TRIP PLANNER: LOPEZ ISLAND PG. 80
Modern Ski Suits With Retro Flair
Savory Sablefish Recipes
Washington’s Community Forests
COZY FALL GETAWAYS FOR TWO
ISLAND
ADVENTURES YOUR NORTHWEST
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October | November
volume 45
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This Orcas Island home is divided into “a sleeping bunk and a living bunk” arranged around a courtyard.
4 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
Island Life
photography by Will Austin A modern farmhouse on Orcas Island, and the family that uprooted their urban lives to fulfill a dream. (pg. 28)
OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE 5
Daniel O’Neil
Mount Adams Resource Stewards founder Jay McLaughlin measures a log from a recent 4-acre cut on the Mount Adams Community Forest.
FEATURES OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024 • volume 45
58 Community Forests The rise and popularity of the forests managed for all values is cutting across the grain and thriving. written by Daniel O’Neil
50 Get Cozy Six romantic Washington destinations to enjoy this fall. written by Ryn Pfeuffer
68 Glass Art Seventy glass artists light up Seattle in the four-day event Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience. written by Kerry Newberry 6
1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
DEPARTMENTS OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024 • volume 45
LIVE 16 SAY WA?
Farm tours, organic skin care and Bellingham’s Doctober film fest.
20 FOOD + DRINK
Bluebird Grain Farms, Cob + Cork.
24 FARM TO TABLE
The subtle surprise of sablefish.
28 HOME + DESIGN
Aaron Theisen
A Bellevue family creates a new life in a modern farmhouse on Orcas Island.
36 80
42
36 MIND + BODY
Rick Welliver’s Spokane Boxing club.
THINK 42 STARTUP
Onesies are back on the slopes with TaraShakti.
44 MY WORKSPACE
Alex Robinson’s creative and complex work.
48 GAME CHANGER Robert Harrison/San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
Long Live the Kings … and the salmon!
EXPLORE 74 TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT
Toby’s Tavern, Whidbey Island.
75 ADVENTURE Ross VanAlstine
The San Juans for “killer” views.
78 LODGING
Sagecliffe Resort & Spa in the Gorge.
80 TRIP PLANNER Lopez Island.
12 Editor’s Letter 13 1889 Online 86 Map of Washington 88 Until Next Time
COVER
photo by James Harnois Langley (see “Snuggle Up!,” pg. 50)
8
1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
84 NW DESTINATION Stanley, Idaho.
The coziest Cozy Season.
Sosta House
GET COZY etvor.com/cozy02
Welcome to Tualatin Valley. Around here, even the dreariest of days are filled with warmth and laughter. Join us this fall, just west of Portland, Oregon, and experience our intimate world of wine.
TUALATINVALLEY.ORG/COZY
WCVA_1889_WA_Main_Oct_Nov_24.indd 1
8/27/24 1:39 PM
CONTRIBUTORS
WILL AUSTIN Photographer Home + Design
CATHY CARROLL Writer Adventure
AARON THEISEN Photographer Mind + Body
DANIELLE DAVIS Illustrator Home + Design DIY
“Photographing this Orcas Island farmhouse was such a pleasure. The picturesque property, wonderful architectural design and striking interior accented by Inese Westcott’s artwork are a true reflection of the island’s beauty. The natural light and scenic surroundings perfectly complimented the craftsmanship and unique character of the home.” (pg. 28)
“Islands have a way of flipping a switch in your brain—heart and soul soon to follow. The San Juan Islands are no exception. Watching any mainland shrink beyond a boat’s wake offers a sense of relief in leaving daily cares behind, adventure ahead. From spying a multigenerational family of orcas hunting seals to sipping briny oysters from their shell, a few days in the San Juans were truly restorative.” (pg. 75)
“Spend a few minutes chatting with Spokane Boxing proprietor Rick Welliver—and one suspects it’s never just a few minutes—and you’ll know why boxing is called ‘the sweet science.’ Gregarious and opinionated, Welliver peppered me with questions during my shoot, keeping me on my toes but always with a glint in his eye. It’s clear Welliver relishes good-natured sparring, both in and out of the ring. Welliver says Spokane Boxing is the most welcoming place in town, and, from what I witnessed, it’s a serious contender—if you can keep up.” (pg. 36)
“An enthusiastic DIYer myself, I have officially added this pegboard project to my to-do list. There’s something special about having pieces at home that have been crafted by hand and personalized. I had fun finding inspiration for the illustration in items around my own home, including bug art by my three boys and a nod to my husband’s extensive ‘dad hat’ collection.” (pg. 34)
Will Austin’s award-winning photographic work has taken him around the world. Whether shooting from a saddle, a helicopter seat or the dizzying height of a tower crane, Austin enjoys the adventure of capturing people doing what they love. He lives in the Seattle area with his wife and son but hails from Colorado cowboy country.
From Haiti to the Himalayas, Cathy Carroll has covered some of the world’s most fascinating people and places for national and regional news organizations. Based in Bend, Oregon, she never tires of telling the stories of creative thinkers and singular places.
10 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
Aaron Theisen is a Spokanebased outdoors writer and photographer. His passions are the big peaks and small towns of the Intermountain West.
Danielle Davis is a Spokanebased freelance graphic designer, illustrator and fine artist. When she’s not dabbling in the creative realm, Danielle is usually spending time outdoors with her husband, Jon, and their four children.
EDITOR
Kevin Max
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Allison Bye
WEB MANAGER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Aaron Opsahl Joni Kabana
OFFICE MANAGER
Cindy Miskowiec
DIRECTOR OF SALES
Jenny Kamprath
BEERVANA COLUMNIST
Jackie Dodd
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Cathy Carroll, Melissa Dalton, Rachel Gallaher, Joni Kabana, Lauren Kramer, Kerry Newberry, Daniel O’Neil, Ryn Pfeuffer, Ben Salmon, Corinne Whiting
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Will Austin, Jackie Dodd, James Harnois, Young Kwak, Stephen Matera, Daniel O’Neil, Aaron Theisen
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Danielle Davis
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OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE 11
FROM THE
EDITOR
WHEN SUMMER’S SMOKE has smoldered and died, a whiff of romance wafts in behind in hues of red, brown, yellow. It takes on the black and white of Orcas, the sweetness of ripening grapes, the allat-once bitter burst of hops at their harvest hour, the splash of upstream salmon and the retreat to a cozy place with adventure just beyond the door. In this issue, we explore romantic getaways through many lenses. In the most traditional sense, there are six romantic getaways you can explore in our feature on page 50. There, you’ll find Cozy herself masquerading as lodging in riverside, seaside and forested settings across the state. You’ll see the romantic setting of Lopez Island in this Trip Planner on page 80. Small farms that you and your partner can ride your bike up to and come away with meats, cheeses, eggs and more to take back to your beach campsite. You’ll fall in love with the soft and sumptuous sablefish in Farm to Table on page 24, where there are recipes you can make with your loved ones or for them. You’ll be drawn into the fall climate of the San Juan Islands, where orca whales are in majestic
12 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
sight, if you know where to go to find them as we illustrate in Adventure on page 75. You’ll identify the best in people when you read about Rick Welliver and how he’s working hard to create better role models through taking in everyone to join his passion project, Spokane Boxing (pg. 36). You can feel the heroic struggle of salmon in the Pacific Northwest as the people behind nonprofit Long Live the Kings make it their struggle, too, in seeking more ways to restore these populations (pg. 48). You can feel romance everywhere as you wander through community forests, whose advocates are taking back land for people’s values rather than commercial gain (pg. 58). It all comes together with the stylish makeover and the return of ski onesies, as you read about Tara Clark’s latest (and best) venture on page 42. This folds nicely into our special ski insert, which you don’t want to miss. Knock on wood, but this year could be a La Niña embarrassment of deep pow. What better way to get after it than in a TaraShakti onesie? Cheers!
1889 ONLINE More ways to connect with your favorite Washington content www.1889mag.com | #1889washington | @1889washington
WASHINGTON: IN FOCUS Have a photo that captures your Washington experience? Share it with us by filling out the Washington: In Focus form on our website. If chosen, you’ll be published here! www.1889mag.com/in-focus photo by Lynda Smith A peaceful scene at Eritage Resort just outside of Walla Walla.
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OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE
13
SAY WA? 16 FOOD + DRINK 20 FARM TO TABLE 24 HOME + DESIGN 28
pg. 20 Yakima hops are at the root of all good beer in the Pacific Northwest … and the United States.
Jackie Dodd
MIND + BODY 36
Fall for Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Clear your head and reawaken your senses (and your sense of adventure). Discover more nature, more space and a slower pace. OlympicPeninsula.org
Visit Tri-Cities
say wa?
Tidbits + To-dos
CAmark y LEN our DA R
written by Lauren Kramer
Tri-Cities Water Lantern Festival Kennewick’s Columbia Park is the venue for the Tri-Cities Water Lantern Festival on October 12. At this family-friendly festival, floating lanterns illuminate the water, and the cost of admission ($28 for adults, $14 for kids 8 and older, free for kids under 7) includes a full kit for making and decorating your own lantern, as well as post-event cleanup. www.visittri-cities.com/events/tri-cities-water-lantern-festival
Booda Organics It can be challenging to find skin care products that don’t contain a long list of chemical-based ingredients, but those made by Booda Organics are all about purity and nature. The Bellingham company’s body care products, which include soap, deodorant, lip balm and moisturizer, are vegan, organic, sustainable and free of harmful additives and chemicals. Its lotions boast a safe ingredient list, a delicious coconut aroma and a soft, silky feel on the skin.
Lisette Wolter McKinley/San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
CA mark LE you ND r AR
www.boodaorganics.com
16
1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
San Juan Islands Farm Tours The San Juan Islands will host two farm tours in October: one on Orcas Island October 4-6, and one on Lopez Island October 11-13. The events are a celebration of farm, food and community, where participating farmers open their gates and barn doors to the public for educational tours, samples and shopping. www.farmtours sanjuans.com
Visit Bellingham
say wa?
Doctober: Documentary Film Festival Bellingham’s Pickford Film Center is the venue for Doctober, the largest documentary fest in the Northwest. Held throughout the month of October, it features dozens of documentaries, with special events like filmmakers’ presentations, pre-screening receptions and guided group discussions. www.pickfordfilmcenter.org/doctober
ur yo rk DAR a m EN
CA
L
SeaBar
If you’re ready to take your recycling to the next level, consider REtowels, a reusable alternative to traditional paper towels. Made from a soft flannel fabric, they are perfect for cleaning countertops, wiping hands and using as a substitute for paper napkins. Made by Bellingham-based Coast to Coast sustainables, they are available in select stores and online.
SeaBar’s aromatic shampoos and conditioners come in concentrated form, with none of the water and plastic waste created by regular hair products. These compact products are light, easily portable, vegan, recyclable and free of silicone and sulfates. They’re also aromatic and create a quick lather on the hair. Company owner Greg Dayley has pledged to clean up one pound of ocean trash for every SeaBar purchased.
www.c2csustainables.com
www.seabar.com
REtowels
OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE
17
Listen on Spotify
Musician
To the Fore Abbey Blackwell steps out from the shadows of the bass to her own voice written by Ben Salmon SEATTLEBASED BASSIST Abbey Blackwell has played alongside some big names in the world of rock, pop and jazz, including indie darlings Alvvays and La Luz, unorthodox folk artists Haley Heynderickx and Cassandra Jenkins, keyboard adventurer Wayne Horvitz and even “Thrift Shop” rapper Macklemore. A solid reputation among your peers. A steady stream of gigs. Money to pay the rent. Day-to-day variety. For many musicians, this would be the realization of a dream. And don’t be mistaken—Blackwell is appreciative of the work and grateful for her good fortune. But she is, according to her website, “focusing her energies on writing for solo guitar and voice” and leading groups of her own. “For so long, I’ve been a bassist in someone’s band, and I love doing that and I’m not going to stop. But during the Covid times, I had glimpses of getting to focus on my own creative output and having a little more creative control and gaining awareness of what I want to put out into the world,” she said. “It’s really fun collaborating with people in their bands,” she continued, “but it’s not the same as coming up with it from scratch and really deciding what I wish to emote.” It took Blackwell a long time, she said, to figure that out. Raised in a home that valued music, she started playing in her 18
1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
school’s jazz band and orchestra before earning a master’s degree in jazz and improvised music and a bachelor’s in double bass performance from the University of Washington. It was her final project for her master’s, in fact, when Blackwell got her first taste of leading a band: Rae, an instrumental trio with guitarist Ronan Delisle and drummer Evan Woodle that released an album in the summer of 2020. Delisle also played on Blackwell’s first solo album—2023’s My Maze, a collection of sparsely arranged, dimly lit folk songs that appeared on a list of that year’s best albums published by the tastemaking music website Gorilla Vs. Bear. “In the past few years, I’ve gotten much more interested in the way things can be interpreted,” she said of her songwriting process. “I like thinking about how things can pivot on a word, and so I write down a lot of phrases that (pop up) and then I just kind of see where those phrases take me.” In September, Blackwell released her second solo album, Big Big Motion, which contains ten more of her delightfully dusky folk songs, this time with beefier arrangements including drums (by Woodle), keyboards and electric guitar (by Delisle). Whereas My Maze sounded like the work of a long-lost folk-singing mystic from the ’60s, Big Big Motion starts at a foundation of folk and then gently ambles and lurches into shadowy corners of jazz, twang and rock ‘n’ roll. “I had a group of songs that didn’t fit with what I had been doing before and that needed a little something else,” Blackwell said. “So I started to imagine the possibilities, especially with Ronan and Evan, because they can make magic out of anything, which is what I need. I need magic.”
Haley Freedlund
Seattle’s Abbey Blackwell recently released her second solo album, Big Big Motion.
say wa?
Zach Mazur/Washington State Magazine
areas within the state were more or less equally represented. And we tried to choose stories that capture the depth and breadth of the great state of Washington and its agriculture and architecture, geography and geology, history and industry and people and places.
Bibliophile
A story around Diablo Lake in the North Cascade Range is among many in The Evergreen Collection that reveals Washingtonians’ deep connection to the land in all of its diversity.
Evergreen Stories From the Cosmic Crisp to the deadliest pathogen— captivating stories from across Washington interview by Cathy Carroll
WHILE WORKING for Washington State Magazine, eleven journalists scoured the region to interview farmers, chefs, wine tasters, mountain climbers, scientists and others. The writers introduce the people who keep the country’s largest ferry system running, examine the most deadly pathogen ever recorded and reveal the secret ingredient that makes Cougar Gold cheese possible. They write about creating the Cosmic Crisp, producing Skagit Valley tulips, how soil composition impacts the taste of wine and the fickle business of growing cherries. More accounts chronicle art and the Makah canoe, significant architecture, the advent of master gardeners, a stash of Mount St. Helens ash, challenges to ocean life and more. Washington State Magazine editor Larry Clark and associate editor Adriana Janovich edited The Evergreen Collection, selected from hundreds of pieces published in Washington State University’s magazine across two decades, celebrating the state’s vast diversity and the impressive accomplishments of those who call it home. How did you select the stories for the anthology? Adriana Janovich: As the magazine was preparing for its twentieth anniversary in 2021 and we began talking about that milestone, we realized we were sitting on a treasure trove. Hundreds of stories have appeared in the magazine from 2001 to 2021,
and we wanted them to reach a wider audience. One of the most difficult aspects about editing the collection was narrowing down the stories we wanted to include. Our initial spreadsheet featured twice the number of stories for which there was room. We tried to make sure different geographic
Can you share anecdotes behind the stories in the anthology? Larry Clark: About ten years ago, I heard about a guy, Dave Benscoter, who was investigating heirloom apple trees around the Inland Northwest. These apple varieties had been mostly lost to memory, but the owners of the trees were curious about them. Benscoter had a career as an FBI and IRS criminal investigator, and he happened to be a WSU alum. I knew exactly who to ask to write the story for the magazine: Tim Steury, retired editor of Washington State Magazine and an heirloom apple expert himself. The article “Forgotten Fruit” is one of my favorites. Can you pinpoint any defining, Washington-centric characteristic among the vast diversity and impressive accomplishments of those highlighted in the anthology? Larry Clark: If there were one defining characteristic of Washington state, a thread through almost all stories, it is the deep connection to the land in all of its diversity. The book sections show that sense of place, going back tens of thousands of years, and how people have lived, studied, farmed and wandered the mountains, rivers and plains of Washington. There’s so much sense of history and personal memory tied up in places like Mount Rainier, the Columbia River and even the gorges carved out by glaciers and floods. The stories in the book really capture a slice of that emotion.
OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE
19
food + drink
Beervana
Yakima: Beer Town, USA Why the middle of the state is the center of the universe for beer enthusiasts written and photographed by Jackie Dodd
FEW OUTSIDE the beer world grasp why brewers from across the globe swarm to Yakima every year in late summer. They touch down at the Tri-Cities Airport and make the pilgrimage west to a destination they’ve been dreaming about since the first time their nose caught a whiff of hop aroma. As they roll into town, the smell of freshly harvested hops is thick in the air, wafting through the breeze and calling to anyone serious about beer to sample from the outstanding taprooms Yakima has to offer. For those who’ve overlooked the self-proclaimed Palm Springs of Washington (understandable), here’s the plot twist: Yakima is a beer mecca. Why, you ask? Hops, my friends. The hops. Let’s rewind for some context. Hops—those magical little green flowers—have been a staple ingredient in beer since the ninth century. They spend all summer soaking up the sun before being harvested just once a year in late August through September. Here’s the kicker: Nearly 80 percent of the hops grown in the U.S. come from the Pacific Northwest, and Yakima Valley is ground zero for the whole operation. But fresh hops? That’s a different beast entirely. Once those hops are picked, there’s a 20 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
Hop harvest at CLS Farms, a fifth-generation-owned hop farm in Yakima.
thirty-six-hour window to use them while they’re still brimming with lupulin oils that bring the signature grassy, herbal punch. Meaning, once the hops are harvested, the clock is ticking to get those little green gems into a batch of beer—something brewers in other parts of the world can only dream of. Yakima is more than a farming town; it’s the epicenter for hop research and development. Decades of research, breeding and testing go into creating the hops you now see on every craft beer menu. Hundreds of strains never make the cut, but those that do take about fifteen years of work before they even get named. Haas Hop Innovation, the largest private hop grower in the world, is based right here. They’re the brains behind Citra and Mosaic, two of the most beloved hop varieties in the craft brewing world. They also brew beer, but before you get too excited, their taproom is closed to the public. Bummer, right? Luckily, you can try their beer at several local taprooms and restaurants. If you see Haas on the tap list, order it, no matter what it is. No matter the time of year, beer is always good in Yakima. For a weekend itinerary, here’s what I suggest:
food + drink
Cocktail Card
Opt for a flight at Single Hill Brewing, a must-visit on your Yakima beer itinerary.
DAY ONE Lunch: Try Cowiche Canyon Kitchen, which always has a Haas beer on tap, and the food is fantastic. Tour: Hire Little Hopper Tours to take you around town. The owner, Wendy King, is very knowledgeable and wellconnected in the town. They also offer a “hop on, hop off” option, private tours and group tours. Suggested breweries for your tour: • Varietal Beer Co.: They always have a collaboration in the works worth trying.
and the people are outstanding—you may not want to leave.
DAY TWO 5th Line Brewing Co.: Start the day here. It’s a newer brewery on the Yakima beer scene, making a name for itself with its hockey theme and styles ranging from Belgians and hoppy lagers to coffee stouts. Single Hill Brewing: A standout in a sea of great beer. Open for just more than six years, their awards have poured in, and the space is easy to spend the entire day in. Don’t miss this one. Crafted: End your day with dinner, but Crafted is so much more. One of the best meals I’ve had in the past year, it’s a must for anyone who cares about the art of food. Its owners are James Beard-nominated chefs, and the menu reflects that. Reservations are strongly recommended. They also have a thoughtfully curated beer and wine list from local producers.
Colin Lenfesty of Holy Mountain mashes out fresh hops at Varietal Beer Co.
• Bale Breaker Brewing Co.: No trip to Yakima is complete without a stop here. It’s essential. This brewery is located in the middle of a hop farm, and the owners are fourth-generation hop farmers who know more than a thing or two about great beer. • The Outskirts Brewing Co.: End the night here for dinner, and possibly even a live concert outdoors. Both the beer
recipe courtesy of Lighthouse Grill & Pub at Hotel Bellwether / BELLINGHAM
Espresso Martini • 1/2 ounce Kahlúa • 1/2 ounce Frangelico • 1/2 ounce Five Farms Irish Cream • 1 ounce Tito’s Vodka • 1 ounce fresh espresso (preferably cooled) • Coffee beans or cocoa powder, for garnish (optional) Chill a martini glass. You can do this by filling it with ice water and setting it aside while you prepare the cocktail. Brew a shot of fresh espresso, and let it cool slightly. Using freshly brewed espresso will enhance the cocktail’s flavor. In a cocktail shaker, combine the Kahlúa, Frangelico, Irish cream, vodka and espresso. Fill the shaker with ice, and shake vigorously for about 15-20 seconds. This will chill the mixture and create a frothy texture. Empty the ice water from the chilled martini glass. Use a fine mesh strainer along with the shaker’s strainer to double strain the cocktail into the glass. For an extra touch of elegance, garnish with a few coffee beans on top or a dusting of cocoa powder.
Crafted meals are best shared family style.
OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE 21
Bluebird Grain Farms
food + drink
CRAVINGS BRUSSELS SPROUTS Brussels sprouts are easily found on restaurant menus, but few can make them the way chef Richard Hattaway, at Walla Walla’s Hattaway’s on Alder, does. These fried Brussels sprouts are made with liquid amino dressing, vinegar simple syrup, Kewpie mayonnaise and Aleppo togarashi spice, delivering heaven in a dish for any fan of the humble sprout. 125 W. ALDER ST. WALLA WALLA www.hattawaysonalder.com
TOFU
Bluebird Grain Farms brings organic farro and all of its health benefits to the Pacific Northwest.
Gastronomy
Bluebird Grain Farms written by Lauren Kramer
Craving tofu? Tendrils, at Sagecliffe Resort & Spa in Quincy, has your back. Tofu is arguably one of the most challenging dishes a chef can use to wow a diner, but Tendrils’ chef Brooke Vader has nailed it with her tofu katsu. Pankoand cashew-crusted tofu is served with wild mushrooms, stir-fried cabbage and jasmine rice in a light, tasty vegan dish that is truly memorable. Learn more about Sagecliffe Resort on pg. 78. 344 SILICA ROAD NW QUINCY www.sageclifferesortandspa.com
WASHINGTON IS ONE of the largest wheat-producing states in the nation, but back in 2003, when Sam and Brooke Lucy were looking for locally grown wheat, they couldn’t find any. That search led the couple to start Bluebird Grain Farms, where they began growing organic emmer seed stock on 50 acres in Winthrop. Today the Lucys’ farm is one of many small farms that offer locally grown grains—but one of the only ones that offers ancient wheat. With two partner farms that follow the same organic, regenerative farming practices as Bluebird, the company now has 1,000 acres and a product line that includes emmer and einkorn, whole-grain flours, hot cereals and mixes for pancakes, waffles and breads. Einkorn, emmer and spelt are known as farro, an Italian term for ancient hulled wheat. Climate resilient and boasting high protein and nutritional content, they have a tight husk that needs to be removed for human consumption. “These ancient wheats are the most versatile grain on the market,” said Brooke Lucy, co-founder. “You can cook them like rice or use them as cereal, but either way, you can taste the difference from other grains immediately.” Bluebird’s goal is to grow ancient grains and deliver nutritious, pure, unprocessed food. “We believe better farming means better food, which is why we choose organic, regenerative farming to preserve these wheats,” Lucy said. “They are some of the most ancient and nutritious food staples known to humanity.”
BROTH
19611 HIGHWAY 20 WINTHROP www.bluebirdgrainfarms.com
109 GRAND AVE. BELLINGHAM www.storiacucuina.com
22 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
A great broth is one of the most underestimated ingredients, but not at Yodelin Broth in Leavenworth, where chef Dan Fiske makes his fish bone broth from wild halibut caught off Northwest shores. His Yodelin soup contains broth mixed with yellow coconut curry, udon noodles, shitake mushrooms and organic kale, a hearty soup dish that promises to drive the fall chill from your bones. 633 FRONT ST. LEAVENWORTH www.yodelinbroth.com
MUSHROOM PIZZA There’s nothing like a mushroom-topped pizza, and if you’re craving the combination of fungi with cheese, look no further than Storia Cucina in Bellingham. The restaurant’s wild mushroom pizza is baked on a 1971 sourdough crust and topped with pecorino, roasted garlic, a selection of wild mushrooms from Cascadia Mushrooms and Ferndale Farmstead’s unrivaled mozzarella cheese.
BEST PLACES FOR
WILD FOODS Lauren Kramer
PACIFIC HOUSE Ground elk is an easy way to try game meat, and at Pacific House in Vancouver, elk tacos have been a popular staple on the menu for ten years. Ground, seasoned elk is served with corn tortillas, cotija, roasted tomato salsa, jalapeño kraut and chipotle aioli.
With a taste similar to beef, just a little sweeter, bison is great in a burger, and not in the least gamey. To find it, head to Stevenson, where Clark & Lewie’s Travelers Rest Saloon & Grill features a tempting bison burger served with tzatziki, goat cheese and pepperoncini.
Dining
Cob + Cork
CLARK & LEWIE’S
Cob + Cork
819 MAIN ST. VANCOUVER www.pacifichousenw.com
A farm-to-table ethos is at the forefront of Bow’s Cob + Cork, where you can find dishes such as (clockwise from top) Bristol Bay salmon with blackberry-infused butter and pickled onions, strawberry rhubarb crumble and buttermilk biscuits with honey butter.
Cob + Cork written by Lauren Kramer
If you love wild mushrooms but are understandably nervous about foraging for them, consider growing your own Lion’s Mane or Blue Oyster mushrooms on your kitchen countertop, where they can go from stem to pan in seconds. Black Forest Mushrooms in Everett sells grow-your-own mushroom kits consisting of a block on which the fungi grow. Most kits deliver three harvests, and the mushroom block is fully compostable after the final harvest. Kits can also be purchased online.
YOU KNOW you’re in a community-focused restaurant when family photographs adorn the walls and regular diners drop their home-grown produce off at the kitchen back door. That’s Cob + Cork, a 100-seat eatery in Bow (population 200). Located at a quiet, east-meets-west intersection, this eatery celebrates the farmed ingredients of the surrounding Samish delta and the bounty of the Salish Sea. Lisa Thompson, chef-owner, purchased the building in 2021, redecorated with an industrial, minimalist aesthetic and crafted her American-comfort-food menu in the heart of the pandemic. We sipped the Bow Hill cocktail, a sweet ode to blueberries and one of several creative libations on offer, as we enjoyed buttermilk biscuits that tasted like they were straight out of the oven—soft, warm and delivered with a mound of honey butter. Thompson’s pork schnitzel and fried jidori chicken are popular menu staples, but we opted for the fresh Bristol Bay salmon, served with blackberry-infused butter and pickled onions. The small, well-rounded menu is focused on freshness and seasonality, giving Thompson the liberty to offer new dishes on a whim. One constant is her strawberry rhubarb crumble, a dessert favorite featuring rhubarb from the family garden of one of the restaurant’s loyal diners. This exceptional dish perfectly balances the tartness of rhubarb, the sweetness of strawberries, the crunchiness of a freshly made streusel and the creaminess of house-churned vanilla ice cream. Whether you come for a cocktail and smoked salmon-topped flatbread or a full three-course meal, you’ll be struck by the freshness of the ingredients, the homey ambience and Thompson’s deep appreciation for the Skagit Valley, infused in every dish that emerges from the kitchen.
2110 HEWITT AVE. EVERETT www.blackforestmushrooms.com
5545 CHUCKANUT DRIVE BOW www.cobandcork.com
130 SW CASCADE AVE. STEVENSON www.clarkandlewies.com
BLACK FOREST MUSHROOMS
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Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi
farm to table
Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi in Bellevue is one Washington location serving up sablefish, also known as black cod, on its menu.
Farm to Table
Sensational Sablefish Chefs share tips on how to best cook and enjoy this buttery, deepwater fish written by Corinne Whiting SABLEFISH, ALSO KNOWN as black cod (though not part of the cod family), gets described as a tasty, buttery, fatty fish. It’s highly valued on the seafood market and popular among Pacific Northwest chefs. A deepwater, opportunistic feeder, the fish can be found along the Northern Pacific Coast from Washington to Alaska. Even though sustainably managed, its recent wild population has fallen to lower numbers. Several Washington culinary talents shared why this coveted fish appeals, and how it’s best handled—and served. 24 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
In Bellevue, for example, all sablefish used by the team at Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi is wild-caught and sourced from Alaska, making it of higher quality and consistency, said executive chef Brandon Muehl. He loves the texture of the completed product, and finds this mild, “durable” fish to be very versatile as far as cooking and imparting flavor. Additionally, it’s one of few fish that will be cooked twice before serving. “It needs the second cooking to really give it that flaky, buttery texture that we all love,” he said. The size of the fish can vary; however, it’s generally smaller and easy to work with. “Alaskan sablefish tends to be much more fatty and unctious,” Muehl said. “It has the least amount of distance to travel here to the PNW, so when it arrives at the port, it is about as fresh as it can get.” At Ascend, the process begins when they receive the fish. First, they place it in a salt brine for twenty-four hours. They then remove it, which helps to slightly firm up the fish’s flesh, before allowing it to air dry for twelve hours. Their final step before cooking involves a twenty-four-hour marinade with
farm to table
shiro miso and sake. “This imparts an intense umami as well as British Columbia or a local wholesaler, Corfini Gourmet. “I some sugars to get a beautiful caramelization before serving to feel like we have the access to get the best-quality black cod guests,” Muehl said. here because we are so close to the Gulf of Alaska,” he said. Sachia Tinsley—chef and owner of Normandy Park’s Pey- “And we can get dayboat-caught black cod.” rassol West—buys from Key City Fish Co., a Port Townsend Jeong likes making flavorful broth containing the pieces of purveyor. Tinsley points to the fish’s abundance of protein and black cod, letting it simmer until fully cooked. His simple tip: omega-3 fatty acids. “It lends itself to a wide variety of prepa- “Use gentle heat when cooking with black cod, like steaming rations, and for those who don’t like an overly fishy flavor to or poaching.” your seafood, black cod is mild and delicate,” she shared. Other Lastly, Tyler Hefford-Anderson, director of culinary operaperks: The skin crisps up deliciously when prepared properly, tions at Gourmondo Cafes and Catering, finds sablefish fun and the black cod fishing season spans from March to Decem- to cook and eat. He loves the way this fish flakes—“light and ber, meaning you can pretty much always find it. buttery, with a soft fishy flavor. Not at all harsh or muddy.” He “Most of the stock you’ll find in Washington is harvested appreciates a simple seared piece, finished with a little knob off the coast of Washington, nearly 75 of butter that browns in the pan, and percent, which makes black cod a great, fresh herbs. “It is often used for ‘kasu local choice for your menu,” Tinsley said. cod,’ whereby the cod is basted with sake “According to Johnpaul Davies [owner kasu, or the lees on the bottom of the of Key City Fish Co.], the remainder of barrel when sake is made,” he said. “The the stock comes from British Columbia funky sake flavor along with some sugar with 20 percent and Alaska with the last that is usually added makes a delicious 5 percent.” The typical commercial sizmarinade on such a fatty and moist fish.” ing ranges from 2 to 4 pounds and 5 to 8 The experts happily offer tips for pounds, although they can mature much home chefs. Tinsley suggested asking larger than that. “Because of the anatostore staff when the black cod was delivmy of black cod, the fillet yield is tight, ered, so it’s as fresh as possible. Heffordespecially on the smaller sizes, so you’ll Anderson advised to not hold onto good often find them cut into steaks, but I’m fish for too long. “Black cod is a great spoiled and truly love the fillet,” Tinsley option if you are anxious about cooksaid. “Also, any bones or small bits of ing fish,” he said. “Even overcooked, it meat can be made into a delicious fish is nice and rich and buttery.” Yet it simbroth for recipes. I hate to waste anyply should be cooked until the fish meat — Sachia Tinsley, Peyrassol West thing in the kitchen.” starts to flake apart. “Let it sit for a few chef and owner A variety of methods exist for commoments and rest on a paper towel to mercial harvesting, but the most presuck up any juices,” he said. ferred and sustainable is longlining. Other methods include Tinsley knows black cod isn’t always a grocery store staple, pot caught, and then trawling—the least favorable since you yet it’s out there. If frozen, it should be put in an airtight plastic get bycatch (or fish and creatures you didn’t intend to catch). bag right away to prevent freezer burn. When ready to cook, “If you want to support the more sustainable methods of fish- simply thaw it slowly in the refrigerator (she’ll do this overing, I suggest you ask at the counter how the black cod was night so it’s ready to cook the next day). harvested,” Tinsley said. “And hopefully they should know if it’s “I look for it at specialty markets that sell fresh seafood or a reputable supplier, and only buy if it meets your standards.” at your local fishmonger,” she said. “In the Seattle area, think Tinsley enjoys applying Mediterranean techniques and fla- Uwajimaya, Lam’s Seafood, PCC, Pike Place Fish Market, and, vors to black cod. Although a crispy-skin method can be de- if you ever want to make the trip to Port Townsend, Key City licious, she likes removing the skin and adding the fish to a Fish Co.” bouillabaisse or baking it “en papillote” (in parchment paper) Muehl advised against trying to remove the pin bones from with steamed potatoes, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, butter the fish before your first cooking attempt. “They are very difwith briny olives and a splash of white wine, served with toast- ficult, and it will end up being much more of a headache than ed French baguette. She added: “I also love, love a Japanese necessary,” he said. “Experiment with some different cures and method of marinating the cod in a miso-sake marinade and brines, and have fun with it.” When cooking the sablefish, start pan searing skin side down, again to get it crispy, then serving with 300 degrees for twelve to fifteen minutes, then allow it to it over steamed rice. It’s to die for! Simple and delicious and rest. “This will make it very easy to remove the bones from the letting the fish speak for itself.” sablefish with tweezers after it has rested,” he said. “Then, for Bill Soo Jeong, chef and owner of Paju—a South Lake Union the final cooking process, cook on a low broil to caramelize the destination for innovative Korean cuisine—sources from fish slightly. You will not be disappointed.”
