Adventures NW Fall 2011 by John DOnofrio

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FALL. 2011

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of a RACE DIRECTOR confessions

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reDISCovering GOLF

a BLUES trail: MOUNT MISERY EASY RIDGE

gateway to the Pickets

how to be a

LOOKOUT RANGER SURFSKI

single to double

BLUEBERRY SEASON in the hills

BC wilderness mountain bike adventure

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FALL. 2011 Volume 6. Issue 3

The Pacific Northwest is both home and playground for LAWRENCE GOOLSBY. His favorite activities are writing, mountain climbing, and kayak racing. His favorite quote: “There’s always an adventure just waiting to happen.” A bicyclist, backpacker, kayaker, and regular contributor to Adventures NW, Laural Ringler has published over 70 articles in magazines such as Adventure Cyclist, Chuckanut Reader and Entertainment News Northwest, and blogs on family adventuring at lauralringler.com. A school counselor, Laural hopes for fine fall hiking weekends to balance her back-to-school busy season.

Being the owner of Fanatik Bike Company in Bellingham, Kathy Salisbury finds herself surrounded by interesting bikers and bike stories. She keeps extensive files of trails and rides in incredible areas and spends her free time trying to ride them. She also feels fortunate to have access to a great network of trails in her hometown.

John D’Onofrio loves nothing more than being “high and outside” in the North Cascades. In addition to climbing over deadfall, he spends his time writing for various magazines, making photographs, painting masks, creating music, paddling his canoe (the venerable Queen Edna) and learning new yoga poses from his wife, Susan. Abigail Sussman is grateful to be among the lucky rangers who have lived at Copper Ridge Lookout. She’d like to say “Happy Retirement” to Gerry Cook, who spent summers at all three fire lookouts in North Cascades National Park. In addition to Adventures NW, Abigail’s words are found on the pages of Backpacker, Backcountry, and Mountain Gazette. Nolan Harron is a middle-school teacher and enjoys any adventure outdoors, no matter how big or small. He lives in Bellingham with his beautiful wife, Andrea, and two dogs, Kaia and Nieve.

Fifty-year-old Mike McQuaide doesn’t look a day over 49-and-three-quarters. (Ish.) During his halfcentury the Bellingham author and Seattle Times contributor has written five books, including Insiders’ Guide to Bellingham and Mount Baker and Day Hike! North Cascades. His sixth, Classic Road Rides of Washington (Mountaineers Books), hits stores in 2012. Read more McQ at mcqview.blogspot.com.

Craig Romano is the author of eight Washington guidebooks including the newly released Backpacking Washington (Mountaineers Books); which includes 70 trips from the Olympic Coast to the Blue Mountains. When not hiking, he’s running, biking, or sipping wine—at times with his wife, Heather, but not with his cats Giuseppe and Scruffy Gray. Visit him at craigromano.com. Cami Ostman is on the board of the Bellingham Sister City Association and is a longstanding member of the Greater Bellingham Running Club. Her book, Second Wind: One Woman’s Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents (Seal Press) was released in 2010. She is co-director of the Wind Horse Half-Marathon in Bellingham.

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INSPIRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE

lonely wanderings in the Blue Mountains Craig Romano

single to double paddling tandem

Lawrence Goolsby 12

HOW TO LIVE AT A FIRE LOOKOUT

Abigail Sussman 16

“i am in!” epic Chilcotin mountain biking

Kathy Salisbury

closer to the ground disc golf adventures Nolan Harron

Easy Ridge gateway to the Pickets

John D’Onofrio

CONFESSIONS of a novice race director

Cami Ostman

Blueberry Season kerplink, kerplank, kerplunk Laural Ringler

a few of my favorite thangs

Mike McQuaide

“Every climber feels his pulse quicken at the prospect of adventure when the car leaves for the hills….” —Fred Beckey, Challenge of the North Cascades

DESTINATIONS 7

Gear, Garb, Getaways Emporium

Getting Away—BC’s Chilcotins

Next Adventure photo

Race|Play|Experience Calendar 48-57 Race Report—Wind Horse Half

COVER Tim Baugher of Oak Harbor Frisbee Golf Club; photo by Connor Harron

Copper Ridge Lookout; photo by Abigail Sussman

Advertiser Index

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>EVENTS Have your outdoor-related event, race or outing listed in the quarterly race|play|experience calendar and the regularly updated online version. Deadline’s below; more info on the “Events” page of AdventuresNW.com. >ABOUT Adventures NW is an independent, quarterly publication enjoyed by nearly 40,000 readers each issue since 2006. ANW’s mission is to publish a high-quality, engaging magazine that will inspire local and visiting readers to try new activities, to fully explore the natural beauty and recreational offerings of the diverse areas throughout the Pacific Northwest, and to have adventures in their own communities—and beyond. Adventures NW is also committed to providing organizations and businesses a valuable, content-rich, respected publication in which to communicate their marketing messages. Further, it is the goal of Adventures NW Publishing, Inc. to be an example by supporting independent and local businesses and following socially and environmentally responsible practices in order to maintain sustainable and healthy communities. Copyright ©2011 by Adventures NW Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Views expressed herein are those of the authors exclusively. Adventures NW is not responsible for unsolicited material.

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FALL. 2011 Volume 6. Issue 3

>INVOLVED... John D’Onofrio • Lawrence Goolsby Nolan Harron • Connor Harron Andrea Harron • Mike McQuaide Cami Ostman • David Pillinger Laural Ringler • Craig Romano Kathy Salisbury • Mark Salisbury Abigail Sussman

>ALSO... Andrea Gabriel • Finnian Haskins Jay Haskins • Lance Romo Sound Rowers • US Forest Service Wind Horse Half Marathon Adventures NW magazine is printed by Lithtex NW Printing Solutions, Bellingham

Publisher/editor Paul Haskins MANAGING EDITOR/EDITOR Alaine Borgias

Adventures NW magazine PO Box 2426, Bellingham, WA 98227 Paul@AdventuresNW.com 360-927-1843

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advertisers Academic Adventures 14 American Alpine Institute 19, cal Bagpipe Construction 46 BayPort Financial 45 Bellingham Bay Marathon 39, cal Bellingham Traverse 13, cal Brandon Nelson, RE/MAX Whatcom 15 Busara Thai Cuisine 11 The Chrysalis Inn & Spa 14 Chuckanut Century (MBBC) 52, cal Colophon Café & Deli 15 Community Food Co-op 34 David Mauro, UBS Financial 19 Dawn Durand, Windermere 47 Fairhaven.com 15, cal Fairhaven Bike & Ski 46 Fairhaven Fitness/B’ham Tennis 45 Fairhaven Pizza Company 19 Fairhaven Runners & Walkers 60, cal Fairhaven Runners Waterfront 15k 50, cal Faith R. Bult, DDS 9 Fanatik Bike Co. 24, cal Flyers Restaurant and Brewery 29 Gato Verde Adventure Sailing 13 Gone Diving 29 The Grace Café 34 Harmony Motorworks 21 Historic Fairhaven District 47, cal Komo Kulshan Ski & Snowboard Swap 46, cal Lake Assoc. Rec. Club (LARC) 42 Lake Padden Trail Classic 42, cal LFS Marine & Outdoor 35 Lithtex NW Printing Solutions 57 The Markets - Lakeway/Bellingham 4 Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics 42 Moka Joe Coffee 42 Mount Bakery 24 Mt. Baker Lodging 18 Mt. Baker Ski Area 55, cal North Cascade Eye Associates 27 North Cascades Institute 34, cal Northwest Behavioral 24 NW Navigation Co. 14, 42 Paul Haskins, LMP 46 The RE Store 18 ReSources , Environmental Heroes Awards 51, cal Sally Farrell, Coldwell Banker/Bain 21 Salud Spanish 11 San Juan Sailing 42 Ski to Sea, Whatcom Events 2 Sustainable Connections/Whatcom Farm Tour 41 Tubbs Romp to Stomp out Breast Cancer 59, cal United General Hospital 37 Warren Miller ...Like There’s No Tomorrow 3, 56 Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition 24, cal Whatcom Family YMCA 27, 42, cal Whidbey Island Bank 5 Wood-Mizer 33 Yoga Northwest 11, cal CALENDAR (only): Bellingham Parks Events, The Bike

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respect In this case, it was the dream for my family to go down, through and across the Grand Canyon from the North Rim to South Rim. At least that’s what we were hoping for since we had yet to secure a backcountry camping permit.

It ended up being a magical trip and I realized that the hours spent worrying and secondguessing all the logistics that come into play when you don’t have a clear itinerary were truly needless. Looking back now it seems even more dream-like than real—receiving our permit our very first day, perfect weather the entire week (okay, so it was above 100 down in the canyon, but with creek-side camping, who can complain?), views and experiences that were staggering. ”Leave it as it is,” Teddy Roosevelt is famously quoted in reference to the Grand Canyon. “You can not improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.” While the simplicity of Roosevelt’s statement makes for a nice sound-bite, the true gem from that speech in 1903 follows: “We have gotten past the stage, my fellowcitizens, when we are to be pardoned if we treat any part of our country as something to be skinned for two or three years for the use

children’s children will get the benefit of it.” Those words were on my mind when I returned home, and returned to an issue facing my county, my state, my country: SSA Marine’s proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point, and their plan to ship 48 million tons of coal per year (brought in via 27 miles of train cars through Washington State—every day) to China from our shores. Coal. Such an antiquated power source in an age of clean wind and solar energy technology. But for SSA Marine, there’s money to be made in shipping coal to China; for the State, there would be a bolstered revenue stream; for Whatcom County there would be potentially a couple hundred jobs. “Jobs, jobs, jobs,” cry some. Yes, jobs are critical to our community, but I, and I suspect many others, do not agree that a couple hundred jobs are warranted at the expense of our environment—at the expense of our “children’s children.” The pollution generated by mining, transporting and burning coal, at home and worldwide, is rapidly changing our planet for the worse. And it must stop. Period. Many of us, I believe, do practice that basic kindergarten principle of leaving things better than you found them (Clean up, clean up, everybody clean up!). Unfortunately, this is not a practice in the coal industry which accumulates fines every year for blatant, unlawful discharges of pollutants into our air and water. SSA Marine seems to have the same disregard for our environment and our laws, as

for hundreds of past stories & upcoming events, updated regularly.

photo by Finnian Haskins

Yes.

In the spring issue of the present generation, whether it I wrote about com- is the forest, the water, the scenery. mitting to a dream. Whatever it is, handle it so that your

apparent from their un-permitted, “mistakes were made,” road-building and logging that occurred in July, claiming they were functioning off a permit issued 14 years ago. This is a clear indicator of the low-caliber of company that wants to do business in our region. While we are told that any decision to approve, or not approve, SSA Marine’s permit request will take a couple years and much evaluation by local and state-wide agencies, this fall’s upcoming elections are very important, as it is our elected officials who ultimately hold sway over the matter. There are, indeed, still some “fellow-citizens” out there who heed Roosevelt’s call to treat our country with respect and thoughtfulness for the generations to come. And we need these fellow citizens for our leaders. Thanks for listening— Read about our Grand Canyon experience in ANW’s online library at adventuresnw.com/library.

race | play | experience

Vv Lonely wanderings in the Blue Mountains

Mount Misery Trail story & photos by

Craig Romano

or the stockmen who drove their cattle and sheep

to the lofty hinterlands of southeastern Washington back in the early 20th century, more than a few miserable moments often waited. To commemorate their efforts or perhaps commiserate over them, they left the name Misery upon a spring and the prominent 6,366-foot summit in the Blue Mountains nearby. Was the object of their despair the stifling mid-summer heat of the interior Pacific Northwest? Or maybe the long dusty approaches to their rangeland? Rattlesnakes? Thunderstorms? Or perhaps just the day-to-day toil of living on the frontier? The exact reason for the name is unknown, but for those of us who live with all of the comforts of life in the early 21st century, a mountain with such a wretched moniker as Misery may, instead of putting us off, entice us to challenge our outdoor skills and physical prowess. Those whose curiosity gets the best of them soon find out that Mount Misery isn’t a terrible place after all. Indeed, it can be a downright delightful place to explore—especially after the dog days of summer as I’ve discovered more than once. Traversing the northern reaches of the 177,465-acre Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness in the Blue Mountains on the Washington-Oregon border, the Mount Misery Trail makes a 14-mile lofty and sce8

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nic journey. Starting high and never dipping below a mile in elevation, the old Nez Perce trail-turned-stock drive-turned-wildernesspathway travels across the rooftop of southeastern Washington—and across some of the least known and least visited wild lands in the Evergreen State. If your notions of this corner of the state are that of an arid wasteland, you’re in for a surprise. True, temperatures here can exceed 100° Fahrenheit in the heart of summer, but autumn is pleasant—and

Traversing the northern reaches of the 177,465-acre Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness in the Blue Mountains on the Washington-Oregon border, the Mount Misery Trail makes a 14-mile lofty and scenic journey. the Blue Mountains are quite green with valleys draped in groves of ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir, and upper slopes shrouded with lodgepole pine, subalpine and grand fir, Engelmann spruce, and western larch which, in autumn, brush “the Blues” with streaks of gold.

Consisting of broad basaltic ridges cut by deep canyons, the Blues resemble more the ranges of the Great Basin than the Pacific Northwest. And in the Blues, mountain mahogany, a ubiquitous tree of the Great Basin, pushes its northern limits. The Blues are blessed with water and wildlife too. Pristine creeks and rivers teeming with salmon and trout crash through the canyons, while the ridges are dotted with copious springs. The area’s abundant Rocky Mountain elk herds (first transplanted in 1913) led in part to the creation of the bi-state Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness in 1978—the first wilderness area in eastern Washington, and part of the Umatilla National Forest. Black bears, bobcats, marmots, pine martens, bighorn sheep, coyotes, mule deer and cougars are also bountiful in the Blues—especially cougars. It was on the Mount Misery Trail that I saw my first cougar in the wild. Thankfully I was in my truck after just completing a 17-mile hike when the sleek and muscular cat with its long, protruding tail came out from the shadows and darted in front of me.

While the thought of cougar encounters may be unnerving for some hikers, by far the biggest hazards in the Blues tend to be ticks in spring, heat in summer, and rattlesnakes at low elevations. With that said, a trek in autumn should prove to be quite a satisfying adventure, and as long as you plan your outing before the opening day of elk season, you should have the Blues all to your lonesome since, outside of late autumn when parties of horse-packers roam these hills, for the most part Mount Misery loathes company. You can access the trail from long, mostly gravel access roads on the west (Dayton) or east (Pomeroy); I have started trips from both sides, usually with Indian Corral as my turning-around point. On my last visit, I chose the eastern approach, with its trailhead at a lofty elevation of 5,850 that, quite literally leaves misery behind as you hike away from the trailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s namesake. Years back, two miles of the trail were severed from the fourteen that lie within the wilderness when the Forest Service extended a spur road. Now Mount Misery sees few visitors, but southeastern Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third highest summit can still be hiked on a fading but followable path. continued >>>

Mount Misery

race | play | experience

<<< BLUES, continued from previous page

Just a few steps along the trail deliver you into the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. Drawing its name from the two major rivers that drain its slopes, it consists of one of the largest roadless areas in eastern Washington. And one of my favorite places for savoring solitude. Quickly, horizon-reaching views begin, and soon after the trail traverses the first of many basaltic balds. Throughout the summer these broad ridges dazzle with flowers; by mid-fall, they’re adorned with swaying golden grasses. I don’t miss the opportunity to take the short side-trail to 6,379-foot Diamond Peak. Second highest summit in the Washington Blues, it offers one of the finest views in the wilderness. And sunrises and sunsets from this promDescending, I pass one of the many ontory are soul-searing. I scan rugged ridge springs along the way, Squaw Spring, after rugged ridge, follow steep contours which has campsites that nearly guarantee down shadowed canyons, and gaze out over good wildlife viewing. the sweeping The trail Grande Ronde continues on Ancestral home to the Nez Perce, Valley, snowan up-andhere where Oregon, Washington covered craggy down through and Idaho meet, is a Northwest Wa l l o w a forest and not usually reflected on license plates, Mountains, meadow, over and sun- commemorative quarters and postcards. knobs and scorched across saddles. Hells Canyon. At nearly 9 Ancestral home to the Nez Perce, here miles from the trailhead is Indian Corral where Oregon, Washington and Idaho at a major junction. Site of an excellent meet, is a Northwest not usually reflected spring and camping area, Indian Corral on license plates, commemorative quarters is a great place to set up base for further and postcards. It looks more like New explorations. From here the Mount Misery Mexico, Arizona or Nevada. Beyond Diamond I continue westward, cresting a bald knob nearly as high as the peak I just left, providing excellent views to waves of blue ridges lapping at the southern horizon. I hike farther along the ridge undulating between sage-sweetened meadows and cool groves of fir and larch. Animal tracks in the tread catch my eye and pique my attention. Lots of deer—a prowling cougar too. I approach yet another open knob, this one called Sheephead. It affords a perfect view of Oregon Butte, highest summit in southeastern Washington. Still harboring a staffed fire lookout, 6,387-foot Oregon Butte is more easily reached from the west where it makes a good day-hike. 10

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Clover Spring

Trail continues west for another 5.5 miles passing the half-mile spur to Oregon Butte along the way; the Crooked Creek Trail travels nearly 20 miles on its downward journey to Oregon and the Wenaha River; the Rattlesnake Trail travels 5 miles to the Tucannon River; and the Panjab Trail descends 5.6 miles along its namesake creek. Indian Corral is as far as I go on this sunny October day. I’ve hiked some of the nearby radiating trails in the past and will hike them again—as well as someday explore trails my boots have yet to leave an imprint on—trails along Misery, and Diamond, and Oregon Butte, and a host of other places in the Blues that leave me quite content and not miserable at all.

looking out toward Oregon Butte

view south from Diamond Peak

map courtesy USFS

The national forests of the Blue Mountains in southeast Washington and northeast Oregon encompass about 5.3 million acres of National Forest System land. The three national forests are the Malheur National Forest (1.5 million acres), Umatilla National Forest (1.4 million acres), and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (2.4 million acres including portions of Hells Canyon National Recreation Area in Idaho).

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From single to double: paddling tandem story by Lawrence Goolsby photos courtesy Sound Rowers

t was at the Lake Whatcom Classic in 2004 that I spied my first tandem surfski resting on the grass near the boat launch. The race had not yet started. Across the lawn were several racing craft, but one in particular captured my attention: it was a long, narrow, open-water kayak with two seatsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a tandem surfski.

It looked very fast. As I expected, I would only see the tail end of that double surfski during the race. But afterwards, I sought out the paddlers, John George and Ben Fast, from Vancouver, BC, and took a closer look at the boat. Not wasting my time, I inquired about its speed. They gave me the answer I wanted: not too many boats were faster than a tandem.

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Later that summer, my buddy Shaun and I traveled to Canada for a race. While standing in the parking lot before hand, I spotted a car with the same tandem adorning its roof rack, and I was happy to see it was John and Ben. As soon as they had their boat unloaded, I took Shaun to introduce him and show him the boat. He was as interested in the tandem as I was,

and on the trip home we talked about how we might paddle and compete together in a double, jointly investing in one. Shaun and I had been racing our single surfskis for some time; our friendship had grown through training and racing together. Yet neither one of us was considered fast compared to the other local racers. In a tandem, though, we figured we might finally get a

view from the front of the pack. So even with the awareness that tandem boats of any type are also nicknamed “divorce boats” for obvious reasons, and we had no idea if we could be suitable partners, we agreed that I would set out to find us a double. After a month of searching online, I found a good used tandem for sale in the San Jose area. And with some luck in finding a buyer in Oakland for my own homemade wood sea kayak, I was able to drive to California just two weeks later to deliver my boat and pick up the new one. After a short maiden voyage in the tandem around the lake, I posed my next idea to Shaun: to race the 2-day (25mile and 17-mile days, respectively) San Juan Challenge— just three days away. The race, which is no longer being held, was then known by many as one of the most scenic (encompassing the beauties of Fidalgo, Cypress and Guemes islands), and challenging (known for all kinds of eddies and rip-currents around those same islands, even on a calm day) in the Northwest. I was stoked when Shaun agreed even though we hadn’t even paddled the tandem on salt water, let alone practiced in difficult conditions.

