Adventures NW Spring 2012

ADVENTURES NW >>>

SPRING.2012

Free. take enjoy keep

gRIT & MANLY VIM the story of

The Press Expedition

a Seattle doc finds her sport:

ROWING NOVICE the WESTERN BLUEBIRD RETURNS to the San Juan islands

PARKS on the POINT

“messing around in boats”

running & working To

save the DAVID B

Washington’s big empty

Eastern Okanogan Highlands

Stuart Range Traverse

>>> EXTENSIVE OUTDOOR EVENTS CALENDAR THROUGH 2012—14 pages—INSIDE

Photo Cred

it www.fairh

aven.com

Runnin’ O’ the GReen Saturday, March 17, 10am

PADDen DuAthlOn Saturday, July 21, 9am

An awesome, inexpensive event at lake Padden —race solo or relay.

A 2.7mi run/walk or 5mi run —from the Depot Market Square (new location this year!).

Run 2.6mi, RD Bike 14.5mi, Run 2.6mi •$15 ($20 after 6/21), Max: 200

• $20 with shirt; kids 8 & younger run free (no shirt or timing)

PADDle PAlOOzA Saturday, May 5, 10am

Races, demos & sales for humanpowered water craft: kayak, canoe, SuP, etc. A perfect warm-up for upcoming races, including Ski to Sea. Swap/Demo Day: wakekayak.org Whatcom Classic: soundrowers.org

All-COMeR’S tRACk & FielD MeetS Mondays, 6pm June 11-August 27

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 

 

FAiRhAven RunneRS WAteRFROnt 15k Saturday, September 8, 8:30am

A great run distance along Bellingham’s gorgeous waterfront, with chip timing, tech shirt & huge post-race party.

•$4 day pass, •$30 season pass, •$90 family pass (includes shirt)

•$20 ($25 after 8/08); Max: 1000

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PADDen tRiAthlOn Saturday, June 23 Competitive, 8:30am: Swim 1/2mi, Bike 21mi, Run 5.2mi Recreational, 1pm: Swim 1/4mi, Bike 10mi, Run 2.6mi •$50 ($60 after 3/31), Max: 300/event

healthy & fun distances for kids (with a pool swim) —race solo or relay.

ages 11-13, 9am: Swim 400yd, Bike 3mi, Run 1mi ages 9-10, 10am: Swim 200yd, Bike 2mi, Run 1/2 mi ages 8 & under, 11am: Swim 100yd, Bike 2mi, Run 1/4mi •$15 ($20 after 7/11) Max: 50/event

track and Field events for kids & adults, including hurdles for 4 & under, sprints, distance runs, pole vault, shot, and other events.

two sprint-distance events —race solo or relay.

BellinGhAM YOuth tRiAthlOn Saturday, August 11

MOUNTAIN BIKE

DUATHLON

MOUNTAIN BIKE

kliCkS MOuntAin Bike DuAthlOn Sunday, October 14, 11am A challenging, technical course above lake Padden.

Run 2.6mi, Mt Bike 4mi, Run 2.6mi •$15 ($20 after 9/14), Max. 200

DUATHLON

cob.org/races

lromo@cob.org • 360-778-7000

CONTRIBUTORS

SPRING | 2012 Volume 7. Issue 1

John D’Onofrio is a Bellingham-based writer/ photographer/artist/hiker. His stories and photographs appear regularly in various publications including Adventures NW, Washington Trails, Northwest Men’s Magazine and Cascadia Weekly. When he’s not hunched over his laptop, he likes to wander around Olympic National Park, although he has no intention of ever trying to take a boat up the Elwha. Visit his website at jdonofrio.com Alyson Indrunas would like to thank Tami Garrard and Joleen Forest for making fun of her mercilessly about being “in a lather about the rattlesnake.”

She loves muddy cyclocross races, deep powder under her snowboard, early morning dog walks, steep hiking trails, and the opportunity to write about it all.

Tami Garrard likes taking walks, preferably in mountains, dogs at her side. She is known for tortillasized blisters, packing the fishing gear, and having her camera at the ready. She hopes to someday be her dad’s age and walk the same trails they walk together now; taking photographs as good as his. Tami works in a university library and goes to graduate school; she lives five houses north of Seattle.

Craig Romano makes it a point to hike many of the Northwest’s enclaves, exclaves, and personal faves! He is the author of eight Washington guidebooks including Backpacking Washington (Mountaineers Books); which he hiked over 1,500 miles to research. When not on the trail he can often be found napping with his cats Giuseppe and Scruffy Gray. Visit him at CraigRomano.com

BiKE IS

TO

J. K. Fox splits her time between the Pacific Northwest and south-east Scotland. She is therefore very used to rain. A graduate of St. Andrews University (Scotland) and of Boston University College of Communication, she is a freelance journalist and conservationist.

Dick McClenahan is a family doc in Bellingham. During his 30 year love affair with the Pacific Northwest, he has developed a passion for its highest places. When not hiking, climbing, or seeing patients, he enjoys woodworking and spending time with his wife, Meg, and his three boys.

Although he grew up in western Washington, Aaron Theisen has lived for the last 13 years in Spokane and has developed a fondness for Washington’s “dry side.” A proud father of a 4-month-old son, Aaron is looking forward to the added challenge of “pack it in, pack it out” with diapers in Washington’s backcountry this year.

A bicyclist, backpacker, and sometime kayaker, writer Laural Ringler has published over 75 articles in magazines such as Adventures NW, Adventure Cyclist, the Chuckanut Reader, and Entertainment News NW. She blogs on family adventuring at lauralringler.com, and looks forward to touring the San Juan Islands by kayak with her friend Meg Kelly—maybe in a double, so Laural can stay within sight of Meg.

WoRK & ScHOoL DAY

Friday MAy 18

Stop by a Celebration Station for Free goodies & prizes.

For Celebration Station locations, and to check out all of the day's festivities, visit BiketoWorkandSchoolDay.org, or call 360-671-BIKE.

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race | play | experience

INSPIRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE

an abundance of grit and manly vim

John D’Onofrio 8 Richard McClenahan 15

novice the speed of eight synchronized strokes

the western bluebird back home in the San Juans

J.K. Fox 19

more faster backwards restoring the David B

Christine Smith 22

parks on the point costal treasures in Point Roberts

Craig Romano 27 Alyson Indrunas 30

plan a backpacking the Stuart Range Traverse finding her sport Megan Kelly, kayaker

Laural Ringler 36

washington’s big empty Eastern Okanogan Highlands Aaron Theisen 40

DESTINATIONS Advertiser

Index

6

Gear, Garb, Getaways Emporium

39

Getting Away

40

Next Adventure photo

58

Race | Play | Experience Calendar 44-57

COVER Heading toward Trout Lake photo by Tamara Garrard

camp below Windy Pass; photo by Tamara Garrard

“What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy.”

—George Leigh Mallory

Now Is The Time When The Great Outdoors Gets Even Greater. www.wibank.com

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SPRING | 2012 Volume 7. Issue 1

> MANY THANKS TO OUR ADVERTISER SUPPORTERS...

> INVOLVED...

Adriane Pennington Borgias John D’Onofrio • J.K. Fox Tamara Garrard • Alyson Indrunas Richard McClenahan • Laural Ringler Craig Romano • Christine Smith Aaron Theisen

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Kathleen Foley • Finnian Haskins Megan Kelly • Lance Romo National Parks Service • UW Archives

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> EVENTS Have your outdoor-related event, race or public outing listed in the quarterly race|play|experience calendar and the regularly updated online version. Write to alaine@AdventuresNW.com for information.

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quarterly publication enjoyed by 40,000 readers each issue since 2006. ANW’s mission is to publish a high-quality, engaging magazine that will inspire local and visiting readers to try new activities, to fully explore the natural beauty and recreational offerings of the diverse areas throughout the Pacific Northwest, and to have adventures in their own communities—and beyond.

Adventures NW is also committed to providing organizations and businesses a respected, content-rich, publication in which to communicate their marketing messages. Further, it is the goal of Adventures NW Publishing, Inc. to be an example by supporting independent and local businesses and following socially and environmentally responsible practices in order to maintain sustainable and healthy communities.

Copyright ©2012 by Adventures NW Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Views expressed herein are those of the authors exclusively. Adventures NW is not responsible for unsolicited material.

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20 Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill 9 American Alpine Institute 33 Anchor Benefits Advisors 17 Backcountry Essentials 41 Bagpipe Construction 33 Bellingham Bay Marathon 56, cal Bellingham Bay Rendezvous 25, cal Bellingham Parks & Recreation Races 3 Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro 17 Burley Trailers 39 Burlington Physical Therapy 49 Busara Thai Cuisine 23 The Chrysalis Inn & Spa 44 Chuckanut Century/Mt. Baker Bicycle Club 53, cal Clear Lake Triathlon 50 Colophon Café & Deli 13 Community Food Co-op 38 Dawn Durand, Windermere 13 Eugene Marathon Events 47, cal EverybodyBIKE 4 Fairhaven.com 24 Fairhaven Bike & Ski 35 Fairhaven Fitness/Bellingham Tennis Club 18 Fairhaven Runners & Walkers 60, cal Faith R. Bult, DDS 10 Fanatik Bike Co. 46, cal Flyers Restaurant and Brewery 20 Gato Verde Adventure Sailing 24 Gone Diving 28 Harmony Motorworks 12 Historic Fairhaven District 18 Kulshan Cycles 41 Leave No Trace 42 Leki Poles 39 LFS Marine & Outdoor 37 Lithtex NW Printing Solutions 28 21 The Markets - Bellingham/Birch Bay/Anacortes Nathan McAllister, Attorney at Law 33 North Cascade Eye Associates 20 North Cascades Institute 35, 39 Northwest Behavioral 35 NW Navigation Co. 39, 49 NW Traverse (Olympia & Bellingham) 51, Cal Odyssey Wilderness Program 26 Placid Pet 33 Ragnar NW Passage Relay 54, Cal The RE Store 26 Sally Farrell, Coldwell Banker Bain 38 Salud Spanish 24 San Juan Sailing 23 Seattle City Light / Skagit Tours 59 Ski to Sea /Whatcom Events

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freedom “Mountaineering is many things. It is climbing, panoramic views, and wilderness experience. For many, it is the fulfillment of childhood dreams; for others, an opportunity to grow in the face of difficulty. In the mountains await adventure and mystery and lifetime bonds with climbing partners. The challenge of mountaineering offers you a chance to learn about yourself by venturing beyond the confines of the modern world.

To be sure, you will also find risk and hardship, but despite the difficulties sometimes faced—or maybe because of them—mountaineering can provide a sense of tranquility and spiritual communion found nowhere else. In the words of British climber George Leigh Mallory, ‘What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy.’” —from Mountaineering: the Freedom of the Hills Freedom of the hills, indeed.

As a kid I sought out that freedom with my brother and sister as we scrambled up and over logs and explored the hills and woods of nearby state parks—whether we were around Bellingham, Spokane or North Ogden, where we spent our childhoods. In high school, freedom came as I ran the trails at the base of Ben Lomond Mountain or the Interurban along Chuckanut Mountain—sometimes with friends, but more often alone, the solitude affording me rich opportunities for appreciation and introspection. To this day, whenever I’m out on a trail, along a shoreline, in the woods, at treeline or above—whether alone, among friends, or with Alaine and Finnian, I can’t help but feel more alive, tranquil, and a little more free as a result of the experience.

Freedom to relish the beauties and uniqueness of each natural area I encounter is like an added sense—to me it is just as necessary as the other five to add up to a full life.

Like many people, I now spend far too much time working, whether with words and images behind my desk or with tools and materials around my home. Though obviously I need and choose to accomplish worthy labors, in my soul I always have a regret that I’m not “out there,” that my freedom is impinged.

So in an effort to always listen to my soul, one of the commitments to experience freedom that I have made this year involves climbing a mountain. In fact, several mountains—small and not so small. Through my endeavors to ready myself as well as reach each peak, I know I will sometimes find “risk and hardship,” but with every instance of decision and effort, I intend to recapture some of that “sheer joy” that comes not only from standing on a summit, but from simply experiencing my natural world.

stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

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Terra Incognita!

The lure of discovering and exploring unknown lands has been with us humans since we emerged from our caves to wonder what lay over the horizon. Throughout history, epic journeys have been made to fill in the blank spots on the map, to tread on soil that had never known the footprints of our kind, to be the first to set eyes upon the unknown.

365 percent, as gold and timber seekers poured in. During this decade the population of Seattle had grown from 3,500 to 40,000. The Northwest was changing fast—lowland forests were falling in a thunderous orgy of logging, and settlers were pushing further and further up the river valleys, claiming as their own the rich bottomlands beneath the misty mountains.

But still, there was terra incognita.

The mighty Olympic Range, rising from the timber-dark depths of

of Seattle, made these mountains an irresistible lure for exploration.

On October 23, 1889, the Seattle Press published a call to mount an expedition of discovery, “a fine opportunity for some of the hardy citizens of the Sound to acquire fame by unveiling the mystery which wraps the land encircled by the snow-capped Olympic range.” By early November, Edmond Meany, city editor of the Seattle Press received a letter in response from one James H. Christie, offering to organize

An abundance of grit and manly vim the story of the Press Expedition of Exploration

Seattle Press Exploring Expedition, Seattle, Washington, December 6, 1889.

University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, La Roche [10018]

As the nineteenth century was winding down, the blank spots on the map had been growing smaller at a remarkable rate, including in the Pacific Northwest. The Washington Territory was booming. From 1879 to 1889 the territory’s population had risen by 8

race | play | experience

the Olympic Peninsula, was the most conspicuous of the unknown high mountain country of the territory. Its position, clearly visible from both the waterways of Puget Sound (which served as a primary transportation corridor in those days) and the new city

by John D’Onofrio and lead an expedition to explore—and to be the first to transect—the rugged mountains. Christie’s offer was one of many, but one of his qualifications stood out: he had recently spent three years exploring arctic Canada. In the letter, Christie made it clear that, pro-

the next week, on Friday the thirviding the Press would agree to finance teenth. An auspicious sign, perhaps. the endeavor, he could be counted on While the main party set to work to achieve its goal of being the first to improving an existing settler’s trail cross the mountains, as he was a “man that led from the tried in all the vicissitudes of mountain, The mighty Olympic Range, end of the road, forest and plain life.” rising from the timber-dark Barnes was sent to Dungeness to proOn November depths of the Olympic cure a pair of mules, 11, Washington was which were loaded admitted into the Peninsula, was the most union as the forty-secconspicuous of the unknown with supplies using packsaddles ond state. Two weeks high mountain country of the newly fashioned later, Christie was in Seattle meeting with territory. Its position, clearly in Port Angeles for the purpose. They Meany and William visible from both the began up the now E. Bailey, owner of the waterways of Puget Sound ... “improved” trail in Press. The enterprise was given a name: and the new city of Seattle, torrential rain. The mules immediately The Press Expedition made these mountains sank up to their of Exploration. The an irresistible lure haunches in mud. quest had begun.

The men unloaded for exploration. the hapless beasts Rough Sledding and proceeded to dig and pry them from the quagmire, a herculean task.

The decision was made to launch Once accomplished, the animals were the expedition as soon as possible. The reloaded—and promptly sunk back fact that winter was fast approaching into the mud. Unpack, dig, reload. was deemed less important than the Again, the mules floundered in the need to thwart any rival attempts to be muck, and both pack saddles broke. the first across the Olympics that the Finally the men carried the supplies publicity generated by the Press might themselves and led the mules through. have inspired.

With so much gear, progress Christie assembled his team with was slow as the group shuttled loads care. Captain Charles Barnes was an from camp to camp, each foot of the old friend and would serve as cartogroute traversed many times over. On rapher and photographer. Dr. Harris December 23 the rain changed to Runnalls was enlisted as natural hissnow. From the outset, Christie had torian. John Crumback was chosen to been considering the feasibility of be the expedition’s cook. Christopher working their way up the Elwha in a Hayes, a 22-year-old cowboy from boat, encouraged by reports from Port the Yakima Valley, and John Sims, an Angeles residents who had assured ex-British army officer, completed the him that the river was navigable. six-man band of explorers. According With the setback of the snow, he now to the Press, the group possessed “an determined that the party should abundance of grit and manly vim.” construct the river craft. Unable to By the first week of December, use their mules, the members of the the party had arrived at the then-tiny expedition instead undertook the village of Port Angeles. Equipped with formidable task of dragging lumber more than 1,500 pounds of food and three miles through the swamp from supplies, the six men (accompanied by four dogs) headed into the mountains continued >>>

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The men had no choice ... the swift current of the freezing Elwha made but to haul Gertie out of the ranch of a settler at the end of the the water and re-caulk her. their progress poling upriver exceedingly difficult road. Christie described the effort as By now the snow was al- and slow.... “The Elwha is quite a different stream “very disagreeable work indeed.” most four feet deep. With On Christmas Eve, the snow beI find from the Elwha of common report.” temperatures averaging five gan to fall furiously. There was a foot degrees below normal, the on the ground by the time they started observed in his journal. The men winter of ‘89-90 was turning out to constructing the raft. And with a thick struggled in the icy river for two weeks, be one for the record books—much of coating of ice on the lumber, the men nearly freezing to death. They succeedwhat otherwise would have been rain had to thaw each piece over a fire beed in advancing just four miles before at their lower elevation, instead fell as fore it could be hewn. Still, within a admitting that the notion of poling up snow. week the boat, christened Gertie, was the Elwha was not going to work. They Not until January 11 was Gertie deemed finished. In a blinding snowabandoned Gertie on January 24 and ready to be re-launched.

Unfortunately, storm they loaded the gear and supplies resigned themselves to continuing on the swift current of the freezing Elwha and pushed Gertie out into the river. snowshoes. made their progress poling upriver exShe immediately began taking on water To haul supplies, the men built ceedingly difficult and slow.

The men “like a thirsty fish,” according to Barnes. sledges, but these immediately sunk were instead forced to attach ... the snow began to fall furiously. There was lines and enter the frigid wa- into the deep snow and by the time a foot on the ground by the time they started ter to pull the craft upstream. they were a quarter mile up the trail, they were abandoned. In frustration, Elwha is quite a different constructing the raft. And with a thick coating “The Crumback took an axe to his. stream I find from the Elwha of ice on the lumber, the men had to thaw each of common report,” Christie, a master of understatement, piece over a fire before it could be hewn. <<< PRESS, continued from previous page

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Deception Divide More than a month into their trip, the Press Expedition had barely advanced past the last homesteader’s cabins—only about seven miles from the end of the road. Yet they continued slowly on, struggling through chestdeep snow up the canyon of the Elwha, again making exhausting shuttle trips to move their voluminous supplies and gear. To supplement their provisions they fished in the Elwha and shot elk, which were plentiful in the foothills.

Slowly they advanced up the river, and in early March found themselves climbing what is now known as The Devil’s Backbone. At a particularly precipitous ledge, one mule slid off and fell 150 feet down the cliff face, only coming to a stop when her packsaddle became wedged between a rock and a tree. Christie and Sims were lowered on ropes to discover that the mule’s back was broken. When they cut off the packsaddle, she kept going down the slope, bouncing off of rocks until she disappeared in the brush at the bottom. The going got even harder after they left the Elwha and turned up the canyon of the Goldie River. Struggling, the remaining mule finally, simply, laid down. The men removed her halter and left her, to “get her living as the elk do,” according to Barnes.

The expedition pushed on, gaining altitude as they approached the interior of the mountains, where the trees were stunted and buried in snow that now reached depths of up to 15 feet. As they ascended, the rumble of avalanches echoed against the mountain walls, causing considerable alarm among the men. In desperation to gain some speed, they lightened their load by jettisoning some of the heavier gear— axes, kettle, excess ammunition—and they climbed higher, leaving the Goldie River. Nonetheless, their progress was still excruciatingly slow.

When they finally reached the crest of what they believed to be the divide, they gazed down 2,000 feet to the other side. There was a river, alright, but it was flowing northwest rather than southwest as they knew the Quinault flowed.

Gradually they realized what had happened—the “divide” was in fact a spur, and the river below them was none other than the Elwha. “We had ... travelled over 20 miles of the roughest country and through the most rugged canyon in the mountains” ... “and have experienced 12 days of the hardest work of the trip, only to find ourselves at the other horn of this crescent-shaped valley.”

