Adventures NW Magazine Winter 2014/15 by John DOnofrio

ADVENTURES NW >>>

WINTER.2014/15

WINTER WILD! FINDING GOLD ON SHUKSAN HUT TO HUT AT RAINIER KAYAKING DUNGENESS EAGLES OF THE SKAGIT >>> EXTENSIVE OUTDOOR EVENTS CALENDAR INSIDE

Free. take enjoy share

TORE OFTENESS SHOOTS THE MOON Nooksack Nordic ski club 3 GREAT WINTER HIKES INTO THE VOLCANO HELEN THAYER FRED BECKEY

Owned and operated by certiďŹ ed and experienced Audi enthusiasts

You love your Audi ... and so do we

From simple maintenance to the most complex diagnostics, Northwest European Autoworks takes pride in providing the highest quality service and repair in Whatcom County.

Mention this ad at arrival for up to $50 off your visit! Ask your service advisor for details

2101 Queen Street Bellingham, WA

360.715.EURO (3876) www.nweuropean.com

race | play | experience

CONTRIBUTORS

WINTER | 2014/15 Volume 9. Issue 4

Molly Baker is a skier by trade, writer by heart, dancing freak, and pastry aficionado that lives from a suitcase. Her ongoing agenda is to lead an interesting life and then write about it. Molly’s wild snow stories can be found at ESPN Freeskiing, The Ski Journal, National Geographic Adventure blog, Backcountry Magazine, and more. Ed Book is a freelance nature and travel photographer with over thirty years experience. He makes his home on the Kitsap Peninsula and travels throughout the U.S. following mother nature’s displays. Fluent in Photoshop and other digital imaging software, he teaches digital imaging and nature photography. Visit his website at edbook.com Originally from the great state of Iowa, Brad Lane moved west to pursue a career in professional writing. Besides contributing to newspapers, magazines, and online publications, he can be found up late at night in the laboratory working on his fiction writing. Since departing from the cornfields, Brad cannot imagine life without mountains on the horizon. Christian Martin is a freelance writer whose stories have been published in a broad range of periodicals including The Georgia Review, Sierra Magazine and Crosscut. He also serves as communications coordinator for the North Cascades Institute. Martin has called Bellingham home for the past fifteen years and enjoys hiking, yoga, sea kayaking and making soup. Born in Norway, Tore Ofteness’ life-long love affair with aerial photography began in 1964 while serving in the military. His early experiments photographing from fixed wing aircraft with a Kodak Brownie camera led him to a career in photography that has earned widespread acclaim, including a recent Lifetime Achievement Award from the Professional Aerial Photographers Association and a City of Bellingham Mayor’s Art Award.

Craig Romano has written and co-written 13 books, mostly on hiking. Occasionally he shuns the trail to do some canoeing and kayaking. He has paddled beautiful waterways in the Northwest, Northeast and across Canada. When not adventuring, he’s home in Skagit County with his wife and two cats. Visit him at CraigRomano.com. Ted Rosen is a local writer, musician, and computer geek whose lousy back has limited him to day hikes and luxury hotels. However, his adventurous spirit causes him to seek out those who excel and inspire. When not interviewing the greatest adventurers in the world he can be found sipping beer, playing guitar, and stomping around the local greenways. Steve Satushek has been a professional photographer for over 25 years, plying his craft all around North America, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and Egypt. He creates his mixed media art work in his studio near where the Nooksack River meets Bellingham Bay. Visit him at stevesatushek.com. A native of the Upper Skagit Valley, Cora Thomas finds inspiration and peace in the natural world. She’s an artist, academic, and advocate and finds ways to merge all three. She recently landed a library position, a space that plays to her creative strengths. She is currently working on her first book of poetry.

COVER PHOTO: Corey Felton skiing in the Mt. Baker Backcountry by Grant Gunderson

A Look Ahead: Our Spring Issue Special Section: Alaska Olympic Tidepools The Wild Pacific Trail Great Spring Hikes

race | play | experience

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

INSPIRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE

Home Away from Home Hut to Hut at Mount Rainier

Travels with Charlie On the Edge with Helen Thayer

Brad Lane

Ted Rosen

Finding Gold on Mt. Shuksan Truth, Beauty and the Sacred Dance

Molly Baker

Shooting the Moon

Tore Ofteness

Kayaking the Dungeness Craig Romano

Backcountry Haleakala Days and Nights Inside the Volcano

Along the Skagit A Winter Gathering of Eagles

The Wild Nearby Fred Beckey on the Loose

John D’Onofrio

Cora Thomas

Christian Martin

November 14 through December 24, 2014 Open10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday Bonus Days Monday & Tuesday, December 22 & 23 Closed Mondays & Tuesdays, Thanksgiving & 3 p.m. Wednesday, December 24 Located at 4145 Meridian St., Bellingham next to the new Burlington store

For more information www.alliedarts.org 360.676.8548

“Since happiness is most often met by those who have learned to live in every moment of the present, none has such prodigal opportunities as the traveler...so long as he loses consciousness of self and is aware in all his senses of the present scene.” - Thomas George Longstaff

Inspiration Out & About eARTh: The Art of Nature Bright Lines Cascadia Gear Race | Play | Experience Calendar Advertiser Index Next Adventure

7 8 19 37 45 46 49 50

stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

Photo by John D’Onofrio

DESTINATIONS

race | play | experience

ADVENTURES nw > FIND Adventures NW is available free at hundreds of locations region-wide: throughout Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, and Island counties, at select spots in Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties, and in Leavenworth, the Methow Valley, Spokane, and Wenatchee. The magazine is also available at all REI locations in Washington and Oregon as well as at numerous locations in the Vancouver, BC metro area and through races and events and at area visitor centers.

> SUBSCRIBE Receive Adventures NW via mail anywhere in the US or Canada. Visit AdventuresNW.com/ subscribe for subscription info.

> ADVERTISE Let Adventures NW magazine help you reach a diverse, receptive audience throughout the Pacific Northwest, and be part of one of the most valued and engaging publications in the region. Info is at AdventuresNW.com/advertise or by writing to ads @ AdventuresNW.com. > CONTRIBUTE Adventures NW welcomes original article queries—including feature stories, expert advice, photo essays, the Next Adventures shot, etc. For information: AdventuresNW.com/contribute.

CO2Carbon N

Neutral

WINTER | 2014/15 Volume 9. Issue 4

> EVENTS Have your outdoor-related event, race or public

outing listed in the quarterly Race|Play|Experience calendar and in our comprehensive on-line version. Visit AdventuresNW.com/ submit-your-event to post events or contact Sue @ AdventuresNW. com for details.

> DEADLINES

Spring Article queries Dec. 1 Ad reservations Feb. 1 Final ads & calendar listings Feb. 4 Summer Article queries Mar. 1 Ad reservations Apr. 27 Final ads & calendar listings May 4 Fall Article queries June 1 Ad reservations Aug. 3 Final ads & calendar listings Aug. 7 Winter Article queries Sep. 1 Ad reservations Oct. 26 Final ads & calendar listings Nov. 2

Adventures NW magazine www.AdventuresNW.com

John D’Onofrio

Publisher/Editor john @ adventuresnw.com

Sue Cottrell

Advertising Sales sue @ adventuresnw.com

Sheena Harvey

Advertising Sales sheena @ adventuresnw.com

Jason Rinne

Creative Director jason @ adventuresnw.com

Marian Jensen

Accounting accounting @ adventuresnw.com

Adventures NW magazine is printed by Lithtex NW Printing Solutions, Bellingham, WA.

100% green power

1530 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham 360.715.8020 • www. terra-organica.com

One-Stop Shopping for Organic and Natural Foods in Downtown Bellingham Bigger Selection • New Departments • Awesome Discounts 6

race | play | experience

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

Inspiration I

am constantly inspired by the wealth of talent that surrounds us here in Cascadia. The authentic voices. The visual artistry. The passion. Each quarter, my inbox gets filled by stories from great writers and images from remarkable photographers. These are the raw materials from which we craft our ‘product’, the magazine in your hands. Inspiration is just another part of my work day. I have a great job. And speaking of inspiration, in this issue Molly Baker really nails it in her story, Finding Gold on Mt. Shuksan. She describes one of the best days of her life, a day that shaped her “perception of grandeur in this world,” and created “a deeply-felt sense of spending each day of your life like it’s your last.” Amen to that. Her joyous reveries on the slopes of one of our most splendid mountains eloquently convey the wonder and gratitude that are made manifest when one follows one’s heart. Molly is in the zone. But the inspiration doesn’t stop there. How about Helen Thayer? In Travels with Charlie, Ted Rosen reveals the heart and soul of a true never-say-die modern adventurer and explorer. A practical woman who gets things done. As she points out, “a goal without a plan is only a dream.” Helen has distinguished herself as a master planner. And when you plan as well as she does, your dreams come true.

stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

More inspiration? How about Fred Beckey? Christian Martin’s profile of the Pacific Northwest’s supreme climbing icon tells the tale of a long life lived on the extreme edge. Foregoing the comforts that most of us take for granted, Beckey has embraced his dream like nobody’s business. The Beckey story is the first in a series of profiles that we will be bringing you over the next several issues in partnership with Mountaineers Books. The newly published The North Cascades: Beauty and Renewal in the Wild Nearby, from which they are reprinted, is destined to become a new classic in the canon of the North Cascades. And let’s not forget the visual inspiration. The photographs by Tore Ofteness, Grant Gunderson and Lee Mann are among the best of the best. They share an obvious - and dare I say it, inspiring - love for their subject matter, whether it is soaring skiers, diving eagles or the winter moon. So let us celebrate winter in our favored corner of the world. Let us play in the snow, hike new trails, dip paddles in water and dance in the benevolent light of a Tore Ofteness moon. Let us be inspired.

