ADVENTURES NORTHWEST WINTER 2023/24
Winter’s Gifts Backcountry Bliss Winter Wanders Lost Places Mercy of Giants
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A Winter Wonderland of Fun, Family, and Holiday Festivities!
Blaine Harbor Holiday Lights Saturday, December 2nd Enter a magical journey this holiday season in the charming seaside town of Blaine! Experience the breathtaking transformation of Blaine into a winter wonderland at Blaine Holiday Harbor Lights. Delight in a treasure trove of handcrafted holiday goodies at the craft bazaar, and be serenaded by the heartwarming sounds of live holiday music. For the kids, meet Santa himself, hop aboard the horse-drawn carriage, or take a whimsical tractor-pulled train ride. This is more than just an event - it’s a festive holiday gathering radiating love, joy, and the warmth of community by the sea. Blaine’s Tree Lighting Ceremony on G Street Plaza
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INSPIRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE Backcountry Bliss Jason Griffith
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Nine Nearby Lowland Hikes
Ken Wilcox
A Passion for Home
Grant Gunderson
The Couloir
Brian Povolny
Mercy of Giants
Stephen Grace
24 30 34 42
Gary Peniston
48
A Week at the Asulkan Cabin
Whatcom Winter Wanders
The Good Old Days on the Wild West Coast Home Sweet Home on Shi Shi Beach
DESTINATIONS Contributors A Respite Out & About 3 Great Hikes ... for Winter eARTh: The Art of Nature In the Flow Peak Experiences Bright Lines: David Wagoner Field Trip: Skyline Rim Cascadia Gear The Next Adventure
9 10 12 13 29 40 46 50 54 56 58
“In winter the stars seem to have rekindled their fires, the moon achieves a fuller triumph, and the heavens wear a look of a more exalted simplicity .”
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Volume 18. Issue 4
CONTRIBUTORS
WINTER | 2023/24
Tim Ahern is an avid hiker, backcountry skier, and kayaker, focusing mainly on the Pacific Northwest and East Greenland. In addition to writing travel articles, he is an artist, has published three books on James Joyce, and, most recently, 36 Ways of Looking at Mount Rainier (see review in this issue). Abram Dickerson is the owner/ principal at Aspire Adventure Running. As a husband, a father, and an entrepreneur, he attempts to live his life with intention and purpose. He loves mountains and the friendships that result from the suffering and satisfaction of running, skiing, and climbing in wild places. Stephen Grace has authored many books, including Dam Nation: How Water Shaped the West and Will Determine Its Future and Grow: Stories from the Urban Food Movement, winner of the Colorado Book Award for Creative Nonfiction. He explores the Northwest’s natural history by snorkeling, paddleboarding, skiing, trail running, and backpacking. Jason Griffith is a fisheries biologist who now spends more time catching up on emails than catching fish. Regardless, he’d actually prefer to be in the mountains with friends and family. Jason lives in Mt. Vernon with his wife and two boys. Photographer Grant Gunderson’s iconic images have appeared in many publications, including Outside, The Ski Journal, Skiing, Backcountry, Freehub, and Powder magazines. When not traveling the globe in search of deep snow or good light, you’ll find him lapping local Galbraith Mountain trails or teaching his son how to stick the landing. Learn more at grantgunderson.com.
Patrick Markle grew up in Southern Ontario, which gave him an appreciation for the Canadian wilderness at an early age. His love of the landscape led the artist to the western shores of Lake Superior, where he received an HBFA from Lakehead University before moving west to Fernie, BC, where he has been painting for the past twenty years. Visit him at patrickmarkle.com. John Minier is the owner and lead guide at Baker Mountain Guides. Originally from Alaska, he has a deep appreciation for wild and mountainous places. Since 2004, he has worked across the western U.S. as a rock guide, alpine guide, ski guide, and avalanche instructor. Gary Peniston has been backpacking since before he can remember. Along the way, he has added climbing, backcountry skiing, sea kayaking, road and mountain biking. He has been known to carry too much photo gear on backpack trips. Brian Povolny is a retired orthodontist who indulges his love of moving through nature by rock climbing, backcountry skiing, cycling, and windsurf-
ing. A long-time resident of Seattle, he also enjoys writing about his experiences in our beautiful region. Donald J. Virgovic’s childhood love for art, music, and nature became lifelong pursuits. He worked as a Wildlife/Fisheries Biologist and National Environmental Education Program Leader for the US Forest Service. Now living in Bow, WA, with his wife, Debbie, his photography focuses on landscapes/nightscapes and wildlife. See more of his work at donaldjvirgovicphotography.com The author and publisher of Hiking Whatcom County, Ken Wilcox is a long-time Bellingham resident, a Huxley grad, a professional trail planning/design consultant, and is married to Kris. He writes about parks, trails, and travel and is currently completing a memoir. He frequently posts his work via Substack at kenwilcox.com. David Wagoner is a former chancellor of the American Academy of Poets and editor of Poetry Northwest. He teaches at the University of Washington.
COVER PHOTO: SHUKSAN ARM BY GRANT GUNDERSON
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A RESPITE
D
uring the height of this autumn’s color season, the rangers of the Okanogan National Forest estimated that the cars parked on the shoulders of the North Cascades Highway at Rainy Pass extended for three and a half miles along both sides of the highway. The trailhead parking lot (which is big) was, of course, full. Estimates of the number of hikers on the trail on popular weekend days in autumn were upward of 3,000. We see this story repeated at many popular trails throughout the North Cascades. The old saw about North Cascades National Park being the least visited national park in the country is starting to seem quaint. Visiting the backcountry has never been more popular. Why the dramatic influx of pilgrims? The pandemic—when getting away from your fellow man was even more appealing than usual—certainly drove lots of folks outside, and for many, it was an eye-opener. Having a little “wild” in what has become an increasingly modulated world was a tonic for beleaguered souls. It does, after all, come naturally to us. For some, religion satisfies the innate human need to be a part of something bigger than oneself. For an increasing number of people, it’s the wilderness. But the ever-increasing number of devotees on the trails is clearly unsustainable. Unless something is done, our precious and delicate Wilderness Areas will be stripped of the very attributes that draw the crowds: connecting to the wild is made difficult when you’re cheek to jowl with the throngs on the trail
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to Maple Pass. And some among the throng are new to the game and have yet to learn wilderness etiquette, wherein it behooves us all to be unobtrusive, respectful, and mindful that we are visitors in these unique places. With hiker numbers like these, the wilderness is no longer wilderness. Onerous as it may seem, the time may have arrived to institute a permitting system of some kind for the more popular trails and destinations in the North Cascades. It would be nice if funding could be made available to create new trails, giving hikers more options, perhaps even some with a promise of solitude. Old logging roads could be converted to trails, helping this process along. But of course, there is no funding. There isn’t even enough money to maintain what we already have to staunch the onslaught. This needs to change before our precious natural resource of wildlands is lost beneath the crush of homo sapiens. But now let us take a deep breath: winter is upon us, the silent season when the crowds disappear. Maple Pass will be cloaked in swirling snow, empty of our kind for many months. The highway where those hundreds of cars were parked will drift over and return to the domain of wolverine and raven—a chance for Mother Nature to renew herself. In this issue, we highlight backcountry ski locations where solitude is plentiful (the price of admission is sweat equity, which thins the crowds) and lowland trails offering relatively quiet wandering and maybe magical moments of stillness and awe.
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Out&About
Rendezvous Huts: A Methow Tradition
Ski huts are ubiquitous in Europe. They’re common in Canada. But here in the USA, not so much. The Rendezvous Huts, located in the sublime mountains that rise above Washington’s Methow Valley, are a timehonored exception to the rule. Enoch & Shandra Kraft built the first two huts—on the Methow’s Diamond T Ranch—back in 1980. Today, there are five huts (all now on US Forest Service Land), and in winter, they are generally The Nelson Family accessed via cross-country Photo courtesy Rendezvous Huts skis, although one affords access via fat bike and one via snowshoe trail.
low avalanche risk. The Nelsons offer a freight-hauling option for those who prefer not to carry a heavy pack. All huts include propane lights, stove, and oven, as well as cookware and utensils, and are kept toasty thanks to wood stoves (firewood provided). Outhouses are located close by. The Nelsons respect the legacy and traditions associated with the huts over the past 40-plus years. “We’ve kept the bones of the huts intact,” Virgina Nelson explains. “Guests appreciate that the vibe is the same as they’ve always known it.” Some guests, she says, have been coming every year since the 1980s. These days, the huts are also open to hikers in the summer. Keeping them booked through the summer helps keep vandalism down and critters at bay.
