Mount Baker Experience Spring 2022

SPRING 2022

ADVENTURES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

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PADDLEBOARDING THE NW PASSAGE GROWING MTB TRAIL NETWORK MARCUS PALADINO CAPTURES THE WAVE NORTH CASCADES GRIZZLIES

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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE Since 1986

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

MBE spring 2022

CONTRIBUTORS

ADVERTISING DESIGN Ruth Lauman • Doug De Visser ADVERTISING SALES Gary Lee • Molly Ernst CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE: Nick Belcaster, Jason Griffith, Grant Gunderson, Jason Hummel, Liza Kimberly, Rick Knight, Eric Lucas, Jason Martin, Eric Mickelson, Tony Moceri, Marcus Paladino, Martha Rasmussen, Alex Rupp, Evan Skoczenski, Matthew Tangeman, Brad Walton, Luca Williams EMAIL: info@mountbakerexperience.com WEB: www.mountbakerexperience.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com/mtbakerexperience

NICKBELCASTER Based in Bellingham, Nick Belcaster is an adventure journalist who enjoys breaking tree line, carrying as little as necessary and long walks across the country.

JASONGRIFFITH Jason is a fisheries biologist who would rather be on a summit than down by the river.

When he isn’t fiddling with his camera in the mountains, he lives in Mount Vernon with his wife and two boys.

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

TONYMOCERI Tony is a freelance writer who loves to get out and explore the world with his family. He shares his journey @adventurewithinreach and tonymoceri.com.

TWITTER: twitter.com/MB_Experience INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/mtbakerexp

GRANTGUNDERSON

If you can see Mt. Baker, you’re part of the experience. Mount Baker Experience is an outdoor recreation guide for and about the Mt. Baker region, distributed from Seattle to Vancouver, B.C. and published by Point Roberts Press, Inc. Locally owned, the company also publishes The Northern Light, All Point Bulletin, Pacific Coast Weddings, Waterside and area maps.

Vol. XXXVI, No. 2. Printed in Canada. ©2022 POINT ROBERTS PRESS 225 Marine Drive, Blaine, WA 98230 TEL: 360/332-1777 NEXT ISSUE Summer 2022 Ads due: May 13 ON THE COVER “Pete Devries makes it look too easy, but believe me, it is not,” says Paladino.

“I’ll always remember the first time I (successfully) swam at this favorite slab on Vancouver Island. When I got home it felt like I was still in the water.”

Marcus Paladino photo.

SPRING 2022

ADVENTURES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

JASONHUMMEL Jason is an outdoor adventure photographer based in Gig Harbor. He’s currently working to ski every named glacier in Washington state. Find his stories and imagery at Jasonhummelphotography.com

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

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

EVANSKOCZENSKI Evan Skoczenski is a lifestyle and landscape photographer born in Bellingham. He spends almost all his time chasing light and the next adventure.

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

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PADDLEBOARDING THE NW PASSAGE GROWING MTB TRAIL NETWORK MARCUS PALADINO CAPTURES THE WAVE NORTH CASCADES GRIZZLIES

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

Grantgunderson.com

MARCUSPALADINO

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2022

ERICLUCAS Eric is the author of the Michelin guide to Alaska. He lives on a small farm on San Juan Island, where he grows organic hay, garlic, apples and beans. Trailnot4sissies.com/

LUCAWILLIAMS Luca Williams is a certified rolfer in Glacier.

She helps snowboarders, skiers and other outdoor enthusiasts get aligned and out of pain.

Website: lucasrolfing.com Blog: movingwithgravity.wordpress.com MountBakerExperience.com

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

by Pat Grubb

F

ingers crossed, it looks like we have gotten through the worst of the pandemic. Full service in the lodges, masks voluntary, even the singles lines are back, just in time for spring skiing.

The month of March can often be an epic one up at Mt. Baker and so far it hasn’t disapointed as the snow continues to fall.

Still, from the looks of the parking lots, warmer and longer days have meant some people have traded in their skis and snowboards for another kind of downhill thrill. Yup, mountain biking. Ian Haupt revisits Spencer Paxson’s challenge to ride all of the trails in Bellingham in three days. Think yourself up to the task? Give it a shot, it may have grown tougher!

Or, you could do what Karl Kruger is planning to do — paddle the Northwest Passage on a standup paddleboard. Guess it wasn’t enough to be the first SUPer to finish the R2AK a few years back.

Speaking of races, Ski to Sea is back this year. Look for the Mount Baker Experience team to cross the finish line. What we lack in speed we make up in beer drinking capacity following the race. We aim to have lots of fun!

Have a great spring and enjoy another issue of the Mount Baker Experience, your guide to outdoor recreation since 1986.

x

SHUKSAN

34

SENTINELS ON THE PEAKS Restored fire lookout open for reservation

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31

A WATERSHED APPROACH CHASING A SHADOW

R2AK’S FIRST SUPER

Stewart Mountain Community Forest Initiative

Karl Kruger to paddle NW Passage

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NEWSROOM

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SKAGIT HEADWATERS

News from around the region B.C. government settles mining threat

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Official Mascot of Mount Baker Experience

MARCUS PALADINO The cold water king of surf photography

The North Cascades grizzly bear

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PHOTO GALLERY

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ALL SEASONS PADDLEBOARDING

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SNOWBOARD CALVES

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COLUMBIA CREST GLACIER

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PEACE, AND ITS FORMS

Spring adventure shots Gearing up for cold water SUP Calf stretches to keep you on the mountain Backstory and how it was named

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DINING AND LODGING

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EVENTS

Staying plump in Cascadia For springtime fun!

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San Juan Island National Historical Park

SWIFTWATER CANYONEERING Niche sport new to the PNW

SPRING 2022 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

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Singletrack Surplus Bellingham’s growing mountain bike trail network

By Ian Haupt Robbie Kane committed during slippery early season conditions on Chuckanut Ridge Trail, Bellingham. Brad Walton photo

I

t’s overwhelming how many mountain bike trails there are in Bellingham.

Galbraith Mountain, which for years has been touted as having over 50 miles of singletrack, stands as a giant in the Pacific Northwest mountain bike scene. Overshadowing the other trail networks in town, it makes it difficult to head anywhere else on a crisp, sunny Saturday morning. But with less crowds, trails that drain or to just mix it up, Blanchard, Chuckanut and Stewart

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mountains offer something a little different. And to be a true Bham rider you’ve got to ride it all.

tion (WMBC), Galbraith now has over 65 miles of singletrack. Paxson notched 60 miles at Galbraith in 2017 on his first seven-hour behemoth of a day. Looking at Trailforks, the growth may seem outlandish. The trail database website says the Galbraith network has a total distance of 108 miles. With a closer look, that total appears to include the logging roads.

The WMBC website didn’t have total mileage for the other local networks. Paxson also didn’t solely stick to singletrack in his 2017 epic, and he rode from his house in town.

Trailforks says Chuckanut has 42 trails totaling for 58 miles. Paxson covered 35 miles with an 8,000-foot gain in five hours. These trails are steep. On his third and final day, Paxson recorded 37 miles in four hours at Blanchard with

In summer 2017, local mountain bike pro Spencer Paxson, in a self-created challenge, rode all the trails in Bellingham in three days.

He tallied 16 hours, 122 miles and 24,000 feet of climbing total. “The grownup kid in me did this without question, but the adult in me (and those around me, I’m sure) wondered ‘why?’” he wrote.

He split the three days up into Level 1: Galbraith. Level 2: Chuckanut. Level 3: Blanchard.

Looking back on it got him thinking what this would take today — to ride “all the trails.” Surely, it would total to more than 122 miles.

According to Whatcom Mountain Bike Coali-

6,000 feet of climbing and, according to Trailforks, Blanchard currently has 38 miles of trails.

If one were to do this again today, Stewart Mountain would have to be included. The growing trail system in Lake Whatcom Park has just over 20 miles of trails. It’s a bit of a ride from town, but well worth the views of the lake.

Seems like Paxson’s game is growing. But don’t get too hung up on covering all the trails and needing to make it epic. As he said, “It is not that our adult form of play ought to aspire to being epic and full of grand statistics. The point is to apply the playful approach to anything, ideally a healthy challenge outdoors, and to keep your sense of reality from becoming too stiff.”

We just wanted to show how good we have it.

The trails keep coming. Who wants to play?

x

When the snow melts...

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9

Newsroom Notes big and small from around the region

Ski to Sea back after two years After a two-year hiatus, original multisport relay race Ski to Sea is back this year. The seven-sport event is scheduled for May 29 and, as of mid-March, 248 teams were signed up. The maximum is 500.

Ski to Sea, a multisport team relay from Mt. Baker Ski Area to Bellingham Bay, was first run in 1973. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the race was canceled in 2020 and 2021. Race fees for last year, which totaled $65,000, were deferred to this year’s event.

Nonprofit promoter Whatcom Events also started a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $10,000 with the announcement to cancel the event for a second year.

“This decision was not made lightly,” the announcement said. “It is based upon a host of considerations, including the inability to stage a race that would allow all of us to experience the personal comradery that is at the core of the event. The importance of this factor was highlighted by the results of our survey, which included an answer from more than half of the 263 respondents that they were unlikely or very unlikely to form a team under the current circumstances.”

The board said a bad turnout could threaten the nonprofit’s financial ability to run the race.

Teams consist of three to eight racers competing in seven different events: Cross Country Ski, Downhill Ski/Snowboard, Run, Road Bike, Canoe (2 paddlers), Cyclocross and Sea Kayak. Racers are allowed to participate in up to three legs on race day, for one team or multiple.

For more information and to register or volunteer, visit skitosea.com.

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Galbraith parking lot closed for construction The Galbraith south side parking lot, which officially closed March 1, will be closed for six to eight weeks as crews finish the final phase of construction on the project, according to Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition (WMBC).

WMBC encouraged mountain bikers to avoid overcrowding neighborhoods on the north and south side with parked cars. The organization also asked people to ride from home and explore other spots like Stewart and Chuckanut mountains on its Instagram.

The new $425,000 parking lot will provide safer access to the south entrance of Galbraith Mountain and the Lake Padden trails for bikers and hikers. On any given weekend, cars and trucks overflow the current small parking lot off of South Samish Way. Most end up parking on the side of the roadway, putting them in danger of passing traffic.

With 140 spots, the new lot will offer four times the parking space. It will also have longer stalls to accommodate for longer vehicles and bike racks, two vault toilets, and a kiosk with maps and information.

Also as part of the project plans, Whatcom County will be installing a high-visibility crossing on Samish Way from the new parking lot to Galbraith Lane. This will connect the Lake Padden trails with Galbraith Mountain.

The Lake Padden connector trail will also be closed during construction.

For more information and trail statuses, visit wmbcmtb.org.

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2022 to have 12 days free of Discover Passes Washington State Parks (WSP) will have 12 free days in 2022 where a Discover Pass is not required to park at state parks and on recreation lands managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

The holidays that the free days commemorate include former chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Billy Frank Jr.’s birthday on March 9, Juneteenth on June 19, and World Mental Health Day on October 10. Many of the free days will honor marginalized peoples and their histories, such as Indigenous and Black communities. “[These free day additions are] a reflection of the state’s continued progress and commitment toward creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive experience for all who recreate in Washington’s great outdoors,” said John Scott, WSP diversity, equity and inclusion director, in a statement.