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So even with the awareness Saturday, September 17th Start & Finish at Boundary Bay 10% OFF that tandem boats of any type Bellingham Traverse.com 2011 Overnight Cruises are also nicknamed “divorce booked before May 15 boats” for obvious reasons, and we had no idea if we could be suitable partners, we agreed that I would set out to find us a double. We arrived at the race start in Anacortes early that Saturday, paid our entry fee and tried to act like we knew what we were doing. I had done a little web research and learned that the paddler in the front seat sets the stroke cadence, while the paddler in the back is responsible for balancing and bracing. Since the only cockpit in our tandem close to fitting my frame was the rear, it would be my job to keep us upright. I also noted was that it was critical for tandem paddles to enter and exit the water at precisely the same time. We did a few warm-up loops around the calm waters of the harbor and we felt good, confident that, despite our lack of experience, we would do well. When the starting horn sounded, we took off with the other boats—some singles, and four other tandems—in a sprint. Shaun and I were feeling pretty good until we left the confines of the Cap Sante Marina and entered Guemes Channel, where we encountered boat wakes and wind chop coming from almost every direction. Balancing that long boat suddenly became a major task. Almost instantly, all the continued >>>

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<<< DOUBLE, continued from previous page

boats we had left behind at the starting line caught up and passed us, as if we were standing still. We regained our balance and managed to increase our speed a little, but the main pack was clearly pulling away from us, and we just couldn’t go any faster. What was going wrong? For starters, I did a poor job of synchronizing my paddle with Shaun’s. Quite often, our paddles were performing opposing actions. On top of this, my legs were bunched up because my cockpit was too short; when your knees are overly bent, fatigue sets in much faster. Finally, about a third of the way around the course, we ran into a rip-current that was a gauntlet of standing waves and we immediately flipped over. At every turn the race was a learning experience, and then we had to

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suddenly learn how to remount a double. (Fortunately, tandems are relatively easy to remount: one paddler holds the hull steady as the other climbs in, and then the one on top braces while the other mounts.) Once settled, we took off again, feeling better that we had refreshed ourselves with a cold bath and survived our first tandem remount. We had gone maybe a mile further when the tandem flipped again. A rescue boat spotted us and sped over to our location. We remounted while he watched, so he nodded and moved on.

Finally, with only two miles from the finish, we came to another large rip-current in Guemes Channel, which we had to cross to reach the finish line. I had never seen standing waves so tall outside of the Colorado River ... we flipped again. Finally, with only two miles from the finish, we came to another large rip-current in Guemes Channel, which we had to cross to reach the finish line. I had never seen standing waves so tall outside of the Colorado River. Too tired to overcome the waves, we flipped a third time. With the hull getting tossed around like a toothpick in a blender, remounting was much more difficult, and just as we got back in, the same rescue boat that had stopped to assist us earlier thundered up to the edge “a destination worth the drive” —Seattle Times of the rip. Seeing that we were back in our boat, he gunned his engines and sent a huge wake in our direction. The wake flipped us, our fourth that day. Not surprisingly, we finished day-one’s race in last place. Undaunted, though hesitant, we came back for day-two’s 17mile race. Our performance was equally disappointing: another three wet exits and a last-place finish, though we still enjoyed the race and the paddler camaraderie. Shaun and I kept racing that tandem through the summer, gaining more skill and experience. But I still had issues with my knees being bent too much, so we sold our first double and bought a lighter model with adjustable leg lengths. The next spring, we went back and competed in the San Juan Challenge again, and we won the race. Compatibility is the deciding factor in what really makes a tandem team function well. Two of the fastest teams in the northwest are husband-and-wife. Their skill and speed outranks many doubles composed of just men. Shaun and I have now raced as a team for seven years, and are still known to argue about route or strategy in the middle of a race. However, no matter how we place or what trouble we encounter, when we cross the finish line, we always look forward to our next time together in a double.

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Lessons from the wilderness:

How to Live at a Fire Lookout story & photos by Abigail

On Copper Ridge,

a bit over six miles as the raven flies from the Canadian border, between the Silesia Creek Valley to the west and the Chilliwack Valley to the east, on a rocky knob at 6,260 feet, one needs to balance between ridge and valley, human nature and nature itself, tenacity and fragility. Like maps printed on mylar and laid atop one another, the world here is full of symmetries that both complement and contradict each other. As a park ranger based at a remote fire lookout in the North Cascades, my work is not only about maintaining campsites, fixing sign posts and talking to backpackers. It is also my task, as an inhabitant of this ridge, to seek out details that are imperceptible yet fundamental to this landscape. I have the opportunity not only to work in these mountains, but to live among them, and in doing so recognize the intersection of the sacred and the mundane.

Sussman

I am not consistently aware of this uncommon condition; one cannot be in awe all of the time. And so, there are evenings, when the sun is casting its last rays on Mount Bakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ice, and Mount Shuksanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shark-finned summit is wrapped in wispy clouds flush with twilight, that I look up from a paperback and become embarrassed for my inattention, for the simple need to remove myself from the world, to maintain some separation. My heart cannot take all of it at once. Washing dishes, collecting snow in buckets, even sweeping the lookout floor of dirt tracked in on the soles of my boots are mundane tasks elevated to sacred acts by the 34 million-year-old rock underfoot, the fragile and tenacious heather gardens that cloak the surrounding slopes with pink flowers, the glaciers that occupy spaces made imperceptible by venerable ice.

I have the opportunity not only to work in these mountains, but to live among them, and in doing so recognize the intersection of the sacred and the mundane. How to Wash Dishes Run your index finger along the curves of your bowl, then scrape the burned noodles from the spoon with your teeth. Using the mug that reminds you of your elementary school lunchroom, scoop some of the half-melted snow from the big pot into the smaller saucepan ringed with dried tomato sauce. Heat the pan until all of the snow is melted and the water turns warm to the touch. Squeeze a little bit of soap onto the dishrag. 16

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As you run the soapy cloth over the bowlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contours, look out the eastern windows to watch the Picket Range turn pink with alpenglow. The ridges go from amber to rose, and it will seem impossible that you are here, at this moment, as shadows creep up hillsides and another day ends in these mountains. You cannot imagine ever forgetting the cool evening air on your face, the faint sound of the river that courses through the valley four thousand feet below, the amusing totter of the ptarmigan as she

and microscopic insects, digging deeper until it’s completely dirt-free. Scoop the packed icy snow with your pot and dump it into the buckets. The grains are large and coarse, abrasive against your fingers and knees. The pot’s clang against snow is a metallic reverberation, the loudest sound you have heard all morning. Every so often, you look up and the world comes back into focus— a curious raven circling overhead on a backdrop of bluebird sky, the sweet footprints left by a marmot just inches from your own, the wind sweeping over the snow, cooling the back of your neck. With the bottom of the pot, pack the snow down in the buckets and scoop in more until both are full. Carry one in each hand back to the lookout, shoulders stretching from the weight, arms laden with a welcome obligation—your drinking water is a crucial element and joy to your daily existence. There are no false pretenses; you understand that what makes your actions unique has nothing to do with you—you could very well be someone else. But later in the day when you gulp down half your water bottle, you feel the antiquity of the molecules—you are ingesting the past, present, and future all at once.

How to Drink Coffee and Write a Letter

Copper Ridge Fire Lookout, photo by Paul Haskins

parades her chicks around the outside of the lookout. But you know forgetting to be true, just as you know that someday everyone you love will die, just as you know that the volcano to the south will erupt and mudflows and ash will overrun the path you walked to get here. At some point, despite the fact that you try to remember, you will forget. This realization brings you back to the porcelain bowl in one hand, wet dishrag in the other, soap slick on your skin. You must return your attention to the chore and carefully hold the bowl over the waste water bucket so as to not drip onto the floor as you rinse. Set the bowl on its edge, steadied between the burner and the back of the range, balanced perfectly so it can dry without being disturbed by mice or memory.

If it is morning—the sun only visible in its effect on the clouds turning them coral over the eastern horizon—and the lookout has not yet become as hot as a greenhouse, take your first cup of coffee to the table by the western windows. The brew is thick with fine grounds, for you have only a simple means to strain, and it is too strong to drink black, so you must add a spoonful each of dried milk and brown sugar. Let the sediment settle as you watch the way the peaks outside your window begin to materialize, relieved of their diaphanous appearance imposed by darkness. Impatient, touch your lips to the edge of the mug. If it is still too hot, blow on the surface and try again. With just the taste of coffee in your mouth, choose a pen from the jar on the shelf beside you and set the yellow legal pad on the table. Notice the temperature in the lookout—it has quickly risen continued >>>

How to Collect Drinking Water The closest water is at Copper Lake, one and a half miles down steep switchbacks—too far and too difficult— so you must utilize the frozen water in the snowfield on the north side of the rocky knob. Pull a small aluminum pot and two square 4-gallon buckets from the cabinets under the eastern windows and walk the few hundred yards to the snowfield. Squatting on the snowfield, sunlight’s glaring reflection bouncing into your face, you work methodically— scraping away the top layer of accumulated dust, pollen

Copper Lake

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<<< LOOKOUT, continued from previous page

with the sun over Indian and Bear mountains. Unzip your down jacket and slide off your beanie to let your hair fall free. The sky slowly matures to blue. Hold your pen, poised. It is hard to imagine the world beyond these mountains, but you know your loved one is just waking up to the sounds of a far-away city beginning to stir. You want to include him in your memory of this place and so you describe each heather needle glistening with dew, the impossibly jagged Pickets just now discernible from the backside of Mount Challenger, the Silesia Creek Valley filled with morning fog. The words you write at this small table form a meditationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a prayer of gratitude and devotion. Whether you remember to mail it when you return to the foothills or watch it disintegrate during three days of rain wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change anything. You have written it down and in doing so have released it into the world.

How to Pack a Backpack Line your pack with a large plastic bag. After all, you are in the North Cascades. Stuff your sleeping bag into the compression sack and cinch it down until it is smaller than a football; push it to the bottom of the pack. If you procrastinated last night by drinking a beer at the bar and are packing just minutes before you are supposed to be at the ranger station, take only a quick sip of coffee; there is no time to linger. Fill the empty spaces around the sleeping bag with your down jacket, extra socks, clean underwear, long johns, and rain gear. Your food for ten days is in the blue stuff sack. Put this in the middle of the pack so your load is evenly distributed. You eat the same things all summer: dried lentil soup, a toothpaste tube of concentrated pesto, a hunk of white cheddar cheese, a pile of tortillas. A precious plum is carefully nestled in a cookpot. Inevitably, you will forget something until the last moment, and this canister of white gas, folding handsaw, or extra radio battery will be shoved awkwardly into the top of the pack, where you will feel it poking into your neck for the first mile and half.

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It is an awkward dance to hoist your full pack. Grab the shoulder straps and with your front knee bent, slide the pack up your shin to your thigh. Quickly, and as smoothly as possible, slip your right arm into the strap and then, like a modern ballerina, shift your weight so the pack swings across your hunched-over back. Your left arm finds its place. With a little hop on both feet, clip your waist belt and tighten it so that the weight of the pack is mostly on your hips. Stand up straight, breathe deep, relax, and clip the sternum strap. Small adjustments, a bit of slack here, tightening there, suits the pack to your body, your body to the journey. Later today you will realize you could have done without the extra pair of socks, that you won’t actually eat all of the tortillas, that you might have chosen to bring a slim book of poetry rather than a novel. But for now you can’t imagine living without any of it.

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How to Swim On hot days, when there is no wind and you dream of sweet, cold watermelon, walk one and half miles north to Copper Lake. The trail from the lookout winds through slabs of granite that glitter in the afternoon sun and, distracted by the sight of Mount Redoubt’s jagged crown a few ridges to the northeast, you stumble over your own feet. Right yourself, and keep on. This lake ahead is deep and cerulean, protected by the talus slopes of a cirque that still holds snow. A small peninsula juts out into the lake. Walk out to the point, pile your clothes next to your bare feet, and jump. You will come up gasping for air, your body shocked by the cold. Tread water. Notice that the world is instantaneously different. You are aware of the heavy fluidity of your immersion, cognizant of the lake’s imperfect surface, mindful that the water is reflecting the sky. You yourself have become part air and part water. But just as suddenly, the cold overtakes you. With tingling skin and lethargic arms, splash your way back to the rock, stretch yourself out on the warm black gabbro, and soak up the heat until you become conscious of the fact that you are supposed to be in uniform. continued >>>

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<<<LOOKOUT, continued from previous page

How to Prepare Tea Before the sun completely sets, lift the binoculars to your eyes and scan the shoreline of Egg Lake below you, a liquid dimple two miles south, for tents or the forbidden flames of a campfire. Sweep your gaze along the trail that meanders on the treeless ridge; this is where you focus your attention when you haven’t seen anyone in two days. When you are satisfied that there is no more work to be done, place the pot of water to the propane stove. With your left hand, turn the knob until you hear the hiss of propane; with your right take up a blue lighter and flick the wheel with your thumb. Your fingers are cold so it takes a few times and your thumb starts to hurt from the friction. Finally, the burner ignites with a whoosh and instantly warms your face. The day’s temperature is dropping—do not move from your place in front of the stove; instead, keep your hands hovering near the sides of the pot, gleaning heat from the licks of flame that curl around its underside. As the water heats, look ahead toward the mountain that is the ridge’s namesake, which seems to defy the angle of repose. These are the final moments before dark and you can barely make out the upper meadow where you always expect to see a mountain goat grazing. The sun is just about to disappear behind Tomihoy Peak, and this last glimmer illuminates the lookout with a thick golden light. Bask in the glow as if you can feel it warming your face, though you cannot. It is September and soon you will hike out of the wilderness for the last time. The windows just behind the stove have fogged up, and the water in the pot begins to bubble. The flame is your only heat source but is not to be used as such—precious propane is flown in—so you only let the water boil for a moment longer than necessary. On the shelves beside the stove is a sealed container with mint and chamomile tea bags, ground coffee, and hot cocoa packets that you hiked up weeks ago. The supply has dwindled much quicker than anticipated. Select a bag of tea and drape the string over the edge of your mug. Turn off the burner and, using your sleeve as a hot mitt, pour the water, allowing the rising steam to moisten your face and the aroma to comfort your thoughts. 20

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The water is so hot that you cannot even sip, but you are seeking only warmth so you wrap your hands around the mug and pull it into your chest, breathing in the minty steam. To watch the clouds harbor the last colors of daylight, set your mug down for a moment, step into your sleeping bag, and pull it up over your hips to your shoulders. Bring the mug back close to your mouth. As the ridge goes from twilight to night, realize that you haven’t spoken to anyone for two days. Look south toward Baker and Shuksan. To these faithful companions whisper, “Good Night.”

... one cannot be in awe all of the time. And so, there are evenings, when the sun is casting its last rays on Mount Baker’s ice, and Mount Shuksan’s shark-finned summit is wrapped in wispy clouds flush with twilight, that I look up from a paperback and become embarrassed for my inattention...

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I crave new experiences, especially ones I know will bring me somewhere remote and beautiful and, if all goes as planned, will be a “once in a lifetime” experience. No matter how crazy the adventure is, I always want to go. The current “crazy” plan presented to me by my friend Diana was to explore by bicycle the Chilcotin region, located about 80 miles north of Whistler—what I had heard was stunning, but grizzly, mountain biking territory.“We’ll base-camp by Spruce Lake and explore the miles and miles of singletrack in the area. Do you have a bivy sack? All your gear will need to fit into your bike pack, but I think we can fit enough dehydrated food so we don’t go hungry.” Tyaughton Lake

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Responding to Diana’s infectious enthusiasm, I quickly dismissed my fear about camping in grizzly territory and said, “Sounds incredible! I am in! We’re in,” committing my husband, Mark, too. Well, Mark didn’t think Diana’s plan was incredible—he didn’t want to sleep in a bivy sack in the realm of furry omnivores and wasn’t into eating dehydrated food. He jokingly suggested a twist on the tradition of keeping supplies out of predators’ reach: he should be the one hanging from the tree while his food slumbered on the ground, “because being hungry and sleep deprived,” he emphatically stated, continued >>>

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we had arranged for Tyax Air to take us to Warner Lake, from where we would ride 25 miles of singletrack back to our base camp. What a day it would be, but careful organization and map studying were necessary, especially since we would be traveling into an unfamiliar, remote area. The high elevation (ranging from about 2,600 to 7,000 feet) also meant adverse weather could come our way without notice. It was decided two of us would wear bear spray canisters strapped to our chests. Our large combination hydration backpacks were loaded with extra clothes, emergency lights and blankets, large first-aid kits (for when, as Nick said, “the grizzlies get bored playing with acting-dead Nick”), waterproof matches, sunscreen, lots of food, Spruce Lake extra bike parts and repair essentials, duct tape, a compass, a knife, and <<<MT BIKE, continued from previous page more. We certainly didn’t want any “was a whole hell of a lot better than potenhim at night. With one quick call to our accidents or have to stay the night trailside, tially being a meal.” His response to Diana’s good friends Nick and Dawn, who always but we were prepared for anything. trip idea was a firm “No thanks!” So Diana embrace an adventure with a smile, we were The next morning we awoke to gloricontinued on with her own backcountry set. Though not as adventurous as the first ous sunshine and all the beauty an alpine plans (which, I should mention, resulted plan, our journey would still prove to be lake could offer. We ate a large breakfast, in a night in her bivy sack in a snowstorm) epic. finished packing, checked the bikes once and I, not wanting to give up on the posmore, and then used our extra time until sibility of my own epic mountain bike trip, Getting to the Chilcotins is an expeour flight at 10 a.m. (the earliest available kept working on Mark. rience on its own. You can go around by when I booked it) to make sure we knew way of Highway 1 what to do if we encountered a grizzly. The remoteness and the magnitude from Lillooet, but we chose to cut out of the area were hard to grasp as we a few hours of travel looked down upon seemingly endless time and take the ridgelines and beautiful alpine lakes. infamous Hurley Forest Service Road “Floatplane” ended up being the north out of Pemberton. We had been wormagic word that warmed Mark up to the ried about the sheer cliff sides and rough Chilcotins idea. The allure of flying into condition of the road—even one of our the remote BC wilderness definitely apheavy-duty off-road tires got sliced by a pealed to him, as did the mountain biking, sharp rock—but we soon realized our bigbut the deal was sealed with the suggestion gest threat was actually the fully loaded logof setting up base camp in an established ging trucks barreling by. When the first one vehicle-access campground where he would passes, buffeting even the heftiest off-road be able to enjoy some incredible dinners passenger vehicle, you quickly learn that by a comforting campfire, chilled beer in loggers “rule the Hurley.” hand, spend an entire two days riding and We finally arrived at the Tyax exploring the area and, most importantly, Wilderness Resort, and we set up camp sleep without the fear of grizzlies nuzzling amidst a lot of excitement for our day ahead: 22

