Mount Baker Experience, Summer 2018 by Point Roberts Press

SUMMER 2018

ADVENTURES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

North cascades national park

50th Anniversary

PHOTO: BELLINGHAM WHATCOM TOURISM

More ADVENTURES from Whatcom Events!

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SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

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SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE PUBLISHERS Patrick Grubb and Louise Mugar EDITOR Oliver Lazenby PUBLICATION DESIGN Doug De Visser COPY EDITOR Kara Spencer

ADVERTISING DESIGN Ruth Lauman • Doug De Visser ADVERTISING SALES Catherine Darkenwald • Janet McCall Molly Ernst • Judy Fjellman CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE: Brad Andrew, Nick Belcaster, Radka Chapin, Lauren Danner, Jason Griffith, Lauren Howland, Jason Hummel, Maya Hunger, Peter James, Jason Martin, Audra Lee Mercille, Andy Porter, Gabe Rogel, Craig Romano, David Summers, Matthew Tangeman, Ben Whitney, Luca Williams

EMAIL: info@mountbakerexperience.com WEB: www.mountbakerexperience.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com/mtbakerexperience TWITTER: twitter.com/MB_Experience INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/mtbakerexp If you can see Mt. Baker, you’re part of the experience. Mount Baker Experience is an outdoor recreation guide 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. XXXII, No. 2. Printed in Canada. ©2018 POINT ROBERTS PRESS 225 Marine Drive, Blaine, WA 98230 TEL: 360/332-1777 NEXT ISSUE Fall 2018 • Out late August 2018 Ad reservation deadline: August 3 ON THE COVER Aurielle Eyer and Michael LaMartin hiking to Winchester Mountain Lookout. Gabe Rogel photo. SUMMER 2018

ADVENTURES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

North cascades national park

50th Anniversary

MBE Summer 2018

CONTRIBUTORS bradANDREW Brad Andrew is a Bellingham-based freelance action sports photographer. He spends his winters chasing the snow looking for the perfect spot to make the perfect image. He is a husband, father and a student of life.

nickBELCASTER Nick 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.

radkaCHAPIN Radka Chapin is an avid alpine climber and backcountry skier who never leaves the house without her camera.

laurenDANNER When she’s not out hiking on our public lands, Lauren Danner writes about Pacific Northwest and environmental history, outdoor recreation, and public lands policy from her home in Olympia, Washington.

jasonGRIFFITH Based in Mount Vernon, Jason is a fisheries biologist, member of Skagit Mountain Rescue, husband and father of two young boys. In other words, accidents aren’t allowed when he heads to the hills with the Choss Dawgs.

laurenHOWLAND Lauren is a Portland, Oregon, based lifestyle photographer. Her work tries to encapsulate the simplicity and beauty of any given moment. Laurenhowland.com

jasonHUMMEL Jason is an outdoor photographer from Washington who has documented numerous first descents in the North Cascades. Alpinestateofmind.com

mayaHUNGER Maya is a Washingtonian who likes type 2 fun and human-powered sports. Writing for various publications makes her feel like she is contributing to society while spending the majority of her time far in the backcountry.

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.

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 full-time photographer living in Sedro-Woolley. Andyporterimages.com

gabeROGEL Gabe Rogel is an artist and a bright and goofy nut who ends up entertaining the crews he travels with. His photos are often successful because his subjects are laughing at him. Or with him. No one is ever sure.

craigROMANO Craig Romano is an award-winning author of more than 20 guidebooks with Mountaineers Books. He has hiked more than 20,000 miles in Washington state from the Olympics to the Blues.

davidSUMMERS Addicted to altitude, business, adventure. Photographer, athlete, explorer, businessman. @davesummertimes

matthewTANGEMAN Matthew is a Bellingham-based adventure photographer with a passion for deep powder, alpine granite and not making it back to the trailhead until way after dark. matthewtangeman.myportfolio.com

benWHITNEY Inspired by the allure of the North Cascades, Ben moved to Bellingham from Vermont. He writes about people, place and community, and is excited to contribute to the creative wellspring that surrounds the alpine.

lucaWILLIAMS Luca is a Certified Rolfer in Glacier, WA. She helps snowboarders, skiers, and other outdoor enthusiasts to get aligned and out of pain. Website: lucasrolfing.com blog: movingwithgravity.wordpress.com

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM

by Pat Grubb

NCNP SECTION

summer 2018

Publisher’s NOTE

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF

NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK

hat swell-looking group of people pictured above are some of the people responsible for you holding the summer 2018 issue of Mount Baker Experience in your hands. They, along with the superb writers and photographers to the left of this column, worked long and hard on putting this issue to bed while you were outside enjoying the newly arrived sunshine. We hope to be joining you soon. This issue celebrates the 50th anniversary of the creation of the North Cascades National Park. Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the NCNP came into being the same day as Redwood National Park in California. Fine company, indeed. As you’ll read later on, at first the plan was to make the park much more accessible than it is today. There were plans to have tramways reaching into the backwoods, of all things. We are fortunate to have such untouched wilderness in our backyard playground. By the way, how are we doing? Are there subjects we haven’t covered that you would like to see covered? Are there stories you’d like to see? Scenes we haven’t pictured? If so, please feel free to drop us a line at info@mountbakerexperience.com and we’ll get back to work. Now, get yourself outside and experience!

GUIDEBOOK

TECH IN THE HILLS

Beer hiking the Pacific Northwest

A guide’s look at what’s useful

HIKING GUIDE North Cascades National Park

BEER GUIDE 21 BOOK EXCERPT 14 B’HAM How many breweries now?

TURNS 50 19 NCNP Celebrating the wilderness park

Lauren Danner’s history of NCNP

SCRAMBLE 22 7-DAY Alpinism from Baker to Ross Lake

46 TREELINES Clothing that supports trail work 47 EVENTS Try something new

GUIDE 25 PADDLE To North Cascades National Park

MAP 26 NCNP Your roadside guide

30 GALLERY

Worth thousands of words

STUFF 35 HARD BelleWood Distilling

AND EAT 38 STAY Where to find dining and lodging

GOING ULTRA LIGHT Not just for thru-hikers

40 CORNERING An exercise for mountain biking

ARTIST PROFILE Elizabeth Ahlem Clark

SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

Northwest

trails And breweries

Local authors talk about their new guidebook

ive years ago, Brandon Fralic and Rachel Wood noticed a lack of travel guides that combined their favorite things – hiking trails and breweries. They knew they weren’t alone in their enthusiasm for getting outside and enjoying a beer at the end of the day. So, with their background in photography and creative writing, they decided to write the travel guide this corner of the world was missing. They started a blog called Beers at the Bottom in 2013 and after years of seeking out breweries and hikes they published their first guidebook this spring, “Beer Hiking Pacific Northwest.” The full-color book features 50 hikes and breweries, with descriptions of trails and tasting notes for the accompanying local brews. It has something for everyone, whether that’s a short stroll or a lofty summit, a mega-hopped IPA or a vanilla cream ale.

Mount Baker Experience: How did you start writing about beer and hiking? Rachel Wood: We were browsing the hiking section in Village Books one rainy day five years ago. Brandon noticed they had a book for creaky knees, a book for hiking with your dog, a book for hiking with kids – and then in the next row over there were a bunch of beer and wine travel guides. He said, “Where’s the beer and hiking? That’s what

everybody does here and there’s not a book for that. We should write it.” Brandon Fralic: Beer and hiking is what we were doing at the time. We would go for a hike and then we would go to the nearest brewery afterward and have a beer. I was ready to jump right in with writing a book, but we decided to start a blog first. Wood: We had done a little bit of writing together at that point. Brandon was taking photos and I was writing live music reviews for What’s Up! Magazine, so that’s how we first started collaborating. I was going to grad school for creative writing and late nights weren’t working for us anymore. We had started doing a lot more hiking and getting outdoors more, and getting more into beer. Fralic: When we traveled, we would hit up as many breweries as possible. We just loved going to breweries and trying new beer. Wood: So we started the blog as a platform to show off our writing. It was the book proposal in blog form. From there we pitched a “hikes and brews in Bellingham” piece to Washington Trails Association’s magazine and it just snowballed from there. MBE: What’s the connection between beer and hiking? Wood: The two cultures just have such an overlap. In the Pacific Northwest we have a very unique taproom culture

that you wouldn’t necessarily find in, say, southern California. Even looking at the brewery we’re in right now, there’s a very naturalist feel to it. The walls are covered in pictures of the outdoors and that’s very typical of breweries in the Pacific Northwest. MBE: Is there a reason that northwest beer culture turned out this way? Wood: I think walking around in the woods is inspiring and brewers want to create something around that. The northwest hop profile is all about the pine and the citrus; sometimes you have a beer and it tastes like a walk in the woods. Beer is also just a good congratulatory prize at the end of the trail. Fralic: If I’ve been out on a trail all day I want a beer. Once you get to a summit, on the way down all you’re thinking about is having a beer and something to eat. MBE: Writing this book would be a dream job to a lot of people, especially the research part. Was it? Fralic: There were times when it was and times when it wasn’t. Wood: The Oregon coast is a good example. It was our last research trip for the book and we did it at the end of November and beginning of December. We could have had horrible weather on the coast at that time of year and we mostly had perfect weather. But there were a couple days

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM

of bad weather. There was definitely a day where we were hiking in the rain and I was crying, but we got through it. MBE: What was writing the book like? Wood: The writing process was very whirlwind. We basically wrote it in a four-month period. I quit my job and we put freelance work on hold and took our advance money and just hit the road. Luckily, we had taken a summer trip through Oregon before signing the book contract and we were able to use almost all that information for the book. It was sort of a test run of writing and researching just to see if this was something we could actually pull off. Fralic: I think we still did the majority of the research in a three-to-four-month period, because we had to get photos, we had to get GPS tracks; we didn’t necessarily have everything we needed for the book even though

we’ve been writing about hiking and beer for years. Wood: One exciting thing that came out of the tight deadline is it’s easy to use the book to make a travel itinerary, because that’s the way we had to do the research. We’d hit up as many breweries and hiking trails as we possibly could in one trip. So innately the book has a bunch of different route possibilities. There’s one option in B.C. I like to call the Sea-to-Sky Highway route. You start in Richmond and go up to Whistler, following a trail of breweries all the way up. MBE: What makes a good beer/hike pairing? Fralic: Usually we go for proximity first and foremost – the closest brewery to the trailhead. But with Bellingham, for example, there are a lot of breweries in town and a lot of trailheads. In towns like that we would choose a brewery that we felt embodied outdoor culture. Wood: We went with Kulshan Brewing because Kulshan is named after a mountain and it has a very northwest feel. All their IPAs have that quintessential northwest taste and they happen to have a Russian imperial stout called Shuksan, named after another local mountain. Often we’d go for something other than the most obvious brewery. In Bend a lot of people think of Deschutes Brewery, but Deschutes doesn’t need any more help. So we went with GoodLife Brewing. It's a brewery that loves the outdoors. They brew beer to be enjoyed outdoors and they’re very open with that in their marketing. We also try to match the hike with the place. In Astoria, since it’s a fishing and port town we instantly looked for a hike with some sort of nautical theme. We did a little walk around a lake and then a beach walk out to the wreck of the Peter Iredale, which is the carcass of a ship that ran aground in 1906. It’s certainly not a hard hike. It’s 4.2 miles, which is pretty short as far as hiking books go. But with the overlap with beer drinkers, you can’t assume that you’re marketing this book straight to a hiking audience. We tried to include a lot of shorter walks near breweries. Fralic: This is not a hardcore hiking guide by any means. There are a few challenging trails in it but they’re mostly pretty moderate. Wood: The joke is, you can get back to the brewery before happy hour. Beer Hiking Pacific Northwest is available now at local bookstores. Learn more about Brandon Fralic and Rachel Wood at beersatthebottom.com

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Communications The ability to communicate from the mountains is the biggest change that’s taken place over the last 20 years. This ability – both with cell phones and with other devices – has radically increased the speed at which rescues can take place. It has also changed the nature of how we communicate with one another in the mountains. For better or worse, we’re no longer completely unplugged.

Cell phones – Cell phones should not be counted

on for emergency use. But occasionally when it appears you don’t have service but still try 911, service will magically appear. That’s because cell phone providers work together to provide emergency services. The ability to access the internet when possible can also increase your safety because you can get up to date weather and avalanche forecasts, as well as trail and route information.

