Adventures NW Fall 2013

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Alyson Indrunas is counting down the days until she can return to the Olympics. She’d like to thank Tami Garrard for capturing the many lovely pictures featured in her article. In this photo, she laughs at the largest marmot she has ever seen as he quakes with rage and shows his teeth.

After moving to Bellingham in 1998, Lanny Little literally paint-ed the town. The Old Town, Vil-lage Green and Carnegie Library

murals, to name a few. Since then he has transitioned into painting urban and northwest landscapes in acryl-ics on canvas. Lanny is represented by the Lucia Douglas Gallery in Fairhaven and the Matzke Fine Art Gallery on Camano Island.

Christian Martin is a freelance writer based in Belling-ham. He is the co-author of a book on the North Cas-cades to be published by Mountaineers Books in 2014 and works as communications coordinator for North Cascades Institute. He enjoys hiking, sea kayaking, hot springing, cooking, gardening and making the annual pilgrimage to the Burning Man festival in Nevada. More at moontrolling.com

Dave Mauro is a longtime resident of Bellingham and father of two. He works as a Financial Planner at UBS, and often performs improv at the Upfront Theatre. More than adventure itself, Dave loves to share the experiences of adventure through his blogs and published works. He has stood atop the highest points of all seven continents.

Dale McKinnon is a sometimes inappropriate gramma living in Bellingham. She learned to row at 57, and proceeded to solo row the length of the Inside Passage over two summers. She usually mean-ders through the San Juans and Gulf Islands in one of her boats, often with no particular destination.

David Moskowitz, a profession-al wildlife tracker, photographer,

outdoor educator, and avid mountaineer, has contrib-uted to wildlife studies in the Pacific Northwest and in the Canadian and U.S. Rocky Mountains. He is the author of Wolves in the Land of Salmon and Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest, both from Timber Press.

Aaron Theisen hikes, bikes and runs across the Inland Northwest as a freelance writer and photographer. He is currently writing Day Hiking Mt. St. Helens with Craig Ro-mano. Aaron wrote about snowshoeing in the Methow Valley for the Winter 2013 issue of Adventures NW.

Floris van Breugel is a part-time nature photographer and full-time PhD student at Caltech and

the University of Washington, studying the neurobiol-ogy of behavior in fruit flies. In both careers, he strives to marry art and science to give rise to creative visions. Visit his website at artinnaturephotography.com

CONTRIBUTORS FALL | 2013Volume 8. Issue 3

A Look Ahead:

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Snowshoeing Mount Rainier

Seeking Silence

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INSPIRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE

Phot

o by

John

D’O

nofri

o

COVERHigh Pass Photo by Brett Baunton

Reaching the SkyFrom Bellingham to Mount Everest Dave Mauro 10Autumn on Two WheelsMountain Biking the Methow Valley Aaron Theisen 16The Pursuit of EcstasyBest Hikes Around Mount Baker John D’Onofrio 20Autumn in the North CascadesFall Colors, Sweet Dreams Floris van Breugel 26The Rewilding of the North CascadesThe Return of Wolves and Grizzlies Christian Martin 28Kaleidoscope of GreenA Walk in Olympic National Park Alyson Indrunas 32Welcome to the Bone PileChanging Times on Barter Island Dale McKinnon 36

“Man must feel the earth to know himself and recognize his values... God made life simple. It is man who complicates it. ”

- Charles A Lindbergh

Out & About 9eARTh: The Art of Nature 40Cascadia Gear 41Race | Play | Experience Calendar 42Advertiser Index 49 Next Adventure 50

DESTINATIONS

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The Secret Of Success Is Not

So Much Talent As It Is

Determination.

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FALL | 2013Volume 8. Issue 3

ADVENTURES NW

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> FIND Adventures NW is available free at hundreds of locations region-wide: throughout Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, and Island counties, at select spots in Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties, and in Leavenworth, the Methow Valley, Spokane, and Wenatchee. The magazine is also available at all REI locations in Washington and Oregon as well as at numerous locations in the Vancouver, BC metro area and through races and events and at area visitor centers.

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ConnectivityI’ve been thinking a lot lately about connectivity. It seems clear that many of the issues that we face - both

as individuals and as part of the collective - can be traced back to isolation, a lack of connectivity. All too often, we are cut off from each other, divided by our religions, ethnicity, cultural ‘tribe’ or political beliefs. And increasingly, we are cut off from the natural world (which is re-ally another way of saying that we are cut off from ourselves).

The remedy then, is connectivity. Connecting with each other, the natural world, our diverse cul-ture, ourselves. In the face of so many challenges, we can find strength and inspiration (and the power to enact change) in numbers. Margaret Mead’s famous quote is certainly true: “Never believe that a few car-ing people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.” But another thing that she said really strikes me: “Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.”

We take pride in our uniqueness, but need to learn some-thing about coming together. And connecting to Mother Earth.

You’ll find lots of inspiration in this issue, as we focus on the magnificent North Cascades. Hikes that transport you to life-affirming vistas, chances to reconnect with apex predators once given up for dead, bike rides that will transport you to sublime heights. And the adventure doesn’t stop there. Cross the Olympics, visit the Arctic coast, and ascend Mount Everest. Powerful connections.

And speaking of connectivity, Adventures NW is partnering with some of our commu-nity’s shining lights this autumn to bring the spirit of adventure to the City of Subdued Excitement.

We’ve partnered with the Whatcom Museum to present Illuminations, a photo-

graphic celebration of the art of nature, as part of the Whatcom Museum’s “Brown Bag” series at 12:30 p.m. on September 6 in the rotunda of the old museum.

In conjunction with Bridget Collins House, we’re presenting a multi-media presentation by Dave Mauro (author of Reaching the Sky: From Bellingham to Everest in this issue) on September 10 at 7:30 p.m. at Backcountry Essentials in Bellingham. We’ll also be hosting a reception and screening of an amazing new film, Antarctica: A Year on Ice at the Pickford Film Center on October 16, featuring the film’s director Anthony Powell.

Finally, on November 21 at 7 p.m. we’ll be pre-senting North to the Yukon: Into the Tombstone Range at the Whatcom Museum as part of the City of

Bellingham’s travelogue series.As all of us who live here know, autumn is prime time in

the Pacific Northwest. So get out there and make your own con-nections - to kindred spirits, to this amazing landscape, to the adventurous spirit that dwells within!

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race | play | experience 9 >>> Go to to read ANW stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.

&Out AboutVanishing Ice at the Whatcom Museum

At this point, climate change is un-doubtedly the elephant in the room. It has become impossible to ignore, and the implications make the rest of our global troubles pale in comparison. To highlight this cataclysmically important issue, the Whatcom Museum will be presenting Vanishing Ice, a ground-breaking exhibi-tion of art from around the globe starting November 2 at the Lightcatcher in down-town Bellingham.

Presented by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Vanishing Ice makes a powerful case for the urgency of global warming and features the work of pho-tographers Ansel Adams, Frank Hurley (photographer on Shackleton’s Endurance adventure), and David Breashears, along with scores of other artists in a variety of mediums.

The show’s curator, Barbara Matilsky explains why Vanishing Ice is important. “The exhibition offers another perspective by providing visitors an opportunity to experience the majesty of sublime land-

scapes that have inspired artists, writers, and naturalists for more than two hun-dred years. Interweaving science, history and art, and highlighting their historical interrelationships, the exhibition encour-ages audiences to value the preservation of alpine and polar environments for the

well-being of both nature and culture.”Vanishing Ice will be at the

Lightcatcher until March.

Waterfront 15K Celebrates CascadiaBellingham has no shortage of op-

portunities to enjoy our spectacular outdoors while wearing running shoes. But the annual Fairhaven Runners Waterfront 15K is a special kind of race. The course, naturally, is awesome, includ-ing Bellingham Bay’s Waterfront Trail, Taylor Street Dock, Boulevard Park, and

the Marina. It’s a scenic delight: lush greenery, snow-capped mountains, the San Juan Islands and the sparkling waters of the bay surround the 750 racers as they make their way to the finish line. And needless to say, the logistics are always smooth. Chip timing, well-staffed aid stations, and complimentary massage and

chiropractic care are a given. But what makes this race so beloved is the vibe: The sense of community and shared pleasure in the joys of running permeates the air. It’s pure Bellingham.

The post-race party, with food and live music is always a blast for both run-ners and spectators. It’s a perfect way to spend a glorious late-summer day in the City of Subdued Excitement.

This year’s race is set for Saturday, September 14 and gets started at 8:30 a.m.

Adventure for Your EarsIn what has become an end-of-

summer ritual for music lovers, the Third Annual Bellwether Jazz Festival returns to Tom Glenn Commons at the tip of the Bellwether Peninsula in Bellingham on Saturday September 7. The festival is free and prides itself on being family-friendly. The line-up includes the Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto, Blues Union, the Gail Pettis Quartet, and the Christopher Woitach Quartet. There’s a beer and wine garden (courtesy of Boundary Bay Brewery and Noble Wines) and lots of fun in the sun beside Bellingham Bay. The festival opens at noon and the music gets going around 1 p.m.

William Bradford, Caught in the Ice Floes, c. 1867, Oil on canvas, 37.5 x 55.25 in. Courtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum (Kendall Collection), New Bedford, MA

Strong community: The Waterfront 15kPhoto by TMitchellPhoto.com

Reaching the Sky

It occurred to me that I might be dying.

My symptoms matched those which preceded the sudden death of a team member, DaRita Sherpa, the week before. He had been a few hundred feet higher, at Camp Three, when he returned to his tent complaining of dizziness. He was pronounced dead an hour later. I reached behind me to make sure I was still clipped into the anchor set onto the narrow ice ledge where I stood, thousands of feet up the Lhotse Face. As I did, my vision nar-

rowed. I remember thinking “this can’t be good.”

At one point, two years earlier, I had re-read Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air and decided I would never climb Mt Everest. I suppose this book has a similar effect on most who read it. But that decision changed in July of 2012. I was in Papua New Guinea, climbing Carstensz Pyramid, the highest point in Oceania. In 2007, I had set out to climb the Seven Summits, the highest points on each of the planet’s continents. Carstensz Pyramid was the sixth one. We had sum-

mited that morning and were descend-ing, rappelling down its steep rock face. I stopped on a ledge to rig the next rope in my figure eight descender. It was rain-ing, and my leather gloves were soaked, my fingers numb. Suddenly it just came into my mind like the solution to a math problem I had been struggling with: Everest. It was not so much the word or the image that came with it as the energy. There was a warmth to it. I smiled con-fidently. Though the only things I knew about Everest scared the heck out of me, the notion of climbing it seemed inex-

Story By Dave Mauro

From Bellingham to Mount Everest

10 race | play | experience >>> Go to to read ANW stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.AdventuresNW.com

plicably doable. It was ‘The Call’ I had always wondered about, and it could not have been more clear. I would put my fear aside and reach for the sky.

I signed on with the International Mountain Guides (IMG) 2013 Everest Expedition two months later. The next months were consumed with the rigor-ous training I hoped would deliver me to the top of the world. My entire strategy would be based on speed, moving as fast as possible to limit the time spent exposed to dangerous areas on Everest. This meant short rests of only 10-30 seconds while

maintaining an elevated heart rate. Mike Locke at the Bellingham Athletic Club designed my workouts, borrowing from the training used for Navy Seals. I also had a complete physical evaluation done by my doctor. The blood work revealed an elevated cholesterol level. “We would like you to start getting regular exercise,” his nurse counseled in the follow-up phone call.

