Adventures NW Magazine Spring 2016

ADVENTURES NW >>>

SPRING 2016

PADDLING IN PARADISE HUNTING BEAUTY THE EYE OF THE HERON 5 SWEET SPRING PADDLES SPRINGTIME IN HAVASU CANYON ADVENTURES WITH BUTTERFLIES CYCLING ON THE GALLOPING GOOSE 10 BEST SPRING HIKES IN WASHINGTON >>> EXTENSIVE OUTDOOR EVENTS CALENDAR INSIDE

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CONTRIBUTORS James Bertolino’s 12th volume of poetry, Ravenous Bliss: New and Selected Love Poems, was published in 2014 by MoonPath Press. After 36 years of teaching creative writing, ranging from Cornell University to Oregon’s Willamette University - where he was Writer-inResidence - he retired in 2006. His poetry is featured in the anthology New Poets of the American West.

Long ago, Kathy and Craig Copeland rearranged their lives to make hiking the white-hot molten core of their shared identity. They built their livelihood on a unique ability to express the wonder, joy, and exhilaration they feel in wild places.

They’re now Canada’s most prolific hikingand-camping guidebook authors. Visit hikingcamping.com to see their titles and peruse their blog.

Lance Ekhart was content to be a nature photographer, exploring the San Juan Islands from his sailboat in Anacortes but constant intrusions into his world by Skagit County’s great blue herons compelled him to tell their story. Be on the lookout for his “Eye of the Heron” show.

Dawn Groves is a writer who lives in Bellingham, teaches WordPress at Whatcom Community College, and finds peace in paddling the Salish Sea. www.dawngroves.com Jennifer Johnson tries to create reflective time in nature whenever she can. Nature and knitting have kept her sane through homeschooling and motherhood. Usually her two kids are with her, and together they explore the Pacific Northwest. She’s also known as The Hiker Mama, and writes about their adventures at thehikermama.com.

Photo by Eddie Rivers

Robert Michael Pyle is a lepidopterist and professional writer whose twenty books include Wintergreen, Chasing Monarchs, and Mariposa Road, as well as a flight of standard butterfly books such as the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies and The Butterflies of Cascadia. He recommends using these or any other good field guides to identify the butterflies of your adventures, and to visit these invaluable websites: butterfliesofamerica.com and wabutterflyassoc.org

SPRING | 2016 Volume 11. Issue 1 Craig Romano has written and co-written 14 books, mostly on hiking. He has hiked more than 18,000 miles in Washington. His 100 Classic Hikes Washington (due spring 2016) spotlights the very best trails the state has to offer. He lives with his wife, son, and two cats in Skagit County. Visit him at CraigRomano.com.

Having lived in Italy and Sweden before settling in Vancouver, BC, Georg Schmerholz established himself as a sculptor with a style that fuses the classical with the contemporary. He is known for versatility not only in his artistic expression, but also for the use of many different media in his work.

Learn more at: schmerholz.com and jadefineart.com.

Mike Wicks is a custom book publisher, author, and freelance travel, business, and food writer.

Originally from England, he moved to Victoria, BC, Canada with his family in 1992. Since then he has explored almost every nook and cranny of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands to discover their many secrets. Learn more at mpwicks.com.

COVER PHOTO by Lance Ekhart

A Look Ahead: Our Summer Issue

Ptarmigan Traverse Edge 2 Edge Marathon New Route on Liberty Bell On the Trail of Joe Galbraith

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INSPIRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE

Hunting Beauty

Jennifer Johnson

10

Dawn Groves

14

Top 10 Spring Hikes in Washington

Craig Romano

20

The Eye of the Heron

Lance Ekhart

26

Finding Perspective on the Trail

Paddling Protected Waters Kayaking Where Nature Comes First

Here Comes the Sun

A Passion for Fluttering Wings Six Great Butterfly Adventures

Havasu Canyon Springtime in Shangri La

Cycling the Goose Spinning My Wheels on Vancouver Island

Robert Michael Pyle

28

John D’Onofrio

34

Michael Wicks

40

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Celebration T

his issue marks the tenth anniversary of Adventures NW. It has been a long and inspiring journey since that first volume was sent to the printer in the spring of 2006 - a journey enriched by the passionate stories of scores of contributors and illuminated by the glorious images of many of Cascadia’s most brilliant photographers.

And of course, the whole enterprise is made possible by our wonderful, loyal advertisers. From the onset, we have been determined to produce a free magazine and our advertisers have made it possible to ignore the standard business model of most free publications (generic content, cheap paper and low production values) in favor of a focus on quality content and meticulous care. It began as - and remains - a labor of love.

This approach has drawn worldclass talent to our pages. Robert Michael Pyle, for example, is a twotime Washington State Book Award winner and the author of 16 books. Sky Time in Gray’s River: Living for Keeps in a Forgotten Place won the National Outdoor Book Award in 2007. His piece in this issue, A Passion for

SPRING | 2016 Volume 11. Issue 1

Fluttering Wings serves as an eloquent and poetic introduction to our magnificent local butterflies.

From the beginning, our mission has been to celebrate our amazing corner of the planet and to inspire our readers to find deep connectivity to the natural world that surrounds us in Cascadia. In today’s often over-busy, technology-driven world, we can find ourselves isolated from each other, from our community, even from ourselves. It is a profound irony that our digital ‘reality’ with its bewildering web of superficial linkages has left us hungry for deeper connections.

Connecting with the land is therapeutic - it reminds us that we belong here, not as observers of nature but as a part of it.

We believe that by discovering - or rediscovering - our place in the natural world, we become whole.

Jennifer Johnson’s meditation on this affinity, Hunting Beauty, is a fitting statement on just this phenomenon.

Also in this issue, we welcome a new feature to the magazine: Outside In: Reflections on Wilderness, a series of inspired musings on the meaning and value - of wilderness by Kathy and Craig Copeland. The Copelands are

primarily known as guidebook writers par excellence but their writings on the philosophy of wilderness travel offer a unique perspective on... well, perspective. These small gems are extracted from their volume, Heading Outdoors Eventually Leads Within. I hope that they will resonate with you as much as they do for me.

2016 also marks the 100th anniversary of our National Park Service, founded on August 25, 1916. We are fortunate to have three spectacular National Parks close at hand: Mt. Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades National Parks. We will be highlighting all three this year in upcoming issues.

Yes, we have some celebrating to do.

Adventures NW magazine www.AdventuresNW.com

John D’Onofrio

Publisher/Editor john @ adventuresnw.com

Jason Rinne

Creative Director jason @ adventuresnw.com

Chara Stuart

Advertising Sales chara @ adventuresnw.com

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Out About &

Lummi Island Heritage Trust Buys Quarry

The Lummi Island Heritage Trust has announced its purchase of 105 acres on Lummi Island. Partnering with Whatcom County, the Puget Sound Marine and Nearshore Grant Program and the Rose Foundation, the Trust intends to turn the property - operated sporadically as a quarry since 1933 - into The Aiston Preserve, named for Homer and Peggy Aiston, who homesteaded the property in 1948.

The Trust needs to raise $376,000 in funding by June 30 to complete the purchase. Total price for the transaction was $1.08 million.

The property includes some 80 acres covered in mature forest and 4,000 feet of shoreline, including four eelgrass-rich pocket beaches.

Eelgrass is an important habitat for salmon, herons and other wildlife.

The approximately 20 acres that have been impacted by mining activities will be restored, including the removal of rock ‘riprap’ along the shoreline and the reintroduction of native plants.

Smugglers Cove and Abner Point, part of the new Aiston Preserve.

Photo by Isaac Colgan

“We are thinking of this project as three phases: acquire, restore and create access, and we are working to complete the acquisition fundraising by June,” says Rebecca Rettmer, executive director of the Heritage Trust. “Then we will begin restoration probably a two year-ish process - and finally design and create public access to the preserve.” The total cost of the three phases is projected to be $2.95 million.

“At this time, we are leading guided tours,” Rettmer adds, “but the property is not open to the public.”

The wait should be worth it. When restoration is complete, the Preserve will become a paradise for low-impact recreation, with hiking that will offer up sweeping views of mountains, Bellingham Bay and nearby Portage Island. Small boats will grant access to the shoreline areas.

But first, the Heritage Trust needs to raise that $376,000.

For more information - or to make a contribution see www.liht.org.

For info about touring the property call the Lummi Island Heritage Trust at 360.758.7997.

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Kayak and Film Festival Returns Now in its third year, the 2016 Port Angeles Kayak and Film Festival is becoming a spring tradition on the Olympic Peninsula. If you love kayaking or SUP, mark your calendar: this year’s fest happens April 22 - 24 and features great kayaking films, classes, demos, seminars and lots of chances to mingle with the spray skirt set.

This year’s keynote presentation is by Justine Curgenven, award-winning adventurer and filmmaker with Cackle TV Productions.

Curgenven pioneered Make a splash at the Port the art of filming from Angeles Kayak & Film Festival.

Photo by David Squires a kayak (long before the ‘Go Pro’ era) and her “This is the Sea” series has inspired countless numbers of paddlers. In addition to her presentation, she will also lead a Sunday morning paddle around Port Angeles Harbor. More info: portangeleskayakandfilm.com

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Good News for the Great Bear Rainforest The largest remaining coastal temperate rainforest on Earth has received protection after a nearly two decade-long effort by environmental groups, timber companies, First Nations, and the British Columbia government. The Great Bear Rainforest Order announced by BC Premier Christy Clark last month offers protection to 3.1 million hectares (an area larger than Vancouver Island and twice the size of Belgium) along the BC coast, home to the Spirit Bear. Also called the Kermode Bear, this subspecies of black bear is famous for its white or cream-colored coat.

The 3.1 million hectares will be completely - and permanently - off-limits to industrial logging and an additional 550,000 hectares will permit commercial logging subject to environmental restrictions described as among the most stringent ever imposed in North America.

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Great Hikes

Painted Hills

The definition of anomaly is: an odd, peculiar, or strange condition, situation, quality, etc. The Painted Hills area of John Day Fossil Beds in central Oregon is surely an anomaly. These aptly-named clay hills are a kaleidoscope of color: yellow, gold, red, purple and green. In the spring, wildflowers add their riotous color to the scene.

Short trails provide plentiful viewpoints - you could hike them all in a day and it would be a very good day indeed.

Trailheads: The Carroll Rim, Painted Hills Overlook, Painted The Painted Hills Cove, Leaf Hill and Red Scar Photo by John D’Onofio Knoll trails all begin on Bear Creek Road within the Painted Hills Unit of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, near Mitchell, Oregon.

The process by which this agreement was reached has been hailed as a new highwater mark in negotiated land A gift to the world: preservation, The Great Bear Rainforest.

Photo by Jens Wieting thanks to the hard work and perseverance of a diverse - and initially rancorous - group of stakeholders including First Nations, the provincial government, local communities, timber companies and environmental groups.

Even the language used to describe the area tells the tale of how differently the vast swatch of land was perceived by different groups. In the environmental community, it was known as the Great Bear Rainforest, while to the timber companies it was the Mid-Coast Timber Supply Area.

