Mount Baker Experience Spring 2012

SPRING 2012 SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NORTHERN LIGHT

21479

2 12

FIELD EXCURSIONS FAMILY GETAWAYS GROUP RENTALS SKAGIT TOURS

NORTH CASCADES INSTITUTE Photo: John Scurlock

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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2012

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CONTENTS

SPRING 2012

WHITE POWDER

12

4

Technical Descent

Skiing the Nisqually Ice Cliff

Face Shot

6

Carving fresh tracks in the backcountry

Legendary Banked Slalom

7

Mt. Baker’s 27th annual race

I Have Lucky

8

The story of an out-of-bounds experience

On Edge

9

Taking care of your skis and snowboards

12

Big, Sharp and Pointy

Dunham Gooding and the American Alpine Institute

PHOTO GALLERY

25

18

Owen Dudley in the Mt. Baker backcountry | Photo: Jay Goodrich

14

Freeze Frame

Local photographers capture the action

SPOKES AND WHEELS 17

Building Trails

Getting ready for the biking season

18

Crud and Mud

Keeping your bike clean

WHITE WATER 25

Raging Water

Local kayaker and videographer Fred Norquist

FOOD AND DRINK

14 MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE PUBLISHERS Patrick Grubb and Louise Mugar, Point Roberts Press, Inc. MANAGING DIRECTOR Kathy McGee STAFF WRITERS Kitty Bond, Jeremy Schwartz, Carissa Wright PUBLICATION DESIGN Charlie Hagan ADVERTISING DESIGN Charlie Hagan, Ruth Lawless ADVERTISING SALES Molly Ernst, Janet McCall, April Miles, Elaine Warren OFFICE MANAGER Carissa Wright CONTRIBUTORS Brad Andrew, Molly Baker, Ryan Duclos, Owen Dudley, Ashlon Durham, Jay Goodrich, Grant Gunderson, Dylan Hart, Robert Hogg, Duncan Howat, Gwyn Howat, Jason Hummel, Ryan Johnson, Sam Lozier, Sandy Macewan, Tyler Mitchell, Scott Peterson, Michael Powers, Candace Sanders, Shannon Skouras, Alasdair Turner, Mark Webb, Ben White

10

Burgers and Brew

A tale of two gastropubs

LOCAL 11

Fuel the Ride

Providing healthy food for kids

20

Events

Activities in the area

22

Coming Home

A pro skier’s favorite spots

24

Tulip Time

Skagit Valley’s annual festival

ABOUT THE COVER spring 2012

Photos (clockwise): Alasdair Turner, Ashlon Durham, Robert Hogg

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

Drew Cyr floating out a frontside 5 on Mt. Herman, Mt. Baker backcountry.

Photo: Brad Andrew

If you can see Mt. Baker, you’re part of the experience. Mount Baker Experience is a quarterly recreation guide for and about the Mt. Baker area, published by Point Roberts Press, Inc. Locally owned, the company also publishes The Northern Light, All Point Bulletin, Pacific Coast Weddings, Waterside and area maps in Blaine, Washington. Vol. XXVI, No. 2. Printed in Canada. special publication of the northern light

NEXT EDITION: MAY 2012 | ADS DUE: APRIL 18, 2012 SPRING 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

3

TECHNICAL DESCENT iff Skiing the Nisqually Ice Cl LOZIER

Joel Bettner | Photo: Sam Lozier

M STORY AND PHOTOS BY SA

WE SKIED A FEW HUNDRED FEET ONE SKIER AT A TIME — AND WE WOULD ALL WATCH ANXIOUSLY AS THE NEXT SKIER NEGOTIATED THE GLACIAL CRACKS THAT DIVIDED THE ROUTE.

L

Joel Bettner | Photo: Sam Lozier

ast winter, my phone rang out of the blue. The voice on the other end introduced himself as Joel from Colorado, a friend of a friend. We hadn’t met before, but he was planning on visiting this area and asked if I’d like to ski some “bigger backcountry days with him.” Since “ski as much as possible” is generally my game plan, I told him to call when he got to town. Fast forward a few months. Joel and his friend Josh were going to ski Mt. Rainier, and I was invited.

A rainy drive from Bellingham got me to the south side of Mt. Rainier by 1 p.m., where I met Josh and Joel. We drove to the Paradise Inn, parked our cars and bought our climbing permits.

With our paperwork completed, we headed up the mountain in light rain toward Camp Muir, an elevation of 10,080 feet.

A cloud, similar to thick fog was blanketing the Muir snowfield, so we relied on a series of flags to make our way up much of the hill. Joel pointed at the line he wanted to ski, but clouds kept obscuring the view. It was at this moment that I thought I should ask what exactly he wanted to ski. “The Nisqually Ice Cliff,” Joel replied. I took a deep breath. The ice cliff route had been skied for the first time only a few weeks earlier. And while it certainly looked skiable, I knew there was probably a good reason why a line that visible from Paradise had not been skied until recently.

4

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2012

After breaking out of the low clouds, we had about 1,000 vertical feet before arriving at Camp Muir. Camp Muir is a collection of tents, semi-permanent structures owned by the guiding companies, and permanent wood, metal and stone ranger cabins and latrines. It serves as the jumping-off point for most of the climbs up the south side of Rainier.

We watched Camp Muir fade into darkness and the final glow of the sun slide off Mt. Adams, then cooked dinner and headed to bed.

The next morning we awoke to a sea of clouds lapping at the cliffs below us with clear skies above. Despite the great weather, we were feeling sluggish and didn’t get out of camp until an hour after our intended departure time. Josh, and his friend Aaron, who joined us that morning, suggested we take the Gibraltar Ledges route up toward our intended ski line. Besides being more interesting, it was much more direct and allowed us to get a great look at the ice cliff before we committed to skiing it.

We stopped for a snack at the Beehive, just before beginning the ledges portion of the day.

Both Josh and I were feeling the altitude much earlier than we wanted. It looked like our late start, combined with our altitude-induced headaches and nausea, might cost us the summit and possibly even the line. Bits of rock were already melting out of the cliff above our intended ski line and clattering across the ice as we made our way up the Gibraltar Ledges. We clearly didn’t have a whole lot of extra time.

I reached a point where nausea hit me worse than it had in a very long time, and I didn’t think I could go much further. I was more interested in staying strong and keeping my wits about me for the technical parts of the descent, so I rested while the others headed toward the true top of the run. We’d decided to forgo the summit since it looked increasingly like we’d get the choice of the summit or the Nisqually Ice Cliff, but not both. Since we’d gotten a late start and almost everyone was feeling slow, it seemed like a smart call.

I waited while Aaron, Joel and Josh hiked to the top of the line, then I prepared to descend and traversed into the line as they skied down to meet me. Once we began skiing, most of our trepidation melted away. There were still plenty of things to go wrong, but the snow was about as perfect as we could have hoped for – enough of a soft top layer to ski confidently, but not so much that it was peeling off and sliding.

Aaron and Josh led the way into the more serious part of the line. I was still feeling the altitude and was also hoping to focus on taking pictures, so it was quite a relief to have those two so eager to take charge.

As we got into the meat of the route, the entire experience became completely surreal. The improbability of the great weather, surprisingly good snow and crazy setting kept hitting me every time we stopped to look around. We skied a few hundred feet one skier at a time, and

would all watch anxiously as the next skier negotiated the glacial cracks that divided the route. It wasn’t all tension and worry though; there were hoots, hollers and high fives aplenty as we made our way down.

Partway through the descent, as we realized everything else was working out, the question of the day became “How do we cross the bergschrund?” As we made our way closer and closer to the bottom, the bergschrund seemed to grow wider and more ominous until we rounded a final corner and saw, with relief, that a small snow bridge would connect us to the other side.

We picked what we thought was the best route, jumped over a few small cracks and skied across the final snow bridge to the relative safety of the Nisqually Glacier.

A few more high fives and we were on our way back to Muir to collect our stashed gear before skiing down to the car. We changed into more comfortable clothing before heading to the Copper Creek Tavern. We stuffed gigantic burgers into our faces and began to relax for the first time in more than 24 hours.

My hunger temporarily stayed, I sped northbound toward my house trying to outrace my exhaustion. X

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SPRING 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

5

Photo: Ashlon Durham

Shannon Skouras | Photo: Ashlon Durham

y n n i k s e th g n i n n i k s n o

Skinning is a quick and easy way to access the backcountry, and it is far less tiring than boot packing. Skins are long strips of nylon with synthetic fur or scales on one side and resusable adhesive on the other. Attach to your ski or board base and they allow your skis to glide over the snow, but keep you from sliding backward. You’ll need alpine touring (AT) equipment with AT bindings and skins, which can be purchased from any outdoor specialty retailer and trimmed to size.

FACE SHOT

To attach skins to your skis or splitboard, follow these easy steps:

1.

2.

3.

Carving fresh tracks in the backcountry

Attach D-Ring to the front tip of the ski.

Stretch the skin out the length of the ski, sticky side down, and press onto the bottom of the ski.

Once the skin is stuck to the bottom of the entire ski and is in place, attach the bottom clip to the bottom tip of the ski.

4. After both of your skins are in place, click your bindings into hike mode, and your skis or splitboard are ready to start the trek uphill.

safety first Before you begin exploring, it is important to have avalanche and backcountry knowledge so that your adventures are as safe as possible. Avalanche courses are a great way to learn about backcountry safety as well as to meet other people who are interested in exploring the beautiful mountains that are so close to home.

A backpack, probe, shovel, buddy and a beacon are all necessary for safe backcountry travel. Everyone in your backcountry group should have these essentials and know how to use them quickly and efficiently.

For info on backcountry courses, see aai.cc or mtbaker.us.

STORY BY SHANNON SKOURAS

W

inding up Highway 542, the sun plays hide and seek through the clouds and mountain peaks surrounding us. With our dog in the back of the Subaru, skis and splitboard on top, and coffee in hand, we eagerly look forward to a day in the beautiful Mt. Baker backcountry.

Arriving at Heather Meadows base area, we park at the uppermost lot at the foot of Mt. Herman. From this point, the backcountry is accessible even without a day pass to Mt. Baker Ski Area. Snowshoers, skiers and snowboarders are all welcome to start at the bottom of the Blueberry Cat Track as they begin their trek to the Blueberry Backcountry Gate on their quest toward Artist Point, Table Mountain or the Chimney.