“It lends itself to a wide variety of preparations, and for those who don’t like an overly fishy flavor to your seafood, black cod is mild and delicate.”
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Seared Sablefish with Rainbow Chard, Fennel Purée and Fennel-Orange Salad Gourmondo Cafes and Catering / SEATTLE Tyler Hefford-Anderson SERVES 4
Poached Black Cod.
Washington Recipes
Soft and Flaky Sablefish Dishes Poached Black Cod
• Chili oil, to taste (can be found at Asian markets) • Chive oil, to taste (see recipe)
SERVES 6
FOR THE CHIVE OIL Add ingredients into a blender and blend until well incorporated.
Paju / SEATTLE Chef-owner Bill Soo Jeong
FOR THE CHIVE OIL • 1 bunch chives • ½ cup grapeseed oil (canola oil can be used as an alternative) FOR THE ANCHOVY STOCK • 4½ cups water • ¼ cup kombu • ½ cup dried anchovy, remove head and guts • 1 bunch scallion, cut in half • 2 tablespoons onion, large dice • ¼ cup daikon, large dice • 1 tablespoon yondu soy sauce • 2 tablespoons yangjo soy sauce • 1½ tablespoons ju soy (traditional Korean soy sauce; Kikkoman can be used as alternative) FOR THE BLACK COD • 6 6-ounce portions of black cod • ½ cup butter, cold, cut into cubes • 3 teaspoons lemon juice • Salt, to taste • Gochugaru, to taste (sundried red pepper flakes found at H Mart or other Asian markets; alternatively, use smoked paprika) • 1 orange supreme, in segments
FOR THE ANCHOVY STOCK AND BLACK COD Put all anchovy stock ingredients in a pot. Let simmer for 30 minutes, and then strain. Reserve 1/4 cup of anchovy stock in a container for the anchovy butter sauce. Put black cod in remaining anchovy stock overnight, at least 8 hours. After 8 hours, remove black cod from stock. Put the 1/4 cup of anchovy stock in a pan on high heat. Cook down until half the liquid remains. Once the stock is reduced by half, turn off the heat, and slowly add ½ cup of cold butter cubes into the pan to make into a glaze. Finish with lemon juice and salt to taste. Meanwhile, place black cod in steamer basket. Make sure water is boiling and producing steam before putting in the cod in the steam basket. Steam black cod for 8 to 10 minutes. TO SERVE Spoon glaze into low bowl. Add fine Gochugaru to outside of black cod, to taste. Place black cod in center of dish, place orange segments in glaze, and add drops of chili oil and chive oil to taste.
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FOR THE FENNEL PURÉE • 11/2 pounds fennel bulbs, greens removed, cut into 1-inch pieces, cores left in • 2 cloves garlic • 2 ounces white onion, cut into 1-inch pieces • 1 quart whole milk • 2-3 ounces butter, room temperature (depending on the sweetness of your parsnips) • Salt and pepper, to taste FOR THE RAINBOW CHARD • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1 pound of rainbow chard, tough stems removed, cut into bite-sized pieces • 2 blood oranges, segmented • Salt and pepper, to taste FOR THE SABLEFISH • 1 tablespoon oil (high smoke point preferred, such as grapeseed or vegetable oil) • 4 5-ounce pieces sablefish • Salt and pepper, to taste FOR THE FENNEL SALAD • 4 stems Italian parsley • 4 stems cilantro • 1 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced across the grain + the green fronds on top • 2 oranges, segmented • 1 tablespoon orange olive oil (plain olive oil can also be used) FOR THE FENNEL PURÉE Place the cut fennel, garlic cloves and onion in a nonreactive sauce pot. Cover with the milk. Bring the heat to medium, and simmer the mixture gently until the fennel is nice and soft. Strain off the milk and retain to adjust thickness. Place the solids in a blender, and blend on low. Use the reserved milk mixture to thin the purée just until it moves freely in the
Pan-Roasted Black Cod with Beurre Rouge Sauce and Roasted Root Vegetable Brunoise Peyrassol West / NORMANDY PARK Chef Sachia Tinsley SERVES 4 FOR THE ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLE BRUNOISE • 8 ounces assorted root vegetables, washed, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (such as carrots, turnips, parsnips, garnet yams and Yukon gold potatoes) • Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed • Salt and pepper, to taste FOR THE BEURRE ROUGE SAUCE • 4 ounces dry red wine • ½ medium shallot, minced (about ¼ cup) • 4 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes • Salt and pepper, to taste • Fresh chopped herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, chives or tarragon (optional) FOR THE PAN-ROASTED BLACK COD • 4 6-ounce black cod filets, skin on and scaled • Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed • Salt and pepper, to taste FOR THE ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLE BRUNOISE Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Transfer diced vegetables into a bowl, and toss lightly with EVOO, salt and pepper to taste. (Be shy with the olive oil; otherwise your veggies will come out oily.)
blender. This mixture should be smooth and creamy. With the blender running on low, slowly add chunks of the butter, and let it blend in after each inclusion. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Can be held hot or chilled and reheated. FOR THE RAINBOW CHARD Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, and allow to warm. Add the cut chard, and sauté until just tender. Toss in the blood orange segments. Season with salt and pepper.
Pan-Roasted Black Cod with Beurre Rouge Sauce and Roasted Root Vegetable Brunoise.
Spread out vegetables onto a lined baking pan, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until tender and sweet, rotating and stirring every 5 minutes to make sure they’re evenly roasted and not burnt. Remove from oven, and allow to cool completely. Set aside. FOR THE BEURRE ROUGE SAUCE Add red wine and shallots to a small sauce pan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to a low simmer, and allow to reduce by two-thirds. Over low heat, and working in batches, whisk in the cold butter a few cubes at a time until completely melted. Continue this process until all the butter is incorporated. (Do not be tempted to rush this process.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set sauce aside until ready to plate. FOR THE PAN-ROASTED BLACK COD Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly season cod with salt and pepper, and set aside on a plate.
FOR THE SABLEFISH Heat the oil in a sauté pan that will easily accommodate the pieces of fish, over medium-high heat. Once smoking lightly, dust the pieces of fish all over with the salt and pepper. Gently add the fish to the pan, skin side down. Allow to sit and brown before turning the fish over. Depending on the thickness of the fish, this process should only take a few minutes per side. When the fish is done, it should just barely begin to flake apart. Allow to rest at room temperature for two to three minutes.
Heat your cast-iron skillet or sauté pan over high heat until hot. Add enough EVOO to coat the bottom of pan, swirling as you go. Using your tongs, quickly add all four filets to pan, skin side down, without touching each other. (Be sure to use a hot mitt for the pan handle, and be careful of splattering oil.) Reduce heat to mediumhigh, and cook filets for 6-7 minutes to allow skin to crisp up. Gently flip filets over to flesh side. Transfer to sauté pan, and place into the preheated oven. Continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes depending on the thickness of your filet, until done (minimum temperature of 135 degrees). TO PLATE Gently reheat sauce if needed over low heat, whisking constantly. Add the optional fresh chopped herbs at this point. Spoon the sauce onto four warmed plates. Transfer one filet, skin side up, into the middle of each plate. Sprinkle the roasted root vegetables over the top.
FOR THE FENNEL SALAD Pick the leaves off the herbs, and coarsely chop them. Toss all ingredients gently together, and season with salt and pepper. TO PLATE Gently spoon some of the fennel purée on the bottom of the plate. Drain any excess liquid from the chard, and place it adjacent to the purée. Place the rested fish on top of the chard, skin side up. Pile the fennel salad atop the fish. Serve immediately.
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home + design
The Westcott home on Orcas Island is a beautiful re-imagining of a farmhouse built around a gorgeous courtyard.
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home + design
Home + Design
Sowing New Seeds A modern farmhouse anchors family life at a legacy farm on Orcas Island written by Melissa Dalton | photography by Will Austin
FOR THE PAST decade, Evan Westcott would say the same thing to his wife, Inese, every year: “Let’s sell our house and move to a farm.” Then in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, her response was different. “Instead of resistance this time, it was met with a smile and an ‘Okay, let’s do it,’” recalled Evan. The couple were then based in Bellevue—he’s president and founder of WestCorp Construction and she’s a painter—but in short order, they bought a lot on Orcas Island, tapped their architect friend to design a house there and broke ground on the build. Then something unexpected happened. Working in construction, Evan is always scrolling real estate listings, and that October, he saw that an Orcas Island heritage farm established in 1895 and called the Bonnie Brook Farm was up for sale. Intrigued, the couple checked it out on a classic, gloomy Pacific Northwest fall day with their three children in tow.
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home + design
The new farmhouse from the old barn on Orcas Island.
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home + design
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The Westcott home design is two distinct buildings connected by a corridor. The living area includes the kitchen and gets you close to nature. The small but efficient wood stove makes all chilly nights cozy. The two-island kitchen serves three kids and two adults.
The family tramped in the rain across the 120 acres of forest and farmland tucked below Turtleback Mountain, and through the orchard with apple trees planted more than 100 years ago. “I remember thinking, if you really like this farm on this day in this weather, then just think about what it’s going to be in the summer,” said Inese. “I absolutely loved the farm on that dreadful day. I thought it was the most beautiful, charming place.” Despite having limited farming experience, both Evan and Inese have a deep love of nature—he spent his childhood in Issaquah “running around in the woods and riding bikes,” said Evan, while she grew up in Latvia “immersed in open fields and the sea.” They wanted their children to have the same experience “running wild,” so the decision to move to the farm felt more right than risky. They decided to sell their house in Deer Harbor and build a new family home on the property, once again enlisting their favorite architect, Todd Smith of Syndicate Smith, a firm based in Leavenworth. They asked him for “a fresh take on a true farmhouse,” said Smith. “A lot of people use the term farmhouse as a style, but this is a house for an operational farm.”
Having worked together on two previous homes, Smith and Evan knew they wanted to break the design into two separate volumes that form an L-shape around a private courtyard. “Todd and I are big fans of having a sleeping bunk and a living bunk,” said Evan. To that end, they clustered the kitchen, dining and living room in one, and the en-suite bedrooms, laundry and family room together in the second. Breaking them up in this way allows for more privacy and quiet for those sleeping, while any social gatherings can carry on in the main space. A corridor links the two. Social spaces continue outside in the courtyard, dotted with raised garden beds, a hot tub, a lounge area with couches, a pizza oven and a fire pit. Inside, the kitchen is arranged as two long islands pulled off the walls, with another wall of storage and appliances. The arrangement creates flow and flexibility—there’s seating for guests along one island, window views from both the stove and sink and plenty of counter space for doing projects like drying fruit, pickling vegetables from the garden or making applesauce. OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
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home + design
The family can take its social functions outdoors around the fire pit and just beyond the pizza oven.
Social spaces continue outside in the courtyard, dotted with raised garden beds, a hot tub, a lounge area with couches, a pizza oven and a fire pit. Interior finishes throughout were kept durable—no highmaintenance stones or too much tile grout to clean in the bathrooms—and in the “living bunk,” Smith used copious glass to tweak the classic farmhouse form. It’s “just playing with the language of the traditional pitched roof Monopoly house,” said Smith. “A simple, very iconic form, but then making ribbons of windows look out onto the landscape,” connecting the family with their pastoral surroundings. Taking that idea one step further, the exterior siding and interior wood treatments are from trees harvested from the property’s timber. “Our neighbor has a mobile mill, so he came over, 32 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
made all the siding, and we stocked it to dry in the old barn, before installing it,” said Evan. “If you want to talk about green, that stuff never left the property.” A separate building houses a painting studio for Inese, who has also transformed a corner of the property with trails to create a Barefoot Park, which is used weekly by local schools for outdoor education purposes. Meanwhile, before they can replant the former cow and hay fields, the couple aim to build future housing for farm workers that draws on the form and function of their family home. “Housing everywhere is an issue in Washington, but on the islands, it’s maybe even a little worse,” said Evan. Another barn will be converted into a hybrid space for communal art studios, a gallery, classes and a farm store. That means the old farm is keeping everyone busy these days, whether they’re realizing their vision of the future or tending to daily chores, or the kids are discovering new pastimes. (Their son has seven beehives while their oldest daughter sells eggs from her flock of fifty chickens.) It’s been important, said Inese, to slowly get to know the land of which the family has become stewards. “I don’t even like saying I own [the farm],” said Inese. “It takes time to learn it, and to start feeling like you are actually a part of it.”
home + design
Anchoring the social chamber of the house is a wood stove, with its logs and kindling neatly stacked and covered.
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home + design
DRILL HOLES Still facing the backside of the board, elevate it so it’s no longer touching a surface below. Drill small pilot holes at every junction of the grid. Flip the board over, then drill into the pilot holes with a ⅝-inch drill bit, to create a bigger hole for the dowel. Test to make sure the dowel fits early on, before completing all of the holes. Go slow, and support the plywood so as to avoid cracking while drilling. SAND Wipe away the sawdust, and sand the surface of the board until smooth.
DIY
Pegboard Wall Shelving illustration by Danielle Davis
JUST LIKE a modern farmhouse, this pegboard wall shelving unit is both utilitarian and attractive. And easy to make in a weekend. Use it in an office, a utility room, a pantry, a craft room or wherever you want adjustable shelving and display. CUT THE BACKER BOARD TO SIZE The pegboard can be cut to any size desired. For extra-large installations, hang two pieces of the backer board side-by-side. For the purposes of this tutorial, use backing plywood that is ¾-inch thick, and cut to a size of 6 feet by 3 feet. (The hardware store should be able to cut it for you.) DRAW A GRID Dowels will be pushed into holes in the backer board to create supports for shelving. Decide how close or far apart the holes should 34
be, or the spacing of the overall grid pattern. This could be anywhere from 3 inches apart to upward of 5½ inches apart. Whether the spacing looks good will depend on the overall size of the backer board. Also, if the dowels are too far apart, they will not provide enough support for the shelf resting on top. Using a straight edge and a pencil, measure and draw vertical and horizontal lines on the backside of the board (for this tutorial, 3 inches by 3 inches apart). The intersection of the lines will be the spot to drill the hole for the dowel.
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MOUNT SUPPORT Use a stud finder to mark the location of the studs on the wall, and then mount a 2x4 (cut to the proper length to fit the size of the board) horizontally to the studs. Add additional supports along the wall, depending on the size and weight of the backer board, always using studs as the base of support. HANG! Grab a friend to help hold the backer board in place, and drill the board to attach it to the supports. Cover the screw heads with wood putty, and let it dry completely, before sanding excess putty to blend in the holes. ARRANGE PEGS AND BOARDS Using a table saw, cut ⅝-inch dowels to 6½ inches long and shelving to 6 inches deep. (Lengths can vary.) Twist the dowels into the grid holes, about two per shelf, and rest the shelf on top. For variety, paint the ends of the dowels or the shelves for a splash of color, before adding collectibles for display. (Bonus: If you get bored at a later date, you can always change up the shelf arrangement!)
home + design
Modern Utility Sure, you can hang any old coat hook on the wall, but why not one that’s eye-catching even when empty? The Dots Wood hooks by Danish company Muuto are both functional, as they come in various sizes, and creative, since it’s possible to choose from an array of colors to design your own set. www.muuto.com
We agree that a utility cart can be pretty basic—all the more to admire this version, called the Miller Utility Cart, from Schoolhouse. A sleekly rounded, powdercoated steel frame gives it a subtle silhouette for pretty display, while the casters ensure it can be easily moved if so desired. Plus, color choices range from an unexpected mustard tone to classic black or white.