In 2013, Ben and Virginia Nelson, then residents of Fairbanks, Alaska, purchased the huts and created a new life for themselves in the Methow with their three-month-old son Oliver. It was a labor of love, an expression of their passion for the outdoors. But it wasn’t easy. “The beginning days meant working multiple jobs in the Methow while juggling the huts,” says Virginia. “For Ben, it was working in the brewery of Old Schoolhouse Brewery, and for me, it was working as an assistant at multiple office jobs and later owning and running the local print shop in Winthrop.”
Grizzly Hut
Photo courtesy Rendezvous Huts
The huts are situated along the Methow’s 125-mile trail system, one of the finest cross-country ski trail networks in the US. In part, the hut locations were chosen for their relatively easy accessibility (the folks at Methow Trails groom the trails) and
For Ben and Virginia, it’s always been about family. “We now have two kids— Oliver is ten, and Lumi is six,” Virgina says. “They love their life here in the Methow; it’s pretty idyllic. Oliver visited the huts more as a baby—we strapped him onto the snowmobile in his car seat those first couple of years—and he is starting to come around to actually helping now. He does a pretty good job stacking wood for winter in the sheds up there— and there is a lot of wood to be stacked!
“We just love seeing return guests come back again and again,” Virginia says. “It’s a really special set of cabins with a significant history in the Methow Valley. We are so appreciative of the support we’ve received from locals and non-locals who just want to help keep the huts going.” More info: www.rendezvoushuts.com
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Glacier Creek Road Reopens
The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest has announced the re-opening of Glacier Creek Road, closed for nearly two years after a washout almost four miles from the Mt. Baker Highway (WA-542). A single-lane bypass, described by Mt. Baker District Ranger Ted Neff as a “temporary fix,” has been put in place, with a permanent repair project to continue over the next several years. The forest road provides access to the popular Heliotrope Ridge Trail as well as the Coleman Glacier climbing route on Photo courtesy Mt. BakerMt. Baker. Snoqualmie National Forest
3 Great Hikes for W int er
Hall of Mosses
The Hoh Rain Forest, located in Olympic National Park, is a thousand shades of vibrant green, a visual wake-up call during the grey depths of winter. The Hall of Mosses Trail loops through awe-inspiring old-growth forest for .8 miles (with a mere 200 feet of elevation gain). You can walk the trail in less than an hour, but for goodness sake, take the time to stop and smell the mosses. A bridge affords access over crystalline Taft Creek, as beautiful a little northern stream as you’ll ever see. Elk visit this spot. The mossfestooned canopy is indescribably luscious and usually dripping (140 inches of rain annually). Bring your rain gear. Trailhead: The Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center (closed January through early March), at the end of the Upper Hoh Rd., 31 miles south of Forks off US-101. Olympic National Park Entrance Pass Required.
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Whatcom Falls Park
Hall of Mosses Trail
Photo by John D’Onofrio
I still remember the first time I took a walk in Whatcom Falls Park, shortly after moving to Bellingham in 1989: I was astounded that a city park could be so beautiful. Back where I’m from on the east coast, this would be National Park material. The forest is lush with Douglas fir and cedar trees, a multitude of ferns, ponds often filled with waterfowl, and to top it off, Whatcom Creek flows through a mossy canyon in a series of waterfalls, each unique and breathtaking. Considering its relatively diminutive size (241 acres), it boasts a beautiful five-mile-long trail system that restoreth one’s soul in the grey depths of winter. Whatcom Falls itself is, of course, the focal point, but cross the venerable stone bridge and turn either right or left (both!) to discover quiet grottos, fern gardens, a pair of Monetbeautiful ponds, and, if you’re lucky, a few of the distinguished owls that make this park their home. Trailhead: Enter Whatcom Falls Park from one of five access points. For the Whatcom Falls Trailhead, turn left off Lakeway Drive 1.4 miles from I-5, onto Silver Beach Road. The parking lot is reached after .4 mile at the end of the road.
Jones Island You’ll need your own boat (or a water taxi) to visit Jones Island State Park, situated between San Juan and Orcas Island in the northwestern San Juan Islands. From the dock at North Cove, an ADA-accessible trail crosses the middle of the island to South Cove, and from there, more primitive trails trace both the east and west shorelines back to North Cove, traversing cliffs above the Salish Sea through beautiful madrone forests. The eastern circuit is wilder, while the western trail is easier. Both are stunningly beautiful. The total trail distance (for both circuits) is about four miles. There are three campgrounds here, so if you can find a way to get here, you can stay for a while. Trailhead: North Cove Dock (dock moorage and mooring buoys available for a fee). Discover Pass Required.
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Photo by Peachy Keane Photography
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The heartbeat of Cascadia
In addition to providing you with all the information you need to navigate the trails, this book focuses on the inspiring beauty to be found on these extraordinary footpaths around Mt. Baker (and the spectacular North Cascades). More than a book to tell you how to get to these spectacular destinations, this book tells you why to go. Lavishly illustrated with almost 200 beautiful photographs by the author (and Adventures Northwest Publisher/Editor) John D’Onofrio, each hike is presented with an eye toward the exceptional scenic splendor of these carefullyselected destinations.
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Backcountry Bliss A Week at the Asulkan Cabin Story and Photos by Jason Griffith
Skinning up near the summit of Youngs Peak (2815m)
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I
am not a gambler, but I won the lottery this past March when I was invited to spend a week at the Asulkan Cabin on the British Columbia/Alberta border. The cabin is renowned for being situated in the heart of excellent ski terrain and sits at treeline (7000 feet) next to several large glaciers. In winter, it is accessed by a four- or five-hour ski from Rogers Pass on the Trans-Canada Highway, gaining around 2500 feet of elevation along the way. Through a combination of hard work and luck, a friend had wrangled the entire 10-person cabin for our group, inviting a disparate group of friends from Vancouver Island, Washington, Montana, the lower Mainland of British Columbia, and all points in between. With a mix of excitement and trepidation (Rogers Pass is the heart of major avalanche country), I prepared my backcountry kit and carpooled north with a few Washingtonians to meet the rest of the group in Revelstoke, BC. Upon arrival in town, the first order of business was to meet for dinner to get to know one another and talk about the upcoming week. A major storm was expected to arrive late that night, potentially complicating our skin into the hut. It was forecasted to drop significant snow at warming temperatures, and the avalanche risk would likely skyrocket the next afternoon. The way into the Asulkan Cabin crosses many large avalanche paths, including an especially complicated area called “The Mousetrap,” where several paths converge in a particularly dangerous spot. Decision-making is often where a group fractures, but this discussion went surprisingly smoothly, with everyone on the same page to get a pre-dawn start and ascend through the Mousetrap before the slopes above became dangerously loaded in the afternoon. We all agreed that if anyone noticed anything concerning or surprising (intense snowfall, rapidly rising temperature, or other signs of instability) we would revisit our plan the next day as we ascended. If things were much worse, especially earlier than we expected, we could always turn around and wait a day. And so, with this plan in place, we went to bed early with alarms set. We awoke to grey murk and blizzard conditions in Revelstoke and hurriedly downed Tim Horton’s coffee and donuts as we blasted eastward and upwards to Rogers Pass. As I raced to load my pack at the trailhead in the gathering storm, I looked around and noted that this was a fit and dialed group. There was purpose, good humor, and minimal delay in our rapid preparations to set out—a positive sign for the week ahead! And then we were off, gliding silently through the forest, following the well-beaten path to the upper Asulkan valley, snowflakes drifting down, soon muffling any sounds but our labored breathing. Traveling upwards from the highway was easy by Cascadian standards (an aside: the Cascades can prepare you for mountain adventures anywhere in the world), and within a couple of hours, we were at the imposing juncture of two massive avalanche paths.