May 1 found the Press Expedition at the base of what they presumed to be the final ascent to the crest of the Olympic Range. They tossed out more gear, culling their dwindling provisions to what each man could carry on his back, a risky proposition as there had been no game sighted for some time and their food supplies were running dangerously low.

As dawn broke, they began to climb, ascending the steepest terrain of the trip thus far. When they finally

reached the crest of what they believed to be the divide, they gazed down 2,000 feet to the other side. There was a river, alright, but it was flowing northwest rather than southwest as they knew the Quinault flowed. Gradually they realized what had happened—the “divide” was in fact a spur, and the river below them was none other than the Elwha. “We had ... travelled over 20 miles of the roughest country and through the most rugged canyon in the mountains,” Barnes noted in his continued >>>

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11

<<< PRESS, continued from previous page

journal, “and have experienced 12 days of the hardest work of the trip, only to find ourselves at the other horn of this crescent-shaped valley.”

With all the setbacks and calamities, it is difficult to imagine the extent of their frustration. But there was nothing for it but to descend from what they named Deception Divide down to the Elwha again and climb up the other side. Their provisions nearly exhausted, they made flour soup and regrouped.

On May 4, they reached the top of what is known today as Low Divide and continued past two small lakes (Mary and Margaret) where they mercifully stumbled upon a bear coming out of hibernation, which Christie dispatched with his rifle. The men feasted, melting fat in frying pans and drinking the grease—their energy and lives extended for a little while longer.

Troubled Waters Downhill, at last! The Press Expedition was now descending into the valley of the Quinault, which Christie described as “one continuous long waterfall.” They would follow the river to the western side of the mountains. As they progressed, they were heartened to encounter places where bare ground was emerging from the snow, and soon they were following elk trails again. Rejuvenated by fresh meat cooking over their fires, they pushed on through the dense, wet underbrush beside the river on the western edge of the range and, on May 17, were delighted to reach a bit of clearing and an empty trapper’s cabin. They were nearing Lake Quinault.

Fighting the brush beside the river seemed an unpalatable proposition, so Christie determined that the men should build a raft to float down the

river instead. The next day while constructing their raft, they encountered the first human being that they had seen in many months, a settler named F.S. Antrim, accompanied by two Indian guides, in a canoe. Antrim told Christie that the lake was eight miles downstream, and when Christie explained that their intention was to raft down the river, the Indians indicated this was inadvisable.

But five months of trudging slowly in the mountains had taken their toll, and the men were bone-weary. So they finished their raft, loaded their remaining gear and launched themselves into the swift current. Almost immediately, they rounded a bend in the river and saw the channel obstructed by a massive logjam dead ahead. The raft, carried by the surging water, hit the logs with such force that the men were pitched into the rapids. Miraculously, they all managed to reach the banks

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of the river, although not all on the same side. Except for one pack and the clothes on their backs, everything was lost—all their food, specimens, guns, ammunition and fishing gear. Luckily, the one pack that they were able to save contained their journals, film and the

The raft, carried by the surging water, hit the logs with such force that the men were pitched into the rapids. maps that they had been meticulously making.

Separated as they were by the expansive body of water, the men walked beside the Quinault, checking each other’s progress as they went. As evening fell, they endured one last bivouac, on opposing banks, in the rain, with just threadbare blankets.

In the morning Antrim and his two companions paddled up in his big canoe and soon all members of

the expedition (and their dogs) were floating down the river, skillfully guided around countless obstacles by the Indians.

One can imagine the joy that the party must have felt when the overloaded canoe reached the placid and relatively civilized waters of Lake Quinault.

Settlers’ cabins dotted the Members of the Press expedition at the end of their trans Olympic Mountain lakeshore and the men trek, in Aberdeen, Washington, on 21 May 1890. From left to right are Sims, enjoyed a feast of ham, Barnes, Crumback (kneeling), Christie and Hayes (courtesy National Parks Service, Mrs. Pierre Barnes & Mrs. Mary Buell). salmon, potatoes, biscuits and coffee.

Suggested Reading After nearly six months in the • For a full account of the Press Expedition’s exploits and calamities, read Across the Olymmountains, The Press Expedition of pic Mountains: The Press Expedition, 1889-90 by Exploration had completed the first Robert L. Wood (The Mountaineers Books and traverse of the Olympic Range.

University of Washington Press).

• A recent work of fiction by Bainbridge Island author Jonathan Evison, West of Here (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill), incorporates the quest of the Press Expedition within its contemporary narrative.

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Novice by Richard McClenahan The vessel is 60 feet long, weighs upwards of 250 pounds and has eight metal oar-riggers sticking out of the sides like large, gangly elbows. Eight of us—otherwise known as novice crew members—heft the boat to our shoulders, four to a side. A couple short people quickly become superfluous as the boat gunnels ride a comfortable few inches above their shoulders, weight carried by the taller crew members’ frames, mine included.

As a result of a torn tendon in my left foot, the summer of 2011 had been looking rather dismal with regards to enjoying my usual passions of hiking and alpine climbing. When a friend suggested that my gimpness could probably tolerate rowing and that it would provide me with an alternative for exercise, my interest was piqued, though I admitted some skepticism that I would experience anywhere near the same physical challenges that mountain summers typically offered.

After all, I thought, how difficult could it be to row a boat?

I learned quickly what every experienced rower knows so well: the physical demands of rowing know few rivals.

Getting a rowing shell off its rack is the first of many challenges faced by most novice members of a crew, followed by, in our case, a long 100-meter walk to the water’s shore carrying our heavy, awkward load. Getting the boat and crew settled on the water was another skill on my steep learning curve. In fact, on that first day after placing the craft onto the water, the remainder of the 90-minute session was spent just in learning how to get the crew into and out of the narrow boat without all of us getting wet. Surprisingly, we did not take a single stroke on that day.

photo by John D’Onofrio

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AdventuresNW.com

During my first year with Whatcom Rowing Association (WRA), I and my teammates met two to three mornings a week from June to November, as early as 5:30 a.m., on the waters of Lake Whatcom. Along with basics such as how to smoothly move on the sliding seat, the wrist-action required to feather and square the blade of the oar to the water had to become second nature; the position of the handle of the 12foot oar dictating its catch, strike and movement through the water to its finish is key. Our coach, Lindsay, instructed us to “hold the handle at the bra line”—which took a bit of extra thought by the male crew members, but we figured it out. photo by John D’Onofrio

boat”—the delicate action required of all team members to keep the tippy shell level in the water. “Catching a crab” is the potentially disastrous miscue of an oar on the water that can put the brakes on a fast-moving shell. We learned that nothing is done without a count of “in two….” Then there is the linguistically awkward “weigh enough.” Rowers do not ever “stop” an action, they “weigh enough,” as in, “in two…. weigh enough” (stop rowing).

Or is it “way ‘nuff”? Maybe “weigh off”? I still am not sure.

In the Olympic Games, it can be said that rowers are the only athletes who cross the finish line backwards. Rowers look where they have been, not where they ... the are going. Keeping the shell straight and the wrist-action rear-facing rowers in sync is the job of the coxswain, who sits in the stern and faces the required crew and the finish line. This is the narrowest, to feather shortest part of the boat, so generally the job of a pretty small person. While not involving and square the blade of the physical demands of rowing, the responsibilities of the cox are enormous. In addition the oar to to their coach, rowers look to their cox for the water leadership, team building and motivation.

had to become second nature.

Still, we had to progress slowly, piecing together the essentials to make smooth rowing strokes.

We worked first in pairs, with the other six rowers in our “eight” setting the boat with their oar blades flat on the water’s surface, creating a training-wheels effect, then in a group of four, then with six. The repetitive, sometimes meditative, motion of the oar, keeping in strict unison with the rest of the crew, required my complete focus. There is no time to savor the eagle’s flight or the setting moon over the lake. Each rower had to hone the fine points of his or her stroke and work out the “crabs,” and through this individual concentration we gained confidence and unity as a team of eight, working as one.

There is a language to rowing, a “rowing-speak” that one begins to learn with the first “up and over” command that initiates raising the shell to the shoulders. Once the boat is in the water, much depends on the “set” or “setting the

Somewhere during the fourth week, Lindsay gave Dot, our cox, the go ahead for the command, “in two…all eight.” At that point, under a pink, early morning sky, we were exhilarated with a surge of speed as eight rowers synchronized strokes and swiftly glided across the flat water of Lake Whatcom toward Agate Bay. Participation in a regatta, actually racing—as our coaches had suggested we would at some point be ready for that year—suddenly did not seem so out of reach. continued >>>

Somewhere during the fourth week, Lindsay gave Dot, our cox, the go ahead for the command, “in two…all eight.”

At that point, under a pink, early morning sky, we were exhilarated with a surge of speed as eight rowers synchronized strokes and swiftly glided across the flat water ... race | play | experience

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<<< NOVICE, continued from previous page

Seattle’s Green Lake Frostbite Regatta is held every year during the first weekend of November. It is a favorite of regional rowing clubs, attracting hundreds of crews from the Portland area northward, and Spokane and Coeur d’Alene westward. Infamous for taking place in typically horrible northwest November weather, the event in 2011 was on a beautiful, sunny day with glorious fall colors reflecting off the lake. Of the four teams that WRA brought to the race, I was assigned to the four-person men’s masters sweep event. We were apprehensive. Only one of the four of us, Mark, had ever raced before, and that was thirty years earlier. Masters level teams are equalized somewhat by taking the average age of the team and factoring that with the finish time to come up with final standings. Our average age was 60 (youngest 53, oldest 71), and we wondered how that compared with our opponents, since everyone at the lake that day seemed to look younger than us. Most wore Lycra.

Our team’s goals for this, our first race, were modest.

Who wouldn’t want to pull off a win? But we would be happy to just remain straight in our narrow race lane, row together, finish respectably. Dot was tense. She knew that the first important goal, keeping the boat straight between the

WRA rowers on Lake Whatcom photo by John D’Onofrio

lane markers, lay largely in her hands. Never having rowed between them before, we were intimated by the buoy lines.

But we were confident in Dot; if we began to veer, she would make certain rowers ease-off and others power-up to keep us out of our opponents’ lanes.

As it turned out, our boat came in dead last. Our “age factor” would have moved us up in the ranking to second or third place, except for the fact that due to a registration error, our average age was listed as 53. So, we remain last in

WRA rowers at Green Lake Frostbite Regatta; photo by Richard McClenahan

16

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the official Frostbite record books. Our goals, however, were met. We raced, caught no crabs, and rowed straight down the center of our lane. Leaving Green Lake that day we were tired but smiling, knowing we had lived up to the motto of the WRA: “Row Happy. Race Hard”

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With Bellingham the home of the renowned Western Washington University women’s rowing team (seven consecutive Division II national championships to their record), club rowing in Whatcom County has been a dream of many rowers for a number of years. In 2011, a group finally came together to form the Whatcom Rowing Association, joining the greater regional community of rowing clubs and finally bringing the non-collegiate sport of rowing to the northwest corner. With the hard work of many volunteers, the WRA developed a training base at Lake Whatcom, complete with a fenced boat storage area for a modest collection of donated or refurbished four- and eight-person shells, enlisted experienced coaches, and developed a variety of training schedules to meet the needs of its growing membership.

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In its first year the goals of the WRA were met: It established an active board of directors made up of coaches, rowers and interested supporters; it gained 501c3 status; and it successfully ran two three-month programs for novice and experienced rowers— over 80 members between the ages of 13 and 85. The first season culminated with the participation of four teams in the Green Lake Frostbite Regatta.

For 2012, along with the aim of raising funds for a boathouse to be built at Bloedel Donovan Park, there will be strong priority placed on developing a highschool-aged program. For information go to whatcomrowing.org public rowing clubs in the region: • Ancient Mariners, Lake Union, Seattle, pocockrowingcenter.org • Bainbridge Island Rowing, bainbridgerowing.org • Cascade Women’s Master’s Crew, Lake Union, Seattle, cascadewomen.com continued >>>

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<<< ROWING CLUBS, continued from previous page

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• Charles McIntyre Rowing Club, Lake Union, Seattle, pocockrowingcenter.org • Conibear Rowing, Lake Washington, Seattle, conibearrowing.org • Commencement Bay Rowing Club, American Lake, Tillicum, combayrow.net • Elite Rowers, Lake Union, Seattle, pocockrowingcenter.org • Everett Rowing Association, Snohomish River, Everett, everettrowing.com • Green Lake Crew, Seattle, greenlakecrew.org • Island Rowing Association, Whidbey Island, islandrowing.org • Lake Stevens Rowing Club, lakestevensrowing.com • Lake Union Crew, Seattle, lakeunioncrew.com • Lake Washington Rowing Club, Fremont, lakewashingtonrowing.com • Martha’s Moms, Lake Washington, Fremont, lakewashingtonrowing.com • Montlake Rowing Club, Lake Union, Seattle, montlakerowing.org • Moss Bay Rowing & Kayak Club, Lake Union, Seattle, mossbay.net photo by John D’Onofrio

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

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• Mount Baker Rowing Center & Junior Crew, Lake Washington, Seattle, cityofseattle.net, mtbakerjrcrew.org • New Whatcom Rowing, open-water rowing, Bellingham, nwrowing.us • North Cascades Crew, Lake Stevens, northcascadescrew.com • Olympia Area Rowing, Budd Inlet, olympiaarearowing.org • Orcas Island Rowing Association, Cascade Lake, orcasislandrowing.org • Pocock Rowing Center (multiple teams), pocockrowingcenter.org • Rainier Rowing Club, American Lake, Tillicum, rainierrowing.com • Rat Island Rowing & Sculling Club, Port Townsend, ratislandrowing.citymax.com • Renton Rowing Club, Lake Washington, rentonrowing.org • Seattle Rowing Center, Ship Canal, seattlerowingcenter.com • Sammamish Rowing Association, Lake Sammamish/Marymoor Park, srarowing.com • Sound Rowers, Seattle, soundrowers.org • Spokane River Rowing Association, spokanerowing.org • Vancouver Lake Crew, Vancouver, vancouverlakecrew.com • Vashon Island Rowing Club, vashoncrew.com • Wenatchee Row & Paddle Club, wenatcheepaddle.org For a list of British Columbia rowing clubs, visit rowingbc.ca

Three cheers for the Western Bluebird the birds are back in the San Juans story by J.K. Fox

photo by J.K. Fox

Birdsong. It used to be something

I would notice only in passing. A background melodic phrasing added to a spring day or a walk in the woods—just a minor contributing factor to the overall charm of an experience. Now, however, I know better. Now I know, when I listen to birdsong, what I am hearing is a chorus of identity.

I also now know that, in the San Juan Islands, the past few years have seen a forgotten voice—that of the Western Bluebird—rejoin that chorus.

This migratory songbird was last officially sighted in the San Juans in the 1960s, before local habitat degradation meant that it ceased to migrate so far north. But with its return, the Western Bluebird’s chirrups—like a “cheer cheer cheer,” according to San Juan Island conservationist Kathleen Foley—lend a renewed optimistic rhythm to that countryside chorus line.

It’s a well-deserved optimism, thanks to the San Juan Islands Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project—a five-year, funded collaboration between the San Juan Preservation Trust, The American Bird Conservancy, the Ecostudies Institute, and the San Juan Islands Audubon chapter—whose efforts are helping the species renew its presence on the islands.

When I was asked to be part of the project in the capacity of photographer, my understanding of “bird reintroduction” was essentially nonexistent.

“Don’t they just take care of themselves?” I asked in blustering defense, thinking it would be, well, just sort of casting the birds out there and hoping for the best. You could see the bird enthusiasts trying to disguise their shock.

I soon came to realize that the

project had far more scope and subtle depth than what I, a self-confessed bird-dunce, thought it would involve.

Already passionate about birds and conservation, Kathleen Foley, Program Director for the San Juan Preservation Trust and one of the primary outreach officers for the project, first heard about the bluebird reintroduction idea from her colleague Bob Altman at the American Bird Conservancy. It instantly caught her attention. “I saw it as a really great outreach tool, a way to engage with people over the concept of land conservation using something really tangible. People can identify more with something charismatic, like a bluecontinued >>>

Western Bluebird chick photo by Kathleen Foley, San Juan Preservation Trust

race | play | experience

19

<<<BLUE, continued from previous page

bird, than they can over the concept of habitat protection.”

Foley cautioned that there will always be questions about the ethics of species manipulation and whether it is right to bring a new species into an environment. She points out, however, that the Western Bluebird was historically in the San Juan Islands, and so this is in no way an introduction of a harmful or new species. “Our actions drove these critters out in the first place and we took the opportunity to bring them back. We have a chance to right an ecological wrong.”

The logistics of the project were confirmed and work began officially in 2007. The translocation process involved transporting nesting pairs of Western Bluebirds north from Fort Lewis, previously the northern-most stronghold for breeding bluebirds in Washington. When they arrived in the

islands, the pairs were transferred to aviaries to allow them to reacclimatize or, as Foley said, “reset their migratory clocks.” After several weeks, they were tagged with colored leg-bands so their progress could be closely monitored then released in the hopes they would nest in one of the 600-plus nest boxes around the San Juan Islands. Regular snacks of mealworms were doled out in the effort to convince them it was worth sticking around.

Foley said the project holds a special place in the story of bird reintroduction for several reasons. Although there have been reintroductions of nonmigratory songbirds, and of migratory raptors and waterfowl, “This is the first reintroduction that we know of in the USA of a migratory songbird.… What also sets this project apart is that it was done almost entirely on private land … and the third thing is that it was done using almost entirely private donations.

There was no federal, no state, funding.

It was all individual donors or private funding,” concluded Foley. Essentially, the Western Bluebird developed a fan club.

In the effort to coax the birds back from rarity, habitat was the key. Their natural nesting ground is a short-grassed open environment with scattered trees to provide nesting cavities. This was territory on the islands that was quick to be developed for agriculture and housing in the 60s; however, stretches of this ecosystem can still be found locally, and it was here that the bluebird boxes were hung. Where that habitat occurred on private land, roughly 250 landowners were quick to accept the boxes—and the responsibly of keeping an eye out for little blue visitors. This expression of support amazed and gratified all who worked on the project. And much like yours truly, many who put up boxes or volunteered to learn how and build

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... with its return, the Western Bluebird’s chirrups. . . lend a renewed optimistic rhythm to that countryside chorus line.

photo by Kathleen Foley, San Juan Preservation Trust

aviaries for the newly transported pairs were not avid birders. Most of us had also never been near a pair of image stabilizer binoculars.

Indeed, the birds’ need for boxes and habitat bonded a diverse community beyond the San Juans. The project was also included in the Sustainable Prisons Program, run out of Evergreen State College. Jim Lynch, biologist at Fort Lewis, was responsible for demonstrating to Evergreen the need for more boxes. After it was approved, local lumber retailers donated the wood, and offenders at the Stafford Creek Corrective Center were given the opportunity to build the boxes. They were then offered an even stronger connection to the value of their work through educative sessions and lectures on the birds.

At the end of the final funded year, Foley reported a total of 92 birds transported and, as of Spring 2011, 38 returned from migration. The project also attracted its share of national fame, winning funds from the Zoo Boise Conservation Fund, and Foley win-

ning the 2010 Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Conservation Hero award.

Now with the primary work of the project completed, the birds will for the first time be fending entirely for themselves. Although Foley will officially continue to monitor the bird population, she will not be the only one out watching for blue. When the seasons shift, all of us who contributed and whose lives were touched by the project, both the birders and bird-dunces, will stand out there and listen.

Will the birds return after their winter migration?

Will they remember the islands as home?

Can you hear them “cheer cheer cheer”?

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L.L.C. Lakeway • Birch Bay • Anacortes race | play | experience

21

from Chapter 1 THERE’S A COLLECTION

OF OLD MEN ON THE DOCK The first time we were shown the David B, I thought it was a mistake. I stood on her deck listening to Jeffrey talk to the boat’s owner as if he were interested in buying the rotten old thing. Honestly, I just thought Jeffrey was being nice.

“Rough” was a polite way of describing the David B’s condition. Her hull was black and weathered, with planks that were pitted, and her paint was peeling. The billboard, which protects the bow from the anchor, was rotting, with some of its vertical staves broken or missing, and the white pilothouse sat old and faded on the aft end of the deck like a forgotten old woman in her rocking chair.

all photos courtesy Christine Smith

excerpts from...

more faster backwards Christine Smith

Christine and Jeffrey Smith, mid-run at Raptor Ridge

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. . .