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Nick had read a book on bears and the backcountry, so he was our “expert” (and the fastest cyclist amongst us, therefore the most likely to encounter a bear). Aside from the seriousness of being prepared for a bear, waiting for the floatplane reminded me of the excitement I felt as a child waiting for Santa Claus. The floatplane arrived, we loaded our bikes and gear into it, and we were finally off. The flight to Warner was absolutely breathtaking. The remoteness and the magnitude of the area were hard to grasp as we looked down upon seemingly endless ridgelines and beautiful alpine lakes. Our thoughts of what was to come were interrupted, though, as our pilot circled Warner Lake and informed us (as we were warned could happen on the paperwork) he would not be able to land as planned due to the high winds. Instead, he would take us to Spruce Lake, about half way between our campground and Warner Lake. I overheard Mark ask the pilot how long it might take us to ride our bikes from Spruce to our desired drop at Warner, back to Spruce, and then to our campground. The pilot shook his head and told him it wasn’t possible, since it was rapidly approaching 10:30. Unintentionally, the pilot had just given my riding group a challenge we couldn’t pass up. We unloaded our gear from the plane, disappointed about not being dropped

Warner Lake

at Warner but still excited about the day to come. When, after the pilot flew off, Mark stared in the direction of Warner and asked, “Want to just take a quick look to see what this section of trail looks like— for next time?” we all quickly hopped on our bikes and started riding the pristine singletrack that began at Spruce Lake. We rode through beautiful, rugged forest and

to attempt to clean up from the stagnant cesspool of mud I had launched into facefirst. Humbled, I quickly rinsed my face, gloves, arms, and even my jersey in the cold water of Warner Lake. Dripping wet, but no longer looking like a mud wrestler, I followed my compatriots on our original route exactly four hours later than planned. With 25 miles of singletrack ahead of us,

Gun Creek Trail

tranquil alpine meadows covered with wildflowers. Snow covered peaks surrounded us, and we continued on past several smaller alpine lakes. I knew we were headed all the way to Warner Lake even before Mark said, “If we hurry and can make it by 2:30, we’ll still have enough time to ride back to camp. Regardless of where we are, we’ll need to turn back at 2:30.” The trail to Warner Lake is a technical climb and everything we’d hoped for. We knew it would take us less time to return to Spruce Lake, but we were a bit concerned about the section from Spruce we hadn’t seen. We reached Warner at exactly 2:30, with barely enough time for me

exploring the area had turned into a race back to the campground. No more pictures or food stops. Even “potty stops” were discouraged. “Pedal, pedal, pedal...” was our mantra. And with that determination and deprivation, we made it back with an hour or so of daylight to spare. It had been a long, hard riding day, but so perfect. A beer never tasted better. And the bruschetta we made that night was excellent: artisan bread grilled on the BBQ with fresh mozzarella cheese, good olive oil, and topped off with a balsamic reduction. The following day brought us another incredible, yet entirely different expericontinued >>>

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<<<MT BIKE, continued from previous page

ence in the Chilcotins. There would be no floatplane trip, but a shuttle to the trailhead from a generous friend. Even with the shuttle, we had a route planned that would still be considered epic—22 miles and over 4,900 feet of elevation gain. The temperature was about 35 degrees cooler, and a light hail fell on us most of the day (to our surprise, since the morning had been so clear),

... we had a route planned that would still be considred epic—22 miles and over 4,900 feet of elevation gain. plus there were bouts of rain, snow, and lightening. We rode Taylor Creek to High Trail, taking shelter for a few moments in the historic Taylor Creek Cabin (the last remaining cabin from an old mining site in upper Taylor Basin), along with an interesting local who was completely clad in Lycra and had the largest knife I have ever seen strapped to his waist. (We were concerned when he declared that knives were better against the grizzlies than the spray we had.) On the ride, we pushed (yes, pushed) our bikes over several mountain passes that seemed reasonable on the map. (Actually our whole route seemed more reasonable on the map, as we struggled with routefinding; and I am not sure why we were surprised to find Windy Pass to be a long hike-a-bike.) Yet the skies would clear for moments at a time and encourage us with spectacular views (never to be recorded, since our camera didn’t survive the cold). And the day ended with a long descent from Lick Pass in a powerful hail and lightening storm. I’m still not sure if we were being rewarded or punished by that slipping, sliding downhill. Over those two days we never saw a grizzly—I think Mark was actually disappointed. But we were startled by one bobcat, biked 62 miles, climbed just shy of 10,000 feet, spent over fourteen hours on the trails, and earned memories with good friends to last a lifetime. 24

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s I enter my mid 30s and pray that my energy level does not recede as quickly as my hair line has, I find my definition of adventure is shifting. It doesn’t seem that long ago when any adventure required ascending several thousand vertical feet, at least three life-threatening encounters, total and complete exhaustion, and a pitcher of beer at the end to celebrate survival. And while the pitcher of beer requirement remains, all others have been downgraded. I now get just as much excitement and pleasure exploring new terrain and pursuing activities that do not require a belay or digital tracking device—activities that are often closer to the ground and involve meeting new and interesting people.

closer to the ground story by Nolan Harron photos by Andrea Harron

& Connor Harron

practice hole at Cornwall Park, Bellingham

Throughout my childhood, my friends and I often went for walks or to parks to huck our big, round Frisbees around the woods with great abandon, calling out trees as targets. A neighbor set up a course with buckets and flags, and I got to be pretty good, if I say so myself, at something he called “disc golf,” even buying a couple of fancy-dancy competitive disc golf Frisbees one year. But with my pursuit of heights and daring-do, my slick Frisbees ended up in a closet gathering dust until my brother, Connor, 12-years younger, convinced me to play with him. We had a lot of fun at Bellingham’s Cornwall Park where a more advanced course than what my former neighbor had made was permanently set up. I was intrigued by the groups of golfers I saw with bags full of discs, wondering why anyone would need more than two, and heard stories of other courses in the region, realizing that it was a completely different sport than when I was a kid. So in order to learn more, my brother and I decided to embark on an adventure of disc golf discovery. The plan was to play every disc golf course in the area, but we soon discovered there were vastly more places to play than we anticipated, and a greater variety of courses—some solidly established by parks departments and others more organic—created by a large and diverse community of disc golfers that were often a perfect representation of the people who lived and played there. So I selected a few courses, did some research, recruited friends to help when I could, and headed off to find out more about this sport I had rediscovered. continued >>>

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<<<DISC, continued from previous page

The adventure we had turned out far different than the one imagined. Instead of strolling through well-manicured parks, we found ourselves hiking up and down ravines, crawling through fields of salal, hopping fences into strangers’ backyards, and facing technical challenges. The only commonality between courses was their unique nature.

Glacier

When I picked my buddy Evan up for the drive to Glacier, he informed me that while Connor and I were planning on hitting a few courses in Whatcom County that day, he would be with us for only one. “I do not,” he said, “have it in me to do any more.” My immediate response was to make fun of him: I accused him being old, lazy, and that he was getting soft. I probably should have taken Glacier, hole 8

Glacier, hole 3

semi-logical wooded route that back-tracks on itself several times in order to reuse the same basket for multiple holes. After hole eight of the front 18, we had to side-track down a hidden path to begin the back 18 before returning to finish the front. As we trekked up and down ravines and in and out of groves on that hot day, I understood why Evan was not going to play any other courses with us, and part of me wished to be done as well. But before Connor and I could quit, there were still two more stops on our day’s agenda.

Everson

While doing research, I came across a website that simply had “Everson Disc Golf Course” with directions and a contact name: Josh. Since Everson is predominantly a farming community, I figured the course would be out in a pasture. As we neared our destination, however, we found ourselves driving deeper and deeper into a Everson

into account our shared jogs up mountain sides, long canoe trips, and bushwacking hikes when his only response was a shrug and a “you’ll see,” but we were heading out Highway 542 to play Frisbee golf, not climb Mount Baker. What could be the issue? While beautiful and a whole lot of fun, the Glacier course is easy to get lost in and physically draining. It’s located on Forest Service land and is recognized only by those who play it; there are no signs, no maps, and no way of knowing where to go. Without Evan, our journey would have been hopeless. Being a former resident of Glacier and having played the course before, he was able to guide us, including preventing us from walking straight off a cliff. It has 36 holes and the layout travels along several different ridge lines and through beautiful second growth forest. The first hole is an elevated tee box to a pin across a ravine. From there, it takes a 26

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surprisingly dense neighborhood until we reached a small urban park. There were baskets scattered about on the ground with no apparent beginning, end, or direction. I gave Connor and Evan a puzzled look as we all got out of the car, figuring we’d wander around for a few minutes and go home. But as soon as we stepped onto the sidewalk, a kid came shooting out of the house bordering the park asking if we wanted to play. This was Josh, and it turns out he is 18 and has been making a living on the professional disc golf circuit. I knew I was out of my league when he came out carrying a bag with at least 20 discs and looking pitifully at my measly two. Josh was really nice, though, and seemed genuinely excited to show off his “home” course—literally, because two of the holes ran through his mom’s front and back yards. The rest circumnavigated the small park, and since there wasn’t much room, he made up for it by placing holes directly behind 75-foot-tall fir trees and buried behind a thick swath of shrubbery. It was the perfect yin to Glacier’s yang, a small course in the middle of a flat neighborhood against a sprawling course amidst dense woods and along precipitous cliffs. It was for practice, Josh explained, and he constantly changed the layout to get better at different shots. Apparently it works: Josh is making money on tour and, as I came to find out later, is generally regarded as the best player in the region. After a challenging round in which I shot over par for the first time in I don’t know how long, we thanked our guide and headed back to Bellingham. continued >>>

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Bellingham My contact for Bellingham disc golfing was Randy. When I talked with him on the phone he said we should come out to Cornwall Park for random-draw doubles. With no idea what this meant, we figured, “What the hell” and arrived just before the start and paid our two-dollar fee. What we found forever changed my perception that disc golf at Cornwall Park was highly structured and straight forward. Milling about under one of the group picnic areas was a collection of people from every cross-section of the area. The first to greet us was a youth pastor who offered us some home-made vegetable minestrone. Next, we saw Josh, who apparently had packed up his baskets and made his way into town shortly after we left his course so he could help set up the back nine. The ages of participants ranged from 16 to 60, and everyone was friendly and accepting of the two new guys who showed up with a camera and a notebook. After a few minutes and some delicious soup, it was time to choose partners, an odd ritual which involves flipping your disk like a coin and going wherever the person standing next to you says. My partner ended up being a carpenter from Deming. Together, we set off in a group with six others, including Connor and the youth-pastor, to play what was essentially like a golf scramble: each partner takes a turn and play proceeds from the best throw. I immediately felt sorry for my partner when I learned, after asking, that the lowest score they had ever heard of at the Glacier course was, a 31-under. Connor and I had scored negative six and negative four respectively—and had felt pretty good. As it turns out, I didn’t need to feel bad. Not because I played particularly well, but because everyone was just out to have a good time for the evening. Beers were quickly offered and jokes told freely. If the course in Glacier represents its population with ruggedness and beauty, the Cornwall course does the same with a feel of consistency surrounded by an ever shifting perimeter, designed using portable baskets to augment the nine permanent ones. It hopped in and out of the woods, providing a different experience and new viewpoint from which to observe the park, one I thought I knew well, having lived in Bellingham for 15 years. As evening set, we bid our new friends farewell with a handshake and finally made our way home, three extremely different courses under our belts.

Club for a round of mixed doubles, however, we found that the community of players was just as diverse and fun as the one in Bellingham. Our contacts were Tim and Brandi Baugher, the founders of the club, and it was clear they took their duties seriously. Tim had responded to my Facebook query immediately and told me he would spread the word and gather the troops for my arrival. When we arrived, the course was everything one would expect in a town consisting of mostly Navy personnel. Led by the Baughers, the course and the club were organized and efficient. The start times were strictly followed, with several events and leagues, including a handicap league and clinics for those new to the game. The attention to detail bled over to the course as well. Each hole had a distinct and clear tee box with a starting post much like you might see at a regular golf course, with a map of the hole and distance in feet to the pin. From the first hole, the course is easy to follow. It is not, though, easy to play, as it is very tight and technical, with dense underbrush on most holes. For the doubles tournament I was paired with a guy from Auburn who introduced himself as “Mexican Joe”—apparently the Hispanic

Oak Harbor The final leg of our exploratory disc golf journey took us to Oak Harbor and Fort Nugent Park about a week later. At first, I thought a Navy town and a Frisbee golf course were an odd pairing. I am not immune to stereotypes, even when I defy them, and still expect to see dreadlocks as opposed to crew-cuts when I think of Frisbee golf. When we arrived to join the Oak Harbor Frisbee Golf 28

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Fort Nugent Park, Oak Harbor hole 3

>>> What’s YOUR next adventure? Go to AdventuresNW.com

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population is poorly represented in the disc golf community. We were paired with several others, including Tim and his nine-year-old son, “The Boy,” as he was identified on the back of his shirt. It was good motivation for me. While I have no trouble admitting my Frisbee Oak Harbor Frisbee Golf Club faults, I don’t think I could suffer the ego-hit of losing to someone half my size and a quarter my age. Really, I had no need to worry about any judgment from my fellow disc golfers. For a group of guys that knew each other well and played with one another often, they were amazingly accepting of a strange guy wearing a fedora hat. They encouraged me when I threw a good shoot, dispensed advice on how to better my form when I didn’t, and gave me general tips on how to play the course. In the end, based largely on Mexican Joe’s precise drives, we ended up 10 under par and took home $10 each for second place. Connor didn’t do as well, as it appeared his partner hadn’t quite sobered up from the night before, but such is the luck of a random draw for partners. All-in-all, the experience was well worth the hour drive, and we even got to stop at Flyer’s Brewery on our way home. In thinking back to all of the so-called “extreme” adventures I have been a part of, I realize how similar the end results are to the journeys. Sure, this time I didn’t climb any new peaks, but I saw new places. And while I didn’t risk my life at any point, there was a certain level of risk throwing myself into a group of strangers and saying: “Hey, my name is Nolan and I’m going to spend the next two hours hanging out with you!” As we passed Similk Golf Course on Highway 20 I found myself thinking about how fun it would be to write an article on all of the golf courses in the area and realized my idea of adventure really had changed.

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For directions and contact information on many disc golf course locations in Washington and Oregon, visit nwdiscgolfnews.com. Another source is dgcoursereview.com A few in NW Washington you might check out: • • • • • • • • • • •

Ferndale: VanderYacht Park Ferndale: Riverside 18 Everson: 114 Poplar Lynden: Patterson Park Glacier: Glacier Front 18 & Back 18 Sedro Woolley: Northern State Recreation Area Mount Vernon: Bakerview Park Bellingham: Cornwall Park Oak Harbor: Fort Nugent Park Arlington: Twin Rivers Park San Juan Island: Roche Harbor

for hundreds of past stories & upcoming events, updated regularly.

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Gateway to the Pickets: Easy Ridge Generally speaking, the Pickets are the exclusive realm of mountaineers who are willing to subject themselves to long and arduous bushwhack approaches to reach the base of peaks once deemed un-climbable, peaks even still considered by some as the least accessible in the lower 48... I’ve spent the better part of 30 years poking around the North Cascades. I’ve developed

a deep and abiding love for the alpine meadows, fractured stone, and blue ice of these marvelous mountains. Memories formed in the sacred places of these mountains have become part of my rubric, part of my dreams. It’s my favorite place to be. But even in mountains as spectacular and wild as these, the Pickets peg the meter.

story & photos by John D’Onofrio high on Easy Ridge, Whatcom Peak in the background; Challenger Peak, largely covered by Challenger Glacier, to the right

Easy Ridge— its location, between Whatcom Pass and Ruth Peak, provides an epic vantage-point over the wild northern reaches of the Pickets and Challenger Glacier. Named for their row of sharp-fanged summits, the Picket Range is a small sub-range within the North Cascades. They extend for only about seven miles, up near the Canadian border, yet in this compact area more than 20 summits exceed 7,500 feet. And the Pickets hold their cards closely. Surrounded by the North Cascades, they’re usually seen at a respectful distance from high spots like Trapper Peak and Copper Ridge. The popular trail over Whatcom Pass is close by and affords glimpses into the northern reaches. But generally speaking, the Pickets are the exclusive realm of mountaineers who are willing to subject themselves to long and arduous bushwhack approaches to reach the base of peaks once deemed un-climbable,

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peaks even still considered by some as the least accessible in the lower 48, with such names as Terror, Fury, Despair, Challenger and Inspiration. But there’s another way to gaze upon the heart of the Pickets. Mountaineering legend and cantankerous North Cascades

Coming from Beckey, this was saying something. I was intrigued.

Once upon a time there was a fire lookout on Easy Ridge, built in the 30s. The lookout was torn down in 1973 and the trail—used only by climbers headed for Challenger Glacier—largely forgotten; I could find

It’s a magnificent late September morning, the vernal equinox, as we pull into the trailhead parking lot at the end of the Hannegan Pass Road. My travelling companions are both artists—photographer Brett Baunton and sculptor Denise Snyder. Brett, too, has been thinking about Easy Ridge for a long time. An ex-National

atop Easy Ridge; Mount Shuksan to the left

holy man, Fred Beckey knows the Pickets better than anyone alive—he’s been climbing here for more than 70 years—achieving his first “first ascent,” summiting Mount Despair in 1939 at just sixteen. Since then, he ably rendered the fierce beauty of the region in what has become the “bible” of mountaineering guides, the three-volume Cascade Alpine Guide. And it was as I was poring through Rainy Pass to Fraser River that a few words caught my eye: “The broad meadow ridge [of Easy Ridge] provides one of the finest viewpoints in the North Cascades.” 32

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nothing in any contemporary hiking guide. Most of what scarce information I was able to glean came from hard-core types who had been out there: they talked about a lot of grunting and, as Beckey had written, the views. Its location, between Whatcom Pass and Ruth Peak, provides an epic vantage point over the wild northern reaches of the Pickets and Challenger Glacier. Easy Ridge clearly was not easy (another of those delightfully ironic North Cascades place names); still, challenged, I started making plans….

Parks Service ranger, he’s spent many years exploring the North Cascades. But he’s never been to Easy Ridge. To reach the beginning of the trail it is necessary to hike over Hannegan Pass and down the other side deep into the thickly forested Chilliwack River Valley, a distance of about nine miles. The trick then is to find the unmarked route down to the river, which must be forded. What’s left of the Easy Ridge trail begins on the far bank. We hitch up our backpacks and head up the trail, filled with anticipation for new

We are on sacred ground.

landscapes. We’re carrying food for five days and the weather forecast promises a week of Indian summer—praise Allah! Our planned itinerary will carry us over about 30 miles of trail and “route,” starting with the gentle climb up the valley of Ruth Creek, still a lush green despite the advancing autumn. We stop often to admire the graceful lines of Mount Sefrit and the luxurious slopes that sweep down from the rocky cliffs, framing the valley. Just shy of Hannegan Pass we stop to pick swollen berries and fill water bottles from a gurgling stream in a little sunlit meadow. Honeybees buzz amongst the huckleberries and dragonflies dance in the gentle breeze. We linger, drowsy in the warm sunshine, finding it difficult to leave the bucolic scene. Finally, reluctantly, we continue up and over the pass before abruptly beginning the descent on the far side. Near Boundary Camp we enter North Cascades National

Park and plunge ever deeper into the ancient forest. Down, down, down we go, losing pretty much all of the elevation that we had gained climbing to the pass. Ah, well. Such is life in the North Cascades. As dusk begins to envelope us we can hear the Chilliwack River below through the trees but do not get a glimpse of it. We make camp in the mossy forest beside Copper Creek as the stars accumulate in the narrow band of open sky above the watercourse. Dinner is served on the rocks of the creek bed and Brett tells stories about Fred Beckey, our de-facto guide, whom he has met on several occasions. Famous for carrying an old wooden-frame Boy Scout pack and wearing surplus wool trousers with iron-on patches, Beckey and his brother Helmut (“Helmy”) thought nothing of attaining four or five first ascents in a single outing. We’re on sacred ground.