Climbing out of the car, we take the first few steps slowly to see if it is one of those days where the icy parking lot of death is more dangerous than the ski slopes awaiting us. Taking in the mountain air, stretching after the drive from Glacier, we take a moment to appreciate the beautiful area that we call home. Knowing that the backcountry isn’t going anywhere, we start to get ready for another day out of bounds.

Making sure that the avalanche danger is low for the day, we strap on our transceivers, pack our backpacks with our probes, shovels and snacks, and grab our boards and skins. Five minutes later, with our skins attached to our skis and splitboard, we check our transceivers to ensure that we are both receiving and transmitting each other’s signals and set off up the right side of Blueberry Cat Track. Side by side, we slowly make our way to the Blueberry Backcountry Gate,

taking in the majestic site of Mt. Herman to our right.

Once we reach the gate, we follow the skin tracks ahead of us, up the switchbacks, eventually reaching the base of the Chimney. We take a snack and water break, knowing that we will need more before the climb that lies ahead.

We take the skins off our skis and splitboard, stowing them in our bags, strap our skis and board to our backpacks and start the climb up Chimney. Icy footholds and handholds from adventurers before us mark the path to the top of this rocky formation. Halfway up, we look back over our shoulder to see Mt. Baker sprawling over the landscape behind us. I look at my partner, knowing that this moment will stay with us forever. We finally make it to the top of Chimney, relieved that the hike is over finally.

Clicking into our skis, we decide to get first tracks for the day on an area named Mini-AK. One at a time, we drop in, floating through more than a foot of fresh powder, popping off spines and hooting and hollering the entire way down. Joy and freedom envelop us as we relish in the victory of our descent.

With poles in hand, skins on our skis and board, and smiles on our faces, we set off on yet another backcountry adventure. Fresh powder calls our names, and we never hesitate to answer, one face shot at a time. X Shannon Skouras can be found shredding powder in the Mt. Baker backcountry or riding her downhill mountain bike near her Glacier home.

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LEGENDARY BANKED SLALOM STORY AND PHOTO BY KITTY BOND oarders are hoping that Mt. Baker Ski Area gets slammed with powder in time for the Legendary Banked Slalom (LBS) race on February 10, 11 and 12.

The LBS is the longest running snowboard event in the world. It has grown significantly since its inception in 1985 and attracts some of the top snowboarders in the field.

Local boarders say it “defines the soul of snowboarding.”

“Snowboarding is the backbone of our mountain. Baker is unique because we form our own culture here,” Mt. Baker Ski Area employee Amy Wilkenson explains. “Many mountains are more ski friendly or even ski exclusive. The Banked Slalom drives the passion behind snowboarding, because it is tailored specifically to the sport.”

Amy Trowbridge, former world champion snowboarder and Mt. Baker Ski Area marketing codirector, is excited about the 27th year of the LBS. “The Banked Slalom course has a natural half-pipe, which makes the race unique and challenging,” Trowbridge said. She won the LBS pro women’s division in 1987 and 1990 and has worked with sister Gwyn Howat since then to form the race into the world-class event it is today. “This year we’ve had about 900 applications for 100 spots,” said Howat, operations manager of the ski area.

Thirteen-year-old Hank Kennedy is excited to participate in a sport that is continually changing and

growing. The Glacier local won the 2009 Next Generation division and is competing in the Juniors category this year with a goal time of 1:40:00.

(Junior category LBS 2011 champion Gus Warbington won with a time of 1:55:14.) Although Kennedy is already sponsored by big name companies such as Salomon, Bonfire and Smith, his demeanor is amiable and laid back. His advice for snowboarders trying to become more competitive? “Just keep trying and don’t get discouraged. Enjoy the powder.”

Many big names will be traveling into town to compete – including Temple Cummins, Maëlle Ricker, Xavier de Le Rue and Seth Wescott – and come from as far away as Argentina, France, Norway and Japan.

Many have won the LBS in previous years, and some have impressive international accomplishments, such as winning or competing in the Winter Olympics.

For 2012 race results and more information, visit lbs.mtbaker.us. X

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SPRING 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

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Photo: Jay Goodrich

Y K C U L E V A IH

perience ex s nd ou -b of tou an of y The stor WAT

BY DUNCAN AND GWYN HO

A

s part of our ongoing process of sharing valuable information on backcountry travel and practices, we have an extraordinary (and very lucky) story of one man’s overnight survival ordeal in the backcountry/wilderness near Mt. Baker Ski Area.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28. Around 2 p.m. two snowboarders (a 21- and 22-year old) from the Czech Republic via Vancouver B.C. were doing laps into The Canyon when they decided to ride the Gunner’s Bowl Cliff band line. For some reason, one went down to the far right of the band then beyond that into Swift Creek Saddle, knowingly going under the ski area boundary rope line, past the boundary signs, past the backcountry warning signs and then dropped down into the Swift Creek drainage.

This is where fellow riders who know what’s going on out there can help.

Evidently, several people in Swift saw him (no pack, no partner, walking in the opposite direction from the way out).

If someone had stopped him and told him to follow them out, the story could have ended there. But no one said anything and he kept going, thinking that he didn’t need to hike up, but

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just go down and around the corner and then reach White Salmon base area. In fact, he was going further from the ski area and deeper and deeper into rugged avalanche terrain in the National Forest (toward Lake Ann) and then into the Wilderness Area.

At 4:20 p.m. his friend alerted us that he had not seen him since they separated about 2 p.m. We mobilized our pro patrol into Swift Creek within 20 minutes and found his tracks four minutes later. However, this young man had over a two-hour head start and darkness was setting in. Mountain Search and Rescue (SAR) was called and mobilized. Our pro patrol crew kept view of the tracks; however, the tracks were randomly going up the backside of Shuksan Arm, traversing through avalanche fields, climbing up huge avalanche paths, dipping in and out of forests – and now it was getting dark.

At the time we began the search, conditions were at the point where our crew even considered not responding. There are times when we have not initiated a search due to the risk it presents to our crew. We decided to go, but with darkness coming on, the temperature rising, and the wind and precipitation picking up, I told the pros it was time to come back.

The pros are equipped with avalanche float packs, transceivers, shovels, probes, skins, lights, food, radio communication, extra batteries for radios and lights, extra clothing, water and touring set ups.

With the hair on their necks standing on end as the temperature rose and avalanche conditions worsened, they skinned back in about one hour.

Our crew of eight handed over the search effort around 8 p.m. to SAR who then searched with three crews on terrain acceptable for the conditions.

At 2:30 a.m., SAR abandoned their search for the night without finding the lost snowboarder.

The weather was tough. The temperature was around 35 degrees at the base, with rain, mixed snow and rain, wet snow at higher elevations and winds hitting 52 mph with very low visibility. The snowboarder was on his own for the rest of the night.

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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2012

with SAR Sunday morning. The weather was mixed snow and rain and ugly. SAR prepared to send more teams out as we prepared to open the ski area. They had put 20 people or more into the search effort. At 9:18 a.m. our pro patroller PJ (who was also on the search the previous night) was doing a boundary check along the Chair 8 Rumble Gully area and – miracles of all miracles – sees a guy meeting the missing person’s description hiking up the drainage to the Rumble Gully come-back trail.

Jakub had hiked down Swift Creek, out toward Mount Ann, back up the steep, steep terrain on the backside of Shuksan Arm and had made it to the top of the ridge of Shuksan Arm just in the right spot to come out above the Heli line. How he found that route up that rugged side, I will never know, but he did. He made it to the ridge sometime after dark. As the weather moved in, he hunkered down for the night, dug a snow pit/cave and went to sleep.

He slept an hour at a time – turning when each side got too cold. In the early morning hours he heard the back-up beeping of our snow cats working near the top of Chair 8 and began his trek back down the north side toward the noise. PJ called in and said, “Jakub is cold, tired and wet, but stable and smiling.”

Jakub had done this trek mostly in the dark and had covered about four miles over 3,000 vertical feet through some of the most extreme mountain terrain there is.

After a warm-up (a few toes may have frostbite), a doctor’s exam and a breakfast burrito in our aid room, he was basically fine, in very good spirits and thankful. To quote him: “I have lucky.” His friends pitched in on the rescue fees, and they are on their way home.

“The temperature rose and avalanche conditions worsened.”

PREVENTION. For the sake of fellow skiers and snow-

boarders, we ask everyone to not be bashful if you see someone who appears out of place in the backcountry – because they most likely are! Some people simply go beyond the ski area boundaries into the backcountry with little clue what to expect, without proper equipment or partners, with no information about snowpack or avalanche conditions and with no idea of their route or a safe way back. They need your help.

• If you see someone who looks unqualified in the backcountry, say something. It may save their life.

• Minutes count when your friend needs help in the mountains. Report possible missing people within minutes, not hours. With a two-hour head start in the mountains, it’s difficult to catch someone.

• If you are in a situation where you know you are lost or in trouble, follow your tracks back up.

• Keep your cell phone with you (not in the car) – but remember, Swift Creek does not have cell service though we can usually get handi-com reception.

• Decent clothing can help – Jakub wore a Burton jacket with multiple layers and a thick wool sweater. His clothing was wet, but his base layer was still partially dry.

• Don’t think that a Recco is a lifesaver – it may only help to find your body.

• Some people are from mountain areas that are heavily populated and they may believe that even the backcountry eventually leads to a road or town – not so. Know your route – or tell them the route.

Though Jakub’s story could have easily had a very different outcome, surviving the night in the Mt. Baker Wilderness on a dark, stormy and ugly night is testimony to youth and perseverance. We are happy he is home.

A special thanks to our pro patrollers Sam, PJ, Ben and Brian and to Justin, Chuck and the Bellingham Mountain Rescue Council and the Whatcom Country Search and Rescue Snowmobile Club, and the Whatcom County Sheriff ’s Department. X

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Duncan Howat is president and general manager and Gwyn Howat is the operations manager of Mt. Baker Ski Area.

ON EDGE

END OF THE SEASON. Spring snow

Taking care of your skis & boards

21702

BY SCOTT PETERSON

M

BEGINNING OF THE SEASON. Avoid the rush and get

Good food and good times.

Family friendly.

ALWAYS some FUN going on!

ski area first opens. Even though the shops like your business, it’s still sad to see a new pair of skis with the edge ripped out on opening day.