As I contemplated this old boat, I was reminded of my great-grandmother, old and wrinkled, sitting proud and silent waiting for someone to ask her about her story. The pilothouse, like the rest of the boat, was in need of care. The David B’s windows had the faraway expression of an old woman who’d seen much hardship and was tired of living. Maybe the soul of the David B entertained the idea of slowly sinking into the waters here in Shoal Bay and resting its tired keel on the rocks just below. . . .

I walked the opposite direction from Jeffrey and Jeremy [the boat’s owner] over to the doorless scuttle and leaned my head into the dark interior of the boat.

It smelled old, like a mildewy canvas tent. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could see that the area called the fo’c’sle had mounds of junk piled up everywhere.

There were heavy lines, cast-iron things, mattresses, fifty-five-gallon drums, oversized handmade wrenches, a potbelly woodstove, and a host of other items hiding in the shadows. There were some bunks that were crammed full with the majority of this collection of crap. I climbed down the ladder to get a better look. . . .

I continued my tour of the interior of the boat.

Just aft of the fish pens was another bulkhead. This one was newer and made of plywood. It appeared to have been constructed by Jeremy. At the bottom cen-

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ter of the bulkhead he had attached a wok, like you would use to make a stir-fry. It was odd and a bit puzzling, but as I leaned in to investigate, I saw that the wok covered up some part of the engine that was sticking out through the bulkhead.

Jeffrey and Jeremy were talking in the engine room just behind the bulkhead with the wok. I went through the doorway and stopped to look at the engine. It was big and green, the size of a Volkswagen. In the low light, it seemed more sculpture than late-1920s state-of-the-art technology. It stood about six feet tall. On the outside was a confusing array of pipes, rods, and tiny copper lines. I slid up next to Jeffrey, who was asking rapid-fire questions. The conversation was over my head, and their voices quickly faded away, like the voices of adults in a Peanuts cartoon. While I took pictures, Jeffrey eventually exhausted his questions about the engine and left with Jeremy to continue his tour into the fish hold.

For a moment I was alone in the near dark with just the single light bulb casting shadows around the edges of the engine room. I bent down to read the company name cast into the engine’s inspection plates: Washington Iron Works. The name sounded strong and conjured up images of molten metal and exploding sparks. I stood back up and leaned against the tool bench. This boat had Jeffrey written all over it. He loved old things and old technology. I smiled to myself, and in that moment I knew in my heart that this boat was ours. It wasn’t so much a voice in my head as it was a grip around my heart. I sometimes like to pretend that it was at this moment that the boat picked us to save it from its long years of neglect and decline. I left the engine room ready to see Jeremy’s other boat, knowing already that we had found our future here with the David B. from Chapter 5 THE BOAT’S DYING FASTER

THAN WE CAN SAVE IT It took almost a month for Tom and Jeffrey to remove the main deck, and during that time Jeffrey obsessed about the best way to redo it. As often happened, he formulated a plan while we were running.

“Since our brand-new, traditionally laid foredeck leaks like a frick’n sieve, let’s not do that again.” He took a breath.

Then he asked, as we ran down our alley in the early morning darkness, “I was thinking about using plywood. What do you think?”

We always start our runs a little fast; Jeffrey’s a jackrabbit and I’m a tortoise.

Breathing hard, I replied, “I don’t know. . . what’s the. . . advantage of plywood? Is it used. . . for boat building?”

“The advantage is that we can make it completely watertight. The last thing we want to explain to passengers is

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<<<MORE FASTER, continued from previous page

As often happened, he formulated a plan while we were running.

“Since our brand-new, traditionally laid foredeck leaks like a frick’n sieve, let’s not do that again.” He took a breath.

Then he asked, as we ran down our alley in the early morning darkness, “I was thinking about using plywood. What do you think?”

We always start our runs a little fast; Jeffrey’s a jackrabbit and I’m a tortoise. that the deck leaks are part of traditional seafaring. Having water dripping on your forehead in the middle of the night won’t be acceptable as an authentic experience.” Jeffrey half laughed as we turned the corner.

“Doesn’t plywood. . . come unglued. . . when it gets wet?” I panted.

“No, there’s marine plywood that has special glue,” Jeffrey said.

I grunted a bit to let Jeffrey know I had heard him and that the pace he set was too fast. We ran in silence for a while.

A tight deck would make our future passengers happy, I thought. But does Jeffrey really know what he’s doing? I’ll wait for the next downhill to ask.

“It’s perfectly normal to build a deck out of plywood. I can show you some down in the harbor.” Jeffrey practically sang as we headed up a short hill. It was still dark, and the crushed limestone trail glowed just enough for us to see our path.

Jeffrey had tricked me into the sport of running when he bought me a pair of running shoes and told me they made me look sexy. I’d only been running for a couple of years, and hills of any length were still a struggle. “Nah. . . if you think you. . . know what you’re. . . doing, then. . . I. . . don’t need to go on. . . a special field trip.” We crested the hill and the trail flattened out. I could breathe easier. “How will we keep the seams from leaking?”

“We can fiberglass them—and by the way, good job on that hill back there,” he said.

“Thanks,” I said, before asking, “How would we finish the deck? Do we paint the plywood or put that rubber coating like on the Chief Kwina or Phoenix?”

“I don’t know yet. I’d like the deck to look traditional, but I’m not yet sure how to do that. Maybe we could make some planking that’s not as thick as the planking on the

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foredeck and glue or screw it down to the plywood. I think it would look a lot better,” he said.

We finished our morning run. It was just beginning to get light outside. I was happy that Jeffrey had figured out what to do about the deck. In the back of my mind, I worried that the leaking foredeck was my fault. I hadn’t totally understood that the purpose of giving one side of each plank a slight angle was to make a half v-shaped seam for the caulking. I feared that I had made the angled edges too wide on most of the planks I’d done, and that had made the seams hard to caulk. Then, as the green wood shrank, the seams widened more, causing an even leakier deck. If it was my fault, Jeffrey has never said. from Chapter 10 “IT ALL SEEMED SO NATURAL” As we neared the bridge in Juneau, my heart raced. In less than ten minutes’ time, we would be secure in Juneau.

“Aaron, do you want to slow us down a bit?’ Jeffrey said.

“Christine, Sean, looks like a starboard-side tie. Whenever you’re ready to get the lines out, go ahead. Also, Christine, make sure you get a picture of us going under the bridge.”

“Right, I’m on it,” I said grabbing my camera. Sean left the pilothouse and walked up the deck. Steven followed to help.

I went out on deck to look up at the mast. The sky was bright blue, and the green pennant waved gently. I stood just in front of the pilothouse, watching the bridge get closer. I took a deep breath and momentarily held it. The bridge was like a gate, and once we passed under it, we would be at the destination we had worked so hard for over the last eight years. I thought back to the first day Jeffrey and I had gone to Lopez to see the David B. I thought about all the people who claimed we’d never finish restoring the boat. I felt proud as I watched the bridge near. We had started out with nothing but a rotten old wooden boat and a whole lot of ambition.

We did it, I can’t believe it, we really did it, I thought to myself, trying not to get all emotional and break out in tears.

I looked back at Jeffrey. He was leaning out the open pilothouse window with his left arm resting on the sill and his right hand on the wheel inside. He was smiling. The images of him backing the boat out of our slip on the first day of the journey came back to me. Over the last couple of weeks, he’d learned so many secrets that the David B had been waiting all these years to tell him. I thought about how many times I’d questioned our ability, and I thought of the boat itself: You were right to pick us. Thank you for believing in us.

Jeffrey caught me watching him. “We’re almost there.”

I smiled back to him, wanting to say something, but my eyes just welled up instead. continued >>>

stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

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<<<MORE FASTER, continued from previous page

I lifted up my camera and took a couple of pictures as we went under the bridge and turned into the harbor.

Jeffrey maneuvered the David B into our assigned slip. Sean stepped off as we came alongside the dock and took a line from Aaron. “Spring’s on!” Sean shouted, just like always.

There were people on the dock who had paused to watch us tie up. I handed Sean the bowline, and Aaron walked to the back of the boat to get the stern line.

Jeffrey stood in the doorway of the pilothouse watching over us as we tied the lines. When we finished and he was satisfied, he looked over to Aaron. “Finished with engines,” he said, and as soon as he spoke, a flannel-clad old man came over to ask questions about the boat, just as they did at every place we stopped.

Jeffrey beamed as he talked. I could see in his body language that he was proud of his boat, his crew, and his skill in running the boat. I sat down next to him on the pilothouse

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David B departing Bellingham Bay underway for Alaska

doorsill. I could hardly believe that we had just taken the seventy-seven-year-old David B on an eight-hundred-mile journey though the Inside Passage.

See more photos and information on author Christine Smith, Captain Jeffrey Smith, and the David B at morefasterbackwards.com or northwestnavigation.com

Parks on the Point coastal treasures in Point Roberts

Monument Park

story & photos by Craig

Romano

X

Lighthouse Marine Park

X

X

Lily Point Marine Park

There’s a little five-square-mile tip of the Tsawwassen Peninsula

that should be in British Columbia. But in 1846 when American and British diplomats met back east to settle on the 49th parallel as the boundary between the United States and Canada, Point Roberts found itself south of the border. Once the British boundary commission became aware of this situation, they made an offer to the American commission to adjust the boundary so that dangling Point Roberts would remain in Canada. But, for whatever reason, it didn’t happen and the US wound up with an exclave, the westernmost part of Whatcom County, reachable by land only through British Columbia.

To get to Point Roberts (often referred to by locals as “Point Bob” or “the Point”) from the States you’ll need to cross the international boundary twice.

But it’s well worth the border crossing hassles since the area is graced with several parks, including one protecting one of the finest stretches of uncluttered shoreline in the region.

Only about 1,300 people call Point Roberts home, but the numbers swell during the summer months, so spring—with ample sunshine thanks to the Olympic rain-shadow effect—is a wonderful time to explore. So, grab your pack and passport, and make it a point to check out these three great parks on the Point!

Monument Park

In Monument Park is a short trail that is not exactly monumental, but it allows you to walk the line—literally! But before hitting the trail, admire the large granite monument marking the international boundary and commemorating the commission responsible for establishing the 49th Parallel as the border. Erected in 1861 while the US was at war with itself, and six years before the British allowed Canada a little independence, this stone monument was the first of many to be placed along the border. continued >>>

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<<<POINT, continued from previous page

Just to the north of the monument, in British Columbia, are rows of homes tightly packed. For some of these homes the park is their backyard, and while residents may freely walk to the monument (which lies within the boundary swath), venturing farther south to the park’s trail is strictly verboten. Since 9/11, these BC residents must travel one mile farther east to Point Roberts’ one official crossing and clear customs before they can enjoy the trail. With the number of monument neighbors who won’t bother with the hassle of the crossing, in all likelihood you’ll get to head down that trail all by yourself.

With a well-graded path, visitors may safely walk down the 135 feet from the bluff-top monument through a deep ravine cloaked in big maples and firs to emerge on a nice stretch of beach. It’s only a quarter-mile hike to the beach, but you may wander along the shore-

line for more exercise. Just don’t go too far north, for you’ll soon reach a cement border monument and you don’t want to enter Canada illegally. But do enjoy the Canadian views—north to the Tsawwassen causeway and BC Ferries terminal, and west across the Strait of Georgia to the Gulf and Vancouver islands. Sunsets are grand.

Lighthouse Marine Park

speaking of—Lighthouse Marine Park is one of the best places in Whatcom County for catching a glimpse of one of Puget Sound’s Orca pods, usually from May to September, but the birdwatching, sunsets, sunrises, and beach strolling are excellent year round.

Consisting of 22 acres on the southwestern corner of the Point, this Whatcom County Park offers a won-

You’ll be disappointed if you come to this park expecting an eloquent lighthouse.

There’s none here— it was never built.

Instead there’s an uninspiring navigational beacon. But if you’ve come for panoramic views of island-dotted waters, you’re in for a whale of a time. And

360.676.1977 • www.lithtexnw.com

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>>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

derful shoreline trail and a campground if you want to hang out for awhile.

The pleasant Beach Walk Trail starts by the picnic boardwalk area and hugs the coastline for a half-mile; you’ll more than likely adapt a languid pace to absorb all of the sights, smells, and sounds of the surrounding Salish Sea. Marvel at all of the islands south and west. Can you identify them? Lummi is next to the Whatcom mainland. Mount Constitution and the distinct Turtleback Mountain define Orcas, while Saturna, Mayne and Galiano islands form a flank to the southwest. And since this trail wraps around the southwest point of the Point, there are views to the peaks lining Howe Sound north of Vancouver.

The Beach Trail is only a half-mile but you may continue 1.2 miles farther on a new trail that connects with the marina. This connection allows US boaters access to Lighthouse Marine Park, bypassing any border crossings.

Lily Point Marine Park

The crown jewel of Point Robert’s hiking destinations—Lily Point Marine Park—is also one of the finest parks

stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

in all of Whatcom County, as well as one of the county’s newest parks. But how it came to be was no easy task.

Encompassing 247 acres of extensive tidal flats and impressive 200-foot high bluffs in southeastern Point Roberts, the large undeveloped coastal area could have become a resort or vacation homes. But in 2008 Whatcom County purchased this breathtaking property thanks to the tireless efforts of the Nature Conservancy, Whatcom Land Trust, various state agencies and many concerned locals.

While Lily Point is the largest natural tract on Point Roberts, it wasn’t always so. From 1884 to 1917 the Alaska Packers Association (APA) operated a large salmon cannery here; some pilings and scattered rusting debris is all that remains of that industry. While improvements are now underway, including a new parking area and a trailhead kiosk, the park is fairly primitive, with many rough and unmarked trails, but if you stick with the main trails you won’t have too many problems.

From the trailhead, venture left (north) .75 miles along a bluff-top

passing through thick forest harboring remnant old growth to a series of jawdropping viewpoints. Stare east across Boundary Bay to the Cheam Range, Mount Baker, and a slew of North Cascades peaks hovering over evergreen shrouded hills and ridges.

Then head right (south) .75 miles, dropping 200 feet on eroded tread to grassy Lily Point where you can set out to wander on 1.4 miles of beautiful wild and secluded coastline. North you can explore the tide flats of Boundary Bay. With some of the warmest saltwater beaches in western Washington, this is usually where the bulk of Lily Point’s visitors ends up. I like hiking south, passing rows of old pilings and rounding the point beneath the towering bluffs. There among scattered glacial erratics I look for a smooth drift-log to lie back on. Then I gaze above for eagles or just shut my eyes and let the surf lull me to a nap. On my way back to the trailhead I make it a point to return to the Point!

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Plan

B

AC : Backpacking the Stuart Range Traverse

Alyson Indrunas photos by Tamara Garrard story by

A

:The first thing to accept as a backpacker in the Pacific Northwest is that you need a Plan B. . .and maybe even a Plan C.

Until your boots are at the trailhead, never have your heart set on any one trip. Mother Nature doesn’t care if you spent months planning or that you have scheduled time off from work. The aftermath of floods, fire, and snow dictates your choices. Plan for alternatives, which can always be added to your list of “Maybe Next Year” hikes.

For me, Joleen and Tami (the two ladies whom I backpack with), late season snow in the spring of 2011—accompanied by the phrase “ice ax required” in a trail report—changed our minds about our Plan A, hiking in the Mount Baker area. The never-ending rain of that spring and summer put us on the hunt for sun, which we hoped to find with our Plan B—in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, which has been our back-up plan for some time. Then a brush fire in the Tumwater Canyon closed the highway to Leavenworth two days before we were set to leave. Our Plan B was in peril.

Ready or not, Mother Nature, we were on vacation!

We decided to talk about Plan C on the road, so we packed up our gear, hiking books, and maps and drove to Leavenworth to discuss our options with the rangers.

As we leaned over the map, listening to the suggestions of the two rangers, the Stuart Range Traverse came into focus, offering the promise of great scenery, solitude, high mountain meadows, easy access to water, and stunning views from two mountain passes. In Trekking Washington, Mike Woodmansee describes this route from a trekker’s point of view—he goes light on gear and fast on foot—decidedly not our style, but we liked his ideas, and the rangers agreed that it was a good choice.

Our traverse would lead around the main peaks of the Enchantments, beginning at Icicle Creek Road and ending at Highway 97, where we’d leave a shuttle car. continued >>>

Eightmile Lake

the Stuart range

Ready or not, Mother Nature, we were on vacation!

<<<PLAN A, continued from previous page

Most visitors to this region either car-camp off of Icicle Creek Road or they are in the Core Enchantment Zone.

Since we opted for neither, we were guaranteed some solitude and, in fact, didn’t see another person for the first five days after we hiked out of the Enchantment Zone.

Because we were on Plan B, we didn’t have backcountry permits in hand. So early in the morning on our first day, I participated in (and won) the lottery at the ranger station to secure a pass to Eightmile Lake. As we hit the trail, we reflected on how this would be the longest backpacking trip—11 days—that any of us had made. Our huge packs were a shocking sight to a great many hikers, some who were even compelled to suggest we either had too much gear, or too little, for the number of days we were hiking. Agreeing with them or not, we listened patiently to their suggestions, always thankful for a conversation break. At Eightmile Lake, we settled in at the last campsite by the water to relax in the sun and listen to the lake lap the shore.

Covering six miles at a slow pace on day two, we climbed past Lake Caroline toward Windy Pass, ascending higher and higher to see Aasgard Pass to the southeast. Reaching the top, we stopped to take in the sights of the two peaks which anchored the pass—Eightmile Mountain at 7,996 feet and Cashmere Mountain at 8,501 feet. Just over the saddle about a half-mile down, we found a place to camp in a glorious high alpine meadow. By the time we pitched our tent and found a spot to 32

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hang the bear bags, the alpenglow had put an orange tinge on the bowl that would be our backcountry home that night.

The next day we hiked a short 3.5 miles to Trout Lake, but there we were sorely disappointed: the campground was an unmaintained dusty maze of blown-down trees and the lake was unapproachable due to high grass and reeds, so despite the promising name there would be no fish for dinner that night.

With our dreams of fishing and swimming shattered, we decided to leave behind Trout Lake the next morning. Over dinner we discussed our two options to reach the Jack Creek Trail: one was a meandering 4.8-mile route of gradual elevation gain, the other a 3.9-mile hike with more elevation gain over Jack Ridge. Fearing that the shorter trail was as unmaintained as our campground, we took the longer, but more used, route closer to Icicle Creek Road. And to be honest, we also saw a lot of bear tracks heading in the direction of Jack Ridge and took it as a sign that we should go the other way. The berries at that higher elevation toward the ridge were perfectly ripe, so I just held the faith that the bears would prefer that deliciousness over our freeze-dried pad Thai.

Once at Jack Creek, we were on the Stuart Range Traverse proper, which circumnavigates the Enchantment Peaks to the east. The Jack Creek trail was to be our base so that we could explore the many

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day-hike options that intersected the trail every few miles.

We stayed two days at Meadow Creek, which featured a small fire ring and two decent tent sites close to the creek.

On day eight, we headed up to Stuart Pass, a gradual climb that I can safely declare as one of the best hikes I have done in Washington. Floral meadows, huge stone formations at the base of Mount Stuart, and the dramatic shift from the greenery of the western slopes to the drier eastern Cascades makes for a memorable view. Standing at the base of Mount Stuart gives you some insight to the power that the sun, the wind, and the rain have on this landscape.

Unending green to the west, yellowing browns to the east: this is the glory of the Cascades.

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<<<PLAN A, continued from previous page

On Stuart Pass, heading down toward Ingalls Creek, we started to see people again, and they smelled shockingly clean! Two men in particular, on their way to climb Mount Stuart, smelled like fresh soap, laundry detergent, and shaving cream. Truly! When they stopped to talk to us, I made sure to stand down-wind from them because I was suddenly really anxious about the effectiveness of my creek bathing. Also, I was on day four of wearing the same shirt that I reserve for backpacking purposes only. I’ve used it for four years. It’s my backpacking shirt—but it’s also been an impromptu potholder, a boot cleaner, and an improvised sack for other dirtier clothes. My husband has requested that I burn it, but I’m too attached to it. And luckily, Tami and Joleen, who are true comrades in the backcountry, lie to me when they say they can’t smell its stench. I know it could wake the dead.

After a quick chat with the clean-shaven climber men, we headed down the switchbacks to Ingalls Creek.

Similar to Jack Creek, there were trails about every two miles. While maybe it wasn’t my favorite trail (there are so many), my favorite named trail was “Hardscrabble Creek,” which was the source of one stupid joke after another (thankfully Tami and Joleen laughed every time).