BeginningI arrived in the busy city of

Kathmandu on March 31. Twenty-

one other members of the IMG Team soon joined us, 11 of whom were planning to join me on the summit. We flew to Lukla two days later. The next two weeks were spent trekking up the Khumbu Valley through forests of rhododendron and white pine, past tiny villages of stone houses, over long suspension bridges trailing streamers of tattered prayer flags. There were prayer wheels and monasteries, tea houses and yak trains. It felt more like a spiritual pilgrimage than the start of a climbing expedition.

Reaching the Sky


High camp on LhotsePhoto by Dave Mauro

The process of preparing for an Everest summit attempt requires many weeks and several climbs out of Everest Base Camp (EBC). This is a process de-signed to gradually tease a climber’s physi-ology higher, prompting the production of millions of additional red blood cells. These in turn help compensate for the thinning air. It is also the chief reason that it takes two months to climb Mt Everest.

First we climbed neighboring Mt. Lobuche (20,000 ft), then half way up

the Khumbu Icefall. Between each climb we rested for up to five days, regaining our strength. We then climbed through the icefall to Camp One, spent the night, and returned to EBC. Then we climbed to Camp Two (21,000 ft), and stayed two nights before returning to EBC. Our last acclimation rotation took us to Camp Three (24,000 ft), again return-ing to EBC. It was on this rotation that DaRita Sherpa died in his tent. A veteran of many Everest climbs, he was strong, reliable, and an expert mountaineer. He was also brother in-law to my own Sherpa, Mingma Chhring, who then accompanied his body back to their vil-lage for Buddhist ceremonies. The cause of DaRita Sherpa’s death was eventually ruled “a cardiac event.” He was 37 and left behind two children and a wife. The IMG camp was stunned and saddened.

By May 6 we were stalking a summit date. Mt Everest (29,035 ft) is tall enough to jab up into the jet stream. Winds there often exceed 100 mph. But the jet stream moves north of Everest as the monsoon season gets underway in mid-May and, for a brief few days, the winds at the summit lay down like a slack tide. This is what Everest climbers wait for. In the meantime, they sharpen crampons and repair gear, call home and write in their journals. They also try, without success, to regain some of the weight lost to the ravages of altitude. It is almost impossible to consume as many calories as one burns each day at high altitude. Our team mem-bers lost an average of 26 pounds each

in the run-up to our summit attempt. I personally lost 30 pounds while supple-menting my diet with a case of Hershey’s chocolate bars.

Mingma returned to EBC on May 10 and five days later we began climbing. The weather forecasts were hopeful and May 19 was selected as “summit day.”

AscendingThe dread of passing through the

infamous Khumbu ice fall weighed heav-ily as we set out from EBC at 3 a.m. that morning. Mingma and I visited the Puja Altar before leaving, as had been our cus-tom on previous trips into the ice fall. I left the chanting to Mingma. It was my job to toss the rice on cue. The air was thick with the scent of smoldering juni-per, a fire that would not be extinguished until all climbers and Sherpa had vacated the mountain at season’s end. Daily tem-peratures had warmed enough in the time since arriving at EBC to meaningfully increase the movement of ice within the fall. Ladders used in the second rotation were crushed miserably between fallen seracs. Parts of the route had been com-pletely redirected to avoid the fields of refrigerator-sized ice blocks now piled on the path we had once trod. But on this night the ice was still, and we passed up through the fall in a brisk four hours. We skipped Camp One, arriving at Camp Two around 10:30 that morning.

Word came as we rested the next day that our summit date had been moved


Mules packing provisions for Everest Base Camp, Namche BazaarPhoto by Dave Mauro

back to May 20. We spent the following two days tracking the progress of our ad-vance team, as they attempted the sum-mit in what should have been the first climbable weather of the emerging win-dow. But the forecast of abating winds did not prove correct and all members were turned back at the Balcony (27,600 ft). It was a pain-ful hit to team morale as two of our very strongest climbers had taken part, one of them now forced to sur-render his dream and return home, frostbitten and dejected.

We left for Camp Three in the dark hours of May 18. The south route up Everest cheats over onto Mt. Lhotse for this part of the ascent. It is a bootstrap accessing the South Col, from which the summit is then attempted. Varying from 45-60 degrees incline, the blue-ice Lhotse Face represents a formidable obstacle. It rises two miles over a horizontal dis-tance of just 1.4 miles, making it the steepest face of this size anywhere in the world. Camp Three sat at 24,000 feet

on a ledge carved into the ice with hand tools. It was there that DaRita Sherpa had died suddenly.

Things had been going well. Mingma and I had ascended 2,000 feet up the face by the time we reached a small ledge where we could rest. Another team mem-ber soon joined us. As we stood there,

looking out across the vast Himalayas, I suddenly felt very dizzy. “Gibby,” I said to him, “there’s something wrong with me.” Gibby is a rescue medic who regu-larly leaps from planes to help downed airmen. He immediately shifted into that role. “Talk to me,” he said, “What are you feeling?”

“I’m dizzy. I think I’m about to pass out,” I said.

He sat me down on the ledge and put a Pulse Oximeter on one finger. Then he radioed down to EBC for medical consultation. The most dangerous pos-sibilities were quickly eliminated. I began to feel better as I sat on the ledge drink-

ing Gatorade. I had somehow become severely dehydrated.

“Have you had any diarrhea?” Gibby asked.

“Yeah. I woke up with it this morning.”

“Bingo,” he said. “There’s your dehydration. This is the same thing I saw Fraser for yes-terday at C2, GI issues followed by dizziness. It must be a bug going around camp.”

Fraser said he was “100 percent”

when a guide was subsequently sent to check on him. Apparently it was a 24-hour bug. If I could make it to Camp Three, I might be all right. That would give me the night for this thing to pass. Additionally, climbers start breathing bottled Oxygen at C3 and that would do much to help me regain strength. IMG


Exiting the top of the Khumbu Ice FallPhoto by Dave Mauro

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Leaders gave me permission to continue higher under close supervision. I was still in the hunt.

I woke the next morning feeling much improved after sleeping with the bottled O2. We left C3, traversing the Lhotse face, climbing the Yellow Band, and scaling the Geneva Spur to arrive at C4, the South Col (26,000 ft), by 11 a.m. I was shown to a tent where I could rest until leaving for the summit later that night, but nervous energy got the best of me. Digging through my pack, I extracted the crumpled plastic of my inflatable palm tree. It had adorned the area next to my tent at EBC all these weeks. Feeling some distraction might be welcome, I had packed it up Everest. The dou-ble-takes my palm tree gathered from oxygen-deprived climbers were worth every ounce of weight.

Before leaving my tent that night I laid out several photos of family members and spoke to each. I told them how much I loved them. I said I would use my best judgment, and asked them to climb with me, to give me strength. Then I pulled on my oxygen mask and, gathering the pictures up in a pocket, climbed out into the darkness.

Reaching the SkyThere were already 60 or more head-

lamps winding up the face of Everest, climbers who had left an hour earlier. We could not afford to find ourselves trapped behind them in a long wait up high. I knew this would be a test of our speed strategy. But I had planned some-

thing special for summit day, having arranged for an additional bottle of O2. This, I hoped, would combine with the hard conditioning we had already done, enabling a rapid pace and thus a shorter stay in the Death Zone.

Mingma tinkered with the flow rate to my mask while we settled into our climbing pace. We passed a pair

of climbers, then a group of five, a solo climber, then ten at once. Each time I saw Mingma unclip from the fixed line I started hyperventilating to oxygenate my body. Halfway up the Triangle Face we threaded into a narrow seam in the rocks. A dozen or more climbers had formed a slow log jam. We skirted past them as soon as we emerged on the open face. It was 11 p.m. when we arrived at the Balcony, a small flat notch in the side of Everest at 27,600 feet. A large group was already there swapping oxygen bottles. We changed our tanks quickly, so as to get back out ahead of them on the steep

route to the South Summit. For the next 40 minutes we trailed a solo climber who then waved us by. I looked up to see how far the next set of climbers were above us. There were none. Not a single head-lamp shown from the darkness. We were leading the climb. Something inside me relaxed for the first time in days. I took a moment to look around and gather the

moment. The silhou-ette of Everest looked impossibly tall against the backdrop of stars, stars that reached around and below us - from this altitude the curvature of the earth was visible! I felt tiny and grateful, muttering a muffled “Wow” from behind my mask.

For the next sev-eral hours we were the highest humans on the planet. There was no one at the South Summit, no one at the Hilary Step. I had put away my goggles when they froze over hours earlier, so the tears I shed as we approached the summit of Everest crystallized in the cor-ner of one eye. It was

3:42 a.m. on May 20, 2013 as I stepped up onto the highest point on the planet. Though I would see daybreak arrive forty minutes later the world beneath me was still fast asleep. I thought about the last six years and the epic journey that had taken me, literally, to the ends of the Earth. There was so much about that journey I still did not understand, but one thing seemed clear, and in that instant I heard myself say “thank you.”

HomeI am home now, and have finally

settled back into “normal” life back in

Preparing to rappel down from the South Summit, 28,000 feetPhoto by Mingma Chhring Sherpa

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Bellingham. It was not easy at first. Life on an Everest expedition swings from tedious boredom to high-stakes fear and back again. There is no middle ground. But modern life is de-signed to have only middle ground. The transition from one to the other took some time. It seems the dis-tance to “home” is greater psychologically than the miles actually traveled.

I spent much time thinking about the seven climbs that had taken me to the top of each conti-nent and how I had been changed by these experi-ences. More than anything, I came away with a clear understanding of how important it is to find some joy in each day. Some days that joy is very small and one has to con-vince oneself of its authenticity and sig-

nificance. But if it is the best you can do, then count it, celebrate it, and consider

this day worthy of your having lived it. Big goals are great, and we should all have them, but the climbers who think only of the summit rarely reach it. It is too

high, too far away, and the promise of its reward is consumed by moments of pain

and doubt. But the climb-er who remains present in the moment has forgotten the struggles of yesterday and does not entertain the fears of tomorrow. So his summit comes in the form of a payment from which he has taken no ad-vance. It is pure. It is just. It is love.

Adventures NW (and Bridget Collins House) presents Reaching the Sky, a multi-media presenta-tion by Dave Mauro on September 10 at Backcountry Essentials in

Bellingham. Read more about his six-year quest for The Seven Summits (includ-ing video from the top of the world) at AdventuresNW.com.

ANW

The highest man on Earth - the summit, 3:42 a.m., May 20, 2013Photo by Mingma Chhring Sherpa

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Climbing Mt Everest

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Autumn on Two WheelsMountain biking the Methow Valley

The mayor of Winthrop is working on my bike.

Dave Acheson, the Service Manager at Methow Cycle & Sport on the edge of Winthrop (and cur-rently that town’s top elected official) dials in my front suspension as Julie Muyllaert, co-owner of the shop, chats with me and my riding partner for the day, Kristen Smith, Marketing Director for the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association. In addition to her day job, Julie chairs the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce; Smith acts as its Marketing Director. I imagine this isn’t the first gathering of Winthrop community leaders that’s happened around a mountain bike. And while it’s true that in many small communities, residents might wear multiple hats, in the Methow, one of those is likely to be a bike helmet.

