Mount Baker Experience Magazine by Point Roberts Press

MOUNT BAKER

e perience ADVENTURES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST | FALL 2012

SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF POINT ROBERTS PRESS

CONTENTS

FALL 2012

ADRENALINE RUSH 6

Summiting in the North Cascades Five hikes offer huge rewards

Moon Beams Skiing under the light of a full moon

Polar Plunge Snow snorkeling in alpine lakes

Giddy Up Horseback riding in the North Cascades

The Other Whistler Riding the little-known bike trails

BACK TO THE LAND

PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): JACK KINTNER, RYAN HASERT, JAY GOODRICH, PATRICK KENNEDY

Mushroom Madness This fall, become a friend of fungi

iPhotography Take pro photos with your iPhone

Under the Volcano Four years on the Pacific Northwest Trail

Life on the Farm A summer in Skagit County

Ancient Footsteps Discovering fossilized plants and footprints

Vaux’s Swifts A rare glimpse of fascinating birds

GEARING UP 4

The 11th Essential Don’t leave home without duct tape

6 MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE PUBLISHERS Patrick Grubb and Louise Mugar, Point Roberts Press, Inc. MANAGING DIRECTOR Kathy McGee STAFF WRITERS Jeremy Schwartz, Carissa Wright ART DIRECTOR Charlie Hagan ADVERTISING DESIGN Charlie Hagan, Ruth Lauman ADVERTISING SALES Molly Ernst, Judy Fjellman, Janet McCall OFFICE MANAGER Amy Weaver CONTRIBUTORS Anna Atkinson, Molly Baker, Pamela Beason, Erik Burge, Jon Brunk, Tim Chandonnet, Kelsi Franzen, Jay Goodrich, Dylan Hart, Ryan Hasert, Patrick Kennedy, Jack Kintner, Aubrey Laurence, Sam Lozier, Sue Madsen, Jefferson L. Morriss, Kelly Sullivan, Mark Turner, Brad Walton

Outdoor Gear Guide The latest for adventure seekers

LOCAL 11

Blue T Lodge

Wake ‘n Bakery

East 542 Music Festival

Adventure Cascades

Café 542

Acme Diner

Fall Events and Activities

MOUNT BAKER

©2012 POINT ROBERTS PRESS 225 Marine Drive, Blaine, WA 98230 TEL: 360/332-1777 EMAIL: info@mountbakerexperience.com WEB: mountbakerexperience.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com/mtbakerexperience PINTEREST: pinterest.com/mtbakerexp TWITTER: twitter.com/MB_Experience

e perience ADVENTURES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST | FALL 2012

If you can see Mt. Baker, you’re part of the experience. Mount Baker Experience is a quarterly recreation guide for and about the Mt. Baker area, 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 in Blaine, Washington. Vol. XXVI, No. 4. Printed in Canada.

NEXT EDITION: NOVEMBER 2012 | ADS DUE: OCTOBER 24, 2012

ABOUT THE COVER American Alpine Institute guide Kurt Hicks crossing Heliotrope Creek on a Tyrolean traverse. Photo: Jefferson L. Morriss photosforthepeople.com

SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NORTHERN LIGHT

FALL 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

THE 11 ESSENTIAL TH

Duct tape – don’t leave home without it BY PAMELA BEASON

very time I see an article about backcountry travel that lists the classic Ten Essentials (first drummed into all northwesterners by The Mountaineers), I shake my head in disbelief. Map, compass, sunglasses and sunscreen, extra clothing, headlamp/flashlight, first aid supplies, firestarter, matches, knife, extra food … all great things to have on any outdoor expedition, but there is one crucial element missing: duct tape. How could any intrepid outdoor type leave home without it? Duct tape has saved my feet, my equipment, my trip and my sanity more than once. It truly is a miracle product. Whoever invented it should get a Nobel Prize. It’s true that excessive use of duct tape can give you a reputation, especially if you display it on everything you own. But these days, you don’t have to use the basic silver duct tape, which was designed to stick to plumbing pipes and ductwork. Nowadays this household tape comes in all sorts of colors that you can match to your pack, tent, boots, jacket, whatever, so as not

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to appear the total outdoor geek, although packing around multiple rolls of duct tape might raise a few eyebrows. The colored tape is often labeled “duck tape,” which is a bit disconcerting to us writer types (is this promoting duck abuse?). The colored “duck tape” is not as sticky as the original duct tape, so I’m a classic silver tape gal myself, but if you’re appalled by the possibility of being confused with a plumber, you now have fashion options. What can the intrepid (or even the clueless) outdoor type do with duct/duck tape? First and foremost, this is the best guard against blisters ever invented. Sadly, I learned this only after 20 years of blisters and cursing moleskin and Band-Aids. If you tend to get blisters on your heels while hiking, running, skiing or snowshoeing, get in the habit of duct-taping your feet first and you’ll be amazed. Clean and dry those heels, apply a strip of duct tape to your bare skin, then slide your sock over it. Being a perfectionist, I cut little slits in the ends of the duct tape so I can overlap

the ends and make the tape conform perfectly to my heel. However, I have small feet, and if you have ubersized ones, you probably don’t need to do this – just smooth out the duct tape and go. It stays on my heels for 10 miles or more, and peels off easily when I’m done. It would probably work on other foot areas, too. Another important use is for backcountry first aid. When you fall off of that rockwall you shouldn’t have been climbing, get out the duct tape. It works much better than regular adhesive tape for securing splints or gauze bandages. You can put a rectangle of duct tape over a dressing to keep it in place, stop that messy bleeding and keep the dressing from sopping up rain. When applied to dry skin, duct tape hurts less to remove than most adhesive tapes. In a pinch, I’d even use it to bind together the bare edges of a gash. When my hiking buddy did a spontaneous backflip off a boulder (yep, should not have been climbing that) and broke her wrist, we made a splint

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out of a sawed-up water bottle held together with duct tape. Duct tape can make up for a lot of inadequacies in your first aid kit. Then there’s the use that everyone thinks of first – patching equipment. You can patch pretty much anything with duct tape, although if it’s a big hole, you probably need to duct tape both sides, so pieces of the tape stick to each other instead of to stuff you don’t want them to. Over the years, I have ducttaped packs, tents, mosquito netting, stuff sacks, sleeping bags, hiking boots, ski boots, kayaks and even various pieces of my scuba gear. After dropping my favorite plastic water bottle and creating a microscopic ding that made water seep slowly out down my pants, I discovered a piece of duct tape would keep it from leaking and save me embarrassment. What else? Duct tape can substitute for a broken binding or strap, as in duct-taping your boot to your snowshoe. (Make sure you have a knife handy so you so don’t have to drive home in snowshoes.) If you abuse your hiking poles like I do – I’ve done a few spectacular vaulting maneuvers with them, as well as sitting on them and

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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2012

dragging them to slow down on steep slopes while cross-country skiing – or if you have the type that screw together to adjust, and like me, you never see that pesky stop mark until you’ve pulled them irrevocably apart, use duct tape for a fix. You can often slide a stick or pen inside a hollow pole, or splint it with something rigid on the outside, and then bind it with duct tape. You can then continue misusing your poles until you get back to the car. Strips of duct tape can also be used to prevent wear and tear on parts of equipment that routinely get scraped up. I’ve been known to put strips on the hull of my kayak so that it won’t get so badly scratched when landing on gravel beaches or killing barnacles on rocks. If I want to collect tiny seeds or sand to save for later examination (my outdoor geekiness escaping) and I’ve forgotten to bring plastic bags (again), I can press the seeds or sand into a fold of duct tape. You can similarly use duct tape to grab yucky stuff – extracting those annoying rodent droppings from your pack, for example. There are many other uses for duct tape that I haven’t had the opportunity to employ yet, although they have (obviously) crossed my mind: curing snoring, taping young children to their seats, binding the hands and feet of criminals captured in the wild. (Just kidding about the first two. Sorta.) Finally, if your clothes, like mine, just naturally attract every mammal hair in the vicinity, roll a strip of duct tape around your hand and pat yourself down before meeting the public. Take care to make sure you are not observed. Because, like I said, excessive use of duct tape can give you a reputation. X

PHOTO: PATRICK KENNEDY

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E H T N I G N I T I M SUM S E D A C S A C H T R NO n weeks of preparation – e to mea av h ’t n es do p to e th g in Reach vestment in al im in m r fo ds ar w re these peaks offer huge EY LAURENCE

BR STORY AND PHOTOS BY AU

he North Cascades region offers some of the finest hiking and climbing opportunities in North America, with many magnificent summit views. Here are five fabulous hikes that everyone can enjoy.

The physical and mental challenges of summiting in the North Cascades can push climbers to their limits. Approaches are often arduous, requiring cross-country travel, sometimes for days, through avalanche chutes and scree slopes, icy creeks and rivers, deep snow and steep, slippery terrain. And with mountains with names such as Fury, Despair, Damnation and Forbidden, there’s no doubt this area means business. But that doesn’t mean all of the summits are unattainable to lightly equipped day hikers with tight schedules and high expectations. If you want to experience a few of the most jaw-dropping vistas in the North Cascades, yet lack the time, technical skills or stamina that many peaks in this region require, you still have options. Read on for five low-effort, high-reward summit hikes – relatively short hikes with awesome summit views.

SAUK MOUNTAIN Round-Trip Distance: 4.2 miles Elevation: 5,537 feet Total Elevation Gain: 1,200 feet

MOUNT PILCHUCK Round-Trip Distance: 6 miles Elevation: 5,324 feet Total Elevation Gain: 2,200 feet While some hikers may find this strenuous, it’s still only six miles round trip with 2,200 feet of gain, which is relatively easy compared to most mile-high North Cascades peaks. It’s worth the effort, assuming you can put up with throngs of hikers on the trail. It’s understandably crowded, though – Mount Pilchuck is a beautiful hike that launches you from a lush forest to an alpine wonderland in little time. And it’s only snow-free for a brief period each year. If you are OK with crowds, don’t mind some minor talus hopping and can handle the possibility of a late-season snow crossing or two, then this hike will reward you tenfold with too many peaks to mention to be seen from the restored fire lookout (thanks to the Everett Mountaineers) on the rocky summit. Directions: From Granite Falls, drive east on the Mountain Loop Highway 11 miles to the Verlot Forest Service Ranger Station, then travel one more mile east and turn right (south) onto Forest Service Road 42. Continue 6.9 miles to the trailhead. A Discover Pass is required.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2012

Most hikes in the North Cascades begin under a canopy of conifers, but this one begins with wide-open views of the Skagit River valley – right from the parking lot. Not far into the hike, a narrow path ascends via a dizzying number of switchbacks, but they’re short. None of the trail is overly exposed, but you will need to watch your footing in a few sections. After winding around the mountain up to the summit ridge, you’ll arrive at the site of a former fire lookout. This is where most hikers stop to soak in the views. The true summit is only a short distance away and a few feet higher, but it requires a sketchy and exposed scramble. No matter where you turn around, you’ll find expansive views from all points along the summit ridge. On clear days you’ll be able to see Mt. Baker, the Pickets, Glacier Peak, Mt. Rainier, the Olympics, the San Juan islands and much more. And when you realize that all this eye candy cost you a mere two miles and 1,200 vertical feet, you may even feel a bit guilty about it. Or not. On your way back down, be careful to not take the spur trail down to Sauk Lake, unless that is your intention. Directions: From I-5, drive east on State Route 20 (North Cascades Highway) past Concrete, then turn left onto Forest Road 1030 (Sauk Mountain Road). Drive up FR 1030 for a little more than seven miles and take a side road to the right, and then continue up that road for about a quarter mile to the trailhead parking area. A Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful Interagency/National Parks Annual Pass) is required. continued on page 

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WINCHESTER MOUNTAIN Round-Trip Distance: 3.5 miles Elevation: 6,521 feet Total Elevation Gain: 1,300 feet This short, relatively easy hike offers some of the finest views around, which is probably why it’s so popular. Plan on going early to beat the traffic up the narrow road and the crowds on the trail. The trail starts in between the Twin Lakes, and in no time it begins climbing a steepening slope of evergreens, tall grass and wildflowers. If you become enamored by the scenery at the beginning of this hike, you’ll be happy to know that the views continue to improve with each step you ascend. The hardest part of the route is where the trail traverses a steep slope up to a rocky ridge, right before switchbacking up the southwest side of the mountain. As you approach this point, it will look worse than it really is. Just take it slowly and step carefully. Before you know it you’ll reach the summit, which is home to a restored fire lookout thanks to the Mount Baker Hiking Club. Saunter around the lookout cabin and enjoy the intimate views of Tomyhoi Peak, American Border Peak, Mt. Larrabee, the Pleiades, Mt. Shuksan, Mt. Baker and countless peaks to the east. You’ll also have a commanding view of the turquoise-hued Twin Lakes directly below.

After slowly gaining elevation for almost two miles on the well-maintained trail to Grasshopper Pass, turn right, leaving the trail, and head up a faint path to Tatie Peak’s eastern ridge. The north side of the mountain (to your right) drops off steeply, but you can easily avoid that airy feeling by hiking a couple yards away from the edge on the mountain’s mellower south side. After a leisurely dip on the ridge, you’ll gain the summit. And for your efforts, you will be more than compensated. Take a seat on the surprisingly small summit and drink in the 360-degree views. The high, dry and rugged nature of the area may make you think you’re in the Rockies instead of the Pacific Northwest. Even though Tatie has a commendable height of 7,386 feet, it’s not the tallest mountain in the area. As you scan the nearby horizon, you can make out dozens of taller mountains, including the Needles, Tower Mountain, Golden Horn and Mt. Ballard to the south and west, plus at least a baker’s dozen in the Pasayten Wilderness to the northeast. On a clear day, you might even see Mt. Baker peeking above some rocky ridges to the west.

Directions: From Sedro-Woolley, take State Route 20 east to Mazama, which requires a left onto Lost River Road because Mazama is about a half-mile off of SR 20. As you enter Mazama, take a left at the three-way intersection, staying on Lost River Road and heading toward Harts Pass. The road is narrow and rough at times, but some 2WD cars can make it. After driving almost 20 miles to Harts Pass, turn left onto Forest Road 54-500 and follow signs to Meadows Campground, which you’ll reach in a couple more miles. A Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful Interagency/National Parks Annual Pass) is required.

the north casca des

Directions: From Bellingham, take State Route 542 (Mt. Baker Highway) east. About 13 miles past Glacier, turn left onto Forest Road 3065 (Twin Lakes Road), which is just past a Department of Transportation building. Immediately angle left, staying on FR 3065. After about 4.5 miles, you’ll pass the Yellow Aster Butte trailhead parking area at a sharp switchback, and if you have 4WD, a high-clearance vehicle or a low-clearance 2WD vehicle that you don’t care much about, you should be able to make it all the way up another 2.5 miles to the Twin Lakes area. Sometimes snowdrifts and/or fallen trees block the road, so check conditions before you go. A Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful Interagency/National Parks Annual Pass) is required.

The North Cascades region is a remote and rugged portion of the Pacific Northwest’s Cascade Range. It’s centered in northern Washington and, generally speaking, it runs west to east from Bellingham to Winthrop, and north to south from lower-central British Columbia to Snoqualmie Pass on I-90. North Cascades National Park, which is one of the least visited National Parks in the U.S., is in the heart of the North Cascades region. With its deep valleys and prominent, jagged and glaciated peaks, it’s not surprising that President Lyndon Johnson dubbed the region “The American Alps.”

• 400 miles of hiking trails • More than 300 glaciers

TATIE PEAK Round-Trip Distance: 5 miles Elevation: 7,386 feet Total Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet Nestled in the southeast corner of Whatcom County right on the border with Okanogan County, Tatie Peak humbly sits among a legion of jagged giants. Most Grasshopper Passbound hikers pass right beneath Tatie without even giving it a thought, but it’s a worthy destination on its own. The second-best part about this hike is that you’re rewarded with incredible vistas just yards from the trailhead parking area. And the best part about this hike is that the panoramic views accompany you from start to finish.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2012

The park contains 400 miles of hiking trails and has more than 300 glaciers, which is more than any other national park outside of Alaska. Glacier National Park in Montana, as a comparison, only has 26 glaciers, and it’s predicted to have none by 2020. North Cascades National Park, along with the adjacent Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas, make up about 684,000 acres of wilderness. For more information, visit nps.gov/noca/index.htm and ncascades.org.

SKYLINE DIVIDE Round-Trip Distance: 4-9 miles Elevation: 5,800 to 6,563 feet Total Elevation Gain: 1,500-2,500 feet Skyline Divide may not be a proper mountain, but once you gain this ridge, you’ll surely feel like you’re on top of one. As you break out of the woods and onto the ridge, just two miles and 1,500 feet of elevation beyond the trailhead, you’ll pop out onto an idyllic alpine meadow. A gentle hill up to the left makes the perfect place to stop and picnic while viewing Mt. Shuksan, Mt. Baker and seemingly countless other peaks in every direction. On the other hand, if you turn to the right after gaining the ridge and then follow the path along the undulating ridge all the way to Point 6563 and back, you will gain another 2,500 feet of elevation and hike about nine miles total. And for that extra effort, you will be rewarded with increasingly dramatic views of Mt. Baker’s north face.

Directions: From Bellingham, take State Route 542 (Mt. Baker Highway) east. About a mile past Glacier, take a right onto Forest Road 39 (Glacier Creek Road), and then take an immediate left onto Forest Road 37. Follow this gravel road for almost 13 miles to the trailhead parking lot at the end of the road. A Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful Interagency/National Parks Annual Pass) is required. X Aubrey Laurence has climbed hundreds of mountains throughout the U.S. and in a half-dozen countries. Beyond his passion for the mountains, he is an avid traveler, photographer and homebrewer.

A Philosophy of Life … Like you, my family loves the Pacific Northwest, and my wife Jamie and I are passionate about this place where our children grow and learn. We live on a small farm set against the backdrop of the Cascade Mountains and spend much of our time raising and growing our own food. These are the fixtures of our landscape, and from them emerges our passion for hard work, beauty, and sustainability. These are also the fundamentals of Big Mountain Construction. Big Mountain Construction builds green using local materials. Whether it’s a peaceful artist’s retreat, mountain lodge, island getaway, or elegant dream home overlooking the bay, we’re committed to exceeding your unique and imaginative needs. Rest assured, whether the project is big or small, we have the experience and the creativity to do the job. We want to build something both you and Big Mountain Construction can be proud of.

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FALL 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

MOON BEAMS

Skiing under t he light of a fu ll moon STORY AND PHOTOS BY SA

M LOZIER

ast year’s ski season started with an unusually early storm. I’d been talking to my friend Allen only a few days earlier about skiing during a full moon and, as luck would have it, the moon was going to be full on the evening following the storm. The full moon also coincided with the clearest break in the weather for the next week, so we had to hatch a plan quickly. Because only a few inches of snow were forecasted to fall, we had to find a spot where there was still some snow from the previous season. Almost without thinking, we decided to head up to Heliotrope Ridge after I got off work, hike up the several miles of trail, ski a run or two by moonlight to ring in the new ski season, and then make it back to Bellingham and sleep a few hours before we had to be at work the next day. Allen picked me up at 9:30 p.m., an odd hour to start a ski trip, and we made our way toward Mt. Baker under dark skies. We were seriously questioning our judgment as we drove up the Mt. Baker Highway. There was no sign of the moon, stars or even the mountain – a thick blanket of clouds seemed to be conspiring to ruin our night.

Everything with snow on it seemed to glow under the light, while the snow-free valleys swallowed up the moonlight, creating islands of white in a sea of blackness.

We parked at the Heliotrope parking lot as the skies began to clear. While success was far from assured, things were looking better. As we hiked up the trail, skis on our backs and dirt under our feet, the fatigue of the day and the suspect nature of our plan began to sink in. What were we doing here? Was there any possible way that this could be worth missing an entire night’s sleep? We plodded along, focusing only on the spot that our headlamps illuminated. As we climbed, the air started getting colder and before long we began to see evidence of recent snowfall. It wasn’t enough to ski, but enough to encourage us to keep hiking. Around 1 a.m. we reached the tree line under totally clear skies. The moon bathed the entire mountain in a surreal light. Half of our plan had worked out. Now we just needed to find snow deep enough to ski, so we continued upward. Before long we were encountering discontinuous patches of old snow covered with several inches of fresh powder. A few hundred feet higher and we were finally on the toe of the glacier, and the largest, smoothest patch of skiable snow we could find. By 2 a.m., we were starting to get tired and our enthusiasm was waning, so when we encountered our first crevasse, we turned around and skied down. Everything with snow on it seemed to glow under the light, while the snow-free valleys swallowed up the moonlight, creating islands of white in a sea of blackness. We took a few photos, and made some slow turns down our thousand-foot run. The snow was better than we’d hoped for, half a foot or so of light, fresh snow over the solid base from the year before. In addition to being the first turns of a new season, we were forced to accept that these might be the best turns of the entire year. Skiing the first fresh powder of the season by moonlight, on a glacier, high on Mt. Baker in the middle of the night was an experience I’ll never forget, though the drive home is something I’d like to. Struggling to stay awake, we clipped a deer and almost drove off the road. We got back to Bellingham well after sunrise and were only able to nab a few hours of sleep before heading back to work for another shift. X Sam Lozier is an avid skier, hiker, climber, photographer, and writer. Visit him at famousinternetskiers.com.

THE TEN ESSENTIALS The Mountaineers recommend you carry the “Ten Essentials” on every trip, from short and local to long and backcountry. For more information, visit mountaineers.org.

Navigation (map and compass)

Sun protection (sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm)

Insulation (extra clothing)

Illumination (flashlight/headlamp, spare bulb and batteries)

First aid supplies (gauze, tape, Band-Aids)

Fire (firestarter, matches, lighter)

Repair kit (knife, tools, spare parts)

Nutrition (extra food)

Hydration (extra water, water purification)

10.

Emergency shelter (tarp, garbage bag)

New lodge opening in Glacier Front Elevation

Scale: 1/4" = 1'-0"

BLUE T LODGE

9700 MOUNT BAKER HIGHWAY GLACIER, WA 98244

= 1'-0"

Lila J. McGrew, P.E. P.O. Box 129, Everson, WA 98247 P: (360) 966-4995, F: (360) 966-4993 ATTIC ACCESS PANEL

NOTE: This is an electronic copy of a final sealed drawing. The seal has been removed from the electronic copy, in accordance with Washington State Law. Sealed paper copies of these drawings are on file at the office of Evergreen Engineering & Design, LLC. This drawing is copyrighted

Engineer's Seal SCALE:

As Noted

DRAWN BY: CHECKED BY: DATE: ISSUED FOR: PERMIT

Rear Elevation

= 1'-0"

new lodge is opening in Glacier this fall, right behind Chair 9 Woodstone Pizza and Bar. Blue T Lodge, named after Pete Cook’s grandfather’s apple orchard in Wenatchee, will be open for business in November, just in time for ski season. The Cook family, who own Chair 9, decided to build the hotel to fill the need for more overnight accommodations in Glacier. Until Blue T Lodge, the only options for lodging have been B&Bs, condos or cabins.

Scale: 1/4" = 1'-0"

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FALL 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

POLAR PLUNGE lakes Snow snorkeling in alpine ICK KENNEDY

TR STORY AND PHOTOS BY PA

ackpacking used to be something I looked forward to every spring, but that was life on the east side of the Cascade Mountain range. Don’t get me wrong – backpacking on the west side of the Cascades is comparable to what you would get in the European Alps. However, the best trails don’t reliably melt out until September with the 400 inches of snow the North Cascades have received the past two winters. What should a backpacker do with so much idle time waiting for snow to melt? It has to melt someplace, and around the North Cascades the thaw produces some amazing alpine lakes. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right? Living on the west side of the Cascades offers more outdoor recreation options than any place else I’ve experienced. In the spring, a dedicated outdoor adventurer can snowboard, mountain bike, kayak – and snow snorkel – all in the same day. Perhaps the name snow snorkeling isn’t quite refined enough; technically the snow has partially melted. However, snorkeling in an alpine lake with some of our deep snowpack afloat is visually an experience similar to what I imagine exploring the moon would be like. The environment is certainly fascinating. Alpine lakes are as clean and clear as they are cold. Sliding from a snow bank into a blue, green and white frigid, weightless environment defies all logic, even when wearing a quality wetsuit. Your body screams, “This isn’t right!” However, once the diving mask hits water a foreign, exotic world fights with your survival instinct to get out now. “Trust the suit. Trust the suit,” is the mantra repeated over and over in my head for the first few minutes in the water until fascination gradually replaces shock. Slowly, you forget about the stinging cold on exposed portions of your face, the only body part without life-saving, 5mm-thick neoprene. Visibility looking down seems endless, but the lake bottom isn’t the fascinating part. Once you’re acclimated, icebergs beg for exploration. Snow is far more interesting when suspended in a crystal clear aqua green layer. The bergs seem far too large to float, yet poking around them enables discovering the stable ones. Large bergs of snow seem capable of supporting the weight of an automobile and provide places to take a break from snorkeling. Others are thin and warrant caution when walking on, but provide hours of entertainment when a chunk is broken off and ridden like a giant seahorse or better yet, a stand-up paddleboard. The snowpack often meets the water and hillsides offer yet another fun activity with a wetsuit on – body sledding. Find the right slope that meets the water, and hours of fun can be had on natural Pacific Northwest frozen water slides. The Mt. Baker area has numerous alpine lakes suitable for snow snorkeling. Highway 542 offers easy access to Bagley Lakes, or time it right and hike into Lake Ann or Iceberg Lake. Twin Lakes is another prime area to explore, also likely to be accessible by late summer.

Once you’re acclimated to the environment, the icebergs beg for exploration.

Once the shoreline is mostly exposed and more than 50 percent of the lake is free of snowpack, the snorkeling becomes fun with a high-quality wetsuit, gloves and booties. Timing is critical. Once the bergs melt, snorkeling gets boring. Bergs create a surreal environment unlike anything else. Five hours can slip by as if it were only 30 minutes when snorkeling, body sledding and wrestling with icebergs are the day’s activity. Since discovering the joys of snow snorkeling I’m no longer a disgruntled backpacker wishing for the trails to melt out. Until they do, I add a wetsuit, booties, gloves, snorkel and mask to the Ten Essentials. X Patrick Kennedy recreates around water whether it be frozen, liquid or in transition. Visit him at pbase.com/patrickkennedy.

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BY JACK KINTNER

here you are, crossing a swollen stream in the backcountry on a nice, sturdy bridge. Or you’re sitting inside a well-built shelter after a long day on the trail. How nice to have dry boots or a place to relax, right? Chances are, the people who built the bridge, shelter or any number of other backcountry facilities along with the materials they used, got there on horseback. This is just one of the reasons people use horses and mules in the backcountry. The bond between horse and rider is deep and best felt when both work together as a team. When the work benefits all trail users, so much the better. The difference between riding trails and riding in an arena is similar to driving on prepared roads or off-road in the woods. Each kind of riding informs the other – in each discipline the horse and rider must learn to trust each other implicitly. That trust played a vital role in the adventure – or misadventure, if you will – of Everson resident Diane Kimker some years ago. If not for the trust between horse and rider, Kimker’s trail riding experience could have turned out much differently. During a Back Country Horsemen of America (BCHA) ride in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area with friend Marie Tiemersma, Kimker got to talking with a local couple who had joined the group for dinner around the campfire. The man told the two women of “a 22-mile loop that’s a great ride with just a few rough spots,” Kimker said. “Our mares Julie (Marie’s Saddlebred) and Piper (her Morgan), were well-seasoned trail horses in excellent condition, so we said ‘Why not? Let’s do it!’” Early on they found themselves faced with a creek swollen to waist-high whitewater. They dismounted, sending the horses ahead of them as they’d trained them to do at home, and then used the horses’ lead ropes to steady themselves as they waded across.

The trail recrossed the steep mountain stream several more times, but each crossing became easier as they ascended into the hills. “We thought those must have been the rough patches he spoke about,” Kimker said, but there were more to come. Higher up, the trail disappeared into a thicket of huckleberries. They dismounted and began to look for trail signs, “until Marie found a tiny little trail that might have been made by lizards or something. We followed it, though, and it gradually grew into something we could use.” The trail gradually dropped out of the thick vegetation and leveled out, Kimker said. “We were just about to hop off to stretch our legs and give the horses a break when suddenly both of them stopped, heads up, ears forward, nostrils flaring and muscles tensing. I felt Piper’s heart pound beneath my legs as a black bear cub frantically scrambled up a tree 30 feet from where we stood, bawling desperately for Momma!” Bears can be a disaster in the backcountry should the horse spook and run. The two women never saw the sow but didn’t wait, moving out while singing at the top of their lungs, what else but the theme song from The Sound of Music, “The Hills are Alive.” Indeed. But they trusted their horses’ ability to pay attention, not panic and simply walk away from danger. The trail began to descend steeply as another obstacle appeared – a downed tree more than three feet in diameter with large branches. “A quick assessment offered no way around either end of the tree as the vegetation was too dense,” Kimker said. “The tree looked at first to be too large to safely cross on this downhill slope. We could have turned back, but with the bears perhaps still in the salmonberry bushes this didn’t sound good, either.” continued on page 

FALL 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

ry back count erica m a f o n e horsem .c e s r o h y r t n backcou

Twenty-seven states have branches of the Back Country Horsemen of America (BCHA). Mike McGlenn of Bellingham is a member of the Whatcom County chapter and chairman of the national organization. “We work with various federal agencies (U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service) and with The Wilderness Society on wilderness issues of access and trails as well as the American Horse Council as part of their recreational committee,” McGlenn said. “Collaboration among user groups is key, because by some accounts we are losing 6,000 acres a day nationally to development and other uses.” McGlenn got involved to help preserve the right to ride in the vanishing American wilderness. “A study some years ago found we are losing 200 acres a day in Washington state,” McGlenn said. “It is very important to me that future generations have (this) ... The interaction of working with a horse, the mutual trust that is developed between the human and the horse is a great training event for kids of all ages.” Along with lobbying to preserve wilderness access, members also focus on volunteer efforts on public lands. Since 1995 BCHA chapters have contributed more than 2.5 million hours of volunteer time valued at over $63 million. Whatcom County’s chapter contributed 3,275 volunteer hours in 2011 worth nearly $40,000 to the controlling agencies. Add in the value of power equipment and tools used that are owned by members, the value of their stock (horses and mules) used per day and travel and the figure climbs to over $90,000 that the affected management agency would have to spend to duplicate these vital services.

Want to come along? Whatcom and Skagit counties both have very active chapters of BCHA and welcome new members, with or without horses, who want to learn about wilderness travel on horseback. Learn more about the Whatcom County chapter at whatcom-bch.com. Learn more about the Skagit County chapter at skagitbchw. vpweb.com.

continued from page 

Both women, again as a part of their training, had routinely sent their horses over barrels in the arena. So they in turn stood on the trunk and cued their animals over the safest spot. “Both responded perfectly and landed almost without incident on the other side. My mare, being only 14.2 hands high, caught a back leg on a protruding snag, getting a narrow puncture wound which, fortunately, produced minimal bleeding. I doctored her with antibiotic salve and we forged ahead. “As we dropped down lower off the mountain the vegetation thinned and we found ourselves once again in the woods. We were thankful for the consistently obvious trail at this point. It appeared well traveled in spite of the fact that we had not seen another person since leaving camp that morning.” They were at least headed toward familiar territory, they thought, as a year earlier they’d ridden this same loop for a couple of hours in the opposite direction. “But with inaccurate information about the condition and difficulty of the trail we had just navigated, it was clear we had misjudged the time it would take to reach the place we knew, Meadow Camp.” After crossing two meadows that initially seemed right, they still hadn’t found the right one. “At this point I didn’t know what Marie was thinking, but I began to do a quick assessment of what we had in the way of extra clothing, food and so on should we find ourselves spending the night,” Kimker said. “I was definitely getting angry with our campfire guest, who clearly had not given us accurate information about the condition of this trail. His words, ‘It’s a great trail, just has a few rough spots, and you can easily do it in a day,’ kept ringing through my head.”

They continued into deepening shade as the sun sank below the mountains, eventually reaching Meadow Camp about 6 p.m. and the BCHA campsite two hours later. “We learned,” Kimker said, “in what could have been a hard lesson, about taking the word of someone we didn’t know when riding into the backcountry. This is why a compass and a complete map of the area DIANE KIMKER you plan to ride is essential. He’d described this as a long but obvious and easy loop, so we relied on a Ranger District informational map showing the approximate layout of the trail system. But it was incomplete. We should have been carrying a topo map with more detailed information.” They also emphasized carrying the Ten Essentials and having a dependable trail horse. “I believe a well-trained horse can mean the difference between life and death when riding in the backcountry,” Kimker said. “Most of us in BCHA are avid and seasoned trail riders. This story includes details about things we all know are important but don’t always practice. This adventure happened many years ago, but to this day I can run my hand over the scar on the leg of my now 28-year old mare.” X Port Angeles native Jack Kintner, a lifelong resident of the northwest, divides his time between traveling with his partner Jackie and trail riding on his quarter horse, Dillon.

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THE OTHER WHISTLER Exploring the little-known mountain bike trails STORY AND PHOTOS BY RYAN HASERT

hances are if you’re a mountain biker, you know the Whistler Bike Park, located just a few hours’ drive north of Vancouver. When the snow melts from the worldfamous ski resort, it quickly transforms into a mountain bike haven equal to its reputation for skiing. The lifts shuttle up hundreds of gravity-seeking riders every day during the summer months; however, unbeknownst to many, there also lies a large network of trails outside the bike park’s domain. After years of riding the bike park, I had heard of the famous (and infamous) valley trails that wind throughout the town and nearby foothills. Certified by WORCA (Whistler Offroad Cycling Association), these trails are fully legal and endorsed by the city – an open invitation to some of the best all-mountain riding in the Northwest. Although initially reluctant to forgo endless lift-access laps in the bike park, I grabbed a map at the Whistler visitor’s center and set out to see what I could find. After an unusually hot day in Whistler, with temperatures nearly reaching 90°F (after months of wet, cold rides I certainly was not complaining), I decided to take advantage of the cooler evening to ride. Before I knew it, I was at a nondescript entrance off a paved road that apparently marked the trail Cut Yer Bars. My tires transitioned from the pavement to familiar dry, hard dirt. I began my ascent and followed the twisty trail over rocks and roots. As I continued upward, alternate routes began to appear on either side, most leading to more advanced and technical climbs. I reached the apex of the ridge and was rewarded with a similar set of options for descent. Any combination of right hand turns in the trail led to increasingly advanced trails, while staying left made for a safe bet. Holding true to my desire for exploration and remembering the bike park’s descents, I angled the bars to the right to see what was in store. The track immediately became more technical and soon began to pitch downward. I was met with rolling rock features, large roots and steep singletrack. Quickly picking up speed, I flowed through foreign trail. The periphery blurred, and my focus was intent on what lay next around every corner. Just as nonchalantly as it had started, it ended. I was quickly spit back out on the road I had started on. Heart racing and a smile etched on my face, I looked back on the hillside, amazed at what a gem I had found, with a new

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2012

eagerness for the trails that I wanted to ride next. I awoke the next day with my sights set on a more ambitious ride – the Rainbow-Sproatt Flank trail. Nearly 30 miles long, the trail spans two peaks opposite the resort. The horizontal stretch of the Flank trail also marks the beginning of several downhill trails that lead back to the valley floor, providing a tempting relief from the many steep climbs strewn throughout the Flank. In an attempt to get right into the middle of the trail, I intersected the Flank from the Rainbow Park junction that meets near the trail’s middle. I was met with a steep road grade that persisted for the first mile or so. Cranking into my lowest gear with legs already burning, I pedaled onward. It was mid morning, and the temperature seemed to be rising faster than I was. Whistler Village began disappearing beneath me. To my great relief, the road grade transitioned to winding single track. I was brought through open shale fields, tight forests and exposed rock slabs – a variety of terrain that is best experienced with a mountain bike. I reached a clearing, stopped and noticed another trail entrance. No distinct markings, no trail sign. This was becoming a common theme among these valley trails. Perhaps this is the reason why so few people ride them? Nevertheless I pulled out the map, and after narrowing down my location, concluded that I had arrived at the start of Cheap Thrills – a downhill trail known for its technical descent and rock rolls. I decided to cash in on my gained elevation and dropped into Cheap Thrills. I shifted up into higher gears and coasted forward. True to its reputation, the trail dropped away quickly. Already feathering my brakes over loose dirt and rock slabs, the trail began to push my comfort level after just a few moments. Steepness engulfed my bike, and like a swift-moving river, carried me continually downward. My brakes did little to slow me down and I had to choose my line quickly, without a second thought. Cheap Thrills could certainly come at a high cost if any slight mistake was made. Maneuvering over the ladder bridges, multi-stage rock rolls, and steep pitches made for an

exhilarating, quick descent. Arms, legs and heart pumping in rapid unison, I continued down the road past Alta Lake to pick up the River Runs Through It trail to wrap up the day. River Runs Through It is a winding and twisting trail with not much elevation gain or loss, but it is characterized by the many ladder bridges, stunts and log rides that it has to offer. It became a test of balance and concentration as I wove my way down the trail, marveling at the creative construction. After a dizzying amount of turns and loops, I soon popped out onto the road and headed back into town. I rolled through the village, passing riders with lift tickets and season passes hung around their necks. Arriving at the base of the lift, I sat and watched hordes of riders come down the beaten trails, their bikes chattering with mechanical pain. I overheard the typical complaints of the deteriorating conditions: washboards, blown out corners and crowded trails. Smiling to myself, I could not relate – I had solid corners, fresh dirt and few people. Not to mention I had only ridden just a few of the many trails available. A quick glance over my shoulder toward the mountainsides I had just ridden, and I knew I would not be buying another lift ticket any time soon. X Ryan Hasert is an avid mountain biker, skier, hiker, photographer and writer. Visit him at northwestperiphery.com.

STEVENS BIKE PARK After opening to the public last fall, Stevens Pass (located off HW Highway 2 some 50 miles east of Everett) now offers a lift- and V Squam Y 99 an ish cou accessible bike park as well. ve

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Though Stevens Pass Bike Park only has two trails at the moment, construction is underway on two more. Plans are also in place for another new trail, slated to be open in summer 2013.

Self-portrait on Galbraith Mountain

Matty Shelton and Odin Kors trail building on Galbraith Mountain

Ricardo Broberg gets a view with the ride ALL PHOTOS BY BRAD WALTON | BRADWALTONPHOTO.COM

Mike Kazimer riding Raptor Ridge, Chuckanut

Kelly Bird on the North Twin Sister PHOTO BY BRAD WALTON | BRADWALTONPHOTO.COM

Brennen Fitzgerald tying a line

Receding glaciers on Mount Shuksan ALL PHOTOS BY JAY GOODRICH | JAYGOODRICH.COM

Vine maple along the Nooksack River

PHOTO: TIM CHANDONNET | TIMCPHOTO.COM

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FALL 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

MUSHROOM MADNESS

This fall, become a fr iend of fungi

STORY AND PHOTOS BY

rip, drip, drop. It begins – the Northwest’s all-too-familiar rain that starts in the fall and seems to go on forever. Our wild and scenic landscape, which radiates in all directions from Mt. Baker’s volcanic crest north to the Nooksack and south to the Skagit River, has no rivals in our fairest weather months. But what remains for us when our sunshine is but a single ray and our vistas are shrouded in clouds? Wait! Before you retreat inside and shut out the wet world for a season, I urge you to reconsider. Don’t be afraid to get drenched! Go beyond fair weather adventure and, instead, learn about our landscape in a new light – through the life of the ever present, often forgotten fungi.

OUR WORLD IS FILLED WITH FUNGI. Fungi, or mushrooms as they are usually called, help us to better understand our world because they entice us to go outside and learn about one of the most essential organisms in any ecosystem – the decomposers. Decomposers are crucial creatures that help break down dead material and recycle key nutrients and minerals to the soil so that new life may occur. The study of fungi is called mycology. Unlike plants, fungi lack seeds, leaves, stems or roots to grow and make food. Some fungi have stalks and caps, while others look more

PARKS & SERVICES RESOURCES If you’re on the hunt for local fungi, start here. These resources can provide mushroom harvesting rules and regulations as well as specific trail conditions. Bellingham Parks and Recreation Bellingham, WA 360/778-7000 cob.org/parks Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday thru Friday Glacier Public Service Center Glacier, WA 360/599-2714 fs.usda.gov/detail/mbs Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily (limited schedule from October through May)

Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest/Mt. Baker Ranger District Sedro-Woolley, WA 360/856-5700, ext. 515 fs.usda.gov/detail/mbs Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday North Cascades National Park Service Sedro-Woolley, WA 360/854-7200 nps.gov/noca Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily Wilderness Information Center Marblemount, WA 360/854-7245 nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/ visitorcenters Hours: Vary per season (closed midOctober to early May)

KELSI FRANZEN

like a mound of Jell-O or coral on an ocean floor. To eat, fungi absorb minerals and nutrients from surrounding decaying material, such as wood or soil, through tiny hair-like strands called mycelium. To reproduce, fungi spread small spores via wind and water, each spore containing a single cell capable of generating a new organism. The joy of fall fungi identification comes from searching for the fruiting body of the organism. Brightly colored caps extending out from a bed of fir needles. Soft, fluorescent jellies emerging from nurse logs. Shelf-growths protruding from standing dead trees. Puffballs huddled together alongside a trail. These are a few examples of the fruiting bodies we look for in our wet world.

FINDING MUSHROOMS. How does one train a fungi-focused brain? Fungi often

associate with the darker functions of the forest, so you’ll need to go low and get dirty. Searching for mushrooms is like your childhood treasure hunt. It requires a sense of adventure and a specific set of tools. In place of a map, you must carry a field guide. My personal favorites are “Mushrooms of North America” by Kent and Vera McKnight, and David Arora’s “All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms.” Field guides are your friends because they provide helpful pictures and descriptions of most fungi, as well as the unique ecological niches where each organism can be found. A journal can be used to record your observations of each fungi’s size, shape, color, texture, odor, surrounding environment, and daily temperature and weather conditions. I bring my Rite in the Rain notebook on adventures like this because it is waterproof and provides me ample space to draw, write and ask questions. If your field guide can’t assist you in the discovery of your fungi, your journal surely will upon your return to a warm, dry home. Unlike a treasure hunt, the greatest fun in fungi searching is to witness each organism in its own unique world and leave it for others to enjoy. If you decide to pick a mushroom – as many do to better identify through a spore print at home – make sure to read up on the rules and regulations of the land you are on before harvesting. The Puget Sound Mycological Society, based in Seattle, provides a helpful introduction to harvesting mushrooms in Washington (psms.org). To harvest, cut the mushroom at the base of its stalk, leaving a bit of it behind, and store in a wax or paper bag or shallow wooden basket. Make sure to never mix fungi before you have identified them! Once at home, you can extract a spore print by placing the mushroom cap gill-side down on a piece of paper and cover with a plastic top overnight to extract the color of spores useful in identifying the mushroom.

WHERE TO GO. Fall is fantastic to learn the basics of fungi in the field. During winter and summer, fungi spores lay dormant, awaiting the moment when they can respond to welcomed rain by pushing up quietly through moistened soil. In fall, the trails in our Mt. Baker neighborhood are less crowded, leaving more room for locals to wander. This area abounds with on-trail and off-trail exploration for all hiking levels and fungi searching abilities. My personal exploratory favorites include strolling through the interurban trails of Arroyo Park in Bellingham, wandering along the Nooksack River just east of Glacier at Horseshoe Bend, or trekking lightly anywhere off Bacon Creek Road #1062 just east of Marblemount on the North Cascades Highway. So long as there is wet weather, there are bound to be fungi awaiting your eye, no matter which path you take. Be sure to check the weather and trail conditions of the area you are adventuring in.

Washington State Parks, the Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department, the Mt. Baker Ranger District, and North Cascades National Park Service Complex are a few places to check on current conditions and closures. Also, before you park, make sure you have the right pass. A $30 annual Discover Pass can be used at any Washington State Park, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife or Washington Department of Natural Resources access points and wildlife areas. For access to the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest trails, you’ll need a $30 annual Northwest Forest Pass, acknowledged at Forest Service operated recreation sites in Washington and Oregon. If you are more of an omnivore and seek out fungi fun in both state and federally operated lands, consider the $80/year Interagency Pass, honored nationwide at any Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation or U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife site. Drip, drop, drop. Ah, it begins. Imagine yourself searching for the slimiest, smelliest and most secretive of organisms. This fall, celebrate the greatest and most exotic fun our Mt. Baker home has to offer – embrace the rain, venture to the dark side, and befriend a fungi. X Kelsi Franzen is an avid outdoorswoman who enjoys recreating in and educating others about the environment through her work as a project associate at Triangle Associates, Inc. in Seattle and as a program coordinator for University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Girls on Ice Program.

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Lummi Island Artists' Studio Tour 2012

Sept. 1 & 2 • 10am to 6pm Nov. 10 & 11 • 10am to 5pm 25+ Artists at 15 locations!

Paintings, drawings, prints, pottery, jewelry, photography, sculpture, woodwork, leatherwork, notecards, glass, metalwork, stonework, quilts, clothing, knitwear, and more! I-5, exit 260, west on Slater, left on Haxton to ferry dock, 8 min ferry ride leaves at ten past every hour. $13/car & driver, $7/person, $7/bicycle & rider (round trip). Accompanied children under 12 free!

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mountbakerEXPERIENCE.com FALL 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

Y H P A R G O T O H iP

ur iPhone yo h it w os ot ph al on si es Take prof RK STORY AND PHOTOS BY MA

TURNER

ou know the camera that’s always in your pocket? The one that’s built into your iPhone? It’s actually pretty good. Maybe better than that. Some professional photojournalists are even using it for photos that get printed in major publications such as Sports Illustrated and Mount Baker Experience.

So what’s the trick to getting great photos with your iPhone? It comes down to the same things that make a great photo with any other camera. First, you’ve got to know where to aim it. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Just like the old joke, “How do you carve an elephant? Start with a block of stone and cut away everything that doesn’t look like an elephant.” When you’re creating a photograph you want to eliminate everything from the frame that doesn’t belong. Striving for simplicity will take you a long way.

GET CLOSE. Use what I like to call your bipedal zoom, moving the camera closer or farther from the subject until you’ve filled the frame with everything important and cut out everything else. It’s the bipedal zoom because you’re using your two feet to move your body and the camera you’re holding. Don’t be afraid to walk up close and get personal with your subject. Well, if it’s the black bear in the meadow behind the Mt. Baker day lodge then you don’t want to get so close. But that’s a rare exception. RULE OF THIRDS. Where to aim the camera also means choosing where within the frame to place your subject. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a flower, a mountain landscape, your brother zooming down a gnarly trail on his mountain bike or Aunt Martha and Uncle Ben on their sailboat. Most snapshooters stick their subject smack dab in the center of the frame. While there are exceptions, that’s usually not the best place for a photo with impact. Artists of all kinds have been using some variation of the rule of thirds for centuries to guide the placement of their main subject in the frame. Notice that I said guide, not dictate, because there’s some flexibility in applying the rule. The rule of thirds divides the frame into three parts horizontally and vertically, like a tic-tac-toe board. The points where the dividing lines intersect are the “power points” within the frame. They’re where you should place your subject. The iPhone camera app makes it easy to do this. When you fire it up, touch Options at the top of the screen, then turn the Grid on. Those lines will also help you hold the camera level when you’ve got a horizon in your shot. Speaking of the horizon, place it near either the upper or lower horizontal third line instead of in the middle. Include more sky if the clouds are interesting, more land if that’s where the good stuff is. 26

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2012

If there’s no obvious horizon or clear verticals, like tree trunks, in the frame, try tilting the camera. You don’t want it to look like you goofed, so if you do have strong lines in the frame, tilt the camera enough that it’s obvious that’s what you meant to do.

VARY YOUR VIEWPOINT.

Five feet above the ground isn’t the only place to hold your camera. That’s about how high my eyes are, and most people take pictures from their eye height. For subjects with eyes, such as children, dogs, fish, frogs and salamanders, try photographing them from their eye height instead of yours. I often like to photograph flowers from blossom height, looking sideways into the flower. Not always, because that would get just as boring as always holding the camera at my eye level. Sometimes you’ll want to shoot straight down on a subject or get underneath and shoot up. Try walking around your subject, too. If it’s Mt. Baker that’s going to take you a while, so I’m really talking about smaller things. Turn around and look behind you – you might be surprised by what’s back there.

RELATIONSHIPS MATTER. Many times you’ll want more than one thing in your photo. Especially when photographing a landscape you’ll want to have a solid foreground, a middle and a background. That’s what gives the illusion of depth in a photo and keeps your landscape from looking flat and lifeless. Your main subject can be in any one of those three planes. Frame a distant landscape with nearby trees. Place your best friend near the camera and let the landscape in the background set the scene. Get up close to one or two flowers in an alpine meadow while still including the distant scene. Throw a stone in the pond to make ripples in the foreground. Another part of the relationships business is creating or accentuating lines and shapes. Diagonal lines are strong and powerful. Horizontal lines are restful and relaxing. Circles help hold the eye within the frame. Triangles create strength and stability. Look for these simple geometric shapes and patterns.

LET THERE BE LIGHT. Without light there would

be no photography, but not all light is created equal. You want light that is going to accent texture, shape and form. Look for light coming from the side, or even behind, your subject. When the sun is at your back, high in the sky, everything is illuminated equally. That’s flat and boring. It’s why many professional photographers prefer to work early and late, with a long nap on the mountaintop mid-day to work on their tan. My favorite light is soft, but directional, like we get on days with a high overcast and thin clouds. That works great for close-ups and portraits. When photographing other people you can ask them to move under the edge of something that makes shade so they’re in shadow but light is falling on them from beyond the shade.

TAKE CONTROL OF THE CAMERA. The iPhone’s camera is pretty simple: a fixed focal-length lens (with digital zoom), a fixed aperture and fully automatic exposure. You don’t have much control over the technical aspects. On the 3GS, 4, and 4S models you can tap the screen where you want to focus before you tap the shutter button. A square appears that highlights the focus area. For a little more control, you can download one of several photo apps. The one I like and use is Camera+ from Tap Tap Tap. With Camera+ I can choose both the focus point and the critical exposure point. Often they’re the same, but by moving the exposure point around I can sometimes get a better exposure when there are large light or dark areas in the frame.

favorite iphone photography apps Here are some of my favorite iPhone photography apps, the ones I use regularly. They’re all pretty inexpensive and may be purchased through iTunes or the App Store on your phone. First are some general-purpose apps that get used on almost every photo I share, then there are a handful of special-purpose apps that each do one thing well and get used only occasionally.

GENERAL-PURPOSE APPS Camera+ campl.us

Shooting: Adds the ability to set focus point and exposure point separately; adds continuous light from the iPhone’s LED flash for better exposures blending existing light. Includes stabilizer mode that takes the photo when the camera is steadiest, self-timer with 5, 15, or 30-second delay, and a burst mode that shoots five frames per second (but at only 640 x 480 resolution). Processing: Nice set of effects and frames, scene modes. Clarity button can enhance dull and lifeless images. Pros: Easy to use and understand, intuitive. Cons: Must save and reload an image to run multiple effects on it or to add several frames.

Snapseed snapseed.com

Shooting: No shooting mode, but you can access the native camera app from within Snapseed. Processing: Very sophisticated set of effects, with a great deal of variation within each one. Relatively intuitive to use, but turn on the helpful instructions overlay the first few times since the interface is different than most other apps. Can stack multiple effects in the same editing session. Pros: High-quality image processing, many processing choices, before/after comparison. Cons: Learning curve for the interface.

Iris Photo Suite ventessa.com

Shooting: No shooting mode, post-processing only. Processing: Sophisticated set of basic adjustments and effects, with the ability to draw a mask so effects can be applied selectively. Effects can be stacked in one editing pass. Ability to add text overlays. Has basic layer functionality, but it’s not particularly intuitive how to use that feature. Pros: Masking and fine control over adjustments. Cons: No frames or borders, some adjustments can only be done with a small version of the photo, with most of the screen taken up by the controls.

GO OUT AND PLAY. Be bold and experiment. Be playful. That’s the real joy I find in making images with my iPhone. Remember the basics, but use them as guidelines and not iron-fisted rules. Hold the camera where you eliminate everything that doesn’t belong. Use the rule of thirds to guide subject placement. Look for lines and shapes. Create foreground-middle-background relationships. Watch how the light is playing on your subject. Don’t be afraid to get close, or to ask your human subjects to move into more flattering light. It’s all fun, and with the handy Delete button, you can trash your failures and only share your masterpieces. AFTER THE SHUTTER. Part of the fun of iPhotogra-

phy is processing them with an app to add effects, enhance color or contrast, and add borders or text. All the photos with this article have been processed with apps on the phone. Check the sidebar for some of my favorites that I use regularly.

WHAT ABOUT ANDROID? I drank the iPhone Kool-Aid back in 2008 and haven’t used any of the Android phones. But everything I’ve written here also applies to making photographs with any other camera you might have. The buttons and technical specs may be different, but remember where we started: It’s where you aim the camera that matters most. X Mark Turner is an award-winning photographer based in Bellingham. Visit him at turnerphotographics.com.

PS Express photoshop.com

Shooting: Extra-cost (in-app purchase) noise reduction, self-timer, auto review. Processing: Very good basic adjustment controls. Wide selection of effects and borders, but they’re extra-cost. Pros: Easy to use and understand. Has before / after comparison so you can see how you’ve changed an image. Cons: Many of the effects and borders are an extra-cost purchase, which can be done from within the app after trying it out.

SPECIAL-PURPOSE APPS Autostitch cloudburstresearch.com Purpose: Specialized app to stitch multiple frames into a panorama. Does one thing and does it very well. Settings allow choosing how big a file and how high a quality the finished panorama will be. Will stitch multiple rows of images together for even bigger panoramas. HDR Fusion cogitap.com

Purpose: Specialized app to take two images with different exposures and merge into a single image. Unfortunately, there’s no way to preview the finished image within the app. It simply saves the merged file.

iWatermark plumamazing.com Purpose: Specialized app to add either text or graphic watermarks to photos and save a copy with the watermark. You can create your own personal watermarks. SlowShutter cogitap.com

Purpose: Specialized app to allow slow shutter effects, like moving traffic and blurred waterfalls. A tripod is recommended to use it. Less intuitive than it might be, so read the in-app instructions.

UNDER THE VOLCANO

Northwest Trail c fi ci Pa e th on s ar ye ur Fo IK STORY AND PHOTOS BY ER

BURGE

didn’t find the Pacific Northwest Trail, but thankfully, it found me. It came leaping out of the bushes in the form of a job opening, of all things – education coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Trail Association (PNTA), an adventure-friendly position that brought me far and wide across some of the most definitively epic mountainous terrain in the North Cascades.

During my four-year stint with the PNTA (which ended in 2003), I learned that although the broad, snowy form of Mt. Baker is beautiful to gaze upon from a distance, it’s a real bugger when it comes to re-routing a 1,200-mile national scenic trail to connect the continental divide in the Northern Rockies with the Pacific Ocean. My crews and I wound up spending well over half our billable hours working, camping and reconnoitering within yodeling distance of that steaming, 10,781-foot-tall heap of rock and ice – and, even though most of the infrastructure we helped build is no longer part of the official Pacific Northwest Trail route, I can safely state that not a fraction of the effort we expended was wasted. The glaciated flanks of the second-most active volcano in the lower 48 weren’t always visible from our job sites, but they never stopped impressing us. As explosive and potentially dangerous as Koma Kulshan is, the longer we toiled upon the high, panoramic vistas surrounding it, the more we overlooked its destructive tendencies and accepted it, unconditionally, as our Great White Watcher. A mysterious and gargantuan Great White Watcher, perhaps, but at least a fairly quiet one. The sky up there could get pretty raucous – storm clouds were often gathering and weather conditions were constantly evolving. When it stayed nice, we soaked up the sun and eased ourselves into an idyllic lifestyle that alternated between heavy labor and heavy relaxation. But when it got ugly, we got to clomp through the mud trying to keep each

other enthused about whatever trail improvement project we happened to be working on and hunkered down as best we could. Severe snow-rain-hail squalls frequently showed up out of the blue, and there was always plenty of thunder and lightning popping in completely uninvited. One late evening while I was sitting around a campfire eating dinner with a crew of 24 at-risk high school students up on Canyon Ridge, a lone but suspiciously dark cloud came charging over the hogback behind us and shot a single bolt of lightning into the towering stand of old-growth timber right beside us. Just as the near-simultaneous clap of thunder went pealing into our ears, the crown of a nearby 200-foot-tall hemlock suddenly burst into flame, raining a shower of hot, glowing embers over our heads. Before we could start evacuating, a crushing, gale-force gust came blasting into the chaos, batting the frenzied embers into such a dizzying cyclone of eyebrow-singing sparks that it no longer seemed advisable to remain upright. “We’re going to die!” somebody screamed, as we all dropped unceremoniously to the ground. And then, just like that, it was over. The forest was still on fire right beside us, of course, and nearly every last one of our tarps, group tents and camp chairs had been blown to kingdom come. But at least that nasty black cloud was gone. Having proven their mettle against one of the most powerfully unpredictable atmospheric forces at work in the high country, that same crew of high schoolers were soon confronted by another phenomenon that makes its mark near Mt. Baker – the U.S./Canadian border. We first caught wind that a hiker had gone missing somewhere on Canyon Ridge when a lone Forest Service ranger showed up to help spearhead the search a couple of days after he was reported overdue. Before we knew it, we were combing the slopes above and below the PNT alongside dozens of professional and volunteer members

of Whatcom County Search and Rescue for a thin, brownhaired, bearded fellow carrying a large red backpack and a pair of telescoping hiking poles. Somewhere during the early stages of that tedious search, I overheard one of the volunteers (a middle-aged EMT encased in a resplendent, weather-proof assemblage of GoreTex) ask one of our high school students (clad in a tattered pair of denim dungarees and a hickory shirt riddled with singes and scorched holes) the following question: “Don’t they provide you with anything other than cotton to wear?” “No way!” the girl crowed, beaming with pride as she waded hip-deep through a soaking wet corn lily meadow. “We don’t need fancy fabrics. We’re the trail crew!” Although we didn’t find the missing hiker, toward the end of our third day of searching we received word from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that he’d come staggering out of the Canadian woods onto a remote forest road somewhere along the Chilliwack River and flagged down a logging truck. Apparently, not only was this poor fellow half-starved, badly dehydrated and missing both his poles and his giant red backpack, but he was completely confused about which country he was in. X Erik Burge has been building and maintaining trails in the Pacific Northwest since 1994. The freelance journalist is co-creator of “Bushwacked,” an adventure comic book series. View it at budburgy.com.

PHOTO: DYLAN HART | DYLANHART.COM

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BakerBirchBay.com FALL 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

OUTDOOR GEAR GUIDE

BY PAT GRUBB

There’s never a shortage of outstanding gear for the adventure seeker to covet. We’ve listed the manufacturer’s websites for more information, but we encourage you to support your local retailers. These items can be found at American Alpine Institute, Backcountry Essentials, Fairhaven Bike & Ski, Mountain Equipment Co-op, REI, Sportsman’s Chalet, Yeager’s Sporting Goods and other quality retailers in Washington and British Columbia. Be local, buy local.

THERM-A-REST NEOAIR XLITE MATTRESS Whether it’s a casual campout after a long hike or a climbing trip in the Cascades, you want a backcountry mattress that keeps you warm and confortable. And if that comes in an extra light package, all the better. This NeoAir gets high marks on all three qualities. Three sizes, regular weighs 325 g.

SPECIALIZED DEMO 8 BIKE The guys at Fairhaven Bike and Ski are pretty stoked with this downhill bike. The features are too long to list but highpoints include 200mm of front and rear travel, an M5 alloy FSR frame with eight inches of rear wheel travel, and a Fox Van RC coil shock with adjustable rebound, compression and preload.

CASCADEDESIGNS.COM

SPECIALIZED.COM

PATAGONIA RAIN SHADOW JACKET This jacket not only kept its wearer dry during self-arrest practices, it and a silkweight undershirt was enough to keep him warm on the way to Mt. Baker’s summit. Meant to be one element of your layering system, it has a tear-resistant, lightweight 2.5-layer H2No Performance Standard nylon fabric with a waterproof/breathable barrier and a Deluge water repellent finish. Sealed zippers and seams, microfleece lining on the neck and chin, waterproof handwarmer pockets, and a roll-down, two-way-adjustable helmet-compatible hood round out the feature list. Weighs 362 g.

PATAGONIA.COM

HELLY HANSEN MEN’S ODIN LIGHT SOFTSHELL JACKET (L)

HELLY HANSEN WOMEN’S ODIN TRAVERSE JACKET (R)

This jacket won high praise on a recent Mt. Baker climb. Highly breathable, super stretchy softshell with low bulk. No membrane – just an extra durable double weave, making it super stretchy. The hood accommodates a climbing helmet. Weighs 561 g.

This too got high marks on the Mt. Baker climb. Features breathable three-ply fabric with adjustable cuffs, hemmed bottom and vents to control body heat. Sealed seams and zippers will keep you dry. The hood fits over helmets and has a laminated visor. Weighs 550 g.

HELLYHANSEN.COM

MSR WHISPERLITE UNIVERSAL STOVE This stove received a 2012 Guide’s Choice award from the American Alpine Institute (AAI). Field-tested under harsh conditions on AAI’s Denali West Buttress expeditions, the guides liked how easy it was to switch from one fuel type to another. Even at 17,200 feet, they were able to heat two liters of water for hot drinks within 10 minutes. The stove can use white gas, kerosene or unleaded gasoline. Weighs 549 g.

CASCADEDESIGNS.COM

LIFE ON THE FARM

BY MOLLY BAKER

An encounter with Skagit farmland results in a lifelong love

y discovery of Washington’s mountains was unavoidable. As a skier, it was inevitable that I would someday find the ski gems tucked into the North Cascades – Mt. Baker, Stevens Pass and surrounding backcountry areas, to name a few. The farmland, the state’s bread-winning landscape, was another matter. The upper and lower Skagit Valley – I would have never known these places, even in years of calling Washington home. But in my relocation from Utah to Washington just five years ago, I moved onto a farm. And that’s where I fell in love with the Evergreen State. Wistful nostalgia is the best way to describe my feelings of that summer. A midsummer night’s dream – youthful, pastoral, simple – it was a life depicted in paintings, seen in magazines, hoped for in dreams. My farm life may not have been a completely authentic experience, like a glimpse into a Dorothea Lange image, but more of a short detour into another life. I just skimmed the surface of what it means to live and work on a farm, but the crumbs of the real experience were nothing less than enchanting. They’re some of the best memories I have of Washington. Just outside of Concrete on Highway 20 is Rockport, a small upper Skagit Valley organic farming mecca. Just beyond the Skagit River on a tiny garlic farm, I found a living space above a barn. Then I discovered a job at Cascadian Farms, a 28-acre berryproducing property that is now the face of all Cascadian Farm products. Every package with a Cascadian Farm logo depicts the green, lush strawberry rows growing into a cartoon depiction of the nearby Cascade peaks. I gazed at that backdrop every day, and that picturesque setting was the tipping point toward my move. I couldn’t turn down that kind of office view.

So, just weeks after leaving my friends, my job and the mountains of Utah, I found myself living in Rockport, riding my bike to Cascadian Farms, hiking the surrounding mountains after work, and surviving off a healthy diet of local fruits, and vegetables. It was fairy-tale-charming. I lined the walls of my miniature space with books I’ve collected over the years and laid journals, sketchbooks and doodle pads out on the table. I dreamed of what I wanted to do in my future – learn Spanish, do a backflip on skis, play the mandolin – and recorded everything I was doing in the present. I worked long days, got off just in time to enjoy a few hours of sunlight, and then snuggled into the cozy barn with a book at night. The mountains have always given me a challenge, but this landscape gave me a resting place. My friends thought I was crazy. Weeks would pass with no communication for lack of cell phone service and time. In their minds, I dropped off the face of the earth. In mine, I had just found salvation. The farm was a rescue from the crowded streets of Salt Lake City, the smog of the city and the hot, dry deserts of Utah. That summer, only two friends came to visit. The others missed out on the fresh veggies, abundant water, friendly horses, yoga in the neighbors’ barn, the ingredients of flawless farm dwelling. Aside from these frilly benefits, farming requires hard work, something I’ve always tricked myself into believing I was doing in the mountains. The people I met and worked alongside in the Upper Skagit earned nothing short of my total respect. Up early and to bed late, they are the reasons we enjoy strawberries in the summer, apples in the fall, and dream of blueberries in the winter. I often wonder if I’ll have the opportunity to do it again. Cur-

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rently, I can barely call one place home, as I am traveling most of the year. The flights, taxis, buses and skiing has transported me to some of the world’s most beautiful places, but serenity is often trumped by a schedule. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know there is a place for unadorned enjoyment, where the taste of the berries is worth anything you can buy and just as lovely as many places you can travel. I know there is Washington. And there is a barn in a field near a river that is a picture-book perfect place to live. X

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ANCIENT FOOTSTEPS

trove Massive landslide reveals ints of fossilized plants, footpr MY SCHWARTZ

RE STORY AND PHOTOS BY JE

aturated soil squishes underfoot as I trudge through an alien but strangely familiar landscape near Kendall. Though the sky is blue with nary a white blemish of cloud to be seen, water still drips from the tips of the broadleaf plants and palm fronds surrounding me.

Birds flit from tree to tree as I make my way through the underbrush, headed for a slowly running stream about 10 feet ahead. The leaves thin as the stream gets closer. And then I see it. Its massive beak and feet are first to break through the shimmering green curtain of leaves lining the stream bank. It plants its two muscular, scaly legs firmly in the fine sand of the stream before it dips its feathery neck to drink. A gentle breeze ruffles a body full of feathers so black they border on deep purple. Satisfied with its drink, it lifts its head and stands to its full 8 feet in height. We lock eyes and freeze as we become aware of each other’s presence, neither one willing to turn tail and run just yet. Had I been around roughly 50 million years ago, this is what I could have seen in the Mt. Baker foothills. The creature with the jet black feathers and massive beak is called Diatryma, and the giant, flightless bird was just one of numerous species, now extinct, that once called this area home. Now all that remains of this ancient ecosystem are footprints in bare rock and the imprints of tropical leaves long since decayed. All would have been invisible had it not been for an immense landslide that has given anyone willing to get a little dirty a chance to look back in time. The landslide happened in January 2009 just south of Kendall, after the area experienced heavier than average snowfall, said George Mustoe, a research technologist at Western Washington University (WWU). The slide dumped tons of material, including rock, soil and vegetation, into Racehorse Creek and left an 90-foot cliff where the underlying layers of rock are visible. In the case of this landslide, water saturating the soil underneath the layers of sandstone made the soil particles buoyant, so they were effectively floating in tiny air bubbles, Mustoe explained. This reduced the grip the soil had on

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2012

the underlying bedrock and, once the soil had absorbed enough water, forced the soil to slip and finally slide. Mustoe said the high-risk conditions for slides are steep slopes, thin soil and steep bedrock, all of which were present in this area at the time of the slide. “The Racehorse Creek slide area is perfect for that,” Mustoe said. Mustoe was kind enough to take a day from his summer vacation from WWU and show me the hundreds of fossilized leaves and animal tracks in the underlying sandstone revealed by the slide. The ride there took about an hour from Bellingham, most of which involved driving over gravel logging roads that are often traversed by massive logging trucks. An hour’s drive from Bellingham took us as far as we could go on gravel logging roads. Then, after another 45 minutes of scrambling over crumbly sandstone and stepping precariously from fallen log to fallen log, we made it to the top of a ridge that faces directly toward the main slide area. Mustoe’s wiry frame easily traversed terrain he had clearly visited many times, while I did my best to keep up. Fossilized imprints of large palm fronds and smaller tropical broad-leafed plants were visible almost everywhere, but what really piqued my interest were the fossilized animal tracks. Mustoe pointed out numerous small shorebird prints, including an ancient heron or two, but was most excited about the large, thick-toed Diatryma tracks. Mustoe and a team of volunteers were able to airlift an incredibly well preserved Diatryma print from the area in 2010, but numerous tracks can still be found in the area if you know where to look. Mustoe suggested first trying to find the deep heel print of the giant bird, than looking for three toe prints radiating out from that. “Almost every time we’ve been here, we’ve found tracks we hadn’t seen before,” Mustoe said.

About halfway through the trip, as Mustoe and I were heading back up one of the talus fields caused by the slide, I asked him if ever thought what placing his hand in any one of these fossil tracks meant. That he was, in 2012, placing his hand where an animal that lived 50 million years ago once stepped. His answer? “Of course I do. I think about that all the time,” he said. “That’s what interests me about this.”

HOW TO GET THERE: Drive east on State Route 524 (Mt. Baker Highway) and turn right on Mosquito Lake Road. Look for the bridge over the Nooksack River. Immediately after the bridge, take a left on North Fork Road. Keep following this road as it turns into a gravel forest road, then take a right just before the bridge over Racehorse Creek. On this road, look for the first major left turn after passing a trailhead on the left. The left will be about five miles after the turn off of Mosquito Lake Road. After this turn, the road winds upward in switchbacks until it comes to an end in an area that has been clear cut. Find the trailhead leading up the slope to the top of the ridge overlooking the main slide area by scrambling over a few ditches in a row that have been dug in the forest service road. The trail entrance is a small cut in the surrounding foliage. For information on the slide area and how to get there, visit nwgeology.wordpress.com/the-fieldtrips/the-chuckanut-formation/field-trip-to-the-2009-racehorse-creekrock-slide. X Jeremy Schwartz is a 25-year-old writer who enjoys most anything prehistoric, especially if it has to do with dinosaurs.

WAKE ‘N BAKERY Glacier restaurant expands menu

y friend Vic chuckles as he remembers his first visit to Wake ‘n Bakery. He’s a husky 6'4" and looks more than a little like Paul Bunyan. “My daughter and I were heading up to ski for the day when we stopped in for a mocha. Court Andersen, owner, baker and barista, sized me up right away: ‘Sir, I can see that you want whipped cream on yours, but what about the lady?’” The Wake ‘n Bakery aims to please and has become a favorite stop for skiers and boarders trying to keep awake on the way to and from the slopes at Mt. Baker. Court and his wife Rebecca opened the

establishment in 2004 in a portion of the Glacier ski shop building. The original location had no kitchen, so Andersen would get up at 3 a.m. to bake the goodies across the street at Graham’s restaurant. A couple of years ago, Wake ‘n Bakery moved into a brand new building that featured an actual kitchen and seating space where patrons could relax and enjoy coffee and a light meal. The move off of the main highway to the space behind Milano’s and across the street from the Mt. Baker Snowboard Shop was a bit scary as they weren’t sure that people passing by would see the restaurant. Not

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a problem! The breakfast burritos – brimming with eggs, potato, cheese, yam and roasted garlic or chipotle cilantro walnut pesto – have been a hit. Quiche and wraps are also available for a lunch. Andersen’s real passion is for the sweet treats though. In addition to selling scones, a variety of cookies and other delightful baked goods, Wake ‘n Bakery provides desserts for other restaurants in the area. Visit Wake ‘n Bakery at 6903 Bourne Street in Glacier. For more information, call 360/599-1658. X — Sue Madsen

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VAUX’S SWIFTS

ating birds in sc fa e es th of e ps im gl Get a rare

PHOTO COU RTESY OF PA WS

BY SUE MADSEN

ack in the summer of 2009 a friend put me in touch with Larry Schwitters, who was looking for help counting roosting Vaux’s swifts. Schwitters was delighted to hear I lived near Sedro-Woolley, as there was a site nearby he suspected had birds. There was a catch though. “Do you mind counting on your own each evening?” Schwitters asked. “Not at all,” I said, confident I could recruit friends to help. “Good,” Schwitters said, “but this site is a bit odd – it’s located on the grounds of Old Northern State Hospital (ONSH), a former state insane asylum dating from the 1930s.” Not a problem, I said bravely. “Ah, but there’s one more thing,” Schwitters said. “The best place to park is in the old cemetery. Don’t go alone.” A bit creepy I thought, but what the heck? The whole project sounded intriguing, so off I went. That first year there wasn’t much action – I saw 400 birds enter the chimney one night, but it turns out a door at the bottom of the stack was open, and the birds apparently don’t like a draft. I did have some wonderfully weird encoun-

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2012

ters though, like the group of high school students filming a zombie movie, or the folks from Boo! Paranormal who were camped in the cemetery looking for ghosts. More common were the silent silhouettes of owls that provided a ghostly escort back to the truck. That winter I asked the maintenance crew if they could put the door back on, and they obliged. What a difference! When the next roosting season rolled around I took a pal out the first night and we waited expectantly. Swifts arrived at the roost site as dusk fell and began circling the chimney. About 10 minutes before sunset they started diving in – 10, 20, 100, 1,000. After the last bird ducked in I asked my friend how many birds he’d tallied. “I’m not sure I was doing it right,” Jim said. “There can’t possibly have been 6,000, can there?” My count was 5,870, and I felt grand that we’d come within 10 percent of each other. Since that first stunning autumn the birds keep coming. In 2011 the chimney at ONSH regularly hosted over 10,000 birds each night in early September. The Vaux’s Happening website (vauxhappening.org) is a great source of information on these fascinating creatures. Vaux’s (pronounced VAWKsiz) swifts are small, cigar shaped birds that look much like swallows, but are actually more closely related to hummingbirds. Their tiny feet are constructed so that they can cling, but not perch. Swifts catch insects on the wing, each one consuming up to 20,000 mosquitoes a day. Vaux’s swifts spend their summers (breeding season) in forests along the coast from northern California to southwest Alaska, flying south to central America in the winter. They are listed as a priority species in Washington. Swifts prefer to nest in hollow, broken-off trees, which need to be large enough for them to fly inside. Big, dead trees are becoming more and more difficult to find, and thus the birds began to use chimneys as communal roost sites during their spring and fall migration. But good old-fashioned brick chimneys are no longer used in new construction, and the existing ones are being torn down or sealed, producing a serious nest site shortage. The project was initiated in Monroe by Schwitters in 2008 in cooperation with the Pilchuck Audubon Society, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), the Monroe school district and the Washington state online birding list “Tweeters.” In 2009 the project was expanded, adding sites in British Columbia, California, Montana and Idaho. The goal was to identify active roost sites, observe each site on the same night each week to develop a minimum total population estimate and to deter-

mine if roost sites are used at other times of the year. On a typical evening the birds begin circling the roost site an hour or so before sunset, chirping sweetly and slowly, entering singly or in small groups. About 15 minutes before sunset the real fun begins – swifts start entering in a steady stream, looking for all the world like a reverse tornado.

Vaux’s swifts are small, cigar shaped birds that look much like swallows, but are actually more closely related to hummingbirds.

There are several sites in the Mt. Baker area to see swifts. The easiest way to view them at the ONSH chimney is from the Northern State Recreation Area in Sedro-Woolley. The main parking lot is located on the west (left) side of Helmick Road about a half-mile north of Highway 20 just outside of Sedro-Woolley. Follow the gravel path up toward the old barns on the low bluff to the right of the parking area. Stay west of the barns and follow the gravel trail for about another quarter-mile to a picnic shelter. You’ll need binoculars and a spotting scope for this site – look to the west to see the chimney. Braver souls can shorten the trip by parking at the old cemetery (first left past the main park entrance), then heading west through the old barn complex before joining the main gravel path. An alternative for those who want to get a bit closer is on the grounds of ONSH itself. The area is currently owned by the state, and houses the Cascades Job Corps. It is a closed campus, so visitors must stop and ask permission to enter at the checkpoint. There are several other sites in our area where swifts are occasionally seen. The Old Customs House in Sumas, located on the corner of Boundary Street and Sumas Avenue, is a classic, and the oldest historic roosting site in Washington. Swift comings and goings at the customs house can be observed from both sides of the border here. Further afield, swift watching festivals are held at the Wagner Schoolhouse in Monroe and the Chapman School in Portland, Oregon each September. For more information about Vaux’s Happening and local viewing sites, contact larry@schwitters.org; Joe Meche, North Cascades Audubon Society, president@northcascades audubon.org; or Tim Manns, Skagit Audubon Society, bctm@fidalgo.net. X Sue Madsen is a fluvial geomorphologist who likes to climb, ski, backpack, sea kayak and scuba dive.

EAST 542 MUSIC FESTIVAL Country music comes to Mt. Baker Highway

east 542 festival schedule THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13: Early entry on Thursday at noon for an extra $10 entry fee

AARON PRITCHETT

he East 542 Music Festival is set to be Washington’s country music party of the summer. The festival, in its first year, will bring some of the biggest names to the Deming Logging Show grounds on September 14 and 15. East 542 will be pure country music with a beer garden, BBQ pit, and yes, mechanical bulls, monster trucks, pole climbers, and a meetn-greet with Bellingham’s Roller Betties. Capacity is 4,000 people for the event, and with artists such as Lonestar, Sawyer Brown, Dr. Hook, Crystal Shwanda, Juice Newton and Aaron Pritchett, it will be one of the biggest music events to hit this area.

“We want to be the music festival that everyone puts on their calendar,” said Canadian-American country singer Billie Jo Bryce, who has opened for acts such as Loretta Lynn, Brad Paisley and Tim McGraw, and will also be performing during the festival. As marketing director for East 542, she is ensuring it will be a true-to-form country music festival. Reserved seating and camping will be available – tickets can be purchased online, which helps avoid lineups at the gate. Vendors, concessions and event merchandise will be inside the grounds. A general store by the campground will have essential supplies. The after-hours party runs 11:30 p.m. through 1:30 a.m., and the first 300 to buy tickets will get in. The opening performer is Lynden native Rachele Lynae. The rising star is currently on a summer radio tour around the country and will preview her new album at East 542 with her hit single “Party ‘Til The Cows Come Home.” “I’m a country rocker at heart,” Lynae said. “I was raised with country music.” Lynae said her performance at East 542 is a very important homecoming. She is excited to perform for everyone who supported her when she was still working on her dream in Lynden.

Don Adams, also managing East 542, explains the festival’s partnership with the Whatcom community is the hidden foundation to the festival. Proceeds from the $5 pancake breakfast, the monster truck show and the after-hours cover charge will go to the Summit To Sound Search & Rescue, the local girls’ basketball and junior basketball teams and the Bellingham Little League. In turn these organizations will provide a hand in flipping pancakes, working at the BBQ pit and helping out with festival security. There will also be a drop-off at the entrance for guests to bring nonperishable food items to be donated to the local food bank. East 542 is scheduled to be an annual event for the next five years, so it was important to develop a strong relationship with the local community, Bryce said. “I’m looking forward to seeing everybody come together,” Bryce said. “There’s nothing better than that feeling where all of a sudden you start to see the line of cars coming in. Then, as I like to say, ‘It’s on.’” For more information, visit 542musicfest.com or call Adams at 604/564-3667 or Bryce at 604/4188062. X — Kelly Sullivan

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ADVENTURE CASCADES Local raft company lets customers choose their adventure

dventure Cascades, a new rafting company based out of Bellingham, is offering outings on Northwest rivers that let customers choose their own adventure. The company offers extended day trips, float trips on the lower Nooksack River, one- and two-day whitewater rafting on the Sauk and Suiattle River, and will feature eagle floats on the Nooksack and Skagit rivers this winter. They’ve recently partnered with Challenger Ridge Winery for trips on the Skagit River. Adventure Cascades tailors the adventure to the customer’s desires, whether it’s a raft trip with a side hike, an interpretive trip rich in history and geology, or a trip with a gourmet lunch catering to dietary preferences. Owned by Luke Baugh, Brian Pernick and Sarah Pernick, Adventure Cascades is the culmination of a lifelong dream. Brian is an ACA-certified whitewater kayaking instructor and raft guide, while his sister Sarah is a guide and the brains behind the operation. Raised in the Detroit area, Brian and Sarah’s love for water adventure began when their parents put them on a raft at ages 5 and 7, and let them float solo down the river. Luke is a yoga instructor and has plans to combine yoga with rafting. All their guides are passionate about the environment, passionate about sharing their love of the sport with others, and all have at least eight years of experience – Brian’s girlfriend, Katie Higgins, is an emergency room nurse who previously guided on the Gauley River in West Virginia and numerous rivers in California. Adventure Cascades specializes in designing custom river adventures for small groups, but can work with groups of up to 30 people. For more information on a raft adventure or kayak instruction, visit adventurecascades.com or call 360/510-1243. X

CAFÉ 542 Café 542 brings fresh and organic to Maple Falls

hen people find a good thing, word travels fast. Open since May, Café 542 has a steady stream of customers, with an even mix of locals and tourists who all come in for fresh, local food. With nearly everything in the kitchen made from scratch, Café 542, owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Serafino and Trish Gesmundo, is a local food-lover’s dream. The squash comes from the community garden in Maple Falls, the organic blueberries from local farmers. Tony’s Ganesha Espresso is the coffee of choice, and Serafino smokes his own fish and slow cooks his own pulled pork and corned beef. The salsa is made fresh daily, and Trish’s delicious baked goods include the popular pumpkin muffins, zucchini and banana bread, gluten-free options and coconut macaroons. The specials change daily, but breakfast often includes stuffed English muffins with eggs and smoked chorizo, corned beef hash, and raspberry, blueberry or blackberry pancakes with eggs and bacon. Lunch often includes jerk chicken, lamb gyro wraps, creole smoked pork, carnitas, panini sandwiches and soup. They serve fresh-squeezed lemonade, espresso drinks, and have a juice bar with selections such as Skagit Valley Strawberry Smoothie. Originally from Michigan, Serafino and Trish have lived in Mt. Baker area for the past five years. Although a realtor by trade, Trish grew up in the restaurant business, and Serafino has a background in construction management, sales and marketing. Owning a restaurant is a logical choice for the duo, who are partners in life and business. Their goal is to provide wholesome, fresh food to the community, just as their family (which includes 4-year-old Kaia and 6-year-old Canyon) would eat. “We want to feed people like we feed our children,” Trish said. Trish and Serafino move with ease in the small restaurant, cooking, serving, chatting with customers and creating a welcoming atmosphere for all. The café seats 12 inside and about 24 outside. They plan to open a heated outside area with a fire pit soon. Aside from its food service roots, the café serves as something of a community hub. Local artist Elise Waldman runs an arts and crafts class for kids from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Thursdays, and Trish and Serafino are putting together a multiage soccer coop. A box of Legos sits outside, ready to entertain the many kids that stop by with their parents. Café 542 is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and plans are in the works to add dinner service. It is located on the way to Mt. Baker at 7466 Mt. Baker Highway, Maple Falls. For more information, call 360/599-1347. X

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2012

ACME DINER Restaurant reopens with a new look

small diner on Highway 9, south of the Mt. Baker Highway, has reopened for business. The inside of Acme Diner is light and cheery with bright red booths and prints of 1950s movie stars and cars hanging on the yellow walls. A neon jukebox sits adjacent to the large glass ice cream freezer, next to the red counter where customers can sit on barstools to eat. The 1950s décor and bright coloring is a transformation for this family-owned restaurant. Formerly known as Acme Café, the Acme Diner serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Frances Eustis opened the diner in May. “My goal is to serve hearty diner food while using local produce,” Eustis said. The restaurant sources locally, including produce from Moondance Farm, Acme Ice Cream, beer from Boundary Bay Brewery and other local craft brewers and Washington wines. The menu includes soups made from scratch, hand-cut fries and burgers made to order with handground meat. The breakfast menu includes omelets and scrambles, which are served all day. Pizza will soon be on the menu, Eustis said,

adding that the menu is continually being altered based on what customers like. Acme Diner is located at 2045 Valley Highway in Acme and is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday For more information, visit acme-diner.com or call 360/595-0150. X — Anna Atkinson

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FALL 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

EVENTS SKAGIT RIVER SALMON FESTIVAL: Celebrate the beautiful Skagit River with a free day of fun and educational activities, September 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Edgewater Park in Mount Vernon. Browse the recreational and educational boots, enjoy live music, participate in youth activities and crafts and appreciate the offerings of local artists and artisans. For more information, visit skagitriverfest.org.

around the mt. baker region

SEPTEMBER THIRD ANNUAL MAPLE FALLS CAR SHOW: September 1, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., downtown Maple Falls. Cars, trucks and motorcycles. Info: 800/709-7669 or mtbakercarshow.com. LUMMI ISLAND ARTISTS’ STUDIO TOUR: September 1 and 2, view 25+ artists’ work. Info: lummi-island.com. FARM TUNES AT BELLEWOOD ACRES: September 7, 6 to 9 p.m., BelleWood Acres, Lynden. Info: bellewoodfarms.com.

PHOTO: TIM CHANDONNET

PTARMIGAN RIDGE TO CAMP KISER HIKE: September 8. Moderate pace. Info: Jo Weldon, weldondonjo@aol.com. TREK DIRT SERIES MOUNTAIN BIKE CAMP: September 8 and 9, Whistler, B.C. Info: dirtseries.com. FAIRHAVEN RUNNERS WATERFRONT 15K: September 8, 8:30 a.m., Fairhaven Village Green. Info: cob.org/races. FESTIVAL 542: Though the weekend-long festival will include events September 8 and 9, the marquee event is the Mt. Baker Hill Climb on Sunday morning. Competitive and recreational bicyclists ride along Highway 542 from milepost 33 up to Artist’s Point, a 24.5-mile route climbing 4,300 feet. The highway will be closed to vehicles at milepost 35 on Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to noon. Events Saturday include Cross 542, a cyclocross race winding through the Black Mountain Forestry museum, Run 542, an 8.5-mile trail run or walk through the Mount Baker Ski Area, and Eat 542, an evening in Glacier featuring live music, awards from the day’s events and great food. Sunday’s ride will include a Poker Ride to support Womencare Shelter, plein air art stations along the route and live music during and after the Hill Climb. For more information and registration details, visit festival542.com.

WHATCOM COUNTY FARM TOUR: September 8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Self-guided. Info: 360/647-7093. FARM TUNES AT BELLEWOOD ACRES: September 14, 6 to 9 p.m., BelleWood Acres, Lynden. Info: bellewoodfarms.com. EAST 542 MUSIC FESTIVAL: September 14 to 15. Ten artists, food vendors, beer garden, monster truck show and more. Info: 542musicfest.com

OCTOBER DIRTY FARM TREK: October 6, 2 p.m. 10K and 5K obstacle course through mud. Also 1K kid’s mini-race. Deming Logging Show. Info: vzfoundation.org. NOOKSACK RIVER SLALOM DOWNRIVER RACE: Saturday, October 6, Nooksack River, Glacier. Info: washingtonkayak club.org. SKAGIT VALLEY FESTIVAL OF FAMILY FARMS: October 6 to 7. Info: festivaloffamilyfarms.com. WHATCOM ARTIST STUDIO TOUR: October 6 to 7 and 13 to 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Self-guided event. Info: studiotour.net. WILD MUSHROOM GATHERING AND PREPARATION: October 12 to 14. Info: ncascades.org.

BELLINGHAM TRAVERSE: September 15, multi-sport event. Participate solo, tandem or as a team. Benefits Kulshan Community Land Trust. Info: bellinghamtraverse.com.

KLICKS MOUNTAIN BIKE DUATHLON: October 14, 11 a.m., Lake Padden Park. Info: cob.org/races.

INNOVATIVE FITNESS CANUCK PLACE ADVENTURE CHALLENGE: September 16, Cultus Lake, B.C. Kayak, bike, and hike. Info: adventurechallenge.ca.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | FALL 2012

MOUNT BAKER VOLCANO EXCURSION: September 30, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Ptarmigan Ridge Trail, Mt. Baker. Learn about the explosive geologic history of Mt. Baker. Info: ncascades.org.

BELLINGHAM PADDLE FOR FOOD RELAY: October 13, 9:30 a.m., Lake Padden Park. Info: 360/739-2257.

CASCADE PASS HIKE: September 16, 8 a.m. 7.5 miles, moderate, 1,800-foot elevation gain. Info: mountbakerclub.org.

SOURDOUGH SPEAKER SERIES WITH JILL LIGHTNER: September 29 and 30. Editor of “Edible Seattle” will talk about the Puget Sound’s food revolution. Info: ncascades.org.

DIABLO DOWNTIME: September 14 to 16. Tranquil getaway in the North Cascades. Info: ncascades.org., 360/854-2599.

6TH ANNUAL 7 SUMMITS BIKE AND HIKE CHALLENGE: September 15, 7:30 a.m., Hike and bike to seven summits in one day, 56K. Info: 7summitsbikeandhike.org.

MUDS TO SUDS: Sponsored by the same group that brings you Ski to Sea, the Muds to Suds race on September 23 will be a down and dirty good time. The 3-mile course includes 17+ spectator-friendly obstacles. Costumes are encouraged, and prizes will be awarded for creativity. Children’s activities and a kids-only race at 1:15 p.m. make the event fun for the whole family. After the race, rinse off with the help of a Ferndale Fire Department fire truck and warm up with a bonfire and a treat from food vendors or the beer garden. Waves take off starting at 11 a.m. in Ferndale’s Hovander Park. For more info and registration details, go to mudstosuds.com.

SOUTH FORK NOOKSACK RIVER CANOE CLEAN-UP: September 29, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Info: n-sea.org.

KOMO KULSHAN SKI AND SNOWBOARD SWAP/SALE: October 19 to 20, Bellingham. Info: 360/303-3865. VANCOUVER SNOW SHOW: October 26 to 27, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Info: canwestproductions.com/Snow---Vancouver. MOUNT BAKER MUSHROOM EXCURSION: October 27, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Info: ncascades.org. LUTHERWOOD TRAIL RUN: October 28, 9 a.m. 5K and 10K trail run, brunch after race. Info: camplutherwood.org.

OYSTER DOME HIKE: September 16. Sponsored by Mount Baker Club. Info: mountbakerclub.org.

NOVEMBER

CHUCKANUT CENTURY BICYCLE RIDE: September 16, 7 a.m. Boundary Bay Brewery. Info: chuckanutcentury.org.

SOURDOUGH SPEAKER SERIES WITH DR. LORRAINE MCCONAGHY: November 3 and 4. Washington state from its early days. Info: ncascades.org.

SAN JUAN ISLAND QUEST: September 22, Orcas Island. Sea kayak, trail run, bike, trek, navigate. Go solo or join teams. Info: sanjuanislandquest.com. SKAGIT RIVER SLALOM DOWNRIVER RACE: September 22, Skagit River, Newhalem. Info: washingtonkayakclub.org. OYSTER RUN: September 23, Anacortes. The largest motorcycle run of the Pacific Northwest. Info: oysterrun.org.

WARREN MILLER’S FLOW STATE: November 8, 7:30 p.m. Insane mountains, inspired filmmaking, and astounding athletes at Mt. Baker Theater. Info: mountbakertheatre.com. Tickets also available at Sportsman Chalet and Fairhaven Bike & Ski. LUMMI ISLAND ARTISTS’ STUDIO TOUR: November 10 and 11, view 25+ artists’ work at 15 locations. Info: 360/758-7121 or lummi-island.com.

PHOTO: JON BRUNK PHOTOGRAPHY

MOUNTBAKER EXPERIENCE.COM

VISIT GLACIER!

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FALL 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

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