In the morning we make our way through the forest, the river growing louder—but still unseen—as we draw nearer to its northern bank. Patches of exotic mushrooms illuminate the shadows. Brett spots the unmarked path heading toward the river that presumably leads to the ford. Sure enough, in a moment we’re at the rocky edge of the Chilliwack. We are delighted to discover that the river is low, and without further ado, slip into our river shoes and wade to the other side. The sun is bright and the river is dazzling—and icy cold. On the far side, we locate a cairn that marks the beginning of the route up Easy Ridge and plunge immediately into thickets of slide alder and devils club toward terra incognita. The grade is heinously steep and requires climbing over, under or around countless fallen trees, including massive old growth giants that look like they’ve been down for 30 years—and probably have. My pack grows heavier continued >>>

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Beside a particularly sweet tarn we drop our packs and call it home, pitching the tent beside its tranquil waters. We’re surrounded by majestic peaks: to the west a resplendent Shuksan, Nooksack Tower rising like a witch’s castle; to the east Challenger Glacier sprawling indigo in the endof-the-day light. The sun drops behind Jagged Ridge and a finger moon rises, the evening warm and still. The Milky Way flares overhead as we eat a celebratory dinner beside the dark water. I roll out my sleeping bag and enjoy the soft night breeze that ruffles the heather and makes the stars sparkle—an elegant night in the lonely mountains.

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with each surmounted deadfall. Brett aptly describes it as “like climbing a ladder without rungs.”

tarn on Easy Ridge; Whatcom Peak & Challenger Glacier in the background

It takes us four hours to climb the two and a half miles to tree-line, where the forest gives way to heather and blueberries. Never have open meadows looked so good. We pass many alluring tarns and climb through small scattered stands of thin alpine trees huddling together in isolated clusters, twisted into fine art by the ferocity of countless winters. Their dark green contrasts with the predominantly golden meadows of the ridge as we ascend.

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The morning sun makes its entrance over a shoulder of Red Face Mountain, providing a golden backlight for sweeping meadows of crimson, rising to Whatcom Peak and the cool blue of Challenger Glacier. Streamers of thin, wispy clouds tease the peaks. On the other side of the ridge the eon-etched face of Mineral Mountain catches the early light, its complicated geology illuminated by sunshine and defined by shadows. Across the Brush Creek Valley we can see columns of smoke, a forest fire on its last legs. A flare of flame appears: an exploding tree. We climb the ridge, passing numerous tarns scattered and nestled amongst the rocks and golden grasses, warm sun gleaming in their still waters. Small flocks of tiny birds dart in and out of the isolated stands of weather-beaten trees as if of one mind. To the north, across the Chilliwack Valley, we can see the Copper Ridge lookout perched on the slender ridge, looking close enough to touch. Ahead is Easy Peak proper, and beyond it the sinuous ridge that leads to Perfect Pass and the route across Challenger Glacier. The southern view is dominated by Mount Blum and its crown of glaciers—an exceedingly impressive front row-view of this usually glimpsed-from-afar massif. Brett and Denise head off toward Easy Peak and I wander the tawny highlands, leaving the soft meadows behind. I pick my way over the wild geometry of shattered rock to the eastern brink where I peer out over a magnificent wasteland of rubble and scree. Now and then the roar of avalanches reverberates off the cliffs. Far below is Whatcom Pass, the storied portal to the Ross Lake country to the east. From here, it looks like a walk in the park. We start back to camp in twilight. The tarns are now a ghostly silver in the light of the rising moon. By the time we reach camp the sky is again filled with riotous stars. The Big Dipper is perfectly reflected

on the surface of the tarn. No wind. No bugs. Silence. I roll out my sleeping pad and luxuriate in another night beneath the shimmering sky.

Sunrise sparkles on the surface of the tarns. A falcon whips by, looking for breakfast. I contemplate the first pink light on Shuksan and listen to melodious morning birdsong. The glacierhewn rocks of the ridge are adorned with intricate lichen tapestries, each square-inch illuminated in the streaming sunshine. Still in shadow, the valleys are blue and green and deep. I wish we had another day on Easy Ridge but today we must descend into those valleys to begin the trek home. I linger in the golden meadow, drinking in the silence and savoring the morning. Reluctantly we pack up camp, shoulder the packs and start down through the meadows. The color scheme is intense in the clear morning light: deep blue sky and vivid reds, oranges and purples of the autumnal meadows. We stop for a last handful of blueberries and then plunge into the woods.

We climb the ridge, passing numerous tarns scattered and nestled amongst the rocks and golden grasses, warm sun gleaming in their still waters.

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The plan to direct a race happened over wine, the way many ideas—good and bad—emerge. Bolor Smith, Founder of Blue Sky Education Project (BSEP), and I were sharing dinner in February with our husbands, her small daughter playing at our feet. We were discussing how excited we were for Bellingham to sign its new sister city agreement with Bolor’s hometown, Tsetserleg, Mongolia, and we were brainstorming how to raise funds for her organization to provide for kids in Tsetserleg to go to school next year. We hoped to present the money when our delegation arrived in Mongolia in August, so we had to get on it quickly. “Let’s plan a half-marathon,” Bolor said, offhand, pouring me more red wine. “Ooh, that sounds like fun!” I said. I’d visited three of Bellingham’s seven sister cities, run marathons in two of them, and adored the idea of continuing to combine my passions for citizen diplomacy and running. “How about one in July?” she added. “Sounds great.” I looked over at my husband, Bill. He was shaking his head. I knew what he was thinking: it was too late to organize a run for July. Race calendars were full, and runners make their plans early. I could also see in his face the realization that I was about to get us both into something which would make his life more difficult. Whenever I say, “That sounds like fun,” there’s likely to be trouble ahead for him. In the months that followed, Bolor and I, joined by BSEP’s co-founder Andrea Gabriel, began to meet weekly in downtown Bellingham at the Honeymoon Wine Bar and Meadery. Perhaps our naiveté about what it took to plan a race needed continued lubrication. While I’ve run races of all lengths and sizes around the world, I’ve never been in charge of organizing such an experience. We had a lot to figure out. Each week we strategized, made to-do lists, and dreamed about a perfect July day when runners would have fun and learn about Bellingham’s new sister city all at the same time. 36

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Confessions of a novice Race Director story by Cami Ostman photos courtesy Wind Horse Half-Marathon

Our first order of business was to name our event. The Mongolian phrase Xийморь (pronounced Khiimori) means “Wind Horse” and refers to one’s spirit or soul. We all agreed that the Wind Horse was the perfect image for both the love of running and the advantage that education gives children. We had our name. Then we needed to decide on a route, and the one that seemed to make the most sense for a half marathon was along the Interurban Trail from Fairhaven Park out to the Clayton Beach parking lot and back. I loved the route and reasoned that locals would know and appreciate it, and anyone not from the area would be dazzled by it. I was absolutely sold on the idea and would hear of no objections from Bill when I floated it by him. Never mind that the Chuckanut Foot Race runs along the same route only a week before our planned date. And never mind that the Interurban Trail travels through city-, county- and state-owned land, requiring us to engage with three governing entities.

RACE REPORT<<<

By our third meeting, I’d contacted Lance Romo at Bellingham Parks and Recreation to reserve the upper shelter at Fairhaven Park for our start and finish activities. Lance got back to me, dutifully explaining all the city requirements for an event such as ours, providing a list of tasks and rules, along with a couple of online race director check lists, and my blissful optimism was turned to trepidation before I was done reading his email. There was much more to this race-directing thing than I’d imagined. Just to start with, the supplies we needed were numerous: cones, reflective vests, “runners on road” signs, water coolers, folding tables—the list went on. If you factored the fundamentals in with the Mongolian-themed festivities we had in mind, our window for promotion, arranging for recovery food and medals, we were look-

ing at a budget of—let’s just say, more than we had. Plus our goal was to donate all of the registration fees to Blue Sky Education Project. We’d have to dig into our own pockets. The three of us each began losing sleep, as did our respective partners, whom we’d roped-in to help. Bill, in particular, stayed awake worrying about marking the course accurately. In the weeks before the event, he rode the route on his bike and ran it—alone and with me. He tied marking tape on trees where the mile markers ought to go, only to find them gone the next time he went out. He made notes on his map to help jog his memory like, “Three yards beyond the big boulder.” In the end, we decided we’d send Bill and Bolor’s husband, Eric, out on bikes on race morning with a GPS to set up Bill’s homemade mile-markers.

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Time passed. People began hearing about the event and signing up via a simple webpage and PayPal. Nothing was automated, so runner information had to be put into our spreadsheet manually each day. A few magnanimous supporters in the community came out of the woodwork to help us, including Fairhaven Runners with a gift certificate for a prize. And then the true heroes of our effort appeared: the volunteers. Russ Clapp, coach of the local Team in Training group, promised the help of his fabulous friends on race day. Several race participants also emailed that their partners or kids would be available to help while they ran. With these last and critical pieces in place, five months after Bolar and I came up with the idea, we felt all was ready for the inaugural Wind Horse Half-Marathon and Half-Marathon Relay. The night before the event, I went to bed early in preparation for an early morning, but I lay awake— listening to the pouring rain and obsessing with worry. Just that day, two twelve-year-old boys had signed up for the relay race. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them crossing Old Samish Road and my heart began to pound. No matter that their parents would sign a waiver releasing us of liability; if anything happened to those boys, I’d never forgive myself. I vowed I’d find them before the race, make them look me straight in the eye and swear they would look both ways— twice!—before crossing that street, and maybe supply them with reflective vests. Somehow I got a bit of rest but awoke to rain still pattering on my rooftop. It would be a wet race. When I arrived at Fairhaven Park at 6 a.m., Andrea and Bolor smiled wanly at me with bags under their eyes. No one had slept. Eric and Bill were already out marking the course, drenched, no doubt. A few earlyduty volunteers helped us set up for bib pick-up. And as others arrived, I got them situated for aid or road-crossing stations out on the course. Then at seven o’clock, one by one, the runners arrived. Most were from the local running community. Some (like 38

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those from Bellingham Fit) were happy to have our race as part of their training schedule. A few came from out of town to run the famous Interurban Trail, including an old high school pal of mine who’d come to show support. And then our youngest halfmarathon relay team arrived. Gravely, with their mothers looking on, they listened to my safety speech and promised to cross the street with utmost care (especially when I stopped insisting they wear the bright orange vests five sizes too large for them). Finally, at the starting line in the warm rain, I welcomed everyone to our event, described the course, and counted down to the moment of “GO.” Surveying the group as they headed out on the trail, I felt satisfied and grateful. What an

amazing community I live in, I thought. Totally immune to the rain, these folks were ready and willing to support an important effort, novice event organizers, and not complain about a little mud on their calves—it would be proof they’d worked hard! After one hour and 32 minutes, the first runner, Brian Marenstein (and his 8-months pregnant wife who had run the last half mile with him), came over the finish line. And then the second runner came. And the third. Wet but smiling, they all trickled in. Janna, Andrea’s partner, was beside me recording finishing times as I read them off my stopwatch (we’d started planning too late to find an available time clock). One by one, for the next couple of hours, runners came across the line. When our two young racers finally finished, soaked and proud of themselves, my blood pressure returned to normal; I could dub our endeavor a success. We’d raised money for the kids in our new sister city and kept our Bellingham kids safe in the process! Ushering our runners back to the shelter, we were ready to celebrate. In her full Mongolian ceremonial regalia, Bolor had given each runner a “khadag” when he or she crossed the finish line. These blue scarves are used in Mongolia to symbolically honor special guests. Our own special guests would now be treated to Mongolian kabobs already cooking on the barbeque. First place winners would receive Mongolian vodka. Aptly, the first male finisher accepted a bottle of “Genghis Kahn,” and the first female took home a distilled bottle of “Bolor.” As participants munched on their meat and onions, Dana Lyons and Monkey Puzzle, both supportive friends of the Blue Sky Education Project, played live music in the back ground. Bolor, Andrea and I began our clean-up duties. From a glass of red wine and the nonchalant phrase, “that sounds like fun,” to handing out awards, to packing up the last aid-station table, exhausted but happy, I had learned a lot about directing an athletic event. One key lesson I came away with is that you should depend heavily on those who’ve gone before you—ask for their check-lists and heed advice (such as Chuckanut Foot Race Director David Jefferson’s, “Mark the hell out of the course.”). I also realized that no event can happen without volunteers, and if you tell everyone what you’re up to immediately and ask for help, people will pitch in, especially for a good cause. But here’s my main take-away: There’s no reason to avoid doing something just because you’ve never done it before. We three inexperienced race directors and our very patient partners put our heads together, worked our hearts out, and kept focused on every need. As a result, we created a good thing out of nothing. Could we do it better? Would we do it again? Yes on both counts (keep an eye on windhorserun.com)! But we’ll start early next time, and we’ll have our great first year from which to launch.

5th Annual Event

September 25, 2011 5th Annual Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K Fun Run

Bellingham, WA

www.bellinghambaymarathon.org race | play | experience

kerplink kerplank kerplunk —blueberries for all

story & photos by

Laural Ringler

sually in late August, definitely in September, and sometimes in October, you can hike like Little Bear or Sal (for those of you whom the classic kids’ book comes to mind) and mouth wild blueberries until your tongue and fingers (if you’re like Sal, and not Little Bear) turn blue. On my fall hikes, I imagine Little Bear’s mother looking for her berry-distracted cub, likening myself to Sal’s mother with her own child eager for berries.

Blueberries punctuate our autumnal time, like quotation marks before and after our base camp, and commas or periods throughout a weekend hike’s conversation. With the ripening of berries comes chillier nights indicating that the end of fall backpacking is in sight. This means the lakes are gloriously bug-free and we can stay up late chatting without being chased into our tents. Yet the days are still warm enough for jumping into the lake from a rocky outcropping, following a stream outlet to a mossy waterfall, and hiking over a ridge to the snow below. Ripe blueberry bushes begin on a steeper section of trail to gain upper Anderson Lake east of Baker Lake, and it’s a welcome stop to graze them. At camp, the bushes ring the basin, and we take uncalculated turns to wander off to snack or, like me, collect a cupful of autumn for morning pancakes. With batter in the pan, I will roll berries from my palm through my fingers to disperse them, creating constellations of blue on the light liquid under the morning glow. 40

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The berries are small in the open basin about a mile along the Yellow Aster Butte Trail near Mount Baker; we eat them in bunches, collecting a few in the palm before rolling them into our mouths. I look around and notice this is an adult pattern: the kids’ hands are moving faster and popping berries into their mouths after every one picked. We sit a bit, eating everything within reach; one of us is ambitious enough to start filling a wide-mouth bottle. Others are antsy for movement and less obstructed views and drift on up the trail, pausing and picking as they go until the group reforms for the ascent, sated until the return hike.

>>> What’s YOUR next adventure? Go to AdventuresNW.com

••• lueberries in the North Cascades tend to grow at elevations between 2,000 and 6,000 feet, at or near such places as an alpine meadow, subalpine forest, or perhaps an alpine lake or seasonal pond. If your focus is more blueberries than hiking, you can even wander off from the parking lots near the Mt. Baker Ski Area, where elevation and conditions are perfect. The connoisseur might try to distinguish between huckleberries and blueberries because the Cascades have both. I had thought huckleberries are just what Montanans call their blueberries, but it turns out they really are two different species. Blueberry predictions for fall 2011 tend toward the late. Lowland berry seasons were weeks later than usual, and with the winter’s extra snowpack this year, mountain blueberries won’t be able to stretch into their summer growth as early. That makes this blueberry season a window between the culmination of the later growing season and the wild card of when the first snow of the next season will fall. The kind folks at the North Cascades National Park will be happy to report what has been observed, if you want to use their knowledge to plan for blueberry hiking. Or take your chances and know that if you’re too early you can go again, and if you’re too late you’ll at least get the red fall leaves of the blueberry bushes creating yet another miraculous color. Just be aware for Little Bear, and bring that pancake mix.

for hundreds of past stories & upcoming events, updated regularly.

Hop on your BIKE for a fun-filled Whatcom County Farm Tour adventure!

4th Annual

Second Saturday in September 9/10/11 • 10am-5pm Visit www.eatlocalfirst.org for directions to 3 Farm Tour Bicycle Loops through Whatcom County Farmland, plus Google Farm Tour Map and customizable routes. Discover Whatcom County

unique farms, culinary adventures and festive food events

Choose local businesses taking action for a healthy community.

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race |play | experience EMPORIUM

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A Few of My Favorite Thangs story & photos by

Mike McQuaide

Having turned 50 this summer, I thought it an apt time to relive some of the highlights from my illustrious and (if I may say so myself), at times, heroic outdoor career.

There was the time I won a 5k running race at Cornwall Park. (Mostly because only about 8 other people entered the race and, given that it was called the Daughters and Dads 5k, just about all of them were pushing strollers or holding hands with young girls while they ran. Still, a win is a win.) There was the time a tree fell on me while I was biking the mellow Interurban Trail and I ended up in the emergency room having to get 30 stitches on my face. There was the time I was biking the even mellower Boulevard Trail and hit a thimble-sized bump that flipped me over the handlebars breaking my collarbone. There was the time I was hiking near Leavenworth when I almost stepped on a rattlesnake and started screaming, emitting high-pitched squeals not unlike those one might expect to hear from a little girl in the aforementioned Dads and Daughters 5k. There was the time I … OK, you know what—this isn’t turning out quite how I hoped so I’m going to change tacks.… Turning 50 is a good time to reflect on some of my favorite things. (Besides raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, that is.) So here they are: in no particular order, my favorites in a totally arbitrary, fairly random and highly subjective list of categories. Favorites being the operative words for, as you’ll see, in many categories I have a tough time narrowing it down to a single fave.

Favorite Running Memory(s): Running the final straightaways and crossing the finish line of Ironman Arizona (’05) and Ironman Coeur D’Alene (’06) while holding hands with then 6- and 7-year-old Baker.

Least Favorite Running Memory:

Training harder than I ever have for the Chuckanut 50K, starving myself in the weeks leading up to it to weigh as little as

possible (that is, going like a whole week without a peanut butter milkshake), and upon seeing the finish line clock, realizing that after close to six hours of running and suffering in horrible, miserably wet conditions I’m only going to beat my previous best time by three lousy minutes. (Three!!!)

Favorite Group Bike Ride Experience:

This one ride when I beat everyone else to the top of every hill, won the sprint for

every single town sign in Whatcom County even though I’d stopped several times to fix other riders’ flat tires, bent derailleurs and also to help an old lady cross the street.

Least Favorite Group Bike Ride Experience:

When I woke up and realized that my Favorite Group Bike Ride experience was just a dream. continued >>>

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Baker Preserve Trail, Lummi Island <<<FAVES, continued from previous page

Favorite Car-camping Spot:

Favorite Organized NonWhatcom County Bike Ride:

Favorite Hiking Trail(s):

Chelan Century Challenge. 100 miles, 8,000-plus feet of whole-grain climbing goodness including McNeil Canyon, which gains 2,200 feet in 5 miles. (Yikes!) Mega-views including Lake Chelan and the mighty Columbia River.

Favorite Road Bike Route (less than 50 miles):

Highway.

Favorite WildlifeSpotting Memory(s):

Favorite Road Bike Route (more than 50 miles):

Manning Provincial Park.

Favorite Mountain:

Mount Baker, named after my son.

Lake Ann-Maple Pass Loop, Hidden Lake Peak, Skyline Divide, Thornton LakesTrappers Peak, all off North Cascades

Favorite New or Newish Hiking Trail(s):

Raptor Ridge Connector Trail (connects to Lost Lake Trail) on Chuckanut Mountain, and Baker Preserve Trail (also named after my son) on Lummi Island.