A mountain of gadgets

Satellite phones – These are pricey with the

A guide’s take on what’s useful in the mountains

UHF/VHF radios – These ham-style radios can be

least expensive options running $600. More commonly, they’re about twice that. And then there are the satellite phone plans, which commonly cost between $1 and $2 a minute. The phones are not cheap, but if you are looking for the best way to ensure you get a call out, these could be your best option. “opened up” to allow users to talk on frequencies outside the amateur radio bands. It is illegal to do this, but nobody will prosecute you if you use a band outside of the ham bands in an emergency.

BaoFeng radios – These radios are popular with

By Jason D. Martin

istorically, in order to escape from daily life and technology, one could go to the mountains. Now, with technology all around us, the ability to escape seems more difficult. While that has a downside, mountain technology is getting better every day and it’s hard to ignore its usefulness. To help you decide what to leave at home and what to bring, here is a guide on tech for your next trek.

✷

mountain guides and usually run between $100 and $200. Models with more options from Yaesu or Kenwood are $300 to $500. UHF/VHF radios are complex and to legally use them, one must complete a ham radio license test (approximately $15 and can be taken at Whatcom County Search & Rescue). They can be used in emergencies high in the mountains, but do not work well in valleys.

FRS radios – Family Radio Service radios are the

common two-way radios you see all over ski areas. These are person-to-person, line-of-sight radios that are great for skiing, rock climbing or backpacking. At $30-$100, they’re inexpensive and can be purchased almost anywhere. The downside is they have Now taking credit cards at the limited use in emergencies. gas pumps!

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tasting right and have become standard equipment in the backcountry; SPOT and DeLorme inReach are two popular models. The primary use of these devices is to call for help. They notify 911 that you’re in trouble and provide an exact location to emergency services. Many models have additional capabilities too – some Bluetooth to smart phones and provide both texting and GPS capabilities and others provide that right within the device. Personal locator beacons cost between $150 and $400 and require a subscription. If you spend a lot of time in the backcountry and participate in risky activities like backcountry skiing or climbing, it’s hard to justify not owning one of these in 2018.

Map and GPS Applications For many years the only way to adequately use a GPS in the mountains was to buy an expensive GPS unit – that has changed radically. Yes, you still can buy a device, but you can also download an app for your smartphone. The most popular GPS app with mountain guides is Gaia. This app – which retails for $20 – syncs with your computer automatically so that you can plan routes on your smartphone or your laptop. It doesn’t need to be within cell range and works in airplane mode. However, you need to download maps to your phone before going into the backcountry. Smartphone GPS apps have two downsides. The first is that if you use breadcrumbs features, which constantly send your location back to the app, it will drain the battery quickly. The second is that smartphones can be harder to use in harsh weather. Gloves often don’t work on touch screens and water ruins phones. There are tons of ancillary apps that can be helpful for navigation, including mountain identification apps that use your camera (like Peak.AR or PeakFinder) as well as several variations of altitude and compass apps.

Books and Entertainment I spend a lot of time in the backcountry and I read a lot and so the ability to download books to my phone is a game changer. My pack weight dropped and books for entertainment are only part of the equation. I no longer carry a little first aid book; now I have a backcountry first aid textbook. I also carry books on plant identification as well as books on animal tracks. I have a whole library of backcountry knowledge on my phone. Some people download films, video games, music and podcasts. If you go on expeditions and log a lot of tent time, it’s worth figuring out what other entertainment you can fit on your phone.

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Other Technology I have a Suunto Ambit3 watch, which does a bit of everything. It operates as a GPS, has an altimeter and a barometer, as well as the ability to download watch-specific apps that do all kinds of things. I also wear an avalanche transceiver when I backcountry ski. There are tons of backcountry, skiing, climbing, weather and avalanche apps that I haven’t hit upon here as well as other devices ranging from drones to headlamps that Bluetooth to your phone. It’s all out there, so look around a bit and find what’s right for you.

Charging Batteries, especially cell phone batteries, tend to run down quickly in the backcountry. To preserve battery power, keep your phone in airplane mode when not actively trying to make calls. As long as you downloaded your maps ahead of time, your GPS apps should continue to work when your phone is in airplane mode. And finally, don’t let your phone get too cold – cold weather saps batteries. On short trips, portable chargers make a lot of sense. I like the Goal Zero Flip 10 (one full charge) or the Goal Zero Flip 20 (two full charges). There are a few larger battery packs on the market, but they don’t seem to provide the three or four charges they claim to. The USB cables that come with these chargers tend to be short, and for good reason. Longer cords tend to “leak” power between the charger and the device. To be really efficient, get a short cable. If you use a solar panel to recharge your device, don’t connect it directly. If the solar panel isn’t getting direct sun, the panel will actually drain the device rather than charge it. Instead, connect the solar panel to a battery charger and recharge the charger. If the charger was designed with solar panels in mind it won’t allow the panel to drain energy. You may read this article and roll your eyes, muttering, “The last thing we need is more technology in the backcountry,” or “I go to the mountains to get away from this stuff.” And you aren’t wrong. Technology needs to be used responsibly. If your technology negatively impacts someone, you should put it away, enjoy the view and use the technology once you’re away from others. No matter what you decide about technology in the backcountry, remember to not place all your trust in electronics. Carry a map and compass and have a plan if your communication system breaks down.

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BELLINGHAM BREWERY MAP 1

Boundary Bay Brewing 1107 Railroad Avenue

Taproom and family-friendly bistro located in historic downtown Bellingham. Right across from the Saturday farmers market, Boundary Bay offers fresh handcrafted ales and lagers paired with locally-sourced food.

Bakerview Rd.

Eld

dw ay

Br oa

eA ve.

BE L L IN GH A M B AY

2 7 4

This small craft brewery offers nine taps and a family friendly atmosphere with food trucks stopping by different days of the week.

6 Iowa St.

Lakeway Dr.

4 Aslan Brewing

1330 N Forest Street

Sla te S

A whopping 30-barrel brew house, full restaurant and glass-window-encased social house, Aslan Brewing is the one-stop shop for all things beer and Bellingham.

9 11

2000 ft.

Stones Throw Brewery 1009 Larrabee Avenue

Step right off the trail and into Stones Throw Brewery. Cozy up near the fire pit and enjoy this seven-barrel neighborhood gathering place, only a stone’s throw from adventures in the Chuckanuts.

K2 1538 Kentucky Street

GRUFF Brewing 104 E Maple Street #101

GRUFF Brewing’s name speaks to its lack of frills and focuses on what matters – beer. This brewery has 12+ beers on tap, a patio and is dog friendly.

Structures Brewing 1420 North State Street

Right in the downtown scene, Structures is brewing up small, artisanal and authentic batches of lagers, IPAs, porters and more.

2529 Meridian Street

Alabama St.

FAIRHAVEN

3 Menace Brewing

BELLINGHAM

Cornwall Ave.

ridg

James St.

542

Meridian St.

r. st D we rth No

Kulshan Brewing 2238 James Street

Kulshan’s second location in the Roosevelt location features 20 taps and a 30-barrel brewhouse in an industrial setting – great for large groups!

1807 Dean Avenue

This brew hall is perfect for parking your bike, grabbing a pint and enjoying some sun. Enjoy local grub from a different food truck every day of the week.

The craft brewery scene can’t stop growing in Bellingham. There is a brewery for the adventurer, the minimalist and those looking for a bit of everything. Use this map to brewery hop or to choose the one that’s right for you. CHEERS!

Kulshan serves well-balanced lagers and ales served from its flagship Sunnyland 15-barrel brew houses. Stop by to try their award-winning beers and food truck fare.

2 Wander Brewing 539

BEER DIRECTORY

Illuminati Brewing 3950 Hammer Drive #101

Illuminati offers up 22 ales and lagers on tap as well as a full range of wines from partner winery, Masquerade Wine Company. Hungry? There is a full deli counter complete with cheese plates, meat and baguette sandwiches.

Chuckanut Brewery 601 W Holly Street

Named after the beautiful Chuckanut Drive to which we can all raise a glass, this brewery and kitchen offers farm-to-table cuisine, craft beer, dessert, wine and cider. Cheers!

Melvin Brewing 2416 Meridian Street

Along with its selection of IPAs and lagers, Melvin offers a fusion of flavors on its menu – from pad Thai to a southern fried chicken burger.

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NCNP SECTION

To preserve something else A NATIONAL

PARK OF ROADLESS WILDERNESS By Oliver Lazenby

“What wilderness we decide to save within the next critical decade or two of decision-making will be all we will ever have. Probably it will not be enough… The wilderness of the North Cascades is a national resource of the future, not merely a local commodity, and we need it all, as a nation.”

he ranger paused when I told her where I wanted to camp that night. “Do you know how far that is?” It was already 10 a.m. and I had just walked into the Glacier Public Service Center. I wanted to hike to Whatcom Pass before dark. The Ruth Creek Valley, Hannegan Pass and the Chilliwack Valley all separate Whatcom Pass from the trailhead – a 17-mile stretch. I did know how far it was, and it was farther than I really wanted to hike. But I wanted to get to my ultimate destination and catch a glimpse of the Challenger Glacier at the northern end to the Pickets Range, rather than spend the night deep in the Chilliwack Valley. While there are taller mountains in the North Cascades, the chain of jagged peaks and hanging glaciers that make up the Pickets Range is, in many ways, the climax of North Cascades National Park. The North Cascades National Park complex, which includes the Ross Lake National Recreation Area and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, totals more than 680,000 acres. Other federally protected lands – national forests, wilderness

Jason Griffith photo.

- William O. Douglas, 1965.

SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

areas and national recreation areas – surround the park. It’s the rare wilderness in the contiguous United States where one can get 17 miles or more from a trailhead. The North Cascades National Park complex has 236,000 acres of old-growth forest, one-third of all the glaciers in the lower 48 and just 34 miles of paved road. In an area of impressive remoteness and ruggedness, the Pickets are the most remote and rugged corner. The ruggedness is an act of geology and the remoteness is something humans had a hand in. The creation of North Cascades National Park in 1968 keeps pavement far away. At the ranger station, with the sun climbing higher, the distance to Whatcom Pass seemed like an inconvenience in my thirst to see the Challenger Glacier (“a very pig of a glacier,” Fred Beckey calls it in his Cascade Alpine Guide); the long walk – the thing that makes the Pickets remarkable – seemed something to get through on the way to the prize. I knew the valleys would be beautiful, but I’d driven through a pretty valley on the way to the trailhead, I reasoned. I wanted to see ice and rock.

North Cascades National Park

TIMELINE 9400 BC - Human habitation in the North Cascades dates to at least this time. 1872 – Yellowstone becomes the country’s first national park. 1893 – First proposals for a North Cascades Highway. 1897 – The federal government creates 3.6 million acres of forest reserves in Washington, including much of the North Cascades. Many forest reserves became National Forests in 1907.

In early proposals for a North Cascades wilderness designation, whether the Pickets would be protected was never much of a question. Protecting the long valleys that guard the range in every direction, however, took a decades-long fight. Advocates for protecting the North Cascades faced a dilemma about which agency should manage the wilderness – the U.S. Forest Service or the National Park Service. To many conservationists, it was a choice of two bad options. The National Park Service had created and managed a catalog of parks that were designed to be experienced through car windows if one didn’t want to get out. On the other hand, recent U.S. Forest Service wilderness proposals had left out areas deemed useful for logging, protecting just alpine ridges. Many wilderness advocates felt they couldn’t trust the Forest Service with valuable timber, or the National Park Service with one of the lower 48’s biggest roadless areas. In the end, the National Park Service won out. A study team proposed development to accommodate crowds, with helicopters and trams to shuttle visitors to remote places like the Picket Range, as Lauren Danner writes in her book, “Crown Jewel Wilderness.” (The book is a must-read for more information on the park’s creation.) But North Cascades National Park is tram-less today. Two years after President Lyndon Johnson signed North Cascades National Park into law, the National Environmental Policy Act was enacted in 1970. The act required federal agencies to complete studies showing potential environmental effects of their proposals, adding expense and more bureaucracy to the process of building trams in the park. It became too difficult and costly. The result is far fewer people see the Pickets than otherwise would. But could a place like the Picket Range add value to the lives of those who don’t get to see it? I like knowing that a range so wild and seemingly unconquerable by industry is out there, even if it’s hard to reach. Many park advocates and even politicians in the 1960s thought so, too. Wyoming Senator Clifford Hansen opposed a park service proposal to build tramways to the Pickets, saying in a senate committee meeting, “I think a national park is to preserve something else. It is not to try to get people access to every square foot of an area. It is to set aside an area of singular national significance.”