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This was the Mousetrap, a location all of was the final thousand-foot climb to the us had wondered about for some months. cabin. It was a classic terrain trap, where an Taking my time, I arrived at the hut avalanche can pile up very deep on top to find the vanguard of the group settling of anyone unlucky enough to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, with a quick stop to eat and drink, the team spread out to cross through the Mousetrap as quickly as possible, always with an eye on those ahead and behind. Thankfully, we had beat the brunt of The Asulkan Cabin with Swiss Peak (3167m) beyond the storm and crossed without incident, and we all breathed a sigh of relief as we rein, melting snow, and organizing gear grouped under a cluster of large trees on for the next day. Perfectly designed as a the far side at the base of the final climb hiking and ski base, the Asulkan Cabin to the hut. Although sweating, we felt rehas large windows looking north past the lieved to be through hazardous avalanche porch on the lee side of the building. It’s terrain for the day. All that remained compact, measuring only about 16’x20’,
and has the base floor devoted to cooking and eating while the loft above is for sleeping (padded bunks provided). It is heated cozily with propane flown in by helicopter. Lighting and cooking are also propane-powered, and all pots, pans, and utensils are provided. Water comes from snow melted on the stove, and dishwater collects below the sinks in buckets and is then dumped in a grey water system just off the porch. An outhouse is a short walk to the south, although it doesn’t seem short enough in a storm! The Asulkan cabin is much like a ship at sea—it has everything you need and nothing you don’t. We had divided up into two-person dinner teams for the five nights in the
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hut, and as a couple cooked for the group, the rest of the team discussed the next day. It was obvious that the storm was still raging outside, and the forecast was for it to continue throughout the next day. In short order, we decided that we wouldn’t be going above the hut on our first day of skiing but instead dropping into treed lines below the hut. The risk of slides is greatest during periods of heavy snow and wind, and the more snow that falls, the longer it takes to stabilize, sometimes several days or more. We turned in early as the snow piled up and the wind howled outside. The morning dawned stormy, with several feet of new snow piled up in the trees below the hut, and excited chatter filled the cabin as we raced each other to eat and drop in for the first turns of the day. We partnered in smaller groups of two to four so as not to increase the risk of burying mul- Geikie Glacier icefall tiple people in a single avalanche. This meant we skied near, but not directly on top of one another. But as the morning progressed and the snow continued to pile up, we realized there wasn’t much to worry about regarding avalanche danger. Nothing moved—the snow was stable and light, and it was plain that we had the winter playground all to ourselves!
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We all lapped the trees several times, some more than others, younger more than older, but all with broad smiles. Group by group, all returned to the cabin around dinner time, encrusted in ice, thoroughly satisfied with the trip’s start. After dinner, the storm slackened, and we caught tantalizing glimpses of higher terrain, whetting our appetites for the days ahead. By the next morning, the snow had stopped, and the clouds were beginning to clear. Being high in the alpine, with a strong crew, good snow, and clearing weather, is an intoxicating…. and potentially dangerous situation. Good snow and aesthetic ski terrain is a combination that can kill you and your partners, especially the first day after a major storm. Therefore, much of staying alive in avalanche terrain is fighting the desire to ski the biggest lines with the greatest number of your friends as soon as possible after a storm. And so, on day three, we split up again, this time all heading up above the hut in improving visibility. My group planned to start small on low-angled and low-consequence terrain. But, several in our group felt good about the snow after digging into the snowpack and performing stability tests on short, steeper slopes. Satisfied that the storm snow was sufficiently settled, they set off upward, venturing high to the summit of Youngs Peak (9,236 feet) while the rest of us watched from below and held our breath. This was the first time any of our group skied steep or consequential terrain after the storm. There was a bit of suspense as the first rider dropped into the precipitous face at the top of the well-known run known as “Seven Steps to Paradise.” The snow billowed overhead as he gracefully ripped high-speed turns down the steep headwall. But the slope stayed put, and I think all of us breathed a collective sigh of relief as he let out a yell a thousand feet down the mountain. Four more riders followed, spaced out, each thoughtfully placing their line right next to the one before. We would be here all week, and the fresh snow had to last! And, just like that, the dam had burst for our group. All the data indicated that we had stable snow, cold temperatures, improving weather, and slopes without tracks in all directions. Day four was bound to be the day for the week, and the night before, some very ambitious plans were being hatched by the young rippers on the trip. The first three days of the trip had driven home that I couldn’t hang with most of these energizer bunnies. And so, when the day dawned cold and clear, my friend Steve and I opted for a day spent doing two laps of the famed “Seven Steps” run off the summit of Youngs Peak while the others roamed far and wide from the hut on grander adventures. However, two laps on Seven Steps was still no slouch of a day as
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each lap involved over 3,500 vertical track coming up from the valley. feet of climbing. But with the skin We headed to Sapphire Col, and track set and the cabin as our lunch after a long climb, we arrived at spot, it was a glorious and relatively the tiny tin can, otherwise known mellow day. Maybe one of the most as the Sapphire Col hut, where we memorably perfect backcountry stopped for a mid-morning snack days in my several decades of skiing! out of the wind. After quickly Each turn was in untracked snow, transitioning into ski mode, we top to bottom on both runs. The descended breakable crust down sun was out, the snow was cold and onto the Swanzy Glacier. Another light, and it was just Steve and me transition and skin up over Lily with a huge mountain expanse to Pass followed, and then it was a ourselves. It is days like this that call beautiful ski down the Lily Glacier me back year after year after year to to a lonesome lunch spot below the backcountry skiing. imposing north face of Swanzy. Back at the hut that night, an The impeccable weather conexhausted crew traded stories of face tinued, and we marveled at our shots, steep slopes, and incredible luck to have an entire wilderness mountain views. It would be almost valley to ourselves on a perfect impossible to beat day four, but winter’s day. But, as always in the Steve and I took stock of the runs backcountry, there was a price to Eagle Peak (2846m) bathed in the warm alpenglow of sunset skied that day, and came up with pay. In this case, a tiring skin up coming crusty on southerly aspects. And a plan for day five. We would focus on to Dome Col, which brought us face to so, with another clear morning, we set north-facing slopes now that the temperaface with the masses (about two dozen off the next day from the hut, traversing tures were warming and the snow was bepeople) that had skinned up from the across the Asulkan Glacier to join a skin
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Admiring the view from Sapphire Col
road that morning. It was a shock to see people outside of our party after five days of skiing with just a few others, but it was a first-world problem if there ever was one. A quick transition to downhill mode was all it took, and we beat most everyone down the 3500’ to the valley floor, skiing settled, but still glorious, cold snow. While the rest turned downhill to the highway, Steve and I pointed our
skis in the other direction to climb back 1500’ up to the Asulkan Cabin for our last night in this remarkable mountain kingdom. Despite our tired legs, a festive mood prevailed on our final night in the cabin. Everyone was energized after four memo-
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rable days of skiing around the remarkable terrain of the upper Asulkan Valley with an all-star crew. We hadn’t flown to a distant country, we hadn’t helicoptered into an expensive hut, nor had we hired a guide on this adventure. And yet, the entire trip had gone off without a hitch. I had stayed away from Rogers Pass for several decades, scared off by the imposing terrain and reputation for large avalanches. This week taught me that with a favorable forecast, strong crew, and humble respect for the terrain, it didn’t have to be somewhere I would only ski in my dreams. It would be somewhere I would ski again. And I wouldn’t ANW wait another twenty years.
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Whatcom
Winter Wanders Nine Nearby Lowland Hikes Story by Ken Wilcox
Baker Lake in winter
Photo by John D’Onofrio
L
ube the joints. Warm the bones. That refrain usually gets me out on the trail in the dead of winter. It helps if the rain isn’t blowing perpendicular to gravity and the temperature is forty or better, which I realize is leaning toward balmy for the days-are-getting-longer season of the year. But thirties and raining? No way I’m going out there. 24
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Twenties? Teens? Now we’re back in business since that can mean either snow or crispy sunshine, both of which reside on the cheerier side of the ledger. Just beware the nor’easter. Now that I’ve eliminated almost every excuse, other than supermassive couch gravity, for commencing a winter
hike, let’s consider some strong candidates for Whatcom wanders. There are many, but the following list of nine should help loosen the joints and coddle the soul. I expect to do all of these and more this winter. Perhaps I’ll see you out there!
