Adventures NW Summer 2011 by John DOnofrio

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summer 2011

G images of GIRLS ON THE RUN I SUMMER VACATIONS R LESSONS FOR THE ELITE K CLIMBING L AY ELDORADO S AK SKI to SEA: REMEMBERING THE I ON N MOUNT BAKER MARATHON THE G D I A B L O &

W A T E OR R SS

LOOP HIKES IN THE NORTH CASCADES PTARMIGAN TRAVERSE

YCLOCROSS ARNIVAL of pain

fish SHOCKER POETRY

on the peaks

Plan your summer with the race | play | experience calendar inside and online.

photo courtesy Fairhaven.com

Race photos courtesy Jon Brunk - www.brunkphoto.com

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

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

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

• Just $20 if registered by August 11.

Other Bellingham Parks & Recreation events coming up this year:

All Comers Track & Field Mondays, 6/13-8/29

Events for kids & adults; day, season & family passes available.

Padden Triathlon Saturday, 6/25

Bellingham Youth Tri Saturday, 8/27

Fun distances for kids 8-13; 3 start times & a pool swim.

Padden Duathlon Saturday, 7/23

2011 Race full. Start training for next year!

A fun, inexpensive event in an awesome setting.

klicks Mountain Bike Duathlon

(formerly Runningshoes.com MTB Du) MOUNTAIN BIKE

DUATHLON

Sunday, 10/9

A technical course at Lake Padden Park.

MOUNTAIN BIKE

DUATHLON

cob.org/races

ADVENTURES NW magazine >>> a proud supporter

Lromo@cob.org • 360-778-7000

2008 Chuckanut Century; photo © CJ Berg Photographics

Ride 25, 50, 62, 100 or 124 beautiful miles where the Cascade Mountains meet the Salish Sea!

2011

CHUCKANUT CENTURY Ride

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SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 18

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

EARLY REGISTRATION (before 9/03/11) JUST $50! Additional discount at active.com with code: ANSUMM11 Mail-in registration at chuckanutcentury.org Fully supported Hearty food stops

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Over 1,000 riders expected Pledges not required Family-Pack Pricing

Start & Finish festivities at Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro in downtown Bellingham — FREE burger or beverage at finish!

www.tourdewhatcom.com

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Raise additional funds for Whatcom Hospice Foundation INFORMATION:

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CONTRIBUTORS Tom Chisholm is an adventurer and opportunist addicted to fresh air and clear water. He lives, works and plays in the dirt, moss, wind, waves and snow of Whatcom County. When he can’t be “out there” with his family and his friends, he inundates them with stories, songs and memories of the natural beauty he’s seen and the earthly power he’s felt. A bicyclist, backpacker, kayaker, and regular contributor to Adventures NW, Laural Ringler has published over seventy articles in magazines such as Adventure Cyclist, the Chuckanut Reader and Entertainment News Northwest. She blogs on family adventuring at lauralringler.com, and next time she’s on Ross Lake she will kayak into Canada. Alyson Indrunas named her 1987 VW Vanagon after the three-time women’s cyclocross world champion, Hanka Kupfernagel—because just like the van, Hanka is a tough, older German frau who always shows up for races and still throws down. Alyson lives in Bellingham with her husband, Scott, and their dog, Elroy.

John D’Onofrio has been a regular contributor to Adventures NW since the very first issue of the magazine rolled off the presses way back in ‘06. In addition to writing for fine publications like this one, he is a photographer, painter, musician, magazine editor, web designer and all-around bon vivant. To read essays or view his photographs and paintings, visit jdonofrio.com. Abigail Sussman and Zachary Treisman climbed Eldorado with an honest-to-goodness rocket scientist. This summer, their “To Do List” includes climbing Mount Shuksan, skiing Mount Rainier’s Emmons Glacier, jumping in Price Lake, and sleeping on Easy Ridge. When not teaching or writing about mathematics, Zachary takes photos while he and Abigail hike, bike, climb and ski. Abigail writes for a variety of publications about those exploits and other outdoorsy stuff. They spilt their time between Colorado’s West Slope and the North Cascades. Read more at abigailmsussman. com. Craig Romano is the author of eight Washington guidebooks, including the newly released Backpacking Washington (The Mountaineers Books), which required him to research over 1,500 miles on the trail. When not hiking, he’s running or biking—at times with his wife, Heather, but not with his cats Giuseppe and Scruffy Gray. Visit him at craigromano.com.

race | play | experience

SUMMER. 2011

Volume 6. Issue 2

When she’s not stuck inside in a classroom at Bellingham’s Squalicum High School, Kristin Smith is outside enjoying sailing, kayaking, running, mountain biking, and experiencing the outdoors in as many ways as possible. She carries a notebook almost everywhere and is prone to scribbling madly in it. Her next adventure: Outward Bound in August! When Mike McQuaide finds himself at a loss for words, he doesn’t panic. He picks up his camera, points, shoots and hopes for the best. Hard at work finishing up his book on classic road rides of Washington (due out in 2012), he is the Bellingham author of five books, including Insiders’ Guide to Bellingham and Mount Baker and Day Hike! North Cascades. Read more McQ at mcqview.blogspot.com. Sarah Porter attended Hockinson High School and is completing her Kinesiology/Sports Psychology degree at Western Washington University. She has competed in track and field and cross country for the past eight years and is an eleven time NCAA Division II All-American. In her free time she enjoys reading, exploring new places, and singing karaoke. kris borgias taught high school creative writing and poetry in the early ‘80s. Since then he’s worked as a mechanic on a range of devices, including bikes, heavy equipment and sawmill machinery. Lately he’s been building a house in the Methow Valley, riding bikes and skis, and composing music on the guitar. Curriculum path provided by mountains and family. Nolan Harron is a middleschool Language Arts teacher in Burlington and lives in Bellingham. He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys taking advantage of all the natural beauty the area has to offer with his beautiful wife, Andrea, and two dogs, Kaia and Nieve. Once upon a time he had long golden locks.

INSPIRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE

ski to sea remembering the Mount Baker Marathon

John D’Onofrio

climbing eldorado seeking personal gold

Abigail Sussman

Girls on the run lessons for an elite runner

Sarah Porter

North Cascades backpacking two loops

Craig Romano

shocking Fish toughest job ever

Nolan Harron

18 22 27

summer vacations photo album snaps

Mike McQuaide

Girls kayak out two generations on Ross Lake

Laural Ringler

carnival of pain training for CX season

Alyson Indrunas

Ptarmigan Traverse beauty & challenge

Tom Chisholm

“The race is us, and we are the race.”

POETRY... in the mountains

—Mel Monkelis, executive director, Whatcom Events

on the water on the peaks

Kristin Smith Kristin Smith Kris Borgias

21 36 41

DESTINATIONS Advertiser Index 57 Gear, Garb, Getaways Emporium 44 Getting Away—Ross Lake 32 Next Adventure photo 58 Race | Play | Experience Calendar 46-57 Warmups—for CX season 37

cover

Life’s A Journey, Enjoy The Ride.

Mount Shuksan from Yellow Aster Butte photo by Alaine Borgias

Harvey Haggard, 1911 Mount Baker Marathon photo courtesy The Mountain Runners

www.wibank.com race | play | experience

ADVENTURES nw >FIND Adventures NW is available free at

hundreds of locations region-wide: throughout Whatcom, Island, Skagit, and San Juan counties, at all Washington REI stores, in select spots in Snohomish County, Leavenworth, Winthrop, Wenatchee, and Vancouver, BC, at area visitor centers, and through numerous races and events.

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Mail payment ($16US / $21CDN for 4 issues) to PO Box 2426, Bellingham, WA 98227; or subscribe online at AdventuresNW.com. Multi-copy subscriptions are available, with discount based on quantity and location. Write to subscribe@AdventuresNW.com for 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 around. Info is at AdventuresNW.com or by writing to ads@AdventuresNW.com. >CONTRIBUTE Adventures NW welcomes original article queries—including feature stories, expert advice, photo essays, etc. Click on “Contribute” from the “About” drop downs of AdventuresNW.com for detailed information.

>EVENTS Have your outdoor-related

event, race or outing listed in the quarterly race|play|experience calendar and the regularly updated online version. Info is on the “Events” page of AdventuresNW.com.

>ABOUT Adventures NW is an independent,

quarterly publication enjoyed by nearly 40,000 readers each issue since 2006. ANW’s mission is to publish a high-quality, engaging magazine that will inspire local and visiting readers to try new activities, to fully explore the natural beauty and recreational offerings of the diverse areas throughout the Pacific Northwest, and to have adventures in their own communities—and beyond. Adventures NW is also committed to providing organizations and businesses a valuable, contentrich, respected publication in which to communicate their marketing messages. Further, it is the goal of Adventures NW Publishing, Inc. to be an example by supporting independent and local businesses and following socially and environmentally responsible practices in order to maintain sustainable and healthy communities. Copyright ©2011 by Adventures NW Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Views expressed herein are those of the authors exclusively. Adventures NW is not responsible for unsolicited material.

race | play | experience

race

SUMMER. 2011

Volume 6. Issue 2

>INVOLVED... Scott Barr • Kris Borgias • Tom Chisholm John D’Onofrio • Ted Evans Ned Hannah • Nolan Harron Alyson Indrunas • Mike McQuaide Sarah Porter • Laural Ringler Craig Romano • Kristin Smith Abigail Sussman • Lisa Toner Zachary Treisman

>ALSO... Tammy & Brad Bennett Clipper Canoes/Western Canoeing & Kayaking Forest & Channel Metrics • Jen Gallant Jay Haskins • Paul Madison • Mel Monkelis The Mountain Runners • Genevie Roguski Lance Romo • Jordan Stead Whatcom Family YMCA • WWU Athletics Adventures NW magazine is printed by Lithtex NW Printing Solutions, Bellingham

Publisher/editor Paul Haskins MANAGING EDITOR/EDITOR Alaine Borgias

Adventures NW magazine PO Box 2426, Bellingham, WA 98227 Paul@AdventuresNW.com 360-927-1843 www.AdventuresNW.com Adventures NW proudly supports hundreds of important local and national organizations, events and efforts, including:

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>IMPORTANT DEADLINES

Fall releases Sep 1: article queries Jun 1; ad reservations Jul 20; final ads & calendar listings Aug 1 Winter releases Thanksgiving week: article queries Sep. 1; ad reservations Oct 20; final ads & calendar listings Nov 1 Spring releases March 1 article queries Dec 1; ad reservations Jan 20; final ads & calendar listings Feb 1 Summer releases Memorial/Ski to Sea weekend: article queries Mar 1; ad reservations Apr 20; final ads & calendar listings May 1

mong the numerous stories my great-grandfather told me, over and over again,

as ninety-somethings are given to do—driving the wagon as a youngster in 1899 to help his father string a phone line between Lynden and their homestead... one winter in the north county with snowdrifts so high that he could slide out his home’s second floor window.... the night he woke up to his hen house on fire... using a steam donkey to clear land (otherwise Lynden would still look like Berthusen Park)... or about the drill-sergeant who, Great Grandpa claimed, tried to kill him (he “woke up” in the morgue at Fort Worden)—was the story of his participation in the Mount Baker Marathon. Compared to some of his stories, it was briefly told, and I never thought to ask him which year. But I do remember him telling me about how, when he was up on the slopes of Mount Baker and it was obvious that neither he nor the two other “fellas” he had fallen back with were going to win, they all decided to pack it in and head down the mountain, back to their lives of clearing land and getting by. Great Grandpa never actually gave much significance to his Mount Baker Marathon experience—it was just another of his regular stories told over and over—but it stuck with me. So when I had the opportunity in 1987 to join a team as the runner in the now-transformed Mount Baker Marathon—Ski to Sea—I jumped at it. Unlike my great-grandfather and the other early Mount Baker Marathon runners, I wasn’t running for a chance at fame and fortune, but just for the challenge. And I didn’t give up when the other “fellas” passed me (and, much as I tried to keep up, they did pass me). In fact, of the teams in the Whatcom County division that year, we finished a respectable third.

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

... play

... experience

That was a thrill. But most important, I got involved in the Ski to Sea race. Since then, I’ve run that 8-mile stretch of Mount Baker Highway down from the ski area more times than I can remember. And I’m getting ready to do it again. But this year is special in that I’ll be on my own Adventures NW team (the Borgias Kids race... play... experience) that Alaine has put together of a sister and brother-in-law, three brothers, plus me and our son. Her dad and others in her family (siblings, inlaws and offspring combined) will be our support and encouragement. No matter how we do in the race, helping to organize a team, being on one with family, and training harder for an event (including a good bit of cross-training with Alaine and Finn!) than I have in a long time, has been a tremendous experience.

for hundreds of past stories & a full year of events.

photo by Genevie Roguski

I’m glad my great-grandfather, as a young man, dared to toe the line in the Mount Baker Marathon—foolhardy as it may have seemed. I’m glad that he and the two other laggards with him had the sense to know when to call it a day. And I’m glad, at least

in retrospect, for the countless hours he told and retold his stories. Here’s to good stories this summer,

race | play | experience

Ski to Sea: Remembering the Mount Baker Marathon

story by John D’Onofrio photos courtesy The Mountain Runners

n most places, summer starts

on June 21st. But in northwest Washington, the season has an unofficial kick-off on Memorial Day weekend when the region gathers around the event that has come to be emblematic of summer in the northwest—the one and only Ski to Sea. 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the event, But truth be told, today’s relay race—epic as it is—bears little resemblance to the original race run in 1911. Looking back, it’s almost inconceivable that such an event ever happened. Truth, in this case, is certainly stranger than fiction. The Marathon The original idea was either brilliant or crazy, depending on your point of view. The year was 1911 and Bellingham was a sleepy town on the northern reaches of the Salish Sea. Aside from the logging industry and the salmon canneries, not much was going on. The Mount Baker Club, a business group at the time, wanted something to draw attention to their corner of northwest Washington. Inspired by Mount Rainier National Park, which had been created in 1899 and had become an instant tourist attraction, club members resolved that if Rainier could draw a steady stream of gawking (and well-moneyed) tourists from back east, then surely nearby Mount Baker could too. 8

race | play | experience

Paul Westerlund, declared “co-winner” of the final Mount Baker Marathon in 1913, heads for the finish line.

What they needed was a publicity stunt, some kind of epic undertaking—a real attention getter to put Mount Baker on the map. It had to be compelling. And it had to be big. And thus was born the Mount Baker Marathon. The idea was audacious—a race from Bellingham to the summit of Mount Baker and back again. It was exciting and dramatic. And it was dangerous. Just the thing to bring the tourists and their pocket books. The Mount Baker Marathon was America’s first endurance race: 116 miles of mud, sweat and glory. Maybe blood too. No relays, mind you. Every man for himself. It was perfect. In those days there was heated debate about the “best” route to the summit, first climbed by Edmund Coleman in 1868. One camp swore by what was known as the Glacier trail, starting at the little isolated hamlet of Glacier. Another equally vociferous group extolled the virtues of the Deming trail, which followed the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River up to the high country. It was decided that contestants in the race could choose either route. If they went via the Glacier trail, they would ride a special train from Bellingham to Glacier and then commence running up the 14-mile trail to the summit. If they opted for the Deming Route, they were transported via Model T to the trailhead at Heisler’s ranch on the Middle Fork, 16 miles from the summit. Either route, the elevation gain was 9,700 feet. Ouch.

In 1912 judges built a snow shelter on the summit to protect themselves during their overnight encampment. Judge Nathan Davis is on the far right. He was judge all three years of the marathon.

cline—except The King of Glacier for the nasty bit On August 10, 1911, 14 contestants showed up at the startwhen the Easton and ing line (located naturally enough at the office of the Bellingham Deming glaciers would Chamber of Commerce). The race was scheduled to start at 10 need to be climbed. In the dark. p.m.—the idea being that the racers would ascend the mountain at The train pulled into Glacier a little later, disgorging the eight night, when the snow would be more solid underfoot. hopefuls on the Glacier trail where they’d ascend to the Coleman Thousands of spectators lined the streets and perched on roofGlacier. It would be a long night for both groups. By the time tops to watch the excitement of the start. The publicity was the racers reached the glaciers, eight of the contestants already paying off, the members of the Mount Baker The had dropped out—the six remaining, some from Club agreed. The starting gun sounded and the Mount Baker each group of racers, donned their caulk logging racers were off—six of them in automobiles Marathon was boots for the summit push. headed for Heisler’s ranch, eight on the speAmerica’s first endurance To ensure that each contestant reached cial train to Glacier. The race was on. The cars arrived first, slathered in mud, race: 116 miles of mud, sweat the summit, judges were stationed there, waiting to sign the certificate each runner and careened to a stop at the ranch. The and glory. Maybe blood carried. It was a cold night on the ice, and Middle Fork runners would get a head start. too. No relays, mind you. the wind blew like a banshee. The judges were Although their distance to the summit was Every man for himself. freezing as they waited. two miles longer, it had a somewhat gentler in-

It was perfect.

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<<< MARATHON, continued from previous page

The first runner to reach the judges was N.B. Randall, closely followed by Harvey Haggard. Both men were Glacier residents and both had come up the Glacier route. Joe Galbraith, who had ascended the Deming trail, was next. By then, the wind had risen and the temperature had dropped further. After two more racers reached the top, the judges abandoned the summit and sought shelter from the wind below. At some point in the early morning hours, Haggard overtook Randall and reached the waiting train a few hundred feet ahead. According to the rules, this entitled only Haggard to board the train for Bellingham. He was exhausted but convinced that victory was at hand, and availed himself of a massage on the train. A few miles later disaster struck when the train collided with an 1,800-pound bull that had wandered onto the tracks, derailing the train. Naked, dazed, but uninjured, Haggard emerged from

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The train carrying Harvey Haggard back to Bellingham in 1911, after colliding with a bull.

