By: Shannon Dininny, Associated Press Writer
DIABLO, WASH. (AP).- For their 10th wedding anniversary, Kori Crane’s husband handed her a check and told her she could only spend it on an art class. Not just any art class. Crane designed and painted silk scarves in the remote wilderness of North Cascades National Park, drawing on the majestic mountains and towering pines for inspiration. Nestled at the foot of Sourdough Mountain and on the shore of Diablo Lake, the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center is home to fine arts, writing, cultural and natural history courses, as well as family weekends that include kayaking, hiking, boating and fun. Front and center, though, is the wilderness. One of the most remote national parks in the U.S., North Cascades offers miles of hiking trails, abundant wildlife and panoramic views of rugged peaks and glacier-fed lakes far from an urban center. Crane, 39, of Mount Vernon, Wash., had visited the lodge once before for a hiking day. Alrea