Clayton Beach Yes, Clayton Beach. Finally! After decades of delay, the new trail and rail>>> Go to
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road overpass were completed (mostly) Rock Trail in the summer of 2023. The old trail has Envisioned in the Chuckanut been returned to nature. The new path Mountains Trail Plan way back in to the bridge has plenty of elbow room for the number of hikers and beach frolickers we can expect to visit this unique patch of coastline, at least when it’s nice outside. Avoid the crowds by going early or when it’s thirty-six and raining. And time your hike with a lower tide for some added exploring. Note that the stretch between the bridge and the beach is still a work in progress, but easy enough to navigate. Park at the expansive lot for the Lost Lake Trailhead on WA11 (Chuckanut Drive), a half-mile south of the main entrance to Larrabee State Park. Cross the road when safe to find the trail a little to the left and down some steps. Coarse gravel, a couple of steep hills, and stairs leading off the bridge make the trail unappealing to little wheels, although jogging strollers should be able to make it Rock Trail at least to the bridge, with a possible Photo by Ken Wilcox short carry from there. Discover 1996, yours truly helped pull some Pass required. volunteers together in 2011 to get this
premier Larrabee State Park trail started. Washington Trails Association (WTA) soon joined us, and we officially cut the ribbon a couple of years later. Over 100 volunteers exerted 4,000+ hours of labor to make it happen. Thanks to trail-builder extraordinaire Russ Pfeiffer-Hoyt for training us to build the stairways and the Bellingham REI for covering the cost of all that lumber. Find the signed trailhead at the top of the park’s Cleator Road. Locate a map or use your GPS app to visit Lost Lake, plan various loop options, or just enjoy a down and back for double the scenery. You’ll be walking among impressive sandstone walls and giant boulders while descending/ascending 500 feet of elevation in less than a mile. In a cold spell, take care not to stand under any icicles! Discover Pass required.
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The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk
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it all, bundle up and make your way to Squalicum Harbor or Little Squalicum Beach (a bus on Eldridge Ave can get you close, except on Sundays). Explore the harbor, gradually working south on paths and sidewalks toward downtown. Turn right off Roeder Ave. at Wayside Park and hike around the six Flash Gordon rocket shiplooking things (leftover digesters from an old pulp Taylor Dock mill) to Cornwall Photo by Ken Wilcox Ave. Then walk left a block to Maple St. Go right here and right again in the alley below State St. This leads to the South Bay Trail that takes you all the way to Boulevard Park, the Taylor Dock boardwalk, and Fairhaven’s Village Green, about five miles from Little Squalicum. Wander the
historic district or sling a right on Harris Ave. and cruise on down to the Cruise Terminal and a logical endpoint at the Marine Park beach.
Rufus Creek Loop The Rufus Creek Loop may be the best hike on Lookout Mountain. WTA volunteers completed this excellent five-mile loop in 2019. There may be mountain bike traffic on portions of the loop, but not enough to dissuade hikers from enjoying some beauty and serenity. I recommend hiking counterclockwise, gradually gaining some 700 feet of elevation, not counting minor ups and downs. From the main Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve parking area on Lake Louise Road, walk up the road a little, turning right at the trail map sign. Cross the creek and stay right at the
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View of Lake Whatcom from the Chanterelle Trail Photo by John D’Onofrio
next two forks, then left at the next (about 1.5 miles from the parking area). Walk up the brief squiggly section, stepping aside for bikes, then keep left for the next gentle mile or so surrounded by lovely forest to another major fork. A left here and at the next fork returns you to the valley bottom, while a right gets you back to the trail map sign. A short side trip to a substantial waterfall (signed) makes a nice add-on.
Chanterelle Trail
Another recent favorite, the Chanterelle Trail on Stewart Mountain, has much to offer, although it’s still a work in progress. Previously, we could find a great view of Lake Whatcom by walking up the service road for the BPA transmission line near the end of North Shore Road on the east side of the lake. Then, a bit of trail was constructed at the bottom, bypassing the road. Later, an-
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other chunk on a moderate grade was built higher up, eventually reaching the same fabulous viewpoint (at 2.2 miles), avoiding the need to pass under the power lines. Several years ago, the trail was extended another couple of miles. This autumn the construction of four-plus miles of new trail—descending over 2,000 feet down to the lake—created a roughly ten-mile loop for ambitious hikers. Watch for a short spur to a view on the way down. Expect snow on the higher ground at times in the winter months. The trailhead parking area is shared with the popular Ken Hertz Trail along the lake shore.
Lummi Mountain With Lookout, Stewart, and the Chuckanut Mountains often competing as B el l ing ha m- c ent ric hiking destinations, it’s good to head out a wee bit farther and trudge up a less familiar hill. View from Lummi Mountain For me, the short ferry Photo by Ken Wilcox ride to Lummi Island seems to have a slight deterrent effect, though it really shouldn’t. It’s easy enough to bike the 2.5 miles
(south-ish) to the well-signed trailhead on Seacrest Dr. Sorry, Fido, no dogs. The extensive view of the islands is about 1.7 miles up, with a 1,100-foot elevation gain. You can thank the Baker family and the Lummi Island Heritage Trust for the opportunity to enjoy this trek. While you’re in the neighborhood, the old rock quarry now known as the Aiston Preserve recently opened to the public, with enough new trails to while away a good hour or two. Continue south on Seacrest to Beach Ave till you reach the trailhead. For a map and more info on these areas and the nearby Otto Preserve, visit www.liht.org. Note also that a loop around the north half of Lummi Island makes an excellent bike ride any time—unless it’s thirty-six and raining.
Point Whitehorn For more great winter walks along Whatcom County’s extensive marine coast, head toward Birch Bay, Semiahmoo, Blaine’s Marine Park, or a personal favorite, Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve, about a mile south of Birch Bay State Park. The Whatcom Land Trust acquired the area in 2007, which is maintained by the county. Due to the sensitivity of marine life along the shore, no pets are allowed. Find the signed parking area off the west end of Grandview Road. About 0.7 miles of easy trail leads to a modest descent
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with steps to the beach. Significant wandering is possible both north and south, with the actual point located about a
Point Whitehorn
Photo by Ken Wilcox
mile to the north. The high bluff gives the area a wild feel despite all the homes perched above and out of sight. Harbor seals sometimes bask on the rocks. Give them a wide berth.
Padilla Bay Okay, Padilla Bay is in Skagit County, but it’s a regional favorite for winter birding and sunset walks. The
smooth, wheel and sneaker-friendly path follows a dike along the bay for slightly over two miles, with parking areas at both ends (the north parking lot in Bayview is roomier). In addition to geese, swans, ducks, and other waterfowl, watch for peregrine falcons, hawks, eagles, herons, and maybe even a snowy owl. If you spot a flock of cameras and spotting scopes on tripods, someone probably found something interesting. It’s okay to ask. To learn more about this ecologically rich area, check out the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve’s facility nearby on Bayview-Edison Road (limited hours). Afterward, plan a meal stop in Edison, a small, thriving community of authenticity rife with good bread, good beer, and good cheer even when it’s thirty-six and raining.