Valerie Langer, Director of BC Forest Campaigns at Vancouver’s Forest Ethics Solutions (sister organization to Bellingham-based Forest Ethics) worked on the front lines of the negotiations, and the result has given her hope for future successes. “ While the players and the ecology of the Great Bear are unique,” she says , “the type of conflicts we had to resolve are very common and so the approach can be employed in other places – Indonesia, Brazil, the Congo and certainly in the US. This agreement is not necessarily an exact template but the approach can certainly be replicated.”

Lighthouse Point Loop

Deception Pass State Park is a multi-faceted gem. Of course, the pass itself with its swirling maelstrom of tidal surges and epic arching bridge span takes center stage. But the short and exceedingly sweet hike to Lighthouse Point, starting from Bowman Bay is a delightful springtime jaunt. It’s an easy three miles round trip to the point although numerous inviting meanders and diversions might add to this total. From the parking area (Discovery Pass required) head down the cobbled beach, surmount a small rise and drop down to a secluded little pocket beach. Cross a small isthmus and climb the headland that is Lighthouse Point. The winding path loops around the rocky promontory through rain forest, sunny bee-buzzing meadows, stands of fleshy madrones, jungles of salal, and bonsai forests of artfully contorted trees at the water’s edge. Views extend from the Olympics to the North Cascades. Birds are everywhere. Find a rock and sit on it for a good, long time and then return the way you came. If you’ve built up a thirst there’s more good news.

The fresh micro-brews at Flyers Restaurant and Brewery in Oak Harbor are close at hand. The Afterburner IPA is ambrosia.

Trailhead: Bowman Bay Road off State Route 20.

Pine & Cedar Lakes

Here’s a wonderful choice for the upwardly mobile. You’ll gain 1300 feet in a mile and a half and then have a decision to make. Pine? Cedar? Both? All excellent choices on a fine spring day when the sap is running and the fiddleheads unfurl in the shadows. Stroll around Cedar Lake and look for a way-trail on the west side that offers some peek-a-boo views of mountains, water and the City of Subdued Excitement far below. Pine is wilder with no trail around it. You could camp here if so inclined. Both lakes are open to fishing. If you visit both lakes, you’ll cover about five miles by the time you return to your car.

Trailhead: Old Samish Highway, Bellingham .

ANW

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Hunting Beauty Story by Jennifer Johnson

I am a hunter of beauty and I move slow and I keep the eyes wide, every fiber of every muscle sensing all wonder and this is the thrill of the hunt and I could be an expert on the life full, the beauty meat that lurks in every moment. – Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts

Photo by John D’Onofrio

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T

around, and notice. Slowly we enter into a different kind of time. We see the flowers: bold and bright in sun, or shy under leaves near the ground. We notice the

he preparation for a trip is hectic, rushing. Get everything packed the night before. Get enough, and more than enough, and remember all the details.

Get the kids involved and bark orders and check items off lists.

Usually we get to bed late. Then it’s waking up early, striving to get out the door, driving through legendary Seattle traffic, and fatigue before the adventure even starts.

At the trailhead, it’s the reorganizing, the packing up and putting on, the tidying and tucking and tying.

There might be bickering or short tempers and I often wonder why I bother, and fume inside at how much work, how much time, this all takes. I feel restless, wanting to simply tie my own boots, shoulder my own pack and hike easy.

But then we walk. Then we breathe.

We start to look up from ourselves, look

Photo by Jennifer Johnson

leaves themselves, green – newly sprouted, broad and full, or changing into autumn’s celebratory wardrobe. We look up and cast our gaze far, to mountain crags and sky, and wilderness all around. We hear birds and try to identify them. We imitate, and laugh at ourselves or find

ourselves impressed when someone gets the sound right. Time gains a new quality and the day fills with enough.

Our days at home, like most families’, are brimming with tasks to do and places to be. School studies, housework, friendships, church, sports, meals, and finally crashing into bed at the end of hectic days. We yearn for enough – enough time, enough energy, enough space to live our lives.

On our hikes, we switch gears, and I believe that is part of why we come back refreshed. When we strip away the striving of life, the slave-driver of a To-Do List, the segmented hours, we can move into a mindset of watchfulness and expectation. The clock slows.

It seems to me that children move naturally in this other time zone. We can return to it when we slow down and notice. As adults we might have to practice noticing, practice seeing the intricate details of moss, the patterns of needle arrangements on evergreen trees, the struc-

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ture of flower blossoms and ephemeral leaves. A camera on a macro setting or a hand lens can help, but the more often we try to really see, the more natural it becomes. And something mysterious happens when we slow down and notice.

We feel calmer, fuller, more satisfied.

Now the challenge becomes to take that attitude and awareness back home with us. To notice the beauty in the everyday. To slow enough in the rushing torrent of schedule that we catch the mo-

ments of glory all around us. Is it possible?

Can a walk in nature really teach me how

to have enough time in the other parts of my life? I believe it can. I believe the skill of noticing insects and flowers and colorful rocks can transfer to noticing a child’s soft smile, a spouse’s burdens of the day, a home’s tasks that satisfy. I believe this latent skill can help me change my perspective from that of harried mom to one of calm and focused beauty-seeker.

It is a bit of a mystery how that works. I’m trying to learn it more.

ANW

Photo by Jennifer Johnson

PORT ANGELES

APRIL 22-24, 2016

Kayak & Film Festival Featuring Justine Curgenven of CackleTV

24 Kayak/SUP Classes & Demo Beach! • NEW! Surfski Clinic NEW! Photography & Action Videography Seminars

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No matter the season, you’ll find loads of year-round attractions to enjoy in our Free Arts and Culture Guide Available at the Gallery — 1418 Cornwall Ave. in downtown Bellingham or at locations throughout Whatcom County.

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Watch for these upcoming events from Allied Arts… rare – recycled arts and resource expo april 1 & 2, 2016 summer arts festival september, 2016

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Paddling Protected Places Kayaking Where Nature Comes First Story by Dawn Groves

W

hen I slip my kayak into Bellingham Bay, I sometimes choose a direction without a destination. Paddling is an end in itself and destinations require decisions. It’s like choosing between a slice of Oreo cheesecake and chocolate mousse. Can I have some of each? Not if they’re in two different directions.

If I do select a destination, my tastes lean toward protected areas and nature preserves because I like it when Nature comes first. What follows are a few of my protected favorites located in Whatcom, Skagit, and Island counties.

1. Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve Paddling north from Cherry Point, I’m typically making a beeline for Semiahmoo where there’s a fun bar with tasty post-paddle munchies. In my zeal to get there, it’s easy to bypass a 1600-foot strip of beach bordering the exposed west edge of Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve. Point Whitehorn is a 54-acre block of ecologically

sensitive forest, bluff and waterfront. Its thin beach abuts steep 100foot cliffs built of glacier “till.” Landlubbers gain access by walking a ¾ mile trail from the reserve’s east entrance and descending a steep staircase down the bluff.

The beach is exposed to the Georgia Strait so visits should coincide with good weather and an incoming tide. I look forward to area wildlife sightings such as loons, cormorants, gulls, grebes, porpoises, and the occasional orca. After a (hopefully) smooth take-out, it’s fun to explore tide pools brimming with purple and orange starfish.

Point Whitehorn is just north of the British Petroleum Cherry Point Oil Refinery. In an effort to protect state-owned aquatic lands of significant natural value, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), designated the refinery’s waterfront and surrounding shoreline as Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve. Cherry Point Reserve encompasses beach from the refinery up to Birch Bay State Park, south to the Lummi Nation, and 1/2 mile out from the shore out into the Strait of Georgia. It’s the only aquatic reserve in Whatcom County that provides habitat for juvenile salmon, Dungeness crab, great blue heron, bald eagles, and migrating seabirds.

The Skagit Delta near Padilla Bay Photo by Gene Davis

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The western panorama off Point Whitehorn juxtaposes sunsets, oil tankers, the San Juan Islands, orca, a variety of birds, and refinery activity along Cherry Point’s long dock. It’s an unusual combination of sights that stirs as much controversy as appreciation. Learn more about Point Whitehorn at the Whatcom County website (whatcomcounty.us/2108/ Point-Whitehorn-Marine-Park).

Details: • The park entrance is open during daylight hours at 6770 Koehn Road, Blaine, WA. Phone: 360.384.3444.

• Restrooms and parking are available at the park entrance.

• Camping is permitted in designated areas only.

• On the beach: no fires, bicycles or pets.

• Visitors must stay away from wildlife.

• Dogs aren’t allowed off leash along the trail.

• A Discover Pass parking permit is required.

Directions: East Park Entrance: Take Exit 266

off I-5 toward Custer and drive west on Grandview Road for 8.5 miles. Follow the road as it curves left and becomes Koehn Road, then continue another half-mile to the parking area. The ¾ mile walk is wheelchair-friendly but access to the beach requires descending a steep set of stairs.

Kayak Put-In: Take Exit 266 off I-5 toward Custer and drive west on Grandview Road for about 5 miles. Turn left on Kickerville Road for another 1.5 miles, then turn right on Lonseth and left on Gulf Road. Gulf Road ends at a primitive beach where you can park for free.

2. Chuckanut Island Chuckanut Island sits in the middle of Chuckanut Bay a few miles south of Bellingham Bay and just north of Larrabee State Park. This Nature Conservancy preserve, also called Dot Island, is a favorite with local paddlers and outfitters despite the fact that most of them don’t use its proper name. The beloved 5-acre dot is officially known as the Cyrus Gates Memorial Preserve, named in honor of its original owner, public parks philanthro-

pist Cyrus Gates.

The Cyrus Gates Memorial Preserve (uhm… ‘Chuckanut Island’ is easier to say) is home to bald eagle nests atop native trees, some of which are 250 years old. Douglas fir, grand fir, madrone and western red cedar protect an understory of salal, ocean

spray and snowberry. It’s easy to spot barnacles, rock crabs, sea cucumbers, limpets, hermit crabs and blue mud shrimp in the clear waters around the shore.

Between Chuckanut Island and the north shore of Chuckanut Bay there’s another designated sanctuary known as Bird Rock. This granite promontory is a migratory bird waystation and also a popular haul out for seals. It’s fun to circumnavigate tiny Bird Rock at a distance due to the pungent odor of ammonia.

Paddling Georgia Strait to and from Chuckanut Island is often as memorable as the destination itself. Sandstone cliffs rising straight up from the water are weathered with spectacular honeycomb formations. Expensive homes perch on top of the cliffs, sharing their views with

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bald eagles and herons.

Although the paddle to Chuckanut Island is rated as easy, kayaking anywhere on the Georgia Strait should never be taken lightly. The cliffs offer very little in terms of shelter. A sudden blow can make it a battle to remain upright. It’s a good idea to schedule trips early in the day before the afternoon winds have a chance to build. Kayakers typically launch from Marine Park located at the foot of Harris Street in Fairhaven, or from Wildcat Cove in Larrabee State Park.

Chuckanut Island

Photo by Gene Davis

Details: • The island is open year-round for day use only.

• Camping is not permitted.

• No facilities exist on the island.

• Visitors are asked to land on the northeast and west beaches only.

• Walking is permitted on trails with a stern leave-no-trace ethic.

• Dogs are not allowed.

• Discover Pass parking permit is required at the Larrabee put-in.

• The parking area has a history of break-ins. Pack everything of value into your boat and leave nothing visible. Some people prefer to leave their cars empty and unlocked.