race | play | experience

Out&About

Making Tracks with the Nooksack Nordic Ski Club

When the snow starts to fall, the North Cascades become a playground for skiers of all inclinations. The lifts of the Mount Baker Ski Area are crowded with blissed-out acolytes while the surrounding forests and meadows offer a quieter take on winter for those who prefer skinny skis. The Salmon Ridge Trail System (SRTS), accessed off the Mt. Baker Highway, is the focal point for crosscountry skiing around the mountain. With 25 kilometers of groomed trails, the SRTS - maintained by the Nooksack Nordic Ski Club (NNSC) - provides terrain suitable for all skill levels and plenty of snow-hushed solitude. The club traces its origins to 1992, when it was formed to promote crosscountry skiing in our area. In addition to grooming the trails at the SRTS, the group offers ski classes, free educational programs and organized ski trips. The trails of Salmon Ridge emanate from the Salmon Ridge Sno Park across from the Silver Fir Campground, about 13 miles east of Glacier on the Mount Baker Highway. These trails meander through the woods beside the Nooksack

race | play | experience

Keats Garman climbing Bear Hill Photo by Gail Garman

River and up Anderson Creek, affording views of the surrounding peaks and access to the icy riverbanks and picturesque waterfalls. In 2001, the club added the upper White Salmon Road to the SRTS and in 2008 the National Forest Service installed the new Bagley Creek Bridge over a scenic canyon to connect trails and form a new and scenic loop. Currently NNSC is Violeta Elsworth working on a possible at Fairhaven Trail work party connector from the Photo by Todd Elsworth upper White Salmon

road to the lower trail system as a back country ski and snowshoe route. Today the Salmon Ridge Trail System (SRTS) has an average estimated 7,500 uses per winter with skiers (and snowshoers) coming from as far away as Everett and from southern British Columbia. In 2008 the NNSC created designated snowshoe routes in order to decrease user conflict and ski trail damage. In addition to the activities at Salmon Ridge, the club organizes trips to more far-flung skiing locales including Manning Park, Lake Wenatchee, Stake and Logan Lakes and Kane Valley. The club meets monthly on the first Thursday of the month throughout the winter. The meetings are free and open to the public. To learn more, visit their website at nooksacknordicskiclub.org.

Recreation Northwest Leads Trail-Building Effort in Fairhaven Park The folks at Recreation Northwest are all about community. They’ve created and grown some of our region’s most successful outdoor events including the Bellingham Traverse and Kulshan Quest Adventure Race. Recognizing that outdoor recreation and conservation go hand in hand, they have launched an effort to build a new trail in Fairhaven Park in Bellingham, replacing an existing trail that passes through vulnerable wetlands. The current trail’s location and increasingly heavy use is causing damage to the land and watershed. As park steward, Recreation >>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

Northwest has been leading volunteer work parties to maintain and improve trails in the forest, which is home to sections of the Traverse and Kulshan Quest race courses. The organization agreed to take on the trail-building project after Executive Director Todd Elsworth learned that the City of Bellingham’s budget lacked the necessary funding. “We saw a great opportunity to demonstrate our mission of promoting outdoor recreation, and bringing people together to enjoy, preserve and improve the places where we play,” said Elsworth. “We are excited to collaborate with our team of professionals, the City of Bellingham’s Parks and Recreation Department, and Public Works to relocate this popular trail out of the wetland to higher ground, to protect the surrounding landscape and provide greater accessibility for all.” “Recreation is so important for health and well-being of our residents, and it adds to the quality of life that we all enjoy here,” said Roxanne Murphy, Bellingham City Council Parks and Recreation Committee Chairperson. “This trail improvement will be ideal for our athletes and families alike, and developing it in an environmentally-sustainable way will also be in the best interest of everyone and everything.” ANW Visit AdventuresNW.com for complete listings of Outdoor events.

for Winter

Hole in the Wall The Olympic Coast is magical in winter. The crowds are gone, the sea is tempestuous, and the broad expanse of Pacific Ocean and open sky is a tonic for the winter-closeted soul. From the trailhead at Rialto Beach in Olympic National Park it’s an easy two-mile hike north up the beach. The only obstacle is Ellen Creek - if it’s been raining especially hard and the tide is up, a ford or semi-gnarly log crossing might be required. You’ll find sweet campsites between the creek and the Hole in the Wall (a sea arch) to the north. The sea stacks just south of the arch are an awesome place to watch the sun go down. If overnighting, you’ll need a permit, available at the Wilderness Info Center in Port Angeles. Trailhead: Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park

Oyster Dome A local treasure, easily accessed from either Chuckanut Drive (6.5 miles roundtrip with 1900 feet of elevation gain) or the Samish Overlook on Blanchard Mountain (four miles roundtrip with 900 feet of elevation gain). Consult Ken Wilcox’s excellent book, Hiking Whatcom County for details. Either way, once you’re on top, the views are exhilarating. The Salish Sea sparkles far below, the expanse of blue dotted with green islands. If it’s clear, Rainier can be seen floating in the sky to the south. Bring a picnic lunch and leave your cell phone in the car. Trailheads: Chuckanut Drive just south of the Oyster Bar or Samish Overlook on Blanchard Mountain, accessed off the Barrel Springs Road. Below Huntoon Point

Photo by John D’Onofrio

Huntoon Point

To reach a place as stunning as Huntoon Point in only three miles is a rare, rare privilege. From the parking lot at the upper lodge of the Mt. Baker Ski Area strap on your snowshoes or cross-country skis and climb the well-tracked slope at the edge of the ski area (avoiding gravity-fueled skiers and snowboarders) to the quiet of Austin Pass. The views of Shuksan here may require a contemplation stop. But guess what? They get better. From the pass follow the snowcovered road until you see the last switchback below Kulshan Ridge. Head directly up the slope here to avoid a potential avalanche area and gain the ridge crest. From here, it’s a blissful traverse of the ridge to its apex at Huntoon Point. Baker, Shuksan, the blue Cascades: Count your blessings! Trailhead: Mt. Baker Ski Area upper lodge parking lot

I want some adventure, but I’m short on cash. Any ideas? Broke in Mount Vernon

My girlfriend just broke up with me and I’m miserable; what should I do?

Heartsick in Ferndale

I’m so tired these days! A ny ideas on ho w I can rec harge?

Pooped in Ly nden stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

Great Hikes...

Dea r Bro k e:

Go fo r a ru n! Dea r H ea rt sick Go fo r a ru n! : Dea r Poo

Go fo r a perudn!:

Running, like life, can be complicated. We make it simple. SHOES - APPAREL - GEAR

1209 11th Street | Bellingham | 360.676.4955 www.FairhavenRunners.com | HOURS: Mon - Sat: 10 - 7 | Sun: 11 - 5

race | play | experience

Home Away from Home Hut to Hut Skiing at Mount Rainier

Story by Brad Lane

he snow is piled high to either side of the trail and the silence of the Cascade wilderness quiets your mind. As you place one cross country ski in front of the other, it’s hard not to notice the muscles in your legs straining as you navigate through the wintery scenery. But if you’re skiing (or snowshoeing) on the Mount Tahoma Trails System, located just outside of Ashford, Washington and Mount Rainier National Park, all that work is pleasantly rewarded.

This remarkable trail system, operated by the Mount Tahoma Trails Association (MTTA), provides spectacular views of 14,400 ft. Mount Rainier that are every bit as awe-inspiring as the views 10

race | play | experience

from within the National Park itself. And at the end of each route, like lighthouses amongst snowy shores, sit three stunning huts waiting for you at day’s end. Whether you are staying at the Snow Bowl, Copper Creek, or High Hut (or all three), you’re in for a little slice of winter wonderland. And perhaps the only thing more amazing than the views offered from these spacious backcountry abodes is the story of the generous souls that have made these winter retreats possible.

A Collaborative Effort The MTTA, a non-profit organization comprised of volunteers, was created in 1989 along with the first hut. But it was not just this group of avid-adventurers

that made this 50-mile, three-hut-and-ayurt trail system possible, and if you ask Bob Brown, he’ll tell you the same thing. “The trail was established in 1990 and is a cooperative project involving the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the local timber companies, and State Parks Departments,” says Brown, one of the original members of the MTTA. “And what makes this all possible is the volunteer labor, trail user donations, and plenty of sweat equity.” Like most cooperative projects, the Mount Tahoma Trails System has a lot of moving parts. It has been a collaboration >>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

Photo by Ed Book

between nonprofit organizations, state agencies, private companies, and landowners that have made this ambitious dream a reality. Brown recognizes that without the timber companies and the roads they built, the trails would not exist. And stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

race | play | experience

75,000 overnight reservations since its original creation. Every facility, every trail marker, and every entry in the decorative log books found in the huts comes from the hands of volunteers and members, and while it’s a clear fact that the DNR and timber companies set up the framework for the trail system, it’s the users who make this winter retreat a reality. And they are a passionate group.

Morning at Bruni’s Snow Bowl Hut Photo by Brad Lane

A Winter Wonderland without the DNR and State Park support, there would be no access road and new vault toilets - and the agreement that allows the volunteer association to only charge a small reservation processing charge wouldn’t be in place. It is this agreement that makes the hut system a low-cost winter retreat, available to everybody. And then of course there are the volunteers. When it first was created in 1989, the MTTA had 6,000 members. And while that membership level has dropped to about 2,000 in recent years, that number is not representative of the community support the trail system receives. What paints a better picture is the annual 5,000 volunteer hours, the 3,500 overnight stays last season, and the total

There is a $15 reservation processing charge if you want to spend the night at a hut (with proceeds going back into the huts for equipment and supplies) and parking at the access gate requires a Sno-Park Pass. But this relatively small price for winter lodging (similar hut systems in the region range from $60-$100/night) delivers a winter experience that is literally priceless. Forget the rodent-infested, summer camp notions you might associate with the word ‘hut’ - these spacious shelters don’t

mountain time, beach time, family time NathaN L. McaLLister, attorNey at Law, Ps Wills & Trusts • Probate • Commercial Law Connect with nature, connect with yourself as you hike, ski, climb, slide, and relax your way into memories you and your family will treasure for years to come.

bakerbirchbay.com | 360.599.1518 12

race | play | experience

{ Simple Will $95 } (360) 734-0338

1313 E. Maple St., Ste 208 • Bellingham, WA 98225

www.NathanMcAllisterLaw.com

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

disappoint in terms of style, comfort, and the loosest definition of “roughing it”. As an example, Bruni’s Snow Bowl Hut (elevation 4250’), which was built in 2012, sleeps 14 and was made to exact winter comfort specifications. Leather couches offer you a cushy seat to enjoy stunning views of Mount Rainier, two large dining spaces and a fully stocked arsenal of kitchen appliances cater towards family-style meals, and a gas-operated fireplace ensures both your toes and hot cocoa stay warm all night long. It’s no wonder that thousands of people have called these huts home for a night. And if you’re a more adventurous skier or snowshoer, the backcountry yurt might be the answer for you. “The yurt is a whole different animal than the huts in the winter,” notes yurt manager Pat Gleason. “It’s the most remote and the most rustic of the facilities. Some people want that away-from-it-all feeling and the yurt provides that experience of solitude.”