Favorite Organized Whatcom County Bike Ride(s):

Ride 542 (Mount Baker Hill Climb) and Tour de Whatcom. 44

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Kayaking the west side of San Juan Island with my wife, Jen, amid a small pod of Orcas and trying not to panic when they swam directly below our boat. Seeing 22 snowy owls on the Boundary Bay beach just north of White Rock, B.C.

Favorite iPod Tune(s) that Crank Me Up Like Nobody’s Bidness:

“Nights of Cydonia” by Muse. Also “Map of the Problematique” by Muse.

Colony Road Loop or (Bow Hill Road Loop if I want a spot of bother): Chuckanut Drive south to Colony Road (or Bow Hill Road) which eventually leads, after a left turn or two, to the south end of Lake Samish.

Everson to Mount Baker and back: from Everson, head northeast on Telegraph Road to Reese Hill Road and turn right. And up. After a painfully hilly few miles, continue on Kendall Road to the Mount Baker Highway. Follow east as far as the road is open, either to Artist Point or just below. Return the same way but instead of continuing on to Reese Hill Road, turn left onto South Pass Road and follow back to Everson.

Favorite Park:

Moran State Park on Orcas Island. >>> What’s YOUR next adventure? Go to AdventuresNW.com

Favorite Road Name(s):

Kitchen Dick Road (which intersects with Woodcock Road) and Schmuck Road—both near Sequim; Pull and Be Damned Road near La Conner.

Favorite Beach: Clayton Beach on Samish Bay. Favorite Spot(s) for Fall Colors:

Heather Meadows-Artist Point on Mount Baker Highway, and Washington Pass on North Cascades Highway.

Favorite Thing I’ve Done that Sounds more Difficult than it Really is and that I Brag to Other People about in a Blatant (and pathetic) Attempt to Impress Them:

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Climbed to the summits of both Mount Adams (12,276 feet) and Mount St. Helens (8,363 feet) and snowboarded down.

Favorite Bellingham Trail-Running Spot(s):

Horse Trails at Lake Padden and, when my running legs are up for it, any route that includes Lost Lake Trail in the Chuckanuts.

Favorite out-of-town Trail-Running Route: At Mount Baker: Artist Point to Ptarmigan Ridge Trail for as far as the snow level allows; then follow the Chain Lakes Loop Trail around Table Mountain on the way back.

Integrating your money and your values.

Ed Williams, CFP ~ 360.332.8900 2620 N Harbor Loop Dr. #26, Bellingham ~ Call for a free consultation.

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Favorite Outdoor Town that Doesn’t End in -ham:

Winthrop. I mean, Leavenworth. No, wait—Chelan. Uh, how ‘bout whichever one I’ve most recently been to.

Favorite Place to Stay When Money is No Object:

Sun Mountain Lodge overlooking the Methow Valley.

Favorite Nearby Place that Feels Faraway: Lummi Island.

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Favorite View(s) for Least Amount of Physical Effort:

Artist Point, Washington Pass and Hurricane Ridge.

Favorite Ski Area(s):

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CYCLE MOLES Coached cycling program

Mount Baker Ski Area and Manning Park Resort. continued >>>

for hundreds of past stories & upcoming events, updated regularly.

800 McKenzie Avenue, Bellingham 360-733-5050 | www.fairhavenfitness.us race | play | experience

Trail, Arroyo Park, into Fairhaven, Taylor Dock, Woods Coffee if outside table by fireplace is available, Boulevard Trail, downtown B’ham and then home.

<<<FAVES, continued from previous page

Favorite Galby Mountain Bike Route:

Lost Lake Trail

Far too many to mention but here’s one: from Birch Street side, up Miranda, Ridge, Family Fun Center, Intestine, a couple dirt road bits to the Towers; down Wonderland etc. to Mullet, Three Pigs; finish it off with the various and sundry back trails at Lake Padden.

Favorite Kid-Friendly Galby Mountain Bike Spot:

From the south side (above Lake Padden) access Lost Giants, Mole Trap, Rock ‘n’ Roll and Cedar Dust. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Favorite non-Galby Mountain Bike Route:

Favorite Killer Road Bike Climb(s):

Far too many to mention redux, but here’s one: Interurban Trail to Fragrance Lake Road to Lost Lake Trail to Dictionary Trail (also called Overlander), So Easy, various dirt roads through the Land of the Lost between Chuckanut and Blanchard mountains; a mega-climb out of Mud Lake Basin emerging just above Pine and Cedar lakes, Hemlock

Mount Baker Highway to Artist Point, Sunrise in Mount Rainier National Park, Paradise from Stevens Canyon side in Mount Rainier National Park, Hurricane Ridge Road in Olympic National Park, McNeil Canyon Road across the Columbia from Chelan.

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race | play | experience

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Favorite All-Day, Car-Shuttle Hike:

Visit Historic

Colchuck Lake Trail to Aasgard Pass through the Enchantment Lakes to Snow Lakes Trail. Enchantments

Summer Fun... Recreate, Shop & Dine! EVERY BUSINESS LOCALLY OWNED

• HISTORIC BUILDINGS FILLED WITH UNIQUE SHOPS, DINING CHOICES & NW ART GALLERIES • INNS, SPAS & SERVICES • AMTRAK & GREYHOUND • NEARBY RUNNING, BIKING, PADDLING, HIKING • VOYAGES TO ALASKA, VICTORIA & SAN JUAN ISLANDS —ALL FROM FAIRHAVEN HARBOR

Just 90 miles north of Seattle, and 60 miles south of Vancouver, BC. Take I-5 to Exit 250 in Bellingham.

Favorite Local Team:

The Titanium Cowboys. (Scott Young, John Clark and yours truly.) Within a weird eight-month period, all three of us had titanium screws and/or plates implanted because of bones broken while biking. John and I broken collarbones; Scott a scaphoid.

Information & to request a brochure, plus a mobile site updated every half hour:

Fairhaven.com

THERE IS A LIGHT

in Whatcom County Real Estate—

—let me shine for you.

Dawn Durand Managing Broker, ABR, CRS, GRI

20 years of expertise with Buyers & Sellers Favorite Outdoor Mag: Adventures NW, duh!

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www.dawndurand.com dawn@dawndurand.com race | play | experience

LATE SUMMER

| FALL 2011 |

AUGUST >>> Mondays, through 29 Aug RUN+ All Comers Track & Field— Bellingham, 6pm. Every Monday, take part in a variety events for all ages at Civic Stadium. Enter as many events as you like. Multiple age divisions with awards given 3 deep. 360-778-7000 cob.org/races

Tuesday, 23 Aug MT BIKE Galbraith Beginner Fun Ride—Bellingham, 6pm. A free ride for women 18+ who want to try the Galbraith trails, meet other riders, or share their passion with beginners. Meet at Whatcom Falls tennis courts. kathy.fanatikbike@gmail.com

Thursday-Sunday, 25-28 Aug BOAT Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival—Granville Island, BC. 604688-9622, vcn.bc.ca/vwbs

Friday, 26 Aug RUN Hood To Coast Relay— Portland, OR, 3:30-6pm staggered starts. A 200mi relay finishing in Seaside. hoodtocoast.com

Friday-Sunday, 26-28 Aug SPEC Sand in the City—Olympia. 240 tons of sand will be molded into sand structures in a team competition. Also demo sculptures and hands-on activities. 360-956-0818, hocm.org

Saturday, 27 Aug PADDLE The Great Cross Sound Race—Seattle, 8:30am. A 7mi paddle from West Seattle to Port Blakely. soundrowers.org BOAT Anacortes Workboat Races 12pm. Captains and crews who make their living on the water race boats. Sea chanties, pirate contests for all ages, a Chowder Challenge, and cannons. portofanacortes.com/news

RUN Run-a-Muk—Mukilteo, 8am. From Rosehill Community Center, run or walk a 10k or 5k. Part of the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival. mukilteolighthousefestival.com >>>PADDLE 2nd Annual Paddle Grand Prix—Bellingham, 10am. Ovaltrack, paddle-craft racing returns to Bellingham Bay! This year’s event, which features a 1.5mi course directly in front of Boulevard Park, will be open to ALL paddle-craft, including stand-up and traditional paddleboards, kayaks, surfskis, canoes—if it can be paddled, bring it and throw down against others in your class! T-shirts, free post-race bbq feast (friends and family may purchase), demos, raffle and awards! paddlegrandprix.com >>> TRI Bellingham Youth Triathlon—9/10/10:30am. At Arne Hanna Aquatic Center, kids may take part in a super fun tri. Ages 11-13 swim 400yd, bike 3mi, run 1mi. Ages 9-10 swim 200yd, bike 2mi, run 1/2mi. Ages 6-8 swim 100yd, bike 1mi, run 1/4mi. T-shirts, finisher medals, and many draw prizes. 360-778-7000, cob.org/races RUN/BIKE Mud Run Ride—North Vancouver, BC 10am. At Rice Lake Conservation Area teams of 2 race a 10k on bike, foot and through challenges. mudrunride.com RUN Camano View Dash— Stanwood, 9am. At Utsalady Elem., run a 10k or walk/run a 5k honoring the life of Stanwood XC athlete, Dayna Fure. camanoviewdash@live.com

RUN Dwight Dash—Spokane, 9am. An urban 5k or 10k near Riverside SP at Dwight Merkel Sports Complex. 509-625-6546, spokaneparks.org

WALK Mutt Strut—Everett, 10am. Free 3mi walk with your dog along the Snohomish River. Pet Showcase/ Fair after. 425-257-8300, signmeup. everettwa.org

MT BIKE Capitol Forest Race— Olympia, 6am. 50mi and 100mi events. 425-301-7009, nwepicseries.com

RUN Seattle Marathon 10k Race—Seattle, 8:30am. 206-729-3660, seattlemarathon.org

plus select events through the remainder of 2011

SWAP TBS’ Late Summer Bike Swap—Bellingham, 10am. A blow-out swap for bikes of all types at the Sportsplex. Drop off your old bike or gear and let it sell itself; walk the floor and see what you can ride home. $2 early bird admission 10am to noon. Event is free to children and free to everyone after noon. thebikeshop1@ gmail.com, thebikeshop1.org

Saturday-Sunday, 27-28 Aug BIKE RAPSody (Ride Around Puget Sound)—Tacoma, 7am. Ride 170mi on backroads of 5 Washington counties while supporting statewide bicycle advocacy. Registration closed Aug. 19. 253-857-5658, rapsodybikeride.com PADDLE Roaring River Slalom Races—Estacada, OR. Class II on the Clackamas River. nwwhitewater.org

Sunday, 28 Aug TRI Ironman Canada—Pentiction, BC. Swim in Okanagan Lake; bike the Okanagan Falls countryside, Richter Pass and Twin Lakes; run out-and-back along Skaha Lake. ironman.ca RUN/SPEC Dog Days of Summer —Bellingham, 9am. A 10k run, then a 2.5mi run or walk followed by a full day of festivities for dogs at Lake Padden. 360-733-2080, whatcomhumane.org TRI Lake Meridian Triathlon— Kent, 7am. Olympic, sprint and supersprint distances. lakemeridiantri.com RUN/WALK Alki Beach 5k— Seattle, 9am. Celebrate a survivor or honor someone lost to breast cancer along a waterfront route. 206-2152888, alkibeachrun.com BIKE Summer Challenge— Bainbridge, 7:30-11:30am start. Ride either a 35mi Summer Challenge or a 13.5mi Family Challenge along urban, suburban, country and waterfront roads. bikiwanis.org RUN/WALK Barefoot Mile— Seattle, 4pm. At Magnuson Park, a kids’ dash and barefoot mile; optional 2x event. magnusonseries.org

Tuesday, 30 Aug BIKE Bike to Beer Cruiser— Bellingham, 6pm. Join cyclists (with a cruiser or not) to ride through downtown and Boulevard park, ending at Chuckanut Brewery. fanatikbike.com

Wed-Sun, 31 Aug- 4 Sep BIKE USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships—Bend, OR. Central Oregon courses and routes chosen to help determine who is at the peak of their game in their age division. 800-949-6086, visitbend.com

SEPTEMBER >>> Friday-Sunday, 2-4 Sep BOAT Harbor Days—Olympia. Vintage, working and model tugboats on display at Percival Landing; tour boats, enjoy entertainment, watch races (Sun). Free. harbordays.com

Saturday, 3 Sep RUN Lake Padden Relay— Bellingham, 10am. Race this on a 4-person team, each runner going once around the lake (2.6mi); or do the whole 10.4mi solo. gbrc.net DU/RUN Bend to Bachelor Du & Relay/Sunrise to Summit—Bend, OR, 9:30/10:30am. B2B Du: cycle 20mi to Sunrise Lodge then run to the summit; solo or relay. S2S: from Sunrise Lodge (e. 6,470’) run ~2.5mi to the summit (e. 9,065’). mbsef.org RUN Donner Lake Run—Truckee, CA, 8am. A 6000m (6k/3.7mi) course at 6000ft that starts/finishes on the shores of Donner Lake. Catered breakfast. 530-448-0519, donnerlakerun.com SPEC Reflectorize Your Ride— Bellingham, 10am-3pm. Adults and kids may bring their bikes, back-packs, shoes, helmets, or jackets to the downtown Farmers Market to decorate with supplied reflective materials. Free. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com TRI Titanium Man—Kennewick, 9am. A team or solo Olympic distance tri with a 1.5k Columbia River swim, 40k bike, 10k run. 3rrr.org

Attention outdoor recreationists of all interests: As of July 1, 2011, Washington’s new “Discover Pass” is required for vehicle entry to nearly 7 million acres of lands managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, (Parks) and Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Those who purchase most kinds of fishing or hunting licenses continue to have free access to WDFW lands, but the Discover Pass is required for access to Parks and DNR lands. For other exemptions, see discoverpass.wa.gov The annual pass costs $35, including transaction and dealer fees; a daily pass is $11.50. Purchase at discoverpass.wa.gov, from nearly 600 recreational license vendors where state fishing and hunting licenses are sold, by phone 866-320-9933, at State Parks headquarters and regional offices, and at individual State Parks when staff is available. “This new pass is necessary because state budget dollars are no longer available to cover the costs to keep these lands open.” discoverpass.wa.gov

>>> Before participating, always confirm dates, times, registration requirements, deadlines and fees. >>> See your public outdoor-related race / event / outing / presentation in Adventures NW’s calendar—print and online. Deadlines: No later than 1 NOV for the next print issue; anytime for online edition. More info: AdventuresNW.com 48

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organizers Thanks to event ent info ev eir th who submit by deadline!

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3 Sep (cont. ) - 4 Sep + weekly/recurring events

TR RUN Soaring Eagle Park 5mi & 10mi—Sammamish, 9:30am. Wellmarked, measured courses on forest trails. 206-291-8250, nwtrailruns.com

Saturday-Sunday 3-4 Sep CX TRI North Bend Multicross— North Bend, mult. start times. An event based on the triathlon, with a trail twist and cyclocross. multicross.net BOAT/SAIL/SEE Victoria Classic Boat Festival. For 3 days, up to 100 vessels gather and race in Inner Harbour. classicboatfestival.ca

Saturday-Monday, 3-5 Sep SAIL PITCH Regatta—Bellingham. Races open to multi-hull and self-righting keel boats with a current PHRF handicap or one-design class. byc.org

Sunday, 4 Sep TRI 13th Annual Steve Braun Memorial Triathlon—Orcas Island, 9am (8:30am pre-race meeting). At the Cascade Lake Picnic Area of Moran State Park, swim .4mi in beautiful Cascade Lake, rd bike 17mi along a picturesque rural road, and trail run 3.5mi around Cascade Lake—solo ($45/$55 day-of) or teams ($35 per individual on a team/$45 day-of). This year, the event is sponsored by and benefits Friends of Moran. 360-376-3111, support@friendsofmoran.com, friendsofmoran.com RUN Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon—Yamhill County, OR, 7am. This course, for solo runners or 2-person relay teams, meanders through Willamette Valley. 707-933-1769, run4oregonwine.com RUN/WALK Eugene Women’s Half Marathon—Eugene, 8am. This run is for those who like a little pampering! Ladies (Gentlemen too!) will be treated to a fabulous Eugene course that starts downtown and finishes at the 5th Street Market. Participants can expect a race experience unlike other typical road races. Unrivaled swag bags, an AVEDA finish line experience at Gervais Day Spa, delicious Ghirardelli chocolate, bubbly champagne—what more could a girl want? 877-345-2230, eugenewomenshalf.com RUN Flight for Sight Fun Run & Walk—Everett. A 1mi walk, 5k or 10k run at the Boeing Activity Center to benefit Guide Dogs of America. 800763-1301, iam751.org/funrun.htm

race I play I experience

RUN Mount Vernon, 6pm, Beginner/ Recovery: 3-5mi at 9-11min/mi; meet at Skagit Running Co. 336-2475, skagitrunners.org MEET Bellingham, 7pm. NW Straits Surfrider Meeting: 4th Mon. at Boulevard Park. surfrider.org/nws MT BIKE Arlington, 6:15pm, XC & Light-free Trail (May-Sep). 360-6296415, stanwoodvelosport.com READ Bellingham, 5pm, Environmental Conservation Book Club: 2nd Mon. at Village Books. 360650-9470, whatcomlandtrust.org

TUESDAYS

RD BIKE Ferndale, 10am, North Social: 30-40mi from Pioneer Park,1014mph. mtbakerbikeclub.org RUN Bellingham, 6pm, All Paces: 40-minute run with various speed groups, from Fairhaven Runners. 6764955, fairhavenrunners.com KAYAK Bellingham, 6pm, Kayak Polo: at Marine Park. No exp. needed (some gear avail.). 676-4279, kayakpolobellingham@yahoogroups.com RD BIKE Arlington, 6pm (Mar-Sep), Sweetcakes:14.5mi at 15-18mph. 360629-6415, stanwoodvelosport.com RUN Bellingham, 5:30pm, Evening Track Workout: emphasis on team running and racing; meet at Sehome High. fairhavenrunners.com RD BIKE N B’ham, 5:45pm (AprSep), Summer Evening: group rides at 14-15mph for 15-20mi; meet at Bakerview & Northwest. mtbakerbikeclub.org RD BIKE Bellingham, 6pm summer months, Hot Laps. 30-40mi race pace from Kulshan Cycles. mtbakerbikeclub.org

THURSDAYS

RUN Anacortes: 6pm, Trail: 3-7mi from Heart Lake. skagitrunners.org RD BIKE Arlington, 6pm (Mar-Sep), Pacelines: 25+mi at 19-20mph. 360629-6415, stanwoodvelosport.com FIX Bellingham, 6pm, Fix a Flat Clinic: at Fairhaven Bike & Ski, free. 733-4433, fairhavenbike.com RD BIKE Edison, 10am, South Social: 30-40mi,10-14mph from Edison Elem. mtbakerbikeclub.org RUN Bellingham, 6pm, Hit the Trail: causal ~40min trail runs around Bellingham; meet at Fairhaven Runners. 676-4955, fairhavenrunners.com LEARN Bellingham, 6-8:30pm, 2nd THUR, First Gear: Year-round at ReSources Sustainable Living Center, adults (and kids under 16 w/adult) can learn skills for cycling on roads and urban trails. Free. 360-671-bike, everybodybike.com

SATURDAYS

RD BIKE Bellingham, 10am, 2nd Sat., Recumbent: 14mi town ride from Kulshan Cycles; weather may cancel. mtbakerbikeclub.org KAYAK Bellingham, 9am, Informal Day Paddle: meet at Sehome Village. WALK Bellingham, 8am, Fairhaven Walking Club: all levels. 319-3350, fairhavenrunners.com RD BIKE Bellingham, 7am, Mar-Sep (7:30am, Oct-Feb). Donut: 24-45mi, race pace, from Kulshan Cycles to Ferndale and back or Birch Bay and back. mtbakerbikeclub.org