Directions: Larrabee State Park: Take Exit 233 off I-5 and head west on Fairhaven Parkway. Turn left on 12th Street, bear left at the next intersection and continue south approximately 5 miles. The road name changes to Chuckanut Drive. Turn right at the boat launch sign onto Cove Rd (approximately 1/2 mile before entering Larrabee State Park). Drive down Cove Road across the railroad tracks and turn left. Continue south and follow the boat launch sign to the parking area at Wildcat Cove.

3. Yellow Island

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One of my first kayaking destinations was the 11-acre preserve known as Yellow Island. Yellow Island is one of a group of mostly-private islands known as the Wasp islands (named not for the stinging insect but rather by the Wilkes Expedition of 1838-42, in honor of their sloop, Wasp) located on the southwest side of Orcas Island in the middle of the San Juans. The Nature Conservancy purchased the island in 1979 to preserve its rare fescue landscape uncontaminated by grazing livestock or non-native invasive plants. Hummingbirds and several species of songbirds nest in the island flora. The only mammals seen running around are mink and river otters.

The Conservancy employs a full-time steward who maintains a simple, bare-bones cabin at the southwest end of Yellow island. Island stewards greet visitors, manage and protect the island ecology, and participate in wilderness studies when asked.

Only six people may visit the island at any one time, making it necessary to reserve appointments during busy spring and summer tourist seasons.

Yellow Island is best known for its showy spring display of native wildflowers including bright orange Indian paintbrush, chocolate lilies, purple shooting stars and white fawn lilies. Kayak groups often schedule visits in April and May when patches of pink Nootka roses splash the landscape. The island also grows

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Springtime on Yellow Island.

Photo by Lance Ekhart

Directions: For a day excursion, kayakers often launch from the public dock at Deer Harbor Marina on the southwest side of Orcas Island. The marina charges a fee to put-in and to park, payable at the store. Overnight parking is permitted. Check the Nature Conservancy website (washingtonnature.org/yellowisland) for more information.

4. Padilla Bay

the only cactus species native to Western Washington, the brittle prickly pear.

My visit coincided with the arrival of about 30 harbor seals hauled out on the west spit. They entertained us with a cacophony of barks and groans until we returned to the quiet east meadow where delicate grasses rippled in a freshening wind.

And speaking of wind, Yellow Island is one of the more exposed Wasps. Wind conditions can generate significant afternoon chop and tide rips. It behooves the wise kayaker to plan ahead and keep checking the weather.

Details: • The island is open year-round from 10 am until 4 pm.

• Visitors are asked to stay on marked trails and tread lightly.

• Boats should take out on the southeast beach only.

• No camping or eating is permitted on the island.

• No more than six people can visit the island at one time.

• No public facilities are available.

• No pets are allowed.

• Call the Nature Conservancy at (206) 343-4344 for reservations.

You say Puh-dill-Luh and I say Pah-dee-Yah. Padilla (like tortilla) is the Spanish word for ‘breadpan’ - making mine the more accurate but not necessarily most popular pronunciation.

The Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (created in 1980) is part of the intertidal Skagit River delta where the Skagit River meets the Salish Sea. It was named by early Spanish explorers because of the abundance of food in the area.

The estuary is enormous, eight miles long north-to-south and three miles across. Centuries of river sediment have built 11,600 acres of muddy, sandy intertidal ecosystem of which 8,000 are covered in eelgrass. Eelgrass provides an ideal habitat for small salmon, crab and other invertebrates. Shallow estuary waters teem with plant and animal life that feed hungry herons, ducks, black brants, eagles, otters, seals and more. The bay averages a high-tide depth of 6 to 8 feet but at low tide it is easily walked. Because of the bay’s shallow depth and tidal extremes,

backcountry

Spring and Early Summer

The Cabin on Yellow Island Visitors to Yellow Island will take note of a picturesque hand-hewn cabin, currently serving as a base for the land steward from The Nature Conservancy, the environmental group that owns the island.

The cabin was built by Lewis and Elizabeth Dodd, who moved to the island in 1947. Inspired by the writings of Thoreau, the couple constructed the cabin using driftwood and rock that they sourced from the islands’ beaches. The couple lived in the cabin for many years, choosing a life in harmony with nature. Their daughter Sally Hall sold the island to The Nature Conservancy in 1979 to ensure its eternal preservation in a Photo by Lance Ekhart natural state. stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

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paddlers must carefully judge their timing to avoid being beached.

Like Lake Terrell (see below), Padilla Bay benefits from its location along the Pacific flyway. Bird photographers plan their winter excursions in hopes of catching thousands of resting snow geese as they suddenly take flight. Their beating

wings produce a stunning visceral thrum surpassed only by the breathtaking sight of a vast, undulating white sheet rising into the sky.

One of the easiest put-ins is found at Bay View State Park. Located near the hamlet of Bay View, the park borders Padilla Bay and requires only a short walk from parking lot to beach. Visit the Padilla Bay website (padillabay.gov) for more information.

•

Watch for winds that build in the afternoon.

• Pack binoculars and a camera to maintain respectful distances from wildlife.

• Bring an extra pair of shoes in case you need to pull your boat through the mud or sand.

Directions: From I-5 take Exit 230. Follow SR20 seven miles west to Bay ViewEdison Rd. Turn right onto Bay View-Edison Rd. Bay View State Park is about four miles down the road at the north end of town.

5. Lake Terrell

A quiet moment on the Salish Sea. Photo by Gene Davis

Details: • Tides lower than 3 feet begin to uncover sand bars and mud flats.

Contact the Reserve at 360-4281558 to check conditions and tide predictions.

• Avoid the bay from September to November and February to May so migrating birds aren’t disturbed.

Lake Terrell was once a vast wetland where Native Americans hunted elk, deer and beaver. Today the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) manages 1,500 acres of what they call the Lake Terrell Unit.

Central to the area is the shallow 500-acre man-made Lake Terrell. The lake was created in 1950 by the (then) Department of Game for the purpose of habitat restoration and public recreation.

Tiny islands installed in the lake attract nesting waterfowl.

Paddlers should bring binoculars because Lake Terrell attracts a diverse population of local and migrating birds.

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Canada geese enjoy the adjacent fields as brooding areas for their goslings.

Trumpeter and tundra swans often use the lake as a winter resting spot.

The lake has also become a prime hunting and fishing venue. During hunting season, waterfowl and upland bird hunters take advantage of the 24 blinds built into the landscape. During fishing season, boaters and shore fishers enjoy stocked populations of channel catfish, triploid rainbow trout, perch, sunfish and bullheads. Largemouth bass reproduce naturally and in abundance.

Kayaking Lake Terrell isn’t especially exciting unless you’re out there in hunting season (very bad idea). But if you’re looking for an easy freshwater excursion with nice photo opportunities, Lake Terrell is a good option. My husband and I used the lake to introduce our kids to kayaking. I remember our 8-year-old floating in the peat bog at the south end of the lake, dipping her paddle into a carpet of green water lilies.

Visit the WDFW website (wdfw. wa.gov) for more information.

Details: • Year-round shore fishing is permitted.

• Boat fishing is permitted February through September.

• No boats or floating devices allowed on the lake during hunting season.

• ADA accessible restrooms are available.

• Bug spray is suggested during spring and summer.

• A Discover Pass parking permit is required.

Directions: Take the I-5 Exit 260 to Lummi Island/Slater Road. Drive west on Slater Road for 6 miles to the flashing red light (Lake Terrell Road). Turn right on Lake Terrell Road for about 3 miles. The road ends at the wildlife area headquarters where you’ll find parking and a dock.

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Here Comes the Sun Top 10 Spring Hikes in Washington Story and photos by Craig Romano

Coldwater Lake

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I

tching to do some serious hiking packed with breathtaking views? Don’t let the snowpack put a damper on your enthusiasm.

There’s no need to wait until summer when the Cascades, Olympics and Selkirk Mountains shed their snowy shrouds. Nope - thanks to a temperate climate in much of western Washington, micro-climates throughout the state, and some sun-kissed slopes in eastern Washington; there are plenty of spectacularly scenic places you can go hiking right now! Here are ten of my favorite spring hikes in Washington.

1. Oyster Dome Blanchard State Forest Roundtrip: 5.4 miles Elevation Gain: 1900 feet The pearl of the Chuckanut Mountains, Oyster Dome is a glacier-polished and fractured exposed hunk of sheer cliff on Blanchard Mountain. From this prominent landmark hovering 2,000 feet over the Salish Sea, savor jaw-dropping views of the San Juan Islands, snowcapped Olympic Mountains, Samish Bay, and the Skagit River Flats. The hike is short, but steep and guaranteed to get your heart racing. From the west follow the Pacific Northwest Trail to the Samish Bay Trail to the Dome. A longer but easier route and one far less crowded can be made from Blanchard Mountain to the east.

Wide open views out over the San Juan Islands are yours from atop Turtle Head.

flotilla of islands extending to British Columbia’s Vancouver and Gulf Islands.

First follow an old road - then bona fide trail - in this 1600-plus acre preserve that almost became a subdivision (Thank

you, San Juan Preservation Trust and San Juan County Land Bank!). En route stop at the Waldron Overlook for an impressive look at that reclusive island’s impressive Point Disney cliffs and BC’s

2. Turtle Head (Turtleback Mountain) Orcas Island Roundtrip: 5.7 miles Elevation Gain: 1300 feet Stand atop Orcas Island’s Turtleback Mountain’s head for one shell of a view.

From this prominent landmark also known as Orcas Knob, stare out at a

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golden faced Saturna Island behind it.

In spring, brilliant wildflowers make this peak a painted turtle.

Views from Mount Muller include ultra-blue Lake Crescent.

3. Mount Muller Olympic National Forest Roundtrip loop: 12.7 miles Elevation Gain 3350 feet It’s a tough climb with lots of ups and downs - but the Mount Muller Loop is one of the best ridge hikes in the Olympics. Along the ridge leading to 3,748-foot Mount Muller, traverse slopes carpeted in brilliant wildflowers. And take in magnificent views of glistening white Mount Olympus and sparkling deep-blue Lake Crescent.

And there are lots of surprises along the way, too, on this splendid loop - including Fouts Rock House, a cave-like rock formation composed of two giant boulders. If you’re feeling adventurous, follow the ridge for another 3.5 miles west to an old lookout site - and a view

to the ocean when cloud free.

4. Ozette Triangle Olympic National Park Roundtrip loop: 9.4 miles Elevation gain: 400 feet

Sea stacks, sea otters, sea lions, and ocean scenery delight the senses on a spring afternoon. This loop (named for its shape) with its miles of boardwalks through maritime forest and more than three miles of beach walking is one of the finest hikes on the Olympic coast.

Watch for wildlife - whales, otters, eagles, harlequin ducks and oystercatchers. And look for ancient NativeAmerican petroglyphs at the Wedding

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Rocks and old homestead relics at Ahlstrom’s Prairie.

Ebey’s Landing: Field day on Whidbey Island.

5. Ebey’s Landing Whidbey Island Roundtrip: 5.2 miles Elevation Gain: 300 feet From the Prairie overlook, make a lollipop loop. Stroll across emerald fields, climb coastal bluffs towering above crashing surf, and wander along a beautiful beach, gazing across busy coastal waters to a backdrop of snowcapped Olympic Mountains. And there’s more in this national historical reserve! Bald eagles, shorebirds, and historic relics including old blockhouses and homesteads. Prairie flowers and prickly pear cactus grow on the golden bluffs, among the highest in Puget Sound. One of the Northwest’s finest coastal hikes, Ebey’s Landing is also one of Washington’s most naturally diverse and historically significant places.