1899 – Mount Rainier National Park is established. 1916 – The National Park Service is created. 1916-1922 – National parks are proposed for Mt. Baker, Lake Chelan and the Cascade Summit. They all fail. 1933 – David Brower, president of the Sierra club, flies to Seattle to discuss forming a Pacific Northwest chapter of the club. 1937 – Ice Peaks National Park is proposed, an area covering Mt. Baker to Mt. Adams. It fails. 1948 – Personal income in Washington triples since the war and a growing middle class takes to forests and parks in unprecedented numbers. 1938 – Olympic National Park is established. 1957 – A group of conservationists forms the North Cascades Conservation Council, which becomes instrumental in creating North Cascades National Park. 1968 – North Cascades National park is established.

After cresting a familiar path over Hannegan Pass, I entered the national park. Now, a ridgeline from the road, the wilderness took on a different character. A marmot on the trail ahead refused to move until I was 10 feet away. Shortly after, I passed a park service trail crew carrying heavy tools and a 36-inch chainsaw. They were hiking a similar distance and sawing fallen trees along the way, so I stopped worrying about the long hike to my campsite. I arrived at Whatcom Pass in time to watch the Challenger Glacier turn pink as the sun sank. It didn’t disappoint. What I didn’t expect, though, is that I was equally drawn to the long, dark, old-growth valley on the other side of Whatcom Pass.

1972 – North Cascades Highway opens. Sources: Crown Jewel Wilderness: Creating North Cascades National Park, by Lauren Danner. The North Cascades: Finding Beauty and Renewal in the Wild Nearby, by William Dietrich

Little Beaver Valley from Whatcom Pass.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM Oliver Lazenby photo.

E X C E R P T

Crown Jewel Wilderness Creating North Cascades National park

orth Cascades National Park is unlike any national park that came before it. Its advocates wanted to preserve it as it was, rather than creating a “virtual outdoor Disneyland, overrun by wrapper-scattering, bottle-tossing sightseers who would quickly change the wilderness atmosphere into that of a Christmas-tree sales lot,” as one source in Lauren Danner’s book “Crown Jewel Wilderness: Creating North Cascades National Park,” describes. Crown Jewel Wilderness chronicles the process of actually establishing North Cascades National Park. It’s hard to pinpoint the beginning of the movement that resulted in the park, but activism around protecting the North Cascades was well underway in the 1930s. By the time President Lyndon Johnson signed the North Cascades National Park into law on October 2, 1968, the park had endured 20 federal hearings and decades of work, advocacy, political maneuvering and compromise. The North Cascades Conservation Council (N3C), an organization instrumental in creating the park, had fought for it for more than 10 years. The story Danner unearthed is a look into the beginning of modern environmentalism and a reminder that North Cascades National Park exists because people decided it should, and people will determine its future. – Oliver Lazenby

Studying a map of the North Cascades today is tantamount to viewing politics at work. Every boundary line, each turn up a valley or flow along a creek or jog around a ridge, represents a political decision. Many of the complex’s borders are based on work done by forester Dick “Bush” Buscher, who spent weeks surveying the backcountry to develop the Forest Service’s proposals. Senator Jackson used Bush’s work to draw the boundaries in the Senate park bill. There may be no better indicator of the political nature of the park than this one fact: the Forest Service drew the boundaries of North Cascades National Park. From the summit of McGregor Mountain in the southern unit of the park, one looks south down the beautiful Stehekin River valley or north toward Bridge Creek. The views in every direction are stunning, breathtaking. The scenery does not care about its land use designation. Nonetheless, standing on McGregor’s summit, one perches on a carefully negotiated political line. One foot is in a national park, the other in a national recreation area. Climbers literally straddle a compromise. While the park boundaries reflect meticulous political craftsmanship, the attainment of the park can be credited to savvy strategizing by conservationists during a time when the conservation movement was transforming into modern environmentalism. All across the country in the 1950s, people began to question the unchecked resource exploitation that characterized the postwar era. In the Pacific Northwest, that questioning focused on logging the national forests at a time when the roles of federal public lands agencies became increasingly complex. Where the Forest Service had been a mostly custodial agency, the 1950s brought increased demand for two conflicting uses, national forest timber and recreation. Where previously the National Park Service had been able to balance preserving scenery with providing access, the 1950s brought an onslaught of visitors that strained the parks in unanticipated ways, causing many to question the agency’s commitment to preservation. Despite their distaste for the Park Service’s orientation toward recreational development, wilderness advocates, an admittedly small group at the beginning of the controversy, knew they would have a better chance for protection with a national park, because they had tried to work with the Forest Service and gotten nowhere. The North Cascades became the “ultimate showdown that convinced citizen conservationists that the Forest Service could not be trusted to preserve wilderness.” When Mike McCloskey was hired as Pacific Northwest Conservation Representative in 1961, the North Cascades was one of several wilderness preservation issues in the region. Logging in Three Sisters Wilderness, creating an Oregon Cascades national park, preserving Washington’s Alpine Lakes region, and protecting the Oregon Dunes competed for attention. After consulting with David Brower, Patrick Goldsworthy, and others, McCloskey thought the North Cascades offered the best chance to achieve permanent protection, for several reasons. First, the North Cascades had a higher proportion of high mountain scenery to lowland forests. The ratio was flipped in Oregon, where there was a lot of forest compared to the amount of alpine scenery. Private timber concerns in Washington State were not as dependent on national forest lands as they were in Oregon and elsewhere in the West, because ownership was roughly equal among private industry, the state, and the Forest Service. The timber industry cared intensely about the disposition of forests in Oregon and on the Olympic Peninsula because trees there were low-lying and easily accessible. Comparatively speaking, the rock and ice of the North Cascades, set off by its steep timbered valleys, gave the region the crown jewel quality that was politically more appealing. Second, during and after World War II, Washington State’s population boomed with people who came for good jobs and stayed for the beautiful natural environs, easily reachable by car. Seattle became the nexus of a powerful, sophisticated urban constituency who cared deeply about wilderness preservation.

Third, because the area’s economy had diversified away from timber dominance, it was politically feasible for Senator Jackson to take a position that displeased the timber industry, although he was careful to address park opponents’ concerns during the legislative process. The fact Jackson was one of the most powerful politicians in the country boded well for passing legislation, because he would only support a park effort if he was confident he could get a bill passed. For McCloskey, the campaign to create the park was like flying a plane. First it had to get off the ground by attracting support to achieve political plausibility, then remain airborne by maintaining interest and persuading politicians to get involved, and finally land safely by ceding control to those able to accomplish the final goal. The success of the North Cascades campaign, which attracted national media attention and led to political action by two presidents, cabinet secretaries, legislators, and state officials, meant its proponents had to relinquish control and accept a national park that did not fully satisfy their objectives. With strong leadership by the N3C and Sierra Club, conservationists working to preserve the North Cascades handled each stage with professionalism. Their willingness to compromise, when it became clear that was the only route to getting a park, helped make the park a reality. The North Cascades controversy exemplifies conservationists’ embrace of politics as an avenue for achieving environmental goals in midcentury America. North Cascades National Park has been aptly described as one of the postwar environmental movement’s “leading accomplishments” and “a flagship park for wilderness protection.” The Wilderness Act of 1964 influenced the design and intent of North Cascades National Park in novel ways. In addition to preserving monumental scenery, a baseline requirement for traditional national parks, this park would preserve vast swaths of wilderness. The alpine ruggedness that protected de facto the region from major inroads for resource development became the primary rationale for creating the park. Its scenery was unquestionably of national significance, and it had been left alone, thanks to its physical inaccessibility and mostly hands-off management by the Forest Service. The scenery was not going away. The question was how best to protect it. The answer was to create a crown jewel park that prioritized wilderness preservation. *** Nearly a half-century after the park's creation, concepts of wilderness, scenic preservation, and public access have shifted. As the national parks and forests try to accommodate record crowds without adequate funding, some have called for a modern-day Mission 66 [a program to dramatically expand visitor services at National Parks by 1966] to clear the multi-billion-dollar backlog of maintenance and repairs that plagues the national park system. Others believe access to the crown jewel parks may eventually be rationed, with would-be visitors entering a lottery or purchasing entry tickets in advance. Those who venture to the North Cascades do not typically have to deal with long lines at entry stations, crowded trails, campsite shortages, inadequate parking, uncollected garbage, or packed visitor facilities. At the time of this writing, nearly all of the 1.3 million acres of land proposed for a national park and mountain recreation area in the N3C’s 1963 Prospectus are statutorily protected, preserving diverse environments that range from lushly forested river valleys to some of the most spectacular alpine scenery in the world. To the hiker standing on a high ridge in the Picket Range or auto tourist gazing at Diablo Lake’s milky turquoise waters, the politics that raged around the fate of this alpine wonderland can feel very far away. But maps show the reality. The North Cascades are the beneficiaries of the efforts of thousands who believed them worth preserving. The jaw-droppingly magnificent North Cascades endure as one of the largest, wildest tracts in the continental United States, a crown jewel wilderness to treasure forever.

From the book “Crown Jewel Wilderness: Creating North Cascades National Park,” by Lauren Danner (Washington State University Press, 2017). wsupress.wsu.edu

NCNP SECTION

B O O K

Through the park’s wild heart Seven days of alpine rambling from Baker Lake to Ross Lake Story and photos by Jason Griffith

I PARK BOUNDARY

BAKER LAKE

ROSS LAKE

t’s hard to find a place in the lower 48 as wild as the tangled valleys at the head of the Baker River. Brush below tree line isn’t penetrated by trails and alpine ridges go years between visitors. In an area known for wild corners, I think a traverse from Baker River to Ross Lake crosses the longest section of rugged terrain you’re likely to see in all of the Cascades. While off-trail travel in North Cascades National Park (NCNP) is unforgiving, the rewards are immense. Solitude is one such reward – on our trip last summer we didn’t see anyone for seven days at the height of July.

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NCNP SECTION Day 1 : The altimeter read 800 feet at the trailhead and the temperature was climbing past 80 degrees. So began a soul-crushing day of hauling eight-day packs up the fisherman’s “trail” to Blum Lakes. The trail has no beginning or end, but a followable middle. We had aspirations to go beyond Blum Lakes, but the sun took its toll and we were wrung out by the time we arrived. Swimming and napping sapped our desire to hoist our packs for another climb. The views from this camp were the worst of the trip, which is saying something considering how good they are; Mt. Blum reflected perfectly in the water in front of our tent.

Day 2: Up early to beat the heat, we packed and headed over the col between Mt. Blum and Hagan Mountain, down past Berdeen Lake, up onto Mystery Ridge (we climbed Mystery Peak), and then were forced off the ridge to avoid a difficult

section of scrambling. We finished the day with an exhausting scree climb back onto Mystery Ridge where I promptly plopped down to rest and swat flies while Tim and Steve searched for a camp with water. A distant shout confirmed they found a nice spot and I staggered the final 100 vertical feet to our home for the night.

Day 3: As the sun rose, we could see North Despair. We left our heavy packs in camp, climbing quickly and unencumbered to this aesthetic summit. The final snow arête guarding the summit was worth the long walk and we enjoyed every step as the exhilarating exposure grew. Making it to our first real summit of the trip, we lingered at the top, scouting the way ahead and marveling at the terrain we’d already covered. After returning to camp in the late morning, we dropped to Jasper Pass, battled up the brushy ridge toward Pioneer Peak and climbed easy rock to its summit. As the sun sank, we

dropped to the col between Pioneer Peak and Mt. Crowder, then made a short climb to a spectacular camp on heather benches on the west side of Crowder after about 12 hours of constant effort.

Day 4: We moseyed up Crowder, where we dried out the summit register entries and added our own scrap of paper to the handful of names going back decades. It isn’t uncommon for years to pass between ascents of obscure peaks in NCNP, which is part of the appeal. Some peaks have had fewer than 20 recorded ascents. Ever. We ran into two ptarmigan along the summit ridge, calling back and forth as they hopped from rock to rock, trying to avoid taking flight; they blend in so well that it is harder for predators to see them on the ground than in the air. Back at camp, we stuffed our packs and then carefully backed down a 45-degree snow gully to a sloping bench that led around the

SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE 23 Camp on Eiley-Wiley Ridge

north side of Crowder on a somewhat forgotten route. A USGS survey party discovered this intricate route around Crowder in 1967, but the guide they produced (Routes and Rocks in the Mt. Challenger Quadrangle by Tabor and Crowder) has long been out of print. Despite this unearthed beta, we still had some shenanigans, including a couple of brushy rappels. After finally emerging onto easy snowfields, it was an easy slog up 1,000 vertical feet to Pickell Pass and my favorite camp of the trip.