MID SEASON. Depending on

how often you ride and if you avoid rocks, a good hot wax should be done every five to ten times you ride. If your boards are running slow or the bases look dry, it’s probably time for a wax. Inspect your boards each day after you ride for dry bases, rough edges and, most importantly, base damage. If water gets to the wood core, it will likely rot and your board will be ruined. If you get it to a ski tech right away it will probably be repairable.

Scott Peterson owns Scott’s Ski Service in Glacier and has been working on skis and boards for 25 years.

21579

For area ski repair shops, visit

mountbakerexperience.com

your equipment checked and tuned up ahead of time. Waiting for opening day usually results in the shop not being able to do it right away.

They’re busy adjusting bindings for boots purchased off-season, mounting new bindings and skis, waxing and detuning new boards and performing maintenance that could have been done at the end of the last season. If you have older equipment, use it, as you might not want to ride your new $900 skis when the

Photo: Ashlon Durham

Scott Peterson | Photo: Louise Mugar

aintaining your snow sliding tools can add years to their lives and, as we all know, the equipment is expensive. Basic maintenance at home can be rewarding and save you money, but you’ll want to leave the big repairs and edging to the professionals.

Skis and boards have specific edge bevels that should be maintained. Grinding or filing them too often can result in losing too much steel on the edge, causing a base high board that needs to be ground down. More often than not, all you may need is to get the burrs knocked down and the edges polished for a smooth, sharp carve.

can be very granular and abrasive. It seems to wear the wax from your bases sooner than usual so you might need to wax more often. On your last day of the season, get your boards tuned and waxed for next year. Whether you wax your own boards or have the shop do it, it’s important to not scrape the wax to protect your base and edges, and turn the din down on your ski binding to save the tensioning spring.

Keep your boards in a dry, safe place to avoid the rusty edges that seem to happen in our damp climate. X

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n a recent Friday afternoon, I loaded up and headed north, watching Mt. Baker disappear over my shoulder as I crossed the border.

My goal: hit up at least one of the B.C. brewpubs I’d heard of but never visited.

Lucky for me, I ended up at Central City Brewing in Surrey – named the best brewery in Canada in the 2010 Canadian Brewing Awards.

Located at 13450 102nd Avenue, Central City bills itself as a gastropub, a term I’m familiar with, as an avid fan of both the Seattle Sounders and good beer.

I felt right at home in Central City Brewing, taking a seat at the bar and chatting with Eugene, the bar manager. I noticed at least one difference, though – the sport of choice on that day was curling.

“There’s a movement toward respecting the craft” of beer in the region, Eugene said. Central City has been around for about seven years, and craft brews have really taken off in that time. For Central City, the movement has been a huge boost.

The pub, with its Red Racer beer label, is breaking ground shortly on a new $22 million brewing facility that should be finished within a year.

In addition to the usual suspects (more about them in a minute), Central City offered four seasonal Red Racer brews: a winter ale, a saison, a barleywine and a Scotch “wee heavy.”

Such a variety of seasonals, in addition to the brewery’s regular lineup of half a dozen or more, is rare. Especially when you consider the breadth of beer represented.

A barleywine is a high alcohol, generally thick, dark beer that is definitely an acquired taste. It is not a taste I’ve acquired yet. Though I’m a sucker for resiny, boozy, imperial IPAs, the often fruity, almost sour taste of most barleywines turns me off.

However, you should be sure to give it a try – ask the barkeep for a splash and judge for yourself. And if the style sounds interesting, be sure to try Red Racers – brewer Dominic called it the brewery’s masterpiece.

“Every brewery should have their masterpiece,” he said during an after-dinner tour of the operation. The barleywine takes the longest to produce of the brewery’s offerings, mostly due to its high alcohol content. The barleywine currently on tap aged two months in the tank and another 10 months in the keg.

My two favorites of the evening were the wee heavy and the saison. A “wee heavy” beer is a strong ale, generally higher in alcohol content and low in hoppy flavor. The color is generally dark brown, and Central City’s had a nice tan head that dissipated quickly. It was a perfect complement to the beer-braised short ribs (with pickled grilled zucchini – I know, I was initially skeptical too) I ordered for dinner.

My other dinner options sounded equally as delicious, by the way – from a variety of burgers and pizzas to homemade pasta dishes and many options made with Red Racer beers.

The saison was so good I decided to add to my growler collection in order to bring some home. This beer was Dominic’s pet project, he said, and the one of which he was most proud. Saison beers don’t have a strict set of style guidelines, but they are generally light, cloudy ales made with pale or pilsner malts. Red Racer uses 100 percent French malts, and the slightly yeasty aroma gives it a depth often lacking in light ales.

Really, any trip north of the 49th parallel should include a stop at Central City Brewing. The food is phenomenal, with emphasis placed on ingredients made inhouse or sourced locally, and the beer is solid, no matter what you prefer. From the palest white ale to the darkest barleywine, Red Racer has you covered.

Heading south, if you’re Bellingham-bound, and you’ve already hit the local breweries, it’s time to try The Copper Hog. Its rotating taps offer a breadth of beer

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just one brewery can’t match, and the menu is varied and ever-changing. Located at 1327 North State Street, The Copper Hog is one of the city’s major gathering places for lovers of both futbol and craft brews.

Though it doesn’t yet brew its own beer, the pub is working with Odin Brewing to develop a house brand of its own. A gastropub as well, The Copper Hog offers an ever-changing variety of beers from around the world and a menu to match.

Including such varied options as gnocchi with braised rabbit, a burger “royale,” schweinschnitzel, and bangers and mash, The Copper Hog’s dinner menu will offer something to please almost anyone.

But The Copper Hog’s biggest strength is in its kegs. The pub regularly hosts regional brewers’ nights, featuring primarily Washington and Oregon brewing operations. The Hog recently had Oregon’s

Deschutes Brewery in for an evening, bringing along the soughtafter seasonal, The Abyss. The Abyss is a stunningly dark Russian imperial stout you don’t want to finish quickly (not least because of its 11 percent ABV).

But if deep, complex stouts aren’t your thing, you can try The Copper Hog Red (brewed exclusively for the Hog by Whidbey Island’s Flyers Brewery), Sierra Nevada’s limitedrelease rye IPA, Kilkenny’s Irish cream ale (served on nitro for an extra creamy boost), or any number of other beers the pub might have gotten a hold of that week. When a keg blows at The Copper Hog another is always waiting to take its place, and the only guarantee is that you won’t find exactly the same lineup twice.

Well, that’s not quite true. You’re also guaranteed to find a selection of stellar beers. X

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ince 2007, Erin Baker’s Wholesome Baked Goods, based in Bellingham, has been helping kids get fueled up and geared up for skiing or snowboarding at the Mt. Baker Ski Area.

Erin Baker’s Healthy Start Foundation has been working with the ski area to provide healthy breakfasts, free of charge, to middle and high school students participating in any of the ski area’s winter programs. Every Saturday during the Winter Ride program, Baker hands out free breakfast cookies or cups of granola and milk to students in the program.

“Baker’s Breakfast Cookies has made an incredibly generous contribution to the Winter Ride participants,” Blaine area Winter Ride coordinator Julie Apeles said.

“We leave early in the morning and the kids don’t have time to eat before getting on the bus. Now they can grab a healthy breakfast cookie before hitting the slopes.”

In addition to the free breakfast cookies and granola, Baker’s Healthy Start Foundation awards scholarships to children who would otherwise not be able to afford skiing or snowboarding lessons. All the proceeds of Baker’s Wholesome Goods sold at the Mt. Baker Ski Area are used to provide scholarships for the Winter Ride program.

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BIG, SHARP AND POINTY

RIGHT: Mt. Baker | Photo: Michael Powers

ng A talk with Dunham Goodi e Institute about the American Alpin

LEFT: North Ridge of Mt. Baker | Photo: Alasdair Turner

BY PAT GRUBB

T

he American Alpine Institute (AAI) has grown from its beginnings in 1975 as a small outfit offering guided mountaineering trips and climbing instruction to an operation with worldwide reach. Where in the world do you want to climb? AAI can take you there. Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air, the harrowing account of a Mt. Everest ascent, describes AAI as “The best all around climbing school and guide service in North America.” New York Times writer Matt Mooney wrote, “AAI is the Harvard of climbing schools.” Recently MBE sat down and talked to Dunham Gooding, founder and director of AAI, to find out the story behind the accolades.

MBE: Tell us about yourself.

Dunham Gooding: I grew up in Connecticut hiking the peaks back there. When I was 15, I went to the Tetons with my brother and suddenly, dramatically, discovered what big mountains were like. I was blown over – the Tetons are a fault block, they rise up, and they’re sharp and pointy and very impressive. I was smitten.

I went to college at Lewis and Clark in Portland in 1966. Mt. Hood was within striking distance, and I immediately began to learn how to climb on glaciers and to enjoy their beauties.

After grad school and a few years working in Portland, I got a job at Western Washington University (WWU) teaching writing, and my wife and I moved up here.

MBE: So how did AAI come about?

DG: WWU was a part-time position, and I had to do something to earn money. I thought, “I’m a good teacher, and I’m a really good climber,” and the idea of running my own business was quite intriguing, so I offered some courses. There wasn’t much around in terms of climbing schools, a few guide services, and they were very much in the European tradition where you teach the climber the minimum you need to teach in order to haul them up and down the peak. That wasn’t my vision of what climbing is all about. Here was an opportunity to have a real school where you teach people skills at whatever level they need, introductory or advanced, and we did both, but also to teach them good judgment in the mountain so they keep themselves safe and efficient in terms of their goals.

12

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2012

The first year we ran one or two courses that were incredibly cheap. I didn’t know how much to charge or what the market could bear. It was all a process of discovery. It was intriguing, it was problem solving, it was like climbing. After that, we began scouting for countries to offer programs. Within a couple of years, we were offering programs in Bolivia in the summer, Ecuador in the winter, and as the years wore on we kept adding more trips to Peru, Chile, Argentina, Nepal, India. Locally, we were offering at first glacier climbing, then rock climbing in the mountains. We didn’t make much money then because everything we made we put back into the business to help it grow.

MBE: How were you different from other companies?

DG: We had a very high standard for ourselves in terms of packing each course with as much information as the student could handle. It was typical for students to comment at the end of the course about how much they had learned. That really helped us to grow because word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing.