Know Before You Go Weekend reservations are hard to come by for these much sought-after winter retreats, and your best bet at snagging a spot is by attending the MTTA’s fundraiser gala that takes place at the Seattle’s REI in the beginning of November each

year. After the gala, on-line reservations become available at noon in mid-November. If you can’t score a reservation, you can still visit one of the huts as part of a day trip. Once you arrive at a hut, dry your socks, have some lunch and a warm drink, and take in as much scenery as you can before making the trek back to the car. But before you head out to the trails, whether for a day trip or overnight, Brown and the rest of the MTTA community encourage everyone to plan for winter travel appropriately. And while all you need to stay at the huts is your sleeping bag and food, it is at least a 4-mile trek with significant elevation gain to each of the huts. Pack some extra clothes, carry the ten essentials, be ready for adverse weather, and understand the basics of winter travel. Most of all however, be prepared to lose yourself in the spectacular setting of the winter Cascades while enjoying the exceedingly civilized comfort that the MTTA provides all winter long. ANW

Resources Mount Tahoma Trails Association: www.skimtta.com Reservations, Area Questions, and Local Check-In Spot:

Whittaker Mountaineering: www.whittakermountaineering.com General Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing:

Cross Country Ski Areas Association: www.xcski.org/

“I love this! The hour flies by. I am soaked in sweat and feel fantastic.” Yurt Interior

“This is perfect cross training for any sport.”

Photo by Ed Book

“I’ve lost ten pounds and I have ten to go.”

Stay In The Game With Rolfing ® Prevent Injuries Recover From Injuries Boost Performance

New Rowers receive a 50% discount on the 10 pack class! Email for discount code: remafitness@gmail.com 1405 Fraser Street Ste. F1 Bellingham, WA 98229 stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

(360) 255-1557 brad@RolfingBellingham.com www.RolfingBellingham.com

1221 Fraser Street. Suite E-2, Bellingham

Class schedule is at www.remafitness.com race | play | experience

Travels With Charlie On the Edge with Helen Thayer Story by Ted Rosen

Approaching the North Pole

Photo by Helen Thayer ©Helen Thayer

race | play | experience

elen Thayer is a Superwoman. She didn’t get that way by being born on Krypton, and she can’t fire lasers out of her eyes. Like all real superheroes, she got that way through conditioning, studying, practicing, and very careful planning. She grew up on a ranch outside Auckland, New Zealand, where her active parents encouraged her to be active as well. Apparently, it took very little pushing. When she was nine years old, she summited an 8200-foot peak, Mt. Egmont. Throughout her youth she continued learning new skills and pushed her mind and body to new limits. In 1962, she married a fellow adventurer, an American named Bill Thayer. The young couple moved to Washington State, where they worked a dairy farm where Helen continued conditioning herself, specializing in track and field and single-mindedly becoming one of the best discus throwers in the country. In 1972, Helen watched a luge event on television and became entranced. Whereas most people would be satisfied with a few lessons and maybe some local competitions, Helen is wired differently. She studied the sport in depth and made run after run, year after year, honing her skills with relentless abandon. In 1975 - just three years later - she became the US National Champion. Hiking, skiing, and climbing in her backyard North Cascades, she continued to press herself in the outdoors, seeking out new challenges and mastering new skills. She and Bill went on epic mountain expeditions and long-distance kayak odysseys all over the world. As they struggled through each effort, they found how far their limits could stretch and how well their

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

careful conditioning and planning could affect a positive outcome. Yet for Helen, now nearly 50 years old, everything was just beginning. When they say “life begins at 50”, Helen took it as a challenge, not a breezy saying. Let’s get right to it and list some of her amazing accomplishments: • First woman to solo walk/ski to the magnetic North Pole; • Walked across the Sahara desert along a 4,000 mile trade route; • Walked 1600 miles across the unforgiving Gobi Desert; • Camped for two 6-month studies among wolf dens in the Yukon and the Arctic Circle; • Kayaked 2200 miles of the Amazon River. All this and more place Helen Thayer among the Great Explorers of the Twentieth Century, an honor bestowed by The National Geographic Society. She’s proud of her accomplishments but she’s very down-to-earth when she discusses them. Her inspirational speaking engagements draw big crowds yearning to learn her special secret, only to receive the most prosaic advice: learn to be totally committed to your goal, then tenaciously prepare yourself with hard work and discipline. This kind of advice is hard to find in our diet pill culture, where everything should be easy and painless and everyone gets a trophy. Helen learned long ago that they’re not just giving away trophies. “I was taught to set goals at an early age,” she says. “I climbed my first mountain at age nine. I soon discovered that a goal without a plan is only a dream, so planning became important. As my goals became more difficult, I learned that it takes only one step at a time to reach the goal. I have been an athlete all my life so hard, detailed training is my lifestyle.” Do you feel inspired by this? You should. Nothing worthwhile comes easy and sometimes we all need to be reminded of that. Writing a book is one of those difficult goals and Helen has penned three: Polar Dream: The First Solo Expedition stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

by a Woman and Her Dog to the Magnetic North Pole; Three Among the Wolves: A year of Friendship with Wolves in the Wild; and Walking the Gobi: A 1600-Mile Trek Across Self Portrait with ice

Photo by Helen Thayer ©Helen Thayer

a Desert of Hope and Despair. It was my pleasure to read her inspiring words and learn more about this woman and her adventures. Her writing style is unadorned yet suspenseful and has garnered high praise from critics, journals, and readers alike.

She is keen to recount her hardships and mistakes as well as her achievements. Definitely recommended reading. In Polar Dreams, we learn about her pre-expedition processes to reach the magnetic North Pole. Seeking the advice of the only real experts - the local Inuit people - she was severely warned about polar bears. Determined to do the trip truly solo, she was skeptical about hiring a dog team despite the fact that they would provide the best possible insurance against a bear attack. After much analysis, she agreed to accept one dog as a partner on the ice. Her Inuit consultant produced a big black sled dog whose skill and bravery were considered up to the job. And that was how Helen Thayer met Charlie, a canine companion who would save her life many times and prove to be a true Superdog. On her expedition to the magnetic North, Charlie employed wit

race | play | experience

Helen and Charlie stand victorious at the Pole Photo by Helen Thayer ©Helen Thayer

only fellow I could talk to.” In Three Among the Wolves, Charlie became a true ambassador as Helen and Bill camped among the wolves of the frozen North. It was Charlie who set a safe perimeter around the campsites, and it was Charlie who communicated to the wolf pack that he was Alpha Male of the camp and would gladly die defending his human pack. He earned the respect of the wolves, with the end result of Helen and Bill gaining unprecedented access to the daily lives of a wild wolf den. Their experiences among the wolves will beguile and fascinate you. With

and sensibility (and sharp teeth) to keep the lumbering polar bears at bay. Charlie could read a bear’s intentions and react accordingly. In most cases, this meant some deep growls and snapping barks. In more dire circumstances, it meant bold, decisive action. In every case, Charlie would save the day (and Helen’s Across the Gobi Desert Photo by Helen Thayer life) only to come bounding back ©Helen Thayer as if it was all a fun outing. She decided to keep him. “When Charlie and I met we bonded immediately,” she recalls. “I was the first person to show him love and attention. He quickly became not just a dog but my loyal companion that I soon learned would give his life for me. He was amazing around polar bears. I could tell from his reactions which bears were dan- Charlie by their side, they documented gerous and which were not. He was a great some amazing behaviors and cracked a few listener. He always listened to my fears and wolf secrets as well. From cooperation with ideas as we traveled over the ice to the Pole. ravens to locate food to the finer points of Remember: I was alone and he was the the wolf howl, Three Among the Wolves re-

veals a world that could only be discovered through persistent observation under extremely difficult conditions. Oh, and with Charlie’s help, of course. “Charlie’s grandfather was an arctic wolf,” Helen explains. “His genes and the fact that he played with wild arctic wolves during his upbringing allowed him to ‘speak wolf’ and gave him the instinct to know what to do, to show submission and gain the respect of the pack.” To Helen’s occasional chagrin, Charlie became something of a superstar. Her books lovingly detailed his loyalty and bravery, so when she took him on book tours, audiences young and old would fawn over the famous Charlie, who invariably became the center of attention. It’s easy to admire Helen Thayer’s accomplishments. But Helen wants us to appreciate the sweat equity required to reach those goals by learning new skills and practicing them till they become second nature. Conditioning your body not only for athletic tone but to prepare yourself for the unknown rigors that await. Running practice drills in difficult conditions again and again. Finding new depths in your own well of willpower. Step after arduous step, using every possible tool at your disposal to get you safely to your goal. These

West coast’s largest bareboat charter sailing fleet and sailing school. Local ownership, personalized service!

race | play | experience

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

are the 10,000 hours that she wants you to think about. And while you’re making step after step, keeping a positive attitude is high on Helen’s to-do list. “Be realistic in setting your goals,” she advises. “Once the goal is set, plan in detail before taking the first step. Once started, believe in yourself and your goal. Never think about the problems of yesterday. Look ahead to success and you will be successful.” It was Goethe who said, “Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.” Those are fine words, but Goethe never crossed the Gobi desert or soloed to the magnetic North Pole. I can only imagine what he may have thought of the redoubtable Helen Thayer. ANW

EnviroStarS

Full Service Auto Repair for Foreign, Domestic, Diesel and Hybrid Vehicles

Exceptional Automotive Service Dominique Zervas 1909 Broadway, Bellingham 360.733.2010 www.zervaslaw.com Real Estate • Land Use • Business Formation Exceptional Service • Meaningful Solutions

“My husband and I have been going to Bellingham Automotive for years and wouldn’t go anywhere else.” OOOOO “Extremely honest owner and workers. Many of the mechanics have been there for years.” OOOOO “I LOVE these guys! They’re the only place I trust with my car.” OOOOO

24 Years Running Strong. Visit us and find out why!

Two Locations To Serve You!

