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7 LOCAL KAYAK ADVENTURES
CELEBRATE WILDERNESS!
THE JOYS OF SUP
THE WILDERNESS ACT TURNS 50
BOOTS AND BREWS
WILD AND SCENIC NOOKSACK? LESSONS FROM THE WILD
SCULPTURE WOODS THE RETURN OF THE MOUNTAIN RUNNERS
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CONTRIBUTORS Howard Apollonio is a long-term resident of Washington, with a deep interest in its mountains, waters, and wildlands conservation. He has been a lifetime outdoors enthusiast since childhood in Maine, and a serious nature photographer. His day job is that of a leading independent designer of yachts and commercial boats. Brett Baunton’s photo credits range from National Geographic, Natures Best magazine and Whatcom Places to Alaska magazine, Washington Tourism, Audubon and Sierra Club Calendars. The USPS featured Brett’s Pacific Crest Trail image on a “Wonders of America” stamp. Brett lives in Bellingham with hiking partners Denise and Luna. Visit his new website at baytobaker.com. Dawn Groves is a consultant who helps managers and business leaders develop their teams and handle their own work pressures. She’s also a writer and an enthusiastic kayaker. Visit her blog: When Work Goes Sideways,dawngroves.com Aubrey Laurence is a freelance writer who has written about craft beer, hiking, and climbing for more than a decade. He has climbed and consumed beer across the United States and in many countries, but rarely at the same time. He lives in Bellingham with his number one climbing partner - his wife - and their three cats. Sculptor Ann Morris has created both larger than life figurative bronzes and smaller scale works. She maintains her studio within her Sculpture Woods on Lummi Island. Her work is in numerous public and private collections including Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Museum of Northwest Art, Whatcom Museum and Big Rock Garden, Bellingham. Explore her work at SculptureWoods.com. Cami Ostman is the author of Second Wind: One Woman’s Midlife Quest to Run Seven Marathons on Seven Continents (Seal Press) and is a longstanding member of the Greater Bellingham Running Club. She is a writing coach, family therapist, and the co-director of the Wind Horse Half Marathon (which raises funds for one of Bellingham’s sister cities). She lives in Bellingham, Washington.
COVER PHOTO by Susan Conrad
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SUMMER | 2014 Volume 9. Issue 2
Mike Powell has spent his life behind the camera - he has shot every major sporting event including thirteen Olympic Games, Super Bowls, Tours de France, World Cup football and World championships in many other sports. He has published two new books across multiple countries: A Game to Love about the Grand Slams of Tennis and The Greatest Race about the Tour de France. Mike brought a fresh eye to these much-photographed sporting events. Visit his website at mikepowellphoto.com. Ted Rosen is a avid urban hiker who enjoys interviewing people who do things he wouldn’t consider. Ted also enjoys traveling overseas to do more urban hiking and has been known to snap a photograph or two. He much prefers New York style pizza over that Chicago-style casserole. Based anywhere her van will take her, Abigail Sussman tends towards high latitudes and remote locations. Her interest in integrating the natural world more fully into her daily life has so far resulted in a buckskin tunic, a spoon carved from alder and a beautiful snowshoe hare pelt. Read more stories on her blog, Sparrow & Twig, found at abigailsussman.com. Ethan Welty is a Seattle-born photographer on a life-long quest to photograph and advocate for his beloved “home range”, Washington’s North Cascades. Back home in Boulder, he forages for his food, maps backcountry huts, and applies photography to the study of glaciers or a PhD at the University of Colorado. Visit Ethan’s website at weltyphotography.com
A Look Ahead: Our Autumn Issue Autumn Hiking in the Enchantments Exploring BC’s Desolation Sound Deluge in the High Olympics Current Events: 4 Rivers, 4 Days
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INSPIRATIONS
Here’s To A Race Well Skied, CrossCountried, Ridden, Kayaked, Pedaled, Run, Paddled, And Of Course, Enjoyed.
IN THIS ISSUE
Still Wild After All These Years The Wilderness Act Turns 50
Standing on the Salish Sea The Joys of SUP
John D’Onofrio
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Ted Rosen
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The Return of the Mountain Runners Race to the Summit of Mt. Baker Cami Ostman
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Lessons from the Wild Yearning for Connection
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Abigail Sussman
An Advocate for Wilderness Photography in the North Cascades
Boots and Brews Pairing Hikes with Breweries
The Road Less Paddled 7 Special Spots for Local Kayakers
Ethan Welty
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Aubrey Laurence
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Dawn Groves
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“The Wilderness holds answers to more questions than we have yet learned to ask.” - Nancy Wynne Newhall
Out & About eARTh: The Art of Nature Cascadia Gear Race | Play | Experience Calendar Advertiser Index Next Adventure stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.
8 35 41 44 49 50
Photo by Mike Powell
DESTINATIONS
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ADVENTURES nw > FIND Adventures NW is available free at hundreds of locations region-wide: throughout Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, and Island counties, at select spots in Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties, and in Leavenworth, the Methow Valley, Spokane, and Wenatchee. The magazine is also available at all REI locations in Washington and Oregon as well as at numerous locations in the Vancouver, BC metro area and through races and events and at area visitor centers.
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SUMMER | 2014 Volume 9. Issue 2
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The Wild W
hat is the value of wilderness? This is the kind of question that engenders debate and inflames passions.
One answer to this question was provided by the Wilderness Act, which established the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1964. This year we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of this game-changing piece of legislation, which mandated the permanent preservation of wilderness. It also helped establish the fundamental concept that wilderness, left untouched by the hand of man, has value that transcends the short-term get-rich-quick schemes that all too often seem to define the arc of our story as a nation. For some, wilderness is a sanctuary, a vital and necessary refuge in a world of constantly accelerating technology and ever-growing emphasis on power and money, money, money. Our history as a society is one in which the volume has constantly been turned up, day by day, year after year - and these days, the noise can get overwhelming. But thanks to the hard work of so many, we can still visit places where the silence is profound - many right in our backyard. Wilderness is abundant in the North Cascades. Designated wilderness areas include the Glacier Peak, Pasayten, Mount Baker, Stephan Mather, Chelan-Sawtooth, Boulder River, NoisyDiobsud, Alpine Lakes, and Henry M. Jackson Wilderness Areas. And the efforts to protect this precious resource go on. In 2008 a new wilderness area to the south, the Wild Sky Wilderness, was established near Stevens Pass, preserving 106,000 acres of pristine country - including old-growth forests - for future generations.
Thoreau said it most famously: “In wildness is the preservation of the world.” This is often misquoted as “In wilderness is the preservation of the world” and the distinction is important. Wildness is about our relationship to the elemental. The ‘wild’ is not out there. It’s in here, in our hearts and imaginations. This all-encompassing sense of connection to the greater world is what inspires us, changes us, elevates who we are. Wilderness provides a setting where this becomes possible. The Wilderness Act designated places where the land and wildlife are preserved intact, but the value goes so far beyond the physical. In our frantic era, the qualities of beauty, solitude, and yes, connectivity are clearly vital to our psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being. These lands are truly the “geography of hope” that Wallace Stegner has so eloquently described. In 1964 the Wilderness Act designated 9.1 million acres as official wilderness. In the 50 years since then, more than 100 million acres have been added to the National Wilderness Preservation System. This ten-fold increase would seem to indicate that the notion of wilderness is one that resonates with the American people. And is valued. In this issue, we celebrate the wilderness experience and the unfettered joy of finding those magical places where the silence is broken only by the sighing of the wind in the trees or the caress of water on rock. At the end of the day, wilderness is more than a place. It is a state of being.
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Out&About
Wild & Scenic Nooksack River?
The Nooksack River is born among the glaciers and snowfields of Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan and the Twin Sisters Range. Its three forks roll down from the ramparts through shadow-dappled forest and verdant farmlands, sweeping past villages and towns, eventually flowing into the Salish Sea. The river is home to all five species of native salmon as well as steelhead and trout. Bald eagles line its banks in winter. Elk, mountain goats and bears roam the wild country of the watershed. Yet, the majority of the Nooksack River system remains unprotected. That could change, if a recently launched effort to have the Nooksack added to the Wild and Scenic River System is successful. A Wild and Scenic designation would prevent the construction of dams, safeguard water quality and protect riverside habitat and wildlife corridors. Established by the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, this designation can be bestowed by either the Secretary of the Interior or Congress. There are currently more than 3400 free-flowing river segments listed as wild and scenic, including portions of the Baker, Sauk and Skagit. In addition to ecosystem protection, a Wild and Scenic designation could be good for the local economy, according to Wendy McDermott, Associate Director of Washington Conservation Programs for American Rivers, an organization with more than 200,000 members, supporters and volunteers across the U.S. She cites a 2009 study done on the 8
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Wild and Scenic portion of the Rogue River in Oregon which found that riverbased outdoor recreation contributed some $30 million to Oregon’s economy in 2007, and created 445 jobs. Moreover, visitors to the Wild and Scenic Rogue ac-
Headwaters of the Nooksack Photo by Thomas O’Keefe
counted for three out of every four lodging guests during the summer boating season. The story is similar here in Washington, where retail sales and services from outdoor recreation contribute $22.5 billion annually to the state’s economy. Each year, 63% of Washington residents participate in active outdoor recreation. And, according to McDermott, Whatcom County is ideally poised to develop its recreation economy. The Nooksack is the gateway to the Mount Baker Wilderness and North Cascades National Park (both of which experience ever-growing numbers of visitors each year) and provides world-class whitewater boating, hiking, biking, camping and fishing. Travel and tourism currently account for an estimated 17% of total private employment in the county. A diverse group of interested citizens, business owners, and conservation and
recreation organizations - led by American Rivers - have teamed up to seek permanent protection of approximately 100 miles of the upper portions of the North Fork, Middle Fork, and South Fork and numerous tributary streams through the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. They are currently working on a Nooksack River Recreation Plan in the hopes of building support for Wild and Scenic designation. Someday soon, thanks to these efforts, our beloved Nooksack might be protected forever. You can learn more about this effort at americanrivers. org/initiative/wild-and-scenic/projects/nooksack-riverwashington or at facebook. com/nooksackwildandscenic.
And Now for Something Completely Different... It started with what Kelly Kreiger describes as a “lightbulb moment.” Kreiger, who owns Hamster Endurance Running, had just returned from a biathlon at Whistler, full of enthusiasm for multisport events, when she found herself on a run on Galbraith Mountain with a good friend, who happened to be an archer. “Bingo,” she says. The Northwest Run-Archery Classic was born then and there. It was only later that Kreiger discovered that multisport events combining running and archery are popular in Europe. The Classic, which will debut on July 27 at the Custer Sportsmen’s Club, west of Ferndale, is the first run-archery event in the United States. >>> Go to AdventuresNW.com
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Similar to the more familiar Biathalon, an event which combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, the Run Archery Classic features four short running loops (totaling around 5K) with target shooting in between. Breaking new ground is not without its challenges. “I am working with a group in Germany to develop international rules for these events,” she says. “Run-Archery is quite popular in Germany.” Kreiger is no stranger to event management. Her signature event, Hamster Endurance Runs, is now in its third year. This 6-, 12-, and 24- hour timed event around Lake Padden has now been joined by the “Pooch Scoot”, (a 5K run for people with or without dogs ) and “Run Wild Whatcom”, a point-to-point route-finding adventure in Whatcom Falls Park that debuts this year. Kreiger has also served for years as volunteer Race Director for the Chuckanut Foot Race, operated by the Greater Bellingham Running Club. All of Kreiger’s events help raise money for local non-profits. The Northwest Run-Archery Classic will benefit National Archery in the Schools Program and Girls on the Run. More info: nwrunarcheryclassic.com ANW
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The Art of an Eruption
Our Spring issue featured an image of an erupting Mt. Baker that struck a chord with many readers. Here’s how it was created: 1. The story’s author, Mount Baker Volcano Research Center Director Dave Tucker combed his archives for an image of a volcanic eruption that would be similar in appearance to a theorized eruption of Baker. He selected an eruption plume at Mount Semeru in eastern Java because the magma chemistries at the two volcanoes are similar.