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the underbrush, donned his clothes, and commandeered a horse and buggy, which whisked him to Maple Falls. By this point the woozy Haggard had to be lifted out of the buggy and put on a horse, which promptly took off at breakneck speed toward Kendall, where a car was waiting to transport the exhausted racer to Bellingham. It was not Haggard’s day. The waiting car spooked the galloping horse, throwing Haggard into the dust. Haggard, literally staggering now, flung himself into the car, grateful that someone else was at the wheel to speed toward Bellingham. He fainted twice along the way. By the time Harvey Haggard reached Bellingham, Joe Galbriath had already arrived via “Betsy,” a Ford Model T, and had been declared the winner with an official time of 12 hours and 28 minutes, beating the nearly delirious Haggard by a mere 32 minutes. Galbraith was awarded the first place prize of a buffalo robe and $100, but Haggard’s tenacity had wonover the crowd, which passed a hat and raised $50 for the wobbly woodsman. The townspeople of Glacier crowned him “King of Glacier” and organized a gala banquet in his honor. The main course? The dead bull, barbecued. By all reports, the briskets were delicious.

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The rescue of Victor Galbraith, after he fell into a crevasse in 1913. The near-disaster would spell the end of the Mount Baker Marathon.

Out of Control The inaugural Mount Baker Marathon had been a resounding success, attracting thousands of spectators and generating great publicity for Bellingham and the Mount Baker area. The business boosters at the Mount Baker Club and the chamber were ecstatic, convinced that they had found the key to promoting the area. Plans began for the 1912 race and many improvements were envisioned. The winner would receive $500—a king’s ransom in 1912—and telephone lines would be strung along the route to enable the spectators in Bellingham to “follow” the progress of the runners. By race day 1912, Bellingham was abuzz with activity. Tens of thousands had gathered. There were Navy ships anchored in Bellingham Bay and the circus came to town. Even Governor Marion E. Hay was on hand to lend the event gravitas. Then at the last minute, using the telephone lines, judges on the mountain called down with the news that a horrific storm was raging on Mount Baker. Blizzard conditions had dumped several feet of new snow on the summit. The judges were adamant that attempting to run up the mountain in such conditions would be suicide. There was no choice but to postpone the race. The storm pummeled the mountain for three days before it finally let up. When the starting gun finally sounded, a week late, the field had been reduced from sixteen to nine. Paul Westerlund, a seasoned marathon runner from San Francisco who had come to Bellingham for the grand new challenge (and the hefty prize purse), reached the summit first but he was in a bad way. He’d gotten lost in the swirling mists below the Roman Wall and had fallen, breaking a rib. His clothes were literally frozen to his body. Unsteadily, he headed down the mountain and was soon overtaken by Haggard and two others. In the end it was Haggard who crossed the finish line first to the cheers of the expectant crowd. He’d bettered Galbraith’s 1911 time by more

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<<< MARATHON, continued from previous page

than two and a half hours, and the marathon, everyone agreed, had once again been a rousing success. The next year the weather was again miserable on the mountain, and the judges on the Deming trail called to race officials in Bellingham to tell them to postpone the race. Much to their surprise on their way down the mountain, they encountered Westerlund and two other runners coming up the trail. The race officials had decided that the race would go on despite the warnings. The astonished judges told the racers not to attempt the summit in the perilous conditions but to turn around at the saddle beneath the Roman Wall, which they did. Unfortunately no one told the runners coming up the Glacier route, and soon four of them found themselves on the summit with no judges to be seen, visibility near zero, and a fierce and bitter wind blowing. The race had plummeted into chaos. And then it got worse. Descending the glacier in the fog, Victor Galbraith (Joe’s cousin) broke through the fresh snow and fell 40 feet into a crevasse, saved from death only by a small ledge. Five hours later he was miraculously found by a search party led by his cousin Joe. He was hauled out of the crevasse and taken down the mountain on a stretcher, very lucky to be alive. Another runner, Peter George from Boston, also fell into a crevasse. Fortunately, he was able to crawl out and escaped with just some lacerations.

Resurrection It would be 60 years before the spirit of the Mount Baker Marathon would be resurrected, and more years to evolve into the event as we know it today, Ski to Sea, 100 years later. Whether in the early 20th century or early 21st century, the race embodies high drama, great scenery, supportive crowds and, of course, superlative athleticism, now with the eight participants per team and seven race legs (cross-country skiing, downhill skiing or snowboarding, running, road biking, canoeing, mountain biking, and sea kayaking). But this year, in honor of the auspicious 100th anniversary of the 1911 race, the distance is planned for a full 100 miles, with racers coming from all regions of the state, nation, continent, and even athletes from Bellingham’s seven Sister Cities. Mel Monkelis, of Whatcom Events (the community nonprofit that now stages the event) puts it succinctly: “The Race is us, and we are the race.”

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The race ended in incriminations and confusion: Westerlund (who had gone only to the saddle) and Johnny Magnusson (who had reached the summit) were declared co-winners. But no one was happy. And Galbraith’s near tragedy was the last straw. Even the most gung-ho civic boosters had to admit that it was only a matter of time until someone died on the mountain. Instead, the Mount Baker Marathon was put to rest.

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Runner Harvey Haggard returning off the Glacier trail in 1911. He lost the race when his train hit a bull, but was crowned King of Glacier.

le Tour

de France in Bellingham at the

by John

D’Onofrio

ocumentary director Todd Warger and photographer David Lowrance had just released a film about Bellingham’s historic shipyards (Shipyards, 2009) to great acclaim when the notion of creating a documentary about the Mount Baker Marathon first presented itself. The task was daunting: they would need a running, vintage steam locomotive, aerial shots of antique cars racing along county dirt roads, alpine climbing, support and assistance on the summit of Mount Baker, vintage police uniforms—the list went on and on. “Logistically, it was overwhelming,” Warger says. But, inspired by the heroic derring-do of the participants of the first Mount Baker Marathon, Warger and Lowrance persevered. One by one, things began to fall into place. Planes, trains, wardrobe and cars were donated. Actors and camera crews volunteered. The film took shape—the story told in docudrama style with dramatic reenactments, vintage images (most never seen), interviews with descendants and local historians, and reflections by speed climbers Steve House and Chad Kellogg, ultra-runners Krissy Moehl and Doug McKeever, and seven continent marathon runner and author (Second Wind), Cami Ostman. Among the actors is William B. Davis, the famous “smoking man” from The X-Files tv show, who portrays Mount Baker club president Henry Engberg, who, in 1912, had famously insisted that the race carry on despite the perilous conditions. The film, currently in post-production, is expected to be ready to open in Bellingham sometime next winter. For more information, visit themountainrunners.com.

for hundreds of past stories & a full year of events.

art: Vince LaLonde

t y

The Mountain Runners

u M oken Ba r

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July 2nd-24th

• Great Mount Bakery scratch-made pastries • Delicious breakfasts • Organic espresso • and more

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Ski to Sea photos at

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Serving Ski to Sea racers for 25 years race | play | experience

Climbing Eldorado: gold at the end of the rainbow

Abigail Sussman photos by Zachary Treisman story by

he legend of El Dorado, the lost city of gold,

enchanted and eluded explorers for generations. Whether mythos or mystery, there is no question that these stories capture a truth about human nature: we are all searching for a sense of contentment, moments of exhilaration, and a deeper awareness of our world. We may not be looking for gold but for a new encounter, an unusual perspective, an extraordinary experience. Our explorations might take the form of adventuring in the mountains, running long distances, or growing a big garden. The difference is the method, the reasoning is the same. And yet, these exploits are not in themselves an end. Indeed, most of us will spend a lifetime yearning for something—this is our condition. It is in this tradition that I make “to do” lists—desires that I find hard to articulate but nonetheless are central in my life and that are usually connected to a place or experience—peaks I want to climb, ridges I’d like to explore, isolated lakes I want jump into (preferably from a big rock that has been warmed by the sun). I usually accomplish two or three of these goals during the four months of favorable summer conditions. The rest are bumped to next summer’s agenda. Climbing Eldorado Peak was on the top of my list one summer. Crossing Inspiration Glacier as a rare Cascadian lightning storm swept north from Glacier Peak was not. But sometimes the best things are the most unexpected. Earlier in the day, Zack, Denny and I drove up Cascade River Road to the Eldorado trailhead, shoved gear into our packs, and secured a six-pack in an eddy for the following afternoon. The ap14

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proach to Eldorado Peak is notoriously steep, climbing from 2,100 feet to high camp at 7,400 feet (knowing mileage is useless for this type of slog). The route from the river up to the base of Inspiration Glacier is not a maintained trail—there is barely a semblance of switchbacks—and gravity makes itself known. After a quick stop for food in the shade of Salmonberry, we broke out into a large talus field. Navigating through the car-sized boulders, we frequently turned around to gain perspective and monitor our progress against the singular ridge of Johannesburg Mountain just a bit further upvalley. We started the day in t-shirts and sun hats—we even put on sunscreen—and it seemed that perhaps this time the forecast was accurate. But as we climbed higher, the wind picked up and we pulled on layers, warm hats and gloves. By the time we roped up for the last segment of the approach to camp, silver clouds had moved in. Looking south, we watched as Glacier Peak disappeared into the darkened sky.

About half way from where we roped up to camp, the silver lining became gunmetal gray. Lightning strikes were escorted by protracted claps of thunder. Storms themselves are beautiful and interesting to watch— especially from a car perched on a bluff above the prairie, a protected campsite a few ridges over from the action, or from an insulated fire lookout with a warm mug of tea in hand. Lightning storms experienced from the top of an exposed ridge, a bivy sack in the subalpine, or from the flat expanse of a glacier while you and your climbing partners navigate crevasses—holding ice axes and carrying backpacks embellished with crampons and pickets—is, well, let’s just say, exciting. “Up or down?” Denny, in the lead, yelled toward us, his voice muffled by the increasing wind. Zack checked his altimeter. I checked the approaching wall of rain. When you are roped up to your climbing partners, strung out 30 feet apart on a glacier as a storm is chasing you down, group decisions are made quickly. We elected to step-up the pace and continue upwards with the hope that we could set up tents and get rid of our extra metal before the tempest hit. We reached the rock outcropping that indicated camp and promptly threw crampons, ice axes and pickets in a pile well away from our bivy sites before erecting our tents. After a recent trip with particularly heavy packs, Zack and I had opted to take the lightest shelter we had—a 1+ person tent we had used on a previous climbing trip, one that was unfailingly sunny. With rain pelting us and thunder echoing off nearby Forbidden Peak, our level of comfort was decidedly different as we squeezed ourselves and our gear into the tent. I tried shifting gear around to keep things

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Forbidden Peak from Inspiration Glacier

<<< ELDORADO, continued from previous page

dry, but this just made the wet rainfly drip onto Zack, who, at 6’4”, barely fit into the tent anyway. So, we laid as still as possible and listened to the rain, imagining Denny performing extraordinary yoga positions in his roomy 2-person tent. Giggling at the absurdity of our refuge, we gradually noticed that shadows on the tent wall suggested sunlight. Carefully unzip-

ping the door and peeling back the dripping rainfly, I peeked outside and yelped with astonishment—the storm had left us one of the most brilliant rainbows I had ever seen. In his eagerness to see what caused my squeal, Zack scrambled over me and grabbed his camera (no easy feat given the situation). After a couple of clicks, he jumped back into the tent as another squall hit camp. Minutes later

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Lightning storms experienced from the top of an exposed ridge, a bivy sack in the subalpine, or from the flat expanse of a glacier while you and your climbing partners navigate crevasses—holding ice axes and carrying backpacks embellished with crampons and pickets—is, well, let’s just say, exciting.

it passed and we roused Denny to ogle at a second rainbow arching over peaks to the east. The rest of the evening passed in the way summer twilight in the alpine so often does: a remarkable sunset as storm clouds dispersed, cups of miso soup as stars began to appear, a gradual fading of light until a conversation is held entirely in the dark. We all retired to our sleeping bags, grateful to be dry. The morning greeted us with sunshine, and after a leisurely breakfast we roped up and headed toward Eldorado’s summit, only another 1,400 feet above camp. We synchronized our pace so as to move smoothly as a team, skirting the edge of a bergshrund and stepping over small crevasses. Eldorado isn’t a difficult climb but its knife-edged summit can be intimidating, so Zack placed pickets in the glacier as protection, each of us sliding our section of the rope through as we passed by. Like many anticipated events, gaining the summit was almost as sudden as the rainstorm. As we sipped water and munched snacks atop the summit, Denny pointed out routes he had climbed on Forbidden, we drew imaginary lines from our camp to the summit of other peaks, and noted icefalls on nearby glaciers. Hidden Lake Peak, which we had scrambled up a couple of days before, looked insignificant among the surrounding mountains. Though we had attained our goal, in many ways our trip to Eldorado wasn’t as different as the early expeditions to find El Dorado. None of us acquired strange parasites, collapsed from thirst, or accidentally insulted the locals. But like those ill-fated expeditions, our journey led us to a new frame of reference, a deeper understanding of the terrain, and better appreciation for our own abilities. Most of us will not experience a long odyssey through the Amazonian jungle on a search for a lost city, but we are all still seeking something. Whether we know exactly what is missing or just have a vague yearning, we are each on our own journey. And we are the only ones who will know when we have reached our destination.

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Girls on the Run lessons for the elite in a program for the novice by Sarah

photo by Jordan Stead; courtesy WWU Athletics

Porter

their God-given right to be lazy. For every runner who slips from warm sheets to cold pavement in the unearthly hours before dawn, there are a thousand blissfully slumbering souls with no regard for either the toil or reward that can be found beyond the borders of comfort. I am one of the maniacal few who foregoes the rest in favor of the precious, unspoiled morning air. I always have been; it’s never been a matter of why I became a runner, but why I chose not to stop. In middle school, as a mom-proclaimed “adrenaline junkie,” I quickly grew addicted to the most thrilling high I’d ever experienced: foot racing. Starting distance running with the mile race in high school, I quickly ascended the athletic ladder, graduating high school with an individual state championship in cross country, a scholarship to Western Washington University, and a deep desire for finding out what my body would be capable of in the future. I’m now in my senior year at WWU, and within the past four years I’ve run as many as 135 miles per week, been the national runner-up at the NCAA Division 2 Cross-Country Championships two years in a row, and my current 5k personal best is 15:57, almost four minutes faster than the time that won me a state title in high school. I’ve qualified for twelve NCAA Division 2 national championships and have been the only woman to receive the honor of Western Washington’s Athlete of the year, three years in a row. I’ve worked hard, I’ve been blessed with a wonderful team and coaches, and I’ve progressed. I’m proud of my accomplishments but truly believe I’ve only begun to reach my potential. And now, I find myself sharing my love for running with others, spending two hours every Monday and Wednesday with a dozen ten- and eleven-year-old girls who couldn’t care less if I ran a mile in four minutes or four hours.

GOTR photos by Jen Gallant; courtesy Whatcom Family YMCA

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uman beings can always be relied upon to assert, with vigor,

Girls on the Run, sponsored locally by Whatcom County’s YMCA, is a refreshingly non-competitive, extra-curricular national program that introduces fitness and life values into of a generation of young women in third through fifth grade, many of whom desperately need positive outlets and role models, others who just want to dabble in a new activity. The biweekly practice sessions incorporate valuable life lessons into light workouts that help prepare these young women for a 5k, and for an active life. Molly Barker of Charlotte, North Carolina, founder of Girls on the Run, often speaks about the “girl box,” an unfortunate concept that affects the vast majority of middle schoolaged girls, forcing them to deny who they are on the inside, and outwardly become what they think others want them to be. It is a place where what is popular trumps what is right, and beliefs and behaviors are dictated by a warped notion of social acceptability.

Having experienced the “girl box” myself, I am thrilled to be part of a program that, through running, tears it apart and gives girls the strength and motivation to be brave little salmon swimming upstream against an impossible river of media influence and peer-pressure. Girls on the Run is a delightfully enthusiastic, bright reminder of why I started to run in the first place:

by the brutality of competition, the unforgiving face of the clock, and the monotony of an increasingly strict training regimen. These young women, who don’t know that world but who embrace that joy of strong legs beneath them and words of encouragement as they complete each lap, remind me of the uplifting power that running has on my spirit. That’s why I started running, why I continue to run, and why I help these girls. Watching them run in nothing more technical than jeans and Converse shoes takes me back to a simpler time. After all, we ran as kids, didn’t we? At some point we each bore the pain of sawdust in our socks to experience the glory of chasing down our playmates in a game of freeze-tag. We sprinted across backyards in bare feet, imploring our mothers to take notice of our speed. We ran like the wind. But then, something seems to change from school year to school year, and the idea that running isn’t fun takes over. Think about it. When

These young women, who ... embrace that joy of strong legs beneath them and words of encouragement as they complete each lap, remind me of the uplifting power that running has on my spirit. These girls have brought such an incredible amount of passion and purpose into my life as an athlete and as a person, because somewhere along the way, the joy that I once had in discovering and rediscovering a strong pair of legs beneath me was stripped away

continued >>>

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<<<GIRLS, continued from previous page

5th Annual Event

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

Bellingham, WA

the class clown moons the entire gym class in middle school, his punishment will most likely involve running laps. When a high school sports team falls short of their coach’s expectations the next practice session will likely include, much to the team’s dismay, a lot of running. One of the most unfortunate running posters I’ve ever seen displays a gloriously mud-covered set of legs splashing through a puddle, along with the words, “Our sport is your sport’s punishment.” Running should never be seen as a punishment because the ability to run is a precious gift. And I hope that maybe I can inspire one or two of the girls I coach to follow my competitive lead into more serious running, and the rest to just value the simple wonder of one step after the other. When I signed on to help with the Girls on the Run program in Bellingham, I found myself absorbed by pictures of the 5k races that mark the culmination of each session. I was particularly drawn to pre-race and starting line pictures. Something seemed out of place. Where were the competitive scowls on athletes in sponsored warm-up clothes, the serious stretching poses that shut out rapport, the pre-race tears, the dry-heaves, the negative energy? Instead, there were … smiles? A closer look at the photos also revealed that each participant sported a racing bib with a bold #1 in the center. And, the pièce de résistance, in not one of these pictures did I observe a starting or finishing timing system. Already, my involvement in Girls on the Run and being around these inspiring young women has taught me infinitely more than I expected. It took me nine years, hundreds of races and countless thousands of miles to finally reach a realization that struck me with the same sort of clarity that was experienced by the Grinch atop Mt. Krumpet on Christmas morning: “Maybe running,” I thought, “doesn’t come with a score. Maybe running, perhaps, means a little bit more.” ....Yes, training is hard. And racing, when it’s done right, should hurt like hell. But that doesn’t mean that running can’t also be a joyful celebration of the gift of health and an ability that we are all born with. Whether you win a local 5k or are the last person to finish when they’ve already packed up the finish chute or timing equipment, we are all out there together. We are a community and a family. As a member of this community, I ask you to join me on June 4th at 9:00 am in Barkley Village, Bellingham, for the annual Girls on the Run Spring 5K Run/Walk to revel in the feeling of the ground passing beneath your feet and share in the celebration of an accomplishment that will change the lives of each young girl in this program.

www.bellinghambaymarathon.org 20

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At Lake Ann, Mount Baker Wilderness by Kristin Smith

Secret of the glacier’s rim, Icy flavors tingling; Fire and water in the mountain’s soul, Light and cold commingling.