The Methow Valley, on the sunny east slope of the North Cascades, grew up in relative isolation -


Cutline

Story and photos by Aaron Theisen

The 11-mile out-and-back to Cutthroat Pass is the Methow’s signature alpine ride


the paved North Cascades Highway was only completed in 1972 - and seems to have developed its own pace of life.

It could have been different. In the 1970s, the Aspen Ski Corporation came to the Methow to investigate an alpine ski destination, to be called “Early Winters”. Locals fought, citing concerns both environmental (increased air pollution from more wood-burning stoves) and economic (traffic, utilities). In the end, the locals prevailed, and Aspen Ski Corporation went on to build Whistler-Blackcomb near Vancouver, British Columbia. At that point, the locals realized they had the opportunity to build their own world-class ski system - nordic, rather than alpine. Easements through private land on the valley floor paved the way for what is today the country’s largest nordic ski trail system. As this network expanded, the sport of mountain biking naturally followed.

It helps that the Methow attracts folks who are not only physically ac-tive, but also politically active in their communities.

“The Methow attracts fanatical rec-reationists,” says Smith. We have former Olympians here, people who don’t think twice about getting in three vigorous outdoor pursuits a day.”

Although she doesn’t count herself among this group, Smith could. The former manager of the flagship REI in Seattle and a formidable climber on her bike, Smith rides every day and is the Methow’s unofficial mountain biking ambassador.

“Mountain biking in the Methow has the same characteristics as the Methow Valley itself: it’s all about aero-bic activity, and it’s all about scenery,” says Smith. “Most of the trails are true cross-country trails that give you a great workout, and they all reward your effort with great views.”

Many of the trails are rated inter-mediate or advanced in terms of fit-ness, but are non-technical enough that big-hit bikes aren’t necessary. In other

words, you’re more likely to be passed on a climb - with a friendly “Hello!” - by someone training for an endurance event than buzzed by a full-face helmeted free-rider.

In fact, Smith says many Canadians cross the border for a change of pace from black-diamond descents.

The long riding season helps, too. Situated on the arid side of the Cascade Crest, the Methow greets spring a good two months earlier than the west side.

“The Methow Valley is one of the


Most Methow trails are true cross-country experiences


best places in Washington to ride year-round,” says Smith. “In the spring, it’s sunny and the wildflowers are phenom-enal. In summer you get access to the high-alpine country, in the autumn you get the amazing fall colors, and then in the winter, with the advent of fat bikes [specially designed mountain bikes with tractor-like tires], you can ride on the snow. There’s now no reason to ever put your bike away.”

Best of all, compared to some com-munities in which I’ve ridden, where the locals advertise a few trails to outsiders and then hoard the best to themselves, there’s no secret stash here.

Says Smith, “We’re happy to share our trails, because, first of all, there still aren’t that many people on the trails,” so they remain good daily-workout des-tinations, and second, “we know how amazing the trails are; they’re too good to keep secret.”

Which means that, often as not, you’ll run into more locals than out-of-

towners on the most popular routes. One of them may even be the

mayor.

Here are three classic fat-tire forays in the Methow:

The popular Sun Mountain trail system, arrayed around the namesake re-sort on private and Forest Service land, is the ideal introduction to Methow biking. The extensive - and still growing -net-work of trails can be pieced together for an endless variety of loops and lengths. The scenery dazzles in the spring with wildflowers - balsamroot, bitterroot, and buckwheat, but autumn features its own charms as golden aspen and red Douglas maple leaves garland the trail. The views are unbeatable year-round. Bike in the evening to watch the sun dip behind the North Cascades’ showcase peaks. A popular 16-mile loop, beginning on the double-track Winthrop Trail and con-necting Patterson Lake, Rader, Magpie, Rodeo and Black Bear trails, samples

Cutline

Trail informaTion:

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Methow Valley Ranger District 24 West Chewuch Road Winthrop, WA 98862 Ph: 509.996.4003 Website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/okawen/

Methow Valley Sport Trails Association P.O. Box 147 Winthrop, WA 98862 Ph: 509.996.3287 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.mvsta.com

Bike gear / renTals:

Methow Valley Cycle & Sport is the hub of cycling in the Methow. Stop here for gear, rentals or current conditions.29 SR 20 Winthrop, WA 98862 Ph: 509.996.3645 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.methowcyclesport.com

PosT-ride dining:

Elegant enough for a night out, but relaxed enough that a bike jersey won’t look out of place, Arrowleaf Bistro makes an ideal post-ride stop. Reward yourself with a steak and cocktail on the riverside patio.253 Riverside Ave. Winthrop, WA 98862 Ph: 509.996.3919 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.arrowleafbistro.com

PosT-ride lodging:

Refined yet relaxed, Chewuch Inn & Cabins is the ideal upscale lodging for recreationists: innkeepers Dan and Sally Kuperberg are themselves avid outdoor adventurers and can give ride recommendations and current conditions. The inn boasts the valley’s best breakfast, too.223 White Ave. Winthrop, WA 98862 Ph: 800.747.3107 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.chewuchinn.com

RESOURCES


the best of the trail system, from the shoreline singletrack of the Patterson Lake Trail to the quick, twisty descent, sprinkled with smooth rock launch-pads and stair-step drops of Magpie. Best of all, riders can park downtown and connect with the Sun Mountain trails via the Methow Community Trail - an ingenious stroke of car-free biking.

The approxi-mately 12-mile Buck Mountain Loop is distilled Methow Valley rid-ing: rollercoaster single-track; quick, non-technical de-scents; and views, views, views. From Buck Lake, a two-mile grunt up steep double-track yields sublime, flower-lined riding: Bike it in mid-May and myriad blooms - bal-samroot, lupine, gromwell and more - streak by in a Monet-like blur. Several miles in, a rock knob grants panoramic views of the North Cascades, Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness, and the Methow Valley below. Admire, then hold on for one of the Methow’s best descents. Designed with bikes in mind, with slalo-ming curves around sagebrush-obscured

rocks and long, sweeping turns, the trail will leave you begging for more. (Note: owing to logging operations, Buck Mountain is currently accessible via two trailheads, at Cub Creek and Buck

Lake. Stop at Methow Cycle & Sport to check on the status of active logging operations.)

If Sun Mountain and Buck Mountain represent the terrain most riders associate with the Methow Valley - drifting hills dotted with ponderosas and painted with wildflowers - Cutthroat Pass will remind them that the Methow forms the eastern outpost of the North

Cascades. This approximately 12-mile roundtrip out-and-back begins on wide, well-worn tread - the short hike to Cutthroat Lake, a 3.5-mile roundtrip, is the valley’s most popular. At just over 1.5

miles, pass the spur to Cutthroat Lake and commence climbing, as the trail switchbacks - steadily, though not cruelly - almost 5 miles to Cutthroat Pass. Scores of bright, wheel-catching granite boulders and tight switchbacks will demand your at-tention, but pause frequently for the views of the steep cirque of Cutthroat Lake, and the larch-accented Cascade Crest. And they just keep getting bet-ter, climaxing with

a view at Cutthroat Pass that will take away what little breath you have remain-ing. Bikes are not allowed on the Pacific Crest Trail, so point your bike downhill for an Alps-style descent (remember all those boulders you rolled over on the way up!). Near the end, ease aching quads and forearms in the outlet stream of Cutthroat, a worthy quarter-mile side trip. ANW

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Mountain biking in the Methow Valley is characterized by rolling singletrack; fast, non-technical decents; and views, views, views

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The Pursuit of EcstasyStory and photos by John D’Onofrio

Best Hikes around Mount Baker

The Cascade Range extends from southern British

Columbia to northern California. It is a momentous thing, with enough beauty spots to occupy a lifetime of inspired wander-ing. But in my trail-weathered view, the apex of high mountain ecstasy can be found just up the Mount Baker Highway. Of course, there’s a catch. These wonderlands are

buried in snow most of the time - serious snow. Mount Baker holds the world record for snowfall. Did I mention the snow?

With this in mind, it is important - nay, imperative - to take advantage of every blessed day that these paths to glory are available to us boot-clad acolytes. The season is short. Hell, life

is short. To focus your atten-

tion, I have compiled a short list of the best of the best, the supreme trail-acces-sible dreamlands on this most dramatic corner of the coolest mountain range on Earth. In my humble opinion, some of the best hikes - anywhere.

Skyline DivideThere are a few days every year

when Skyline Divide is quite likely the most beautiful place on Earth. Fields of wildflowers - primarily deep purple lu-pines - carpet the slopes, and the ice of the surrounding high peaks gleams in the sun. Perhaps tendrils of mist dance

among the spires, the choreography of the Gods. The rest of

the time it is merely spectacular, truly

Sound of

Approaching Koma Kulshan on Skyline Divide


Music country. The trail is short - some grunting, sure - but before you can sing Edelweiss, you’ll be dancing on a wide-open alpine ridge that meanders for miles and miles. Savor every moment on this undulating ridge - follow it until the green slopes give way to shat-tered rock beneath the gothic wall of Chowder Ridge. There’s usually a little snow-melt creek at the very end, should you wish to spend the evening.

Access: Drive the Mount Baker Highway and turn right near milepost 35 onto Glacier Creek Road (FR 39). Make an immediate left on Dead Horse Road (FR 37)and go 12.8 miles to the trailhead on the left side of the road. The hike is six to nine miles round-trip,

with an

elevation gain of 2100-2400 feet.

Tomyhoi Peak/Yellow Aster ButteYellow Aster Butte is a well-known

and deservedly-beloved hiking destina-tion. The top of the Butte is magical, an alpine fantasy come to life. The austere shores of the beguiling little tarns at its base are inviting and well-loved camp-sites. Totally worth the effort to get here. But the real mojo, the ultimate buzz, is to be found up on Tomyhoi Peak with its magnificent rock gardens and million-dollar views. The sound of the wind up here is musical; sometimes a Chopin nocturne, sometimes a Wagner opera. Always inspiring. To access the Tomyhoi highlands, cross the tarn ba-sin below Yellow Aster Butte and find the climber’s path that ascends the steep wall cascading down from the peak.

Keep going, past secluded c a m p s i t e s


(water from snow melt pools, if you’re lucky). Eventually you’ll reach a notch, an epic chasm frequented by mountain goats. With care, you can descend this obstacle and climb up the oth-er side. Just below the summit, the route requires crossing a steeply-pitched glacier, definitely not rec-ommended with-out climbing gear and experience. No matter: the views are amaz-ing from any of the high points. The magnificent Border Peaks are

HIKING GUIDES In this northern mountain enclave we are fortunate to have a plethora of excellent hiking guidebooks. Legends like Harvey Manning, Ira Spring, and Fred Darvill set the bar high, back in the day. Their obvi-ous passion got us going. Here’s a short list of some of the best of the current hiking guides:

Hiking from Here to WOW: North Cascades (Wow Guides) by Kathy Copeland and Craig Copeland (Wilderness Press)

Day Hiking North Cascades: Mount Baker, Mountain Loop Highway, San Juan Islands by Craig Romano (Mountaineers Books)

Day Hike! North Cascades, 2nd Edition: The Best Trails You Can Hike In a Day by Mike Mcquaide

Hiking the North Cascades, 2nd Edition: A Guide to More Than 100 Great Hiking Adventures (Regional Hiking Series) (FalconGuides)

Here are the classics:Hiking the North Cascades by Fred T. Darvill (Stackpole Books)

100 Hikes in Washington’s North Cascades National Park Region by Harvey Manning and Ira Spring (Mountaineers Books)

The 1979 version of 101 Hikes in the North Cascades by Ira Spring and Harvey Manning (if you can find it) has route descriptions for some long-forgotten trails, unmaintained by officialdom for decades. Places that you might want to go, if you possess that old-fashioned vigor.

front-and-center, while Shuksan, Baker, the Pickets, and an infinity of ragged peaks are revealed in all their glory.

Access: Drive the Mount Baker Highway to a left on Twin Lakes Road (FR 3065), near milepost 47. Go 4.5 miles to the trailhead on the left. At a trail junction (about 1.5 miles in), turn left. The hike to Yellow Aster Butte is seven miles round-trip with an el-evation gain of about 2100 feet. Add another six miles round-trip and 2,000 feet for the Tomyhoi excursion.

Ptarmigan RidgeThe hike to Ptarmigan Ridge is the

easiest hike on this list. Maybe. This route holds snow longer than any of the others and is frequently inaccessible until late summer (or autumn). When it’s snow covered, it can be dangerous without an ice axe and the facility to use it. But when the snow is (mostly) gone you can do this as a rapturous day hike - every step is out in the open with the high peaks on all sides. Or you could find Nirvana by overnighting on the far end of the ridge, beneath the ice walls of Koma Kulshan. Climb the final, ultimate rock stairway to heaven, to the top of The Portals, two great stone parapets rising above the glacial ice . At 6500 feet, this is an intense and power-ful spot. Watching the sunrise here is better than church, perhaps.

Access: Drive the Mount Baker Highway to its end at Artist Point. The trail exits from the southwest side of the lot, traversing the slopes of Table Mountain. At the junction with the Chain Lakes trail, bear left. Round-trip to the Portals is about 14 miles, with an elevation gain of 1600 feet.

Railroad Grade/Park ButteAlthough this sacred spot is ac-

cessed from the Baker Lake Road rather than the Mount Baker Highway, it deserves a place on this very short list. The trail that climbs from Schreiber’s

Mount Baker from the tarn basin below Yellow Aster Butte

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Meadow offers a wealth of ecstatic ex-periences. Climb the switchbacks up through the woods, and at the junc-tion in Morovitz Meadows, take your pick. Left goes to Park Butte and right ascends the Railroad Grade.

Park Butte, with its lookout cabin and stupendous views of the Black Buttes and Mt. Baker provides a memo-rable place to spend the night (available for overnight use on a first come-first served basis). As the sun goes down, gaze over the Twin Sisters Range to the gleaming waters of the Salish Sea, a pol-ished mirror to the west.

Or else bear right on the trail to Railroad Grade, a ramp that brings the casual hiker up high on the mountain. This is a climber’s trail and it delivers you to the ice of the Easton Glacier. Unless you are equipped with the ap-propriate gear - and knowledge - this is a good place to turn around. Or better yet, angle along the top of the moraine to a promontory, the brink of a great

amphitheatre of ice. The Deming Glacier pours down in an ice-fall at the base of the Black Buttes, soaring above the ice like gothic towers. It’s one of the most dramatic van-tage points around Baker, a spot to contemplate the power of the elements. As you’d ex-pect in a place like this, the wind blows cold. Bring a hat.

Access: Take the North Cascades Highway and turn left on the Baker Lake Road (near milepost 82). Drive 12 miles and turn left on FR 12. At 3.5 miles, turn right on FR 13 and follow it for 5 miles until it ends at the trailhead. Round-trip to Park Butte is 6.6 miles with an elevation gain of 2100 feet. Roundtrip to the top of Railroad Grade is about nine miles with an elevation gain of 2900 feet.

Caveat: Change is constant. For these - and all hikes - conditions are dif-

ferent every time you go. The Glacier Public Service Center near milepost 34 on the Mount Baker Highway is the place to check out what’s going on in the alpine, get permits for overnight use and procure a Recreation Pass, re-quired for parking at some trailheads. For the Park Butte/Railroad Grade option, visit the Mount Baker Ranger District office at 810 State Route 20 in Sedro-Woolley.

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Feasting on berries, Ptarmigan Ridge

Autumn is perhaps the most wonderful time to be in the mountains, especially the North Cascades. Many of the sub-alpine hillsides

(between 5,000 and 7,000 feet or so) are covered in berry bushes, and around mid- to late-September the berries ripen into heavenly little treats. These are Cascade Bilberries. They have one of the more appropriate Latin names I’ve come across: Vaccinium deliciosum. Indeed, they truly are deli-cious, like a superbly intense blueberry with a distinct banana tang – maybe it’s the altitude spice that comes from

growing at higher than 5,000 feet. Together with the berries ripening, the leaves begin to turn red, and in the right light it’s as if the hillsides are covered in sparkling rubies..Check out Floris Van Breugel’s photography at artinnaturephotography.com


See more of Floris Van Breugel’s images in his gallery at AdventuresNW.com

Autumn in the North Cascades The Photography of Floris Van Breugel


Clockwise from left: Winter is Coming, The Red Carpet, Mossicles, Alpine Harvest, Autumn Mists, Berry Heaven

28 race | play | experience 28 race | play | experience

The Rewilding of the North CascadesThe Return of Gray Wolves and Grizzly BearsStory by Christian Martin

Grizzly bears roaming the hills a few ridges east of

Bellingham? A pack of wolves on the hunt in forests less than 100 miles from downtown Seattle?

In a time of environmental crisis - a warming, overcrowded planet, ocean acidification, an ark’s worth of species on the brink of extinction - there is something amazing happening here in our own backyard: the renewed presence of rare, large mammals in the North Cascades.

The North Cascades are an international ecosystem that stretches from the Fraser River in the north to Stevens Pass in the south, and from the Okanagan highlands to the east all the way down to the shores of the Salish Sea. This ecosystem is defined by its complex and dramatic geology - the ways that multiple ice ages and glaciation have shaped the topog-raphy - and by the biological diversity that is a result of varied terrain, climate and vertical relief.

It is a landscape of superlatives: 15 peaks tower over 9,000 feet and another 300 rise between 7,000 and 9,000 feet; it’s the most glaciated region with the most vertical relief in the Lower 48; and the biological diversity is profound, including the largest concentration

of bald eagles in the U.S. outside of Alaska, many unique botanical com-munities and a host of rare carnivores, including lynx, wolverine, pine marten, bears and wolves.

Fortunately, it is also a region protected by a mosaic of public lands, including North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake and Lake Chelan

National Recreation Areas, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie, Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests and eight Wilderness areas. North of the border, Manning and Cathedral Provincial Parks, the Skagit and Cascade Recreation Areas and Provincial Forests provide conservation protection.

What all of this adds up to - rug-ged and remote landscapes, lots of pristine habitat and varied ecosystems,

robust federal protection - is a place where wilderness still has a chance to express itself, a refugium of the natural world that closely resembles what it was before Euro-Americans moved in.

“What’s so exciting about the North Cascades ecosystem,” explains local wildlife biologist Bill Gaines, “is that it is really rare to have such large connected

wildlands and have the opportu-nity to restore a full compliment of large carnivores. There are few places in the Lower 48 that this is even possible, really only the Rockies and the North Cascades. Other places have a lot of wild-lands but have to start restora-tion missing several pieces of the puzzle.”

Two pieces of this puzzle - gray wolves and grizzly bears - tell two different stories about the state of carnivores in the North Cascades.

Gray WolvesGray wolves were extirpated from

Washington State by the 1930s through campaigns of poisoning, hunting and trapping. On the brink of extinction, wolves were given protection under the Endangered Species Act in 1973 when they were close to being wiped out across the U.S.

The troubled relationship be-


Famous profile: This photo, taken in October, 2010 shows a grizzly in North Cascades National Park, the first confirmed sighting in the Cascades south of the Canadian border since 1985Photo by Joe Sebille


tween Canis lupus and Homo sapiens began a new chapter when the fed-eral government reintroduced wolves in Yellowstone National Park and Idaho in 1995. Since then, wolves have steadily rebounded in the northern Rockies and surprised many people when they began being sporadically sighted in northern Washington State in 2005.

The first wolf pack with pups in the North Cascades was confirmed in 2008 in Okanagan County, marking the first time they have taken up residence here in more than 80 years. The past five years have seen a remarkable comeback for wolves in the Evergreen State. The 2012 census found nine packs with at least five breeding pairs in places includ-ing the Selkirk Mountains, the Spokane and Colville Indian Reservations, Wenatchee and Teanaway.

“Wolf populations can grow quite quickly once they establish a foot-hold in a landscape,” explains David Moskowitz, author of the recently published Wolves in the Land of Salmon. “They have a high reproductive rate for a large carnivore. Young adults will either disperse to areas adja-cent to where they were born or travel several hundred miles be-fore settling down.”

These wolves are returning to Washington under their own power, which Moskowitz says is a good thing: “Allowing wolves to naturally repopulate is less expen-sive and less likely to trigger people who are suspicious of the govern-ment and its intentions related to managing landscapes. “

The wolves on the east side of the state have wandered in from Montana and Idaho, while the ones taking up residence in the North Cascades are from a different subspecies popula-tion found in the Coast Range and Vancouver Island of British Columbia.

“Ecologically, these BC wolves have adapted to the unique coastal rainforest habitat,” says Moskowitz. “This shows

up in their behavior - traveling along shorelines and swimming between islands extensively. It also shows up in their diet. In some packs, salmon and animals harvested in the intertidal zone make up the majority of their diet at certain times of the year, compared to in the Rockies where deer, elk or moose are almost always the primary food source.”

The state has responded, rath-er quickly, by adopting the Wolf Conservation and Management Plan in 2011 “to guide recovery…of gray wolves as they naturally recolonize the State of Washington.” The goal is to have 15 breeding pairs spread out geo-graphically across the state.

“Washington’s Wolf Management Plan is probably the most progres-sive and scientifically and socially well thought-out management plan of any western state,” opines Moskowitz. “Ultimately, I think the plan does a good job of attending to the variety of needs and interests of the people of the state. The biggest challenge now is to implement it fairly. If we do, it is very likely wolves will recover

in the state,

there will still be a huge livestock in-dustry in the state, and people will still have ample deer and elk hunting opportunities.”

Grizzly BearsGrizzly bears, on the other hand,

are just barely holding on to their foot-hold in the North Cascades. It is be-lieved that between 10-20 grizzlies still roam the most remote corners of the international ecosystem, though hard proof has been nearly impossible to come by despite decades of searching.

There was once a thriving popula-tion of grizzlies in the Cascades but, like the gray wolf, they were systemati-cally destroyed by trapping and hunt-ing. High Country News reports that “by 1860, an estimated 350 grizzly bears survived in the Cascades, down from an historical population of around 1,000.” The last documented grizzly on the U.S. side of the border was shot in 1967 in Fisher Creek basin, the heart of the North Cascades. Less than ten years later, they were recognized as a threat-ened species by the U.S.

Gaines has been studying Ursus arctos since the mid-1980s when he was

hired to work on the North Cascades Grizzly Bear

Evaluation Project. His survey

h e l p e d d e -

Photo taken from Wolves in the Land of Salmon© 2013 by David Moskowitz. Published by Timber Press, Portland, OR. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved


termine the North Cascades as having outstanding habitat for grizzlies and led to the region being designated as an official recovery zone by U.S. Fish & Wildlife in 1993.

