The Pacific Northwest Magazin - English

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The Pacific Northwest Magazine For the journey ahead

Vertical Eldor ado A lpine and Sport Climbing in Washington State

A glimpse into the future P r o duc t D e ve lopme nt at O utdo or Re s e a rc h

Outdoor Capital S e at t le Ro c k s

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TORQ GTX 2.0

dolomite.it

T H E PA C I F I C NORTH W E ST – O U R A D V E N T U R E P L AY G R O U N D

We asked professional freerider and TV presenter Zack Giffin (see p 26) what he would recommend a friend to do if they came to Washington State for the first time. This is what he said: “Climb a high-alpine peak in the breathtaking Northern Cascades. Back at the bottom, grab a mountain bike and ride the flow trails in the rainforest. Stop and catch a fat, juicy fish in one of our unbelievably beautiful rivers. Head downstream to the coast. Jump in a sea kayak.

Pick a remote island with a dream beach. Find the perfect spot, cook a meal over an open fire and sleep out under the stars listening to the sound of the sea.”

In fact, the list of great outdoor activities here is so endless, that Zack forgot to mention the ­fantastic climbing on bizarre rock formations in the semi-arid center of the state (see p 36). Think it sounds too good to be true? Welcome to the Pacific Northwest.

We’re lucky enough to call this place home.

We love it here. As outdoor enthusiasts, the Pacific Northwest offers us everything we could dream of. And yes, we do also mean the bad weather. After all, without rain, there would be no rainforests. Without big storms, there would be no crazy driftwood on the wild beaches. And without heavy snowfall, there would be no powder on the peaks. Hey, I mean, why else would we need all this meticulously-designed gear that protects us from the elements and lets us have so much fun out there?! So, we’d like to show you how our products are developed and introduce the people behind them. The following pages also feature insider tips for some unforgettable days in and around our vibrant hometown – Seattle. If you like what you see, come and visit us! Mind out though. You might never want to leave…

Masthead “The Pacific Northwest Magazine” is a customer magazine from Outdoor Research Europe available in German, English and French.

Publisher Outdoor Research Europe Route du Crochet 17 1762 Givisiez, Switzerland Telephone +41 26 460 16 16 Email info@outdoorresearch.com

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Translation & Proofreading James Heath, Nadja Sharman, Colin Hawkins, Amanda Barnes Email: info@jamesheath.de Copyright All contributions are protected by copyright.

It is forbidden to use them without the publisher’s consent. This applies in particular to any duplication, translation or storage and processing in other media formats.

c i f i c a The P w e st h t r o N

(plus a few more) around the world. Starbucks coffee empire was born in Seattle and is named after the literary character, Starbuck, the young chief mate from the novel ‘Moby Dick’. The first cafe opened its doors in Pike Place Market in 1971. Starbucks’ head office is one block away from Outdoor Research’s headquarters.

The amount of elevation that the active volcano, Mount St. Helens, lost during an eruption in May, 1980.

The number of trees destroyed during this event would have been enough to build 150,000 houses.

Vancouver

British columbia 14 Victoria

28

Along the Pacific coastline of the Olympic National Park. The longest stretch anywhere on the West or East Coast.

06 The Douglas firs in the west of the Olympic National Park are giants. Some of these trees are over 1,000 years old and are the largest in the world.

Seattle

It rains less in Seattle and the surrounding area than people think. From mid­ summer (mid-July), there is a good chance of sunshine.

On average, Seattle receives less rain per year than Houston, Chicago and New York City.

36

Tacoma Olympia

Washington

There are a lot of sporty people in Seattle. No wonder the city was the first to introduce police patrols on bikes.

Portland

Oregon fell in the winter of 1998 / 99 on the 10,780-foothigh stratovolcano Mount Baker – a world record that still stands today. The average snowfall in a year, since records began in 1990, is still a pretty hefty 55.24 feet. Its volcano ‘neighbor’ Mount Rainier, 124 miles further south and at 14,411 feet, is not too shabby either, with an average of 53.47 feet of pow fun per year.

04

J2, the world’s oldest known killer whale once lived in Puget Sound.

Granny, as she was fondly known, is thought to have died around a year and a half ago. There are now only 78 orcas in the waters around Seattle, a further drop in the population which in the 1800s was in excess of 200.

Lakeview Cemetery in Seattle is home to the grave of martial arts icon Bruce Lee. His son, Brandon Lee is buried right next to him. They both died in mysterious circumstances.

CONTENTS

06 Reportage

14 Reportage

four days in the wilderness

the Forbidden Summit

20

24

Canada

Background

Portraits

Product development at Outdoor Research

Heather Hodson Gordon Hempton Zack Giffin Blaine Wetzel

28

36

Sunnyside is the place with the least precipitation. On average, it receives just 0.7 inches of rain annually.

Spokane

According to the law, in the city of Everett (population 100,000), it’s forbidden to place a hypnotized person in a shop window. A little further to the East – in Wilbur – it’s against the law to ride an ugly horse.

Reportage

LIVIN’ THE GOOD LIFE IN SAN JUAN

Bellevue’s Medina area on the eastern shores of Lake Washington. This is where Amazon boss Jeff Bezos (estimated net worth 100 billion US $) and Microsoft founder Bill Gates (estimated net worth 90 billion US $) have their estates. Gates’ fortune has of course been ‘reduced’ somewhat. Had he not decided to regularly give away huge sums, well into the billions, then his actual net worth would be closer to 150 billion US $.

42

miscellaneous

Precipitation fall on the rainforests in the western Olympic National Park every year – almost eight times as much as London.

This is the only rainforest in the “Lower 48s”, in other words, in all the United States apart from Alaska.

46 Background

Idaho

05

The AdventureCompany

Reportage

The West rocks

44

City Guide Seattle

06

Four days in the wilderness Co py a nd P h oto s C h r i st i a n P e n n i n g

Rainforests, glaciers, sparkling lakes and cascading rivers.

Just a stone’s throw from the big city of Seattle, hiking trails take you into the most remote parts of the Olympic National Park. So, it was time to leave the hustle and bustle behind, time to step out of our comfort zone and go on an adventure – an ­a dventure we’d never forget.

“Wow!” ­Jaeger sits down on the gravelly trail, leans his weary back against his full-to-bursting pack, stretches out his legs and is then dumbstruck for quite some time. It’s not often that the 27-year-old is lost for words. The Grand Pass is not just one of the highest points in the fourday hiking trail through the Olympic National Park, it’s also an emotional highpoint. Jaeger, Joel, Dana and I have been on the go for two and a half days; along whitewater creeks and rocky ridges, through lush green forests, climbing over fallen trees and scrambling up steep of slopes. Our emotions fluctuating wildly between sheer jubilation and uncontrollable cursing. And then we come to this

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view: little mountain lakes sparkling in the distance like diamonds, in between, clusters of hemlock spruce, windswept by countless storms, and connecting it all, patches of emerald meadows, and mountains above that look like they’ve had their edges rounded off by all the wind and weather. Jaeger finally finds his voice again. “If I had to describe hiking heaven, then this would be it.”

Wilderness with easy access to the city It’s been 36 hours and we haven’t seen another soul. Yet the throbbing hub of Seattle is just 80 miles away.

The view down into the long Grand Valley is breathtaking and frightening at once because it gives us an idea of just how far we still have to go and how tough it’s going to be. Rewind back to two days before: skeletons of burnt trees on either side of the trail, we wind our way down from Deer Ridge into a bright green river valley. It’s the middle of

Reportage Fill ’em up: The rivers and creeks in Olympic National Park provide a regular supply of drinking water for hikers.

isolation and peace these mountains offer. Shane is the only person we meet that day.

July, but up above the tree line there is still some snow. Bees buzz and butterflies flutter seemingly aimlessly above the mountain pastures. Our thoughts flit about in amongst them.

Anticipation, excitement. Only two people on the team already know each other. Dana and Jaeger, who both work at Outdoor Research and live locally, are the ones who planned the hike. Our packs weigh us down. “Hey, why do we put ourselves through this?” Jaeger mocks.

“We could be sitting on the sofa back at home, with a bag of fries and a six-pack of beer.” Will our time in the mountains really make us

happier? What will all that solitude be like? Will we get on each other’s nerves? Answers to these questions would emerge over the coming days.

Wolves, bears and couch ­potatoes The forest becomes denser and greener the nearer the trail gets to Wolf River; weathered pine trees, old man’s beard lichen hanging down and below, lupine flowers add a dash of color. Down by the river, we come across Shane, a hiker from Seattle. “Up near the pass, I saw some bears,” she says. It’s hardly surprising. They must love the

The trail is more level now. Jaeger and Joel, who is the mountain guide in the team, set a brisk pace. It’s already early afternoon and a big section of the day’s 15-mile stretch still lies ahead of us. Several times, we have to cross the foaming river, balancing on a wooden bridge no wider than the trunk of a tree. The trail gets wilder. Gigantic fallen trees make for a strenuous hurdle when carrying a heavy pack. Sweat beads form on our foreheads.

As the winding trail finally emerges ­a bove the tree line, my inner couch potato is already screaming: “That’s it!”

It hadn’t fully grasped in those first few hours, just how heavy my pack really was, with a tent, sleep mat, rain gear, warm weather clothing, crampons, ice axe, spikes, cooking equipment, camera gear, bear canisters and food for four days. Now it dawns on my inner couch potato, that if this goes on much longer it’s going to really suck. Then, just before the final steep section to the Gray Wolf Pass, Joel finally signals we can set up camp. We pull on our down jackets as quick as possible. There’s an icy

All alone: Camping inside the National Park is only allowed in designated areas. But on more remote trails you’ll usually be on your own.

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Hiking OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARk

wind blowing down from the firn slopes on the pass. The talk amongst us is minimal. Everyone is busy getting their energy levels back up. But man, what a perfect outback night! The instant pasta tastes bland. “But a second helping wouldn’t go amiss”. Dana has some of her salmon curry left over. Oh, go on then, don’t mind if I do. Bliss.

In the cradle of nature It’s a chilly morning. There’s hoarfrost and the ground is frozen. Steam rises from the coffee. We sit puffy-eyed. In what seems like an eternity, the sun finally rises above the ridgeline. And the thaw can begin. My inner couch potato is appeased. Life is good. And even the climb up over the snow fields to Gray Wolf Pass is a piece of cake.

Down the other side, by Dosewallips River the crickets are chirping. It’s summer again! “We’ve only been out here for two days, but I feel like I’m under some spell”, enthuses Dana. “Everything smells, feels, looks more vivid... the warm rock, the furry moss cushions, the saltiness in the sweat, … the wind, the rays of sunshine, the scent of pine resin…!” Joel nods. “You are at one with nature.” But my feet don’t seem to buy this ‘at one’ vibe at all. Ever since the climb up to Lost Pass they’ve been signaling with increasingly painful urgency that they require some attention. The diagnosis: Blisters across the entire width of my feet at the heel and ball of the foot, plus various toenails changing color to a blood-tinged blue. Time to whack some plasters on and hope for the best.

