also the organizer of the Beachfoot invite only yearly event, that hosts The Who's Who of the Bigfoot world. Todd had his first sighting in the 90's while conducting explosive maneuvers with the military. Stick around and hear his latest encounter from late this past year that he shares for the first time publicly. It's a pretty wild account. See Todd's bio below for more information on his life and experiences as a Bigfoot researcher.Bigfoot witness-turned-researcher, Todd M. Neiss has been an active investigator for over 28 years. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he grew up hearing of these legendary creatures, alternately known as Bigfoot or Sasquatch, but gave it little credibility beyond that of a good old-fashioned campfire tale designed to frighten young campers. All of that changed for Todd in the spring of 1993.As a Sergeant in the Army's 1249th Combat Engineer Battalion, he came face to face with, not one, but three of the elusive giants in the temperate rain forest of Oregon's Coast Range while conducting high-explosives training. His sighting was independently corroborated by three fellow soldiers who also witnessed these creatures.Since that fateful day, Neiss has conducted numerous investigations including several long-term expeditions in the Coastal, Cascade and Blue Mountain Ranges of Oregon & Washington, as well as Northern California, Arizona, Alaska, Nebraska and British Columbia. Todd believes that, in the tradition of Jane Goodall, Biruté Galdikas and Diane Fossey, the best way to obtain credible evidence of the existence of these fascinating beings is to insert a small research team into the heart of prime Bigfoot habitat for an extended period of time; ideally for 45 to 60-day rotations. In doing so, he hopes to acclimatize the creatures to their presence and eventually overcome their inherent apprehension of humans.It is his opinion that these creatures possess a relatively high IQ in comparison to recognized great apes. Neiss' current theory focuses on that presumed intelligence which he believes fosters an irresistible sense of curiosity...a curiosity which Neiss intends to exploit. By presenting a variety of baits as well as an array of unconventional, non-threatening lures within a pre-designated area, he hopes to successfully collect irrefutable evidence of these creature's existence. "It is my goal to entice these animals by presenting a non-threatening posture and piquing their curiosity, thereby luring them into a specified area where irrefutable evidence can then be obtained," says Neiss. Once the creatures are officially recognized, his ultimate goal is to establish a management program to ensure their perpetual existence for future generations to appreciate.Over the years, his research has garnered him international attention. He has been the subject of numerous documentaries and TV programs from the US and Canada to the UK and Germany. He has been featured on such programs as: Unsolved Mysteries, Encounters, To the Ends of the Earth, The UnXpected and has been featured on the Discovery Channel, Travel Channel and National Geographic. He has also appeared on numerous radio & TV talk shows, local newscasts and newspapers. He is currently producing a documentary about his recent expedition in the uninhabited Broughton Archipelago of British Columbia called “Operation: Sea Monkey” completed on October 1st, 2016.Click or enter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgsN8dQMZGY&t=127s to watch the trailer.He has been a featured speaker at several colleges and universities, and was a regular contributor to the Annual Sasquatch Symposium series held in British Columbia, Canada from 1996 through 1999. Neiss has instructed classes on Bigfoot for the Audubon Society as well as the Campfire Boys & Girls Society; the former involving both classroom and field work and culminating with an overnight working camp in the "Dark Divide" of Washington State's Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Recently he instructed a class for the Scappoose Middle School's outdoor school.Most recently, Neiss was a featured for the History Channel's “The UnXplained” with William Shatner on August 21, 2020. It will air sometime in late November.Todd is the host of the annual, invitation-only gathering of international Bigfoot researchers called “Beachfoot.” This retreat is held every summer in Oregon's temperate Coast Range. This unique event has drawn noted researchers from as far away as Australia, Russia, England, Canada, New Zeeland and nearly every state in the U.S. This year will mark their 14th anniversary of the event.Neiss co-founded the American Primate Conservancy with his wife, Diane Stocking Neiss five years ago. The conservancy was granted a “Domestic Non-Profit Corporation” status by the state of Oregon On October 15, 2015. Their primary mission is “the discovery, knowledge, research, recognition, and protection of the Sasquatch.” The organization has been quietly organizing expeditions, conducting investigations, and participating in multi-media and public speaking engagements in an effort to promote their agenda. They have been actively pursuing grants, donations, sponsorships and volunteers for ongoing research projects.Ultimately, they plan to establish a world-class “Bigfoot Interpretive Center” in the Pacific Northwest as a showcase for promoting public awareness and education regarding these amazing creatures. The facility would include: an interactive museum, auditorium/conference center, art gallery, multi-media studio, classrooms, library, forensics laboratory, nature walk and outdoor amphitheater.A veteran of the Iraq War, Neiss recently retired with meritorious honors from the U.S. Army; where he served for over 21 years.When not working on the project, writing, or conducting research, Todd enjoys fishing, hunting, hiking and camping throughout the Pacific Northwest.Todd and his wife currently live near Mount Hood, 50 miles east of Portland, Oregon. Nestled in the beautiful Cascaded Mountains, the “Chateau de Squatch” is in an ideal location for which to conduct their research and serves as the temporary headquarters for the conservancy.The American Primate Conservancy has a website (www.americanprimate.org) which provides information about the Conservancy, projects past and present, theories, and more. Anyone with a legitimate sighting is encouraged to contact Neiss at 971-570-0097 or by e-mail at americanprimate@aol.com. He promises to treat every report confidentially, respectfully and professionally.Listen To That Bigfoot PodcastGet Our FREE NewsletterGet Brian's Book Sasquatch Unleashed The Truth Behind The LegendLeave Us A VoicemailVisit Our WebsiteSupport Our SponsorsVisit Hangar 1 PublishingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sasquatch-odyssey--4839697/support.

