FALL 2017
ADVENTURES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE Special publication of The Northern Light PUBLISHERS Patrick Grubb and Louise Mugar
CONTRIBUTORS CONTRIBUTORS
EDITOR Oliver Lazenby PUBLICATION DESIGN Doug De Visser
nickBELCASTER
Nick Belcaster is a Bellingham writer who traverses the Pacific Northwest on rack, rope, skins and boot tread – an ice axe in one hand and a fly rod in the other.
timBLACK
COPY EDITOR Kara Furr ADVERTISING DESIGN Ruth Lauman • Doug De Visser
MBE Fall 2017
ADVERTISING SALES Catherine Darkenwald • Janet McCall Molly Ernst • Judy Fjellman CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE: Nick Belcaster, Tim Black, Brian Chapel, Anne Cleary, Chris Duppenthaler, Mallorie Estenson, Beau Gaughran, Tyson geBauer, Amy Gibson, Jason Griffith, Ben Groenhout, Grant Gunderson, Jason Hummel, Paul Kelly, Jason D. Martin, Audra Lee Mercille, Eric Mickelson, Andy Porter, Gabe Rogel, Evan Skoczenski, Matthew Tangeman, Andy Traslin, Benjamin Whitney, Luca Williams EMAIL: info@mountbakerexperience.com WEB: www.mountbakerexperience.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com/mtbakerexperience INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/mtbakerexp If you can see Mt. Baker, you’re part of the experience. Mount Baker Experience is a quarterly outdoor recreation magazine for and about the Mt. Baker region, distributed from Seattle to Vancouver, B.C. and published by Point Roberts Press, Inc. Locally owned, the company also publishes The Northern Light, All Point Bulletin, Pacific Coast Weddings, Waterside and area maps. Vol. XXXI, No. 3. Printed in Canada. ©2017 POINT ROBERTS PRESS 225 Marine Drive, Blaine, WA 98230 TEL: 360/332-1777 NEXT ISSUE Winter 2018 • Out mid November Ad reservation deadine: October 6 ON THE COVER Kirsten Mathers climbing North Twin Sister at five and a half months pregnant after motorcycling to the trailhead. Audra Lee Mercille photo. FALL 2017
ADVENTURES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Tim Black is a skier and photographer based in Bellingham. He has always been inspired by others capturing the moment, so a few years ago he picked up a camera for a new view in the mountains.
brianCHAPEL
Brian is a passionate outdoorsman and loves to photograph everything around him. He grew up in Colorado, but now lives in Bellingham with his wife and two dogs. brianchapelphotography.com
anneCLEARY
An always-say-yes attitude and a passion for storytelling through media brought Anne to Bellingham. She has employed filmmaking and photography to document and share adventure.
mallorieESTENSON
Mallorie Estenson loves climbing. She is an alpine guide, writer and resident of Bellingham. While she’s happy climbing in the Cascades, she dreams of someday climbing remote rocks and mountains around the world.
beauGAUGHRAN
Beau is a Bellingham-based freelance photographer from Maine. He moved here last summer for the incredible whitewater, year-round splitboarding and mountain playgrounds where he practices his craft.
tysonGEBAUER
Tyson is a professional photographer, tour guide, builder and adventurist. He has spent the last 30 years on the peaks and in the valleys of Washington He lives in Welcome, Washington with his wife and daughter.
amyGIBSON
Amy Gibson loves learning about all the edible and medicinal plants she can find in Whatcom County.
jasonGRIFFITH Based in Mount Vernon, Jason is a fisheries biologist, member of Skagit Mountain Rescue, husband and father of two young boys. Accidents aren’t allowed when he heads to the hills with the Choss Dawgs.
grantGUNDERSON
One of the ski industry’s preeminent photographers, Grant has shot for every major snow sports and outdoor publication worldwide. Grantgunderson.com racing up Mount baker | Fall Hikes | snowboard podcast
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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2017
jasonHUMMEL
Jason is an outdoor photographer from Washington who has documented numerous first descents in the North Cascades. Alpinestateofmind.com
paulKELLY Paul is a former U.S. Navy photographer, Brooks Institute alumni, and Eddie Adams Workshop grad. He is a New Hampshire native who shoots mountain biking, snowboarding, and outdoor lifestyle.
jasonMARTIN
Jason is a mountain guide, general manager at American Alpine Institute and a widely published outdoor writer. He lives in Bellingham with his wife and two young children.
audra leeMERCILLE Audra Lee Mercille is a Pacific Northwest-based freelance adventurer. She found photography as a way to display her love and gratitude for the mountains and landscapes that inspire her.
ericMICKELSON Eric is an outdoor photographer and restoration ecologist who is always willing to drop everything for a good adventure outside. He lives in Bellingham with his wife and daughter. ericmickelson.com
andyPORTER
Andy Porter’s love of the outdoors began at 16 during a month-long Outward Bound program in the Sawtooth Wilderness of Idaho. He’s a fulltime photographer living in Sedro-Woolley. Andyporterimages.com
evanSKOCZENSKI
Evan Skoczenski is a lifestyle and landscape photographer born in Bellingham. He spends almost all his time chasing light and the next adventure!
andyTRASLIN Andy is a North Vancouver, BC native who grew up skiing in the Mt. Baker area. He is a professional ski mountaineer and mountain biker.
benWHITNEY Inspired by the allure of the North Cascades, Ben moved to Bellingham from Vermont this winter. He writes about people, place and community, and is excited to contribute to the creative wellspring that surrounds the alpine.
lucaWILLIAMS
Luca Williams is a certified rolfer in Glacier. She helps snowboarders, skiers and other outdoor enthusiasts get aligned and out of pain. Website: lucasrolfing.com Blog: movingwithgravity.wordpress.com
MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM
FALL2017
Publisher’s NOTE by Pat Grubb
A
s I sit at my computer writing this, we are hours away from the first coastto-coast total solar eclipse in the U.S. in nearly a century. In Whatcom County (home of Mt. Baker), the eclipse should be somewhere around 85 percent, which, coincidentally, is also about how far through the summer we’ve traveled. And what a summer it’s been – long days of sunshine, record highs and smoky skies due to forest fires burning in B.C. Unfortunately, those fires may be a harbinger of summers to come as global warming wreaks its changes, large and small. So sad, our leader might say, though not about global warming – that’s fake news. Let’s think about positive things such as what a great issue of MBE this is. Read about a race up Baker and commit to doing it yourself. Get in prime condition by trying SwimRun, a Swedish export to the New World. Start off slow with an autumn gold hike. Kick back, put your feet up and watch some of the worst outdoor movies ever made. Thinking about new gear? Check out our fall product guide for some ideas. Hungry? Try your luck at foraging in the forest. You’ll be surprised at the goodies lying by your feet. Finally, get some rest – your body needs it. Before we know it, the snow will be falling, the lifts will be running, the backcountry will be beckoning and we’ll all be saying what happened to autumn – it went by so fast. Just like what we’re saying now about the summer. My eyes are dim, I cannot see, I did not bring my eclipse specs with me... Have a great autumn!
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RACE UP MT. BAKER 32 20 11
SWIMRUN
LARCH HIKES
Swedish sport lands in the Northwest
Find some autumn gold
BIKE WHISPERER Duke Pakdee puts it together
10 FNRAD Chronicling snowboard history
22 GALLERY Outdoor inspiration
SOME REST 14 GET Your body needs it
29 POSTCARD From the Methow’s healing waters
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FORAGING 30 FALL Time to stock up
GUIDE 38 PRODUCT Your next purchase AND SLEEPS 39 EATS Dining and lodging
SHUKSAN
SELLS 41 GALBRAITH Iconic trail network changes hands REVIEW 42 HORROR Best of the worst movies
PARTING SHOT
Classical music in the Cascades
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40 EVENTS Try something new this fall
Official Mascot of Mount Baker Experience
YOU CAN TOO
One woman’s journey to guiding FALL 2017 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE
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FNRad
Snowboarding Podcast A Vancouver podcaster chronicles snowboarding’s genesis By Oliver Lazenby
Podcaster Erik Traulsen, left, and Shawn Farmer on Chair 8 at Mt. Baker Ski Area.