Baker Lake It’s nice to get out to the North
Cascades in winter, not just to ski or snowshoe but also to bask in the craggy, often snow-free depths of this mountainous winter world. Baker Lake fits the bill, with a potpourri of options to fill a few hours or days of leisurely adventuring. From WA-20 near mile 82, head north on Baker Lake Road however far you can drive since lingering snow, downed trees, washouts, and the like are unpredictable. Various bridges and campgrounds offer good views of the lake or the great white volcano itself. If you can reach the end at around 26 miles (mostly paved), you’ll have both the Baker River Trail and the Baker Lake Trail to saunter. Or you can also turn east near mile 14 and possibly drive over Baker Dam to the south trailhead for the Baker Lake Trail, a mile beyond the dam. Near the turnoff for the dam at mile 14.6, check out the half-mile Shadow of the Sentinels boardwalk loop through a majestic oldgrowth forest. Returning to WA-20, watch for Rasar State Park, which offers another hour or two of lazy hiking and a reasonably good chance of seeing part of ANW the Nooksack elk herd.
eARTh The art of nature Patrick Markle: The Rhythms of Winter Inspired by the landscapes surrounding his home in the Canadian Rockies, Patrick Markle’s energetic paintings depict mountain scenes that flow and swirl with vibrant color and dramatic light. His passion for these magnificent mountains reflects an appreciation for the rhythms of the natural world and a deeply felt connection to the land. His signature style, utilizing bold colors and elegant lines, celebrates the spirit of exploration and adventure that is a hallmark of Canadian culture. See more of Patrick’s art at www.patrickmarkle.com Top (L to R): Island Lake, Sunshine Village Middle (L to R): Pyramid Lake, Mt. Rundle Bottom (L to R): Mt. Hosmer, Three Sisters, Mt. Assiniboine
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A Passion for Home By Grant Gunderson
T
wenty-five years ago I moved to Bellingham, Washington to ski and pursue a degree at Western Washington University. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Mt. Baker was about to set a world record for snowfall. That first winter totally changed the course of
my life. I instantly became hooked on the deep powder skiing and the rugged and seemingly endless terrain of the Baker area. I started taking photos of my friends skiing and snowboarding. I was lucky enough to sell a few photos to some snowboard companies, and was
instantly hooked on what would end up being my profession. In the years that followed, I have been fortunate enough to travel the world and follow my dream of documenting the sport of skiing and its mountain culture. Although my photography work tends to take me away from home in the winter these days, the Baker area is still special to me. I truly hope that the timeless beauty of these mountains in monochrome will inspire the next generation (including my son Stian) to spend time recreating there and preserve them for others to enjoy as well. This page (clockwise from top): Mt. Shuksan; Raven Tracks; Mt. Baker Opposite page (clockwise from top): Mt. Baker & Coleman Pinnacle; Mystical Light; Skin Track; Snow Pack; Avalanche Crown, Shuksan Arm; Mt. Baker and Approaching Storm
See more of Grant Gunderson’s mountain photography at grantgunderson.com Visit AdventuresNW.com to view an extended gallery of Grant’s photography.
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The Couloir Story and Photos by Brian Povolny
I
f you’ve ever driven from Snoqualmie Pass to Seattle, you’ve probably seen it. Counting truckers, families, hikers, skiers, newlyweds, kids driving home for spring break, grandparents, and State Troopers, the people who’ve seen it probably number in the millions. Just counting the skiers traveling back and forth to the pass, there must be many thousands. I bet that if someone laid all the skis that have passed below it end to end; there’d be a P-tex highway stretching from Alpental to Chamonix. And considering the popularity of extreme ski films, there ought to be a Chilkoot Pass-style line of hopeful souls heading for its summit, intent on mining skiing gold on its steep slopes. Just look off to your left as you drive west from Snoqualmie Pass to Seattle at milepost 41 and keep an eye out for a narrow twisting couloir, an improbable gash in the north face of a distinctive alpine horn (try to ignore all the clearcuts along the highway). You won’t mistake any other gully for the north couloir of McClellan Butte. It’s the one that twists all the way to the top of the most eye-catching summit on the south side of I-90. It’s only visible for a few seconds at 70 mph. And then watch your speedometer because Troopers sometimes run a speed trap just before you get to North Bend. Traffic allowing, you’ll be in downtown Seattle about 40 minutes after you pass beneath the couloir. The north couloir’s proximity to the Puget Sound megalopolis might be the reason for its obscurity as a ski descent. Don’t we often ignore the exotic aspects 34
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of familiar places just because it’s easy to access them? I must have looked at the north couloir a hundred times before I
Painting by Tim Ahern
decided to ski it. When I finally did, the mountain’s familiarity made finding a partner for the descent difficult. ‘How would you like to do an amazing couloir only 30 minutes from Seattle, on McClellan Butte?’ I’d ask a
friend. ‘McClellan Butte?’ The prospect would reply. ‘How about the Fuhrer Finger on Rainier? Something significant.’ Apparently, the Butte didn’t have any cachet among ski mountaineers since Burgdorfer’s Bible—published in the 80s ( I’m dating myself here)— contained no reference to it. Therefore, the backcountry ski crowd ignored it. I began to think I’d have to do it alone. Then I thought of Oleg. Oleg is from Uzbekistan, that Central Asian Republic formerly part of the Soviet Union, and skis like one of Putin’s hypersonic missiles with a wire loose in the guidance system. The fall of Communism unleashed him on the West, and he emigrated to Seattle, where I met him. As a skier, Oleg had no discernable technique…and virtually no actual experience on skis. But he was an accomplished high-altitude mountaineer and rock climber with plenty of attitude, which is to say that he agreed to ski the couloir sight unseen. Oleg had never skied a ‘steep’ gully before but felt that since skiing is a recreational pastime pursued for fun, how hard could it be? “First, we’ll have to climb it … it’s quite alpine and might require an ice axe and crampons,” I told him. “Gooood. I louff climb-bing steep ice. Just ah you will tell me where to start skiing”. I didn’t inform Oleg that I expected we would probably climb the couloir together, and then he would kick steps at least partway back down once he’d had a look from the top. I’d skied with him before and assumed he’d make the rational choice. We began our adventure at a civilized hour, leaving Seattle at 8:30. No need to get up in the middle of the night when you live in the shadow of your >>> Go to
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objective. I’d neglected to obtain a map taller than the surrounding thicket of (this was in 1996 before GPS on phones) second-growth trees. All we had to do but assumed that we’d find the route to was climb to the tower and plot our the base of the couloir by scoping out the route to the base of the couloir. area as we drove to the trailhead. Foreshortening made the couloir look pretty close, so we decided to head up the trail and cut off about where we figured the route most closely approached it. As we hiked the frozen trail, it dawned on me that not having a map might doom the whole trip because we couldn’t see the mountain at all. The forest was too thick. Here’s where McClellan’s McClellan Butte location on a major transportation corridor saved the day. The burgeoning population of the Puget Forty minutes later, after thrashing Sound lowlands requires a lot of electhrough the underbrush, we arrived at tric power, much of which arrives a clearing where we could see the base through high-tension lines traversing of the couloir emptying into a talus the Cascades, lines suspended on huge fan. It was a relief to put on our skis, steel towers, one of which is located and skin to the base of the gully, where right on McClellan Butte’s waistcoat, we stopped to survey the route we were
about to take. The couloir rocketed up the north face of McClellan, narrowed to just a few feet in width at about the halfway point, and then disappeared around a corner. The slope ahead was too steep to skin much further so we tied the skis to our packs and started to kick steps up the gully. As we climbed the narrow twisting couloir, which varied in consistency from breakable crust to blue ice, we agreed that, in its own right, the climb was worth the effort. The narrow rock walls, at times no more than 20 feet apart, gave an intimate feel. Peering down between our legs, we saw the flat forested valley and the twin stripes of I-90 far below. At a narrow pinch in the gully, as I chopped steps into a short section of ice, Oleg mentioned that he might skip skiing the steeper parts. I was glad to hear him say this because I had recently begun to fear witnessing him cartwheel
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down the alpine half-pipe after catching an edge, a thought that caused me a jolt of guilt. At a ski resort, a slope this steep would have a sign at the top reading ‘Long slides possible.’ Should I have suggested this ski descent to the Uzbek? I rationalized that we could now play it safe and assess the conditions as we climbed—no need to ski if it didn’t look good. Once at the high point of the couloir, just below the true summit of McClellan Butte, we traversed over to a knoll on the border of the gully and sized things up. I gripped my selfarrest ski poles for security as I took it all in. We’d just climbed 1800 feet up a spectacular gully that dropped like an elevator shaft beneath us. As I pictured skiing it, butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I calmed myself with my steep skiing mantra: take it easy, stay on your edge, don’t jump through the fall line unless you’re sure you can land, note the icy sections identified on
the ascent, don’t be afraid of sideslipping or kick turning. Then, I stomped
Oleg ascending
out a platform and clicked into my ski bindings. As I adjusted my poles for the descent, I looked up to see Oleg, skis on, smile flashing, all set to go! “Hey, you’re not going to ski the
upper section of this, are you?” I was alarmed. “Just I will ski, and ah, if I will lose control, then I will take off skis.” Deciding to stop skiing after losing control sounded a bit cart-before-thehorse, but I decided that anyone who had climbed Peak Lenin must know something about his danger tolerance, so I cautioned Oleg to be careful and let it go at that. The top section of the couloir widens into a slope where you can link turns on a 50-degree face consisting of slabby powder snow. I ski cut at the top of the upper section, and it seemed stable, so off we went. The snow surface soon became highly variable, and I proceeded slowly, executing jump turns to reverse direction. Landing these turns was unnerving because there was no way to tell whether the landing would be hardpan, powder, or breakable crust. Each surface required a different strategy:
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edging if hard crust, desperately throwing weight backward to counteract the forward lurch if the crust collapsed beneath me. I never knew what would happen until a few seconds after each turn when I’d reestablished sta- Oleg descending bility. I stopped after about 300 feet to catch my breath and felt a sense of satisfaction at having managed the difficult terrain and snow. Until I looked up and saw Oleg scooting madly across the face above
me with a demonic grin. He already looked out of control; my worst fears were about to be realized. Just before he crashed into the rock wall of the gully, he lifted his uphill ski and, in one gi-
ant step, arms and legs akimbo, shifted onto it and managed to zoom across the face in the opposite direction, plowing through powder and skittering across hardpan. He repeated this amazing
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display four or five times before somersaulting in breakable crust, landing right side up with his skis below him, covered in snow and laughing like a demented hyena. So much for all my years of experience skiing steep terrain. Maybe this couloir wasn’t so extreme after all.