MBE: How did the name American Alpine Institute come about: DG: We had two names before this one but they didn’t really describe what we were all about. We were doing a variety of programs, including things that were quasi-academic that had to do with medicine, research on high altitude illness such as pulmonary and cerebral edema. We were also developing some technical aspects in terms of rescue techniques, and teaching

rescuers and military instructors how to be instructors. We were not only teaching the skills, we were teaching people how to teach the skills. We have been recognized over the years for our contribution to training professionals. Institute seemed to capture the nature of what we were doing. The name American Alpine Institute name was born in a soggy tent in Bolivia when we were snowed in.

MBE: You have a huge number of guides on your roster. Are they all staff?

DG: Everyone who works for us is staff; we don’t have any sub-contractors. Some work full-time year-round, others work full-time seasonally depending where they are located. At any time of the year, there is great weather somewhere in the world. Many of our staff have been here for a long time, and that is unusual in this business. A lot of people would like to work here. We advertise for guides frequently because we want to have guides who are as perfect as possible, and we have a huge applicant pool as a result. We typically choose people who have had some instructing and guiding experience. Technical skills are the easiest things to identify, and we need them to be really good climbers but beyond that, we need them to be really skilled with people. They have to be out in the field not just because of the climbing but because they want to share it with other people.

MBE: What sort of clients can take your courses? I was surprised to see how many of the courses were coded suitable for beginners.

DG: We serve people at every skill level, from people who are expert at climbing but want to become more efficient or do longer routes faster to people who have never climbed anything in their lives. We do want them to have backpacked, which is not too hard a thing to do on your own. We offer backpacking trips but most of our courses are climbing courses. We want them to know the fundamentals first because there is so much to learn about climbing.

MBE: You offer training for the Seven Summits. What summits do you offer?

DG: We offer all seven. We have a partner company in New Zealand; we take the lead on some climbs and they take the lead on others. We share other programs. We do Ecuador and Bolivia while they do most of Nepal.

MBE: What would be the greatest adventures you’ve had in this business?

DG: I think doing unclimbed peaks because of the mystery, the lack of certitude as to whether you’re going to get there or whether it’s going to work out. In Bolivia I had a number of trips where we climbed in a remote part of the Cordillera Real.

It reminded me of the first explorations in India and Nepal where they had trouble getting to the base of the mountain because they didn’t know how the valleys worked. There was no mapping. We had some Bolivian military maps but they weren’t very useful. Mostly it was hiring local llama herders who do some high pasturing and getting their help in figuring how to get to these peaks. Some of those were pretty straightforward climbing, some of them were pretty hard, technically, but I think the biggest reward was making it all work out. We felt like explorers, and it was really fun and special because there aren’t many places like that in the world.

MBE: You offer trips all over the world. Where are the new places you’re going to?

DG: There aren’t many places we haven’t explored. We go to 16 countries now. The biggest area that is moderately new for us is western China, Szechuan. It’s not hard to get into very remote areas, and it’s mainly a Tibetan culture. There are hundreds of unclimbed peaks.

MBE: What’s changed in this business since 1975?

DG: When we first started, there were guide services that didn’t teach – they mostly got people up and down peaks, and there were clubs that did their best to teach fundamental skills. Since then, a professional aspect of this and other forms of recreation has developed, and I think that’s partly due to a recognition in our culture of the value of recreation and how much can be gained from it. It’s physical health, mental health and the development of character. The problem solving that goes on in climbing is extremely rewarding. Also, I think that because of that recognition of value in recreation, the industry has become far more professional instead of just winging it.

MBE: Tell me about Guide’s Choice Award: DG: We’ve worked with manufacturers for about 30 years and Guide’s Choice has a very high level of integrity. We don’t get any financial benefit from the manufacturers. We often test products side-by-side. We give our feedback confidentially to the companies, and they’re always eager to get that and to make adjustments.

Unless you have a transceiver and your friends have them and know how to use them, no one’s going to find you in time to get you out.

A big component of who we are is our advocacy for the environment. We have been doing it for many years. Recreation has become hugely important to our economy. It has reversed the balance where the extractive industries had a huge impact on the economy in the past and recreation was pretty small; now, it’s the opposite. Part of giving people recreational opportunities is access to public lands, but there is a terrible maintenance backlog on bridges and access roads, especially with the U.S. Forest Service.

We do our best to point out to members of Congress not only the importance of recreation to their constituents’ lives but also the economic importance of recreation. We also spend a lot of staff time on reading and commenting on draft environmental impact statements, draft management plans for the Bureau of Land Management and forest service. Everybody cares about that stuff but very few take the time to read and to make their views known.

We also frequently visit legislators in Washington, D.C., and provide them with information about the industry. I always tell our group that humbleness and succinctness is important.

They don’t have time for lots of information. Give them just enough and they’ll ask for more. At first we would just meet with staffers; now we meet with the members themselves.

“They are bowled over by its beauty, its complexity and the sense of achievement.”

It is difficult to overestimate the impact that Dunham Gooding and the American Alpine Institute have had on the sport of climbing. From introducing newcomers to the sport, the teaching of professionals, to the education of government officials, Gooding and AAI have led the way. The creed of excellence that permeates the Institute is as clear and beautiful as the big and sharp and pointy mountains that first set Gooding on his life’s journey. X

California’s Mt. Whitney | Photo: Mark Webb

Dunham Gooding

We want our clients to have the best gear too, because if it’s lighter, if it’s more functional, if it keeps them dry, it means the trip will be more successful. It’s in the team’s best interest for everyone to be comfortable and safe. So when we find a piece of gear that’s the best in its category, we give it our Guide’s Choice Award. Our tests usually last anywhere from six to eighteen months. Our guides use and wear this stuff six days a week intensely so it gets far more wear than the typical climber.

MBE: Where do your customers come from?

DG: They come from all over the world. The make-up of the group depends on where the climb is. Our biggest numbers come from Washington state, then California, then eastern U.S. For Denali, only half of our customers are American. In Ecuador, it’s about half American, the rest come from around the world.

MBE: How about locally?

DG: I think one of the biggest and most enjoyable things that we do is climb Mt. Baker a lot. Many people who don’t see themselves as climbers living in the county or in southern British Columbia and lower mainland look at that mountain for years and years and think “wouldn’t it be cool to climb that some day.”

We’ve really been doing a lot, especially in the last five years, to convey to people that all they have to be is in good shape, they don’t have to be athletes. We can equip them, teach them the fundamentals of what they need to know, and they can do an easy route on Mt. Baker in three days and have an experience of a lifetime. It’s really exciting and it’s a lot of work but as long as they’re in good shape, we can help them get ready for it. Three months is plenty of time to get into shape.

Many of them don’t plan on becoming climbers but once they get on the glacier the sense of achievement is so great.

When they get to the summit, it’s nothing like they’ve ever done before. A lot of people do it because they think they ought to, or they think it’s cool, but once they do it, they are bowled over by its beauty, its complexity and the sense of achievement.

MBE: Any other courses of interest to locals?

DG: A lot of folks here like to go into the backcountry during the winter on skis or snowboard but also a lot of hikers or snowshoers. It’s a really hazardous environment so they should take one of our avalanche courses. The first thing they learn is how much there is to learn and how dangerous it is. These courses save a lot of lives. If you’re going into the backcountry, make sure you take one of these courses. It’s so easy to get caught.

Things may look normal or right, whatever that means, there may be tracks from someone else, but the wind load is different or the temperature has changed. Next thing you know, there’s a slab avalanche; it’s very hard to get out of them.

If you’re in it, you’re probably buried.

TOP LEFT: Hiker admiring a 22째 radius halo created by ice crystals in cirrus clouds high above Mt. Baker | Photo: Jason Hummel BOTTOM LEFT: Tyler Scott Hatcher flows through the pow in Mt. Baker backcountry Photo: Jay Goodrich

14

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2012

ABOVE: KC Deane hits the Mt. Baker road gap | Photo: Grant Gunderson

ABOVE: Forrest Burki hiking with Tima Photo: Dylan Hart ABOVE RIGHT: Kyle Miller riding Eldorado Peak with Mt. Baker in the background Photo: Jason Hummel BOTTOM: Brandon Franulovic dropping off Hontoon Point, Mt. Baker backcountry Photo: Brad Andrew

SPRING 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

15

16

Owen Dudley drops off the Chief into Sonar in Bellingham | Photo: Jay Goodrich

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2012 Tyler Scott Hatcher getting in a late afternoon run in the Mt. Baker backcountry | Photo: Jay Goodrich

S L I A R T G N I D L I BU season Transitioning into biking

Photos: Jay Goodrich

BY OWEN DUDLEY

P

Owen Dudley | Photo: Jay Goodrich

eople have all kinds of reasons for using trails. Whether it’s hiking, horseback riding, hunting or mountain biking, trails allow users access to new areas and terrain. But, before people can use a trail, it has to be built. Enter the trail builders.

Trailbuilding is a long, arduous process. Weeks turn into months, months turn into years, sometimes spent in one section of the woods. The first step is scoping out possible locations for the trail. It’s a bushwacking experience – climbing over logs, hiking through thick brush in rough terrain, and imagining what it would be like to ride a bike through a particular area.

After the location is chosen, the real work begins and lasts seemingly forever – hiking, sawing and digging, building ladder bridges, dead ends and route changes, all draw out the process. However, the reward for the time you spend in the woods is a new trail to shred with your best friends.

My main motivation for building mountain bike trails is to be able to spend time out there, in places away from civilization. A day spent building is an easy way to go for a hike, build cool stunts and spend time with friends.

As the trailbuilding progresses, sections become rideable, giving builders an early preview of how it will flow with the rest of the trail. This is the fun part because it means the builders get to ride their trail before anyone else and, most importantly, also means they get to ride, which is, after all, the reason for trailbuilding in the first place.

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Owen Dudley lives in Bellingham and frequently enjoys the foothills and mountains of the Pacific Northwest.

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Once a trail opens to the public and others discover it, the trails need to be maintained. Ruts and holes form, roots become exposed and falling trees block the riders. As obstructions occur, new routes form. As a trail grows old, it evolves. It is always fun to build spurs and re-routes to an existing trail.

Finally, as trails get ridden, washed out, overgrown or logged, the ride stops. New trails get built, new areas discovered. The best part about the Mt. Baker region is the local trailbuilding scene and land holdings that support the large number of riders in the area.

Whatcom Trails Co-op and the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition (WMBC) are two local organizations that promote communal trail building efforts.