360-676-5200 Bellinghamautomotive.com

4116 Hannegan Rd, Bellingham

360-757-8282 Burlingtonautomotive.com

747 W. McCorquedale Rd, Burlington

stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

race | play | experience

Experience

Historic Fairhaven

in Bellingham Exit

Gift Certificates for No Waste Holiday Presents

250

...all ages and abilities can enjoy fun and unique sailing adventures, customized sailing instruction, or carefree skippered sailing experiences! embarking from Bellingham’s Historic Fairhaven—the southern terminus of the Alaska Ferry—just 90 minutes north of Seattle and 60 minutes south of Vancouver, BC.

Do you know who catches your prawns?

Mountain or Road We Have You Covered! Full Repair Shop • Bike Rentals Accessories • Clothing You name it, we have it: Tires, Pads, Helmets, Tools, Parts, Locks, Gloves & More!

The Bike shop that pays you dividends! Wild Alaska Spot Prawns

Artisan Pizza

The Largest Specialized Bike Dealer this side of Seattle in the of Fairhaven

race | play | experience

1307 11

Since 1971

1108 11th St. • 360-733-4433 • Open 7 days a week • www.farhavenbike.com

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

Come In, Explore & Discover

VILLAGE BOOKS

The Gifts Give

ars

lend

Ca oys, es, T

Gam

ook

ed, , Us w e N

They’ll Open Again & Again

rds

ps,

a s, M

ide

nB rgai

Ca ift

1200 11th St in Historic Fairhaven, Bellingham • 360.671.2626 • 800.392.BOOK • villagebooks.com

ADVENTURES NW >>>

Don’t get up. We deliver. AdventuresNW.com/subscribe Photo by Buff Black

Steve Satushek:

Mixing Mystery and Passion As a sensory receptor for the universe, I open myself to the great mysteries and create my version of a visual passion for others to enjoy. Floods and storms, faraway galaxies, precious stones and sea creatures are my inspiration. The forces of creation and destruction - from the miniscule to the cosmic - are just waiting for the human mind to interpret during our brief existence on this earthly plane. I am drawn to the sensuous and healing qualities of color and always looking for new ways to connect the outer and inner realms. I infuse pure pigments, oxides, and minerals into clear liquid polymers and allow gravity to do its work on a variety of substrates. Colors and textures flow and fuse in unique formations with a glassy, shimmering depth.

Clockwise from left: Macre, Spirit Origin, Zatori Wave, Creation Story

See more of Steve’s work at stevesatushek.com

eARTh The art of nature stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

race | play | experience

Finding Gold on Truth, Beauty and the Sacred Dance Story by Molly Baker

race | play | experience

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

Mt. Shuksan M

inutes are just the tick of a clock, all-encompassing and then gone forever. The accumulation of these moments defines our lives and who we are; they are the ingredients that make up our story. Wherever I stand in the world, from the streets of Berlin to the peaks of New Zealand or with the Indian Ocean washing upon my feet on a beach in Indonesia, my time on Mt. Shuksan will forever shape my perception of grandeur in this

world. My standards on beauty and awe, and a deeply-felt sense of spending each day of your life like it’s your last, exist because of that mountain. I have so often traveled Highway 542, following the best length of winding, mountainous road in America, to reach Mt. Shuksan - my pot of gold, the place that has filled my heart with boundless wealth. I am shocked - every single time - by its majesty and the realization that I actually have skied from the mountain…multiple times. While my life will pass, as will the countless other lives inspired by Shuksan’s presence, the mountain will always be there; it is the kind of gold that is eternal. Snowstorms often shroud Mt. Shuksan, obscuring the view of the 9,131-foot summit. My first two weeks in Washington, I knew it only as a place on the map. Where the mountain was

supposed to be, there was only a vacuous ocean of clouds. Now, it’s the only mountain I can vividly picture in my mind and day after day and year after year the image serves as inspiration for what is possible and just how beautiful life can be. As I look at the mountain, one clear memory always floods my soul - a 15-hour mission on Shuksan’s resplendent slopes in late December of 2013. Accompanied by Salt Lake City, Utah resident, skier, and photographer, Ian Provo, and two of Mt. Baker’s favorite locals, Zack Giffin and Ben Price, we ventured into the living room of this Cascade mansion. We were two locals, a visitor, and one girl who was striving to make this place, the North Cascades, her home. You won’t find celebrities inhabiting this manor, it’s locals and lifers, people who know every line on the peak better than family members’ birthdays. It’s a place that is the priority in their life. Demanding respect, patience, and care, and yet always offering a refuge in their

Photo by Ian Provo

stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

race | play | experience

constant search for challenge and selfconquest.

Moments of Truth It was the last day of December. A new year was only one long day of skinning and skiing away. Stepping into our dancing shoes, we started slogging uphill under a full moon basking on a purple horizon shrouded in a sea of pink. We shared moonlit turns down to the valley bottom, hooting and hollering and recognizing this might never happen again - full moon, perfect powder, pillows, and a day promising good snow stability in the alpine ahead of us. This was one of those moments. Zack and Ben had wished for this day for ten years. Their accumulated years of second-hand spaghetti dinners and nights camped out in cold, moldy vans in the Mt. Baker parking lot had led inexorably to this magical evening. They had sacrificed and waited.

I felt undeserving. How can I just walk up this mountain like any other ski day? I hadn’t paid my dues. Only a few

mind in a constant state of assessment, we made our way up to the foot of the glacier, a resting place to watch as the

Photo by Neil Provo/Outdoor Research

years in the area bravely following these kooks around and now I was here. My time chasing this rainbow had been short. With legs on autopilot and the

sun slowly crept above the horizon. I’d been in this place before. The Mt. Shuksan breakfast table, a safe zone to savor a snack and moisten the back of your throat with water already partially frozen in the early morning cold. It’s the place where you realize that you’re doing it: You’re going into the Shuksan Zone. For a moment both sun and moon occupied the sky. Here at the Whale’s Back, as we’ve so often called the spot, we watch small slough avalanches pour from a serac, so close you felt like you could cup your hand and catch some of the falling snow. Mt. Shuksan may be here forever, but its glaciers won’t. We saw more ice

Brewing Up the Unexpected… 100 Gallons at a Time! British Ales, Belgian Style Sours and Lagers

The North Fork Beer Shrine

Brewery • Pizzeria • Wedding Chapel • Power Station 6186 Mt. Baker Highway, Suburban Deming

599-BEER(2337) 22

race | play | experience

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

falling from the grand mountain, the glacier slowly crumbling, bearing the brunt of human ignorance and constantly accelerating climate change. It feels a little like we’re watching the mountain die, shedding the layers it can no longer support. The mountain feeds our insatiable thirst for adventure and exploration. Actually, we probably depend more on the snow and ice than the mountain itself. Even without its glaciers, the mountain will survive, but our skiing adventures won’t. Humans and our expectations in life are much more fragile.

The Sacred Dance Leaving behind the safety of our resting spot we begin the arduous switchback parade up the White Salmon Glacier, carefully evaluating where and when to climb and turn. Connected to all of the others in the team via rope, walking on a glacier is like a group dance. One person off-beat and the whole song and dance looses its pizzazz. As the only girl, I am accustomed to making sure that I am not the weak link. Zack happily puts me up front, a place where I can quietly lead while secretly looking for approval from each of their faces. Is this pace appropriate? Are my kick turns in the right place? After all, these guys are my mentors, the reason I am here. I would never have danced up this mountain on my own. As the ski lifts start to turn down below at the Mt. Baker Ski Area we reach a place where we can stare into the depths of the Curtis Glacier. In a place not many humans have stood, we pause in reverence - skiers, snowboarders, and lovers of the mountain life fully utilizing this sunny, winter day in the Cascades. We all stare in amazement down at the Curtis Glacier and point out lines that only super humans might survive. These mountain friends are always pushing their imaginations into the world of the impossible. They live in a world that others don’t see. The group splits. Some of us head towards Hell’s Highway, vying for the summit as our friends venture towards the Northwest Couloir. Years ago Ben, Zack, and I had shared that line together on a similar day in December. Amidst the alpenglow we had rode the line one at a time in ideal conditions. I remember screaming and nearly crying in excitement at the bottom. I am ready to feel that again. To experience life in its purest form: The happiness you feel after surviving a rewarding day in elements much more powerful than you’ll ever quite understand. By the time the sun is overhead, we are just a few short hours away from the summit. Having traveled safely among crevasses and steep faces possibly just waiting to shed their skin, we now had to make our most critical decisions under the intensity of the scorching sun. We marched toward the 50-degree face that would lead us to the summit, while Ian decided to remain on the flat expanses of the Sulphide Glacier stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

where he could take photos. Finally we made it to the top (only Zack officially as Ben and I were just 30 feet below). As Zack made the final scramble to the summit, sending a cascade of small rocks and ice our way, Ben and I began putting on our gear. A few pockets of snow that concerned us were below, but so was a ride that we’d never forget. One at a time, we rode the steep, variable 1,000 feet to the apron. And this is where our enjoyment really began. We rode the last 5,000 feet to another valley bottom. Stable, consistent, and ecstatic turns (on a face that has only been descended a handful of times) were our payoff. If I was offered a dollar for every foot we descended, I’d gladly take

race | play | experience

Photo by Ian Provo

the turns. Money can’t buy that kind of satisfaction - not now, not next year, never. It’s the kind of gold people spend their whole lives chasing. Once in the valley we still had another six hours of skinning and skiing with headlamps to get back to reality, out of our mountain heaven, out of

race | play | experience

Shuksan’s reach. The New Year came and went. More snow and different mountains came into our lives, but it doesn’t matter where I go or where I ski, I am always thinking wistfully about a place that means the world to me. Portions of this story appeared previANW ously on Backcountry.com