But even the carpet of avalanche lilies on the pass don’t feel quite so soft as they could with my over-sensitive extremities. At least the

Improvisation: Most of the bridges that cross the rivers and creeks are nothing more than fallen trees.

09

All netted up: “Damn mosquitos…”

Reportage

“Yeah, we made it!”

Over the first big pass.

sight of these blooming meadows is uplifting. It’s a good thing too, because the trail soon heads upwards again. And it’s steep too. Really steep! The landscape becomes more barren. On the Cameron Pass you could shoot a documentary about the forthcoming mission to Mars it’s so bleak.

The descent. Joel finds a site for our camp on a little rise in a swampy hollow. A small herd of deer watch from a distance, as four aliens light their stove. Some of them have unusual netting over their faces. Dana laughs:

“You wimps! All for just a ­c ouple of mozzies…!” – “… they really get on your nerves though,” says ­J aeger, pulling his mosquito net down a bit further, “this is the outback in comfort!”

“That was a tough day” says Joel dryly. As the light fades, he shines his head torch on the map. “And tomorrow looks even tougher. Four passes.” Was that a howl? A wolf maybe? No, it was just my inner couch potato again. For him, just the few paces to the tent are a struggle. He feels like he’s gone ten rounds with a bear. Oh well, …good night!

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Good morning, Olympic National Park! – Damn, where is that coffee?!

Hiking OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARk Spring into midsummer: Beyond Lost Pass mother nature rolls out a carpet of avalanche lilies.

And now, even the steepest section of the trail up to Elk Mountain at 6778 feet is less of a struggle.

A team is born Has a miracle happened overnight?

Maybe it’s just down to harnessing our team spirit the night before, and dividing up the pack loads more evenly. Either way, my pack is now a couple of kilos lighter. It makes the landscape around Moose Lake and Grand Lake even more beautiful, as the sun shines down on it.

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“I often notice it”, says Jaeger, “after about three days in the wilderness, you switch to another mode. You’ve gotten used to the discomfort, you even start to enjoy it.”

The gusting wind up on Elk Mountain virtually takes our breath away. But that doesn’t stop us from sitting back on our packs like deck chairs and soaking up the views for a few minutes. “You only really grow as a person by stepping out of your comfort zone”, laughs Jaeger. “The mountains are a great place for ­giving yourself a good kick up the ass here and there.”

A symphony in green: the rainforest is prolific along the Gray Wolf River.

The Olympic National Park was created in 1938, to protect the Roosevelt elk, primeval forests and the pristine Pacific coastline. Now it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

From the wild west coast with no road access, to the dense rainforests with ancient tree giants and to the glaciers that surround Mount Olympus and the remote mountainous areas to the east, the Olympic National Park has a whole range of hiking trails to choose from, which when linked up make for very demanding multiday treks.

www.nps.gov

National Geographic, “Olympic National Park”, 1:100.000

Two hours later, and the stoves are bubbling away at camp. The wind has dropped in the dip on the ridge.

The sun slowly sets surrounded by wisps of cloud. In the distance, we can see the shimmering Pacific Ocean. “What a peaceful evening”, remarks Dana. The hardest sections are behind us now.

We divvy up the last of our food supplies. There’s a sense of relief mixed with pride and we feel connected to the natural world. And there’s a connection between us, too. To the west, the horizon glows as the night creeps up on us from

“Hiking Olympic National Park'

A Guide to the Park's Greatest

Hiking Adventures”, Erik Molvar'

Falcon Guides

www.falcon.com

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Grand Valley. We stand there, arm in arm. We hug. Something has shifted over these last few days. We’ve all been given a friendly reminder of what’s really important in life. This randomly thrown together group of people has become a group of friends. “This trip has created a bond between us,” says Dana, breaking the silence cheerily. “It really was a bit of everything. It was easy and tough. Cold and hot. Steep and gentle. A bit of everything.” Joel nods: “An experience we’ll never forget.

Sometimes less really is more.” – “And a million times better than on the couch!” whispers Jaeger. “Thank you for inviting me…” I say, “…me and my inner couch potato!” ←

Recommended by Joel Koester, Instructor / Guide at Kaf Adventures

Recommended by Dana Wolf, Inventory Planner at OR

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GREAT GEAR

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Hot and cold

Ferrosi Convertible Pantstm

“Chilly in the morning, hot in the middle of the day and cold again in the evenings – the Ferrosi Convertible Pants were perfect for the changeable conditions in the Olympic National Park. The stretch fabric means they had the freedom of movement to tackle all that climbing over fallen trees. And when it got too hot we simply zipped off the pant legs to make them into shorts.”

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All Weather

Odor control

“Even though we managed to avoid any downpours on our Olympic National Park hike, this lightweight Gore-Tex Active hardshell jacket still provided reliable protection from the ­elements in the storm on top of Elk Mountain. It’s waterproof, windproof, breathable, lightweight and has taped seams.”

“On a multi-day hike it’s not unusual to get pretty stinky. Thanks to the anti-odor properties of the Ignitor Tee however, there were no stink issues, even in the close proximity of a small tent. When these tees were soaked through with sweat, they dried out again in no time.”

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TH E F ORBI DDEN SUMMIT copy and Photos Jürg Buschor

The North Cascades National Park stretches over some 1,269 square miles. In both summer and winter the park is a paradise for mountaineers seeking an original adventure. Climbing Forbidden Peak feels like going back in time to the golden age of alpinism in the Alps.

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“We’ll pitch the tent,” says Martin Volken in a tone that means business. Noting our questioning glances, he adds, “Yes, I know the weather would be ok to bivouac. But this place is crawling with marmots. And they’ve been known to turn whole camps upside down looking for food.” Jason winks and quickly replies, “Aha, so that’s what you meant when you said that the Northern Cascades is a really wild place?”

Martin Volken belaying Jordan Deam, before the final exposed scramble to the 8,815-feet summit.

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Reportage

The approach: the trails through the forest that lead to the peaks are not maintained by the park rangers.

Pioneering spirit No mobile phone signal, no air rescue on standby, and definitely no mountain huts – welcome to the North Cascades National Park.

Not even the walk-ins to the alpine climbing routes are maintained by the Park Rangers.

“It’s like going back in time 150 years to the era when the major peaks in the Alps saw their first ascents,” explains Swiss mountain guide and Outdoor Research ambassador Martin Volken enthusiastically. “Wherever you look, there are unclimbed routes or even summits.” Trying hard to sound reproachful, Jason jokes, “That list of potential first ascents has got considerably shorter since you moved to Seattle three years ago.” Martin grins, replying, “But my list of ‘Firsts’ is pretty short compared to the guy who first stood on those jagged peaks.” Martin turns and points at the huge, dark, cliffs that tower over our base camp in

“Looking good…” – Martin ­ olken checks the weather V forecast one last time before we drift into a deep sleep.

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Boston Basin: “Fred Beckey made the first ascent of Forbidden Peak in 1940, aged 27.” It was an impressive opening chapter in the life of a North American climbing legend.

Glaciers down to the forests We pitch the tent on one of the few level sites, the rocks having been cleared away by a previous party. There’s no one else here. Yet Forbidden Peak’s West Ridge is one of the top 50 classic climbs in North America. Marblemount Ranger Station issues a maximum of five camping permits per night. Tonight, we’re the only party, despite the excellent weather. The last thing we see from the tent before we turn in is the dramatic North-East Face of Johannesburg mountain over on the other side of the valley. Over 4,921 feet of vertical climbing. At 8,200 feet, it might not be one of the highest,

ALPINe climbing NORTHERN CASCADES NATIONAL PARK

but it’s certainly one of the most impressive mountains here. The hanging glaciers on its flanks run almost down to the forested valley floor. Thanks to the huge amounts of snowfall in the Northern Cascades, receding glaciers are less of an issue here.

Martin’s phone wakes us with its shrill alarm.

“Four o’clock. Summit day.” he announces. We all know what we have to do, as we silently

Snowpack makes progress towards the exposed ridge easier.

sort out our backpacks. Two coffees and 35 minutes later, we strike camp. Picking our path over the snowfield, the points of our crampons crunch as they pierce the frozen surface of the old snowpack. We quickly reach the foot of the wall. “Excellent!” Martin is happy with the conditions. The snow almost reaches up to the col, “That will save us a lot of time and energy. If daytime temperatures stay as high as they currently are, then all the old snow in this couloir will slide back down into the valley in a few days’ time.” 20 minutes later, we reach the Notch. This is where the distinctive West Ridge starts, following a direct line to the summit. Pulling out his crampons, Martin points west: “That’s Torment Peak. A mile-long arête runs back from the summit towards us – the Torment-Forbidden Peak Traverse. It’s a classic alpine ridge, requiring pretty much all your alpine techniques. Which is why North American aspirant mountain guides get tested here.”

The West Ridge of Forbidden Peak is one of the top 50 classic climbs in North America, and rightfully so.

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Reportage

Heading back down into the valley – Johannesburg Mountain opposite, with its glistening glaciers, makes for an appealing excuse to come back one day.

No summit cross

During an extended trip, Martin Volken fell in love; with both a woman and the Pacific Northwest. Aged 23, he settled in Seattle, started a family and opened a mountain sports store.

While keeping up the ski shop, he earned his Swiss IFMGA mountain guides license. With his guiding business, he’s been showing mainly North American clients the beautiful summits of the Cascades and the Alps ever since. Martin V ­ olken has pioneered many first ascents (and ski descents) in the North Cascades and has also made a name for himself as an author and product developer.

He is an Outdoor Research ambassador and is also active in product development.

As there is minimum route finding, we make fast progress along the ridge. The rock friction is solid, and there are plenty of cracks and spikes for protection and belays. Although the climbing on the route has a relatively modest technical grade of IV (American grade: 5.6), there is lots of scrambling and lots of exposure – requiring full concentration. On both sides of the exposed ridge, there is a sheer drop of hundreds of feet.

To the north, the sky looks milky.

Mist? “No, that’s the clouds of smoke from forest fires in the eastern Cascade Range,” Martin explains. “Pretty

www.proguiding.com

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standard for a hot summer.” “Rangers don’t fight the fires within the national park boundaries, as long there are no people in danger.” The guide once had to abandon an ascent of Forbidden Peak due to forest fires: “Ten years ago, the smoke in Boston Basin was so thick that the drinking water tasted of smoke for ages.” Today though, nothing can stop us. A final short abseil down into a notch and then fifty meters of exposed scrambling to the summit. We’ve done it.