More than 100,000 hikers a year take to this prominent peak 30 miles east of Seattle. That’s a lot of hikers and a lot of reasons to shun this overly popular mountain. But it’s one of the few 4000-

foot plus summits within the Cascades that’s usually snow-free come spring, making it an excellent choice for an early-season killer workout. And aside from the challenge, the views are pretty

6. Mount Si Mount Si Roundtrip loop: 8.0 miles Elevation Gain: 3300 feet

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good from Si’s rocky summit, ranging from Mount Rainier to the Seattle skyline against a backdrop of craggy Olympic peaks.

The Gorge is gorgeous from Dog Mountain.

7. Coldwater Lake Mount St HelensNational Volcanic Monument Roundtrip: 9.0 miles Elevation Gain: 550 feet Formed when debris and earth from Mount St. Helens’ cataclysmic 1980 eruption dammed Coldwater Creek, Coldwater Lake is now over four miles long and 200 feet deep. The new lake - second largest within the monument - sits at an elevation of 2500 feet where spring comes earlier than at the nearby Mount Margaret backcountry. On a rolling shoreline route, wander through newly emerging forest glades and wild gardens of dazzling flowers. The resiliency of nature is on full display here from flowered slopes to shady emerald groves of alders, willows, and cottonwoods. Wildlife is prolific, views are nonstop, and breezes often funnel across the lake’s surface, rippling mountain reflections.

8. Dog Mountain Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Roundtrip: 7.3 miles Elevation gain: 2900 feet

The most spectacular hike on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, Dog Mountain is also one of the finest wildflower hikes in the state. Located on the eastern edge of the gorge, this peak’s open southern slopes often melt out by February - and begin flowering shortly afterward. But with 2900 feet of elevation gain in just over 3 miles, Dog is a bear of a hike. But with dogged determination you’ll be rewarded with spellbinding views straight down to the river and over the cone of Wind Mountain. And you’ll find the most stunning floral show within the Gorge sprawled across this riverside peak’s sun-kissed meadows. Return

OUTSIDE IN

Reflections on Wilderness

by Kathy and Craig Copeland

Solitude Solitude enhances our appreciation of wilderness. Crowds diminish it. This is axiomatic and therefore unquestioned. So let’s question it.

Is there a valid reason for wanting to be alone in the canyon or on the mountaintop? Yes. Because other people remind us of ourselves, which is precisely what we’re out there to lose.

We escape civilization and stride into wilderness to forget ourselves. To meld with something bigger than ourselves.

We do it for the same reason we close our eyes to pray: To feel we’re alone with the source.

Photo by John D’Onofrio

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Extracted from Heading Outdoors Eventually Leads Within by Kathy and CraigANW Copeland (hikingcamping.com)

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via the Augsperger Mountain Trail for a slightly longer but much gentler descent.

9. Gibraltar Mountain Colville National Forest Roundtrip: 3.2 miles Elevation Gain: 550 feet Locally known as Old Gib, 3,782foot Gibraltar Mountain rises 1,200 feet above the historic mining town of Republic. Long admired from the valley, now thanks to an emerging network of trails being constructed by a diverse group of trail lovers, you can admire Old Gib and Republic from above. Amble along a rolling ridge bursting with wildflowers to a 4,200foot knoll on a long ridge extending to Gibraltar Mountain. Then embrace sweeping views from Republic, nestled among golden hills in the west, to the lofty Kettle River Range rising to greet the sky in the east.

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10. Badger Mountain Tri-Cities Roundtrip: 5.8 miles Elevation Gain: 650 feet Rising above the sprawling Tri-cities, 1579-foot Badger Mountain provides some of the best hiking in Southeast Washington. Five trails traverse this protected landmark above the Columbia River. For a good workout, combine the Skyline and Langdon Trails for a satisfying loop that includes a stunning ridgeline traverse.

From the open mountain, marvel at horizon-spanning views of the sunbaked Hanford Reach and a trio of snowy Cascadian volcanoes. In spring, stand mesmerized at the windswept wildflower-carpeted slopes painting the mountain in dazzling colors. Nesting shrub-steppe birds add soothing background melodies to your hike. ANW

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Lance Ekhart The Eye of the Heron

The Herons call to me. They fish from the dock and rest on the piling next to where I live on my boat and they adorn the seascapes where I photograph in the San Juans. Their bloodcurdling, tortured-animal-like screaming compelled me to find their nesting area just blocks away and for months I heard them cavorting all night long while I lay in my bunk. I end up in the forest with more than a thousand large Jurassic era flying reptiles overhead, constant earsplitting cries calling for food, shit raining down around me ,turning the forest floor white as snow while eagles screaming nearby plot another assault on their nests. My senses heighten and my neck tingles with awe and a fear that I can’t explain as this extreme rawness of nature assaults me. I want to turn and run but - threatened as they are by the oil industry - the story of Skagit County’s Great Blue Herons and the West Coast’s two largest heronries needs to be told.

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A Passion for

Fluttering Wings Six Great Butterfly Adventures in Cascadia Story by Robert Michael Pyle

B

utterflies might not be the first things that come to mind for the Northwesterner looking for fresh fields of outdoor experience. But just listen to this fevered description of high adventure from the May, 1936 National Geographic, in an article entitled “Butterflies - Try and Get Them,”

by Lawrence Ilsley Hewes:

“If you are a real hunter, try for Papilio bairdii oregonia, another swallowtail. You will find him along the middle Columbia River. Here is game for the skeptical, this brilliant yellow and black Papilio. He is rather scarce. But in a certain canyon, year after year, in the arid summer heat, he may be taken in late June.

Astarte Fritllary, a scarce and dramatic habitue of the uppermost North Cascades. Only here and in parts of Montana does it cross the Canadian border southward. Photo by David Nunnallee 28

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“Imagine a gorge with the west wall a sand chute covered with black rock float. The east wall is terraced basalt.

Quietly you move along among the blistering rocks with the white-sand skyline six hundred feet above.

“Oregonia is a crisp, sharply marked denizen of the arid wind. He is utterly devoid of leisure; his flight is bold and rapid. The canyon thistles invite him. Far down the steep slope, near the thread of the drying streamlet, grow these scattered blooms that are his undoing. Over the sharp sand edge above drops suddenly this brilliant raider.

“Abruptly he sweeps upward, pauses, and drops back. Around and across he flashes his quick reconnaissance, then for a few seconds he hovers, nervously pulsating splendid wings over the cloying sweet.

“You must be alert or he is gone. Choose a high position so you may dart downward.

The up-climb in the loose sand will quickly exhaust you in this heat. For a moment the insect is utterly oblivious. If your movement is swift and careful, he is in your net!” >>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

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Snake, Deschutes, Yakima, and other stealth, because black canyons on the east side of the one can usually apCascades. Because butterflies haunt proach them much sunny places where their food plants more closely than grow, they are often paired with high, birds; and a sensiflowery promontories that take considtivity to the plant erable effort to reach and give great sceworld around us, nic beauty and fascinating encounters upon which the in return. butterflies depend, Here are six more suggestions for and which, with exciting butterfly capers in Washington a little knowledge and Oregon: of herbage and bloom-times, helps to predict their ocAstarte of the Pasayten currence. One of The northern butterflies of genus the most exciting Boloria, or lesser fritillaries, mostly events in butterflyA Tiger Swallowtail puddle party: Pale, Two-Tailed, and Western Tigers, tippling frequent the High Arctic and Arcticat the edge of a swamp in the Okanogan Highlands. These mud-puddle clubs ing is to postulate Alpine conditions of our mountain (or butterfly pubs) are comprised entirely of males, sucking mineral salts disa species’ presence solved in the mud. Both females and males visit flowers, scat, and carrion. peaks. The largest of them, an orange, Photo by Caitlin LaBar/northwestbutterflies.blogspot.com on the basis of the buff, and brick-red beauty named for Such is the excitement available in botany, and then to go there at the right the Phoenician goddess Astarte, dips the pursuit of the Oregon Swallowtail, season, and find it flying. the State Insect of Oregon, to this Nearly two hundred day - although it is even more scarce species of butterflies occur now, much of its canyon habitat lying as residents or visitors in the beneath the reservoirs that bring our greater Northwest. Every cheap power and confound the migratone carries its own charms ing salmon. But this is far from the only and excitements for the lepispecies of butterfly across Cascadia that dopterist or watcher. Some, rewards its pursuit with real adventure. however, combine beauty, Nowadays, while study with nets behavior, and habitat prefand collections remains a vital activity erence such that they offer a if we are to properly understand and special treat to those intrepconserve our butterflies, most folks will id or imaginative enough prefer to hunt them with binoculars to track them down - like A scientific specimen of the Astarte Fritllary. The largest of the Lesser and cameras. This takes no particular the Oregon Swallowtail Fritillaries, its closest relatives live in the Far North. Global warming skills that a good birder has not already among its baking basalt is expected to push it farther and farther up the peaks, and perhaps eventually out of its few Lower Forty-eight holdouts altogether. developed, except perhaps even greater redoubts in the Columbia, Photo by Caitlin LaBar/northwestbutterflies.blogspot.com

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into the Lower 48 in only a handful of places in Montana and Washington. The best spot to find it is on the talus slopes running away from Slate Peak, beyond Hart’s Pass, at the head of the Methow River drainage in the North Cascades. Nimble hikers who follow the trails from Slate Peak to the north and east into the Pasayten Wilderness Area may spot it, nectaring on yellow daisies. But you must choose your time: Astarte’s Fritillary flies only in midsummer and only in even years, as its caterpillar takes two years to develop into the adult. The highest rockslides and fellfields deeper into the wild may reveal the even rarer Lustrous Copper and Labrador Sulphur.

Swallowtails of Pipestone Everyone knows the tiger swallowtails of our city parks.

Several other species of swallowtails patrol canyons along hot mountain flanks mid-May or so, depending on temperature and snowmelt. Great swallowtail canyons include Icicle, above Leavenworth; Yakima, Santiam, and the Illinois and Rogue rivers in Oregon’s Siskiyous. One of my favorites, for both numbers and diversity of spectacular swallowtails, is Pipestone Canyon in the Okanogan near Winthrop. Hiking down the trail, you’ll be hazed by dozens of Two-tailed Tigers, the largest butterfly in the Northwest; some crisp little Indra Swallowtails - jet-black with yellow spots and very short tails - may still be on the wing.

Watch for damp spots, where swallowtails, blues, checkerspots,

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and skippers gather in mud-puddle clubs to sip salts. Once, along the muddy shore of Campbell Lake, I spotted six species of swallowtails -Two-tailed, Pale Tiger, Western Tiger, Indra, Zelicaon, and Oregon - all puddling together—what a spectacle!