The free days also recognize the importance of mental health and the ways nature can heal those who are suffering. Studies worldwide show time spent in nature increases serotonin and decreases cortisol levels, along with many other health benefits, according to a WSP press release.

In 2022, the upcoming Discover Pass free days are: • Saturday, March 19 – Washington State Parks’ birthday • Friday, April 22 – Earth Day • Saturday, June 11 – National Get Outdoors Day • Sunday, June 12 – Free Fishing Weekend • Sunday, June 19 - Juneteenth • Saturday, Sept. 24 – National Public Lands Day • Monday, October 10 – World Mental Health Day • Friday, November 11 – Veterans Day • Friday, November 25 – Native American Heritage Day Discover Passes typically cost $30 to $35 per year or about $10 for a one-day visit.

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Newsroom Continued from page 11 Open border allows for Race to Alaska Race to Alaska will be held in two legs this year on June 13 and June 16.

The no-motor, no-support, 750-mile race, sometimes called the Iditarod on water, had a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year, promoter Northwest Maritime Center held alternative-event WA360 as R2AK was canceled for the second year in a row due to the closed U.S./Canada border. It was a 360-mile race around the Salish Sea, starting and finishing in Port Townsend. But the 750-mile epic is back this year.

Stage 1 of this year’s race is a 40-mile sprint from Port Townsend to Victoria, B.C., which is designed as a qualifier for the full race. It’s also an opportunity for people who want to see what it’s about without doing the full 750 miles. Stage 2 is the long haul from Victoria to Ketchikan, Alaska. Racers start at high noon on June 16 and follow their own route across the 710 miles to Ketchikan. There’s no official course besides a waypoint in Bella Bella, B.C. In 2019, 45 teams started and 25 finished. The application deadline is tax day, April 15. First place gets $10,000 and second place gets a set of steak knives.

For more information or to register, visit r2ak.com.

Guided walks and hikes through Bellingham parks Recreation Northwest is offering guided walks and hikes through Bellingham parks every day to help people get outside, no matter their outdoor skill level.

The program is made to create a sense of place, while connecting people with nature and fellow outdoor lovers, according to a Recreation Northwest press release. People looking to connect with others, seeking more motivation for outdoor activities, feeling burnout or isolation and people who just moved to the area are welcome to join, the organization said.

The guided tours are $15 per person; scholarships and custom experiences are available. The walks have minimal elevation, such as the South Bay Trail along the Bellingham waterfront that has stops along historical markers. The hikes have variable elevation and are longer in distance, such as the Lake Padden trails.

“We are evolving to add more outdoor recreation and nature education programs for the public to meet the needs of our community,” said Todd Elsworth, executive director. “People will have opportunities to learn essential outdoors skills, trail etiquette and the benefits of nature through our variety of programming.”

Recreation Northwest is a Bellingham-based organization that encourages outdoor activity and education through events such as nature walks and bike tours in Bellingham.

For more information and to register, visit recreationnorthwest.org.

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‘Third Generation Knowledge’ comes with local experience and being locally connected.

After retiring, Michael G. Impero finally had time to devote to one of his hobbies: the history of the upper Nooksack River Valley.

The Grand Lady of Mount Baker was one of the magnificent lodges that were built in the early 1900’s in the American West. The lodge opened in July of 1927 and was destroyed by fire in August of 1931. Over one hundred new and old photos along with many historical document photos!!

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The BOYS of Glacier is a story of a young teenager and his mother relocating to Glacier, Washington in the early 1900’s.

The book’s main character returns to Glacier on his 75th birthday and recalls his time spent in the area as a teenager.

Buy locally at Village Books, Graham’s Store, Crossroads Grocery or online through Amazon Books.

Other historical books written by Mr. Impero also available.

SPRING 2022 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

13

A Watershed APPROACH

Stewart Mountain Community Forest initiative to boost Nooksack streamflow

By Liza Kimberly Clearcuts on the northeast side of Stewart Mountain. Ian Haupt photo

O

n a hazy August day last summer, my field assistants and I meandered our way across the Sholes Glacier on Mt. Baker, where we had spent the previous few weeks asking the glacier questions and finding answers in stakes installed into the ice and in stream sediments. These answers would have cascading, watershed-scale implications — they’d help us understand the impact of glacial retreat on salmon populations and also on late summer streamflow.

Our work was organized and funded by one of the communities located downstream of the Sholes Glacier — the Nooksack Indian Tribe.

The filtered late summer sunlight accentuated the ice’s rough and variable texture. Unlike the smooth, blue ice often associated with glaciers, the Sholes Glacier was crisscrossed with ridges and troughs, the result of channel networks formed by substantial summer melt. Occasionally we’d stumble upon a moulin — a gaping hole where the surface meltwater falls away into a bottomless abyss in the glacier.

Anyone who caught a glimpse of Mt. Baker from afar last summer likely exclaimed something along the lines of: “I’ve never seen so little snow! The summit is so brown! The glaciers look so sad!” And unfortunately, the data corroborate these roadside visual assessments; some glaciers in the North Cascades lost 8 percent of their mass.

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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2022

Striking harbingers of our rapidly changing climate, glaciers also provide freshwater for many downstream communities. As they melt, we lose a precious reservoir of freshwater — one that’s especially important in the dry, warm late summer months, when our river systems rely on pulses of cold glacial water to maintain habitable stream temperatures and flows for salmon.

Saving Mt. Baker’s glaciers and increasing its winter snowpack is a largely unattainable goal, at least at the local level.

But for Oliver Grah, water resources program manager with the Nooksack Indian Tribe’s Natural and Cultural Resources Department, a simpler solution might exist a bit farther down in the watershed.

“We can’t do anything about the recession of the glaciers [for now] and the change in stream flow and temperature due to the receding glaciers,” Grah said. “That’s why we need to take more of a whole watershed approach to promote more stream flow during the summertime to address adequate water for fish and downstream water users, including agriculture.”

The rate at which our glaciers melt is largely out of our control, but the way we manage our forests is not. Such is the inspiration for the Stewart Mountain Community Forest (SMCF) initiative — a collaborative effort to adopt ~6,000 acres of forest on the east side of Stewart Mountain into local

ownership.

The project initially hatched in 2014, when staff from the Nooksack Indian Tribe, Whatcom Land Trust, Whatcom County, Evergreen Land Trust, and other informed citizens began meeting to address the health of the South Fork Nooksack River (SFNR) watershed. Two clean water act reports focused on the watershed had just been released and in them, they present the idea of a watershed conservation plan. Bringing these efforts together, the Tribe developed the SFNR Watershed Conservation Plan. All three reports identified the strategy of a community forest to address issues with streamflow, stream temperature, fish habitat and watershed health. More recently, current landowners Stewart Mountain Forest LLC, a timber investment company from New Hampshire, offered to sell a portion of their land on Stewart Mountain to the Whatcom Land Trust (WLT).

Stewart Mountain is located about six miles east of Bellingham nestled between Lake Whatcom and Acme in the SFNR valley.

The plan was an actionable report aimed to protect and restore water resources and habitat in SFNR Watershed, specifically in the face of climate change. A major piece of the report explored the impact of land management on water resources, namely the relationship between timber harvesting and streamflow in the Nooksack River.

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Map courtesy Stewart Mountain Conservation Framework Stewart Mountain, as it stands now, is a patchwork of mature and old-growth Douglas fir stands, young, rapidly regenerating tree stands, and clearcuts. Logging roads wind across the mountain, linking a cobweb of past and future timber harvests. Through the clearcuts are exceptional vantage points of Whatcom County — if you squint, you can almost track a drop of water as it melts off the Sholes Glacier and winds its way down the Nooksack River and into the bay.

Less visible is the complex relationship between the trees, streamflow, frequency of tree harvesting, logging roads and soil. It’s hard to see exactly where a heavily logged forest may have resulted in a landslide. And the warming and decreasing streamflow in the Nooksack River — some product of land management and climate change — is largely invisible to the naked eye.

However, through synthesizing research on timber harvesting and streamflow, Grah and collaborators Susan Dickerson-Lange with Natural Systems Design and Bob Mitchell from Western Washington University illuminate this hidden relationship. In a forest in central Oregon, researchers found that watersheds covered by young regenerating stands of trees resulted in a striking 50 percent reduction of late summer streamflow compared to adjacent watersheds covered by mature and old growth forests. They suggested that higher rates of transpiration (water lost to the atmosphere) from rapidly growing young trees as compared to mature and old growth trees might explain the difference in late summer streamflows. Grah and collaborators were curious if the same trends exist in the SMCF area, where extensive log-

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MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2022

ging since the 1800s has created this mosaic of clear-cut and dense stands of young, regenerating trees. The Tribe contracted Dickerson-Lange and Mitchell to computer simulate the effects of forest management on late summer streamflow in the SFNR watershed. Similar trends emerged from the computer simulations as were observed in Oregon: August streamflow under the existing condition in the SFNR was 27 percent lower than under an assumed natural condition.

The results of this research as applied to forest management pointed toward a tool to mitigate the detrimental downstream impacts of our melting glaciers and diminishing snowpack and the effect of forestry on streamflow. We may not be able to stop Mt. Baker’s glaciers from melting, but we can change the way we manage our forests. Grah calls this a holistic watershed approach.

“To more effectively address reduced streamflows, warmer temperatures and reduced fish habitat, we need to do more than just focus on the river and tributaries — we also need to focus on the upper parts of the watershed as well where commercial forestry is the dominant land use,” he said.

In response to this pilot study, Grah and a coalition of local

organizations proposed a promising tool to manage our forests and tackle water resource issues in the SFNR watershed: A community-owned and managed forest.

Not long after the sale offer in 2017, a coalition of the original five entities united to begin drafting a vision for a community-run forest on Stewart Mountain. By acquiring local ownership of the forest, the coalition can manage the forest in a way that considers the health, function and resiliency of the watershed to promote more streamflow in summer.

They plan to shift management of timber harvest to protect on old-growth and mature forest stands, extend harvest rotations to 80 years or more, and implement selective tree harvest as compared to clear-cuts on Stewart Mountain. In doing so, they’ll reduce the acreage of young, regenerating forests that release more water to the atmosphere than mature and old growth stands. Older trees will suck up less water for transpiration than expansive rapidly regenerating stands, and thereby increase streamflow in the Nooksack’s south fork.

Even before the SMCF concept was formalized, the Tribe had already implemented extensive public outreach and

The proposed community forest on the east side of Stewart Mountain.

Ian Haupt photo

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stakeholder engagement with the SFNR watershed community while developing their watershed conservation plan. Over the course of seven meetings, they identified a list of priorities related to future watershed management in the watershed. Conveniently, the community forest model will accomplish many of these goals; restoring fish and wildlife habitat, increasing opportunities for tribal members to harvest culturally significant indigenous food, and providing local sustainable forestry jobs.