T
he surest way to create something interesting is to follow what interests you. That’s Eric Traulsen’s formula for his passion project, the FNRad Snowboarding Podcast. Through interviews with snowboard legends, Traulsen chronicles the sport’s early days, from duct-tape covered Sorel boots and the invention of the snurfer to the Mount Baker Hard Core. Traulsen still rides nonstop, fitting dawn patrols and night sessions at North Vancouver’s ski areas around his workday as a letter carrier in Vancouver. But he doesn’t much follow the sport’s current pros, preferring to relive his favorite era. And he’s not alone; it’s possible that most snowboarders prefer the early days and “can’t even fathom doing a triple cork or a double cork. Or even a cork,” as Traulsen said. His podcast’s third season premieres in December. The first two seasons feature interviews with such snowboard pioneers as Jamie Lynn, Shaun Palmer, Mike Ranquet and Jeff Fulton. With some big names already on the show, it’s getting easier to
talk others into interviews. Traulsen didn’t know anything about podcasting when he started, though he listened to podcasts all week long while delivering mail. But he does know the snowboard industry and he lives snowboarding. In season one, he recorded interviews with early Mount Baker Hard Core legends Shawn Farmer and Jeff Fulton on chairlifts at the Mt. Baker Ski Area in between powder laps. “The Farmer interview I did, I just stopped him in the parking lot and said, ‘I do this podcast, I want to interview you,’” Traulsen said. “I think if I couldn’t have kept up I wouldn’t have been able to get the audio.” As FNRad gains momentum, Traulsen’s style and format is evolving. He aspires for tighter edits with multiple voices, rather than just simple interviews. And it’s come a long way. Now he hears early episodes with a critical ear and can’t believe so many people listened to them. Since that first season, Traulsen’s taken a radio broadcasting
course at the University of the Fraser Valley and put more effort into sound quality. He’s also begun to get over a fear of sending his work out into the world. “There’s something about putting them out there. It’s a little embarrassing. It’s very similar to when I did stand-up comedy,” he said. “Most people talk about the elation of making people laugh; I just felt horror.” For next season, listeners can expect more interviews with their snowboard heroes and eventually a multi-part episode on Mt. Baker legend Craig Kelly, who died in an avalanche in 2003. “His story is incredible,” Traulsen said about Kelly. “I have such great tape from so many really cool people. Every time you talk to someone about Craig it’s this deep conversation about someone who was more authentic than… I don’t want to say everyone you’ve ever met, but yeah probably everyone you ever met.” Learn more at fnradsnowboarding.blubrry.com or find the podcast on iTunes.
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Swimrun An amphibious new sport debuts in the Pacific Northwest story By Oliver Lazenby photos by Tyson gebauer
S
wimming and running both offer simplicity. You can do either sport with basically no special, expensive gear. Put the two together and they still don’t really require extra gear. In fact, one can run to the water, swim across it to the trail, get out of the water and start running again, only to repeat the whole thing minutes later.
Surprisingly, more and more people are doing just that: combining the two simple sports to cover long distances in an amphibious new sport called swimrun. Basically, it’s a triathlon without that awkward part where the participants splash out of the water onto a bike with funny handlebars, and then attempt to wriggle wet feet into cycling shoes. The sport started, legend has it, as a drunken bet between
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four guys in Sweden who wanted to see if they could swim and run between a couple of dozen islands in the Stockholm Archipelago. Their 26-hour escapade across forested islands and through chilling northern waters became a race a few years later. The sport slowly spread across the planet, despite the fact that some places just don’t have great swimrun terrain. On
Get Hooked on the Bellingham Traverse- a fun multi-sport relay race that celebrates the journey of wild salmon. You can help support Recreation Northwest’s Fairhaven Park Trail & Boardwalk stewardship project and educational programs with your team. Saturday, September 16th at noon. Your team, made up of friends, family or co-workers, come out for a day of racing and experiencing all that is Bellingham! Enjoy the quintessential offerings of our scenic parks, winding trails and open waterways. It all ends at Boundary Bay with fresh Traverse Ale and a hoppin’ party. Sound Fishy? If you’re not into “racing”, we’d love for you to give us a hand as a volunteer.
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Swimrun competitors can use paddles and swim buoys in the water, but if they do they have to carry them on the trail.
May 4, 2017, Brent Molsberry and Recreation Northwest introduced the sport to the Pacific Northwest – a place overflowing with ideal swimrun terrain (that is to say, water and land). Before the inaugural Bellingham Swimrun last May, the closest swimrun race to the Pacific Northwest was in San Diego. “It just seemed like a really interesting and cool style of racing,” said Molsberry, a competitive adventure racer. “There are a lot of places where you would have a hard time coming up with a challenging course. Here we have a lot of great options.” Nearly 50 athletes participated in the Bellingham Swim-
run, a 15-kilometer race through Lake Padden Park. The course included about 12 kilometers of running through the hilly forest surrounding the lake, and three kilometers of swimming in the still-cold, choppy water. In the spirit of the original race, racers compete in teams of two and the swimming and running don’t happen all at once, but in seven different running legs and six swimming legs, with racers going seamlessly from water to land and back again, all in dripping neoprene and with goggles on their heads. And while that might seem ridiculous, swimrun does make a special kind of sense.
When local triathlete and triathlon coach Mo Trainor heard about swimrun and its surging popularity, she thought, what’s the big deal? It’s just triathlon without bikes. “I wasn’t sure what the goal was at first, other than putting these two things together,” she said. “But I think they do naturally complement each other, in a way. There’s a real interesting fluidity in going from a liquid environment to a trail or paved environment and using your body in different ways.” Some early swimrunners have described the sport as a backlash to triathlon. Competitive triathletes are famous for their focus on expensive gear, and data collected in 2015 by USA Triathlon found that the median annual income for triathletes was $126,000. That doesn’t mean swimrun is cheap, necessarily. You need a wetsuit, shoes, swim goggles and a whistle. You can use other things, such as swimming paddles or swim buoys, but you have to carry them during the run. Bellingham swimrun winners, Elliot Rushton and Barry Berg, from Vancouver, B.C., carried big hand-held paddles. Trainor is a competitor and her mind inevitably turns to strategy and tactics when she’s discussing sports. Swimrun makes sense from that perspective too, she said, as alternating sports allows muscles to recharge. “When you’re in the water, your job is to conserve your legs for the run,” she said. “Same thing with triathlon; when we’re in the water we don’t kick a whole hell of a lot.” Molsberry was impressed with the number of people who signed up for the first swimrun, and almost none of them had ever seen a swimrun before. “It’s new so it’s exciting, but on the other hand I think people didn’t really know what it entailed,” he said. “The excitement around it was really fun.” Bellingham Swimrun will be back in 2018, and Molsberry is looking at venues for another Northwest swimrun, possibly including a much longer course.
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Swimrun wisdom
Want to try swimrun? Here are some tips, based on what the experts say: 1. TEAMWORK IS KEY Swimrun is done in teams of two, and teamwork and consistency are important. Have the slower swimmer set the pace in the water and the slower runner set the pace on the run, or you’ll risk burning out the slower teammate. 2. SAVE ENERGY Conserve your energy and be efficient. Rest your legs in the water to save them for the run. Don’t stand up too soon when exiting the water – it takes more energy to push through water walking than swimming on the surface. Swim in as far as you can before standing and aim for being able to touch bottom with your hands before you stand. And when you enter the water, start swimming as soon as possible. 3. FINE-TUNE YOUR EQUIPMENT Invest in the swimrun basics - wetsuit, cap, goggles, minimal running flats, and maybe a swim buoy, paddle or fins, but keep it minimal. Remember, whatever you swim with, you must carry with you on the run.
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The importance of rest A chance to just be
I
grew up near the jungles of Panama, and one of my favorite memories is waking up before my family and listening to the jungle come alive. The monkeys, birds and insects all whispered, hummed, screamed and howled as I absorbed the life around me. I didn’t have to go far to have an adventure, I just had to pay attention. As I have grown older and life has gotten busier I often forget to make time to just sit and listen to the sounds of the world. Yet paying attention to my surroundings helps me get connected and feel part of a bigger picture. What’s even more difficult than paying attention to my environment is taking time to pay attention to myself. Most of us spend our days running from one project to another – working, taking care of kids, driving, exercising, adventuring or planning our next adventure. By the time we hit the bed we haven’t even thought about or listened to the whispers of our own bodies – until we have pain or discomfort that screams and howls in a way we can’t ignore. Taking time to rest just isn’t on the to-do list. I have found that each of us has our own inner jungle that we can listen to and notice, but we have to take the time for it. The best part about resting is, we give ourselves a chance to reconnect to our true dreams and aspirations. We give ourselves an opportunity to reset ourselves instead of being swayed by the demands and desires of our bosses, co-workers, family and friends. Resting gives us a chance to just be. So how often do you check in with yourself and ask, “How am I doing? How do I feel? Do I like being this busy? Do I want more out of life? Or is everything just perfect except this nagging neck or back pain?” As a body worker I love stretching, moving and dancing when I have a discomfort that I am trying to work out. When things go really wrong in my body or my life I go back to the basics and my absolute favorite resting position. The position allows me to give in to gravity. This one posture allows my nervous, muscular and skeletal systems to rest. At the same time, the rest position allows me to listen to the whispers, the hums, the screams and the howls that I have been ignoring. As I lay in the rest position, something else happens; all the pieces of me – the mother, the body worker, the friend, the wife – dissolve and I feel childlike again. I am left with a sense of wonder. Here is the place where I can enter an adventure into my own being.
By Luca Williams
Rest position
1. Put a pillow under your knees with your feet flat on the bed or floor. Or bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor without the pillow. Hold your upper body up with your elbows.