The Essential Apron from Hedley & Bennett is revered by cooks the world over, from the ones we see on TV to our home kitchen, and for good reason. The apron is durable, washable and designed with large pockets, an adjustable neck strap and a utility loop. Plus, it comes in too many colors and patterns to count—from classic color combos, to Luke Skywalker and Beatles themes, they have everyone covered.
www.schoolhouse.com
www.hedleyandbennett.com
The Korbo wire basket has been produced in Sweden since 1922. Design Within Reach has it in three versatile sizes, the smallest of which can be hung on the wall, and two different metals, rust-proof stainless steel or a brass meant to patina. Even cooler is that all Korbo baskets are handwoven with a single wire—no welds—making them as durable today as when used by fisherman and farmers a hundred years ago. www.dwr.com OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
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mind + body
At Spokane Boxing—founded by Rick Welliver (center)—everyone is welcome. Some discipline required.
Life’s Counterpuncher Spokane’s Rick Welliver corners better humanity through purposeful pugilism written by Lauren Kramer photography by Aaron Theisen
RICK WELLIVER is a light heavyweight boxer with sixteen professional fights under his belt, including twelve wins. Today he’s the head coach at Spokane Boxing, a gym where he has coached hundreds of children, adults and even seniors in a sport he attributes as saving his life. 36 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
Raised in a single-family home in Hillyard, a low-income neighborhood in Spokane, Welliver said he needed something to do as a kid, and boxing delivered a sense of identity, confidence and self-respect. “It was the first time I was ever good at something,” he recalled, of heading to the gym and slipping boxing gloves on his hands. “Suddenly, you have a trophy in your hand—you’re somebody.” While he loved his time as a professional boxer, he had no desire to retire from the sport. Instead, he opened Spokane Boxing in 2001. “I saw it as a place where young lives could be transformed, just as mine was, where kids with no goals could find role models, achieve something and feel that sense of pride and inclusion,” he said. He firmly believes boxing doesn’t just build character—it reveals character, too. “You quickly learn that
mind + body
Boxing is a sport “where you have to rip yourself wide open and show the world who you are,” Welliver noted.
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mind + body
Rick Welliver Boxer + Coach Born: Spokane Lives: Spokane Age: 51
WORKOUT
Relics of pugilists of the past at Spokane Boxing.
if you can do this, you can do anything,” he said. “While I’m not downplaying other sports, boxing is the rare sport where you have to rip yourself wide open and show the world who you are. If you can make it in this sport, you can make it in anything, and most of the people I train quickly realize that life is pretty easy compared to being in a boxing gym!” Welliver welcomes anyone who walks through the club doors, including women of all ages. His youngest trainee is 5, and his oldest, a man in his 80s, trains twice a week. He also works with the juvenile courts; Crosswalk, an organization for homeless youth; Daybreak Youth Services, which provides addiction treatment for teens; and Morning Star Ranch, a residential facility for boys. Welliver has strong opinions on society’s failures and is determined to help address them at the club. “I think as a society we’re dropping the ball as men. We don’t know how to be husbands, fathers, leaders and mentors, which is crucial, because kids need someone to look up to. This gym is filled with role models, and here, boxing is a conduit for them to do bigger, better things.” Boxing, he said, gave him a reason to wake up in the morning and to feel a part of something. “Inclusion matters. In general, we’re not making people feel included, but when I walked into a boxing gym, I had an identity. I see hope walk through the doors of my gym every day. I see kids who are traumatized, and searching for a sense of belonging and inclusion. That’s the gift I want to give them.” With no intention of retiring, Welliver’s goal is to continue to coach and grow the sport, and to impress upon others his conviction that boxing can change lives. “While there are going to be very few champions coming out of Spokane, there will be better men emerging and contributing to society,” he said. “When I eventually walk away, more than anything, I want to know that I had an impact.” OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
“I work out an hour or two a day, trying to get a lot of steps in, as well as push-ups, pull-ups, planks and stairs. I’m training to climb Idaho’s Scotchman Peak, which is 7,000 feet.”
NUTRITION “I’m trying to eat more salads and leafy greens. Since my heart attack in 2023, I’ve lost 30 pounds, and my goal is to lose another 20.”
INSPIRATION “Dave Pomante was my coach in high school, and he is the coach every kid needs, especially when you grow up in Hillyard like I did, and you’re on the downside of advantage. A whole generation of boys from low-income Hillyard would tell you, he was the guy we wanted to be like, whose approval we sought. He elevated coaching and made it seem sacred. He made me realize I could do this for a living and affect people. Coaching is not just a profession; it’s a way of life. A lot of the stuff that I do now, I picked up from him, and I steal lines from him as a coach every day.”
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STARTUP 42 MY WORKSPACE 44
pg. 44 Intricacy is Alex Robinson’s table stakes for his work.
Young Kwak
GAME CHANGER 48
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Cooper Clark
startup
The TaraShakti modern onesies are warm and versatile—separating into both jacket and pants.
Style on the Slopes
Seattle sportswear designer Tara Clark offers a contemporary ski suit with vintage appeal written by Rachel Gallaher
TARA CLARK NEVER set out to be an apparel designer. Raised in Central Oregon, she grew up playing sports, parlaying her talent into a softball scholarship at the University of Puget Sound. After graduating with a B.A. in business/commerce, Clark spent two years in southern Africa for the Peace Corps and then worked as a professional photographer for the next two decades. Along the way, there was a short stint in the Army, the launch of the now-defunct “The World in My Backyard” project (the goal was to meet, interview and photograph an individual or couple born in every country in the world) and the raising of two sons. Her most-recent endeavor, TaraShakti—a women’s sportswear company focused on vintage-inspired skiwear and launched in 2021— kicked off as the result of an annual weekend ski trip to Whistler, British Columbia. 42
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“About three or four years in, one of our friends was diagnosed with brain cancer and given a terminal prognosis,” said Clark. “The next year, when the trip came around, she said, ‘Everyone show up in a one-piece!’ I hate to shop, but once I discovered the vintage onesies on eBay, I started collecting them.” The women enjoyed donning the bright winter wear and the compliments that came to their posse as they zipped around the Blackcomb slopes. The problem was the suits’ functionality. Issues included outdated fabrics that weren’t warm enough, unflattering cuts and insufficient pockets. After Clark created a parody video of Macklemore’s “Downtown,” called “Downhill,” featuring thirty women on the slopes in vintage ski suits (the project meant to raise awareness and funds for brain cancer research at the Ben and Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment), she suddenly owned more than 100 unique garments.
I skied in [my vintage ski suits] all the time, and people were constantly coming up to me asking me where I got them. I started to think about how to upgrade the form and function while keeping the style, but I didn’t have a design background or a way to figure out sourcing from another country.”
Ross VanAlstine
startup
— Tara Clark, TaraShakti founder, on the company’s beginnings “I skied in them all the time, and people were constantly coming up to me asking me where I got them,” Clark recalled. “I started to think about how to upgrade the form and function while keeping the style, but I didn’t have a design background or a way to figure out sourcing from another country.” Eventually, Clark turned to Tashi Tenzing Sherpa, founder of Sherpa Adventure Gear and Khangri Sourcing and a veteran of the outdoor wear industry, for advice. She met him and his wife through her “World in My Backyard” project and had kept in touch over the years. His company, Khangri Sourcing, is a private label manufacturer with decades of design experience. “Tashi took a chance with me,” Clark said, noting that he allowed her to start with a smaller initial manufacturing run. “Usually, you would have to invest a lot of money to have a lot of units made, but he said, ‘I believe in what you’re doing.’” From the beginning, Clark has embraced a mission based on social connection and giving back. For each of the of the suits sold, TaraShakti donates $25 to the Ben and Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment and $25 to the Northwest Sherpa Association. Inspired by her collection of vintage skiwear, she designed a range of one-pieces in bold blues, oranges, reds and greens (white and navy are options for a more classic look). Convertible (the onesie unzips to become a jacket and pants, giving the wearer more options), waterproof and embedded with RECCO technology (radar-signal locators in each piece enable rescue professionals to locate someone lost on the mountain), each suit has its own flair, from a contrasting zipper to chevron arm embellishments. Three years after launching, the company has hosted two pop-ups, but mostly operates on a direct-to-consumer model.
Tara Clark traveled the world, experimented a lot, met scores of people and then brought it all together in a onesie.
Clark offers virtual consultations and, if you’re in the Seattle area, in-person fittings out of her Capitol Hill studio. She says that eventually she’d like to wholesale her product, but even now, there is nothing like seeing someone pull on a TaraShakti onesie and breaking out into an enormous smile. “I’m most proud of making people feel good about themselves,” Clark said “TaraShakti is a direct translation of ‘StarPower’ in Sherpa. I believe all women have incredible, unique star power within them that gets lost under numerous layers in our society. I am proud to say TaraShakti products help women feel comfortable and confident stepping outside their comfort zones (and into inclement conditions), allowing their unique star power to shine bright.” OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
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my workspace
Made By Hand Alex Robinson prefers complex and arcane projects to challenge his artistry written by Joni Kabana photography by Young Kwak
FROM AN early age, Alex Robinson, a descendent of blacksmiths, wheelwrights, barn builders and farmers, was fascinated by mechanical things. His father, a winder of electric motors, noticed his son’s penchant for making things with his hands and gave him access to tools in his machine shop as well as introduced him to the machinery at his Spokane Industrial Park workplace at Westinghouse. This opened the door to spatial reasoning skills that have been honed over many years. After acquiring an Associate of Applied Science degree in machine shop technology, Robinson worked as a prototype, fixturing and production machinist for fourteen years and would come home after a long day’s work and unwind by making things from wood, copper, mild steel and found objects, turning them into organic forms such as leaves and flowers. ABOVE An overhead installation created by metal artist Alex Robinson hangs at Saranac Commons in Spokane. AT RIGHT Robinson at his shop in Valleyford.
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my workspace
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my workspace
Blacksmithing is his current focus. “I enjoy the creative, hands-on aspect of blacksmithing,” he said. “It’s demanding work, both mentally and physically, but transforming nominal stock into tendrils, twists, leaves, scrolls and countless other forms is very satisfying work. Taking something from ether to tangible is an incredible feeling.”
Robinson has collaborated with other artists such as glass artists Sherry Boyd-Yost and the late Susan Kim, and their restoration work can be viewed at Spokane’s historic Fox Theater, built in 1931. Even on such large-scale projects, Robinson derives great joy from highly skilled, unique craftsmanship, eschewing replicated creations unless they are for historic restoration and repair purposes. “Mass-produced, cookie-cutter work is a soulless endeavor that defeats the purpose of handcraft,” he said. For his solo work, he prefers to sculpt pieces that are complex, such as his Abraxas, based on a single-edged, three-dimensional shape called an umbilic bracelet as defined by a set of parametric equations.
Robinson is inspired by random observations such as shadows and plant forms, as well as more specific influences such as the late 1920s Wundergarten der Natur (Nature’s Magic Garden) photographs of Karl Blossfeldt, Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements and many artists and craftspeople. He accepts online commissions for small, unique, limited-edition pieces. See more of Robinson’s work at www.collective-studio.com.
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FROM TOP Alex Robinson’s Abraxas, located in Spokane, is based on an umbilic bracelet shape. Window grills created by Robinson can be found at the Fox Theater in Spokane.
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game changer
Noble Cause Long Live the Kings protects and promotes salmon recovery in Puget Sound and beyond written by Daniel O’Neil
THE SALISH SEA would not be complete without salmon. Just ask its Southern Resident killer whales, its tribes and everyone else, from school children to fishermen. But over a century and a half of disturbances to salmon habitat and populations now threaten to overturn these fishes’ reign as a keystone species. Seattle-based nonprofit Long Live the Kings seeks to retain king (Chinook), coho, sockeye, chum, pink and steelhead on their rightful throne in the Salish Sea and throughout the North Pacific. As a science-based organization, LLTK generates management actions based on research, from freshwater to saltwater. For instance, LLTK helps identify and remediate barriers to migration, including the installation of multimillion-dollar structures to smooth fish passage around Hood Canal Bridge’s giant pontoons. The organization also raises awareness of the status of Washington’s salmon, many of which are listed under the Endangered Species Act, with programs like Survive the Sound 48
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Long Live the Kings works to restore Chinook, coho, sockeye and other fish in the Puget Sound area.
that lets people follow tagged steelhead from Puget Sound and Hood Canal to the Pacific Ocean. Since its foundation in 1986, LLTK has also protected salmon species diversity. When Hood Canal summer chum salmon runs began disappearing in the 1990s, LLTK operated a conservation hatchery and worked with state, federal and tribal agencies to mitigate habitat and harvest issues. Only six adult summer chum salmon returned to Lilliwaup Creek in 1999, while now between 400 and 2,000 spawn naturally here each year. “It’s an important story that needs to be told not just in Hood Canal, but across Washington, the entire West Coast, and all the way back to Washington, DC,” said LLTK chief executive officer Jacques White. “These investments can work if we do them at the right scale and with the right level of involvement and partnerships.” White needn’t look far for strong allies in salmon recovery. Tribal nations are the first and the closest partners in all LLTK
ABOVE Scientists from Long Live the Kings and University of Washington’s Wetland Ecosystem Team measure young salmon found in the restored habitat at Vigor on Harbor Island in Seattle. BELOW Long Live the Kings staff and community volunteers gather Chinook salmon for spawning at Glenwood Springs on Orcas Island.
“Let’s get the adequate resources that salmon recovery and management need, and be honest about what it’s going to take,” he said. “We like to talk about salmon, but are we really serious? Are we doing this to have museum pieces that we can go watch spawn in the stream? Or are we doing this because we have a personal relationship to the resource, and we want that resource available for future generations?”
Long Live the Kings
projects. “I cannot overemphasize the importance of Indian tribes and their critical role in caring about and addressing the needs of salmon in Washington state,” he said. “For every decision they make, they think, ‘How’s this going to affect my grandchildren’s grandchildren?’ Whereas the rest of us think, ‘How’s this going to affect my job next year or next month, or my next promotion?’” As tribal and non-tribal researchers noticed high mortality of juvenile salmon entering the Salish Sea, LLTK and others asked why. The Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, led by LLTK and a Canadian counterpart, the Pacific Salmon Foundation, assembled 200 scientists from more than sixty organizations in the United States and Canada, including tribal nations. A $40 million budget and five years of studies concluded that changes in the marine food web, likely related to climate change, and predation present the greatest challenges. Erik Neatherlin, director of the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office, said he hadn’t seen anything before at that scale in Washington. “It went across disciplines, across geographies, and it involved everyone from researchers to policy makers, including working closely with tribes,” he said. “LLTK doesn’t shy away from asking questions and jumping right in. It takes a certain level of vision and courage to take on some of these big projects that they have taken on.” Recently, LLTK launched a new program, the Salmon and Climate Initiative, which looks at the needs of salmon from California to the Arctic and aims to build a coalition of scientists and advocates across that vast territory. White recognizes widespread concern, but not enough action.
Long Live the Kings
game changer
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SNUGGLE
UP!
places to get cozy this fall in Washington
written by Ryn Pfeuffer
AS THE CRISP FALL AIR settles in, there’s no better time to plan a cozy Pacific Northwest escape. Whether you dream of snuggling up by the fire with a glass of wine or sinking into a hot tub after a scenic hike, these six destinations offer the perfect blend of comfort and charm. From intimate riverside retreats to rustic mountain lodges, each spot is designed for those seeking warmth, relaxation and a little romance this season. So, grab your favorite sweater, and get ready to snuggle up at one of these dreamy autumn getaways.
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A romantic venue, The Inn at Langley has cozy rooms with private cedar balconies. (photo: James Harnois)
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SNOQUALMIE
Salish Lodge & Spa
The Inn at Langley on Whidbey Island pairs luxury and a Pacific Northwest feel. (photo: The Inn at Langley)
WHIDBEY ISLAND
The Inn at Langley For a special occasion, The Inn at Langley on Whidbey Island is a lovely mix of luxury and Pacific Northwest casual charm. Just a short, twenty-minute ferry ride from the Mukilteo ferry terminal north of Seattle, this romantic hideaway offers incredible views of Saratoga Passage from every room. Imagine unwinding on your private cedar balcony with a glass of wine, warming up by the fireplace (in more ways than one?) or sinking into a whirlpool tub made for two. (The second- and fourth-floor rooms have the sunniest decks, with no overhangs.) With its bucolic beachfront setting and quaint town a half-block away, it’s an easy jaunt for couples seeking a fancy retreat without losing that laid-back PNW vibe. {www.innatlangley.com}
The spa at The Inn at Langley overlooks the comely Saratoga Passage. (photo: James Harnois)
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MORE TO DO: Take a beach walk along the shores, where the crisp fall air and super calm atmosphere set the stage for sunset. After your stroll, unwind with a soothing massage at the small yet mighty spa at The Inn at Langley. End your day with a delicious dinner at Prima Bistro, where the flavors will transport you straight to France— no passport required.