1 2
2. The plume’s placement was carefully orchestrated according to a diagram created by Tucker and then added to an image of Mount Baker taken from the mouth of Bellingham Bay via expert Photoshop work by Al Sanders of Bellingham’s Quicksilver Photo Lab.
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3. The resulting composite image successfully captured a scientifically accurate rendering of what an eruption at Baker would look like when viewed from the west.
Al Sanders
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Still Wild After All These Years The Wilderness Act Turns 50
M
ore than one hundred million acres.
This is the quantity of designated wilderness lands in the United States of America today. This bounty is the result of the Wilderness Act, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3, 1964. The Act defines “wilderness” in language unusually poetic for legislation: “A wilderness, in contrast with those areas
Wonder Lake, Denali National Park Photo by Brett Bounton
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where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” In practical terms this means no roads or permanent structures can be built and no motorized vehicles or equipment are allowed. The creation of this landmark legislation was a long time coming and was inspired by the work of conservation icons like Aldo Leopold, whose seminal book, Sand County Almanac, published in 1947, established the notion of a “land ethic.” A growing environmental consciousness, fostered by Leopold and people like John Muir, Mardie Murie, and Bob Marshall began to take hold in the U.S. This consciousness asserted
Story by John D’Onofrio Photographs by Brett Baunton and John D’Onofrio The Triplets, Stephen Mather Wilderness Photo by John D’Onofrio
itself in the early 1950’s when a proposed dam to be constructed in Echo Park in the middle of Colorado’s Dinosaur National Monument was met with outrage by the Sierra Club’s David Brower and Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. The two lead a nationwide campaign to oppose the dam - it was never built - and in so doing, helped create a groundswell of support for preserving the remaining wilderness areas in the country. Taking advantage of the momentum created by the Echo Park controversy, Zahniser became the primary author of the Wilderness Act. First introduced in 1956, it took eight years and 60 drafts before Johnson’s pen touched paper. As he signed, he noted that “if future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave >>> Go to AdventuresNW.com
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them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.” by Howard Apollonio In 1964, the Act designated 9.1 milWilderness is to me like a home, a place of happiness and comfort. Not so much physical lion acres as wilderness. In the years since, comfort; rather, an emotional comfort. There is a sense of wilderness as the way a place more than 100 million have been added. should be, with a natural feeling of everything there working as it should, not needing Wilderness was clearly an idea whose to be changed or “improved”. That house is in order. It was created by processes that have proven correct over time. time had come. In wilderness I see and appreciate Today we have 757 wilderbeauty and harmony in distinct ness areas within the National environments as varied as the lands Wilderness Preservation System, in which they occur, from mountains and valleys to deserts, seashores and spread out over 44 states. They jungles, to grasslands, tundra, and are managed by the National islands. I have experienced examples Park Service, the National of most of these; and have appreciated images and accounts of the rest Forest Service, the Bureau of brought to us by other travelers. And, Land Management and the Fish I appreciate the plants and creatures and Wildlife Service. that live there. They are like fascinating friends, and interesting strangers We owe a great debt to the too. visionaries that dared to dream, I grew up exploring wild places and and more importantly, worked getting to know what went on there, hard to make those dreams how they came to be, and who lived there. As time passed, and travels perbecome reality. Of course, the mitted, I got to know what real wilderwork continues. Our fragile ness was, and how it differed from natural world has continually man-impacted environments. The latter can have appealing attributes, been under attack by those for but lack permanence and predictabilwhom maximizing short-term ity. Those lands are subject to a variety of future changes that most of us have profits is a religion. This is unno control over, nor anticipation of likely to change anytime soon. here today, gone tomorrow. But sometimes, in the midst of Humans have an insatiable urge struggle, it is important to celto exploit and control land and its ebrate victories. The fiftieth anresources for the benefit of whomever gets there first, leaving damaged niversary of the Wilderness Act goods for the rest of us. Hence, wilderis an occasion that is certainly ness protection insures that some Arrigetch Peaks Reflection, Gates of the Arctic Photo by Brett Bounton places will remain wild, before they worthy of celebration. too succumb to the machine. Here’s to the next This is the magic of the Wilderness Act and all that it has enabled. And none too soon, as fifty years! ANW
Reflections on Wilderness
our population grows and seeks wilderness experiences ever more; while greed drives others to exploit those lands for short-term gain. Howard Apollonio has been deeply involved in the conservation issues of Alpine Lakes and Olympic Skyline; and was a key member and co-chairman of the Mt Baker Wilderness Association.
Climbers on Ruth Mountain, Mt. Baker Wilderness Photo by Brett Bounton
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Standing on the Salish Sea The Joys of SUP Story by Ted Rosen Photos by Mike Powell
W
hen you first see someone Stand Up Paddling (SUP), you may think this person bought a surfboard without the requisite skills to surf the waves, then gave up and just started paddling around on it. Like many first impressions, this would be wrong. Not only is SUP deeply intertwined with big wave surfing, but it was popular long before surfing. Our ancient ancestors were SUPing before the dawn of history. Ancient peoples quickly discovered that the stability of canoes and kayaks came at a price. You sit low in the water and don’t have a commanding view of upcoming obstacles and wave conditions. But when Amy Kashiwa Riding the Salish Sea
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you stand up in your little canoe, you can suddenly see all around you. You can paddle further into the water and still keep an eye on the shore. You can see water conditions far ahead and make smart course corrections. Centuries before Polynesians began catching waves, adventurers all around the globe were standing tall on floating boards, paddling toward distant shores and ferrying goods to and fro. Eventually, Stand Up Paddling came full circle. Polynesians and Hawaiians started bringing paddles with them when they surfed the big waves. The paddles made it easier to cruise far beyond the swells. Once out there, these paddling surfers had a commanding view of the wave activity and could rapidly situate themselves in
the sweetest possible spot to catch the Big One. Throughout the surfing revival of the 20th century, the sport was practiced as a hands-free endeavor. But like most good ideas, paddle surfing returned to the sport as if it were some kind of modern breakthrough. Many modern surfers now take a paddle with them when they venture out beyond the swells. Stand Up Paddling has been reborn. From ancient explorers to modern recreationalists, the advantages and joys of SUPing are self-evident.
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Here in the Pacific Northwest we are blessed with a myriad of water-sport opportunities. We can kayak mighty rapids, surf the waves at La Push, paddle canoes across untold glassy lakes, or sail the stunning coastlines. Ours is a habitat custom-made for Stand Up Paddling. Granted, SUPers smartly avoid turbulent waters. Getting swamped is no fun. But wherever the waters are calm you’re likely to see folks standing tall on long boards, paddling their way across lakes and along the rocky coast. Among these vertical paddlers is 47-year-old Brian Smart of Bellingham. An avid outdoorsman, Brian enjoys cycling, hiking, running, rock climbing, kite-boarding, and paddling. He started swimming when he was a wee one, and his enjoyment of the water never ceased. Like many SUPpers, Brian started out surfing. “In 1996 a co-worker took me to Westport for a weekend surf trip. I had no idea what I was doing and his mentoring skills were somewhat lacking. But I had a great time and surfing has been something that I do whenever I get the chance. About three years ago standup paddle boards starting showing up locally. I started paddling different boards and couldn’t believe how easy and fun it was, not to mention an amazing workout.” Like most SUPers, Brian derives
great satisfaction from paddling hither and yon. “Being on the water on is incredibly calming. It doesn’t matter if I’m racing or just cruising. Last year I started paddling with the Bellingham Bay Outrigger Paddlers club in a six person Hawaiianstyle outrigger canoe. While I love the teamwork, paddling on my SUP is an independent endeavor. If I want to stop and take a swim, lay on the board and float, go fast or slow, it’s just me.” Speaking of going fast and slow, Brian has also stepped up his game by becoming a competitive paddler. “Racing has been both a fun and frustrating experience, but I’ve learned a lot about proper training, diet, and to just have fun. The community is so positive. At a recent race in La Conner one of my friends just crushed the course. He was already loading his board when I crossed the finish line. Yet he was hollering at me from the shore ‘Go man, GO!! 20 yards! Push it!!’ Other paddlers were also cheering and it’s just really great to have people encourage you to keep pushing yourself. In turn, it’s always great
to return that energy. I remember finishing Round the Rock last year, a 13mile race around Mercer Island, seeing people finish the race after paddling for four hours! Now those people deserved the cheering! I’m not sure how much longer I can race, but I know I’ll continue to paddle and support the sport.” While paddle boarders like Brian enjoy pushing the envelope in local competitions, most folks do it for the pure joy of it. Amy Kashiwa and her teenage son Riley prefer the calm, meditative aspects of recreational SUPing. An Occupational Therapist who knows a thing or two about the human body, Amy is an unashamed “fair weather” paddle boarder. “It feels peaceful to be on the water paddling. I appreciate living and recreating in such a beautiful setting. Paddle boarding is a nice way to experience the water, fresh air and wildlife while being active.