2. Lower yourself slowly, vertebra by vertebra, imagining that each vertebra has space from the one below. You can use your elbows to help elongate your spine.
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“You are about to enter an adventure into your own being.” – Andre Bernard
7. If you find yourself obsessing about the day, or a situation, or a pain that you may have, wiggle your toes and fingers and take a deep breath exhaling the thought away. Breathe and repeat. The rest pose can be used anytime to help you reset or fall asleep. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with yourself and elongate your spine at the same time. You may find yourself zoning out into a beautiful space where you can experience an adventure into the jungle of your own being.
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3. Place a pillow or towel under your head if need be. Optimally, you want your face to be parallel to the floor. 4. Check that you have a small gap between your lower back and the bed or floor. If this gap is too large or nonexistant then you are not resting but creating more tension by overarching your spine or over-tucking your pelvis. The key is to relax. 5. Place your hands on your chest or belly to remind yourself to rest downwards toward the center of the earth, giving in to gravity. You can either leave your hands on your belly or place them palms up by your sides. 6. Allow yourself to exhale, releasing any extra tension or stress that you have built up through the day.
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Mt. Baker Ultra Marathon epicly wrong or a giant ball of chaos? By Oliver Lazenby
The summit of Sherman Peak. Chris Duppenthaler photo.
I
n 1938, the town of Concrete in the North Cascades foothills went dark and lost power just as aliens invaded in Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds. In 2008, arsonists burned its grade school. In 2017, runners started and finished the inaugural Mt. Baker Ultra Marathon, a 50mile foot race to the summit of Sherman Peak on Mt. Baker, at 10,160 feet, from the Concrete police station, at 276 feet. That’s one possible bullet-list version of the town’s history. The Mt. Baker Ultra Marathon may seem like a misfit in that list, until you learn what went into it. Dan Probst spent much of the past five years planning the race, organizing trial runs on similar routes, obtaining permits, talking to gov-
ernment officials and private land managers, and managing nearly every aspect of what may be the world’s most ambitious ultra marathon – at least in terms of race direction. On June 3, hours before the race’s midnight start, all the racers had arrived in the small town off Highway 20, where the Baker River flows past a collection of churches, houses and businesses and into the Skagit River. Probst’s work was nearly done. “Dan had been up for probably 30 hours doing those last minute things,” said Scarlett Graham, his friend and a racer. “All of us could tell that Dan was emotional about welcoming us to the race.”
six miles into the race. That’s where the ball of chaos formed. Dan Probst addresses the runners before the start. Ben Groenhout photo.
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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2017
At midnight, Graham and 16 other runners took off from Concrete, past street lamps draped with American flags and toward a tangle of gravel roads under the south side of Mt. Baker. As Probst watched headlamps fade into the night, he could finally relax – at least for a while. “I was hoping to start the race and sit there in Concrete, have a beer, get some text messages from the guys on the mountain via satellite phone, and I’d just be back at the finish waiting for them,” he said. “I thought my job was done.” It wasn’t. The racers climbed out of Concrete up to the flats along Lake Shannon. Piotr Chadovich, a 38-year-old from Woodinville, pulled ahead of a pack of runners who came from as far as Montana, California, Toronto and Florida. Graham, Suzanne Lundberg and several other local runners and friends of Probst, had heard about the race for years. They knew how hard Probst worked on it, but they expected the unexpected. “I absolutely knew that either something might go epicly wrong or it was going to be a giant ball of chaos,” said Lundberg, a veteran of Probst’s 108-mile organized runs from Bellingham Bay to the summit of Mt. Baker and back. Midnight adrenalin brought the runners to the Thunder Creek crossing, six miles into the race. That’s where the ball of chaos formed. Probst’s permit from the U.S. Forest Service allowed two days to set up the course. In those two days, 1.7 miles and 500 pounds of rope and snow pickets had to be strung up on the Squak Glacier so racers could clip in to a fixed line the whole way up the mountain. The race is a nod to the Mt. Baker Marathons of 1911, 1912 and 1913. In those races, runners went from Bellingham Bay to the summit of Mt. Baker and back using cars or trains when they could and running the rest of the way. They didn’t have the benefit of fixed lines on the glacier and the race ended after two runners fell into crevasses.
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“I’m pretty adventurous, but I think they’re all nuts.”
“I figured if anything was going to go wrong it would be on the mountain,” Probst said. Instead, six miles into the race, the first racers arrived at the edge of a road above Thunder Creek and looked for the crossing, which required about a mile of bushwhacking down to the creek and back up to a forest road. In the dark, they couldn’t find flagging tape that marked the off-trail route. They were stuck; their headlamps shined into space above a green ravine. “That was a pretty big bummer,” Graham said, feeling like her energy from the first six miles was wasted. Soon, everyone had arrived at the same spot and milled about looking for a way down to the creek. “I shouted out, ‘Does anyone have any I-shit-my-pants stories?’ Just to soften the vibe,” Lundberg said. “I was worried that other racers would be disappointed. It definitely lost momentum.” Meanwhile, Probst was out of cell reception and had no idea his race was unraveling. By the time he heard, the race’s search and rescue volunteers had driven the runners around the creek to the first checkpoint and restarted the race. Probst set off to work on the course markers so racers could find it on the way back. “I felt horrible, like, how am I ever going to live this down?” he said. “When they said they were restarting the race, I was like, ‘Awesome, restart the race because we set all this rope on the mountain. There has to be a race. You have to get there.’” Graham and Lundberg’s disappointment at the creek crossing faded as they climbed. “That was a mental setback for sure. I was pissed and struggling and tired,” Lundberg said. “When daylight came I started to feel good again. It was exciting to get to the snow. There were little accomplishments and little joys along the way that countered the suffering.” From the Park Butte trailhead at 3,250 feet, racers slogged through snow – some with snowshoes and some without – up to the glacier. Chadovich again lead the way. About 30 minutes back, Graham along with Aaron Rinn and Amon Mende, tried to chase him down. Finally, racers got above the clouds and trees and onto the glacier – the section that makes the race so unique and ambitious. Other ultra runs cross glaciers, but the Mt. Baker race may be the only one with nearly 3.5 miles of glacier travel and multiple aid stations complete
with ramen and bacon on the glacier. “It’s kind of hard to figure out what category the race fits into,” Graham said. There are some races as long, and with as much elevation gain over the entire course, but none climb a 10,000-foot volcano nearly from sea level. Glacier travel also made the race expensive. Probst originally hoped at least 50 racers would sign up, allowing him to buy two sets of ropes – one for going up and one for down – and hire a guide company to work on the glacier. “I had 30 people send resumes in and a bunch of people said they were going to do it,” he said. “Then when I opened the registration and approved those people to run, only like 10 of them signed up.” So Probst settled for only one set of ropes and recruited volunteers to work the upper aid stations and fix the ropes on the glacier. “The big break was when Petzl actually came in as a sponsor and helped out with the cost of the rope,” he said.
Rope for the Mt. Baker Ultra Marathon at race director Dan Probst’s house before the race. Dan Probst photo.
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The Northwest Glacier Cruisers snowmobile club shuttled hundreds of pounds of gear up the mountain. Chris Duppenthaler photo.
Probst got another big break when the Northwest Glacier Cruisers snowmobile club volunteered to help shuttle rope and gear up the mountain. Club president Tom Shields said they got involved because they want to work on the club’s relationship to non-motorized users, and they thought the race would be cool to see. “We know hikers and motorized people don’t always get along. We want to show the non-motorized people that snowmobilers are not all bad people,” Shields said. “I’m pretty adventurous, but I think they’re all nuts. I wanted to go watch if nothing else.” Two days before the race, Probst untangled 1,200 feet of rope on the summit of Sherman Peak, which left his toes numb for several months. Volunteers would have to fix more than 7,000 feet of rope the next day. While Shields and a handful of other volunteers made 12 trips each to shuttle gear up the mountain on June 3, Probst was checking in racers in Concrete, with no idea how the
Racers near the summit of Sherman Peak. Chris Duppenthaler photo.
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snowmobilers were doing. “I’m kind of expecting to not even hear from them until midnight or 2 a.m.,” Probst said. Instead, Shields walked into the Concrete police station at 8 p.m. with a smile on his face and said, “It’s done.” The fixed lines were relatively easy for most of the runners. Fourteen reached the top of Sherman Peak, an airy sub-summit of the volcano. The sun climbed as racers turned and headed down. Soon they were crashing through slush at a trot for thousands of vertical feet, all the way back to parking lot. “It was like you were a drunken sailor sloshing all over and losing your balance and falling,” Lundberg said. Back in the forest, Graham lost track of Rinn and Mende, and Lundberg had been running alone for hours. “At that point I was like, I just summited Mt. Baker, and now there’s 20 more miles to run,” Lundberg said. Graham moved into second place and was running a 7.5-mile pace downhill. Many of the runners got lost once again on the logging roads, but all 14 who summited eventually made it back to Concrete. Chadovich won the first Mt. Baker Ultra Marathon, finishing just more than 10 hours after he started. Graham finished next to win the women’s division in 11 hours and 38 minutes. “We proved it could happen,” said Probst, who wasn’t immediately sure if he’d organize another race. “I was like, ‘What are the runners going to think?’ And what’s the reputation going to be like, because a race lives or dies by its
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Scarlett Graham and Aaron Rinn on the summit of Sherman Peak. Chris Duppenthaler photo.
reputation,” he said. It turns out the runners did like it. Chadovich wrote a race report in which he called it a great and “very unique type of experience.” A few months after the race, with feeling back in his toes, Probst has decided he’ll do it again. People who want to run it have emailed him and he suspects a lot of ultra
runners were watching to see if it would work. Probst’s ultimate goal is to build trail from Bellingham to Mt. Baker and hold a race on that. The current race is a way to raise money and awareness for that goal. But that’s a long way off. “Our foreseeable future is in Concrete,” he said.