Day 5: Rest day! Well, sort of. Swiss and Spectre peaks were on the agenda, but we could leave overnight gear at camp. The first stop was Swiss Peak, a broad 7,988-foot summit in the center of the Northern Pickets. Our route consisted of straightforward third-class scrambling up a strange fault from camp, then up and along an exposed knife-edge with a 2,000 foot drop to Luna Cirque to our left. Mist swirled about the crest, dissipating as it spilled east. Rainbows surrounded our shadows on the clouds below (a phenomenon known as a Brocken spectre). We admired the drama for several hours before setting off for Spectre Peak. Unsure of which spire was highest, we ended up climbing both Spectre and the next spire over, Apparition – very fitting names on this ethereal day. Both peaks had a bit of mid-fifth class (roped) rock climbing on the way up and one 30-meter rappel to descend. The view down the sheer Haunted Wall on Spectre across to Phantom Peak through the scudding clouds was one of the most intimidating sights I’ve ever seen in the Cascades.

Day 6: Summit of Pioneer Peek

The daily grind of battling brush, loose rock, and route finding was wearing on me. Steve was all for climbing Crooked Thumb Peak, but Tim and I talked him into a low stress day of going up Mt. Challenger and camping on Eiley-Wiley Ridge. Secretly, Tim and I were hoping to get out in seven rather than eight days, which meant trimming our peak list. It’s easy to have eyes too big for your stomach on long trips in the North Cascades, and Tim and I had had our fill. Still, Challenger is hardly boring, with interesting glacial problems and solid rock climbing on the summit pyramid, and Camp Friendly on Eiley-Wiley Ridge was up there with Pickell Pass for the best of the trip. Fourteen hours after leaving starting the day, we staggered into camp with little time to enjoy the view before dark.

Day 7: With a long brush bash and hike out to Ross Lake ahead of us, we started before dawn. This was extra painful since we were long out of whiskey and our bodies were beat. Mosquitos swarmed as we side hilled across Eiley-Wiley Ridge through slippery meadows. Meadows led to forest and eventually we emerged scraped and sweating on the Big Beaver Trail, 13 miles from Ross Lake. A trail, finally! But a trail can still pound your feet silly, especially after seven days of cross-country travel. Gradually our team strung out along the trail, each of us lost in our own world of trying to minimize the pain while continuing on. Then the lake burst into view. What a relief to strip off our tattered clothes and dive in, swimming off the accumulated grime while waiting for the water taxi. The taxi saves six additional miles of hiking from the mouth of the Big Beaver to the landing just below Highway 20. The trip wound down as the boat sped back across to Ross Lake Resort after dropping us off. All that remained was the short but painful hike back up to the car at the Ross Dam trailhead before beer, pizza at Annie's Pizza Station in Concrete, shower at home and bed. I was struck by how savage this section was, despite 25 years of climbing in the North Cascades. A lifetime of adventure is just a short drive away.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM

Paddling Guide

A to North Cascades National Park By Maya Hunger

Diablo Lake Known for its turquoise color, Diablo Lake is a breathtaking body of water that’s perfect for a daytrip or overnight paddle trip. The closest campsite is two miles from the boat launch – just far enough to practice route finding, paddling, and overnight packing skills without too much commitment. Three campsite locations and seven total sites surround the lake. Be sure to get a permit as early as possible to ensure that you have a place to camp. Suggested duration: Day trip or short overnighter Mileage: 2-5 miles Launch: Colonial Creek Campground Permit: Required for camping. Obtain at the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount or at the U.S. Forest Service Methow Valley Ranger Station in Winthrop.

Lauren Howland photo.

Peter James photo.

Andy Porter photo.

Ross Lake A Ross Lake adventure may be the ultimate multi-day paddle in the North Cascades. With stellar views, remote wilderness, exceptional paddling and a variety of trails accessible from shore, spending 3-5 days with paddling, hiking and camping is easy. The 23-mile-long lake has 19 boat accessible campsites, all with fire rings, picnic tables, vault toilets and bear-resistant food storage boxes. Some sites can be reserved. If you do not have a reservation, it can be easier to secure a campsite on an island than on the lakeshore because you do not have to compete with hikers for them; islands may also have fewer mosquitos. Either way, you need to pick up a permit beforehand. There’s a lot to explore along lakeshore. Desolation Peak Trail is one of the most iconic hikes. It is steep and strenuous, but the view of the lake and surrounding mountains is worth the reward. Desolation Peak is famously featured in Jack Kerouac’s writing; the beat poet and author spent the summer of 1956 atop the peak as a fire lookout. The Big and Little Beaver trails are pleasant paths along milky glacier-fed creeks and through old-growth forest. The East Bank trail runs along much of the eastern shore of Ross Lake, with side trips to peaks and lakes. Suggested duration: 2+ nights Suggested mileage: 5-7 miles a day. Access/launch: If you have your own boat you can put in at Colonial Creek Campground on Diablo Lake, paddle across Diablo Lake and use the phone at the take-out to call for Ross Lake Resort’s portage shuttle to pick you up and shuttle you to Ross Lake. To rent boats, hike from the Ross Dam Trailhead to Ross Lake (0.8 miles) and then call for a water taxi (or have one pre-arranged) to the resort, where you can get outfitted with boats, paddles and some safety gear. For more information, see rosslakeresort.com. The northern end of Ross Lake reaches into Canada, allowing boat access from Skagit Valley Provincial Park, near Hope, B.C. Permit: Required for camping. Obtain at the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount or at U.S. Forest Service Methow Valley Ranger Station in Winthrop.

Lake Chelan Lake Chelan is a must-do for paddlers, offering everything from simple day trips to complex multi-day excursions, all with awe-inspiring views and dependable east-of-the-crest weather. Though a dam raised the lake’s height by about 20 feet in 1927, Chelan is the most natural lake in this guide and the third deepest lake in North America, according to the park service. Lake Chelan is 55 miles long and dramatically different at each end – the south end has warmer water and is packed with vacationers, while the north end offers a remote wilderness experience. Gentle paddling opportunities can be found at the south end of the lake near the towns of Chelan and Manson. Stehekin, at the other end of the lake, is a small boat or plane-accessible town that is a gateway to the interior of North Cascades National Park. Though remote, it has amenities and tasty treats, such as those from the Stehekin Pastry Company (a fan favorite). Since the lake is long and narrow, it’s fun to paddle one way and use the passenger ferry run by the Lake Chelan Boat Company for return or drop-off. Reservations must be made ahead of time for the passenger ferry. The lake has 14 first-come, first-serve boat-in camping areas managed by either the U.S. Forest Service or National Park Service. Each has picnic tables, fire rings, toilets and a dock available for easy loading/unloading, but users must pay fees for the docks – it is free to land on shore without using a dock. Much of the lake’s shoreline is too steep to allow for easy landing and this can complicate even a quick bathroom stop or rest break. Before attempting to paddle on Lake Chelan, make a detailed route plan with contingencies for wind and emergency situations. Suggested duration: Day trip or overnight Mileage: Variable. Launch: Fields Point Landing and 25-Mile Creek State Park Permit: A backcountry permit is required for camping near Stehekin in the North Cascades National Park. Get one at the Stehekin Ranger Station. Other parking and camping fees are dependent upon route. The lake is long and managed by a variety of local, state and federal agencies. SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

NCNP SECTION

Mild Water

orth Cascades National Park has everything an adventurer could dream of in the Pacific Northwest – remote wilderness full of old-growth trees, massive glaciers with electric-blue ice and deep bodies of water surrounded by mountains. Vehicle access is limited to the North Cascades Highway and a few roads that probe the park’s boundaries; typically hiking is the go-to if you want to see more than roadside vistas. However, boats provide some unique opportunities to explore remote corners thanks to the park’s long fjiord-like lakes and reservoirs. Below are a few options for exploring the park by kayak or canoe. Please remember to boat responsibly, be prepared for the worst and check (and double-check) the weather and conditions forecasted before your trip.

) ( Beaver Pass 3619ft 1103m

Creek

Beav

Bacon Peak 7067ft 2154m

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM IT

Goodell Creek

Damnation Peak 5643ft

Cr e

Thornton Lakes

20 Gorge Gorge Dam Lake

Creek

Ross Lake Resort

23 37

Ruby Arm Mountain

Diablo Lake Overlook Diablo Ruby

86 138

76 122

Wilbur

Grand Forks

78 126

395

DIABLO LAKE Powder blue from glacial runoff, Diab-

(Administered by Okanogan NF)

FOREST

NORTH CASCADES INSTITUTE In some ways, the North Cascades InstiCastle Pass tute (NCI) serves) as ( a welcome center to the park. The nonprofit offers educational tours and programming in the park and has a campus at Diablo Lake with lodging. )( Hopkins Summer programming at Pass NCI includes everything from weeklong yoga and Pacific Crestworkshops to open-ended photography National Scenic family weekends food and lodging. Woody Pass Trail ) (with For more info, see ncascades.org. NCI and Seattle WILDERNESS City Light, Seattle’s PASAYTEN electric power utility, partner to provide boat tours on Diablo Lake and at the powerhouse at Diablo Dam. These boat ) ( Holman Pass tours are one of the easiest ways to get a M O U N T Bguided AKER - at the park. look SNOQUALMIE

CANAD A U N IT E D S TAT

Crater Mountain 8127ft 2477m

Jack Mountain 9065ft 2763m

Devils Dome 6982ft 2128m

155

Omak

49 79

Osoyoos

Coulee Dam Chelan

N AT I O N A L

Hozomeen Mt. 8068ft 2459m

Ruby

40 64

Wenatchee

50 80

34 55

Winthrop

153

Twisp

97 156 20

MA NNI NG P R OVI NCI A L PA R K

Hozomeen Lake

Ross Lake Overlook

NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK

CHELAN NRA Darrington

118 190

159 256

British Columbia Washington ROSS LAKE NRA

Hope

Marblemount Rockport LAKE

To Hope, B.C. 40mi 64km

46 74

530

8 13

Concrete

Desolation Peak 6102ft 1860m

Hozomeen

405

ROSS LAKE NRA

Ross Dam Diablo Dam

DIABLO

NEWHALEM

Gorge Creek Falls G OR

SEATTLE

EVERETT

542

Glacier 44 71

40 64

Hozomeen Campground

49 79

SedroWoolley

64 103

24 39 5 8

542

27 9 43

Abbotts1 ford

Burlington Mount Vernon

Mount Prophet 7579ft 2310m

Sourdough Mountain 6106ft 1861m

Mount Triumph 7271ft 2216m

Mount Despair 7293ft 2223m

Mount Terror 7151ft 2484m od ell

McMillan Spire

NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK NORTH UNIT

Mount Fury 8291ft 2527m

Mount Challenger 8248ft 2512m

Littl

Beaver

Redoubt Glacier

Mount Redoubt 8957ft 2730m

Distances are shown in gray. Miles are given first, with kilometers below.

VICTORIA

40 64

Lake

Upper Baker Dam

Lake

Mount Shuksan 9131ft 2783m

MOUNT BAKER WILDERNESS

Chilliwack Lake

C o lu m b ia Wa s h in gton

B r it is h

Mount Baker 10775ft 3248m

MOUNT BAKER WILDERNESS

Heather Meadows Visitor Center

542

To Glacier (USFS/NPS information) 4mi 6km

orth Cascades National Park stands out among national parks in the lower 48 for its remoteness and immense roadless expanse. While it lacks the entrance arches, grand lodges and tourist infrastructure common at other national parks, its allure is the deep valleys and remote peaks it contains. For new visitors, there’s plenty to see within striking distance of a parking lot or road shoulder. These stops provide visitors with a look at the edges of the wilderness park, if not a true wilderness experience. Check nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit for more information about ranger-led programs.

UN CAN ITE AD DS A TA TE S

Bellingham

VANCOUVER

ROADSIDE GUIDE TO North Cascades National Park

ss Ro

Bak

26 Sk

iver

auk

Suiat

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ai n nt

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North

Craig Romano photo.

SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

5 5

10 Kilometers 10 Miles

3209m

Unpaved road

Hiking trail

GLACIER PEAK WILDERNESS LAKE CHELAN/STEHEKIN Lake Chelan, at the park’s southeastern edge, is one of the deepest lakes in the country; its bottom is nearly 400 feet below sea level. Mountains, vineyards and the popular Chelan Lakeshore Trail surround the lake. To see the length of the 50-mile-long lake and enter the national park, ride the Lady of the Lake passenger ferry to Stehekin Landing. The picturesque and remote community of Stehekin is accessible only by boat or trail. Get reservations to the North Cascades Stehekin Lodge to enjoy what might be the most comfortable experience you can have Glacier Peak in the park. If you’re not going to Stehekin, there’s lodging in nearby10528ft Chelan and camping at Lake Chelan State Park.