In this episode, host Zach Urness reports on two beloved places — one that is reopening after a major wildfire and another that just closed because of a huge landslide. Shellburg Falls Recreation Area reopened this past weekend, and Urness talks about how the experience of visiting the 100-foot waterfall and surrounding trails has changed — in some cases dramatically. Then, Urness reports on how a debris flow has closed access to Valley of the Giants, home to some of Oregons largest and oldest trees in the Coast Range located west of Salem.

In this episode, Zach talks about Oregon's wildflower hotspots and the best times to visit with expert Greg Lief. Lief, who runs the website OregonWildflowers.org and the Facebook group Oregon Wildflowers, talks about some of Oregon's most interesting blooms and the best times to visit places such as the Columbia Gorge, Old Cascades, Coast Range and Eastern Oregon.

Today, we're going to go deep on an incredibly important subject, albeit one with a somewhat less than stirring name if you aren't already familiar: The northwest forest planThe northwest forest plan sets the overall management strategy for 17 National Forests across a staggering 24 million acres of federal lands in Washington, Oregon and northwestern California, and the forest service is in the process of changing that plan in a significant way for the first time in its 30 year history!Those changes could have absolutely massive consequences for the future of some of our most iconic forests, the human and non-human communities that rely on them, and even for the planet.So it is vitally important that we make sure that the Forest Service amends the northwest forest plan in a way that strengthens forest protections, prioritizing ecosystem health and carbon sequestration.Sadly, the higher ups in forest service may very well try to use this process as a way to weaken environmental protections and increase logging, even on mature and old growth!We can't let that happen.  This is a once in a generation opportunity and threat, and it is going to take massive public pressure and engagement to prevail over the Timber industry machinations that would seek to re-open these forests for wholesale liquidation.  To talk about all this I'm joined by the Coast Range Association's Director, Chuck Willer.  We're going to go through our campaign to educate, activate, and empower local grassroots groups to protect these forests, and why we are focusing our efforts on the Siuslaw National Forest here in the Coast Range.You can learn more about everything we'll be talking about today on the home page of our website, coastrange.org.Support the showPlease Donate to Help us Keep This Show Free!

Three Wild Years in the Diablo Range With the help of ranchers, naturalists, scientists, and land managers, this 9-part series showcases the mysterious, little-known 200-mile long Diablo Range after the massive fires of 2020. It ventures into places off the beaten track for most Bay Area residents, yet deeply connected to places they already love, vital to providing a refuge for plants, animals, and people in a time of climate change. With conservation efforts accelerating, this part of the inland Coast Range is fast becoming California's next big conservation story.  Photos by Scott Hein and others. Music by Phil Heywood. Writing, production, and narration by Joan Hamilton.

