Romano Craig - Day hiking. Central Cascades : stevens pass, alpine lakes, lake Wenatchee

A Townsends warbler taking an early autumn break in a larch tree

Spectacular autumn crimson slopes along Poet Ridge between Irving Pass and Poe Mountain

Golden larch trees surrounding Larch Lake

Glacier Peak dominates the view north from the Alpine Lookout.

Looking down glacially carved Phelps Creek valley and Spider Meadow

Columbia lewisia, a lovely wildflower found on the east side of the Cascade crest

A great blue heron patiently waits while hunting in a slough at Spencer Island.

Deep blue Lake Chelan seen from the summit of Crow Hill

In addition to my trusty pickup truck and several (now well-worn) pairs of hiking shoes, writing this book could not have been possible without the help and support of the following people.

First, a big grazie to all of the great people at The Mountaineers Books, especially publisher Helen Cherullo, editor-in-chief Kate Rogers, and project manager Mary Metz. To Mary, especially, for keeping me from melting down in the face of deadlines.

I want to acknowledge my editor, Julie Van Pelt. Once again, it has been great working with you. Your professionalism and attention to detail have greatly contributed to making this book a finer volume. I look forward to working with you on yet another guidebook. You have suffered much from my bad puns and illusive alliteration and yet still want to work with me. Grazie mille!

I also want to acknowledge guidebook pioneers Ira Spring and Harvey Manning for their inspiration and invaluable knowledge. It is an honor to walk in their boot prints. And to my photographer, Alan Bauernot just for providing the wonderful images for this book, but for some great companionship on the trail as well.

Thank you to Andy Dappen for providing me with background on the exciting trails around Wenatchee. Thanks, too, to Don and Chris Hanson at Scottish Lakes High Camp for shuttling and accommodating me.

Thanks to my mother-in-law, Virginia Scott, for letting me use the time-share in Leavenworth while researching. Thanks to my brother, Doug Romano, for accompanying me on some of the more challenging and interesting routes in this book. And thanks to my cat, Giuseppe, for putting a smile on my face when I was stressed out working on the manuscript.

And lastly, but most importantly, I want to thank my dear wife, Heather, for believing in me and supporting me while I worked hard on yet another book. Thanks for hiking with me, too, to so many of the special places in this book. And mille, mille grazie for all of the back massages after all my long nights in front of the keyboard.

It was the mountains that lured me to Washington State in the summer of 1989, and the mountains that have kept me firmly planted here ever since. And while theres no shortage of excellent hiking destinations here in the Evergreen State, I find myself spending inordinate amounts of time in the Central Cascades. Part of the reason is pure convenience. Theyre close to my home. But most of the reason is because of these mountains wild, yet accessible demeanor; their endless array of sparkling alpine lakes, unbroken tracts of primeval forest, and sprawling high-country meadows awash in dazzling wildflowers. Especially that latter reason! The Henry M. Jackson Wilderness, which encompasses over 100,000 acres along the Central Cascades crest, ranks supreme for its alpine meadows. Its one of my absolute favorite places on the planet. And thats saying quite a bit, considering that it keeps company with such gems as Mount Rainier, Patagonia, the Apennines, the Pyrenees, Quebecs Chic-Choc Mountains, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and just about all of British Columbia!

The Central Cascades is where I spent a good part of my first couple of years exploring after making Washington my home. Leave no trail unhiked was my unofficial motto. And I darn near did so, returning time and again to this amazing and diverse area. Working on this book was heaven-sent, giving me a strong incentive to revisit many old favorites. I have hiked every hike in this book, many of them several times and almost all of them recently. It is my pleasure to share this region with you.

And like so many natural areas that I have a strong affinity for, the Central Cascades are no different. It was here in June of 1996 that I first introduced the wonderful world of hiking and the Central Cascades to a young woman I met while studying at the University of Washington. That woman became my wife. The hike? Surprise Lake. A nice surprise indeed! And Im sure that you, too, will find many a pleasant surprise while exploring the trails of this region.

And with that, its time to repeat my battle cry from previous books in the Day Hiking series. As our world continues to urbanize, its denizens grow more sedentary, materialistic, and disconnected from the natural world. Life for many on this course has lost its real meaning. Nature may need us to protect it from becoming another hallowed urban center, but we need nature to protect us from the encroaching world of meaningless consumption and pursuits. So, shun the mall, turn off the TV, skip the casino, and hit the trail. Ive lined up 125 magnificent hikes to help you celebrate nature, life, the incredible landscapes of the Central Cascades, and you. Yes, you! Go take a hike! Celebrate life, and return from the natural world a better and more content person.