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“It’s a great workout for balance and core exercise. It’s nice owning two boards so that one of my kids can join me on the water. One of them usually stays with our dog on shore and we switch off. I prefer paddle boarding to kayaking because it is such a different kind of workout, incorporating the full body.” Most sailing sports require a lot of gear and some training. You can take kayak lessons from folks like the Whatcom Association of Kayak Enthusiasts (WAKE) or the Bellingham Canoe and Kayaks Sprint Team, which specializes in youth training programs. There’s a lot to learn for newcomers who want to kayak effec-
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tively and safely. But SUPing is different. The basics can be learned in five minutes and most
Stand Up Paddling on Chuckanut Bay
SUPers find their feet with little to no formal training. Of course, good balance, good swimming skills and proper safety gear are important, but of all the things
you can do on the water, SUPing is the easiest to jump into. Here’s Amy about her introduction to paddle boarding: “I was introduced to the sport when my daughter Aspen wanted to try it out in Hawaii. After that trip, we decided to rent one from Bellingham Kite/ Paddle/Surf. Took it out on Lake Whatcom and really enjoyed it. “We later purchased one from the Kite shop, who gave us a discount towards the purchase since we had already demo’ed the board. We have acquired another board since then and have also purchased safety equipment from the shop: booties, rash guards, leashes, etc. One of the reasons I wanted to get into the sport: the portability of the
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get you the hardware you need and the boards is easier than a kayak. I can put instruction to get you going. the boards on the car by myself, so I can paddle alone.” So, you’re probably asking yourself how you can become one of those paddle boarders slipping silently along the bay. Fortunately, it’s easy to learn and it won’t break the bank. The first thing you’ve got to do is find a retailer who can guide you into the water. Here in the A Quiet Moment at Day’s End Fourth Corner it seems every SUPer I asked the company’s Dave Sanford has some level of affiliation with how a newbie like me could get started Bellingham Kite/ Paddle/Surf. They paddle boarding. maintain an attractive and bustling “Our lessons are done right out of shop on the Bellingham Waterfront and the shop and take place in the marina carry a huge array of boards, paddles, and in the bay just outside the breaksafety gear and accessories. They can
water. Lessons typically start in May, but we offer product demos all year. We also supply boards for the 3 Oms Yoga paddle board classes and we offer demos at Lake Padden all summer long.” In case you think you read that wrong, let me be clear: yes, you can take a yoga class that is taught and performed on stand-up paddle boards. Just when you thought you had achieved that nirvana level of balance, along comes the ninja level. Summer is here, people. Go get wet! ANW
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The Return of the Mountain Runners Story by Cami Ostman
W
here does inspiration come from? Some people find it in the books they read. Others find it through their dreams or during conversations with friends.
ner, participated in the Tor Des Geants, a 206-mile ultra marathon in Italy that weaves its way through 34 mountain towns in the Valle d’Aosta nestled in the Italian Alps. The race was both spectacular and brutally challenging. Dan took 122 hours and 23 minutes to complete the course and crossed the finish line in the town of Courmayeur exhausted and triumphant. But it’s what Dan experienced of the race’s ethos - it’s community involvement and central purpose - that
I’m no stranger to sudden inspiration. I once had an idea to run a marathon on every continent (after completing only one race of such a distance) that came to me over a glass of wine on a romantic, rainy evening. And that idea wouldn’t let me go until I made good on it. As I sit across from Bud Hardwick and Daniel Probst nearing the summit of Mt. Baker Photo by Jeremy Devine Daniel Probst, both of us sipping on Trans-Porter beers at Kulshan Brewing Company in Bellingham, Washington, I watch his eyes sparkle as he tells me how his big idea materialized. In Daniel’s case, the inspiration for a new Mount Baker ultramarathon comes from three seemingly unrelated passions: An ultramarathon in Italy; his love for his native North Cascades; and the story of the first Mount Baker got his imagination running wild. Marathon in 1911, as chronicled in the Tor Des Geants is the brainchild of film The Mountain Runners. the Courmayeur Trail Running Club. As a trail runner myself and as “They wanted to promote tourism in their someone who was interviewed for The region,” Dan explains. “They hoped the Mountain Runners film, I’ve been itching world would see the spectacular place they to find out more about Dan’s passion for live in.” Specifically, the hope of the crereviving a race that would wind its way all ators of Tor Des Geants was that runners the way from Bellingham Bay up to the who came to participate in their epic trailtop of Mt. Baker before turning around running event would go back to the counand coming back to town. tries they came from and say, “You have The seeds of the idea began, he tells got to get yourself to the Aosta Valley!” me, in 2010 when Dan, an avid ultra run16
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In short, theTor Des Geants is about more than just putting on a first class ultramarathon. The goal is also to bring people from around the globe to enjoy the trails of the Valle d’Aosta year round. I lean forward as he tells me this and take a drink of my beer. The millisecond when an idea emerges is a sacred moment for us humans. Those are instances that change the direction of our lives and that sometimes change the course of history. I wait for Dan to share his “Aha!” experience. It happened like this: As Dan reached each aid station during the Tor Des Geants and saw how the race engaged full participation and enthusiasm from every town along the route - volunteers and spectators alike - an idea began to sprout in the back of his mind. We should have a grand race like this at home! “A race that would show off our home-grown beauty to runners, hikers, and horseback riders from around the world,” he tells me. Indeed. I can only nod in agreement. Is there any better place to run than the Northwest? So Dan came home from Italy with renewed vigor to continue to expand the trails in Whatcom County. The thought of putting on an ultramarathon that would bring people to these trails kept coming to him - something to dream about on long trail runs, if nothing else. Meanwhile, in Whatcom County two other things were going on. First the >>> Go to AdventuresNW.com
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“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” –Henry David Thoreau
Below the summit: The Black Buttes and Deming Glacier Photo by John D’Onofrio
film, The Mountain Runners, directed by Todd Warger and Brian Young, was in production. It told the story of the epic race run in the early 1900’s that started in Bellingham, turned around at the top of Mt. Baker, and wound its way back to Bellingham. The film (which eventually debuted in 2012 and has subsequently played to wide-spread acclaim at film festivals around the world) highlighted the spirit of a race developed to show off Whatcom County and to draw people north for tourism. Dan Probst watched the film with interest. The intent of the Mount Baker Marathon of old wasn’t much different in its intent from the Tor Des Geants. What Dan had been conceiving of had already been done - a century ago. The other thing happening around stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.
the county was that a much-anticipated land transfer, (also known as “the reconveyance”) would soon be returning 8,884 acres of land to Whatcom County, making the acquired area one of the largest locally-managed parks in the country. As a life-time local, Dan saw the reconveyance as a chance for recreationalists like himself to really enjoy the gorgeous land that wraps itself around Northwesterners every day. Maybe, he said to himself (and to several other people, too), a long distance run could even pay for some of the trail-building that would allow for people to enjoy the land year-round. It would also highlight opportunities for like-minded trail-builders to volunteer their efforts. Henry David Thoreau, the great naturalist, said: “It’s not what you look
at that matters, it’s what you see.” And what Dan Probst saw was an increasingly clear vision. It was, indeed, possible - and desirable - to renew the Mount Baker Marathon, to create a continuous path that travels from sea to mountaintop. One that will bring runners into the area so that, in the spirit of the Tor Des Geants, word would spread that there was great beauty and nature available to enjoy in the shadow of our majestic mountain. “The more I have talked about the idea, the more possible it has become. Almost everyone I discuss it with is interested and willing to join the process of making it happen,” Dan says, shaking his head and smiling. “This will be good for Whatcom County.” Jason Martin, Director of Operations at the American Alpine Institute, showed race | play | experience
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his support right away, as did the members of the Mount Baker Club, the club credited with starting the original race. Many others have also been quick to catch the vision of what will be a 108mile race (54 miles each way). I nod as I hear how the inspiration for this proposed race became infectious. I believe I’ve caught the bug myself. That’s how inspiration rolls. She seeps into the hearts of anyone who will listen and hooks them - pulls them into her cause. And so began the Cascade Mountain Runners. The Cascade Mountain Runners (CMRs) is a growing group of local traillovers, mostly runners, who share the vision of reviving the Mount Baker Marathon as well as building sustainable trails in and around Whatcom County, including through the newly reconveyed land, which will be known as Lake Whatcom Park. The CMRs have already envisioned the route the revived Mount Baker Marathon will take, and they’ve gone a step farther, too. They’ve run it! In August 2013, on the anniversary of the last running of the original Mount Baker Marathon and with support from some local businesses (most notably Rocket Donuts and Kulshan Brewing, who provided runners with beer to drink when they completed their journey), Dan Probst, along with runners Alex Brede, Morris Arthur, and Dusty Caseria first trekked the route they hope will one day become the official Mount Baker Marathon route. The proposed path is an homage to the original Mount Baker
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Marathon. Dan describes it to me with rapt passion. He’s laid out a map in front of me, and I try to follow along as he describes it. The new course, the one Dan, Alex, Morris, and Dusty ran last August, begins at Cornwall Beach, follows Cornwall Avenue for a time, and passes the location of the 1911 Bellingham Chamber of Commerce to commemorate the old race. Next, the course edges by the current Chamber of Commerce near the historic Mount Baker Theater and then ducks behind Diehl Ford (in honor of Hugh Diehl who drove runner Joe Galbraith to Deming in the first race) before picking up the Whatcom Falls trail. After going through Whatcom Falls Park to Bellingham’s Northshore Drive, the route then catches the North Lake Whatcom trailhead and treks over Stewart Mountain. It then traverses through what will be the new Lake Whatcom Park before dropping down into the town of Acme. The South Fork Park was the original Galbraith homestead, and the course passes by its location and then goes out Mosquito Lake Road to the Middle Fork Road (Forest Service Road 38) until it catches the original Mount Baker Marathon trail again at the old location of Heisler’s Ranch. Runners will then take the Ridley Creek trailhead into the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest before getting on a trail that follows that up the mountain to Mazama Lake. I have to catch my breath after this description. Dan only smiles and nods.
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Shakespeare once wrote, “One touch Dan finishes with “From Mazama of nature makes the whole world kin.” Lake it’s only a half mile to the Easton And as I swallow my last swig of beer and Glacier. And from Easton Glacier it’s only look across the table at Daniel, I can see one mile to Sherman Crater. Then the that Shakespeare was on to something. route turns around.” Those who most enjoy the beauty “Sounds glorious,” I say, secretly wishwe have here in the northwest corner of ing I was trained up to 108 miles so I could Washington State join Dan and his want to share it crew for the next with others in the trial run. spirit of camara“We’ll run toderie and opengether sometime hearted joy. A and I’ll show you walking/running/ how the race will horseback riding start,” Dan says. route that traces I nod, planning The Cascade Mountain Runners at Bellingham Bay. the landscape to take him up on ItL-Rbegins: Alex Brede, Daniel Probst, Morris Arthur, Dusty Caseria. Photo by Todd Warger from the sea to the his offer. mountain peak is a brilliant invitation for What started as a dream is now a nature lovers to touch the wild Northwest vision shared by The Cascade Mountain and, as a result, to become kin. Runners, the American Alpine Institute Learn more about the Mount Baker Ultraand many others around Whatcom marathon at cascademountainrunners.org County. Such a race could raise the funds to maintain and mark new trails that can ANW be used year-round by hikers, cyclists, runners, and others.