But a look down restored my sense of awe. It might not have phased Oleg, but McClellan Butte had my full attention. Further descent down the narrow slot between the rocks reminded me why I’d been so keen to ski this gully. In places, the couloir was so narrow my skis bridged from one steeply banked wall to the other. A few roll-overs steepened to the point that I couldn’t see the slope below until I’d skied over the roll. We sideslipped down several icy places. Near the bottom, where the couloir widened before opening up to the alluvial fan below, I let myself go. Here, the snow was firm, so there was no breaking through, with a soft inch or so on top that allowed an excellent edge set. I linked thirty turns bounding from ski to ski. With his unique style, Oleg cut loose, too, and we both whooped for joy. All the while, I could see I-90 below, a reminder of everyday existence, all those vehicles passing safely along six lanes of engineered concrete. How many drivers or passengers noticed the remarkable chute of snow right over their heads, or had any inkling that two people were hurtling down at that moment? Since that day, I’ve glimpsed the north couloir of McClellan Butte many times. I never fail to note its extraordinary singularity of line as it knifes upward through the north face of the pyramidal peak and shake my head in disbelief that it’s so close to Seattle. And often, I picture Oleg swooshing down, arms windmilling, legs flailing, grin as wide as the ribbon of concrete on which I’m driving. Having been up there and done that route with him adds magic to this oft-traveled route, and I know I’ll never drive west on I-90 from Snoqualmie Pass without casting my eyes up at milepost 41. ANW
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In the Flow by Abram Dickerson
Celebrating the Dark and Grey
T
he swing between seasons is drastic here in the Pacific Northwest. During summer, dawn breaks early, and each long day is ripe with potential. Endless possibilities for exploring exist along ribbons of trails, ridgelines, and a skyline of summits that only come into focus as silhouettes in the setting sun. I love collapsing in the dirt or back of the truck in exhaustion, having stretched out each hour and mile of the day, hoping and willing that my legs and lungs will be ready to go again the next day.
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Different movement patterns emerge as summer passes through a radiant fall into the gray and cool of winter. What was open and expansive in summer becomes narrow and Photo by Jakub Kriz cool in winter. Where there was freedom, now there is focus. Spontaneity is exchanged for discipline. I love the shift. I love muddy trails. I love the darkness that comes early in the evening, inviting me to retire early so I can wake up early and train for hours before my kids are awake. I love running by headlamp, sweating in the cool rain, and watching the sun come up when I’m already miles deep in the woods. I love the mist and fog that hang among the tall trees, obscuring the long vistas and enveloping me in the present. I love shedding layers during a steep climb only to put them on again as the wind whips and the rain chills my body as I crest a high point and descend back into the forest. I love knowing that each run conditions my body and mind for long days in the skin track, building a base for the inevitable return of summer and sustaining my soul through the dark and gray. Each year, these seasonal cycles become clearer and more refined. I celebrate the change and embrace the gifts that flow from the practice of lacing up and moving regardless of (or because of) what’s happening outside. ANW 40
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Mercy of
Giants Story by Stephen Grace
A
humpback whale surfaced a hundred feet away, so close that whirlpools and waves rocked my paddleboard. For several days, I had hoped for a close encounter with a whale. While kneeling on my board and clutching its sides to keep from capsizing, I felt something I hadn’t expected: fear. The humpback surfaced and blew
three times, lifted its flukes toward the sky, arched its back, and with the suppleness of a ballerina, the behemoth poured its body back into the sea—leaving droplets of spray jeweling in the light. A circle of smooth water lingered on the surface after the whale disappeared. Was it underneath my board? Deep breathing slowed my adrenaline and stilled my fear, helping me focus on the dream-like moment; then the
humpback rose again, so near its breath dampened my face and filled the air with a sulfurous reek. The whale’s eyes swiveled in sockets bigger than my fists as it raised a flipper that seemed the size of an aircraft wing. The pectoral flippers of the humpback whale are the largest appendages of any animal on the planet. A single flick of one of these flippers, a weapon up to sixteen feet long that humpbacks use to
Photo by Stephen Grace
42
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defend themselves against killer whales, could swat me into the water and hold me beneath the surface while I struggled to breathe. But humpbacks have also been known to use their flippers to protect vulnerable beings. They have guarded the calves of other whale species, seals, even sunfish from orcas and sharks. In 2017, a humpback roughed up a marine biologist snorkeling in waters off the Cook Islands. The whale shoved her, lifting her body from the ocean with its Photo by Stephen Grace massive head. The biologist feared for her life. She worried the whale would break her bones, rupture her internal organs, and drown her
beneath its flippers. When she managed to get back to her boat, she saw a tiger shark swimming nearby and realized the humpback had been shielding her
from danger. Why do humpbacks have such empathy for other beings? Spindle neurons
may play a role. Not long ago, scientists thought these specialized brain cells involved in emotions and social behavior might be unique to our species and other great apes and may even be what makes us human. Spindle neurons are linked to our language ability and capacity for suffering and love. Recently, however, researchers discovered that humpbacks have higher densities of spindle neurons in some regions of their brain than we do, raising a provocative question. If spindle neurons make us human, are humpback whales more human than we are? Perhaps more humane.
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Once hunted to oblivion’s edge, humpbacks have rebounded in recent years, yet their future remains uncertain. Whether these whales can find enough to eat in overfished oceans and survive ship strikes, noise pollution, fishing gear entanglement, and the poisons, plastics, and heat killing the living seas are open questions. The fate of our species is also uncertain. The oceans we are denuding of life deliver more than half the oxygen we breathe. As I paddled home after my close encounter with the whale, my adrenaline drained, and lingering awe replaced fear. Paying attention to the suffering that binds all beings seemed akin to bliss. All creatures on this planet are in peril, beginning the day they are born. Every animal on earth is so inconsequential amid the vastness of the universe, so fragile— even humpbacks with their bulk and humans with our technology.