The view over the surrounding sea of mountains is inspiring. Our mountain bears no sign of human presence.

There’s no summit cross, no cairn, no summit book, no rusty old cans, no energy bar wrappers strewn about the place. Martin was right. This is what mountaineering must have felt like 150 years ago in the Alps. ←

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“The only thing that is forbidden on Forbidden Peak is… wearing the wrong pants. My favorite alpine pants are our extremely robust Ferrosi Crag Pants. They have Cordura reinforcement panels where you need them and the articulated knees and movement-friendly stretch nylon-spandex ripstop fabric mean that they are great to climb in. Plus, they’re water- and wind-resistant, breathable and have great pockets you can still reach when you’re wearing your harness.

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As close to the real thing as possible. Nathan Jenkins meticulously pursues the concept of maximum functionality.

Welcome to the domain of the design ‘king’: Nathan Jenkins’ “office”.

THE SCIENCE OF MAXIMUM FUNCTIONALITY

Copy moritz becher Photos lars schneider

When a brand incorpo­ rates the word ‘research’ into its name, it’s either very cocky – or the real thing.

Authenticity is something Outdoor Research takes very seriously.

There are no ready-made solutions here, that’s for sure. Functionality? “That’s more like it.” Commercial viability? “Only once we’ve fully tested a product ourselves and found it to be good”, say Ron Gregg’s successors, ­g iving us an insight into their work ethic.

Christian’s hand is on the table.

The fingers are curled as if he’d been climbing and had been pulling on a narrow ledge, and then forgotten to relax them again. We’re on the top floor of Outdoor Research’s OR Headquarters in Seattle. The foam hand, with the name ‘Christian Folk’ written in small letters, is pointing towards the skyline. The view out onto the skyscrapers and the rugged coastline is breathtaking. In the distance, the tantalizing snowcapped peaks of the Olympic Peninsula, with the triangular face of the 14,411-foot-high volcano, Mount Rainier, as if it had been drawn by a child. How agonizing it must be to constantly look out of your workplace window onto these wonderful playgrounds? “I find it really inspiring”, says Nathan Jenkins, in his quiet voice, “besides, I’m lucky that, out there, is also my office. It’s my test center.”

An infectious grin spreads across his face. His is no ordinary office – it’s a

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combination of design studio, stockroom and the laboratory of ‘Back to the Future’s’ Doc Emmett Brown. It’s a glimpse into the OR future. “I am a designer. But I think a big part of my expertise lies in the ability to solve problems by breaking into new areas and then finding novel approaches to solutions,” says Nathan. What might sound like space technology, in practice simply entails following a clear company philosophy: At Outdoor Research, they never opt for ready-made solutions for their product innovation.

Instead the designers investigate, fiddle with and test the products themselves, until they are sure the jacket, glove or gaiter is up to the job. Nathan

Background

strolling along beach promenades are definitely not his thing – unless that beach walk happens to be during one of the infamous Pacific autumn storms, or on the coast of Patagonia.

A hands-on approach has worked for OR for 14 years and is viewed as somewhat of a leading light when it comes to functionality and design. The two words in the brand’s name symbolize an approach that he and his colleagues wholly dedicate their creative powers to – both as a team and individually. They ‘Research’ intensively, they spend most of their free time ‘Outdoors’ and they test the fruits of their labor in all possible manner of outdoor pursuits, with fervor and a critical eye – it’s Outdoor Research, plain and simple.

Functionality a top priority

Ready-made solutions?

No way! For a product to fit perfectly you need a realistic model to test – aka ‘Christian’s Hand’.

So how does a product come into being? Whether it’s a completely new idea or reworking an ­existing product, they all spring from a requirement that has been expressed by outdoor enthusiasts. Products are not developed with the sole purpose of selling a collection. The focus is on the question: What does the user need and what for? How can they pursue their chosen outdoor activity in even greater comfort and safety, without any concerns of being restricted by their equipment? And what modifications and manufacturing techniques will produce even better performance results? Once an idea is born, Nathan and his team of designers set about modelling, sewing and building the first prototypes. They have to take into account several elements: shape, dynamics, the characteristics and availability of the fabrics, and of course also the aesthetics. In keeping with the spirit of its founder Ron Gregg, however, Nathan Jenkins points out that function is always top priority: “First and foremost, we are problem solvers.

And once we’ve found the solution, then we apply the aesthetics.” So, designing fancy shirts and jackets for 22

Functional equipment is something that other manufacturers also make.

So, what makes Outdoor Research different from the rest? It is their approach and their authenticity. To explain what he means, N ­ athan lifts up Christian’s grasping foam hand.

When he looked for the most trueto-life hand model he could find, it turned out there was no such thing.

“If we can’t get the part we need off-the-shelf, then we find a way to make it ourselves”, says Nathan, looking as though he might simultaneously be inventing a time machine with the other half of his brain that he isn’t using for this conversation.

Experiments like these take place in his laboratory, a sealed-off room with all kinds of modified equipment and various stages of prototypes for high-end products from the past and future. Only he, and a few carefully selected others, have a key to this room. This is where Frankenstein – I mean Nathan – recreated the human hand, a replica of OR Athlete Manager, Christian Folk’s. That’s because his hand is a perfectly average hand – in terms of general shape – in size large. Using plaster, Nathan created a three-dimensional negative mold, which when filled with flexible foam, was as close as possible to replicating the movements of a real hand. Then

Product development at Outdoor Research

the designers laid various fabrics suitable for glove making over the hand, in different arrangements and cut to different patterns. They experimented using it to grab with, then fitted it again, experimented by grabbing some more, and fit it again. Each time any excess fabric, which might, for example, crease up on the palm, was removed. They repeated this process until the prototype moved in perfect harmony with the fingers.

A lot of other glove manufacturers start out, broadly speaking, with a flat-format hand – in other words, a two-dimensional design. But realistically, unless it’s a high-five on the summit, people’s hands are generally not held flat during outdoor sports.

The grip has to work reliably in combination with insulation and weather protection, whether on rock, gripping a ski or trekking pole, holding a paddle, or using zips or stoves. So that’s how prototypes for the top products of the future are created in Nathan’s design team ‘laboratory’ time and time again – whether it’s gloves, jackets, pants or gaiters.

From the lab to the real world When a product has successfully passed the lab tests, it’s time for the real testing to begin. That’s when Nathan and his colleagues get out into the virtually endless testing grounds of the Pacific Northwest: ski touring, ice climbing, mountain biking, paddling, rock climbing and then back to the beginning again, on continuous loop. Naturally the athletes in the OR team are also an integral part of the process. Their feedback is applied directly to the product. Then, pre-production models are made. This either happens in their own production facility one floor down, where skilled OR staff carry out highly complex production processes on specialist machinery, or at a subcontractor’s factory in Asia. Then another round of testing, adjustments where necessary, until the products are finally approved for production and retail.

But the assessment process doesn’t stop there. “When we get feedback from customers, we take it very ­seriously of course, and check to see if there is anything we can improve on”, says Nathan. He regularly looks through the ‘RA Box’ – the Return Authorization Box – and assesses warranty issues very carefully, to establish what wear and tear defects there might be. The lessons learned here are important because OR customers enjoy unlimited w ­ arranties on their products. But what is Nathan’s vision for the future? “I’m working on making sure our products are the absolute market leader when it comes to innovative design, function and production technology – and therefore groundbreaking.”

product users ourselves, we know how it will be used. Yes, we work in an office, but we’re all mountaineers, skiers, rock and ice climbers, paddlers etc. so we know what our products have to withstand out there, and how they will be used. It’s in our DNA.” ­Nathan’s latest project is a ‘super-­ gaiter’ – suited to high-alpine mountaineering. It is ultra-light, protects the entire foot from temperatures below freezing and can be worn over pretty much any kind of mountain boot. It’s a real niche product but Ron Gregg loved it apparently, and tested it to virtual destruction. The founder and innovator behind Outdoor Research firmly believed that a product could only be improved by using it again and again and again. He lived – and also died – by that ethos. That was in 2003, the year that Nathan Jenkins first started at OR. ←

Ron Gregg’s legacy In attaining this goal, the most important thing for Nathan is never to lose sight of the authenticity of the company of genuine outdoor enthusiasts. “We never have to imagine how the product will be used, because as

The semblance between the Innovation Design Manager and Laurence Fishburne in The Matrix is uncanny – and it’s not just the looks. While talking to you, it’s as if he’s simultaneously designing other products with the other half of his brain.

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Portrait Heather Hodson

FISH I NG FOR TH E SOU L copy Christian Penning / Photo Eric Neufeld

Fly fishing is darned attractive. Heather Hodson, founder of the project “Spokane Women on the Fly”, is the best example of this. Hers is the sort of life story that you could only expect to find in the Pacific Northwest.

Sporty with blonde locks and a broad smile: Heather Hodson would make a perfect cover girl for an outdoor or women’s magazine. But Heather’s different. The all-­rounder from Spokane (WA) prefers to spend her leisure time on a pursuit favored by those of an average age of 65, who when dressed in their waders tend to resemble Michelin men rather than model athletes.

She is a woman who is not easy to pigeon-hole. Heather is a d ­ edicated fly fisher – but also a mountain ­biker, marathon runner and nurse in an intensive-care unit.

“I was born with river water in my veins,” says Heather with a broad grin. “My father was a hunting guide in Alaska and my uncle owned a large angling lodge there. I grew up in an outdoorsey family in Bush Prairie, some 18 miles south of Mount St He­lens. To the east lie the waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge and to the west the Pacific coast.” With a family tree like this and in such an environment, you’re more or less predestined to become an outdoor addict.

“Fly fishing is good for the soul,” Heather notes as she describes the fantastic river landscapes that she has already seen on her angling trips all over the world. She started some ten years ago. Admittedly, she was already familiar with angling, but

the environment.” Whether they use a single-handed or two-handed rod, dry or wet fly or any other bait, it just doesn’t matter. The main thing is it should be fun!

didn’t have a clue about fly ­fishing.

That soon changed. Today her thoughts revolve constantly around the life cycle of mayflies, new angling techniques or the next fishing trip.

“I live, breathe and dream fly fishing,” she says. For a long time now, she has been working as a fly fishing guide in her free time, and introduces hundreds of women to the joys of fly fishing through courses and seminars. She also gives workshops on tying flies and campaigns for considerate angling techniques (“kiss and release”, #keepmewet). Spokane Women on the Fly (SWOTF) is the name of her project that is now gaining international renown as well.