Glory

Campground

Ranger station

HOLDEN

NRA

Devore Creek Trail

Railr

oad

Liberty Bell Mt. 7808ft 2380m

Creek

p oo

La ke s

Moore Point FOREST

To Fields Point and Chelan via passenger ferry

Lake Chelan

NCNP SECTION

Wheelchair accessible

LAKE CHELANSAWTOOTH WILDERNESS

Riv

Stehekin Landing North Cascades Stehekin Lodge Golden West Visitor Center

LUCERNE

N AT I O N A L

Castle Rock 8137ft 2480m

Picnic area

)( Twisp Pass

Early Winter Spires ) ( Copper Pass

Old Stehekin School Buckner Purple Mountain Place War Creek STEHEKIN Pass

Purple Point

Weaver Point

Harlequin

To Mazama 8mi 13km

)(

Washington Pass Overlook

Rainbow Falls

CHELAN

LAKE

W E N AT C H E E

Company Creek Trail

Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail

Bullion

S t e he

Rainy Lake

Rainy Pass ) ( 4860ft 1481m

Twisp Pass Trail

Creek

Val ley k in R Shuttle-bus ive r route

Tumwater High Bridge

Dolly Varden

Bridge

Park Creek

Bridge Creek Shady

Flat Creek

Trapper Lake

Lake Ann

Rainy Pass

d oa

Andy Porter photo.

Mount Formidable 8324ft 2537m

Cascade Pass 5384ft 1641m

Johannesburg Mountain

WASHINGTON PASS OVERLOOK Though it’s outside the national park, The Liberty Bell group of peaks is one of theDome most Peak striking sights in 8595ft the North Cascades. These granite 2679m spires would look right at home in the eastern Sierras or the Tetons. Washington Pass is a paradise for climbers all summer and one of the better roadside spots to see larch trees turn gold in the fall.

Boston Peak Buckner Mountain 9080ft Goode Mountain 2768m 9206ft Booker Mt. 2806m ( Black ) Warrior Mine Cascade Cottonwood Pass Trail

Sahale Mt.

)(

Methow Pass

lo Lake is a highlight of any drive across Harts Pass Highway 20. Enjoy the view from a car window or stop at Diablo Lake Vista Point overlook at approximately mile 132 on Highway 20. The lake gets its color from tiny particles of rock ground into dust by KANOGAN glaciers in the highOcountry. For a longer stay at Diablo Lake, check N AT I O N A L and out the Colonial Creek Campground Boat Launch which, in addition to a dock FO R E S T leading and beach, has several trailheads farther into the park. Other campgrounds and trailheads surround the lake.

Mo u

FOREST

CASCADE PASS TRAILHEAD The trailhead to Cascade Pass is one of the most popular day hikes in the park and one of the most scenic spots accessible by car. Even though the parking lot is low in the Cascade River valley, the views from it are incredible. Sheer walls and hanging glaciers of Johannesburg Mountain and Cascade Peak rise 4,000 feet overhead, and occasionally spit chunks of ice and rock down to the valley below. The last 13 miles of road are unpaved and snake through oldWhite Chuck Mountain growth trees on the way to the 6935ft 2114m parking lot. Though it’s worth it for the drive alone, you really should hoof it up to Cascade Pass if you come this far.

N AT I O N A L

530

BAKER-

e scad Ca Ri

SNOQUALMIE

MOUNT

Roa

)(

Boston Glacier

Easy Pass 6562ft 2000m

NORTH CASCADES VISITOR RAINY PASS CENTER IN NEWHALEM If you want to stretch The North Cascades Visitor Cenyour legs but not take on a ter is worth a stop if you need inreal hike, stop at Rainy Pass formation about the park on your and head for Rainy Lake, a way in. It’s just across the Skagit 1-mile, paved wheelchair River from Highway 20 near mileaccessible walk to a tranquil post 120 and features several short lake in a deep bowl. For such a short stroll, Rainy Lake trails and an information desk with offers an impressive look books, maps 530 and everything else you could need for a trip into the at the wildness the park ofpark. Don’t miss the large-scale reDARRINGTONfers. Rainy Pass is also the Rivea 3.4lief map of the park and surroundtrailhead for Lake Ann, r ing area. mile round trip.

River Forbidden Peak

Fourth of July Pass 3501ft 1067m

Creek

Eldorado Glacier

Eldorado Peak 8672ft 2703m

SOUTH UNIT

NATIONAL PARK

Lake

ROCKPORT

MARBLEMOUNT

Colonial Creek

NORTH CASCADES

Peak 7182ft 2189m

Newhalem Pyramid Creek

ite

Rockport State Park

Backcountry permits

FOREST

Wilderness Information Center

N AT I O N A L

North Cascades Visitor Center

A SK

BAKER-

SNOQUALMIE

MOUNT

1720m

Skagit

CONCRETE

To Information Center at Park Headquarters and Sedro Woolley 23mi 37km Baker Dam

Lake Shannon Cr e

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en i c

( C lo inte r ) nw

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s Sc ade c s Ca rth o N wy i se d

i Tw il Tra e r ho rry Fe

NCNP hiking guide A sample of the wilderness park’s best trails Story and photos by Craig Romano

he North Cascades National Park complex contains some of the largest roadless tracts remaining in the lower 48. Stunning views, lofty summits, sparkling alpine lakes, thundering waterways, sublime wildflowers, prolific wildlife, primeval forests, and more than 300 glistening glaciers grace the park’s

nearly 700,000 acres. This raw and untamed wilderness offers some of the absolute best hiking and backpacking in the country. Here are three of my favorites – one moderate, one difficult and one challenging day hike or moderate backpacking adventure – to get you started exploring this vast and breathtaking region.

Hunts Bluff

Distance: 10 miles roundtrip Elevation gain: 1,000 feet Trailhead directions: Take Lady of the Lake passenger ferry from Chelan to Stehekin. The only substantial trail embracing Lake Chelan’s 50-mile-long, fjord-like dramatic shoreline, the Chelan Lakeshore Trail stretches 17 miles from Stehekin to Chelan. A short but satisfying hike from Stehekin to Hunts Bluff shows off the northern portion of this trail. Along the way you’ll traverse sun-kissed ledges and forested ravines cradling cascading creeks. Renowned for its prolific wildflowers (and rattlesnakes), this trail is best done in spring. Start by taking the Lady of the Lake ferry from Chelan to Washington’s remotest community, Stehekin. Find the trailhead near the Golden West Visitor Center. You’ll pass some cabins and soon traverse the first of two fairly recent burn zones, where the trail undulates between greenery and ghost forests. The trail skirts a few cabins before reaching wilder shoreline and eventually a ledge granting an excellent view south down the lake to Domke Mountain Continue along the scenic shoreline before once again climbing above and away from it – a pattern repeated frequently. Pass an old rock wall and compound, cross Four Mile Creek, then follow Click Creek into a little chasm. Next emerge on a high bluff with a view back to Stehekin with 7,161-foot Purple Mountain rising above it. Pass the Flick Creek Campground and shelter, (or spend the night if you have a permit) then start a long ascent. Cross Hunts Creek in a deep ravine before emerging on Hunts Bluff 600 feet above the lake. Enjoy spectacular views up lake to Stehekin and McGregor Mountain and down lake to Moore Point. Scan the lake for loons, and the sunny ledges for blossoms.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM

NCNP SECTION

Sourdough Mountain Lookout Distance: 11 miles roundtrip Elevation gain: 5,100 feet Trailhead directions: From SR 20 turn north onto Diablo Road, 5.3 miles east of Newhalem. Then proceed 0.6 miles to the trailhead. It’s an absolutely arduous ascent to the historic 1933 fire lookout atop Sourdough Mountain. One of the most challenging day hikes in North Cascades National Park, you’ll climb nearly one vertical mile in 5.5 miles. But a priceless panorama of craggy, spiraling, glacier-cloaked, cloud piercing, unbelievably breathtaking peaks is the payoff and Diablo Lake’s sparkling surrealistic turquoise-tinted water directly below is an added scenic dividend. I first hiked Sourdough Mountain in the summer of 1985 – my very first hike in the North Cascades National Park. I have returned frequently, never tiring of the views and challenge. The trail starts at 900 feet elevation and wastes no time heading for the heavens. Utilizing tight switchbacks, the trail relentlessly gains more than 3,000 feet in the first two miles. At about 4 miles, Sourdough Creek’s cascading waters greet you at a pocket meadow. The grind is over and an incredible journey across wildflower-saturated meadows begins. Unfortunately, many ill-prepared and unfit hikers never make it to this point. Begin traversing sub-alpine forest groves and sprawling meadows. Pause frequently to catch your breath while marveling at in-your-face views of Ruby Mountain, Pyramid Peak and Colonial Peak with its massive glacier. But it’s Diablo Lake twinkling one mile directly below that’ll blow you away. After switch-backing through those heavenly meadows, the trail darts across the broad summit ridge. Here, a restored 1933 fire lookout – once staffed by beatnik poets Gary Snyder and Philip Whalen – greets you. You’ll no doubt wax poetic while absorbing the natural beauty. A serrated sea of glistening ice and craggy summits surrounds you dominated by 9,075-foot Jack Mountain. The view is worth returning to over and over again, despite the 5,000-foot vertical climb required to reach it.

Horseshoe Basin

Distance: 18 miles roundtrip Elevation Gain: 4,550 feet Trailhead Directions: From SR 20 in Marblemount, turn east onto Cascade River Road and follow it 23 miles to its end. Cascade Pass is one of the most popular hikes in the North Cascades National Park. With its well-graded trail leading to stupendous views, how could it not be? Trade your daypack for an overnight pack (be sure to get your permits) and push a little farther beyond the pass to discover one of the most awe-inspiring cirques in the state, Horseshoe Basin. It sports a historic mine and sprawling meadows fed by a half-dozen towering waterfalls. Start your hike by switch-backing some 30 times up steep slopes. After climbing 1,400 feet in two miles, the grade eases, making a long traverse toward Cascade Pass. Long used by Native Americans, explorers, prospectors and surveyors, this pass was a wise choice for passage through the nearly impenetrable North Cascades. Reach the 5,400-foot pass and savor the views, especially the formidable wall of peaks to the south. Then get ready to soak up some serenity as most of your fellow hikers turn around or head for Sahale Arm. Drop into the Pelton Creek Basin, a hanging valley of cascading waters tumbling down icy walls. Pass Pelton Basin Camp or set up here for the night. The way now teeters along a headwall offering views to 8,122-foot McGregor Mountain towering over the Stehekin Valley. Continue descending. Doubtful Creek may have you doubting how to cross as it careens over a polished ledge. At 7 miles, reach the Horseshoe Basin Trail. If you plan to camp at Basin Creek, continue right for another half-mile to set up camp, then return to this junction to explore the basin. Hike into the amphitheater-like basin and admire fields of swaying grasses and dancing flowers set beneath no less than a half-dozen silvery strands of tumbling creeks. Cock your head back and marvel at the sheer walls capped with hanging glaciers: one of the most impressive sights in the Cascades. Old mining relics from the Black Warrior Mine lie littered among the blossoms and boulders. The mine, bored deep into the face of the cirque, operated until the late 1950s. Now on the National Register of Historic Sites, the mine can still be explored, but don’t venture beyond the shaft’s entrance. The view from the shaft out over the Basin Creek Valley to Trapper Mountain is just as impressive as the views of Horseshoe Basin from the valley floor.