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Backpacking the North Cascades Big Beaver-Little Beaver loop Devil’s Dome-Jackita Ridge loop

story Craig Romano photos Ted Evans Devil’s Dome looking north

ashington’s North Cascades:

a snow and ice-capped serrated wall of lofty cloud-piercing summits cut by a labyrinth of deep dark emerald valleys. The Evergreen State’s Big Empty. Bisected by a lone highway buried under snow for more than half of the year, the North Cascades contain some of the nation’s last large roadless areas. Over 1.5 million acres of this region are protected within national forest wilderness, while nearly 700,000 acres are protected within national park lands. With hundreds of miles of trails and multiple facets, the North Cascades is an area best explored over the course of several backpacking trips. However, you can capture the full grandeur of the region, from its deep valleys and primeval forests to its soaring summits and alpine tundra—in essence from bottom to top—on two classic loops originating 22

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from Ross Lake. One is via the 37mile Big Beaver-Little Beaver loop to experience the North Cascades from below through its trees; the other is via the 28-mile Devil’s Dome-Jackita Ridge loop to see the North Cascades from above through its breezes. Both journeys, which I was fortunate to hike with photographer Ted Evans, began at Ross Lake. Despite its man-made origin (created in the 1930s by the damming of the Skagit River to power Seattle), Ross Lake is breathtakingly beautiful. The fjord-like reservoir captures glacierfed cobalt waters reflecting its jagged surroundings on sunny days.

Big Beaver-Little Beaver Loop

de-Vine Maples form the understory in Big and Little Beaver valleys

Our 15-nautical-mile water taxi shuttle to Little Beaver Landing wasn’t on one of those cherished sunny days. Donned in rain gear, we watched low clouds hug the sur-

pand it—most notably by adding much of the Cascade River Valley and Golden Horn roadless area (currently within national forest) and the west shore of Ross Lake (currently within a national recreation area).

While no private land is involved and the resource extraction industry is no longer a major player in the area, the expansion has its detractors—ironically this time, various continued >>>

Big Beaver Valley

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rounding precipitous slopes and rehydrated creeks cascade into the lake. It was a perfect day to explore the North Cascades’ lush bottomlands, beginning with a trek up the Little Beaver Creek Valley. In spite of its name, there’s nothing little at all about this creek. Born in the meadows and tarns of mile-high Whatcom Pass and fed by scores of glaciers even higher up, Little Beaver roars and thunders across heavily forested and avalanchescarred slopes six thousand feet high. After traipsing a few miles, we entered North Cascades National Park. The 505,000-acre park contains less than ten miles of road—no doubt helping it secure its place as one of our least visited national parks. It didn’t become a reality until 1968 after a long and tumultuous battle between conservationists and resource extraction industries. Many early park advocates, including the late Harvey Manning, felt they compromised too much, settling for a smaller and less viable national park. In fact, the North Cascades Conservation Council, which formed in 1957 to establish the park, is currently working on a campaign to ex-

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Devil’s Dome looking south at Crater Mountain

<<<CASCADES, continued from previous page

recreational groups that will be impacted by new regulations and restrictions. Balancing between resource protection and recreation is always a difficult act. While pondering the past and future of the park, we continued deeper into it, traversing beautiful groves of ancient cedars,

Doug-firs and hemlocks—a scene repeated throughout this hike. After about 12 miles we reached the Big Beaver Trail. Our easy valley walk now over, we steeply climbed for the next two miles to thickly forested 3,650foot Beaver Pass where we had a permit to camp. Beneath mammoth Doug-firs and

Are you on the right path?

beside a babbling tributary we set up our tents—and found we had a neighbor. It was Scottish guidebook author Chris Townsend who was on a 1,200-mile hike of the entire Pacific Northwest Trail. We enjoyed chatting—discussing guidebook writing and sharing trail tales.

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The next morning with clouds still At just shy of six miles we reached Devil’s Dome-Jackita Ridge Loop lingering, we parted ways—Chris for forested 5,825-foot Dry Creek Pass. This One week later with the promise of Whatcom Pass, Ted and I for the Big ridgeline hike is notoriously dry after snowfairer weather, Ted and I returned to Ross Beaver Valley. Descending, we crossed melt—a far cry from the Beaver valleys— Lake along with writer Terry Wood. This several avalanche chutes catching mesmerand we had made sure to fill water bottles time we had a loftier destination: the 28izing glances of the fearsome and impresat the last stream. Leaving a thinning forest mile Devil’s Dome-Jackita Ridge loop with sive Picket Range. Eventually we reached we entered bountiful berry patches with its near constant ridgeline route and chalvalley bottom, coming to Big Beaver Creek excellent views northwest to Ross Lake, lenging collective vertical elevation gain of where it roared through a narrow chasm Desolation Peak (of Kerouac fame), and over 8,000 feet. We would shuttle across before lethargically snaking through lush British Columbia’s Silvertip Mountain. A the lake to Devil’s Landing, then hike east flats. At the Ross Lake National Recreation handful of silvertips, better known as grizacross windswept alpine tundra, wildlife Area border, the valley widened, filled with zly bears, still roam the North Cascades. rich parkland meadows, and steep slopes oxbow ponds and bogs teeming with carWhile earlier waiting for our water taxi, we to journey around towering glacier-clad nivorous sundew plants. chatted with a national park biologist Just beyond lay the valley’s cenI had gotten to experience the full glory of the heading into the Lightning Creek terpiece—groves of some of the oldest Valley just north of us to look for grizNorth Cascades, from dark primeval forest to trees on the planet: Western red cedars open alpine tundra, a bottom to top perspective zly sign. Once abundant throughout a thousand years old with trunks ten western North America, the majestic on one of the country’s last great wild places. feet wide that have graced the planet grizzly is holding on in just a few arsince the Norman Invasion of England. eas south of the 49th parallel. The North 9,066-foot Jack Mountain and 8,128-foot Several decades ago, utility directors wanted Cascades and the Columbia Highlands Crater Mountain. to raise Ross Lake, which would have floodfarther east represent some of the best reFrom the Devil’s Landing dock we beed this valley and decimated these cedars. maining habitat to support them. But right gan climbing. Hiking through much drier Citizen outrage halted the desecration of then the only roving mammals we saw were forest than that west of the lake, we soon this primeval forest; an expanded national scurrying ground squirrels. entered the sprawling Pasayten Wilderness. park would prevent a threat like this from After making a final push across alpine Containing over 525,000 acres, it’s the recurring. tundra we emerged onto the broad summit state’s fourth largest wilderness. At about 2.5 Upon exiting the ancient arboreal of 6,982-foot Devil’s Dome where there miles we got our first view of massive Jack shrine, we could have opted for a water-taxi was one hell of a view! West it was a horizon Mountain cradling the large Nohokomeen at Big Beaver Landing—but we decided to of glistening snow. North, serrated summits Glacier. The elevation gain on this bout of hike an additional seven miles along the faded into Canada. To the east, high dry trail is serious, but the grade isn’t too bad. lake. It was a long slog—but not without its peaks plucked clouds from the sky. While However, sections of the trail are choked rewards of waterfalls and late evening light south, Crater and Jack were backdropped in brush—evidence of a dwindling Forest dancing on the surrounding peaks. by a seemingly infinite number of summits. Service budget for maintenance. continued >>>

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<<<CASCADES, continued from previous page

Devil’s Pass

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We pushed on to 6,100-foot Devil’s Pass. A beautiful spot at meadow’s edge on a small gap, Devil’s Pass would be the perfect camp—offering a night sky bursting with twinkling stars—if not for the dry spring. Ted and I added another mile to our tally to retrieve water from a nearby basin after setting up camp. The next morning we broke camp, racing against incoming inclement weather, and followed a high route across spectacular meadows bustling with marmots. Beyond, the route grew increasingly challenging, steeply dropping and climbing on multiple occasions. The final climb took us across steepgullied scree slopes capable of making more than a few hikers uneasy but that offered a well-positioned rest spot with views straight across a deep valley to the sparkling Jerry Lakes teetering high on Jack Mountain. Rain drops shortened our rest, sending us on the long descent to the North Cascades Highway. Across the verdant open slopes of Devil’s Park we retreated to finish our amazing journey. Combined with the previous week’s adventure, I had gotten to experience the full glory of the North Cascades, from dark primeval forest to open alpine tundra, a bottom to top perspective on one of the country’s last great wild places.

lithtex

a truly shocking experience by Nolan Harron

photo courtesy of Forest and Channel Metrics, Inc.

hen I called my friend Adam about the possibility of getting a job doing habitat assessment for the summer, he was far less enthusiastic than I anticipated. Perhaps referring to the previous seven years I had spent alternately working for a brewery or working for a ski resort, his first response was, “You realize this is a real job, right?” When assured that I was capable of taking things seriously, when necessary, his second response was, “You realize this will be the hardest thing you’ve ever done, right?” I reflected on the previous four months spent hiking the Teton backcountry and dismissed his challenges with the thought, “Sure, Adam, whatever you say.” The first memory I have of Adam is how mad he got when I beat him out of a spot on the eighth-grade basketball team. In a huff he told me, “The only reason you made the team is because you’re ...despite their vacant bigger and taller eyes and tiny brains, fish than I am.” are very good at what “Yep,” I they do—surviving. thought to myself, and it’s been that way ever since. In high school he was studious; I played football. After college, Adam went right to work at a real job for an environmental agency; I moved to Montana to become a ski bum. Despite my wanderings and relative freedom, I had always been fascinated by Adam’s juxtaposing descriptions of his job: The majority of the year he was a desk jockey, compiling reports as a go-between for the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the various timber companies that employed his environmental-based firm; but April through July, he went out into the woods to determine whether or not fish lived in particular streams or, in other words, to shock fish. He made repeated claims of the job’s difficulty, but I chalked it up to the “shock” of getting out from behind a computer screen. I figured, with my workouts at 10,000 feet, the job would be a cinch. Just throw a 35-pound battery (with a four-foot-long electrified rod) on my back, head out into the woods, and send an electrical charge into continued >>>

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<<<SHOCK, continued from previous page

some streams. I pictured old-growth forests and babbling brooks, and saw myself strolling leisurely up a stream while Bambi trotted with curiosity behind me. Reality, however, quickly set in, and my shock was that it wasn’t so much the brawn I needed, but stamina, tenacity, and a bit more brain than I originally anticipated. The need for stream typing arose alongside environmental regulations to preserve habitat and maintain wildlife populations. Identification of where fish do or do not, can or cannot, live helps timber companies and the Department of Natural Resources decide what and how many trees to harvest. The job of Habitat Assessors (or as I like to call them, Fish Shockers) is to hike and map streams with fish-bearing potential and determine whether or not that potential is realized, and where the potential ends. If I learned one thing that summer, it was that fish have a lot of potential. One of the things that made the job so difficult was that we really had no idea where we would find the fish. My partner too, and several hours and two bloodied and I were sent into the most remote areas arms later we emerged from the brambles of Whatcom and Skagit counties to ex- into a beautiful, sword-fern-filled gully at plore every conceivable tributary, no mat- whose head stood two forty-foot waterter how small. We had no cell reception falls. It was a perfect example of the dual and no G.P.S., just a topographic map, an nature of the job. Another difficulty aerial photograph, and a compass. We had to feel Most of the streams we we faced was the neverending-ness of the search, our way through, often surveyed were small magnified by the fact that bewildered by where we were and how battered and muddy and shaded we were battling not only the fish and their own teand spent we felt once we by rock overhangs. nacious ability to survive, arrived at our destination, The fish we were but man and his desire and we marveled that the trying to find were to see fish anywhere he fish had gotten there in small and brown and could. Apparently, in the the first place and manliked to spend their 1970s or thereabouts, a aged to survive. rogue person or persons On one job we had time in the shade. decided to plant fish to survey a “stream” that ran through about a half-mile of blackber- in all bodies of water they could find in ries; I remember standing some four feet Whatcom and Skagit. For us, this resulted above the water supported by nothing but in being at the base of two forty-foot waa criss-crossed structure of thorny, brown terfalls and thinking; “Well, the fish can’t vines and wondering what in the heck I get past here, but we better climb up and had gotten myself into and how in the hell make sure they’re not coming down from I was going to get myself out. But as with the top.” Often times, we would climb most difficult endeavors, rewards come over a series of waterfalls, only to find a >>> What’s YOUR next adventure? Go to AdventuresNW.com

fish hiding in a pool a couple hundred yards up from the last one, which meant we had more climbing, crawling and bleeding to do to rule out populations further upstream. Making the job so darn difficult was also that, despite their vacant eyes and tiny brains, fish are very good at what they do—surviving. Most of the streams we surveyed were small and muddy and shaded by rock overhangs. The fish we were trying to find were small and brown and liked to spend their time in the shade. Which brings me to why we needed an electric current. My experience with fishing, much like with women, is that in order to catch them, you must lure them in, coax them out of hiding with flash or pizzazz, and convince them that what you have to offer is better than anything else in the pond. You must possess a deft hand and subtle nature. I have neither. Without a way to stun them into submission, I would have had about as much success finding fish as

I did getting dates growing up, which is to say none. By temporarily disabling the fish with the charge and forcing their white bellies skyward, I was able to at least get close enough to catch, identify, and document the fish. Second dates were rarely offered. True to Adam’s word, shocking fish was the hardest thing I had ever done, but by the end of the summer I had learned a few things. First, I never wanted to do it again, and it made me very glad I was going back to college to be a teacher. Second, wilderness preservation is tricky. Between man and beast there is no clear cut (pun intended) solution and we need to continue working to find the best practice for both. And finally, never doubt men who walk around in the woods for a living. They are patient and thoughtful people who have plenty of time to think about life as they untangle themselves from the seemingly perpetual briar patch. Besides, they are willing to do it, and I sure as heck am not.

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The McQuaidesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Summer Vacations (or: what to do wh

Baker from, and Baker on,Table Mountain

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>>> GETTING AWAY

Girls Kayak Out: moms & daughters on Diablo & Ross

story & photos by

rms stretched above me, I could just barely reach the bow of the double kayak atop the car. We’d lifted it up there, I reminded myself, so we should be able to get it down. At the stern, my friend Martha waited for my cue. Our pre-teen daughters, not tall enough to be any help with this part, watched with eager smiles. “Uno, dos, tres!” I yelled and, in unison with Martha, pushed up the couple extra inches to lift my end off the cradle. Once we lowered the boat enough, the girls grabbed on to help manipulate the double to the shore of Diablo Lake. Then we repeated the process for the longer and heavier triple kayak. My muscles screamed, and I tried not to think about the portage we’d face in a couple hours. At least we wouldn’t have to lift the boats overhead again for another four days. Martha’s and my families had backpacked, camped, and kayaked together, but always with dads and a brother involved. This was the first girls-only trip, planned for the moment school got out. A questionable move weather-wise, since June isn’t reliable in the North Cascades, but we were ready to celebrate summer—with double good friends, double kayaks, and double lakes—and would have fun whatever the weather had in store. After emptying the car and packing the boats, we launched northward on Diablo Lake from Colonial Creek campground in an early afternoon headwind, so we elected to paddle in mother-daughter pairs, and snugged down our spray skirts. The wind drove water droplets into our faces and the waves pushed us backwards, but somehow we eventually made forward progress and turned into the northeastern arm of Diablo. That section is a beautiful fjord angling toward Ross Lake Dam, and 32

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Laural Ringler

we wandered the twists and turns in the sheltered sunshine, our voices echoing in the channel between high rock walls. The girls shouted they wanted to swim, but Diablo is icy cold, and even in the warm sun an immersed arm was enough to make them reconsider. The five-mile paddle from the put-in felt good, and we found the staging spot for the shuttle that would portage us and our boats from Diablo to Ross Lake. There was no way we could lift the boats, with all the gear, up onto the floating dock and carry them up the steep grade to the road, so Martha and I unloaded while the girls hauled armfuls of drybags up the 200-foot pathway to where the Ross Lake Resort truck would meet us. We were about to pull the still-heavy boats onto the dock when a group in a powered skiff landed. With a decade of park ranger experience, though she is no longer in that line of work, Martha often runs into old friends continued >>>

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<<<KAYAK, continued from previous page

and trail acquaintances when we adventure together. It was happening again at the portage point when a man from the skiff gained the shore and greeted Martha. This friend, still with the park service, was headed to Ross Lake for ranger training with a crew of ...we watched little fish, felt the damp rocks, and twenty-somethings. They thought it would exclaimed over the movie-perfect setting for a be fun to help us move our boats up to the story involving magical creatures, perhaps beshuttle pick-up. Yes. friended by laughing twelve-year-old girls. Post jouncing truck ride, we had only two and a half miles to our Cougar Island campsite. The winds had lessened, so the girls lobbied to paddle pair of shrieking banshees. Essentially, if we wanted to move-out, together. Their white paddles dipped and lifted simultaneously, with mother-daughter pairs would cover the miles, but if we didn’t mind Dana, my daughter, in the back using the foot pedals to control the dawdling, the girls could dictate the speed, practice independent rudder, and Hayden, Martha’s daughter, in front setting the paddle paddling, and have a great time together that allowed for youthstroke speed. We moms paddled with relaxed strokes in the triple ful distractions, like singing a lot, talking non-stop, splashing each kayak, admiring the snowy peaks around us and feeling proud of other, and dragging their fingertips in the water. Early in the season, we had little Cougar Island entirely to ourour strong twelve-year-olds. Until we noticed they were hardly moving. The laughter factor selves that day, and it was glorious. The girls waded to catch tiny grew high, and they were in a great spirits, but they were either not fishes with our drinking cups, explored the perimeter trail, spent time paddling or paddling lightly. We were leaving them behind without journaling, and put a dent in our hot cocoa supply. Martha and I read, perused the map, and told stories. She had been to Ross Lake on even trying. Martha and I could see a new trip pattern forming, and while a research trip back before the bear boxes for campers’ food storage I wanted to reach further and paddle more, I was outvoted by the were installed. I had kayaked here back when the whole family—two

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parents and both kids—fit in the triple kayak. The late light turned us shades of yellow-orange before the sun dropped behind the mountains, and we got cozy into our sleeping bags in one big tent. Hauling gear the next morning, we were stunned to see candy cane-striped stalks of flowery plants that had definitely not been there the day before. “Saxiphrages,” announced Martha, “I think.” We marveled at the six- and eight-inch tall plants, getting our noses close to see if we could catch them growing. Only back home again did we figure out they were Sugarsticks, Allotropa virgata, parasitic plants that thrive on fungi beneath conifers. After setting up camp at Rainbow Point, we powered north to Devil’s Creek. Paddling under the bridge for the East Bank Trail, we turned into a green-mossed rock channel that narrowed to a tumbling waterfall. Then we all began dawdle paddling as we watched little fish, felt the damp rocks, and exclaimed over the movie-perfect setting for a story involving magical creatures, perhaps befriended by laughing twelve-year-old girls. Another day we hiked the same stretch of lake on the trail, exercising completely different muscles to walk-jog the terrain. The girls tried their powers on the bridge, jumping as if on a trampoline to try and move the structure. Then they were inspired to kick off their shoes and wander the loamy trails and paths barefoot. A set of passing hikers looked at our daughters in awe and, after we learned they were from New England, Martha and I joked that they probably went home and told stories of the hardy northwest girls they’d met many miles into the wilderness. That night at May Creek, the low clouds opened up and raindrops fell—on some of us. It was uncanny: We were spread out thirty feet apart on open rock facing the water, and the sun shone on us all, but rain was only falling on those of us to the south. The girls and I experimented with where the line was, hopping back and forth across the rain’s edge, giddy with the oddity of it. Where the rays of sunshine mixed with falling rain into a fine mist, we could hardly see across the lake, yet above that we could see the mountains to the west, and the sun setting behind them. Like at Devil’s Creek, it was a magical, otherworldly experience. Savoring our last night out, we built up a fire with the wood brought from home, had cups of steaming hot cocoa, didn’t count how many marshmallows the girls ate, and stayed up late talking about the magic of the lake.