Using my best southern accent, I talked about that trail as an option, but “it was gonna be hardscrabble.” When we got to our next campsite, the path to the privy was “a

Ingalls Creek Trail

Alpenglow at Stuart Pass

34

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hardscrabble,” and so it went on from there. Our next campsite at Turnpike Creek was very civilized, with a huge fire pit and benches, but also remote with elusive views of eastern alpenglow.

Joleen kept a roaring fire while I made tea and Tami took a “hardscrabble” up the hill to read a book on a boulder.

From Turnpike, we followed the trail east, spending our last night at a beautiful campsite at Falls Creek thanks to Tami’s talent for discovering the best spot to pitch a tent, like a dog circling several times before settling down.

While I stopped to wash my face, Tami ducked under the bushes to cross the creek and see what was beyond the dusty horse camp which was our first option. She found a sandy beach in the shadows of Little Annapurna and McClellan Peak; the babbling creek and >>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

the jagged peaks of the Enchantment Zone made for a lovely last night in the backcountry. I made a mental note to remember how bright the stars were even with the light of our fire.

We completed 54 miles, rising 8,800 feet, with relatively few surprises—until the last mile, when I startled a sunning rattlesnake, who proceeded to charge my bare shin with a rattling hiss that made me jump higher than I ever have with a 30 pound backpack. Hiking toward our waiting car, trying to shake my anxiety over Mr. Snake, I focused on the one variable my friends and I always plan for at the end of a backpacking trip: a cooler filled with beers in the trunk of the car. The clink of the bottles never sounded sweeter as we toasted to next year’s Plans A, B, and C—none planned for in rattlesnake country.

heading toward Trout Lake

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35

athlete spotlight: Seattle doc Megan Kelly

photo courtesy Megan Kelly & M. Weyna

finding her sport

by Laural Ringler

B

reathing hard around the relay tag clamped between my teeth, I

steered my mountain bike around the final corner and spied my teammate Meg Kelly, ready to sprint the 200 meters to her kayak for the final leg of Ski to Sea. She grabbed the tag and ran, I tumbled off my mountain bike smiling, and the last link of the race was complete. But Meg and I, we have been linked for a long time—since we met the summer before college twentyeight years ago—through various academic, personal and, of course, athletic pursuits.

Meg and I were marching bandmates at the University of Michigan, roommates in East Quad, and friends who went bicycling together. We each bought Nishiki Tri-A road bikes to ride the Wolverine 200—a closed-loop, 24-hour bicycle marathon on Detroit’s Belle Isle. We rode together the entire

36

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time, a sleepover on wheels (complete with near hallucinations at 3am, snacking on Little Debbie Nutty Bars, and trying to nap under metal bleachers until it started raining), and reached the 200-mile goal within the 24 hours.

Not counting one youthful triathlon together, the next time we would enter the same athletic event would be Ski to Sea almost twenty years later.

In between, I moved to the Pacific Northwest to take a teaching job, while Meg completed medical school and her residency in the Midwest. When she called to say she’d accepted a position with an obstetrics and gynecology practice in Seattle and we would be living in the same region again, I had visions of going back to weekend road rides together. But with 90 miles and professional demands (especially on the part of Dr. Meg Kelly) between us, the only way to get outdoors together was to plan weekend summer backpacking trips months in advance so she could

clear her call schedule. She missed my wedding because her brother got married on the same day. Then I missed hers because my parents’ fortieth anniversary party was the same day. Meanwhile, Meg progressed through a number of physical endeavors to find her athletic passion.

After climbing Rainier, and an attempt on Ixta in Mexico where altitude sickness cancelled her bid, Meg got involved in a Team in Training program.

Two Victoria marathons later, laughing that she didn’t really have the body type for running, she kept looking for her sport. Having grown up swimming and waterskiing on Michigan lakes, a water sport came to mind. Meg found a fitness kayaking class, but it was held on a weeknight at 5pm, an impossible time with her work schedule. Then she saw a listing for Cascade Canoe & Kayak’s Saturday team workout and gave it a try. I still remember when she called me after a few team workouts, incredibly >>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

excited, to say that at forty years old she’d found her sport: flatwater sprint kayaking.

Starting in a beefy sea kayak, Meg quickly moved into a TK1, a beginning race boat. She remembers having a leaky paddle jacket, and not having neoprene pants or the right equipment for her hands and feet at first, and rehearsing her coach’s typical hypothermic test questions before she set out—Who is the U.S. President?

What day is it?—so she could answer by rote and not have to leave the workout. Then she’d go home and warm up to episodes of Bear Grylls’ “Man vs.

Wild” and the Discovery Channel’s “I Shouldn’t Be Alive,” gnarly sports adventures that inspired her to keeping trying to learn the one she’d chosen.

Meg went on to more challenging boats, each skinnier, faster, and tippier than the last. Learning the balance needed, she remembers, meant tipping over frequently. “Each new type of boat means spending a lot of time in the water.”

Meg is strong, smart, coordinated and incredibly hardworking.

These qualities, Meg’s natural intensity, and good coaching combined to help her achieve a Masters champion status within the year. With the goal to cut her time down to a competiphoto courtesy Megan Kelly

tive K1 500-meter time, she set her sights on medalling in the 2007 USA Canoe/Kayak Sprint National Championships. She won. “That was my most ecstatic win ever,” she recalls, “it was my first taste of the hard work paying off.” She won the K1 5000-meter race as well.

Working out with a race team two to four times a week in the dark of winter, cold and rain and muscles screaming are a given. On those days, she felt like, “if I can get through this, I can get through anything.”

Surviving those pyramid or interval workouts served her well as she moved through a divorce, and a year and a half of “brutal rebuilding.” Paddling and racing became therapy.

In 2008, after turning fortyone and motivated by her Nationals win, Meg went with a teammate to that year’s Olympic Trials. “I knew I would be the oldest person there by about twenty years, but my goal was to improve my times—and finish my race before the next one started.” She made the A-final in one race, meaning she had a top-eight finish in the qualifying heats, but mostly remembers, “what an amazing experience it was to be part of such an event.”

The next year Meg bought her very own boat, a K1 Epic Legacy.

With an “M” on its side, and of course given her name, it got christened the Megacy by the team. She competed in regional races as long workouts, but continued to focus on flatwater sprint racing, including the 2009 Nationals in Atlanta and the 2010 Nationals again in Oklahoma City. She won the majority of her Masters K1 sprint races, though she humbly reminds me “it’s a small but dedicated field.”

After racing the June 2011 Ted Houk race on Green Lake in Seattle, Meg’s medical practice lost a doctor.

This put her on-call one night in every three or four, requiring her to continued >>>

stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

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<<<FINDING, continued from previous page

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often sleep at the hospital so she’d be available to deliver babies at any hour. She had to stop competing.

“It wasn’t sustainable,” Meg says, “I couldn’t not sleep and make it to workouts.” In those sleepless hours, Meg also thought, “Where am I going with this sport?” Flatwater sprint kayaking was so specialized and the time it took to train at such a competitive level was so all encompassing.

What she did know was that “messing around in boats will always be important—water is a home for me.” Meg finds those perfect paddling moments where it all comes together “so intoxicating—I feel elegant, for once.” But the moments aren’t relegated to competition. She also finds them in new kayaking experiences, like paddling away from Orcas Island on a foggy early morning with friends.

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When Meg first told me she loved kayaking, I asked her to paddle for my women’s recreational Ski to Sea team. We competed together for several years, me road bike riding and she kayaking in a recreational boat like when she’d first been learning the sport. When another team formed, we made sure

Meg shouldering her boat for a 2011 car-free Ski to Sea team, photo by Laural Ringler

to pick a competitive division so Meg could at least paddle her surf ski. I then switched to mountain biking and got the chance to hand off to her—a swift, sweet friendship moment. After that handoff, I hopped back on my bike and cycled around Bellingham Bay while Meg kayaked across it to the finish. Scanning the water and the tide of incoming kayakers, I watched for my friend and cheered loudly as she stroked into view, an athlete in her element.

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Washington’s

Big Empty:

the Eastern Okanogan Highlands

story & photos by

Aaron Theisen

W

here the broad expanses of the Okanogan Highlands begin to creep up on

the westernmost outliers of the Rocky Mountains in northeast Washington lies the quietest pocket of the quietest corner of the state. When, in the 1860s, the northern half of the Colville Indian Reservation was thrown open to gold prospectors, thousands explored the eastern section of the Okanogan Highlands, the forested foothills between Tonasket and Republic. Yet far fewer heed the call these days; crowds are scant, even by northeast Washington standards. However, recreationists from both sides of the state should go out of their way to discover these unique lands for their miles of off-the-beaten-path hiking trails and

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Strawberry Mountain

for more leisurely pursuits like fishing, wildlife viewing and scenic drives immersed in history.

In contrast to the vertiginous North Cascades, the eastern Okanogan emphasizes the horizontal, with bigsky views across rolling farmland and peaceful parklands of old-growth ponderosa, western larch and deeply furrowed Douglas-fir. Throughout, open ridgelines plunge into rocky canyons pockmarked by old mines. The region is surprisingly lush, too, dotted by numerous ponds, seeps, swamps and springs—relics of the last ice age.

The centerpiece in this region for outdoor lovers is the “Five Lakes” area, which includes Bonaparte, Beth, Big Beaver, Little Beaver and Lost lakes, all on U.S. Forest Service lands. Crowning

the area is Mount Bonaparte—at 7,257 feet, the third-highest peak in eastern Washington. Although not a giant by Cascades standards, Bonaparte towers more than three thousand feet above the surrounding orchards and wheat fields, a pine, fir, and larch-adorned island in a sea of working farmlands.

At the summit, a hand-hewn lookout, built in 1914 and on the National Historic Register, sits next to its modern-day counterpart, Mount Bonaparte Lookout, the highest working lookout in eastern Washington. At the foot of the mountain lies Bonaparte Lake, a popular fishing destination. The Forest Service campground on its south end provides a great base for exploring the more than twenty miles of trails that crisscross Bonaparte’s massive flanks. >>> Go to AdventuresNW.com

to read ANW

History buffs will find a bounty of easily accessible sites to enjoy. While the human population has exploded in so many other parts of the state, there are arguably even fewer human inhabitants in this part of Washington than one hundred years ago. From the ghost towns of Bodie, Sheridan and Wauconda, to the traces of old tie-cutting mills and Prohibition-era bootlegger trails, to the remains of camps left by sheepherders and Native American hunters, nature is slowly reclaiming these places.

Even many of the area’s trails have been abandoned, although local groups, including the Backcountry

Horsemen of Washington (BCHW), are working to restore some of them.

Ten miles west of Republic, the BCHW maintains an amazing network of trails on Clackamas Mountain, once abandoned but since reclaimed by the Forest Service. Still, solitude is almost guaranteed out here.

Hikers can enjoy a long season on these lonely trails, owing to lower elevations and drier aspects compared to the Cascades. While snows still choke the high places to the west, by April, salmon-colored spring beauty, purple shooting star, and yellow sagebrush buttercup have burst through the Highlands’ snow melt, and by continued >>>

SINCE 1979

Ride ‘em if ya got ‘em TREK : SURLY : SALSA ROCKY MOUNTAIN : LINUS MIRRACO : REDLINE : CERVELO

FULL SERVICE CENTER With each bike purchase, receive:

FREE TUNE-UP FREE MAINTENANCE CLASS BIKE-FIT GUARANTEE M-F 10-7 SAT 9:30-6 SUN 11-4 100 E Chestnut Downtown Bellingham

360.733.6440 kulshancycles.com

Beer & Gear Locally Owned Local Knowledge Local Expertise Beginners Welcome

214 W Holly Downtown Bham 360 543 5678 www.backcountry essentials.net Clackamas Mountain

stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

10-7 Mon-Sat 12-5 Sundays race | play | experience

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<<<BIG EMPTY, continued from previous page

LNT.org

UNBEARABLE

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

Because when it comes to healthy lands, we’re all in this together.

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June, massive basaltic escarpments shimmer with the electric pink of bitterroot, yellow of balsamroot, and the delicate pinkish-white of Okanogan fameflower—which grows nowhere else in the world outside the Okanogan Highlands. Western larch light up the hills in October, and it’s not uncommon to hike on trails sans snow as late as mid-December.

Birders and other wildlife-lovers are likely to spot more animals than people in the eastern Okanogan Highlands.

Mount Bonaparte’s expansive lodgepole pine forests and subalpine meadows provide a crucial way-station for animals traveling between the Cascades and Rockies, as well as feeding and breeding habitat for many year-round residents, including the rare and elusive great gray owl, northern goshawk and lynx.

Wildlife watchers are unlikely to spot these creatures, but could cross paths with mule deer, white-tailed deer, black bear, cougar and coyotes. Clackamas Mountain contains one of the largest concentrations of old-growth snags in the region, which furnish homes for a variety of cavity-dwelling creatures; birders should easily be able to spot owls, woodpeckers and raptors. Reports of gray wolves have begun to proliferate, a testament to the wild character of this country.

Almost one hundred years after the gold rush dried up, the eastern Okanogan Highlands have settled into quiet anonymity, far from the new booms and busts of the modern West. And, although logging, mining and road-buildling have whittled away some of the wildness, thanks to the efforts of groups such as the Kettle Range Conservation Group, Okanogan Highlands Alliance, and Conservation Northwest, there’s still plenty of untouched forest in which people and animals alike can escape.

Recommended hikes Clackamas Mountain Part of a larger network of trails long abandoned until rehabilitation by the local chapter of the BCH, a 10-mile loop snakes through shrub steppe, spruce swamp and ponderosa parkland; scenic, easily accessible, abundant with colorful plant life and varied wildlife, and easy to hike even when the snows have closed the high-mountain trails, Clackamas Mountain is one of the underappreciated gems of the Columbia Highlands.

From Republic, travel approximately 8 miles west on Highway 20 to Sweat Creek-Ton Picnic Site in the OkanoganWenatchee National Forest, on the north side of the highway. The trail system begins about 50 yards beyond the outhouse. The loop is easiest to follow if hiked counterclockwise; turn right once through the gate.

view from Fir Mountain

Fir Mountain Easily accessed from Republic, this 4-mile roundtrip hike provides quick, albeit brutally steep, access to panoramic views of the San Poil Valley and eastern Okanogan Highlands. Most of the route passes through a pleasant parkland of Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine and western larch. Pinegrass,

Douglas maple, red-flowered currant, snowberry, thimbleberry and huckleberry comprise the open understory.

Open views of the Aeneas Valley and the Kettle Range are few, but chances are good for spotting wildlife, including white-tailed deer and woodpeckers.

From Republic, head west on Highway 20. At 8 miles, turn left (south) onto

Forest Service Road (FS) 31, across from Sweat Creek-Ton Picnic Site.

Follow FS 31 for 0.5 miles to the signed trailhead on the right. A small pullout 50 feet past the trailhead provides limited parking.

Note: Clackamas and Fir hikes are part of the Pacific Northwest Trail.

Strawberry Mountain Amble 1.6 easy miles through dense Douglas-fir and western larch for an unbeatable view of Mount Bonaparte and its namesake lake. Clear days offer up the Cascades, with a foreground of far-reaching farmland. Combine this hike with the Big Tree Botanical Loop, which can be accessed from Lost Lake campground, to see a pair of western larch that were old-growth even when Columbus spied the Americas.

From Tonasket, drive east on Highway 20. At 20 miles, turn left at the Bonaparte Recreation Area exit onto Okanogan County Road #4953 which turns into FS 32. Continue on FS 32 for 4 miles to FS 33. Take the left fork onto FS 33 and drive 5 miles to a four-way intersection. Turn left onto FS 33-053 and drive 1 mile to USFS Lost Lake Campground.

Wauconda

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Race I Play I Experience FEBRUARY > > > Saturday, 25 Feb XC SKI Sigge’s P’ayakentsut Loppet—Whistler, BC. Competitive and recreational races, bcnordic.com BI Try Biathlon—Mazama, 11am.

Nordic skiing and target shooting. methowvalleybiathlon.com XC SKI Hogloppet XC Ski Trek— Wenatchee, 7:30am. 509-548-5477, skileavenworth.com RUN Smelt Run 5k & 10k— LaConner, 10am. skagitsymphony.com FISH Smelt Derby—LaConner, 8am3pm. laconnerrotary.org TR RUN Bay to Baker Trail & Little Squalicum Park—Bellingham, 9am. Run or walk ~4 miles along newly established and renovated sections of the Bay to Baker Trail, Squalicum Creek Park and Little Squalicum Park. Meet at Birchwood Park on Cedarwood Ave.; free. fairhavenrunners.com

Sunday, 26 Feb RD BIKE Chilly Hilly—Bainbridge Island. cascade.org TRI RainMan Indoor Sprint— Tacoma, 7am. 425-766-8787, trifreaks.com RUN Lord Hill Trail Run— Snohomish, 8:30am. 425-301-7009, evergreentrailruns.com XC SKI Caledonia Loppet—Prince George, BC. At Otway Nordic Centre. bcnordic.com

MARCH > > > Saturday, 3 Mar RUN Mountain Marathon & Hillbilly Half—Olympia, 8am. 360701-1604, guerillarunning.com RUN Honeywagon Runs 4mi & 13.1mi—Everson, 10am. gbrc.net SKI/SPEC Hope on the Slopes— Stevens Pass (also 4 Mar). acshopeontheslopes.org XC SKI Black Jack Loppet— Rossland, BC. At Black Jack XC Ski Trails. bcnordic.com MT BIKE Mussels in the Kettles— Coupeville. whidbeybicycleclub.org XC TRI Winter Tri. mvsta.com

SHOE/SPEC Tubbs Romp to Stomp Out Breast Cancer—Mt. Seymour, BC—NEW 2012 VENUE! Help STOMP OUT BREAST CANCER on snowshoes!

Choose from a 3k or 5k snowshoe walk, or a 3k race!

Easy, well-marked trails along with snowshoe demos from Tubbs, top fundraiser awards and sweepstakes prizes make this a great event for all ages and abilities, even if you’ve never snowshoed before! Participate on your own, or create a team. Since its inception Tubbs Romp to Stomp out Breast Cancer Snowshoe Series®. has raised 1.8 MILLION dollars for breast cancer research and education, and inspired thousands to get out snowshoeing!

Adventures NW magazine is a proud sponsor—for the 3rd year! See adventuresnw.com for past stories. tubbsromptostomp.com

Wednesday, 7 Mar BIKE/VOL Bike to Work & School Planning Meeting—Bellingham, 6pm.

360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Thursday, 8 Mar SEE Waddington Presentation: Dave Ghan—Bellingham, 7:30pm. Free slideshow. 360-543-5678, backcountryessentials.com BIKE/LEARN Five Secrets to Buying the Right Bike—Bellingham, 6pm. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Friday, 9 Mar SEE Reel Paddling Film Festival— Abbotsford, BC, 7pm. 604-853-9320, westerncanoekayak.com

Saturday, 10 Mar RUN Lake Sammamish Half Marathon—Redmond, 9am. 425-3017009, lakesammamishhalf.com SKI/SPEC Hope on the Slopes— Crystal Mt. acshopeontheslopes.org RUN/WALK Shamrock Shuffle 5k—Lynden, 9:30am. lyndengirlscouts. org/funrun RUN Dallas Kloke Sunset Loop Relay—Anacortes, 10am. A hilly 10mi though Washington Park. 360-293-1948, cityofanacortes.org NAV Orienteering North SeaTac Park, 7am. 206-913-3790, cascadeoc.org

PADDLE Bellingham Bay Rough Water Race—Bellingham, 9:30am. soundrowers.org

Saturday-Sunday, 10-11 Mar

SKI Little Buck Slope Style Competition—Twisp, 10am. A terrain park event. 866-699-5334, skitheloup.com

Sunday, 11 Mar

EXPO Seattle Bike Expo—Smith Cove Cruise Terminal. cascade.org XC SKI Ozbaldy 50k—Snoqualmie Pass. kongsbergers.org

>>> ALWAYS confirm dates, times, registration requirements, fees, etc.

Thanks to event organizers who submit event details. For info on listing events in Adventures NW’s calendar (print and online), write to alaine@adventuresnw.com

TR RUN Waterfall Run, Chuckanuts—Bellingham, 9am. A Join a free ~6mi run to the waterfall off Hemlock trail in the Chuckanuts, a new addition to the trail system Park near the vet clinic on Fairhaven Parkway. fairhavenrunners.com TRI UBC Triathlon & Duathlon— Vancouver, BC. rec.ubc.ca/triathlon TR RUN Redmond Watershed Preserve Runs—Redmond, 9:30am.