Saddle Mountain has long been one of the most popular hikes in Oregon's northern Coast Range, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, but for two years it remained shuttered, leaving hikers to find other trails to climb. On this week's episode of Peak Northwest, a few months after the state park's big reopening, we return to the classic Coast Range adventure, mounting the saddle and taking in the panoramic views. Those returning to Saddle Mounain will find new features, some big changes and the same beautiful scenery that made this spot so popular in the first place. Here are some highlights from this week's show: Vickie talks about what drew her to Saddle Mountain this spring. What's new now that the park is back open? What it's like to hike to the top of Saddle Mountain. Why this is a great trail for the beginning of spring. Subscribe to Peak Northwest on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're not into gambling in any form, is there any reason to visit a casino? Oregon's casinos may not have the same allure as our beautiful natural attractions, but they remain among the most popular destinations in the state. For people more apt to hike the Cascades or explore the coast, is there any appeal? On this week's episode of Peak Northwest, we take a trip to Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde to find out, exploring all the non-gambling aspects of the Coast Range attraction. Here are some highlights from this week's show: Jamie explains why he has stayed away from casinos – and why he visited this one. Food and drink are a big draw at Spirit Mountain. Searching for all the best places to sit and read in the casino. Other nearby attractions make Spirit Mountain a good home base.  -- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don't have to tell anyone reading this that here in the west, wildfires are a fact of life. I'm also sure that most folks are already aware that the climate crisis, combined with more and more homes being built in and around forest lands is creating an escalating cycle of devastation in fire prone communities.There is a tremendous amount of pressure on politicians and agencies to act, or at least to be seen to be acting, but right now, too many people, including many key decision makers, are looking at the problem backwards.To talk about the real solutions to protecting communities from wildfires, as well as an exciting piece of legislation making its way through Salem, I'm joined by Ralph Bloemers.  Ralph is the Director of Fire Safe Communities for the Green Oregon Alliance, producer of the award winning wildfire documentary Elemental, and has worked on forest conservation issues for decades.  He is a wealth of information on wildfires, the right and wrong way to protect communities and homes, and current legislative efforts to address these issues. You can also email me anytime with feedback, questions, or show ideas at michael@coastrange.orgShow Notes:https://www.opb.org/article/2023/12/23/jeff-golden-preps-proposals-wildfire-preparedness-funding/https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/01/03/oregon-needs-more-money-to-fight-big-wildfires-who-should-pay-for-it/https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/01/10/timber-industry-tied-to-proposal-shifting-wildfire-protection-costs-from-landowners-to-public/Support the showPlease Donate to Help us Keep This Show Free!

It's dark, it's cold, and it's very rainy.  We may be a couple weeks from the solstice as of this recording, but for my money, we've definitely entered another coast range winter.I love to use this time of year to reflect and take stock, so I figured it was a great time to invite the Coast Range Association's Executive director, Chuck Willer back for our annual year in review episode.You can find out more about everything we'll be discussing today at our website, coastrange.org, and I really want to encourage everyone listening to go to the website and subscribe to our email newsletter.  We only send out a few emails a year, and I can promise that Chuck always has something to say that's worth reading!Research Links/Show Notes:https://coastrange.org/sign-up-for-our-newsletter/https://coastrange.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Wealth-Income-and-Rural-Communities-sm.pdfNW Forest Plan Amendment One-pager: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1151261.pdfSupport the showPlease Donate to Help us Keep This Show Free!

This week we have Alex Ross back on the podcast. Alex is the Founder of Fresh Adventures, and he shares his insight of the skiing opportunities from Whistler to Banff.  During the podcast we cover skiing the Coast Range, the Okanagan, West Kootenays, East Kootenays, Powder Highway, and the Rockies. Learn about the best snow, terrain, towns and how to get around. Looking for a tour, check out:  11-day BC ski tour, 9-day BC ski tour, 6-day BC Ski Tour, Powder Highway Ski trip, 9-day Rocky Mountain Ski trip, Powder Highway in a campervan, and a guided backcountry trip.

In this episode, outdoors intern Olivia Stevens brings listeners to Jewell Meadows Wildlife Area to watch and listen to one of Oregon's most majestic animals — Roosevelt elk. Jewell Meadows, located in the Coast Range east of Seaside, is popular place where visitors can see up to 200 elk in one visit. Stevens highlights the sound an elk makes while "bugling" during mating season, breaks down how this popular wildlife refuge and talks about why it's making a trip to visit with refuge mangers and volunteers.

We talk a lot on this show about the devastation wrought on our environment and communities by invasive capitalism, and today we get to talk about something tangible we can do to fight back!On September 26-28, Wall Street investors will join timber corporations, big oil, carbon offset & biomass companies in Portland for their annual “Who Will Own the Forest?” conference. With tickets costing over two thousand dollars apiece, this “timberland investment conference” brings together some of the world's biggest climate polluters, corporate forest clear-cutters, and false climate solutions peddlers.  For anyone who's watched the Godfather movie's, I liken this conference to the scene where the mafia bosses are all gathered around a cake with an image of Cuba on the top, divvying up the pieces of the island and deciding who gets control over what.But instead of Who WILL Own the Forest, we should be asking, who should own the forest?  Should forests even be owned?  And should the greatest value of our forests be reduced to quarterly returns for wealthy investors?A coalition of groups, including 350, Indigenous Environmental Network, Rainforest Action Network, the Coast Range association, and many more, think these are some of the questions that should be asked at the Who Will Own the Forest Conference.  And even though we weren't invited to this event, we're going anyway, and you are invited to join us!To talk about “Who will own the forest”, our response, and how to get involved in disrupting invasive capital's plans, I'm joined by Brenna Bell, the Forest Climate Manager for 350PDX.  She has been deeply involved in forest defense for over two decades, and is co-founder of the Pacific Northwest Forest Climate Alliance.  Links and Resources:https://forestsoverprofits.org/https://www.worldforestry.org/who-will-own-the-forest/Support the showPlease Donate to Help us Keep This Show Free!