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Shallow Bay, Sucia Island

My kayak drifts Like a stray leaf in the current, The paddle idle in my hands. The hiss and roar of surf Reverberates off and through The rugged, rocky coast Awash with sun-whitened driftwood Languishing in the shade of russet-barked madronas. The smell of salt and seaweed, Rock and forest, Bird and sand and sky Permeates the gentle summer air. Gull cries stretch and bound Into the ocean’s endless expanse As a pair of stormy blue-gray kingfishers Darts among the trees and rocks of the shoreline, Playing their own game of chase. My hair is crusted with salt— A little piece of the ocean’s soul.

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I take the moment and make it part of me Part of my essence, not just A memory. The moment, the freedom, the soul of this place— It shines in my eyes, glides through my skin, Releases my wild soul. Mystery. Freedom. The wild places. Here, I belong.

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Zodiac at Desolation Sound

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summer training for autumn’s Carnival of Pain story by Alyson Indrunas photos by Scott Barr when I thought I Just couldn’t pedal anymore,

a guy that I didn’t know started running beside me and cheering with the kind of fury and devotion that I have only seen on TV during mountain stages of the Tour de France. His contorted face was screaming, “You look like Katie Compton! Go Katie! Hup! Hup! You pedal just like her! Gooooooo, ladycrosser! Hup! Hup!” What? I knew my pedaling style and posture looked nothing like Katie Compton’s; she is the most decorated American cyclocross racer—male or female—in the history of the sport! (I saw her in Bend, Oregon, at the US Cyclocross Nationals in January this year, and—no question—my feeble newbie suffering was a pale, unsuccessful attempt at imitation of her seemingly effortless power and control.) Nevertheless, my anonymous first-ever fan ran alongside me like I was a real racer, clanging an unbelievably loud cowbell in one hand and carelessly spilling a

PBR tallboy with the other. Despite the fact that every muscle in my body was begging me to stop, and my lungs were burning, and my core temperature was falling with every subarctic puddle I rode through . . . I started pedaling faster. Out of nowhere, I’d found an unlikely second wind. I stood up on my pedals in the “attack” position and dug deep. When I looked back, my apoplectic cheerleader was still chasing after me, wobbling erratically and suddenly smashing his beer can with a celebratory “crunch” while screaming, “Yeah, Katie! Get it, ladycrosser! Hell yes! Hup! Hup!” A huge smile broke through the caked mud on my face as I heard him yell at the next rider coming past. He continued with the cowbell. From that moment on I became smitten with the absurd carnival of pain and pageantry that is cyclocross. That stranger’s

devotion to cheer me onward was likely fueled in part by cheap beer, but even in his public inebriation, he exhibited the spirit of camaraderie that prevails at cyclocross races. Whether you’re racing or cheering, you’re always right in the action, and there’s always someone suffering or celebrating with you. That nameless cheerleader also gave me a sense of what cross is, and what it takes to race cross: Cyclocross is the perfect marriage of graceful grit and pure gnarly determination (without the PBR). It is a demanding discipline, and overcoming obstacles of all sorts is part of the sport. Racers practice throughout the spring and summer and pin on numbers every weekend in the fall and well into the winter. The nastier the weather, the more authentic the cross experience. You have to rise to the challenge, have the ability to recover again and again, to overcome, and to get back on the pedals continued >>>

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<<<CARNIVAL, continued from previous page

even when you are completely shelled. All of my other outdoor interests involve a break: I hike to the top of mountains and stop to check out the views, I rest on the chairlift between snowboard descents, I stop if I see beautiful plants while out running. But in cyclocross, the clock rules. If you are resting, you are losing. I started training for cyclocross without really knowing it. My first taste of cycling dirt was mountain biking at Galbraith Mountain in Bellingham. Everyone I have ever ridden with there is better than me, so if I couldn’t ride a technical section, I would hop off, carry my bike, and run—just so I wouldn’t get in anybody’s way. Turns out I was part-way to cross. I don’t generally enjoy doing anything with a time restriction, and I have never raced or competed as an individual at anything in my life. But I was inspired by how good cross racers make it look so easy—and it motivated me to train to take on the sport for real. And to train harder than I ever have for anything.

My deliberate cyclocross education started last summer with a women’s clinic, put on by Bellingham’s Fanatik Bike and taught by local cross racer Ryan Rickerts, who also puts on the Cascade Cross Series. I was a bit apprehensive, but I calmed myself by remembering that people can only look so intimidating in spandex. Ryan patiently and carefully filled me in on what the women were doing in the drill (I’d missed the first week’s class), and, just like that, he had me and the five other women sprinting toward an improvised finish line after the starting call “3,2,1… Let’s cross!” A bit later we listened as he demonstrated the proper technique for dismounting and remounting our bikes without losing momentum, and I looked up at the darkening sky as a hard rain began to fall. I figured at that point we’d be packing it in. Instead Ryan told us—with a sparkle in his eyes that I found troubling—that rain was great because it would give us a chance to practice on sloppy terrain “just like in a real cross race.” With great enthusiasm

he showed us how to maneuver our bikes through an off-camber turn in the fresh mud. Just before my first cross race—Cascade Cross at Bellingham’s Squalicum Park—on a frigid, bright morning, I chickened out. I wasn’t quite ready, thinking it better to

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You have to rise to the challenge, have the ability to recover again and again, to overcome, and to get back on the pedals even when you are completely shelled. check out the scene, be a raucous cheerleader, and watch how the pack moved. Two of the women from the clinic were there and they raced. And so did my husband, Scott, who, even though it was his first cyclocross race, has a long history of racing individually on “things that have wheels and go fast,”

as he likes to say. Almost immediately I was berating myself deep down. What was I doing just watching? This looked like a blast! It also it looked like acute suffering: After forty-three minutes, Scott rolled over the finish line in fifth place. He slumped over his handlebars, completely spent but happy. He pretty much summed up the cyclocross experience by saying, through gasps of breath, “During the race I kept thinking that I couldn’t wait for it to be over, and now that it’s over I can’t wait to do it again! That’s weird, right?” He took a slug from his water bottle and said, “Dude, you’ll love this!” (Anytime I’m addressed with the honorific “Dude” in reference to anything sports-related, I know I have to trust him.) So the following week I lined up with the ladies at a Halloween-themed Thriller Cross race next to a vampire, a woman in a very large Afro wig, a fierce-looking Viking with a sword strapped to her back, and two other women, who, like me, were not in costume. The race announcement said that costumed racers would receive the privilege

of a first-row starting position, but I was too nervous to conceptualize and gather an ensemble. Inwardly, I wore an “invisible cloak of terror”—my secret timid hero costume. I wasn’t worried about crashing, as I’d already done plenty of that in my early days of mountain biking. I just didn’t want to take anyone else down. I did crash on my second lap after coming into a corner too hot. I went down on my knee, but got right back up again and resumed the chase. Most of the women had gotten away from me by the second lap, but I was taking turns leading and chasing with two other newbies at the back of the pack. After the race, I was dirty, incredibly thirsty, blood was spilling down my knee, and I couldn’t stop smiling. The whole time I was cleaning the wound that would become “My First Cyclocross Scar,” all I could think about was what I could have done better and what I’d do next time. The next race, I decided, I would keep the bike upright. A week later in Kent, riding in howling wind, freezing temperatures, and sideways continued >>>

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<<<CARNIVAL, continued from previous page

SINCE 1979

Ride ‘em if ya got ‘em!

are getting lapped), and I found that whenever they pass me, those racers are really nice. The leader and his chaser usually say, “Keep it up!” or “Grab my wheel!” or something else encouraging (but probably impossible at the time). I’ve also noticed that the third- and fourth-place riders can barely grunt, “On your left,” but I like to pretend that I’m in the chase with them—even if it’s only for a few seconds.

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rain, I pushed through my second race. I did crash in the much more crowded ladies’ field, and I did get “lapped” when the frontrunners caught me from behind, but I also had the comforting realization that if a rider is good enough to pass me, he or she is good enough to pick a clean line to go around me. It was then that I relaxed about racing in such close proximity to other riders. Race etiquette calls for you to get out of the way of the leaders and the chasers (especially if you

Every weekend I set different goals. In one of the Seattle races, I made every effort to stay with the ladies who’d beaten me the week before (I’d taken notes)—until I faded. Some races I managed to pass a few of the slowest men, who actually started thirty seconds before me. I was later thrilled to learn that this is called “getting chicked”! Yes, I was chicking the dudes! I tried to learn how to corner better, and even passed a few women by choosing a better line. And I rode downhill segments of the course that other people had to walk. Even if I don’t ever ascend to the winner’s podium, or if I always race in the “beginner” class, the challenge of trying to stay upright on my bike will keep me practicing through the summer and lining up on those fall weekends (which until recently had been a time of respite between the end of backpacking season and the first day of snowboarding). Fighting to pilot the bike through slippery mud on a technical downhill is satisfying, and supremely fun, but above all it’s the boundless goal of improving one’s effort—one lap at a time—that gets my heart racing.

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Hold the mountain’s name silent, Hushed and hidden from the plague of jackboot and fist. The words tarnish and twist, Expire and strangle the awed moment, Dull tools that shatter the sacred glass. Beware the scree of tumbling words The loose clamor of benighted spirit, off-route and dark In the poison fire of heedless furnace and clouded light.

We stand for wildlife, thriving pines, hiking, fishing, boating, biking, climbing and camping out. We think that educating people is the key to land protection, and believe that when people know how to take care of their lands, they will forge the path to protect them.

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sound to fall on our ears since climbing out of Downey Creek. I could just make out the slender aluminum floats attached beneath the little aircraft and determined it was one of those scenic flights from Lake Chelan thirty or forty miles to the east. Its faint drone was barely audible in the gentle alpine updrafts above the Dana Glacier. All other traces and tracks of humankind were nonexistent. We were three days into a south-to-north trek of the legendary Ptarmigan Traverse, a 40-mile alpine high route along the jagged crest of the North Cascades. Thirteen major summits stand sentinel along the ridgeline of the Cascades, bearing down on alpinists threading their hazardous way across, up, over and through the gauntlet of rock and ice. Today, 73 years after its first crossing, only a thin track is worn in the extreme northern access to the route. A day’s hike from the trailhead at Cascade Pass, the path disappears altogether, and with it goes your cell phone signal and the assurance of a speedy hightech rescue. Since leaving the trailhead three days earlier, each with 50 pounds of food and equipment on our backs, our route had been daunting. Road washouts, slide alder, devil’s club and black flies characterized the first part of the journey. Clamoring through a maze of monstrous blow-downs in the old growth lowlands had been a challenge too. While tainted by annoyances or cumbersome challenges, the majority of miles that lay behind us did epitomize pure natural beauty. Ancient Cedar trees and towering Douglas-firs shielded us from the summer’s hottest temperatures and bathed us in earthy lowland fragrances. The cascading creeks we followed carried cool alpine air down from the high country. Lupine and Indian paintbrush were in bloom and the Salmonberries hung like heavy ornaments on their prickly branches.

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A family oriented, clothing optional club—on HWY 9 near scenic Lake McMurray.

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New for 2011:

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runs on white gas; comes with a heat reflector & nylon stuff sack

PrimusCamping.com

<<<PTARMIGAN, continued from page 43

In the stellar stillness of a clear Cascade dawn, we left our ridge-top camp above Cub Lake in the shadow of Dome Peak, on the divide between the lush green of the western slopes and the arid plains of eastern Washington. We traversed over talus, an unconsolidated mix of sand, gravel and rocks of all sizes on slopes so steep that the angle of repose is in constant danger of being disturbed. We beat an awkward route over this for hours, gaining little ground for our efforts. Later, the snow-covered portions of our route were delightfully better; a thin top-layer of creamy white easily accepted the kick of our boot soles as we ascended the gentle incline of Dome Peak. Now, with twelve sun-drenched hours, 5,000 vertical feet, and nine rugged miles behind us it was becoming clear that we would never make our intended destination at White Rock Lakes. Earlier, the alpenglow had ignited the surrounding summits in a blaze of vivid magenta—but with the sun sinking into Puget Sound behind high broken ridges, the prospect of being caught on the steep snows of the Dana Glacier during a moonless night set my senses on high alert. The snow, once so gracious, suddenly

became an icy crust that resisted our flagging kicks, making each downward stride a risky balance between momentum and diminishing friction. The little sea plane had disappeared altogether in the dusky eastern sky and the light of day faded from the Dana’s icy surface. Anxiety grew in my chest and guts as I scanned the cold, sloping terrain for any hint of a site where we could scrape out enough crusty snow to accommodate the footprint of our flyweight tent. We were only 50 miles from Bellingham as the crow flies, but we were days from help if our trek turned desperate. Minutes later we blundered into a stifflegged slide. We plunged down, rope tangled in our crampons, gear breaking free from our packs. A loose helmet rolled in a rough path down the glacier’s fall line, bouncing over a couple crevasses until it became a faint orb in our deteriorating vision. Then, incredibly, the helmet slowed and came to a stop in front of what looked like a dark band of rock or dirty glacier ice. “There!” I yelled, concentrating on the speck of plastic far below and delighted that any frozen place on this ice sheet wasn’t near vertical. “Let’s camp there!”

After a night’s sleep that only bone-weary fatigue can bestow, the sun broke orange and strong above the floor of a deep, green, river drainage extending to the east. Light poured into our iced-over bivy site, immediately turning the cold crust into slush. Bright rays beat against our tent until we roasted in our sleeping bags. Forced awake, I unzipped and thrust my head into the blinding light of a brand new alpine day. I breathed deep and was overwhelmed by the cool purity of the fresh glacial atmosphere, and thrilled by the rare pleasure of absolute peacefulness. Taking the day’s first steps across the glacier, heading into the talus fields that clung above the steep green valley walls, an intense awareness enveloped me. Each tread of my boots, each clink of my ice axe against the granite, fully occupied my senses; my eyes and ears were full of the rising updrafts and azure sky. The imposing stone walls of Sentinel and Old Guard peaks towered above us in precise and absolute clarity, revealing every minute detail of their mineral surfaces. Time morphed from a gauge of passing events into degrees of quality. We were four days into the Ptarmigan Traverse and distinctly in the center of our lives.

