Outdoors, hiking author and photographer Tami Asars will visit Tri-Cities

If you love the mountains, then you will be making tracks to experience see the breathtaking photography and hear the amazing stories from author and photographer Tami Asars.

In a special presentation sponsored by REI Kennewick, Asars will put on a postcard quality show – a drool-worthy visual extravaganza chronicling her experiences hiking and writing the book Day Hiking Mount Rainier National Park.

The talk is free and open to the public at the Kennewick Public Library at 7:15 p.m. Sept. 27.

“Hiking is for fun and for soul food,” she says. “When my experience is born out of pure passion, unequivocal joy and wicked curiosity of the natural places, I find it much easier to write and pass that along. I just go where there are trails and follow!”

Born and raised in Washington, Asars has written four books and one smartphone app all about hiking the Washington Cascades.

She’s hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail, 2,650 miles, completed the portion in Washington State three times, the Colorado Trail (486 miles) and, of course, the Wonderland Trail (93 miles) now over 12 times.

“I’ve found that just because a trail is on a map doesn’t mean it exists. Mother Nature is downright clever about washing out forest roads and pathways, but I find her humor a challenge and do my best to pick my way through traces of where things used to be.

“Since childhood, I have explored nearly every pathway in Washington state from the wild Pasaytan Wilderness to the isolated South Cascades. If I were to calculate anything, it would be the amount my life has been enriched by spending so much time in the outdoors.”

She estimates she hikes roughly 1200-1500 miles per year.

“For me, the feather in the cap isn’t in a number. It’s the enrichment that we all feel when we marinate in the backcountry. Sure, it’s a work, but it’s also a beautiful life- even if it requires hiking in snow or rain in the name of a deadline.”

Day Hiking Mount Rainier, which she started researching in 2010, identifies 80 day-hiking trails in Mt. Rainier National Park. Her three favorites include Tolmie Peak/Eunice Lake, Cowlitz Divide and Indian Bar, and Burroughs Mountain Loop.

“Tolmie Peak houses a lookout tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1933 and is one of only four remaining lookouts in the Park and one of fewer than one hundred left in the state. The view from the tower will knock both your socks AND shoes off. Go there at sunset and you might just melt into a puddle.”

“The Cowlitz Divide and Indian Bar areas are so grand it’s hard to capture with a camera lens. Instead, you have to experience the splendid vastness in person and let it sink through your skin. Seasonal wildflowers in all directions and postcard worthy views await those who work hard and climb steeply to reap their gifts.”

“The Burroughs Mountain Loop allows you to get so close to the mountain you’ll feel like it’s a hologram projected on a big screen in 3D. Sit quietly on the third Burroughs on a warm day and safely watch the avalanches rip down the rocky faces of the towering giant before you. The power of the volcano will make you shudder and stand in awe.”

She has some memorable stories from doing trail research in the South Cascades.

“I was camped in a remote area and was doing double writing duty by taking on an assignment for a magazine article themed “Spooky Trail Encounters.” Part of the piece was to include an interview with a boots-on-the-ground Bigfoot researcher who gave me copious amounts of information about the behaviors of Sasquatch.

“I listened intently from my backwoods camp as he shared that history chronicles were filled with Native American encounters of them stealing fish from nets. ‘If they are real,’ I skeptically inquired, ‘why doesn’t someone ever come upon a dead one?’ The gentleman paused then replied, ‘How many times have you found a deceased bear in the woods?’ I pondered that answer.”

“Good point,” I thought. The more he talked the more goosebumps appeared on my arms. “One thing you’ll find,” he said, “is if they want you out of an area, they’ll throw sticks, rocks or pine cones at you.” That night after our conversation, I had a hard time sleeping as I dissected the disturbing conversation.”

“The following day, as I walked on an isolated trail deep in the forest, a pine cone hit me squarely in the head. I sprinted all the way back to my vehicle. Most likely, a Douglas Squirrel was having some fun but the joke was on me- I’ve never run that fast in my life!”

Asars has some helpful recommendations for families with kids.

“Mount Rainier has challenging terrain for tots, but there are several hikes that are graded gently enough for kids to enjoy. One of them, is the Trail of the Shadows, across from the National Park Inn at Longmire. Kids will have fun checking out the Longmire Cabin, the oldest structure in the park and will enjoy discovering the beaver trees where the busy aquatic rodents have carved pencil-point shapes in trees. With any luck, they might even see one.”

“Parents who are having trouble motivating older kids to hike, try getting them to use a camera with manual settings. Encourage them to take closeups of flowers or insects and see if they can figure out camera settings for motion blurs of waterfalls.”

“If all else fails, bribe them with ice cream or hot chocolate from the park concession areas. Win/win.”

Learn more: https://tamiasars.com/

You can see Tami Asars in person at the Kennewick Public Library on Thursday September 27, starting at 7:15 PM. The talk is free and open to the public. Seating will be limited to get there early.

For information: https://www.rei.com/event/day-hiking-mount-rainier-with-author-tami-asars/kennewick/201936#event-location-details