503-515-9419, nwtrailruns.com TR RUN Stewart Mountain 5k/10k—Bellingham, 10am. 360-3890561, trailrunningseries.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 13 Mar SEE Cascade Panoramas: Bob Kandiko—Bellingham, 7:30pm. Free slideshow. 360-543-5678, backcountryessentials.com

Wednesday, 14 Mar LEARN Marine Lecture Series— Eastsound, 7pm. Animals of the Salish Sea. 360-376-3910, seadocsociety.org

Thursday, 15 Mar LEARN Staying Injury Free— Bellingham, 7:15pm. A PT and USAT Certified Coach discusses key

25 Feb - 17 Mar considerations for making you less vulnerable to typical running injuries.

Gain knowledge and ideas on how to optimize your strength, flexibility, range of motion and biomechanics. fairhavenrunners.com

Saturday, 17 Mar RUN Runnin’ O’ the Green— Bellingham, 10am. The 2mi fun run/walk and the 5mi run have a new downtown course from Depot Market Square so everyone may also enjoy the community St. Pat’s parade after. Low-cost event with a free shirt, draw prizes, and top finisher awards. Kids 8 & under free (without shirt). 360-778-7000, cob.org/races SPEC St. Patrick’s Day Parade— Bellingham, 12pm. Irish dancers, pipe and marching bands, human- and green-powered floats. Bike, walk, or take the bus and be truly green. stpatsbham.com

Race I Play I Experience

17 Mar (cont.) - 25 Mar

RUN Finaghty’s St. Patty’s Day 5k—Snoqualmie Ridge, 9am. 425-9225844, runsnoqualmie.com ULTRA Chuckanut 50k— Bellingham, 8am. 206-979-7219, web. me.com/krissymoehl RUN Canyonlands Half Marathon —Moab, UT, 10am. 435-259-4525, moabhalfmarathon.org RUN St. Patrick’s Day Dash— Seattle. 8:30am. stpatsdash.com BIRD Wings Over Water Birding Festival—Blaine, 10am. Learn about migratory shorebirds in lectures, tours, workshops, kids activities and crafts.

360-332-6484, blainechamber.com/wow RUN Green Sock Half & Shamrock’n Race—Fort Langley, BC. Plus a 7mi & 5k. tryevents.ca SHOE “Acting the Maggot”—Mt. Baker Ski Area/Heather Meadows, 11am. Free snowshoe walks, races, and talks. Refreshments, prizes, and more.

360-746-8861, mountbakerclub.org SKI/SPEC Hope on the Slopes— White Pass (also 18 Mar). acshopeontheslopes.org

BIKE The McClinchy Mile— Arlington, 8am. bikesclub.org RUN/DU Spring into Action— Seattle, 10am. Multiple events. 206-3359305, magnusonseries.org

17-24 Mar SAIL PacRim 2012 Sailing Regatta —Port Stephens, Australia. Hosted every two years in different countries

by Sister Cities to Bellingham, the 2012 Pacific Rim Regatta will see a number of Whatcom County sailors competing. PacRim started in Bellingham in 1990 as an outgrowth of the Goodwill Games; since then, it has rotated between Russia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US. Watch for the event’s return to Bellingham in 2014! bsca.org, byc.org

March 18 - 31, 2012 NAV Get A Clue Seattle— Downtown, Queen Anne, Capitol Hill.

206-330-5967, getaclueseattle.com

weekdays 19 Mar - 2 Jun

Saturday, 24 Mar

SPEC Girls on the Run Spring Session—Whatcom Co. elementary schools. GOTR is an after-school character development program that combines training for a 5k run with self-esteem enhancing lessons and uplifting workouts. Culminates in a 5k on 6/2.

Volunteer coaches always needed!

360-733-8630, jgallant@whatcomymca. org, whatcomymca.org

TR RUN Fort Steilacoom— Lakewood, 9am. 503-515-9419 nwtrailruns.com

Wednesday, 21 Mar SEE Bike Travel Slideshow— Bellingham, 7pm. A bike circumnavigation of the Salish Sea. Plus La Route Verte: Cycling Trails of Eastern Canada.

360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Thursday, 22 Mar SEE Cliff Leight Slideshow— Bellingham, 7:30pm. 360-543-5678, backcountryessentials.com

Friday-Sunday, 23-25 Mar BOAT Anacortes Boat Show— anacortesboatshow.com

Saturday & Sunday, 24 & 25 Mar ROW Spring 2K Novice Regatta— Lake Steven. 888-769-5772, lakestevensrowing.com

Sunday, 25 Mar RUN Run-Ladies-Run Half Marathon & 10k—Friday Harbor, 9:30am. 360-298-0351, runladiesrun.com CLIMB Big Climb benefitting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society— Seattle, 8:30am. Gear up for the climb of your life and be a part of the cure!

The 69-flight climb up the Columbia Center, Seattle’s tallest skyscraper, includes 1,311 steps and 788 feet of vertical elevation.

Participants can choose to climb (untimed) or race (timed). Both courses end at the 73rd floor observatory. We’re looking for 6,000 people who are up for the challenge. 206-6280777, bigclimb.org

31st Annual!

Saturday April 21 Ride 20, 40 or 60 miles through world-famous Skagit tulip fields & along Samish & Padilla bays.

GOOD TIMES GREAT FRIENDS

EARLY REGISTRATION only $30 at active.com

kids 14 & under ride FREE!

Fully supported Great food stops

GIRLS ON THE RUN 10-week session begins in March.

Sign up your 3rd-5th grade girl today!

BELLINGHAM & FERNDALE WHATCOM FAMILY YMCA 360 733 8630 www.whatcomymca.org

Photos: Linda Wright

Event jersey just $5 extra

Proceeds fund child injury prevention efforts in Skagit County

SafeKidsSkagit.com 360-428-3236 race | play | experience

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race I play I experience

25 Mar (cont.) - 16 Apr

NAV U-District Street Scramble —Seattle, 9:30am. 503-515-9419, streetscramble.com

APRIL > > >

RUN Mercer Island Half Marathon —7:30am. mercerislandhalf.com

TRI RainMan Indoor Championship Sprint—Seattle, 7am. 425-766-8787, trifreaks.com

RUN Gorge Waterfalls 50k—Cascade Locks, OR. rainshadowrunning.com RUN Harry’s Spring Run-Off 8k to Fight Prostate Cancer—Vancouver, BC, 10am. canadarunningseries.com WALK Walk for Water— Bellingham, 11am. An event from Fairhaven in recognition of World Water Day. 360-778-7732, cob.org/features

Thursday, 29 Mar SEE John Baldwin Slideshow— Bellingham, 7:30pm. Free. 360-5435678, backcountryessentials.com

Friday-Sunday, 30 Mar - 1 Apr FISH Anacortes Salmon Derby. anacortessalmonderby.com

Saturday, 31 Mar RUN 7th Annual Birch Bay Road Race (5k, 15k, 30k)—8:30am. Run a fully supported race along the shores of scenic Birch Bay on early morning rural roads, with inspiring vistas. Training for your 1st marathon or half marathon? The 15k or 30k are the perfect distance for spring and summer race goals. Go into your marathon with more confidence and excitement than you thought possible! 206-4991903, birchbayroadrace.com XC SKI Vancouver Island Loppet —Mount Washington. Choose a 15k or 30k at Raven Lodge Nordic Ski Area. bcnordic.com TR RUN Dash Point 10k & Half Marathon—Tacoma, 9:30am. 425-3017009, evergreentrailruns.com RUN Yakima River Canyon Marathon—Ellensburg, 8am. yakimarivercanyonmarathon.com RUN Can Do 5k / 10k / 1mi—Bothell, 8:30am.

Bring awareness to what kids with special needs “Can Do.” cando5k.org

Sat & Sun, 31 Mar - 1 Apr BIKE/SPEC Fantastik Spring Fest —Bellingham.

At Fanatik Bike Co., demo Intense, Norco and Devinci bikes (you can even take them on the trails), be part of group rides both days, enter a raffle, and enjoy refreshments and discounts each day. 360-756-0504, fanatikbike.com

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race | play | experience

Sunday, 1 Apr

RUN Race for the Roses 5k, 10k, Half—Portland, OR. race4theroses.org RUN BMO Sunshine Coast April Fool’s Run, presented by Coast Cable—Gibsons, BC, 9am. Half Marathon & Relay: 35th Anniversary Special Edition! Join 600+ runners and walkers on a pointto-point, net downhill (but not easy!) course with warm Sunshine Coast hospitality, low entry fees, scenic route, finisher’s medals and unique awards— all just a quick ferry ride or flight from Vancouver. Buses and free gear-check provided. Beach-front park finish, with locally-made hot food and treats. Try your first half, go for a personal best or prepare for a spring marathon! 877493-5163, foolsrun.com RUN Seahawks 12k Run at The Landing—Renton, 9am. seahawks12krun.com

Monday-Sunday, 2-8 Apr FIT Free Yoga Classes—Bellingham.

A week of free classes (all levels, from total beginners to advanced, and many focuses).360-647-0712, yoganorthwest.com

Tuesdays, 3-22 Apr BOAT America’s Boating Course —Bellingham, 6:30-8:30pm. Bellingham Sail & Power Squadron offers this intro to maritime safety and piloting. 360752-8350, boatingisfun.org

Wednesday, 4 Apr BIKE/VOL Bike to Work & School Day Planning Meeting—Bellingham, 6pm. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Saturday, 7 Apr SPEC Golden Egg Hunt—Mt. Baker Ski Area, 9am. An all-ages egg hunt, plus separate, free hunts for kids 10 and under. What better reason to play in the snow? 360-734-6771, mtbaker.us RUN 4k-7k on 4-7—Maple Valley, 9:30am. 253-445-6660, luckycausesports.org RUN Skagit Valley Tulip Run— Burlington, 9:30am. 2mi or 5mi course near Skagit Valley Airport. tuliprun.com

Saturday & Sunday, 7 & 8 Apr RUN Mud & Chocolate Weekend —Redmond. 4.5mi Sat; half marathon Sun. 425-785-8915, mudandchocolate.com NAV Rock Creek Ramble—Lamont, times vary. 206-291-8250, three15er.com

Wednesday, 11 Apr ADV RACE BEAST #1—Seattle, 7pm. 503-515-9419, beastrace.com

Thursday, 12 Apr BIKE/LEARN Get Ready for Bike to Work Day in 6 Easy Steps— Bellingham, 6pm. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Friday-Sunday, 13-15 Apr KAYAK/SPEC 12th Annual Port Angeles Kayak Symposium—Port Angeles, 1-5 Fri; 9-5 Sat, 9-3 Sun. Presented by Olympic Raft & Kayak, this popular annual event takes place at the Port Angeles City Pier.

Kick-off is at 1pm on Friday the 13th!

We’ll have a huge selection of new and used kayaks, all your kayak accessories, plus you can sign up for instructional classes and demo some of the best kayaks of 2012 ($5.00 to enter demo beach or FREE with a PA Food Bank donation). Guest speakers on Friday & Saturday night. 888-452-1443, raftandkayak.com

Friday-Sunday, 13-22 Apr SPEC Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival—Whistler, BC. wssf.com

Saturday, 14 Apr TR RUN Squak Mt. 12k, Half & 50k —Issaquah, 8:30am. 425-301-7009, evergreentrailruns.com PADDLE Jetty Island Race—Everett, 11am. soundrowers.org BOAT/LEARN USCG Auxiliary “About Boating Safely”—Bellingham, 8am-4pm. This class, held at Squalicum Yacht Club, covers basic requirements and safety issues so you can become a safer and legal boater (anyone 40 years and younger this year, operating a motorized vessel in Washington State, is required to have a state-issued Boater Education Card).

Included in the course are basic rules of the road, navigation signs, trip planning, and discussions relating to kayaks, sailboats, ski boats and larger pleasure craft. $40 for first 2; $5 for additional. Classes also 5/19 and 6/16. john@bli.net or 360-739-1310. bliaux.com

Saturday & Sunday, 14 & 15 Apr ROW NW Sculling Regatta—Lake Stevens. lakestevensrowing.com WALK Walk MS WA —14 Apr: Bellingham, Bainbridge Island, Kitsap Co., Olympia, Snohomish,Tacoma,Tri-Cities; 15 Apr: Seattle. msnorthwest.org SKI/BOARD Raven’s Edge Dual Slalom Races—Mt Baker Ski Area. Two days of races for ages 8 to 80. 360-2012567, mtbakerraceteam.us

Sunday, 15 Apr MULTI Ski 2 Sea—Kelowna, BC. 6 legs, ~95 miles, team or solo. ski2sea.ca RUN Bridge to Brews 8k, 10k— Portland, OR. terrapinevents.com RUN Whidbey Island Marathon & Half—Oak Harbor. (5k on Sat.) whidbeyislandmarathon.com RUN Vancouver Sun Run 10k—BC. vancouversun.com/sunrun TR RUN Alger Alp 2mi/5mi—Alger, 10am.

360-389-0561, trailrunningseries.blogspot.com RD BIKE Daffodil Classic Ride—Orting, WA. 40, 60 or 100mi loops or familyfriendly,option. twbc.org

Monday, 16 Apr RUN Boston Marathon—The oldest annual marathon. bostonmarathon.org

>>> VIew or download even MORE Race|Play|Experience

race I play I experience

18 Apr - 28 Apr

Wednesday, 18 Apr

Saturday-Sunday, 21-29 Apr

TR RUN Ravenna Park Run #1—Seattle, 6:30pm. 503-515-9419, nwtrailruns.com

PLAY National Parks Week & Fee-Free Days. To encourage more people to get out and enjoy our public lands, the U.S. Department of Interior waives entrance fees to federal park lands, national forest lands, national wildlife refuges and Bureau of Land Management lands that otherwise require a park-specific pass, federal day-use pass, etc. These fee-free days do not include Washington state parks, DNR lands or State fish and wildlife areas, which require a Discover Pass. nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm

Thursday, 19 Apr BIKE Kulshan Ladies Night— Bellingham, 7-9pm See and shop for products designed specifically for women, while enjoying refreshments, 20% off clothing and accessories, and sessions on how to fix a flat. Make new cycling friends, win prizes, and learn about community bike rides, training programs, cycling events and more.

360-733-6440, kulshancycles.com

Thursday - Sunday, 19-22 Apr RD BIKE Northwest Crank— Wenatchee. Several supported rides each day. northwestcrank.com

Saturday, 21 Apr BIKE 31st Annual Tulip Pedal—La Conner, register/check-in 7am-noon. Ride 20 miles around the tulip fields between Mount Vernon and La Conner or ride 40 or 60 miles that also offer views of Samish and Padilla bays—all from La Conner Middle School and with fantastic supported rest stops. $30/$35 with jersey. Kids 14 and under ride free! This event is Safe Kids Skagit County’s premier fundraiser. 360-428-3236, safekidsskagit.com RUN Wenatchee Marathon, Half, 10k, Relay. wenatcheemarathon.com RUN Fun with the Fuzz 5k— Bellingham, 9am. Benefits Behind the Badge Foundation. funwiththefuzz5k.com RUN Yakima Skyline Rim 50k, 25k —Ellensburg. rainshadowrunning.com BOAT/LEARN Boating for Women by Women—Bellingham, 9am-4pm. 360-366-3348, boatingisfun.org RUN Trout Lake 5k/10k/Half Marathon—9am. troutlakerun. blogspot.com NAV Orienteering Whidbey Island—Fort Ebey (a.m.)/Fort Casey (afternoon). Explore (racing or easy stroll) by searching for checkpoints marked on a map; no experience necessary; free instruction avail.

Concurrent with U.S. Interscholastic Orienteering Championships. 206-9133790, cascadeoc.org

Sunday, 22 Apr Earth Day. Give back to it, celebrate it, learn about it, take action.

Today, every day. earthday.net ULTRA/TR RUN Spokane River Run—7:45-10:15am starts. No matter your distance (5k, 10k 25k or 50k--all loops, no laps), this is a perfect event for hikers, families, first-timers, or as an early season endurance run. The routes are over 95% dirt trails within Riverside State Park (minutes from downtown Spokane) and wind through forests of pine trees and basalt outcroppings, and include a nice stretch alongside the raging and beautiful Spokane River. Chip-timed, wellsupported, t-shirts, random prizes—and 100% of the funds raised goes to youth education and recreation programs.

509-710-7760, spokaneriverrun.com RUN Race for the Cure 5k— Spokane, 9am. Run in downtown Spokane. komeneasternwashington.org ULTRA/RUN Mt. Si Relay & Ultras —Snoqualmie. mtsirelay.com RUN WWU Earth Day 5k & Alumni Run—Bellingham, 10am. wwuearthday5k.org NAV Orienteering Lord Hill Regional Park—Snohomish,10amnoon. Explore the park by searching for checkpoints marked on a map—racing or easy stroll; free instruction avail.

Concurrent with U.S. Interscholastic Orienteering Championships. 206-9133790, cascadeoc.org

Friday-Sunday, 27-29 Apr EXPO Spring Recreation & Sportsman Expo—Monroe. 360-8056700, evergreenfair.org

Saturday, 28 Apr

RUN Earth Day runs—Seattle, 10am. Multiple events. 206-335-9305, magnusonseries.org

NAV Columbia City Street Scramble—Seattle, 9:30am. 503-5159419, streetscramble.com

Saturday & Sunday, Apr 21-22

RD BIKE Tour de Lopez—Lopez Island. A mostly flat bike tour of 10, 17 and 31mi routes. lopezisland.com

BOAT CharterFest—Bellingham/ Squalicum Harbor, 11am-5pm. Free.

360-676-2542, portofbellingham.com

event listings at AdventuresNW.com

MULTI Suburban Rush—Buntzen Lake, BC, 10am. suburbanrush.com

race | play | experience

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28 Apr (cont.) - 12 May

Saturday-Sunday, 28-29 Apr

Ski to Sea Race Call for Volunteers The Ski to Sea Race—this year on May 27—needs to recruit 600+ volunteers! With over 100 years of tradition and 500 teams participating, America’s original adventure race relies heavily on its volunteers to keep the race running.

The seven race legs include cross country ski, downhill ski/snowboard, run, road bike, canoe, mountain bike and sea kayak; and range from Mt. Baker all the way to Bellingham Bay. There are a variety of ways volunteers can help before, during, and after the race.

These volunteer areas include: • marketing assistance • preparing racer packets • photography • equipment assistance • race timing, • miscellaneous help at each leg • take down All volunteers will receive an official 2012 Ski to Sea T-shirt for their participation. In addition there will be a pizza night for all volunteers a week before the race.

The Ski to Sea Race is a program of Whatcom Events, a non-profit organization; the event is sponsored by a number of local, regional and statewide businesses, including Adventures NW magazine.

Individuals interested in volunteering are asked to fill out the volunteer form online at skitosea.com. In order to get your t-shirt, applications must be filled out and turned in by May 6.

Questions? Contact Tarah Byrne at volunteer@skitosea.com or (360)-746-8861.

RUN Eugene Marathon/Half/5k/ Kids Run—Eugene, OR. This premier event in ‘track town USA’ includes a 5k and Kids Run (Sat, 4/28), and the Marathon and Half-Marathon (Sun, 4/29). The full and half courses are beautiful, flat and fast—taking participants by numerous parks and miles of riverfront trails before reaching the spectacular finish on the track inside historic Hayward Field. Don’t miss one of the prettiest, flattest and most unique certified races in the country!

Run in Eugene, and run in the footsteps of LEGENDS. eugenemarathon.com BOAT/SPEC Bellingham Bay Rendezvous —9am-4pm. Charter vessels from throughout the Salish Sea travel to Bellingham for this twoday celebration to show off their boats and honor maritime history.

Visitors are invited to enjoy “Open Boat” tours of historic wooden schooners and small ship cruise vessels, day sails on Bellingham Bay, schooner races, antique marine engine demonstrations, kids activities, sea chanties, food booths, and a beer garden. It is a great opportunity to book a summer cruise. The event takes place at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, which also hosts the Alaska Ferry on Saturday. bellinghambayrendezvous.wordpress.com or facebook.com/BBRendezvous

Sunday, 29 Apr RUN/WALK Heroes Half Marathon & 10k—Everett, 8am.