Arctics and Alpines of the Olympics Western Washington is subtle for butterflies, given its forest cover, cloud, and rainfall. The Olympics make a dramatic exception. Their expanses of arctic-alpine steppe and subalpine meadow around timberline abound in butterflies in a sunny season of neither too much nor too little snow. Hurricane Ridge and Deer Park offer most of the special butterflies, but for wilder, more rewarding encounters, take the trails into Royal Basin or Graywolf, Mt. Townsend or Tubal Cain, or any of the high wild parklands at the head of the Elwa, Dose, or other remote basins and ridges. What you are looking for are two high-country specialties left behind by the glaciers: the cougar-colored Valerata Arctic, which lives nowhere else; and chocolate-and-cinnamon Vidler’s Alpine, endemic to the Olympics and North Cascades.

Vidler’s Alpine belongs to a group of rock-and-tundra butterflies distributed around the Northern Hemisphere. Like their relatives, the arctics, they feed on mountain grasses and sedges as caterpillars. This species occurs nowhere in the world but Washington and British Columbia. Photo by Robin LaBar

Valerata, invisible against the lichens until it flies, likes drier scree; Vidler’s flutters above lusher tundra and haunts flowery seeps along with lovely Sara’s orange-tip.

Mini-jewels on the Summit of Steens Not all that glitters is big! You cannot traverse the mountain trails without noticing bright little blue butterflies, sometimes by the hundreds, mobbing a trickle across a sandy path, or a spot where a pack-horse has peed. Of 25 kinds of blues that flit all across Cascadia, one of the most exciting is also one of the smallest, just the expanse of my thumbnail. A little dusky, not as bright a blue as some, the Shasta Blue has brilliant turquoise gems set all around the edge below. The thrilling part is where it lives: not only on its namesake Mount Shasta, but also on the stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

A female Shasta Blue on the summit of Steens Mountain. Named for Mt. Shasta, this tiny gem occurs on various other high western redoubts as well, where it clings tightly to stone or flower and flies close to the ground, in order to manage the stiff winds. The male is brighter blue, while females are brassy-winged with just a flicker of blue scales. If the alpine sun catches them just right, you might see bright blue-green sparkles around the underside.

Photo by John Lane

summit of Steens Mountain, that great, remote, and spectacular sentinel in the Malheur country of Oregon. If you haven’t been up there, you need to go. After snowmelt, Steens is alive with butterflies, its wildflowers dripping with their bright nectaring forms. Look for tiny sparks erupting from the rock scree around the very highest slopes, saddles, and summits; then go on your hands and knees to see them well, preoccupied as they drink from wild buckwheat flowers by the trailside.

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Frits of the Ochocos and Siskiyous Speak of glittering! Among our “bright wings of summer,” few glister as brightly as the fiery orange greater fritillaries, aka silverspots, their undersides adorned with quicksilver orbs. All ten Cascadian species feed on violets as larvae, so where you find

Viola, you find frits. These pumpkin-colored gliders are a common sight in mountain meadows, flirting with thistles and mints; then pausing until, alarmed, they rocket off to somewhere else.

Northwest butterfly folk know there’s nowhere better for abundance and diversity of fritillaries than the Ochoco Mountains east of Prineville, Oregon - unless it’s the Siskiyous, south of Ashland. In the Ochocos, Big Summit Prairie (and Bridge Creek Wilderness for backpackers) reward the summer visitor with scads of silverspots. In southwest Oregon, the Siskiyous all around Mt. Ashland are superb, as are the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and Green Springs across the valley to the east. You could find half a dozen or more species of fritillaries at once, by the score and more, thronging each patch of dogbane, so brilliant, you might need a sunshade for your eyes.

Triphosa of the Tunnels Fritillaries nectaring on a clump of spreading dogbane in the Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon. Midsummer visitors to the Siskyous, Ochocos, and many other sunny mid-elevation ranges are likely to find such spectacular gatherings at stands of dogbane, thistle, and other favored nectar sources. Photo by Linda Kappen

My final adventure is a departure, for it concerns moths, not butterflies, and takes place in winter. We have some beautiful big moths, such as the Polyphemus and Ceanothus Silk Moths, but this one is neither large nor colorful. The Tissue Moth is about an inch-and-a-half across, with

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The highly variable Tissue Moth lives in Northwest forests in the summer, where its larvae feed on vine maple and other trees. In winter it hibernates in caves, houses, and other shelters, sometimes in great masses.

Because of its size and wafty flight, it is sometimes taken for a winter butterfly. Photo by Jim Johnson

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lovely, wavy-brown, highly striated wings. These vary greatly, from cream to buff to russet to umber, rendering them cryptic against bark, rock, and many other backgrounds. Tissue moths hibernate in caves or cool buildings. One Christmas, I discovered that the battery tunnels of Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend serve them admirably.

Anyone intrepid enough to explore these pitchblack tunnels (with a good light!) may be astonished by the vision of thousands of these handsome creatures plastering the old concrete walls, their eyes shining like a million tiny gold nuggets - the greatest aggregation of butterfly-like insects I have ever seen outside the monarchs of Mexico and California. ANW

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Havasu Canyon Springtime in Shangri La 34

The heartbeat of Cascadia

Story and photos by John D’Onofrio

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Havasu Creek

I

first heard about Havasu Canyon from Ed Abbey.

His idyllic description of it in Desert Solitaire really caught my eye when I first read it back in the 70’s. It sounded like paradise on Earth, a desert Garden of Eden. It sounded too good to be true.

Thirty-five years later, my time had finally come to see Havasu for myself. Of course, I’d seen plenty of photographs the aquamarine waterfalls made for irresistible calendar pages.

Havasu had become an icon for photographers from around the world - and many, many others eager for a taste of Shangri La. stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

Havasu Canyon is in the Grand Canyon, but it’s not in Grand Canyon National Park. This is Havasupai Land, the ancestral home of the “People of the Blue-Green Waters”. Havasu Creek flows through the canyon and the famous waterfalls cascade in a series, each more idyllic than the last.

You can’t get there in a car. It’s an 8-mile hike to the village of Supai, the tribal center, and another two miles to the campground at the base of Havasu Falls. If walking is not your thing, you can ride on the back of a world-weary mule or horse or - if money is no object - you could fly in a helicopter down to Supai. My advice is to avoid the helicopter and skip The heartbeat of Cascadia

35

Upper Navajo Falls

the mules. You should walk.

According to Abbey, the government had once offered to build a road to Supai and connect the village with the outside world and its recreational vehicles. The tribe declined, a notable bit of enlightened thinking in a cash-crazy world.

Tribal Permits to camp down in the canyon are in great demand. When they go on sale, the entire years’ supply is snatched up within hours. This is an excursion that definitely requires some advance planning.

We arrive at the trailhead parking area atop Hualapai Hilltop at dusk after navigating the long bumpy 65-mile dirt road from Route 66 near Peach Springs.

We pitch our tents in the shadow of an RV the size of Prince Edward Island, eat our dinner and settle in for the night. Shifting hues of magenta and pink flutter across the great empty expanse surrounding the Hilltop and the rising moon bathes the canyons in sweet shining light.

36

The heartbeat of Cascadia

Ingress We shoulder our packs in the bright morning sunshine and start down the steep palisade, following the well-worn trail down, down, down a series of rocky switchbacks, moving aside as a series of mule trains pass us going up. The mules are loaded with backpacks wrapped in tattered blue tarps against the dust that coats everything.

At the base of the hill, the descent becomes more gentle, the canyon narrows and the walls close in overhead.

We reach Havasu Creek, its waters flowing through a swatch of riparian green that is a shocking emerald hue after the burnished reds of the canyon.

The trail follows the creek through the succulent greenery, crosses the crystalline water on a bridge and deposits us in the village of Supai tucked in the embrace of the surrounding escarpments. The Wigleeva - two prominent stone towers that soar above the village

- figure prominently in the Havasupai mythology, guardians of the people of the blue green waters.

Inquisitive dogs are everywhere.

Horses roll in the dust in fields beneath venerable cottonwood trees encircled by fences constructed of branches and wire. We’ve walked into a different world, removed from the whirling machinery of modern life above the canyon rim.

We walk through the village, strangers in a strange land, and proceed downstream, following the aquamarine waters of Havasu Creek through the birdsongfilled canyon. We turn a corner and there are Upper and Lower Navajo Falls, that technicolor Garden of Eden vision - living in my imagination since Abbey put it there - come to life.

The broad sweep of the Upper Falls stretches across the canyon walls, a multitude of raging torrents and delicate bridal-veil cascades. At its fringes, >>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

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lush greenery forms a vivid contrast to the red rock cliffs that tower above, forming a vast amphitheatre hollowed (hallowed?) out by the eternal flow.

The roar of crashing water echoes like thunder.

Beneath the Upper Falls, Havasu Creek continues on its exceedingly merry way, cascading now over an intricate network of graceful travertine ledges, the water reflecting the warm hues of the canyon in a hundred gleaming steps. The tranquility is short-lived however, as the brink of Lower Navajo Falls soon turns the flow into a maelstrom of foam.

We continue down the dusty trail, quickly reaching the lip of Havasu Falls. Another steep descent brings us beside the cascade, overlooking the almost South Seas-looking basin below the falls, a glittering turquoise bowl ringed by an emerald garden in an amphitheatre of pink rock. A color scheme out of Maxfield Parrish.

Or Disney.

We secure a campsite beside the ramHavasu Falls bunctious stream and relax from our day’s labors on its bank as the light fades and bats dance.

Canyon Music Dawn comes with the singing of wrens. I’ve woken to many sounds but I can’t think of a finer one than the enchanting glissando of the canyon wren, stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

amplified and diffused by canyon walls.

I wade across the travertine ledges beneath Havasu Falls as the morning light spreads through the canyon like butter.

The water is chimerical, the sun is warm

and there’s no one around. I’m a happy camper indeed.

I spend the day exploring the sundappled canyon, climbing over rocks to the base of Upper Navajo and immersing myself in the sweet water, drying off in the warm sun, watching the occasional cloud shadow pass over the radiant red

ramparts. A wonderful, slowly-unfolding day of visual wonder accompanied by the sweet music of tumbling water. Night descends like a soft blanket and we gather beside the candle lantern, enjoying the relaxed conversation of people exhausted by grandeur and happy to be alive. Much is said and much is unsaid.

The morning is clear and cool, the sky a deep, lustrous blue. We head down the trail deeper into the canyon and soon reach the top of nearly 200-foot Mooney Falls, at the lip of a gaping chasm. The route down to the base of the falls is not for the faint-hearted.

We descend on a series of ledges cut into the cliff, switchbacking down the precipice until reaching what appears to be a dead end, but is in fact a tunnel blasted down through the swirling sandstone.

One by one, we shimmy down through the nearly-vertical tunnel, aided by well-placed hand- and foot-holds.

Emerging on the sheer cliff, we descend the rock face using chains bolted into the sandstone, eventually reaching a series of wooden ladders, lashed to the wall at various haphazard angles. The spray from the falls blasts us and the ladder slats are coated in wet mud, mandating a careful and deliberate descent. You won’t find this kind of excitement in a National Park. The liability would be unthinkable.

The heartbeat of Cascadia

37

of blue sky. Beaver Falls is three miles downstream of Mooney, through scenes of otherworldly beauty. One could lose oneself down here, a proposition that is not without its appeal.

As Abbey said, “Once down in there it’s hard to get out.”

But get out we must.