Looking to round out summer with a few good leg-burners? You've come to the right place. On this week's episode of Peak Northwest, we dive into some of the toughest hiking trails around the Portland area, finding them at Mount Hood, the Columbia River Gorge and the Coast Range. These are not your average day hikes – they're intense climbs meant only for the hardiest of hikers. We have all the details to help you settle on the best hike for you, from mileage and elevation gain to the necessary precautions at each place. If you've spent the season on some of the easier and more moderate trails, this might be the time to challenge yourself. Here are some highlights from this week's show: Our “hard” hikes include a pair of beautiful spots on Mount Hood. The “harder” hikes feature some popular places on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge. A pair of “hardest” hikes go up some of the steepest inclines in the area, with lots of mileage to keep your heart pumping. Subscribe to Peak Northwest on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. -- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forget everything that comes to mind when you think about “a day at the lake” – these spots aren't it. That doesn't mean the little lakes of the Clatsop State Forest, found on the north end of Oregon's Coast Range, aren't worth checking out. Despite lacking amenities and featuring little in the way of actual water, they nonetheless make interesting attractions for year-round hiking between Portland and the coast. On this week's episode of Peak Northwest, we talk about where and how to find spots like Soapstone Lake and Spruce Run Lake, places that may offer little to fishers, boaters and sunbathers, and instead exist as quiet little attractions tucked into the timberlands. Here are some highlights from this week's show: Where do you find this concentration of little lakes? Bloom Lake is easily accessible, right off the highway. Lost Lake might be the only spot here that can rightfully be considered a “lake”. At Soapstone Lake you'll likely see more newts than people. To get to Spruce Run Lake, you need to tackle a steep little trail through the timberlands. Subscribe to Peak Northwest on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. -- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 4 takes a deep dive into the US Army's experimental ski patrols of 1940-1941, as well as the events that led to the activation of the 1st Battalion (Reinforced), 87th Mountain Infantry at Ft. Lewis, Washington—the unit that would eventually become the 10th Mountain Division. The episode also explores John McCown's 1941 expedition to British Columbia's Coast Range, which he made before enlisting with the mountain troops, and features an interview with writer Will Holland, who has been working on a screenplay about McCown for over two decades. For show notes and additional resources, including an overview of characters introduced in this episode, please visit our website. For those who want more, an unabridged version of Episode 4 is available exclusively to our patrons. Please consider becoming a patron. By becoming a patron, you not only get access to all unabridged episodes, including historic photos and bonus content not available anywhere else; you allow us to pursue the show's journalistic and educational objectives as we inform and inspire the public about the Division's living legacy. Thank you to our patrons for supporting the podcast and helping us to continue producing engaging and informative content.    

Traveling to the coast this spring, but tired of the same attractions? We have you covered. On this week's episode of Peak Northwest, we're headed back to the north Oregon coast to explore some overlooked attractions, just in time for spring break. There's nothing wrong with Cannon Beach and the Tillamook Creamery, but have you seen the spectacular beauty of Niagara Falls? Stood beneath the Rockaway Big Tree? Spied upon elk at Jewell Meadows? If you're itching to try something new, you've come to the right place. There's a lot more to see on the north coast than rocks shaped like haystacks. Here are some highlights from this week's show: Oregon's Coast Range is full of spectacular waterfalls. Where to find the coast's biggest trees (and stumps) The Fort to Sea Trail is one of the best day hikes on the Oregon coast. Spring break may be your last best chance to see elk at Jewell Meadows. One state park offers three different environments to explore. Subscribe to Peak Northwest on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. -- Jamie Hale and Vickie Connor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Zach talks to Eric Davis about how to go snowboarding on the Oregon Coast after a rare coastal snowstorm. Snowboarding is very rare on the Oregon Coast, but Davis has made it happen twice now, including last week, when he went snowboarding at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area with his 5-year-old daughter and captured some unique photos and video in the process. In the podcast, Davis explains how he tries to find snowboarding opportunities in the Coast Range and the magic of snowboarding above the ocean last week on a the "Great Dune" at Cape Kiwanda.