To find out when Whatcom Trails Co-op’s next trail builds are, visit www.whatcomtrails.com or contact Matt Shelton at 360/305-8504. Get WMBC build day and local event info on their website at www.whimpsmtb.org, and check out Galbraith Mountain at www.ridegalbraith.com. X

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D U M & D U R C

maintained d an n ea cl ke bi ur yo ep Ke for optimal performance ON DURHAM

HL STORY AND PHOTOS BY AS

Y

our bike may speak a language all its own. Whether you are riding mountain bike trails, commuting to work or cruising city paths on the weekend, things can go wrong at any moment. If you take preventative measures to extend the life and enhance the performance of your bike, you will keep on pedaling for years to

come. After a long winter, your bike will benefit from a good spring cleaning and tune-up whether you have been riding or it’s been sitting in the garage.

DRIVE TRAIN. The most important part of the bike’s functionality is the drive train. The drive train consists of the front

chain rings, rear cassette, chain and the front and rear derailleurs. Most components of the drive train are intended to wear out, and this process all starts with the chain. As you ride, your chain will stretch out over time, but once it stretches to a certain point it is no longer replaceable. If this occurs, you will have to replace the rear cassette, chain and chain rings all at the same time. To avoid this costly mistake, take the time to check your chain stretch with a chain-checking tool and make sure that you replace your chain between .5 and .75. If you wait until it reads 1.0, you’ll need to replace the whole system.

Dirt, grime, crud and mud are constantly attacking your bike no matter where you are riding. The easiest way to maintain a good working bike is to regularly clean your drive chain with a degreasing agent such as Simple Green. Make sure you spray your cassette and chain, then “floss” your cassette with a rag and wipe down your chain. Chain cleaning devices are also available at most shops and will make this job easier. Derailleur jockey wheels are also notorious for getting covered in goop and need to be cleaned as well. Use a screwdriver to clean off areas covered with stubborn mud and grime.

CHAIN.

Once your cassette, chain rings and derailleurs are clean, it’s time to lube your chain. Always use a lube that is intended for bikes – WD40 and other lubes build up grime quickly and are not good for the system. There are many kinds of bike lube on the market, and you should be able to find it at any local bike shop.

Lube each individual chain link, then go through every gear to disperse the lube onto the cassette and chain rings. Once you’re done, wipe the chain off with a clean rag so that excess lube does not attract more dirt.

If you find that your bike is not shifting properly, there may be more than one issue to tackle. The first thing to check is whether your cable housing is sticky. To start lubing your cables, shift into the highest gear on your cassette range and the highest gear on your front chain rings. Then, without moving the bike or spinning the pedals, shift down to the lowest gear. By doing this you create enough slack in the cables to remove the housing from the guides on your frame. Once the housing is free, run a rag with degreaser on it across the cables and move them around to get all the grime off. Once the cables are degreased apply a small amount of lube to every point where the cable will be making contact with the housing. Once your cables are lubed, put every piece of housing back in the proper guides.

If your bike is still not getting into every gear or if your chain is jumping between gears, check your cable tension. Your shifter is made to take up the amount of cable that is needed to shift up one gear with each throw of the paddle. If the gears are not shifting up, apply more tension to the cable with the barrel adjusters on your shifter and/or derailleur. If you can’t go down, you need to take some tension off. The end goal is to have the jockey wheels on your rear derailleur line up with the rings of your cassette for each gear.

Another common problem that can affect gear change is a bent derailleur hanger or derailleur. If this is the case, take your bike or the bent hanger to a bike shop to get a replacement or have them replace it for you.

BRAKE SYSTEM. The brake system is another essential part of your bike that needs extra special care. If your brake le-

vers are pulling to the bar, apply more tension to the cable via barrel adjusters on the lever. If you have hydraulic disk brakes they need to be bled by a skilled mechanic. If you are using V-Brakes or cantilevers it is easy to get more efficiency out of your brake system by cleaning the braking surface of each rim with sandpaper or Scotch Brite. Never to clean your brake pads or braking surface with any degreaser and never get lube on them. The lube will contaminate the system and make your brakes howl.

Also keep in mind that there are many other things that can go wrong on a bike. Make sure that all of your bolts are tight and keep in mind that if something feels off, you check it out immediately.

Sometimes the problem with your bike is obvious, while other times it may take some digging to uncover the root of the problem. If you still feel like your bike is speaking a different language after reading this, it may be wise to bring it to a shop. It may be best to leave the bike – and your safety – in the hands of professionals at one of the many great local bike shops. If you take these precautions, your bike should be in prime riding condition for the spring season. X Expert mountain biker Ashlon Durham has worked as a bike mechanic since he was 13. Living in Glacier, he loves gravity sports and spends his time outdoors with his best friend and dog.

18

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2012

bike repair shops BELLINGHAM, WA Bellingham Cycle Works bellinghamcycleworks.com 360/715-2967

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EVENTS around the mt. baker region FEBRUARY LEGENDARY BANKED SLALOM: Friday through Sunday, February 10 to 12, Mt. Baker Ski Area. Snowboard racers compete in twelve different categories. Info: lbs.mtbaker.us.

HANNEGAN ROAD SNOWSHOE HIKE: Saturday, February 11, 11 a.m., meet at Shuksan Picnic Area, Hannegan Road. Snowshoe led

by Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Rangers. $10 donation suggested, snowshoes provided. Info: 360/856-5700 ext. 515.

LOVE WINTER CYCLING: CELEBRATE YOUR WINTER RIDE: Sunday, February 12, 4 to 8 p.m., The Old Foundry, Bellingham. Ride departs from The Old Foundry and circles through town on lighted bikes from 4 to 5 p.m. At 5 p.m. enjoy a winter cycling fashion show, with rewards and raffle prizes. Free.

Info: rei.com/stores/65.

SKI AND SNOWBOARD TUNING BASICS: Monday, February 13, 6 to 7 p.m., Bellingham REI. Learn how to properly clean, tune edges, apply base repairs and hot wax. Free event, preregister. Info: rei.com/stores/65.

BICYCLE TRAVELOGUE SLIDE SHOW: Wednesday, February 15, 7 to 9 p.m., ReSources Sustainable Living Center, 2309 Guide Meridian Street, Bellingham. Two presentations on bicycle travels across the U.S. Donation: $3. Info: everybodybike.com.

WINTER CAMPING BASICS: Wednesday, February 15, 6 to 7:15 p.m., Bellingham REI. Learn what you need, where to go and how to prepare. Free, preregister. Info: rei.com/ stores/65.

THE WELLNESS SHOW: Friday through Sunday, February 17 to 19, Vancouver Convention Centre, B.C. Enjoy a variety of talks, demonstrations, and vendors. Info: thewellnessshow.com.

SNOWSHOE EXCURSION: Saturday, February 18, North Cascades Institute. Snowshoe through the foothills of the North Cascades with Dave Moskowitz, author of “A Field Guide to Pacific Northwest Wildlife and Tracking.” Learn about winter mountain ecology, plant and animal cold weather survival strategies and wildlife tracking in the snow. $95. Info: ncascades.org.

HEATHER MEADOWS SNOWSHOE HIKE: Saturday, February 18 and Sunday, February 19, 11 a.m., meet at upper Mt. Baker Ski Area parking lot by Bagley Lakes Trailhead. Snowshoe led by Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National

20

Forest Rangers. $10 donation suggested, snowshoes provided. Info: 360/856-5700 ext.

515.

ARTIST POINT SNOWSHOE TRIP: Saturday, February 18. bellinghammountaineers.org.

MT. BAKER ROCK & GEM CLUB: Monday, February 20, 7 p.m., Bloedel Donovan Community Building, 2214 Electric Ave., Bellingham.

WWU Associate Geology Professor Doug Clark will discuss an ice-core project near Mt. Waddington where attempts are being made to recover a prehistoric deep glacier climate record. Info: mtbakerrockclub.org.

DYLAN HART AND PATRICK KENNEDY PRESENTATION: Wednesday, February 22, 6 to 7:15 p.m., Bellingham REI. Dylan Hart and Patrick Kennedy will be hosting a Northwest winter recreation photo/video show. Free, preregister. Info: rei.com/stores/65.

TIDES AND CURRENTS: Thursday, February 23, 5:30 to 7:45 p.m., Community Boating Center, 555 Harris Avenue, Bellingham. Learn how to plan kayak trips to take advantage of tidal flow and local currents, predict the effects of the moon and weather on tidal and current patterns. $35. Info/registration: boatingcenter.org.

FLATLANDS HIKE: Saturday, February 25, 10:30 a.m., S.W. corner of Silver Reef Casino paved parking lot. Hike 4 to 5 miles to view raptors and marsh animals. Info: mountbakerclub.org.

HEATHER MEADOWS SNOWSHOE HIKE: Saturday, February 25, 11 a.m., meet at upper Mt. Baker Ski Area parking lot by Bagley Lakes Trailhead. Led by Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Rangers. $10 donation suggested, snowshoes provided. Info: 360/8565700 ext. 515.

WHATCOM LAND TRUST WORK PARTY: Saturday, February 25, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Plant native trees at the Fenton property, southeast of Blaine. Info: whatcomlandtrust.org.

GPS 201: Sunday, February 26, 1 to 4 p.m., Bellingham REI. Overview of GPS units, technology and terminology. $20 members. Info: rei.com/stores/65.

TIPS, TRICKS, AND VIDEO CLIPS: Monday, February 27, 6 to 7:15 p.m., Bellingham REI. Local cinematographer and pro athlete Nick Ennen will discuss composition, mounting and software. Free, preregister. Info: rei.com/ stores/65.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2012

MARCH COASTAL NAVIGATION: Thursday, March 1, 5:30 to 7:45 p.m., Bellingham REI. Learn how to read a marine chart, plot a course, plan an excursion and all other necessary components of a voyage. $35. Info: rei.com/stores/65.

BC BOAT AND SPORTSMEN’S SHOW: Friday through Sunday, March 2 and 4, Abbotsford B.C. Over 250 exhibits, seminars, contests and prizes. Info: bcboatandsportsmenshow.ca.

VANCOUVER OUTDOOR ADVENTURE AND TRAVEL SHOW: Saturday and Sunday, March 3 and 4, Vancouver, B.C. Broad array of “themed” pavilions, including canoe/kayak, travel photography, board sports and many more. Info: outdooradventureshow.ca.

AVALANCHE AND BACKCOUNTRY SKI COMBINATION COURSE: Friday, March 2 to Tuesday, March 6. Five day combination class of Avalanche Level 1 and Introduction to Backcountry Skiing, led by American Alpine Institute. $570. Info: aai.cc.

BICYCLE TO WORK AND SCHOOL DAY KICKOFF PLANNING MEETING: Wednesday, March 7, 6 to 8 p.m., Whatcom Council of Governments Conference Room, 314 E Champion St. Help plan Whatcom County’s Bike to Work and School Day, held on the third Friday in May. Free. Info: everybodybike.com.

FIVE SECRETS TO BUYING THE RIGHT BIKE: Thursday, March 8, 6 to 8:30 p.m., ReSources Sustainable Living Center, 2309 Guide Meridian Street, Bellingham. Discuss options for how to find the right bicycle to suit your purpose. Free, donations welcome. Info: everybodybike.com.

SEATTLE BIKE EXPO: Saturday and Sunday, March 10 to 11, Pier 91, Seattle. Largest consumer bicycle show in U.S. $10 to $12. Info: shop.cascade.org.

POWERLINE HIKE: Saturday, March 10, 9 a.m., Sunnyland School. Moderate 5 to 6 mile hike with Mt. Baker Club. Carpool cost $1.

Info: mountbakerclub.org.

SALMON RIDGE SNOWSHOE: Sunday, March 11. Snowshoe with the Bellingham Mountaineers. Info: bellinghammountaineers.org.

VANCOUVER SUN RUN: Sunday, April 15, 9 a.m. Canada’s largest 10K road race. $40 to $50. Info: vancouversun.com/2012sunrun.

ST. PATTY’S DAY SNOWSHOEING: Saturday, March 17, 11 a.m. Snowshoe with the Mt. Baker Club. Info: mountbakerclub.org.

WINGS OVER WATER 10TH ANNUAL NORTHWEST BIRDING FESTIVAL: Saturday, March 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Blaine Middle School.

Field trips, viewing stations, ferry nature cruises and more. Info: blainechamber.com WHATCOM EVENTS FIRST ANNUAL SNOWSHOE RACES: Saturday, March 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Heather Meadows. St. Patrick’s Day themed snowshoe races, games, fun and prizes! Info: skitosea.com.

MT. ERIE BEER AND BURGER HIKE: Saturday, March 17, 8:30 a.m., Sunnyland School.

Mt. Baker Club hike, carpool cost $7. Info: mountbakerclub.org.

RUNNIN O’ THE GREEN: Saturday, March 17, 10 a.m., Depot Market Square, Bellingham.

New course this year! Live band at finish, shirt provided for participants. $15 to $20. Info: cob.org.

BELLINGHAM ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE: Saturday, March 17, 12 p.m. Parade with local businesses and clubs! Begins at corner of Cornwall Ave. and Ohio St., ends at Boundary Bay Brewery. Info: stpatsbham.com.

BICYCLE TRAVEL SLIDE SHOW SERIES: SALISH SEA AND EASTERN CANADA: Wednesday, March 21, 7 to 9 p.m., ReSources Sustainable Living Center, 2309 Meridian Street, Bellingham. Two presentations on biking around the Salish Sea and Nova Scotia.

Info: everybodybike.com.

BIRCH BAY ROAD RACE: The seventh annual 5K, 15K and 30K. $25 to $65. Info: birchbayroadrace.com.

APRIL MT. BAKER GOLDEN EGG HUNT: Saturday, April 7, Mt. Baker Ski Area. More than 4,000 neon colored plastic eggs will be hidden around the ski area! The fabled “golden egg” will contain a 2012-2013 Mt. Baker season’s pass. Info: mtbaker.us.

27TH ANNUAL TULIP RUN: Saturday, April 7, 9:30 a.m., Skagit Regional Airport, Burlington. Enjoy this mainly gravel course through gorgeous Skagit county. 2 and 5 mile races. $12 to $30. Info: tuliprun.com.

PREPARE FOR BIKE TO WORK DAY: SIX STEPS TO GET READY: Thursday, April 12, 6 to 8 p.m., ReSources Sustainable Living Center, 2309 Meridian Street, Bellingham. Get advice and encouragement on how to make “Bike to School and Work Day” fun and safe. Info: everybodybike.com.

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WALK MS WASHINGTON: Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15, Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Bellingham, Silverdale, Olympia, Tulalip, Tacoma, Kennewick. Fundraising walk-athon for Multiple Sclerosis. Info: main.nationalmssociety.org.

MAY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE: MATTIAS KLUM: Wednesday, May 2, 7:30 p.m., Mount Baker Theatre. Awe inspiring journey through some of the earth’s amazing wonders with one of National Geographic Live’s most highly acclaimed speakers. Info: mountbakertheatre.com.

VANCOUVER MARATHON: Sunday, May 6, Vancouver, B.C. Participate in either the full marathon or half marathon. $65 to $130. Info: bmovanmarathon.ca.

BIKE TO WORK AND SCHOOL DAY: Friday, May 18, Whatcom County.

Bike or walk to one of the more than 30 Celebration Stations across Whatcom County and enjoy snacks, gifts and a chance to enter a prize drawing. Info: everybodybike.com.

BAKER SKILLS AND CLIMB: Saturday, May 19 to Monday, May 21, Mt. Baker. Summit Mt. Baker via the Coleman-Deming route. Guided

by American Alpine Institute. $590.

Info: aai.cc.

THREE DAY GLACIER SKILLS AND CREVASSE RESCUE COURSE: Saturday, May 26 to Monday, May 28, Mt. Baker. The American Alpine Institute will hold this course on the upper flanks of Mt. Baker. A large range of glacier skills will be covered. $570. Info: aai.cc.

SKI TO SEA: Sunday, May 27, Bellingham. Celebrate the 101st year of this amazing adventure relay race, covering 90 miles. Choose to participate by competing in one of seven race legs, or just enjoy the finish line party in Fairhaven. Info: www.skitosea.com.

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SPRING 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

21

COMING HOME A pro skier longs for her favorites

BY MOLLY BAKER

Molly Baker | Photo: Grant Gunderson

THE MOSS. I decided to move

P

ro skiers don’t get health benefits or retirement packages. They get travel packages. It was always one of the opportunities of the job I desired the most – a cure for my wanderlust. Then I moved to Mt. Baker.

Year after year, with Canada, South America, New Zealand and many more stops on my schedule, I’ve discovered that not many places in the world compare. From the snow conditions at Baker to the quirky people of Glacier to the coffee shops of Bellingham, the Mt. Baker region is the kind of place that will tame even the most ardent of ski-loving travelers. Here’s why.

MT. BAKER SNOWFALL.

World record snowfall. It’s that simple. I’ve had to stop reminding my friends in other places of this fact because they keep showing up to sample a little of the white stuff that falls in epic proportions around this part of the Cascades. But really, there’s enough for everyone. We can share. January 2012 was described as the snowiest January on record.

I was gone that month. Every day I compared the snow report at Baker with my current location’s weather.

Every day I saw snow. That’s the closest I’ll come to sharing. mtbaker.us.

AVALANCHE STABILITY.

After traveling to colder, drier winter climates, I’ve discovered that there is a higher price to pay as a backcountry skier in other parts of

the world. Avalanche conditions remain dangerous and potentially life threatening for a majority of the winter. Backcountry lines are skied in the spring. In the Cascades, we are blessed by a maritime snowpack, which allows for a little more room to play. There are risks with backcountry skiing, but the climate at Mt. Baker has the potential to allow for more predictable conditions.

MT. SHUKSAN. Call it a

mountain crush, obsession, fatal attraction, or whatever, my relationship with Mt. Shuksan is fanatical.

But I am not the only one. Shuksan is one of the most photographed mountains in the world. I’ve seen images of the object of my affection hanging in lodges in the Andes and the Canadian Rockies, reminding me of the place I call home. mtbaker.us.

MILANO’S RESTAURANT.

A countless number of times after a long, grueling ski day I’ve sat at restaurants, pubs and cafes around the world dreaming of a huge steaming bowl of Milano’s salmon affumicato paired with a glass of red wine followed by the homemade apple pie à la mode. With a modest and comfortable atmosphere, the food speaks for itself, with no need for a grandiose or snooty approach to eating. It’s the kind of place where you can show up in your ski clothes or go on a romantic date for two.

How casually you take your meal is up to you. milanosrestaurant.us.

GALBRAITH. Although travel

has recently made skiing a commitment that lasts 10 months out of the year, there are some weeks during the early summer and late fall that lend themselves to free time in the area. When that happens, I am on my bike at Galbraith. Tacky dirt, maintained trails and quick rides that you can do from almost anywhere in town, biking at Galbraith is the next best thing to skiing. ridegalbraith.com.

BOULEVARD PARK. Sure, it

may rain a lot in Washington. But on the days it doesn’t, the locals quickly forget about the precipitation. On those sunny days, I almost always try and make it to Boulevard Park, the strip of fun-loving activity and leisurely lounging between Fairhaven and Bellingham. Frisbees, jogging, dogs, volleyball, soccer, live music, lovers, friends and business meetings – it all goes down at Boulevard on a sun-drenched day.

AVELLINO. Whether it’s the

cinnamon rolls, ginger aid or the friendly, hipster baristas, Avellino serves up an example of what a coffee shop should be. Cozy and bustling, Avellino is a good place to meet with friends or get buried in a month long backlog of emails

WINCHESTER CABIN.

For winter or summer excursions, Winchester cabin is the best access to peaks such as Larrabee and Goat Mountain in the North Cascades.

I’ve spent quiet, springtime days in the forest service fire look-out cabin planning ski missions and balmy summer days pointing out the surrounding lines I’ve skied to my parents and friends. Regardless of the season, it’s a convenient local hut stocked with a stove, beds, maps and a sampling of reading about the natural history and adventures found in the area.

BELLINGHAM

AUTO GLASS Since 1980 BellinghamGlassAndDetail.com

you haven’t seen while on the road.

Plus, it’s right next door to Mallard. espressoavellino.com.

MALLARD. Quite a few of the

key ingredients for Mallard’s ice cream flavors come from local farms, such as the blueberries, raspberries, Marionberries, mint, basil and sea berries. I always try to steer away from the more common flavors made with these delectable fresh berries and get a little adventurous with a sample of lavender, coconut ice or chai ice cream.

Maybe it’s a blessing I don’t live near Bellingham year-round. Ice cream could become one of my major food groups. mallardicecream.com.

VILLAGE BOOKS. On down

days I’ll boogie to Fairhaven and spend hours searching the three floors of novels, coffeetable books, bestsellers, magazines and used titles that Village Books has to offer.