For detailed information on these hikes, consult Craig Romano’s “Day Hiking North Cascades” and “Backpacking Washington” guidebooks. SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

Clockwise from top left: A family hike in the North Cascades / Jason Griffith photo. Copper Ridge Lookout in the north unit of North Cascades National Park / Audra Lee Mercille photo. Black bear / Andy Porter photo. A curious mountain goat at Sahale Camp / Andy Porter photo. Salmon in the headwaters of the Chilliwack River / Andy Porter photo. Waterfall near Cascade Pass / Matthew Tangeman photo. An icy lake thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not on your map / Jason Griffith photo. A hiker at Park Creek Pass / Andy Porter photo. Tim Black and Ashton Richie downclimbing from Mt. Redoubt / Jason Hummel photo.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM

NCNP SECTION SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

Clockwise from top left: Chris Chapin descends from Mt. Rahm on a six-day trip through the Chilliwack peaks / Radka Chapin photo. Skiing down the Boston Glacier on Forbidden Peak toward Buckner Mountain / David Summers photo. Ross Lake from Desolation Peak / Lauren Howland photo. A glacier near Eldorado Peak / Jason Griffith photo.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM

NCNP SECTION SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

From from top: Adam Roberts atop Bacon Peak / Jason Hummel photo. Camp on a climb of Teebone Ridge on the western border of the national park / Jason Griffith photo.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM

John and Doris Belisle, owners of BelleWood Acres and BelleWood Distilling

BelleWood Distilling Story and photos by Pat Grubb

very school kid growing up knows the story of Johnny Appleseed and how he wandered around Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana in the late 1700s sowing apple seeds wide and far. What a guy, everyone thinks. Well, that happy fable is bit of a stretch. First, he didn’t spread seeds but, rather, he planted nurseries. Second, because he didn’t believe in grafting, his apples weren’t exactly the sweet and edible kind. According to Michael Pollan in his book, Botany of Desire, the apples could only be used to make cider: “Really, what Johnny Appleseed was doing and the reason he was welcome in every cabin in Ohio and Indiana was he was bringing the gift of alcohol to the frontier. He was our American Dionysus.” The obvious lesson is, if you want to be popular, make it possible for people to make their own booze. If you want to be really, really popular, make booze for the people. That’s the tack taken by John and Dorie Belisle, owners of BelleWood Acres and BelleWood Distilling. And they’re really, really popular with their customers. Having spent most of their careers in retail, John and Dorie were looking for something different when they moved from Florida to Washington state. Something less customer-oriented, John says. Things didn’t turn out the way they planned it; in fact, it turned out the exact opposite. The Belisles are now running one of western Washington’s largest u-pick operations along with a country store and café and distillery under the names BelleWood Acres and BelleWood Distilling. About five years ago, the Belisles decided to get into the distilling business. After hitting the road and visiting everyone who they thought knew something about distilling, they came back and

learned for themselves, John says. Having invested nearly a hundred thousand dollars in two stills, handmade by Vendome Copper and Brass Works in Kentucky, they got to work. Unlike Johnny Appleseed, the Belisles control the entire process from growing the apples, fermenting the juice, to distilling the alcohol, to adding the botanicals for the finished product. “That’s where the artisan aspect comes into it,” John says, pointing out that many so-called distillers don’t do any actual distilling but buy cheap ethyl alcohol for $5 a gallon. Different batches of fermented apple juice will produce different qualities and flavors after being distilled; the best batches are reserved for brandy which then undergoes aging for at least two years in oak barrels. “We call it our Reserve Brandy. We actually take wood from up there, toast it and put it in the barrels to tie our orchard in with the brandy. And that really creates magic, doesn’t it?” John says, turning for confirmation from Michael Brannan, who is the company distiller. Brannan is a Western Washington University graduate who majored in chemistry and learned on the job how to distill. “You can’t run a still in a college apartment. Or you shouldn’t,” he says. Pointing to another batch, John says, “I believe we are the only ones in the world making Honeycrisp vodka.” Regardless of the base ingredient, whether it’s apples, potatoes or grapes, once it’s distilled to 191-proof, it’s considered vodka. Whenever they finish up a batch of hooch, the distillery holds a Sunday afternoon bottling party for volunteers to help hand make about 700 bottles of spirits. If you’re interested in joining in, you can sign up during a visit to the distillery or email for more info. You’ll get a short tour, sample some spirits, enjoy food from the Country Café and get a 20 percent discount on a personally signed bottle. The distillery is currently producing three varieties of vodka: signature, honeycrisp and raspberry; two brandies, reserve and eau de vie; one gin and two liqueurs, Bruce and pumpkin spice. Bruce is a blend

Michael Brannan, BelleWood’s distiller

SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

of apple cider and brandy while the pumpkin spice is vodka with pumpkin, sugar, spices and homemade vanilla which makes for a smooth dessert drink. You get an idea of the thought that goes into distilling when John tells the story behind the gin. “When we started making gin, my goal was to have a gin that 75 to 80 percent of the people would like. We went through over 40 runs before people started to smile.” The gin is made by infusing a vodka base with juniper, coriander and five other botanicals to create a soft and refreshing sipping or mixing gin. The artisan approach to distilling has served the Belisles well. The website lists 19 individual awards they have earned, with their gin in the lead with eight awards in total. The Belisle family planted the initial apple orchard back in 1996; there are now over 25,000 fruit trees on the 62-acre farm located on the Guide Meridian about 20 minutes from the Canadian border. To see all these trees in bloom, visit during late April or early May; it’s a sight you won’t soon forget. The Belisles believe in sustainable and environmentally responsible farming. They use integrated pest management to provide effective pest control while maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Doris is also the project manager for the Tenmile Creek watershed project. Tenmile Creek is a salmon-bearing creek that runs through the farm which is the first Salmon Safe orchard certified by Washington state.

WHERE TO BUY

BelleWood Distilling spirits can be found in liquor grocery stores throughout the state. Locally, you can purchase their products in Haggen Food Grocery Stores and Community Food Co-ops. For a list of stores, go to bit.ly/2HYaTBp.

DURING YOUR VISIT

The distillery’s hours of operation are Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s located at 6140 Guide Meridian, Lynden. From I-5, take Exit 262 and head east to the Guide. Turn left and it’s on your right a few minutes up the road. Tours are held noon and 2 p.m on Saturday and Sunday. To make reservations, call 360/318-7720. The farm has a 14,000 square foot farm market, gift shop and country café and bakery. The market is a great place to pick up fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables, products made on the farm, and country gifts. The café features light breakfast, lunch and dinner menus that include soups, salads, sandwiches, seasonal entrees, fruit/cheese plates, espresso, wines and ciders on tap. And, of course, there is a full bar offering BelleWood Distilling products.

Cocktails The Ten Mile

2 oz BelleWood Gin 6 oz BelleWood Apple Cider Wedge of Lime Pour BelleWood Gin and BelleWood Cider into an ice-filled highball glass. Stir and garnish with wedge of lime.

The Rodrigo

2 oz BelleWood Raspberry Vodka Ice Tea Lemon wedge Squeeze the lemon wedge into an ice filled highball glass and add the wedge. Add Raspberry Vodka and top off with iced tea.

Ginger Apple

1 & 1/2 oz BelleWood Honeycrisp Vodka For more recipes, 1/2 oz lime juice see Signature Drinks at 1/4 oz BelleWood Cider Syrup or simple syrup bellewooddistilling.com. 4 raspberries Ginger Beer Combine all ingredients except ginger beer in a cocktail shaker and top with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass and top off with ginger beer.

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EXIT 263

WARNING: Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 years of age or older. This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product and should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

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5465 Potter Road, off Highway 9 360/592-2297 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 CHUCKANUT BREWERY

601 Holly Street 360/752-3337 chuckanutbrewery.com Our brewery and kitchen offers an eclectic fresh local menu for all ages every day including award-winning beers, wine and beverages. Serving brunch on weekends from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Come enjoy our waterside patio!

KULSHAN BREWING COMPANY

Sunnyland Beer Garden & Small Batch Brewery 2238 James Street 360/389-5348 kulshanbrewing.com A Sunnyland staple offering the chance to experience Kulshan’s small batch and flagship beers. Inviting, family-friendly taproom and dog-friendly outdoor beer garden host rotating food trucks, music, events and beer to go.

KULSHAN BREWING COMPANY (K2)

Roosevelt Taproom & Production Brewery 1538 Kentucky Street 360/389-5348 kulshanbrewing.com A 30-barrel brew house in the Roosevelt neighborhood. Twenty taps of award-winning beers in an industrial setting – great for large groups! Rotating food trucks, outside patio, events, keg sales and TVs for sports. 21+

MELVIN BREWING BELLINGHAM

2416 Meridian Street 360/306-3285 melvinbrewing.com Located in the historic Fountain District, our brewpub serves up 20 taps of Bellingham- and Wyoming-brewed Melvin hits as well as guest beers and ciders. We offer a fusion of Asian-inspired flavors on our menu, from yakisoba to a Southern fried chicken burger and everything in between.

MELVIN TAPROOM - FAIRHAVEN

1323 11th Street, Fairhaven, WA 360/398-6085 melvinbrewing.com Our taproom is where craft beer lovers, Kung Fu enthusiasts, and hip-hop heads unite! We feature eight taps flowing with mostly Bellingham-brewed Melvin beers. We offer a small menu to keep you fueled and are kid and dog friendly!

WESTSIDE PIZZA

7260 Cordata Parkway, Suite 107 360/756-5055 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.

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11937 Higgins Airport Way 360/752-3377 chuckanutbrewery.com Our newest location located in Skagit Valley welcomes all ages. Serving awardwinning beer and wine, cider and soda. Indoor and beer garden games on our grassy lawn make for great destination. Monday-Friday, 3-7 p.m.; SaturdaySunday, noon-7 p.m.

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18042 Hwy 20 360/707-2722 skagitfish.com Offering the highest quality in local seafood. Daily lunch specials freshly prepared. Local jams, jellies, salsas, honey and sauces. Visit us on Facebook.

CONCRETE 5B’S BAKERY

45597 Main Street 360/853-8700 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 glutenfree. Great food for everyone. Open 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.

ANNIE’S PIZZA STATION

44568 State Route 20 360/853-7227 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 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.

10459 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-2511 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.

WAKE ‘N BAKERY

6903 Bourne Street 360/599-9378 getsconed.com Open daily 7:30 a.m.–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.

203 W. Main Street 360/966-2855 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.

46276 Concrete Sauk Valley Road 360/853-8494 ovenells-inn.com We offer travelers fully equipped log cabins & guest homes on a working 580-acre cattle ranch with 360-degree mountain views and amazing wildlife. Make us your year-round base camp for the Mt. Baker Recreation Area & North Cascades National Park.

BLUE T LODGE

10459 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-9944 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.

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MT. BAKER LODGING

7463 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-2453 or 800/709-7669 mtbakerlodging.com Mt. Baker Lodging offers cabins, condos, chalets and executive rental home accommodations. A number of selected units are pet friendly. Walkin reservations and one-night stays available.

WINTHROP CHEWUCH INN

10500 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-2724 snowater.org One and two-bedroom rentals available. Recreation centers with indoor pools and sauna. Indoor/outdoor racquetball courts.

MAPLE FALLS BAKER ACCOMMODATIONS

223 White Avenue 800/747-3107 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.

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6140 Guide Meridian 360/318-7720 bellewoodfarms.com Visit the farm distillery, country store and bistro for artisan food products and Northwest gifts. Visit the website for a full list of entertainment and family activities.

EVERSON 128 W. Main Street 360/966-2400 goodtogomeatpies.com Artisan Hand Pies made from scratch in the heart of Whatcom’s organic farmland has made Good to Go Meat Pies a popular destination place in both Everson and Lynden. Pastries are offered hot, chilled or frozen.

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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.