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Lessons from the Wild Yearning for Connection Story and Photos by Abigail Sussman
D
eer don’t usually impress me. When I see a doe lingering just off trail, I stare into the brush, willing a hungry mountain lion to teach a predator-prey lesson. Maybe it’s cynicism born from incomplete ecosystems or the fact that deer seem to frequent suburban culde-sacs as regularly as UPS trucks. But perhaps, like many instances of indifference, it is simply a lack of understanding. So it came as a surprise that the deer - this banal, over-populated, docile mammal - became my teacher. In her poem, Spring, Mary Oliver states: “There is only one question: how to love this world.” In the wake of a break-up, I found myself struggling to figure out how I wanted to love and be loved. In the poem, Oliver describes the awakening of a bear “coming/down the mountain,/breathing and tasting”. The bear and her world provide exactly what the other needs because they are deeply, inextricably, connected. This is the kind of loving collaboration I realized I was seeking - first with myself, then the natural world, and, maybe someday, with a sweetheart. I have always looked towards a rise in topography when searching for inspiration. Panoramic vistas, dramatic terrain and physical exertion are tools for appraising my place in the world. Now 24
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I needed something deeper - I needed to be rooted in the world outside of myself. Rather than finding my place in the world, I wanted to merge into it, to become part of things in a way that cannot be compartmentalized. I wanted to create something with my own hands, explore a process rather than
a result, learn a skill that would lend itself to an independence that surpasses the fact that I have my own bank account. But most importantly, I wanted to develop a relationship with the natural world more akin to a partnership. I signed up for a brain-tanning class. Eating the flesh of an animal, let alone wearing their skin, is unbearable to some, but to me it feels like the beginning of an answer. What better way to love the world than to put it into our own bodies? Unlike the interdependence of the lynx and the snowshoe hare, or the black footed ferret and the prairie dog, we have
ceded from the collective. By most accounts, we are quickly losing touch with the world and with each other. For all the passion I have for high mountains, the familiarity of plants I know by name, or the affinity for the sound of cascading water, there is an intimacy with the natural world that I had not known until I took a deer hide into my hands. On a warm April Monday, I fleshed a deer hide, remnant fat and muscle dropping to my feet. By Saturday, I was sewing two hides together with buckskin thongs into a self-designed tunic. Though it was my own hands that scraped the hair and epidermis off, softened the brain-soaked hide and sewed holes with sinew, the metamorphosis was astounding. So when I spotted two deer in the aspen forest the evening after my brain-tanning course ended, I froze, entranced by my new found insight into the body of this animal. Watching the doe and the yearling nibble grasses, I recalled the silkiness of the deer brains and bear fat solution on my hands, the difficulty of softening the rump and neck, the delicate resiliency of the belly. My fascination wasn’t predatory, it didn’t feel morbid or unemotional. I had a new admiration for deer, a recognition that this process felt familiar, and simple gratitude for the fact that I would wear two hides on my own body, barbed wire >>> Go to AdventuresNW.com
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fence scars down my spine, clothed by fresh shoots and creek water. It is a closeness that feels like being held by a lover. Wearing buckskin was the culmination
of a cycle of yearning, creation and fulfillment, in both the deer’s life, and my own. In all relationships, each partner gives and receives love differently. It is our job as sisters, lovers, or parents to make sure the message is understood. This is also true in the way we interact with our world. Just as every so often, we pause in our lives to “have a talk” with our beloved, we need to take time to evaluate our interactions with the world. Many of us are still in the early stages of relationship: recycling, biking to work, hiking on weekends. These are ways to become familiar with what we find engaging - like the first few dates with a new romantic interest. But to progress, we must learn to love in a way that goes beyond enjoying each other and touches the kind of interconnection between the bear and her world. Learning to tan a deer hide felt like my first serious engagement with an animal, and I anticipate going to great lengths to keep this love alive. ANW
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An Advocate for Wilderness The Photography of Ethan Welty
Raised in Seattle, I’m thankful to have once called these mountains home. These shy and beautiful mountains inspired me to rope up, make a career of photography, and go back to school for glacier science. Now I regularly travel back from Colorado to satiate my appetite for their granite faces, treedrenched valleys, and lofty alpine basins on a life-long quest to build a comprehensive portrait of my “home range” and put my images to work for conservation advocacy in the region.
Clockwise from top left: Hikers at Picket Pass; Bacon Creek; Sunrise, Mt. Baker; Old Burn on Icicle Ridge; Glacier Peak Wilderness; Bunchberry Dogwood; Climber on Luna Peak. Middle: Dorado Needle
Check out a special Expanded North Cascades Photo Gallery by Ethan Welty at AdventuresNW.com
Visit Ethan Welty’s website at weltyphotography.com
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Boots and Brews Pairing Hikes with Breweries Story by Aubrey Laurence
B
eer is a magnificently versatile beverage. It can be enjoyed alone, or it can be paired with foods, moods, seasons, activities and environments. It also makes for the perfect post-hike refreshment, as it aids restoration, encourages relaxation and promotes reflection. Just as beer-and-food pairings create harmonies that elevate the overall experience, visiting a brewery after a good hike enhances the enjoyment of your day. It also provides an opportunity to plan your next adventure. When pairing hikes with breweries, consider geographical proximities and conceptual relationships. Below are some suggested pairings that will appeal to your sense of adventure - and your taste buds.
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Brew: Aslan Brewing Co.
1330 N. Forest St., Bellingham
Hike: North Ridge Trail on Galbraith Mountain
2.5 miles and 500-foot elevation gain round trip. Trailhead: Drive to the end of Birch Street off Lakeway Drive in Bellingham. Just three miles from the new Aslan Brewery, begin hiking up the North Ridge Trail on Galbraith Mountain, also known as North Lookout Mountain. This hike is short and sweet, and it offers big rewards for little effort. After just 0.75 miles up the braided trails along the ridge, you will reach a viewpoint with panoramic views of Bellingham and beyond. If you continue on, you will arrive at a kiosk at 1.25 miles, which leads
to many more trails. “It’s one of my favorite hikes close to town,” says Aslan owner Jack Lamb. “It’s nice and easy, and it has a great perch overlooking the city that reminds me of that scene from ‘The Lion King,’ where Simba is shown the kingdom [that he will inherit].” Aprèshike, enjoy Aslan’s snappy and refreshing Ginger Rye Ale.
Brew: Birdsview Brewing Co.
38302 State Route 20, Concrete
Hike: Cascade Trail
22 miles long. Many access points along SR 20. Bald eagles can often be seen along the Skagit River, especially during their prime salmon-feeding season from late November through early February. Because of this, you might deduce
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Gathering Place: Boundary Bay Taproom Photo by John D’Onofrio
that this was how the community of Birdsview got its name, but you would be wrong. It was actually named after the wellliked Skagit Valley pioneer, Birdsey D. Minkler (18491911), who was a mill owner, a state senator and the first postmaster of Birdsview (1881). To get a feel for the Bald Eagles watch over area - and to enjoy Semiahmoo Spit Photo by Aubrey Laurence some great bird watching - take a walk, a jog or a bike ride on the Cascade Trail, a rail-trail that runs for 22 miles from Sedro-Woolley to Concrete. One good option is to park near the middle at the Lyman City Park and access the trail
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across the street from Davis Lane. Turn right (west), and walk along the Lyman Slough toward an expansive view of the Skagit River and the foothills. Continuing on, you will pass quiet farmlands, soupy marshes and peaceful forests, with trailside blackberries lining most of the way. After enjoying the wetlands, whet your palate at the nearby Birdsview Brewery. Sit outside and try the malt-forward Screaming Eagle IPA, which is made with honey from the nearby town of Concrete.
Brew: Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro 1107 Railroad Ave., Bellingham
Hike: Semiahmoo Spit
2 miles out and back. From I-5 Exit 270, go west on Birch Bay-Lynden Road, right on Harborview Road, left on Drayton Harbor Road, and right on Semiahmoo Parkway. Named after Boundary Bay on the U.S.-Canada border, which was a major crossing point for bootleggers during
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Prohibition, Boundary Bay Brewery has been a Bellingham institution since it opened in 1995. The brewhouse cranks out more than 6,000 barrels of beer per year, and more than 25 percent of it is sold on premises. To keep up with demand, even as new breweries continue to open up in the city, it recently expanded its capacity by adding three, 60-barrel fermentation tanks. Before enjoying the bounty of award-winning beers the brewery has to offer, take a stroll through Semiahmoo Park, gaze at the actual Boundary Bay in the distance, and try to imagine what those rum-runners experienced. This out-andback walk on Semiahmoo Spit offers four trail options parallel to one another: a dirt trail, a paved path, and two pebble
mountain time, beach time, family time
beaches – one on the Semiahmoo Bay side and one on the Drayton Harbor side. Drink in views of Point Roberts, the Gulf Islands and White Rock, Canada. Keep an eye out for bald eagles, as they frequent the high perches along the spit.
Brew: Chuckanut Brewery
601 W. Holly St., Bellingham
Hike: Rock Trail at Larrabee State Park
Almost 1.5 miles each way and about 500 feet of elevation gain. Trailhead: From Fairhaven, go south on Chuckanut Drive / SR 11, left on Hiline Road, which turns into Cleator Road, and continue to Cyrus Gates Overlook at the end of the road. “Chuckanut” is a Native word that means “beach on a bay with a small entrance” or “long beach far from a narrow entrance.” Chuckanut is now the name of a road, a bay, a creek, a mountain, and many area businesses, including the multi-award-winning Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen. So it’s only natural to pair this brewery with a hike on Chuckanut Mountain, and the brand-new Rock Trail is an ideal choice. Thanks to Larrabee State Park, the Chuckanut Conservancy, Washington Trails Association and countless volunteers who put in more than 4,000 hours of work, the Rock Trail now connects the Cyrus Gates Overlook with the South Lost Lake trail. From the south end of the parking lot, take the first fork Stay In The Game With Rolfing ® Prevent Injuries Recover From Injuries Boost Performance
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to the right and then cross over the Double Diamond trail. From there, you will descend steep sets of stairs, weave through an impressive array of massive, moss-covered boulders and pass right below sheer sandstone cliffs. This connector trail is less than 1.5 miles each way, but it offers a number of possible loops or out-and-back routes. Post-hike, reflect on your geological journey with one of Chuckanut’s authentically made, European-style ales and lagers. Just remember to tip one for the trail crew members, who did an excellent job.
Brew: Kulshan Brewing Co.
2238 James St., Bellingham
Hike: Park Butte
7.5 miles and 2,200 feet of elevation gain. Trailhead: From I-5, go east on SR 20 for 23 miles, left onto Baker Lake Road, after 12 miles turn left onto FR 12, drive 3.5 miles and turn right onto FR 13, then drive 5 miles to the end of the road. In 1792, Captain George Vancouver sighted a large mountain from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and he named it after his Lieutenant Joseph Baker. The local Native Americans, however, had already named it Koma Kulshan, or simply Kulshan. Get a close-up view of 10,781-foot Mt. Baker, which is the second most-glaciated
mountain in the contiguous United States (after Mt. Rainier) and the second most-active Cascade volcano (after Mt. Saint Helens), from Park Butte’s mile-high lookout cabin. In addition to the phenomenal views of Baker, the Black Buttes and the Twin Sisters Range from the lookout, the hike to the lookout provides plenty of eye candy, too, including blueberry-filled meadows, a lush-green forest and an alpine wonderland filled with glassy tarns and sweeping mountain views that fade into the horizon. Continue your feast for the senses at Kulshan Brewery’s patio by sampling the brewery’s wide selection of delicious beers.