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Salish Lodge offers a uniquely romantic experience resting above the majestic Snoqualmie Falls. The warm, inviting lobby, with its double-sided fireplace, sets the tone for relaxation, whether you’re savoring morning coffee or an evening nightcap. Rooms feature gas fireplaces, plush bedding and spa-like bathrooms with soaking tubs or dual-head showers that make it hard to leave. Take a self-care time-out at the spa with treatments using Pacific Northwest ingredients, or enjoy the soothing soaking pools. At some point during your stay, be sure to take a short walk to the falls’ overlook for a quick photo-op. Fun fact: Snoqualmie Falls, at 268 feet tall, is actually taller than Niagara Falls, whose height ranges from 167 feet. {www.salishlodge.com} MORE TO DO: For a festive fall outing, visit nearby farms like Remlinger Farms and Fall City Farms. Partake in classic autumn fun with pumpkin picking, corn mazes and seasonal treats—the perfect makings for celebrating autumn’s best.
The 268-foot Snoqualmie Falls at Salish Lodge. (photo: Salish Lodge & Spa)
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT The majestic, Bavarianthemed Posthotel in Leavenworth. Rooms defy Bavarian pragmatism. Bathrooms are spa-like retreats at Posthotel. (photos: Posthotel)
LEAVENWORTH
Posthotel From Seattle, traverse Stevens or Snoqualmie Pass to the Posthotel, an adults-only sanctuary hugged by the river and mountain views. Just steps from town, it feels worlds away with its peaceful (read: nonparty) ambience. Each of the fiftyfive luxurious rooms has a plush, king-sized bed, a cozy gas fireplace and a stunning marble soaking tub facing the river. Indulge in the spa’s hydrotherapy pools, steam baths and sauna, or take a dip in the swimout saltwater pool. With European breakfast, wellness amenities and seasonal outdoor activities included, the Posthotel is a quiet fall respite for those seeking a romantic fall getaway. {www.posthotelleavenworth.com}
MORE TO DO: Oktoberfest in Leavenworth is a fun-filled choice for a romantic getaway. Stroll hand-in-hand through the festive streets of this Bavarian town, and savor hearty pretzels, sausages and steins of beer. The lively music and cozy atmosphere set the stage for a memorable mini-vacation, while the charming shops and Cascade Mountain scenery add to the romance. photo: Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce
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Set atop a hill with 360-degree views of the vibrant Methow Valley, the lodge offers abundant fall colors that light up the landscape.
Somewhere in the Methow Valley, Sun Mountain Lodge (and her visitors) is having its best day. (photo: Sun Mountain Lodge)
WINTHROP
Sun Mountain Lodge Just four hours from Seattle, Sun Mountain Lodge is a cozy fall getaway, blending rustic charm with a touch of luxury. Set atop a hill with 360-degree views of the vibrant Methow Valley, the lodge offers abundant fall colors that light up the landscape. Guests can unwind in rooms featuring fireplaces and soaking tubs with sweeping views, or opt for one of the lakeside cabins. Perfect for outdoor enthusiasts, the lodge provides horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking opportunities. If you’re lucky, on a clear night, the magic of the Aurora Borealis might make an appearance. {www.sunmountainlodge.com} MORE TO DO: For fall travelers at Sun Mountain Lodge, the Sun Mountain trail network is a must-explore gem with more than 40 miles of trails winding through vibrant meadows and forests. Whether you’re up for a peaceful 4-mile stroll on the Beaver Pond Loop or a thrilling ride on the Black Bear Trail with its stunning views of the Methow Valley and North Cascades, there’s something for everyone. And if you didn’t bring your own wheels, no worries—Sun Mountain Lodge rents out mountain bikes so you can easily hit the trails and soak in the autumn splendor.
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Take an autumn mountain bike ride with your sweetie in the Methow Valley near Winthrop. (photo: Stephen Matera)
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A cozy getaway for lovers and wine lovers, The Inn at Abeja in Walla Walla. (photo: The Inn at Abeja)
WALLA WALLA
The Inn at Abeja Tucked away along a calm country road, The Inn at Abeja is a romantic respite just minutes from downtown Walla Walla. Set on a picturesque, 38-acre property with the Blue Mountains as a backdrop, this century-old farmstead offers seven private cottages and suites. Stay in the charming Bunk House, with its antique clawfoot tub and private patio, or the Edison House, featuring vaulted ceilings, a gas fireplace and a luxurious shower for two. Guests enjoy complimentary tastings of Abeja’s renowned wines, making this serene retreat an ideal home base for exploring Walla Walla’s wine country. {www.abeja.net}
Pair your stay with fall tastings at Walla Walla wineries. (photo: Richard Duval/Walla Walla Valley Wine)
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MORE TO DO: In October and November, Walla Walla’s wine scene comes alive with fall flavors. Don’t miss Abeja for a cozy tasting in a historic barn, L’Ecole No. 41 for acclaimed wines in a charming schoolhouse, Woodward Canyon for stunning reds and ambience, and Amavi Cellars for a splendid blend of wines and fall scenery.
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STEVENSON
Tenzen Springs & Cabins Built into the hills between White Salmon and Stevenson, Tenzen Springs & Cabins is a cozy retreat in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge. With only six minimalist cabins inspired by Japanese wabi-sabi and Scandinavian hot spring culture, each offers a private geothermal soaking tub, an outdoor shower and a wrap-around deck with stunning Gorge views. Tall ceilings, queen-sized bamboo beds and a steam-sauna shower create an atmosphere of tranquil luxury. {www.tenzensprings.com} MORE TO DO: Just a short drive from Stevenson, the Bonneville Dam is a hot spot for salmon and steelhead fishing that improves as seasons change. Fall Chinook start their run from late August through October, drawing anglers eager for a big catch. Coho makes their splash from mid-September through November, especially in Columbia River tributaries, while winter steelhead steals the show from December through February.
A private soaking tub at Tenzen Springs & Cabins. AT RIGHT Each cabin has a modern look with an Old World experience. (photos: Tenzen Springs & Cabins)
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Community forests in Washington preserve the woods while serving local values and needs written and photographed by Daniel O’Neil
Nason Ridge Community Forest offers hiking, occasional old-growth ponderosa pines and views of Lake Wenatchee and the Cascade Range.
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Forests have a natural tendency to unify the diverse. Plants and trees, mammals and birds, and humans from all walks of life can call the same forest home. Rather than just a bunch of trees, a forest is an ecosystem, a web of life. By providing wildlife habitat, wood products, drinking water, carbon sequestration, recreation, a good dose of serenity and plenty more, forests offer innumerable benefits to all involved, especially when managed by and for the common good. Second only to Oregon, Washington is one of the country’s main providers of forest products. Essential for the state’s economy and for the nation’s growth, timber must be cut. But when the value of Washington’s forests is only measured in board feet and in dollars, the forest’s other range of values diminishes, and its ability to cultivate community unravels. Enter Washington’s community forests. Owned and stewarded by and for the local community, the community forest model manages a forest’s many values so that ecosystem health, jobs and logs, access and recreation opportunities can all coexist. The forest stays whole, and all of its communities find what they need in the dominant feature of the Evergreen State. At 95,000 acres, community forestry in Washington looks like a sapling compared to other forestland ownership in the state. But with twenty-three community forests now established, and the purpose, unity and momentum gathering behind this movement, community forestry here has the potential to grow tall and resolute like a legacy cedar.
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T
he community forest model provides an opportunity for a community to purchase private timberland and develop a management plan that suits its particular, localized needs and values. Some are owned by a county or city, others by nonprofits or land trusts. All call their own shots, for the longterm economic, ecological and social good of the greater community. “There’s no one set of benefits that each community forest aims to achieve,” said Daniel Wear, forest program manager for Sustainable Northwest, a conservation nonprofit that also leads the Northwest Community Forest Coalition. “The common thread is that it’s a diffuse decisionmaking and management process that engages multiple perspectives.”
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In the Pacific Northwest and nationwide, Washington is proving itself a leader in community forestry. Since 2020, the state’s Recreation and Conservation Office has a Community Forests Program that has already awarded $22 million to nine different community forest projects, and fourteen more projects have requested grant funding for the upcoming cycle. Results are already tangible. Without RCO funding, Chimacum Ridge Community Forest might not exist. Plans to clearcut and develop Chimacum Ridge, near Port Townsend, incited local residents to find a way to protect the forest while still providing timber for local artisans and mills. “People who know this place, who live here, work here and do this conservation work locally, immediately identified community forestry as the way we wanted to see this place managed in perpetuity,” said Erik Kingfisher, director of stewardship and resilience for Jefferson Land Trust. “And part of that is weaving in the community to help take care of the place, building that into the culture.” Chimacum Ridge Community Forest has yet to officially open, but volunteer community members have organized to govern and manage the 853-acre community forest, and a suite of community-led advisory groups helps provide guidance. In Whatcom County, the newly acquired Stewart Mountain Community Forest is also setting up a management plan that extends far beyond short-term goals. Close collaboration with the Nooksack
Tribe expands the dimension and definition of community here, with a particular focus on salmon recovery. “One of the wonderful components of a community forest is having the time and space to develop that long-term vision,” said Claire Johnston, communications director for Whatcom Land Trust. “In this day and age, having sustainable, locally driven solutions is such a great opportunity to address the needs of our communities. It’s going to impact people’s dayto-day lives, as well as benefit future generations.”
T
HE PACIFIC Northwest’s first community forest, one of the earliest in the country, dates back to 1931. Montesano City Forest, 40 miles west of Olympia, formed when the city’s water department purchased 5,000 acres of previously cut woods just north of Montesano, traditionally a logging town. Today, like in all community forests, multiple uses overlap. With nearly 20 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, and room for berry pickers, equestrians, birdwatchers and hunters to roam, recreational access is highly valued. But forestry still holds sway. Montesano manages its 5,600-acre forest according to a sustainable yield that grows trees for about fifty-five years before clearcutting and replanting approximately 85 acres a year. “We could cut that forever and never run out of trees,” said city forester John Bull. Montesano City Forest guarantees $1 million annually to the city,
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT After about fifty-five years, this parcel of the Montesano City Forest was harvested, but the trees still standing form part of a buffer that will never be cut. Logging on the Montesano City Forest resembles industrial forestry yet on a much smaller scale. Montesano city forester John Bull talks on the radio with staff.
steady work for local forestry professionals and mills, and continued public access. One-fifth of Montesano’s forest will never be cut because it lies in riparian wetlands protected by state law or in setaside zones. “There are some areas that we could probably harvest, like extremely steep slopes, but we’re choosing not to,” Bull said. “We don’t want to open Pandora’s box. We have enough acres that we don’t need to push areas that are potentially unstable.”
In terms of timber harvest, Montesano is Washington’s most productive community forest. But Montesano grows its trees for several decades longer than most investorowned forestlands and is acquiring more acreage to extend that rotation. Longer rotations degrade the land less, sequester more carbon and, in greater contrast to industrial ownership, they form part of a long-term stewardship plan. As investment timber operations buy, cut and sell land at a
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rapid clip, local communities lose economic stability and even access to the woods. The majority of Washington’s community forests have emerged from industrial timberland as communities endeavor to regain some control over their local forests. Often, a community will learn of a forest parcel that locals recognize as particularly significant but is slated for liquidation and possibly for development, and citizens will organize to bring that land under community forest ownership. In response, some large private timberland owners have worked with community forest interests, and a mutual respect has evolved.
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FROM LEFT Forester and Mount Adams Resource Stewards founder Jay McLaughlin inspects a load of merchantable logs from a parcel affected by root rot and dwarf mistletoe. Previous industrial ownership opened up dramatic views of Mount Adams on some parcels of today’s Mount Adams Community Forest.
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Since its inception in 2011, the Mount Adams Community Forest has grown parcel by parcel, much of it through acquisition from timber companies. It was Washington’s first nonprofit-owned working forest, and it continues to expand. Forest management here focuses on thinning operations and, importantly in this arid stretch of Klickitat County, fire resiliency through prescribed burns. But the benefits and uses are as diverse as the community’s interests. Jay McLaughlin founded Mount Adams Resource Stewards, the nonprofit that owns the 1,800-acre community forest, in 2004. “While
nonprofits are private organizations, the mission is one of public and community benefit,” he said. The local community was not benefitting from the high turnover of forestland as ownership drifted away to corporations and investment entities on the East Coast and beyond. McLaughlin believed a community forest could act as an anchor institution for the community, like a school or grange hall. “Mount Adams Community Forest, for us, is one part conservation, one part economic development and one part community building,” he said. “The community forest has the power to maintain
capital—natural assets and human capital—in an area where many resources have been exported and effectively drained from our community. The goal is that people feel a sense of ownership and pride, empowered through their connection to these forests.” By creating local jobs, inviting the community back onto the land and restoring health to forests that had been intensively managed for decades, the Mount Adams Community Forest provides a vision of rural stability and place-based unity. Getting local residents back into their local woods is a pillar of community forestry. Beyond economic opportunities, the benefits extend to wellness and education. Twenty miles north of Leavenworth, the Nason Ridge Community Forest gathers
these attributes and more across its 3,714 acres above Lake Wenatchee. In 2017, a proposed timber sale and likely development worried citizens enough to start a grassroots campaign to protect Nason Ridge. With help from Chelan County, nonprofits and a willing seller, the community forest was established in 2022. Having been intensively logged over the past century, the trees here will now be left to grow a while before revenue-based logging resumes. Ongoing thinning projects will create an older, more complex forest structure, prescribed burns will reduce fuels, and all of this creates local jobs and awareness. “It’s a great example for the public to see what responsible forest management can look like, but then also see a healthy forest emerge,” said
Mount Adams Community Forest, for us, is one part conservation, one part economic development and one part community building. The community forest has the power to maintain capital— natural assets and human capital—in an area where many resources have been exported and effectively drained from our community. The goal is that people feel a sense of ownership and pride, empowered through their connection to these forests.” — Jay McLaughlin, Mount Adams Resource Stewards executive director
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Erin McKay, senior natural resource and recreation specialist for Chelan County. Maintaining access is also important for recreation, another draw at Nason Ridge. In summer, Forest Service hiking trails lead through the community forest to dramatic views, and in winter groomed cross-country ski trails weave through from Wenatchee State Park. Hunters and horseback riders are also welcome. But Chelan County is careful not to overdevelop recreational opportunities and overstress the local community and infrastructure. “We’re constantly working toward compromises, trying to strike a balance between all of the different objectives, like between recreation access and wildlife protection, or active forest management and recreation,” McKay said. “It can be challenging, so we just come back to our management plan and make sure that we’re balancing out the objectives for the community.”
S
ALMON, it has been said, are a forest species. Born and raised in forest streams, they return from the Pacific Ocean to their natal waters to spawn the next generation. Washington has the ability to grow evergreens and salmon in abundance, but salmon face a litany of impacts today, and industrial forestry is one of them. Community forestry finds a natural niche in protecting and restoring crucial wild salmon
and steelhead habitat throughout the state. Nason Creek, which flows through the Nason Ridge Community Forest, is home to spring chinook salmon and steelhead trout listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. To enhance habitat for those fish, the community forest has created an expanded riparian reserve along the creek’s floodplain and ongoing targeted restoration projects that will key into cold water inputs. On the Stewart Mountain Community Forest, Whatcom Land Trust is partnering with the Nooksack Tribe on a conservation plan for ESA-listed chinook salmon and bull trout in the South Fork Nooksack River watershed. Today, the community forest protects 530 acres of highly sensitive salmon-bearing habitat, and its goal is to acquire another 5,500 acres from industrial timberland owners. These two community forests follow the example of the Nisqually Community Forest, east of Olympia, which manages its 5,500 acres to provide timber revenue for the local community and also to safeguard critical habitat for ESA-listed steelhead trout and chinook salmon. The Nisqually River watershed lies in the middle of a vast industrial timber zone. With anadromous fish populations nearing extinction, export timber harvests reaching new highs, steady ownership turnover and loss of access to
AT LEFT Diverse, mixed-age and -species forests form the Nason Ridge Community Forest, which was recently saved from industrial logging and development.
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the woods, local stakeholders convened in 2010. Together, they strategized a Nisqually Community Forest that would protect fish and wildlife habitat, restore access and manage the forest ecologically while also creating local timber industry jobs.