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

Photo by: Paula Froke

stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

race | play | experience

Tore Ofteness Shoots the Moon

spent the first eight years of my life in rural Norway, surrounded by water, hills and mountains. In order to see it properly, I climbed trees for a higher perspective. When I came to Bellingham, the landscape was much like Norway so I quickly felt at home - but airplanes replaced climbing trees. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are surrounded by beautiful landscapes - the Salish Sea to the west and the Cascade mountains to our east. I have long been drawn to the mountains - especially to photograph them from the air, which shows them in context and gives one a sense of scale. These photographs were done over a period of more than twenty years and are part of a continuing project of documenting the changing seasons and our changing climate. One part of this project has been my attempt to photograph all 12 full moons rising over Mount Baker. Since 1993, I have managed to get nine of them. Our weather has been the main reason for not yet getting all twelve. The missing moons are January, March and June, some of our wettest and most cloudy months, but I’m an optimist and every year I hope to get lucky. I feel that if I’m going to take on difficult project, I may as well shoot for Clockwise from above: Long Night Moon, Sherman Peak; Full the moon! Moon Over Mt. Baker; Hunter’s Moon Over Mt. Baker; Moon Over Shuksan; Flower Moon Over The Black Buttes; Harvest Moon and Komo Kulshan

See an expanded g 26

race | play | experience

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

gallery of Tore Oftenessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; aerial photography at AdventuresNW.com stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

race | play | experience

Kayaking the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge Story by Craig Romano

ne good tern deserves another. To everything tern, tern, tern. Tern left, tern right. I wasn’t quite sure how many more horrible puns and plays on words my poor wife, Heather could take. We were paddling in the middle of Dungeness Harbor surrounded by Caspian terns. The sandy islands in the harbor are excellent breeding grounds for these sea birds. In fact, the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge that we were kayaking across contains some of the best bird habitat in the state. Over 250 species have been recorded here including five species of terns. And while the common tern is uncommon here, the Caspian tern is ubiquitous in the refuge.

I have visited the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, located along the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the north Olympic Peninsula, over a dozen times since moving to Washington in 1989. But it was always to hike the Dungeness Spit, one of the best beach walks in the state. One of the largest coastal spits in the world, this sandy finger of land extends for over five miles into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. At its tip sits the second-oldest lighthouse in Washington, the New Dungeness Lighthouse, completed in 1857 (four years before the U.S. Civil War). Playful seals, score of birds and sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains make the hike a classic. What then can be more exciting and rewarding than hiking at the

Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge? Paddling there! Over half of the refuge’s 772 acres is water, including all of Dungeness Harbor and a slice of Dungeness Bay. Plus paddling in the harbor and bay allows you an opportunity to check out bayside flats and islands which are closed to hiking. The bay waters are protected and perfect for paddlers of all ages and abilities. The harbor can get rough, but if you don’t venture out too far away from Dungeness Spit, it usually isn’t too difficult to navigate. If you have your own kayak you can launch from the small Clallam County Park on Cline Spit. This little northjutting peninsula reaches out toward the long Graveyard Spit protruding south from Dungeness Spit to form the

Photo by John D’Onofrio

race | play | experience

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

entrance to Dungeness Harbor. If you On this beautiful sun-sparkling don’t have your own kayak, a couple day we paddled into gentle winds to of nearby lodging establishments on explore the harbor. The tide was comMarine Drive next to Cline Spit offer ing in, inundating shoals and mudflats. rentals at reasonable prices. Dungeness lies within the Olympic We launched in the protected warain shadow, an area that receives on ters of Dungeness Harbor and headed average less than 20 inches of rain per towards the nearby sandy islands and year. It is one of driest spots in Western shoals. The surrounding estuary and Washington. Often - as was true this spits comprise one of the most ecoday - it is graced with sunshine as the logically important areas within the Salish Sea. In Heather paddling along Graveyard Spit, San Juan Islands in the distance Photo by Craig Romano addition to the diverse bird population, over 40 land mammals take up residence here at various times of the year. Marine mammals also ply the refuge’s waters and the tip of Dungeness Spit includes a harbor seal rookery. The surrounding waters also support salmon. In summer the harbor’s islands teem with nesting terns, while throughout the winter thousands of nearby Olympic Mountains just to the black brants (a type of goose that nests south are shrouded in clouds. When in Alaska) ply the harbor’s waters. The the gray veil lifts, an incredible fortress area is an important migratory stop of mountains, snowcapped for most of for many other species too, and I have the year, provides a stunning backdrop spotted loons, harlequin ducks, and to this maritime setting. endangered marbled murrelets here. It As we paddled closer to the largest was this rich biological diversity that of the harbor islands, the fetid smell of prompted President Woodrow Wilson guano became overwhelming. And the to establish a National Wildlife Refuge last thing I wanted to wear was some here in January of 1915. of that guano as terns dived nearby and Human activity on these lands and darted overhead. Largest of the tern waters goes back a lot farther than the last century. Coast Salish peoples lived, hunted and fished here for centuries. It was Captain George Vancouver who bestowed the name Dungeness on the bay and spit during his North American sailings in 1792. He actually named it New Dungeness after the “old” Dungeness, a promontory on the Strait of Dover in the English Channel. The name was subsequently shortened to Dungeness, although the venerable lighthouse retains the New Dungeness name. stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

species, Caspian Terns are widely distributed across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australasia. North American terns such as these depart for southern U.S. coastal waters, Caribbean Islands and northern South America waters in the autumn. In late spring they’ll return to animate this and other harbors with their cacophonous squawking as they plunge and dive for tasty fishes. As we paddled around the island, we had plenty of mammalian company, too. The rippling waters were constantly revealing the inquisitive faces of bobbing harbor seals. These refuge residents shared the island and the abundant seafood buffet with the terns. After much time spent observing terns and seals, we decided to paddle out to the more open waters of Dungeness Bay. This involved paddling near the tip of Graveyard Spit which is off-limits to foot traffic and is therefore unknown to many hikers. Protruding south from Dungeness Spit for about two miles, Graveyard gives Dungeness a wishbone-like appearance when viewed from the air. While this spit is teeming with wildlife, its human history is quite macabre. The spit was named by early pioneers for 17 Tsimshian Indians from northern British Columbia that were supposedly buried here following

Need gear storage? Need moorage? Need a new place to cook porridge? I can help!

Danne Neill Real Estate Broker

360.303.4428

dannen@muljatgroup.com DanneNeill.com The Muljat Group Broadway race | play | experience

End of the Line: The New Dungeness Lighthouse Photo by Craig Romano

Clear the mobile clutter.

Our charging stations are designed and built from upcycled materials by our RE Vision Division. Find these and more repurposed gifts this holiday season at The RE Store. THE

RESTORE 2309 MERIDIAN ST FOUNTAIN DISTRICT 360.647.5921

Sally Farrell, Realtor® Coldwell Banker Bain 3610 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225

a massacre by local S’Klallam Indians in 1868. The Tsimshians were camped on the spit waiting for favorable weather to paddle across the Strait of Juan de Fuca when they were raided by the S’Klallams. Today, the weather was favorable for paddling Dungeness Bay but nevertheless we stayed within close proximity to Graveyard Spit as we paddled north towards the lighthouse. We wanted to remain closer to land primarily to observe birds and mammals feeding and moving about on the grassy spit - and to avoid getting caught off guard by strong currents, which can be challenging farther out in the strait where strong winds often whip across the open waters, creating formidable swells. We paddled against a fair breeze, enjoying views of the historic lighthouse that graces the tip of the spit. The one and a half story Cape Cod-style structure consists of a conical tower that rises 100 feet above sea level. The lighthouse’s foundation was built on two-foot-thick Chuckanut Sandstone blocks that were shipped from Bellingham. The structure is as regal and important as a navigational aid (automated since 1976) today as it was when first staffed in 1857. On this clear afternoon we didn’t need the aid of the lighthouse to paddle back to shore, and the wind at our backs made the paddling easier and quicker. The tide was coming in too, assisting our return to the bay. We came away from the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge with a whole new appreciation for this magical place. And one thing is certain - it is a heck of lot easier and quicker paddling out to the lighthouse than hiking the 11 miles roundtrip! ANW

360-393-7339 farrellhomes@comcast.net www.sallyfarrell..com Ask me about my affiliation with REBSEA and

JM Electric 419 Hemmi Rd. Lynden, WA. 98264

360.410.0328 30

race | play | experience

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

The Best Beers and the Best Pizza, All Under One Roof • Happy Hour 11am-6pm $1 Off Pints • 200 Micro Brews • 50 Beers on Tap • Live Music Every Thursday • Brewer’s Night Every Other Tuesday • Growlers To Go

Hours: Sun-Wed, 11am - 2am Thurs & Sat, 11am - 3am

1118 E. Maple Street on Samish Way

(360) 647-3600 Open Late For Delivery stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

race | play | experience

Backcountry Haleakala Days and Nights Inside the Volcano

ne of the marvels of our modern age is the almost magical transformation that occurs when you board a plane in the relentless bone-dampening drizzle of the Pacific Northwest and disembark a scant few hours later on any one of the luscious Hawaiian Islands. The contrast like contrast generally - enlivens the mind and sharpens the senses. And in the oft-bleak midwinter here in the cloud-shadowed Pacific Northwest, it is very easy indeed to celebrate the Hawaiian sunshine.

race | play | experience

Story and photos by John D’Onofrio

Our journey to one of those green islands - Maui - had been planned for many months. But we weren’t coming to lounge on the beaches (well, OK, a little); we were here to explore the trails and wild landscapes of this largely uninhabited island. Like most of the Hawaiian Islands, Maui’s population is concentrated in a few places, leaving the vast majority of the land -

and especially the interior - devoid of human habitation. Our primary objective is Haleakala, the great volcano. At 10,023 feet it is the highest point on the island and a backpacking paradise.