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find your own stash of
autumn gold
Fall hikes to larch groves By Jason Griffith
T
he long days of sweating up trails and swatting flies are mostly behind us. Fortunately, the cool, crisp days of fall are a wonderful time in the high alpine of the Cascades. Many consider fall the best season for hiking, and for good reason. The bright scarlet of huckleberry foliage and the vine maple’s intense orange can rival New England for calendar-worthy fall scenes, especially with a dash of early snow. But the colors of alpine larch trees steal the show in early October, when their needles turn gold before falling off in the wind. Larch glades provide a color diorama that one can actually walk within, completely surrounded by dazzling gold. The beauty of an alpine larch grove in peak fall color is limited in both time and space and that’s part of the draw. The rest of the year the trees are hidden in plain sight, their green needles blending in with subalpine fir and other conifers. Figuring out where and when to find larches in their full glory
presents a challenge to hikers, but knowing their fascinating life history can allow one to get away from the weekend crowds and the more popular larch hikes (see examples on the next page). Alpine larch is one of two deciduous conifers native to the Pacific Northwest (the other is western larch, which grows at lower altitudes). They are conifers because they have cones and needles, but deciduous because they shed those needles annually. Alpine larches grow exclusively in a narrow elevation band in the Cascades (between about 5,000 and 7,500 feet) east of the crest, from the Wenatchee Mountains in central Washington north to about 13 miles inside British Columbia. Though locally abundant, the alpine larch’s range is only about 120 miles, north to south. Why such a limited distribution? Given that they’re only found east of the crest, you might think that alpine larch requires a drier climate. Not so! The trees grow in cold, snowy and wet places – they’re found
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in the coldest and wettest parts of an otherwise hot and dry landscape. Mean temperatures are below freezing for more than half of the year in alpine larch habitat. The trees do best in high, north-facing cirque basins near the base of talus slopes where the soils are kept moist throughout the summer by water from snowfields melting above. The cool growing seasons at these locations last about 90 days and mean temperatures are less than 42 degrees Fahrenheit. The alpine larch prefers acidic soils and is often associated with granite or quartzite rock types, further limiting the areas in which it can thrive. Alpine larches live a long time, as you might expect of a tree growing in such inhospitable terrain. Although 400500 years is a common life span, many reach 700 and the oldest are estimated to be about 1,000 years old. They are slow growing as well; a 5-inch diameter tree is likely 150 years old and mature 20-inch diameter trees are likely over 500 years old. They typically reach 40-50 feet high – a surprisingly large tree for their high-altitude habitat. The larg-
est recorded alpine larch, found in the Wenatchee National Forest, stands 95 feet tall and is 79 inches in diameter. Alpine larch is also about the most shade intolerant species of conifer. It forms a forested band at the uppermost edge of where plants can survive, and above the limit of other tree species that might shade them out. The climate here is not only very cold; it is also extremely windy. Hurricane-force winds are common year-round with passing storms. They are able to survive in these harsh conditions by shedding their needles each fall – limiting water loss during the winter – in addition to having surprisingly supple branches that are less prone to wind damage. These adaptations to the alpine world mean that alpine larches rarely grow into the stunted and scrubby “krummholtz” form so common with other conifers at the tree line. It is striking to see a grove of tall larch trees growing against the craggy backdrop of summits, talus and snowfields, where there would only be a stubby tundra west of the crest. These factors only converge in a narrow band within a
small area of the Cascades. You can’t hike into the alpine just anywhere on the east side and find them, though they grow in more places than you might think. The brief window for peak color is the main larch hunting challenge. While the larch needles will start to change in September, the intense gold of the full show is remarkably consistent year to year, peaking the first week of October and only lasting for about a week. That’s because, like leafy deciduous trees, the changing color is tied to day length, with the trees shutting down chlorophyll production (the green) in anticipation of the coming winter. This allows the gold pigment that was always there to shine through. Strong fall storms can knock the needles down quickly in some years, but even during good weather there are only about two weekends for prime larch viewing. Check out the trails below, or, armed with maps, trail descriptions and knowledge of the life history of the alpine larch, ferret out your own stash of golden larches. Happy hunting!
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ALPINE LARCH TRAIL SAMPLER: Maple Pass Loop
Location: North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20 Length: 7.2 miles roundtrip Elevation: 2,000-foot gain, high point of 6,650 feet Description: wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/maple-pass
Blue Lake Trail
Location: North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20 Length: 4.4 miles roundtrip Elevation: 1,050-foot gain, high point of 6,254 feet Description: wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/blue-lake
Mount Frosty Trail
Location: Manning Provincial Park - Crowsnest Highway - Hwy 3. Length: 13.8 miles roundtrip Elevation: 3,800-foot gain, high point of 7,949 feet Description: env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/ parkpgs/ecmanning/frosty.html FALL 2017 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE
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Clockwise from top left: A young goat perches on a granite slab in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness / Jason Hummel photo. Nick Lyon reaches for sandstone at Clayton Beach / Matthew Tangeman photo. Sunset over the North Cascades / Jason Hummel photo. Tyler Earnheart races down Double Black Diamond during the Chuckanut Enduro race / Eric Mickelson photo. Geoff Gulevich chases KC Deane through the forests of Nozawa Onsen, Japan / Grant Gunderson photo. Fall color at Yellow Aster Butte / Beau Gaughran photo.
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Clockwise from top left: Jonathan Maunsell rides toward the sea in Lofoten, Norway / Grant Gunderson photo. Mike Traslin skating past a wall of snow at Artist Point / Andy Traslin photo. A hiker passes by a bog on Vancouver Island / Jason Hummel photo. Roadtrip campsite outside Whistler / Anne Cleary photo. Tent time in the North Cascades / Gabe Rogel photo. Chris Tretwold, Aaron Fitts, and Hilary Neevel make the climb up to Horsehead Pass on the Angel’s Staircase loop in the Methow Valley / Eric Mickelson photo.
Clockwise from top left: Aaron Fitts out for a night ride on Galbraith Mountain / Eric Mickelson photo. Eli Selch goes big in Whatcom County / Paul Kelly photo. Nick Lyon sport climbing in the Skagit Valley / Matthew Tangeman photo. Isolation Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness / Andy Porter photo. Skipping stones on Orcas Island / Beau Gaughran photo.
Clockwise from top left: A rare surf break at Squalicum Beach in Bellingham / Anne Cleary photo. Morning on the Nooksack River / Evan Skoczenski photo. A hiker walks along the toe of Mt. Baker’s Coleman Glacier / Anne Cleary photo.
POSTCARhDigShways the Reports from nds and hinterla
AGAINST ’S DOCTOR ORDERthSe
Fly fishing ters a w g n i l a e h Methow’s
I
’d never seen a man drive a car with his left foot until that day. But then again there are many things I’ve never seen. Maybe it was time. “Can’t be discriminating between feet, you know,” he said; again, something I’d never really considered. We were snapping along the North Cascades Highway in late June, my longtime friend Chris working the gas and brake with his left foot, a trick he’d recently picked up. Ten days before, his right foot was under the knife, his snapped fibula being fortified with titanium and a fistful of screws. The whole thing was bound up in a hard cast, but come hell or high water Chris was getting to the river. The highway winds through dense forest and bellies up against some impressive rock faces and cliffs. I can just hear those final, almost comical utterances now: “Whoops, wrong
pedal.” Enlightenment comes with a good belly laugh, it seems. And maybe a set of white knuckles. We had planned this trip to keep Chris from going insane in his laid-up state. I figured a day of low-impact fly fishing would do him good, and the Methow River in eastern Washington had purportedly benefited from its catch-and-release management, resulting in more trout per river-mile – a winwin. So left foot it was, setting us bounding around the corners and trying to beat a retreating sun. We arrived as night fell and camped next to the river, scouting the most handicap-accessible route to the bank and tossing our bags down. The stars blazed, and by 6 a.m. we were knee-deep in the Methow. It’s hard not to grin when planning a trip like this. I’m sure there are hospitals full of doctors who would call Chris three different types of crazy, followed by a quick scribble
on a chart: “Against doctor’s orders.” But Chris came up in a family of astronauts and fighter pilots, and I’m relatively sure his blood runs a few octane higher than average. I once saw him step completely unprepared onto a long board, hurtle down a hill, crash, and come up smiling, beer intact. Now he rides the silly thing nigh-professionally and tickles 60 mph. That’s just Chris. Today the river is cold, but the air is clear and even early in the morning you can feel the weight of the heat that’s coming. We spend a few minutes kicking over stones, picking at little stonefly and caddis nymphs, rejoicing over the discovery of October caddis and the realization that we had some facsimiles in a tackle box. Chris ties on, and then he’s off. And this is how the day went — Chris in hot pursuit of rainbows, occasionally popping his foot out of the hard cast to get some sun and breeze on it, or grabbing my shoulder for stabilization while leaning down to land his catch. The fish came slow, but that’s alright. There isn’t much fun in yanking them out of the river anyway. We spent the entire day working our way down river, Chris navigating the banks with a set of crutches. His face took on a steely-eyed look of concentration, but there was also calm and happiness from being on the river. Only recently did I scrounge up the photos from that trip. Most times photos like this go the way of all truly great photographs: lost, folded between the pages of books or in digital folders. In one, an arm stretches into frame, holding a fly rod, left hand plying the line between pinched fingers. Then the kicker: a single metal crutch holding the fisherman up. Driving across the North Cascades that day I had envisioned setting my buddy up in a camp chair in the river, maybe next to a good seam where he could snag a few fish. But there he is, in full color glory, crutch under his arm; ready to cross the river to get to the good stuff.