SUNDAYS

RD BIKE Bellingham, 8:30am, Rabbit: 32mi from F’haven Park (out Chuckanut, back via Samish); small groups, all paces. fairhavenbike.com WEDNESDAYS KAYAK Bellingham, 10am, KayakRUN Bellingham, 6pm, Evening Epic: Polo: at Marine Park, all weather, all “strenuous,” hilly runs of 1.5-2 hours; welcome, some gear available. kayakmeet at Fairhaven Runners. 676-4955, polobellingham@yahoogroups.com fairhavenrunners.com RD BIKE Edison, 10am, Edison RUN Mount Vernon, 6pm, Skagit Social: 30-40mi at 10-14mph from Advanced: up to 7mi, 7-8 min/mi pace; Edison Elem. mtbakerbikeclub.org meet at Skagit Running Co. 336-2475, skagitrunners.org DAILY PADDLE Bellingham, 6pm, Casual PADDLE Seattle, Mon/Wed 6pm, Sat Pick-up Race (Spring-Fall): Paddlers 8am, Sun 3pm, year-round, Dragon of all types informally come together at Boating: free intro lessons at S Lake Bloedel-Donovan Park/Lake Whatcom. Union. 206-523-4518, seattleflyingdragCX BIKE Bellingham, 6pm (usually ons.org Sep-Nov). CX Practice: watch/email SEE Lynden, through Nov. Flying for details. dneubeck@hotmail.com Spokes: 100 Years of the Bicycle.. RD/MT BIKE Bellingham, 6pm, lyndenpioneermuseum.com Group Workout: Apr-Sep, Race/ LEARN Everett, until 6 Sep, Jetty Training pace. Oct-Mar, Night Trail Ride. Island Days: Free interpretive mtbakerbikeclub.org services, ferry, activities, programs. 425-257-8300, ci.everett.wa.us WALK/SEE LaConner, 1 Sep-15 Oct, Quilt Walk: several venues display 70+ quilts. laconnerchamber.com

More outings/clubs/meetings: • mountbakerclub.org (area hikes) • holeinthewallpaddlingclub.org • friendsoftheacfl.org (Anacortes Community Forest Lands hikes)

• wakekayak.org • bellinghamseniorcenter.com • gbrc.net (Greater B’ham Running Club) • nwskiclub.org • www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs (Mt. Baker- Snoqualmie Nat’l Forest)

• whimpsmtb.com • whidbeyislandbicycleclub.org

VOLUNTEER WA Trails Assoc Statewide trail maintenance occurs every day but Monday. 206-625-1367, wta.org WHIMPS Mt bike Coalition Whatcom Co. trail work whimpsmtb.com Mt Vernon Trail Builders Little Mountain multi-use trail work, 10am 2nd & 3rd SATs except Aug. mountvernontrailbuilders.com Nooksack Salmon Enhancement ASSOC 360-715-0283, n-sea.org CHUCKANUT CONSERVANCY chuckanutconservancy.org Pnw Trail assoc Skagit/Whatcom work parties 1st & 3rd SAT, Apr-Oct. pnt.org Whatcom Land trust whatcomlandtrust.org 360-650-9470 Volunteers for outdoor washington trailvolunteers.org PEOPLE FOR PUGET SOUND 206-382-7007, pugetsound.org Washington water trails wwta.org Anacortes Community Forest Lands friendsoftheacfl.org Padilla Bay Reserve 360-428-1070, padillabay.gov Iron Goat trail irongoat.org Bellingham Parks 360-778-7105 cob.org/government/public/ volunteer/parks

race | play | experience

race I play I experience

5 Sep - 10 Sep

Monday 5 Sep

Friday-Saturday, 9-10 Sep

RUN Labor Day Half Marathon— Woodinville, 9am. A half marathon run/ walk and a 4mi run/walk with ~2500 others. 425-466-5598, labordayrun.com

WALK Discover Bellingham Volksfest. 4pm Fri; 8am Sat. Two days of neighborhood and waterfront walks (a mix of 5k and 10k), plus special events. 360-756-0470, nwtrekkers.org

Tuesday-Wednesday, 6-7 Sep BOAT Deer Harbor Wooden Boat Rendezvous—Orcas Island. Celebrating wooden boats in a casual atmosphere. Tue: row race (4pm), barbecue, music. Wed: breakfast, sail race, potluck. 360-376-4056, deerharborwoodenboats.org

Friday, 9 Sep HIKE Heart Lake Old Growth— Fidalgo Island, 10am. A hike through a stand of Puget trough lowland old growth, with an adult level flora and fauna focus. friendsoftheacfl.org

Friday-Sunday, 9-11 Sep BOAT Wooden Boat Festival— Port Townsend. For 3 days, view vessels, listen to experts and meet wooden boat enthusiasts. woodenboat.org

Saturday, 10 Sep SPEC Reflectorize Your Ride— Bellingham, 10am-3pm. Adults and kids may bring bikes, back packs, shoes, helmets, or jackets to the downtown Farmers Market to decorate with supplied reflective materials. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

>>>RUN/WALK Fairhaven Runners Waterfront 15K —Bellingham, 8:30am. Whether competing or participating just for fun, running or walking, enjoy a beautiful 9.3mi course along Bellingham Bay from Fairhaven to Squalicum Harbor and back. This run is a wonderfully fun event, especially because of the great volunteers, postrace party with food and drink, live music, awards, and free massage/chiropractic care after. All participants get a shirt and chip timing. cob.org/races, fairhavenrunners.com SWIM Columbia Crossing—Pasco, 9am. A roughly 1.5mi cross-river swim from Chiawana Park. 3rrr.org

HIKE Cougar Divide—call Renetta at 360-398-8939 for B’ham meeting place, time and to RSVP. Moderate hike in light forest to a long meadow ridge with views. Free. mountbakerwild.org PADDLE San Juan Orca Challenge—Anacortes, 10am. Fundraising paddle races from Washington Park—6mi or 16mi. soundrowers.org VOL South Fork Nooksack River Canoe Clean Up—Acme, 9am. With Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Assoc, NW Straits Chapter of Surfrider, and RE Sources, help remove litter from the riverbanks. Some canoes and PFDs will be provided, but bring your own if possible. Volunteers also needed for on-land tasks. Refreshments and garbage collecting materials provided. Sign up in advance. 360-715-0283, n-sea.org

ADVENTURES NW magazine >>> a proud supporter

photo courtesy Fairhaven.com

Race photos courtesy Jon Brunk - www.brunkphoto.com

A loop run or walk on trail, road & pathways through Historic Fairhaven, downtown Bellingham, Squalicum Harbor & Boulevard Park, including the over-water boardwalk & Taylor Street Dock!

• Low $25 fee • Tech shirts & chip timing • Awards to overall male & female, masters & grand masters, & top 3 males & females in five-year age groups • Post-race party with great refreshments, free massage & chiropractic care, draw prizes & live music

Race a PR or just have fun at this classic community event— now in its 7th year.

no day-of registration, so

Lromo@cob.org • 360-778-7000 50

race | play | experience

Info also at

FairhavenRunners.com 360-676-4955

>>> MORE Race|Play|Experience events & regular additions,

race I play I experience

10 Sep (cont.) - 10/11 Sep

WALK Walk to Defeat ALS—Be part of a morning fundraising walk (~2.5mi) to help people with Lou Gehrig’s disease. It’s free to walk, but why not rise to the fundraising challenge? Yakima 10 Sep, Sarg Hubbard St. Pk Spokane 17 Sep, Mirabeau Park Bellingham 17 Sep, Squalicum Harbor Tacoma 24 Sep, Fort Steilacoom Vancouver 24 Sep, Esther Short Park Tri Cities 24 Sep, Columbia Park Seattle 1 Oct, Seward Park 425-656-1650, walktodefeatals.org SPEC Whatcom Co. Farm Tour— 10am-6pm. Ride your bike for educational and edible adventures on a free, familyfriendly, selfguided tour of a dozen or so regional farms. Stroll through farm fields and orchards, take part in interactive activities, and learn about the roots of abundant food grown in NW WA. Enjoy wagon and tractor rides, food and drink samples, animal petting and more. Pick up a Farm Tour map at several local businesses, or visit eatlocalfirst. org for 3 bike loop suggestions. 360647-7093, sconnect.org SWIM Swim Across America— Seattle, 8am. A 2mi or .5mi swim at Lake Washington’s Luther Burbank Park to benefit Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. New this year is a Kids Splash 50meter. swimacrossamerica.org TRI Lake Stevens Triathlon—8am. A USAT-event featuring sprint and Olympic distances at North Cove Park. 206-920-3983, buduracing.com RUN Shore to Shore—Lake Chelan, mult. start times. A marathon, half, 10k and marathon relay. runwenatchee.com TRI Cottage Lake Tri & Tri Again —Woodinville, 8am. A “super sprint”: 400yd swim, 9mi bike, 1.5mi run. Elite Wave: X2. marymeyerlifefitness.com VOL COASST Volunteer Training —Whidbey Island, 10am-4pm. Birders are invited to join COASST (Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team) staff for a free 6hr training. coasst.org HIKE Mitten Pond Loop— Anacortes, 10am. Enjoy a “hearty” hike with forest lore to suit the day. friendsoftheacfl.org BIKE Olympic Peninsula Bike Adventure—Port Angeles. Ride 60, 25 or 10mi on the off-road Olympic Discovery Trail through valleys and along the shoreline. A benefit for The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula and Port Angeles Parks & Rec. olympicdiscoverybike.com

HEAR Bellwether Jazz Festival— Bellingham, 2-7pm. Enjoy a free afternoon of eclectic jazz music at Tom Glenn Common on the beautiful Bellwether waterfront alongside Squalicum Harbor. Bands: Jennifer Scott Quartet, Blues Union and Sambatuque. Food vendors and a beer and wine garden on site. Proceeds from the beer garden benefit The Jazz Project’s local music programs. Sponsored by the Port of Bellingham and The Jazz Project (jazzproject.org). 360-676-2500, portofbellingham.com

nvironmental eroes 2011 Awards Banquet

TR RUN Dash Point Runs—Federal Way, 8:30am. A 10k and half marathon. 425-301-7009, evergreentrailruns.com BIKE/WALK Emerald City Lights Bike Ride & 5K Walk—Auburn, 7am. From the Game Farm Park, bike an 18, 30 or 65mi route or be part of a 5k walk. This is a great family event, with full van/mechanic support, delicious Baked Potato Feed provided by Down Home Catering of Kent, Trade Winds Jazz Band, and massage provided by Evergreen Massage (nominal fee), with ALL proceeds going to Our Daily Bread Basket, helping those in need in our communities… One Meal, One Day, One Bike Ride, One Walk at a time. 253-709-1530, emeraldcitylightsbikeride.org

Saturday,

TRI Best in the West Triathlon Festival—Sweet Home, OR. At Lewis Creek SP/Foster Lake, half-iron and sprint races SAT; Olympic race SUN. 541-915-5116, bestinthewesttriathlon. com

September 17 Bellwether th

Keynote Speaker

Denis Hayes

Saturday-Sunday 10-11 Sep RD BIKE Bike MS WA—Mount Vernon, 7:30am. A 2-day fundraising ride through Skagit Valley. 206-2844254 x40302, bikemsnorthwest.org

cocktails dinner Awards ceremony

Hotel

President of the Bullitt Foundation, internationally recognized leader in environmental and energy policy, coordinator of the first Earth Day, and Time Magazine’s “Hero of the Planet”

Honoring HEROES

our

John Davies Marie Hitchman Bill Dietrich Robyn du Pre Gerald Larson Bellingham Food Bank

BIKE/RUN Festival 542—Glacier, Maple Falls, Mt. Baker Ski Area. SAT: Cross 542—CX bike race at Silver Lake; and Run 542—a challenging mountain trail run from Mt. Baker Ski Area. SUN: Ride 542—road bike ride from Glacier to Mt. Baker Ski Area. No Artist Point this year. norka.us SPEC Rainier Mountain Festival— Ashford. Two days of demos, speakers, alpine games, the Run/Walk at Rainier Sun (5mi on trail), and more. 800-2385756, rainierfestival.com

BelleWood Acres • Recycling and Disposal Services Bellingham Community Food Co-op • Bay City Supply • Peoples Bank

RUN Warrior Dash—North Plains, OR, 9am wave starts both days. An obstacle- and mud-ridden running at Horning’s Hideout. Helmet and t-shirt with registration. warriordash.com

in searchable PDF or Flash format, at AdventuresNW.com

360.733.8307 www.re-sources.org

race | play | experience

race I play I experience

11 Sep - 17 Sep

Sunday, 11 Sep

Friday-Monday, 16-19 Sep

RUN Skagit Flats Marathon— Burlington, 8am. A full and half marathon from Burlington Edison High on flat rural courses through Skagit Valley; USATF certified. skagitrunners.org

>>>BIKE Trek Tri-Island— Anacortes. Join the American Lung Association of the Mountain Pacific in its fight for air by participating in a 3-day fundraising ride through Lopez, Orcas and San Juan islands, kicking off on 9/16. Short and long courses are offered each day. In addition, cyclists receive fundraising assistance, training tips and memories to last a lifetime! 206-441-5100x23, trektriisland.com

BIKE High Pass Challenge— Packwood. Cycle 114mi (7,500’ e gain) through the Gifford Pinchot Wilderness Area. cascade.org TRI Seattle Escape from the Rock—Mercer Island, 8am. A sprint event at Luther Burbank Park. envirosports.com RUN/WALK Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5k—Ferndale, 9:30am. A 5k event at Pioneer Park, part of a national effort in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9-11, as well as honoring all first responders, military men and women, and their families. Includes a free hot dog feed after (donations accepted). whatcom7firefighters.com

Saturday, 17 Sep SPEC Historic Fairhaven Salmon BBQ—Bellingham, 11am-5pm. Enjoy a district sidewalk sale and a community salmon bbq at the Village Green. Price includes a full meal. Kids menu also available. Family outdoor fun with live entertainment. fairhaven.com

RUN/WALK Iron Girl—Seattle, 8am. 10k/5k at Green Lake Park. irongirl.com >>>MULTI Bellingham Traverse— Bellingham, 12:30pm. This event Sunday-Monday, 11-12 Sep includes a 5.5mi run from downtown to PADDLE Skagit River Downriver Lake Padden, a chalSprint & Classic—Newhalem. lenging 6mi mt bike nwwhitewater.org above the lake, an Monday-Sunday, 12-18 Sep 18mi rd bike out FIT Free Yoga Classes—Bellingham. and around Lake A week of free classes (all levels, from Samish, a 3mi trail run, a total beginners to advanced, and many 4mi open water paddle, and a .5mi focuses).Take as many classes as you’d team trek. Race solo, tandem or on a like. Preregistration not necessary. 360- team, symbolically following the life 647-0712, yoganorthwest.com cycle of the salmon with “bait” to raise funds for environmental groups. Finish Wednesday, 14 Sep festivities at Boundary Bay Brewery & RUN/WALK Forest Park Hill Bistro. bellinghamtraverse.com Climb—Everett, noon. At the Upper PADDLE Budd Inlet—Olympia, Field, walk, run or skip up 10 hills in a 9:15am. A 7nm loop race at Swantown 30min timed event. Team or solo. 425Marina. soundrowers.org 257-8300, everettwa.org/parks

NAV National Orienteering Day—Seattle, 10am. A newcomers event at Woodland Park for those who like navigating through the woods. cascadeoc.org RUN Prefontaine Memorial Run— Coos Bay, OR, 10am. A 2mi walk, a 10k run. prefontainerun.com RUN/SPEC The Mountaineers OutdoorsFest—Seattle, 10am-5pm (5k, 9am). OutdoorsFest is a great— and free—day full of educational activities, the newest conservation issues, the best gear, and opportunities for sharing summer adventure stories as well as winter goals. The whole spectrum of humanpowered outdoor recreation activities and issues will be represented through gear vendors, conservation organizations, and education organizations. This year’s activities will include a gear swap, demos, skills clinics, the 5k Trivia Run (9am), family zone, climbing wall, beer garden, food, and raffle! All at The Mountaineers Program Center (7700 Sand Point Way NE). 206-521-6001, mountaineers.org/outdoorsfest GOLF Sports Commission Best Ball Classic—Worley, ID. A 2-day Best Ball tournament at Circling Raven Golf Course. spokanesports.org TRI Plutonium Man—Richland, 9am. At Columbia Point Marina, this long course tri includes a 1.2mi swim, 56mi bike,13.1mi run. Team or solo. 3rrr.org TR RUN XTERRA Trail Running Nat’l Championship—Bend, OR, 9am. 5/10/21k trail runs. No qualification necessary. All levels welcome. 877-983-7721, xterraplanet.com

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2011

CHUCKANUT CENTURY

BIKE Whitehorse To Whitechuck —Darrington, 9am. Ride 12, 22 or 28mi routes, or a 30mi route that includes 10mi of steep mt biking. Proceeds benefit local youth activities. 360-436-0308, darringtonwatourism.com RUN River Run—Wenatchee. This 5k run/walk, 10k run/walk and half marathon on traffic-free courses encompasses the Apple Capital Loop Recreation Trail. runwenatchee.com RUN Airport Run for Hope— Arlington, 9am. A 5k walk or run and a 10k run. Proceeds go to Housing Hope 425-359-0868, arlingtonrunnersclub.org MT BIKE USA Cycling MT Bike National Championships—Bend, OR. Single-track courses in Central Oregon. 800-949-6086, visitbend.com TRI Grand Columbian Super Tri— Grand Coulee, mult. starts. A full iron and super tri, plus a half iron, Olympic, duathlon and aquabike. trifreaks.com SPEC Environmental Heroes Awards Banquet—Bellingham, 5:30pm cocktails/7pm dinner/awards. At Hotel Bellwether, and with Keynote Speaker Denis Hayes, RE Sources honors individuals who work tirelessly on behalf of the environment and advocate sustainability for the community. Past heroes have included educators, business owners, volunteers, and community members. Tickets $50. 360-733-8307, re-sources.org PADDLE Safe Sea Kayaking in the PNW—Bellingham, 1:30-5:30pm. A 2hr seminar at the Community Boating Center, then paddle with an instructor. Free but pre-register. sailpaddlerow.org

Ride foR

Ride 25, 38, 50, 62, 100 or 124 beautiful miles where the Cascades Mountains meet the Salish Sea Fully supported Hearty food stops Free t-shirt if registered by 9/3 Start & Finish festivities at Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro in downtown Bellingham — FREE burger or beverage at finish!

WANT TO DO MORE?

Raise additional funds for Whatcom Hospice Foundation

Ride on Whatcom & Skagit counties’ finest cycling roads, including the famous Chuckanut Drive. Enjoy views of Mount Baker & surrounding ranges while cycling along the shores of Padilla Bay, Bellingham Bay, Birch Bay & Drayton Harbor.