The community forest will also increase recreation access — the blueprint includes a plan to expand the network of trails for hiking, mountain biking, trail running and horseback riding.

The development of the Bay to Baker Trail is also gaining momentum as a result. Once completed, it will connect Bellingham to the Mt. Baker Ski Area via a 74-mile single-track trail.

Where does the project stand today?

The coalition has secured funding to purchase 500 acres on Stewart Mountain and is actively working to secure funding for the remaining 5,500 acres. The core project team has spent the last few months meeting with a broad assemblage of folks involved with timber management, recreation, conservation and more. These conversations are helping to inform their long-term plan for the management of the forest. In addition, they’re working with local forestry experts to produce a plan that balances and meets the goals of both a sustainable working forest and a thriving local timber economy.

“Forests mean a lot of different things to various communities that live in and around them.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, communities have a deep-rooted connection to many of these forests. The Stewart Mountain Community Forest initiative is hoping to demonstrate a new way of approaching management of these forests that balances the needs of all these communities,” said Alex Jeffers, conservation manager for the Whatcom Land Trust and a member of the core project team. “Wildlife habitat, forest jobs, recreation, water quality and quantity; we believe that all these priorities can coexist successfully in the same forest.”

On that hazy late August day last summer, in shorts and amidst roaring creeks of meltwater, the disappearance of the Sholes Glacier felt all too imminent. We joked about improbable ideas — like glacier blankets to shield the ice from the steamy greenhouse, or painting all of the rocks in its vicinity a bright white to reflect more sunlight.

What we didn’t realize, however, was the ways in which our research could inform a more easily executed solution, just 40 river miles downstream from the terminus of the Sholes Glacier. Knitting glacier blankets and painting landscapes white is lofty, but slight revisions to our land management practices are not. While developing a community forest and logging more sustainably won’t entirely offset many of the harsh consequences of climate change — it certainly won’t save our glaciers — it will provide some relief to the watershed and help us address resource issues related to water supply, water quality and fish habitat.

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Chasing a Shadow:

The Planned Revival of the North Cascades Grizzly Bear

By Nick Belcaster | Photos courtesy Conservation Northwest

A look at the history of a long organized but victim to little progress conservation effort to repatriate grizzlies into Washington’s North Cascades.

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W

hen I stumbled, dusted and blistered, from the continuous footpath of the Pacific Crest Trail on a dizzyingly hot day in 2018 and onto a brief slick of asphalt in Southern California, a history lesson was likely low on my To Do list. The fellow I had managed to press into service for a hitch, however, had other plans.

Our destination was the sandwich shops and cooling fans and filtered water of Big Bear Lake, California, a welcome reprieve from the rigors of thru-hiking, when I inquired about the source of the name of the lake. “Used to be grizz, here,” my patron provided. “A lot MountBakerExperience.com

of grizzlies.”

What followed was a brief history of Big Bear Valley: How one of the first pair of Anglo eyes to behold the high mountain valley had remarked at how “the whole lake and swamp seemed alive with bear.” How grizzlies became a nuisance to the cattlemen that infilled behind the lake and were dispatched with reckless abandon. How the last grizzly in California was seen in Sequoia National Park in 1924, and then never again.

It seemed distant, now, but oddly pertinent to my own undertaking. My journey north from here would follow the historical retreat of the North American grizzly, and end at the only place they still hung on this far west – the lower 48’s Cascade Range. By now, grizzlies hadn’t been positively identified in the U.S. portion of the North Cascades since 2010, and even that was only a grainy photograph. It was something like chasing a ghost.

If anything, it was something to chew on for the next few months while I walked.

A RESURGENCE DEFERRED The ceremony of a long-overdue office cleanup can bring back plenty.

When Joe Scott, international programs director for Conservation NW and one who has seen the ebb and flow of the grizzly issue across the decades, began to finally deep clean an office that he had inhabited for more than two decades, he was struck by all the people who had been engaged with conservation efforts who have since

IT’SN G A OW K S

either dropped dead, retired or outright disappeared.

“It’s been so long, and so many people have worked on this,” Scott said. “The history of it is just long.”

Conservation NW has been the leading voice in an effort to restore grizzly bears to the North Cascades, a crusade they believe will right a longtime wrong in the region and rebalance a delicate ecosystem that for too long has been devoid of the species.

Grizzly bears were listed as federally threatened in 1975. At the time, their numbers in the lower 48 were spitballed at less than 1,000, a far fall from the 50,000 Ursus arctos horribilis that once roamed at their peak, and with the listing clunked into gear a federal process which requires recovering the species to a self-sustaining population.

In the years since 1975, forward momentum has been hard-fought and rarely rewarded. In 1983 the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee was formed, and in 1993 formalized six different ecosystems suitable for grizzly recovery, including the North Cascades. Then it wasn’t until 2014 when the formal Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process for the region began, and three years longer until a draft EIS was released to the public for comment. The issue?

“You could put 10 people in a room from varying backgrounds and they’ll all have different reactions to grizzly bear recovery: From excitement and intrigue and awe to abject fear,” Scott said. Not many other animals evoke the broad range of reactions and

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emotions, and grizzly bears certainly aren’t the charming poster animals for recovery like fishers or condors or elk.

“They’re victims of the bad stuff,” Scott said.

“You don’t hear about the years and years and the millions of people that interact with thousands of grizzlies in places like Yellowstone or Glacier National Park,” he added. “You just hear about the poor encounters.”

Even still, the overwhelming majority of comments received during the 2017 EIS comment period were supportive of a plan known as Alternative C. An incremental restoration plan, it would introduce five grizzlies every summer for five years to establish an initial population of around 25 bears. At the time, the future had a bit more color in it for grizzlies in the North Cascades. A hurdle that Scott believes the public was able to overcome by embracing the flipside of fear – the awe and reverence that is conferred from seeing an animal of such stature in the wild.

“The fear is subjugated to the excitement and pride of having these animals on our landscape,” Scott said. It is a sharp pull focus that brings perspective to our place in the outdoors, and to how the environment once was before man began shaping it to suit itself.

“Unfortunately, that feeling has not universally translated.”

A WRENCH IN THE WORKS Ryan Zinke is a Montanan. One who has seen the coexistence of grizzly bears and ranching and recreation, felt the benefits of having the great bear on the landscape, and upon taking the podium in the headquarters of the North Cascades National Park in March of 2018, must have rather naturally thought: What’s the big deal here?

It was an unlikely position for the then secretary of the interior.

During a tenure more often than not beleaguered by environmentalists’ disapproval, Zinke’s lavishing of praise unto the execution of the public process and a firm emphasis of his desire to see the grizzlies be restored to the ecosystem was met with a mixture of skepticism, but also tentative optimism. Zinke ended his time by saying that he had directed the department to expedite the EIS process and issue a decision by the end of the year. It was a conservation win, in most respects.

It wasn’t to last, however, as supporters would find out not two years later, when a new secretary of the interior, David Bernhardt, summarily stopped the EIS process in its tracks. “The Trump administration is committed to being a good neighbor, and the people who live and work in north-central Washington have made their voices clear that they do not want grizzly bears reintroduced into the North Cascades,” Bernhardt said in a press release. The door slammed shut, once again.

Bernhardt undoubtedly had a chorus of voices in his ear, Scott said, North Cascades Ecosystem

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including U.S. representative Dan Newhouse (R-Washington) and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, both representing the voices of ranchers in Washington who felt threatened by an added predator on the landscape. It was Newhouse who, in October of 2019, called a public meeting at the Okanogan County Fairgrounds and let the natural run its course, with local ranchers voicing strong opposition, and the impact of the meeting was another death knell, Scott said.

Faced with such persistent roadblocks, the prospect that grizzlies might ever naturally recover their lost habitat in Washington is unlikely.

When a population has dwindled as it has in the North Cascades, where less than 10 remain in an ecosystem of 9,800 square miles, and manmade barriers such as the Trans-Canada Highway largely limit natural migration, a little ‘hand on the scales’ is in order, in the form of what is called an augmentation program. By capturing young grizzlies from healthy populations and grafting them into the ecosystem, the result is nothing short of an ecological jumpstart, bolstering populations in both numbers and genetic diversity that otherwise may have languished.

The promising news is that this is hardly a novel idea. For nearly three decades, efforts to repatriate a sustaining population of grizzly bears into the Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem of western Montana have largely paid off, with a current population healthily hovering around 50 bears. The success of the Cabinet-Yaak is the blueprint for the North Cascades, Scott said.

“The North Cascades is part of the national strategy to recover grizzly bears in the lower 48, without which the job is not complete,” Scott said.

“We can’t have all our grizzly bears eggs in that Rocky Mountain basket.”

A JOB LEFT TO BE DONE After the Bernhardt decision of 2020, not much has progressed on the North Cascades grizzly front. But with the ushering in of a new administration, Conservation NW and other advocates have a newfound hope.

“There’s a cultural, legal, moral and ethical obligation on the part of public servants and agencies to do this job, which includes the North Cascades,” Scott said. “And [Secretary of Interior] Deb Haaland understands the ecological importance of having all native species on the landscape.”

By now, Scott has seen the near and the far history of grizzly recovery in the North Cascades. He has 25 years with Conservation NW, which he joined because they were the only organization that was advocating for grizzly bear recovery in the North Cascades at the time.

“This is near half my freaking life in this thing,” Scott said. “It’s not just me, there’s a lot of people who have put their heart and soul into this effort.”

Conservation NW as an organization is predicated on the concepts of protect and connect, Scott said. They look at conservation from a large-landscape ecologically beneficial level and wonder: What does it mean to have ecological integrity? It means having large enough effective habitat such that all these critters can thrive. For Conservation NW and Scott, the path forward is clear: “Restart the EIS which was halted by the Trump administration, complete it to a final EIS and record of decision, and follow the science,” Scott said. “That’s what will provide guidance on what needs to happen to recover these bears.”

And for those who still might be apprehensive? “Human beings are the ones with the big brains,” Scott said. “We can coexist with grizzly bears, we just have to have the generosity of spirit to share the landscape with these animals.”

There used to be grizz here. And Scott believes that one day there will be again.

TIMELINE: 1975 — Grizzly bears are listed federally as a threatened species in the lower 48 states, as their population numbers dwindle to less than 1,000.

1980 — Grizzly bears are listed as endangered by the state of Washington.

1982 — Fish and Wildlife Service approves the National Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan, which is revised in 1993.

1983 — Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee is formed.

1991 — IGBC identifies 9,800 square miles of North Cascades ecosystem as viable habitat for grizzly bears, and the decision is made to make a recovery effort in the zone.

1993 — Detailed evaluation of North Cascades habitat analysis is completed.

1996 — Positive identification of a grizzly bear in the U.S. portion of the North Cascades spotted near Glacier Peak.

1997 — National Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan is updated with North Cascades chapter.

2010 — Hiker Joe Sebille photographs a bear in the Cascade River drainage that is later believed to be a grizzly.

2014 — National Parks Service and Fish and Wildlife begin the Environmental Impact Statement process on reintroduction of grizzly bears to the North Cascades.

2017 — Draft EIS is released to the public for comment, offering four alternatives for reintroduction efforts. More than 120,000 comments are received, with the majority in favor of an incremental reintroduction.

2020 — Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt ends the EIS process.

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B.C. government eliminates Skagit headwaters mining threat Local tribes, businesses, conservation organizations and governments rejoice

By Ian Haupt

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fter a nearly three-year process, the B.C. government, Imperial Metals and the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission (SEEC) have come to an agreement to halt mining in the Skagit headwaters, according to a B.C. government January 19 announcement.

Tribes, first nations, nonprofits and local governments on both sides of the U.S./Canada border celebrated the announcement.

“This important conservation achievement ensures the permanent protection of the culturally important and ecologically sensitive headwaters of the Skagit, and honors the commitments made in our Treaty,” said Swinomish chairman Steve Edwards in a press release. “By extinguishing all remaining mining claims, we are finally able to forever protect from harmful mining practices the water quality and habitat that salmon, steelhead and other essential species need to survive, recover, and thrive throughout the entire Skagit watershed.”

Members of the Swinomish Indian TribMap courtesy of the Wilderness Committee al Community depend on salmon fishing and shellfish harvesting on their ancestral lands at the mouth of the Skagit River.

In March 2019, Imperial Metals applied for a permit mine in a Manhattan-sized chunk of unprotected land in B.C. sandwiched between E.C. Manning Provincial Park and Skagit Valley Provincial Park 15 miles from the U.S. border known as the Donut Hole. Local communities expressed their concerns of the threat potential mining could have on the Skagit River in letters sent B.C. premier John Hogan in the summer of 2019.

Washington Wild, a nonprofit organization that protects wild lands and rivers in Washington, coordinated an international coalition of U.S. and Canadian stakeholders to resist the proposed mining. A total of 280 local and state governments, tribes, businesses and other communities downriver and in B.C. signed on against the pending mining contract. The list included governor Jay Inslee, Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan, U.S. senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, Lummi Nation, Patagonia and many others.

“This is incredible news and represents a win/win for indigenous peoples, British Columbia visitors to the Skagit and Manning Parks, downstream communities and businesses in Washington State and Imperial Metals,” said Washington Wild executive director Tom Uniack in a statement. “It was clear that the coalition’s efforts played a key role in stopping the logging threats and now the mining threat to the iconic Skagit River and its headwaters.”

In 2018, the Donut Hole was subject to 168 acres of clear-cutting by B.C. Timber Sales but was saved by an outpouring of concern from both sides of the border. With this settlement, it has once again been saved.

According to the B.C. government press release, the memorandum of agreement with Imperial Metals and SEEC will ensure preservation and protection of the natural and cultural resources as well as the recreation opportunities in the headwaters of the river. It will also see Imperial Metals return its mining and related rights in the nearly 14,500-acre Donut Hole.

“Protecting the Skagit River by extinguishing these mining tenures is a historic step forward in the stewardship of the Upper Skagit watershed. Protecting this sensitive and diverse ecosystem with its significant fish and wildlife populations starts at the headwaters to the Skagit River within the Upper Skagit,” said Canada co-chair Thomas Curley in a statement.

The province, led by B.C. Parks and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Strategy, will consult with affected First Nations on the future use and protection of the watershed, according to the release.

“This agreement will help protect our natural environment for generations to come,” governor Jay Inslee said. “The Skagit River is one of the most diverse salmon habitats in Washington state, including for Chinook, which are essential to the survival of the revered southern resident orca. This agreement is a shining example of the importance of cross-border collaboration when confronted with challenges that know no borders.”

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Clockwise from top left: Brian Zig rappelling off Mt. Shuksan above Sulphide Glacier. Alex Rupp photo. | Bradley Briggs on the upper North Ridge of Mt. Baker. Matthew Tangeman photo. | Ilana Newman climbing Green Creek Arete, a classic romp in the Green Creek Valley, Twin Sisters Range, North Cascades. Matthew Tangeman photo. | Dean Collins skiing at Mt. Baker Ski Area. Grant Gunderson photo. | After a long winter, celebrating the sun at Bowman Bay near Deception Pass. Jason Griffith photo.

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Clockwise from top left: KC Deane and Jon Hansen biking in Bellingham. Grant Gunderson photo. | Amy Arnts climbing around Clayton Beach without a sweatshirt is a sign of warmer days ahead. Evan Skoczenski photo. | A small offshoot stream from Mt. Baker Highway captured with a slow shutter after a week of rainfall. Evan Skoczenski photo. | After a long day, the sun is still up and Carl Simpson is still skiing in the North Cascades. Jason Hummel photo. | Sophia Mickelson, 7, enjoys an early-season ride on Galbraith Mountain. Eric Mickelson photo.

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26-27: Clockwise from top left: Stian Gunderson enjoying the springtime foliage in Bellingham | A Royal Basin (goat) ranger on patrol in Olympic National Park. Jason Griffith photo. | With amazing skiing behind us, and more ahead, friends are about as happy as they can be. Klawatti Peak, Washington. Jason Hummel photo. | Kyle Huebner in a dense layer of fog in Galbraith Mountain forest as the snow melts away. Brad Walton photo. | Jon Hansen and Kristian Rowley riding 5620 in Revelstoke, B.C. Grant Gunderson photo.

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Gearing up for year-round

paddleboarding Story and photos by Tony Moceri

I

love being on the water. I always have. There is something special about the way the world moves when floating. From late spring to early fall, I do whatever I can to be on or in the water. I relish those moments where my body seems to rejuvenate as I try to become one with the water. Too soon each year the Pacific Northwest weather rears its ugly head as the rain falls and temperatures dip. This has always marked the end of my time with the water as I head for shelter scared off by Mother Nature.

Over the last few years, paddleboarding has become my favorite way to spend time with the water. When I set out, often solo, I enter my own world that seems so free. I get the fun of riding whatever waves exist and taking in the views, all while getting in a workout. It’s always a sad day when I deflate my board for the last time in the fall, knowing it will be months before I set out once more.

I have considered getting set up to paddle in colder weather where I replace board shorts with a wetsuit, but I hate being cold, and every year that goes by, it seems to happen more quickly. I was once again talking about how much I wanted to go paddleboarding, and my wife said to stop talking about it and just do it. My response was to pitch an all-seasons paddleboarding article to Mount Baker Experience, and here I am. I need to figure out what I need, get it and then get out on the water, where I will hopefully stay as dry and warm as possible. My wife offered to come out and take some pictures, so now I had no excuses and a deadline to meet.

To get started, I talked to friends who surf in the PNW, combed the internet and called around to some local stores.

I am already learning. Instantly people started throwing numbers at me when describing the suites; 4/3, 3/2, 5/4. The numbers meant nothing to me.

It turns out the numbers are the thickness of the suits in millimeters. The first number is the thickness in the core.

The second number is the thickness of the extremities, which are thinner to allow more mobility. In addition to size and thickness, there are hooded and non-hooded and short and long-sleeved. I will also need to figure out booties and

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gloves, they tell me.

After going into a couple of stores and almost ordering wetsuits online, I decided I was out of my realm and reached out to Wildcat Cove Paddle, a company that leads paddleboarding tours in Chuckanut Bay. I didn’t know them but had seen them on Instagram and was envious that they paddleboard for a living. Ava Larsen, the owner, turned out to be a huge help. She talked me through sizes, comfort, mobility and, most importantly, staying alive should I fall off my board into chilly waters. She recommended I head into Kite Paddle Surf in Bellingham to talk to them and buy my gear.

Taking her advice, I stopped into Kite Paddle Surf. They had everything I needed and were happy to answer all my questions as I made my selections. I ended up getting a full body 4/3mm Hyperflex wetsuit. To go with it, I bought 3mm Hyperflex surf boots and 3mm Mystic open palm gloves, but they are really more mittens than gloves. The open palm allows me to grip the paddle while keeping my hands warm.

All geared up and ready to go, I picked a calm sunny day to test my new setup. With my board pumped up, I set out on the glassy winter water of Lake Whatcom. When I first climbed into my suit, I was worried that I would be uncomfortable with how tight it was, but as soon as I felt the water under the board, I didn’t give it another thought. Having the lake all to myself is an added benefit I hadn’t even considered. Sure, houses dot the shore but once out on the water, it was just the water, the mountains and me.

My primary purpose in the setup was to not die from hypothermia should I fall into the water. But then my mind switched to comfort. I had been on a spring paddle where my wet toes had become painfully cold, and my fingers had been stiff from chill air. All geared up, I felt none of that.

Comfort, both in mobility and warmth, was great, and I feel confident I could handle a much colder day as I was very warm once I started working.

I could have stayed out all day if the real world and this article weren’t calling. Now, instead of my board sitting lonely in the garage all winter, it will stay in my vehicle at all times as it does in the summer.

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Calf stretches for snowboarders

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Story and photos by Luca Williams

t was in the middle of the snowboarding season when my calves, especially my back leg, decided to become so painful that snowboarding just didn’t seem fun anymore. Instead of sitting around watching everybody else have fun, I headed to the Olympic Peninsula in my rusty Toyota truck to visit a family friend. The starter didn’t work in the truck so I had to leave it running on the ferry or get help to push start it. For whatever reason, being 24 years old, I thought it was easier and cheaper for me to beg for assistance or park on a hill than to take the hour it takes to fix a starter.

When I told my friend about my calves, she suggested that I see her massage therapist who was an ex-marine. His forearms were bigger than my calves and full of tattoos. All I could concentrate on were his bulging Popeye-like forearms while I slipped onto the massage table. A little scared because this was to be my first massage, I had no idea what to expect. Although he had a kind demeanor, he was all business after I told him how much my calves hurt. He mashed and twisted them with his fingers, fists and elbows. Although I wanted to scream out in pain, my ego wouldn’t allow me. I so wanted to be tougher than I really was.

I should have told him to back off, but instead I acted like everything was fine and hobbled out of his office. And really it might have all been fine if I hadn’t had to walk two miles back to my friend’s place because I hadn’t wanted to push start the truck back and forth to my appointment.

At that time in my life, I had no problem putting my thumb out for a ride. But with no cars on the rural road, I limped back to my friend’s house wishing I had fixed the starter.

The next day when I awoke, my calves didn’t hurt anymore and I knew I could get back to snowboarding for the next storm cycle. Of course, it still took me months to finally fix that starter.

Riding all day with your knees bent can put a great deal of strain on your calves. What I have observed and felt is that the back leg’s calf, which is always twisted inward, has more strain on it than the front leg. Also, when riding powder for hours on end, there is a tendency to put more weight on your back leg.

That back calf then works more than the front. I recommend stretching both calves, but it may be beneficial to stretch the back leg calf for an extra couple of minutes.

The simplest calf stretch I know is to put your toes on a curb or a wall and allow your heel to stretch down toward the street. Another one, a personal favorite, is to go biking and push the pedal through my heel because it gives me many mini calf stretches.

