Skamania County Reads
Join us for Skamania County Reads, the annual community reading program! Pick up a featured book at Stevenson Community Library or North Bonneville Community Library, read it, and share it back so others can enjoy. Each season includes discussions, author visits, special programs, and exhibits that bring the community together around the joy of reading.
Books are provided with support from the Friends of Stevenson and North Bonneville Community Libraries.
The 11th annual Skamania County Reads
The 11th annual Skamania County Reads invited community members to pick up a copy of Itch: A Pacific Northwest Trail Story: 1248 Miles in 4 Weeks by Nick Fowler at Stevenson or North Bonneville Community Library. Readers were encouraged to return the book so others could enjoy it, too.
The program featured a book discussion and author visit on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, accessible both in person and online, along with other speakers, programs, and an art exhibit throughout the month.
This year's book
Itch is a story about a novice hiker falling in love with the outdoors and chasing after a dream: to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail faster than anyone's ever done before. When it catches fire, he makes a last-minute decision to switch to the 1,248-mile Pacific Northwest Trail, not knowing what he's getting into. Imagine crossing seven different mountain ranges—from the Pacific Ocean to the Continental Divide—through rising tides, bushwhacks, and even grizzly country. Now imagine doing it in only 28 days. Nick Fowler did just that and his book will make you feel like you were hiking right along beside him--through the best and the worst of it.
If you are considering the hike yourself, this book may give you some insights. From weather to widowmakers and stench to stinging nettles--all in the Pacific Northwest wilderness—Nick uses humor and wit to bring readers along on the trail. Just wait till you find out how he combated the chafing problems.