Chutes and ladders

Egress

Havasu Canyon is unquestionably one of the world’s most beautiful places and the Havasupai do a pretty good job of managing the resource. Obviously, the steady stream of satori-seeking pilgrims filing through their spectacular homeland presents challenges for the tribe but by instituting the strict permit system (and saying no to the road), they have found a compromise that seems to work. The campground, long a source of complaints about over-flowing outhouses and environmental degradation, has been greatly improved in recent years. The composting toilets are state-of-the-art and clean.

And thankfully, they’ve resisted overdeveloping the trail system and amenities.

From the bottom, Mooney Falls is even more impressive, plunging through a cleft in the canyon walls high overhead into an aquamarine pool at our feet before spilling over travertine terraces on its way to the distant Colorado. The near-vertical cliffs of the amphitheatre have the appearance of drip-drop castles adorned with flying buttresses of carved sandstone Watch your step: the route to the base and fancifully- of Mooney Falls. carved gargoyles.

The motif here is more Hieronymus Bosch then Parrish.

We head downstream, carefully crossing a wildly twisting bridge that affords teetering passage across the now rip-roaring Havasu Creek. The rough trail follows the watercourse around a Considering the rickety bridges and ladbreathtakingly beautiful bend in the canders lashed to the cliffs, a person could yon, where the red walls close in, reflected get himself into trouble here. I imagine in the labyrinthine pools created by the that some do. The Havasupai make actravertine ledges. cessing the canyon possible - but don’t I stop along the way and immerse turn it into the kind of highly-regulated, myself in a turquoise pool, floating quicarefully modulated experience that has etly on my back beneath a narrow strip become endemic in so many places. Or 38

The heartbeat of Cascadia

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worse yet, a theme park.

They’re in a difficult position.

Obviously they want to preserve their culture as best they can, but at the same time,

Precarious crossing

the stream of backpack-wearing visitors from that other world above the rim are the foundation of their economy, such as

The art of nature

it is. And with the beguiling images of the canyon transported via the web around the world, Havasu is on more than a few bucket lists these days. Lots of people are looking for paradise.

For the moment, they’ve achieved a reasonable balance. How different things would have been if that road had been built.

In the morning we break camp, hoist our packs and head towards home.

The burnished light on the pool beneath Havasu Falls is nothing short of spectacular.

Somewhere above the village, as I walk alone with my thoughts through the shadows of the canyon, I pass a native man with a black plastic garbage bag, picking up trash. He chants as he goes, a beautiful song that resonates off the canyon walls. A song of mourning, he says.

Long after I am past him, laboring up over the rocky trail, the sound echoes in the still desert air.

ANW

POETRY FROM THE WILD

Like a Planet

by James Bertolino

To survive Our minds must taste redwood And agate, octopi Bat, and in the bat’s mouth, Insect. It’s hard To think like a planet We’ve got to try.

eARTh

Georg Schmerholz

From Transylvania to Cascadia My love of nature can be traced back to my early childhood, when starting at about the age of four, my father would take my brother and I hiking throughout the summers in the rolling hills and rugged mountains of Transylvania. I was captivated both by the landscape and the centuries-old Hungarian folk wood carvings that I saw. Inevitably, the impressions of those formative years combined with the scenic beauty and abundance of the natural life of the Pacific Northwest - my chosen home - contributed to my evolution as a sculptor. Subsequently, the subject of wildlife became an important part of my artistic expression.

Clockwise from top right: Aspen, Osprey, Grey Whale and Calf, Horus, Megaptera

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The heartbeat of Cascadia

39

Cycling the Goose Spinning My Wheels on Vancouver Island Story by Michael Wicks

I

was talking to a friend recently about playing hooky from work and going on a full-day cycle trip - something that would take us away from the daily grind and give us a mini-adventure. We discussed many great places, most however involved an hour or so in the car before reaching the start point. It was then I remembered we had something on our doorstep that fit the bill perfectly. Isn’t it funny how easy it is to forget adventures that are available right on your doorstep?

40

The heartbeat of Cascadia

Photo by John Espley

The complete Galloping Goose rails-to-trails route runs from downtown Victoria to Leechtown, an old gold mining town, the ghost of which is hidden beneath a covering of Scotch Broom.

According to the official guide published by Capital Regional District Parks, the trail is 34 miles long but some websites peg it at 37 - perhaps it just feels that long if you’re not wearing padded cycling shorts!

Although every part of the Goose, as it’s affectionately called, has much to offer, Laurie and I chose to cycle the section from Glen Lake, a small suburb of Langford (just a mile from my front door), to the stunningly beautiful Sooke Basin and Cooper’s Cove in East Sooke. Every kilometer of the trail is marked and our miniadventure took us from kilometer marker 18 to 42 and back, a 30-mile round trip.

Riding the trail, it’s not hard to imagine how it was back in 1922 when the Galloping Goose gas powered passenger train car first trundled along, making its way to Leechtown. It ran twice a day and carried 30 passengers and mail, but once the gold rush became a bust, its days were numbered. Today, if you listen really hard on the quieter, lonelier stretches of the trail you might just hear it whooshing along, or is that just the wind in the trees?

The Goose is paved closer to Victoria, but the section we’re riding, which travels through historical Metchosin farmland then skirts Matheson Lake and Roche Cove before heading to the Sooke Basin, is packed gravel and cinder. One benefit of routes created from abandoned rail tracks is that the gradient was built to accommodate trains and is therefore quite gentle - an asset for part-time adventurers like us

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ate rainforest encroaches on the trail. who realize we aren’t as fit as we thought Gigantic moss covered trees, some 20 feet we were, after only 20 minutes in the in circumference tower above us. saddle.

For now, we rattle across wooden We start at Glen Lake where there’s bridges spanning fast-running, trouta bike shop where the trail crosses Sooke bearing streams and navigate several road Road, right across from the trailside parkcrossings. Soon the countryside takes over ing. I decide to get a last minute tune-up, and we’re all alone with our thoughts, the and purchase a new bike repair kit and spare inner tube. I still remember the time I got to marker 34 and a sharp stick punctured my tire. I had to walk back - not a lot of fun!

Within a minute or so of leaving the bike store we arrive at the Luxton Road stop, kilometer marker 23 and I have to readjust everything I thought was comfortable and secure when we left, but which is now digging into me or flapping annoyingly in the breeze. I notice Laurie eagerly wait- Sooke Basin ing for me a few hundred Photo courtesy Capital Regional District yards ahead looking decidsights, the smells and the wildlife. That’s edly smug. the beauty of the Goose, it’s always feedAs we set off from Luxton, we’re iming your senses. mediately riding past new houses cheek Closer to Victoria the trail is more by jowl alongside the trail. For much of heavily used; up to 150,000 people inthe day however, we travel through a cluding thousands of cycling commuters lush corridor of trees, bushes, and rocky use the trail annually. Out here, howoutcrops interspersed with views of ever, it’s a whole lot quieter. By marker 29 farmland, quiet lakes and eventually, the we’ve passed the time of day with cyclists, blue ocean. It’s an exercise of contrasting joggers, hikers, birders, dog walkers, and expectations - one minute we’re riding horse riders - and for some reason every through a funky urban landscape and one of them is incredibly friendly. There’s then a little later a primordial temper-

different

something about the Goose that makes people pleasant - it’s difficult to pass anyone without them saying hello. Stop and they’ll likely tell you all about the section of trail you are on and some of its secrets.

At marker 32 we arrive at Matheson Lake; we’re surrounded by ancient trees, some massive, most thickly covered in emerald green moss, with old man’s beard - otherwise known as Spanish Moss - hanging from their branches. I love this part of the ride; it’s so quiet, there are no roads close by and you become absorbed by your surroundings.

Although there is little old growth left, there are lots of second growth trees and signs of logging from a hundred or more years ago can be clearly seen. There are plenty of Western Red Cedar stumps that have notches cut into them - in the days when logging was done by hand, loggers used springboards with spikes which were inserted into the notches.

They would stand on these and use crosscut saws to fell the tree. It’s hard not to stand looking at the girth of these stumps and think about how difficult and dangerous such work would be.

We decide to lock our bikes to a handy bike rack and hike the 2.5-mile path around the lake - just enough to relieve our sore butts for a while. The trail me-

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Situated at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, the Galloping Goose Regional Trail runs between Victoria and the ghost town of Leechtown.

Photo courtesy Capital Regional District

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anders through woodland, never straying far from the lake. It’s mostly easy going save for a few rocky, steep, and slippery sections. We stop several times on grassy, moss-covered outcrops to look down on the lake and the small island in the middle. It’s quiet, and we haven’t seen a soul on the trail so far - if it was summer

we’d be tempted to swim from the beach at the half-way point of our walk. If we had our fishing rods we could catch trout for dinner.

We have a short break and watch a Bald Eagle being mobbed by a couple of crows swooping and dive-bombing the beautiful creature. Turkey Vultures

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oblivious to this lower altitude air battle ride the thermals gracefully, no doubt searching for any sign of carrion below - or perhaps, like us, they’re just enjoying the day.

Back on the bikes we pass delightful Roche Cove. If we had time we’d wander the 100 yards or so to the beach where Red Breasted Mergansers, Barrow’s Golden-Eye, and Buffleheads are common visitors. On previous visits I’ve taken the trail from here back to Matheson Lake - it follows a creek and in summer the sword ferns are taller than me giving the place a Jurassic Park feel.

Leaving Roche Cove at marker 35 we’ve only a little over four miles to go until we have lunch and head back. It’s hard to leave such a beautiful spot, but on we go, continuing along the coastline of the Sooke Basin.

The next highpoint the trail has for us is Veitch Creek, near Hutchinson Cove - this is one of the trail’s best kept secrets and offers some of the nicest views. Most riders gain speed at this point, as the trail drops steeply, so they get up the other side

easily - not us, we stop on the bridge and marvel at the creek as it rushes over exposed bedrock before pouring into the Basin.

For the next few miles we stop frequently at the many headlands to take photographs, or just to take in the stunning views. If we were on vacation and with our wives, rather than on a day ride, we’d check out the several excellent bed and breakfast places close to the trail.

Coopers Cove is next and we’ve almost completed our outward journey. There used to be a bed and breakfast right by the trail owned by well-known chef and cookbook author Angelo Prosperi-Porta, a close friend of mine. He and his partner Ina once looked out to their vegetable garden in late spring to see a sizeable black bear lazing next to the hot tub just as if it had

Connecting the Goose The Galloping Goose Regional Trail is part of the Trans Canada Trail, a national trail linking every province and territory. The Trans Canada Trail will eventually link the Galloping Goose Trail north to the Cowichan Valley and beyond.

Map courtesy Capital Regional District

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43

Meet Mandy Farmer

Photo by John Espley

Name: Mandy Farmer City: Victoria, BC Occupation: Co-owner and CEO of Accent Inns and Hotel Zed. What is your BikeStyle?

Dressed to the nines, rain or shine.

What are your favorite clothes to bike in?

High heels. It’s so much easier to bike in them than walk.

Where are we most likely to spot your bike?

Anywhere! I’m a mountain biker, roadie, mom taxi, cyclocross nut, and avid commuter.

What do you like most about riding?

When I deke out of work to go to a meeting I feel like I’m 8 years old on my way to Jenny Popkin’s to play.

What did you eat for breakfast?

What is your dream bike for everyday cycling?

Cars. See you later suckers!

What song is most played on your iPod?