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

Into the Volcano The road to Haleakala is one of the planet’s great drives, climbing almost 10,000 vertical feet above the sunscreen-scented beach in less than 30 miles. We drive up the slopes of the great volcano - first through cane fields, then across open meadows dotted with eucalyptus that gave way to dark forests of conifers. As we near the crater’s edge the landscape changes again - radically. The view from the rim resembles nothing so much as the surface of Mars.

We load our Haleakala backpacks and cast Silversword furtive looks down into the immense crater, where we’re headed. It looks more than a little daunting. Technically, the crater of Haleakala is an erosional form. The summit rises high enough to capture the wet trade winds, and the resulting rainfall gave birth to a pair of streams that cut into the volcanic cone over the eons, forming two great depressions the Kaupo and

Koolau Gaps - which eventually joined. Continuing volcanic activity issuing from vents in the floor of this great concavity formed the multi-hued cinder cones that rise as high as 600 feet and created the lava flows that fill much of the vast basin, giving the crater a decidedly volcanic appearance. Our intention is to descend from the Keonehe’ehe’e (Sliding Sands)

Multi-hued cinder cones rise from the crater floor

stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

race | play | experience

Across the Cinder Dessert

photo: Ethan Welty

T H I S H O L I D A Y SEASON, G Iv E YOUR L Ov E D O N E S A BOOK THAT WILL

mAKE THEm JUmP FOR JOY

Just $29.95, available where books are sold and online at www.mountaineersbooks.org

trailhead, dropping 2500 feet to a hiker’s cabin at Kapalaoa. From there we’ll explore the crater’s nooks and crannies for four days, working our way to a campsite at Holua before ascending the Halemau’u trail to the Halemau’u trailhead. All told, about 30 miles. It’s an ambitious plan. We shoulder our packs and set off into the technicolor crater. The trail winds down past red and purple cinder cones which seem to grow larger as we descend, finally towering above us when we reach the crater floor. The tourists, plentiful around the rim and on the upper reaches of the trail, have all vanished and we are alone in the awesome void. As we head east across lava fields, a fine mist blows in from the Kaupo Gap, soon becoming a steady rain. We pass some of the famous Haleakala Silverswords (‘ahinahina), wet and shiny from the rain, daubs of silvery blue-green against the burnt umber of the lava. These remarkable plants grow only at Haleakala and were nearly rendered extinct in the 1920’s. Still extremely threatened, they have been staging a comeback, thanks to intense conservation efforts. Each plant lives for as long as 90 years and sends up a flowering stalk that can be as tall as six feet. Once the stalk blooms, the plant dies. We stop to examine the complicated geometric patterns of these rare plants and then continue east across the crater floor. The rain comes harder and the Kapalaoa cabin is a wel-

It’s the most wonderful time ... Use your WECU® Visa credit card for holiday purchases and adventures and earn a 1% cash back rebate!

Essays by local favorite authors William Dietrich, Christian Martin, and Craig Romano Foreword by Richard Louv | Poetry by Gary Snyder Images by Steph Abegg, John D’Onofrio, Jason Hummel, Andy Porter, John Scurlock and many other acclaimed mountain photographers 34

race | play | experience

www.wecu.com

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

Federally insured by NCUA.

to read ANW

come sight when it emerges from the mists beneath cliffs now lush with greenery. A greeting committee of nene - wild Hawaiian geese - are on hand as we open the door and enter the cabin, dropping our wet gear on the floor. We start a fire in the woodstove, which warms the space most satisfactorily against the damp chill. As the light fades, we light candles and outside the night comes alive with the strange murmurings of petrels, an endangered sea bird known to native Hawaiians as ‘Ua’u. These rare birds feast on squid in the offshore waters by day and, navigating by the stars, return to their nests on the crater walls at night. Their calls, coming from seemingly everywhere, are otherworldly. Music to accompany cryptic dreams.

Alien Landscapes The morning dawns opaque and white - dense cloud fills the crater. But by the time we head out on the trail towards Paliku the clouds have blown away and the sky is a scintillating blue. The sharp-edged lava that lines the trail gradually gives way to vegetation: first yellow flowers appear and then actual trees. There is a sign at the junction with the Kaupo Trail - which leads through the Kaupo Gap and down to the distant sea warning of packs of wild dogs below the crater. Apparently hikers have been attacked. Fighting off wild dogs is not our idea of a good time, so we continue past the junction. The cabin at Paliku occupies a verdant green meadow at the base of the fluted cliffs that mark the eastern edge of the crater. We eat lunch in this meadow and watch the mists

Adventuring on Maui When one imagines a winter vacation on Maui, probable scenarios might include sun-drenched white-sand beaches and those fancy drinks with umbrellas in them. I find those sort of things quite acceptable, truth be told, and have been known to pass happy days enjoying such tropical pleasures. But there’s another Maui to discover - an island of hard-scrapple backpacking and sweat-sticky treks through bamboo forests that clatter like Tito Puente when the wind blows. This is a Maui that offers world-class adventuring in soul-stirring locations like the great crater of Haleakala and the bamboo forests of Oheo Gulch. So, sure bring your snorkel and beach hat. But don’t forget your hiking boots and backpack.

stream around the green columns. Back on the trail, we traverse the crater floor towards Honokahua, the greenery quickly replaced by black lava flows with red cinders flowing through them like watercourses, a scene out of a Dali painting. The shadows lengthen and the colors deepen. As evening falls, the murmuring of the petrels begins and the sky fills with a panoply of stars. We bid our goodbyes to Kapalaoa in the morning, load our backpacks and head out on the trail to Holua, skirting Elbrus – summit of Russia

As you look to protect and grow your wealth, it’s important to work with a ﬁrm that has a unique global perspective, translated through the relevant and trusted advice of a Financial Advisor. Together, we’ll craft your own unique plan, and work with you every step of the way to help you achieve it—on your terms.

Advice you can trust starts with a conversation. David J. Mauro, CFP® First Vice President - Investments Phone 360-714-2550 104 Unity Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-4418 As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, we offer both investment advisory and brokerage services. These services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate contracts. For more information on the distinctions between our brokerage and investment advisory services, please speak with your Financial Advisor or visit our website at ubs.com/workingwithus. Neither UBS Financial Services Inc. nor any of its employees provides legal or tax advice. You should consult with your personal legal or tax advisor regarding your personal circumstances. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. ©2011 UBS Financial Services Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC.31.17_Ad_4.625x3.625_9G0204

Cute, Current, Clean Consignment! Locally owned since 2004

2 Locations in Bellingham

• NW Ave and I5 - exit 257 • James St. - next to Trader Joe’s 4 time “Best Of...” award winner www.labelsconsignment.com stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

race | play | experience

smooth cinder cones, their symmetrical lines uncomplicated by vegetation. Near Kawilinaul, we shuck our packs and climb to the top of Halali’i, a prominent cone, for an eye-opening panorama of the alien landscape spread out below us on all sides like an over-saturated dream. The wind howls. Continuing west, we encounter a shadowy shrine-like grotto and then descend jumbles of black spiky lava to Holua where we make camp on a grassy hill beneath the towering cliffs of the west rim. The setting sun illuminates the extraordinary landscape, creating sensuous curves of shadow. Again the stars are dazzling. The night skies over Haleakala are considered one of the premier places on Earth for star-gazing - hence the observatory dubbed “Science City” on the rim. Tonight they beggar description. In a lifetime of observing the night sky, I’ve never seen anything like this. We watch the sky and hum along with the petrels. Life is good.

We’ve Got the

Gear You Need to

GET OUT

in the Fresh Air and Have FUN!

A Banquet of Stars

Stay on Top of Whatcom Real Estate with Dawn Durand!

Ptarmigan Ridge

Call Dawn Durand for all your real estate needs. Over 22 years helping buyers and sellers in Whatcom County make their dreams come true!

360-739-3380

Open weekdays 8 to 5 • Saturdays 9 to 4 851 Coho Way, Bellingham, WA 98225 360-734-3336 www.LFSmarineoutdoor.com 36

race | play | experience

dawndurand.com dawn@dawndurand.com

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

Sunrise brings tender warm light to the cliffs to an accompaniment of the morning music of unknown birds. It’s our last day in the crater and I am infused with the familiar melancholy of departure. We break camp and hit the trail across the lava and grasslands to the base of the cliffs. As we climb a seemingly-endless series of switchbacks, we stop often to rest and gaze out over the vast crater. Clouds pour through the Koolau gap, eventually enveloping us in an opaque mist as we climb to the distant rim. ANW

Il Caffe Rifugio Restaurante An Eclectic Italian Restaurant ONLY 15 minutes from Bellingham

Amazing Food, Drive-Up Coffee, Wine & Beer The only place to stop for all your quality food and drinks.

5415 Mount Baker Highway, Deming

stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

360-592-2888

Poetry from the Wild

Pacific Halo by Jim Bertolino

What kind of intelligence is carried by ocean waves? Surely greater than that of the shark, or Dungeness crab. With water from throughout the Pacific, and beyond, the information carried might overwhelm a great university, and certainly a solitary genius. Why would one not want to give oneself up to such mastery? Given the Earth is the planet of water in this star system, we might ascribe a level of divinity to the ocean—this ocean. Water has other godly presences, but my belief in the Pacific is unquestioned. If ever I achieved sainthood, I would want my halo to be both salty and wet.