What if you measured profit as the number of jobs you created, as opposed to the return in dollars to an investor in Paris? What if you measured it in fish in the streams, or in how many kids get out in the forest every year? So, kind of a thought experiment, but it’s a way of thinking about a different kind of timber company, a nonprofit timber company.” — Joe Kane, Nisqually Community Forest general manager
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As the first to argue that community forestry proved the best approach to salmon and steelhead recovery, because it intended to acquire large, contiguous, steep tracts of forestland in the upper watershed, the Nisqually Community Forest proposal won initial funding in 2014. Today, it covers 5,500 acres, and the long-term goal is to purchase another 15,000 acres of neighboring industrial timberland. To benefit steelhead and salmon, the community forest management plan includes commercial thinning in areas far from fish habitat, but also growing a more mature forest to increase stream flows for fish in summer. “The goal for the forest as a whole is to set it on an old-growth trajectory, as opposed to standard industrial management,” said Joe Kane, general manager of the Nisqually Community Forest. “All of these forests have been managed for over a century,
and we’re changing management on them.” Kane also envisions changing the definition of forestland ownership and profit. “What if you measured profit as the number of jobs you created, as opposed to the return in dollars to an investor in Paris? What if you measured it in fish in the streams, or in how many kids get out in the forest every year? So, kind of a thought experiment, but it’s a way of thinking about a different kind of timber company, a nonprofit timber company.” The Nisqually Community Forest was in fact incorporated as a nonprofit so that it can engage in timber production for revenue rather than rely on donations. But Kane points out that the Nisqually Community Forest pays the same property and harvest taxes as large industrial timber companies. And rather than export its logs for greater profit, like most industrial operations, the Nisqually
Community Forest sends its timber to local mills. “The money stays home. It doesn’t go out of the state, doesn’t get shipped around the world. It stays right here.”
W
ASHINGTON’S tribal nations have maintained a community here for thousands of years. Their cultures developed with the forests. Tribal involvement brings many benefits to community forestry, including traditional ecological knowledge, a very long-term view and a true, complete sense of community. The Nisqually Indian Tribe has been involved in the Nisqually Community Forest from the beginning. As the state-recognized lead entity for salmon and steelhead recovery in the watershed, the tribe’s inclusion is essential. Over the last two years, the tribe has demonstrated the depth of its commitment by purchasing 2,700 acres of forestland to double the size of the community forest. While other community forests in Washington also work closely with local tribes, the Indian Creek Community Forest, 60 miles north of Spokane, provides the model for tribal community forestry. As one of only two tribe-owned and -managed community forests in the nation, Indian Creek focuses on Kalispel Tribe interests while also engaging the surrounding community as a whole. Purchased in 2012 from a private landowner who envisioned development, the Kalispel Tribe implemented its
community-developed action plan in 2019. The community forest covers 410 acres, but tribal management extends across another 800 acres of fish and wildlife habitat. Prior to acquisition, the community forest area had been heavily cut, so the tribe is letting it recover rather than harvest trees. An on-site native plant nursery, fish hatchery and fishing pond provide a new direction for the land. But education, traditional culture and community form the backbone here. Indian Creek Community Forest hosts several education initiatives. Some involve forest management, and others work with children from the Kalispel Reservation. The Kalispel Language Survival School makes use of community forest classrooms to teach primary school students tribal names for different plants and animals. Children also learn archery and fishing skills here, which can one day provide both subsistence and a cultural connection with the land. “The primary function of the landscape that the community forest is part of is to develop additional opportunities of access to tribal membership for hunting, fishing and gathering,” said Ray Entz, director of wildlife and terrestrial resources for the Kalispel Tribe. “The reservation is small, and being small it provides a minimal opportunity for tribal members to access these resources. So our Fish and Wildlife Land Conservation Program really focuses on adding more to the tribe’s ownership that avails to tribal members these resources, from camas to deer and elk.”
FROM LEFT Spanning 5,500 acres, the Nisqually Community Forest’s management plan includes preserving habitat for steelhead and salmon. (photo: Tristan Olson/ Nisqually River Foundation) Indian Creek Community Forest, owned and managed by the Kalispel Tribe, hosts educational opportunities for kids. (photo: Kalispel Tribe)
The Kalispel Tribe looks after its own while also inviting others in. Festivals, stargazing parties and BioBlitzes welcome non-tribal neighbors to enjoy what community forests do best. “One piece that’s super important to the tribe is developing that community engagement and involvement around collaborative and cooperative relationships,” Entz said. “Indian Creek Community Forest provides a place and a concept for that. And it’s bigger than just the tribe. It’s part of a broader community.”
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MOLTEN MAGIC written by Kerry Newberry EVERY OCTOBER, Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience illuminates why the city is the glass art capital of the U.S. The immersive, four-day festival is packed with opportunities to engage with leading glass artists along with exclusive studio tours, exhibitions and live demonstrations. This year, more than ninety events will feature the works of over seventy talented artists at locations across Seattle and neighboring cities, including Everett, Bainbridge Island, Issaquah and Tacoma. Expect new exhibitions with works by Blown Away Season 4 grand prize winner Morgan Peterson and challenge winners Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen and Gemma Hollister. Other highlights include a studio tour of The Boathouse, Dale Chihuly’s private studio and hot shop, and a guided tour of the luminous public glass art at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. For more details and a comprehensive schedule, visit www.refractseattle.org.
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FROM FAR LEFT Refract: The Seattle Glass Experience will feature the exquisite glasswork of more than seventy artists. Glass artist Melissa Misoda demonstrates her skills during an open studio at Misoda Glass in West Seattle during last year’s Refract event.
ABOVE, FROM TOP Artist Morgan Madison holds an open studio during last year’s Refract. Radiant Neon is one participant in this annual event. Carol Milne shows off her process for skillfully creating “knitted” glass sculptures during Refract. AT RIGHT Minhi England holds a glass demo at Seattle Glassblowing Studio during Refract in 2023.
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ADVENTURE 75 LODGING 78 TRIP PLANNER 80 NORTHWEST DESTINATION 84
pg. 75 Venture into the San Juans in search of killer whales.
Jason Hummel Photography/State of Washington Tourism
TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT 74
Enjoy Olympic Peninsula • Explore • Relax
• Reconnect
Enjoy iet u Q e th n Seaso
A Bounty of Experiences and miles of memories await on the Olympic Peninsula.
From Sea -to -Summit & Canal -to -Coast www.EnjoyOlympicPeninsula.com
travel spotlight
Fish and chips at Toby’s Tavern on Whidbey Island.
The Travels of Toby’s Tavern This Whidbey Island gem serves authentic with a side of memorabilia in a historic setting written by Joni Kabana
Gray Mountain Photography
WHEN YOU GET a hankering for fresh mussels straight from the sea and you want them served up in a quaint pub atmosphere, head to Toby’s Tavern in Coupeville on Whidbey Island. Built in 1890, the building has been host to many businesses but has been a coveside tavern since the early ’60s. The back bar has quite the story of “getting around.” First coming from around the Horn of Africa to the Fort Worden officer’s club, then on to stints in Fort Casey and the Central Hotel before landing in its current home. It is the center stage of a seafarer’s and sea lover’s respite spot where one can while away hours telling tall tales or simply eavesdropping on local verbal accounts. To get there, drive straight to Coupeville’s waterfront off of Highway 20, or if you arrive by boat, walk the short distance from their 200-foot float. Toby’s Tavern is chock-full of memorabilia, so build in extra time to peruse this artifact alcove of the most delightful kind. From a vast collection of lost baseball caps to decorated beast antlers to a plethora of parrots, Toby’s Tavern entertains the most curious souls. Don’t forget to look up—there you will see a five-man racing shell built back in the 1950s hanging from the ceiling. Toby’s Tavern serves up fresh local fare in addition to other hunger pacifiers such as their self-proclaimed “best burgers on the planet.” Halibut, salmon, oysters, cod and the main star, mussels, are offered for lunch and dinner along with an extensive beer and wine list. You can even give their own microbrew, Toby’s Parrot Red Ale, a try. Just keep an eye out for pirates. For more information and current hours of operation, see www. tobysuds.com.
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Killer whales among the San Juan Islands find sport and nourishment in the seal population.
Killer Times Summoning the restorative powers of the San Juan Islands written by Cathy Carroll
Sofia Prado/San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
THE BLACK, sickle-shaped fins slicing through the cerulean waters off San Juan Island meant one thing: killer whales. Their sleek, black bodies and distinctive white saddle patches came into view as the 12-ton, school-bus-length swimmers—Earth’s undisputed top ocean predators—agilely propelled themselves forward. Captain Ivan Reiff navigated the 40-foot, open Zodiac-style craft into position for a better look. We’d left Friday Harbor less than an hour earlier, and now, under a clear blue sky, it was time for lunch—but not for us. “They have a seal,” said oceanographer Bethany Shimasaki, naturalist aboard the Western Prince Whale Watching & Wildlife Tours’ three-hour trip. The two dozen passengers, some still digesting midday tuna sandwiches, feasted on the sight of fellow mammals enjoying their seafood through original methods.
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Ascend Mount Constitution for unmatched views of the San Juans. BELOW Orcas play and feed off the shore at Lime Kiln Point State Park.
The view through binoculars prompted mixed reactions as the light tan head and body of the seal, the size of a blubbery male human, bobbed in the water. Yet no one took their eyes off the scene as the adult orcas, including the grandmother of the group, known to researchers as T124A or Kittiwake, taught the adorable grandchild-calf how to hunt. It’s just one way to escape nearly everything associated with so-called civilized, twenty-first century life upon retreating to the San Juan Islands. Here, that respite can take many forms: waking up to lakeside birdsong, exploring the storied San Juan Island National Historical Park where American and English troops peacefully negotiated the claim to the islands in 1872, or climbing the stone watchtower atop Mount Constitution, nearly a half-mile above Orcas Island, the highest point of these islands which lie 90 miles north of Seattle. 76 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
On the ferry from Anacortes, the decompression from life begins as you watch the mainland, along with quotidian worries, grow smaller in the wake of the steadily chugging greenand-white boat. On the horizon, glacier-covered Mount Baker, Washington’s third-highest peak at 10,781 feet, dwarfs any remaining concerns. About an hour later, stepping onto terra firma, you can opt to search for marine life from shore, too. On San Juan Island, head to Lime Kiln Point State Park for prime whale-viewing 300 yards from the parking area. Watch for orcas, minke whales, porpoises, seals, sea lions, otters and bald eagles from the rocky cliffs or the picturesque lighthouse, built in 1919, which still guides ships in the Haro Strait. To increase the chance of being in the right place at the right time, check the Facebook group “Whale Sightings in the San
Jason Hummel Photography/State of Washington Tourism
adventure
Jim Maya/San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
Carina Skrobecki Swain/State of Washington Tourism
Consider the cozy Lakedale Resort on San Juan Island for your home base.
Juan Islands” for updates including humpback whale sightings in November. Keep it in (really) real time by chatting with the enthusiastic experts at the Center for Whale Research, two blocks from the Friday Harbor ferry landing. The center has led monitoring and study of the area’s killer whales since 1976. Even after seeing orcas in the wild, the center’s latest drone footage offers an engaging, intimate look at life in a killer whale pod. For an even closer, albeit more static look at sea creatures, savor oysters on the half shell at Downriggers, overlooking the placid San Juan Channel. Stroll a couple of blocks to the Friday Harbor House for sunset views from your room’s balcony, a soaking tub, fire pits on the lawn or dinner at its restaurant serving seafood and house-made pasta. Rise to the song of shorebirds, and sip coffee while watching ferries dock and depart. Or, opt for lakeside tranquility at Lakedale Resort, 82 lush acres offering deluxe glamping, yurts, log cabins and camping. Hop the ferry to Orcas Island for guided whale watching, or at Moran State Park, hike on more than 38 miles of trails beneath the canopies of lodgepole pine, redcedar, hemlocks and Douglas fir. Choices range from an easy, 3-to-4-mile loop around Cascade Lake or Mountain Lake or a more secluded, 6.8-mile Twin Lakes trail, or a 6.7-mile hike to the top of Mount Constitution, a challenge, offering 1,490 feet elevation gain and loss. Even driving has its rewards: At the summit, climb the stairs of a stone replica of a twelfth-century Russian watchtower, built during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Gaze over the vast orca hunting grounds nearly 200 miles to Mount Rainier. Back at Orcas’ beating heart, Eastsound, relax at the Outlook Inn, which dates to 1889 and has new, luxurious accommodations on the edge of Fishing Bay. It’s easy to see why the island is considered one of Earth’s vortexes, spots where good energy and a sense of well-being prevail. Ferrying back to the mainland, contemplate the paradox of feeling lighter, while taking so much back with you—the restorative effects of nature, culture and witnessing wild hunters in action. OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
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Photos: Sagecliffe Resort & Spa
lodging
ACCOMMODATIONS Sagecliffe offers eighty rooms in a variety of accommodations, including fifteen “cliffehouses” overlooking the gorge, cavern rooms with kitchenettes, and one- and two-bedroom homes. The cliffehouses feature elegant, modernist decor coupled with high ceilings, wood floors, gas fireplaces, coffee and tea-making facilities and flat-screen televisions. Utterly private, their secluded, grapevine-shaded patios are a peaceful place to sip a glass of wine as you gaze at the heart-stopping view.
AMENITIES Sagecliffe’s large selection of recreational offerings includes pickleball and tennis courts, a gym, a full-service spa, a large swimming pool, table tennis, fire pits, lawn games and hiking trails that lead directly from the resort down to the Columbia River basin.
DINING
Lodging
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP The cozy and romantic cabins of the Sagecliffe Resort on the Columbia River Gorge. Fire pits overlook the Gorge with views like this. The resort’s Tendrils Restaurant serves endless views with its tasty menu.
Sagecliffe Resort & Spa
Tendrils, the resort’s upscale restaurant, is a from-scratch kitchen helmed by Brooke Vader, a talented young chef who makes everything in-house, from bread to gelato. Dishes featuring locally sourced ingredients can be ordered inside the restaurant, on the patio overlooking the gorge, pool-side or at The Fox & Quail Whiskey Bar. The menu features casual fare like wood-fired pizza, fish and chips, pasta and enchiladas, as well as upscale dinners of filet mignon and halibut.
written by Lauren Kramer
HISTORY
THERE’S NO better place to appreciate the dramatic basalt cliffs of the Columbia River Gorge than Sagecliffe Resort & Spa, which sits on the dusty hillside 1,200 feet above the river. Built in 2005, the eighty-room resort is artfully and elegantly furnished, with all windows pointing to the deep blue ribbon of the river and the soaring cliffs on either side of it, their rusty red colors illuminated by the changing angles of the sun. Adjacent to 6,500 acres of public land, Sagecliffe encompasses a winery that opened in Spring 2024. The lush vineyards of its neighbor, Cave B Estate Winery, are interlaced between the resort, which means guests are surrounded by vineyards. Sagecliffe’s other neighbor is the Gorge Amphitheatre, making this the ultimate overnight venue for concert lovers seeking music and deluxe comfort. If you want to steep yourself in the peace and serenity of the gorge, come in the shoulder season or mid-week, when you’ll miss the 30,000 concert goers.
The resort, winery and amphitheater were built by Vince Bryan and his wife, Carol, who moved from New York City to Quincy in 1981 to start a vineyard. They invited 1,000 guests to celebrate their first harvest in 1984, and realizing their property encompassed a natural amphitheater with great acoustics, they built terraces and a stage and hired a Wenatchee band to entertain. Within seven years that venue became Washington’s much-loved Gorge Amphitheatre, now owned by Live Nation. The Bryans established Cave B Estate Winery and, in 2005, Cave B Inn & Spa, which was renamed Sagecliffe Resort & Spa when it came under new ownership in 2020.
344 SILICA ROAD NW QUINCY www.sageclifferesortandspa.com
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Sunshine for all Seasons!
Full of natural beauty and small town charm. Fall is a great time to visit Sequim!
UNWIND IN SMALL TOWN SPLENDOR
visitsunnysequim.com 1-800-737-8462
trip planner Being one of the smaller islands, Lopez Island is completely manageable on bike.
Lopez Island
A small San Juan Island with a big embrace of small farms and local food written by Ryn Pfeuffer
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Robert Harrison/San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
LOPEZ ISLAND, known as the “Friendly Isle,” is the perfect fall escape with its fiery autumn colors, quiet trails and welcoming community— don’t be surprised when people wave to you from their cars. Whether biking the island’s flat roads, exploring local farms or savoring local crab, clams, mussels or oysters, Lopez offers a laid-back charm that’s hard to resist. Here’s how to make the most of a fall weekend.
Trevor Eiler/San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau Barbara Marrett/San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
Stephanie Forrer/San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT A meander along Iceberg Point. Hyper-local fare from Ursa Minor. Spencer Spit State Park has some of the most highly sought campsites.