I covet a Naked Bicycles stainless steel City Adventure. Handmade on Quadra Island by the world’s fastest man (until recently) Sam Whittingham.

“Strong Coffee” by Cat Empire.

Basket or panniers?

A pannier purse … just grab and go!

checked in earlier and was taking advantage of the facilities. It points to the fact that we are in bear and cougar country, so a bear bell on your pack and a cautious eye could be of as much value to you as that spare inner tube you brought along!

If, like us, you set off early, by now you will have earned yourself a nice lunch, and a cool beer. Within a few hundred yards of where the trail crosses Sooke Road you’ll find the Stickleback Restaurant (on the water side of the road).

If the weather cooperates, you can sit out and have a West Coast lunch looking over the marina to the Sooke Basin and in the distance East Sooke. Or if you’re not heading back straightaway, you can rent kayaks at the marina and paddle out into the basin.

For Laurie and me, the best part of the day is over and we turn to cycle back at full tilt, after considering, just for a second or two, copping out and waiting for a BC Transit bus with a bike rack - but what would be the fun in that? ANW

EMPOWERING GIRLS Girls on the Run Spring 5k Saturday, June 4 9:30am Register today and support the girls.

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Gear Spotlight: An Atomic Plea

Dear Atomic, Since you are now in the business of re-engineering ski boots, I’m wondering if you can please reinvent my Tele boots with some of the features that you put into the Atomic Backland carbon AT boots.

The walk mode you put into that boot is ridiculously efficient. Some, like myself, will call it silly, as it shames me to concede how horrible my tele boots walk in comparison. At my age and stamina, I actually got back to trail-breaking instead of sweeping up the rear.

I know most people consider Tele dead, but it might have a chance of revival if there was a company willing to use the modern lightweight, heat- moldable materials that are in the Backland. That heat moldable memory fit shell is money. I’m so glad I skied the first half of my first day without heating the liner and shell, so I could appreciate the difference afterwards. For my buddy, it fit perfect right out of the box. For my hobbit feet, after I cooked the boot, I then punched an extra spot for my ankle. The shell material is a bootfitter’s dream and accommodates even the hardest to fit feet.

I have been and will continue to be a proud Tele skier, however, there are the right tools for the right job. When it comes to traverses and volcanoes I will now know my Tele boots limitations in comparison. If Jah and Uhlr are brothers - and they are - and if Uhlr is a tele skier - which he is - then he too would implore you to make a tele boot as smoking as these.

Yours Truly, A. Heretic P.S. The Backlands walk better than plastic mountaineering boots.

Chris Gerston owns Backcountry Essentials, an outdoor specialty shop located at 214 W. Holly in Bellingham, WA.

Cascadia Gear: Essentials for your next Adventure Helinox Sunset Camp Chair The evolution of the camp chair continues with the Helinox Sunset Chair from Big Agnes. Utilizing a single shock-corded pole, the Sunset Chair offers up a comfortable, stable (four legs - not three) and lightweight (3.2 pounds) place to sit back when on the trail or in camp. The stuff sack velcros onto the top of the chair back and when stuffed with a fleece jacket or towel, becomes a bona-fide headrest for stargazing or general all-around lounging. The whole deal packs up small (18.5 x 4.7 x 5.5 inches), which means that you can slip it into your checked bag when flying to a camping destination.

More info: www.bigagnes.com

MSR Sweetwater Filter In the good old days, when you wanted to purify water in the backcountry there were basically two options: filter or treat (usually with something nasty that left your water tasting like the swimming pool at the YMCA). These days, water purification (like basically everything else, come to think about it) has gotten a lot more complicated.

Water treatment drops have gotten much better. And filtering can now be done via a variety of methods: gravity-feed; the “squeeze” method; and of course, the old stand-by; the pump. The MSR Sweetwater® Microfilter belongs to the latter category - it’s a handoperated pump system and it offers the benefits of reliability, ease-of-use and relatively light weight (11 ounces) and size. The flow through the Sweetwater is excellent, with a nice water-to-pump ratio, although it does require careful attention - on a recent weekend on the coast, I had to clean it twice with the provided filter brush when pumping the tannin-laden creek water.

More info: www.msrgear.com

Keen Saltzman WP Hiking Shoe Keen has developed a well-deserved reputation for making truly comfortable footwear for the great outdoors. The Salzman WP hiking shoe continues that tradition - it’s waterproof, lightweight and breathable and despite its low-top, offers surprising ankle support thanks to an ingenious heel lock - when you tighten the laces it snugs the webbing that wraps the heel. And yes, it’s ridiculously comfortable.

More info: www.keenfootwear.com

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Race I Play I Experience MARCH >>> Saturday, 12 March SPECIAL Wings Over Water Birding Festival––Blaine Performing Arts Center, 9:00 am – 7:00 pm. Learn about shorebirds on guided tours, exhibits & expert speakers featuring National Geographic’s James Currie.

RUN/WALK Runnin’ O’ the Green––Boundary Bay Garden, 10:00 am – 11:00 am. 5K and 8K walk/runs for the whole family.

The event is chip timed and kids 8 and under are free (no shirt, no timing). Stick around after the event for great draw prizes & the Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Save mad cash by registering early.

CYCLE Mussels in the Kettles–– Kettles and Ft Ebey Trails system, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Non-competitive

46

race | play | experience

Mountain Bike and Poker ride on Whidbey Island.

Three routes: Easy 8+ miles with double track, Moderate 12+ miles single and double track, and Expert 15+ miles technical single track. First 325 registered riders receive socks. All Adult riders receive a free beverage at the Mussel Fest, at the World Famous Mussel Fest party, March 12th 2016 in down town Coupeville, WA south parking lot of the Rec. Hall, 901 NW Alexander Street.

SPECIAL Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade––Cornwall Avenue, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Join us on parade day - March with us, or wave as we stroll by!

Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade is a nonprofit, community-wide event honoring all local public safety personnel by celebrating and inspiring sustainability in the hope of making our city a cleaner, greener, safer place we call home.

12 March - 16 April

Parade preparations and lineup begins at 11 a.m. Celebrations continue at Boundary Bay Brewery after the parade!

Sunday, 20 March CYCLE McClinchy Mile Bicycle Ride––Haller Middle School, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Start your season on a scenic, well-supported ride through the Stillaguamish River Valley: 34, 48, 52 or 100 mile loops out of Arlington, WA. Hosted by B.I.K.E.S. Club of Snohomish County in support of local bicycling programs. Cost $35 – includes food and maps. Sign up early to save $5 and earn a reflective string backpack.Visit bikesclub.org/ mcclinchy.

APRIL >>> Saturday, 9 April RUN/WALK Honeywagon Runs––Nooksack Valley Middle School, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm. Honeywagon Runs will be Saturday April 9th. This will be

the 34th running of this fun event. As usual we will have a Half Marathon, 4 Mile Run and a Kids 1/2 Mile Run. Walkers are encouraged to participate as well. This event will once again be chip timed by BuDu racing. The Half Marathon is a certified course and is very flat and fast. gbrc.net for more information

Saturday, 16 April RUN/WALK Fun With The Fuzz 5k––Bellingham Police Department, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. The seventh annual Fun With The Fuzz 5k is a road race in Bellingham, WA that supports families of police officers who are killed in the line of duty. 100% of the proceeds are donated directly to the Behind the Badge Foundation. $20 entry fee includes chip timing, t-shirt, and a chance to win some of our great prizes. Cash prize for top finishers.

CYCLE WMBC Joyriders Women’s

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16 April (cont.) - 4 June Mountain Bike Club Launch & Bike 2 Brew––Galbraith Mountain, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. Women mountain bikers! Join us for an all-levels group ride & our club launch after party.

Tuesday, 19 April WATER Learn to Row with WRA!––Bloedel-Donovan Park, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm. Want to be one of the “Boys in the Boat”?! Check out Whatcom Rowing Association. Open to men and women, all ages and abilities, novice and experienced. Rowing is fun, challenging and offers great fitness opportunity. Experienced coaches will guide you to row a multi-person shell, or single scull, using the boats available in the beautiful WRA Boathouse at Bloedel-Donovan Park. FIRST LEARN TO ROW SESSION STARTS 4/19.

Check out the programs at www. whatcomrowing.org

Thursday, 21 April CYCLING WMBC Joyriders Women’s Mountain Bike Guided Group Rides.

event listings at AdventuresNW.com

All-levels!––Galbraith Mountain, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm. Join us for a womenonly casual pace ride. No-drop, come for fun, fitness, and skills!

Sunday, 24 April WATER Dan Harris Challenge Paddle and Rowing Race––Boulevard Park, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Open Water Race, 9 mile or 4 mile course.

30 April - 1 May RUN/WALK Eugene Marathon & Half Marathon––Hayward Field, 7:00 am – 2:00 pm. This premier event in TrackTown USA includes a Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K & Kids Run. The courses are beautiful, flat and fast – taking participants by numerous parks and miles of riverfront before reaching the spectacular finish inside historic Hayward Field. Don’t miss the 10th anniversary of one of the fastest and unique certified races in the country! Run in Eugene, OR and run in the footsteps of LEGENDS.

MAY >>> Saturday, 7 May RUN/WALK Haggen to Haggen 5k race & walk––Sehome Village Haggen, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm.

Haggen to Haggen is a Whatcom County community event. At the finish line sponsors will be sampling great products Haggen has to offer. Shuttles will be provided to bring you back to the Sehome Haggen.The Haggen to Haggen 5K is certified.This relatively fast course winds through several neighborhoods, including downtown Bellingham.

Saturday, 14 May RUN/WALK East Bank Ross Lake 30M––8:00 am – 8:00 pm. Highway 20 to Hozomeen, an early season mountain run, epic views and gourmet eats. aspireadventurerunning.com

Saturday, 21 May RUN/WALK Happy Panther––3233 Pinewood Ave, 8:00 am – 8:00 pm. North Cascades early season mountain run.

Awesome trails followed by gourmet eats. aspireadventurerunning.com

JUNE >>> Saturday, 4 June CYCLING Apple Century Bike Ride ––7:00 am – 5:00 pm. Along Wenatchee River; winding through orchards and vineyards to Lake Wenatchee. Our relatively easy 25-mile route turns at Cashmere; the 50-mile at Leavenworth; the Century at Lake Wenatchee. Convenient water and pit stops. Rotarian sag-wagons support your trek. The mapped ride is wellmarked with signs and Route Arrows.

Weather can be warm; very likely dry, requiring the need for proper hydration. Post-ride meal and beer garden concludes the day at Walla Walla Park.

RUN/WALK Dog Island Run––School House Park, 10:45 am – 1:30 pm.

North Cascades early season mountain run. Awesome trails followed by gourmet eats. Guemes Island.

Visit AdventuresNW.com for complete listings of Outdoor events throughout 2016

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race I play I experience Saturday, 11 June RUN/WALK Race Beneath The Sun 5 mile–– Fairhaven Park, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. Join us for the Race Beneath the Sun, a 5 mile race and 1/2 mile kids fun run at Fairhaven Park in Bellingham.This race takes place Saturday June 11, 2016 at 10:00 am,

11 June - 17 September

with the kids run starting 15 minutes earlier.The 5 mile course is mostly trail.