Run or walk a half marathon or 10k, celebrating heroes from all walks of life and for St. Jude’s Research Hospital which helps to make a difference in the lives of children fighting cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

The courses follow the Yellow Ribbon Highway (SR529—closed for the event) from Everett to Marysville and back. 206-499-1903, heroeshalf.com

RUN Bellevue 5k/10k—Bellevue, 8am. bellevuerun.com ULTRA Capitol Peak 50mi / 55k— Olympia, 6:30am. capitolpeakultras.com MULTI Snow to Surf Relay— Comox, BC. snowtosurf.com TR RUN Soaring Eagle Park Runs—Sammamish, 8:30/9:30am. 503515-9419, nwtrailruns.com 48

race | play | experience

race I play I experience SPEC Dirty Dan Day Seafood Festival—Bellingham. On Fairhaven Village Green, enjoy festivities like the annual chowder cookoff, live music, a piano race, and a contest for the best look-alike of Fairhaven’s Founder, Dirty Dan Harris. fairhaven.com PADDLE/ROW Dan Harris Challenge—Bellingham, 10am. At Boulevard Park, an open-water race for all human powered craft. 360-223-5806, danharrischallenge.com

Sunday, 6 May RUN Lilac Bloomsday Run 12k— Spokane, 9am. The Lilac Bloomsday Run is one of America’s classic road races.

In its 35-year history over a million runners, joggers and walkers have crossed the finish line. Olympic athletes and thousands of citizen runners navigate a course that weaves back and forth across the Spokane River gorge, facing the infamous “Doomsday Hill” at five miles and, spurred on by nearly 30 performers along the route, enjoying a dramatic finish above Spokane Falls.

509-838-1579, bloomsdayrun.org

Monday, 30 Apr BIKE/SPEC Bike Month Kick-off Reception—Bellingham. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

RUN Tacoma City Marathon, Half, Relay, 5k. tacomacitymarathon.com RUN Vancouver Marathon— Vancouver, BC. bmovanmarathon.ca

MAY > > > Wednesday, 2 May BIKE/VOL Bike to Work & School Day Planning Meeting—Bellingham, 6pm. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Friday-Sunday, 4-6 May BIRD Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival. See migrating shorebirds that stop to feed and rest before departing for Arctic nesting grounds. 800-3038498, shorebirdfestival.com

Saturday, 5 May RD BIKE Ride Around Clark County—Vancouver. vbc-usa.com/racc PADDLE/ROW Lake Whatcom Classic—Bellingham, 10am. Race 12mi or 5.5mi. soundrowers.org SWAP/KAYAK WAKE Demo Day & Gear Swap—Bellingham, 10am4pm. At Bloedel Donovan Beach & Pavilion, regional vendors display boats and gear to demo. Plus sale of used boats and equipment. wakekayak.org RUN Haggen to Haggen 5k— Bellingham, 8am. gbrc.net RUN Spring Sprint for Sports— Lynden, 9:30am. At Lynden High School, run a 5k in support of a fund for children who can’t afford school club or sport fees. Amber/360-319-4686 or Devon/360-201-7996 RUN Cinco de Mayo Half Marathon & 8k—Snoqualmie, 9am.

425-922-5844, runsnoqualmie.com BIKE Camano Climb—Stanwood. stanwoodvelosport.com TR RUN Ft. Steilacoom 5k, 10k, Half, 50k—Lakewood, 8:30am. 425301-7009, evergreentrailruns.com

Saturdays, 5, 12 & 19 May WALK Arthritis Walks— Tacoma 5/05,Vancouver & Portland 5/12, Bellevue 5/19. arthritis.org

RUN Fight For Air Run/Walk— Seattle, 10am. A 5k at Magnuson Park to benefit the American Lung Association of the Mountain Pacific.

Register as timed or untimed. 206-4415100, seattlerunwalk.org BIKE Summer Rides Kick-off: Woods Coffee Bike Along— Bellingham, 1pm. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Thursday, 10 May BIKE/LEARN Women-only Bike Maintenance Class—Bellingham, 6pm. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Friday, 11 May BIKE Culture Cycle: Public Art by Bike—Bellingham, 4pm. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Saturday, 12 May PADDLE/SPEC Community Boating Center Paddle Challenge & Fundraiser—Bellingham, 12pm race, 6-11pm fundraiser/party. Join some of the fastest paddlers in the Northwest and enjoy a final prep for the Ski to Sea race on Bellingham Bay. The CBC will provide safety boats, race management and prizes for the competitors in both expert and recreational classes. After the Paddle Challenge, join the CBC for an awards ceremony, fundraiser/auction and party at Windows on the Bay. Proceeds support the CBC’s initiatives to provide affordable boating classes for all of Bellingham. 360-714-8891, boatingcenter.org RUN Have a Heart 5k, 10k, 2k —Mount Vernon, 9:30am. Help fight hunger and homelessness. 360-4193233, haveaheartrun.org

>>> VIew or download even MORE Race|Play|Experience

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12 May (cont.) - 20 May

RUN/WALK The Human Race 5k/10k—Bellingham, 10am (registration 8:45). Walk or run the 5k or run the 10k along beautiful Squalicum Harbor! Raise cash for your favorite local non profit; check out whatcomvolunteer.org to find out how. 360734-3055, whatcomvolunteer.org

TR RUN Sunflower Marathon & Relay—Mazama, 8:30am. mvsta.com SEE Youth Fitness Expo—Everett.

425-212-1919, youth-fitness-expo.com BIKE Tour de Cure—Redmond. tour.diabetes.org RUN Inspiring Hope 10k, 5k— Mukilteo. inspiringhope.info

TR RUN Cougar Mountain 5mi —Newcastle, 9am. 503-515-9419, nwtrailruns.com

Sunday, 13 May RUN Kirkland Half & 5k, 7am. 206729-9972, kirklandhalfmarathon.com

TR RUN Sehome Hill 5k/10k— Bellingham, 10am. 360-389-0561, trailrunningseries.blogspot.com

RD BIKE Rhody Bike Tour, Metric & Half-Metric Century—Port Townsend. ptbikes.org

RUN Over the Dam 5k/10k/Half— Grand Coulee, 7am. 425-766-8787, trifreaks.com

Thursday, 17 May ADV RACE BEAST #2—Seattle, 7pm. 503-515-9419, beastrace.com

ULTRA Lost Lake 50k—Bellingham, 8am. skagitrunners.org BIKE/SWAP TBS’s Bellingham Bike Swap— 10am-4pm. Buy or sell at the Sportsplex; drop off bikes Friday evening or pre-10am Saturday. The Bike Shop is a non-profit project that uses the bicycle to engage youth from lowincome homes in healthy physical and social activity. thebikeshop1.org

RUN Family Fun Run—Colville, 8am.

509-684-6037, colville.wa.us

BIKE National Bike to Work & School Day. Check what’s happening in your community—or make something happen! Commute alternatively.

Saturday, 19 May RUN Windermere Marathon— Spokane. windermeremarathon.com RUN Seattle’s Best 15k—Seattle, 7am. seattle15k.com JR MULTI Junior Ridge to River Relay—Wenatchee. r2r.org MULTI Pole Pedal Paddle—Bend, OR. Teams, pairs, solos. pppbend.com

Thursday-Saturday, 17-20 May

MT BIKE Stottlemeyer 30/60— Port Gamble, 9:30am. 425-301-7009, nwepicseries.com

BIRD Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest. 509-548-5807, leavenworthspringbirdfest.com

BOAT/LEARN About Boating Safely—Bellingham, 8am-4pm. See 4/14 for details. 360-739-1310, bliaux.com

Friday, 18 May

JR MULTI Ski to Sea Jr. Relay Race—Bellingham. Three starts/divisions in this event at Lake Padden. Run, 3-legged-run, mt bike, soccer ball kick, obstacle-course. jrskitosea.com

BIKE Bike to Work & School Day —Bellingham/Whatcom Co, 6-9am, and all day. 50+ Celebration Stations welcome cyclists and walkers with prizes and goodies for the commute.

Later, be part of a tricycle race, bike at the Ski to Sea Jr. Parade, and enjoy

RD BIKE Skagit Spring Classic— Burlington, 8am. 25, 40, 62, and 100mi routes. skagitspringclassic.org

the 5-7pm celebration at Boundary Bay Brewery. mtbakerbikeclub.org, everybodybike.com

RUN Walk & Roll 5k/10k—Arlington, 10am. arlingtonrunnersclub.org

San Juan Islands... Inside Passage... SE Alaska

—enjoy Pacific Northwest waters aboard the m/v David B

PHYSICAL THERAPY

SURF PNW Clean Water Classic Surf Contest—Westport, 7am. Two days of competition. 360-220-5735, cleanwaterclassic.com BIKE Adaptive Cycles Expo— Bellingham. Details to come for the event about bikes for all abilities. everybodybike.com

Sunday, 20 May RUN/WALK West Seattle 5k— 9am. westseattle5k.com RUN Capital City Marathon— Olympia. capitalcitymarathon.org PADDLE Tour de Indian Arm— Deep Cove, BC. Part 2 in an int’l competition that began with Dan Harris Challenge 4/29. deepcovekayak.com/ rental-and-lessons/racing RUN Sun Mountain 50mi, 50k, 25k —Winthrop. rainshadowrunning.com BIKE Diva Cycle— Bellingham, 1pm.

A shoe shopping tour by bike. 360671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Voree Smith, MPT 1186 S. Burlington Blvd.

Burlington, WA 98233 www.bpt1.com

Name:

1(360) 757.9018 tele 1(360) 757.9019 fax vorees@sirgpt.net

Date:

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NwNavigation.com 877-670-7863 / 360-201-8184

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event listings at AdventuresNW.com

b

BURLINGTON

SPEC Penn Cove Water Festival— Coupeville, 11am-6pm.

A free family festival blending Native culture, history, and environmental education. penncovewaterfestival.com

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Weekend Getaways Kayak Mothership Tours Private Charters

MO TRAINOR

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PADDLE Commencement Bay Race—Tacoma, 10am. soundrowers.org

Diagnosis:

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BICYCLE FITTING

to address: IT band pain muscle strain back/neck pain knee pain numbness in hands / feet ........................................................................................................................................

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race | play | experience

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20 May (cont.) - 3 Jun

RUN/WALK Haulin’ Axe 5k— Bellingham, 9:30am. A benefit run frm Barkley Village to Bloedel Donovan Park. wcfd4.org RUN Rhody Run 12k—Port Townsend. rhodyrun.com

Thursday, 24 May TR RUN Ravenna Park #2—Seattle, 6:30pm. nwtrailruns.com

Friday, 25 May BIKE School Gardens Bike Trout— Bellingham, 4pm. 360-671-BIKE, everybodybike.com

Saturday, 26 May NAV Gig Harbor Street Scramble —Gig Harbor, 9:30am. 503-515-9419, streetscramble.com RUN Mazama 5k & 10k Fun Runs—Mazama, 9am. mvsta.com MULTI Mind Over Mountain— Burnaby, BC, 9am. 866-912-3331, mindovermountain.com TR RUN/ULTRA Soaring Eagle Runs—Sammamish, 8:30am. 425-3017009, evergreentrailruns.com MT BIKE 24 Hours Round the Clock—Spokane, noon. Riverside State Park. roundandround.com RUN Memorial Day runs—Seattle, 10am. Multiple events. 206-335-9305, magnusonseries.org

Sunday, 27 May MULTI Ski to Sea—Bellingham/ Whatcom Co., 7:45am. A multi-sport relay for recreational to elite athletes, from the slopes of Mount Baker to the shores of Bellingham Bay. 7 legs, 8 racers/ team—XC ski, downhill ski or board, rd run, rd bike, canoe, mt bike, and sea kayak to a finish at Fairhaven’s Marine Park. Top Gun Awards as well as divisional awards presented at the lively finish/vendor expo. (Read about Ski to Sea at adventuresnw.com!) 360746-8861, skitosea.com SPEC Fairhaven Festival— Bellingham, 10am-8pm. An all-day fest in conjunction with Ski to Sea—just blocks from the finish line—for all ages, with live music on 2 stages, kids’ fun, arts and craft vendors, ethnic foods, a beer garden, and more. Catch one of the lowcost shuttles and save the parking headache! fairhaven.com RUN Coeur d’Alene Marathon— ID, 7am. cdamarathon.com RUN/WALK Good Karma 5K —Seattle, 9am. At Seward Park, 206330-5967, goodkarma5k.com

50

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Monday, 28 May RD BIKE Seven Hills of Kirkland, 7am. 7hillskirkland.org

through Thursday, 31 May SNAP/SUBMIT “View from the Bridge” Photo & Art Contest— Bellingham; submission by 5/31/2012.

As demolition and environmental cleanup continue on the former Georgia-Pacific mill site in Bellingham, one of the best places to watch is the Chestnut Avenue Bridge. Capture this ever-changing view with a photograph, painting or other artistic medium (historic submissions showing the site’s past operations and activities welcome) and submit to the contest. Winners will be notified in June, and selected submissions will be on display at the Squalicum Boathouse during the Haggen Family 4th of July Celebration at Zuanich Point Park. portofbellingham.com/ photocontest

JUNE > > > Saturday, 2 Jun (National Trails Day) MULTI Gap2Gap Relay—Yakima, 7am. This multi-sport, 5-leg relay race utilizes the Yakima Greenway, a series of parks connected by over 10 miles of pathway along the scenic Yakima River. This relay includes a fjeld run, 12mi mountain bike, 8mi kayak, 20mi road bike and 10k run. The sport course is shorter with a fjeld run, 8mi mountain bike, 6.2mi inline skate, 20mi road bike and a 5k run. The Jr race is for kids ages 6-14.

Kids run, bike, rollerblade, paddle in Reflection Pond, and navigate an obstacle course in Sarg Hubbard Park. Teams or solo. 509-453-8280, yakimagreenway.org/g2g RUN Dog Island Run 10k, 2mi— Guemes Island, 10:45am. Benefits Guemes Library. gil.octopia.com RUN Race Beneath the Sun 5mi —Bellingham, 10am. gbrc.net BIKE 25th Annual Apple Century Bike Ride—Wenatchee, WA. 8-10am open start. Ride through Washington’s apple country!

Start at Walla Walla Point Park and wind through orchards and vineyards of Monitor, Cashmere, Dryden and Peshastin en route to Leavenworth. There, at Cascade HS, 50milers return, while 100milers continue through the foothills

of the eastern edge of the Cascades to their turn-around at Lake Wenatchee Fire Station. SAG wagons, water stops along the route plus at the two turnarounds, and post-ride party with food, beverages, entertainment. Just added for 2012: a 25mi Cashmere loop! applebikeride.com ULTRA Rainier to Ruston—Mt. Rainier. rainiertoruston.com WALK Spokane Bridge Walk— 9:30am. 509-625-6546, active.com BIKE High Tide Ride—Anacortes, 8am. 360- 840-8778, hightideride.com RUN Appliance Races—Bellingham, 5pm. reuseworks.org ADV Survivor Mud Run— Carnation. survivormudrun.com BIKE SWAN Century & Family Fun Ride—Sedro Woolley, 7:30am. active.com RUN/WALK Girls on the Run 5k—Bellingham, 9am.

Everyone may participate in this 5k in Barkley Village that celebrates and benefits Girls on the Run of NW WA. 360-733-8630, jgallant@ whatcomymca.org, whatcomymca.org

Saturday July 7

TRI Tri-Berry Triathlon—Lynden, 7:30-10:30am starts. Is the thought of cold water unappealing? Want to “Try a Tri”? Looking for an early season sprint event? The Tri-Berry is your answer: a comfortable, wavestart pool swim, scenic bike ride, neighborhood run (competitive: 500yd swim, 23k bike, 8k run; recreation: 250yd swim, 23k bike, 4k run)—with chip-timing and locally grown, frozen berry recovery smoothies. $50 per solo racer or team, limited to first 200 participants. All proceeds benefit Lynden Christian School Athletics. tri-berry-triathlon.com NAV Orienteering Moses Lake— 10am. 206-913-3790, cascadeoc.org TRI/RUN Issaquah Tri, 5k, 10k— 7am. issaquahtri.com TR RUN Lord Hill Run— Snohomish, 9am. nwtrailruns.com

Saturday-Sunday, 2-3 Jun BOAT Anacortes Waterfront Festival. anacortes.org

Sunday, 3 Jun BIKE Peninsula Metric Century— Gig Harbor/Southworth. 29, 44, 62 or 100 miles. twbc.org

25 th Annual

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

Plus a YOUTH TRI

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

360.336.9414 tonyt@co.skagit.wa.us

skagitcounty.net/parksandrecreation >>> VIew or download even MORE Race|Play|Experience

race I play I experience

3 Jun (cont.) - 16 Jun

RUN Chum Run—Langley, 10am.

A 5k and free Fry Run. 360-221-5484, swparks.org

RUN Middle School Challenge— Bellingham, 10:30am. See 400 kids run at Whatcom Falls Park.

RUN North Olympic Discovery Marathon, Half, 10k, 5k—Sequim. nodm.com

PADDLE WAKE Kayak Symposium—Bellingham/Lake Padden, 9am-5pm. wakekayak.org

RUN Run Duvall 5k/10k—Duvall. An education fundraiser. runduvall.org

SAIL Leukemia Cup Regatta— Seattle. leukemiacup.org/wa

RUN San Juan Island Marathon, Half-Marathon & 10k—Friday Harbor, 8:30am. sjmarathon.org

PLAY National Parks Fee-Free Day. The US Department of Interior waives entrance fees to federal park lands, national forest lands, national wildlife refuges and Bureau of Land Management lands. nps.gov/findapark/ feefreeparks.htm

RUN Race for the Cure 5k— Seattle. komenpugetsound.org NAV Orienteering Fishtrap Lake—9am. ewoc.org

Tuesday, 5 Jun TR RUN Grand Ridge Evening Runs—Issaquah, 6:30pm. 425-3017009, evergreentrailruns.com

Friday, 8 Jun RUN Fremont 5k & Briefcase Relay—Seattle, 7pm. fremont5k.com

Saturday, 9 Jun BIKE Flying Wheels Summer Century—Redmond. cascade.org RUN/WALK Sound to Narrows 12k—Tacoma. soundtonarrows.org MT BIKE Echo Valley 30/60—Chelan, 9:30am. 425-301-7009, nwepicseries.com

event listings at AdventuresNW.com

Sunday, 10 Jun

Mondays, 11 Jun ~ 27 Aug RUN+ All Comers Track & Field— Bellingham, 6pm. Monday nights, take part in events for all ages at Civic Stadium. Enter as many events as you like. Multiple age divisions with awards 3 deep. 360778-7000 cob.org/races

Friday, 15 Jun RUN Longest Day 10k/5k— Vancouver, BC, 6:30pm. On the UBC Campus. thunderbirdstrack.org

Saturday, 16 Jun

BIKE Ride to Conquer Cancer— Vancouver, BC-Seattle. volunteervancouver@endcancer.ca, conquercancer.ca RUN Berry Dairy Days Half, 10k, 2mi—Burlington. 8:30/9am. berrydairyruns.com BIKE San Juan Cruises’ Lopez Island Bike Tour—Bellingham, 8:30am.

Cruise from Bellingham to Hunter Bay on the south end of Lopez for a 22-25mi ride, with time to stop at Shark Reef Sanctuary, the Lopez Farmer’s Market for lunch, and Spencer Spit State Park. Includes a complimentary dinner with beer and soda after pick-up at Odlin Park, on the north end of Lopez. A great ride for all abilities.Visit our website or call for more information, including additional rides throughout the summer. 800-443-4552, whales.com

BIKE/DEMO Kulshan Demo Day— Bellingham, 11am-3pm. At Lake Padden, near the dog park area, test ride Trek and Gary Fisher Collection bikes. Also 9/29.

733-6440, kulshancycles.com

RUN Walk/Run for Literacy— Bellingham, 9am.