What struck me when I was near the whale was not how large the animal
Photo by John D’Onofrio
was but how small I am: a tiny mammal on an unstable board, a seeker adrift on
the sea. I was at the mercy of a species that humans almost exterminated. Whales were saved by their songs. In the 1970s, recordings of humpback vocalizations, intricate and otherworldly, inspired our species to bring whales back from extinction’s edge. In 1977, NASA launched the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecrafts to explore our solar system and beyond. Gold-plated records carried on the Voyager vessels contain greetings in sixty-one languages, human music, and the song of a humpback whale. In 2012, Voyager 1 left the shores of our solar system and plunged into deep space, carrying its cargo of song through the interstellar sea. If an alien intelligence from another world follows our music, and that of humpback whales, to earth, these beings will almost certainly be more compassionate and cooperative than we are; otherwise, they would have annihilated themselves, as we
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seem so close to doing with our nuclear weapons and our reckless project of dismantling the natural systems that support us on this planet. Scientists tell us to avoid anthropomorphism—ascribing human characteristics to nonhuman animals like whales. Perhaps alien scientists will think along similar lines. They might explain to fellow members of their species, “The humans we are watching sometimes perform what seem like
compassionate acts. But we can only know what it’s like to be us. We cannot know what it’s like to be human. Do not attribute your own motives to the humans. Do not look for explanations beyond what you can observe. Look at their behavior. Look at what they have done to the seas. Look at what they have done to the whales, the ones who help humans when danger is near. The ones who show mercy.” ANW
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PEAK EXPERIENCES
Fairhaven 2023
Winterfest
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November 25 - December 16
Requiem for the Raptors
Photo by Jeremiah Doehne
M
att and I threaded pieces of cord through holes we had drilled in makeshift footbridges and tied the bridges to the backs of a couple of old snowmobiles we had purchased for Baker Mountain Guides. The goal for the day was to drag the bridges up to the trailhead for North Twin Sister and place them over numerous creeks that cut across a decommissioned logging road and made skinning up and skiing down nearly impossible. I had attempted to ski guide the range for the first time a few weeks prior and quickly discovered that we would need to radically improve the access if it was to be a viable endeavor. This was back in early February of 2020, and to our knowledge, nobody had yet made a habit of skiing the Twin Sisters during the heart of winter. We burned a lot of gasoline and calories that day, but what I remember the most was coming around the first corner on the sleds and flushing hundreds of eagles out of the forest. Dozens exploded upwards into the sky, and many others swooped down into the road cut and flew in front, behind, and alongside us. I had never seen so many in all my life.
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I’ve always thought long and hard about the impact of my presence in the mountains. It’s easy to tell ourselves that it would be impossible to spoil a place like the Twin Sisters with activities like skiing. I’m sure some folks felt the same about Bagley Basin in the 1950s. Outdoor recreation has become a consumable product that requires resources; the resources are the landscapes and the more-than-human communities of life that live upon them. As the popularity of sports like backcountry skiing explodes, we are finding ourselves competing for landscapes, much like surfers competing for waves. But that’s just a human-centric perspective of the problem. What about the wolverine who requires vast, remote expanses of wintry alpine, or the hibernating bear that can be prematurely disturbed out of its slumber, or any other number of critters whose lives depend on the piercing solitude and deafening silence that only intact, human-less ecosystems can offer? Who speaks for them, and how do we balance their needs with our insatiable and innate desire for “recreation” via connection with nature? I don’t have the answers. I tell myself that my actions are more sustainable than, say, logging, but the fact is that my financial security depends on taking more people on adventures in more places. I try to find the balance and feel that I do a pretty good job. But in the years since we first wandered into the Twin Sisters, I’ve never seen the eagles again. ANW
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The
Good Old Days on the Wild West Coast Home Sweet Home on Shi Shi Beach in the 1970s Story by Gary Peniston
W
e’ve all met those guys; they tell you how great things used to be when they were young. “The men were tougher in those days (meaning they themselves were), the ocean was wider, the current ran faster in the Tacoma Narrows (someone actually once said that to me), the mountains were taller when I was climbing.” Actually, that last one is partly true due to the volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helen on May 18, 1980. Here’s another true story about the Washington coast in the 1970’s. A guidebook published in 1974 proclaimed that Shi Shi Beach “is perhaps the most scenic single segment of the Washington ocean coast.” To get there required about two miles of “pleasant Shi Shi Beach walking” alongside the “virtually undrivable road.” Be prepared for “much mud” during the “wet season.” 48
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OK, we went in August. We shouldered our packs filled with
all right! We skirted the worst of it as best we could by hiking along the edges while suspiciously eyeing huge puddles of unknown depth. Our boots got caked with mud as we clomped along like Frankenstein. We found our answer to the depth question about a mile in when we encountered a Dodge Power Wagon mired, at least axle deep, in one of the puddles. Two or three guys were determinedly trying to free the truck, shovels in hand, jamming planks under the wheels, looking for a sturdy tree to hook the winch cable to. If you didn’t have a winch on that road, you had NO business being there. On later trips, I wore knee-high rubber boots, which ran the risk of getting sucked off my back foot as I stepped forward. Often, I found myself balancing on one foot while trying to thread the other foot into the Photo by John D’Onofrio not-so-visible boot bea week’s worth of food, a camp stove, hind me, even as I tried to avoid being and gas, and set off. Oh, it was muddy, gravitationally pulled into a black hole
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puddle, pack, and all. And that was in the DRY season! So what’s with the truck? Why not just hike like the rest of us? It turned out that this was a routine occurrence, as these people lived on the beach.
nude beach. Well, the guidebook hadn’t said anything about this! Luckily for all concerned, the weather was cooperative. Then, after discovering four or five cabins snuggled among cedar and
You might be inclined to call them shacks, but they were more than that. Fanciful, eclectic, creative, a crazyangled equivalent of jazz. Wow, they lived there! Every week or two, they drove to town to collect mail, stock up on groceries and wine—a good reason for the Shi Shi Beach, 1977 truck—and to bring in “materials.” Cabin, Photo by Gary Peniston We continued our “pleasant walk,” climbing steeply down the hillside Douglas fir trees alongside a stream to the beach and began the long sandy flowing onto the sandy beach, we found walk to the other end, the scenic end. out who the truck-borne materials were Another surprise greeted us: this was a for. You might be inclined to call them
Get Rid of Your Extra Weight for Good and Get Back to Your Life!
shacks, but they were more than that. Fanciful, eclectic, creative, a crazy-angled equivalent of jazz. Unlike the driftwood structures people create in an afternoon or two on beaches, these had evolved over years of patching, remodeling, and refining by adding found and store-bought materials to the mix. Sheets of plywood lay here and there, wood shingles, a piece or two of metal roofing, large wood beams and posts for structure, and various driftwood logs, perhaps for support or decoration. The structures had windows and chimneys. For the most part, they looked weatherproof. They were small—maybe 16 x 20 feet—but they had more space than a tent. One, so help me, even had a stained-glass window. I saw the inside of that one on a later visit; it looked pretty comfortable. Table, chairs, front door, shelves, candles, a small cooking fire pit—this was a reallife funky Lord of the Rings-type cottage
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POETRY FROM THE WILD
Lost By David Wagoner Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here, And you must treat it as a powerful stranger, Must ask permission to know it and be known. The forest breathes. Listen. It answers, I have made this place for you. If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here. No two trees are the same to Raven. No two branches are the same to Wren. If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows Where you are. You must let it find you.
with a dramatic ocean view. The alternating soundscape of the surf provided music as waves pulsed up and down. Of course, such trippy hippytype dwellings attracted idiosyncratic residents—or perhaps it was the other
way around. They were free spirits, to ernment in general, freedom from worry be sure. One got the olfactory impresabout skin cancer, apparently. sion that a lot of herb got smoked in So, who got to spend the summer in those cabins. On my first visit, one parthese cabins? They didn’t belong to anyticular resident stood out; he had quite one, and they weren’t locked. Apparently, the tan (no tan lines) and an interestwhoever was first to get there in the spring ing backstory. In claimed them for those days, there the season. They was a famous and just walked in and controversial comset up house. Of mune called the course, they had to Love Israel Family keep them occupied in Seattle. Charles and protected from P. LeWarne wrote a intruders, both hubook about it, The man and animal, Love Israel Family: so they banded Urban Commune, together in commuCabin, Shi Shi Beach, 1977 Rural Commune. nity. Someone had Photo by Gary Peniston All I knew to keep watch while about the Love Family was this one guy, the road crew went out for supplies. who called himself “Freedom Love.” The When the winter weather set in moniker certainly fit. Freedom from for good, I presume folks trekked back clothes, freedom from cares (except for to more secure housing. I’ve camped on those grocery runs through the mud), the coast in early spring, and it can get freedom from building codes and govRAINY. And windy. Really windy. As in
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Day’s End, Point of Arches Photo by Gary Peniston
100 mph, three or four times a year. The beach was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971, yet the cabins remained, at least through 1977, when these photos were taken. In the late 1970s, a generous donation from Portland heiress and sculptor Marie Louise Feldenheimer enabled The Nature Conservancy to purchase the land that includes Point of the Arches. The Conservancy, in turn, sold the property to Olympic National Park. The proceeds from the sale helped establish a Land Preservation Fund. When the area was added to the park, in keeping with the idea of wilder-
ness (not to mention the fire hazard), the “human artifacts” were removed. Was this a good thing? I’ve been there many times and wish I had photographically documented the cabins much more than the few shots I have. They told a story. They looked as if they grew organically out of, then into the landscape, weathered and wind-swept like the surrounding trees. Understandably, they could be considered an “attractive nuisance” in today’s social climate. The last time I was there in 2018, this was no longer a place to seek solitude. Perhaps 200 campers were there, which the rangers said was common.