Between Milepost 20 - 21 Mt. Baker Hwy., Deming Ph 360/599-BEER (2337) www.northforkbrewery.com
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Brew: Menace Brewing at The Local Public House
Hikers admire the view from the Tomyhoi Peak Trail Photo by John D’Onofrio
6186 Mount Baker Highway/542, Deming
1427 Railroad Ave., Bellingham
Hike: Horseshoe Bend
Hike: Tomyhoi Peak
12 miles, 5,000 feet of elevation gain, Class 3-4 with exposure. Trailhead: From Hwy 542, turn left onto FR 3065 / Twin Lakes Road, 13 miles east of the Glacier Public Service Center. Veer left at the first fork. Continue 4.5 miles to the Yellow Aster Butte trailhead at a tight switchback with a privy. Consult climbing guides for route information. With a name like Menace, you should pair this brewery with a potentially threatening and difficult scramble, and look no further than Tomyhoi Peak (7,451’). Just beware; this climb is very long and strenuous. The trails traverse cliffs, pose some route-finding challenges, and Tomyhoi’s summit block requires some exposed Class 3-to-4 moves. The summit is very airy and barely large
Brew: North Fork Brewery
enough for more than one or two climbers at a time, but it offers unbelievable views of the rugged North Cascades (you can stop short of the summit and still be entranced with the lofty vistas). Safely back in Bellingham, calm your nerves with one of Menace’s highly quaffable brews, or choose a beer from the pub’s dozen or so guest taps. The Local also specializes in pairing beer with food, so ask your server for a recommendation from the ever-changing menu.
2.5 miles out and back and 300- to 400-feet of elevation gain round trip. Trailhead: 2 miles east of the Glacier Public Service Center on Highway 542, park on the right side of the road, just past the bridge and across the street from the Douglas Fir Campground. Under a canopy of moss-covered trees, experience the raging whitewater of the North Fork Nooksack River on a gently undulating trail that contours the river’s boulder-strewn shores. The end of the trail has a nice vantage point overlooking the river, but the highlight of this hike is the journey itself. On your way home, make a stop at the North Fork Brewery, which is also a pizzeria, a beer shrine and yes, a wedding chapel. Choose from a tasty lineup of small-batch beers,
Everything looks better framed.
1421 Cornwall Avenue, Downtown Bellingham
360.650.1001
bellinghamframeworks.com 32
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say it’s open for interpretation. “For us, Wander is travel, exploration, creating amazing craft beers and working toward what makes us happy, while also being community conscious.” ANW The High Divide: A place made for wandering Photo by Aubrey Laurence
which includes cask-conditioned ales and interesting seasonal beers. The IPA is malty-sweet with a hoppy bite, and it pairs wonderfully with the brewpub’s delicious pizza.
Brew: Wander Brewing Co.
1807 Dean Ave., Bellingham
Hike: High Divide
Lots of out-and-back or car-shuttle options with a few access points along Highway 542. Exercise your inner wanderlust on a section of the 20-mile-long High Divide. This mile-high ridge offers fantastic vistas of lower British Columbia and the North
Cascades, including Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan. Many trails and routes link to the ridge, including Damfino Lakes (when the Canyon Creek Road is open), Excelsior Pass, Welcome Pass and Yellow Aster Butte, providing a myriad of hiking and camping options. Along the ridge, explore idyllic knolls, wildflower-coated meadows and unnamed high points. After your nature fix, head to Wander Brewing’s newly opened Brew Hall and explore the multitude of beer styles and flavors from the brewery’s 10 taps (plus cider and root beer). Owners Chad and Colleen Kuehl came up with the name Wander while traveling abroad, and they
GMO? No! At Terra Organica, we were the first store in North America to label GMO ingredients
We do the Research. You enjoy truly healthy food. It’s that simple.
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Iron & stone sculptures by Charles Adams & Thomas Widhalm
700 Chuckanut Drive N. • Bellingham (360) 734-4885
www.chuckanutbaygallery.com Open Monday through Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM Sunday 12:00 NOON – 5:30 PM • YARD AND GARDEN ACCESSORIES •
L
INDOOR/OUTDOOR FOUNTAINS • FINE WOODWORKING • ORIGINAL PAINTINGS • CUSTOM FRAMING
Supporting American Craft – made with fingerprints, a story and in the U.S.
BLOWN GLASS • CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY • LIMITED EDITION PRINTS • SCULPTURAL CERAMICS
• OUTDOOR GARDEN SCULPTURE •
^
c
r
T
Details at eatlocalfirst.org
+
Second Saturday in September!
SS
Tour through Whatcom County Farmland. Hop on your BIKE* for a fun-filled Whatcom County Farm Tour Adventure! *Cars are OK too!
Choose local businesses taking action for a healthy community.
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The Sculpture Woods of Ann Morris My work attempts to articulate human spirit and its relation to the cycles of nature, symbolized by the horn and its spiraling levels of meaning. Spirit dwells in our bodies, enacting its fateful intentions in the male and female energies that animate the natural order. By embodying this dynamic in sculptural forms I hope to approach and attend the meaning of what it is to be truly human, to formally present the myth and mystery of our origins and illustrate the worthy play of spirit and its mortal home, our humanity. To that end, the work emphasizes the masculine and feminine principles of consciousness within the human psyche and asserts that a holistic relationship between them and with nature is essential to human health and development. My art seeks to shape connections between our past and our destiny, to enshrine the fragile grace and merciless power of nature, to imagine the human place in the pulse of time. The Sculpture Woods are located at 3851 Legoe Bay Rd., Lummi Island and are open to the public on the first Saturday of each month from 10 am - 5 pm, or by appointment. To learn more about the Sculpture Woods visit SculptureWoods.com
eARTh The art of nature
Clockwise from top left: Dance of Life, Her Cry, Gifting the Giver, Life-Death-Life
Experience Yoga in a New Way
Yoga for Paddlers Runners Hikers Cyclists…and YOU!
Yoga with Susan D’Onofrio 8 Petals Yoga Studio
1317 Commercial St. #203 • Bellingham, WA
www.whatcomyoga.com for class info stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.
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The Road Less Paddled Seven Special Spots for Local Kayakers Story by Dawn Groves
D
uring my first paddle with WAKE (Whatcom Association of Kayak Enthusiasts), I learned two important lessons about kayaking in Bellingham: first, that uncrowded lesser-known destinations are immensely gratifying, and second, that there are often good reasons why these spots are uncrowded. The Salish Sea is replete with destination gems enjoyed by paddlers “in-the-know.” These special spots demand advanced skills, rough-weather experience or strategic planning. But even the easiest local put-in occasionally requires more than a light recreational skill-set. Don’t let the simple trips fool you. That said, I’ve gathered together a few of my favorite
local paddling gems. Approach them as you’d approach any kayaking excursion: expect the best and plan for the worst. And enjoy!
1. Freshwater Slough Freshwater Slough is one of many arms of the South Fork of the Skagit River. The slough is actually a delta where paddlers can enjoy an almost-intact Pacific Northwest estuary system complete with migratory geese, a variety of ducks, shore birds, eagles, raptors, Chinook salmon, otters and even the occasional seal. Sunny days boast spectacular views of Mt. Baker. During winter, neighboring fields offer breathtaking opportunities to see snow geese and trumpeter swans take flight by the thousands. Freshwater Slough is reshaped by changing river vol-
Photo by Susan Conrad
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Mt. Baker dominates the sky above the sloughs and deltas of Skagit County Photo by Gene Davis
ume and tidal flow. Low tide exposes countless sand bars; high tide leaves almost nowhere to land. The further a paddler travels downriver, the more mudflats are encountered. Trips must be timed with the tidal exchanges so there’s enough water to paddle down the slough and back up again. It’s no fun dragging a boat over mud. Watch for afternoon winds picking up from the south. Launch Site: Skagit Headquarters Directions: Take Interstate 5 to Exit 221, just south of Mount Vernon. Go west on Highway 534 approximately 3.5 miles to Fir Island Road, following the sign for Conway/La Conner. In 1.8 miles, turn left onto Wylie Road and follow for 1 mile to a T-intersection. Turn left, following the sign for the boat launch; the parking lot is a few hundred yards ahead.
2. Dakota Creek Dakota Creek empties into Drayton Harbor in Blaine. Drayton Harbor is known for extensive shallow regions that become mudflats when the tide ebbs. Countless species of birds benefit from these exposed wetlands. Loons, grebes, cormorants, herons, plovers, eagles, and ducks make Drayton a premier site for coastal birding. Dakota Creek is located midway down the southeast side of the harbor. stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.
The entrance is an estuary dotted with homes that blend into picturesque surroundings. Kayakers must time the trip so there’s enough water to paddle inland. Maple trees, firs and cedars border the area. People fish from the mudflats and bridges. During winter months, Coho Salmon push themselves up the creek to spawn. Paddlers travel under two low bridges, snake around shallows and pass tree stumps and snags. The inland quiet amplifies voices and the rumble of car engines. In spring the air is damp and sweet with new growth. In summer it’s alive in birdsong. Fall blankets the creek in red maple leaves. Winter is silent, icy, and laced in frost. Regardless of the season, passage becomes hampered by logjams after about a mile. The return trip is usually faster, flowing with the creek’s mild current. Kayakers will notice winds picking up as they near the harbor.
3. Portage Island Portage Island is an uninhabited dot of land separated from the Lummi Peninsula by a shallow tidal flat known as Portage Bay. Portage and the surrounding areas are owned and protected by the Lummi Nation. On rare occasions when the tide is very high, the flat is submerged enough to allow low volume boats such
Launch Site: Dakota Creek Kayak Park, 1300 Runge Avenue, Blaine WA. Directions: Take Exit 274 off I-5. Right on Peace Portal Drive, then sharp left on Bell Road. First right is Runge Avenue. It’s best to launch at high tide due to the hazards of mud flats. There’s a short trail down to the estuary. A second short trail leads to a viewpoint overlooking the mouth of the creek. race | play | experience
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as kayaks to circumnavigate the island. This is a pretty, 9-mile paddle with views of Lummi Island as well as Bellingham Bay and the Cascades. The remains of a beached whale on the southern end of Portage can still be seen today. Paddlers typically put in at Gooseberry Point, then travel south along Hale’s Passage, crossing to Portage Island’s western shore. From there they skirt the shoreline, circling around the island and then over the tidal flats before returning to Gooseberry. Careful planning is required to avoid long carries across the shallows of Portage Bay. Launch Site: Gooseberry Point Directions: Take Exit 260 (Slater Road) off Interstate 5, then head west 3.22 miles to Haxton Way. Turn left and drive a little over seven miles. Haxton eventually bends into Lummi View Drive. Look for a long dock just beyond the Lummi Island Ferry dock. There’s a small gravel parking area next to a big
warehouse on the right. It’s okay to stop and unload gear, then move to park your vehicle along Lummi View Drive. Be aware that Hale’s Passage can become extremely rough, particularly when the current and wind are opposed.
4. Mud Bay Mud Bay is an aptly named tidal basin at the Northeast end of Chuckanut Bay. Due to its broad expanses of shoe-sucking muck, paddlers don’t launch without a five- to six-foot window of high tide. Herons love this area as do other varieties of migrating waterfowl. When the tide is right, paddlers glide across the shallow bay and under a low railroad trestle, then skirt sandstone walls of the peninsula that juts into Chuckanut Bay. Rounding the rocky edge of Clark’s Point, kayakers slip into a small protected cove whose sandstone walls are eroded into artsy grooves, shallow caves, and striking symmetrical depressions that look to the naked eye like fossilized dinosaur bones or
BLAZING PADDLES A Paddling Film Festival May 29th
May 30th
Black Box Theatre Lynnwood Tickets $18
Lincoln Theatre Mount Vernon Tickets $15
7 PM
7 PM
(at Brown Paper Tickets)
(at the door only)
www.paddle4ever.com/BlazingPaddles
Touring • Whitewater • Canoeing • Rafting • SUP • Expedition Paddling
It’s WET. It’s WILD. Get IN on the ACTION!
palm tree trunks. It’s a fascinating sight and well worth the sometimes rough water encountered at Clark’s Point. Launch Site: The end of Fairhaven Avenue. Directions: Turn west off Chuckanut Drive (SR11) at 21st Street behind the Chuckanut Bay Art and Sculpture Gallery and then immediately turn right on Fairhaven Avenue. Proceed straight to the shoreline of the bay. Park to unload gear and then drive back up the street to a small parking area on the right.