NOTE NEW DATE! A mostlytrail 5k from Fairhaven celebrating the anniversaries of Village Books, Fairhaven Runners and Whatcom Literacy Council, with ALL proceeds going to the Literacy Council. A free kids .5mi and post event festivities. villagebooks. com, fairhavenrunners.com

RUN Edge to Edge Marathon, Half, Relay—Tofino, BC. See Craig Romano’s story on E2E at adventuresnw. com. edgetoedgemarathon.com

TRI Cottage Lake Tri & Tri Again — Woodinville. marymeyerlifefitness.com

RUN Freedom Fun Run—Colville, 8am. 509-684-6037, colville.wa.us

TRI TriMonroe—7am. ITU style age-group races. trimonroe.com

TR RUN Cougar Mt 8mi— Newcastle, 9am. nwtrailruns.com

RUN/WALK Shore Run/Walk— Seattle, 8:15am. shorerun.com RUN Sandcastle City Classic 10k—White Rock, 9am. sunrunners.ca RUN Winthrop 26.2mi/13.1mi— rainshadowrunning.com

BOAT/LEARN About Boating Safely—Bellingham, 8am-4pm. See 4/14 for details. 360-739-1310, bliaux.com MT BIKE Test of Endurance— Corvallis, OR. mudslingerevents.com

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16 Jun (cont.) - 1 Jul

RUN Fall City Days 10k/5k. runsnoqualmie.com TR RUN/ULTRA Echo Valley Runs—Chelan, 6am/8:30am. 425-3017009, evergreentrailruns.com RUN Father’s Day Runs—Seattle, 10am. 206-335-9305, magnusonseries.org

Sunday, 17 Jun TR RUN Beacon Rock 25k/50k— N. Bonneville. rainshadowrunning.com

TRI Padden Triathlon—Bellingham.

Sprint/competitive at 8:30am (.5mi swim, 21mi rd bike, 5.2mi tr run) or supersprint/ rec at 1pm (.25mi swim, 10mi bike, 2.6mi tr run). Solo or relay. 360-778-7000, cob.org/races BIKE Cycle de Vine—Chelan. cycledevine.com BIKE Cannonball—Seattle-Spokane. redmondcyclingclub.org

thon course extends into the unique black lava landscape of the Big Island.

Get a taste of the Ironman running course. Experience the true aloha of Hawaii in this smaller family-friendly event. RUN THE ROCK in paradise.

808-967-8240, konamarathon.com

ULTRA/RUN Vashon Ultra & Trail Run. vashonultra.com

NAV Issaquah Street Scramble— 9:30am. 503-515-9419, streetscramble.com

NAV Orienteering Salmon la Sac—Cle Elum, 10am. 206-913-3790, cascadeoc.org

RUN Vancouver Half/5k—Vancouver, BC. canadarunningseries.com

PADDLE Rat Island Regatta—Port Townsend, 10am. soundrowers.org BOAT Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival—Seattle, 10am-6pm. cwb.org

TRI Ironman Coeur d’Alene.

BIKE Tour de Blast—Toutle Lake/Mt. ironmancda.com St. Helens. tourdeblast.com

JULY > > >

TR RUN Ravenna Park #3—Seattle, 6:30pm. 503-515-9419 nwtrailruns.com

RUN Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon & Half—Seattle. rnrseattle.com

21 June - 7 Aug (mult. dates)

BIKE Chelan Century Challenge. centuryride.com

PADDLE 3rd Annual de Fuca Downwind—Port Angeles. Ten-mile, open water downwind race for kayaks, surfskis, outriggers, SUPs and all human powered craft. June-July promises reliable West winds and a thrilling ride for your efforts. From Freshwater Bay on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, past the turbulent mouth of the Elwha River and along Ediz Hook, the Downwind is a can’t-miss experience for confident paddlers. Race #5 in the 2011-12 Race for Your Life points series (raceforyourlife.net). Prerace celebration at Olympic Raft & Kayak Saturday night. 206-9406269, rubycreekboathouse.com

RUN Vancouver USA Marathon, Half—vancouverusamarathon.com

Thursday, 21 Jun

CLIMB Climb For Clean Air/ Reach The Summit—Climb Mt. Rainier (7/11-14, 7/12-15, 7/17-20), Mt. Adams (8/6-7), Mt. Hood (6/21-22, 6/23-24) or the Grand Teton (7/13-16) to benefit American Lung Association.

Limited space; fundraising minimums apply. 206-441-5100 (Rainier & Adams), 503-718-6151 (Hood & Grand Teton), climbforcleanair.com

Saturday, 23 Jun TR RUN/ULTRA Taylor Mt. Runs —Issaquah, 8:30am. 425-301- 7009, evergreentrailruns.com

Sunday, 24 Jun RUN Kona Marathon & Family Runs—Kailua/Kona, HI, 5:30am. The Kona Coast is well known as the ultimate vacation destination in Hawaii. The half marathon, 10k and 5k courses run along the spectacular Pacific Ocean shoreline offering beautiful views of crashing waves and mountains. The mara-

Tuesday, 26 Jun

BIKE/EAT Spoke & Food—Seattle, self-start. Supports FamilyWorks food bank. spokeandfood.com

Thursday, 28 Jun ADV RACE BEAST #3—Seattle, 7pm. 503-515-9419, beastrace.com

Friday-Monday, 29 Jun - 2 Jul BIKE NW Tandem Rally—Salem, OR. “Wonders of the Willamette” nwtr.org

Saturday, 30 Jun TR RUN Start of Summer Run—Seattle, 8/9am. 503-515-9419, nwtrailruns.com

Sunday 1 Jul

BIKE Mount Adams Country Bicycle Tour—Trout Lake. troutlakewashington.com

OUR CHAMPS

WE’LL LET OUR ATHLETES’ RESULTS SPEAK FOR US.

MULTI-SPORT 2010 Ski To Sea 1st Top Gun: Women Kayak + Mtn Bike 2010/2011 1st Ski To Sea Whatcom County Women 2011 3rd Ski To Sea: Whatcom Co. Kayak 2010 2nd Bellingham Traverse: Overall 2011 1st Bellingham Traverse: Solo Master Men 2011 1st Padden Duathlon: Master Men RUNNING 2011 12th Baker Lake 50K: Women 2011 3rd Haggen to Haggen: Mstr Men Multiple PR’s, 10kms, ½ & full marathons, 50kms MOUNTAIN BIKING 2011 1st US Nat’l Downhill Champion: Women 19-29 2010 1st Wash Indie Series Elite XC Mtn Bike: Women 2011 1st,1st,2nd, 3rd Wash Indie Series Expert XC Mtn Bike: Men 2011 2nd,2nd, 2nd Stottlemeyer/Echo Valley 60 Miler: Women + Mstr Men 2011 1st High Cascades 100 Miler: Master Women PADDLE/SUP 2011 3rd 14’ Board the Fjord 2011 4th Round the Rock: Masters 14’ 2011 3rd US Surfski Championships: Women CROSS COUNTRY SKI 2011 12th Masters World Championships 10km FMS 2011 16th Masters World Championships 30km, 45km FMS

IS YOUR TRAINING WORKING?

(360) 392-8628 • TrailheadAthletics.com 52

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race I play I experience

3 Jul - 26 Jul

RUN Firecracker 5000 5k—Seattle, 11:55pm. 206-729-9972, promotionevents.com

Wednesday, 4 Jul RUN/WALK Miles for Meso 5k— Federal Way, 8:30am. 253-835-6932, itallhappenshere.org

Saturday, 7 Jul TR RUN Cougar Mt Trail Run 10mi— Newcastle, 9am. 503-5159419, nwtrailruns.com RUN Women’s Moon Run 4K & Half Marathon—Olympia, 4pm.

360-701-1604, guerillarunning.com TRI Clear Lake Triathlon & Youth Tri—9am/11am. A chip-timed event in the Skagit community of Clear Lake on scenic Hwy 9. A 1/3mi swim in the shallow lake (~72 degrees), a 14.8mi bike course with a few gradual inclines about 5 miles out, and a relatively flat 4mi run. Solo or relay.

Also a separate Youth Tri for 14 & under. 360-336-9414, tonyt@co.skagit. wa.us, skagitcounty.net/ parksandrecreation RUN Chuckanut Foot Race— Bellingham/Marine Park, 9am. gbrc.net BIKE S2S—Seattle-Spokane, 2am. redmondcyclingclub.org ULTRA Let’s Climb a Mountain— Spokane, 6am. letsclimbamountain.com

Sunday 8 July RUN Langley Half Marathon— Langley, 8:30am. langleyhalfmarathon.com

Wednesday-Sunday, 11-15 Jul

BIKE 2012 RBC GranFondo Kelowna—Kelowna, BC, 7am. The 2012 RBC GranFondo Kelowna will provide cyclists the opportunity to ride in a true European-style GranFondo in the Okanagan region. Roll down Lake Country, climb up Predator Ridge and tour through the heart of Vernon as you experience breathtaking views of Okanagan Lake. All riders are fully supported from start to finish and aid stations along the way provide fresh water, nutritional supplements, mechanical assistance, First Aid, and toilets. rbcgranfondokelowna.com

SWIM Lake Padden Open Water Swim—Bellingham, 9am. b-m-s-c.org RBC Blue - rgb (0/40/136) RBC Yellow - rgb (254/223/1)

BIKE Tour des Chutes—Bend, OR. tourdeschutes.org RUN WA Games Day—Seattle, 9:30am. Multiple events. 206-335-9305, magnusonseries.org MT BIKE Padden MTN Pedal— Bellingham, 8am-4pm. indieseries.org

Saturday-Sunday, 14-15 Jul BIKE Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic. cascade.org TRI/DU/RUN Ocean Shores Big Weekend. trifreaks.com

Sunday–Friday, 15-20 Jul

event listings at AdventuresNW.com

BIKE RedSpoke—Redmond to Spokane. A fully-supported charity ride. redspoke.org

Friday, 20 Jul - Saturday 21 Jul RUN Ragnar Relay NW Passage— Blaine-Langley, WA. Join the Ragnar Nation! Ragnar Relay is the overnight running relay race that makes testing your limits a team sport. A team is made up of 6-12 individuals who run 3 legs. Each leg is between 3-8 miles. Over 2 days and 1 night, your team will run from Blaine to Langley, WA. Add in crazy costumes, amazing scenery, a great finish line party, unforgettable stories and, viola! you get the Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage. ragnarrelay.com/race/ northwestpassage

RUN Olympia Lakefair— Olympia, 7am. Half marathon, 3k, 8k. ontherunevents.com

Saturday & Sunday, 21 & 22 Jul TRI/RUN ChelanMan Multisport Weekend—Chelan. chelanman.com PADDLE Gorge Outrigger Races —Stevenson. nwoutrigger.com

Sunday, 22 Jul RUN Lacamas Lake Half Marathon & 4 Miler—Camas. lacamaslakerunwalk.com TRI Seafair Triathlon—Seattle, 6:30am (11am kids tri). seafair.com RUN/WALK Swedish SummeRun 5k for Ovarian Cancer—Seattle. summerun.org NAV Choose Your Campus Adventure—Seattle/UW, 10am-noon.

Explore the UW campus by searching (racing, or easy stroll) for checkpoints marked on a map; free instruction avail.

Enter at 25th Ave. NE and Montlake Blvd. 206-913-3790, cascadeoc.org

Thursday, 26 Jul BIKE RAMROD—Enumclaw. Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day. redmondcyclingclub.org

Ride 25, 38, 50, 62, 100 or 124 beautiful miles —with classic Whatcom & Skagit county sights, including Bellingham Bay, Drayton Harbor, Birch Bay, Chuckanut Drive & Samish Island.

Fully supported. Finish festivities (with free burger or beverage) at Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro, in Bellingham.

TRI TriRock Seattle—Issaquah, trirock.competitor.com

Wednesday-Sunday, 18-22 Jul

MULTI Glacier Challenge— Whitefish, MT. theglacierchallenge.com

RD BIKE DU Padden Duathlon —Bellingham, 9am. NOTE NEW DATE! A fast, fun du that won’t break your pocketbook, and at a great location, with both runs on trail around Lake Padden, and the bike out and around Lake Samish. All participants receive a t-shirt and are eligible for draw prizes; trophies for top 3 male and female overall.

Solo or relay. 360-778-7000, cob.org/races

TRI Ironman 70.3 Lake Stevens, 6:30am. ironmanlakestevens.com

Friday, 13 July

MULTI Olympia Traverse—Date is new from previous issue; time tbd. The Olympia Traverse includes an 8mi mt bike course on Capitol Forest singletrack, a 22mi road bike course from the Mima Mounds to West Bay Park on Budd Inlet, a 3.5mi open water paddle, followed by a 5mi out-and-back run from Swantown Marina to Priest Point Park, and a 0.5mi trek to the finish. Race solo, tandem or on a team, with “bait” to raise funds for environmental groups. 360-451-3576, olympiatraverse.com

SEE Eurasia Custom Bike Show—Rexville, 11am. 360-466-4778, laconnerchamber.com

Sunday, 15 Jul

SAIL Whidbey Island Race Week. whidbeyislandraceweek.com

Saturday, 14 Jul

RUN Wind Horse Half Marathon —Bellingham, 8:30am. An outand-back run on the beautiful Interurban Trail from Fairhaven Park; a fundraiser for Blue Sky Education Project, which supports children in Tsetserleg, Mongolia, one of Bellingham’s sister cities. Great postrace festivities! 206-890-8694, windhorserun.com

MULTI Deschutes Dash Sports Fest —Bend, OR, 9am. deschutesdash.com

FLY Arlington Fly In. arlingtonflyin.org SPEC Relay for Life—Bellingham, 5pm. See website for other Relay for Life events in the region. relayforlife.org

Saturday, 21 Jul

2008 Chuckanut Century; photo © CJ Berg Photographics

Tuesday, 3 Jul

EARLY REGISTRATION just $55 at active.com

USE COUPON CODE ANSPRING12 FOR ADDITIONAL SAVINGS!

CHUCKANUT CENTURY RfoR ide

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 www.chuckanutcentury.org race | play | experience

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28 Jul - 25 Aug

Saturday, 28 Jul BIKE Tour de Whatcom— Bellingham, 7-11:30am starts depending on distance. A fun charity bike ride (25, 50 or 105 miles, all fairly level) with awesome views. No matter your distance, you get to see everything: Mt Baker, Lake Whatcom, valleys, rivers, lush farmland, beaches and north Puget Sound. All routes offer well-stocked reststops, bike techs/safety checks (at the start too), and a “family” rate.

Starts are coordinated so riders roll in around the same time for the festivities back at the Fairhaven Village Green.

FREE pictures too. 360-739-9953, tourdewhatcom.com

RUN Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon. tacomanarrowshalf.com

SAIL Shaw Island Classic—Friday Harbor. sjiyc.com

PADDLE Round Shaw Row—Shaw Island, 10am. soundrowers.org

TR RUN Cougar Mt Trail Run 13mi— Newcastle, 8:30am. 503-5159419, nwtrailruns.com

RUN Mt Ashland Hill Climb— Ashland, OR. mtashlandrun.com RUN River & Rails 5k & 10k— Arlington, 9am. arlingtonrunnersclub.org TRI Whidbey Island Triathlon— Langley, 10am. 360-221-5484, whidbeytriathlon.com

Saturday-Monday, 4-6 Aug BIKE Courage Classic—Snoqualmie. courageclassic.org

Sunday, 5 Aug TRI Troika Triathlon—Spokane. troikatriathlon.com

BOAT La Conner Classic Yacht & Car Show—10am. 360-466-4778, laconnerchamber.com RUN Summer Fitness Day— Seattle, 9:30am. Multiple events. 206335-9305, magnusonseries.org

thon continuing into the upper ranch lands with stunning views of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa volcanoes. Exotic – Unique – Inspiring. Live Aloha. 808-9678240, rainforestruns.com RUN Snoqualmie Railroad Days 10k/5k. runsnoqualmie.com NAV Town & Country Street Scramble—Bainbridge, 9:30am. 503515-9419, streetscramble.com

Sunday, 19 Aug

ULTRA Angel’s Staircase 50mi, 50k, 25k—Carlton. rainshadowrunning.com

BIKE Retro Ride & Concours d’Elegance—La Conner, 10am. 360766-8720, kayakfit@fidalgo.net

RUN/WALK Miles for Memories 5k Walk/Run —Bellingham/Fairhaven, 9am. 360-671-3316, alzsociety.org

YOUTH TRI Sammamish Splash Kids Tri. marymeyerlifefitness.com

Sunday, 12 Aug

RUN Lake Union 10k—Seattle, 7:30am. lakeunion10k.com

BIKE Tour de Cure—Hillsboro, OR. tour.diabetes.org

BIKE Ride the Hurricane—Port Angeles, 7am. portangeles.org

RUN Mud & Chocolate Half Marathon & 4.5mi—Sammamish, 9:30am. mudandchocolate.com

BIKE Seattle Century—50, 85, 100mi. seattlecentury.com

ULTRA Transcendence 12-hour Ultra Endurance Run—Olympia, 6am. 360-701-1604, guerillarunning.com

TRI Xterra Black Diamond—9am. xterrablackdiamond.com

Friday, 24 Aug

NAV Night & Day Street Scramble—Seattle, 4pm. 503-5159419, nightanddaychallenge.com

RUN Four Lakes 10k, 3k—Pender Harbour, BC, 9am. foolsrun.com/4lakes

NAV/PADDLE Choose Your Paddle Adventure at Union Bay—Seattle/UW, 10am-noon. At the UW Waterfront Activities Center (free parking), explore the waterways near the Arboretum by searching for checkpoints marked on a map. Rentals available on-site. 206-913-3790, cascadeoc.org

TRI/DU Coeur d’Alene Triathlon & Duathlon. cdatriathlon.com

TRI Federal Escape—Auburn, 7am.

Kids, sprint, Olympic. 425-766-8787, trifreaks.com RUN Seafair Torchlight Run— Seattle, 6:30pm. seafair.com RUN Anacortes Art Dash Half Marathon, 10k & 5k—9am. 360-2931918, anacortesartsfestival.com ULTRA White River 50mi—Crystal Mountain. whiteriver50.com

Saturday-Sunday, 28-29 Jul RD BIKE ALS DoubleDay Bike Ride & Fundraiser—Mt.Vernon. 425656-1650, alsa.org/doubledayride

AUGUST > > > Saturday, 4 Aug RUN Mid-Summer Fun Run— Colville, 8am. 509-684-6037, colville.wa.us

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Tuesday, 7 Aug ADV RACE BEAST #4—Seattle, 7pm. 503-515-9419, beastrace.com

Saturday, 11 Aug TRI 13th Annual Bellingham Youth Triathlon—9/10/11am. At Arne Hanna Aquatic Center, (meaning an     indoor swim), 3 different course distances and 3 different start   times, depending on age. T-shirts, finisher medals, draw prizes, lotsa fun. 360-778-7000, cob.org/races

MULTI Peninsula Relay Challenge —Kingston, 8:45am. SUP, tr run, mt bike. peninsularelaychallenge.com

RUN Hood To Coast 200mi Relay —Mt Hood, OR. hoodtocoast.com

Saturday, 25 Aug

PADDLE 3rd Annual Paddle Grand Prix—Bellingham, 10am. Oval-track, paddle-craft racing on Bellingham Bay 17-18 & 18-19 Aug with a spectatorBIKE Ride from Seattle to friend course Vancouver & Party. cascade.org directly in front of Boulevard Park.

Saturday, 18 Aug The race is open to RUN Volcano Rain Forest Runs— ALL paddle-craft, Volcano, HI, 7am. FEEL including stand-up and traditional padTHE POWER of dleboards, kayaks, surfskis, canoes—if it Hawaii while can be paddled, bring it and throw running on the world’s most active down against others in your class! volcano, Kilauea Official jerseys, free post-race feast – 4,000 feet, (friends and family may purchase), lush cool demos, raffle, live auction and awards!

Info, photos, registration, and to nomirain forests, nate or vote on beneficiaries: Brandon, stunning views, through 360-319-0696, paddlegrandprix.com the quaint village of Volcano, outside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the RUN Seattle Marathon 10k Big Island. The 5k, 10k and half run Race— 8am. seattlemarathon.org through the village streets in the lush RUN Dwight Dash 5k & 10k — native rain forest, with the half maraSpokane, 9am. active.com

>>> VIew or download even MORE Race|Play|Experience

race I play I experience

25 Aug (cont.)- 15 Sep

TR RUN Cutthroat Classic— Mazama, 8am, wave starts. mvsta.com

BIKE Summer Challenge— Bainbridge. summerchallengeride.org

TR RUN Redmond Watershed Preserve—Redmond, 8:30/9:30am.