United Women on the Fly (UWOTF) is the counterpart that Heather uses to connect women around the world seeking to learn more about fly fishing. Her own experience has taught her that the path to the first catch can be as rocky as the banks of a stream. “Fly fishing still has an air of the elite about it. There are still too many self-righteous types who mock anyone with less experience than themselves. Rubbish! Anyone can fish how they want to as long as they show consideration for the fish and 24

Heather finds that fly fishing supplies the perfect balance to her stressful job as a nurse in an intensive-care unit. On workdays, her alarm clock rings at 03:45 in the morning. Coffee, e-mail, social media postings. Then at 04:25. it’s time for a m ­ ountain jog with an equally obsessed girlfriend or the fitness studio. At 06:30 she travels to the hospital. At 19:30, she goes home. And at 21:00, she’s ready for bed. The peace and solitude by the river on her days off do her good. Far preferable though is casting her rod with other women or her partner Ryan.

Oh yes, Ryan… Heather’s story wouldn’t be complete without the tale of her greatest catch. “It was in Alaska,” she starts to recall. “I saw this magnificent fish jumping all over the place, and finally it took the bait.

The fight commenced. Waist-deep in water at times and racing along the bank, I ran 300 meters with it, fell over twice but always tried to keep the line taut. Finally, Ryan, a fishing guide, came along with a net and helped me to land the specimen. Ryan and I took one look at each other, and at that moment I knew this man was my greatest catch.” ←

Portrait gordon Hempton

THE SOUND OF SILENCE copy and Photo Christian Penning

What does silence sound like? What effect does it have on us?

Gordon Hempton has made it his life’s mission to digitally capture and preserve the natural sound of silence. On the edges of the Olympic National Park – one of the quietest places on Earth – he explains just how important an absence of man-made sounds is for our body and soul.

Draped in recording devices, Gordon Hempton creeps through the high rainforests of the Olympic National Park. He does this carefully and making as little noise as possible.

That’s because he’s got Fritz next to him. Fritz’ head is even balder than Gordon’s. It isn’t on top of a muscular body like Hempton’s, but on a tripod.

‘Fritz’ is a microphone, embedded in a plastic skull, with a battered rubber ear from a previous wolf mauling.

‘Fritz’ was actually designed to assess the acoustic properties of concert venues. It’s just that Gordon’s equivalent to a music-lover’s Benaroya Symphony Hall in Seattle happens to be the natural world. A stream gurgles, a wren warbles, a raven caws, accompanied by the gentle sound of the wind in the treetops.

For over 35 years, Gordon Hempton has gone out, often for several weeks at a time, in search of the pure, original sounds of nature, untainted by manmade noises. He’s won an Emmy Award, provides sound libraries for global outfits such as Microsoft and works together with leading scientists. But even the most determined of naturalists like Hempton very rarely succeed in recording natural

soundscapes that are completely free from any unnatural sounds. Gordon pricks up his ears, and shakes his head. “For humans and animals, noise pollution is, at very least, just as bad as any other kind of environmental pollution,” he reflects.

Hempton has found that noise – even if it’s ‘only’ in the background – can lead to stress-related illnesses, and promote antisocial behavior.

According to him, the message here is: “Reducing noise increases wellbeing. It even increases IQ levels.

It allows you to work in a more focused way, more creatively, and your social skills improve.”

Listening to Hempton, at times you almost get the impression he’s describing a religion or an ideology.

Listen with him outdoors in nature however, and the impression is even greater that this mission of his really is fulfilling a primal human need: “Listening to what nature is saying to

25

us has a soothing, relaxing, grounding effect.” Hempton gives courses such as the “Joy of Listening” for the Olympic Park Institute. “These days, a lot of people want their holidays to be about more than just nice hotels and good food. They want to have profound experiences and get to know themselves better.”

Gordon lifts his head slowly and looks through the treetops up to the sky. The drone of a jet plane rolls towards us like distant thunder. Even the Olympic National Park isn’t free from noise pollution. But Gordon is pleased that the Park is soon to be declared the world’s first ‘Quiet Park’. He identifies the planes and notes down the airlines. “Avoiding the National Park, costs airlines less than a minute’s flight time, and the resultant cost increase per ticket is less than a dollar,” he figures. Meanwhile, Hempton’s project has already featured in four in-flight magazines.

“We all have a right to silence”, he says, “and so does nature too. Right now, we are facing huge challenges on this planet. But I am certain that the answers are already out there.

They lie in silence. We just need to listen more carefully.” ←

Portrait Zack Giffin

Go big, live small

C opy m o r i t z b ec h e r Ph oto l a rs s c h n e i d e r

Zack Giffin started his pro career at an age ­w here most athletes are thinking of retiring.

Maybe that’s because he never set out to be a professional freerider. He never set out to be a TV presenter either, but today he is both and has plenty more plans in the pipeline.

Talking to Zack Giffin, you wouldn’t think the 37-year-old is one of the gnarliest Big Mountain skiers in the USA or a TV celebrity.

There is nothing of the ‘star’ attitude here. Perhaps that’s because fame and fortune aren’t his thing, and neither is having a lavish home.

He spent three years living in a tiny house on wheels as he embarked on a quest to find the best powder and like-minded “Soul-Shredders”, as he likes to call them. These are people who have no interest in being famous but are passionate about the sheer joy they experience on two planks in fresh snow.

Zack grew up in Colorado, a ­nirvana for crisp, dry powder snow. Big mountains, steep slopes, Big Mountain Skiing; that’s what gets him going the most. When he was 18 he took a trip to British Columbia in neighboring Canada. The locals tipped him off: “I should head to Mount Baker in Washington State.

That’s where I’d find what I was looking for.” It was 1999, the year that this 10,781 feet volcano reaped an unimaginable 98 feet of snow in just one season – a world record that still stands today. “When I got there, it snowed over one and a half feet of new snow every single day for two weeks. It was the stuff of dreams.”

Zack fell in love with the area, coming back winter after winter, and finally deciding to move his whole life over to the coastal region. “I didn’t have anywhere to live, didn’t know anyone, but I had a job and a camper van.

It was a great way to live.” During the week, he worked as a carpenter building houses, and at the weekend he’d strap on his skis. When Outdoor Research heard about this unknown guy, who was shredding the steepest steeps, right in their back yard, they were curious. They offered Zack a sponsorship deal and, after some hesitation, he eventually agreed. So, there he was, turning pro at the age of 29. “I didn’t want to be 80 years old and wondering what might have been, if only I’d said yes.” When he told his new sponsors about his idea of travelling around the USA’s ski areas in a mobile home, searching for genuine, like-minded, ‘soul-shredder’ locals, they were immediately hooked. It was soon clear: “We’d need a really cool home, something totally unique”. When Zack came up 26

with the idea of building his own tiny house, they were thrilled. But time was tight. It took Zack and a support team of friends seven weeks, working 14 hours a day, seven days a week, to build his home on wheels. Then it was time for ‘Tiny’, as they named the little house, to head on its big trip lasting three years over hundreds of thousands of miles.

At some point, Zack got a call from a friend: “Hey, they’re looking for someone just like you.” The producers of a TV show were holding auditions, looking for people who had a trade skill, who’d built their own tiny house and had lived in it – and ideally who also had some experience in front of the lens. “So, there I was, co-hosting ‘Tiny-House Nation’ all of a sudden.”

And a TV-Star. He’s now built over 75 micro-houses. But behind all the hype about the trend in tiny ­houses, he sees an important message: “We urgently need to have a debate about what we really need in life. Our idea of what prosperity is, is totally skewed. The gap between the haves and the have-nots in the world has grown so much that just a few people are immeasurably wealthy while the larger proportion sink into an ever more desperate situation.” Zack has already shown us how it is possible to lead a modest yet fulfilling life. ← The film ‘Livin’ Tiny – A quest for powder’ is ­available on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/53613105.

Portrait Blaine wetzel

W I L D AT H E A RT Copy moritz becher / photo lars schneider

Blaine Wetzel lives on peaceful, little Lummi Island. His restaurant: The Willows Inn. His cuisine: Learned in the best ­r estaurants in the world. His larder: The Pacific Ocean.

What brought him here: Coincidence. It’s a wild story.

And suddenly he’s standing there: Blaine Wetzel. At first glance, so unassuming and young, the opposite of what you’d imagine a celebrated chef to look like. 31 years young. He seems uncomfortable being the focus of attention – which immediately makes him likeable. But when he talks about his passion for cooking, the shyness melts away. Because diners at the Willows Inn don’t just eat incredible

food. “I focus on using the wild local ingredients to take my guests on a tour through the region and in particular this island and the waters around it.” It’s tour guiding with your taste buds. He embellishes what the Pacific gives him with special ingredients and his distinctive way of preparing them. Salmon that has been cold smoked for hours, served in a variety of ways, is one of his signature dishes. He doesn’t have to buy it either.

“We have our own fisherman, who fishes exclusively for us and uses a particularly sustainable catching method.” Vegetables and herbs are grown on their own farm, near the restaurant. Inspiration for his dishes comes from the wild, when he’s out hiking or swimming. He jumps in the sea every day, just in his shorts, and despite the cold water sets off for miles at a time.

The Willows Inn is 106 years old. In the eight years since Blaine Wetzel has worked his culinary magic here, it has transformed from a little island inn into one of the hottest insider tips of the entire West Coast. Did he plan to end up here? “No, it was purely by chance.” Blaine was born and grew up in Olympia, a town of 50,000 inhabitants southwest of Seattle. By the age of 14, he was already working in kitchens. His family often spent time outdoors, gathering berries, mushrooms, herbs, the beginnings of Blaine’s passion for wild food. After training as a chef, he took up various positions in the States, then later in Germany, and finally at the world-famous Noma in Copenhagen. But despite all the Haute 27

Cuisine, he missed home and so de­cided to head back. “The islands, the mountains, the forests, the rivers, the animals, the plants, it’s all so unique and beautiful here.” By chance, he read an online ad for a part-time chef on Lummi Island, a part of the world he’d not visited before. “Once I’d seen and tasted what it was like here, I knew it was a really special place with tons of potential.”

But the story gets even better: It turned out the owner actually wanted to get rid of the place, so the two soon came to an agreement. Today, guests have to book up to three months in advance to secure one of its prized tables, where Blaine prefers to serve and explain dishes himself.

So, has he fulfilled his life’s dream with the Willows Inn? “Yes – but I think it’s important to keep on having big, crazy dreams. I’m 31 now, so there’s plenty of time for more cool ideas and exciting opportunities.” ←

www.willows-inn.com

The little ferry lands with a loud rumble on Lummi Island, 105 miles north of Seattle. Located in the archipelago that includes the San Juan Islands and the Gulf Islands in the Salish Sea, it lies in the waters off the coasts of the Pacific Northwest and southwest Canada. Wooden houses with beautifully tended front gardens line the road on the northern tip of this small island. A perfect world within reach. Three picturesque miles later, opposite Sunset Beach on the left, is the Willows Inn. This is where one of the world’s best chefs practices his craft to absolute perfection.

