Waterfall Finders Guide: Western Washington Series # 1

Reviewed by Bryan Swan

Robert L Mooers had initially penned a book called "Waterfalls of Western Washington" which was going to be released some time between 2000 and 2001, but for some reason or another it got pushed back and the original publisher dropped it (or the author axed it himself, I'm not sure). Seven years later, Mooers has restructured his original manuscript into a three-part series and released the first book "Waterfall Finders Guide: Western Washington Series #1", which covers waterfalls on the west side of the Cascade Mountains from British Columbia to Interstate 90, as well as the Olympic Peninsula. The book has been self-published, and fairly impressively at that, but its unfortunate that the author wasn't able to stick with his original publisher if only because the lack of distribution of this book meant it took a long time for it to become widely available.

Mooers documents 120 waterfalls in the northwest part of Washington State. Having hunted waterfalls in Washington for over 20 years myself I didn't expect anything new, but some of the entries the author listed even I didn't know about and that was a fantastic surprise. As a guidebook to waterfalls in Washington State (albeit just a fraction of the state), Waterfall Finders Guide does list many entries which haven't been featured in other waterfall guidebooks of the region, but little of what was listed was new to me.

The author lists mostly waterfalls which are easily accessible via a trail or a short bushwhack, but there are a few exceptions. As Mooers is an older individual, he doesn't talk about many waterfalls which require a lot of effort to reach, which is fine, but if you expect this book to be an encyclopedia, you'll end up disappointed. Missing from mention are most of the waterfalls deeper into North Cascades National Park, and few are listed among the Alpine Lakes and Glacier Peak Wilderness areas, so its far from a complete reference. but it's still a good reference.

The biggest gripe I have with the information in this book is the author lists many waterfalls under names he himself seems to have conjured - whether this is a result of not being able to find sources providing the official name or simply not being aware the falls have an official name, I don't know. It bugs me personally, but I'm also a stickler for accurate data. Many of the heights listed for waterfalls in the book are inaccurate as well (some grossly). Most puzzling, however, is the write up of two features which don't even belong in the book. One is a rapid on the Skagit River known as "Shovel Spur" which is about as far from a waterfall as possible, and the other, "First Beach Falls" simply just doesn't exist. These few minor notes aside, the data provided in the book is very detailed, accurate and well laid out.

The production quality of the book is largely quite good. The pages are heavy enough that it doesn't feel like self-published work, and the layout is professional enough, though a little on the cartoony side. The picture quality is something to be desired, often marred by compression artifacts and mosaic patterns, but it isn't the worst such case in print by any means. It would have been nice to see more pictures, regardless of the print quality. All in all, this is a worthy entry into the Waterfall Guidebook category, one well worth picking up for the waterfall hunters in Washington State or those looking to breeze through and bag a few on the way.