By Kelly Sanderbeck, Donor Engagement Manager
Craig has donated his time and expertise to lead a hiking experience for our Auction for the Parks later this month. He promises it will be off the beaten track and a great adventure! JOIN US in raising money for our beloved parks.
You know right off the bat that Craig Romano is from the East Coast—perhaps it’s his directness or dry wit or decisive no ‘bull…!’ After all, isn’t that exactly what you want in your directions to negotiate a new trail? Just in case you’re unaware, Craig has been writing hiking guides for the Northwest, published by Mountaineer Books, since 2005. He took over and updated the classic series by Ira Spring & Harvey Manning—Famous 100 Hikes and Footsore—in production since 1966.
It all started in rural New Hampshire. “You have to love the outdoors or you’ll be bored,” jokes Craig. He was first inspired by hiking with the Boy Scouts, then doggedly ‘burned across the country’ at 18 after moving onto hardcore cycling. “After high school, I went all over the U.S. with my buddy, stopped at national parks and had my first trip to Washington state.” The second time around he hit states he had missed, biking to Alaska via Arkansas, then got sick on his return trip back across Canada. But he was motivated to do a third long-haul bike trip to add Newfoundland and chalk up the experience of cycling every state and province except Hawaii.
“It was a natural progression that I’d start to notice trails.” In the 80s, he tramped the Long Trail through the Green Mountains of Vermont from end to end (Massachusetts to Canada). And it was on his third trip to Washington state that he came to hike in our national parks. In 1989 he relocated to Washington and set out to hike as much of the state as he could. One enduring early memory is doing a solo backpack at High Divide in Olympic. “It’s the classic story of going through a break-up and heading to the wilderness. I heard elk bugling, watched a mother black bear and her cub splashing, had a coyote in my campsite, and heard the Olympic marmot whistling while watching a blood red sunset. Olympic is my favorite, still to this day.”
He fought the idea of being a writer, as he was sure he couldn’t make a living. But, at 15 he started writing a local column on cycling that eventually became a travelogue. Then onto the high school newspaper, and continuing as a freelancer. “I’ve always been a writer. As a kid, I’d get up early and write my own books.” At UW he studied history and education and resolutely prepared to be a college professor or teach high school. The writing bug was fueled even more, though, when he got a letter from former Senator and Governor Dan Evans (one of the founders of WNPF) in response to his UW Daily hiking column, decisively steering him to pursue this craft.
Still, he chose to take a ‘responsible’ path, spending one year as a full time teacher, even though writing continued to be his passion all through undergrad and graduate days. “I had my first mid-life crisis then, and didn’t renew my contract. I just didn’t want to be in my 80s and look back in regret, so I dove in to become a writer.” He continued to teach part-time, wait tables and work with his wife Heather as a mountain guide in Europe. “In 2007 I decided to make writing my full time passion,” he recalls. “I quit my part time gigs, bought a house and just then the economy crashed.”
Many of Craig’s writing colleagues dropped off, but he held on. “This is my passion. I couldn’t do something else if I wanted. I just couldn’t imagine any other lifestyle. I’m ‘cursed’ to live the life of the creative and I wouldn’t trade it for anything!” As a 2nd generation American—from Italian and Hungarian backgrounds—he grew up with a strong work ethic with little drive to acquire ‘things.’ His rewards wouldn’t be going up corporate ladders, but instead ascending the heights of nature and its awe-invoking experiences.
“I love our parks as all three are so different. North Cascades for pure wilderness and trail running; seeing no one is absolutely amazing. Cycling across Rainier for the first time from Yakima, seeing a bear and all the snow at Chinook Pass. Then you crest and BOOM!—The Mountain. I’m in awe every single time. And Olympic—STILL my favorite.”
As a person of faith, Craig believes that things come together not as happenstance, such as his evolution as a writer. He penned an article for Outdoors Northwest (then Sports Etc.) and folks at Mountaineers Books noticed; Manning and Spring trail guides still dominated, but they weren’t being updated and they wanted a new voice to take over. But The Mountaineers rejected his first book proposal. ‘We like your writing, but want a different project.’ “I made very little money on my first book, but my first in the day hiking series (Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula) became a #1 seller.” He tenaciously persisted.
“Sometimes I feel like I live my life as a ‘tormented artist!’ I worked hard to succeed and then the rules changed. Now so much is about the Internet. Am I mastering a dying business? People don’t read as much as in the past and that worries me. The writing environment has changed in the last 20 years; now everything’s short and superficial. My hiking guides are thoroughly researched to provide good, solid info that people can rely on.”
“I personally have a relationship with a book. I’m not a Luddite, but a Yankee: If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!” He keeps technology in check and only proceeds if he has to get the new thing. “Too many folks let technology control them. Hey, I still get the local newspaper!” Committed to using a real camera, he offers some retro advice: “Have the experience. Put your gadgets away and listen to the birds.”
While Craig now waxes philosophical in his books, rebelliously reflecting on personal issues and public controversies, he was initially afraid to take a stand. But as he became more established, he became more comfortable. “I have to be careful if I go out on a limb on a topic, as everything is divisive and hyper-partisan now. Most folks just want hiking information.” He’ll add sidebars in his books and, in a column for The Mountaineers, writes about things he wants to talk about: policy, opinion, philosophy. “There’s both love and loss on the trail. I never want to be a hypocrite and I don’t want to be self-righteous. I also don’t want to fear monger. If we keep saying ‘the world’s going to come to an end,’ it will turn people off. That’s not going to save the planet. Reason is.”
Craig learned about the Fund from one of the park’s newsletters, and has been a donor since 2003. “I believe in giving back; been doing so since my 20s even before I had any money! Some of my favorites now are The Mountaineers, Washington Trails Association, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests and Skagit Land Trust. I don’t like money wasted on policy and that’s why I like how the Fund works. It’s non-partisan, inclusive and has accountability. It makes sense to me.”
Hiking and running are his main activities now in the parks. “I’m a ‘born-again’ runner as it got me through depressions. I don’t like skiing in this west-side concrete, but I do like the eastern side of the mountains!” One of his greatest and most rewarding challenges came 6 years ago. Craig had his first (and only) child at 53, after years of thinking he didn’t want kids. Giovanni is now 6 and, as he gets older, Craig dreams of taking him on the Appalachian Trail or cycling across the country. Right now he loves bike trails, hiking (especially beaches), running 5 and 10Ks and trying to keep up with his Dad! “Most people wait until retirement to do all the things I’ve already done. Starting a family afterward has been rewarding. I may be older, but I now have patience, experience, and the resources to spend on my son that I didn’t have when I was younger.”
Craig Romano is an award-winning author of more than 25 guidebooks. His ‘Columbia Highlands: Exploring Washington’s Last Frontier’ was recognized in 2010 by Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed and State Librarian Jan Walsh as a Washington Reads book for its contribution to Washington’s cultural heritage. Craig also writes for numerous publications, tourism websites, and Hikeoftheweek.com. He has hiked more than 30,000 miles in the Evergreen state. An avid runner as well, Craig has completed several ultra-races including the White River 50 Mile Endurance Run. When not hiking, running and writing, he can be found napping with his wife Heather and son Giovanni at his home in Skagit County.