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Fall foraging
plants store up for winter, and we can too By Amy Gibson
A
s autumn approaches, plants begin to ready themselves for winter. For plants, the change in temperature causes sugars to migrate and convert into different forms with a variety of effects on the plant. Just as bears fatten up and slow down for winter, plants also prepare for a season of living on stored energy. They stop
focusing their energy on the extremities and pull sugars into their roots and trunks. We can take up these habits ourselves – storing up memories of light and growth, and preserving the bounty of fall to keep us healthy and full all winter. Lucky for us, preparing for winter is not a matter of life and death; don’t feel pressured by changing seasons. For me, this
means not harvesting more than I can process and giving myself grace if I miss out on harvesting something wild. I will have more years to forage and more plants to learn. A great book for plant identification is “Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast,” by Michael Moore, which will help with identifying the following plants. As always, avoid sprayed plants, toxic runoff and depleted areas.
Dandelion
Berries
Late-season and high-elevation berries are abundant in autumn. Depending on the year, one can find huckleberries, blueberries, blackberries and many varieties of currants late into October. These berries are delicious fresh, and preserve well in many forms, including jellies, shrubs (a drinking vinegar), frozen or dried in a dehydrator.
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During the spring and summer, fresh dandelion leaves and flowers are bitter edibles. In the fall, the flowers and leaves wither, leaving a nutrient-hoarding, carrot-like taproot. Harvest the root by gently loosening soil around the plant, digging deep down to get out as much root as possible. After pulling the root, scrub it clean. Dandelion root can be sliced and added to stir-fries or cut into pieces and either roasted or dehydrated to use as tea later. Dandelion root can also be tinctured or soaked in vinegar to preserve its medicinal and nutritional constituents. It’s a general tonic, meaning it can be used regularly to build a healthy body. It provides us with potassium, helps to cool and detoxify the liver, and is filled with a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is a source of dietary fiber that can make some people extra gassy. It is a gentle diuretic, due in part to its mild bitterness and bile-building capabilities. While that may sound a little scary, bitters are actually good because they help create more digestive fluids, allowing us to absorb a fuller range of nutrients from our food. Bitterness and bile make us more efficient digesters! Avoid dandelion if you have acute gall bladder or intestinal inflammation, or severe intestinal blockages.
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Hawthorn berries
In the Pacific Northwest, we have a few varieties of hawthorn, varying in size from short shrubs to tall, vine-like trees. They all have serrated leaves and sharp, woody thorns. By fall, their jeweled fruits resemble small apples ranging from purple/black to bright red/orange. Their fruit, called haws, must be collected before first frost. Hawthorn berries are high in pectin and therefore good for jam. Medicinally, hawthorn relieves both physical and emotional pressure on the heart. It is most effective when combined with spring flowers and leaves, so I have a master tincture to which I add each season’s harvest. The berries provide a gentle, long-term aid to folks with hypertension. They soothe the pulse, and, according to Moore, hawthorn “…acts to strengthen weak functions or decrease excessive functions.” It relaxes blood vessels, smooths and tones cardiovascular muscles, and is gently astringent, helping irritated tissues throughout the body. Use dried hawthorn berries in teas or start a tincture of your own, following Moore’s instructions in “Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West.”
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Rose hips are the fruit of the rose. They are tart and very high in vitamin C. Harvest them after the first real frost. They are painstaking to prepare – the tiny hairs inside each pod must be removed while gloved or they’ll make you itch. To get at that vitamin C, hips can be tinctured, soaked in vinegar or honey or dried and infused into tea.
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I
f you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, you may not realize that Bellingham’s mountain bike scene is on fire. Flanked by mixed-use logging land and state parks, the area boasts more trails than après-ride beer gardens – though those are also plentiful. The terrain provides the kindling, but it’s the fervid bike fiends, such as Alleycat Bike Shop’s Duke Pakdee, who fan the flames. Pakdee, a soft-spoken Chicago native, followed the trails long ago to the mountain biking epicenter of B.C. And although he’s spent years traveling the globe plying his trade as a mechanic for international road cycling teams, Pakdee has always considered B.C. the dream. But even dreams have realistic limitations. “I overstayed my visa a few times,” Pakdee said, “so Canada and I don’t get along super awesome.” Laughing, he added, “They let me back in now, but if you want a hassle-free border crossing you probably shouldn’t come with me.” Canada may not know what it’s missing. In the seven years he’s called Bellingham home, Pakdee has made a name for himself as a go-to mechanic for the most complicated and vexing of mountain bike components, such as suspension forks, which often need to be sent to manufacturers for periodic servicing and troubleshooting, a process that can take weeks. But if Pakdee has the part available, there’s a good bet that he can solve the problem in-house.
“If there is something wrong with a bike,” Pakdee says, “I think the customer feels better talking to the person working on it instead of spending all this extra time trying to chase the problem down.” Alleycat opened in June 2013 in Bellingham’s artsy Alley District. Pakdee split his time between fixing bikes and engineering sound at the Green Frog, a bar and music venue located above his shop. But after several months he was already pressed for floor space and within a year he moved to a garage in the Lettered Streets neighborhood. The move offered more floor space, but the garage wasn’t an obvious location for window shoppers and it was hardly visible to passing cars. Even customers who knew Alleycat was there might have trouble finding the door. Yet, people sought out the shop in increasing numbers. “When I first moved to Bellingham, a friend sent me to Alleycat and I knew I was in the right place,” said local rider Haleahy Craven. “Duke’s the kind of guy who remembers you, your name and your bike after meeting you just once.” Craven’s story isn’t singular. “I go to Duke because he never tries to upsell me,” said Joe Adams. “And he takes the time to explain
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the reasoning behind his recommendations.” Adams, who grew up racing mountain bikes in Vermont, has frequented his fair share of bike shops and appreciates Pakdee’s placidity. “Duke’s just incredibly friendly and has zero attitude about bike stuff,” Adams says. “Alleycat is a judgement-free zone.” Pakdee’s following grew to the point that he would often shuffle several bikes just to free up workspace and then shuffle again for storage. The shop was getting cluttered. Pakdee once again needed more space, but lacked the time or immediate desire to go out store shopping. It turns out he wouldn’t need to. Just as Alleycat was gearing up for bike season, Pakdee’s landlord proposed moving him into a recently available storefront adjacent to his garage, on the corner of Girard and J streets. The move would solve a number of problems: more floor space for one, visibility from a busy road another; the storefront was
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even complete with showroom windows, a luxury Pakdee had gone without. But June was high time for fixing bikes and not ideal for moving. More space and prime real estate also meant higher rent. “I looked at the numbers and was like, I don’t know,” Pakdee said. “But I did it. We needed more space!” So Pakdee and Alleycat’s two shop mechanics, Matt Church and Nate Simpson, spent two weeks during their busy season
fixing bikes by day while renovating and moving by night. All settled in – brand decals on showroom windows and all – Pakdee isn’t planning to slow down just yet. Nurturing a growing business in Bellingham isn’t easy; locals are loyal and the town isn’t lacking for skilled mechanics or bike shops. So what accounts for Alleycat’s steady growth over the past four years?