Day COTTAGES + CAMPING • COCKTAILS • SUNSET HIKE Start your day with a scenic, thirty-five-minute ferry ride from Anacortes to Lopez Island. Keep an eye out for whales, seabirds and other marine wildlife. Upon arrival, check in at Lopez Farm Cottages, just 2.6 miles from the ferry terminal. This charming, 29-acre organic farm—run by Mariko McKittrick and her husband, Jordy Hamilton (both relocated from Los Angeles in 2021)—features cozy, Scandinavian-style cottages. Enjoy private hot tubs (Cottage #1), pet-friendly accommodations (Cottage #5), gas fireplaces, luxe bathrobes, plush linens and a well-stocked kitchenette. For a more rustic experience, glamp in one of Lopez Farm Cottages’ five wall tents with hammocks and Adirondack chairs or opt for a classic walk-in tent site. These sites share a camp building with hot showers, on-demand hot water, a large fireplace and plenty of picnic tables. There are also a few drive-in sites designed for pickup trucks and vans. And don’t forget to greet the resident felines, Nori and Kombu. Keep in mind that cell service on Lopez Island is generally spotty, with the best coverage near Lopez Village, especially with T-Mobile. Lopez Farm Cottages offers free wifi, but why not use this island escape to disconnect and embrace nature instead? Other camping options include Odlin County Park and Spencer Spit State Park. Odlin County Park offers thirty campsites
with waterfront and forested options, a sandy beach and a boat launch. Campsite #6 is always in hot demand for its privacy and proximity to the beach. Spencer Spit State Park features thirtyseven campsites with views of Lopez Sound and Frost Island, picnic areas, hiking trails and beach access. The walk-in beach sites have the best views, especially numbers 44 through 50. Ease into your evening with a cocktail or glass of wine at Ursa Minor. There are also some knockout nonalcoholic options. While dinner reservations are highly recommended, you might be able to grab a bar seat when the airy, sunlit space first opens. The restaurant hosts Polaris Pop-up on Monday nights with a more casual service style and comfort food fare. After drinks, walk around the block to Setsunai for dinner on its intimate, heated patio. Renowned for its hyper-locally sourced ingredients, chef and founder Josh Ratza offers handmade ramen and udon noodles, rice bowls and the chef ’s eightcourse omakase tasting menu on Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations are recommended. Unwind after your first day on Lopez Island with a sunset at Iceberg Point. A scenic, 1.5-mile hike leads to this peaceful spot, where the sky lights up in pink, orange and purple. Along the way, watch for bald eagles, seals and grazing deer, and if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of migrating orcas or gray whales. OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
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trip planner
Day Head into Lopez Village and jumpstart the day with a visit to Isabel’s Espresso, the go-to spot for a pick-me-up. Enjoy its popular snickerdoodle latte or a refreshing Italian soda in a warm, laid-back atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating. If you’re visiting between mid-May and midSeptember, don’t miss the Saturday Farmers Market. Chat with local farmers and pick up fresh produce, artisan breads, meats, preserves, handmade gifts and more. Next, stop by the Barn Owl Bakery farm stand (Thursday through Saturday mornings) for cookies, crackers and whole grains. Starting at 3:30 p.m., they serve fresh, hot bread. Don’t sleep on their sourdough butter crackers with rosemary, dulse and San Juan Island Sea Salt or the Mountain Bread, a Danish-style rye packed with seeds, honey, molasses, raisins, beer and yogurt. Take a detour to Horse Drawn Farm off Port Stanley Road, where you’ll find organic, farmto-table produce and top-quality lamb, pork and beef. This charming spot runs on an honor system—choose, weigh and pay by cash or check. Also, be sure to visit Sunnyfield Farm for fresh goat milk products, including herbed chèvre, feta, goat milk yogurt and the must-try “Little Bloom” crottin. Owners Elizabeth and Andre Entermann occasionally offer impromptu tours for curious visitors, and shaded spots are available for cyclists to rest. For a memorable meal, head to Blue Heron Bistro. Open daily for lunch and dinner, they serve house-made pastas, a kids’ menu and a tasty signature Lopez 75 cocktail made with elderflower syrup, gin and prosecco. Try the Dungeness crab melt on Barn Owl focaccia or grilled sockeye salmon with vodka dill cream sauce. If you happen to be in town during the First Saturday Art Walk, meander local galleries featuring local art, live music and refreshments. Stop by Skarpari, where Chris and Krista Stovall craft beautiful knives, jewelry and art from ecofriendly materials, and Ship Supply, a boutique offering island-inspired fashion and accessories, some designed by local owners. Wrap up your day with a stop at Shark Reef Sanctuary. Walk the nature trail to the island’s western edge, where you can explore tide pools and spot seabirds, seals and marine mammals.
Stephanie Forrer/San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
BAKED GOODS • FARMS • ART WALK
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LOPEZ ISLAND, WASHINGTON
Wrap up your day with a stop at Shark Reef Sanctuary. Walk the nature trail to the island’s western edge, where you can explore tide pools and spot seabirds, seals and marine mammals.
EAT Barn Owl Bakery www.barnowlbakery.com Blue Heron Bistro www.blueheronbistrolopez.com El Taco ’Bout It www.eltacoboutit.com Horse Drawn Farm www.yelp.com/biz/horse-drawnfarm-lopez-island Isabel’s Espresso www.isabelsespresso.com Setsunai www.setsunainoodlebar.com Sunnyfield Farm www.sunnyfieldonlopez.com Ursa Minor www.ursaminorlopez.com
STAY Lopez Farm Cottages www.lopezfarmcottages.com
Day EXPLORE BY BIKE • TACOS
Deborah Hopkins/San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Shark Reef Sanctuary is a great place to catch a sunset. The entire Lopez Island is accessible to cyclists of most fitness levels. Find the best and freshest goat cheese at Sunnyfield Farm on Lopez Island.
Robert Harrison/San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
trip planner
Kick-start your day at Lopez Grind, also known as The Grind, with a Simple Sip—a cold brew topped with dreamy French vanilla cold foam—while soaking in local art. Then, swing by Village Cycles for hybrid bike and kayak rentals, complete with a handy Day Trip Guide and bike maps. They even offer ferry terminal dropoff and pickup for a nominal fee. September and October are ideal for fewer crowds, but steer clear of Center and Mud Bay roads due to higher speeds and traffic. For a super pretty ride, try the Fisherman Bay Loop. This 8.2-mile route is great for casual riders and serious cyclists alike. It offers an incredible water view backdrop as it nearly circles Fisherman Bay, ending at the Fisherman Bay Preserve. Before heading to the ferry, treat yourself to a final stop at El Taco ’Bout It. Owned by Jennifer and Victor, originally from Zacatecas and Jamay, Jalisco, this local favorite has served delicious meals since 2016. Parked next to Isabel’s Espresso in the village, this taco truck serves authentic Mexican flavors with daily specials and locally sourced meats like lengua (beef tongue) and hígado (liver). Don’t miss their breakfast burritos on Sundays. (Open Friday through Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
Odlin County Park www.sanjuancountywa.gov/ facilities/facility/details/OdlinCounty-Park-5 Spencer Spit State Park www.parks.wa.gov/find-parks/ state-parks/spencer-spit-state-park
PLAY Bike and kayak rentals www.theedenwild.com/lopez-islandbike-rental First Saturday Art Walks www.visitsanjuans.com/ eventdetail/72337/first-saturdayart-walks-on-lopez-island Iceberg Point www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/ iceberg-point Lopez Island Farmers Market www.lopezislandfarmersmarket.com Shark Reef Sanctuary www.visitsanjuans.com/account/ shark-reef-sanctuary Ship Supply www.shopshipsupply.com Skarpari www.skarpari.com Village Cycles www.villagecycles.net
1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE 83
northwest destination
Stanley A rural and natural Idaho retreat beneath the Sawtooth Mountains written by Ryn Pfeuffer AS YOU APPROACH Stanley, the awe-inspiring Sawtooth Mountains loom, marking your arrival in Idaho’s wild heart. Check into the charming Redfish Lake Lodge and surround yourself with alpine scenery. The Honeymoon Cabin is wellsuited for couples seeking a more private stay, while the Deluxe Cabins afford more space and multiple bedrooms for families or larger groups. Unpack, freshen up and head to the lodge’s dock to catch the last golden rays reflecting off Redfish Lake. For dinner, make your way to the Sawtooth Hotel Restaurant. This cozy spot serves hearty meals crafted from locally sourced ingredients. Try the beets and burrata with a spicy berry jam, followed by the grilled steelhead with mushroom asparagus risotto. Get a head start on the day with a delicious breakfast at Stanley Baking Co. & Cafe. The cinnamon rolls and oatmeal pancakes are legendary among locals and visitors alike. Once you’re sated, 84 1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
Visit Idaho
The pastoral Stanley beneath the awe-inspirng Sawtooth Mountains.
lace up your hiking boots and head into the Sawtooth Wilderness. Consider these top trails: the moderate 8-mile round trip to Alpine Lake, offering views of rugged peaks; the more challenging 10-mile round trip to Sawtooth Lake, with breathtaking scenery and one of the largest alpine lakes in the area; and the more leisurely 4.4-mile round trip Fishhook Creek Trail. If you have time, visit Lady Face Falls, a lesser-known spot featuring 30-foot cascading waters. After a morning of hiking, unwind at Redfish Lake. The crystalclear waters are prime for photography, and you can rent a kayak or paddleboard to explore at your own pace. Head to the Redfish Lake Lodge’s Lakeside Grill for a quick bite when hunger strikes. Enjoy casual fare like burgers, wraps and fish tacos while enjoying the lake views. Don’t miss their famous soft-serve ice cream. In the afternoon, head to Stanley Lake, another go-to for nature enthusiasts. The peaceful surroundings provide ample opportunities for more photos or simply soaking in the beauty. For a more secluded experience, visit Pettit Lake, a quieter spot about forty minutes away, with equally spectacular views and fewer crowds. As the day winds down, treat yourself to a soak at Sunbeam Hot Springs. Located along the Salmon River and about 13 miles outside of Stanley on Highway 75, this network of five manmade pools, fed by geothermal water from a nearby hillside,
STANLEY, IDAHO
Photos: Visit Idaho
northwest destination
EAT Lakeside Grill www.redfishlake.com/dining Mountain Village Restaurant & Saloon www.mountainvillage.com/dining Papa Brunee’s Pizza & Subs www.papabrunees.com Sawtooth Hotel www.sawtoothhotel.com/ stanley-dining Stanley Baking Co. & Café www.stanleybakingco.com
STAY Redfish Lake Lodge www.redfishlake.com
PLAY Alpine Lake www.alltrails.com/ar/trail/us/ idaho/alpine-lake-via-trail-640and-alpine-way-trail Lady Face Falls www.alltrails.com/ar/trail/us/ idaho/lady-face-falls Mystic Saddle Ranch www.mysticsaddleranch.com Pettit Lake www.fs.usda.gov Redfish Lake www.redfishlake.com Sunbeam Hot Springs www.ultimatehotspringsguide.com/ sunbeam-hot-springs.html White Cloud Rafting Adventures www.whitecloudrafting.com Yankee Fork Gold Dredge www.yankeeforkdredge.com
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Redfish Lake offers great fishing and hiking and lakeside restaurants. There are countless trails to get after while in town. A hearty breakfast from Stanley Baking Co. & Cafe.
offers a range of temperatures from red hot to river cold, perfect for soothing tired muscles. Back in Stanley, Papa Brunee’s serves up some of the best pizzas in the area for dinner. Try the Flaming Chick with blue cheese sauce, spicy chicken, jalapenos and onions, and save room for a slice of the salted caramel cheesecake. Start your day with another visit to Stanley Baking Co. & Cafe to get fed and fueled for more adventures. Today, you might opt for river rafting on the Salmon River. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced rafter, White Cloud Rafting Adventures offers half-day guided tours ranging from a scenic float with minimal swells to a high-adventure trip with class III-IV rapids.
Transition from river rapids to a serene horseback ride through the wilderness. Since 1969, Mystic Saddle Ranch has guided guests on trail rides through forests and meadows, offering a unique perspective of the Sawtooth landscape from the saddle. The 1.5-hour Little Redfish Ridge ride is the most popular, gaining approximately 200 feet of elevation and providing a lovely overlook of Big and Little Redfish Lake. In the fall, the aspen trees awe in vibrant tones of gold and yellow. After your ride, head to Mountain Village Restaurant for a farewell lunch. Before you end your Stanley sojourn, make a quick stop at the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge, a historic site offering a fascinating glimpse into Idaho’s gold mining past. OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE 85
1889 MAPPED
The points of interest below are culled from stories and events in this edition of 1889.
Friday Harbor
Island
Olympic National Park
Aberdeen
Newport
Marysville Everett Chelan
Bellevue
Tacoma
Colville Okanogan
Seattle
Port Orchard
Republic
Winthrop
Coupeville
Port Townsend Whidbey
Shelton
North Cascades National Park
Mount Vernon
Port Angeles Forks
Oroville
Bellingham
San Juan Islands
Leavenworth
Renton Kent Federal Way
Wilbur
Waterville
Spokane Davenport
Wenatchee Ephrata Ritzville
Montesano Olympia
Mount Rainier N.P.
Ellensburg Colfax
Chehalis
South Bend
Pullman Yakima Pomeroy
Long Beach Kelso
Cathlamet
Longview
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
Prosser
White Salmon Vancouver
Pasco
Dayton
Asotin
Walla Kennewick Walla
Goldendale
Stevenson
Live
Think
Explore
16 Tri-Cities Water Lantern Festival
42 TaraShakti
74
Toby’s Tavern
20 Little Hopper Tours
44 Fox Theater
75
22 Bluebird Grain Farms
48 Long Live the Kings
Western Prince Whale Watching & Wildlife Tours
78
Sagecliffe Resort & Spa
80
Iceberg Point
84
Stanley, Idaho
24 Key City Fish Co. 36 Spokane Boxing
86
Richland
Mount Adams
1889 WASHINGTON’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2024
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Until Next Time A stand of aspens in fall glory along Highway 2 in the Central Cascades. photo by Stephen Matera
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May the forest be with you this holiday season on Hood Canal. From Lilliwaup to Belfair, and all points in between, enjoy a series of holiday events December during the Festival of the Firs in Mason County. Get lost in the Guinness World Record Tribute Maze; carol & search for gnomes in Hoodsport; hunt for the perfect Christmas tree in the Olympic National Forest; parade through the streets of Belfair & Shelton – or simply enjoy a cabin in the forest or on the fjord. Start planning your perfect getaway now at explorehoodcanal.com.
Get your FREE FESTIVAL OF THE FIRS guide for holiday tips, live music, festivals, discounts, winter hikes & activities, and more!
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BOOK YOUR TRIP TODAY AT MTBACHELOR.COM
Montana’s Big Sky Resort is a must-visit. (photo: Patrick Conory/Big Sky Resort)
YOUR 2024/25
NORTHWEST SKI GUIDE GET STOKED. This ski season is shaping up to be a La Niña snow monster. What is La Niña, and why do we associate it with more snow? La Niña is a massive ocean-atmosphere climate phenomenon that is linked to cooling in sea-surface temperatures across the Pacific. Historically, this phenomenon has been the fluff of dreams for Pacific Northwest skiers and snowboarders. Meteorologists are now seeing similar weather patterns this year as the La Niña cycle from 2016. In 2016, for example, snowfall at Mt. Bachelor surged 44 percent, Mt. Hood Meadows jumped 26 percent, and Mt. Baker got dumped with 35 percent more snow. Though there is no guarantee La Niña will occur, or to the same extent, six of the past seven similar events brought more
snow to the Pacific Northwest than the prior year. What this does mean is that if you’re a fence-sitter on whether or not to buy a season pass, this seems like an odds-on year to perhaps get the most and best ski days in a while. If you’re feeling stung from a canceled or underwhelming ski trip last year, your confidence should rise this season with the likelihood of one elegantly layered with snow, your skis the warp and weft. And if you have wains just learning how to ski, there is nothing better than soft falls followed by tongues digging out from snow-covered faces. Here are some of our favorite ski areas to find some big La Niña snow in the Pacific Northwest.
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Cover: Crystal Mountain
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photo: Jason Hummel/Crystal Mountain
2024 SKI NORTHWEST 3
OREGON
HOODOO SKI AREA Known by the motto “Steep, Deep and Cheap,” Hoodoo is a budget alternative to the popular Mt. Bachelor. It has thirty-six runs, 800 skiable acres and five lifts. On the Santiam Pass, Hoodoo’s base elevation is 4,700 feet. Though Hoodoo gets an average annual snowfall of 450 inches, the resort struggles with weather patterns atop the Santiam Pass. When the snow is plentiful, Hoodoo is a classic small-resort experience. Just 21 miles northwest of Sisters, Hoodoo gives its skiers and riders a thrilling day at the slopes and the benefits of being close to the cozy western town of Sisters. Enjoy reduced rates with the Hoodoo AnyCard, which puts you on the slopes for less than $66 for any five days with no blackout dates. Never forget Thrifty Thursdays for discount lift tickets, and kids 10 and under always ski free at Hoodoo! DINING + DRINKING: A few favorites in the Sisters area are Three Creeks Brewery on the FivePine Lodge campus, Angeline’s Bakery for vegan and vegetarian food of the most divine quality and The Open Door for modern cuisine and Oregon wines. Sisters Bakery on the main street, Cascade Avenue, also makes the mother of all fritters. A family of four could greedily share one.