Sunday, 12 June RUN/WALK 17th Edge to Edge Marathon– –Ucluelet, BC, 7:00 am – 2:00 pm. Run Wild on a course that covers the Wild Pacific Trail and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Runners can choose the full or half marathon, or put together a 4-person team for the relay event. New for 2016 is a 10km course around the Lighthouse Loop, with great views of the ocean and the rocky coastline. All races cross a variety of terrains and enjoy spectacular west coast views. For more details visit edgetoedgemarathon.com.

Monday, 13 June RUN/WALK All-Comers Track & Field––Civic Field, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Track & Field events for the whole family and every ability.

Mountain Bike and Poker Ride

Saturday, 25 June RUN/WALK Padden Triathlon––Lake Padden, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. We offer 2 events: Sprint & Super-sprint with different start times, distances and challenges. The idea is to have fun, test yourself and enjoy our community.

Register early = save mad ca$h.

Sunday, 26 June

Whidbey Island March 12, 2016 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

www.musselsinthekettles.net

SPECIAL Bellingham KIDS Traverse ––Squalicum Creek Park, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Get Hooked on the Bellingham KIDS Traverse, a fun relay race that celebrates the journey of wild salmon. 6 – 12 year olds form solo, tandem and relay teams to run, bike and compete on an obstacle course through Bellingham’s Squalicum Creek Park. The course includes a Run, Mountain Bike, Obstacle Course, Team TREK.

WATER Swim Defiance––Owens Beach, 7:15 am – 12:00 pm. 3K & 5K Open Water Event Point Defiance Tacoma to Vashon Washington

JULY >>> Sunday, 17 July SPECIAL Anniversary Picnic ––Environmental Learning Center, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. You’re invited to a free picnic and open house celebrating the 30th anniversary of the North Cascades Institute and National Park Service Centennial! BBQ picnic with local farms / Diablo Lake Boat Tours / Campus sustainability tours / Canoe voyages / Naturalist hikes / Kids activities.

Check www.ncascades.org/picnic for updates.

AUGUST >>> Wednesday, 3 August RUN/WALK Wonderland B2B2B––8:00 am – 8:00 pm. Day circumnavigation of Mt. Rainer. 93 Miles 21,800’ of elevation. Epic trail. Gourmet eats. aspireadventurerunning.com

Saturday, 27 August SPECIAL Telluride Mountain Film on Tour––Winthrop Town Park, 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm.

Under the stars at Winthrop Town Park will be 3 hrs of the best films from Telluride Mountainfilm following the infamous Cuttthroat Classic Trail Run. Seating and ticket sales open at 7pm. Tickets purchased online will be available at the Will Call Gate. Show starts at 8pm. Bring your dinner, beverages, blankets and chairs and get comfy in the grass under the night sky!

SEPTEMBER >> > Saturday, 17 September WATER Last Gasp of Summer––Angle Lake, 8:30 am

Where Will You Run?

Apr 9, 2016: Honeywagon Runs // 4 & 13.1 Miles

gbrc.net Follow us on

Facebook

May 7, 2016: Haggen to Haggen // 5K Jun 11, 2016: Race Beneath the Sun // Kids 1/2 Mile & 5 Miles July 9, 2016: Chuckanut Foot Race // 7 Mile Trail Run Sept 3, 2016: Lake Padden Relay // 4x2.6 Miles (Relay Event) Nov 19, 2016: Turkey Trot // 5K Dec 3, 2016: Fairhaven Frosty // Kids 1/2 Mile, 5K & 10K Jan 2017: Lake Samish Runs // 6.5 & 13.1 Miles Feb 2017: Two For The Road // 5K Mar 2017: Padden Mudfest // 6 Mile Trail Run Greater Bellingham Running Club • 10 Races • $30-$50 Annual Memberships • 501(c)(3) Non-Profit

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race | play | experience

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17 September (cont.) - 8 October – 12:00 pm. 1 and 2 Mile Open Water Swim for youth and adult swimmers.

RUN/WALK Excelsior Traverse 10M––8:00 am – 8:00 pm. 10 miles of rolling ridge trail running. Epic mountain vistas. Plentiful Huckleberries.

Post-Run Gourmet Eats. aspireadventurerunning.com RUN/WALK Thunder Series––8:00 am – 8:00 pm. Run the North Cascades via gorgeous trails and mountain passes. 12M, 24M, and 42M courses. aspireadventurerunning.com SPECIAL Bellingham Traverse ––12:00 am – 5:00 pm. Get Hooked on the Vital Choice Bellingham Traverse, a fun relay race that celebrates the journey of wild salmon. Families, friends and local companies form solo, tandem and relay teams to run, bike and paddle through Bellingham’s scenic parks, winding trails and open waterways. The course includes a Greenways Run (5.5 mi); Mountain Bike (6.0 mi); Road Bike (18 mi.); Trail Run (3.4 mi); Paddle (3.6 mi.); Team TREK (0.65 mi.).

Saturday, 24 September SPECIAL Island Quest AR––Roche Harbor, 6:00 am – 6:00 pm. From rugged coastline, to granite-capped mountains, the San Juans are truly an

Advertiser Index 20/20 Solutions..............................................25 Accent Inns.....................................................41 Adventures NW - Photography Workshop...................................................... 4 Adventures NW - Pickford Cinema.........25 Allied Arts - Discover the Arts..................12 American Alpine Institute............................17 Appliance Depot...........................................25 Backcountry Essentials.................................45 Barkley Village Family Dentistry................... 8 Barlean’s Fishery............................................11 Bellingham Automotive................................33 Bellingham Frameworks...............................43 Birchwood Engineering LLC.......................21 Boundary Bay Brewery................................15 Brandon Nelson Partners...........................38 Busara Thai Cuisine.......................................19 Cascadia Mushrooms...................................44 Chara Stuart - Bellwether Real Estate.....42 Colophon Cafe................................................ 7 Community Boating Center......................... 7 D’Anna’s Cafe Italiano..................................30 Danne Neill - Muljat Group........................32 Dave Mauro - UBS Financial.......................51 Fairhaven Bicycle............................................. 7 Flyers Restaurant & Brewery.....................33 Fun with the Fuzz..........................................12 Gallery West..................................................... 7 Gato Verde Adventure Sailing....................... 7 GBRC...............................................................48 Highwaters Media.........................................19 iClean...............................................................42 JM Electric.......................................................22 Ken Harrison - Coldwell Banker Bain......19 Kulshan Brewery...........................................52

event listings at AdventuresNW.com

adventure racing paradise. You will navigate a series of checkpoints to make your way from start to finish on these Recreation (4 hr – 6 hr) and Expert (8 hr – 12 hr) team races.

Where’s the course? You’ll get that information a half hour before the race begins! Join us for Island Quest AR. RUN/WALK Methow Valley OffRoad Duathlon––Sun Mountain, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Please join us for the 6th Annual Methow Valley Off-Road Duathlon, held at the iconic Sun Mountain resort on the Methow trail system.

Come enjoy the fall colors with expansive views of the valley in the heart of the North Cascades. Try the original HARDMAN 40K Mountain Bike, 10K Trail run or the new SPRINT 20K Mountain Bike & 5K Trail Run, TEAM or SOLO. FREE microbrew, plenty swag and a warm bowl of chili!

29 th Annual

2016

Saturday July 9 Iron Person & Relay .3-mile swim 14.8-mile bike 4-mile run

Plus a YOUTH TRI

(flotation devices allowed & parents encouraged to participate with their kids)

360-416-1350

parksrec@co.skagit.wa.us

skagitcounty.net/parks

OCTOBER >>> Saturday, 8 October RUN/WALK Whatcom Passage 50M– –8:00 am – 8:00 pm. Traverse the North Cascades via Hannegan and Whatcom Passes. Epic trail. Gourmet Post-Run Eats. aspireadventurerunning.com Visit AdventuresNW.com for complete listings of Outdoor events throughout 2016 LFS Marine........................................................ 5 Lithtex NW....................................................45 Mallard Ice Cream.........................................18 MBBC / Chuckanut Classic.........................47 Mount Baker Mountain Guides..................29 North Cascades Institute............................23 North Cascades Mountain Guides...........33 North Fork Brewery....................................25 Northwest Behavioral..................................23 NW European Autoworks..........................16 Northwest Navigation.................................12 Peace Health.................................................... 2 Pedal Party NW............................................19 Peoples Bank.................................................... 3 Port Angeles Kayak & Film Festival...........12 Recreation NW.............................................49 Rolfing Works.................................................. 4 Sally Farrell - eXp Real Estate....................21 San Juan Sailing...............................................30 Skagit County Parks - Clear Lake Triathlon.......................................................49 Skagit Valley Food Co-Op...........................18 Terra.................................................................32 The Bagelry....................................................42 The ReStore...................................................42 Tourism Ucluelet...........................................13 Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce..............46 Village Books.................................................... 7 WCW Enterprises........................................11 Whatcom Educational Credit Union.......... 6 Whatcom Family YMCA..............................44 Whidbey Island Bicycle Club......................48 Whiskey Landing Lodge...............................22 Yeager’s Sporting Goods.............................29 Yoga Northwest............................................23 Yoga with Susan D’Onofrio........................31 Zaremba Paxton PS......................................43

GET HOOKED! BELLINGHAM BELLINGHAM kids traverse TRAVERSE June 26th September 17th

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

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

ADVERTISE Let Adventures NW magazine help you reach a diverse, receptive audience throughout the Pacific Northwest, and be part of one of the most valued and engaging publications in the region. Info is at AdventuresNW.com/advertise or by writing to ads @ AdventuresNW.com.

CONTRIBUTE Adventures NW welcomes original article queries—including feature stories,

expert advice, photo essays, the Next Adventures shot, etc. For information: AdventuresNW.com/ contribute.

EVENTS Have your outdoor-related event, race or public outing listed in the quarterly

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

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the

Next

Adventure

Steptoe Wildflowers photo by JAMES RICHMAN This picture was taken shortly after sunrise at Steptoe Butte State Park, located in Whitman County, in the heart of Eastern Washington’s Palouse region. Steptoe Butte and the Palouse are a photographer’s paradise. Steptoe offers stunning panoramic views of the rolling hills that define this region, and is blessed with an abundance of wildflowers in the Spring. At sunrise, as the morning’s first light washes over the rolling hills, the tranquility of Steptoe Butte is interrupted only by the sounds of roosters crowing, pheasants squawking, and coyotes howling. It is always worth the drive.

See more at www.facebook.com/james.richman1

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The heartbeat of Cascadia

Across the globe. Across the country.

Across the kitchen table.

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

Advice you can trust starts with a conversation.

David J. Mauro, CFP® First Vice President - Investments UBS Financial Services 104 Unity Street, Bellingham, WA 98225 Phone 360-714-2550 Toll Free 800-774-8422 david.mauro@ubs.com ubs.com/fs

As a firm providing wealth management services to clients, we offer both investment advisory and brokerage services. These services are separate and distinct, differ in material ways and are governed by different laws and separate contracts. For more information on the distinctions between our brokerage and investment advisory services, please speak with your Financial Advisor or visit our website at ubs.com/ workingwithus. Neither UBS Financial Services Inc. nor any of its employees provides legal or tax advice. You should consult with your personal legal or tax advisor regarding your personal circumstances.

UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. ©2011 UBS Financial Services Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC.31.17_Ad_4.625x3.625_9G0204