LATE SPRING

| SUMMER 2011 | EARLY FALL

end of MAY >>> Tuesday, 24 May HEAR Wendell Berry—Seattle. Seattle Arts and Lectures and North Cascades Institute present this author of more than 40 books of poetry, fiction, and essays that address ecological and agricultural responsibilities—at Benaroya Hall. ncascades.org SEE Four Seasons in Paradise— Bellingham, 6pm. At REI, see ANW contributor John D’Onofrio’s photography from around the northwest. rei. com/event/21706/session/26918

Friday, 27 May BIKE Diva Cycle— Bellingham, 3pm. Cruise to several vintage and secondhand clothiers. Free. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Saturday, 28 May MULTI Mind Over Mountain 1—Burnaby, BC, 9am. 30k and 50k multisport courses. 866-912-3331, mindovermountain.com RUN/WALK Magnuson Series —Seattle, 9:30am. 5k, 10k,15k, kids’ dash, special events, and relay option. magnusonseries.org NAV Gig Harbor Street Scramble —9:30am. On foot or bicycle, visit as many checkpoints as you can in 90 min. Team or solo. 3hr option. Free. 206291-8250, streetscramble.com BOAT/SPEC Season Kickoff— Bellingham, 10am. Celebrate boating season with free kayak, sailboat, SUP, and rowboat rentals at the Community Boating Center in Fairhaven. 360-7148891, boatingcenter.org

Saturday-Sunday, 28-29 May MT BIKE 24 Hours Round the Clock—Spokane, noon-noon. Race at Riverside State Park, solo, team, and a free kids race. roundandround.com

Sunday, 29 May RUN/WALK Good Karma 5K & 4K Walk—Seattle, 9am. At Seward Park, be part of an event with 50% of your fundraising to go to a charity of your choice. Bring a can of food for the Northwest Harvest food drive or participate in the “thank you cards for troops” drive. 206-330-5967, goodkarma5k.com RUN Coeur d’Alene Marathon— ID, 5am. Course starts and finishes 2,200 feet above sea level. Also a Half and a 5k. cdamarathon.com

BIKE Flower Pedal Ride— Bellingham, 1pm. From the Public Market on Cornwall, ride to a few neighborhood gardens before a demo at a local nursery. Free. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com >>>MULTI Ski to Sea—Bellingham, 8am. A multi-sport relay for recreational to elite athletes, from the slopes of Mount Baker to the shores of Bellingham Bay. 7 legs, 8 racers/ team—XC ski, downhill ski or board, rd run, rd bike, canoe, mt bike, and sea kayak to a finish at Fairhaven’s Marine Park. Top Gun Awards as well as divisional awards presented at the finish festivities around 6pm. (Read more about Ski to Sea in ANW’s Online Library!) skitosea.com SPEC Fairhaven Festival— Bellingham, 10am-8pm. An all-day fest in conjunction with Ski to Sea—just blocks from the finish line—for all ages, with live music on 2 stages, kids’ fun, arts and craft vendors, ethnic foods, a beer garden, and more. fairhaven.com

Monday, 30 May BIKE Seven Hills of Kirkland. Do 7 hills (40mi), or a metric century with 11 hills; or full century into the Snoqualmie Valley and Snohomish Co, with 4 hills. 7hillskirkland.org WALK Mount Vernon—9:45am. Meet at Hillcrest Park for a 10k walk. Potluck picnic after. Free or AVA credit $3. 360-756-0470, nwtrekkers.org

Tuesday, 31 May BIKE First Gear everybodyBIKE Class—Bellingham, 6pm. At Happy Valley Elementary, get the tips and secrets that make bicycling safe, comfortable and fun for getting around town. Pre-register. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com HEAR Bill McKibben, with Eaarth—Bellingham, 5pm. New York Times best-selling author, activist, and “green” journalist speaks at the Fairhaven Village Green. re-sources.org

JUNE >>> Tuesday, 2 Jun HEAR Craig Romano, Backpacking Washington—Bellingham, 7pm. Adventures NW contributor Craig Romano gives a slide presentation at REI. craigromano.com

Friday-Sunday, 3-5 Jun ADV RACE Wild Canyon Games —Antelope, OR. Teams of 7 run, swim, bike, geocache, climb, zip-line, and blob. wildcanyongames.org

Saturday, 4 Jun (National Trails Day) RUN Middle School Challenge— Bellingham, 10:30am. See 400 kids run at Whatcom Falls Park. BIKE Apple Century Bike Ride — Wenatchee, WA. 8/10am. 50 and 100mi rides that wind through the orchards, vineyards and foothills of north central WA. SAG wagons and post-ride party, with food, beverages, entertainment. applebikeride.com MT BIKE Bavarian Bike & Brews —Leavenworth. Series race #2. Family fun, racing, beer, and music. An 8.6mi loop with 1800ft elevation gain, creek crossings, single track. indieseries.org BIKE SWAN Century & Family Fun Ride—Sedro Woolley. 100, 58 or 13mi supported rides along Skagit River and S. Skagit Hwy or on toward the flats. Benefit for Serving Women Across Nations. swancentury.org MULTI Gap2Gap Relay—Yakima, 7:45am. This multi-sport, 5-leg race utilizes the Yakima Greenway along the Yakima River. Elite or Sport, solo or team. Jr. G2G is for 6-14 yr-olds. 509453-8280, yakimagreenway.org/g2g SKATE Skatefest—Anacortes, noon-4pm. Three levels of competition at Ben Root Skatepark. Free. cityofanacortes.org/parks/events.htm ULTRA Rainier to Ruston Rail Trail Relay—Mt. Rainier. 50mi running relay, 15mi walking relay, 50k & 50mi ultras. rainiertoruston.com FISH Kids Fishing Derby— Anacortes, 7-11am. Kids 13 and under fish free at Heart Lake. cityofanacortes.org/parks/events.htm WALK Spokane Bridge Walk— 9:30am A 4.5mi loop walk that crosses 17 bridges in the heart of Spokane. 509-625-6546, bit.ly/bridgewalk RUN Race Beneath the Sun— Bellingham, 10am. The 5mi mostly-trail race and 1/2mi kid’s run begin and end at Fairhaven Park. gbrc.net

ROW Learn to Row Day— Bellingham, 9am. At Bloedel Donovan Park experience what rowing (sculls, rowing shells, etc.) is all about, sponsored by the Community Boating Center and the new Whatcom Rowing Association. No charge; donations appreciated. whatcomrowing.org, 360714-8891, boatingcenter.org >>>RUN Girls on the Run Spring 5k—Bellingham, 9am. A community (girls, boys, women, men, leashed pets and strollers welcome!) 5k at Barkley Village to celebrate and support Girls on the Run of NW Washington. (GOTR is an after-school character development program that uses the power of running to build girls’ self-esteem.) Low registration fee; free to GOTR participants; race proceeds help allow girls of all socio-economic levels to participate. 360-733-8630, jgallant@whatcomymca. org, whatcomymca.org TRI/RUN Issaquah Tri—Issaquah, mult. start times. A sprint triathlon and duathlon, a 5k and 10k run/walk, and a kids triathlon. issaquahtri.com

Saturday-Sunday, 4-5 Jun PADDLE NW Whitewater Championships—Roslyn. WKC Salmon la Sac Slalom & Downriver on Cle Elum River. nwwhitewater.org

Sunday, 5 Jun RUN San Juan Island Marathon, Half-Marathon & 10k—Friday Harbor, 8:30am. An out-and-back along the west side of San Juan with views of Haro and Juan de Fuca straits. The half offers rolling hills and farmland. The 10k is new this year. sjmarathon.org PADDLE Round Bowen Challenge —Bowen Island, BC, 10:30am. A 38k race for kayaks, canoes, surfskis, outriggers. Finistere Dash open to paddleboards. roundbowenchallenge.com RUN 3 Towers Adventure Run—Olympia, 9am. 10-15 miles; no set route; each runner must get to checkpoints located at 3 water towers. 360.970.2896, guerillarunning.com BIKE Peninsula Metric Century— Gig Harbor/Southworth. Waterfront views, countryside, and rolling hills. 29, 44, 62 or 100 miles. twbc.org RUN Red Devil Challenge— Cashmere. A 20k trail run and relay on a singletrack loop with about 3,000 ft of elevation gain. runwenatchee.com

>>> Before participating, always confirm all dates, times and fees. >>>THANK YOU to event organizers who email their info to Adventures NW by deadline! >>> See your outdoor-related event / outing / presentation in the next print calendar or online. Submit anytime for the online calendar, but no later than Aug. 1 for the next print edition. Submission guidelines and details on how to increase your event visibility: AdventuresNW.com 46

race | play | experience

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

race I play I experience

race I play I experience BIKE Fort2Fort Bike Ride—Port Townsend. From Fort Worden State Park tour through Jefferson Co. to either Old Fort Townsend (17mi rt or 42mi loop) or Fort Flagler (62mi rt). fort2fortride.org WALK Bellingham—1:45pm. Meet at the YMCA for a 10k in Whatcom Falls Park. Free or AVA credit $3. 360756-0470, nwtrekkers.org RUN Duvall 5k/10k—Duvall, 8:45/9am. Hilly tough 10k; fast flat 5k; free kids dashes. Benefits Riverview Education Foundation. refweb.org RUN North Olympic Discovery Marathon & Half—Sequim. Course to Port Angeles includes the Olympic Discovery Trail. Relays, 5k, 10k, and kid’s marathon, too. nodm.com RUN Race for the Cure —Seattle. Money raised will help provide women in the Puget Sound region access to breast health education, screening and care. New location this year: Seattle Center. komenpugetsound.org RUN Chum Run—Langley, 10am. A 5k on the groomed paths of South Whidbey Community Park; a free Fry Run (for kids) too. Fifteenth year for this event. 360-221-5484, swparks.org

Friday, 10 Jun BIKE Bike to Breakfast— Bellingham, 10am. From Old Town Cafe, ride the hidden trails of Heron Pond near Squalicum Creek. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com RUN Fremont 5k & Briefcase Relay—Seattle, 6pm relay/7pm 5k. Go solo or on a costumed 5-person briefcase relay team. Beer garden after. 206-729-9972, fremont5k.com

Friday-Sunday, 10-12 Jun SPEC Lummi Stommish Water Festival—Bellingham. People of all ages and from all walks come together for canoe races, bone games, music, a carnival and more, in the spirit of the Potlatch, celebration of Puget Sound waters, and the annual gathering of canoe tribes linking First Nations People of the PNW. stommish.com FLY Twisp Fly In—Twisp. 3 days of antique aircraft, restoration projects, nearby fishing and more. twispairport.com

Saturday, 11 Jun BIKE Flying Wheels Summer Century—Redmond. Enjoy Puget Sound rural riding with loops of 25 to 100 miles. cascade.org RUN Sound to Narrows—Tacoma. A 12k run/walk that traverses the hilly terrain of west Tacoma and Point Defiance Park. Also a 5k, Junior Shuffle and Diaper Dash. soundtonarrows.org

RUN Mount Vernon, 6pm, Beginner/ Recovery: 3-5mi at 9-11min/mi; meet at Skagit Running Co. 336-2475, skagitrunners.org MEET Bellingham, 7pm. NW Straits Surfrider Meeting: 4th Mon. at Boulevard Park. surfrider.org/nws MT BIKE Arlington, 6:15pm, XC & Light-free Trail (May-Sep). 360-6296415, stanwoodvelosport.com READ Bellingham, 7pm, PNW Book Club: 1st MON at WLT office. 360650-9470, whatcomlandtrust.org RUN+ Bellingham, 6pm. All Comers Track & Field: multiple events for all ages at Civic Field; day, season, family passes. cob.org/races

TUESDAYS

RD BIKE Ferndale, 10am, North Social Ride: 30-40mi from Pioneer Park,10-14mph. mtbakerbikeclub.org RUN Bellingham, 6pm, All Paces: 40-minute run with various speed groups, from Fairhaven Runners. 6764955, fairhavenrunners.com RUN Mount Vernon, 5:30pm, Skagit Advanced: up to 6 miles, 7-8+ min/ mile pace, from Skagit Running Co. 3362475, skagitrunners.org KAYAK Bellingham, 6pm, Kayak Polo: at Marine Park. No exp. needed (some gear avail.). 676-4279, kayakpolobellingham@yahoogroups.com RD BIKE Arlington, 6pm (Mar-Sep). Sweetcakes:14.5mi at 15-18mph. 360629-6415, stanwoodvelosport.com FIX Bellingham, 6pm, Bicycle Repair Clinic: “last Tuesdays” at Fairhaven Bike & Ski. 733-4433, fairhavenbike.com RUN Bellingham, 5:30pm, Evening Track Workout: emphasis on team running and racing; meet at Sehome High. fairhavenrunners.com RD BIKE N B’ham, 5:45pm (Apr-Sep), Ramp Up: group rides at 14-15mph for 15-20mi; meet at, Bakerview & Northwest. mtbakerbikeclub.org RD BIKE Bellingham, 6pm, Hot Laps. 30-40mi at 20mph from Kulshan Cycles. mtbakerbikeclub.org

THURSDAYS

RUN Anacortes: 6pm, Trail: 3-7mi from Heart Lake. skagitrunners.org RD BIKE Arlington, 6pm (Mar-Sep), Pacelines: 25+mi at 19-20mph. 360629-6415, stanwoodvelosport.com FIX Bellingham, 6pm, Fix a Flat Demo: at Fairhaven Bike & Ski, free. 733-4433, fairhavenbike.com RD BIKE Bellingham, 6pm summer months, Fairhaven Ride: race pace for 25-30mi, or medium speed/shorter dist. 733-4433, fairhavenbike.com RD BIKE Edison, 10am, South Social Ride: 30-40 mi,10-14mph from Edison Elem. mtbakerbikeclub.org RUN Bellingham, 6pm, Hit the Trail: causal ~40min trail runs around Bellingham; meet at Fairhaven Runners. 676-4955, fairhavenrunners.com

FRIDAYS

KAYAK Kirkland, 9-10:30pm (thru June). Kayak Open Pool Sessions: $10, instruction/rentals avail., at Juanita HS. outdooradventurecenter.com

SATURDAYS

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

SUNDAYS

KAYAK Bellingham, 10am. KayakPolo: at Marine Park, all weather, all welcome, some gear available. kayakpolobellingham@yahoogroups.com RD BIKE Bellingham, 8:30am, Rabbit Ride: a group training ride from Fairhaven (out Chuckanut, back by way of Samish); small groups, 15+mph, 30mi, fairhavenbike.com WEDNESDAYS RD BIKE Edison, 10am, Edison Social RUN Bellingham, 6pm, Evening Epic: Ride: 30-40 mi at 10-14mph from Edison “strenuous,” hilly runs of 1.5-2 hours; Elem. mtbakerbikeclub.org meet at Fairhaven Runners. 676-4955, fairhavenrunners.com DAILY RUN Mount Vernon, 6pm, Skagit PADDLE Seattle, Mon/Wed 6pm, Sat Advanced: up to 7mi, 7-8 min/mi pace; 8am, Sun 3pm. Dragon Boating: At meet at Skagit Running Co. 336-2475, S Lake Union Park, free intro lessons. skagitrunners.org 206-523-4518, seattleflyingdragons.org PADDLE Bellingham, 6pm, Casual SEE Lynden, May-Nov. Flying Pick-up Race (Spring-Fall): Paddlers Spokes: 100 Years of the Bicycle: of all types informally come together at An art show; opening celebration Sun, Bloedel-Donovan Park/Lake Whatcom. 5/27. lyndenpioneermuseum.com RD BIKE Bellingham, 6pm, Group LEARN Everett, 1 Jul-6 Sep. Jetty Workout: Apr-Sep, Race/Training pace. Island Days: Near the 10th St. Boat mtbakerbikeclub.org Launch & Marine Park, free interpretive

in searchable PDF or Flash format, at AdventuresNW.com

ranger services, free ferry transportation, activities and programs. 425-2578300, ci.everett.wa.us

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

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

• whimpsmtb.com • whidbeyislandbicycleclub.org

VOLUNTEER WA Trails Assoc Statewide trail maintenance occurs every day but Monday. 206-625-1367, wta.org WHIMPS Mt bike Coalition Whatcom Co. trail work whimpsmtb.com Mt Vernon Trail Builders Little Mountain work parties, 10am 2nd & 4th SAT except Aug mountvernontrailbuilders.com Nooksack Salmon Enhancement ASSOC 360-715-0283, n-sea.org CHUCKANUT CONSERVANCY chuckanutconservancy.org Pnw Trail assoc Skagit/Whatcom work parties 1st & 3rd SAT, Apr-Oct. pnt.org Whatcom Land trust whatcomlandtrust.org 360-650-9470 Volunteers for outdoor washington trailvolunteers.org PEOPLE FOR PUGET SOUND 206-382-7007, pugetsound.org Washington water trails wwta.org Anacortes Community Forest Lands friendsoftheacfl.org Padilla Bay Reserve 360-428-1070, padillabay.gov Iron Goat trail irongoat.org Bellingham Parks 360-778-7105 cob.org/government/public/ volunteer/parks

race | play | experience

race I play I experience

11 Jun (cont.) - 24 Jun

PADDLE Hawaiian Canoe Races —Everett, 10am-2pm. A family-oriented event at Silver Lake, hosted by Hui Wa’a O of Puget Sound. everettwa.org/parks TR RUN Cougar Mt Trail Run #2 —Newcastle, 9am. 7.5mi; finish line refreshments. 206-291-8250, nwtrailruns.com ADV RACE Trioba Sprint—Port Gamble, 9am. A course using map and compass: 5-10mi paddle, 5-10mi trail run, and 5-20mi mt bike. 253-273-1026 ,trioba.com PADDLE Wenatchee River Festival—Cashmere. A “premier PNW whitewater event” on anything that you can float or paddle. wenatcheeriver.com SAIL Leukemia Cup Regatta— Seattle, noon. Join other sailors in a fun-rules race to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 206-628-0777, leukemiacup.org/wa RUN March Point Run & Fun Walk—Anacortes, 10am. A free kids run, plus a 5k walk/run and a 10k race. 360-293-9132, wanderson@tsocorp. com MT BIKE Echo Valley MTB Race— Chelan, 8:30am. Race 30 or 60mi in one day on scenic trails. 425-301-7009, nwepicseries.com

RELAY FOR LIFE EVENTS relayforlife.org 6/3 Oak Harbor/N. Whidbey, Kent, Lakewood, Moses Lake, Elma, Hoquiam, S Kitsap, Spokane 6/4 Arlington, Monroe, Edmonds, Bellevue, Shoreline, Redmond 6/5 Wenatchee 6/10 Port Angeles, Wilbur, Walla Walla, Spokane Valley, W Seattle, Belfair, Renton, Tacoma, Kennewick, Coeur d’Alene ID 6/11 Burlington, Marysville, Des Moines,Yakima, Seattle/Green Lake 6/17 Lynden, Ephrata, Tacoma, Gig Harbor, E Wenatchee 6/18 Raymond 6/24 Shelton, Puyallup, Ravensdale, Olympia, Federal Way, Ilwaco/ Long Beach, Ellensburg, Colville 6/25 Anacortes, Silverdale, Washougal, Bonney Lake 7/8 Bellingham, Poulsbo, Colfax, Bainbridge Island, Randle 7/9 Enumclaw, Astoria OR, Eastonville, Snoqualmie 7/16 Rainier, Cle Elum, Port Townsend 7/29 Sumner,Vashon, Nine Mile Falls 7/30 Friday Harbor 8/5 Forks 8/12 Sequim 8/13 Longview

race | play | experience

Saturday & Sunday, 11 & 12 Jun

Friday, 17 Jun

SAIL Jr. Ski to Sea Regatta— Bellingham. On Bellingham Bay, this 2-day regatta is open to sailors 18 and younger in dinghy sailboats under 19ft; multiple class divisions. byc.org