5. Boulevard Park: East Beach Boulevard Park is one of Bellingham’s signature locations built on a strip of land along South State Street and Bay View Drive. Established in 1980, the park is a favorite for sunset strolls, coffee breaks, sports activities and concerts in the summer. Lesser known is the tiny beach at the east end of the park just past the open staircase that climbs up to State Street. Kayakers park as close to the stairs as possible for a short carry to
Learn to Paddle the Salish Sea Ted Wang and Kelly Patrick are passionate about kayaking. Both are veterans of the Community Boating Center in Bellingham where Wang was Lead and Senior kayak instructor and Patrick was a certified instructor. The two have recently opened the Salish Sea Kayaking School in Bellingham, focused on teaching both those who’ve never paddled a sea kayak as well as intermediate paddlers wishing to enhance their skills. Classes are held on Bellingham Bay and local lakes. For more info: SalishSeaKayakSchool.com.
SEA KAYAK LESSONS FUN & AFFORDABLE
(888) 858-8411 www.salishseakayakschool.com info@salishseakayakschool.com
BELLINGHAM, WA 38
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west on Bayview Drive, drive down to the the beach. The beach and its small cove park, cross over train tracks and continue are sheltered from southern winds, proto the far end of the parking lot. viding a safe haven for tired paddlers. It’s a short paddle west to Fairhaven or east toward Cornwall Park and on to Squalicum 6. Whatcom Creek Estuary Harbor. Whatcom Creek flows 2.7 miles I was sold on this put-in several years from Lake Whatcom into Bellingham ago when I slid into the cove and paddled Bay. The estuary is formed by the lower around the corner for a perfect view of a rock concert. Enjoying a stellar day on the Salish Sea Not only did I have a ringPhoto by Susan Conrad side seat near the pavilion, I also enjoyed the added benefit of bobbing and paddling to the beat. Another time, I got a hankering for coffee at the start of a paddle. A quick call to Woods Coffee (at the other end of the Park) resulted in a steaming mocha handed across falls under the George E. Pickett Bridge the water. There’s nothing like coffee in a next to the downtown post office on kayak. Prospect Street. Maritime Heritage Launch Site: The east end of Boulevard Park, past restroom facilities and the stairs. Directions: From S. State Street, turn
Park flanks the south side of the estuary and a fish hatchery run by Bellingham Technical College is on the north side.
(FET)
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Launch Site: Any kayak launch point in Bellingham Bay. (See Boulevard Park East Beach.) Beware of changing conditions in the bay. The Whatcom Waterway’s entrance can become very choppy and confused.
7. Lake Samish About 6.5 miles southeast of Bellingham, Lake Samish offers an easy experience of suburban country paddling. The lake is surrounded by private homes with a lovely 39-acre public park stretched along its northwest border. Kingfishers are often seen the area despite considerable recreational boating in the summer. Fall and winter months are most appealing to paddlers. The lake is approximately six miles in length, divided into two sections by a
FOOD AR��S�S
FATHER’S DAY
loc��
10 AM- 6 PM
June 15th 2014
HOPS FOR HOSPICE
“Rock and Row” Open House Saturday, June 7th, 1pm -5pm Check the Calendar of Events for more details.
PLUS
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A C����ra�i�� �i�� ��� Loc�� B������e� �� S��p�� � Whatc�� Ho��i�� stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.
Under the right conditions, kayakers enjoy paddling up the Whatcom Waterway past one or two ships moored at its entrance. When the wind is up, refracting waves can challenge less skilled paddlers. Further up the channel, harbor seals are often seen lazing on log booms and poking their heads up in the water. Timing is everything on this excursion. Kayaks must pass under the Roeder and Holly Street bridges as well at the Burlington Northern railroad trestle without being shut out due to high tide or beached on a sandbar when the tide ebbs.
1221 Fraser Street. Suite E-2, Bellingham www.remafitness.com
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Blazing Paddles Check out the best of the National Paddling Film Festival at the Blazing Paddles Roadshow. This annual event is a visual paddlesports feast and celebration of human powered watercraft including sea kayaking, whitewater kayaking, canoeing, rafting and Stand Up Paddle boarding. Entertaining? You bet. Inspiring? Absolutely! Blazing Paddles visits the Black Box Theatre in Lynwood on Thursday, May 29 and the Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon on Friday, May 30. Both shows start at 7 pm and tickets can be found at BrownPaperTickets.com or at the door.
bridge. The east side is longer and noisier as it parallels Interstate 5. The west side is quieter and much smaller—about 1.75 miles around—including the park at its northwest corner next to the bridge. Launch Site: Paddlers can leave vehicles all day in the park’s free public parking lot next to the bridge; however, boats must then be shouldered down a steep walkway through the park before reaching the water. The Department of Fish
and Wildlife maintains a second launch point located on the east shore that’s often easier to use. Directions: Take Exit 242 off Interstate 5 and go west for one mile. Turn right on Old Samish Hwy. After approximately 1.2 miles turn left into the access area. Unload at the small concrete boat launch and park in the flat gravel area next to it. Washington Discover Pass parking permits are required. ANW
There’s no place like Whatcom County!
Danne Neill Real Estate Broker
360.303.4428
dannen@muljatgroup.com DanneNeill.com The Muljat Group Broadway
STORE HOURS WEEKDAYS 8am - 6pm SATURDAY 8am - 5pm
851 Coho Way Bellingham, WA 360.734.3336
SUNDAY 9am - 4pm
www.lfsmarineoutdoor.com 40
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Cascadia Gear: Essentials for your next Adventure Jet Boil Sol Ti Cooking System Let’s face it. For many of us, cooking in the backcountry is something that we want to be over with as quickly as possible. This often means boiling water to turn a pouch of freeze dried ingredients into a hot meal. We have other, more important things to do with our precious time in the wilderness than fuss with the stove. The people at Jet Boil understand this and their cooking systems make mealtimes ridiculously easy. The Jet Boil Sol Ti Cooking System represents the continuing evolution of backcountry cooking. Featuring an integrated burner base and .8-liter titanium cook pot, the Sol Ti is incredibly light at 9.8 ounces and will boil a half liter of water in two minutes and 15 seconds. And thanks to Jet Boil’s Thermo-Regulate™ burner, pressure is maintained as the fuel supply in the canister diminishes. The Sol Ti is billed as a four-season stove, delivering reliable performance down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, addressing the inconsistency and slow-burn issues that cold weather creates for gas canister stoves. The efficiency of this stove is a marvel: it’ll boil 12 liters of water with a single 100 gram canister. A few caveats: to reduce weight, Jet Boil has made the heat-exchanger fins thinner and thus more delicate, so careful handling is necessary. And, like all Jet Boil stoves, the connection between the pot and the burner tends to be a little finicky. Oh, and at a list price of $149.95, it’s certainly not an economy model.
When summer is at its peak here in the mountains of the Great Northwest we have much to draw our attention; Sublime snow-covered peaks, flower-filled alpine meadows, sunsets of crimson and magenta. Oh, and we have bugs. Lots and lots of bugs. The height of the flower season can generally be depended on to also be the height of the insect season. Over the years I have learned that the best way to deal with these marauding swarms is to cover as much of your skin as possible with clothing and to focus one’s attention elsewhere. As far as insect repellents go, I favor the herbal varieties, slathered often and thickly but I have been known to resort to a spritz of DEET on my hat when the going gets rough. At Exofficio, they have been developing bug-resistant clothing with Insect Shield® technology since 2004, employing Permethrin (a synthetic version of pyrethrum, found in chrysanthemum flowers) bonded into the fiber. Much better to have the repellent on your clothes than on your skin, the thinking goes. The new Bugsaway® Sandfly jacket is made of nylon-reinforced mesh - it’s lightweight (7.5 ounces) and well ventilated, a blessing on a hot day when the bugs are ferocious. It wicks and is quickdrying. If needed, an attached hood offers excellent visibility and peripheral vision and the jacket packs into a zippered chest pocket. The repellency lasts for 70 washes. Now there’s no need to let the bugs prevent you from stopping to smell the flowers. More info: exofficio.com
North Face Base Camp Duffel
More info: jetboil.com
Gear Spotlight:
Exofficio Bugsaway® Sandfly Jacket
Micro Traxion
Petzl Micro Traxion
by Kyle Dungan The Micro Traxion, from Petzl, is a pulley and ascender combined into one. This is a great way to increase the efficiency, simplicity, and safety of your crevasse rescue system for mountaineering or rock climbing. Why? For starters, its size and weight are minimal. The device weighs in at just 85 grams - which is equivalent to the weight of a headlamp; and is roughly the same size as a tangerine. The Micro Traxion incorporates a highly efficient pulley which means that when used for hauling a heavy load (such as a fallen climber out of a crevasse) the resistance you feel when pulling up your partner is significantly less than with a standard rescue pulley. This is really helpfully when it’s just one person hauling on the rope as is typical of a two-person rope team. The other awesome feature is that it’s also a rope-catching device, meaning that it will allow a rope to travel in one direction over the pulley wheel but clamp down on the rope when weighted in the other direction. Think of this as an automated brake. For those familiar with mountaineering fundamentals, this device is effectively your prusik knot and pulley all in one. With Petzl’s Micro Traxion you can self- belay on fixed rope, ascend a fixed rope, or establish any number of rescue and hauling systems on glaciers or rock. Kyle Dungan works at Backcountry Essentials, an outdoor specialty shop located at 214 W. Holly in Bellingham, WA. Check out more Backcountry Essentials gear reviews at AdventuresNW.com
Sometimes travel can be complicated. I find myself needing to transport backpacking and camping gear via airplanes on a regular basis. Three considerations loom large: I need a duffel bag that is big enough for my copious gear but compact enough so that it doesn’t evoke oversized baggage charges from the airlines. It needs to be easy to carry. And, considering the way baggage is often handled, it needs to be tough. The Extra-Large Base Camp Duffel by North Face covers all these bases. The backpack-style straps afford easy hauling across airport terminals and the D-shaped zipper allows ready access to the contents. It’s dimensions are ideal for air travel: a combined length/width/height of 70 inches, keeping it within the 80-inch restriction of many airlines. And the water and abrasion-resistant 1000 denier polyester is bomb-proof. More info: thenorthface.com
Vasque Lotic Water Shoes Water shoes tend to be problematic. Traditionally, comfort has not been a strong point. On a recent excursion in the slot canyons of southern Utah, I relied on Vasque’s Lotic Water Shoes and emerged from the canyons with happy feet. The Lotic’s slickrock soles provided excellent traction and the snugged-down uppers did a great job of keeping sand and grit out while navigating some very messy canyon floors. Once out of the water, they dried fast. The Lotics, like pretty much all technical footwear, require a little breaking-in time, but once done, these are some pretty comfy - and high-performance - multisport shoes. More info: vasque.com
Sponsored Review
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Race I Play I Experience Sunday, 25 May SPECIAL Ski To Sea Race––Mt. Baker to Bellingham - Limit of 500 Teams. A Relay Race of Seven Race Legs – Seven Different Sports – Over 90 Miles. The Ski to Sea Festival includes a 93.5 mile relay Race of seven venues from Mount Baker to Bellingham Bay encompassing seven different sports. The Festival also includes a community block party with music and food, a Junior Ski to Sea Race, a historical hometown parade, and other special events that provide a wide variety of entertainment and adventure for all who participate. RUN/WALK Emerald City Run––Gas Works Park, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm. Emerald City Run, May 25: 10K & 15K. The Wizard is coming to Seattle. Costume prizes, medal of courage, witches at the aid stations, flying monkeys and strawberry shortcake. Follow the yellow brick road
Saturday July 12
25 May - 13 June 2014
around Lake Union to the magical castle of Oz. www.emeraldcityrun. com
JUNE >>>
Thursday, 29 May
WATER Learn To Row Day–– Bloedel Donovan Park, Bellingham (meet near the train), 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Have you ever wondered what it is like to row in an 8-person sweep row shell? Come out and find out with Whatcom Rowing Club. Check out the equipment, try a dockside trainer, get coached on a rowing machine, get into a shell for a row and sign up for a rowing class. Rowing is one of the best ways to stay fit, and beautiful Lake Whatcom is a great place to do it. http://www.whatcomrowing.org
SPECIAL Blazing Paddles Film Festival––Black Box Theatre at Edmonds Community College, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm. It’s WET. It’s WILD. It’s Blazing Paddles: A roadshow of the world’s best paddling films.