It becomes an event, like going to the theatre or a music show, and can easily take an entire afternoon. villagebooks.com. X Molly Baker is a professional skier and freelance writer based out of the snowy winter wonderland of Glacier.

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to Glacier my first time driving Highway 542. Never before had I seen trees draped in vibrant moss cloaks like what a traveler experiences on the way to Mt. Baker. One particular tree boasted a long, dangling streamer directly over the road that I looked at every day. Toward the end of the winter, as the moss began to lose a hint of its green, the streamer was gone. The next year inevitably brought back the tree hair adornments to the goliaths in the region. I’ve spent days with cameras and friends enjoying the mysticism of the moss. It’s one of the first things I appreciate upon my return.

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Like you, my family loves the Pacific Northwest, and my wife Jamie and I are passionate about this place where our children grow and learn. We live on a small farm set against the backdrop of the Cascade Mountains and spend much of our time raising and growing our own food. These are the fixtures of our landscape, and from them emerges our passion for hard work, beauty, and sustainability. These are also the fundamentals of Big Mountain Construction.

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SPRING 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

23

TULIP TIME

Where do the tulips come from?

Biking and running If tip-toeing through the tulips isn’t quite your style, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival plays hosts to two well-attended events that are sure to get the blood pumping.

First up is the Tulip Run, enjoying its 27th year in 2012. Skagit Runners sponsors both the 5-mile and 2-mile run, which are slated for April 7.

The race starts at 9:30 a.m. at Van Zyverden Bulb, 12035 Higgins Aiport Way in Burlington. Pre-registration costs $22 and includes the 2012 Tulip Run T-shirt.

Register online at www.tuliprun.com or in person at Skagit Running Company, 702 S. 1st Street in Mount Vernon.

Bike enthusiasts can join members of Skagit County Medic One for the 31st annual Tulip Pedal. Nearly 671 riders showed up last year for the event, which raises money for chilrdens’ bicycle safety information.

The race starts the morning of April 21 at the La Conner Middle School. Day-of registration for the 20, 40 and 60-mile races around the tulip fields will cost $35 while pre-registration by mail or online will cost $30. For more information, contact Tulip Pedal director Bill Ceraig at billc@skagitems.com or visit www.skagitems.com/safe-kids-skagit-county/annualtulip-pedal.

BY JEREMY SCHWARTZ

Photo: Ryan Johnson

In addition to the hundreds of acres of colorful fields throughout the area, two extensive gardens are open to the public for viewing and learning about tulips, daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs. Both gardens are on farms founded by Dutch immigrants who brought their love and knowledge of tulips to the Skagit Valley.

Roozengarde Tulips and Bulbs, the retail division of the Washington Bulb Company, has acres of tulip and daffodil fields open to the public. Roozengarde ships 70 million cut flowers and tens of millions of bulbs every year all across the U.S. and Canada.

Roozengarde is open daily during the festival, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and also welcomes visitors yearround. Admission to the tulip fields is $5 for adults, $4 for military personnel with I.D. and free for children younger than 10 years of age. Roozengarde is located at 15867 Beaver Marsh Road in Mount Vernon. For more information, call 360/424-8531 or visit www.tulips.com.

Tulip Town Skagit Valley Bulb Farm features acres of tulips and the area’s only indoor tulip show. Tulip Town is also home to a number of vendors, including the Tulip Town Cafe, and features free trolley rides on Wednesdays during the festival.

Tulip Town is open daily in April from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission to the tulip fields is $5 for adults, $4 for military personnel with I.D. and free for children less than 16 years of age. Tulip Town is located at 15002 Bradshaw Road in Mount Vernon.

For more information, call 360/4248152 or visit www.tuliptown.com.

annual festival ’s ey ll Va it ag Sk r fo up r Gea

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s northwest Washington emerges from a punishing winter, Mother Nature makes it evidently clear to Whatcom and Skagit county residents that she doesn’t take orders from anyone.

So instead of trying to fit nature into a predefined schedule, the organizers of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival have taken an event that spanned just one weekend in April 1983 and expanded it to fill the entire month in 2012. This expansion was done to ensure one thing: Everyone attending the festival will get the chance to see acres of tulips in bloom.

“When people come here, they will see tulips,” festival executive director Cindy Verge said.

Now in its 29th year, the tulip festival was the brainchild of Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce members who thought the Skagit Valley’s tulips ought to be exhibited. The first event was so successful it was expanded to 10 and later 17 days.

But even with the 17-day festival, the dates of which must be set a year in advance, the tulips would sometimes not bloom in time for attendees to enjoy them. To remedy this, the festival was expanded to the entire month of April in the early 2000s; a move Verge described as a way to work with rather than against Mother Nature.

“Mother Nature doesn’t really care when man has decided to set a date for a party,” Verge laughed.

The festival has grown by leaps and bounds since the first one. Between 300,000 and 400,000 people visit Skagit County each year to attend the festival, coming from all 50 states and 51 countries. The festival operates with an annual budget of $200,000, but economic studies have shown it can bring in as much as $14 million in tax and local business revenue.

Many local merchants say they depend on festival revenue to stay open during the spring. Verge has also heard testimonials from servers in town that tips received during the festival allow them to take a vacation.

“I’m really proud to know that there such tangible things that our valley gains from something that is so beautiful,” Verge said.

So, what exactly happens at the tulip festival? A quick glance at the events calendar posted on the festival’s website gives some clue.

Numerous events, including a salmon barbecue put on by the local Kiwanis group, arts shows and festivals, and bike, bus

and helicopter tours are all scheduled in and around Mount Vernon and La Conner. Two of these events, the Tulip Run and Tulip Pedal, are staples of the festival and regularly draw hundreds of competitors (see sidebar for more information on the biking and running events during the festival).

Truly a community festival, most activities are sponsored by local groups, with festival organizers coordinating the efforts.

“The festival staff is the hub of a wagon wheel, and the spokes go out to all the different events and activities while the ground we’re built on is the tulips,” Verge said. “We have all these different events and activities that are courtesy of the great community that we have. We could not do it without all those wonderful people, and it becomes a true Skagit Valley festival.”

In addition to scheduled events and arts and crafts exhibitions, numerous wine, beer and food vendors set up special booths throughout Skagit County and often offer food and drink specialties only available during the festival.

Among new vendors this year is Viva Farms, a working organic farm and farm incubator that will be open to the public on weekends during the festival. Because so much of the attraction of the festival is the peaceful agricultural setting where the tulips are grown, organizers are looking for ways to involve other farming ventures, though this can be challenging since few crops are ready to exhibit in April.

Verge’s love of the tulips brought to her to work for the festival in the first place. She moved back to Skagit Valley with her husband at about the same time the festival started and always found herself drawn to the acres of tulips the festival had to offer.

“I just always loved the flowers,” Verge said, adding “I was also a tulip geek.”

After starting her youngest daughter in kindergarten, Verge applied for a job with the tulip festival and eventually was promoted to executive director. Meandering through the tulips fields with the April sun shining, especially after a particularly harsh winter, is still one of Verge’s favorite things, and she said she cannot think of a reason why anyone would not want to see the flowers.

“It’s truly a thing of beauty,” she said. “How often do you get the chance to see something so beautiful?” X

Fred Norquist | Photo: Robert Hogg Fred Norquist | Photo: Candace Sanders Fred Norquist | Photo: Sandy Macewan

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RAGING WATER

A look at local kayaker an d videographer Fred Norquist

BY BEN WHITE

f you’re reading this publication, chances are you’re a resident of the Pacific Northwest. And you know that sadly the winter riding season eventually comes to an end. Looking around, you say to yourself, “Where do I get my next hit of adrenaline?” One person who knows the answer to that is whitewater kayaker and videographer Fred Norquist. And he’s known it since the age of 15.

Growing up in the mountain town of Carbondale, Colorado, Fred was no stranger to the outdoor scene. Fred was sliding on skis before he could walk and his success later on in downhill skiing eventually landed him a spot on the Colorado Rocky Mountain School’s competitive ski team. In 2004, however, Fred was introduced to kayaking by his longtime teammate and current partner-in-crime, Evan Garcia. Since then the paddling duo has been conquering new territory and pushing the limits of kayaking from the Pacific Northwest to Chile and Argentina.

Even though kayaking takes up the majority of his time and travels, Fred still calls Bellingham home and is currently studying video production at Fairhaven College at Western Washington University. His ability to combine his two passions recently culminated with the release of full-length kayak film “Reasons” in 2011. Fred aimed his camera on some of the world’s top paddlers (himself included) in one banger movie that kept the stoke high enough to take first place at the Bellingham Outdoor Film Festival last summer. After seeing

the film, the folks at Bomb Flow magazine, sister publication of Bomb Snow, gave Fred a spot on their team and also named him chief editor and videographer for good measure.

When back in the Northwest, the 22-year-old paddler can usually be found browning stouts (if you don’t know, don’t ask) on the middle fork of the Nooksack River, one of his favorite paddling spots. The middle fork is a class IV (advanced) section of the Nooksack running a good 20 miles from its origin on the southern slopes of Mt. Baker. Upper Lewis Falls, Timber Creek and Summit Creek are also popular favorites for the Bomb Flow crew and are featured in BFTV Episode #2, “Pacific Northwest.”

Last August I got the chance to film with Fred and a fellow paddler on the Nooksack River’s Middle Fork. Being an adventure filmmaker myself, it was a great opportunity to get an intimate look at what goes into shooting extreme kayaking. Unlike other extreme sports that are easy to access from a filmmaker’s perspective, kayaking often proves difficult to shoot (as I quickly found out). The Nooksack’s Middle Fork runs through some of the steepest canyons in northwest Washington making access by foot nearly impossible. The two kayakers were required to portage a good 25 minutes down old fire roads to reach the put in, which was a whole lot more work than I had carrying my camera and gear.

After getting footage at the put in and traversing some steep and rocky terrain, I backtracked to the Gnar Car, Fred’s Subaru, to meet the guys at the bottom. Because of the Middle Fork’s difficult access we had to rely heavily on GoPro’s HD Hero camera to document much of the action. However, the first person perspective can’t be beat and added a unique and fresh look to our final edit.

You can expect to see much more in the way of extreme kayaking and exciting films from Fred later this year – he’s headed to Norway and hopes to to paddle some legendary whitewater and experience a little change of scenery. To view Fred’s work on both sides of a camera lens, check out his Vimeo page (vimeo.com/user741074), at bombflow.com or at mountbakerexperience.com. X When Bellingham native Ben White is not filming, he’s skateboarding, snowboarding or mountain biking.