But the most effective calf stretch, I have found is described below. What makes it so effective is that you can take the time to move and twist your foot in different directions, turning toes inward and outward and allowing your foot to roll to the outside or the inside. Just by using these tiny micro-movements, the calves get stretched in a variety of areas, tackling different lines of muscle and fascia. As always, go slow and pay attention. If it hurts too much back off or just stop.

Lay down flat on a mat or your bed. Have a strap ready, a belt or long sock will do. With your whole body relaxed, bend one knee and loop the strap around the bottom of the foot. Raise it slowly into the air while straightening out the knee the best that you can. Everybody’s flexibility is different, honor yours. Check in; are your shoulders and arms relaxed? Bring your toes toward your face and reach out through your heel. Straighten and bend the knee slowly and gently. Now twist and turn your foot. Find those spots on your calves that often get ignored.

Be playful and curious, but most importantly don’t be aggressive while you stretch. Put that leg down and compare your calves. Now stretch the other calf. If you are a snowboarder, stretch your back leg calf twice and the front leg calf once.

Then enjoy and be thankful that you don’t have to walk two miles home.

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Washington Glacier Ski Project

By Jason Hummel

S

Above the valleys Mt. Rainier’s glaciers have retreated, but little else has changed. This is a view, early mountaineers would’ve been all too familiar with — a maritime cloud deck and clear skies above. Jason Hummel photo

ome 20,000 years ago, glaciers ruled the planet.

As the world warmed, the Cascades we know and love today were revealed. Yet fragments of those great continental glaciers survived. There were nearly 300 named glaciers in Washington state in the 20th century. Together they made up more than twothirds of the remaining glacier ice found in the contiguous U.S. But that began changing in the last century.

These glaciers have continued their retreat into the 21st century. They are disappearing. As they do, their stories remain untold.

One of my favorite quotes by Charles Sholes, an early-19th century climber, says it best, "Humanity may ebb and flow around them [mountains], tragedy and romance may stain with blood and tinge with beauty their rugged heights; but until named they can take no permanent place in song or story."

With that in mind, I've taken on not only skiing every glacier in the state, but I've begun to write about them as well.

My goal: To tell their story and share their history, so they are not forgotten.

COLUMBIA CREST GLACIER Mt. Rainier’s three summits rise like arches on a royal crown, and among the Pacific Northwest’s volcanic court, no other peak overshadows this undisputed queen of the Cascade Mountains.

The first names placed upon these peaks were those given to them by Hazard Stevens (1842–1918) and Philemon Beecher Van Trump (1838–1916) in 1870. They first named Peak Success on their ascent and upon reaching the summit plateau, they named the other two summits as well. According to a report on their climb by The Washington Standard, “The ridge between them [the summits], on which was deposited the brass plate and canteen [never found], is the highest summit of the mountain. It was named ‘Crater Peak.’ The northern peak they named ‘Peak Tah-ho-ma,’ to perpetuate the Indian name of the mountain.”

Of Stevens’ and Van Trump’s names, only Peak Success was partially retained in today’s version, Point Success. The name Crater Peak, for the crater it houses, was dissolved for its generic roots. On the other hand, in 1894, E. S. Ingraham and a party of thirteen others, including three women and the largest party to ascend the mountain to that point, anointed the peak with an appropriate, if ultimately

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undeserved, name. In Ingraham’s own words, he writes of their ascent in an article subtitled Rainier the Highest Peak in America and says, “Almost immediately upon reaching the crater I skirted its rim until the highest point, a crest of snow about 300 feet in diameter, was reached, when I took the reading of my barometer, 15,550 feet at 2 o’clock p.m., July 18. That reading makes Rainier the highest point in the United States, excepting Mount St. Elias.”

Ingraham concluded after he returned to his party that “... it was thought that this crest [Crater Peak] should receive an appropriate name. After much discussion, Columbia’s Crest [Columbia Crest], suggested by Mr. Hawkins [F. W. Hawkins], was adopted.” The first use of ‘crest’ was by August Kautz who wrote in his 1857 journal, “The crest of the mountain was now fairly turned, and the ascent less steep.”

He’d later publish variations of his journal entries in 1857 and 1875.

The fact that Ingraham considered Mt. Rainier to be the highest peak in the Union wasn’t necessarily wrong. At the time, Alaska wasn’t a state (so technically St. Elias didn’t count) and America had yet to be fully surveyed. Moreover, Ingraham’s barometric reading was incorrect, adding more than 1,000 vertical feet to the actual height of the mountain, which wasn’t 15,550 feet, but 14,411.

Where the term Columbia is concerned, its meaning is more nuanced than Crater Peak’s name was. It is a derivative of Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), just as America’s name is a derivative of the explorer Amerigo Vespucci (1451–1512). Since countries were often female, it became America instead of Amerigo, Lady Columbia can be looked at the same way. Before Lady Liberty gained popularity, Lady Columbia was the “female personification” of America. So, in essence, Columbia Crest was “America’s summit.”

Sadly, for Washingtonians, Mt. Rainier has long since been relegated to the 17th highest point in the country. While Columbia Crest may no longer be deserved, it still is a symbol that millions of people see whenever the skies are clear.

What isn’t seen is equally impressive.

Beneath the Columbia Crest Glacier are two wonders of nature, both sustained by fumaroles, which warm and melt the surrounding ice. The first is Lake Muriel, a 30-by-50 lake named after explorer Bill Lokey’s mother. Because it’s only liquid due to rising heat from the crater and not of any great size, it has been debated whether it is a lake at all. Were it considered an actual lake, it would become the highest body

of water in the U.S. at 14,100 feet.

Leading to Lake Muriel is the second wonder, the steam caves themselves, which honeycomb the summit crater and apparently “contain the world’s largest volcanic ice-cave system.” Found within those caves are fallen items of every sort, from climbing gear to the most impressive of these artifacts.

In 1990, a Piper PA-18 Super Cub crashed into the summit of Mt. Rainier, killing two. Some years later, it would be sighted in the steam caves, partially sticking from the walls, having descended through the glacier. However, this wasn’t the first plane on the Columbia Crest Glacier.

In 1951, Lieutenant John W. Hodgkin was flying in the area and attracted to lofty landing zones. What better destination to satisfy such an urge than Mt. Rainier? With a stroll from the Columbia Crest Glacier to the summit also in mind, he set out for an adventure that would all go according to plan until he returned to his plane, climbed in and it wouldn’t start.

With no escape, Hodgkin spent a very cold night in his plane. Thinking that there was no one coming to rescue him, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Meanwhile, a team of climbers had been sent to rescue him. It turns out another pilot had seen his plight and called in a rescue. Only just before his lifesavers arrived, he set his plane facing downhill and pushed off, sans engines and in gravity’s unrelenting grasp. Of that heart-skipping experience the matter-of-factly Hodgkins related to The Seattle Times that he “... went down the slope, and just as it [the plane] went over the edge, I caught an updraft and I was flying.”

The stunt landed him in hot water publicly, but privately, he got a thumbs up and a pat on the back, because in the end he glided onto a frozen Mowich Lake, landed, repaired his plane and flew on to Spanaway no worse for wear, but richer for the story he’d tell the rest of his life.

And yet, while humans forsake the summit after a short stay, one creature described by Hazard Stevens, made a home of the crater. “Last summer,” he says, “the summit parties found the crater inhabited by a certain chipmunk.

In some strange way he had climbed to the summit and had made his home at Register Rock. He always received nuts and raisins and hardtack with evident gratitude.”

Anyone with information on the history of glaciers please contact Jason Hummel through his website jasonhummelphotography.com.

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Getting off the Beach First R2AK paddleboarder Karl Kruger to cross 1,900 miles of Northwest Passage

By Ian Haupt Photos by Liv von Oelreich

K

en Park e 6, 2021

arl Kruger grew up in New York’s Adirondack Mountains, where he learned from his half-Algonquin abusive father, a hunting and fishing guide, to paddle, climb and hike.

He left home at 15 and, after finishing high school, he moved to California to teach windsurfing. He graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in environmental science. Then he moved to Orcas Island and started a sailing charter business.

Twenty years later, in February, Kruger sat in his truck behind the Orcas Island Library waiting for a ferry. His $15,000 paddleboard was strapped to the roof of his truck as he used the library’s Wi-Fi to enter our Zoom call. He was headed down to Seattle with his friend and business partner Elyn Oliver to give a talk at a boating event. He met Oliver when he gave a talk at a Race to

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Alaska (R2AK) fundraiser on Orcas a couple years before.

Kruger said the talks he gives about his sailing expeditions, extreme paddleboarding and personal journey can be incredibly emotional. He struggles living a life on land, wishing to get back to his life on the water to what he calls, “the real world.”

“We have this connection almost in the liminal aspect where those two worlds touch,” Oliver said. “And so when we come together, it's like suddenly I get to play in his world and he gets to play in mine. I find when we're together we're able to make the magic happen.”

An hour before the call, Kruger was working out with his trainer doing high intensity weight exercises and Wim Hof breathing. He’s in the midst of training for a nearly 2,000mile standup paddleboard journey through the Northwest Passage he plans to do in August.

In 2019, he decided to postpone his unsupported attempt until summer 2020. Covid-19 pushed that back to this summer. No stranger to long stints on a SUP, Kruger

is the first and only person to complete the unsupported, 750-mile R2AK on a paddleboard, which he did in 2017.

By completing it in such a bare-bones fashion, he said he wanted to break the race and show how powerful standup paddleboards are as a watercraft. It took him a total of 14 days to race from Port Townsend to Kechikan, Alaska.

For his trip in the Arctic Circle, Kruger has budgeted two months and said depending on conditions it could take less than that.

Kruger scouted out his route in the Arctic in 2019, after deciding to postpone the attempt. During his visit, he found that in the summertime the natives don't operate on a schedule — at least, a “real world schedule.” Kids are out swimming, playing and riding their bikes at 2 a.m., he said.

They do stuff until they're tired, then they sleep. He said he plans to adopt this mindset on his journey. “I’m going to be in a very much Arctic lifestyle.”

It’s also the safest way for him to travel, he said. Bears could stalk him like prey, and by not following a schedule,

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he can throw them off his trail. With nearly 24 hours of daylight, he said he will paddle anytime there’s decent conditions.

“My strategy, or certainly after what I learned in the R2AK, was that if I’m taking care of myself physically there's almost no end to how long you can paddle, in terms of number of days,” he said.

In R2AK, he said the longest stretch of paddling he did without a break was 13 and half hours. He covered 72 miles.

Although a documentary crew is along to film his attempt, he was adamant on being unsupported. “I want to have a very organic, honest to god journey,”he said. “I don’t want a boat following me along, handing me Kleenex when things get hard.”

Kruger has built a life on supporting himself for long stretches at seas. He has been leading expeditions in the San Juan Islands, Canadian Gulf Islands, British Columbia coast and Alaska for 20 years. His company Kruger Sea LLC leads personalized sailing, skiing and surfing trips in these water onhis 64-foot steel cutter Ocean Watch.

This company recently rebranded as he thought his previous company Kruger Escapes was ill-named. “When I go and do these things, it’s not an escape at all,"”he said. “The world I value more deeply is that one.”