Friday, 30 May SPEC/WATER Blazing Paddles Film Festival––Lincoln Theatre, Mt. Vernon, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm. It’s WET. It’s Wild. It’s Blazing Paddles! Come celebrate the passion of paddlesports with this unique opportunity to view outstanding watersports films inspiring people to explore rivers, lakes and oceans, push physical and emotional extremes, and appreciate the heritage of the wild places we paddle. Combining fast-paced action, incredible scenery and culture, this film festival will take you around the globe. For only $15 you can ride shotgun along for the action!
27 th Annual
2014
Saturday, 7 June
SPECIAL/WATER Rock and Row–– Rema Fit Rowing Studio,1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Please join Rema Fit on Saturday, June 7th for a” Rock and Row” open house from 1:00- 5:00 at Rema Fit
Rowing Studio. Celebrate with music, refreshments and free fitness classes. There will be a drawing for a free month of classes. Find us at The Haskell Business center. 1220 Fraser street, Suite E-2. www.remafitness.com. RUN/WALK 17th Annual Dog Island Run––Guemes Island Library, 10:45 pm – 1:00 pm. Scenic, challenging 10K Run or 2-mile walk. 5 min ferry ride to Guemes Island.
Sunday, 8 June BIKE Trek Factory Demo Day––Lake Padden Baseball Fields, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. Come out to Lake Padden Park on Sunday, June 8th from 11-3, and ride the best road and mountain bikes from Trek. Lake Padden Park offers great trails and road routes for test riding. Take the south entrance to Lake Padden. We will be set up in the parking lot near the baseball fields.
Friday-Sunday, 13-15 June SPECIAL Wild Eats From Land To Sea––Lopez Island. When experiencing our natural surroundings, it is helpful to engage all of our senses for a fuller sense of presence. Together with naturalist Jennifer Hahn, author of Pacific
Washington Pass - the Best Alpine Rock destination in North America - Ian Nicholson, Author, Washington Pass Supertopo
Go with the locals
509-996-3194 ncmountainguides.com info@ncmountainguides.com
Iron Person & Relay
Il Caffe Rifugio Restaurante
.3-mile swim 14.8-mile bike 4-mile run
An Eclectic Italian Restaurant ONLY 15 minutes from Bellingham
Plus a YOUTH TRI
(flotation devices allowed & parents encouraged to participate with their kids)
360.336.9414 tonyt@co.skagit.wa.us
skagitcounty.net/parksandrecreation 44
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Amazing Food, Drive-Up Coffee, Wine & Beer The only place to stop for all your quality food and drinks.
5415 Mount Baker Highway, Deming
360-592-2888
>>> View or download even MORE Race|Play|Experience
13 June (cont.) - 12 July 2014 Feast: A Cook’s Guide to West Coast Foraging and Cuisine, we’ve created a weekend in the San Juan Islands that will exercise our oft-neglected sense of taste! http:// ncascades.org/signup/programs/wildeats-from-land-to-sea
Saturday, 21 June
Sunday, 22 June
TRI TriMonroe Amateur Draft-Legal–– Lake Tye, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm. One of only 2, USAT approved amateur draft-legal races in USA. Olympic style oval course.
Saturday, 14 June
SPECIAL The Great Outdoors Auction Whatcom Land Trust––Bellewood Acres, 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm. Join us for The Great Outdoors Auction and you can expect delicious appetizers and dinner by Crave Catering; a chance to discover BelleWood Acres; inspired auction items; music from local favorite,bandZandt…be sure to wear your dancing shoes; opportunities to visit with WLT staff, learn what we are up to and hear how your support is creating conservation successes across Whatcom County; plus fun surprises guaranteed to make a memorable night for you and your friends. QUESTIONS: 360-650-9470 or info@whatcomlandtrust.org
RUN/WALK Kona Marathon Events––5:30 am – 1:30 pm. The Kona Coast is the ultimate vacation destination in Hawaii. 1/2 Marathon, 10K, and 5K courses run along the spectacular scenic shoreline of the Pacific Ocean offering beautiful views of crashing waves and mountains. The Marathon course extends into the unique black lava volcanic landscape of the Big Island of Hawaii. Experience the true aloha of Hawaii in this smaller family friendly event. RUN THE ROCK – Truly a run you will never forget.
SPECIAL Peace Health Winthrop Traverse––Pearrygin Lake State Park. Save the Date – June 14th, 2014. We are planning on launching the next Traverse in our series in 2014. Winthrop, WA, here we come! 3-mile Run, 12-mile Mountain Bike, 4-mile Paddle, 20-mile Road Ride and a .25-mile Team TREK to finish. TRI Deception Pass Challenge––Deception Pass State Park, 7:00 am – 11:00 am. The 3rd Annual Deception Pass Challenge will take place on June 14, 2014 starting at 8 am. All proceeds support education and resource protection at Deception Pass State Park RUN/WALK Jackson Hole Half Marathon and 5K––8:00 am – 11:00 am. This beautiful slightly downhill course is situated at the base of the Tetons.
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SPECIAL Kulshan Quest Adventure Race––Bellingham, WA, All Day. 6-hr. and 12-hr. Adventure Races out of Bellingham, WA. Using sea kayaks, mt. bikes, and your trusty old feet, you will navigate a series of checkpoints using only map and compass to make your way from start to finish.
Saturday, 28 June TRI Padden Triathlon – Competitive–– Lake Padden West Entrance, 8:30 pm – 11:30 am.
Sunday, 29 June SPECIAL Vacationland RV Bellingham Kids Traverse––Civic Field, All Day. 1 mi. RUN, 1.5 mi MTN BIKE, .5 Obstacle Course and Team TREK to Mallard Ice Cream Finish. Starting in Civic Stadium, The course
offers a 1-mi. Run through Salmon Woods; 1.5-mi. Mountain Bike around Civic and Geri Fields; .5-mi. Obstacle Course inside Civic Stadium; .25-mi Team TREK to Mallard Ice Cream Finish Line. Top 3 finishers in each age group get awards and all finishers get a Kids Traverse ribbon and ice cream.
JULY >>> Saturday, 12 July RUN/WALK Chuckanut Footrace––Lake Padden West Entrance, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm.This point-to-point, seven-mile trail race starts at Marine Park in south Bellingham and finishes at Larrabee State Park, the oldest state park in Washington. The course follows the legendary Interurban Trail, which threads through the Chuckanut Mountains and features gorgeous views of Chuckanut Bay and the San Juan Islands.View the course map Visit AdventuresNW.com for complete listings of Outdoor events through 2015
Northwest
Traverse Multi-Sport Series Chinook (solo)
Winthrop June 14th
Coho (tandem)
Bellingham Kids June 29th
Olympia
July 26th
Chum (relay teams)
North Bend Sept. 6th
Bellingham Sept. 20th
Northwest Traverse.com event listings at AdventuresNW.com
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12 July (cont.) - 27 July 2014
here. Busses will take runners back to the finish line and will leave with regularity.The finish-line party at Larrabee State Park will include live music, food, and drink. Agegroup awards will be given, three deep in each five-year category.Top three male and female finishers will also be recognized. TRI Clear Lake Triathlon––Clear Lake Beach, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Course Distances: Iron Person & Teams – The course consists of a 1/3-mile swim, 14.8-mile bike course and a 4-mile run.Youth Triathlon : Includes a 100-yard swim, 1.5-mile bike and ½-mile run course. Flotation devices are allowed. Parents are encouraged to participate with youth to cheer them on along the way.
Tuesday, 15 July RUN/WALK Fairhaven Runners Weekly Tuesday Night All-Paces Run–– Fairhaven Runners & Walkers, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Get fit, get inspired and have fun! Every Tuesday except holidays.
Wednesday, 16 July SPECIAL Taylor Shellfish-tival––Taylor Shellfish Farms,11:00 am – 3:00 pm. FREE family day focused on water quality education. Fun activities for all ages!
Saturday, 26 July BIKING Tour de Whatcom––Whatcom County. 8th Annual Tour de Whatcom, a fun charity bike ride in Whatcom County. 25, 50, and 105 miles.The rides are awesome.You get to see everything: Mt Baker, Lake Whatcom, valleys, rivers, lush farmland, beaches and Puget Sound all in one fairly level ride. SPECIAL Centro Olympia Traverse–– All Day. 7.4 mi. MTN BIKE, 22 mi. ROAD BIKE, 3.5 mi. PADDLE, 4.5 mi. RUN and .5 mi. Team TREK to Fish Tale Ale Finish Line at Port Plaza.
Sunday, 27 July RUN/WALK Eugene Marathon–– Hayward Field, 6:00 am – 12:00 pm.This July the Eugene Marathon moves to be part of a weekend celebration of running in TrackTown USA. Named a ‘Best of the Best Marathon’ by Runner’s World, runners rave about this race.The full- and half-marathon courses are beautiful, flat and fast – taking participants by numerous parks and miles of riverfront trails before they reach the finish line on the track inside historic Hayward Field.