503-515-9419, nwtrailruns.com

SEPTEMBER > > >

RUN Run-a-Muk 5k/10k—Mukilteo, 8am. mukilteolighthousefestival.com BIKE 2012 RBC GranFondo Banff—Banff, AB, 7am. A true destination event in one of Canada’s most scenic towns, the inaugural RBC GranFondo Banff will give passionate cyclists a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride a spectacular, challenging course in Canada’s first national park, Banff National Park. Experience high altitude cycling like never before and soak in the extraordinary wildlife that Banff has to offer. Be a part of this event and say that you were there from the start. banff.granfondocanada.com

MT BIKE Capitol Forest 50/100— Olympia. nwepicseries.com PADDLE Great Cross Sound Race —Seattle, 8:15am. soundrowers.org

Saturday-Sunday, 25-26 Aug BIKE Annual RAPSody (Ride Around Puget Sound)—Tacoma, 7am. Cross the Puget Sound on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, enjoy paved trails, scenic back roads, and Northwest water and mountain views during this 170-mile weekend ride.

RAPSody is an event by bicyclists, for bicyclists, with great food, souvenir socks, luggage transport, showers and parking all included. Free music and ice cream at the finish! 253-857-5658, rapsodybikeride.com

Sunday, 26 Aug RUN Eugene Women’s Half Marathon—Eugene, 8am. This run is for those who like a little pampering!

Ladies (Gentlemen if they wish) will be treated to a fabulous Eugene course that starts downtown and finishes at the 5th Street Market. Participants can expect a race experience unlike other typical road races. Unrivaled swag bags, mini spa services, delicious chocolate, bubbly champagne—what more could a girl want? 877-345-2230, eugenewomenshalf.com TRI Ironman Canada—Pentiction, BC. ironman.ca TRI Lake Meridian Triathlon—Kent, 7am. lakemeridiantri.com event listings at AdventuresNW.com

Saturday, 1 Sep RUN Lake Padden Relay— Bellingham, 10am. gbrc.net CX TRI North Bend Multicross Sprint. 425-766-8787, multicross.net SWAP Bellingham Bike Swap —10am-4pm. Buy or sell at the Sportsplex; drop off bikes Friday evening or pre-10am Saturday. The Bike Shop is a non-profit project that uses the bicycle to engage youth from lowincome homes in healthy physical and social activity thebikeshop1.org

Sunday, 2 Sep RUN Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon— Yamhill County, OR, 7am. This scenic course meanders through the heart of the Willamette Valley, starting at Stoller Vineyards and finishing in the town of Carlton for the popular post-race Wine & Music Festival where 24 wineries and breweries offer free tastings with race entry. Evergreen Aviation Museum hosts the race expo on Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Produced by Destination Races. 2-person relay also offered, plus discounted team competition. Newly revised course! Sign up early! 707-9331769, run4oregonwine.com, destinationraces.com TRI Steve Braun Memorial Triathlon—Orcas Island/Cascade Lake, 9am. 360-376-3111, friendsofmoran.com

RUN/WALK Fairhaven Runners Waterfront 15K—Bellingham, 8:30am.

Whether competing or participating just for fun, running or walking, enjoy a beautiful 15k/9.3mi 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, and free massage/chiropractic care. All participants get a shirt and chip timing. Low preregistration fee, no day-of registration, and the event has a cap, so don’t wait to commit to one of the best runs in the region! 360-676-4955, cob.org/races SWIM Swim Across America— Mercer Island, 8am. swimacrossamerica.org BIKE 2012 RBC GranFondo Whistler—Vancouver, BC, 7am.The GranFondo experience defined; Canada’s premier cycling event. Ride 122km from Sea to Sky on a dedicated lane width from downtown Vancouver to Whistler.

Experience breathtaking views of Howe Sound, challenging climbs through the Coast Mountain Range and with more downhill than you’d expect, this ride will impress and inspire like none other.

Riders are fully supported from start to finish with fresh water, nutritional supplements, mechanical, First Aid, toilets, and more. 604-990-2510, rbcgranfondowhistler.com

Monday, 3 Sep RUN Labor Day Half—Woodinville, 7am. labordayrun.com

TR RUN N Cascades PCT 100k— Mazama. rainshadowrunning.com

Tuesday-Wednesday, 4-5 Sep

Saturday-Sunday, 8-9 Sep

BOAT Deer Harbor Wooden Boat Rendezvous—Orcas Island.

Tue: row race (4pm), barbecue, music.

Wed: breakfast, sail race, potluck. deerharborwoodenboats.org

RD BIKE Bike MS WA—Mt.Vernon.

206-284-4254, bikemsnorthwest.org

BOAT Wooden Boat Festival— Port Townsend. woodenboat.org

Saturday, 8 Sep RUN Tame the Dragon Fun Run— Colville, 8am. 509-684-6037, colville.wa.us BIKE/SPEC Whatcom Co. Farm Tour—10am-5pm. Ride your bike for educational and edible adventures on a free, self-guided tour of regional farms.

360-647-7093, sconnect.org PADDLE Bainbridge Island Marathon—8:45am. soundrowers.org

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

TR RUN Middle Fork 50k & 20mi—North Bend, 8am. 503-5159419, nwtrailruns.com

Friday-Sunday, 7-9 Sep

VOLUNTEER / GET INVOLVED

RBC Blue - rgb (0/40/136) RBC Yellow - rgb (254/223/1)

Sunday, 9 Sep BIKE High Pass Challenge— Packwood. Cycle through the Gifford Pinchot Wilderness Area. cascade.org TRI Seattle Escape from the Rock. envirosports.com RUN Skagit Flats Marathon/Half— Burlington, 8am. skagitrunners.org RUN/WALK Iron Girl 10k, 5k— Seattle, 8am. irongirl.com

Saturday, 15 Sep TR RUN Cle Elum 50k & 25k. rainshadowrunning.com PADDLE Budd Inlet—Olympia, 9:15am. soundrowers.org

RUN>> RIDE>> HIKE>> PADDLE>> FIX>> ETC.

a few AREA GROUPS, CLUBS, & BUSINESSES HOSTING REGULAR EVENTS • fairhavenrunners.com (weekly drop- in group runs & special events) • everybodybike.com (frequent public rides & special events) • mtbakerbikeclub.org (weekly group rides & special events) • fairhavenbike.com (rides, bike fitting, repair sessions, ski classes) • kayakpolobellingham@yahoogroups. com (2x/week pick-up games) • skagitrunners.org (weekly group runs & special events) • cwb.org (Center for Wooden Boats, 1x/week free public sails) • mountbakerclub.org (area hikes) • holeinthewallpaddlingclub.org • wakekayak.org (club paddles & events) • wildernessawareness.org (tracking) • cascadeoc.org (navigating events) • seattleflyingdragons.org (free intro-to dragonboating lessons) • bellinghamseniorcenter.com • whidbeyislandbicycleclub.org • nwtuliptrekkers.org (walking events) • www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs (Mt. Baker- Snoqualmie Nat’l Forest)

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15 Sep (cont.) - 30 Sep

MULTI Bellingham Traverse— Bellingham, 12:30pm. This event includes a 5.5mi run from downtown to Lake Padden, a challenging 6mi mt bike above the lake, an 18mi rd bike out and around Lake Samish, a 3mi trail run, a 4mi open water paddle, and a .5mi team trek.

Race solo, tandem or on a team, symbolically following the life cycle of the salmon with “bait” to raise funds for environmental groups. Finish festivities at Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro. bellinghamtraverse.com TRI Grand Columbian Super Tri—Grand Coulee, 7am. 425-766-8787, trifreaks.com RUN Airport Run for Hope 5k / 10k—Arlington, 9am. 425-359-0868, arlingtonrunnersclub.org NAV Nat’l Orienteering Day Newcomer Event—Seattle/Woodland Park, 10am-noon. Cascade Orienteering Club offers exploration activities for novices, children, and families. Free orienteering instruction provided. Enter at Woodland Park Ave. N & N 50th St. 206-913-3790, cascadeoc.org

Saturday & Sunday, 15 & 16 Sep SPEC Rainier Mountain Festival— Ashford. Plus the Run/Walk at Rainier.

800-238-5756, rainierfestival.com

Sunday, 16 Sep BIKE Chuckanut Century— Bellingham, 7am. Presented by the Mt. Baker Bike Club, this event benefits Whatcom Hospice Foundation and takes riders on some of the most scenic routes in the state—25mi, 38mi, 50mi, 62mi, 100mi, or the double metric century (124mi). The south loop offers views of the San Juan Islands while overlooking Bellingham, Samish, and Padilla Bays, skirting along and viewing Chuckanut and Blanchard mountains. The north loop, through farmland and along bays, offers views of Baker, Shuksan, the Twin Sisters, and the Canadian Cascades.

Start and finish at Boundary Bay Brewery (free beverage or burger at the finish!). Regular rest stops with hearty food. chuckanutcentury.org RUN Montana Marathon—Billings, MT, 7am. A marathon, half, and 10k— run in the “Big Sky Country!” 406-2459735, montanamarathon.org BIKE Cycle the Wave (Women Against Violence Everywhere)— Issaquah. cyclethewave.com

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BIKE Tour de Whidbey—Greenbank, whidbeygen.org PADDLE Lake Samish Salmon Row & Paddle—Bellingham, 9:15am. soundrowers.org, salmonrowandpaddle.com

Sunday, 23 Sep NAV Oktoberfest Street Scramble—Fremont, 10am. 503-5159419, streetscramble.com

weekdays 24 Sep - 1 Dec SPEC Girls on the Run Fall Session—Whatcom Co. elementary schools. GOTR is an after school character development program that combines training for a 5k run with selfesteem enhancing lessons and uplifting workouts; culminates in a 5k Dec. 2.

360-733-8630, whatcomymca.org

Saturday, 29 Sep PLAY National Public Lands Day/ National Parks Fee-Free Day. To encourage more people to get out and enjoy public lands, the U.S. Department of Interior waives entrance fees to federal park lands, national forest lands, national wildlife refuges and Bureau of Land Management lands—all that otherwise require a park-specific pass, federal day-use pass, Forest Pass, or Interagency Pass, nps.gov/findapark/ feefreeparks.htm PADDLE Mercer Island Sausage Pull—Seattle, 9:15am. soundrowers.org BIKE/DEMO Kulshan Demo Day— Bellingham, 11am-3pm. At Lake Padden, near the dog park area, test ride Trek and Gary Fisher Collection bikes. Also 9/29.

733-6440, kulshancycles.com

Sunday, 30 Sep RUN Bellingham Bay Marathon, Half Marathon & 5k—Bellingham, 7:30 am. The marathon (Boston qualifier) and half marathon courses are relatively flat, well-supported and along picturesque and expansive Bellingham Bay waterfront with country and urban landscapes, mountain vistas and exceptional seascapes. The point-to-point marathon is from Lummi Peninsula to downtown Bellingham (free shuttle to start). The half marathon loop course starts at Bellingham’s Depot Market Square. The fast, friendly 5k is along downtown streets and trails. bellinghambaymarathon.org

Saturday, 22 Sep

RUN Great Columbia Crossing 10k—Dismal Nitch, WA to Astoria, OR, 9am. greatcolumbiacrossing.com

ADV RACE San Juan Island Quest —Orcas Island. sanjuanislandquest.com

BIKE Kitsap Color Classic. Three loop options. cascade.org

>>> VIew or download even MORE Race|Play|Experience

race race II play play II experience experience

October - December

OCTOBERDECEMBER > > > Saturday, 6 Oct RUN/WALK Race for Education— Bellingham, 9am/kids race 8:30am. A fundraising 5k starting and ending at Civic Field. whatcomcounty.ciswa.org RUN/WALK Run Like a Girl 1/2 Marathon—Bellingham, 9am. runlikeagirlbellingham.com TR RUN Baker Lake 50k—Baker Lake, 8am. bakerlake50k.com RUN Mount Spokane 50k, 25k— rainshadowrunning.com

Sat-Sun, 6-7 Oct PADDLE Hobuck Hoedown Surf Paddling Festival—Neah Bay. A full weekend of racing and surf competition for sea kayaks, surf kayaks, and SUPs at Hobuck Beach. The Hoedown is an annual festival in a sublimely beautiful location, celebrating the joy of the ocean, featuring surf paddling competition PLUS the 3rd annual Kayak & SUP Scrambles, 2mi races through the surf and across the bay. An awesome weekend of fun and friendship for competitors and spectators. The host location at the Hobuck Beach Resort provides affordable lodging and camping. 206-940-6269, rubycreekboathouse.com

Sunday, 7 Oct RUN Victoria Marathon. runvictoriamarathon.com RUN Portland Marathon. portlandmarathon.org

Monday, 8 Oct RUN Granville Island Turkey Trot 10k Walk, Run, Stroll—Vancouver, BC, 8:30am. turkeytrot.ca

Saturday, 13 Oct TR RUN Harvest Half Marathon & 10k—Kenmore, 9am. 503-515-9419, nwtrailruns.com PADDLE Paddle for Food Relay— Bellingham, 9:30am. A 100% fundraiser for Bellingham Food Bank at Lake Padden. 360-739-2257 RUN Sekani Trail Run 5k & 10k— Spokane, 10am. 509-625-6546, active. com, spokaneparks.org

Sunday, 14 Oct MTB DU Klicks Mountain Bike Duathlon—Bellingham, 11am. A solo or relay event on the trails of Lake Padden Park: run 2.6mi around the lake, mt bike 6mi on the technical trails above the lake, then run again. (Free youth du after—see below.) 360-778-7000, cob.org/races event listings at AdventuresNW.com

YOUTH DU YMCA Youth Duathlon—Bellingham, 1pm. At Lake Padden, kids can choose from 3 different distances and start times (1pm short, 1:30pm medium and 2pm long). This free event isn’t timed, but all finishers get great goodies. Day-of-race registration only. tbennett@whatcomymca.org, cob.org/races PLAY National Wildlife Refuges Fee-Free Day. Get out and enjoy our public lands—in honor of National Wildlife Refuge Week. fws.gov/refuges

Friday & Saturday, 19 & 20 Oct SPEC Komo Kulshan Ski & Snowboard Swap & Sale— Bellingham. Sell or buy at Whatcom Co.’s largest and longest-running swap.

360-303-3865, komokulshanskiclub.org

RUN/WALK Run Scared 5k— Seattle, 9am. Benefits Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 206-330-5967, runscared5k.com

Saturday, 3 Nov RUN Trek 4 Treats 5k—Bellingham, 10am. afterschooladventure.org

Sunday 4 Nov RUN Padden Mudfest 7mi— Bellingham, 10am. gbrc.net

Saturday-Monday, 10-12 Nov PLAY National Parks Fee-Free Days. Enjoy your federal park lands, national forest lands, national wildlife refuges and Bureau of Land Management lands for free if you don’t have already have a relevant pass. nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm

Sunday, 11 Nov

TR RUN Carkeek 5k/10k—Seattle, 9:30am. 503-515-9419, nwtrailruns.com

Saturday, 20 Oct

Saturday, 17 Nov

RUN 2nd Annual Lake Padden Trail Classic 13.1—Bellingham, 9am. Run up and through the forested and steep single track trails above the lake. lakepaddentrailclassic.wordpress.com

RUN Turkey Trot 5k—Bellingham/ Barkley Village, 9am. gbrc.net

Sunday, 21 Oct RUN The Other Half—Moab, UT, 8:30am. Stunning redrock and mountain views accompany you on this point-topoint half marathon that parallels the Colorado River through a dramatic canyon. Entry to the 9th annual The Other Half includes a long sleeve tech shirt, full course support, shuttles, and a trafficfree course. Runners can expect fun aid stations and Taiko drummers along the way. Finisher medals, delicious food and microbrews will be waiting at the lush green finish at Sorrel River Ranch Resort. 435-259-4525, moabhalfmarathon.org

Saturday, 27 Oct RUN/WALK Pumpkin Push 5k for Seattle’s Homeless— 10am. 206548-3266, pumpkinpush.com RUN Freaky 5k—Federal Way, 9am.

253-835-6932. itallhappenshere.org RUN Carkeek 12-hour—Seattle, 6am. carkeek12hour.com RUN Halloween Runs—Seattle, 10am. Multiple events. 206-335-9305, magnusonseries.org PADDLE Lake Sammamish— 9:15am. soundrowers.org NAV Vampire-O—Lynnwood, 7pm.

206-913-3790, cascadeoc.org

Sunday, 28 Oct TR RUN Cougar Mt Trail Run 50k —Newcastle, 8:30am. nwtrailruns.com

Sunday, 18 Nov

ADV Fall BEAST Race—Seattle, 9am. 503-515-9419, beastrace.com

Thursday, 22 Nov

TR RUN Thanksgiving Gobbler Gallop—Seattle, 9am. nwtrailruns.com RUN La Conner Turkey Trot—La Conner, 7:30am. 360-466-4778, laconnerchamber.com RUN Thanksgiving Day Runs— Seattle, 9am. Multiple events. 206-3359305, magnusonseries.org

Saturday, 24 Nov RUN Seattle Marathon 5K & Seattle Kids Marathon—8:30am/ 10am. 206-729-3660, seattlemarathon.org

Sunday, 25 Nov

RUN Seattle Marathon & Half Marathon—7:15am. 206-729-3660, seattlemarathon.org

NAV Street Scramble at the Market—Seattle, 9:30am. 503-5159419, streetscramble.com RUN/WALK Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis 5k—Bellingham, 8am. bellinghamjbrw.kintera.org

Sat-Sun, 8-9 Dec PADDLE 7th Annual Deception Pass Dash—Deception Pass State Park. The Deception Pass Dash, a 6mi race from Bowman Bay through the spectacular cliffs and currents of Deception Pass, is the Northwest’s premier winter paddling event. Founded in 2006 by Don Kiesling, the Dash attracts 200 racers in kayaks, surfskis, outrigger canoes, SUPs, and rowing shells. Starting just before slack current, racers must sprint through the pass before the famous swirling ebb blocks their path. Saturday festivities include clinics, demos and entertainment for everyone.What a start to your holiday season! 206-9406269, rubycreekboathouse.com

Sunday, 9 Dec RUN Holualoa Tucson Marathon Events—Tucson, AZ. Run your FIRST marathon or your FASTEST marathon.

Enjoy beautiful, mild Tucson winter weather and run this primarily downhill point-to-point course along the beautiful Santa Catalina mountain range. The Old West historical town of Oracle marks the starting line. The course winds through the desert on paved roads and finishes at the Coronado Middle School. Choose between the Marathon, Marathon Relay or HalfMarathon (and watch for possible shorter runs Saturday!) A familyfriendly finish line area is great for spectators. 520-320-0667, tucsonmarathon.com

Saturday, 1 Dec RUN Winter Sun 10k—Moab, UT, 10am. 435-259-4525, moabhalfmarathon.org

Sunday, 2 Dec RUN Girls on the Run 5k— Bellingham, 9:30am. A downtown Bellingham fun run for girls and boys, men and women. jgallant@whatcomymca.org, whatcomymca.org

Saturday, 15 Dec RUN Holiday Fun Run—Seattle, 10am. Multiple events. 206-335-9305, magnusonseries.org

Sunday, 16 Dec RUN/WALK The 12Ks of Christmas—Kirkland, 9:30am. 206729-9972, 12ksofchristmas.com

Saturday, 8 Dec RUN Fairhaven Frosty 5k & 10k— Bellingham, 10am. Run on road and trail, 1 or 2 loops from Fairhaven Park.

Free kids 1/4 mile. gbrc.net RUN Toys for Tots Airport 5k/10k—Arlington, 11am. 360-3590868, arlingtonrunnersclub.org RUN Deception Pass 50k, 25k — Oak Harbor. rainshadowrunning.com

>>> ALWAYS confirm dates, times, registration requirements, fees, etc.

Thanks to event organizers who submit event details. For info on listing your event in Adventures NW’s calendar (print and online), write to alaine@adventuresnw.com

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Experience the North Cascades Skagit Tours 2012 Boat tour and lunch on Diablo Lake n Walking tour of historic Newhalem and Gorge Powerhouse n North Cascades Expeditions: Guided hikes, shuttle and lunch n Special powerhouse tours coming in fall 2012 n

For more information, visit our web site at www.skagittours.com. For reservations, call 360-854-2589.

North Cascades Institute Celebrating 25 years of connecting people, nature and community through education.

You are invited to the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center for: Family getaways n Base Camp n Group rentals n

Diablo Downtime Adult classes n Youth programs n n

www.ncascades.org

North Cascades National Park Something to savor

Enjoy summer learning and recreation.

www.nps.gov/noca or 360-854-7200

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