His whole life, he said, people would say “Welcome back to the real world,” when he returned from his adventures at sea, and he became sick of it. “No, actually, this is the fake one — all this crap that humans do — this is the made up one. That out there is the real shit.”

The company will be taking on a similar focus, he said, but with a deeper focus on expeditions. He’s got a busy year ahead.

In April, he’s leading a ski trip in the Prince William Sound. He’s racing Seventy 48, a 70mile, human-powered race from Tacoma to Port Townsend, for the fourth time three days before R2AK. He’s won the SUP division three times in a row, and said it would be a nice 50th birthday present to himself if he can win it a fourth time. Then he’s captaining a Walker experimental Trimaran for R2AK, which starts June 13. From there, he’s heading up to Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, for his Northwest Passage attempt.

The goal is to paddle 1,900 nautical miles from Tuktoyaktuk to Pond Inlet, Nunavut.

“Getting off the beach, starting is the hardest thing,” he said. “It’s scary. Everything in the whole wide world is an unknown. You’re leaving behind your life; your work, your family, your friends. You're hitting a stop button on everything.”

But it’s what he loves.

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Sentinels on the peaks

Darrington residents restore fire lookout, now open for overnighters

By Martha Rasmussen | Photos courtesy Friends of North Mountain

T

he Great Fire of 1910 incinerated over 3 million acres of timberlands spanning Washington, Idaho and Montana, consuming entire towns in its path and killing 87 people. The historic firestorm inspired a new approach to safeguard our timbered lands and resulted in the design and construction of the U.S. Forest Service fire lookouts, a legacy that would last for generations and become a love affair for many.

The first fire lookout in northwest Washington was built on Gold Mountain in 1915. Located just east of Darrington, it changed the history of fire lookouts; lookout post Roland Atchson detected smoke off in the distance, a place that will be forever known as Fire Creek since this event.

Crews arrived quickly at the scene and worked to starve the fire of fuel before its voracious appetite would turn it wild and unstoppable. Though many acres of forested land were lost, early detection saved countless acres. The U.S. Forest Service, witnessing the success of the Fire Creek fire, commissioned the ongoing building of fire lookouts across the country.

For decades, fire lookouts were being built on the high mountain peaks and lower elevations to see under cloud cover. During evening hours, one could detect the faint flicker of lamplights far off in the distance as the solitary lookout kept watch day and night, with far-reaching views that others seldom see.

North Mountain Lookout was built in 1965 on a 41-foot tower, perched on the 3,824-foot North Mountain summit

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ridge, above the town of Darrington. The U.S. Forest Service, Region 6 introduced the R-6 "flat cab," a live-in wooden structure, in 1953.

The 26 windows offer spectacular views including the two volcanic peaks of Mt. Baker and Glacier Peak as well as the entirety of North Cascades National Park. One can see vast stretches of Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and glimpses of what lies beyond Whitehorse Mountain in the Boulder Creek Wilderness and west to the Salish Sea and Olympic Mountains. At dusk, Mt. Higgins cradles the last glimpse of the setting sun. Over the years, those who staffed the lookout cherished these views as the sun cast colors in the morning and painted the sky at night.

In the 1990s the lookout was abandoned and sat alone on the mountain, falling prey to vandalism as the structure slowly succumbed to the elements due to lack of maintenance. A tough decision had to be made about a lookout that was no longer needed and posing liability issues for the forest service. In 2009, discussions began about tearing down the lookout. Due to the lack of funding, the demolition never happened, and the lookout remained abandoned on its mountain.

At one time, Washington had 656 lookouts, now only 93 remain. Most of these lookouts collapsed, burned or were torn down. North Mountain Lookout looked headed for the same fate.

In March 2013, two guest speakers were asked to attend a Darrington Strong meeting to discuss the plight of town's historic landmark. With no road map set in place that MountBakerExperience.com

night on how to save it, but a powerful dream and vision, the Friends of North Mountain group was formed, and the eight-year journey to restore the lookout began.

News about the project spread, and Richard Albright, who staffed the lookout during the summer of 1966, its first year in operation, took notice.

Albright's stories, photographs and enthusiasm infused the project with a sense of history and a first-hand experience of life in a fire lookout.

The group held meetings, consulted engineers, reviewed plans, prepared legal documents and scheduled work parties. Two-dozen organizations and 100 volunteers joined together to make the dream become a reality. The lookout was rebuilt from the ground, up.

The concrete piers had deteriorated and were replaced. New shear-brac-

ing was installed on the tower support structure with lumber donated from local millers. Well-seasoned climbers, secured by ropes and safety harnesses, worked together in a seemingly effortless dance to take the "sway" out of the tower before crews could work on the roof and cabin interior. A new, shallow-pitched roof and lightning arrestor system was installed. The deck, handrails, cabin floor and windows were donated from another R-6 lookout that was demolished in years prior.

New shutters were fabricated, and the cumbersome deck hatch was replaced with a welded-steel, counterbalanced design. Local craftsmen constructed furniture from original forest service supplied plans. This included a queensized bed, desk, bookshelves and even an insulated stool to perch on during electrical storms.

Today, the North Mountain Lookout remains fully restored to its original condition and within easy driving distance from the town of Darrington.

It was more than a lookout atop its mountain; it became the story of a community sharing a dream to make something wonderful happen.

It still offers the same magnificent 360-degree views that Albright first saw back in 1966. Standing on the deck, perched above the treetops, and gazing out over the surrounding beauty, one can experience what motivated those with a common vision as you travel back in time through the legacy that lookouts left behind, sentinels on their respective peaks, safeguarding our precious timber lands.

For information on the lookout and its rental operations, visit sites.google. com/site/northmtlookout.

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Still in the Water Photographer Marcus Paladino on surfing in Tofino, adopting a balanced lifestyle, releasing a photo book and evolving his craft

By Ian Haupt | Photos by Marcus Paladino

Marcus Paladino after taking a surfboard to the face.

Tofino-based surf photographer Marcus Paladino has shot for surf magazines in Hawaii, Australia and on both coasts as well as American and Canadian outdoor and lifestyle magazines. He’s also worked with companies like Red Bull, Netflix, Billabong, Arc’teryx and Vans.

Paladino grew up in Nanaimo, B.C., snowboarding at Mt. Washington. His godmother gave him his first camera, a point-and-shoot film camera he used in high school to earn an outstanding achievement award in photography. He moved to Tofino, B.C. when he was 20 and started shooting full time by the age of 25. At 30, he released his first photo book, “Cold Comfort,” in spring 2021.

Mount Baker Experience caught up with him toward the end of his 11th surf season. All photos appear in the book.

Questions and answers were edited for length and clarity.

Michael Darling’s new move. “I inverted this image and edited it black and white to give it more of an artistic approach and to mimic the mood I felt in that moment.”

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Mount Baker Experience: Had you surfed before you moved to Tofino?

Paladino: I surfed once with some friends, like super briefly. That's the thing, it wasn't like I started surfing and was like, "Oh, this is it!" I actually surfed and thought, "This is kind of hard and lame." As a weird 18-year-old, I was like, "Oh, that was an experience." It wasn't until later that I thought, "Surfing is the source."

When is the surf season in the PNW? It's 100 percent during the winter. It's funny how surfing ended up being an Olympic sport during the Summer Olympics when everyone in surfing knows surfing is pretty much a winter sport, depending on where you are.

The surf season here is generally best between September and February — those would be the best months. In spring it tapers off, and in summer it's small and onshore.

Then once fall comes in it kicks in to gear.

What does a typical season look like for you?

A typical season for me is getting up at the crack of dawn, checking the forecast and seeing where we're surfing that day. I feel like this season has been pretty slow but it ends up being a lot of driving around, looking for waves or hopping on a boat and going up the coast.

It's just been a weird year, or a weird couple of years with Covid.

Typically, I'm trying to be as on it as possible. I try to keep my schedule as clear as possible because there's always last second trips popping up or last second swells emerging. I try to be as flexible and clear as possible, but this winter has been a little slow so I've been taking on more jobs lately.

How much of your schedule is based on the tide?

There's so many different aspects. There's tide, wind, wind direction, swell and swell direction, and intervals between. There's just a lot of factors that go into it, which is why surfing is fun — it really keeps you on your toes.

But generally most spots around here I know everything that needs to line up. It's like a little math equation. The people I shoot too, generally, are really on top of it. So, it's a team effort.

What is your goal when taking a photo?

Ooh, I like that question. I think my goal when taking a photo is to document as creatively as possible. Document creatively and taking advantage of opportunities that might be transient — whether the light’s really good or there's something in the foreground.

I try to spend more time creating than just standing on the beach with a tripod documenting. But when you do that you miss a lot more shots. But I feel like I'm getting MountBakerExperience.com

Shannon Brown with a vertical snap at sunset during a rare summertime swell.

Young Mathea Olin, 17, in the tube.

better so I'm missing less shots in that sense. I just feel like I've been shooting for so long too that I feel I need to get as creative as I can.

Creativity, that was the one! Anyway, short answer.

You said you're taking a lot of jobs recently, is that commercial work?

A bit of commercial work; also, I've been shooting a lot of vacation rentals recently. I've been keeping busy with that, especially in a tiny tourist town. It's fun shooting something that's completely still, as opposed to what I normally shoot, which is something that's always moving.

Then I have the odd photography/video jobs here and there that are not necessarily surf related. Though, most of my incoming work is surf related.

How has your balance between editorial and commercial work changed over the years?

I feel like I'm putting less emphasis on editorial work.

I think at the beginning of my career that was the be-all, end-all for me. I thought, "That was how you become a wellknown, action-sports photographer — getting in magazines and publications."

As you know, that industry is still there, but it's hanging on.

I try to put more effort into commercial work and commercial opportunities. I'm trying to organize more photo shoots as opposed to just freelancing as much I've done the last five to six years. Which essentially is just going out, following the swell, shooting surfers and just trying to sell photos after the fact. I still do that all the time, I feel like that's my bread and butter.

Also, I feel like a lot of photographers, not just around here but in general, that are so surf heavy end up totally switching gears and only doing commercial work. Not that that's what I want to do at all, but I feel like that's just a natural progression for people in my industry. They shoot surf so hard that they end up realizing they can make more money shooting other stuff, but they have already developed a style and work ethic from shooting surfing.

You recently released your first photo book, “Cold Comfort.” What’s the story behind that?

I think it's every photographer's dream to come out with a book. I just feel like: Right place, right time, right opportunity. Obviously, putting a book out during a pandemic wasn’t necessary ideal, but, thankfully, people were still buying books online. It sucks that I couldn't do a book signing or

Paladino meets Pete Devries, ninetime consecutive Canadian men’s champion. “It started the beginning of my journey as a surf photographer.” release party.

I'd been shooting here on the coast for 10 years now, and I felt like I had a pretty large body of work and it would be good to share it. I feel like everyone sort of skims over things, with Instagram, my website or even magazines — people just rip through it. When people who have been following me years on Instagram or just in general know my work get the book and are so amazed and immersed like, "Whoa, these photos are amazing!" But you know my work though, this isn't necessarily new content.