He learnt it in leading establishments the likes of Noma in Copenhagen, which was selected best restaurant in the world four times. It’s late morning. Inside, behind the cozy fireplace lounge with its fragrant spice racks, there’s already a hive of activity. People in dazzling chef’s whites greet us cordially as they rush past.

H A P PY PA D D L I N G I N TH E SA L I S H S E A

LIVI N ’ TH E G O OD LI FE I N S A N J UA N

Copy moritz becher photos lars schneider

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SEA KAYAKING SAN JUAN ISLANDS

Of course, the ferry to San Juan is way cheaper. But arriving by seaplane means you get to admire the exceptional beauty of Puget Sound from the air.

The San Juan Archipelago is a para­ dise for paddlers. 172 islands and reefs lie nestled in the straits between Vancouver Island, ­Canada, and the coast of Washington State. We experienced both amazing ­n ature and epic outdoor cuisine.

“Quick! Come here! Hurry!”

Christian is waving frantically in the distance. We set off running as fast as the rocky terrain allows. Then, we see them: four or five orcas ploughing through the waves. They surface at regular intervals, blow out their used air, and then d ­ isappear again into the deep blue. Their long black dorsal fins, which is what they owe their other name of killer whale to, are easily recognizable.

“We’re really lucky”, says Christian, “they are hardly ever in this area.”

We’re standing on the northern tip of McConnell Island, in the middle of the San Juan archipelago. It’s the middle of summer, July, and it’s about 27 degrees – and we’re on the ‘worst’ work trip you could imagine.

Meghan, Nathan and Christian from Outdoor Research have invited us to join them on one of their testing trips. So, together with Tom, whose company offers guided sea kayaking tours in the archipelago, we spend three days in the last outpost of US territory before you hit the maritime border with Canada.

29

Kayaks turn into cargo ships Wind back: In the morning of the previous day, we find our six sea kayaks waiting for us in Kansas Cove, just a few minutes’ drive from Friday Harbor, the idyllic center of San Juan ­Island. Next to the kayaks: crates full of fresh food, wine, beer, nachos and all sorts of cooking utensils. Lars’ skeptical look is immediately countered: “Don’t worry”, says Tom, “we’ll easily fit it all in the boats. You’d be the first people to ever lose weight on one of my trips.” Half an hour later we swing out of the calm bay and past Turn Island into the San Juan Channel. The timing is perfect as the tide and waves push us in a northwesterly direction with some momentum. We’re now in the middle of the Salish Sea, the stretch of ocean between Vancouver Island, Canada, and mainland Washington State. “According to a recent national survey, the locals here rank first in the whole of the USA for quality of life, as well as physical and mental health,” explains Tom, as we slip past the rugged, overgrown western shore of Shaw Island. “It’s only by chance through my then partner/colleague that I found myself here on San Juan.” He started out as a kayak guide at his company Outdoor Odysseys, and then a couple of years ago ended up taking over the company. “I love sea kayaking – and I love showing people this place.”

Only in winter, when the coastal weather is a bit drab, does he find himself drawn to the mountains to

Reportage

“You’d be the first people to ever lose weight on one of my trips.” Kayak guide Tom Murphy is not just an adept paddler but also a skilled gastronome.

now.” We don’t take much persuading. The wind and waves have died down completely, the kayaks glide over the smooth surface of the water like skates on ice. In the evening light, the trunks of the mass of pacific madrone trees glow a deep, pale red color, which is why they’re also known as ‘strawberry trees’. The sun slowly drops until it disappears behind the Olympic Mountains, leaving a golden shimmer in its wake. When we get back, Christian already has a roaring fire on the go. On top of the embers, there is a black cast iron pot.

“Dessert!”, he says in response to my questioning look. “Berry crumble.”

go ski touring. “I just take advantage of everything that Washington State has to offer”, he explains with a huge grin on his face.

Glamping in style After three hours of surfing the swell through the islands, we get to the southern tip of Jones Island and a State Park with one of the most beautiful public campgrounds in the archipelago. We land the boats carefully on the pebble beach and pick our way through the driftwood. The trees have come down in the spring and autumn storms, were smashed against the rocks by the waves, and now crisscross the place like pickup-sticks. But we’ve soon strung our hammocks up between Douglas firs, alders, maples and cedars. Our camp has views a 5-star glamping site could only dream of. And Tom’s dinner isn’t too shabby either. On a black tablecloth, he’s laid out mountains of fresh salad, tacos, limes and steaming fresh rockfish fillets, all washed down with exquisite red wine. “What a tough day at the office”, says Meghan with a straight face. Nathan snorts so much he almost chokes.

“It’s true”, he retorts, “but then again, we’re developing kit that we sadly have to test really thoroughly.”

“Coffee’s readyyy!” Tom really knows how to spoil his guests. Then there’s the freshly made bacon and eggs, bagels, butter and jam. Meghan and Nathan sadly have to go back to their indoor workplace today. “See you in Seattle”, as they disappear with the tide in the direction of Friday Harbor. “I think we’ll mess

“What if we put off having dessert until we’re sat round the campfire later, and go for a quick sunset paddle instead?”, suggests Lars, the photographer. “The light is amazing right

Above: Explore & enjoy – Meghan soon snapped up the driftwood swing.

Right: Sunset paddling in calm ­conditions. Imagine if the light stayed like this forever...

30

SEA KAYAKING SAN JUAN ISLANDS

Parked up safe from the tide. But the hatches are full-to-bursting with delicious food, so we all have to help with the lifting.

about a bit around the islands today don’t you think?” suggests Christian.

A little while later, we’re already pushing off from the shore. The sun’s in our face and the wind’s at our backs – perfect paddling conditions.

We pass by Reef and Crane Island, before heading ashore for lunch in a horseshoe shaped bay with a pebble beach on McConnell Island. While Lars and I have a little post-lunch snooze, Christian takes a stroll to the northern tip – and suddenly shouts with all his might: “Orcas!”…

20 years’ solitary island life “Now I’m going to introduce you to a real Northwest character”, says Christian, grinning, as we pull our spray decks tight. “Hopefully he’s at home.” Half an hour later, we’re getting out of our kayaks again on the shore of Yellow Island. On a little rise sits the bleached hut of island warden Phil Green. For the last 20 years, the Nature Conservancy ­employee has called this tiny island his home. It’s only a quarter of a mile square. Christian had described him as a bit eccentric. It’s hardly surprising if he’s been the only islander for so long. But we caught Phil – with 31

Reportage

Left: Fisherman’s tales, adventure stories, tech-talk or the meaning of life? There’s no shortage of conversation round the campfire.

Above: Tacos with fresh fish and salad. No, it’s not downtown Seattle, it’s a campground in the middle of the San Juan Islands.

Life is good...

his gaunt, weather-beaten face – on a good day, and he told us all about his life and some amazing wildlife encounters (see interview p 34).

The marine life is truly unique. In the clear waters you can see shimmering, purple starfish, making their way through the khaki green sea­weed on the dark gray rocks. Seals doze in the sun on off-shore reefs. As we glide silently past them, they lift their heads to one side, like overweight sun-seekers that are being bothered by noisy children on the poolside of their all-inclusive hotel. “That long island back there to the north, that’s Spieden Island”, Christian tells us. “The whole island belongs to James Jannard, who founded Oakley”.

In the warm late-afternoon sun we reach our second camp site. The flat platform on a rocky overhang that Lars and I have chosen for our tent looks almost artificial. “Who needs a whole island if you can stay in a spot like this for free”, he mutters into his huge beard.

Reunited with Ralph?

One last deluxe breakfast and it’s slowly time to say our farewells. We have to catch the tide right and it’s a fair old way to Kansas Cove.

Everyone’s paddling in a near meditative state, lost in their thoughts. By early afternoon we’re pulling our kayaks out of the water in the exact same spot we left two days earlier. Then it’s all hands on deck because the ferry waits for no man (or woman). What an incredible few days!

When I meet up with Meghan a day later for lunch on the OR roof terrace in Seattle, I’m ­excited to tell her all about our orca sighting. But she has an even better story: “I think ­Nathan and I might have seen those same whales just a short while before you – just a ‘tinsy’ bit closer though.” “How close?”, I ask impatiently. “Well,” she replies, “first I spotted a fin in the distance and thought, ‘how cool, orcas!’. But then I suddenly saw that unmistakable white patch in the water right next to my kayak – it was right underneath me, only three or four feet deep. It was longer and definitely wider than my kayak. It turned on its back so it could get a better look at me. I had a grin on my face all night long, I was so happy.” Then she looks wistfully out to sea. “I used to sponsor a little orca calf. His name was Ralph. Maybe it was him, just saying ‘hi’ to his beneficiary, and wanting to thank her for the help.” ← 32

SEA KAYAKING SAN JUAN ISLANDS

The San Juan archipelago is home to around 16,000 inhabitants, but spread over 172 islands and reefs.

There are 408 miles of coastline to explore by boat – more than in any other state in the USA. In 2013, the area was also granted National Monument status. The people here share their environment with orcas, humpback whales, porpoises, sea lions, seals, sea otters, bald eagles, raccoons and lots of other animals.

The San Juan Islands are also known as the ‘Gourmet Archipelago’, with four shellfish farms (we recommend: www.westcottbayshellfish.com), three wineries, a brewery, a distillery and numerous outstanding restaurants and festivals that celebrate local food. In other words, the Pacific Northwest at its best!

www.visitsanjuans.com Sea kayaking trips: Outdoor Odysseys, Tom Murphy www.outdoorodysseys.com

Whale-Watching: San Juan Safaris www.sanjuansafaris.com

www.charts.noaa.gov/ → San Juan Islands

Book: “Kayaking Puget Sound &

the San Juan Islands: 60 Trips

in Northwest Inland Waters”, Rob

Casey, Mountaineers Books, 2012

Accommodation: Discovery Inn (reasonably priced in summer too) www.discoveryinn.com

Breakfast: Rocky Bay Café www.rockybaycafe.com Dinner: Backdoor Kitchen, locals’ meeting spot www.backdoorkitchen.com

Transfers:

From Seattle by seaplane (www.kenmoreair.com) or from

Anacortes by ferry (http://www.wsdot.com/ferries/)

Paddler’s paradise: The view of the archipelago from the air is almost as beautiful as it is from the water.

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Interview Phil Green

A C H AT W I T H PH I L GREEN WA R D E N O F Y E L LOW I S L A N D 64-year-old Phil Green has lived on Y ­ ellow Island, in the middle of the San Juan ­A rchipelago, for twenty years now. Named after its proliferation of wildflowers, the island is only only a quarter of a mile square. Phil shares ‘his’ island with harbor seals, sea otters, count­l ess birds – and the odd curious visitor.

