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AlpineAndy.com

A website by someone who loves the oudoors, created for people who love the outdoors

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                                            NEW VISITORS

What's this site all about?
      This website is designed to help out people who are interested in exploring the outdoors in the Great Northwest. If you live in, recently moved to, or are visiting the Everett/North Puget Sound area, and are interested in opportunities to do some hiking, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing, then check out this page, and also browse the rest of the site.

      These pages are owned and maintained by me, Andy Boos (aka Alpine Andy). I've been a recreational guide since 1992, and have led over 1000 outings for the Everett Parks and Recreation Department since 1995. The website you are looking at is used to promote and provide information about the trips I lead. Note that this is NOT the official Everett Parks and Rec site.

What are the trips like?
       Generally there are about 10 trips scheduled per month for Everett Parks. From April to November it is mostly one-day hiking trips. From December through March, I lead both cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trips. Occasionally throughout the year there are some overnight trips as well, usually 2-4 days in length. Most trips are on weekends, but there are regular mid-week outings as well. The day trips go to a variety of destinations all over western Washington.

      The difficulty of the trips ranges from beginner-level on up. We offer some fairly strenuous trips, but we don't get into any technical mountaineering, rock climbing, or off-trail "scrambling." My aim is to schedule a good variety of trips, suitable for all ages and ability levels.

      Most trips have anywhere from 6 to 13 persons. We all meet at Forest Park in Everett, and travel together in a large, comfortable passenger van. The drive to our destination ranges from less than an hour in some cases, to almost 3 hours, depending where we are going. A typical group is comprised of all ages, both genders, and has a mixture of experience levels. The atmosphere is fun, relaxing, and supportive. Trips are NOT fast-paced, though faster hikers in the group are sometimes able to go ahead if it's safe to do so . It's a great enviroment for beginning hikers, casual hikers, and experienced hikers alike.

       Group safety is a top priority. I understand that people want to have a relaxing and enjoyable time, and that can't happen if they don't feel safe. Whether it is driving in freeway traffic, or helping someone across a slippery section of trail, I try to use the utmost caution and create the safest environment possible. I'm proud to say that in my 1000+ trips with Everett Parks, I have maintained an outstanding safety record.

How do I get started?
        All of the trips that I lead are published in the Everett Parks and Rec quarterly brochure, which is available at the Recreation Office in Forest Park, and at the Everett libraries. Usually the outdoor trips are covered in 3-4 pages in the middle of the brochure. The trips are also listed on the Everett Parks on-line registration site

If you want to get out there and enjoy the trails with us, you can register in one of three ways.
           1. By phone, at (425) 257-8300, Mon-Fri, 9-5
           2. In person, at the Recreation Office, Forest Park, Everett, Mon-Fri, 9-5
           3. By mail, using the form in the quarterly brochure
           4. On-line, by going to   SignMeUp.EverettWa.org

WARNING: My trips are popular, and early sign-up is necessary to make sure you get a spot on some trips. Weekend trips fill fastest, and snowshoeing is very popular in the winter. To view trips that are currently available, go to the AVAILABLE TRIPS page on this web site.

What else should I know?
        If you're just starting out, probably your two biggest concerns are the equipment needed, and the difficulty of the trips.

        Your equipment need not be fancy and expensive (mine's not). For hiking trips, as long as you have comfortable footwear, adequate clothes for the weather, and a little food and water, you should do fine. There of course are many other items that are nice to have, but the basic needs are pretty simple. We always provide a useful "HIKING TRIPS" handout when people register for a hike. You can view that handout by clicking HERE.

         Judging the difficulty of a hiking trip can be tricky if you have little or no experience. Some of the trips are right for you, and some probably aren't, so the trick is to find the right ones. The listing of trips in the Parks and Rec brochure has descriptions for each hike, including mileage and elevation gain figures. As a rule, most healthy adults won't have much trouble with a hike of up to 5 miles and 500' elevation gain.   The best solution is to do a walk somewhere that you know the mileage and elevation gain. Using those figures as a basis for comparison, you'll have a rough idea where to begin. If in doubt, start out with an EASY hike. Easy hikes are identified at the beginning of the trip listing in the brochure.

         Many of the other details that you'll need to know before doing a trip with me are covered by the "HIKING TRIPS" handout you get when you register. If you have specific questions, I'd be happy to help. E-mail me at:
                                              mtn_goat at   alpineandy dot com
(e-mail address is spelled out to elude spammers--use punctuation and delete spaces if you type the address)

Now check out some of the other areas of the site: