Mount Baker Experience - Summer 2021 by Point Roberts Press

SUMMER 2021

ADVENTURES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

FREE

ROMANCING THE SEAS EVENTS ARE BACK! SUMMER HIKES SNORKELING ALASKA

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Photo: ©RuthLauman

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Marine Park Playground

Semiahmoo Resort - Golf - Spa 300 Marine Drive

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A seaside nautical themed playground with public restrooms and WiFi.

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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE Since 1986

Special publication of The Northern Light and All Point Bulletin PUBLISHERS Patrick Grubb and Louise Mugar EDITOR Ian Haupt PUBLICATION DESIGN Doug De Visser COPY EDITOR Grace McCarthy

ADVERTISING DESIGN Ruth Lauman • Doug De Visser ADVERTISING SALES Louise Mugar • Molly Ernst CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE: Radka Chapin, Jason Griffith, Grant Gunderson, Stephen Hui, Elizabeth Kimberly, Eric Lucas, Jason Martin, Audra Lee Mercille, Woody Moses, Meg Olson, Marcus Paladino, Matthew Tangeman 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. XXXV, No. 3. Printed in Canada. ©2021 POINT ROBERTS PRESS 225 Marine Drive, Blaine, WA 98230 TEL: 360/332-1777 NEXT ISSUE Fall 2021 • On stands late August Ad reservation deadline: Aug 6 ON THE COVER Gloria Goni-McAteer strolls through the late summer wildflowers with Koma Kulshan lurking. Matthew Tangeman photo.

MBE Summer 2021

CONTRIBUTORS RADKACHAPIN Radka is a mental health therapist during the week, an avid climber, skier, backpacker and photographer on weekends, and a full time human servant to a Border Terrier named Mossy. Radkaandchris.smugmug.com

JASONGRIFFITH Jason is a fisheries biologist who would rather be on a summit than down by the river. When he isn’t fiddling with his camera in the mountains, he lives in Mount Vernon with his wife and two boys.

GRANTGUNDERSON One of the ski industry’s preeminent photographers, Grant has shot for every major snow sports and outdoor publication worldwide. Grantgunderson.com

STEPHENHUI Stephen is the author of Destination Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia, a new guide to 55 hiking trips. His first book, 105 Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia, was a #1 B.C. bestseller. Visit 105hikes.com.

ELIZABETHKIMBERLY When Elizabeth Kimberly isn’t teaching geology at WCC, you can find her seeking alpine powder turns, winding through forests on a bicycle or writing in a notebook and drinking kombucha.

ERICLUCAS Eric is the author of the Michelin guide to Alaska. He lives on a small farm on San Juan Island, where he grows organic hay, garlic, apples and beans. More information on Snorkel Alaska can be found at snorkelalaska.com.

JASONMARTIN Jason is the executive director at the American Alpine Institute, a mountain guide and a widely published outdoor writer. He lives in Bellingham with his wife and two kids.

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.

WOODYMOSES Woody is a full-time Biology instructor at Highline College, and a part-time ski instructor at Snoqualmie Pass. When he’s not teaching, he’s probably on the water, the trail or the slopes. Check out his adventures and musings at threegemspnw.com.

MEGOLSON Meg is the co-owner of the Kingfisher Bookstore in Coupeville, which has a bit of everything but specializes in the natural and human history of the Pacific Northwest. She likes to explore, in person or on pages.

MARCUSPALADINO Marcus Paladino is a surf and outdoor photographer living in Tofino, B.C. He strives to have simple descriptions like ‘surf shot’ or ‘nature photo’ fall short. That’s when his work becomes art. Marcuspaladino.com

MATTHEWTANGEMAN Matthew is an adventure photographer with a passion for deep powder, alpine granite and not making it back to the trailhead until way after dark. mtangeman.com

PUBLISHER’S NOTE by Pat Grubb

an, it’s hot out there. Here it is, the end of June and the PNW is in the midst of an unprecedented heat wave with temperature records falling right, left and center. We don’t even get this kind of warmth in the middle of August. And, while it’s nice to be warm, it’s also a little unsettling. So this is what climate change means? Scary. One of the positive changes wrought by the pandemic has been how people have been enjoying the outdoors more than they ever have. Campgrounds are packed, trails are packed, the beaches are packed. Keep up the positive vibe and don’t let frustration with all the people in your favorite places get the best of you. Chill, in other words. If you’re looking for inspiration, this issue of the Mount Baker Experience is your ticket to fun and adventure. Meg Olson has reviewed some books that will help you get the most out of your outdoor life. Do you really want to chill out? Let Eric Lucas convince you to go out for a snorkel up in Alaska. Brrr. Let Todd Elsworth distract you from the hustle and bustle by taking you to some of Bellingham’s sa cred places: the public parks Need more of a challenge? Try climbing Wyoming’s Cirque of the Towers like a bunch of friends did last summer after being cooped up and socially isolated. How about Woody Moses’ personal reminiscense of a summer working as a guide. Still breaking the rules, Woody? Have fun, be cool and safe out there.

ROMANCING THE SEAS

A kayak excursion leads to meeting new people and mammals

COSMIC DIRT

RECREATION NW

Clothes for everybody and every body

Building an outdoor experience

MOUNTAIN TRIVIA

Test your knowledge

NEWSROOM

SHUKSAN

28 31

Wildfires and other adventures

Official Mascot of Mount Baker Experience

CIRQUE TOWERS Alpine climbing in Wyoming

WATER TRAIL 42 PRODUCT GUIDE 12 WHATCOM Helpful water recreation map Check out the coolest new gear

REVIEWS 20 BOOK Find the best outdoor reads

23 GALLERY Photos for the long days of summer

MOUNTAIN BIKING 32 KIDS Tips for getting your kids to ride

33 WA360 See the results of this epic race

44 EVENTS They’re back!

ANSWERS 40 TRIVIA Which of your friends was smartest?

SNORKEL ALASKA Underwater adventures

DINING AND LODGING Staying plump in Cascadia

BC WILDFLOWER HIKES North Cascade routes to enjoy SUMMER 2021 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

OUTDOOR RECREATION + NATURE

Mountain Trivia:

CLASSES & TOUR S

Round Four

By Jason D. Martin

his article marks the fourth time that the Mount Baker Experience has featured mountain trivia. We have run this as an actual trivia night at the Stones Throw Brewery in the past, but alas … Covid-19. Soon we’ll all be vaccinated and we’ll be able to get back to some in person trivia. I, for one, am looking forward to that! But until then, we have MBE. So, let’s make the best of it.

1) In the spring of 2021, there were two incidents of vandalism in Moab that disturbed this important thing:

a) Cryptobiotic Soil b) The Slickrock Trail c) Native American petroglyphs d) Jeep Week

2) Crystal Mountain Ski Area near Mt. Rainier is owned by this megacorporation:

s 3) The Twin Sister range is known in the geologic world to have the largest body of this type of exposed rock in the Western Hemisphere:

a) Chuckanut sandstone b) Granodiorite c) Greenstone basalt d) Olivine

4) When one ties two ropes together, the knot used is referred to as a:

a) Alterra Mountain Company b) Vail Resorts c) Disney Resorts d) International Resorts Unlimited

a) Bend b) Hitch c) Pilot d) Entrapment

View our list of classes & tours and register on our website. RecreationNorthwest.org

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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2021

MountBakerExperience.com

a) Pacific Crest Trail b) Continental Divide Trail c) Northwestern Scenic Trail d) Pacific Northwest Trail

Our Winters organization. A famous pro snowboarder started this organization. Who was that snowboarder?

10) Three reservoirs make up this National Recreation Area within the North Cascades national park complex. What is the name of the recreation area?

s 5) In Nepali, Mt. Everest is known as Sagarmatha, meaning “forehead in the sky.” In Tibetan, the mountain’s name means “mother of the world.” What is the Tibetan name for the mountain?

a) Chomolungma b) Junko Tabei c) Nyinmo Delek d) Donkang

7) What is the French word for a marked ski run?

a) Groomer b) Piste c) Anchre d) Pamplemousse

a) Ross Lake National Recreation Area b) Diablo Lake Recreation Area c) Hozomeen Lake Recreation Area d) North Cascades National Lakes Recreation Area

11) Leaders in the snow sports and climbing industries have embraced climate change activism with the Protect

a) Ruth Glacier in the Alaska Range. b) Muldrow Glacier on Denali. c) Matanuska Glacier near Anchorage. d) Spencer Glacier near Turnagain Arm.

a) Jeremy Jones b) Shawn White c) Travis Rice d) Ross Rebagliati

12) Which of the following was not named after Kulshan (the most commonly known native name for Mt. Baker)?

a) A ferry. b) A painting company. c) A veterinary hospital. d) A grocery store. Answers are on page 40

AVALANCHE

8) A spectacular bouldering area has opened in the Chuckanut Mountains near Bellingham. The area is known as:

6) As a result of climate change, most of the world’s glaciers are retreating. But this spring, it was reported that this Alaskan glacier was surging with the river of ice moving 30 to 60 feet per day, instead of a few inches. This is the:

THIS COURSE COULD

a) Equinox b) Fontainebleau c) Julia’s Outcrop d) Lost Ledge

Avalanche Courses

9) This 1200-mile National Scenic Trail spans three states and finishes at Cape Alva, the westernmost point of the continental United States. This is the:

Mt. Baker & Bellingham

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Newsroom

Notes big and small from around the region

New hiking app to help avoid crowds

Mt Baker Visitors Center

Free Maps & Area Information Recreational Passes Available Here! ANNUAL & DAILY

Open Daily 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Maple Falls

corner of Mt. Baker Hwy. and Silver Lake Rd.

360-599-1518 • www.mtbakerchamber.org

Whatcom World Cup

A new hiking trail app provides outdoor enthusiasts with real-time trail and recreation data. The new TREAD Map App pilot program, released in partnership with the Washington Tourism Alliance and Dharma Maps, offers up-to-date recreation maps, custom layers, trail conditions, current safety information, community events and volunteer opportunities in central Washington. The app currently provides trail data for Kittitas, Grant, Douglas, Chelan and Okanagan counties — areas that often get heavy public land use during the summer. It was a response to last summer, when many people flocked to the outdoors in the midst of the pandemic and some public lands were overused. For more information or to download the app, visit tread-cw.com or find it in the Apple App Store or on Google Play.

The Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition (WMBC) is hosting Wednesday night races at Galbraith Mountain until Labor Day. Online registration for each week’s race can be found on the WMBC website. It’s $15 per race and there is a one-time $5 fee for a plate, which will be reused each week. Must be a WMBC member to race. There is limited space so registration will close if it’s full. The course changes each week and will be announced Tuesday afternoon. The winning time of the first race was 3:06.6. Age categories range from 8 to 10-yearolds to 60 plus. The youth race starts at 4:30 p.m. with chip and plate pick-up by 4 p.m. at the race finish. Adult race starts at 6 p.m. with pick-up by 5:30 p.m. Racers will self-seed, with 30-second gaps between each racer. If you think you need more time, ask and you will be given a “ghost rider.” For more information, visit wmbcmtb. org/whatcom-world-cup. News continued on page 10

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Newsroom Notes big and small from around the region

State parks offer free day access Washington state residents will be allowed free day access to state parks on Wednesday, August 25, in celebration of National Park Service Day. After this one, there’s three remaining this year, as the majority fall in spring and early summer. Vehicle access to state parks usually requires a Discover Pass, which costs $10 for the day or $30 for the year. On free days, vis-

itors can enter any state park without a pass. Free access only applies to state parks; a Discover Pass will still be required on lands managed by the state department of fish and wildlife and the department of natural resources. Free days also do not apply to overnight camping or sno-parks, which require their own pass. This is the eighth of 12 free days in 2021, with the next happening Saturday, September 25. Here are the remaining free days in 2021: • Wednesday, August 25 (National Park Service Birthday) • Saturday, September 25 (National Public Lands Day) • Thursday, November 11 (Veterans Day) • Friday, November 26 (Autumn Day) The parks commission manages over 100 state parks, including Birch Bay State Park, that make up 120,000 acres of land in the state.

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Artisan hand pies made from scratch in the style of the Cornish Pasty. BOOKS • GIFTS • CARDS new & used

House Bill 1168, which will provide $125 million every two years to boost wildfire response, accelerate forest restoration and support community resilience, was signed by the governor on May 13 and will go into effect August 25. A top legislative priority for Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) commissioner of public lands HilBOOKS, GUIDES, ATTIRE Decor, Cards, Candy, Toys

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Wildfire and forest health funding bill

ary Franz, the bill comes on the heels of a historically destructive 2020 fire season in Washington. Over 800,000 acres burned in more than 1,600 fires and 298 homes were destroyed last year, according to DNR press release, costing the state more than $342 million. For two of the last three years, Washington has experienced the worst air quality in the world due to these fires. “Washington is on the brink of breaking the cycle of inaction that has created our wildfire crisis,” Franz said in the release. “With this historic funding, we can make the transformative investments in wildfire response and forest health that we need to change the trajectory we are on. We are one step closer to protecting our communities, our forests and the air we breathe.” The bill was developed by a wide-ranging coalition of firefighters, fire chiefs, tribes, environmentalists, public health advocates and forest products companies.

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June-Sept 4:00pm to 7:00pm WWW.BELLINGHAMFARMERS.ORG 10

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IRON RANGER #8111

FOR WORK AND PLAY (Next to our former location, behind Denny’s)

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I - 5 & M E RTELEGRAPH IDIAN -ND BELLINGHAM, WACOME SEE US! @ (Next to our former133 location, behind Denny’s) RD. I - 5 & M EMRA IY D2 I A N R E C R E A T I O NND N@W E X P O ELK TRACKER #860

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1 3 3 T E L E(Next G RtoA our P Hformer R Dlocation, . - Bbehind E L LDenny’s) I N G H AMMA Y, 2 W A R E C R E A T I O N N W 1 3 3 ISLAND T E L E G ARTISTS’ RAPH RD. - BELLINGHAM, WA LUMMI

S tudio Tour 2021 September 4 & 5

Artists displaying at various locations! Self guided tour maps available at the Islander Grocery and on Facebook at Lummi Island Studio Tour

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Maple Beach

Point Roberts Lily Point

CANADA UNITED STATES

Patos Island Sucia Island

Orcas Island

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Dra

4 DRAYTON HARBOR ad

r Ro

n Ha rbo

6 Point Whitehorn

Grandview Road

Birch Bay State Park

BIRCH BAY

ive

Birch Bay Dr

SEMIAHMOO BAY

Matia Island

Clark Island

Birch Bay

Blaine

548

Kickerville Road

Sunset Beach

548

Wa y

Lake Terrel Road

* See note regarding Lummi Nation border on reverse side.

BELLINGHAM BAY

Ferndale

Birch Bay Lynden Road

WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON

Po r ta l

Portage Island

Lummi Nation

Mountain View Road

Slater Road

LAKE TERRELL

LUMMI BAY

Lummi Ferry

Lummi Island

iver

Monument Park

CANADA Tumbo Island

Saturna Island

KEY Discover Pass (details on other side) .....

Lynden

10 12

11 13

Community Boating Center

Locust Beach

Birch Bay State Park .................................................................

Dakota Creek Kayak Launch............................................................................

Blaine Boat Launch ...................................................................................

Semiahmoo Resort ........................................................................

Semiahmoo Park ........................................................................................

Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts ..........................................

NOT FOR NAVIGATIONAL USE

Larrabee State Park, Wildcat Cove ...............................................

Marine Park ....................................................................................................

Fairhaven Boat Launch, Community Boating Center................................

Boulevard Park ..........................................................................................

Cornwall Beach...............................................................................................

Zuanich Point Park ....................................................................................

Squalicum Harbor Boat Launch .................................................................

Little Squalicum Beach...................................................................................

Lake Terrell .....................................................................................................

Lake Samish (Fish & Wildlife) ..............................................................

Gulf Road........................................................................................................

Samish Park ..............................................................................................

Lake Whatcom (Bloedel-Donovan) ................................................

Lake Padden Boat Launch (access rentals via west entrance) .....

Alabama St.

Dr.

BloedelDonovan Park

Lakeway

Woburn St. Yew St.

LAKE PADDEN

542

Galbraith Mountain

LAKE WHATCOM

ore

hsh

Nor t

tcom

Blvd

LAKE SAMISH

Dri

Lake Whatcom (Fire Hall) .................................................................................

Lake Whatcom Park ...................................................................................

21 22

539

Bellingham

Cornwall Ave.

Clayton Beach

Wha

CHUCKANUT BAY Larrabee State Park

Lake

Garbage ................................................. Restrooms .............................................. Free Parking ........................................... Day Use .................................................. Overnight Camping ................................. Visitor Information Center ........................

ck R ksa Noo

whatcom water trail map.

Rental ...................................................

St. 11 th

Road hore mi S Lum

Whatcom Water TRAIL MAP The Port of Bellingham has created a water trail map to promote water access along Whatcom County’s marine shoreline and freshwater lakes. The first version of the Whatcom Water Trail map is intended to promote this area as a water sports destination and is an initial step in a longer-term process. Stakeholders will continue working with local landowners and engaging the public to identify key locations and prioritize improvements for safety and access. Future versions will include river access points. Gina Stark, project manager with the Port of Bellingham’s Regional Economic Partnership, led the project with help from Recreation Northwest, Kristi Kucera of Moondance Sea Kayak Adventures, and local public land agencies. Credit for support of the map goes to Port of Bellingham commissioner Michael Sheppard for recognizing the value of public access to our waterways. “This has been an amazing cross-agency collaboration, working with city of Bellingham parks, city of Blaine, Whatcom County parks, Washington State Parks, DNR and Lummi Nation,” Stark said.

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Romancing the Seas By Woody Moses

artine was dead serious. “No romance with clients during a trip. Ever.” Tall and muscular with wild blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, Martine stood like a general — or a Valkyrie — delivering her orders. One hand held her clipboard, the other pointed a finger at us as we sat on the grass, looking up at her with a mixture of fear and curiosity. We all nodded. An experienced kayak guide herself, Martine had been

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2021

running trips for over a decade in both the San Juan Islands and Baja, Mexico. A strong paddler, admired by peers and clients, she was also a shrewd manager and knew how to run a successful business. Having clear policies and rules with a workforce that followed them was a big part of the company’s success. So when she laid down the law, we understood any such transgression would cost us our jobs. There were seven of us: Five men and two women, hailing from both coasts and the Midwest, all in our mid-20s. I had only been kayaking once in my life, but with a master’s degree in marine science and a job teaching biology, I was hired

for my knowledge of natural history, not my prowess on the water. “We’ll teach you how to kayak,” Martine had told me after offering me the job. Before I could start guiding, I had to complete this 10-day training course. We’d spent the first few days on the water, learning proper paddling techniques, how to perform rescues and splashing around in the frigid waters of Haro Strait. Today’s training session was all about the logistics of running trips: Planning for weather and currents, packing food and gear, camping and cooking procedures, managing emergencies, and dealing with clients, which is how we got to the part MountBakerExperience.com

about guide/client romances. Martine repeated herself in case we somehow missed it the first time. “No romance with clients during a trip. Ever.” We all nodded again. And then, almost as an afterthought, she added, “What happens after a trip … well … you’re on your own time then, and we can’t control that.” We looked around at each other, but didn’t say anything. There’s gotta be a story there, I thought to myself. She changed the subject. “OK, let’s go through the overnight packing lists. Always check the food boxes against the packing list before you leave the base.” We moved on to more concrete issues like making sure to bring enough tents on an overnight trip and what to do if a client needs to be evacuated from a trip. By lunchtime, I had completely forgot about Martine’s earlier proclamation. My goal that summer was to enjoy the outdoors, learn to kayak and see as much wildlife as I could. Romantic encounters were the furthest thing from my mind. That was until I started leading trips myself and discovered that a lot of single women were signing up for kayak trips. Being the only guide with a graduate degree, Martine scheduled me to lead an overnight trip specifically designed to learn about marine mammals. It was intended for hardcore natural history geeks, and I was supposed to science the hell out of it. The morning of the trip, I arrived at the base around 6:30 a.m. to prepare the gear. I was in the boat barn, picking out paddles and spray skirts when Martine showed up with my client list and release forms. “You’ve got five clients,” she said, looking at the paperwork on her clipboard. “Older couple. John and Margaret. Married. Late fifties. He’s a doctor and she’s a lawyer. Or maybe it’s the other way around. They say they’re experienced campers.” She turned to the next set of forms. “Then there’s Kari and Laura. Both in their early thirties. Athletic. They’re from Portland.” She flipped to the last page. “And finally Paul. Late thirties. He describes himself as ‘active.’ Not much camping experience. He’ll be in a kayak with you.” Martine removed the paperwork from the clipboard and handed it to me.

“Should be a fun group,” she said, smiling. And then with a knowing look, she added “Do a good job. If they see a lot of wildlife, I’ll bet you get some really nice tips.” I picked the group up at the ferry terminal in Friday Harbor and drove them and their gear to San Juan County Park where we loaded and launched the kayaks. We paddled north in pursuit of seals, sea lions, harbor porpoises and the most prized marine mammal of all: Orcas. Conditions were ideal — a breeze barely rippled the water, clear blue skies hung overhead and favorable currents swept us northward toward our goal, little Posey Island. We were in three double kayaks — John and Margaret in one, Kari and Laura in another and I paddled with Paul, him up front and me in back steering. About 30 minutes after launching, we turned westward, out toward the deep, swift waters of Haro Strait, skirting the outside of Henry Island being sure to avoid the massive tide rip off Kellet Bluff. North of the bluff, we stopped for a quick break before continuing around McCracken Point and then eastward to the tiniest of islands — Posey — located just outside Roche Harbor. Being so close to civilization, none of us guides liked staying on Posey, the KOA campgrounds of kayak campsites, but the goal of this trip wasn’t adventure. We were here to see wildlife, and in that, Posey turned out to be ideal. We arrived at Posey in the early afternoon and set up camp. After a lunch and a brief exploration of the island (barely 100 feet across at high tide), we got back in the boats to search for marine mammals. We paddled past McCracken Point and continued on to Battleship Island, parking ourselves in a thick forest of kelp. Grabbing the kelp’s slick, floating bulbs, we pulled the long, leaf-like blades and laid them on the decks of our kayaks, using them as anchors to keep us from floating away in the current. We sat and chatted for a while, the gentle sway of the water rocking the boats. I pointed out the bryozoans and algae growing on the kelp and was even able to find a kelp crab, holding on with hind legs, angry pinchers flared out in defense. After 15 minutes or so, off to the south, we saw a line of tall, black dorsal fins, strung out 100 yards or so, making their way northward. There must have been 20 or so orcas. Everyone grew excited. I had the other two kayaks come closer to me, making us a smaller target and easier for the orcas to avoid.

The whales swam toward us in smooth, rhythmic waves, their black dorsal fins sliding in and out of the blue water. The sounds of their exhalations, like an air gun, grew louder as they approached. The seas were calm, the sun was high and the faintest of hazes hung over the still water. Someone — Margaret, maybe — shouted, “What’s that!?” and we all turned to look to the north where she was pointing. To our surprise, we saw another line of dorsal fins making their way toward us, coming from the direction of Stuart Island. This was a larger group: Over 30 whales, and these were far more active than the others. They were riding high out of the water, their backs arching in long, sinuous motions as they dove and then surged up out of the water. As they got closer, the first group became more animated, lobbing tails, and swimming more erratically. We could now hear them talking to each other. In clicks and wheezes and whines, we could feel the excitement in their voices. And then they began breaching. From both sides now, whales began launching themselves out of the water. At first it was the smaller ones — adult females and juveniles — propelling their bodies with those strong flukes and lurching out of the water. But then the adult males — the bulls — began to breach. Enormous hulks of black and white, 30-feet long and 20,000 pounds erupted out of the ocean. Turning in mid-air, their long, thin dorsal fins quivered, and then with a thundering “boom,” they landed on their sides, a wave of whitewater engulfing the hole they made in the ocean. Now the two groups were completely intermingled. Tail lobbing. Spy hopping. Several orcas swam off on their own, only to return to the group a few minutes later. Some swam so close to each other they must have been touching. Orcas have very sensitive skin and love the feeling of having another lay their body against them. And, of course, there was more breaching. I had never seen so many breaches. One whale kept jumping over and over again, as if overjoyed by the whole experience. It was a family reunion. Or what the scientists call a “greeting ceremony,” when pods of orcas have been separated for a long time encounter each other again. The ceremony seems to indicate an excitement of being reunited and a promise to hunt collaboratively. The two pods will often stick together for a few days afterward, searching for food, and presumably, enjoying each other’s company. It is also during these times SUMMER 2021 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

when potential mates have a chance to get to know each other. Resident orcas travel in big families called pods. To avoid inbreeding, they find love with members of the other pods through the ceremony — similar to an old-fashioned barn dance, where several towns will meet for an evening of fun. Some socialize, some catch up on gossip and politics, and some find a partner who doesn’t know about all of the stupid things they’ve done. After an hour or so, the orcas ventured south, probably following the shifting currents and hunting salmon. We paddled back to Posey, where most of the group crashed in their tents. Hot, sweaty and wanting a bit of a break before I started preparing dinner, I was ready to follow suit, but Paul wanted to explore the tide pools. I spent some time with him checking out the life inside those rocky aquariums. A California sea cucumber had been trapped in a pool, and Paul was simultaneously fascinated and revolted by its prickly reddish-orange skin. Trying to alleviate his fears, I told him he could touch it. Without hesitation, he reached down into the pool, picked up the poor animal, and flung it into another pool. Its long, flaccid body slapped across the surface of the water while its withered mass quaked and shivered from the impact. I stared at Paul, stunned. “You’re right,” he said. “It felt kinda smooth and slimy. Not prickly at all.” Thankfully, Paul’s interest in the intertidal fauna soon faded and he returned to his tent for some reading. After dinner that evening, we sat on the western edge of the island enjoying the sunset. Kari and Laura had brought a bottle of wine and were sharing it with everyone. Watching as the golden yellow embers danced across the swirling blue waters off McCracken Point, I noticed a big splash. We all got still. Splash! It hit again. “It’s big, whatever it is!” Laura said. I fixed my binoculars on where the splashes were coming from. For a moment I saw nothing, just more swirling water and the line of kelp waving in the current. And then a big, whiskered snout with a massive forehead poked its way out of the water. It was chewing on something, probably a salmon, as it surfaced. “Sea lion,” I said, passing my binoculars around the group. “Stellers, I think. Looks too big to be a California sea lion.” “Helluva day!” John exclaimed. “Worth every cent.” And turning to me, he added, “And you, my friend, have earned yourself a big tip.” We sat for a while longer, as the sun slowly dipped

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2021

below the horizon, shedding colors across the land and sea, painting the tops of the Gulf Islands with a rich pallet of reds and ochres. Soon, the stars began to appear in the eastern sky and the air grew cooler. Paul bid us goodnight, and soon John and Margaret followed. The ladies and I sat there talking. They brought out another bottle of wine for a second nightcap. At some point, Kari turned to Laura and gave a sly smile. I wasn’t quite sure what it meant, but Laura did. She turned to me, thanked me for a great day of kayaking, said she was off to bed and, as she was leaving, she added, “I’ll hear all about it later, so you better be good.” It was at this moment that Martine’s words flashed back in my mind: “No romance with clients during a trip. Ever.” I had no idea how the day had gone from ecstatic orcas to molested sea cucumbers to salmon-eating sea lions to now this … whatever was about to happen. I turned to look at Kari sitting next to me. She had somehow moved closer. Cautiously, I said, “You know, we have a rule about fraternizing with clients.” She stared back in my face and without hesitation, replied, “I’m sure you do.” And then she reached out with both hands, her fingers sliding around the back of my neck and, grabbing ahold of my hair, firmly held my head as she pulled me in. I smelled her sunscreen and the fruity scent of her shampoo. I felt like that sea cucumber, shocked and wiggling, flung from one world into another. But soon that feeling passed. In the distance, the sun continued its journey below the horizon, and the stars multiplied in the sky. ••• Back at base after the trip, cleaning gear, I was looking forward to a shower. Kari and Laura were catching a ferry that evening and had offered to buy me dinner before they left. Wanting to complete my chores as quickly as possible, I ran around into the boat barn with an armload of spray skirts and into Martine, who was organizing PFDs. “Slow down, fella,” she said, giving me a stern look, which then softened into a smile. “I heard you had a great trip.” “Yeah,” I blushed. I hadn’t said a peep to anyone about Kari, but I still felt guilty as hell. “It was magical.” “Magical? Wow, we don’t hear that word around here very often.” My face grew red. “Those orcas,” I said, trying to deflect. “They really made the whole trip.”

“I heard you saw a greeting ceremony. That’s very special, you know,” she said with a touch of gravity before returning to her task. I hung up the spray skirts and was about to leave when, over her shoulder, Martine asked, “And how were the tips?” “Good,” I said, trying to inch my way out the door. “John and Margaret were very generous, and Kari and Laura are buying me dinner before they catch their ferry. That’s why I’m in a hurry.” “Right,” Martine said, sorting through the PFDs. “Whenever clients see orcas, they are always extra generous.” I walked up to The Ale House to meet the women. They were sitting on the balcony overlooking the harbor. They each gave me a big hug, thanking me for a wonderful trip. They were from Portland and had decided to take a weekend trip to get out of the city. They hadn’t been that interested in marine mammals, but after seeing the orcas, they said they’d fallen in love with the whales and would certainly be back. As they were leaving, Kari handed me a slip of paper and said, “In case you’re ever in Portland.” She gave me a peck on the cheek and a little wave goodbye. I waved back, still dumbstruck, but wanting to look confident.I sat back down at the table, slid the paper into my pocket and ordered another beer. Sipping the cold beverage, I looked out over the marina and the hundreds of boats moored there. The tourists, many of them couples, and some with children, walked up and down Front Street, looking in storefront windows and trying to decide where to eat. The boarding announcement blared over the PA system and folks began walking on the ferry. They were joined by a handful of cyclists, clad in spandex and their bikes laden with panniers and camping gear. Then the cars began driving on, a long line of them snaking up the hill behind town. One after another, they drove into the big, iron hull of the ship. First it was the big trucks, the ones that had come loaded with groceries or lumber, and were now returning to the mainland to resupply. And then it was the rest of the cars. Mostly tourists returning home after a few days of relaxation or adventure, depending on their flavor. Car after car piled into that ferry, a small town floating on the water. Amazing how much it could hold. But finally it was full, and without a blast of its horn or any other proclamation, it slowly pulled away from the dock, its big diesel engines thrumming as it turned left around Brown Island and motored its way eastward back to the mainland, and the rest of a life that I would have to return to at some point, but not yet.

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Singletrack

for all: New local clothing brand strives for outdoor inclusivity By Elizabeth Kimberly

ere in Bellingham, many of us seek the flow state. You know it: That sensation where you’re fully immersed in the moment, sea salt breeze in your face, cosmos aligned, all worries and woes lifted. Maybe you’re surfing a loamy steep corner, hopping among pillows of powder, or wandering through a forest after the rain has stopped, but the trees are still dripping. Flow states are all about feelings. And in order to feel good, it helps to, well, feel good. That’s what inspired Ashley and Heather to create their outdoor apparel brand this past year. The two women initially connected via Instagram, where they bonded over their frustrations with exclusivity in the outdoor industry — especially when it came to clothes. “I've been riding bikes most of my adult life, and have never really had good outdoor clothing that fits me,” Ashley says. They were longing for apparel that made you feel “shreddy,” badass and stylish all at the same time. The kind of apparel that facilitates your flow state. To address this, Ashley and Heather linked up with Anna — an experienced and talented designer who shared many of the same ideas — and together they fashioned Cosmic Dirt. A mountain apparel and accessories brand that offers bombproof, affordable, diverse in style, ethically produced and eco-friendly products, Cosmic Dirt most importantly comes in all sizes (XS – 4X). “A lot of women’s gear is either overly technical or overly girly,” Ashley remarks. This is especially apparent in the mountain bike clothing industry, where Ashley asserts that most apparel has been designed “for men, by men.” This has led to shorts with waistbands that sit too low, an extreme shortage of women-specific mountain bike pants, and sizes that don’t include bodies that fall outside of the standard range. “There’s not much great functional clothing for action sports that we want to wear off the trail,” Ashley adds, with something in mind. It’s Cosmic Dirt’s plan to design a full line of clothing, coined the ‘Mountain Biker’s Capsule Wardrobe.’ Expected to launch at the end of the year, the line sets out to provide everything needed for a full weekend of shredding, camping and hanging out. We can look forward to mountain bike pants that are appropriate for both bunny hops and roasting s’mores, and tech tees that wick sweat on long singletrack pedals, but also feel good at the brewery. In bringing Cosmic Dirt into the world, Ashley hopes to break down some of the stereotypes that are ingrained into the outdoor apparel industry. Cosmic Dirt isn’t just a cool new clothing brand, it’s a statement and a revolution. For Ashley, Cosmic Dirt seeks to show peo-

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by Meg Olson Meg is the co-owner, with husband Brad, of the Kingfisher Bookstore in Coupeville, which has a bit of everything but specializes in the natural and human history of the Pacific Northwest. She likes to explore, in person or on pages.

The Picnic: Recipes and Inspiration from Basket to Blanket Marnie Hanel, Andrea Slonecker and Jen Stevenson Artisan

Review:

Cookbooks for the campsite coffee table

t’s time to take our meals outside. Whether you’re pitching a tent, hitting the road, or setting out on the trail, good food is part of having a good time. These books take campsite and trailside dining to a new level, from what to pack to cooking wild. The Campfire Cookbook Viola, Lex and Nico Stanitzok DK

Recipes for the camp stove, the grill and the campfire, plus some great tips and packing lists for your outdoor adventures. The make-ahead recipes, from spice mixes and condiments to cake in a jar and pancake batter in a tube, make it so easy to throw a dash of home cooking into your camp cooking.

Beyond Gorp Yvonne Prate and Ruth Dyar Mendenhall with Kerry I. Smith The Mountaineers Books A collection of recipes and tips from outdoor experts for eating while exploring, including stories about and by the people behind the recipes. In addition to recipes for trail food and campsite cooking, there is a section on enjoying wild foods and survival cooking, with a recipe for mouse soup.

Fire Pit Cooking Vanessa Bante Gibbs Smith This book starts with tips for building a good cooking fire, then takes you from a glazed donut grilled cheese sandwich cooked in a pie iron to brownies cooked in terracotta pots. Lots of great information about equipment that will make it easy to cook an incredible variety of delicious food over the fire.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2021

Plans for picnics, fancy and humble, including recipes for portable feasts but also the design for the perfect picnic bike and packing lists for the basket. Includes a list of sources for all of your picnic needs beyond food and drink, such as baskets, blankets, containers and even picnic games.

The Campout Cookbook Marnie Hanel and Jen Stevenson Artisan More than a guide to outdoor cooking, but a compendium of ways to enjoy campsite living. There are tips for setting up a camp kitchen and how to avoid camping disasters. They also have a dozen ways to make s’mores and instructions on how to clean a fish. Fun illustrations accompany charts for mixing it up with foil-packet cooking and clever campsite hacks.

Camp Cocktails: Easy, Fun, and Delicious Drinks for the Great Outdoors Emily Vikre Harvard Common Press A dizzying collection of libations you can tuck into your backpack, sip by the campfire or quaff at the cabin. Recipes are divided into where you’ll be enjoying your beverage, tailoring preparation and transportation to the circumstances. Many of the recipes would work as well at home, but then there are also marshmallow shot glasses … Includes a section on using wild foods as part of your cocktail repertoire.

Road Trip Cooking: The Best Recipes for Your Campfire, Stove or Barbecue Arno and Mireille van Elst Hardie Grant From the founders of the Holy Kauw catering company in the Netherlands, a collection of road trip and outdoor cooking hacks and recipes, even how to cook tasty meals on your engine block as you head to your next destination. The recipes are simple and aimed at making good food when your equipment and ingredients may be limited. MountBakerExperience.com

Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home Lynda V. Mapes Braided River, A Co-Publication with The Seattle Times Our bookstore hangs over the waters of Penn Cove where, in 1970, 100 orca were trapped behind nets and herded with firecrackers. Seven were taken into captivity and sold, and five died. Members of Lummi Nation now gather at the park up the hill to bring attention to the crisis facing the health and survival of the orca and the Salish Sea, and to call for the release and return of Tokitae, the last still living of the orca captured in the cove. We sell a lot of books about orca. Most books about the orca in the Pacific Northwest tell a similar story. The southern resident population, already struggling from the impact of years being attacked out of fear, followed by years of capture for display, is now staggering under a confluence of

environmental threats in their home waters. And that’s really sad. But Lynda V. Mapes’ “Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home” is different in that it takes the plight of the southern residents from a sad story to a very personal tragedy we all share. It's like the difference between flying over a clear-cut and walking with a friend through a forest they knew well after it has been logged. Mapes has visited with Lummi tribal elders, former orca hunters, fisheries biologists, research scientists, environmental advocates and others, sometimes in living rooms, but often on boats. These visits gather stories of the orca and the home we share with them that combine love with misunderstanding, loss with hope. Ted Griffin, the man who captured the world’s first orca to put on display, Namu, and later launched orca hunts to fill the world’s aquariums, describes crying under water on his first encounter with the whale he would tow back to Seattle in a pen. The whale, watching Griffin in the water of the pen, makes a loud squeak, and when Griffin replies with a squeak of his own, squeaks back. “All those years I am wanting an animal to say hello and one has.” He described Namu, who died a year later in captivity of an infection, as a friend. During a trip with Lummi Nation members through the traditional summer waters of the southern residents, Mapes and her companions don’t see a single orca. Lummi fishers report no catch to make a ceremonial offering of Chinook. They offer blackberries floated on cedar boughs to the waves instead, in hope the “people under the sea,” as the Lummi call the orca, will hear them and return. Lummi spiritualist Richard Solomon says, “I hope they come back and tell us what to do.” “Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home” began as Mapes’ award-winning series in The Seattle Times, “Hostile Waters,” that began as “a chronicle of an emergency,” she writes in the preface, about the crisis facing Salish Sea orca and the Chinook salmon they depend on for survival. From dammed rivers and habitat degradation to noise, toxins and waste in our waters, Mapes lets the experts tell us how these things happened, but also offer ways we can fix them. “We’ve done this and it’s our job to heal it,” says Raynell Morris of the Lummi Nation. Filled with spectacular photographs by Steve Ringman and others and detailed infographics, the book is an education that alternates wonder and heartbreak. It takes the reader on a deep dive into why these “twin monarchs of the Pacific Northwest” have been pushed to the brink of extinction, and our “prospects for a shared future with nature and the animals that were here long before us.” The Times series came after mother orca Tahlequah captured the world’s attention in 2018 when she carried the body of her dead calf for 17 days and 1,000 miles. Mapes describes watching Tahlequah dive deep to retrieve her “perfectly formed beautiful calf ” after surfacing to take a breath. Tahlequah’s display of persistent grief and the healthy new calf she gave birth to in 2020, Mapes writes, “offers a simple but powerful five-word challenge, an anthem and a work song for a region with much to do.” “May this next calf live.”

Experience Coupeville

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OUR EVENTS:

Coupeville Arts & Crafts Festival - August 14 & 15 Coupeville Plein Air Paint Out! - August 16 - 22 Tour de Whidbey - August 21 Kite Festival - September 18 & 19 Cider Festival - September 25 The Haunting of Coupeville - Celebrating Practical Magic Events throughout October Shop Local - November 27 Greening of Coupeville - December 4

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Higher Love Kit DesLauriers Mountaineers Books Kit DesLauriers has climbed the highest mountain on each of the world’s seven continents. Then skied from the summit. That’s just nuts. In “Higher Love: Climbing and Skiing the Seven Summits,” DesLauriers takes readers along for the ride as she moves from a successful career as a free skiing champion to her quest to become the first person to ski from the seven summits: Denali in North America, Mount Elbrus in Europe, Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, Vinson Massif in Antarctica, Aconcagua in South America, Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mount Everest in Asia.

Each summit comes with a different support crew, a different culture and a different set of surprises, from guides sneaking her skis up Kilimanjaro in the cook’s tent to shots of walnut cognac from driver Uncle Nik’s secret recipe at the base of Elbrus. DesLauriers’ description of each summit challenge is filled with the perils and euphoria of the accomplishment, but she writes about relationships and personal growth as much as about alpine adventure. Her relationship with her wolf dog Alta weaves through the narrative, speaking to the fine line we walk between honoring our own nature and the nature of another. “Challenge your perceptions of your limitations” is the message DesLauriers sends readers away with.

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Nikara Morgan enjoys sunset at Point of the Arches in Olympic National Park. Matthew Tangeman photo.

GALLERY

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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2021

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24-25: Clockwise from top left: Tom Ramier and Brad Lignoski high on the Upper Town Wall in Index, Washington. Matthew Tangeman photo. | The Milky Way christens Mt. Baker. Radka Chapin photo. | Dinner in bed, and with a view. Radka Chapin photo. | Ahh, the light … where’s the mountain? Evan Skoczenski photo.

GALLERY

SUMMER 2021 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2021

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GALLERY From left: Jon Hansen and Chad Perrin biking the Xanadu trail. Grant Gunderson photo. | A paddleboarder finds calmer waters at Ross Lake. Audra Lee Mercile photo.

SUMMER 2021 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2021

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28-29: Clockwise from top left: A sign to turnaround? Dave Summer photo. | The view from Three Fingers Lookout outside Darrington, Washington. Evan Skoczenski photo. | Couldn’t have found a better spot in Chuckanut Bay. Rick Lawler photo. | Cheers to the calm, cool waters of Chuckanut Bay. Rick Lawler photo. | An angered marmot along the Pilot Ridge trail outside of Darrington, Washington.

GALLERY

SUMMER 2021 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

30: Top: Andy Jones sharing the Pacific Northwest lineup with the true locals. Marcus Paladino photo. | Mystic fog over Diablo Lake, North Cascades, Washington. Matthew Tangeman photo.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2021

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Pandemic Pivot:

Events-based nonprofit shifts focus to outdoor recreation and nature education Story and photos by Ian Haupt

f you sign up for one of Recreation Northwest’s Nature Immersion courses at Fairhaven Park, at some point, while strolling the 18th Street Connector Trail – built by the nonprofit organization – you’ll come upon a large, darkly-painted wooden gate. On the other side of the gate everything seems a little calmer, clearer, serene. The gate, influenced by the Japanese Torii style, symbolizes the transition from the mundane to the sacred, and Recreation Northwest executive director Todd Elsworth’s goal for the organization’s future. Most people know Recreation Northwest as the past organizers of fun, salmon-themed races, like the Bellingham Traverse, Northwest Traverse Multi-Sport Series and Quest Adventure Races. While others might know them from events like the Recreation Northwest EXPO that would fill up the Bellingham Cruise Terminal with outdoor recreation businesses, clubs and nonprofits. All of which took last year off — who knows why. But, even before the pandemic, Elsworth was taking the organization in a different direction. The organization started its Parkscriptions progam in 2019 that focused on highlighting the mental, emotional and community health benefits of nature, a philosophy the new outdoor recreation and nature education programs are built on. “We are excited that the time has finally come to reengage with the public in a safe manner as we enter summer outdoors,” Elsworth said. “Over the course of the past year, we have witnessed resounding recognition for the value that the outdoors holds and the healing powers nature provides.” While all outdoor activity provides respite, the Nature Immersion courses might be the best example of this idea in

practice. Community health professional Elizabeth Nelson, director of programs and previous Parkscriptions program manager, will teach attendees how to use their five senses to connect to nature, reconnect with themselves and their place in the community. “People will learn methods for mindfulness in nature,

essential outdoor recreation skills, and familiarity with the landscape,” Nelson said. “As stewards of our public lands we will also demonstrate how to recreate responsibly, leave no trace, and show respect for others as we enjoy our public parks, open space and waterways.” These new programs, oriented around small groups of six to 12 people, will offer a variety of beginning and intermediate level classes and tours of curated outdoor educational experiences. Adventures and park tours will be available by

foot, bike and paddleboard. Along with Fairhaven Park, Recreation Northwest will center its classes around Bellingham public parks Woodstock Farm and the Sehome Hill Arboretum. Looking even further ahead, Elsworth has his sights set on Woodstock Farm. Often seeming like an unused Shangri-La as it’s hidden off of Chuckanut Drive, the farm can be rented out for weddings or other events. But Elsworth would like to see it as an outdoor center. “I can just see it,” he says, pointing at what was the cook’s house. “We’d have someone here to greet visitors, whether it was for the day or an overnight stay.” That’s the dream for Elsworth, having people come to stay at the farm and take classes during the day – an outdoor sanctuary. Elsworth and Recreation Northwest have the full support of the parks department to use the farm for their visits and tours. City Parks and Recreation Department director Nicole Oliver said in a press release Bellingham Parks is proud to be working with Recreation Northwest and community partners to activate Woodstock Farm. “The property is one of the best kept secrets of our local parks,” she said. “Creating the opportunities to provide public access to the park, and education people about the benefits of nature, essential outdoors skills and trail etiquette fills a great gap in our community. More people in the park leads to deeper engagement and care for the property and of the historic buildings at the site.” But turning the historic site into an outdoor nature reserve might take a couple years. One step at a time. For now, they will be escorting visitors to and from and around these city parks that really need to not just be seen but felt.

SUMMER 2021 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

How to Get Your Kids Into

Mountain Biking By Adam Nelson

hile many of us enjoy spending time outside and getting active, it’s no secret that our younger generations are far more interested in playing on a tablet or Xbox than getting fresh air. After months of being cooped up, the penchant for electronics has probably only increased. Studies show that kids who spend more time outside are happier and less likely to develop psychiatric disorders in adulthood. Moreover, research supports that active children experience benefits in “mood, academic performance, brain function, and other aspects of physical and mental wellbeing.” So how can we encourage our children to get outside, and enjoy the time they spend outside? One easy way: Mountain biking. Why teach your kids how to mountain bike? Teaching your child or children to mountain bike is a great way to get them excited about outdoor activity. Not only will they be learning a new and thrilling skill, but they’ll also be spending time in nature and learning more about the world in which they live. Ultimately, getting your children out of their comfort zone and immersing them in a new environment will help them become more inquisitive, open-minded and respectful of nature. They’ll also enjoy more restful sleep, and improved fitness and health. On top of that, studies have shown that cycling makes us happier. When can kids start mountain biking? The best place to begin is by encouraging a basic love of biking and activity before advancing your child to mountain biking. Keep in mind that there is no set age for teaching your kids to mountain bike; it all boils down to their willingness to learn, and whether you’re comfortable teaching them at their age. You can safely introduce your child to mountain biking between the ages of 5 and 8. Whenever the child is about 4 feet tall and able to ride a 20-inch wheel, you’ll start to see mountain bikes available in their size. Naturally, they’ll need to master the basics of riding a bike before they can

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2021

graduate to mountain biking. Once your child is comfortable on a bike, it’s a good idea to start them on a flat or paved road before moving to technical trails. Easing your children into inclines and bumpy terrain by starting them on jeep or forest service roads is one of the best ways to acclimate them to mountain biking. From there, get your kids onto an easy single-track trail, or a double-track trail so they can get used to riding in the dirt. Getting your kids interested in mountain biking An interest — and eventual passion — for mountain biking requires two things: A love for biking, and a love for nature and landscape. For your kids, the first of these depends on a love of physical activity, while the second depends on a learned appreciation of the world around them. These are both things they’ll pick up from you as their parent. Your relationship to fitness and biking, as well as your interactions with nature, will have a positive impact on your children, encouraging them in these ways. Your kids might not initially love the exertion that accompanies mountain biking, especially if they’re not used to it. However, you can distract them by turning each outing into a family one (if you have the capability), bringing along a picnic lunch and playing games on your ride, to name a few fun options. It won’t be long before your kids begin to associate biking with fun. In addition to fun, some kids thrive with a bit of healthy competition and may enjoy either partaking in a junior beginner’s race or watching one. Take your child down to a local track and let them experience the thrill of race day; the crowds, food stalls and energy drink sponsorships left, right and center. The whole atmosphere is fun to just take in. Try unlocking those extreme sport channels on your cable TV and watching some professional mountain bikers. They just might turn into future role models for your child to idolize. As for nurturing your children’s love of nature? They can’t appreciate what they don’t know. You can help them to appreciate their surroundings while mountain biking by making it a point to teach them about different trees, flowers and shrubs. Not only will your kids develop a newfound

understanding of their surroundings, but they’ll also enjoy the benefits that accompany living in the moment and being attuned to their environment. Make it a group outing Children are naturally social creatures, so why not consider making their mountain bike experiences group outings? Of course, whether or not you can pull this off depends on whether the parents of your children’s friends are comfortable with their kids learning to mountain bike. If necessary, you can also look into local youth biking programs and clubs that your kids can join. They may greatly enjoy the company of other kids their age while hitting the trails, so enrolling them in group mountain biking might be one easy way to grow their love of the activity and introduce them to new people at the same time! Group mountain biking is an especially great way to be social yet safe in a pandemic. Studies show that it’s less risky to socialize outdoors than it is to meet up in a small, indoor space with little ventilation. Ultimately, we could all do with some safe socialization after experiencing the isolation of the Covid-19 quarantine – your kids included. Final Word If you want to get your kids into mountain biking and make it an activity they enjoy, hopefully the tips in this article have helped you formulate some ideas. Remember: Even if your child doesn’t love mountain biking at first, there’s a good chance that they’ll grow to appreciate it over time if they look forward to other aspects of the activity, such as nature, competitions, quality time as a family and group socialization. The key is to figure out what your child will value most from the activity, and focus on that as you introduce them to mountain biking. Need some help finding good trails for you and your kids? Check out this guide at singletracks.com/mountainbike-trails to mountain biking trails across the U.S., which includes Galbraith Mountain, sorted by mileage and ranked by difficulty.

This article was originally posted on Spokester.com. MountBakerExperience.com

WA360

Photo by Heidi Baxter

he first WA360, a human- or wind-powered race from Port Townsend to Olympia to Bellingham to Point Roberts and back again, turned out to be a great success, at least for the finishers. Of the 54 water craft that started out, a total of 38 crossed the finish line. First place went to Team High Sea Drifters who finished at 12:59 p.m. on June 10, followed 7 minutes later by Team Fressure who beat Team Lake Pend Oreille Yacht Club by 12 minutes. The first two were monohull; the third was a multi-hull. Above, rounding the Point Roberts buoy, two stand up paddleboarders, Scott Baste and Thomas Micek beat four sailboats and two rowboats when they crossed the finish line on June 14 at 8:49 p.m. and 8:50 p.m., respectively. More information at nwmaritime.org.

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Cirque Towers Story and photos by Jason Griffith

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2021

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hen the summer of 2020 rolled around, let’s face it, we were all going a bit stir-crazy. And so my regular climbing partners and I hit the road rather than spend our traditional oneweek alpine climbing holiday in the Cascades. Destination: The Cirque of the Towers in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, home to two of the “50 Classic Climbs in North America” (Roper and Steck 1979), including the East Ridge of Wolf ’s Head (12,165’). But before we get into the details of our trip, you may be wondering what is alpine climbing anyways? And what makes an alpine climb a “classic?” I’ll explain using our climb of Wolf ’s Head as an example. Alpine climbing is incredibly varied, but there are some common themes. These climbs are often deep in the wilderness, meaning a long hike to the base of the climb. Sometimes this is on trails, but often it involves cross-country travel through brush, cliffs, streams, etc., combining elements of orienteering and backpacking. In the case of Wolf ’s Head, we had driven for 30-plus miles on a bumpy gravel road, hiked 5 miles on good trails, rock hopped off trail for 2 miles to go over a 10,000-plus foot pass only to arrive in the basin at the base of the peak. This was just what climbers refer to as the “approach” (walking, or class 2 travel) to a climb, but with a pack laden with ropes and other climbing gear it can feel just as strenuous as the climb itself. Camp set up, we turned in early the night before our climb. Above tree line, the travel to alpine climbs from camp is often across snow, glaciers or steep terrain, which bring with them their own sets of challenges. It is best to get an early start, often very early, and so we cooked breakfast in the dark and left camp by headlight. Weaving through gnarled trees, jumping over streams, we gained altitude as the slope steepened and we had to carefully pick our way through cliff bands, using both our hands and feet to make upward progress. A fall on this terrain often has serious consequences, but since it is relatively easy “scrambling” (or class 3 or 4 travel), alpine climbers typically skip roping up in the interest of moving quickly. Right as dawn broke we arrived right on schedule at a spot

on the mountain where the angle increased dramatically and we decided to “rope up.” Though we were eventually going to climb the East Ridge of Wolf ’s Head, we had decided to start on the South Buttress of Pingora, a major summit immediately adjacent. This start minimized the unsavory scrambling below Wolf ’s Head Pingora col (notch between summits) and added seven rope lengths (“pitches”) of solid, fun rock climbing, up to class 5.8 (on a scale from 5.1 to 5.15). On high angle rock, snow or ice, climbers typically “pitch out” a route, meaning that one team member is anchored to the climbing surface at a “belay” while the “leader” climbs above, placing “protection” into the surface. This protection (“pro”) varies with the climb, but on a rock climb like Pingora we mostly used spring-loaded camming units (cams) and wired metal wedges (stoppers/nuts/chocks) placed into cracks. The pieces of pro are attached to the climbing rope with “slings” (loops of webbing) and carabiners. As the leader climbs higher, the belayer feeds out rope. The rope passes from the belayer’s “brake hand” (hand holding the rope), through the belay device, through the pieces of pro, to the leader. While the leader can’t ever fall on an alpine climb (you’re in the middle of nowhere, remember?); if they do, the belayer can use their brake hand to keep rope from being pulled through the belay device, meaning the fall will be limited to about twice the distance the leader is above their last piece of pro. But only if the belayer is paying attention! For our climb of Pingora, everyone was paying attention, nobody fell, and we arrived on the summit of Pingora a couple exhilarating and uneventful hours after starting up the roped climbing. But we weren’t even close to done yet — we had to descend to the Pingora/Tiger Tower Col, climb over Tiger Tower, descend to the Tiger/Wolf ’s Head col, climb the East Ridge of Wolf ’s Head, then descend Wolf ’s head and hike back to camp. All before dark. And so, we got on with getting off Pingora. This involved a series of “rappels” (or raps) down the nearly vertical rock toward Tiger Tower. Rappels are made by threading the doubled over rope through an “anchor” (usually a slung horn of rock or a chockstone in a crack on an alpine climb) and then sliding down the rope with the belay device to the next anchor. Sometimes anchors are established on climbs, and

sometimes climbers will need to use webbing and gear to create their own. On Pingora, all the stations were established, greatly speeding our descent. If you have to build new rap anchors, descending a climb can be as time consuming as ascending. And why you wake up early. At the Tiger/Pingora col, the raps were over for a bit and we switched to exposed fourth class scrambling until a final couple raps to the Tiger/Wolf ’s Head col and a return to fifth class climbing on the “classic” East Ridge of Wolf ’s Head. Given all the facets to alpine climbing, how does a climb become “classic” (besides being in a book)? Well, that is highly subjective, but generally it means an interesting approach; aesthetic or solid climbing; a magnificent, exposed or scenic position; and a descent that isn’t too hair-raising. Often the classic nature of the climb has less to do with the actual climbing and more to do with the entire package. And Wolf ’s Head checked all the boxes. From the col, we tiptoed and wove our way from one side of the ridge to the other for 10 very exposed and traversy (often going as much sideways as upwards) pitches. Never severe climbing (to about 5.6), but always engaging, the route had us scratching our heads and puzzling out the way forward. Although we were armed with a detailed route description, the way wasn’t obvious. We marveled at the boldness of the first ascensionists who had to figure this out in 1959, without any modern gear whatsoever. This uncertainty adds to the special allure of alpine climbing, where success (up or down) isn’t guaranteed, and the costs of failure can be quite high. But, with enough head scratching, we found ourselves on the summit of Wolf ’s Head on a perfect July day without a thunderstorm in sight (another common hazard that can force a panicked retreat). We even had a few hours of daylight to spare to figure out the complex descent. Six more raps, interspersed with exposed scrambling, finally got us to the non-technical terrain and the ramble back to camp in the early evening (12 hours on the go). Eating dinner, watching the light fade on the peaks of the Cirque, we noticed headlamps of unlucky climbers starting to be visible high on the peaks, scanning right and left for the way down. We smiled at our luck, knowing that it was indeed part luck. Quietly, we organized gear, packed lunches, turned in early, and made sure our alarms were set for 0400.

SUMMER 2021 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

SnorkelAlaska By Eric Lucas

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2021

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did not know sea cucumbers move. Yes, I’m aware they are marine creatures common in the North Pacific near-shore intertidal waters. Not vegetative beings, like gherkins. Echinoderms, as they are technically referred, are found worldwide. And here they are, in the brisk waters of Ketchikan, Alaska, where I am watching some very large specimens gather for a meeting on a sidewalk pavement-size, slanting slab of rock about 5 feet deep. Their commute is best called creeping, but it is visible movement, a revelation to me. I can’t tell you why they are clumping together … coffee break, perhaps, after a hard morning scavenging plankton and other oceanic organic debris. Vacuuming, in other words. I find that hard work, too, and a rest break is welcome. Right now, the hard work for me is floating around a small cove on the Tongass Narrows at Ketchikan’s Mountain Point, snorkeling in a neoprene wetsuit, a garment with a name that does not describe its effect. Put it on — like squeezing yourself into a blimp — jump in the 50-degree water and you become the Michelin Man, puffed up like, well, a sea cucumber. Movement is as laborious as running in mud, but at least it’s in water. Paddling hopefully into a light chop, from a distance I must look like a manatee. However cumbersome, the suit makes possible this exceptional experience. Offered to Ketchikan visitors and residents by a soft adventure company called Snorkel Alaska, it moves one of my favorite tropical activities 3,000 miles north to an underwater landscape that I’ve always heard is as colorful as any coral reef. Skeptical of that, I signed up for this with a feeling similar to what you have when you turn on a Seahawks game. I’m of little faith, it turns out. The only thing lacking here are reef fish that look like flags colored by Gauguin. Well, brain coral, too. But the Southeast Alaska subsurface canvas is an expressionist masterpiece rendered by Earth’s greatest artist. There are vivid orange and ivory nudibranchs. Sea anemones in gleaming chartreuse. The eelgrass forest hides crabs, sculpins, herring and other baitfish. A zillion sea urchins, more numerous and larger than I expected. Rockfish, lurking among … rocks. Shimmering crystalline moon jellies, drifting by like asteroids. Pulsating orange lion’s manes, small now as it’s early summer, but soon to reach 3 feet across. All these underwater creatures are more numerous, more luminous and more enthralling than I ever imagined. I’ve seen them hundreds of times from the above-water vantage of a kayak or canoe, or draped on rocks at below-zero tides.