But since then, efforts at restoring grizzly bears in Washington have stalled, primarily due to lack of funding.

Gaines continues to lead scientific expeditions into the far reaches of the


ecosystem, searching for brown bears and mapping habitat. It’s an interesting paradox: he loves working outdoors in some of the most magnificent country in the world, but after more than 25 years, he has still not found the object of his quest.

“To date, based on thousands of DNA samples we’ve sent to the lab and thousands of photos, we have not been able to detect a grizzly bear in the North Cascades,” he explains. “While it’s been rewarding to put a pack on my back and go to work in places I love, it’s also disheartening to come up empty-handed in the search for grizzlies.”

Long considered an icon of the wild, wolves capture our imagination and spark controversy. Humans are the adult wolf’s only true natural predator; its return to the old-growth forests and wild coastlines of the Pacific Northwest renews age-old questions about the value of wildlands and wildlife.

As the vivid stories unfold in this rivet-ing and timely book, wolves emerge as smart, complex players uniquely adapted to the vast interdependent ecosystem of this stunning region. Observing them at close range, David Moskowitz explores how they live, hunt, and communicate, tracing their biol-ogy and ecology through firsthand encounters in the Northwest. In the process, he challenges assumptions about their role and the impact of even well-meaning human interventions.

Among the wonders of this rich portrait are the author’s accounts of young wolves at play just feet away from his makeshift blind on a remote beach and of eerie howls piercing the night air from a den site nearby. Wildlife tracker Moskowitz’s daring photography and determination to see for himself pro-vide the first significant, nuanced por-trayal of this charismatic apex carnivore from the Pacific Northwest coast to the edge of the Rocky Mountains.

The remarkable story will resonate everywhere that mighty social animals - like humans and wolves - struggle to coexist.

WOLVES IN THE LAND OF SALMON

It’s puzzling to him and other scientists because the North Cascades have lots of protected space, relatively few people and plenty of food.

“When I think about the North Cascades as an ecosystem, I ask ‘are all the pieces of the puzzle here to make the ecosystem whole?’” Gaines contin-ues. “The grizzly bears are a piece need-ing more time and effort.”

The FutureLooking ahead, the North Cascades

ecosystem, like all other irreplaceable wild places, faces several challenges. While there are several worthwhile cam-

WOLVES IN THE NORTH CASCADES

Map created by A

nalisa Fenix/Ecotrust under a Creative Comm

ons license and prepared for publication by Laken Wright


paigns underway to increase protections in the region, it will take monumental action to slow down the warming of the planet. Climate change is driving temperatures in the North Cascades steadily upwards, including hotter, drier summers and milder winters with less snowfall. More precipitation is fall-ing as rain instead of snow, and the glaciers that stabilize the ecology in so many different ways are in retreat.

“In the last 50 years, the aver-age winter freezing level has risen 600 feet, or around 12 feet a year,” says Jon Riedel, a glacial geologist with North Cascades National Park. “That’s huge and it impacts everything from when things bloom; when pollinators arrive; when birds migrate; the life-cycles of marmots and pikas. Climate change is not something projected to happen, it is happening now.”

Wildlife biologists are looking to habitat connectivity as one way to plan ahead for the changes taking place.

“As climate changes,” Gaines ex-plains, “animals are going to shift ranges to adjust to a changing environment.”

The North Cascades have room to roam as well as natural corridors for

the movement of animals.

Will wolves continue to re-claim their former habitats in northern Washington State? Can grizzly bears hold on without direct intervention from land manag-ers? The continuing saga of Cascadian carnivores contin-ues and it will be fascinating to see what happens next.

ANW

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Wolves are on the return to Washington after a 70-year hiatus, with the first wolves, the Cascades Lookout Pack, documented in 2008 by citizen monitors and Conservation Northwest. Conservation Northwest is a Bellingham-based nonprofit that connects and protects wildlands and wildlife from Washington’s Coast to the British Columbia Rockies. In addition to helping gain a conservation plan for recovering wolves, they kick-started a range rider program and are now spon-soring three range riders around the state helping ranchers live with wolves. Visit conservationnw.org

RANGE RIDING FOR WOLVES

Grizzly Bear© Chris Weston, chrisweston.uk.com

Kaleidoscope of GreenA Walk in Olympic National ParkStory By Alyson Indrunas Photos by Tami Garrard

“You know how many times I’ve taken this ferry? ” Tami

asked, spreading out three maps on her lap.

We’re in my car with the windows down as the ferry out of Edmonds kicks into full speed. The ocean shimmers all around us. For the next twelve days, we’re going backpacking in Olympic National Park.

“Tam,” I said, “you’ve to got to at least look at this view. It’s amazing.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She humors me with a nod, and promptly goes back to her research.

Tami grew up in Port Angeles, and the Olympics are practically in her back-yard. I’m from suburban Atlanta; so I’m still awestruck by ferry rides, the ocean, and mountains even after living in the Northwest for thirteen years. Donning her first pack at three years old, Tami has a long history of walking in these epic woods. We’ve been friends for over a decade, but this is first time I’m head-ing to her home with her. I trusted her planned route; and it would turn out to be the most scenic backpacking trip I have taken. Ever.

Embracing the GreenI discovered backpacking at nineteen,

and since then, I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the Rockies and the Cascades, but this trip, hands down, would turn out to be my all-time favorite. If you have been putting off going to the Olympics, I’m hoping this story will motivate you to head to the peninsula.

The landscape, for lack of a better word, is unique. Everything I love about alpine environments is found in the Olympics—only it’s different. Greener. Brighter. Along the rivers the moss, li-chen, and ferns create a lush rainforest floor. Nurse logs spawn small clusters of wildflowers that bloom in the most im-possible spots. Water falls, drips, and runs,


Leaving Cameron Pass


providing a constant soundtrack. Creeks cut meadows. Rivers rage in valleys. The views are a kaleidoscope of green.

As we climbed up and down five glorious mountain passes, I was struck by the rockiness of the alpine country, but also, paradoxically, how unlike most scorched ranges in late August it was. The mountainside had patches of snow and the grasses grew in the chutes and ravines. Wildlife thrived. Ground critters - deer, birds, mar-mot, and black bears - were making the most of the short summer right alongside us. We saw less than a dozen other hikers. And the most unbelievable part of this trip was that we hiked 82 miles in the Olympics without ever us-ing raingear. A down coat, wool hat, and fleece gloves in August: yes. But that infamous rain never fell. We stayed on the eastern slopes, remembering that well-known saying about the Olympics: “West Side. Wet Side.” True enough.

We avoided the rain, but we encoun-tered another notorious resident of the Olympics: black bears. I scoffed at the necessity of carrying a required “bear can” (you can rent one from the ranger sta-tion). Until the day that I turned a corner only to see a large sow. The berries were es-pecially plentiful; my hands were stained

from picking as I hiked. As a result of my gluttony, I had fallen behind Tami. I startled the bear, which moaned in a way that communicated both irritation and a warning. It was a deep sigh - Tibetan monk-like. I backed up five feet, avoided eye contact, and hid behind a thin pine tree. She walked uphill away from me, sat down, and sniffed in my direction.

Tami was nowhere in sight. Sweat poured down my face. I watched her paw at a bush and lick something from her long claws. Finally, I saw Tami across the ravine, and I yelled for her. Later she told me that she didn’t hear what I yelled but thought it sounded like “Bear” (Bingo!). She hiked back to me while clicking her hiking poles, which scared the sow away.

That night, we watched another

black bear walk across the ridge above Hart Lake as the sun set. We marveled at how quickly and gracefully the bear moved across the terrain. The alpenglow was something to behold in the quiet of the approaching night. As the tempera-ture dropped, the mountainside turned deep rust and then orange, while the snow behind us changed from white to pink.

Thanks to the sage advice of a backcountry ranger, we settled in for a night at Hart Lake - one of the best backcountry sites I have ever seen. When I woke up that morning, it was still dark and I made coffee by headlamp. I was just about to light my stove when a coyote yelped three times. Just as the sun rose over the ridge, an elk bugled. If there is a better morning, I have not yet lived to see it.

Do it YourselfReady to go? What follows is my

advice on how best to enjoy this route. Arrive at the Dungeness Forks trail-

head during the day so that you avoid all the sketchy car camping sites near an old quarry. Start the hike by going 8.4 miles along the Gray Wolf River to the Three Forks campsite. Make camp on Cameron Creek. Prioritize your meals not by what sounds the tastiest, but rather by what’s

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Reflections of paradise: Morning at Hart Lake


heaviest. Eat the heavy stuff first. On the second day, hike 10.3 miles to Upper Cameron Basin, and make sure you have a camera and an extra hour to explore the most gorgeous meadow on the entire trip. Collect rocks to scare away aggressive deer from your dinner and drying socks. Unpack your down coat, unfurl your sleeping bag, and ignore the frost on your boots in the morning.

On day three, travel an amazing 14 miles by crossing Cameron Pass, and then down to Lost Pass. Be happy as you ascend 1500 feet only to descend 1500 feet. The view from Cameron Pass is stun-ning. Take many pic-tures. Burn the view into your memory. Ignore your suffering feet. Remember this is what you choose to do for vacation. Ration your moleskin. Don’t complain as your blis-ters pulse.

On the next day, camp at Deception Creek, and burn up the miles along the Dosewallips River. Pass the time by singing “Dosewallips.” It rolls off the tongue. In the middle of the day, rest on the high bridge over the Dose Forks. With boots off, and lunches out, spend an hour cooling your feet. Take a nap. Once you complete that day’s 12 miles, camp at Diamond Meadows on the south side of Mount Anderson. White Mountain and Mount LaCrosse come into view. Welcome these towering beau-ties as your view for the next three days. Their rocky cragginess is pure high alpine glory. Try to count the many shades of green. Good luck with that.

Don’t separate from your partner, ease off on the berries, and stick to the business of hiking (see anecdote above). Once you make it to O’Neill Pass, you’ll see how easy it is for black bears to hop, skip, and jump down to the Enchanted Valley. If you think that black bear sightings are exaggerated as you complain about the weight of your bear can, remember that you are travelling in their habitat.

Make sure you have two days at Hart Lake in order to explore Lake LaCrosse. Enjoy a pristine backcountry site. Ignore how rough you look in the reflection of the tarns. Then descend to the Duckabush River and camp at the Mount LaCrosse Trailhead. Rinse your socks in the cold creek, make a fire at the camp, and enjoy the quiet of the forest. Wake up pre-dawn and eat a good breakfast. The next day climb up switchback after switchback, gaining 3000 feet. At the top, enjoy a lovely rock outcropping between Mount Elk Lick and Mount LaCrosse. Have

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your lunch and daydream about the val-ley below. Lose all of the elevation you just gained, and camp at Honeymoon Meadows.

From there, hike out and spend one last night in the walk-in sites of the Dosewallips. The bridge is washed out, but you are go-ing to have company for the first time in a while. Enjoy the river. Make friends with people who are eager to share their whiskey and greasy meat. Entertain them with stories about your trip. Be polite and stay awake late talking with your new friends (Tami’s approach). Or be rude like me, eat their food, and retire to your tent to read. Convince yourself that anti-social behav-

ior is acceptable after long stretches in the woods.

Hike out the next day, and have somebody shuttle you back to your car. Appreciate the cold sandwiches and sup-

press moans of delight as they offer you sugary drinks. Be thank-ful you know people who of-fer you a seat in their car, knowing you’ve worn the same shorts for two weeks. As they fill you in on news of the world, be silent as they drive you back to your car.

Have gratitude that these mountains are only a ferry ride away. ANW

Chilling on the bridge over the Dosewallips River

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Welcome to the Bone Pile Changing Times on Barter IslandStory by Dale McKinnon Photos by Janiene Licciardi In the spring of 2010, Janiene Licciardi found herself flying north to

Barrow, Alaska, an isolated community hunkered down on the shores of the Beaufort Sea. Looking down from 20,000 feet over the Brooks Range, she was awed by the utter desolation below her, the expanse of unending

frozen emptiness, white ridge after white ridge. It was an environment that would challenge her.

Janiene, a veterinarian from Bellingham who works on contract with Alaska’s North Slope Bureau, high in the arctic, was no stranger to the north. She had worked the annual Iditarod race as a vet for the past several years at isolated checkpoints. She had climbed several northwestern peaks (Baker, Shuksan, Garibaldi, Olympus, and Shasta) as well as summiting Pico de Orizaba (18,491 ft.) in Mexico. An extremely fit adventurer, wilderness kayaker, and back country traveler, Janiene possesses a quiet moxie mixed with a self-effacing and humble outlook

(“I tramp around.”), part genetic and part acquired. In her travels in the arctic, spaying and neutering dogs and answering questions

from the Inupiat and Yupik villagers, she had begun to absorb the full effects of the disappearing sea ice on their lives and on the lives of the creatures that inhabit their polar dreams. The urgency she feels to communicate the reality of what is happening “up north” as a result of global warming is tempered by the inability of people in the south to grasp what it has not experienced in these more southern climes. In 2012, the Beaufort sea ice receded further from the shoreline than at any other time in recorded history. It was a disappearance that has never been seen before by humankind.

The Bone Pile

>>> Go to to read ANW stories & the race|play|experience calendar online.AdventuresNW.com36 race | play | experience

Ursus maritimus


The Monkey’s KnotIn Barrow, Alaska she observed the

first subsistence whale hunt that she’d ever seen, and, she realized, quite possi-bly the last. “It was an evening in Barrow that began... around 7 p.m. and lingered until midnight, with the cold sun beam-ing golden light the entire time.” That was also the first time she saw wild polar bears. The experience nearly brought her to her knees, and did bring her to tears.

“It was some com-bination of the spectacle: the whale, an incongru-ous black hulk on the ice, it’s freshly dead warmth steaming into the cold air; the bears loping and rang-ing about like wolves on the outskirts of town; the men with their implements of hooks, rope tows, and butchering knifes; the old ladies stringing out the whale’s hot bloody intes-tines, readying them for soup. People of all ages eating fresh muk-tuk (whale blubber), laughing, smiling, and the whole while the bears, shuffling, swinging their black noses, occasionally slipping and splaying on the ice in the

distance.” It was a “magic and tragic scene” to

her, and she wasn’t really sure how she should feel. When she “found frozen tears” on her cheeks, she had her answer.

But it was six weeks later in Kaktovik, a village of 300 on the shores of Barter Island, that she began to learn about the

complicated monkey’s knot of wildlife research, the regulatory layers of various agencies, ancestral Inupiat subsistence hunting and culture, climate change, and polar bear tourism. At the center of the knot is the Bone Pile of Barter Island.

The Bone Pile represents the tail-ings of the Inupiat subsistence lifestyle. Located a couple kilometers from the center of Kaktovik , it is where the Inupiat dump the remains of the three bowhead whales they are allowed to kill and butch-er for subsistence each September. In late summer and early fall the polar bears feed

on the unused portions of whales carcasses.

The bears have been on Barter Island for as long as the villagers can remem-ber. Ringed seals (the bears major food source) are abundant in the arctic wa-ters nearby and the bears can hunt them from the ice, which until recently has been pretty much year round. But, now, as Janiene observed, “the ice is coming later, the ice is leaving earlier, the ice is not as thick” and so, the polar bears “can’t hunt their natural food as easily as they used to be able to.”

Prior to 2012, on any given September day, an average of 25 bears were observed on or around Barter Island. Contrary to the myth that polar bears are solitary animals, they get along very peacefully, regardless of age or sex,

Janiene on the ice



except when brown bears (tundra coun-terparts to the polar bear) enter into the Bone Pile. However, last summer the sea ice was over 600 miles from the shoreline and over eighty polar bears were observed by scientists on Barter Island on a single day. Without the ice, the polar bears are forced to make a landward shift for the sake of survival. In 2008, it was estimated that only 10 percent of the Beaufort Sea

polar bear population was adapting to the shoreline environment. Four years later, that number has tripled.

The Vanishing IceExplorers have been seeking the

‘Northwest Passage’ since the fifteenth century. Originally called the Straits of Annian, it took Roald Amundsen three

years at the begin-ning of the twen-tieth century to, basically, drift with the arctic current while trapped in pack ice, until he and his crew of six could make their way to ice-free leads and back to Norway. It wasn’t until 1944 that a

Canadian fortified schooner made the first “single season” traverse through the Northwest Passage from Halifax to Vancouver.

In 1957, the first U.S. ships to successfully traverse the Passage were the U.S. Coast Guard buoy tenders, Storis, Bramble and SPAR, and in 1984 the first commercial passenger vessel successfully made it through. Then during the remarkably ice-free months from August to September 2012, The World followed Roald Amundsen’s path, carrying 481 pas-sengers in its transit of the Northwest Passage. The summer of 2012 also

saw the first tanker travel from Norway to Japan to deliver natural gas, and the 34-meter-long Australian luxury yacht FORTRUS sped through the High Arctic leaving behind a trail of illegal fire-works, paintballs, $40,000 of booze and bounced checks.

While in Kaktovik, Janiene and an-other vet, sat at dusk in a truck to observe the bears at the “Designated Bear Viewing Area” at the Bone Pile, their most active time of day. While there they saw a man drive up, a tourist. He got out of a truck with a camera, and walked up to the “bar-rier” to take photos, about 50 feet from the bears. Janiene became alarmed not only at his behavior but at the behavior of the bears that turned to look at him, distracted from their dinner. She rolled down her window, leaned out and said “Hey, dude, you shouldn’t be doing that. That’s not too smart.” He turned and

Butchering a whale in Barrow


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walked back to her truck and said “Well, you’re a real nice lady aren’t you?” and she replied “Well, you’re a smart guy, aren’t you?” whereupon he got in his truck and drove back into town.

The following day, disturbed by the encounter, Janiene found the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) bunk house/office, a prefab building with a solitary desk and spare furnish-ings, and introduced herself, inquiring if there was someone she could talk to about what she had witnessed the prior evening. Luckily, she found Jennifer Reed, the Visitors Services Coordinator for ANWR who was in Kaktovik for two days to coordinate with members of the vil-lage’s “bear committee” in preparation for the summers influx of polar bear tourists.

According to Reed, ANWR “can-not regulate viewing the Bone Pile,” but only... “boat-based polar bear viewing.” Although the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge consists of over nine million acres, the spit of land commonly known as the Bone Pile is not under its auspices, but is “military withdrawal” land - reserved for use by the military for testing and train-ing. This is the monkey’s knot.

According to Reed, “the scientific term for that is habituation and there are two kinds of habituation: There are animals habituating to the proximity of people, but the corollary is people habitu-ating to the proximity of polar bears... Even though we’ve been very lucky that the polar bear-human conflict has been minimal and infrequent, polar bears are wild animals and it’s a very unpredictable environment. Decisions about how the Bone Pile is going to be managed have to be made by the community and the

community recognizes it’s time to start thinking about that.”

Reed says that this year the U.S. Forest Service and ANWR “are working with the community to provide them with the resources that they need to start making those decisions. We don’t live

there. They are the ones that have to find a workable solution.”

One solution is the Kaktovik Youth Ambassadors program. It is the kids of Kaktovik that are educating about polar bear behavior. “We are so proud... of the success of the Youth Ambassadors program. Those kids are getting guid-ance from their own elders and their own community about how visitors can be the

best visitors, and respect their life-ways. The kids are conveying that informa-tion firsthand to the visitors - it’s a really wonderful exchange between visitors and young conservationists.”

Janiene Licciardi has been home from the Arctic since April of 2013.

You might run into her at the Animal Emergency Clinic, or working as relief for a local veterinary of-fice, settled into her comfortable life with her partner and run-ning the Interurban Trail with her old dog. The vivid memories of endlessness, white-ness, the butchered bowhead whale and the Bone Pile tend to fade a bit, but she says the events in Barrow and Kaktovik were the “two singular ex-pereinces that defined my entire time in the

arctic.” When asked what she thought would be the outcome of the human/bear interface, she sadly shrugged her shoul-ders and threw up her hands, saying “It’s a complicated puzzle. Who knows what the outcome will be?” The bears, the ice, the Inupiat villagers, and eventually all of us, will adapt to what is happening. The question is, into what?


Locked and loaded: A walk beside the Beaufort Sea, shotgun at the ready

ANW

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I love to paint the Northwest light. At times I see a certain play of light and shadow on a tree or field or stream that causes a spontaneous emotional response - a heightened sense of reality. I am unable to put it into words but have found a way to express it through painting. My goal is to create works that elicit similar responses from the view-ers. I attempt to create a situation where light, color and paint surface interact to produce a unique and moving visual experience. My paint-ing process is not a spontaneous activity but instead a thorough and meticulous process that involves capturing the subtlety and fleeting nature of light and color.

Painting the Light: Lanny Little

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Cascadia Gear: Essentials for your next Adventure

A Picture-Perfect Camera BagThe Lowe Pro® Inverse 200 camera bag is the latest in a long line of hip-slingers from Lowe-Pro. The bag hangs on a robust waist belt and also offers a strap for over-the-shoulder carrying (or as a load distribution aid when slung around the neck). I have used this type of camera bag for years - it enables me to access my camera gear while wearing a backpack. I learned years ago that ready access to the camera and accessories equates to more pictures taken, which in turn means more “keepers”. This bag has a few cool innovations including straps on the bottom for attaching a tripod, a built in rain-cover that tucks into a pocket when not in use (sheer genius) and convenient pouches for quick access to memory

cards. The bag performed well in the field, holding my Canon DSLR, two lenses (including a

moderately long zoom), a hood loupe, filters, cable release, extra batteries, etc.

A round-the-top zipper makes access to the contents of the bag easy. The Inverse 200 is

another winner from Lowe Pro. Info at lowepro.com

The ThermaRest® brand has long been synonymous with backpacking sleeping pads. They have continually refined and perfected the art of building lightweight, tough, and cushy pads, and those of us who appreciate a good night’s rest after an arduous day on the trail are grateful to them. But they’re never satisfied. This quest for constant innovation has led them to engineer a new line of sleeping bags that work in conjunction with their pads as a system. We tested one of these, the Antares™ 20, a down bag rated to 20° F. Thanks to the way the bag attaches to the pad via a pair of straps (ThermaRest calls them SynergyLink Connectors, c’mon now), insulation is omitted from the underside, where it is instead provided by the pad. This results in a super-light (just a smidge under two pounds) and super-compact (7 by 12 inches in your pack) bag that immerses you in 750+ goose down. And here’s the kicker: Despite its light weight and diminutive packed size, the interior dimensions of the bag are generous. The genius of this became obvious the first night I slept in the bag. Thanks to the roominess, instead of turning over with the bag, one turns over inside the bag. The straps keep everything where it should be and instead of waking up in a knot of twisted down, one wakes up in the morning pretty much the same way that one went to bed. This is a good thing. When combined with a ThermaRest pad like the NeoAir ™XLite ®, the Antares 20 offers a pleasing contradiction. It’s roomy, yet packs small. It’s light, yet delivers a warm, comfortable night’s sleep. Info: cascadedesigns.com

A Pleasing Contradiction

Gear Spotlight: Black Diamond’s Dawn Patrol Hybrid Shell

by Chris Gerston

Black Diamond’s mantra over the years - from carabiners to Avalung packs - has

been: Use. Design. Engineer. Build. Repeat. This same approach has inspired their new clothing line. While not all the line would work in the great “North wet,” as backcountry skiers, we loved the idea of the Dawn Patrol Hybrid Shell’s combi-nation of Schoeller’s Nanosphere in the body and C-change waterproof/breathable material over the shoulders for weather protection. My initial forays in the jacket demonstrated a huge leap in breathability due to the softshell panels around the torso. Perfect for touring and mountaineering where moving the moisture out is a primary concern. Beware, though, you will likely need to rethink your layer-ing system underneath; I’d recommend adding at least a wind vest for touring or maybe a down sweater for skiing inbounds. With colors chosen to last beyond trends, this jacket should be a favorite for years to come.

Chris Gerston owns Backcountry Essentials, an outdoor specialty shop located at 214 W. Holly in Bellingham, WA.

Check out more gear reviews by Chris Gerston at AdventuresNW.comSponsored Review

Banishing the DarknessHeadlamps have come a long way. This is good news for those of us who enjoy catching the sunset from that lofty ledge above camp and then high-tailing it back down through the scree in the dark. The SEO series of lightweight headlamps from LED Lenser® (a division of the Leatherman Tool Group) have raised the bar with respect to headlamp usability and technology. We tested the SEO7R and if we’ve ever seen a brighter headlamp, we can’t remember it. With 220 lumens in high-power mode, the light is bright enough for minor surgery. Weighing just 3.8 ounces, it’s reasonably light and compact, yet feels durable. The SEO7R runs on three AAA batteries or an innovative, rechargeable battery pack that can be charged either via an AC outlet or a USB cable. And as if that isn’t enough, this headlamp features what LED Lenser calls “Optisense” ™, which allows the light to adjust its intensity based on ambient light levels. The SEO7R will run for five hours on a set of batteries at high intensity and 20 hours on low. Info: ledlenser.com

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SEPTEMBER >>>Friday, 6 SeptemberSPEC Illuminations – Whatcom Museum

slide show––Whatcom Museum, Old City Hall, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm. Adventures NW pres-ents “Illuminations”, a slide show of photogra-pher John D’Onofrio’s

recent work, including images of the Pacific Northwest, the American Southwest and the Far

North. This show will feature abstract interpreta-tions of the natural world. Suggested donation is $3.00 (museum members are free).

Saturday, 7 SeptemberBIKE Emerald City Lights Bike & 5-K Walk–– Auburn Game Farm Park, 7:00 am – 5:00 pm. Fun Family Event bike or walk and give to those in need

SPEC LANDFest!––Ladies of the Lake Preserve, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Join us on September 7th from Noon to 4p at our Ladies of the Lake property on Lake Whatcom. The event will include music with Richard and Helen Scholtz, Geof Morgan and oth-

ers. There will be field games, kid activities, lake shore exploration, and tours that include birding, native plant ID and watershed conservation infor-mation. Eat free Acme Ice Cream! Drink free BelleWood Acres cider! Learn why the property is called “Ladies of the Lake.” Celebrate conservation in Whatcom County! Food vendors will be on site.

Friday, 10 SeptemberSPEC Reaching the Sky: From Bellingham to Everest––Backcountry Essentials, 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm. Local climber Dave Mauro offers a multimedia presentation about his recent ascent of Mount Everest. The Everest climb was the final of the “Seven Summits” – the highest points on each con-tinent – that Dave has climbed since 2007. Dave’s story is one of setting big goals and overcoming obstacles to achieve them. His stories are thrilling, exotic and often hilarious. This event is a fund-raiser for Bridget Collins House.

Visit AdventuresNW.com for complete listings of Outdoor events through 2013

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6 September - 20 September

>>> VIew or download even MORE Race|Play|Experience event listings at AdventuresNW.com

851 Coho WayBellingham, WA360.734.3336

www.lfsmarineoutdoor.com

STORE HOURS

WEEKDAYS8am - 6pm

SATURDAY8am - 5pm

SUNDAY9am - 4pm

Saturday, 14 SeptemberRUN/WALK Fairhaven Runners Waterfront 15K––Fairhaven Village Green, 8:30 am – 10:30 am,

Whether running or walking along this 9.3 mile course, you get a great opportunity to traverse Bellingham Bay’s beautiful waterfront. Tour the Taylor Street Dock, Boulevard Park, down-

town and the marina. The race features chip timing and finishes with a post-race party including food, live music and complimentary massage and chiropractic care. Be sure to stay for awards (5 year age groups to 80+), ran-dom prizes and prompt race results! We have a beautiful, well-staffed course starting in Fairhaven and running out through downtown Bellingham and back on waterside paths. From elite racing to fitness walking this course is awesome. Capped at 1000 participants. Advance regis-tration only. www.fairhavenrunners.com/15k/SPEC Whatcom County Farm Tour––Whatcom County,10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Head out

with family and friends for a chance to see, taste and explore Whatcom County’s diverse family-owned farms, on this free, self-guided tour.8 farms, 2 wineries & 1 fabulous Farmers Market. http://sustainableconnections.org/events/whatcom-county-farm-tour-2

Sunday, 15 SeptemberBIKE Chuckanut Century 2013––Boundary Bay,

10:00 am – 5:00 pm. The 2013 Chuckanut Century will be held on September 15, 2013. Ride one of the most scenic rides in Washington. With many routes offered you can pick your dis-tance ranging from 25, 38, 50, 62, 100, or the double metric

century of 124 miles. Although all cyclists should be fully prepared when they take to the roads you can enjoy the added security of knowing that there is ride support if needed and food stops along all of the routes. The 25 mile loop is perfect for the first timer to an organized event. All routes start and finish at the legendary Boundary Bay Brewery. www.chuckanutcentury.org/top.htmlRUN/WALK Hammer Nutrition Two Bear Marathon and Half Marathon––The Wave, 7:30 am – 3:00 pm

Friday, 20 SeptemberBIKE the Intrepid––7:00 am – Sunday @ 4:00 pm. 3 days, 300 miles, 20,000 feet Done the GranFondo’s? The Intrepid is the next challenge in cycling. 3 day stage ride in BC’s Okanagan Valley,

Sept. 20 to 22, 2013. Ride from Kelowna to Big White, to Osoyoos, to Penticton Adventurous, Fraternal, Intimate.


Saturday, 21 SeptemberRUN/WALK Tour de Whidbey––Greenbank Farm, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm. Hospital fundraising ride with well-supported 10, 30,40,50,100 mile routes on Whildbey Island country road https://whidbeygen.org/wgh-foundation/tour-de-whidbey

RUN/WALK Bellingham Traverse––Market Depot/Boundary Bay, 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm. The Bellingham Traverse is a community event that cel-ebrates the life-cycle of wild salmon, demonstrating the natural and urban challenges ofw their journey. Solo,

tandem and relay teams challenge themselves and one another on a rugged course that highlights the City of Bellingham’s parks, Greenways sys-tem, bike-friendly roads, and open water opportunities for recreation

http://nwtraverse.com/bellingham-traverse/home

Saturday, 28 SeptemberSPEC San Juan Island Quest Adventure Race––Orcas Island, WA, 6:00 am – 6:00 pm. Experience the San Juan Islands like never before in the San Juan Island Quest Adventure Race. Sea kayak,

mt. bike, and trek between check points using only map and compass. Race it solo or with up to three of your friends. 6 hour and 12 hour options on a stunning and

natural course. See you on the Island.

BIKE Methow Valley Off-Road Duathlon––Chickadee Trailhead, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. 40Km Mtn Bike/10Km Trail Run. Race through aspen and pine

forests above Patterson Lake in the beautiful Methow Valley! 40Km Mtn Bike/10Km Trail Run, 2nd Annual.

BIKE Arbor Day Autumn Ride––Elizabeth Park, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. Celebrate Bellingham’s won-derful trees with a bike ride through the historic Columbia neighborhood, honoring Arbor Day at Cornwall, Broadway and Memorial Parks. We’ll visit significant trees along the way.

BIKE Cascade Cross Series Prologue––Bellingham BMX Track, 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm. The debut of our new permanent CX course! Fun practice format, mixed categories, evening races. http://www.cascadecross.com/races/bbmx-prologue/

Sunday, 29 SeptemberRUN/WALK Bellingham Bay Marathon, 1/2 Marathon & 5K––Bellingham Depot Market, 7:30 am – 4:00 pm. Come experience the natural beauty of Bellingham Bay, San Juan Islands, mountain views and a touch of trail in Bellingham, Washington. Enjoy what many runners have commented is “the most beautiful marathon in the Pacific Northwest. Beautiful Courses, Short Sleeve Tech shirts for Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K participants, Finisher Medal for Marathon & Half Marathon finishers, Boston Marathon qualifier, USATF Certified courses, Chip timing, Pacific Northwest’s most enthusiastic volun-teers,100% of net proceeds benefit non-profit youth organizations. See complete list of beneficiariesunder Community. http://www.bellinghambaymara-thon.org/

21 September - 29 Septemberrace I play I experience

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SaturdaySeptember 21, 2013

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12 Cyclocross Racesoct

13 Cross Country Racesoct

SERIES2013 Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan 2014

Silver Lake Double Cross Outdoor FestivalSilver Lake Double Cross Outdoor Festival

Cyclocross Races start at 9:30 am

Beer Garden and live music by BandZandt

Camping in Silver Lake Park

Bicycle Mini-course for kids

5K and 10K Runs Start at 10 am

Raffle • Activities for kidsAccess to playground and water activities

Guided tours through Forestry Center and Gudrum Historical House

Contact Information - For more information and

registration, visit our website: www.cascadecross.com/races/double-cross

Proceeds from these races go to support the

Friends of the Deming Library, bringing

library services and cultural events to the Foothills Community.

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1 October (cont.) - 19 October

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OCTOBER >>>Tuesday, 1 OctoberRUN/WALK Fairhaven Runners Weekly Tuesday Night All-Paces Run––Fairhaven Runners & Walkers, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Get fit, get inspired and have fun! Led by staffers Dylan & Jeva, runs are 20 minutes out and back on two key routes, by the water or through the woods. Participants are divided into groups ranging from run/walk to seven minute pace.

Thursday, 3 OctoberRUN/WALK Natural Running 101––MEC North Vancouver, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm http://www.mec.ca/AST/ContentPrimary/Community/Events/EventsCalendar/BC.jsp

Friday, 4 OctoberSPEC Racehorse Creek: First Friday Field Trips with the Steward–– Racehorse Creek and Bear Creek, 8:30 am – 2:00 pm. Spend a day in the woods! Racehorse Creek is a popular spot for local recreation, so you may get conscripted to haul some trash out and kick apart a fire ring or two, but it will be worth it. Fossils are abundant, the creek is, well—a racehorse of a water-way, and the geology is raw.Please call ahead (360 650-9470) or email [email protected] to reserve a spot.

Saturday, 5 OctoberBIKE Cascade Cross Series #1––Bellingham BMX Track, 9:30 pm – Oct 6 @ 3:00 pm. Partnering for a huge double-header with MFG Cyclocross series of Seattle. http://www.cas-cadecross.com

Saturday, 12 OctoberRUN/WALK MVHS Band-Aid Fun Run––Skagit Valley College, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm.

Saturday, 12 October - Sunday, 13 OctoberBIKE Silver Lake Double Cross – Cascade Cross Series #2––Silver Lake Park. Silver Lake Double Cross Outdoor Festival – Cascade Cross Series #2 First

annual outdoor cycling & running festival in Maple Falls, WA and a fundraiser for Friends of the Deming Public Library.

Cyclocross race on Saturday, 5K/10K Cross Country run on Sunday. Overnight camping reserved within the venue. Beer garden, DJ &

live music, and food trucks! Band Zandt plays 4pm to dusk. Breakfast Sunday from Lion’s Club of Everson. Kids events & facilities, beautiful lake with water activi-ties, forestry center tours, a raffle, and more! http://cascadecross.com/races/double-cross

Sunday, 13 OctoberRUN/WALK DiabloMan Triathlon––Mt. Diablo State Park, 7:00 am – 3:30 pm. http://trifreaks.com/diabloman-triathlon/

Monday, 14 OctoberRUN/WALK Steve King 100 Classic Relay & Ultra––Princeton to Summerland, 6:00 am – 7:00 pm. 100 KM Realy upto 8 members, 100 KM Ultra/Solo. www.stevekingclassic.com

Wednesday, 16 OctoberSPEC Antarctica: A Year on Ice––Pickford Film Center, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Adventures NW presents Antarctica: A Year on Ice. This stunning new film from Director Anthony Powell explores the frozen landscapes of

Antarctica with remark-able time-lapse photography and amazing visuals that tell

a compelling story about our role in nature and the effects of climate change on this most remote continent. Reception with the director at 6 p.m. (light snacks and no-host bar) followed by a screening at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, 19 OctoberRUN/WALK Lake Padden Trail Half Marathon––Lake Padden,


19 October (cont.) - 8 November

Bellingham, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. Lake Padden Trail Half – a 13.1 mile TRAIL half-marathon to support the kids!SPEC WMBC 3rd Annual Shoot the Trails Awards––Depot Market Square, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm. Mountain Bike Video and Photography Contest, Prizes, Raffle, Beer! Come out and support your

local Trail Building and Advocacy Organization! For contest rules and event updates: www.whimpsmtb.org

RUN/WALK Run with the Kokanee-5 & 10k Fun Run––Lake Sammamish State Park, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm.

Thursday, 24 OctoberSPEC 14th Annual Mt. Baker Ski Area Film Festival––Mount Baker Theatre, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm.

Saturday, 26 OctoberBIKE Cascade Cross Series #3: Woolley Cross––Northern State Rec Area, 9:30 am – 3:00 pm. Now a classic & favorite venue of NW ‘cross racers! http://www.cascadecross.comRUN/WALK Freaky 5K Zombie Run––Federal Way Community Center, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm.

Sunday, 27 OctoberRUN/WALK Snohomish River Run Half Marathon & 10k––Rotary Park, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm.

RUN/WALK Run Scared 5K––Seward Park, Seattle, 9:00 am – 11:00 am. http://www.runs-cared5k.com

NOVEMBER >>>Friday, 1 NovemberSPEC Allied Arts Juried Artist Series: Nature Walk––Allied Arts of Whatcom County, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Saturday, 2 NovemberRUN/WALK Mud and Chocolate Run––Redmond Watershed Preserve, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm

Saturday, 2 November BIKE Cascade Cross Series #4: Cross Border Clash––Transition Bikes HQ, 9:30 am – 3:00 pm. Day 1 of double header at Transition Bikes HQ, Delta Tech Industrial Park, 9:30-3:00pm. Beer garden, camping, USA v Canada battle for the Clash Cup! http://www.cascadecross.com

Sunday, 3 November BIKE Cascade Cross Series #5: Cross Border Clash––Day 2 of double header at Transition Bikes HQ, Delta Tech Industrial Park, 9:30-3:00pm. Beer garden, camping on Saturday night, USA v Canada battle for the Clash Cup! http://www.cascadecross.com

Friday, 8 NovemberSPEC Ticket To Ride – Warren Miller film––Mt. Baker Theatre, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm. The world’s lead-ing winter sports film producer, Warren Miller Entertainment has announced its highly-anticipated

64th annual film will be titled Ticket to Ride. Staying true to its title, the newest installment of the legendary film series takes ski fans on an action-packed ride to the world’s most exotic destinations including The Alaskan Tordrillos, Switzerland’s Jungfrau, Iceland’s

Troll Peninsula and beyond. The skiers starring in Ticket to Ride are as diverse as the terrain and include World Cup champions, leg-

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Between Milepost 20 - 21Mt. Baker Hwy., Deming

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Visit Adventures NW.com for complete listings of Outdoor events through 2013


8 November (cont.) - 1 December

TRAILER, TICKETS, TIMES AT WARRENMILLER.COM

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endary ski mountaineers and veterans of the new school. The film showcases Chris Davenport skiing the West face of the Eiger, Julia Mancuso powder chasing in the Arctic Circle and JT Holmes soaring off massive cliffs deep in central Asia.

Saturday, 9 NovemberSPEC Weddings On Whidbey & Events Tour––Crockett Barn,11:30 am – 5:30 pm. Envision your perfect Whidbey Island event! Featuring 40+ wedding & event specialists. http://WeddingsOnWhidbey.net

Saturday, 16 NovemberBIKE Cascade Cross Series #6: Thanks Given’er––Lutherwood Bible Camp, 9:30 am – 3:00 pm. Camping, cabins, & BBQ hosted by Lutherwood Bible Camp, and a radically difficult course! Guided trail rides Sunday. http://www.cascadecross.com

Thursday, 21 NovemberSPEC North to the Yukon: Into the Tombstone Range––Whatcom Museum - Old City Hall, 7:00

pm – 9:00 pm. Photographer John D’Onofrio presents his images of the spectacular landscapes of Tombstone Territorial Park, located in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Tombstone is

one of North America’s newest wilderness areas and has been called “Canada’s Patagonia” for the soaring monoliths that rise from the northern tundra. A visit to the park is a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the autumn, when the northern landscape is ablaze with fall color and the northern lights dance in the sky.

DECEMBER >>>Sunday, 1 DecemberRUN/WALK Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon––Seattle Center, 7:00 am – 2:30 pm. www.seattlema-rathon.org

race I play I experience

Visit Adventures NW.com for complete listings of Outdoor events through 2013

7C Creative ............................................................................... 46The Alley District ............................................................... 24-25American Alpine Institute ....................................................... 44Backcountry Essentials ............................................................ 41Back Porch Wine & Spirits ..................................................... 40Bellewood Acres Farm ..............................Inside Front CoverBellingham Automotive ........................................................... 49Bellingham Bay Marathon ....................................................... 46Bellingham Frameworks .......................................................... 45Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism ................................ 47Bellwether Jazz Festival ..................................................... InsertBoundary Bay Brewery ........................................................... 43Brandon Nelson - Re/Max Realty ........................................... 7Bruce Cox Motors................................................................... 18Chuckanut Bay Art Gallery .................................................... 40Clarity Massage & Wellness ................................................... 33Colophon Cafe ......................................................................... 23Community Food Co-Op....................................................... 40D’Anna’s Cafe Italiano ............................................................. 45Danne Neill - Muljat Group ................................................... 39Dave Mauro - UBS Financial Services .................................. 15Dawn Durand - Windermere Real Estate ............................ 3Entertainment Media ............................................................... 48Everybody Bike ......................................................................... 31Fairhaven Bike & Ski................................................................... 9Fairhaven Pizza & Prawns ....................................................... 34Fairhaven Runners & Walkers ................................................ 17Gato Verde Sailing ...................................................................... 4Inner Passage ............................................................................. 12Iron Street Printing .................................................................. 33JM Electric .................................................................................. 49Josh Feyen - Re/Max Realty ................................................... 44Klicks Running & Walking ......................................................... 3Kulshan Brewery ........................................................................ 8Lake Padden Trail Half Marathon .......................................... 35Ad

verti

ser In

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race I play I experience6 December - 14 December

360.676.1977 • www.lithtexnw.com

Friday, 6 DecemberBIKE Superhero Lighted Bike Parade––Bellingham Public Market, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm. Don your superhero cape and light up the holiday Art Walk as we parade slowly through downtown Bellingham, visiting the Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Saturday, 14 DecemberRUN/WALK Deception Pass 50k/25k––Deception Pass State Park, 7:00 am – 4:00 pm. http://decep-tionpass50.blogspot.com/

JM Electric419 Hemmi Rd.

Lynden, WA. 98264

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LFS Marine & Outdoor ........................................................... 43Lithtex NW ............................................................................... 49Mallard Ice Cream .................................................................... 37Meridian Tire ............................................................................... 6Mount Baker Guides ............................................................... 13Mt Baker Foothills Chamber ................................................. 45Mt Baker Ski Area .................................................................... 21Nooksack River Casino ......................................... Back CoverNorth Cascades Institute ......................................................... 8North Cascades Mountain Guides....................................... 38North Cascades Mountain Hostel ....................................... 13North Fork Brewery .............................................................. 47NW European Autoworks ..................................................... 19Old Fairhaven Association ...................................................... 42Quicksilver Photo Lab............................................................. 43Pizza Pipeline ............................................................................. 51The ReStore .............................................................................. 48Sally Farrell - Coldwell Bain Real Estate ............................. 34San Juan Sailing ............................................................................ 6Silver Lake Double Cross ....................................................... 45Skagit Valley Food Co-Op....................................................... 35Sportsman Chalet ...................................................................... 3Superior Automotive ............................................................... 38Sustainable Connections ........................................................ 49The Wailing Goat Espresso .................................................... 38The Whale Museum ................................................................. 31Tour de Whidbey ...................................................................... 44Village Books ............................................................................. 47Whatcom Educational Credit Union ..................................... 4Whatcom Family YMCA ......................................................... 23Whatcom Land Trust ......................................................... InsertWhidbey Island Bank ................................................................. 5Yoga Northwest ....................................................................... 42Yoga with Susan D’Onofrio ................................................... 44Zaremba Paxton PS ................................................................. 42

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ANW


N Adventurethe ext

photo by SUE COTTRELL

Sometimes Local Adventures are the Best

On this crisp October morning I travelled a mere five minutes from my home to Lake Padden, a Bellingham City Park. When I arrived, the fog was rising off the lake into the clear, deep-blue sky of autumn. The refreshing chill of the air combined with the autumn colors was all the spark I needed to launch me on my early morning run. As I sat on the dock afterward another early riser came around the curve of the shore slicing through the mist with every stroke of her paddle. There was magic in the air that fall morning, the mystery of fog and mist and the wonders that emerge from them. You don’t always need to travel far for an adventure. It can often be found right out your back door.

For more of Sue’s work: www.7cphotography.com

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Adventures NW Fall 2013

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