SWIM Friday Night Swim—Kent, 6pm. Swim .5mi, 1.2mi, 2.4mi at Lake Meridian Park. weraisethebar.com

Sunday, 12 Jun RUN Edge to Edge Marathon & Relay—Tofino, BC. Run from Tofino to Ucluelet on Vancouver Island. (See the ANW Online Library for Craig Romano’s E2E story.) 250-726-464, edgetoedgemarathon.com RUN Sandcastle City Classic 10k—South Surrey/White Rock, 9am. Run from Crescent Park Elementary School. sunrunners.ca RUN Shore Run/Walk—Seattle, 8am. Annual event to benefit Immunotherapy Research at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Ctr. shorerun.com TR RUN Beacon Rock 25k, 50k— North Bonneville, 8am. Run on mountain trails with views of the Columbia River, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Hood. 509846-5019, rainshadowrunning.com BIKE Tour de Bike Shops II— Bellingham, 1pm. From Jack’s Bicycle Center, visit local bike shops; including Bellingham’s oldest. Free. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com RUN Summertime Fun Berry Run/Walk—Smokey Point, 8am. A 1mi and 5k from the Smokey Point Plant Farm. maryfest.com/berryrun RD BIKE Bill’s Hills—Bellingham, 7am. Join Mount Baker Bicycle Club for a challenging, social ride of up to 100 miles—all close to Bellingham—with 10,000 feet of elevation gain. Open to nonmembers. mtbakerbikeclub.org RUN Rock ‘n Soul Run—Bellingham, 2pm. At WWU be part of a combined music concert and 5k run/walk to raise money for the National MS Society. The concert is open to all and free; the run has a registration fee that will go to the National MS Society Greater Northwest Chapter. msrocknsoul.com

Mondays, 13 Jun - 29 Aug RUN+ All Comers Track & Field— Bellingham, 6pm. Every Monday, take part in multiple events for all ages at Civic Stadium. Enter as many events as you like. Multiple age divisions with awards given 3 deep. cob.org/races

Wednesday, 15 Jun RUN/WALK Forest Park Hill Climb—Everett, noon. At the park’s Upper Field, walk, run or skip up 10 hills in a 30min timed event. Team or solo. (Also 7/13, 8/17 and 9/21). 425257-8300, everettwa.org/parks

WALK/SEE Solstice Walk a’bout—Bellingham, 5-9pm. Stroll throughout the Historic Fairhaven District, stopping at scores of area shops and galleries to view special exhibits in the annual summer art walk. fairhaven.com RUN Longest Day 10k & 5k —Vancouver, BC, 6:30pm. From Thunderbird Stadium, run one or two loops on the UBC Campus. thunderbirdstrack.org

Saturday, 18 Jun BIKE Tour de Blast—Toutle Lake. Ride up the spectacular Mt. St. Helens Memorial Highway to Johnston Ridge and back. tourdeblast.com RUN 5k Walk/Run for Literacy— Bellingham, 9am. A mostly-trail 5k from Fairhaven celebrating the anniversaries of Village Books, Fairhaven Runners and Whatcom Literacy Council, with ALL proceeds going to the Literacy Council. A free kids .5mi and post event festivities on the Fairhaven Village Green. fairhavenrunners.com

TRI Cottage Lake Tri & Tri Again —Woodinville, 8am. A “super sprint” tri (400yd swim, 9mi bike, 1.5mi run). “Again”: x2. marymeyerlifefitness.com BIKE Rock and Ride—George, 7am. Tour 10, 30, 70, or 100 miles through the George area. quincyvalley.org ULTRA/RUN Vashon Ultramarathon & Trail Run— 8:30am. A 50k and 10mi from Paradise Ridge Park. vashonultra.com RUN Taylor Mt.Trail Run— Issaquah, 8:30am. A 5mi, half marathon and 50k trail run with views. 425-3017009, evergreentrailruns.com

Saturday & Sunday, 18 & 19 Jun TRI Iron Mountain Tri—Maple Ridge, BC, 7am. Olympic, sprint, and supersprint distances at Whonnock Lake. ironmountaintriathlon.com BOAT Father’s Day Boat Show & Swap Meet—View boats at the marina both days (free); swap meet Saturday. 100% of raffle and donations benefit Skagit Bay Search and Rescue. 360-466-3300, laconneryachtsales.com

Sunday, 19 Jun RUN/WALK Magnuson Series —Seattle, 9:30am. 5k, 10k,15k, kids’ dash, special events, and relay option. magnusonseries.org

PADDLE Whatcom Assn. of Kayak Enthusiasts (WAKE) Annual Sea Kayak Symposium— Bellingham, 9am5pm. At Lake Padden’s beach area, take part in sea kayaking clinics on strokes and maneuvers, self and assisted rescues, rolling and other on-water activities. Bring something for a potluck lunch. Participation is open to WAKE members only, but memberships may be purchased for $25 at the event. Public is welcome to observe for free. info@wakekayak.org. wakekayak.org

MT BIKE Test of Endurance 50— Blodgett, OR, 9am. Ride up and down the Coast Range— 8000 ft for 2 laps. 541-847-3030, mudslingerevents.com

RUN Berry Dairy Days Runs— Burlington. 8:30/9am. “Flat and fast” USATF-certified half marathon and 10k, plus a 2mi. berrydairyruns.com

Tuesday, 21 Jun

SPEC Birch Bay Sand Castle Contest—9am. Build in the sand on one of the lowest tides of the year; judging is 12-1pm. 360-371-5004, birchbaychamber.com ADV Survivor Mud Run— Carnation, wave start 9am. 14 obstacles over 3.3mi. survivormudrun.com PADDLE Canoe Classic—Spokane, 9am. A canoe/kayak event/race on the Spokane River, with prizes and bbq. mountaingear.com/cc RUN Jog for a Jug—Point Roberts, 11am. From the Reef Tavern run a challenging 11.2k around Pt. Roberts followed by a jug of beer at the finish. runinn.com

Monday - Sunday, 20-26 Jun FIT Free Yoga Classes—Bellingham. Six days of free classes for people new to yoga or new to Yoga Northwest. A number of yoga focuses available. 360647-0712, yoganorthwest.com

20 Jun - 6 Aug BIKE Big Ride Across America— Seattle to Washington, DC. A 48-day, 11-state fundraising ride for the American Lung Association. bigride.org ADV RACE BEAST #3—Seattle, 6-7pm starts. A 2-4hr solo or team race: bike, run, canoe, map read, and more. 206-291-8250, beastrace.com

Thursday, 23 Jun HEAR Tour of Giants, Redefining the Word “Epic”—Bellingham, 7:15pm. At Fairhaven Runners, an ultra runner shares his story of the Tor des Geants, a 200mi, single-stage, 6-day trail race through the Italian Alps, with heights of over 10,000 ft. and a total elevation gain of 80,000 ft. 360-6764955, fairhavenrunners.com

Friday, 24 Jun BIKE Bike for Chocolate— Bellingham, 4pm. Take a ride through neighborhood parks between sampling at local chocolateries. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

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

race I play I experience

25 Jun - 3 Jul

Saturday, 25 Jun >>>TRI Padden Triathlon— Bellingham. At Lake Padden, participate in the competitive division (8:30am, PADDEN TRIATHLON .5mi swim, scenic 21mi rd bike, 5.2mi tr run) or the rec division (1pm, .25mi swim, 10mi bike, 2.6mi tr run). Solo or team; t-shirts and top finisher awards. Event already capped for 2011. 360-778-7000, cob.org/races RUN Dog Island Run—Guemes Island, 10:45am. A 10k or a 2mi, with awards, drawings, San Juan views, and good feelings (benefits Guemes Library.) A shuttle to the start, so leave cars in Anacortes. dogislandrun.com BIKE Chelan Century Challenge & Cycle de Vine—Chelan. The ride(s) offer orchards, vineyards, and mountainous terrain. Cycle de Vine visits a number of wineries. centuryride.com PADDLE Rat Island Regatta—Port Townsend, 10am. A Class 2-3, 7.8mi course that starts and finishes at Fort Worden State Park. soundrowers.org RUN Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon & Half—Seattle. rnrseattle.com CAMP Larrabee Camp Out— Bellingham, 3:30pm. At Larrabee State Park, take part in the Great American Camp Out hosted by REI. Free rentals from REI on first-come first served; must reserve own tent spot. Free Cast Iron Cooking Class at 3:30pm and S’mores with Reese’s PB cups at 7:30pm. 360-647- 8955, rei.com/stores/65 TR RUN Cle Elum Ridge 50k & 25k—Cle Elum, 8am. A classic trail race, with ridge views of the North Cascades. 509-846-5019, rainshadowrunning.com BIKE Cannonball—Seattle. A 1-day, 275mi ride between Seattle and Spokane; almost all on the shoulder of I-90. redmondcyclingclub.org PADDLE/KITE Jetty Jam—Everett, 11am. A board sports festival with SUP and kite boarding races and exhibitions. 206-545-9463, urbansurf.com

Saturday-Sunday, 25 & 26 Jun TRI TriMonroe—Monroe. Olympic distance, pro and age group races. This is a 2012 USAT Olympic Qualifier. Spectator friendly. trimonroe.com MT BIKE Methow Cycle & Sport Challenge—Okanogan/Twisp. Ride open trails and steep climbs at Loup Loup Ski Area. A benefit for Loup Loup Ski Education Found. for the development of additional mountain bike trails. indieseries.org, methowcyclesport.com PADDLE/LEARN Leave No Trace Sea Kayaking Trainer Course—A 2-day overnight course in mid Puget Sound to master Leave No Trace practices and ethics. Must provide own

sea-worthy hand-powered boat, safety equipment, and personal gear. wwta.org RD BIKE Mazama Weekend— Marblemount, 8:30am.Via HWY 20, climb 6800ft the 1st day. 4800 the 2nd. 75mi each day. redmondcyclingclub.org

Sunday, 26 Jun MULTI Mountains to Sound— Snoqualmie/Seattle. Teams, pairs or solos mt bike, rd bike, canoe or kayak, run, then sprint to the finish. Benefits MTS Greenway. mountainstosound.com RUN Vancouver Half Marathon & 5k—Vancouver, BC, 7am. UBC to Stanley Park; 5k in the park. canadarunningseries.com

Park, do a .5mi Columbia River swim, 12mi mt bike, and a 3mi run. Solo or teams3rrr.org SWIM Martha Lake Swim— Lynnwood, 8am. Swim .25mi, .5mi or 1.2mi; you pick. finishstrongevents.com

Sunday, 3 Jul RD BIKE Washington State Criterium Championship— Bellingham, 9am-7pm. Ride or watch riders in all categories, including kids, in the center of downtown. bellinghamstagerace.wordpress.com

TRI Golden Gate Triathlon—San Francisco, CA. trifreaks.com

RUN 5K Sturgeon Run—Camano Island, 9am. A 5k and 1mi for kids 12 and under. camanorunners.com BIKE Bike the Bayside— Bellingham, 1pm. From Maritime Heritage Park, pedal along and learn about a favorite waterfront park. Free. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

•

TRAIN-OR-TRI products

•

periodization spin classes

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TRI Ironman Coeur d’Alene— Coeur d’Alene, ID, 7am. 2.4mi swim, 112mi bike, 26.2mi run. ironmancda. com

TRI Iron Girl—Portland, OR. 600meter swim, 22k bike, 5k run. irongirl.com

SPEC Live le Tour de France— Bellingham, 5:30-9am. Watch le Tour on big screens set up at Mount Bakery —wee-morning coverage and the culture of cycling (free), with your Mount Bakery breakfast (not free, but great anyway). Check for a possible new mountain stage venue and some evening “dinner” re-plays. mountbakery.com

TRIATHLON HEAQUARTERS

NAV Columbia City Street Scramble—Seattle 9:30am. On foot or bike, visit as many checkpoints as you can in 90 min. Team or solo. 3hr option. 206-291-8250, streetscramble.com

HIKE Cow Heaven—call Helene at 360-384-1618 for B’ham meeting place, time and to reserve spot. Challenging hike to high meadows and views. Free. mountbakerwild.org

daily, 2-24 Jul

personalized coaching

Sprint, Olympic, Half & Full Ironman—train or race

360

MO TRAINOR

•

647

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8048

Train O r Tri . cOm

• coach (Team in Training, clubs, individuals) • Team Clydesdale USA Member, 3x Lady Clydesdale World Champion, 2x Subaru-Ironman Canada 3rd place division winner, 1x Ford-Ironman Wisconsin 1st place division winner, Ford-Ironman Hawaii World Championship qualifier • supporter of Challenged Athlete Foundation (CAF)

Saturday 24th Annual July 9

Tuesday, 28 Jun BIKE/EAT Spoke & Food—Seattle, self-start. Ride your bike to/from dinner at participating Seattle restaurants while raising funds for charity. 206-4657761, spokeandfood.com

JULY >>> Friday-Monday, 1-4 Jul BIKE NW Tandem Bike Rally “Pedalin’ the Palouse—Spokane. Tour the Palouse on a short, medium and long supported ride. 509-456-5812, nwtr.org/2011

Saturday, 2 Jul RUN Lord Hill Trail Run— Snohomish, 8:30am. Trail runs (5mi, 10mi, 20mi and 50k) at Lord Hill Regional Park. 425-301-7009, evergreentrailruns.com MTB TRI Righteous Richland Sprint —Richland, 8:30am. At Howard Amon

in searchable PDF or Flash format, at AdventuresNW.com

Iron Person & Team .3-mile swim 14.8-mile bike 4-mile run

Plus a Youth TRI

(flotation devices allowed)

360.336.9414

parksrec@co.skagit.wa.us www.skagitcounty.net race | play | experience

race I play I experience

3 Jul (cont.) - 9 Jul

Sunday-Friday, 3-8 Jul

Wednesday-Sunday, 6-10 Jul

FLY/GLIDE Chelan XC Classic. Hangglider and paraglider pilots fly courses from Chelan Butte over the wheat fields to the Columbia River. Great for spectators. cloudbase.org

FLY Arlington Fly In—8am-8pm. Workshops, demos, displays, air shows, helicopter flights and more. Camping available. 360-435-5857, arlingtonflyin.org

Monday, 4 Jul

HEAR Craig Romano, Backpacking Washington—Bellingham, 7pm. Adventures NW contributor Craig Romano gives a slide presentation at Village Books. villagebooks.com

SPEC Anniversary Celebration/ July 4th Party—Bellingham, 6pm. Join the Community Boating Center in celebrating 5 years as a community resource. Fee or silent auction, tbd. 360-714-8891, boatingcenter.org RUN Fourth of July Run—Lopez Island, 8:30am. A 10k (point to point) and 5k (out and back); both mildly challenging with a long, gradual downhill finish. lopezisland.com RUN Foot Traffic Flat—Sauvie Island, OR, 6:30am. A full marathon, half and a 5k, 15 minutes north of Portland. 503284-0345, foottraffic.us/flat RUN/WALK Run for the Pies— Carnation, 8:30am. A 5k through town then on to the Snoqualmie Trail, looping into the Tolt-MacDonald Park trail system. carnation4th.org/5k.htm RUN Great Sedro-Woolley Footrace—9am. From SW High, run 5.17mi, partly along the Skagit River, or 2mi. Part of the Annual Loggerodeo festival. loggerodeo.com

race | play | experience

Thursday, 7 Jul

Friday, 8 Jul BIKE Library Loop—Bellingham, 2pm. From B’ham Public Library downtown, ride to and tour the Fairhaven branch. Free. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Friday & Saturday, 8 & 9 Jul

Saturday, 9 Jul

>>>TRI Clear Lake Triathlon & Youth Tri— 9am/11am A chip-timed event in the Skagit community of Clear Lake on scenic Hwy 9. A 1/3mi swim in the shallow lake (~72 degrees), a 14.8mi bike course with a few gradual inclines about 5 miles out, and a relatively flat 4mi run. Solo or teams. Also a separate Youth Triathlon for 14 & under. 360336-9414, skagitcounty.net TR RUN Cougar Mt Trail Run #3— Newcastle, 9am. A 10mi run. 206-291-8250. nwtrailruns.com

RUN Chuckanut Foot Race— SEE Pro Wakeboard Tour—Monroe, Bellingham, 9am. A point-to-point, 11am. Pro men and Jr. Pro men compe- 7mi trail race from Marine Park to tition. transworldwake.com Larrabee State Park. gbrc.net BIKE/RUN Redmond Derby Days MULTI Glacier Challenge— Criterium—The festival includes crit Whitefish, MT. Run, kayak, rd bike, mt races both days for all categories, and a bike, canoe, run—relay or solo, 50mi 5k race/walk. redmondderbydays.com total. theglacierchallenge.com

Friday-Sunday, 8-10 Jul

LEARN Wolf Haven “Howl-in”— FISH Bellingham Salmon Derby & Tenino, 6-9pm. A sanctuary for captiveborn and injured wolves presents Kids Derby. Fish in Area 7 (San Juans), based out of Squalicum Harbor. Kids 14 Saturday nights (also 7/23, 8/6 8/20) & younger free; prizes, reception, awards, of activities, crafts, tours, eco scavenger raffle. 360-966-2621, bellinghampsa.com hunts, music, and more. wolfhaven.org

ADV RACE Trioba 24-30 Hour Race—Cougar, midnight. A course using map and compass: 10-20mi paddle, 20-30mi trek/trail run, and 50-70mi mt bike. 253-273-1026, trioba.com ULTRA Let’s Climb a Mountain— Spokane, 6am. Solo or relay, run 34.3 miles from Riverfront Park to Mount Spokane for 3,370 feet of vertical gain. letsclimbamountain.com BOAT About Boating Safely— Bellingham, 8am-5pm. An all-day, USCG Auxiliary class at Squalicum Yacht Club. Completion of class qualifies attendees for WA State Boaters Ed Card. 360739-1310, bliaux.com SAIL Women On the Water Regatta—Bellingham, 9am skippers’ meeting/10am start. Three buoy races for boats, crewed by women, in Spinnaker and Non-flying Sails classes; a party after. byc.org

Saturday-Sunday, 9-10 Jul BIKE Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic. cascade.org TRI/DU/RUN Ocean Shores Big Weekend—Ocean Shores. Eleven events, including half iron, Olympic and sprint tris, half iron and Olympic dus, a tri for kids, a half marathon, and 5k and 10k walk/run. trifreaks.com