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• Hiking and Walking trails across Ebey's Landing National Historic Reserve • Kayaking in Penn Cove • Bicycling Trails through the Kettles • Cruise Penn Cove on the historic Tall Ship SUVA • 5k Run's and Marathons in February, August and December (Fort Ebey Kettles Trail Run, Race The • Reserve Marathon and Jingle Trail Run), • Tour de Whidbey bicycle tour • Enjoy Race Week Yacht races from the Wharf in Coupeville • Sail into Penn Cove and stroll our historic and unique town • Stroll the beach along Ebey's Landing and soak up the views • Camping in Fort Casey and Fort Ebey State Parks • Enjoy a Ferry ride from Keystone Harbor to Port Townsend • Whidbey Island Kite Festival • Meerkerk Gardens Peak Bloom Season in April and Fall Festival in October SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

Asymmetry and

Mountain

Biking An exercise for cornering By Luca Williams

hen my second son was born, we immediately noticed that his back and head were turned slightly left. As he grew, his left leg was obviously stronger. Moms tend to think their kids are perfect so I didn’t want to see these “imperfections,” but they were obvious to my husband and I. So we developed a plan to help him untwist from the womb. Our plan included Rolfing, deep tissue manipulation that unwinds the connective tissue, muscles and nerves. The bodywork engaged his brain by stimulating his ears, eyes and sense of touch on the right side of his body. Every day I worked on his left side back muscles and spine, his left leg and his head, gently unwinding the twist. We spoke into his right ear to help him orient to the right

side of his body. When we carried him in a backpack, whoever walked with us walked on his right side so he would look right. We also brushed and kissed the right side of his face. As he began to turn over, we encouraged turning to both sides to help him strengthen the right side of his body and stretch the left side of his spine. I also gently pushed against his right foot to get him activating the right leg a little more. My goal wasn’t to make him symmetrical but to help him become more balanced. None of us are born perfectly symmetrical, but as we age and fall into our habits we start engraining asymmetrical patterns that may become painful. Mountain biking could be considered a very symmetrical sport, but if we start using our strength asymmetrically we can drive and exaggerate a twisted pattern into our bodies. Becoming fully aware of our

habits can give us clues about which leg is stronger, which way we lean to easier and which way we like to twist. For instance, when pedaling uphill, identify if you push with one leg more than the other. Try to use both legs equally. When you are heading downhill, which foot is on the back pedal? Can you switch that up? And how about cornering? When you are riding uphill on steep switchbacks, which way do you turn easier? Which side do you lose your balance on easier? Try this simple exercise to learn more about your turning ability. Jump on your bike and ride in tiny circles. Which way is easier? If it isn’t immediately obvious, draw a circle with chalk about 10-12 feet in diameter (smaller or larger depending on your bike and your ability) on the pavement. Now try to go around that circle equally without using your brakes. I know from snowboarding that I turn to the right easier. As I turned left my diameter was larger and I had to ride slower. What completely surprised me was that as I circled left over and over again my middle and upper rib cage on my right side began to ache as it stretched with the effort of leaning left. This gave me valuable information about how I needed to twist and side bend more to the left to become more balanced. To improve your turning radius, try the exercise above for a few minutes then sit down for five minutes while you think about something else before trying it again. Notice how much you improve by getting a rest. Resting in between is just as important as doing the movement. When I worked on our newborn son, I never pushed him or forced him to turn to the other side. I offered him alternatives to what came easy to him. I think the most valuable bodywork is never pushy, but it gets all the senses involved so the brain and nervous system get excited and curious. By building our awareness and being playful, we can mountain bike easier, move easier and have less pain so we can wake up and do it all over again.

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Ultralight hiking for

Weekend Warriors By Nick Belcaster

The author at the beginning of the Pacific Crest Trail in California.

first hiked the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island in 2014, and it’s safe to say I packed just about every fear I could manage into my 65-liter pack: bear spray, multipiece nesting cookset, weather radio, a full Gore-Tex suit that would make the Gorton’s fisherman envious – all stuffed and jammed until there just wasn’t a cranny remaining. Out of desperation I hung more stuff on the outside until my pack quickly devolved into a traveling junk show. I lumbered into those coastal woods to begin the Sisyphean task of lugging this stuff up ladders, across tidal flats and through mud pit after mud pit. Halfway through that trip I found myself taking a break thigh-deep in muck when a particularly ursine looking black mass came lumbering up the trail, which turned out to be a friendly Canuck sporting a 105-liter pack more suited for the approach to Denali. He seemed to be having a good time, but I could tell that the refrigerator on his back was starting to get old. Hey, at least I wasn’t that guy. But I thought, surely, there had to be a better way to carry your home on your back. So when I decided to hike the length of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) this summer, I knew some re-organization was in order. In preparing for the trek, I’ve found the ultralight hiking ethic: do away with the unnecessary and redundant, and maybe forego a little in-camp comfort in order to practically float down the trail. The following changes have eased the weight on my back, ultimately allowing me to enjoy hiking more, and they might just help you this summer on your own expeditions, whether they take a weekend or an entire summer.

The Big Three

To make the largest impact you can on pack weight, start with what are likely the three heaviest items on your back:

your shelter, sleeping bag and your pack itself. Your money can go the farthest here, so consider changing these items out before getting into the nitty gritty.

Backpack

The main factor when choosing a backpack should be comfort and fit, but when you start shaving weight, comfort and fit are easier to achieve. Plenty of weight can be cut by choosing a pack with a more minimal frame, such as one with only two frame stays and a foam back panel. Some even go as Spartan as no real frame at all, opting for a half-inflated sleeping pad to take up some structure. You don’t need to go this full-tilt, but being mindful of exactly how large a pack you’ll need, as well as jettisoning useless stuff like the top lid and extraneous straps, can bring down your final pack weight. I’ll be rucking around in a 1.5-pound pack this summer; that’s half the weight of most packs you’ll find in a big box store.

tarps of Dyneema Composite Fabric, a high-tech material originally designed for racing sailboats. Shelters of this style often require better site selection, so be mindful of potential punctures or condensation. But the weight savings can be huge. I’ll be taking along a two-person shelter that sets up on trekking poles and weighs a scant 22 ounces.

Sleeping bag

Many are familiar with the pros and cons of synthetic versus down fill in sleeping bags, but fewer know about another permutation: the sleeping quilt. Operating on the idea that the compressed fill underneath you provides little warmth, a sleeping quilt does away with the zippers and back of your

Shelter

Multi-use items are a main pillar of the ultralight hiking concept: Use trekking poles to hold up your shelter and you can do away with the weight of tent poles. Score! These so-called non-freestanding shelters can range from single-walled tents all the way to gossamer-thin

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Other thoughts

You don’t need to go cutting your toothbrush in half to save meager ounces (Disclosure: I have done this, but only for laughs, I swear…) but by being mindful of how little things add up into big things, you can chip away at the heavy load and find yourself at a happy medium. Many thru hikers have taken to wearing lightweight trail runners in lieu of hiking boots, reasoning that long days on the trail require nimbler footwear and they dry faster after stream crossings. In terms of camp kitchen, I’ve elected to try out something that’s increasingly popular on the PCT: No-cook. By bringing along only foods that don’t require a stove to eat (peanut butter and jelly on a tortilla, rehydrated beans on a tortilla, or hard cheeses and salami on a tortilla. The tortilla truly is the ultra-lighter’s optimal nutrition vehicle and I can save weight by not bringing a stove, pot or fuel. Obviously a die-hard choice, but should I ever want hot food again, the stove is only a resupply box away. All told, I’ve successfully brought my pack weight down to 10 pounds without food or water for my PCT thru hike. Your weekend load out might be a bit heavier, but start trimming the fat and give it a whirl. See where going light takes you. You can follow Nick on his PCT thru hike this summer at nickbelcaster.com

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Elizabeth Ahlem Clark Exploring Washington’s trails

by watercolor By Benjamin Whitney

lizabeth Ahlem Clark didn’t have a grand plan when she visited Bellingham in 2016. But, like many Pacific Northwest transplants, she uncovered an immediate affinity for the North Cascades and resolved to stay. Reinvigorated by her new surroundings, she started working on a series of watercolor paintings depicting scenes along Washington’s trails that illustrated the allure that enticed her and her husband to call the Northwest their home. Ahlem prefers focusing on the minute details of a trail, rather than the grandiosity of big mountains. “Don’t get me wrong, I love mountains,” she says. “But I like honing in on the more subtle aspects of the landscape like the way a tree might lean against a riverbank or how certain plants begin growing after a forest fire.” For Ahlem, the medium matches the subject. Watercolor, much like the ever-dynamic forest ecology, is fluid. Sometimes it’s the unexpected things that watercolor paint does to a composition that she appreciates most. Ahlem’s journey has been long and, in some ways, circular. Her first focus as an artist was the wooded landscapes of her native Michigan. A pair of creative parents equipped her with the curiosity and passion to pursue art, and nature art specifically, during her childhood. “I’d spend all of my time in this small tree lot and I’d just paint all the time,” she says. Ahlem grew from art hobbyist to art student at a small college in Chicago, where she lived for 10 years. At school, she experimented with style and medium but struggled to define her craft. Perhaps the most challenging aspect, she recalls, was writing artist statements – a feat that often felt gargantuan. “At the time, I felt there was nothing, no reason, I just liked [creating art] and that was that,” she says. “I really struggled to explain my work for a long time.” One college prompt helped change that. Ahlem was asked to depict dreams and something clicked. “It interests me to think that you have a dream and then you have to remember your dream, which is a filter,” she says. “Then you have to put your dream to words – another filter – then I have to understand your dream in my mind and then draw your dream, which is another filter still, and then someone looks at the finished painting through yet another filter.” Ahlem focused on dream paintings in the coming years and this internal telephone game led interesting places. To these interior landscapes, she applied elements of nature – something that was missing from her day-to-day in Chicago. After graduating, Ahlem landed a gig as an artist-in-residence at a local hospital and

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM

later for a studio specializing in high-end chalkboards and murals. “I enjoyed the work,” she says. “But I was not necessarily inspired.” Ahlem considered dropping art as a career altogether, even telling people that art was just a hobby. While contemplating a career change, she and her husband were also ready for a change of scenery after 10 years in Chicago. They road tripped across the U.S., planning to stay with family in Bellingham until they decided where to settle. “We visited some incredible places like the Grand Canyon and the redwoods, but when we drove through Washington we just knew this is where we should be,” she says. Exploring the trails surrounding Bellingham inspired Ahlem so much that she forgot about her planned career change. “Now that I’m [in Bellingham] this just has to be what I do. Nature exists in the perfect combination of colors,” Ahlem says about her new home. With the move, she’s nailed down the once nearly impossible task of describing her work and why she paints trails. “It’s really very simple,” she says. “I go to trails to think and thinking makes me want to paint.”

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Your east county and foothills real estate specialist! Providing the finest residential real estate services with uncompromising principles.

See Elizabeth Ahlem Clark’s work at these upcoming shows 3 Oms Yoga in Bellingham in May and June Joy of Pilates in Bellingham in July Aslan Brewing Company in Bellingham in August Colophon Café in Bellingham in November Bank of the Pacific in Bellingham in November

Save Farmland for Farmers, Present and Future Contact Chris Elder to learn about how to sell development rights or how to donate to protect the land that feeds us. Visit the webpage at www.whatcomcounty.us/573 (360)778-5932 or celder@whatcomcounty.us

PURCHASE OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS PROGRAM

#bluejeansrealtor

• First time home-buying • Residential resale/New Construction • Marketing strategies to get your home sold

Marty Kutschbach Real Estate Broker

Call Marty! 360.319.0695 VIEW MY LISTINGS: www.MartyK.JohnLScott.com

BUYERMAX.com

The Informed Buyers’ Real Estate Site Home Search • Market Statistics • Whatcom County Information

Keith Cook

(360) 739-5600

Sally Webb

(360) 224-1270 SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

Story and photos by Brad Andrew

M Treelines Northwest Adam McCoy, founder and owner of Treelines Northwest

Supporting trail maintenance through clothing

ountain bike trails don’t just fall from the sky and land in the forest for all to enjoy. Whether you prefer flowing single-track or high-speed jump lines, those trails are conceived, sculpted and maintained by human hands. Growing up in Skagit County during the 1980s and early 90s, Adam McCoy spent his youth riding the flowing single-track trails of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands. Eventually, he began building his own trails to progress and push his riding. “If you want it your way, you have got to build it your way,” McCoy says. Since then, McCoy has become a dirt artisan, directly and indirectly shaping hundreds of trails around the Northwest through an insatiable desire to create. This desire spawned Treelines Northwest, a clothing company that donates 10 percent of sales to trail building efforts and mountain bike clubs. The company also sponsors trail building and maintenance days throughout the year in Skagit and Whatcom counties. The idea started over beers in the woods after a day of building in 2007; in 2010, McCoy officially launched Treelines. Having spent hundreds of hours working in the woods, McCoy wanted to monetize his passion and get more people involved in trail building. He had developed a keen eye for aesthetics and detail from trail building, but understands that functionality is key to design – something he’s incorporated into Treelines. During Treelines’ formative years, McCoy also owned Hidden Wave Boardshop in Burlington, and he’d spend idle time doodling in the shop. These drawings became artwork that he screened onto shirts in the back room of the snowboard shop – the first products that Treelines sold to the public and gave away to fellow trail builders. Slowly, through word of mouth, the brand built momentum and the product line grew. Treelines now has a full line of soft goods, including hoodies, beanies, hats, tank tops and t-shirts. McCoy has also brought niche goods focused on core trail builders to the market including a rugged chainsaw bar sheath, a fire starting kit, a builder’s bag and a sawyer’s bag all designed by McCoy for making trail work easier. Treelines’ trail building products are designed, sourced and built locally. The soft goods are screen-printed by hand at the Treelines shop at 105 Cedar Street in Burlington. McCoy didn’t start Treelines to get rich – the company was born from a passion for trails and the outdoors, and it continues to drive those passions. For Treelines Northwest, more sales mean more trails. Learn more about Treelines Northwest at treelinesnorthwest.com or on its Facebook page. You can also learn more about trail building and how to get involved through your local mountain bike club.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM

EVENTS JUNE DEMING LOGGING SHOW: June 9-10, Deming. For the benefit of busted up loggers since 1963. See world champion loggers compete in 31 events and perform incredible feats of woodsmanship. Breakfast and BBQ. More info: demingloggingshow.com RACE TO ALASKA KICK-OFF: June 14,

Port Townsend. Checkout boats, a parade and kickoff festivities at the prerace ruckus before a free-for-all, no-motors-allowed watercraft race up the inside passage to Ketchikan, Alaska. More info: r2ak.com

find more events and submit your own at www.mountbakerexperience.com

Langley. Teams of 12 runners tag off for an around-the-clock, 196-mile relay race. Only one teammate runs at a time, and each participant runs three times, with each leg ranging between 3–8 miles and varying in difficulty. More info: ragnarrelay.com/race/northwestpassage

ARC’TERYX CLIMBING ACADEMY: July

PADDEN TRIATHLON: June 23, Lake

Padden. This event features two triathlon distance options around the lake and dates back to the origins of the sport. It’s a rite of passage for local athletes. More info: racecenter.com/race-details/?race=4012

JULY KULSHAN 2 KULSHAN RACE: July 1,

20-23, Squamish, BC. The Arc’teryx Climbing Academy continues to provide world-class clinics and workshops to all participants in an unbeatable setting. All skill levels are welcome. More info: squamish.arcteryxacademy.com.