Phil, where do you come from originally and what brought you to Yellow Island?

I’m from Massachusetts originally, but studied a master’s degree in mathematics at Western Washington University. I took up the job with Nature Conservancy in 1998 as warden on Yellow Island. First it was only during the summer months, then later all year round.

What exactly does your job entail?

We have protected wildflowers and plants here, and also sea birds. And there are marine mammals like seals and otters that need protection too.

So that’s what I do. And of course, I help with research as well.

Did you build this hut yourself?

No. Nature Conservancy bought the land – and the hut – in 1980.

The hut was built in 1947 by the ­family who owned the island before.

They knocked it up almost entirely from driftwood. Essentially, it’s still the same hut, jus that I now have a gas stove, a fridge and internet.

And maybe the odd improvement (laughs).

How long have you lived on Yellow Island?

What are your most memorable nature experiences?

2018 will be my 20th year.

One night, by accident, I witnessed the birth of a seal calf. That was really interesting. But the orcas are of course incredibly beautiful. The ‘transients’ (roaming schools of orca, editor’s note) often hunt seals here.

And then there’s watching the bald eagles hunting or doing their mating display. During the winter, we get between 300 and 500 eagles gathering here.

Wow – do you live here alone?

Yes. Don’t you ever get lonely?

If I felt lonely, I wouldn’t have stayed here for 20 years. And it’s not as if I’m completely alone here. Around 1,500 visitors come to the island every year.

What do you like about living out here?

My window is like a giant flat screen TV – it’s like living in the “Nature Channel” on TV. How many more years will you stay?

So long as I am physically able to. I have two new hips, I need two new shoulders and two new ankles. But I still get about just fine. Seriously though, at the moment I guess I take it day to day, instead of year to year.

The summers here are beautiful – how harsh are the winters?

Actually, I like the winters a lot. I love the isolation and the storms. When the wind blows at 100 km/h and the tide’s up at the same time, the spray goes right over my hut and the hill.

And the driftwood is thrown about like toothpicks.

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What do you plan for your retirement?

That’s a good question (laughs).

When I took on the job aged 45, I had no idea how long it would last. I was still married then – and now we’re just good friends. I very much hope to complete the full 20 years. And then we’ll see I guess.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed it works out for you. All the best!

Yes, thank you – let’s see what medical science can do for me. ←

R’S PADDLE PIC KS

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Swimming cap

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That’s why I always wear a cap when I’m on the water. And should the wind avail you of your cool piece of kit. Fear not!

Because this one is a swimmer.”

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A dry noggin Seattle SombreroTM

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This classic came out in the mid ´80s. Whether you’re a hat person or not, it’s just a really useful piece of kit. From May through to September I’m on the water almost every day, come rain, wind or shine – sometimes all three in one day. That’s normal weather here in the Pacific Northwest. The Sombrero protects me from most of it and is a hundred times more comfortable to wear than a cap. I don’t give a s**t about vanity.”

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Sunshine Wall in Vantage is home to a heap of ­classic trad and sport lines in a beautiful setting.

T H E W E ST R O C KS C o p y a n d p h oto s J ü r g B u s c h o r

Washington State is not really known as a sport climbing destination. ­H owever, there is plenty to go at. From alpine multipitch routes at Washington Pass, trad routes around the Index to the basalt towers of Columbia River or boul­d ering at Leavenworth. There are plenty of crags – all within easy reach of Seattle.

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The Feathers (Frenchman Coulee) has 4 trad and 37 sport climbing routes on top-quality basalt.

Sara Nazim on Feather in My Cap (5.6) at The North Side.

Seattle, Thursday, 21:30 Bing. Jason Wert reaches for his phone to read the Whatsapp chat from his colleague Sara Nazim. She says she’s coming. “That was quick”, he mumbles. Not that he had to do much to persuade her. The weather forecast for the weekend did the trick: Rain and drizzle with maximum temperatures of 14 degrees Celsius and no sign of improvement over the coming days. Pretty standard for April then. At this time of year, Jason keeps his tent, camping stuff and climbing gear in his pickup, ready for the weekends. After the day’s work is done at Outdoor Research headquarters, Sara and Ben Gerding throw their backpacks in – ready to roll.

Vantage, Saturday, 08:30 Outside the tent, it’s still frosty. Sara fights her way out of her sleeping bag to get the stove going and put the coffee on. She knows that as soon as the sun rises over the basalt columns, it will warm up to around 18 degrees Celsius with low humidity – ideal ­conditions for sport climbing. Vantage lies in the ­middle of Washington state, where Columbia ­River seems to be the only source of life in this semidesert. It’s hard to believe that the bustling metropolis of Seattle is shrouded in rain clouds only two hours drive from here. As they start up their first route at Frenchman Coulee, Sara, Ben and Jason are by no means the only people here. Vantage is the number one destination for sun-hungry sport climbers. Because the pacific rain clouds get stopped by the Cascades mountain range before they get to Vantage.

Belaying out the back of a pickup? Not quite – but routes at The Feathers are very easy to get to.

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SPORT CLIMBING VANTAGE & LEAVENWORTH

Leavenworth / Vantage, Sunday, 08.30 Ben’s telephone rings, “Stop off at Leavenworth on the way back,” says the voice at the end of the phone. Its Outdoor Research athlete Blake Herrington. He’s a local and knows the area like the back of his hand. The prospect of some great boulder problems and a nice trad route on solid granite to finish is just too tempting.

Sleeping bags get stuffed into their sacks, camping mats are rolled up – time to hit the road!

Magic Woods – in the woods that border Icicle Road near Leavenworth, there are bouldering problems a-plenty on the finest of granite.

Sara, Ben and Jason meet Blake at Icicle Road, to start off with a few problems on the boulders, before heading to Castle Rock, home of Washington state’s first ever multi-pitch routes, and great trad climbing. The perfect crag to round off the weekend. “Shame that weekends are only two days’ long,” says Sara, back at the car park on Highway 2. “Don’t worry,” says Ben. “It’ll probably rain next weekend in Seattle too…” ←

Sara sends a problem

by Wenatchee River, as Ben spots her.

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Reportage

On Castle Rock, high above the Wenatchee River near Leavenworth, there are 25 trad routes. Here, Jason Wert climbs Midway Direct (5.6).

Outdoor Research athlete Blake Herrington probably knows the climbing in the Cascades better than anyone. He wrote the guidebook “Cascades Rock” – the definitive guide to the area. At 272 pages, it has topos of the 160 best multi-pitch and alpine routes. It covers everything from the classics to bold new routes. Blake is a Leaven­ worth local, he makes a living from climbing and camper van conversions.

See his blogs for more information: • CascadesRock.blogspot.com • BlakeClimbs.Blogspot.com

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Men´s Astroman S / S Sun ShirtTM • Available in 7 styles • Weight: 154 g (Size L) • Sizes: S – XXL • Price: EUR 85

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They’re the perfect pants for climbing road trips. Great for climbing in and you can even leave them on in the evenings and still look fairly civilised.”

Men´s Wadi Rum PantsTM • Available in 4 colors and as shorts • Weight: 420 g (Size L) • Sizes: S – XXL • Price: EUR 130 Women´s Wadi Rum PantsTM • Available in 4 colors and as shorts • Weight: 365 g (Size M) • Sizes: XS – XL • Price: EUR 120

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The Fifth Force will be with you for years to come.”

Men´s Fifth Force HoodyTM • Available in 3 styles • Weight: 383 g (Size L) • Sizes: S – XXL • Price: EUR 120 Women´s Fifth Force HoodyTM • Available in 3 styles • Weight: 325 g (Size M) • Sizes: XS – XL • Price: EUR 120

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a l l e c mis neous

Creatures, both great and small, are always in search of food. The consequence of this for outdoor enthusiasts can range from the unpleasant to the life-threatening. Here’s how to safeguard your delicacies against those hungry four-legged friends: When you pack your food away, always make sure it’s as airtight as possible.

Keep your campsite clean and secure all food before you retire.

From September through to June, a great deal of precipitation descends on the western part of Washington State. But with the waterproof travel diaries from Rite in the Rain, outdoor enthusiasts will still be able to record their experiences in the wild. The rain experts from Tacoma use a patented process to impregnate the paper. And there is a large selection of notebooks, too. For example, Rite in the Rain has developed a climbing and expedition logbook in collaboration with mountaineering legend Conrad Anker.

Do not dispose of or leave any food remains near camp. Otherwise animals get used to the ready source of food.

What do you do when logging is in decline and sawmill closures threaten to turn your village into a ghost town? In 1962, Leavenworth launched project LIFE (Leavenworth Improvement For Everyone) with help from external consultants and decided to turn it into a Bavarian style village to draw visitors. It worked. Today kitschy Leavenworth is a tourist magnet and land prices have increased considerably.

• www.leavenworth.org

Special precautions in bear territory: Do not store anything (!) in the tent or in the immediate vicinity that might in any way smell tasty or interesting (this includes deodorant, toothpaste, etc.). Place it in a bear-resistant food container or drybag and hang it in a tree using thin cord high up (note: black bears are very good climbers).

And ideally upwind from where you are sleeping.

Photo: www.facebook.com / TheGorgeAmphitheater

• Price: from EUR 6.95 • Info: www.riteintherain.com

Keep a distance of at least 100 feet between the tent, the cooking area and your “pantry”.

If you can’t find a suitable tree, improvise! This is where a bear-resistant container is all the more important.

The key thing is the distance between it and the tent. In the end, it’s better to cut your tour short for lack of food than to have to explain to a bear how bad you actually taste.

Less than 7 miles as the crow flies from the climbing at Vantage, in the middle of nowhere is one of the most scenic, natural concert venues in America – the Gorge Amphitheatre. High up over the Columbia River, it’s home to pop, rock and country festivals with up to 25,000 visitors. Climb rock by day, rock out by night.

• www.georgeamphitheatre.com

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There are four types of hummingbird native to Washington. These tiny creatures weighing just three to four grams are miracles of evolution. At rest, their heart rate is 250 beats per minute, rising to 1,220 in flight. Maintaining this requires five to ten “filling station” stops a day to suck up nectar or eat small insects.

With 90 beats of their wings per second, they are the indisputable record holders among birds. The propeller sound that this creates, is reminiscent of that made by lightsabers in the Star Wars films.

Hummingbirds can rotate their wings in a circular motion within the joint, making them the only birds that can fly forwards, backwards, sideways and even upside down, as well as hover on the spot. The females generally lay two eggs – each about the size of a pea.