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

race I play I experience

10 Jul - 23 Jul

Sunday, 10 Jul

Friday, 15 Jul

RUN Langley Half Marathon— Langley, 8:30am. A half marathon on Whidbey Island coinciding with a local arts and music festival. 425-876-0826, langleyhalfmarathon.com

GOLF Charity Golf Classic— Lynden, 1pm. At Homestead Golf & Country Club, be part of a 4-person scramble. 360-733-2866, arthritis.org

BIKE Culture Re-Cycle— Bellingham, 1pm. From Lightcatcher Museum, ride to and enjoy the Lightcatcher, Whatcom Museum and the historic Roeder Home. 360-671BIKE, everybodybike.com

DUNK Curt Maberry Memorial Classic—Lynden. Part of the NW Raspberry Festival, 3rd grade to adult may play 3-on-3 basketball on downtown streets. 360-354-4242, lynden.org

Monday-Friday, 11-15 Jul SPEC Girls on the Run Camps— Bellingham and Lynden, 9:30am-1pm. GOTR is an interactive, self-esteem enhancing running camp for girls entering grades 3-6. Through running, playing games and discussions, girls learn how to celebrate their unique selves. The camp culminates in a 2.6 mile run around Lake Padden which gives the girls an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Also Aug. 22-26. 360-7338630, whatcomymca.org

13-16 Jul, 19-22 Jul, & 20-23 Jul >>>CLIMB Climb for Clean Air— Mt. Rainier. Join the 24th annual Climb for Clean Air, a 4-day fundraising climb of Washington’s most prominent landmark, Mount Rainier, to benefit the American Lung Association of the Mountain Pacific. World-renowned mountaineer Lou Whittaker serves as honorary chairman of this popular event. Elite guides from Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. guide climbers of all experience levels in their quest for the summit. Climbers receive fundraising assistance, regular meetings and training hikes. 206-441-5100 x23, cleanairadventures.org

Wednesday, 13 Jul RUN/WALK Forest Park Hill Climb—Everett, noon. At the park’s Upper Field, walk, run or skip up 10 hills in a 30min timed event. Team or solo. 425-257-8300, everettwa.org/parks

Wednesday-Sunday, 13-17 Jul BIKE RedSpoke—Redmond. A fullysupported 5-day ride across Stevens Pass, along HWY 2, to Spokane. $625 fundraising min.; a major fundraiser for HopeLink. 206-298-9288, redspoke.org SPEC Capital Lakefair—Olympia, Wed-Sun times and locations vary. Enjoy boat races, a 3k and 8k, volleyball, fireworks, kids activities, and more. 360-943-7344, lakefair.org

Friday-Saturday, 15-16 Jul

Saturday, 16 Jul RUN St. Jude 5K Fun Run/2mi Walk—Mount Vernon, 9am. North Cascade Eye Associates is sponsoring this first annual benefit event for St. Jude Children’s Hospital, which helps children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases, and allows some of today’s most gifted researchers to do their science more effectively. The event will begin at the NCEA office (2100 Little Mountain Lane) and meander down and around Hillcrest Park, followed by a celebration with awards, random prizes, and great refreshments. Registration is just $15 ($20 with a shirt if preregistered), or raise a minimum of $35 and the registration fee is waived, plus you’ll get a free event shirt and a St. Jude t-shirt. Kids 10 and under are free, and their shirts are just $5 if they pre-register. Pick up a fundraising form or register at any NCEA office regionwide, or online. 360-4166735, ncascade.com/events.php

TRI XTERRA Mountain Championship—Beaver Creek, Co. 1mi swim, 15.5mi mt bike, 5.75mi run, or shorter distances. Team or relay. 877751-8880, xterraplanet.com TR RUN Redmond Watershed Preserve 5mi, 10mi & Marathon— Redmond, 9:30am. Well marked and measured courses on beautiful forest trails. 206-291-8250, nwtrailruns.com SWIM/RUN Aqua Runs—Everett, 8am. A .5mi or 1mi swim, plus aqua run sprint, long and Jr—all a Silver Lake. finishstrongevents.com HIKE Sauk Mountain—call 360-3841618 for B’ham meeting place, time and to RSVP. Steep, short hike, rich with wildflowers leading to Cascade views. Free. mountbakerwild.org BIKE S2S—Seattle, 2am. A 1-day, Seattle-to-Spokane 284mi endurance ride on Hwy 2. redmondcyclingclub.org RUN/WALK Magnuson Series —Seattle, 9am. 5k, 10k,15k, kids’ dash, special events, relay. magnusonseries.org FISH Troutdale SummerFest— Troutdale, OR, all day. A music, chalk-art festival at Glenn Otto Park, with a fishing derby at 4:30pm. 503-669-7473, westcolumbiagorgechamber.com

in searchable PDF or Flash format, at AdventuresNW.com

RUN Samish Bay Low Tide Mud Run—Bow, 12:07pm. Trudge your stuff through 250 yards of Samish Bay mud. Shoes required. Clean-up hoses provided. Change of clothes recommended. Runners stuck in the mud will be rescued before the incoming tide. Adult (13+) 250yd run at 12:07pm. Kids (8-12) 100yd run at 11:47am. 206-6122761, bivalvebash.com RUN/Walk Raspberry Festival 5k Run/Walk—Lynden, 9am. A community event to benefit the Boys & Girls Club. lynden.org

Saturday-Sunday, 16-17 Jul FLY/SPEC Birch Bay Discovery Days —10am-7pm (5pm Sun). A 2-day festival of arts, crafts, food, family activities, and a setting to kite-fly, clam dig, paddle, wakeboard and more outdoor. birchbaychamber.org PADDLE Gorge Outrigger Races —Stevenson. Two days of racing in the wild, windy conditions of the Columbia River. OC1, OC2, OC6, Surfski and SUP. nwoutrigger.com TRI/RUN ChelanMan Multisport Weekend—Chelan. Sat: Olympic, long, 10k and half marathon; Sun: sprint, splash-n-dash, try-a-tri, chelanman.com

Sunday, 17 Jul RD BIKE 2nd Annual Kent Cornucopia Days Emerald City Lights— Kent, 7am. Bike 25, 60 or 100 miles (the 100mi route is a great training ride for Ramrod!). Van Support, food, and live music, with ALL proceeds going to “Our Daily Bread Basket,” helping those in need in our communities… One Meal, One Day, One Bike Ride at a time. Check out the 9/10 Emerald City Lights Bike Ride and 5k Walk, too. 253-709-1530, emeraldcitylightsbikeride.org TRI TriRock Seattle—Issaquah, An Olympic distance event. competitor. com/trirock-seattle FLY Tiger Tandem Fly-In—Issaquah. A regional paragliding event. nwparagliding.com GOLF Ryan Stiles Celebrity Golf Classic—Semiahmoo, 1pm. A benefit for Burned Children Recovery Foundation at Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club. ryanstilesgolfclassic.com TRI/DU Summit Plummet— Crystal Mountain, 9am. Triathletes go down 7000 vertical feet and 50 miles in reverse order... run, bike, swim. The due is a run/bike. summitplummet.com

>>> See your outdoor-related event in ANW. Submit anytime for the online calendar, and by 1 Aug for the next print edition—Fall 2011 Details: AdventuresNW.com

Sunday–Friday, 17-22 Jul SAIL Whidbey Island Race Week. Five days of competitive sailboat racing. whidbeyislandraceweek.com

Thursday, 21 Jul TR RUN Soaring Eagle Solstice Run—Sammamish, 6:30pm. An afterwork, evening 5mi or 10mi. 425-3017009, evergreentrailruns.com

Friday, 22 Jul BIKE Readers Ride— Bellingham, 1pm. Ride to the Fairhaven Village Green to explore local used and new bookstores. Free. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com RUN Ragnar NW Passage—Blaine, 7am-3pm starts. 12 runners relay 187 miles to Langley. ragnarrelay.com

Saturday, 23 Jul NAV Night & Day Street Scramble —Seattle, 2pm. On foot, bike or both, visit as many of the 60 checkpoints on a map as possible; 90min, or 3, 7 or 16hr options. 206291-8250, streetscramble.com RUN Sea Cavalcade Mile—Gibsons, BC, 11am. A fast, net-downhill run for all ages. Cash prizes. 877-493-5163, seacavalcade.ca >>> RD BIKE DU Padden Duathlon —Bellingham, 9am. A fun du at a great location, with both 2.6mi runs on trail around Lake Padden, and the bike out and around Lake Samish. All participants receive a t-shirt and are eligible for generous draw prizes; trophies for top 3 male and female overall. Solo or team. 360-778-7000, cob.org/races BIKE Seattle Gran Fondo— Kingston, 8am. Ride 30, 70 or 100 miles (loop) or the Super Gran Fondo (100 miles point-to-point and a hill climb) in Kitsap County and the Olympic Peninsula. echelongranfondo.org/seattle MULTI Olympia Traverse—10am. The Olympia Traverse includes an 8mi mt bike course on Capitol Forest single-track, a 22mi road bike course from the Mima Mounds to West Bay Park on Budd Inlet, a 3.5mi open water paddle, followed by a 5mi out-and-back run from Swantown Marina to Priest Point Park, and a 0.5mi trek to the finish. Race solo, tandem or on a team, with “bait” to raise funds for environmental groups. 360-451-3576, nwtraverse.com RUN Shoreline Run—Richland, 7:30am. A 2mi or 10k at Howard Amon Park. 3rrr.org

race | play | experience

race I play I experience

23 Jul (cont.) - 5 Aug

HIKE Church Mountain—call 360-738-9311 for B’ham meeting place, time and to RSVP. Strenuous hike to sweeping meadows and the summit lookout site. Free. mountbakerwild.org

RUN Lacamas Lake Half Marathon & 4 Miler—Camas. Scenic, moderately challenging courses start and finish at Camas High School. lacamaslakerunwalk.com

SWIM Fat Salmon Swim—Seattle, 8:30am. 3.2mi and 1.2 mi events in Lake Washington. fatsalmonswim.org

RUN Swedish SummeRun—Seattle, 8:15am. A 5k in the First Hill neighborhood, with 100% of the team fundraising going to the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer. summerun.org

SAIL Discover Sailing—Bellingham, 9am-5pm. The Community Boating Center offers a day of free (donations accepted) sailing with experienced sailors. Registration required. 360-7148891, boatingcenter.org

Saturday-Sunday, 23-24 Jul RD BIKE ALS Assoc. DoubleDay Bike Ride—Mt.Vernon, 10am. A 2-day, 85mi tour through Skagit Valley to raise funds to help people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. 425-656-1650, alsa-ec.org

Sunday, 24 Jul MT BIKE Padden MTN Pedal— Bellingham. Lake Padden Park offers a good venue for spectators and a challenging course for riders. indieseries.org TRI Triathlon at Seafair—Seattle, 6:30am. At Seward Park, choose a solo or team sprint triathlon. Kids tri at 11am. seafair.com RUN Fort Langley Half & 5k—Fort Langley, BC, 7am. peninsularunners.com BIKE Transportation Tour— Bellingham, 1pm. From the main bus station, learn the bike-on-bus and bike-on-train routine. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Thursday, 28 Jul BIKE RAMROD—Enumclaw. Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day is cycling event combining the scenery of Mt. Rainier National Park with 10,000 feet of climbing over 154 miles. Event fills early. redmondcyclingclub.org GOLF DVSAS Charity Golf Classic—Bellingham, 1pm. A benefit tournament and dinner for Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services at B’ham Golf & Country Club. dvsas.org

Saturday, 30 Jul TRI Federal Escape Triathlon— Federal Way, 7:30am. Features sprint and Olympic distances, plus a Tri-for Kids. trifreaks.com BIKE Seattle Century. 50 and 100mi routes throughout communities and trails of King Co, from Magnuson Park. seattlecentury.com BIKE Tour de Cure—Hillsboro, OR, 6am. Ride 10-100 miles in support of the American Diabetes Assoc. 503-736-2770 x7355, diabetes.org/ portlandtourdecure

ULTRA White River 50mi—Crystal Mountain, 6:30am. A USATF Trail Run Championship and public trail run near Rainier. whiteriver50.com

BUILD Jetty Island Sand Castle Contest—Everett, noon-3pm. Join in or just watch the amateur competition. everettwa.org/parks

>>>BIKE Tour de Whatcom— Bellingham, 7:3011:30am starts. A ride to benefit local charities of your choice, with 25 (flat), 50 (a short hill and rollers) or 105 (a bigger hill) miles. All routes offer great scenes and settings of Whatcom Co. Regular reststops, bike techs, safety checks, and a “family” rate. tourdewhatcom.com

Saturday & Sunday, 30 & 31 Jul

RUN Anacortes Art Dash Half Marathon, 10k & 5k—9am. Fast, USTAF certified courses along the beautiful Anacortes waterfront at this 6th annual event. Runners are greeted by African/Latin drumming at the finish line. Event supports public art. 360-2931918, anacortesartsfestival.com RUN Old Settlers 5k— Ferndale, 9am. At Pioneer Park be part of a community 5k run and a fun 2mi. 360-3844891, whatcomoldsettlers.com RUN/WALK Mt.Tabor Doggie Challenge—Portland, 9:30am. A 5k and 8k at Mt. Tabor Park. terrapinevents.com RUN Torchlight Run at Seafair— Seattle, 6:30pm. An 8k run or 5k run/ walk along the Paradise Route. seafair.com

SAIL Lake Whatcom Hobie Cat Regatta—Bellingham, 9am. A 2-day event at Bloedel Donovan Park open to Hobie Cat skippers of all levels. Fee includes Saturday dinner. hobie@ earthlink.net, div4.hobieclass.com PADDLE Chilliwack Slalom— Chilliwack, BC. Class III the Chilliwack River. nwwhitewater.org

Sunday 31 Jul RUN The San Francisco Marathon Events—5:30am. Join 25,000 fellow athletes for a running event like no other! The course includes incredible scenery, taking runners across the Golden Gate Bridge, through Fisherman’s Wharf, along the waterfront and Crissy Field, through Golden Gate Park, funky Haight-Ashbury and Mission neighborhoods and more! Choose from the Full Marathon, 2 Half Marathon Events, the 5k Run/Walk or the Munchkin Kids Fun Run. 888-9586668, thesfmarathon.com BIKE Tour de Kitsap—Silverdale, 7-10am/Bremerton Ferry, 7-9:30am. Scenic courses of 102, 72, 48, 32, 12 and 5 miles. westsoundcycling.com

AUGUST >>>

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race | play | experience

4 weekends in August CLIMB Summit For Someone— Mt. Rainier. Raise funds to benefit Big City Mountaineers—help send inner city teens on an 8-day backpacking trip—and be part of a 4-day guided Rainier climb (start dates 7/28, 8/5/ 8/11, 8/18. summitforsomeone.org

Friday, 5 Aug BIKE Library Loop II— Bellingham, 2pm. Meet at RE Store for a tour of the RE-Sources Sustainable Living Library, then go on to Bellingham Library in Barkley. Free. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Friday-Sunday, 5-7 Aug ART Anacortes Arts Festival. 50th anniversary of one of the largest arts festivals in the northwest. Enjoy 250 juried booth artisans, a fine art show in a waterfront location, 2 stages of free music, regional and ethnic foods, youth activities. New this year, Guerrilla/ Gorilla Art with open participation and Experience Art Area with steamroller block printing and demos in blacksmithing, traditional basket weaving, painting, chainsaw art and more. All free. anacortesartsfestival.com

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

race I play I experience

5-7 Aug (cont.) - 13 Aug

Tuesday, 9 Aug

BIKE Ride from Seattle to Vancouver & Party. 2 separate rides, 8/5-6 and 8/6-7. cascade.org

minimum for Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. courageclassic.org

BIKE Get Your Guts in Gear — Edmonds. 3 day,s 210mi from Edmonds, along Whidbey Island, through Skagit Valley, HWY 9 and back, raising awareness about Crohn’s disease. ibdride.org

Saturday, 6 Aug

BIKE Bicycle Saunter—Bellingham, 1pm. Meander through Columbia and Lettered Streets neighborhoods then chat with local author and humorist Alan Rhodes. Free. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

RUN Mt Ashland Hill Climb Run—Ashland, OR, 7:30am. 13.2mi from city to summit—5,600ft of climb. mtashlandrun.com

TRI Troika Triathlon—Spokane, 7am. A race on rural and city routes from Medical Lake to Riverfront Park. 509979-1018, troikatriathlon.com

RUN Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon—Tacoma, 7:30am. Run from the Tacoma Narrows Airport, across the Narrows Bridge, finishing downtown. tacomanarrowshalf.com

TRI Heart of the Sound (HOTS) Triathlon—Vashon Island, 9:30am. At Burton Peninsula, a youth and a sprint tri. 2026-203-095, hotstriathlon.org

TRI Whidbey Island Triathlon— Langley, 9am. Scenic course with a .5mi lake swim, a 19.5mi ride on country roads, and a 3.8mi run on forest trails. 360-221-5484, whidbeytriathlon.com TR RUN Grand Ridge Trail Run— Issaquah, 8:30am. A 5mi, half marathon and 50k on trail. 425-301-7009, evergreentrailruns.com RUN Run to the Border 5k— Blaine, 8:30am. A community event from Blaine H.S. to the Peace Arch border crossing. 360-371-3882, runtotheborder@comcast.net SAIL Shaw Island Classic—Friday Harbor, 9:30am. Sailboats of all classes converge on Friday Harbor to sail around nearby Shaw Island. Captains choose the direction. sjiyc.com RUN River & Rails 5k & 10k— Arlington, 9am. Start and finish near Big Stilly River at Haller Park; includes the Centennial Trail. A benefit for Cocoon House. arlingtonrunnersclub.org NAV Jetty Island Geocache Challenge—Everett, noon-3pm. Join in a treasure hunt and a game of hideand-seek all in one using GPS and other navigational tools. everettwa.org/parks TRI Whidbey Island Triathlon— Langley, 9am. A course including Goss Lake (1/2mi swim), county roads (19.5mi bike), and forest trails (3.8mi run). Team or solo. 360-221-5484, whidbeytriathlon.com