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MAP DIRECTORY 1 Blue Mountain Grill

974 Hwy 9, Acme • 595-2200

2 Acme General Store Hwy 9, Acme • 595-2146

3 Everybody’s Store

Hwy 9, Van Zandt • 592-2297

4 Princess Jade

6 Kelley Insurance

103 W. Main St., Everson • 966-3732 619 Cherry St., Sumas • 988-2462

7 Bromley’s Market

315 Cherry St. Sumas • 988-4721

8 Il Caffe Rifugio

5415 Mt. Baker Hwy, Deming • 592-2888

3813 Mt. Baker Hwy, Nugent’s Corner 592-1317

9 The North Fork Brewery

4 Mt. Baker Automotive

10 Starvin’ Sams

3833 Mt. Baker Hwy, Nugent’s Corner 592-2321

5 Dodson’s IGA

3705 Mt. Baker Hwy, Nugent’s Corner 592-5351

6186 Mt. Baker Hwy, Deming • 599-2337

12 Mountainside Gardens Gallery & Gifts

6900 Mt. Baker Hwy Kendall • 599-2890

13 Baker Accommodations 7425 Mt. Baker Hwy, Maple Falls 599-1017

17 Inn at Mt. Baker

9966 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-1943

23 Wake ’n Bakery

6903 Bourne St., Glacier • 599-1658

23 Mt. Baker Snowboard Shop

7463 Mt. Baker Hwy, Maple Falls 599-2463

18 Mt. Baker Bibleway Camp

24 Milano’s Restaurant

15 Slide Mountain Bar & Grill

19 The Logs

25 Graham’s Store

20 Scott’s Ski Service

25 Graham’s Restaurant

21 Mt. Baker View Guesthouse

26 Chair 9 Woodstone Pizza & Bar

Mile 37: Church Mountain – elevation 6,245 feet (left). High elevation trails on the southern slope are often the first in the area to open for summer hiking. Turnouts to view North Fork Nooksack River (right).

Mile 40: Excelsior Group Camp (right). National Forest Campground. www.recreation.gov. Nooksack Falls, Wells Creek Road Road #33 (right). Take Wells Creek Road a half mile down to parking area and fenced viewpoint. Fall plummets 100 feet.

Mile 41: Excelsior Pass Trail (left).

Mile 43: North Fork Nooksack Research Natural Area (left). Established in 1937, this is a 1,400-acre preserve of old-growth Douglas Fir, Hemlock and Western Red Cedar.

Mile 44: Nooksack River Viewpoint (right).

Mile 46: Twin Lakes Road (Road #3065) at Shuksan Highway Maintenance Sheds (left). Twin Lakes is not accessible until early to mid-August.

Hannegan Pass Road (Road #32) (left). Popular cross-country skiing area in winter. Shuksan Picnic Area – Hannegan Pass Road (left). Tables, restroom, Nooksack River views. Mining cabin nearby.

Silver Fir Campground (right). Fees charged.

Reservations accepted: 877/444-6777 or at www. recreation.gov.

Mile 47: Goat Mountain – elevation 6,891 feet.

(N.E.). Summer grazing range for one of four bands of mountain goats.

Mile 49: View Mt. Shuksan – elevation 9,038 feet.

(East). + View Mt. Sefrit – elevation 6,015 feet. (Southeast).

Mile 52: Mt. Baker Ski area White Salmon Day Lodge (left).

Mile 53: Entrance to Heather Meadows.

Mile 55: Picture Lake (road forks – stay to the right). Picture Lake – elevation 4,100 feet, provides a postcard view of Mt. Shuksan – elev. 9,038 feet.

Vista picnic area (right). Picnic area; no restrooms.

Mile 56: Austin Pass Picnic Area (right). CCC-built area sits in a bowl-shaped valley with glorious views.

Mile 58: Artist Point – elev. 5,140 feet. (End of highway). Parking lot surrounded by Mt. Baker’s peak (south), Mt. Shuksan (east) and Table Mountain – elev. 5,628 feet.

14 Mt. Baker Lodging

7519 Kendall Rd., Kendall • 599-2668

10 Paradise Market/Subway

15 Maple Fuels Wash-A-Ton

11 Misty Mountains Realty

7802 Silver Lake Rd., Maple Falls 599-9657

22 Glacier Ski Shop

8174 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier 877/567-5526

7471 Mt. Baker Hwy, Maple Falls 656-5833

6474 Mt. Baker Hwy., Kendall • 599-9108

16 Cross Roads Grocery & Video

Corner of Mt. Baker Hwy & Silver Lake Rd., Maple Falls • 599-2222

8193 Kendall Rd., Maple Falls • 599-2200

www.mtbakercamp.org • 599-2921

7577 Canyon View Dr, Glacier • 599-2711 9935 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-WAXX 6920 Central Ave., Glacier • 599-2155

9996 Forest St., Glacier • 599-2008

9990 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-2863 9989 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-2665 9989 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-3663 10459 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-2511

MT. BAKER HIGHWAY MILEPOSTS Mile 1: Junction of I-5 and Mt. Baker Hwy. Mile 3: View of Coast Mountain Range in Canada (left).

Mile 8: Whatcom County Parks & Recreation Dept.

(Right). The headquarters offers a rest area with picnic tables, restrooms and a view of Mt. Baker, elevation 10,778 feet. 360/733-2900.

Mile 9: Deming Logging Show. Nooksack River Bridge – great fishing spot.

Mile 10: Community of Nugent’s Corner. Groceries, gas, bank (ATM), bakery, cafe, services.

Mile 11: Christmas tree farms (right and left).

Mount Baker Vineyards (left). Tasting room/gift shop open Wednesday through Sunday.

Mile 12: Community of Deming. Stewart Mountain – elev. 3,087 feet (right). Sumas Mountain – elev.

3,430 feet (left).

Mile 14: Highway 9 South Junction (right). South to Van Zandt, Acme, Wickersham and Skagit Valley.

B&B, general store, mushroom farm and train ride.

Nooksack River Forks (right) into three segments: the North Fork, which Mt. Baker Highway parallels; the Middle Fork, which heads southeast to the

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southern face of Mt. Baker; and the South Fork, which heads south into the Skagit Valley. Hwy. 9 follows the South Fork.

Mile 16: Mosquito Lake Road – Bald Eagle viewing spot (right). Dec. – Feb. Turn right onto Mosquito Lake Road, drive to the first bridge that crosses the North Fork Nooksack. Park on left shoulder of Mosquito Lake Road. Look for eagles.

Mile 18: Community of Welcome (left). Grocery store, fire station, senior center and other services.

Mile 21: Kendall Creek Hatchery (right). Turn right onto Fish Hatchery Road. The hatchery raises chinook, coho and chum salmon as well as steelhead, rainbow and cutthroat trout.

Mile 22: Slide Mountain – elevation 4,884 feet (right). Highway 547 North Junction/Kendall Road (left). North to Kendall, Peaceful Valley, Paradise Lakes, Columbia and Sumas.

Mile 23: Kendall. Grocery store and gas (left).

Mile 25: Maple Falls, post office, pay phones, lodging, restaurants, gas, groceries, liquor, library. Silver Lake Park, Silver Lake Road, 3.5 miles north (left).

Park sits on 411 acres around Silver Lake.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2012

Mile 29: View of Nooksack River (right). Highway ascends a ledge overlooking the North Fork of the Nooksack River.

Mile 30: Mt. Baker Scenic Turnout (right).

Mile 33: Glacier – elev. 932 feet. Last community along the highway. Fire department, post office, library, general store, restaurants, snowboard shop, lodging, phones.

Mile 34: Glacier Public Service Center (right). Open Memorial Day to October. Rangers assist with hikes and camp planning, and issues permits. Restrooms, picnic area. 360/599-2714, www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs.

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Boundary National Forest Scenic Byway. Glacier Creek Road (Rd. #39) to Mt. Baker Vista (right). Mostly paved, 9.5 mile road leads to Mt. Baker view.

Mile 36: Douglas Fir Campground (left). National forest camp built by the CCC in the 1930s. Fees charged. Reservations accepted: 877/444-6777 or at www.recreation.gov. Horseshoe Bend Trail (right).

Access for guided river rafting tours. Washington State Sno-Park (left). Permit required for snow mobiling or cross-country skiing.

VISIT GLACIER! MILANO’S R E S TAU R A N T & D E L I

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Photo: Tyler Mitchell

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Est. 1990

• Wide Selection of Beer & Wines • Grilled Pannini Sandwiches

360/599-2863

APRÈS SKI HAPPY HOUR, 2-5 pm, 7 days

Open 7 days a week 9990 Mt. Baker Highway

Glacier, Wa.

Behind Milano’s Restaurant • Open everyday at 7:30 am

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21598 Cozy Log

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Cabins

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Serving food 7 days a week from 2pm - 9pm. Breakfast Sat. & Sun. from 8am - 11am.

9989 Mt Baker Hwy. Glacier, WA • 360-599-3663 • www.grahamsrestaurant.com

7577 Canyon View Dr. (Glacier Springs) Glacier, WA

360/599-2711

www.MilanoRestaurant.us

STORE

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Bagel Sandwiches • Videos • Local Crafts & More

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Glacier, WA • 599-2665

21553 21534 New Office in Maple Falls at 7425 Mt. Baker Hwy. 1.888.695.7533 BakerAccommodations.com GLACIER , WASHINGTON

21445 Mt. Baker View Guesthouse View • 2 Bedrooms

Full Kitchen • Hot Tub • Sleeps 6

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Reservations 360-599-2155

www.mtbakerviewguesthouse.com

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360-599-2008 • 888-466-7392 • 9996 Forest St., Glacier, WA

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Upstairs GAME ROOM — with FREE WiFi! shuffle board, pool tables, ping pong, darts & foosball

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10459 Mt Baker Hwy., Glacier 360/599-2511 www.Chair9.com

Panoramic Views of the Nooksack River and Mt. Baker Gourmet breakfast Hot Tub Heli Pad Lap Pool Adult only facility Registered Massage Therapist by appt.

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8174 Mt. Baker Hwy 360/599-1776 between Maple Falls & Glacier, mile post 28

www.theinnatmtbaker.com 877/567-5526

SPRING 2012 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

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SKI TO SEA