Pakdee, characteristically humble, shrugged. “You can’t be a shop that thinks it’s going to get everybody and everything,” he said. “If I try to cover the gamut from road bikes to kids bikes to fat bikes, I’ll spread myself a little bit thin.” Not a natural salesperson, Pakdee isn’t eagerly competing with other shops for bike
sales. Sure he’ll sell a bike that he thinks is rad or gear he’s tested and swears by, but his focus is decidedly on the service. “There aren’t a lot of mechanics that are trying to make a go of it as a mechanic,” he said. And perhaps that’s just it. Pakdee has been working on bikes going on 20 years and riding them even longer. His passion is apparent, and not just because it’s the hot thing to do. As Adams suggests, Pakdee prioritizes his customers’ needs and their budgets. Take dropper seat-posts as an example. Changing seat height once meant fiddling with Allen keys trailside. Dropper posts, now nearly ubiquitous, are a boon for technical trail riding as they enable on-the-fly adjustment. Though, should a problem occur and the seat height starts to sag, part kits are pricey and labor is time-consuming. “I call it the dollars-to-sag ratio,” said Pakdee, whose customers apply varying degrees of tolerance to the dreaded sag. “Some customers will want a full rebuild for three or four millimeters of sag [in dropper posts],” he said, “and others will come in with 60 percent sag after using the quick release for weeks.” Alleycat’s mechanics, who are all too familiar with this problem, work on a caseby-case basis. “It’s just like anything,” Pakdee said, “if you’re locked into one method you might not be able to find a solution that gets you there faster and easier.”
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Tim Black photo.
You can too A plea for more female mountain guides By Mallorie Estenson
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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2017
L
ast month I had the opportunity to guide a team of women on Mt. Baker. We were fast. We were strong. We summited via the Coleman-Deming route in just over five hours. Back in Bellingham, the mother of two sisters on my team told me it was special to her that her girls got to climb with a female guide. I smiled and told her that I was excited about it too, but I didn’t realize exactly how important it was to me at the time. Weeks later I conducted an informal survey and discovered that women make up roughly 20 percent of mountain guides for various companies in the Pacific Northwest. I don’t know why that is, but I think women make excellent guides and there should be more of us out there. Ladies, listen up – if I can do it, so can you. In my first season, I climbed and learned from my friend and mentor, Jim Thompson, who coauthored the most recent edition of the Mount Erie climbing guidebook. Jim and I climbed nearly every week that summer. He taught me how to belay, sport climb, lead climb, trad climb and eventually took me to Washington Pass to show me what alpine climbing is all about. I was enthralled. As the summer wore on, I realized what a gift Jim’s mentorship was. Right around that time, I decided that guiding was just about the coolest thing you can do because you get to share this beautiful world with people who might not otherwise experience it. I figured it would take 10 years or
more before I could be a guide, but it was always on my mind. After that first summer of climbing, I returned to Western Washington University to finish my journalism degree. I joined the climbing team, escaped to Squamish and Washington Pass as often as my schedule would allow and wrote about climbing as much as I could. A few years and countless climbs later, I was living just outside of Smith Rock State Park. I’d left behind a marketing job, a boyfriend, friends and familiarity in Bellingham because I needed more climbing in my life. I befriended several climbing guides and peppered them with questions. I was working at Redpoint Climbers Supply in Terrebonne, making coffee, pouring beer and selling climbing gear. One lazy November afternoon, a Mountain Madness guide named Niels Meyer passed through the shop. We talked and he eventually left me with his boss’s email to inquire about working for Madness. I thanked him with a huge smile and he walked out the door. Alone in the shop, I did a happy dance and proceeded to text several of my guide friends to tell them about my new lead. I don’t recall whether I fired off the email that day or the next, but it was less than 24 hours after the conversation. And then I waited. I heard nothing back for over a month. I sent a follow-up email. This time, I heard back. After a daunting phone call about my relatively short
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climbing resume, the numerous American Mountain Guide Association certifications I would need and the Wilderness First Responder course I had yet to take, I wasn’t sure if guiding was going to pan out for me. And then I got an email that said Madness might have something for me that summer. But first I had to get my Wilderness First Responder certification, take a Single Pitch Instructor course and attend the Madness guide training in May, where they’d assess my skills and determine my potential workload. At this point, I knew I stood a chance. In the days before my Single Pitch Instructor course, I balked. The part of me that felt like I should have 10 years of experience and 10,000 more climbs under my belt was screaming that I wasn’t ready. When I confessed the feeling to a friend, she told me not to worry, that it was just my inner perfectionist acting out. And she was right. The course went well; I learned a lot and later passed the exam. And then I balked again. In the days leading up to the Madness guide training, I had this feeling that I was going to totally blow it and that I shouldn’t even bother. But a few close friends wouldn’t let me give up that easily. So I showed up. And once again, it went well. My hope is that would-be lady guides might see this and see that it’s possible to pursue dreams of working in the mountains. For a long time, I was awed by guiding but never thought I would be able to do it myself. Yet here I am. You can do it too.
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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2017
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Where to eat ACME/VAN ZANDT
ACME DINER
2045 Valley Highway (Hwy 9) 360/595-0150 www.acme-diner.com This ’50s-style diner’s friendly staff is ready to serve you great home-cooked food; fresh ground hamburgers, daily dinner specials, gluten free meals, pizza, espresso, homemade desserts and Acme ice cream.
BLUE MOUNTAIN GRILL
974 Valley Highway (Hwy 9) 360/595-2200 www.bluemountaingrill.com Fresh, homemade fare, including baked bread and desserts made daily, steaks and burgers. Open for lunch Wednesday–Monday, 11 a.m.–8 p.m., closed Tuesday. Enjoy a beautiful view of the Twin Sisters.
EVERYBODY’S STORE
5465 Potter Road, off Highway 9 360/592-2297 www.everybodys.com This delightful and eclectic store features a wide array of gourmet meats, specialty cheeses and fine wines, many of which are made locally. Also check out their great selection of clothing, books and artwork.
BELLINGHAM KEENAN’S AT THE PIER INSIDE THE CHRYSALIS INN & SPA
804 10th Street 360/392-5510 www.thechrysalisinn.com Featuring a seasonal menu, full bar and terrace bar open for happy hour every day, 3–6 p.m. Enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner daily with a view of Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands from every table.
KULSHAN BREWING CO.
2238 James Street 360/389-5348 www.kulshanbrewing.com Enjoy great beer in a comfortable taproom with a view of the brewery. Bring your own food or order from on-site food trucks at this neighborhood gem.
K2
1538 Kentucky Street 360/389-5348 www.kulshanbrewing.com Kulshan Brewery’s second location. Our 30- barrel brewhouse offers an extensive line of award-winning beers plus a host of seasonal, specialty and limited release beers. Rotating food trucks. Live music and events. Available for rent.
WESTSIDE PIZZA
7260 Cordata Parkway, Suite 107 360/756-5055 www.westsidepizza.com Pizza made with only the best ingredients available, and dough made fresh every day. The perfect place to stop after a long, hungry day of adventuring.
BURLINGTON SKAGIT’S OWN FISH MARKET
18042 Hwy 20 360/707-2722 www.skagitfish.com Offering the highest quality in local seafood. Daily lunch specials freshly prepared. Local jams, jellies, salsas, honey and sauces. Visit them on Facebook.
CONCRETE 5B’S BAKERY
45597 Main Street 360/853-8700 www.5bsbakery.com Skagit County’s premier bakeshop serving home-style breads as well as a full array of fresh baked goods and classic American desserts. Dedicated gluten free. Great food for everyone. Open 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.
ANNIE’S PIZZA STATION
44568 State Route 20 360/853-7227 www.anniespizzastation.com Family-owned pizza restaurant focusing on fresh, homemade quality Italian fare. Friendly service, helpful information and great food combine for an unforgettable experience.
DEMING THE NORTH FORK BREWERY AND BEER SHRINE
6186 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-2337 www.northforkbrewery.com Looking for marriage or a pint of fresh ale and hand-tossed pizza? This pizzeria, brewery, wedding chapel and beer museum is your place! Open to all. Monday–Friday: dinner; Saturday–Sunday: lunch and dinner.
WELCOME GROCERY
5565 Mount Baker Highway 360/922-7294 Eat in or take out. Fresh-made, homestyle breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pastries, deli sandwiches, rotisserie chicken and softserve ice cream. Largest bottle shop in region. Plus, ethanol-free gas.
EVERSON HERB NIEMANN’S STEAK HOUSE RESTAURANT
203 W. Main Street 360/966-2855 www.eversonsteakhouse.com Nestled in the middle of Everson, serving a mouth-watering array of steaks, Bavarian specialties, seafood and desserts to customers since 1993. Offers atmospheres for adults and families alike, including parties up to 50.
WAKE ‘N BAKERY
GLACIER BAR VENETO
6903 Bourne Street 360/599-9378 www.getsconed.com Open daily 7:30 a.m. to 5ish p.m. Serving breakfast burritos, quiche, soup, lunch wraps and freshly baked goods. Savory and sweet gluten-free options. Organic espresso and coffee. Indoor and outdoor seating. Dine in or take out.
CHAIR 9 WOODSTONE PIZZA AND BAR
MOUNT VERNON
9990 A. Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-2863 An elegant, cozy space in the foothills to enjoy a classic craft cocktail, a unique and delicious wine, a local or exclusive beer. Internationl gourmet taco menu. Next to Milano’s Restaurant.