EARLY REGISTRATION (before 9/03/11) JUST $50! ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT AT active.com with code: ANFALL11 INFORMATION & MAIL-IN REGISTRATION at

chuckanutcentury.org

THE MOUNT BAKER BICYCLE CLUB THANKS ALL OUR SUPPORTERS, INCLUDING ADVENTURES NW 52

race | play | experience

>>> MORE Race|Play|Experience events & regular additions,

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17 Sep (cont.) - 24 Sep

WALK Light The Night—Tacoma. At this Leukemia & Lymphoma Society event, walk a 2-3mi route along Ruston Way Waterfront carrying lighted balloons in tribute and bringing hope to people battling cancer. lightthenight. org/wa

Saturday-Sunday, 17-18 Sep CX BIKE StarCrossed—Seattle. Events include Cross After Dark 2 and Rad Racing GP. starcrossedcx.com SAIL Dale Jepsen Bellingham Bay One-Design Regatta. A 2-day event with sailors from the US and Canada racing dinghy and one-design boats up to 30 feet. byc.org PADDLE Paddle the Shores— Ocean Shores. For two days paddlers and rowers may enjoy human-powered boat races, seminars, vendors and more at North Bay Park. oceanshoresact.com

Saturday-Saturday, 17-24 Sep SPEC 2nd Annual Whatcom Water Week—Whatcom County. For a full week, celebrate the importance of Whatcom Co.’s water resources—in work, play, environment and life—with the Whatcom Watershed Information Network (WWIN). There will be lots of fun and free activities held throughout the county for kids and adults, with a kick-off event on the 17th. Enjoy tours, films, story times, races, beach cleanups, and a chance to meet “Wayne” Drop. Check online to get details about these and many other events. 360-6766736, whatcomwin.org

Sunday, 18 Sep >>>BIKE Chuckanut Century— Bellingham, 7am. Presented by the Mt. Baker Bike Club, this event benefits Whatcom Hospice Foundation. Ride some of the most scenic routes in Washington—25mi, 38mi, 50mi, 62mi, 100mi, or the double metric century (124mi). The south loop treats you to views of the San Juan Islands while overlooking Bellingham, Samish, and Padilla Bays, skirting along and viewing Chuckanut and Blanchard mountains. The north loop, through farmland and along bays, offers views of Baker, Shuksan, the Twin Sisters, and the Canadian Cascades. Start and finish at Boundary Bay Brewery (free beverage or burger at the finish!). Regular rest stops with hearty food on each route. Check the discount code in the MBBC ad! chuckanutcentury.org RUN Race for the Cure—Portland, OR, 7:45-9am starts. This event at Tom McCall Waterfront Park raises funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer, celebrates survivors, and honors those who have lost their battle. komenoregon.org RUN Summer’s End Fun Run— Covington, 8am. At Kentwood High School, a 5k run/walk, a 10k run, and a 1mi junior run. 206-713-0080, cruzinpassport.com TR RUN North Cascades PCT— Mazama, 6am. Run a section between Rainy and Hart’s Pass. Open, alpine ridges in the heart of the N Cascades. 509-846-5019, rainshadowrunning.com RUN Montana Governor’s Cup— Billings, MT. A marathon, marathon relay, half, 10k, kids run. Tech running shirts for all finishers; medals for half and full finishers 406-245-9735, montanagovernorscupmarathon.org

Together we train to beat cancer. Find out about Team in Training’s programs that offer marathon, half-marathon, triathlon and hiking coaching, motivation, lifelong friendships, and the feeling of giving hope to others by working toward a cure for blood cancers. Check

teamintraining.org/wa for informational meetings throughout the region.

HIKE Rainbow Ridge—Phone 360738-9311 for time, B’ham meeting place and to RSVP. Short but steep trail leads to views of Baker and Shuksan. Free. mountbakerwild.org ROW Row For the Cure—Seattle. This 3.5k head race on Lake Union, for rowing shells, canoes, kayaks, dragon boats and Native American canoes, funds the Puget Sound Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. 425-828-0205. rowforthecure.com BIKE Cycle the Wave—Issaquah. An all women’s ride (12, 25, 42 or 62mi) through Bellevue, Issaquah, S King Co., Maple Valley, Renton, Newcastle— to increase awareness, inspire fitness, instill hope and help support domestic violence programs. cyclethewave.com

in searchable PDF or Flash format, at AdventuresNW.com

18 Sep - 1 Nov SPEC Governor’s Health Bowl— Washington State. Be part of a free, statewide online health challenge; register as an individual or team and log your miles. 206-734-6975, whf.org

Tuesdays, 20 Sep - 8 Nov BOAT America’s Boating Course —Bellingham, 6:30-8:30pm. Bellingham Sail & Power Squadron offers this intro to maritime safety and piloting at BTC; fulfills requirements for the WA State Boater Card. boatingisfun.org

Wednesday, 21 Sep RUN/WALK Forest Park Hill Climb—Everett, noon. At the Upper Field, walk, run or skip up 10 hills in a 30min timed event. Team or solo. 425257-8300, everettwa.org/parks

Thursdays, 22 Sep - 27 Oct TRAIN Trail Running Camp— Bellingham, 5:30-6:30pm. Ready for exhilarating fall fun? Tromp over trails, kick up mud, splash through streams, and tear through trees. Fairhaven Runners’ trail runners Steve (store owner) and staffers will show you how at this 6-session camp. Explore six different trails, whether you are a beginner or veteran, and get instruction on trail- and hill-running techniques. The fee includes many fun giveaways. 360676-4955, fairhavenrunners.com

Saturday, 24 Sep BIKE Tour de Whidbey— Greenbank, 7am. Many route lengths up to a century. A fundraiser for Whidbey General Hospital Foundation. whidbeygen.org RUN/WALK Family Fitness Day —Seattle, 10am. 5k, 10k,15k, kids’ dash, relay and duathlon. magnusonseries.org WALK Seattle Brain Cancer Walk—9am. At Seattle Center, walk up to 2mi to build awareness and advance the search for a brain cancer cure. braincancerwalk.org WALK Light the Night—Seattle. At Green Lake Park, walk 2.8mi with lighted balloons in honor and memory of cancer patients. A benefit for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. lightthenight.org/wa TRI XTERRA USA Championship —Ogden, UT, 9am. 1.5k swim, 30k mt bike, 10k trail run. 877-751-8880, xterraplanet.com MULTI American Alps Challenge —Marblemount, 9am. A 4-stage, 65mi relay from Washington Pass to Marblemount; ~25mi rd bike, Washington Pass to East Bank Trailhead ~10mi run from Happy Panther Trail to Colonial Creek Campground, ~5mi Diablo Lake kayak, ~25mi rd bike from Colonial Creek to Marblemount; solo, or up to 6 per team. 360-746-8861, americanalpschallenge.com

SPEC Moving Planet—Bellingham, Seattle,Vancouver, BC, etc. Moving Planet is a worldwide rally to demand solutions to the climate crisis—a single day to move away from fossil fuels—on bike, skates, board, or foot. In the PNW a number of events have been organized, including in Vancouver, where bike rallies converge at Vanier Park for a picnic and photo-op for 350 solidarity; and in Bellingham, with 10 urban bike rides at 11am beginning at various schools throughout the city and converging downtown, a Climate Rally/Info Fair/350.org group photo 12-2pm, and a 2pm cycle to Cherry Point, location of the proposed SSA Marine coal terminal. facebook.com/350bellingham, 360-201-3093, moving-planet.org ADV RACE San Juan Island Quest —Roche Harbor. Sea kayak, trail run, bike, trek, and navigate. A 6hr race. for solos or teams of 2, 3 or 4 people sanjuanislandquest.com RUN Runners Soul Erik Anderson XC 5K—Spokane, 3:30pm. Run the same course as elite HS and college athletes. Benefits the Erik Anderson Memorial Fund. spokanesports.org ADV RACE Mind Over Mountain —Cumberland, BC, 9am. 30k and 50k sprint races. 866-912-3331, mindovermountain.com RUN Indian Summer Half Marathon—Richland, 8am. A half and 5k at Columbia Point Marina. 3rrr.org PADDLE Lake Samish Salmon Row & Paddle—Bellingham, 10am. The 5.5mi course starts and ends at Camp Lutherwood; fee includes race t-shirt and salmon bbq. Great for spectators too. soundrowers.org, salmonrowandpaddle.com SEE Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival— Bellingham, 7:30pm. At the Mount Baker Theatre, the Northwest Straits Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation presents this fest. 215-287-0043, surfrider.org/nws SPEC North Cascades Institute 25th Anniversary Celebration— Diablo Lake, 11am-2pm. At NCI’s Environmental Learning Center, celebrate 25 years of conserving and restoring Northwest environments through education at a free open house & BBQ picnic lunch (by donation), plus enjoy naturalist-led activities on Diablo Lake and local trails, Learning Center tours, and visiting with Institute staff, grads and board members. 360-8542599, ncascades.org/picnic RUN Grape Crush Rush— Kennewick, 8:30am. Through downtown, run a 1mi or 5k in celebration of the Grapefest Festival. 3rrr.org

race | play | experience

race I play I experience

24/25 Sep - 8/9 Oct

Saturday & Sunday, 24 & 25 Sep FISH Coho Derby—Everett. Open to fishing in areas 8-1, 8-2, 9, 10; and all freshwater river systems in King, Skagit or Snohomish counties. 425-303-2570, everettcohoderby.com

to 75% off on boots, helmets, ice axes, tools, crampons, sleeping bags, pads, packs, tents)—rental gear, new items, and close-outs. A chance to win free prizes too. 360-671-1570, guideschoice. com, aai.cc

Sunday 25 Sep

Friday-Sunday, 30 Sep - 2 Oct

>>>RUN Bellingham Bay Marathon, Half & 5k—Bellingham. Both the full (a Boston qualifier) and half are relatively flat, well-supported, and along the picturesque and expansive Bellingham Bay waterfront. The 5k is “flat and fast” along downtown streets and trails. The marathon is a point-to-point from the Lummi/ Wexliem Community Building to Bellingham (shuttles to the start available), and the half is a loop course from Bellingham’s Depot Market Square. bellinghambaymarathon.org

BIKE Methow Valley Fall Bike Festival—Winthrop. The 25th anniversary of this 3-day festival: XC races, self-guided rd rides, and mtb rides for all skill levels and ages. mvsta.com BOAT Anacortes Fall Boat Show. Boats of every type are brought to the docks of Cap Sante Marina for this free 3-day event. anacortesboatshow.com

OCTOBER >>> as submitted by press time—check adventuresnw.com for updates

Saturday, 1 Oct NAV Fremont Oktoberfest Street Scramble—Seattle, 9:30am. On foot, visit as many of the 30 checkpoints on a map as you can in 2 hours. 206-2918250, streetscramble.com TR RUN XTERRA Trail Running Nationals—Ogden, UT, 9am. Championship 21k open to runners of all levels, plus 5k and 10k fun runs. 877983-7721, xterraplanet.com RUN Winthrop Road Marathon/ Half—8am. Run along the Chewuch River into the town of Winthrop. Net elevation loss; Boston qualifier. 509-846 5019, rainshadowrunning.com RUN Rotary Run Half Marathon, Relay & 5k—Surrey, BC. A certified course which meanders through neighborhoods. rotaryrun.org BIKE Kitsap Color Classic. Pedal around the Kitsap Peninsula; three loop options. cascade.org

26 Sep thru 3 Dec >>> SPEC Girls on the Run Fall Session—Whatcom Co. Held after school at area elementary schools, GOTR is a noncompetitive character development program. The interactive curriculum combines training for a 5k with self-esteem-enhancing lessons and uplifting workouts, culminating in a 5k on Dec. 3 in downtown Bellingham. Financial assistance available. Read about Girls on the Run in ANW’s online story library! 360-733-8630, jgallant@whatcomymca.org, whatcomymca.org

Friday & Saturday, 30 Sep & 1 Oct SPEC American Alpine Institute’s Annual Gear Sale—Bellingham, 8am-6pm Fri; 9-4 Sat. At AAI’s headquarters in Fairhaven, a festive event with bargains for outdoor lovers (up 54

race | play | experience

TR RUN Baker Lake 50k—Baker Lake, 8am. A run of 28mi on trail, 3.5mi on gravel/paved road. Extra fee for shirt. 360-387-3276, bakerlake50k.com TR RUN Echo Valley Trail Run— Chelan, 8.30am. A 10k, half-marathon, 50k and 50mi. 425-301-7009, evergreentrailruns.com RUN/WALK Five K-9 Fun Run — Everett, 10am. A 5k or 10k loop beside the Snohomish River; canines welcome. 425-257-8369, everettwa.org/parks MT BIKE Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. imba.com RUN Oktoberfest Brewski Daddle —Vancouver, BC, 4pm. At Stanley Park, a 5k and kids 1k. Includes an afterparty, with German food, beer, DJ and costume awards. brewskidaddle.com RUN Project Athena Race Series—Redmond, 8am. A 10k competitive race, a 5k-ish adventure hike, and a .25mi kids race with an inflatable obstacle course—at Marymoor Park. 619-987-8179, projectathena.org RUN Silver Lake XC Run—Maple Falls, 9pm. An open XC 3.1mi run at Silver Lake Park; watch the high school competition after. gbrc.net RUN/WALK Run Like a Girl Half Marathon—Bellingham, 9am. A non-competitive out-and-back from Fairhaven Park along the Interurban Trail. Proceeds go to Girls on the Run. runlikeagirlbellingham.com SPEC Reflectorize Your Ride— Bellingham, 10am-3pm. Adults and kids may bring their bikes, back packs, shoes, helmets, or jackets to the downtown Farmers Market to decorate with supplied reflective materials. 360-671BIKE, everybodybike.com PADDLE Mercer Island Sausage Pull—Seattle, 10am. 6.5 or 14.3mi from Mt. Baker Beach Park and around Mercer Island. Sausages for all competitors. soundrowers.org

BIKE The Drier Ride—Ellensburg, 7:30am. Ride the Ellensburg Manatash Metric or a shorter 50k route. Free bbq at the end. drier-ride.org RUN/WALK Band Aid Run & Walk—Mount Vernon, 10am. A 5k run/ walk and 10k run from Skagit Valley CC to benefit the MV High School band. 360-428-6100 ext. 41217, mvbands.org

Sunday, 2 Oct

Wednesday, 5 Oct SPEC International Walk (or Bike) to School Day. October is International Walk to School Month. Join kids around the world and walk or bike today, or try all month long. Local ideas and assistance, as well as prizes for Whatcom County schools, are available through everybodybike.com, iwalktoschool.org

Thursdays, 6 Oct - 3 Nov

SPEC LIVESTRONG DAY—nationwide. On October 2, 1996, Lance Armstrong made a decision to face his illness with courage, strength and dignity. 28 million cancer survivors around the world have experienced that same day. Join Lance Armstrong and thousands of supporters around the world in wearing yellow on LIVESTRONG Day. livestrong.org/livestrongdaypledge RUN/WALK Race for the End 5k & 10k—Bellingham, 9:30am. From Bloedel Donovan Park and through Whatcom Falls Park, run/walk a 5k, or run a 10k in support of services for domestic violence survivors. Kids under 12 free. 360-671-5714. dvsas.org HIKE Damfino Lakes & Excelsior Pass—call Al at 360-738-9311 for B’ham meeting place, time and to reserve spot. Moderate hike to wildflower meadows and grand views. Free. mountbakerwild.org RUN Run at Salmon Days— Issaquah, 8:30am. A 10k run, a 5k run/ walk and a 1k kids run put on by the Issaquah Rotary. issaquahrun.com RUN Great Columbia Crossing 10k—Dismal Nitch, WA to Astoria, OR, 9am. Run or walk a 10k that crosses the otherwise-closed-to-pedestrians 4.1mi Astoria-Megler Bridge. greatcolumbiacrossing.com BIKE Tweed Ride—Bellingham, 1pm. An “easy” ~5mi historic neighborhood ride where participants wear stylish clothes and cycle classic or cruiser bikes. Meet-up begins at noon at Maritime Heritage Park. 360-756-9440 RUN Walk, Run, Wag/Six Legged Race—Friday Harbor, noon. A 5k for people and dogs. Enter as an individual or family. 360-378-4953, islandrec.org NAV Choose your Adventure/ Founders Day—Whidbey Island, 10am. An orienteering event at Chinook Lands. cascadeoc.org RUN/WALK Salmon Fest Run— Leavenworth, 9:30am. 5k or 10k at the Fish Hatchery; kids’ events first. 509548-3133, salmonfest.org ROW Row For the Cure—Portland, OR. This regatta on the Willamette River raises funds for Oregon/SW WA Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. portland@rowforthecure. com, rowforthecure.com

VOL Climate Stewards Training— Mt.Vernon, 5:30pm. Learn about climate change and do something about it; become a Climate Steward through this free 22-hr training at Padilla Bay Reserve. 360-428-1066, padillabay.gov

Saturday, 8 Oct RUN Mount Spokane 50k, 25k— Spokane, 8am. Run through open, old growth forest with views of Idaho, Montana, and Washington. 509-8465019, rainshadowrunning.com BIKE Breast Cancer Awareness Ride—Bellingham, 10am. Kulshan Cycles hosts this ride (out and back from their store and along the Interurban Trail) to help raise awareness and funds. Decorate bikes, wear pink, win prizes. kulshancycles.com MT BIKE Evergreen’s Duthie Dash—Issaquah, 9am. A 5hr mtn bike relay race at Duthie Hill Bike Park for 2 and 3 person teams. 831-676-7229, evergreenmtb.org SPEC Reflectorize Your Ride— Bellingham, 10am-3pm. Adults and kids may bring their bikes, back packs, shoes, helmets, or jackets to the downtown Farmers Market to decorate with supplied reflective materials. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com RUN Fall Fest & Foot Race— Richland, 9am. From Howard Amon Park, there’s a 1mi family run/walk, and 5k and 10k races. 3rrr.org SPEC SoundWaves Benefit Concert—Bellingham, all day. At Boundary Bay Brewery’s garden, this family-friendly event to benefit the NW Straits Chapter of Surfrider features music, an ongoing raffle, silent auction and more. Over 21 after 10pm. surfrider.org/nws RUN Race for Education— Bellingham, A 5k fun run/walk from Civic Field and on nearby trails to raise funds for Communities in Schools of Whatcom Co. and the Bellingham Public School Foundation. 360-7783759, whatcomraceforeducation.org

Saturday-Sunday, 8-9 Oct PADDLE Nooksack Slalom & Downriver—Glacier. Class III. nwwhitewater.org

>>> MORE Race|Play|Experience events & regular additions,

9 Oct - 22 Oct

Sunday, 9 Oct >>> MTB DU klicks Mountain Bike Duathlon—Bellingham, 11am. An off-road duathlon for teams or individuals on the trails of Lake Padden Park: run 2.6mi around the lake, mt bike 6mi on the trails above the lake, then run around the lake again. Trophies to top 3 males and females overall; all participants eligible for draw prizes. (A free Youth Du comes after—see below.) 360-778-7665, cob.org/races YOUTH DU YMCA Youth Duathlon— Bellingham, 1pm. At Lake Padden Ball Fields, kids can choose from 3 different distances and start times (1pm short, 1:30pm medium and 2pm long). This free event isn’t timed, but all finishers get a goody bag and entry into a raffle for an AquaTrack or Climbing Wall party at the Y. Day-of-race registration (beginning at noon) only. tbennett@whatcomymca. org, cob.org/races RUN Spokane Marathon— 8/9am. A marathon, relay, half and 10k that support Spokane’s high school XC teams. 509-624-4297, spokanemarathon.us RUN Portland Marathon—Plus shorter runs, and a half marathon. portlandmarathon.org RUN Victoria Marathon, plus a half, 8k, kids run. runvictoriamarathon.com

Monday, 10 Oct RUN Granville Island Turkey Trot 10k— Vancouver, BC, 8:30am. A 10k run, walk or stroll around the Granville Island Sea Wall. turkeytrot.ca

Saturday, 15 Oct >>>SPEC Preserve Galbraith Fall Fundraiser—Bellingham, 6pm. At the Depot Market Square, help raise funds for and awareness of the huge efforts in Whatcom County to keep Galbraith Mountain trails open for hiking and mountain biking. Enjoy the results of the video and photography contest, a raffle, refreshments and more. Video Contest Rules: no more than 5 minutes in length; must showcase the essence of mountain biking from the filmer’s perspective; must include only appropriate language—this is a family event; must be submitted by September 15th. Note: videos/photos can be from Galbraith or any Whatcom or Skagit county trail. fundraising@whimpsmtb.org. whimpsmtb.org PADDLE Safe Sea Kayaking in the PNW— Bellingham, 1:30-5:30pm. A 2hr seminar at the Community Boating Center, then paddle with an instructor. Free but pre-register. sailpaddlerow.org RUN Sekani Trail Runs—Spokane, 10/10:30am. Do a 5k or 10k trail run at Historic Camp Sekani, near the Spokane River. The course is 100% trails with river and valley views. 509-625-6546, spokaneparks.org PADDLE Paddle for Food Relay—Bellingham, 10:30am. At Lake Padden, paddlers race for fun and purpose on relay teams formed day-of. A 100% fundraiser for the Bellingham Food Bank. Racers donate non-perishable food, or money. 360-739-2257