NathaN L. McaLLister, attorNey at Law, Ps Wills & Trusts • Probate • Commercial Law
{ Simple Will $95 } (360) 734-0338
1313 E. Maple St., Ste 208 • Bellingham, WA 98225
www.NathanMcAllisterLaw.com
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inviting, approachable designs for website, office and home search engine friendly scenics, patterns, natural history affordable small business solutions environmental portraiture
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27 July (cont.) - 13 September 2014 RUN/WALK NW Run-Archery Classic––Custer Sportsmen Club, all-day. Run-Archery is similar to biathlon; you’ll do short running laps, with target archery in between laps. Total running of no more than 5K. Novice and competitive divisions! http://www. nwrunarcheryclassic.com
AUGUST >>> Saturday, 2 August RUN/WALK Bandit Fun Run–– Larrabee State Park, 9:00 am.1st Annual Bandit Fun Run, run like you stole it! Join Surfrider and Grinnin Fish on Saturday, August 2, 2014 at Larrabee State Park, featuring a 4.5-mile fun run/ walk and a daring 7.5-mile race course with 164 stairs around the Fragrance Lake area, a kids’ ½mile dash, live music, food, and other festivities for all ages! Learn more and sign up: http:// nws.surfrider.org/index.php/ events-update/bandit-run/. Proceeds go to support clean water.
Saturday, 16 August TRI Whidbey Island Triathlon––South Whidbey Parks & Recreation District,10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Scenic
course: .5mi lake swim; 19.5mi bike country roads; 3.8mi run trails & country roads
Saturday-Sunday, 16-17 August SPECIAL Muds To Suds––Hovander Park.You won’t want to miss Whatcom County’s own Muds to Suds Mud Race taking place at Hovander Park in Ferndale on August 16 and 17, 2014.
SEPTEMBER >>> Saturday, 13 September RUN/WALK Fairhaven Runners Waterfront 15K––Fairhaven Village Green, 8:30 am – 11:30 am.Whether competing or participating just for fun, running or walking, enjoy a beautiful 15K/9.3 mi. course along Bellingham Bay from Fairhaven to Squalicum Harbor and back.This is a wonderfully fun event, especially because of the great volunteers, post-race party with food and drink, live music, awards,
360.676.1977 • www.lithtexnw.com
event listings at AdventuresNW.com
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13 September (cont.) - 27 September 2014
and free massage/chiropractic care. All participants get a shirt and chip timing. Low pre-registration fee. Bellingham Parks and Recreation and Fairhaven Runners & Walkers partner on this event.
Sunday, 14 September BIKING Chuckanut Century––Bellingham and Whatcom County, Come join us and ride one of the most scenic rides in Washington.With many routes offered you can pick your distance ranging from 25, 38, 50, 62, 100, or the double metric century of 124 miles. Although all cyclists should be fully prepared when they take to the roads, you can enjoy the added security of knowing that there is ride support if needed and food stops with a wide variety of high-energy food and drinks along all of the routes. No matter which route you choose, you’ll be treated to Whatcom County’s finest roads and sights. As you ride the south loop you’ll have views of the San Juan Islands while overlooking Bellingham, Samish, and Padilla Bays along with stunning views of Chuckanut and Blanchard mountains, also known as “where the Cascade mountains meet the sea.” The north loop offers spectacular views of Mt Baker as it stretches to meet the sky at 10,800 feet, as well as incredible views of the Canadian Cascades, Mt Shuksan, the Twin Sisters, Birch Bay, and Vancouver Island.
Saturday, 20 September SPECIAL Vital Choice Bellingham Traverse–– Market Depot/Boundary Bay, All Day. 5.5 mi. Greenways Run, 6 mi. Mtn Bike, 18 mi. Road Ride,
3.4 mi. Trail Run, 3.6 mi. Paddle and .65 mi. Team Trek to the Boundary Bay Finish Line and Bellingham Block Party. The Bellingham Traverse is a multisport event celebrating the life cycle of wild salmon and the natural and urban challenges of their journey. Solo, tandem and relay teams challenge themselves and one another on a rugged course that highlights the City of Bellingham’s Parks, Greenways System, bike-friendly roads, and open water opportunities for recreation. http://nwtraverse.com/bellingham-traverse/ home BIKING Tour de Whidbey––Greenbank Farm, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm. Nestled at the mouth of Puget Sound, Whidbey Island offers some of the most scenic vistas in all of Washington State. As riders travel the back roads, they will experience unique scenery and varied terrain. Riders have six routes to choose from, each with a hospitality breakstation every 10-12 miles. 100 mile route that is a figure-8 course. Two 50 mile routes, which offer riders a choice of enjoying Central/North or Central/South Whidbey Island sights and scenes. Either will give intermediate riders a workout. 40 mile and 30 mile South Whidbey routes. A family friendly 10 mile route that has a virtually flat route through historic prairie, beach and farm lands west of the town of Coupeville.
Saturday, 27 September SPECIAL San Juan Island Quest––All Day. 6 hr. and 12 hr. Adventure Races in the San Juans. Using sea kayaks, mt. bikes, and your trusty old feet, you will navigate a series of checkpoints using only map and
Bellingham
Run-Archery is similar to biathlon; you’ll do short running laps, with target archery in between laps. Total running of no more than 5K. Novice and competitive divisions! For more information, visit our website at:
join the
Learn to sail!
BYC Youth Summer Camp http://youth.byc.org
www.nwrunarcheryclassic.com or contact the Race Director, Kelly, at 206 419 0879. $35 Adult (over 18) • $25 Youth (18 and under) $20 Additional Family Member
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27 Dates September (cont.) - 11 October 2014 compass to make your way from start to finish.
Sunday, 28 September RUN/WALK Bellingham Bay Marathon, 1/2 Marathon & 5K––Bellingham Depot Market, 7:30 am – 4:00 pm. Come experience the natural beauty of Bellingham Bay, San Juan Islands, mountain views and a touch of trail in Bellingham, Washington. Enjoy what many runners have described as “the
Advertiser Index 7C Creative...................................... 46 Adventura Aerial Park........................ 29 Allied Arts - Bellwether Festival............ 19 American Alpine Institute...................... 9 Anacortes Arts Festival....................... 15 Appliance Depot............................... 13 Avenue Bread..................................... 7 Backcountry Essentials....................... 41 Backporch Wine & Spirits.................. 40 Barkley Village Family Dentistry............ 6 Bellingham Automotive....................... 18 Bellingham Bay Marathon.................. 47 Bellingham Farmers Market................ 29 Bellingham Frameworks..................... 32 Bellingham Kite/Paddle/Surf.............. 14 Bellingham Sports & Spine................. 20 Bellingham Yacht Club....................... 48 Boundary Bay Brewery...................... 30 Brad Jones, Rolfer.............................. 30 Brandon Nelson, NW Way of Life, Keller Williams............................... 18
most beautiful marathon in the Pacific Northwest”. 8th Annual Event. www. bellinghambaymarathon.org
OCTOBER >>> Saturday, 4 October
1:00 pm. Run Like a Girl is a non-competitive half-marathon that benefits Girls on the Run. It is like no other half marathon you’ve experienced. Just to give a hint – this is probably the only half marathon you’ll get to proudly wear your very own dazzling tiara! Receive a beautiful finisher’s medal hand-made by a local artist when you cross the finish line.You will be personally adorned with this by our very own local firefighters.
RUN/WALK Run Like a Girl Half Marathon––Fairhaven Park, 9:00 am – Chuckanut Bay Gallery...................... 34 Colophon Cafe................................. 23 Community Boating Center................. 22 Community Food Co-op....................... 6 D’Anna’s Cafe Italiano....................... 32 Danne Neill - Muljat Group................ 40 Dave Mauro - UBS Financial............... 18 Dawn Durand - Windermere Real Estate..................................... 20 Fairhaven Bicycle.............................. 22 Fairhaven Pizza & Prawns.................. 22 Fairhaven Runners & Walkers............. 31 Favinger Plumbing............................. 37 Gato Verde Adventure Sailing.............. 6 GBRC - Chuckanut Foot Race.............. 48 Hamster Endurance Runs.................... 48 Historic Fairhaven Association............ 23 Honey Moon.................................... 25 Il Caffe Rifugio.................................. 44 JM Electric.......................................... 9 Ken Harrison / Coldwell Banker Bain.....35 Kulshan Brewing Company................ 51 Kulshan Cycles.................................... 4
Saturday Sept. 20 2014 For information www.tourdewhidbey.com tourwhidbey@whidbeygen.org Gold Spoke Sponsors Platinum Spoke Sponsor Physicians & Allied Health Providers of Whidbey General Hospital
LFS Marine & Outdoor....................... 40 Lithtex NW....................................... 47 Mallard Ice Cream............................ 28 MBBC / Chuckanut Century............... 46 McKay’s Taphouse............................. 21 Mount Baker Foothills Chamber.......... 30 Mount Baker Mountain Guides............. 4 Nathan McAllister, Attorney at Law..... 46 North Cascades Institute..................... 48 North Cascades Mountain Guides...... 44 North Cascades Mountain Hostel....... 49 North Fork Brewery........................... 31 Northwest Behavorial........................ 25 Northwest Navigation....................... 38 NW European Autoworks.................. 34 Paddle4Ever..................................... 38 People’s Bank...................................... 3 Recreation Northwest - NW Traverse... 45 Rema Fit Rowing Studio..................... 39 Salish Sea Kayak School.................... 38 Sally Farrell - Coldwell Bain Real Estate..................................... 49 San Juan Sailing................................ 14
Saturday, 11 October SPECIAL 4th Annual Shoot the Trails Awards––Depot Market Square, 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm. Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition Fundraiser Video and Photography Contest. Huge Prize Raffle, Beer, Food. All ages welcome. For contest rules and event information: wmbcmtb.org Come out and support your local trails! ANW Skagit County Parks Clear Lake Triathlon........................ 40 Skagit Food Valley Co-op................... 20 Sustainable Connections.................... 34 TD Curran......................................... 52 Terra Organica................................. 33 The Alley District............................42-43 The ReStore....................................... 33 The Table.......................................... 35 Tour de Whidbey.............................. 49 Village Books.................................... 22 Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics...15 Vital Ground..................................... 31 Whatcom Educational Credit Union.... 13 Whatcom Events - Tour de Whatcom & Muds To Suds............................... 2 Whatcom Family YMCA.................... 25 Whatcom Land Trust.......................... 33 Whidbey Island Bank.......................... 5 Wilson Motors.................................. 39 Yoga Northwest................................ 23 Yoga with Susan D’Onofrio................ 35 Zaremba Paxton PS........................... 19
Sally Farrell, Realtor® Coldwell Banker Bain 3610 Meridian St. Bellingham, WA 98225
360-393-7339 farrellhomes@comcast.net www.sallyfarrell..com Ask me about my affiliation with REBSEA and
Ride country roads on beautiful Whidbey Island Washington State, USA
AdventuresNW.com event listings at AdventuresNW.com
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Lake Ann photo by Ken Harrison Of all the destinations that I visit yearly with my hiking club, none moves me like Lake Ann. You are captivated immediately as the great walls surrounding the Curtis Glacier come into view as soon as you arrive. The absolute grandeur of the cathedrallike peaks is nothing short of spellbinding. You cannot help but sit in awe of this magnificent site. I caught this lone hiker stopped in his tracks to witness one of the North Cascades most dramatic sites. I can’t wait to visit again this year.
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