James Bertolino’s 12th volume of poetry, Ravenous Bliss: New and Selected Love Poems, was published in 2014 by MoonPath Press. He retired from Oregon’s Willamette University in 2006, where he was Writerin-Residence.

race | play | experience

Along the Skagit A Winter Gathering of Eagles Story by Cora Thomas Photographs by Lee Mann

can still remember my parents teaching me how to spot a bald eagle, “look for the white head and tail feathers since their bodies are black and difficult to see.” It’s January on the Skagit River near Rockport, WA and the bright white heads of bald eagles are prominent against the grayness of the riverbanks and naked alders. Even though I’m accustomed to seeing bald eagles because I grew up in the Upper Skagit Valley, I still take a moment to admire their strength and stoic demeanor when I catch one surfing the thermals or perched in an old growth. I keep a lookout today as I drive the scenic State Route 20 up to Howard Miller Steelhead Park to volunteer at the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center. 38

race | play | experience

As eagles begin to congregate, eagle watchers from across the region make their own trek to the Upper Skagit to catch a glimpse of these regal creatures. Many of these hopefuls visit the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center in Rockport, WA. At the Interpretive Center, volunteers are busily directing bundled-up eagle watchers to the best lookouts. Before joining a guided walk to the river a visitor peers over the six foot wide eagle’s nest next to the facility and gasps, “Is that real?!” This makes me smile. I walk into the building just as a park ranger begins a presentation for a group of wide-eyed elementary school kids. I was exposed to this nonprofit at an early age and it only felt natural to step up when I was asked to join the organization after college. About the time that bald eagles are migrating from Alaska toward the Skagit River there is another group preparing for their

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

arrival, the Skagit River Bald Eagle Awareness Team (SRBEAT), the nonprofit that operates the Interpretive Center. As a volunteer and former board member, I’ve seen their fervor and dedication first hand. We work to advocate for the conservation of bald eagles and their habitat which includes the Skagit River Watershed. We embark on a journey of environmental education each winter when the Skagit River is writhing with spawning salmon and the riverbanks and treetops are crowded with bald eagles. The Interpretive Center opened its doors in 2006 and operates during the peak of eagle migration, from December to the end of January, providing a host of services including eagle watching site information, local information, environmental presentations, guided river walks, special programs for school groups, interpretative displays, live bird demonstrations, cultural presentations, and a gift shop. “The Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center has provided the only continuous eagle watching and environmental learning opportunities in the area during each winter season for well over a decade,” SRBEAT President Deanna Ensley says. “We look forward to being able to offer these services well into the future.” stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

Migratory eagles begin to arrive in October from northern breeding territories in Alaska and Canada. The Skagit River supports all five salmon species and hosts the largest population of wintering bald eagles in the lower 48. Threats to bald eagles include degradation of natural habitat, reduction of salmon populations, and shrinking locations of prime nest trees. The Skagit River Watershed encompasses the river, its tributaries (Baker, Cascade, Sauk-Suiattle rivers), and all that depend on this central water source. John Wesley Powell defined a watershed as “that area of land, a bounded hydrologic system, within which all living things are inextricably linked by their common water course that they become part of a community.” Our “common water course” is the Skagit River and our natural community is what we set out to share with others. This journey began in 1986 when a group of like-minded residents from Concrete, Rockport, and Marblemount noticed a growing annual winter migration of visitors coming to the Skagit to watch the eagles. In response a question arose - why not welcome them with information, suggest prime eagle viewing areas, and provide a warm place to escape the cold? It began as the Upper Skagit Bald Eagle Festival and the opening of the Interpretive Center grew from that success. However, the race | play | experience

The Legacy of Lee Mann Lee Mann’s photography captures a deep and abiding love for the landscapes and wildlife of the Skagit Watershed. Mann spent decades photographing the natural world and built an international reputation for a remarkably keen eye and the high quality of his prints, many of which have been reproduced as cards, posters and calendar images. Over the years he donated a percentage of his sales to organizations like The Nature Conservancy, The North Cascades Conservation Council, The Skagit Land Trust and the Washington National Park Fund. Mann passed away in 2011 but his legacy is kept alive by his son Bryce. Learn more at leemannphotography.com

economic downturn in 2007 forced the organization to scale back and terminate the festival for financial reasons. The focus shifted to the services they could provide at the Interpretive Center in Rockport. Many people that visit the Interpretive Center have never seen an eagle in the wild and are awed at what they find here. The Interpretive Center offers a platform for exploration and education, a perch to see a broader view of an ecosystem and its

interconnected parts. SRBEAT’s hope is that after being exposed to the wildness of the Upper Skagit Valley, a spark will be ignited in people’s minds and hearts about how we can preserve this ecosystem and fragile cycle of life. Akin to the interdependency between the river, salmon, and eagles, SRBEAT doesn’t work alone. The organization’s strength comes from collaboration. They partner with local agencies, organizations,

and individuals to meet shared goals of providing the public with an educational and memorable experience. The organization is largely operated by volunteers and relies on donations and grant funding. Simply put, they cannot open each year without this combination of support. It is essential that future generations grasp the importance of environmental conservation or we risk a future where we will no longer be able to enjoy eagles awaiting their next meal in the rushes of the Skagit. The Skagit River Bald Eagle Awareness Team and the Interpretive Center can be that launching pad to help you spread your wings and see more clearly the symbiotic - and often tenuous - relationship between humans and habitat. You can support SRBEAT efforts in environmental advocacy and education by visiting the Interpretive Center and learning more; donating funds so that the team may continue their mission and expand their goals; or give your time by volunteering your skills. The bald eagles of the Skagit are truly a national treasure, one that hopefully will be enjoyed by eagle watchers for generations to come. ANW The Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center opens on Saturday, December 6, 2014 and will be open Friday through Sunday until January 31, 2015. Visit our website to learn more about our work and view a schedule of events at skagiteagle.org.

Want to Connect?

Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center

52809 Rockport Park Rd, Rockport WA 98283 Mailing Address: PO Box 571, Concrete, WA 98237 www.skagiteagle.org • srbeatic@frontier.com 360-853-7626

race | play | experience

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

Wherever craft beer takes you, SHARE through social media using #BounderOn! You could win awesome BEER GEAR! FOR COMPLETE CONTEST RULES PLEASE VISIT BBAYBREWERY.COM

1107 RAILROAD AVE. • 360.647.5593 • BBAYBREWERY.COM stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

race | play | experience

The Wild Nearby Saving the North Cascades, One Page at a Time By Christian Martin

ooks can be transformative.

They can capture the imagination of readers and inspire action. They can provide a catalyst for change. Fifty years ago, in 1964, a black and white coffee table book, The North Cascades was published by Mountaineers Books. The photographs of Tom Miller combined with the words of Harvey Manning and the maps of Dee Molenaar to make a compelling case for the need to protect the then little-known North Cascades. Four years later President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill that created North Cascades National Park. In 2003, Mountaineers published Arctic National Wildlife

Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land, a book featuring the evocative photographs of Subhankar Banerjee, which made a strong case for the preservation of this iconic wilderness. This book was held up on the Senate floor during the contentious debate about oil drilling in the refuge. The proposal to open the refuge for resource extraction was narrowly defeated. These are just two examples of the power of books to win hearts and minds in the ongoing battle to conserve the last of our wild places. A few years ago, publisher Helen Cherullo told me that her team was dreaming of doing a new book on the North Cascades, and asked if I’d be a part of it. I have spent most of my life in and around the mossy, glacierladen wilds of Cascadia, and my work as a freelance writer and communications coordinator for North Cascades Institute is dedicated towards their appreciation and preservation, so of course I jumped at the opportunity. Together we brainstormed and brought on board William Dietrich, the Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and author of the classic environmental tome The Final Forest; Craig Romano, the Northwest’s prolific trail guide author; Gary Snyder, the renowned Beat Generation-era poet who spent several formative summers as a fire lookout in the North Cascades; Richard Louv, author of the influential book Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder; and more than twenty leading Pacific Northwest nature photographers, including Art Wolfe, Paul Bannick, Brett Baunton, Steph Abegg, John Scurlock, John D’Onofrio and Benj Drummond. This past fall, The North Cascades: Finding Beauty and Renewal Continued on page 44

The Backcountry Season Pass; Your punch card for powder.

Go with the locals

509−996−3194 ncmountainguides.com info@ncmountainguides.com

race | play | experience

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

Profiles in the North Cascades: Fred Beckey By Christian Martin

erhaps no living human is more associated with the untamed allure of the North Cascades—a blend of fear, awe, agony, and ecstasy—than mountaineer Fred Beckey. In the celebratory, life-spanning book Fred Beckey’s 100 Favorite North American Climbs, his friends and climbing partners from the last seven decades lavish Beckey with accolades: “The most prolific mountaineer of the last 100 years,” “the undisputed sovereign of American dirtbag climbers,” and “grandfather of the road trip.” These claims would be unbearable were they not actually true. Beckey immigrated to Seattle from Germany with his family in 1925 and, with the Boy Scouts and local mountaineering clubs, began climbing the mountains visible from the city. He ascended Boulder Peak in the Olympic Mountains by himself at age thirteen—beginning his life’s trajectory spent climbing remote rock—and later achieved the summit of Mount Olympus with his troop. Beckey began exploring the North Cascades next, making first ascents up Mount Despair in 1939 and Forbidden Peak in 1940—rugged mountains deemed unclimbable by the local mountaineering club. Over the ensuing summers, he pioneered routes up dozens more Cascades peaks, sometimes with his brother Helmy in tow. Staring out across the sea of peaks, Beckey recounts feeling “a kinship with the noble almost unbelievable peaks and tumbling glaciers.” In 1942, the brothers made their stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

way toward Mount Waddington in British Columbia’s Coast Mountains, a dark, sulking massif cloaked in glaciers and surrounded by miles of impenetrable coastal rain forest. After weeks of rain, snow, rockfall, and avalanches, the two teenagers achieved the summit, only the second humans to stand atop the peak, and the second up the foreboding south face approach. The accomplishment shocked the