WHIDBEY ISLAND TRIATHLON: July

28, Langley. A great all-around triathlon for beginners and veterans alike. More info: swparks.org/recreation/whidbey-island-triathlon/

AUGUST

BELLINGHAM TRAVERSE: September

MAPLE FALLS BIGFOOT FESTIVAL:

August 5, Maple Falls. Hosted by Maple Falls Community Park, this event and park fundraiser will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with over 25 arts and crafts vendors, a local food truck and events including a best Bigfoot meet-up, raffle drawing, dunk tank and kids games. More info: maplefallspark.com

SUBDUED STRINGBAND JAMBOREE:

August 9-11, Deming. Check out the annual pickin’ party at the Deming Log Show Fairgrounds. Dozens of Northwest bluegrass favorites will be there. More info: stringbandjamboree.com

ABBOTSFORD AIR SHOW: August 10-12, Abbotsford, BC. Witness the awesome power and acrobatics of a variety of aircrafts and pilots. More info: abbotsfordairshow.com

the run, stay for the fun. An arts festival of global repute in downtown Anacortes follows a half marathon, 10K or 5K. The sheer variety and magnitude of artistic talent on display is jaw dropping. More info: anacortesartsfestival.com

TOUR DE WHIDBEY: August 18, Whidbey Island. The Tour de Whidbey is one of the most popular rides in all of Washington state. Travel the back roads of Whidbey Island for gorgeous vistas, breathtaking scenery and varied terrain on either a 30-, 40-, 50- , 100-, or, new this year, a 162-mile route! More info: tourdewhidbey.com

MOUNT BAKER RHYTHM AND BLUES FESTIVAL: August 3-5, Deming. Voted

NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION:

ANACORTES ARTS FESTIVAL AND ART DASH: August 3-5, Anacortes. Come for

Bellingham. New this year, K2K will feature a Mile and a 5k race! Each will start at Kulshan Brewery (K2) on Kentucky Street and will end at Kulshan Brewery on James Street!

“Best Blues Festival in America” in 2013, this festival at the Deming Log Show Grounds is a hit with blues fans far and wide. More info: bakerblues.com

BARE BUNS FUN RUN WEST: July 8,

Olympic National Park. This challenging bike ride on Hurricane Ridge Road features tough climbing and stunning views. The road closes to cars for the ride and cyclists have three options for distance. More info: portangeles.org/pages/RideTheHurricane

Tiger Mountain. Be brave, be tough, beat the mountain in the buff with the Tiger Mountain nudists at the 26th annual clothing optional 5k run up Tiger Mountain. More info: www.tigermtnudists.com

WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL: September 7-9, 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: nwmaritime.org

Bellingham. Olympic-distance triathlon comes alive again this year with the Lake Whatcom Triathlon, an official timed event that welcomes athletes and relay teams. The event will draw beginner to elite athletes, in individual and relay divisions. More info: lakewhatcomtriathlon.com ham. Cycle the iconic roads of Whatcom County, beginning and ending in Bellingham with 22-, 44-, 62-, and 100-mile courses with views of Mt. Baker, Lake Whatcom, valleys, rivers, farmland, beaches and the Puget Sound. All proceeds benefit local charities. More info: tourdewhatcom.com

16 at 1 p.m., Glacier. A statue at the Glacier Public Service Center honoring the work of Civilian Conservation Corps workers will be dedicated in a public ceremony with events throughout Glacier to follow.

LAKE PADDEN RELAY: September 1, Lake Padden. This relay or individual run cruises through four laps around Lake Padden with views of the lake and forest along the way. More info: gbrc.net

LAKE WHATCOM TRIATHLON: July 14,

TOUR DE WHATCOM: July 21, Belling-

CCC STATUE DEDICATION: June

SEPTEMBER

RAGNAR RELAY: July 13-14, Blaine to

RIDE THE HURRICANE: August 5,

15, Bellingham. Get hooked on the Bellingham Traverse, a fun relay race that celebrates the journey of wild salmon. Families, friends and local companies form solo, tandem and relay teams to run, bike and paddle through Bellingham’s scenic parks, winding trails and open waterways. More info: recreationnorthwest.org

BELLINGHAM BAY MARATHON:

September 30, Bellingham. With views of Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands, and North Cascades, this is one of the most beautiful marathons in the Pacific Northwest. Full marathon, half, 10K, and 5K races for runners and walkers alike. Live music and a beer garden at Depot Market Square in downtown Bellingham. More info: bellinghambaymarathon.com

August 25, Newhalem. Celebrate 50 years of NCNP with the National Park Service. More info at www.ncascades.org

CHUCKANUT CLASSIC: August 26, Bellingham. Ride down the beautiful county roads and along the cliffs and shoreline that define Chuckanut Drive. Distances include 25-, 38-, 62-, and 100-mile routes. Routes are fully supported, with rest stops stocked with high-energy food and drink. More info: chuckanutclassic. org

MT. BAKER HILL CLIMB: Sep-

tember 9, Glacier. The Mt. Baker Hill Climb is back, now hosted by Whatcom Events. The 23-mile road bike race from Glacier to the end of Highway 542 offers three divisions and a whole lot of climbing. More info: bakerhillclimb.com

SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

Local & Sustainably Grown

Fe s t i va l d a te s

Food & Goods

COME ON INSIDE FOR

Rachel s’ Cool Beans Cafe.

3-5

the only five-star vegetarian/ vegan farm-to-table cafe in Anacortes serving delicious:

• LOCAL EATS - all sourced from within the Coop, enjoy fresh-made Salads & Sandwiches (organic, vegan, & Gluten Free) • Lopez Island Ice Cream • Moka Joe coffee • Smoothies • Fidalgo Island Fudge and more!

Take-outs available for Ferry travelers! Mon.-Sun. 10-5 (Summer 11-close)

August 4

2308A Commercial Ave. Anacortes, WA 98221

half marathon, 10k, 5k

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Mon.-Fri.: 10-7 • Sat.-Sun.: 10-5

(360) 299-3562

anacortesfoodcoop.com

AnacortesArtsFestival.com

A Nude Rock N’ Blues Experience

Saturday, August 25th, 11-6

Experience Whatcom County’s Best Cycling! R i d e t h e Sunday, August 26, 2018

• • • • 48

Scenic routes of 25, 50, 62 or 100 miles Easy Guided 10-mile family/kids option! Food, Drink, Music Afterparty! Fully Supported

Made possible in part by a Tourism Promotion Grant from the City of Bellingham.

ChuckanutClassic.org

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM

Sunday, 9thth Sunday, September 9

Visitor Information bellingham.org

EVENT DETAILS

23 mile climb up 542 | Limited to 400 riders ∞ Riders depart from Chair 9, Glacier, WA ∞ Departure times: 7:00 am - Social Riders 8:00 am - Recreational Riders 8:30 am - Competitive Racers ∞ Event is professionally timed by 3rd party

REGISTRATION OPENS IN JUNE

Where to Eat Where to Stay Regional Events Calendar Things to Do Insider Blogs

Bellingham Visitor Centers 904 Potter Street Open Daily 9-5

1306 Commercial Open Tues-Sat, 11-5

one destination, many adventures

Learn Learn More More @ @ bakerhillclimb.com bakerhillclimb.com Bringing you Ski to Sea and the Tour de Whatcom

360.671.3990 | bellingham.org

Mount Baker

WhatcomEvents Eventsisisaanon-profit non-profit501(c)(4) 501(c)(4) and our events Whatcom support local charities. and our events support local charities. MAGAZINE

e perience

SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

GLacier, Washington

CHAIR 9

WOODSTONE PIZZA & BAR

Full Menu & Family Dining

Happy Hour

We have “just your size!”

Upstairs Game Room Free WiFi

Mon-Fri 11am-4pm

Accommodations from studio to 12+ bedrooms

Watch all your sporting events here! 6 big screen TVs

LIVE MUSIC - Check PRIVATE ROOM available for parties and events.

10459 Mt. Baker Hwy Glacier, WA

Private Cabins • Cottages • Condos at the Gateway to Mt. Baker

for schedule CATERING for all your party needs.

360/599-2511 www.Chair9.com

See our full selection at MtBakerLodging.com

Glacier’s Only Hotel

Walk-in reservations & 1 night stays available! OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 9AM-5PM

A great place to rest your head after your mountain adventure!

Located next to Chair 9

1-800-709-7669

360/599-9944

7463 Mt. Baker Hwy. • Maple Falls • WA

Ask about pet-friendly rooms

www.bluetlodge.com

YOUR 4 SEASON MT. BAKER GETAWAY

CONDO SALES AND RENTALS 50

360.599.2640 | SNOWATER.ORG

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM

Satisfy your vacation rental needs.

Office 7425 Mt. Baker Hwy. • Maple Falls

BakerAccommodations.com • 1.888.695.7533

GLACIER, WA S H I N G T O N

360-599-9883

ST AU R A

Serving great food 7 days a week

9989 Mt Baker HWY

HAM’ RA

H GREAT FOOD H LIVE MUSIC H HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS H BREAKFAST WEEKENDS

Representing the Finest Chalets and Lodges in the heart of the Mount Baker Recreational Area. Luxury Getaways provides overnight accommodations for discerning travelers.

www.stayatmtbaker.com

360.398.9590

9989 Mt. Baker Highway

•

Glacier, WA

Noww SSeeNrrvovin ing

Fresh Baked Goods BrB&earkfeasatkBufarritoss,t Strictly Organic Coffee & Espresso ASoupllL&uDQunaiccheyh Behind Milano’s Restaurant • Open everyday at 7:30 am Behind Milano’s Restaurant • Open everyday at 7:30 am

SCENIC TO CLASS V WHITEWATER ADVENTURES Luca Williams Certified Rolfer Glacier, WA 360-599-3172 lucasrolfing.com

DAY TRIPS • HALF DAY TRIPS • PACKAGE TRIPS “QUALITY TAKEN TO EXTREME”

1-800-413-6840 • 360-599-31 15 W W W. W I L DA N D S C E N I C . C O M

HOT SHOTS

E STOR BIG SCOOPS

Espresso • Ice Cream • Groceries • Bagel Sandwiches • Videos • Local Crafts & More

Glacier, WA • 599-2665

SUMMER 2018 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

Field of Fun for the kids

Friday, Sept. 21

Downtown Bellingham & Squalicum Harbor

AND

Enjoy Traditional Lummi Nation Firepit Salmon

Saturday, Sept. 22 Zuanich Point Park & Squalicum Harbor

FOOD

SeaFeed at the Harbor Taste the Sea Salmon Grilling Championships Oyster Shuck & Slurp Contest

rvival Watch Su s Suit Race

FISHING

FUN

FisherPoets Live Music U.S. Coast Selected Guard Rescue Maritime Artists Commercial SeaFeast Wharf Fishing Fun Brews-with-a-View Seafood Market Beer Garden Dock Walks Kids Field of Fun

WWW.BELLINGHAMSEAFEAST.COM Stroll SeaFeast Wharf

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2018 MOUNTBAKEREXPERIENCE.COM