If you’re traveling from Europe, it goes without saying that the easiest way to reach Seattle is by air. But how do passenger planes work? The answers can be found at Boeing, 25 miles north of Seattle. Boeing’s Everett Site, where the Boeing 747, 777 and the new 787 Dreamliner are made, is the largest factory in the world. The Future of Flight Aviation Center offers fascinating facts about flying, while the Boeing site tours include the runway where the planes are tested.

• www.futureofflight.org

Totem poles, carved artifacts and impressive paintings inspired by nature are just some of the reminders that America’s Northwest Coast used to be Native American country. The region’s first peoples lived in harmony with the natural world. Totem animals such as the raven, bear, killer whale, and other creatures of the sea and forest have always been part of Native American mythology. They believe all living things have a soul: people, animals and plants – a philosophy the modern world could well learn from. The Duwamish, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, Snoqualmie, Tulalip and other Native communities are experiencing a cultural revival. Maybe, that isn’t such a bad thing?

• Info: www.visitseattle.org/ culturalheritage

Photo: David Restivo / National Park Service

In the Pacific Northwest, it’s not just the bears you need to be aware of – mountain goats can also be aggressive towards people. Similar to chamois and ibexes, they are mainly found in high-­ alpine terrain. Mountain goats have white hair and thickset, stocky bodies similar to polar bears. They might look cute, but they can be threatening and use their horns to attack. Rival goats are pretty tough on one another. Although they are not usually aggressive by nature, they aren’t always charitable to human visitors. It’s mainly the salt in sweat or urine that attracts the goats. To keep them away, rangers recommend waving your arms or clothing, talking and shouting.

They should not be fed, but if you really have to do it from a distance of 150 feet away. It’s best to admire mountain goats from a distance and appreciate them in their natural surroundings, like in the Olympic National Park.

• Video-Link: https://www.nps.govmedia/ video/view.htm?id=C880FDF3-AF81ECAE-662012BA72E0A2BB

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Open-minded, relaxed, friendly – that’s the typical Northwest Coast style.

Possession of cannabis has been legal in Washington state since 2012. And ­Seattle has nearly as many pot shops as it does bakers – there’s practically one on every street corner. The image of dingy drug dens is long outdated. Many of the outlets have more in common with designer fashion boutiques or fine wine stores. From dried cannabis to cannabis oil, lotions, gels and hash cookies, drinks and remedies, there is plenty to choose from. Anyone who is browsing or out for a new experience will most likely be met by friendly, giggling sales staff. The variety of hybrid cannabis strains on offer range from stimulating to calming. At the Vela cannabis store, you can witness the cultivation of the plants and the harvesting of the mood-enhancing extracts.

It’s illegal to consume marijuana in public and is sold only for use in the privacy of your own home. And ­remember, if you travel out over the Washington State borders it’s best to make sure you aren’t carrying any either.

• Info: www.velacommunity.com • www.learnaboutmarijuanawa.org

T H E U S A’ S T O P C I T Y T O L I V E I N • Population 668,342 City of Seattle 2,079,967 Surrounding area (2014) • Coastline 147.5 miles of freshwater 53.3 miles of saltwater • City area 1211.2 sq mi (712 sq mi land, 498 sq mi water) • Average temperature 18.3 °C (July) 4.5 °C (January) • Average precipitation (volume / rainy days) 16 mm / 5 (July) 132 mm / 19 (January) • Average water temperature Puget Sound 10 °C • Tourists / year 18.6 million (2013) • Hotel rooms downtown 12,308 • biggest Hotel Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Towers with 1,258 rooms (from late summer 2018: New Hyatt Regency with 1,260 rooms) • Best time to visit End of June to end of August (summer) January to March (winter)

General information: • Seattle: www.visitseattle.org • Washington State: http://www.experiencewa.com/

Getting there: • Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, e. g. Delta Air Lines, daily, from 670 euros; www.delta.com

O U T D O O R - C A P I TA L

S E AT T L E Copy moritz becher

Sleepless in Seattle? It’s very likely. Because Washington’s capital city has so much to offer, you might not want to sleep. This is a super city in every sense: sportswise, culturally and ­gastronomically.

But the best way to enjoy the city is in the same way the SEATTLEITES do: relaxed and easy-going.

What would your dream city look like? It would have to be in a great location, right? Maybe between the sea and the mountains, but sheltered from the open oceans. All around it, lush forests with giant trees, ice cold blue mountain lakes, wild creeks and green rivers from which fish virtu­ ally jump into the mouths of waiting bears. With hummingbirds and eagles that you can sit watching while sipping the best coffee in the world.

And inhabited by friendly, genuine, laidback and slightly ‘wacky’ people.

People who love nature and are just as crazy about the outdoors as you are. Well stop dreaming, and head to Seattle!

• 22 – 25 March 2018 Taste Washington www.tastewashington.org • 1 – 3 June 2018 Upstream music festival www.upstreammusicfest.com • 20 – 22 July 2018 Street food festival www.biteofseattle.com

Photo: Lars Schneider

• 1 – 3 September 2018 Bumbershoot musik festival www.bumbershoot.com

Like riding, love coffee? Head down to ‘Metier Racing & Coffee’.

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Maybe that is what the small group of Americans called the “Denny Party” envisioned as they landed at Alki Point, in present-day West Seattle, on November 13th, 1851, to establish a settlement. At first, they named the it “New York”, after the place they’d come from. A short while later, they relocated further to the east, in what is now part of the downtown area, and renamed it ‘Seattle’. This was in honor of their friendship and collaboration with the Native American Chief Noah Sealth, also known as “Chief Seattle”.

Its transformation from a small, dirty coastal settlement, into one of the most important trading posts in North America started in 1897, with the arrival of the ‘Portland’ steamer and stacks of gold from the Klondike, the area that spans the boundary between present-day Alaska and the Yukon Territory of Canada. The gold rush brought tens of thousands of prospectors to Seattle, and the city grew rapidly on sales of food and equipment.

Today, Seattle’s economy is also flourishing. Global enterprises like Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks are based here, and airplane manufacturer Boeing used to have its headquarters here. ←

City guide Seattle

1000 good reasons Even if, in the minds of international tourists, the capital of Washington State is often overshadowed by west coast favorites Vancouver and San Francisco, anyone who does get to know Seattle will find it hard to leave this coastal city. And why is that? OK, so there are the classic answers: like the “Space Needle”, built for the 1962 world exhibition. Or “Pike Place Market” that opened in 1907, making it the oldest farmers’ market in the USA. And there’s the “Gum Wall”, a 15-meter long, brick wall that has been plastered in chewing gum.

Photo: Christian Penning

But it would be a shame to reduce Seattle to its tourist attractions or travel guide top tips. Because it’s not about one particular place or park, one shopping street, museum or restaurant. Cities like Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam are ‘prettier’, it’s true. It is more all the reasons added up that have earned Seattle the title of ‘top city to live in the USA’ several times over. So, let’s do the math.

People Seattle residents are blessed with typical Pacific Northwest traits: They are friendly, sincere and tolerant, modest, laidback – and a little crazy. Like the annual “No Pants Light Rail Ride” that takes place, where light rail passengers in Seattle only wear underwear on their bottom half for the day, and wander round like it’s the most natural thing in the world. And then, there’s the “Naked Pumpkin Run”, where… (do I need to continue?)

Music Seattle is the birthplace and capital of grunge.

Bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden emerged here. “The Crocodile” on 2200 2nd Avenue (­www.thecrocodile.com) was their “home club”, as it was for Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. Jimi Hendrix is also a ‘child of Seattle’. The next generation of local musicians and big Northwest names, come together at the three-day Upstream Festival (www.upstreammusicfest.com). And Jazz fans can get their fix at the Earshot Jazz Festival (www.earshot.org) that takes place yearly.

The 14,410-foot-high volcano, Mount Rainier, watches over the Seattle skyline – and makes for some spectacular pictures.

Nature & Outdoor Sports Seattle lies directly on the shores of Puget Sound estuary, with 807 square miles of water and 300 islands. It is virtually surrounded by mountains, like the 14,410-foot volcano Mount Rainier, 10,778-foot volcano Mount Baker, the Cascade Mountains and the Olympics. Then, there are the coastal rainforests and mountain forests with their lakes and rivers. The fauna is no less varied and wild: bears, orcas, seals, pumas, wolves, coyotes, wolverines, lynxes, foxes, racoons, moose, elk, deer, bighorn sheep, bald eagles, hummingbirds and many more. In short, it has limitless natural playgrounds in which to indulge in any amount of outdoor fun – without having to go far either, it’s practically on your doorstep. Washington State is half the size of Germany.

Weather coffee It’s true, Starbucks does originate in Seattle. But by having a coffee in one of their establishments means you’re missing out on the hundreds of little cafés where caffeine creations are prepared with real passion. The Emerald City is apparently home to the most independent cafés per head of population. In 2013, the whole city was named “America’s best coffee city” by the travel site “Travel + Leisure”.

The best thing to do is just taste your way through them – or as Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon puts it: “In Seattle you haven’t had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it’s running.”

Food & drink The proximity to the sea, a strong regional far­ ming industry, numerous world-class wineries, local breweries and small distilleries – the diversity and originality of their culinary delights is impressive. And the multi-cultural aspect gives Seattle’s cuisine that extra kick. If you’d like to get to know Washington’s cuisine the “Taste Washington” (www.tastewashington.org) fair takes place every year.

This reason may prompt puzzled looks, since mali­ cious folk have dubbed this Northwest metropolis “Rain City”. But in reality, Seattle’s average rainfall of 38 inches is lower than Houston, Miami, New York, Washington (DC) and Boston. During the summer, from the end of June to the end of August, temperatures are pleasant and chances of precipitation are low. But it’s still worth travelling to Seattle during the other nine months of the year. There’s plenty to do all year round – and there are far fewer tourists. For skiers, the weather is also a bonus.

The ski resorts to the east of Seattle are some of the very best in the world. Mount Rainier has some of the highest snowfall of any winter sports area with up to 65 feet (!) of snow in a season.

Still not entirely convinced? Ok, there’s still a Joker card: In 2013 Seattle was voted “Best Chill City” in the USA. And help, if needed, in getting chilled is at hand. Because, as of July 2014, ­Washington State officially legalized the purchase and consumption of marijuana. (www.potguide.com/ washington). More than 50 “specialist stores” have sprung up in the city since legalization.

How you relax in Seattle and what you do is, of course, up to you – the main thing is, don’t miss out on this dream city.

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3 × 3 = 9 good reasons 3 × “Coffee, please!”