There were a lot of unreleased photos in this book, but the majority of it was stuff that you can see on my Instagram or on my website. It was cool to put it altogether into something physical because it just hits different!

And I'm a big fan of photo books.

You say in the book when you first started shooting full time days consisted of “shoot, surf, shoot, edit, emails, sleep.” How have your days changed?

My days are a bit more balanced these days. When I first started trying to be a professional photographer full time, I think I was 24 or 25. I get really obsessed with what I'm doing, and really focused and driven. And I wouldn't really

“As I swam back to our boat, I turned around to get one last photo of the wave.”

SPRING 2022 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

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Andy Jones on a Tofino snow day. Paladino says he had lived in Tofino for five years and had yet to see the snow stick to the beach.

recommend that to everyone, but that's what I had to do.

I'm 31 now.

Back then I didn't really think I was a very talented photographer, so I felt I really needed to work hard to become one. Throughout the years, my talent caught up with my hard work. And I thought now I have this skill set to shoot but I'm working so hard that I'm really draining myself.

That's something I've been working on the last couple of years — I'm trying to have a nice balance. Some would say I'm a workaholic. I specifically take one day off every week where there's no email, no editing. I try not to shoot unless it's really good.

I think I'm also a lot more particular when I'm shooting too. Whereas back then I would go shoot the beach everyday, all day because I was really honing my skills. Now I'm a bit more selective. I want to make sure the light’s good, the conditions are good, especially if I'm shooting the beaches around [Tofino]. I can't count the amount of times I've shot Cox Bay. I try to be a little bit more mindful with my time and energy, specifically, my energy, because I've only got so much.

I'm not burning the candle at both ends these days.

How did that affect your social life?

My social life? My social life was great. My dating life? My dating life was blah.

I felt like if I was dating girls or seeing girls that it almost felt like a distraction for me. I really wouldn't put my best foot forward or enough of my energy into that because I was so focused on surfing and shooting, and trying to make this a career. I avoided what would've been healthy relationships at that time. I'm pretty introverted myself. I don't mind spending a lot of time by myself.

That comes back to the balance point — you can have it all.

You can be in a healthy, loving relationship and still follow your dreams. But, at the time, I thought it was one or the other. Which is not the case, obviously, but being young and naive I thought I knew what was up.

How has social media impacted your career?

I've always tried to not put too much emphasis on social media. Obviously, I have it and I use it, and I announce things that are going on. But I've always had this pretty firm mindset that if Instagram exploded today and there was no Instagram, would I still have a career? And the answer is "yes."

It's also cool that you can be in contact with people all the time. People can slide into your [direct messages] and

Tofino, B.C., from the air.

say, "Hey, I really like your work. You inspired me." It's really cool on my end, because I didn't have that when I was an aspiring photographer looking at other people's work. I couldn't flip through a magazine and immediately message the photographer and say, "This is a great shot! What are your settings?"

How do you think it’s affected the industry?

I know that a lot of people will hit up brands and offer to trade some photos for some product. And that's a big problem for people in my industry because we're trying to get paid. A lot of times companies will offer me product or gift cards, which is fun but I can't pay my rent in sweaters.

What I've told people is, "I can't eat your product, so I'm good."

At least I was a bit more hard-done by it at the beginning [of my career] because I was just trying to make ends meet to be a photographer full time. Whereas now I'm not as intense about it, but I know that's a big problem in the industry.

Is there anything you say to upcoming photographers?

Don't expect instant gratification. You're going to take a lot of bad photos for a long time and then you're going to take some good photos for even longer. Just keep shooting and work hard. It doesn't happen over night.

Paladino says he dreamt of capturing this difficult angle of Pete Devries.

38

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2022

MountBakerExperience.com

Raph Bruhwiler and Josh Mulcoy on one of the biggest days Paladino has ever seen at this spot.

If you love what you're doing, you're already winning.

For me, specifically, if I wasn't a full-time surf photographer and that wasn't my career, I would still be shooting surfing — like nothing changes. So, if you focus on that and know you enjoy doing it and that's what you have a passion about, whether the money comes or not you're already successful, because a lot of people don't have that.

Have you been injured while shooting?

Yeah, I took a surfboard in the face and my tooth went through my lip. I still have a little scar there. That was fun.

Otherwise, the only other proper injury I got when shooting wasn’t really even an injury. I got the heaviest, gnarliest, tightest foot cramps I’ve ever had in my life — to the point where I was limping for days after.

Surf spots are sacred locations. Have you ever accidentally revealed a secret spot through your photos and gotten flak for it?

Maybe my first year in Tofino, I don't know if I said the spot name but I definitely sort of described how to get there. And somebody hit me up and said, "I know you're new to this, but that's not cool." I didn't realize because I came from snowboarding, where it's not really a big deal

Pete Devries loves early morning surfs, Paladino says. It’s one of the few opportunities to catch a few waves by himself before the sheep flock and start following him around.

to talk about where you're riding. But ever since then, I keep that pretty close to the chest.

One time a magazine revealed a location, and that kind of bummed me out. They were like, "Marcus Paladino claims that so-and-so wave is here in this place." And I didn't say that, but they knew where it was. So I had to hit them up afterwards and say, "You can name the spot if you know where it is, but don't say that I'm the one that named it." I thought that was pretty heavy.

What makes Tofino such a special surf spot?

The consistency — you can surf for 365 days a year here.

The waves might not be great, but there's always a wave. I think it's a pretty special place for that, and I think that's something that a lot of other cold water destinations lack.

In Nova Scotia, for example, the waves are far superior.

But it goes completely dead flat in the summer and there's lots of flat spells in the winter. Whereas here it might not be the best day of the year, but you can still get in the water and catch a few waves.

How do you keep it interesting?

Well, I don't really know, but my sister said it pretty beautifully. We were talking about my photography and

she said, "It's been interesting watching you go from documenting action sports to an artistic expression of said sport and lifestyle." Which I didn't really think I was doing, but I think that nails it on the head. It's become more about expressing myself through these sports and, like I said earlier, document them creatively.

Do you have a favorite photo from your career?

I hate that question. Because that means my career is like over. If you have a favorite photo, I think that should be like the end of your career. That’s it, done.

Do you have a favorite from “Cold Comfort?” That’s what I like to hear: What other people’s favorites are.

The black and white inverted shot of Michael Darling. And the one of Pete Devries standing tall, making it look easy. (It’s on the cover.)

What do you do in the off-season?

I’ve gotten into mountain biking recently, which I like taking a day off for. And it’s nice to have something where I don’t necessarily feel pressure to take photos. Sometimes I see something and think, “It’d be nice to have my camera right now.” But it’s nice to be able to do something outdoors without it.

x

Andy Jones demonstrates a classic hang ten.

SPRING 2022 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

39

The Art of

Swiftwater

Canyoneering Story and photos by Jason D. Martin

40

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE | SPRING 2022

MountBakerExperience.com

I

ce-cold water slid down the rope and over my hands as I grasped the rappel line. The thunder of the waterfall next to me filled my ears. My feet skated across the mossy wet rock, and that’s when the instructor began to yell.

“You’re ruining the moss!” he shouted. “Get back into the waterfall!”

I looked at where my feet had been, and he was right. The moss was torn away from the muddy rock. I didn’t really care about the moss. I knew it would grow back, but Leave No Trace…

I sighed to myself and swung into the waterfall.

Instantly, I was pummeled by whitewater. It was as if I’d been inserted into the center of a washing machine, on a rope. Ice water filled my wetsuit and I continued to gingerly lower myself down to the end of the line and into a pool.

The climber in me cannot stand to see a rope without a knot in the end. This deeply uncomfortable feeling was compounded by an accident in 2007 where I rappelled off the end of my line and fell six feet, seriously injuring myself. And now, I was staring at the open end of my system. It was open so that I could easily swim away, to decrease the possibility of drowning in this extreme environment.

I rapped down to the bitter end of the rope, and intentionally slid off into a frothing pool of whitewater. A few quick strokes brought me to a rocky shore on the periphery of the canyon. I stood up and looked at the rest of my team at the top, and blew my whistle.

A whistle is the only way to effectively communicate in a canyon. This type of environment is too loud to yell, and too wet for radios.

Another made his way down into the same pool. He too swam over to the edge and blew his whistle. And in time, all of us were down.

The next objective: A swim through a tight little notch. We began to work forward, floating with the current, the canyon only about four feet wide. The slimy green walls climbed up, 10 feet above us in the claustrophobic slot. The intense green of pine trees towered above that, looking down on us in the canyon like protectors.

I have felt small before on the sides of a mountain. I’ve felt

small high on a cliffside, looking down at nature in its glory.

But the insides of a swiftwater canyon are different. You feel small, not because of what you can see, but because of what you can feel, that never-ending churning water, that same water that sliced its way into the earth over the eons. You can feel power in that water, power that’s both inspirational and terrifying at the same time.

At the end of the swimming slot, we arrived at a natural waterslide. Each of us took our turn, sliding over slick rock a short distance and into a pool. The rushing water drowned out the giggles and laughter that went with such a cool feature. And after that was a 10-foot jump. Doing this in a canyon is spooky, so the instructor rappelled down first to check the depth. Then each of us jumped, dropping the distance in a blink and splashing down into another deep pool.

Swiftwater canyoneering in the Pacific Northwest is a relatively new thing. When thinking of canyoneering, most think about the slot canyons of Utah. Honestly, that’s the real epicenter of canyoneering (or canyoning). People have been exploring those deep clefts in the earth for decades. Classic Utah canyoneering can certainly include water. It often includes rappelling and downclimbing. But only the most serious canyons include real swiftwater. That’s where the Pacific Northwest comes in.

Some of the best places in North America for swiftwater canyoneering are in this region. People are traveling from all over the country now to explore our canyons. Indeed, a few of them in the Squamish area are cited as being world class.

Though beautiful, swiftwater canyons are dangerous. It requires a wide array of skills to move through them. One has to have baseline climbing and rappelling skills to understand the technical aspects. One has to have river and swiftwater skills to understand the flow of these creeks. And one has to have a head for spelunking in order to work through tight wet slots in the earth.

Accidents are on the rise as more people become acquainted with the sport. Certainly there are falling hazards due to rappel error, but there are also hazards associated with slick rock, both in easy terrain, as well as near an edge. And of course, there are hazards associated with the amount of water in a canyon. Similar to an ice climb, swiftwater can-

yons “come into shape.” If there’s too much water, the skills required to run a canyon are much greater than the skills required when the canyon is in shape.

Rescue should also be considered by entry-level canyoneers. The reality is that it’s hard to get a message out of a canyon after an incident, even with a satellite messaging system like an inReach. Most mountain rescue units are also not equipped with the skills or knowledge to complete a rescue in a swiftwater canyoneering environment. As a result, it is really important that swiftwater canyon teams are competent in the environment and can self-rescue.

This sport will likely take off with a trajectory similar to backcountry skiing. Twenty years ago, there were backcountry skiers, but not many. Today, they’re everywhere. Swiftwater canyoneering may feel like that. There aren’t that many canyoneers today, but in 20 years, who knows?