10459 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-2511 www.chair9.com The perfect place to enjoy a great family meal or a brew after a day on the mountain. Bands play weekends. Try the “Canuck’s Deluxe” pizza, a staff favorite. Open for lunch and dinner. Dine in or take out. Check music events on Facebook.
GRAHAM’S RESTAURANT
9989 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-9883 Grab a stool at the legendary bar and enjoy rotating selections of fine craft beers, ciders and wine. New menu specials – appetizers, sandwiches and dinner. Breakfast weekends.
MILANO’S RESTAURANT
9990 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-2863 For 27 years, Milano’s has been a landmark of the Mt Baker foothills. Traditional Italian recipes plus daily specials make meals that you will long remember. Housemade pasta, sauces, bread, stocks...
FIREWEED TERRACE AT EAGLEMONT GOLF COURSE
4800 Eaglemont Drive 360/428-1954 www.fireweedterrace.com A casual atmosphere with upscale flavors. A breathtaking panoramic view of the Olympic Mountains and the Puget Sound. Pet-friendly outdoor patio dining area. Open for lunch and dinner, and breakfast on the weekends.
FARMSTRONG BREWING CO.
110 Stewart Road 360/873-8852 www.farmstrongbrewing.com Pure Skagit Valley on tap! AB’s Hillbilly Gyros food truck. Trivia Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Family and pet friendly. Open Tuesday– Sunday at noon. Closed Mondays. Farmstrong Brewing Co. Grow something.
THIRD STREET CAFE
309 South Third Street 360/542-5022 www.thirdstreetcafe.coop Brought to you by the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, Third Street Cafe is a community-owned restaurant and bar offering a fresh perspective on Pacific Northwest cuisine with its made-from-scratch dishes and hyperlocal ingredients.
Where to Sleep BELLINGHAM THE CHRYSALIS INN & SPA
804 10th Street 360/756-1005 www.thechrysalisinn.com Each guest room overlooks a spectacular Northwest seascape. Spacious rooms feature fireplace, down comforters, luxury amenities and a two-person bath elegantly set in natural slate. Three distinctive room types offer increasing levels of luxury.
GLACIER A CHALET AT MT. BAKER
7087 Bluet Pass 360/367-0963 chaletatmtbaker.com Cozy cabin for rent. Come experience Mt. Baker this season. Our warm and cozy cabin is fully furnished. Includes a wood-burning stove, outdoor hot tub, and fire pit. See it at vrbo.com/779920. Email chaletatmtbaker@gmail.com.
BLUE T LODGE
10459 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-9944 www.bluetlodge.com Conveniently located behind Chair 9 Woodstone Pizza and Bar, this six-room inn is ideal for families or groups. Clean rooms have queen-sized beds, a full bathroom and private small patios as well as access to a meeting space.
SNOWATER RESORT AND CONDOMINIUMS
10500 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-2724 www.snowater.org One and two-bedroom rentals available. Recreation centers with indoor pools and sauna. Indoor/outdoor racquetball courts.
THE FIRS MT. BAKER CHALET
Mile marker 54 Mt. Baker Highway 800/765-3477 www.firschalet.org A lofty summit setting for juniors through adults, just 54 miles east of Bellingham, State Route 542. It is only 3/10 of a mile from the Mt. Baker Ski Area, and Mt. Shuksan sits at the back door.
HOPE, B.C. MANNING PARK RESORT
7500 Highway 3 800/330-3321 or 604/688-5922 manningpark.com Manning Park Resort is a four-season family resort 45 minutes east of Hope, B.C., that offers year-round camping and accommodation, hiking, canoeing, skiing/boarding, 64 km of Nordic trails, snowshoeing and an outdoor ice rink.
MAPLE FALLS
WINTHROP
BAKER ACCOMMODATIONS
CHEWUCH INN
7425 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-2999 or 888/695-7533 www.bakeraccommodations.com Baker Accommodations offers cabins and condos in the resort developments of Snowater, Snowline and Mt. Baker Rim.
MT. BAKER LODGING
7463 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-2453 or 800/709-7669 www.mtbakerlodging.com Mt. Baker Lodging offers cabins, condos, chalets and executive rental home accommodations. A number of selected units are pet friendly. Walk-in reservations and onenight stays available.
223 White Avenue 800/747-3107 www.chewuchinn.com Guest rooms for romantic getaways, seasonal travelers and outdoor enthusiasts. The relaxed atmosphere of a B&B with the privacy of a hotel. Centrally located for an abundance of outdoor adventures in the surrounding wilderness areas.
FALL 2017 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE
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EVENTS SEPTEMBER OAK HARBOR MUSIC FESTIVAL:
September 1-3, Oak Harbor. Three free days of live music in on the beautiful isle of Whidbey. Two main stages with over 30 bands. Two beer gardens, local food vendors and sidewalk cafes. More info: www.oakharborfestival.com
LUMMI ISLAND ARTISTS’ STUDIO TOUR: September 2-3, Lummi Island.
pick up a map at the Islander Grocery and take a self-guided tour of dozens of artists’ studios around the island. More info: www.lummi-island.com
WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL: September 8-10, Port Townsend. North America’s premier wooden boat gathering features 300 wooden vessels, 120 presentations and thousands of experts and enthusiasts. The festival honors tradition but also allows for debate about the latest innovations. More info: www.nwmaritime.org
find more events and submit your own at mountbakerexperience.com
THE GOAT RUN: September 16, Olympic
National Park. The Great Olympic Adventure Trail Run (GOAT Run) is a one-way trail marathon and half marathon on a route that traverses Kelly Ridge between the Olympic National Park and the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Washington state. More info: www.greatoatrun.org
BELLINGHAM TRAVERSE: September
16, Bellingham. Get Hooked on the Vital Choice Bellingham Traverse, a fun relay race that celebrates the journey of wild salmon. Form a solo, tandem or relay team to run, bike and paddle through Bellingham’s scenic parks, winding trails and open waterways. More info: www.recreationnorthwest.org
September 30, Burlington. This annual festival features all kinds of fun, including live music, food vendors, a pumpkin patch and a free kids zone. More info: www.burlingtonwa.gov/recreation
ISLAND QUEST ADVENTURE RACE:
September 30, Orcas Island. Mountain bike, kayak and trek your way across local trails and waterways. The best route is up to you and your teammares. six and 12 hour races. More info: www.recreationnorthwest.org
lengths range from 5K to 42.2K for this fun race at Garry Point Park. Features finish-line massages, coffee and bananas. More info: www.events.mec.ca
MEC SNOWFEST: November 18,
Vancouver. Celebrate all things snow at this year’s snowfest, featuring a gear swap, instructional clinics, and family friendly entertainment. More info: www.events.mec.ca
HOLIDAY FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS:
November 17, Bellingham. This arts festival kicks off in November and runs through December 24, featuring work from local artists seven days a week. More info: www.alliedarts.org.
TURKEY TROT 5K: November 18, Bell-
ingham. A 5K at Squalicum Creek Park that benefits the Bellingham Food Bank hosted by the Greater Bellingham Running Club. More info: www.gbrc.net
DECEMBER JINGLE TRAIL RUN: December 2, Coupeville. Run, walk or stroll the 5 kilometer route through the unique and scenic trails of Camp Casey and Fort Casey State Park, with Sweeping ocean vistas, evergreen and salal canopies and crisp winter air. More info: www.coupevillechamber.com
RUN LIKE A GIRL HALF MARATHON OR 10K: October 7, Bellingham. Run
PORT TOWNSEND FILM FESTIVAL:
September 15-17, Port Townsend. Films, films, films! Plus interviews with authors, special screenings and more. More info: www.ptfilmfest.com
Like a Girl is a non-competitive event for folks (male or female) who just want to get out and have some fun. Never participated in a half marathon before? No problem! More info: www.runlikeagirlbellingham.org
BELLINGHAM SEAFEAST: September 22-23, Bellingham. Come for the food, stay for the fun. Fisher poets, world-class seafood, water recreation and more. Eat, play, explore. More info: www.bellinghamseafeast.com
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BURLINGTON HARVEST FESTIVAL:
MEC LOWER MAINLAND: ROAD RACE NINE: October 1, Steveston, BC. Course
Hope. Hope’s end of the summer festival is back with a bike jam, dogeball and hockey tournaments, parade, fireworks and more. More info: www.brigadedays.com
September 24, Bellingham. The views are beautiful, it’s a Boston marathon qualifier and 2017 features a new team relay. More info: www.bellinghambaymarathon.org
September 26, Bellingham. TGR is returning to the Mount Baker Theatre for the winter kick-off party of the year. Join us for a one-night only premiere of our new feature length ski and snowboard film, Rogue Elements. More info: www.tetongravity.com
OCTOBER
HOPE BRIGADE DAYS: September 8-10,
BELLINGHAM BAY MARATHON:
TGR PRESENTS ROGUE ELEMENTS:
THE BIG HURT: September 23, Port Angeles. The Big Hurt is a multi-sport race with four legs: mountain biking, kayaking, road biking and running. Participants can race solo or as a relay team of 2-4 people. More info: www.bighurtpa.com CENTRAL AMERICA: TIPS FROM A LONE WOMAN TRAVELER: September
26, Bellingham. Kimberly Davis will share her stories of unforgettable outdoor adventures, as well as advice for safe, budget-conscious travel. More info: www.rei.com/events
MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2017
CASCADE CROSS SERIES OPENER:
October 7, Bellingham. The first race of this Northwest cyclocross series is at the Bellingham BMX track. Check it out and be ready to get muddy. More info: www.cascadecross.com
WINTER EXTREME EQUIPMENT SALE:
October 14-15, Vancouver. Canada’s largest ski swap drops into Vancouver for a weekend of deals on new and used gear. More info: www.winterextreme.com
BLOEDEL DONOVAN SKI SWAP:
October 19-21, Bellingham. Gear up to hit the slopes at Komo Kulshan Ski Club’s annual ski and snowboard swap. More info: www.komokulshanskiclub.com
NOVEMBER FRIDAY HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL:
November 3-5, Port Townsend. This film festival has been entertaining, inspiring and enlightening since 2013. The 5th anniversary festival features stories of the Pacific Rim and beyond. More info: www.fhff.org
WARREN MILLER’S 68TH FEATURE FILM, “LINE OF DESCENT”: November 11, Bellingham. Warren Miller Films returns to the Mount Baker Theatre. More info: www.warrenmiller.com
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Brian Chapel photo.