• MÉTIER RACING & COFFEE Hugely popular mix between a café and cycle shop. www.metierseattle.com • CRAFTWORKS COFFEE BAR Artisan coffee of the highest caliber. www.craftworkscoffee.biz • ELM COFFEE ROASTERS Café with its own ­in-house roasting. www.elmcoffeeroasters.com

3 × “Restaurants with a view” • WESTWARD SEATTLE Fine dining local fare, right on the shores of Union Lake with views over the Seattle skyline. www.westwardseattle.com • SALTYS ON ALKI BEACH Waterfront seafood grill with fantastic views over Seattle. Right near the spot where the first European settlers landed in 1851. Accessed directly via ferry from downtown. www.saltys.com/seattle • RAYS BOATHOUSE Seafood restaurant with views over Puget Sound and the sun setting over the Olympic Mountains. www.rays.com

3 × “Shopping tips for Seattle” • REI Heaven for outdoors fans – even if all you need is a gas canister for your backcountry trip. www.rei.com • HIBULB CULTURAL CENTER Gallery showcasing Native American art with a gift shop selling certified works of art. www.hibulbculturalcenter.org • OUTDOOR RESEARCH Flagship store with large selection of technical clothing, equipment and literature to help plan your trip. www.outdoorresearch.com/retail-store

TH E A DV E N T U R E C O M PA N Y Copy Ch ristia n Penning / P h otos C h r i st i a n P e n n i n g / PA D

Creativity and passion are the basic ingredients of many outdoor companies. These businesses are the product of the unconventional and inge­ nious ideas of mountaineers. This is how Outdoor Research was born. To this day, the c ­ ompany is driven by the inspiration and enthusiasm for the outdoors of the people who work there.

We’re in Seattle to find out more about Outdoor ­R esearch’s founder Ron Gregg and his legacy.

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Outdoor Research History

On a test-expedition: “Outdoor driven” was more than just a slogan for Ron Gregg.

Below: The Outdoor Research success story started with the first X-Gaiters.

It can happen to the best of us.

Ron Gregg and his friend were experienced backcountry ski tourers, outdoor nerds where no storm was too wild, no mountain too high, and no trail too long. They had been on countless ski tours together. In 1981, they spent 18 days skiing across the tundra to the base of 20,300 ft Mount Denali in Alaska. Everything was going according to plan. But then, barely halfway to the summit, they had to retreat. Ron’s partner was suffering from severe frostbite in his toes. His functional gaiters had failed and his boots were soaking wet. The frost did the rest. They called the National Park Service for an air rescue. Ron declined a seat on the helicopter, instead opting to

ski the 100 miles back to civilization alone. It took him two weeks. He was angry and had plenty of time to consider what had happened. He vowed that the same thing would never happen again.

Nobel Prize winner. However, he was more interested in spending time in the mountains.

After returning from Denali, Ron quit his job – inventing and using lasers to measure the settlement of earthen dams – and Ron came back from his got together with a backpack manufacturer Denali trip ­a bsolutely convinced that he could from Seattle. He developed and perfected a build better outdoor better-insulated version equipment himself. Way of the gaiters that he and his partner had better than the gear used and called it the that was available comX-Gaiter. Admittedly, by mercially. today’s standards, they were not exactly sexy.

But they worked. Ron He certainly had the required analytGregg founded Outdoor Research ical brain and technical know-how. and sold $50,000 worth of X-Gaiters Ron had studied at Caltech, the elite in the first year. Among the first cusCalifornian Institute of Technology, tomers was Dan Nordstrom, a mounand had a brilliant PhD in applied tain-mad kid whose family owned the physics. Some of his c ­ ontemporaries Nordstrom department store chain. even viewed him as a potential Ron realized that for Outdoor Research to grow he needed another product. His sister, Laurie, had the idea of making a first aid kit with a soft cover for wilderness and outdoor 47

Background

The company headquarters of Outdoor Research on First Avenue South in Seattle.

activities. The kit was soon available in different versions and the product collection quickly grew, as did the rest of the company. Today, Outdoor Research is one of the top five North American outdoor companies – a global player with production sites in America and Asia. Ron applied the same determination and obsession that he showed on his 100-mile trek back from Denali to building the company. His ideas were innovative and showed an almost obsessional attention to functional details.

Together with selected partners, he would spend one to three months a year climbing, ski touring or paddling white water in the wilderness – which he called the Big Office – for fun.

And to perfect the products and collect new ideas for new prototypes that were all recorded in his trusty graph-paper notebook. In 2003, Ron Gregg joined a group of friends on a backcountry ski trip to British Columbia. They were hit by a large avalanche and two skiers, including Ron, were killed. However, his spirit and his passion for outdoor apparel and accessories can still be felt to this day at the company headquarters on 2203 First Avenue South, Seattle.

This feeling has a lot to do with Dan Nordstrom. After quitting his job in the family’s department store company, Dan wanted to “do something different” and was considering a new career through the acquisition of an established small business. He spent a year looking at companies

for sale. After rising temperatures and rain forced him to cancel a ski trip, he returned to Seattle where he learned of Ron’s tragic death – and that Outdoor Research was up for sale. He thought the company might be exactly what he was looking for and made an appointment to see the plant. He had the entrepreneurial skills. And he was a born-and-bred Pacific Northwest boy – Dan was just as at home in the wild Cascade Mountains or in the harsh conditions on Mt. Rainer as he was at his desk.

He decided to buy the company.

“The first years were not easy,” Dan recalls. “The company was in financial difficulty. It was a family-run business that had lost its father figure.” But just as Ron Gregg had done before him, Dan Nordstrom started with a clear vision.

“Outdoor ­Research was still a strong brand, and its products had al­ ways impressed people with their high quality and out­standing ­f unctionality.”

As the new CEO, Dan Nordstrom built on Ron’s authentic outdoor philosophy with his business expertise and team leadership skills. He streamlined the collection, while simultaneously pushing market relevant products and expanding the apparel lines. Outdoor Research was ready to take on the increasingly tough competition.

The focus on functionality stayed the same, though. Growing up in a global apparel business family who had made a fortune with fashionably designed goods, he also understood the importance of eye-catching products. “This is vital today, in order to survive against the competition.”

Loving the product: “We’re all a bit outdoors crazy!”

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Outdoor Research History

Handcrafted expertise: manufactured to the highest standards.

“We’ve done a really good job if people forget about what they are wearing…,” says Jeremy Park, Manager of the Outdoor Research Brand Store at the company headquarters in Seattle and a skilled climber, “… When our gear is so good that users just don’t think about it anymore.” Two ingredients remain essential to making outstanding products: outdoor experience and intensive outdoor testing.

Whether they work in resource planning, development or distribution, Outdoor Research employees are always stoked about the outdoors.

“We’re experts in bad weather and tough conditions,” says Dave Mahoney, Vice President of Sales, and not without pride. A passionate skier, trail runner and mountain biker, he worked for five years as a fly fishing guide in Alaska. Just one example of many that demonstrates how the people at Outdoor Research are still following in Ron Greggs’ footsteps. ← Seal of quality: Outdoor Research is known for the quality of its products. OR the only manufacturer with a Gore certification for sealing Gore-Tex® gloves.

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Interview Dan Nordstrom

FIGHTING FOR N AT U R E

Dan Nordstrom has been heading Outdoor Research for 15 years. The Pacific-North­ west boy and outdoor enthusiast talks about his adventures in the mountains, the challenges facing a modern outdoor company and his commitment to protecting the environment.

Talking about the future, what challenges will OR face in the future?

What’s so special about being an outdoor company in the Pacific Northwest region?

The wilderness often starts just a short way from the roads and car parks. The weather is often very changeable and the conditions can be tough. But that’s what makes it so special. It means that you need to be able to rely 100 % on your abilities, your experience and your equipment.

This is reflected in our products.

How is OR different to other outdoor manufacturers?

We don’t try to please everyone.

To a certain extent, we’re still an underdog brand. Our products are the first choice for people who live for the outdoors. We have always put functionality first, and then given it a cool, modern look. And we’re going to continue to do this in the future.

Online retail is going to continue to transform our sales and distribution.

It’s becoming more and more important to always have convincing, functional products and present them in an authentic manner. Today, there are more people than ever involved in outdoor activities with enormous passion. And they are very demanding. In addition, the requirement is growing to make products sustainable, using eco-friendly materials.

You have been an outspoken critic of the Trump administration. Do outdoor firms have a responsibility to be political?

Definitively. We are all ­responsible.

And outdoor companies in ­particular.

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I want Outdoor Research to continue to stand for something important.

There have already been a number of initiatives to restrict people getting outdoors and roll back policies that aim to curb climate change, limit environmental protection and protect our public lands. It’s time to come together to fight for what we hold dear. With the Coalition for Outdoor Access, we want to unite and combine the protest force of thousands of organizations to become one voice. It’s time to get involved. ←

D E G G E L FOUR FRIENDS The Outdoor Research headquarters in ­S eattle are home to a big, outdoor-mad family.

And naturally, dogs are ­family members too.

We interviewed three of them to get a canine take on working at OR.

“Alex is my owner, although he says that he’s a Product Manager. He must be pretty impor­ tant. He’s always on the phone, in meetings, on the phone again... or sitting around at his desk. It’s all very well. But guys... you can’t do that all day without a break. This is why I generally drag him out the office at lunchtimes, on his lead. And to practice my tricks – you know, standing on my hind legs etc., they just love all that stuff... Today’s Friday. Bring on the weekend. Time for swimming in the sea, fishing or hiking with a tent. Let’s get out of this place!”

“My owner is Christian. He says he’s in charge of marketing. Pretty much every day, he flicks through magazines, looking at the ads. I help too. When I see one I like, I bark. Not sure what that has to do with marketing though? I mean, we’ve not been to the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle for ages. You get great steaks there. And organic ones, straight from the farm. And the fish is excellent.

Wild salmon – oh boy! I’d even be happy to miss our lunchtime frisbee sessions for some of that.”

“My owner’s called Elise. She’s got an easy life. She’s the Photo and Video Coordinator, and spends the whole day looking at photos or funny films. I like the ones with the dogs in best. Most of them have people running through forests, climbing mountains or canoeing wild rivers. Cool!

They make me want to get out there and see more of the world. Or at least more than just Elise’s colleague – her mutt snaffled my favorite cookies! Next up, Elise and I plan to fly to Alaska with nothing but a backpack. Or maybe we should head down to Florida? My job is to keep an eye on things at Elise’s photo shoots to make sure nothing goes missing.”

KRYSTLE WRIGHT INDEX, WA.

Summits and sends keep our stoke high –they’re the exclamation points on our experiences. We live for the moments that fill the journey; the struggle, perseverance good friends and high-fives. We’re here for the moments that make us come alive and for FUN – for the journey ahead!

OUTDOORRESEARCH.COM

When seasons change, you don’t.

for the journey ahead