Photo by Megan Bond

mountaineering community, left to marvel that two unknown, untrained teenagers had not only the skills and mettle but also the audacity to attempt such a feat. While not exactly antagonistic, Beckey’s unorthodox style of climbing razzed the formal establishment: it was quick, improvisational, in small groups, and used nontraditional techniques and motley gear. “I discovered that climbing required making meaningful decisions, practicing the facets of strategy, and a commitment difficult to equal in daily life,” he wrote. “There was a freedom from constraints, and an intensity and happiness after a

safe return.” His list of mountaineering accomplishments grew: in the summer of 1954 he climbed Mounts McKinley, Hunter, and Deborah in Alaska, a feat referred to as his Triple Crown of First Ascents. Friends rarely knew where in the world Fred was until he stormed in to town fired up for his next secret mission in the mountains. While the ensuing decades would find Beckey asserting his prowess on rock from the Alaska Range to the Tetons, the Sierra Nevada to the desert Southwest, he kept circling back to the endless new challenges in the North Cascades. He has lived an authentic life of adventure, hardiness, and spontaneity that thousands of mountaineers emulate today. “Fred has done more first ascents than any other human has, or ever will,” remarks Yvon Chouinard, one of Beckey’s early climbing partners who went on to found the Patagonia clothing company. “He is the essence of climbing. He’s never done it for money or for fame. Fred climbs for the joy of it.” Beckey’s lasting imprint on the North Cascades is assured. He has named peaks in the range, written climbing guides (the Cascade Alpine Guides) that are widely considered the bibles of Cascades mountaineering, published an exhaustively researched tome on early exploration of the American Alps (The Challenge of the North Cascades), and has done more first ascents than he, or anyone else, can track. Next time you’re in the North Cascades, look up. What might at first appear to be a mountain goat may be Beckey, continuing his life-long love affair with these mountains. ANW Reprinted from The North Cascades: Finding Beauty and Renewal in the Wild Nearby published by Mountaineers Books race | play | experience

Continued from page 42

in the Wild Nearby was published, and it has been warmly received at presentations in Seattle, Everett, Twisp, Darrington, Bellingham, Mount Vernon and at the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center on Diablo Lake. We have hopes for more local and international readings, university presentations, a museum-quality traveling exhibition and multimedia projects that would bring the ecosystem to life for anyone with internet access. The Wild Nearby is another missionminded title from The Mountaineers. It seeks to inform, inspire and rally public sentiment in favor of stronger protection and strategic stewardship of the North Cascades ecosystem, both in the nearterm and for future generations. But why the North Cascades? Aren’t they already protected in the national park? While it’s true that visionaries from generations past have helped secure protection for the core of the ecosystem - more than one million acres administered as

national park, wilderness areas, provincial parks and national recreation areas - the region faces unique threats today. It is surrounded by more than seven million people, and population growth in the Pacific Northwest is moving at a clip faster than India. A warming climate is shrinking the mountain’s glacial resources, which provide cold, clean water for cities, agriculture and salmon. And there are ongoing challenges with housing sprawl, timber and mining, roads and railways, water use, pollution and even recreation and tourism. “How shall we manage these crags?” asks Dietrich in his essay. “Can their complex succession of ecosystems be sustained? Will salmon survive in the rivers? Will grizzlies, wolves, and wolverines roam? How can the North Cascades be resilient in the face of climate change? Can an alpine environment thrive if adjacent lowlands are paved over? Can we help native plants and organisms resist invasive species? How can a growing and aging urban population visit this land-

scape without overpowering it?” This new book on the North Cascades doesn’t have answers to all these difficult questions, but it challenges us to consider them. Hopefully, through the book’s eloquent prose, beautiful photographs and art, insightful profiles, useful maps and timelines, and suggested trip itineraries, it will inspire a sustainable future for the North Cascades, our own wild nearby. ANW Learn more at wildnearby.org

A Celebration of Stewardship In partnership with Mountaineers Books, we are pleased to reprint Christian Martin’s profiles of local people who exemplify this wild landscape over the next four issues, beginning here with legendary climber Fred Beckey. Future profiles will include Glacier Geologist John Reidel, Stehekin writer and trail worker Ana Maria Spagna and student volunteer Kassandra Barnerdt. Look for these in upcoming issues.

Welcoming new OB patients

family? Starting

Bellingham

Start right here.

Many of our physicians provide family-centered pregnancy and childbirth care. We take the time to build personal relationships with new moms and their families up to the baby’s birth – and beyond. With a healthy start, your whole family will enjoy our Great Northwest lifestyle. We take care of families through all ages and stages of life.

• Family Health Associates • North Sound Family Medicine • Squalicum Family Medicine

Whatcom County

• Birch Bay Family Medicine • Ferndale Family Medical Center • Lynden Family Medicine

Skagit County

• North Cascade Family Physicians

familycarenetwork.com Local clinics, community connections for compassionate and coordinated care.

race | play | experience

>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

Cascadia Gear: Essentials for your next Adventure Brenthaven BX2 Focus Convertible SC Camera Bag As a backpacker who carries a significant amount of camera gear, I have used many systems to manage the double load. Over the years, a variety of camera bags have made my life miserable. Until now. The Brenthaven BX2 Focus Convertible SC bag is the best camera bag that I have encountered. Even without deploying the external lens case, it’s big enough for my DSLR with two lenses and accoutrements and is well padded all the way around. This ruggedly-built bag is surprisingly light (2.2 pounds) considering the protection it offers and with both a waist and shoulder strap, it’s versatile. While carrying a backpack, I wore the BX2 on my waist with the shoulder strap slung over my neck to distribute the weight. The rain cover - packed in one of three external pockets - was bombproof in various downpours although the contents are difficult to access when the cover is on. I guess the thinking is that you won’t want to access the camera in the rain, which - for me - isn’t always true. But this small quibble aside, I love this bag! And in terms of quality of construction, the BX2 Focus Convertible SC - like everything that Brenthaven manufactures - is made to last a lifetime. More info: www.brenthaven.com

Gear Spotlight:

Blizzard Bonafide

Alpine Skis: Try Before You Buy by Chris Gerston Backcountry Essentials has expanded into alpine skiing with more services and boot-fitting. Skeptical of reviews? Good. Come make your own comparisons as we have over 30 demos for you to try - and we offer a season’s pass ($249) to give you unlimited access to test all the skis in different conditions (details in store). Also, sorry this is so one-sided with men’s skis, but I am what I am. We have women’s equivalents of most of these. Backcountry/Volcano – Since I own the DPS Wailer 99 as my lightweight ski, I’ll give it an honorable mention, but the Volkl Nunataq topped my list as an extremely versatile backcountry ski. Compare either of these two with the K2 Coomback 104. Frontside/Carving – The Blizzard Bonafide at 98mm underfoot makes big turns on groomers super fun. How does this ski compare to the Rossignol Experience 88, Volkl Mantra or Volkl VWerks Katana? Come make your own decision as we have demos of all three. Powder – I don’t mean to be so Volkl-centric, but the Volkl One at 116mm was my favorite big ski that I tested and it wasn’t even in powder. Other demos to try: Atomic Bent Chetler, Rossignol Super 7. Quiver of One – Rossignol Soul 7. The Soul 7 might have won every award possible. The Soul defines the “quiver of one” category, but compare this to the new Volkl Mantra, Blizzard Cochise, or K2 Shreditor 102. Chris Gerston owns Backcountry Essentials, an outdoor specialty shop located at 214 W. Holly in Bellingham, WA. Check out more gear reviews by Chris Gerston at AdventuresNW.com

Sasquatch & Yeti Bars from Avenue Bread I have eaten a lot of energy bars in my life. Few have been consumed with enthusiasm. Energy bars tend to be a necessary evil, a mostly joyless way to throw some fuel on the internal fire. No more. Bellingham-based bakery Avenue Bread has introduced a pair of snack bars that are so good I find myself eating them at home. The Sasquatch Bar (so named, according to Avenue, to honor the fact that Whatcom County is an official Sasquatch Refuge Area) and The Yeti Bar are now available at select locations around Whatcom County. Created with local recreationalists in mind, these scrumptious treats debuted at the Mt. Baker Ski Area, where they sold like hotcakes. And no wonder. These babies are made by hand out of rice, oats, fruit, seeds, nuts and peanut butter. Brown rice syrup is used instead of corn syrup and brown sugar replaces white. And they’re packed with protein - the Sasquatch has 12 grams and the Yeti has 13 grams. According to Avenue, these bars were created for “anybody who wants an elevated experience for the mind, body, and soul.” Sound like hyperbole? Wait until you taste them. More info: www.avenuebread.com

Vasque Erikkson GTX Boots Uh-oh... The new boots from Vasque arrived the day before we were heading out on our gear testing trip, a three-day backpack in the North Cascades. No time for break-in. As it turned out, no need. The brand new Vasque Erikkson GTX boots set the bar for comfort. Combining rigidity to support long hikes over rough terrain with a heavy load and cushy foot-friendly fit, these boots deliver superb performance and light weight at only 3 lbs., 3 oz. A full-grain leather upper, a GORE-TEX® liner, Vibram® Summit sole and polyurethane internal foam around the ankle combine to make the Erikkson GTX an excellent choice for backpacking. And of course, they’re breathable and waterproof. Vasque has a welldeserved reputation for manufacturing the kind of boots that hikers fall in love with. With the Erikkson GTX, they’ve achieved a new pinnacle of performance. More info: www.vasque.com

Benro Travel Angel II Tripod Tripods are a contradiction in terms. When you’re carrying them you want them to be light as a feather and when you’re using them you want them to be rock solid. Benro’s carbon fiber Travel Angel II C1682TV1 does a masterful job of uniting these opposites. Benro sells this as a package - legs and ball head - and it weighs only 3.45 pounds and folds up to less than 18 inches long. It’s a joy to carry. Carbon fiber construction makes it light and does a better job of eliminating vibrations than metal. And in the field - with the wind blowing - it anchored my Canon DSLR and 300 mm lens, no small feat. It also converts to a monopod/walking stick and has a built-in bubble level. The ball head is user-friendly, with an adjustment to regulate the tension, a nice touch. More info: www.benrousa.com