Viewed through the prism of the ocean surface, they all seemed ghostly, distant and evanescent. Here in the water they are as palpable and present as a flower garden at my feet. It’s an excellent sensory adventure, to be sure. It also illustrates up close a fact Alaska visitors know, but peripherally, like most people, have a dim and distant notion of a thunderstorm’s might until they are struck by one at timberline. This is the homeland of natural exceptionalism. Alaska is full of bigs — tallest mountain (Denali), largest

national forest (Tongass), largest national park, largest state. If you cut Alaska in half, goes a meme every Alaskan knows, each half would still be bigger than Texas. Most pertinent today are the marine bigs. This little cove is a mote on the edge of Earth’s biggest ocean. The North Pacific third of it is arguably the richest environment on this planet: More biomass per square meter than tropical seas, marine biologists say. Alaskan waters hold one of the world’s biggest fisheries resources — 5 billion salmon a year — and are the

highway for two of the world’s most amazing migrations, gray whales from Mexico and humpbacks from Mexico and Hawaii, thousands of whales traveling thousands of miles. Even the sea cucumbers are big, up to 2 feet. All of that is remarkable enough, viewed from above. From within, it changes to a stupendous non-virtual reality, like transforming a spreadsheet into a kaleidoscope. So we pilgrims have donned suits and carefully balanced our way across rocks into the water; been advised to take our time and keep our peers in sight (especially guides); cautioned against handling urchins and lion’s manes (duh) or for that matter, any of these subsurface denizens. Periodically we gather for show and tell, bobbing upright in the water like kindergarteners at summer camp. “You’ve heard of sunflowers, right?” Our guide briefly holds up a 10-armed starfish the color of sunrise. “This is a sunflower star. Our summer flower, you know?” Almost eradicated from more southern waters by a mysterious disease, sunflower stars here seem as hale and happy as bison in North Dakota. Same goes for urchins, which have been threatened by sea otters and commercial harvesters. Yearling salmon muscle past, glistening platinum and newly arrived from their freshwater birth streams on their way to four years foraging the subway of salmon, the Gulf of Alaska. Emboldened by a half-hour successfully paddling around, I decide to essay a tropical-water maneuver, take a deep breath and dive down for a closer look at the sea cucumber conclave. A mighty effort takes my blimp suit and me a foot deep. Everything looks pretty much the same, actually. Staying there proves impossible, so I resurface – into a burning ring of fire. My face feels like it’s been slapped by stinging nettles soaked in kerosene. What happened? Alien crossfire? I look around. There’s a lion’s mane floating blithely away. The same creature that figured in one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes murder mysteries. Luckily, this is a smallish one, less than a foot. I Teletubby my way to shore, and a guide grins wryly. “Happens.” A vinegar and ammonia solution eases the sting, and soon enough I’m fine, though I smell like a horse stable. “You might want to shower when you get back to your hotel,” the guide suggests. Good advice. “Aloe cream helps, too.” An hour later I feel nothing, but have gained a rare tale. How many people have encountered the fabled, notorious lion’s mane while gawking at sea cucumbers? A rare adventure indeed.

SUMMER 2021 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

Three wildflower hikes in Canada’s North Cascades Story and photos by Stephen Hui

he fact that hikers flock to wildflower meadows like kids to an ice-cream truck may seem strange to the uninitiated. However, once you’ve glimpsed the kaleidoscopic blooms of the subalpine in summer, there’s no turning back. Fortunately, the North Cascades have no shortage of trails offering admission to the annual flower show. Here are three hikes north of the border with radiant meadows as well as splendid mountain views. Reminders: Check current conditions, take the 10 essentials, leave a trip plan with a responsible person and remember to leave no trace. Dogs must be leashed on these trails.

FLORA PASS Round trip: 6.8 miles Elevation gain: 3,640 feet Access: On Trans-Canada Highway 1 in Chilliwack, take Exit 119. Head south on Vedder Road. At the roundabout before the Vedder Bridge, take the second exit and go east on Chilliwack Lake Road for 24 miles. Before the pavement ends, turn left into the Post Creek parking lot. Trail: The rewards of the stiff climb to Flora Pass are grand: Wildflower meadows bursting with color and sweeping views of the Cascade Mountains surrounding Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park. The Flora Lake Trail shares its trailhead with the popular Greendrop-Lindeman Trail. Quickly, turn right at the signed

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2021

Western spring beauty star in the flower show. Duck back into the trees for the final push. Arrive at the summit of Flora Pass. Just over the crest, the Flora Lake Trail forks left en route to eventually reunite with the Greendrop-Lindeman Trail via the Flora Lake Connector. However, wander right along the ridge for a few minutes to score a splendid lunch spot amid white mountain-heather and a glimpse of the gleaming Flora Lake far below. Retrace your steps to the trailhead.

Flora Lake turnoff. Fork left twice and begin climbing steadily in the open woods. Switchback up to a viewpoint and unsanctioned campsite. Look out over cascading Cupola Creek and Chilliwack Lake, the latter impounded by an end moraine left behind by a valley glacier 11,000 years ago. Start a leftward traverse. Hit the third set of switchbacks, as the trees give way to shrubs and more frequent vistas. Another viewpoint and unsanctioned campsite await. Sidehilling across steep, dry, rocky terrain at the headwaters of Cupola Creek, the subalpine scenery is superb. Coast penstemon, globeflower, mountain arnica, Parry’s campion, partridge foot, red paintbrush, spreading phlox, tiger lily, and

ZOA PEAK Round trip: 5 miles Elevation gain: 2,030 feet Access: From Crowsnest Highway 3 near Hope, head north on Yellowhead Highway 5 (Coquihalla Highway) for 27 miles. After cresting Coquihalla Pass, take Exit 221. Turn left to go under the highway via a tunnel. Go left on the other side. Immediately turn right onto the park access road, and drive to the Falls Lake and Zoa Peak parking lot. Trail: The friendly ridge of Zoa Peak grants hikers easy views of its dramatic neighbors in the Cascade Mountains. In summertime, many hued wildflowers light up the path from almost start to finish. Found on the edge of the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area, Zoa Peak is a popular destination in all seasons. Set off north on a gravel road. Keep right at the turnoff for Falls Lake. Heeding signage, turn left on the eroded remains MountBakerExperience.com

of an old road. After a half-hour, look for a sign and cairn on the left. This is the start of the Zoa Peak Trail proper. Clamber up the steep cut slope, and take the rocky single track into the trees. Encounter small clearings populated with green false hellebore, leafy aster, and mountain arnica, and follow cairns across rocky, open meadows. The grade eases as the pleasant trail swings west to ascend the gentle ridge, amid a bounty of blueberries. Continue through marvelous heather meadows with stunted conifers. With Zoa’s subpeak in sight, reach an unsigned junction. Detour left on an intermittent path over rock and heather that veers right to visit the east peak and a precipitous south-facing viewpoint just beyond. Falls Lake, a gleaming blue jewel in the glacier-carved valley between Zoa Peak and Thar Peak, reflects the sky. Back on the main trail, traverse a steep slope below the east peak. Descend to the lush col between the east and main peaks. Before continuing right, go left on a brief path through Sitka columbine and Western pasqueflower to the boulder field on the south side of the col. With pikas calling, stare at the terrifying north face of Yak Peak. Continue up the main trail, passing by Zoa Peak’s tried and true summit. A sign indicates the end of the marked trail. The final viewpoint, facing northwest, is steps away. A glorious montane landscape spreads out before you. Head back the way you came. PUNCH BOWL PASS Round trip: 10.6 miles Elevation gain: 3,350 feet Access: From Trans-Canada Highway 1 in Hope, head east

on Crowsnest Highway 3. Keep right and take Exit 177 to stay on Highway 3. Turn left into the Cascade Recreation Area parking lot, 7.8 miles east of E.C. Manning Provincial Park’s west gate. Trail: Tracing ancient Indigenous pathways, the Whatcom Trail and Dewdney Trail materialized in the mid-1800s as a

result of the Fraser Canyon and Rock Creek gold rushes. Today, the pleasant hike to Punch Bowl Pass traverses sections of both historical trails in E.C. Manning Provincial Park. The often steep route heads up the valleys of Snass Creek and its east fork, visiting old-growth trees and subalpine meadows, on the way to the high pass overlooking Punch Bowl, the pretty lake at the headwaters of the Tulameen River. From the historical marker at the trailhead, embark on the

easygoing Dewdney Trail in mature forest. In 30 minutes, reach a signed junction at Snass Forks. Leaving the Dewdney Trail, turn right and drop down the Whatcom Trail to carefully recross Snass Creek on an old slippery bridge. Although markers are few and far behind, the path is well defined, staying on river right of East Snass Creek. Hit the first steep switchbacks and start breathing hard. After an hour on the Whatcom Trail, the path becomes overgrown and, in some parts, badly eroded. Your first partial views are gained – down-valley and across East Snass Creek, now far below. Cross a few streams en route to a good vantage of Snass Mountain at the head of the valley, as the terrain opens up. Two hours from the junction, the path slices across a dry, rocky slope bearing spreading stonecrop, a succulent plant. Then it’s up a meadow and over a couple of creeks. Punch Bowl Pass is now visible ahead – up and to the left. Higher, in an open meadow beneath Snass Mountain’s west ridge, the wildflowers bloom in technicolor: Edible thistle, green false hellebore, heart-leaved arnica, leafy aster, red paintbrush, tiger lily and Western pasqueflower. The best southwest-facing viewpoint comes 20 minutes before the destination. Duck back into the trees momentarily. Run along a mossy brook and into a heather meadow with bog blueberries and mountain chickadees. Tread the gentle path to a fork at the summit of Punch Bowl Pass. Take several steps farther to the right to peer down at gleaming Punch Bowl, encircled by lush meadows and verdant conifers, and beyond to distinctive Warburton Peak. Head down the way you came.