RUN/WALK Chelan Chase—Chelan, 10am. A certified 5k at Riverwalk Park, with proceeds benefiting local cancer relief efforts. chelanchase.com RUN Leavenworth Marathon/Half/Relay—9am. Run country roads bordering the Wenatchee National Forest and Alpine Lakes Wilderness. leavenworthmarathon.com SPEC Anacortes Community Forest Lands Annual Benefit—Anacortes, 5:30pm. Support an important natural place at a fun community event. Funds raised go to support the Friends Forest Education and Stewardship Program. 293-3725, friendsoftheacfl.org

Sunday, 16 Oct WALK Out of the Darkness—Bellingham, 10am. An American Foundation for Suicide Prevention fundraiser, with a 2.6mi walk around Lake Padden. outofthedarkness.org RUN The Other Half—Moab, UT, 8:30am. A half marathon through a redrock canyon; long sleeve tech shirt, unique finisher medal. 435-259-4525, moabhalfmarathon.org RUN Rubber Ducky Half Marathon—Burnaby, BC, 9am. A half, relay half, 7mi, 5k and kids run. Pancake breakfast included. tryevents.ca CX BIKE Silverlake CycloCross—Everett. One of the Seattle CX Series races. seattlecyclocross.com

Friday-Saturday, 21-22 Oct SPEC Komo Kulshan Ski & Snowboard Swap & Sale—Bellingham (4-9:30pm Fri; 9am-2pm Sat). Sell or buy snowsport gear at this annual swap at Bloedel Donovan R A C E T E A M Park— Whatcom County’s largest and longest-running ski swap. Early equipment drop-off is Saturday, 10/8, 10am-3pm at Fairhaven Bike & Ski; or drop off Thursday, 10/20, 4-9pm at Bloedel Donovan. Proceeds support nonprofit Komo Kulshan Ski Club’s mission to promote the development of Whatcom County youth through ski competition, family skiing, and related snowsports activities. 360303-3865, komokulshanskiclub.org

MT. BAKER KKSC

Saturday 22 Oct >>>RUN/WALK Lake Padden Trail Classic 13.1 & Anna’s Lake Walk—Bellingham, 9am/1pm. A new event in Whatcom County. The half marathon race is within Lake Padden Park and makes its way up and through the forested single track trails. At 1pm is Anna’s Lake Walk, a casual 2.6mi to increase awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. The entire event is a fundraiser for the Anna Brulotte Memorial & Scholarship fund. A post-race celebration is planned, with food, awards and random prizes. lakepaddentrailclassic.wordpress.com VOL Make a Difference Day The US’s largest day of do-gooding—get involved; make a difference. 360734-3055, whatcomvolunteer.org, volunteerwashington.org, 1-800-volunteer.org RUN Fall Tune-up XC—Sechelt, BC, 10am. A XC meet for all ages in Porpoise Bay Prov. Park, distances from 1.3k to 6k. 877-493-5163, falltuneup.ca RUN Black Cat Five Mile Fun Run—Tacoma, 7pm. Chip-timed, family-friendly fun run through Point Defiance Park after dark. Dress in costume. 253-305-1022, metroparkstacoma.org/races

in searchable PDF or Flash format, at AdventuresNW.com

race | play | experience

race I play I experience

22/23 Oct - 16 Nov

Saturday-Sunday, 22-23 Oct PADDLE Hobuck Hoedown Surf Paddling Festival—Neah Bay. Ten different surf paddling events to choose from at Hobuck Beach, for kayaks and SUP boards; supports the Makah tribal community. 206-940-6269, rubycreekboathouse.com

It’s just you and the mountain. The weather has broken and the snow is untracked—the only sound is your breath crystallizing in the winter air. There’s only one place to go, but there’s an infinite number of ways to get there. Adjust your gear, breathe deep...

Sunday, 23 Oct RUN Run Like Hell—Portland, OR, 7:30-9:30am starts. Halloween-themed half marathon, 5k, 10k and a kids’ halfmiler from the World Trade Center. 503-926-2622, terrapinevents.com RUN Dawg Dash—Seattle, 9:30am. A 10k run and 5k run/walk on the track at Husky Stadium. 206-729-9972, dawgdash.com

For the 62nd year in a row, Warren Miller Entertainment brings you snow, steeps, and skiers and snowboarders who throw themselves into both with an abandon that amazes and inspires us all.

TR RUN Fort Steilacoom Trail Run—Lakewood, 8.30am. A 5k, 10k, half-marathon and 50k. 425-301-7009, evergreentrailruns.com

Join Chris Davenport, Daron Rahlves, Colby West, Andy Mahre, Seth Wescott, Julia Mancuso, and more as they drop into the runs we see in our dreams.

RUN Columbia Gorge Marathon Events—Hood River, OR, 9am. Run along the Columbia River Hwy with a riverside finish. A full, half, half-walk and more. columbiagorgemarathon.com

Hosted by Jonny Moseley & shot on location in Colorado, Utah, California, New Zealand, Chile, Alaska & BC, ...Like There’s No Tomorrow is your annual reminder that Winter is on its way and, with it, months of an adrenaline-fueled dance with gravity. Welcome it... ...LIKE THERE’S NO TOMORROW

Thursday, 27 Oct >>>SEE 12th Annual Mt. Baker Film Festival & Pre-Winter Party —Bellingham, 6:30pm doors open for Vendor Expo/7:30 films start. This preseason festival at the www.mtbaker.us Mt. Baker Theatre highlights winter sport film shorts from local, national and international filmers —check about submitting your short! The film festival is FREE to 2011/12 season pass holders (bring your pass); low-price on advance ticket purchases starting Oct 11 at Baker’s office (new W A S H I N G T location). 360-734-6771, mtbaker.us

Washington showings Yakima Capitol Theatre 11/2, 7:30p

Spokane Martin Woldson Theater 11/3, 7:30p; The Fox 11/14, 7:30p Everett Civic Auditorium 11/3, 7:30pm

Bremerton Admiral Theater 11/4, 6:30p & 9:30p

Kirkland Performance Center 11/9, 7:30p

Olympia WA Center PAC 11/10, 8p; 11/11, 6:30p & 9:30p

Bellevue Meydenbauer Cent., 11/12 3p, 6p, 9p; 11/13, 2p, 5p, 8p Bellingham Mt. Baker Theatre 11/17, 7:30p Seattle McCaw Hall 11/18, 8p; 11/19, 6p & 9p Auburn PAC 11/20, 7p Tickets at theater box offices; Ticketmaster and tickets.com.

Trailers, news & info at WarrenMiller.com 56

race | play | experience

ROW/SPEC Whatcom Rowing Association Open House— Bellingham. Beginning at 8am at Bloedel Donovan Park, enjoy a rowing regatta that finishes in front of the boat launch, then, until 11am, check out the rowing shells, talk to coaches and team rowers, and find out how you can be involved. 206-713-5462, whatcomrowing.org RUN/WALK Pumpkin Run— Leavenworth, 10am. An xc run/walk (6.5k, 2k, 1k) at Leavenworth Ski Hill; costumes encouraged. 509-548-5477, skileavenworth.com

Sunday, 30 Oct RUN/WALK Magnuson Series —Seattle, 10am. 5k, 10k,15k, kids’ dash, special events, and relay option. magnusonseries.org RUN/WALK Run Scared 5k— Seattle, 9am. Run at Seward Park, with a costume contest (for dogs too), trick-or-treat bags, prizes and pumpkin soup. A benefit for Leukemia and Lymphoma Soc. 206-330-5967, runscared5k.com RUN Rock ‘n Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon—An event with an estimated 20,000 participants. runrocknroll.competitor.com RUN Tri-Cities Marathon & Marathon Relay—Richland, 8am. Run through Richland, Pasco, and Kennewick, crossing the Columbia River four times. 3rrr.org WALK/RUN James Cunningham Seawall Race—Vancouver, BC, 10am. A 5.9mi around the Stanley Park Seawall, starting at Second Beach. O N seawall.lgrr.com

Friday-Sunday, 28-30 Oct

Tacoma Pantages Theater 11/5, 6p & 9p; 11/6, 5p

Tri-Cities Richland Middle School 11/5, 7:30p

RUN Freaky 5k Fun Run—Federal Way, 9am. A costume contest and run with a long-sleeve tech tee (depending on registration date). Kids 10 & under only $5, no shirt. 253-835-6932. itallhappenshere.org

S K

CX BIKE Day of the Dead Cross Crusades & Oregon Handmade Bike Show—Bend, OR, Fri, 1pm; Sat Sun, Cyclocross racing on a I& A R E 10am. A national championship course. 800-9496086, visitbend.com

NOVEMBER >>>

as submitted by press time —check adventuresnw.com for updates

Saturday, 5 Nov RUN Whistler 50 Relay & Ultra— Whistler, BC. 8-person 50mi relay or solo. Traffic free course. Post race dance. bcathletics.org/whistler50

Saturday & Sunday, 5 & 6 Nov RUN Mud & Chocolate Weekend —Sammamish, 9:30am. At Soaring Eagle Park, a 4.5mi run SAT, and a half marathon SUN, each on scenic trails with chocolate-y aid stations and finish. 425-785-8915, mudandchocolate.com

Sunday, 6 Nov RUN Padden Mudfest—Bellingham, 10am. This very hilly 7mi single-track course above Lake Padden has the potential for rain and mud. Low entry fee, lots of prizes and goodies. gbrc.net RUN Boundary Bay Moustache Marathon—Delta, BC, 8am. A marathon, half, 10k, 5k and relay, all on flat, gravel ocean-side trail. tryevents.ca RUN/WALK Anything is Possible 5k—Bremerton, 1:50am. An event in support of US troops right when daylight savings time ends and clocks get turned back. anythingispossible5k.com

Saturday, 12 Nov RUN Winter Pineapple Classic— North Bend, 9am. A 5k with obstacles, followed by a luau to benefit Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 206-957-4564, winterpineappleclassic.org RUN Carkeek Park 5k & 10k— Seattle, 9:30am. Courses on forested trails. 206-291-8250, nwtrailruns.com RUN Columbia River Classic— Richland, 9:30am. From Howard Amon Park, run a 2mi or 10mi. 3rrr.org SWAP Leavenworth Ski Swap— Cascade High School Gym, 9-11:45am. Earn some cash or pick up gear. 509548-5477, skileavenworth.com

RUN/WALK PNW Jingle Bell Runs/Walks for Arthritis—

Saturday-Sunday, 12-13 Nov

RUN Carkeek 12hour—Seattle, 6am. A 12-hr, 500-ft elevation gain (per 1.93mi loop) race on Carkeek Park singletrack trails. carkeek12hour.com

11/19 Spokane/Riverfront Park, 7am, 5k, spokanejinglebellrun.kintera.org

Wednesday, 16 Nov

NAV Vampire-O—Seattle, 7pm. A nighttime orienteering event at Lincoln Park. cascadeoc.org

12/3 Mt.Vernon, 8:30am, 4mi or 2mi, skagitjbrw.kintera.org

RUN/WALK Pumpkin Push— Seattle, 10am. Halloween-themed 5k or 2mi at Seward Park, benefitting homeless patients at Neighborcare Health. 206-548-3266, pumpkinpush.com

12/11 Seattle/Westlake Center, 8am, 5k, seattlejinglebellrun.org

Saturday, 29 Oct

RUN Spooktacular Scurry Family 5k—Langley, BC. spooktacularscurry.ca

12/3 Port Orchard, noon, 5k, portorchardjinglebellrun.kintera.org

12/10 Bellingham, 8:30am, 4mi or 2mi, bellinghamjbrw.kintera.org

Enjoy festive community runs to raise funds for the Arthritis Foundation.

SAIL Round the County—San Juan Islands. If you love the challenge of autumnal wind, don’t miss this race originating on Orcas Island. oiyc.org SEE Northern Sites: Eastern Canada Bike Tour & The Salish Sea—Bellingham, 7pm. A travel presentation at the ReSources Sustainable Living Center. Suggested donation $3. 360-671-BIKE. everybodybike.com LEARN Free Avalanche Awareness Seminar—Bellingham, 7-9pm. In the winter of 2010-2011, there were 23 avalanche fatalities in the US. Don’t be a statistic: get the basics on how to stay alive in avalanche country at this free introductory classroom seminar hosted by American Alpine Institute. 360-671-1505, aai.cc

>>> MORE Race|Play|Experience events & regular additions,

17 Nov - select Winter 2011/2012 events

Thursday, 17 Nov >>>SEE Warren Miller Entertainment’s 2011 Film ...LIKE THERE’S NO TOMORROW —Bellingham, 7:30pm, Mt. Baker Theatre. One show only, so don’t wait to get your tickets (available online and at Fairhaven Bike & Ski). Send Adventures NW a note on Facebook or through the online library about wanting to see the film to enter to win a ticket! ANW will be giving away several!.warrenmiller.com

RUN Seattle Marathon 5K Race & Seattle Children’s Kids Marathon —Seattle, 8:30am & 10am. Be part of the 4th annual Seattle Marathon 5K Race! This year’s out-and-back course starts and ends at Seattle Center near 3rd and Mercer and travels through the streets of downtown Seattle. All participants will receive a Saucony technical apparel shirt and goody bag. The Kids Marathon is for children up to age 14, a fun 1.2mi loop around the Seattle Center. Make this a Thanksgiving tradition with your family and friends! 206729-3660, seattlemarathon.org

Friday & Saturday, 25 & 26 Nov Friday, 18 Nov SPEC Peace Builder Awards Ceremony & Gala—Bellingham, 7pm. Join the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center at The Majestic to honor individuals and organizations that have contributed to creating a more peaceful community. whatcomdrc.org

WALK/SEE Thanksgiving Holiday Walk A’bout—Bellingham, 5-9pm. Enjoy walking throughout the Fairhaven district to view multiple art exhibits, many featuring the natural wonders of the PNW. fairhaven.com

Museum, a 12k run, 5k walk/run, and SEE Banff Mountain Film Festival — kids’ Kandy Kane race. energyevents.co Leavenworth, 5:30pm. Raffle, silent aucSaturday, 3 Dec tion, snacks, bar and film at the Festhalle. RUN/WALK Jingle Trail 5k Run 509-548-5477, skileavenworth.com & Walk—Coupeville, 8:30am. Enjoy scenic trails through Fort Ebey SP. 360Thursday, 24 Nov 678-5434, centralwhidbeychamber.com RUN Norpoint Turkey Trot—

Tuesday, 22 Nov

Saturday, 26 Nov RUN Christmas at the End of the Road 5k, 1k—Winthrop, 10am. Two runs, part of a weekend-long celebration. 509-846-5019, rainshadowrunning.com

RUN Toys for Tots Airport Runs— Arlington, 11am. A 5k walk or run and a 10k run near Arlington Airport. Proceeds go to Marines Toys for Tots. 360-359-0868, arlingtonrunnersclub.org

lithtex

Sunday, 11 Dec RUN Holualoa Tucson Marathon Events—Tucson, AZ. Run your FIRST marathon or your FASTEST marathon. Enjoy beautiful, mild Tucson winter weather and run this fast, primarily downhill point-to-point course along the beautiful Santa Catalina mountain range. The Old West historical town of Oracle marks the starting line. The course winds through the desert on paved roads and finishes at the Coronado Middle School. Choose between the Marathon, Marathon Relay or Half-Marathon. A family-friendly finish line area is great for spectators. 520-320-0667, tucsonmarathon.com

RUN/WALK After Turkey Day Trot —Seattle, 10am. 5k, 10k,15k, kids’ dash, and relay option. magnusonseries.org

RUN Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon & Half Marathon— Seattle, 7:15am. Be a part of the tradiRUN GBRC Turkey Trot 5k— tion, and Bellingham, 9am. A fun out-and-back celebrate the run from Barkley Village to support the Seattle Bellingham Food Bank. gbrc.net Marathon Sunday, 20 Nov Family of Events over ADV Fall BEAST— Fall City, 6-7am Thanksgiving Weekend 2011! The starts. A 4-8hr team or solo race events include the Seattle Children’s with biking, running, map-reading, and Kids Marathon and the Seattle surprise challenges. 206-291-8250, Marathon 5K Race (11/26), a Health + beastrace.com Fitness EXPO (11/25 & 26), and the RUN Green Lake Gobble & Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon Mashed Potato Munch Off—Seattle, run/walk on Sunday. The RRCA- and 9:30am. A Thanksgiving-themed 5k run/ AIMS-certified marathon and half marawalk and competitive eating contest. thon courses consist of rolling hilly Benefits Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. sections and scenic views of downtown 206-729-9972, promotionevents.com Seattle and Lake Washington. 206-729RUN Fall Classic—Vancouver, BC, 3660, seattlemarathon.org 8:30am. Half marathon and 10k on the RUN Hot Buttered Runs— UBC campus. fallclassicrun.com Vancouver. 9:40am. At Pearson Air

RUN Oly Trot—Olympia, 9am. A 4mi at Heritage Park. A benefit for Thurston Co. Food Bank. guerillarunning.com

Sunday 4 Dec

Sunday, 27 Nov

Saturday, 19 Nov

Tacoma, 9am. A chip-timed 5k run, or 2mi run/walk on Thanksgiving morning. 253-591-5504, metroparkstacoma.org

race I play I experience

Saturday-Sunday, 3-4 Dec

PADDLE Deception Pass Paddle Festival—Deception Pass State Park. A 2-day event that concludes with a 6mi race through Deception Pass at 10:30am SUN. Supports WA Water Trails & Medical Safety Net of North Whidbey. 206-940-6269, rubycreekboathouse.com

in searchable PDF or Flash format, at AdventuresNW.com

WINTER 2012 >>> >>>SHOE/SPEC Tubbs Romp to Stomp Out Breast Cancer Snowshoe Series®. Help STOMP OUT BREAST CANCER on snowshoes! Choose from a 3k or 5k snowshoe walk or a 3k race! Easy, well-marked trails along with snowshoe demos from Tubbs, top fundraiser awards and sweepstakes prizes make this a great event for all sorts of ages and abilities, even if you’ve never snowshoed before! Participate on your own, or create a team. Since its inception the Tubbs Romp to Stomp out Breast Cancer has raised 1.8 MILLION dollars for breast cancer research and education, and inspired thousands to get out snowshoeing! Adventures NW magazine is a proud regional Romp to Stomp sponsor—for the 3rd year! Stay tuned and check for details at tubbsromptostomp.com

Jan -Mar 2012 ROMP events

• Mountain Creek, NJ • Stratton Mountain,VT • Minneapolis, MN (NEW) • Oregon (location TBD) • Stevens Pass, WA • Park City, UT • Mount Seymour, BC (NEW!) • Ontario (location TBD) • Frisco, CO

tubbsromptostomp.com race | play | experience

the

Adventure

overlook photo by

David Pillinger

Seal’s Landing at Doe Bay, Orcas Island

See your Winter “Next Adventure” photo on this page. For consideration, email your image by November 1 to submissions@AdventuresNW.com.

race | play | experience

WINTER 2012 WASHINGTON OREGON ! NEW BRITISH COLUMBIA

PRESENTED BY

REGIONAL SPONSORS