Sunday, 7 Aug

TRI Xterra Black Diamond—9am. At Lake Sawyer, a 1,000m swim, 15mi mt bike and 10k run; plus a short course. xterrablackdiamond.com HIKE Boundary Way & Cowap Peak—call Hudson at 360-756-0219 for B’ham meeting place, time and to reserve spot. A moderate hike to wildflower meadows and a summit perch. Free. mountbakerwild.org TRI Lake Samish Triathlon EVENT CANCELLED—Watch adventuresnw.com for info on a new date, if scheduled. TRI Kids Rock Triathlon—Black Diamond, 10am. A 75yd swim, 1mi bike and .5mi run for 7-12 year-olds. kidsrocktriathlon.com

ADV RACE BEAST #4—Redmond, 6-7pm. A 2-4hr race: mt bike, run, map read, and more. Solo or team. 206-2918250, beastrace.com

Wednesday - Sunday, 10-14 Aug SERVE Bellingham City Challenger & Open. USTA sanctioned matches held indoors at the BTC and outdoors at Sehome High. Divisions for juniors 12-16 (8/10-12) and adults (8/12-14). 360-733-5050, bellinghamtennis.com

Friday-Saturday, 12-13 Aug RUN/WALK Spokane to Sandpoint/ Coeur d’Alene to Sandpoint Relay. Teams of 12 relay 36 legs for 185mi from Mount Spokane to Lake Pend Orielle. Walk is 100mi. spokanetosandpoint.com

Saturday, 13 Aug RUN/WALK Run 4 the Light— Westport, 10am. A USATF-sanctioned, “flat and fast” coastal 5mi loop course from Westport Maritime Museum. Benefits the WA Lightkeepers Assoc. 253-982-4874, run4thelight.com RUN Major Megan McClung Memorial Run—Oak Harbor, 10am. Marines from NAS Whidbey Island organize this 5k and 10k in memory of Megan McClung, a Marine who died in Iraq. All proceeds go to wounded Marines and sailors wounded in action. meganmcclungmemorialrun.com

RUN/WALK Magnuson Series— Seattle, 9am. “National Fitness Day.” 5k, 10k,15k, kids’ dash, special events, and relay option. magnusonseries.org TR Run Cougar Mt Trail Run— Newcastle, 8:30am. A 13 miler w/ aid stations and finish refreshments. 206329-1466, nwtrailruns.com BIKE Triple Crown Road Ride—N. Vancouver, BC, 8am. Challenging rides of 112k or 65k,with draw prizes, awards and an after-party. tri1events.com PADDLE Round Shaw Row—Shaw Island, 11am. This race boasts a challenging world-class 14mi course, with traditional rough water and strong tidal currents. soundrowers.org TRI XTERRA Portland Off-Road Triathlon, 9am. From Scoggins Valley Park/Hagg Lake, swim 1000m, mt bike 25k, trail run ~5mi. Optional swim clinic. xterraportland.com TRI/DU Coeur d’Alene Triathlon & Duathlon, 7am. A 1.5k swim, 40k bike ride and a 10k run, finishing at CdA City Park. cdatriathlon.com BOAT La Conner Classic Yacht & Car Show —10am-4pm. Celebrate local maritime and automotive history. 360-466-4778, laconnerchamber.com BIKE Sound to Mountains Bike Festival—Seattle, 6:30-7:30am start. Ride 104mi or 70mi from Magnuson Park to North Bend; a concert after. theleveebreaking.com

everybodyBIKE presents

summer rides

RUN/BIKE Once Around the Lake —Lake Cavanaugh, 9am walk/9:30am bike/10am run. A self-timed 7.8mi event to support the Cavanaugh Volunteer Fire Dept. lakecavanaugh.info

Saturday-Sunday, 6-7 Aug BOAT Drayton Harbor Days— Blaine. Enjoy Tall Ships tours, raft races, arts/crafts, and music. 360-332-6484, blainechamber.com

Easy, social outings on two wheels

No need to reserve a spot—just show up! Summer Rides are social rides covering easy routes of seven miles or less. For detailed ride descriptions and locations visit www.everybodyBIKE.com.

Saturday-Monday, 6-8 Aug BIKE Courage Classic—Snoqualmie. A 3-day, 172-mi supported tour through Snoqualmie, Blewett and Stevens passes. $500 fundraising in searchable PDF or Flash format, at AdventuresNW.com

race | play | experience

13 Aug (cont.) - 22 Aug

Saturday-Sunday, 13-14 Aug

Saturday July 16, 9 a.m. Mount Vernon

5k Fun Run & 2-mi Walk around Hillcrest Park Followed by a celebration with awards, random prizes, and great refreshments!

$15/$20 with shirt or FREE (including shirt) with just $35 minimum fundraising Kids 10 & under FREE & shirts only $5 w/pre-registration

a 100% BENEFIT for...

RUN/SPEC Stillaguamish Fun Run & Festival of the River—Arlington, 9/10am. A mostly free family event on the South Fork Stillaguamish (River Meadows Park) honoring the environment and cultures of the PNW. Events include the Stilly Fun Run 5K Footrace (SAT, 9am, $10-$15), a demonstration Pow Wow, a raptor rehabilitation display and watershed education and wellness exhibits, the delicious Tribal Salmon Bake (price tbd), traditional storytelling, interpretive river and forest walks, children’s activities and entertainment, a climbing wall, fly tying, logging show, sand sculpture, craft/food vendors and music, including a Friday (8/12) evening show! 360-631-2620, festivaloftheriver.com

Sunday, 14 Aug RUN Transcendence 12-hour Endurance Run—Olympia, 6am. A 1.5mi USATF-certified loop at Capitol Lake. 360-970-2896, guerillarunning.com TR RUN Angel’s Staircase— Carlton, 6am. A 50mi, 50k, or 25k with high alpine meadows and views of the North Cascades. 509-846-5019, rainshadowrunning.com RUN Delta Half & 5k—Delta, BC, 7:30/8:30am. 604-596-2453, deltahalfmarathon.com TRI Ironman 70.3 Lake Stevens —1.2mi swim, 56mi bike, and 13.1mi run throughout Lake Stevens and rural Snohomish Co. ironmanlakestevens.com NAV Kirkland Street Scramble— 9:30am. On foot or bicycle, visit as many of the 30 checkpoints as you can in 90 minutes. Team or solo; 3hr option. 206-291-8250, streetscramble.com

Pick up a fundraising form or register in person at any NCEA office regionwide, or online at ncascade.com/events.php

Sunday-Saturday, 14-20 Aug ADV Expedition Idaho—Coeur d’Alene, ID. Teams face multiple challenges. expeditionidahorace.com

Mon, Wed, Fri, 15 Aug - 3 Sep RUN Teen Running Camp— Bellingham. Boys and girls ages 11-14 will learn proper running techniques while exploring the trails of Whatcom County. The group will participate in the Lake Padden Relays on 9/3. 360733-8630, whatcomymca.org

Wednesday, 17 Aug RUN/WALK Forest Park Hill Climb—Everett, noon. At the Upper Field, walk, run or skip up 10 hills in a 30min timed event. Team or solo. 425257-8300, everettwa.org/parks

race | play | experience

race I play I experience BIKE Ice Cream Cycle— Bellingham, 1pm. From Memorial Park, ride through the Roosevelt Nature Area en route to a tour, demo and sampling of locally made ice cream. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com SEE/SPEC Bellwether on the Bay Family Fun Night—Bellingham, 6pm. Enjoy games and lively entertainment, with a 9pm outdoor showing of the movie Jumanji. The entire event is free, with activities including kids’ kite making, Circus Guild performances, face painting, games and more. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs. Limited free parking, or ride your bike. Optional: Bring non-perishable food for the Bellingham Food Bank. Sponsored by the Port of Bellingham, the Pickford and Bellwether businesses. 360-676-2500, portofbellingham.com/ bellwetherfamilyfun

Friday-Saturday, 19-20 Aug BOAT Wooden Boat Show— Coeur d’Alene, ID. See wooden boats plus enjoy food and entertainment. 208-664-3194, cdachamber.com

Friday-Sunday, 19-21 Aug BIRD Family Birding Weekend— Wenatchee. At McDaniel Lake Campground/Wenatchee Nat’l Forest, be part of an educational camp-out with bird-banding demos, games, guided hikes and more. Discount for members; 5 and under free. pugetsoundbirds.org

Saturday, 20 Aug >>>RUN/WALK 12th Annual Miles for Memories 5k Walk/Run —Bellingham, 9am/ registration begins at 8am. Along beautiful Bellingham Bay, beginning and ending at the Fairhaven, Village Green, this WA L K /5 K R U N runner friendly, walker friendly, family friendly, dog friendly certified 5k loop course is a primary fund raiser for the Alzheimer Society of Washington to help the fight against Alzheimer’s. Enjoy the race, have fun, and “Remember to Care!” Pre-register, or register day-of. 360671-3316, alzsociety.org RUN Snoqualmie Railroad Days Run—Snoqualmie, 9am. USATF 10k and 5k plus kid’s 1k. “Very flat and fast.” 425-922-5844, runsnoqualmie.com

Friday, 19 Aug

HIKE Skyline Divide—Call 360-7343972 for B’ham meeting place, time and to RSVP. Moderate hike to high meadows and big views from Shuksan to Baker. Free. mountbakerwild.org

DU Aquaman Duathlon—Richland, 6pm. A 2mi foot-path run from Howard Amon Park, a .5mi Columbia River swim, then a 3mi run. 3rrr.org

MULTI Great Urban Race—Seattle. noon. From Pyramid Ale House teams of two solve clues and challenges. greatubranrace.com

TRI Beaver Lake Triathlon— Sammamish, 7:45am. A .25mi swim, 13.8mi bike, and 4.3mi run all from Beaver Lake Park. beaverlake.org/blt RUN Friday Harbor 8.8k Loop Run—San Juan Island, 9am. A fun run/ walk that’s been 34 years running. A scenic course with sea and pastoral views. 360-378-4953, islandrec.org TR RUN Summit Ridge Trail Run—Black Diamond, 8:30am. A 5mi, 10mi, 20mi and 50k on trail. 425-3017009, evergreentrailruns.com PADDLE Bainbridge Island Marathon—9:30am. BI forms a natural 26.2mi paddling course; start and finish at Fay Bainbridge SP. Optional half at Fort Ward SP. soundrowers.org JR TRI Titanium Man Jr.Tri— Richland, 9am/12pm. At Howard Amon Park youth 7-15 compete; separate division for 13-15. 3rrr.org SWIM/PADDLE Arms Around Bainbridge—Bainbridge Island. An around-the-island swim relay benefit event; small craft boaters and paddlers welcome. armsaroundbainbridge.com

Saturday & Sunday, 20-21 Aug MULT Finish Strong Multisport Weekend—Monroe, 7am. USA Triathlon sanctioned events including sprint, Olympic and kids tris, 5k run, open water swim, and an aqua-run. 425-248-0908, finishstrongevents.com FLY Can-Am Fly-In—Maple Falls/ Black Mountain. nwparagliding.com

Sunday, 21 Aug RUN Lake Union 10k—Seattle, 7:30am. An around-lake course celebrating the area’s rich history. lakeunion10k.com TR RUN Cutthroat Classic— Mazama, 8am. 11.1 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail to the top of Cutthroat Pass and down to Cutthroat Lake. mvsta.com TRI/DU Apple Capital Triathlon— Wenatchee, 8am. Sprint and Olympic distance from Daroga State Park. 509293-5614, triwenatchee.net YOUTH TRI Sammamish Splash Kids Tri—Lake Sammamish, 9am. Divisions according to age group, marymeyerlifefitness.com BIKE Woods to Woods Coffee Classic—Bellingham. Details at 360671-BIKE, everybodybike.com RUN Four Lakes 10k—Gibsons, BC, 9am. Run on a rural lake-front course. Also 3k family walk/run. 877-493-5163, foolsrun.com/4lakes

Monday, 22 Aug SWIM Josh Fueston Memorial Swim to Live—Bellingham, 9am. A relay event on Bellingham Bay in memory and recognition of Josh Fueston and other soldiers who have lost their battle with PTSD, or who continue to

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

race I play I experience

22 Aug (cont.) - 4 Sep

fight the battle. Fee includes a ticket to the tribute dinner and t-shirt. Half of all proceeds from event and banquet will go to the Josh Fueston Memorial Swim to Live Fund; the other half will go to a memorial for soldiers who’ve lost the battle with PTSD. active.com

Monday-Friday, 22-26 Aug >>>SPEC Girls on the Run Camps —Bellingham and Lynden, 9:30am-1pm. GOTR is an interactive, self-esteem enhancing running camp for girls entering grades 3-6. Through running, playing games and discussions, girls learn how to celebrate their unique selves. The camp culminates in a 2.6mi run around Lake Padden. 360-733-8630, whatcomymca.org

Thursday-Sunday, 25-28 Aug BOAT Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival—Granville Island. 604-6889622, vcn.bc.ca/vwbs

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

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

Saturday, 27 Aug >>> TRI Bellingham Youth Triathlon—9/10/10:30am. At Arne Hanna Aquatic Center, kids may take part in a super fun tri. Ages 11-13 swim 400yd, bike 3mi, run 1mi. Ages 9-10 swim 200yd, bike 2mi, run 1/2mi. Ages 6-8 swim 100yd, bike 1mi, run 1/4mi. T-shirts, finisher medals and many draw prizes. 360-778-7665, cob.org/races RUN/BIKE Mud Run Ride—North Vancouver, BC 10am. At Rice Lake Conservation Area teams of 2 race a 10k on bike, foot and through challenges. mudrunride.com RUN Camano View Dash— Stanwood, 9am. At Utsalady Elem., run a 10k or walk/run a 5k honoring the life of Stanwood XC athlete, Dayna Fure. camanoviewdash@live.com BOAT Anacortes Workboat Races 12pm. Captains and crews who make their living on the water race boats; hear sea chanties with the Shift Sailors, pirate contests for all ages, a Chowder Challenge, and cannons. portofanacortes.com/news

RUN Run-a-Muk—Mukilteo, 8am. From Rosehill Community Center, run or walk a 10 or 5k. Part of the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival. mukilteolighthousefestival.com WALK Mutt Strut—Everett, 10am. Free 3mi walk with your dog along the Snohomish River. Pet Showcase/ Fair after. 425-257-8300, signmeup. everettwa.org MT BIKE Capitol Forest Race— Olympia, 6am. A 50mi and 100mi. 425301-7009, nwepicseries.com >>>PADDLE 2nd Annual Paddle Grand Prix—Bellingham, 10am. Ovaltrack, paddlecraft racing returns to Bellingham Bay! This year’s event, which features a 1.5mi course directly in front of Boulevard Park, will be open to ALL paddle-craft, including stand-up and traditional paddleboards, kayaks, surfskis, canoes—if it can be paddled, bring it and throw down against others in your class! T-shirts, post-race feast, demos, raffle and awards! paddlegrandprix.com PADDLE The Great Cross Sound Race—Seattle, 8:30am. A 7mi paddle from W Seattle to Port Blakely. soundrowers.org

Saturday-Sunday, 27-28 Aug BIKE RAPSody (Ride Around Puget Sound)—Tacoma, 7am. Enjoy the scenic backroads of 5 WA state counties while supporting statewide bicycle advocacy on a 170mi supported ride. 253-8575658, rapsodybikeride.com PADDLE Roaring River Slalom Races—Estacada, OR. Class II on the Clackamas River. nwwhitewater.org

Sunday, 28 Aug TRI Ironman Canada—Pentiction, BC. Swim in Okanagan Lake; bike the Okanagan Falls countryside, Richter Pass and Twin Lakes; run out-and-back along Skaha Lake. ironman.ca RUN/SPEC Dog Days of Summer —Bellingham, 9am. A 10k run, then a 2.5mi run or walk followed by a full day of festivities for dogs at Lake Padden. 360-733-2080, whatcomhumane.org TRI Lake Meridian Triathlon—Kent, 7am. Olympic, sprint and supersprint distances. lakemeridiantri.com RUN Alki Beach 5K Run/Walk— Seattle, 9am. Support Northwest Hope & Healing while enjoying a 3.1mi walk/ run along a waterfront route. 206-2152888, alkibeachrun.com BIKE Summer Challenge— Bainbridge, 7:30-11:30am start. Ride either a 35mi Summer Challenge or a 13.5mi Family Challenge along urban, suburban, country and waterfront roads. bikiwanis.org

in searchable PDF or Flash format, at AdventuresNW.com

SEPTEMBER >>> a selection, as submitted by press time

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

Saturday, 3 Sep RUN Lake Padden Relay— Bellingham, 10am. Race this with 4-person teams, each runner going once around the lake (2.6mi); or do the whole 10.4 miles solo. gbrc.net RUN Donner Lake Run—Truckee, CA, 8am. A 6000m (6k/3.7mi) course at 6000ft that starts/finishes on the shores of Donner Lake. Catered breakfast. 530-448-0519, donnerlakerun.com TR RUN Soaring Eagle Park 5mi & 10mi—Sammamish, 9:30am. Wellmarked, measured courses on forest trails. 206-291-8250, nwtrailruns.com TRI Titanium Man—Kennewick, 9am. At Columbia Park, this is team or solo Olympic distance tri with a 1.5k Columbia River swim, 40k bike, 10k run. 3rrr.org

Saturday-Sunday 3-4 Sep CX TRI North Bend Multicross— North Bend, mult. start times. An event based on the triathlon, with a trail twist and cyclocross. multicross.net

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

Sunday, 4 Sep TRI 13th Annual Steve Braun Memorial Triathlon—Orcas Island, 9am (8:30am pre-race meeting). At the Cascade Lake Picnic Area of Moran State Park, swim .4mi in beautiful Cascade Lake, rd bike 17mi along a picturesque rural road, and trail run 3.5mi around Cascade Lake—solo ($45/$55 day-of) or teams ($35 per individual on a team/$45 day-of). This year, the event is sponsored by and benefits Friends of Moran. 360-376-3111, support@friendsofmoran.com, friendsofmoran.com RUN/WALK Eugene Women’s Half Marathon—Eugene, 8am. The Eugene Women’s Half Marathon is for those who like a little pampering! Ladies (Gentlemen too!) will be treated to a fabulous Eugene course that starts downtown and finishes at the 5th Street