Enjoy sprawling terrain on Oregon’s iconic mountain at Mt. Hood Meadows. (photo: Richard Hallman/Mt. Hood Meadows)
MT. HOOD MEADOWS Mt. Hood Meadows ski area is 35 scenic miles south of Hood River. Meadows, as it’s known, has 2,150 acres of terrain, 2,777 vertical feet, eleven lifts and eighty-seven trails. Its reputation soars with advanced skiers as its terrain offers a lot in the expert range. DINING + DRINKING: In the Fruit Loop of Oregon, Hood River sits at the nexus of great craft beer
and wine, a nice problem to have. Perhaps the best way to split the difference is at restaurants like Solstice Wood Fire Pizza and Four & Twenty Blackbirds food truck, which have beautiful vegetarian options. Double Mountain Brewery has delicious beer and the best truffle pizza combo. For the full experience, try Celilo downtown, which brings together local meat, produce and wine in a romantic atmosphere.
Hoodoo packs great value as well as plenty of fun with nearby resorts, spas and the charming Westernthemed town of Sisters. (photo: Pete Alport/Hoodoo Ski Area)
The family-friendly Mt. Ashland is relatively inexpensive and adjacent to a town with some of the best restaurants in the state. (photo: Mt. Ashland Ski Area)
MT. ASHLAND Mt. Ashland has five lifts serving forty-five runs and 1,150 vertical feet over 240 acres. Though it’s not a massive resort, on good snow years, it is the perfect oldschool retreat from the masses.
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DINING + DRINKING: Caldera Brewery has it right when it comes to solid pub fare and tasty craft beers. For a full culinary experience, treat yourself to Larks Home Kitchen, where everything is made from local sources and with the finest care.
Y t Y p
YOU live for the RUSH. You’re our people.
There’s a certain breed of folks who seek inspiration off the beaten path. We know because we’re those folks too. Whether captivated by the natural beauty of our surroundings or our warm and friendly town, Hood River is the year-round destination for what moves you. Plan your journey at VisitHoodRiver.com
Photo: Richard Hallman
OREGON
MT. BACHELOR Mt. Bachelor is the belle of the ball in Oregon. It has more than 4,300 acres of terrain, twelve chair lifts, 101 runs, terrain parks, 3,365 feet of vertical and days-worth of territory to ski. While Bachelor can be seen for miles around, it’s 22 miles back into Bend that you’ll find the first lodging accommodations. DINING + DRINKING: Dining options are easy and plentiful in Bend, where good food and good beer go hand in hand. To get the best of Bend, begin
at its breweries. At Lifty’s, the atmosphere, food and beer are spot on for après ski. Deschutes Brewery is well known and worth the wait for its food and drink. Likewise with Crux Fermentation Project, the food and beer are divine and the views of the Cascades are not bad either. For cocktails, try Waypoint at Northwest Crossing or margaritas at El Sancho. The best vegetarian meals in Bend are at Wild Rose, a downtown northern Thai restaurant, and Spork, a creative Asian fusion restaurant.
With more than 4,300 acres of skiable terrain, Mt. Bachelor is the mother of all resorts in Oregon. (photo: Mt. Bachelor)
ANTHONY LAKES MOUNTAIN RESORT The base of Anthony Lakes just north of Baker City in Eastern Oregon begins at 7,100 feet, which ain’t nothing. The old-school ski area feels a little like the one you grew up with, but with a twist. The terrain can get a little steep. The snow can get very deep, and the backcountry or cat skiing
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can be top-shelf pow pow. One triple chair serves twenty-one runs and 1,100 acres. Anthony Lakes’ Starbottle Saloon in the lodge is itself worth the journey. DINING + DRINKING: For dining options in Baker City, Latitude 45 Grille serves local meat in the form of steak and burgers, and Mulan Garden is good for vegetarian options.
Anthony Lakes in Eastern Oregon is a true local gem and a fun throwback destination. (photo: Alyssa Henry/Anthony Lakes)
DITCH THE KEYS, EMBRACE THE JOURNEY Discover Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory Car-Free
Forget the hassle of traffic and parking. Your next vacation can be a breath of fresh air in Oregon’s Mt. Hood Territory. Just outside bustling Portland, this destination offers outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers the opportunity for a car-free adventure. Start your journey by taking Amtrak to Portland and hopping on the MAX Green Line to Clackamas Town Center. The Monarch Hotel’s shuttle will whisk you away to your base camp. This hotel offers traditional amenities and a captivating speakeasy, The Underground, for a unique experience. Before heading out, stop by the REI Re/Supply Clackamas store for tax-free outdoor gear. Then, board the Sandy Area Metro (SAM) to Sandy, the adventure hub. Explore the area’s history at the Sandy Historical Museum before catching the Mt. Hood Express to one of the incredible ski resorts on Mt. Hood.
Try a guided snowshoe tour with Mt. Hood Outfitters
Mt. Hood Skibowl features the most black diamond runs in the state and also has 34 fully lit runs, making it the largest night ski area in the U.S. Timberline Lodge & Ski Area boasts the Pacific Northwest’s largest vertical terrain and is the only ski-in, ski-out lodging in Oregon. Mt. Hood Outfitters offers guided snowshoeing, nordic skiing and snowmobile tours. And after your adventure, refuel at one of the many Government Camp dining options, from Charlie’s Mountain View to Mt. Hood Brewing Company. And don’t miss the Huckleberry Inn for a stack of delicious huckleberry pancakes.
View of Mt. Hood from Mt. Hood Skibowl
By leaving your car behind, you can experience winter on Mt. Hood sustainably and stress-free. So, grab your gear, lace up your hiking boots and embark on a carfree adventure.
SCAN TO PLAN YOUR TRIP TODAY!
omht.us/car-free
Huckleberry pancakes offer a taste of Mt. Hood
WASHINGTON
White Pass Ski Area west of Yakima has both alpine and Nordic ski options. (photo: Jason Hummel/ State of Washington Tourism)
Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, just outside of Spokane, spans more than 1,700 acres. (photo: Lindsey Bangsberg/Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park)
MT. SPOKANE SKI & SNOWBOARD PARK Approximately 30 miles northeast of Spokane, Mt. Spokane is home to seven lifts, fifty-two runs and more than 1,700 acres. The daily lift ticket isn’t the cheapest in the Northwest, but moderate for the region. Take $15 off your lift ticket price if you’re a late riser and start after 12:30 p.m.
MT. BAKER SKI AREA
WHITE PASS SKI AREA Less than an hour west of Yakima, White Pass Ski Area sets up nicely for families, with half of its runs intermediate, a third beginner and a smattering of advanced runs. In all, there are 1,400 skiable acres, with 2,000 feet of vertical covering six chairlifts and forty-five runs. White Pass’s Nordic skiing comprises 18 kilometers of groomed skinny skiing. DINING + DRINKING: For both dining and drinking, two places in Yakima stand out—Cowiche Canyon Kitchen and Crafted. Both have a full bar, craft beer and tantalizing menus.
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Just under 60 miles east of Bellingham and in the North Cascades, Mt. Baker is seen as a locals’ mountain buttressed by season pass holders. Baker has eight quad chairs, 1,500 vertical feet and 1,000 acres of deep snow. DINING + DRINKING: For dining and drinking, head back to Bellingham for a lively brewery scene that includes Aslan and Kulshan breweries and restaurants Lombardi’s and Keenan’s at the Pier, as well as dozens more. AT RIGHT Mt. Baker Ski Area brings the powder. (photo: Visit Bellingham)
DINING + DRINKING: Head into Spokane, which has become a booming culinary scene—from restaurants such as Zona Blanca ceviche bar and delicate pastas at Gander & Ryegrass as well as alluring cocktail bars like Bistango Martini Lounge and Hogwash Whiskey Den.
Your Year-Round Getaway!
Discover North America’s Largest Network of Cross-Country Ski Trails Boutique shopping, affordable lodging, delicious food, and plenty of outdoor recreation. WinthropWashington.com For trail conditions, visit MethowTrails.org
SKINNY SKIS welcome 200+km groomed daily kids ski free
methowtrails.org
WASHINGTON
CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN Approximately 85 miles southeast of Seattle, Crystal Mountain has been the magnet for Seattleites as well as Washington’s other top urban centers. Washington’s largest ski resort, Crystal offers 2,600 acres with 2,400 vertical feet and eighty-five runs. DINING + DRINKING: Because Crystal is on the relatively remote edge of Mt. Rainier National Forest, most consumption is done on the mountain itself. Crystal’s restaurants channel the great vibes for après ski eat and drink. Fireside Cantina at the base and Summit House Restaurant at the top of the gondola combine views, brews and amusebouche for your dining experience.
Crystal Mountain is Washington’s largest ski resort at 2,600 acres. (photo: Christy Pelland/ Crystal Mountain)
Methow Valley is home to North America’s largest network of crosscountry ski trials, in a heavenly setting. (photo: Methow Trails)
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METHOW VALLEY One of the planet’s best Nordic ski areas is Methow Valley. The tiny community here maintains more than 130 miles of groomed trails as they connect one small town on the eastern shoulder of the North Cascades to each other. The string of towns along this part of the valley are Mazama, Winthrop and Twisp. DINING + DRINKING: The small towns of the Methow Valley have surprisingly good choices for dining—from the deli at the Mazama Store, to creative Asian dishes at Linwood and unforgettable Italian cuisine at Tappi in Twisp, you won’t miss the big-city culinary scene. For old-school burgers and good beer, the Old Schoolhouse Brewery in Winthrop is the place.
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IDAHO
SCHWEITZER In northern Idaho’s Selkirk Range, Schweitzer is truly a hidden gem with 2,900 acres of skiing across ten lifts and an impressive 2,400 feet of vertical. DINING + DRINKING: A village unto itself, Schweitzer has plenty of reasons to keep you from driving into Sandpoint. Pastas at Chimney Rock Grill and burgers at Crow’s Bench are just two examples that will keep you in the village and off of the winding road back to Sandpoint. Schweitzer has the feel of a small European ski resort tucked away in northern Idaho. (photo: Schweitzer)
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IDAHO
Brundage Mountain Resort, located 9 miles from McCall, averages 320 inches of snow at its base. (photo: Visit Idaho)
BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN RESORT Just 9 miles north of McCall, Brundage Mountain Resort has five lifts covering 1,920 acres and a vertical drop of 1,921 feet. For those who prefer skinnier skis, McCall has fantastic groomed Nordic trails nearby. Little Bear Basin, Ponderosa State Park and Jug Mountain Ranch are just a few areas where novice to novel skiers can kick and glide through amazing outdoor scenes.
L
C
DINING + DRINKING: Cutwater on Payette Lake for lobster bisque and wine, Rupert’s Restaurant for elk meatloaf and McCall Brewing Company for burgers are a few good options in McCall, a town that has many more to choose from.
SUN VALLEY The birthplace of lift-serve skiing and the nostalgic winter playground of Hollywood’s golden era, Sun Valley has charm, history, people-watching and more than 2,000 skiable
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acres. The main Warm Springs Lodge at Bald Mountain (Sun Valley Resort’s main ski area) was renovated in 2019 after a fire ripped through and gutted it in 2018. Rest assured, the glamor of the original was dutifully restored. The resort has 121 runs,
+
eighteen lifts and 3,400 feet of vertical drop. DINING + DRINKING: The main street classics (Pioneer Saloon and Sawtooth Club) may be overrun on any given weekend. Shoot for Despo’s for top-notch
Mexican cuisine and margaritas. For cocktails, head back to Main Street to either Warfield Distillery & Brewery or to Limelight Hotel, where you can sit indoors or outdoors in a courtyard that overlooks a little park that houses the regional museum.
Project is funded totally or in part, as applicable, by the Okanogan County Hotel/Motel Lodging Tax Fund
LARGEST
CROSS-COUNTRY TRAIL SYSTEM IN NORTH AMERICA + 2 FAMILY-FRIENDLY SKI HILLS
FREE MAPS AND GUIDES!
Call 888.431.3080, Scan the QR Code, or visit OkanoganCountry.com to start planning your adventure today!
MONTANA
Ski like a local at Snowbowl, located just outside of Missoula. (photo: Destination Missoula)
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BIG SKY RESORT
SNOWBOWL
The MOASA (mother of all ski areas) of Montana, Big Sky is where you go when you want a resort where you never have to ski the same run twice in a week. With more than 300 runs, Big Sky also has a staggering 4,350-foot vertical drop. A short 50 miles southeast of Bozeman, Big Sky has 5,800 acres, or 9 square miles of skiable terrain.
Just 13 miles north of Missoula, Snowbowl is the local resort for Montana’s second-largest city at approximately 75,000. With 2,600 feet of vertical, Snowbowl is second only to Big Sky in a state with dozens of ski areas. The resort will feel like a steep version of vintage skiing. It has four chairs, thirty-nine runs and nearly 1,000 skiable acres.
DINING + DRINKING: At a resort on the scale of Big Sky, there are many options for dining. Here are a few of our faves: Chet’s Bar & Grill for steak frites; Westward Social for cocktails and comfort food; and Carabiner for soup, salad and duck tacos. The sky’s the limit at Big Sky.
DINING + DRINKING: The two dining areas on the mountain are Double Diamond Cafe for burgers and soup, and The Last Run inside Gelandesprung Lodge for wood-fired pizzas and bloody marys. The retro vibe of Snowbowl will recall your childhood skiing happiness.
SKI NORTHWEST 2024
Montana’s Big Sky Resort near Bozeman is a monster with more than 300 runs. (photo: Big Sky Resort)
WE SEIZE THE (SNOW) DAY
YOU WON’T FIND A MORE INSPIRING MOUNTAIN TOWN THAN MISSOULA, WHERE THREE RIVERS AND SEVEN WILDERNESS AREAS CONVERGE IN THE CULTURAL HUB OF MONTANA. The allure is immeasurable, with outdoor access at every corner and a culinary scene that rivals big cities. This vibrant community is bliss for fresh air enthusiasts, creative souls, and anyone who enjoys a good beer alongside a great meal. Missoula doesn’t just feed the soul, it satisfies the senses. Book your stay and plan your getaway to Missoula.
AT SKIING SNOWBOWL
BOOK HERE
Travel Safely. Explore Responsibly. Call 1.800.526.3465 or visit destinationmissoula.org/1889 for more information.
CANADA
FERNIE ALPINE RESORT Located 242 miles northeast of Spokane in the Lizard Range of the Canadian Rockies, Fernie is renowned for its huge annual snowfall that averages 30 feet. Unlike many of our featured ski areas, Fernie is the complete village resort with ski services, lodging, dining, bars and a grocery store. The lift-service alpine area has 2,500 skiable acres, with 3,550 vertical feet, 145 runs, ten lifts and a few restaurants on the mountain. Fernie also offers spectacular cat ski options for more advanced skiers who crave deep powder. For XC skiers, the Fernie Nordic Society manages a few
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cross-country ski areas nearby including the Elk Valley Nordic Centre just 5 kilometers back toward town. If you plan ahead for a special Nordic ski trip, book the snowcat up to Island Lake Lodge for 25 kilometers of skinny skiing, a spa and gourmet lunch package. DINING + DRINKING: Check out Cirque Restaurant and Bar, with surf and turf plus a Parisian gnocchi dish on the menu. Its wine list is dominated by French reds and British Columbia whites. Legends Mountain Eatery has two kinds of poutine on its menu, plus burgers and sandwiches, beer and wine. Between these two venues, there’s little need to forage further.
FROM TOP Fernie is a stunner in the Canadian Rockies. The Fernie resort village includes lodging, restaurants and more. (photos: Henry Georgi/Fernie Alpine Resort)
Powder Days. Epic Turns. Fernie Bound.
Photo: Nick Nault
Over 30 Ft of Snow Annually | 3,550 Vertical Ft | Top Elevation 7,000 Ft | 145 Named Runs 2,500 Acres of Lift Access Terrain & Thousands of Acres for Catskiing
Located in the Rockies of southeast British Columbia, Fernie is known for its deep powder snow and cool local vibe. Just over a 100 miles north of Whitefish & Kalispell, Montana, Fernie is easy to get to. With savings of 25-35% thanks to the great exchange rate, a trip north this winter is well worth it!
Fernie Alpine Resort – 4 Nights Ski-in Ski-Out Suite & 4 Days of Skiing from US$208/night/person.* FWA Catskiing – Single Day Snowcat Skiing from US$479/person, early or late season. Island Lake Catskiing – 2 Nights & 2 Days All-Inclusive from US$2,270/person.* *based on double occupancy
Book your winter trip today! | VisitFernieBC.com | #ferniestoke