Galbraith Mountain changes hands but stays open for play
he bulk of Bellingham’s mountain bike mecca sold early this summer, but its new owners have been working on the mountain since 2010. Polygon Financial sold 2,240 acres on Galbraith to Galbraith Tree Farm LLC, a company founded by Rob Janicki of Janicki Logging and Construction, which has managed Galbraith since 2010. Polygon, which sold the land for $8 million, still owns 500 acres on the mountain. What does the sale mean for mountain bikers and others who play in the forest on Galbraith Mountain? So far, not much. The company said it intends to continue sustainably harvesting about 50 acres per year, depending on market conditions, and it will also continue to allow recreation. “One of the motivating factors behind the purchase of the tree farm at Galbraith Mountain was our desire to provide continued access to the 45-plus miles of trails that are used year-round by tens of thousands of bikers, hikers and runners,” said Galbraith Tree Farm spokesperson Kiersten Sahlberg in a press release. The Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition – steward of the mountain bike trails on the tree farm – has a good relationship with the company, WMBC director Eric Brown said. The two entities have worked together for years to allow recreation around logging operations.
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Outdoor
Halloween horror on the little screen
When outdoor adventure (and filmmaking) goes wrong By Jason D. Martin
Frozen
You may not realize this, but there is a film called Frozen with no singing and no… I was going to say cartoons, but the characters are so cartoonish in this film, that would be incorrect. The non-singing version of Frozen goes something like this. Three friends get stuck
high on a ski lift on a Sunday night after a New England resort closes for the week. Parker, Joe and Dan are left to try to find a way to get down or face the prospect of freezing to death. This could have been a good movie. It really could have been. That is, if someone had spent any time outdoors at all, researched frostbite and cold weather injuries and if they had made a tight and engaging story instead of a horror movie. The characters in this movie had a hard time thinking about how to stay warm. Joe, the lone skier in the group, never puts up his hood no matter how cold it gets. Parker loses a glove early in the movie and then decides it’s a good idea to go to sleep on the ski lift with her hand wrapped tightly around the metal safety bar. These things just wouldn’t happen in real
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s the Halloween holiday approaches, many of us start to think about horror movies. We kind of like to be scared. We like the tension and jump-outof-your-seat moments that are the bread and butter of these kinds of films. But deep down we know the truth. Most horror movies are complete garbage. We just don’t want to admit that we like garbage. It’s like junk food. Halloween provides us an excuse to watch garbage without being judged, just like a big ski tour allows us an excuse to eat junk food without judgment. One of the tropes commonly used in horror films is to create relatable characters in relatable situations. The more we see ourselves in the characters, the easier it is for the film to scare us. This is just as true for people who play in the mountains as it is for people who like to buy creepy houses and take their sorority sisters to remote cabins. So we’ve compiled a list of, well, honestly… terrible films for outdoors people.
life. It’s really hard to suspend disbelief when it’s clear the actors aren’t really cold and have never been cold. Nobody shivers in the entire movie and the filmmakers are far more interested in getting some gore out of the cold weather injuries than reality. The biggest problem is that this is exactly the type of movie a low-budget production company could do very well. It is a tight and simplistic storyline that, when character-driven, could be engaging. The problem is that the characters are paper-thin. They have nice backstories, but they are just so dumb it’s hard to be engaged by them. This is definitely one of those movies where you spend a lot of time yelling, “No! No! No! Don’t do that!” All that said, this movie has one major thing working for it: it’s flush with whatwould-I-do situations. It’s likely most of you would zip up your jacket and put up your hood. I suspect most of you would not lose your gloves, and if you did, I bet you would keep your hands in your pockets. Indeed, most of you would probably have cell phones and the problem would be solved without any real drama.
Blood Glacier
You’d think I’d know better. How could a film called Blood Glacier ever be good? There were several hints that it would be terrible, but I watched it anyway. As the film opened, it showed glaciers and mountains, which would suddenly go from pristine to a filtered red along with jarring music.
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Oh yeah, and the film was dubbed too. I think it might have been made by Germans... or something. It’s hard to tell while watching it. But it was indeed shot in the Alps. A group of climate scientists are studying glaciers in a remote corner of the Alps. They discover that a glacier appears to be bleeding. Unbeknownst to them, the “blood” coming from the glacier is mutating the local wildlife. Essentially the bacterium in the substance creates hybrid animals. If an animal ate another animal, the new hybrid would have the characteristics of both the host and the thing the animal ate. And of course the hybrid is born the same way an alien from the Alien franchise is born: by bursting out of the host’s body. This presents a bit of a problem for the scientists. Because, for some reason, the prime minister is on her way up to the hut with the hero’s ex-girlfriend and lots of other people available to get attacked by hybrid blood glacier monsters. But here’s the incredible twist (spoiler alert). It turns out that the hero and his girlfriend were going to have a baby. She had an abortion and regretted it. She really, really wanted a baby with him, which is good because an infected dog licked the hero’s blood and had a hybrid dog-baby-thing burst out of its stomach, which the pair – obviously – adopted as their own. So the story and the dialogue are pretty laughable, but then so are the monsters – it’s hard not to laugh at them. They look like something a high school drama shop
with no budget might produce for a teenage haunted house. They’re terrible – and kind of funny.
Avalanche Sharks
Yeah, avalanche sharks. Are you surprised? I’ve saved the worst for last. So this movie has a plot. I think. But I’m not sure what it is outside the stupidity that is avalanche sharks. Somebody, somewhere actually thought cartoonish-looking sharks ripping through the snow and feasting on stereotypically “bro-brah” snowboarders were a good idea. You’re probably aware that it would be really difficult for sharks to travel through the snowpack of the eastern Sierras, where the film supposedly takes place. You probably know that, even if the sharks could trav-
The scariness is just around the corner.
Let us guide your way.
el through snow, it would need to be light, fluffy snow – not the hard-packed ice found here. You’re also probably aware that sharks don’t have a preference for bikini-clad snow bunnies over stinky snowboarder dudes. Every female character in this film is an over-sexualized prop. They’re often giggling, drunk and half-naked, apparently waiting for a shark to come and bite them in half. Male characters are not much better. The relationships between the characters are so overthe-top sexual that they are forced to define their relationships to one another within one sentence. There are two options here: “I’m so glad I have you as a cousin!” Or, “Come on soldier boy, it’s time for your duty. Get your military ass over here and take care of me.” The acting in this film is atrocious. Pic-
ture the worst high school production of Music Man you can imagine. None of the kids know their lines. They’re coming on stage too soon and leaving too early. They’re so nervous that they can’t stop pacing and they’re talking like robots. They all have the flu and keep throwing up, and maybe somebody trips over somebody else on stage and knocks down half the set. But the show must go on, so the kids keep talking like robots and forgetting lines and tripping over each other and throwing up on the audience. Watching the full production of Music Man I just described would be like sitting on a beautiful beach with a margarita compared to watching any of the performances in Avalanche Sharks. Maybe don’t watch this one.
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PARTINGSHOT
“I was hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass solo. This fellow was on a summer break from school and spending time exploring the West Coast. We started the same day and he would walk for a few miles then stop and play. He walked almost 70 miles with that cello! He told me he was thankful for his days...all of them. He also reminded me that the true adventure lies in the journey, not the destination. And boy did he live that motto, carrying and playing the cello along the way.� Photo and caption: Audra Lee Mercille.
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