The cabins are now long gone, along with the clothing-optional tradition. But the natural beauty still opens one’s eyes wide with wonder. The timeless landscape, the exuberant ebb and flow of waves, the dramatic sea stacks framing the setting sun (many a calendar has that iconic photo), tide pools, sea stars, waveworn boulders, the laughter of gulls, that glimpse of the infinite as you gaze across the open sea. All these remain, as they have for eons. If you venture a hike along what the Department of Natural Resources website currently calls “a notoriously muddy trail,” you will encounter terrific views.
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Perhaps you can imagine what it was like to live there, with only a few neighbors. Imagine the tinkering and improvising, carefully carrying a stained glass window down the slippery trail, patching the leaks, year after year, and all that went into those little Hobbit homes. You couldn’t stay long, but imagine a whole summer there! Now, you need a camp permit and a bear canister to stay there. Your time and space will be limited. You know, some things WERE better when I was younger. The ocean looks just as wide, though, and the sea stacks are just as tall. And my favorite tree is still there. ANW
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Field Trip Adventures beyond the PNW
W
e bump along a dirt road across a barren landscape almost totally devoid of vegetation, climbing in our rented jeep toward the top of a remote mesa called Skyline Rim, located in the desert east of Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. After much jostling and bouncing, we suddenly reach the end of the road (and the edge of the mesa). The rim drops 500 feet to labyrinthine badlands, stretching mile after mile across the desert floor. Flowing salt-specked hills and complicated dry watercourses spread in 54
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Skyline Rim Story and Photo by John D’Onofrio
sinuous patterns across what looks like the surface of another planet. In fact, somewhere down there is NASA’s Mars Research Station. To the south, the lonely-looking Henry Mountains, covered in snow, rise to over 11,000 feet. Truly in the middle of nowhere, the Henrys were the last mountain range mapped in the lower 48. A hundred miles away on the eastern horizon, the La Sal Mountains are also mantled with snow. We hike along the rim, gaining a birds-eye view out over the convulsed rockscapes of the San Rafael Swell to the north, and the last light of day burnishes the sweeping vista in indigo, the color of
dreams. As darkness falls, we relax beside a small campfire of fragrant juniper before rolling out our sleeping bags on the slickrock beside the jeep. Dawn’s first glimmer illuminates the towers of stone in warm, golden light, a radiant, soul-stirring Hallelujah Chorus moment. Below, serpentine shadows bathe the convoluted badlands, full of secret places and unheard stories. A raven rises on a thermal, hanging auspiciously in the air above us for a moment, before dropping like a stone into the shadows below. ANW
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Cascadia Gear:
Gear Spotlight:
Essentials for your next Adventure
Elan Playmaker 101 by Chris Gerston
The folks at PNW Bushcraft (based in rural Whatcom County, WA) are dedicated to manufacturing outdoor gear the way gear used to be made: by hand—and their standards are very high. The small family-run company produces what they call “heirloom” gear, meaning they manufacture everything to last for generations. Their Cedar Bucket is a waxed canvas “bucket” bag perfect for organizing camping gear—I use mine for tarp stakes and lines. A drawstring closure keeps the tangle of lines and stakes nicely contained, and the four external pockets provide additional storage space for sundries. And man is it bombproof! More info: www.pnwbushcraft.com
Think Tank PressPass 20 Photo Pack Carrying camera gear while also carrying a backpack has always been a challenge. You want access to your camera gear on the trail, so it needs to be accessible without taking the backpack off. The PressPass 20 from the innovative people at Think Tank® can be worn on one’s midsection, strapped on with both a waist belt and neck strap, affording easy access to camera and lenses. It’s padded and large enough for my digital camera and three lenses. And when you reach camp and doff the backpack, it converts to a shoulder bag. Lots of pockets store batteries, memory cards, filters, etc. Problem solved.
A
fter two days of ski demos at Mission Ridge in February last winter, one thing became clear: the Elan Playmaker was my favorite ski of the event. Without recent fresh snow, both demo days were high-speed groomer days, but on the bright side, that’s always the perfect condition for testing mid-fat and wider skis. You know the Playmaker will be fun in powder, but this ski excelled at quick turns, and longer radius turns on the hard pack. Similar to the Elan Ripstick series, this everyday driver inspires confidence at speed but is more playful with its softer tip and rockered tail. At 1760 grams (180cm), this ski is an excellent 50/50 ski both in and out of bounds. Elan has again utilized hollow carbon rods for managing vibration without adding the weight of metal (but you wouldn’t know that from how they ride). I would love to pair this ski with some Fritschi Tecton bindings for a combination that’s ready for anything! Furthermore, as someone with a vested interest in the environment, I appreciate that Elan uses a 3D shaping process that results in using 10% less material (and that the materials used are a combination of either 70% natural or recycled materials). Elan’s factory in Slovenia runs on 100% green energy, and the printing process is VOC-free. If you are looking for a fun surfy ski for off-piste missions and forgiving stability in mixed conditions, consider the Playmaker. Backcountry Essentials, owned by Chris Gerston, is an outdoor specialty shop located at 214 W. Holly in Bellingham, WA.
More info: www.thinktankphoto.com
36 Ways of Looking at Mount Rainier Writer/illustrator Tim Ahern is a unique creative force: well-known as a travel writer (including several pieces in Adventures Northwest over the years), he has also published three books on James Joyce and has seen his illustrations published in the US, UK, and Japan. His most recent book, 36 Ways of Looking at Mount Rainier, is his homage to the classic, 36 Views of Mount Fuji, a collection of prints produced by the famed Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai from 1830-32. A well-crafted haiku accompanies each illustration, as well as notes on the composition and subject matter. It’s a beautiful and inspiring volume, a stirring visual journey to the heart of Tahoma. Available at Village Books in Bellingham, WA, or Amazon.com
Check out more of Chris’ gear reviews at AdventuresNW.com
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Temres 282-02 Waterproof Insulated Gloves Who knew that amazing winter mountaineering gloves could be found at Lummi Fishing Supply (LFS), a retailer known primarily for marine supplies? The Temres® 282-02 gloves are waterproof yet breathable. They’ll also keep your hands toasty warm (thanks to an insulated acrylic liner) when recreating in winter. Snowboarders, skiers, ice climbers, and mountaineers love the tactile grip they afford, as well as the extended cuff with drawcord. And they’re tough as nails. More info: https://www.go2marine.com/ showa-282-temres-gloves FIND Adventures Northwest 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 REI locations across Washington and Oregon as well as at numerous locations in the Vancouver, BC metro area, at races and events, and area visitor centers. SUBSCRIBE Receive Adventures Northwest via mail anywhere in the US or Canada. Visit AdventuresNW.com/subscribe for subscription info.
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the
Next
Adventure
A Cold Winter’s Night photo by DONALD J. VIRGOVIC It’s 1:35 a.m. on a February night. It’s 11 degrees, and I’ve been outside for over five hours. My feet are cold. My hands are freezing. But I don’t care. It’s perfectly still and incredibly quiet. What I’m looking at is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
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Investment advisory services provided through Mariner Platform Solutions, LLC (“MPS”). MPS is an investment adviser registered with the SEC, headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. Registration of an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. MPS is in compliance with the current notice filing requirements imposed upon registered investment advisers by those states in which MPS transacts business and maintains clients. MPS is either notice filed or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from notice filing requirements in those states. Any subsequent, direct communication by MPS with a prospective client shall be conducted by a representative that is either registered or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration in the state where the prospective client resides. For additional information about MPS, including fees and services, please contact MPS or refer to the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website (www.adviserinfo.sec.gov). Please read the disclosure statement carefully before you invest or send money.