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6 — B: Muldrow Glacier on Denali. The reason the glacier is surging is because there is water trapped under the ice, making the terrain beneath more slippery.

2 — A: The Alterra Mountain Company owns Crystal Mountain and oversees the Icon Pass. Vail Mountain Resorts owns Stevens Pass and Whistler Blackcomb and oversees the Epic Pass.

8 — D: Lost Ledge. The newest and best addition to Bellingham rock climbing can be found just off the Rock Trail on Cleator Road.

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4 — A: Bend. There are many bends “knots” used to tie ropes together. In climbing, the most popular are the overhand flat bend (also known as the Euro Death Knot), the Flemish bend and the Double Fisherman’s Knot.

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5 — A: Chomolungma. Junko Tabei (from Japan) was the first woman to reach the summit of Mt. Everest in 1975. “Nyinmo delek” means “good day” in Tibetan. And “donkang” means “hotel” in Tibetan.

7 — B: Piste. Many people refer to side-country or backcountry as “off-piste.”

9 — D: Pacific Northwest Trail. This trail makes its way through Montana, Idaho and Washington, linking many hundreds of minor but exceptionally good trails. 10 — A: Ross Lake National Recreation Area. The reservoirs that make up the area include Ross Lake, Diablo Lake and Gorge Lake. 11 — A: Jeremy Jones. The founder of Jones Snowboards, he also founded the non-profit Protect Our Winters in 2007. 12 — D: A grocery store. There are dozens of current businesses and organizations with Kulshan in its name. However, most people reading this are likely most familiar with the brewery and the middle school.

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1 — C: Native American petroglyphs. In two unprecedented acts of vandalism, a climber bolted a line over petroglyphs and someone defaced a petroglyph with racist language and phallic imagery. Both of these incidents have spurred significant discussion in the climbing and outdoor communities.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SUMMER 2021

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685 Peace Portal Drive 360/656-5958 draytonharboroysters.com Farm fresh oysters served raw, grilled, fried, stewed and other delicious seafood specials. Local craft beers on tap.

JACK NIEMANN’S BLACK FOREST STEAKHOUSE 638 Peace Portal Drive 360/306-8342 Steaks, European specialites & full service bar.

PACKERS KITCHEN & BAR AT SEMIAHMOO RESORT 9565 Semiahmoo Parkway 360/318-2090 semiahmoo.com Enjoy seaside dining with stunning views and a fresh menu of seafood, hand-crafted pizza, and local specialties.

THE RUSTIC FORK EATERY 442 Peace Portal Drive 360/224-6714 therusticforkeatery.com Italian pastas, salads, sandwiches and firebaked artisan style pizzas.

THE VAULT WINE BAR & BISTRO 277 G St. 360-393-0955 thevaultwine.com Extensive wine list, beers & cider. Wine tastings & wine maker dinners. Live music Fridays. Family friendly restaurant.

BURLINGTON SKAGIT’S OWN FISH MARKET 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.

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MOUNT VERNON THIRD STREET CAFE 309 South Third Street 360/542-5022 • thirdstreetcafe.coop Brought to you by the Skagit Valley Food Coop, Third Street Cafe is a community-owned restaurant and bar offering a fresh perspective on Pacific Northwest cuisine with its madefrom-scratch dishes and hyperlocal ingredients.

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GRAHAM’S HISTORICAL RESTAURANT 9989 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-1933 grahamshistoricalrestaurant.com Great food. Legendary bar. Live music. The heart of Glacier.

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THE HELIOTROPE IN GLACIER

4876 Haxton Way 866/383-0777 silverreefcasino.com Diverse dining options from woodstone pizza to award-winning fine dining at The Steak House.

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FERNDALE SILVER REEF CASINO RESORT 4876 Haxton Way 866/383-0777 silverreefcasino.com Located off I-5, exit 260, 206 luxurious rooms or suites to make yourself feel at home with beautiful Mt. Baker views, complimentary breakfast, and free WiFi.

GLACIER LUXURY GETAWAYS 9989 Mt. Baker Highway 360/398-9590 or 887/90-BAKER luxurygetaways.com Redefining the cabin in the woods. Luxury Getaways offers a variety of vacation rentals located in the heart of the Mt. Baker Recreational Area. Our accommodations are perfect for hitting the slopes and relaxing.

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EVENTS

JULY

LAKE WHATCOM TRIATHLON: July 10, Bellingham. Enjoy an open-water swim in Lake Whatcom, ride the rolling hills along North Shore, and run the trails of Whatcom Falls Park. Featuring Olympic and sprint-distance triathlons, aquabike, and kids splash ‘n dash, all ages and levels are welcome. More info: lakewhatcomtriathlon.com TOUR DE WHATCOM: July 17, Bellingham. Enjoy all that the northwest has to offer in one beautiful ride. Mt. Baker, Lake Whatcom, valleys, rivers, farmland and beaches. Rides vary from 22-100 miles. More info: tourdewhatcom.com THE VICTORIA HALF AND SPRINT TRIATHLON: July 18, Victoria. One of Canada’s most classic and beautiful triathlons. For over 25 years athletes have made the trek to Vancouver Island for this incredible west coast race experience. More info: thevictoriahalf.com WHIDBEY ISLAND TRIATHLON: July 31, Langley. A great first triathlon

find more events and submit your own at mountbakerexperience.com

for beginners, and a fun and challenging event for accomplished athletes. More info: swparks.org/recreation/ whidbey-island-triathlon/

SEPTEMBER

AUGUST SEATTLE SWIMRUN: August 1, Seattle. Created by the Swedes in 2006, they called it SwimRun, because you swim and run, swim and run, swim and run. Solo and teams. More info: questraces.com ANACORTES ARTS FESTIVAL: August 6-8, Anacortes. Enjoy art, music, food and celebration. More info: anacortesartsfestival.com PADDEN TRIATHLON: August 21, Bellingham. A simple and beautiful race you’ll enjoy year after year. More info: cob.org/services/recreation/races/ padden-triathlon TOUR DE WHIDBEY: August 21, Coupeville. Known as one of the most beautiful bike rides in the Northwest. Many routes to choose from including the “family friendly route.” More info: tourdewhidbey.org

WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL: September 10-12, Port Townsend. North America’s premier wooden boat gathering. The festival honors tradition and the latest innovations. More info: woodenboat.org

NORTH CASCADES BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL:

BLAST FROM THE PAST: September 10-12, Sedro-Woolley. Rediscover 1971 all over again. Street Fair, car show on Sunday. More info: sedro-woolley. com

September 3, 4 & 5, Deming. Award winning bands including two-time Grammy nominated The Special Consensus. Also workshops taught by performing band members. Onsite camping at Deming Logging Show grounds. More info: ncbf.com

GOAT RUN (GREAT OLYMPIC ADVENTURE TRAIL RUN): September 11. Port Angeles. Half marathon, marathon and 50K trail race on the Olympic Peninsula. More info: peninsulaadventuresports.com

Lake Padden Park Sunday June 6, 2021

Bellingham, WA Saturday June 5, 2021

San Juan Island, WA Saturday October 2, 2021

LUMMI ISLAND STUDIO TOUR: September 4 & 5, Lummi Island. Artists displaying at various locations. Self-guided tour maps available. More info: lummi-island.com

BELLINGHAM TRAVERSE: September 11, Bellingham. Run, bike and paddle through scenic parks, winding trails and open waterways, and celebrate the important journey of wild salmon

BELLINGHAMSWIMRUN Lake Padden Park Sunday June 6, 2021

SEATTLESWIMRUN Seward Park Sunday August 1, 2021

Sunday, September 12th

in our region. Team of 1 or team of 10. More info: bellinghamtraverse.com BELLINGHAM BAY MARATHON: September 25 & 26, Bellingham. Featuring views of Bellingham Bay, San Juan Islands and North Cascades mountains, we are often called one of the most beautiful road races in the Pacific Northwest. 5K and 10K on Sat., Half and full marathon on Sun. More info: bellinghambaymarathon.org

BIG HURT:

MT. BAKER HILL CLIMB: September 12, Glacier. 23 mile climb up Highway 542. Climb 4,098 feet from Glacier to Artist’s Point on Mt. Baker. More info: bakerhillclimb.com

September 25, Port Angeles. A four-leg test of endurance, strength and tenacity intertwined with the beauty of the North Olympic Peninsula. From the foothills of the Olympic Mountains to the shores of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, relay teams and individuals in the Iron Division gather from far and wide to explore Port Angeles in Washington state and its incredible surroundings via bike, kayak and foot. More info: bighurtpa.com

23 MILE CLIMB UP HIGHWAY 542 Ascend 4,098 feet from Chair 9 in Glacier to Artist’s Point on Mt. Baker. Riders depart at 7 am, 8 am, and 8:30 am.

REGISTRATION OPENS JUNE 14TH

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TOUR DE WHATCOM JULY 17TH 2021 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

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22/44/62/100 Mile Rides

Bringing you Ski to Sea and the Tour de Whatcom Whatcom Events is a non-profit 501(c)(4) and our events support local charities.

SUMMER 2021 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

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“Buying our home with Jason was AMAZING. Since we were Local new to Realtor, the Avid Rider area, he gave us insider info about location and neighborhoods, taking and Trail Supporter, into consideration our hobbies and how the home would facilitate our access to them, like trailheads. I would highly recommend him to my Official WMBC Sponsor family and friends.” will donate $500 to the WMBC, ML & SL, Zillow Review $28,000+ donated since 2016 Official WMBC Sponsor

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With its record snowfall, unmatched adventure and sophisticated accommodations, Glacier is the best kept secret ski town in North America. Choose from over 30 beautiful vacation homes to create memories that matter.