This is an exceptionally fun sport that can take you to insanely cool places. As somebody new to the sport, I really can’t wait to see what’s waiting for me over the next waterfall, in the next pool or down the next slide. It’s a sport that’s similar to other things I do, but different enough, that it has provided a new sense of deep inspiration.

I thought about all of this as I clipped into the rope for my next rappel. I dropped down over the edge, avoiding the moss and swung into the heart of the waterfall. Ice cold water cascaded down over my head, down the back of my wetsuit.

Hanging there, in the belly of the beast, I felt truly alive.

x

RESOURCES: Canyoning in the Pacific Northwest: A Technical Resource by Kevin Clark – This textbook is available online.

Introduction to Swiftwater Canyoning – A 6-day class offered by the American Alpine Institute The Mountaineers – Basic and Intermediate Canyoning Courses – Offered in late spring and summer by the Seattle Mountaineers.

RopeWiki.com – An online canyoneering guidebook.

SPRING 2022 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

41

Peace and its forms

American Camp officers quarters.

National Park Service photo.

Pick up your FREE copy!

2021 - 2022

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magine a park honoring peace.

Not just peace — the absence of war.

Not just absence of it — prevention of it. Sounds pretty choice right now, yes?

That’s exactly what San Juan Island National Historical Park is about. This large preserve on its namesake island commemorates the occasion in which two major powers, Britain and the U.S., resolved a territorial dispute by submitting to international arbitration. Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, the adjudicator, awarded the San Juan Islands to the U.S. in 1872, 12 years after the dispute began when an American farmer killed a British settler’s pig — thus the incident’s popular moniker, the “Pig War.” Though each nation had soldiers garrisoned on the island, no shots were fired to settle the conflict. Peace won.

But however compelling, history’s just a story — in this case one a century and a half old — and SJINHP has a modern story perhaps as meaningful as its historic one. The park’s two large sections preserve vibrant, rare ecosystems that are timelessly valuable. Here, the old song of peace is a quiet counterpoint to today’s songs of prairie and woods, foxes and falcons, widgeons and the one living thing most sought by island visitors, whales.

The park’s southern unit, called American Camp, holds a vast expanse of meadow and shore and broad-shouldered headlands, which provide some of the best vantage points to watch for the Salish Sea’s famous orcas — not to mention humpbacks, the

English Camp.

San Juan Island Vistors Bureau photo. occasional gray and rarely, the world’s second-largest cetaceans, fin whales. If there are not whales to be seen, the Olympic Mountains across the Strait of Juan de Fuca set a painterly horizon.

American Camp’s 1750 acres also constitute one of the largest remaining parcels of undisturbed native prairie in the Puget Sound basin. And this is the world’s only home of an extremely rare endangered butterfly, the Island Marble. This small, shimmering ivory creature may number just 200, and is almost completely dependent on wide-open prairie and the wild mustards found within it. Thought to have disappeared entirely in 1908, its rediscovery in 1998 was magical evidence of the resilience of nature, but its status remains imperiled.

It is found only here, with populations scattered around the island and neighboring Lopez, and park officials have been joined by local conservation advocates in setting aside habitat for it. Best time to see the Island Marble is early summer on the open meadows west of the main access, Cattle Point Road.

The northeast side of American Camp holds an entirely different landscape, demonstrating that directional exposure is everything in the Northwest. Here, cool woodlands facing away from the sun lead down to marshy wetlands that include two large lagoons providing unparalleled waterfowl watching. Both sides of American Camp have long stretches of gravel-andsand shoreline that offer divine beachcombMountBakerExperience.com

The park’s south beach.

Amy Nesler photo.

Come to

ing and, for the hardy among us, summer swimming.

Twelve miles northwest of American Camp is English Camp, the land garrisoned by British troops during the 12-year standoff over island control. This 400-acre parcel is notably different from American Camp; here, open, mostly deciduous woodlands plunge down a hillside to a quiet cove bolstered by hills on every side. The waters here sound to the symphony of sea lions and seals, ducks, gulls, eagles and marine denizens of every sort. In winter you might spy a puffin; in summer, ospreys and kingfishers.

The hillside leading up from English Camp is a prime example of an extremely rare Salish Sea ecosystem, Garry oak prairie. This most northerly of West Coast oaks matures over centuries into sturdy, gnarled arboreal grandfathers on prime sites such as these west-facing dry hills. Several hiking trails lead up into the oak woodlands, but most visitors simply stroll down to the old British garrison enclave along the water. A massive bigleaf maple, one of the world’s largest, presides over a Victorian knot garden. Few places in the Northwest are better for spreading a picnic blanket and lazing away an afternoon in the sun.

Launching a kayak or canoe here for a half-day paddle offers access to a sheltered wonderland of inlets and bays that are perfect for marine wildlife watching, and relatively free of high-powered boat traffic. Tides can be tricky, but no fearsome rips roil the waters immediately surrounding English Camp.

Both parts of the park are home to San Juan Island’s ubiquitous and photogenic red foxes, which thrive on feral rabbit populations and provide countless juicy snapshots for park visitors. Although they are the same species, red foxes are sometimes mostly black with gray stippling, a color phase called silver fox — beautiful evocations of the constant variety of nature left alone. And please do leave them alone: It is neither right nor legal to offer our foxes an Oreo so you can get a better post on Instagram. And cute as their kits may be, they don't need strangers stalking them any more than your own kids do.

There are many forms of peace. San Juan Island National Historical Park is home to them all.

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THE HELIOTROPE IN GLACIER

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EVENTS CHUCKANUT

50K:

Saturday, March 19, The Chuckanut 50k is a lollipop-shaped course. The first 10k and last 10k repeat on the Interurban Trail with smooth, relatively flat running. The middle 30k is what this race is known for — you get to climb (5,000ft), traverse and descend the famous Chuckanut Mountain Ridge amongst beautiful Pacific Northwest terrain. There are five aid stations along the course, all noted on the Course Map. For a more information, visit chuckanut50krace.com.

BAKER SPLITFEST: Friday, March 25 to Sunday,

March 27, This festival has become one of the largest snowboarding events in the PNW. Many people think of it as the highlight of their snow season and come back every year to touch base with backcountry friends. Meet other people to tour with, try out new gear and raise money to support the Northwest Avalanche Center. Saturday night raffle. Chair 9, Glacier. For more info visit: splitfest.com

OAT RUN (OLYMPIC ADVENTURE TRAIL RUN): Saturday, April 16,

OAT (Olympic Adventure Trail) Run is a 12K and half marathon trail race on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. The point-topoint course takes place on the singletrack Olympic Adventure Trail, with a post-race party at Harbinger Winery in Port Angeles. For more information, visit peninsulaadventuresports.com.

WHIDBEY ISLAND MARATHON: Sunday, April 24, The Whidbey Island Marathon offers a 1K kids run, 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon. The events start and end in Oak Harbor. Competitors get to run across the Deception Pass Bridge. All competitors get tech shirts, customer finisher medals, personalized bibs and free race photos. For more information or to register, visit runwhidbey.org.

BLAINE ART STUDIO TOUR 2022: April 30, May 28 and June 25, The Blaine Art Studio Tour showcases local artists and their work throughout Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo. For more information, visit blainebythesea.com/ arttour.

GRAVEL UNRAVEL: Saturday, May 14, Pedal and explore the Olympic Peninsula on the gravel road systems of Olympic National Forest and coastal State forests. For all riders with a gravel, cross or mountain bike. E-bike riders are also welcome in the non-competitive ride. Each event will have short, medium, and long courses, and all are followed by food and beer. There are 3 races in the series (May 14, June 18, July 16). For more information, visit peninsulaadventuresports.com.

SKI TO SEA: Sunday, May 29, Registration is open! Held on Memorial Day weekend, Ski to Sea is the original multisport relay race from Mt. Baker to Bellingham Bay. A Ski to Sea team consists of three — eight racers competing in seven different sports: Cross country ski, downhill ski/ snowboard, running, road bike, canoe (two paddlers), cyc-

locross bike and sea kayak. Since 2018, racers will be allowed to participate in up to three legs on race day, for one team or multiple teams. Teams will have a minimum of three racers and a maximum of eight. The racecourse runs through the towns of Glacier, Maple Falls, Kendall, Everson, Lynden and Ferndale, finishing at Marine Park in the historic Fairhaven district of Bellingham. Together with the Historic Fairhaven Festival, Ski to Sea is the largest one-day event in Whatcom County and the largest multisport race in North America.

For more information or to register, go to skitosea.com.

BELLINGHAM SWIMRUN: Sunday, June 5, The Swedes discovered SwimRun in 2006. It consists of swimming and running and swimming and running. The Bellingham SwimRun will be held at Lake Padden and offered as a 15K and 5K. Racers can compete solo or with a team. For more information, visit questraces.com/bellingham-swimrun.

SEVENTY 48: Friday, June 10, Seventy 48 is a 70-mile unsupported, human-powered boat race from Tacoma to Port Townsend. The race is over 48 hours after it starts.

Teams must ring the bell at City Dock in Port Townsend by 7:00 PM. The prizes will be awarded during the Race to Alaska Pre-Race Ruckus on stage with the band. Applications are accepted until tax day, April 15. For more information or to register, go to seventy48.com.

KULSHAN QUEST ADVENTURE RACE: Saturday, June 11, At Kulshan Quest Adventure Race you are given maps with checkpoints identified 30 minutes before the start. It’s up to you and your team to decide the routes you take. There is a three-hour course that includes mountain biking and trekking and a 12-hour course with mountain biking, trekking and a challenge. The 12-hour event is part of the Cascadia Race Series. For more information, visit questraces.com/kulshan-quest-ar.

day at the Northwest Tune-Up. For more information or to register, visit racecascadia.com/events.

LAKE WHATCOM TRIATHLON: Saturday, July 9, An Olympic-distance triathlon that is a USAT sanctioned event. The race includes a 1500-meter swim on Lake Whatcom, 40km bike ride along North Shore Drive and Y Road, and a 10km run around the trails of beautiful Whatcom Falls Park, with the transition area and start/finish lines at Bloedel Donovan Park. The event draws beginner to elite athletes, in individual and relay divisions, and includes an expo area for athletes and spectators. For more information or to register, visit lakewhatcomtriathlon.com.

TOUR DE WHATCOM: Saturday, July 23, Enjoy all that the Northwest has to offer in one ride — Mt. Baker, Lake Whatcom, valleys, rivers, farmland and beaches. Ride varying from 22 to 100 miles. For more information, visit tourdewhatcom.com.

BELLINGHAM OFF-ROAD TRIATHLON: Saturday, August 20, The Bellingham Off-Road Triathlon will include a 800 meter swim on Lake Padden, 9K mountain bike loop along the Lake Padden horse trails, and finishes with the classic 4.1K (2.6 mile) gravel loop trail around Lake Padden. Transition area will be on the grass near the old baseball fields at Lake Padden Park. Beginner to elite friendly and you can do it with friends as a relay. For more information, visit bellinghamtri.org/event/lake-padden-off-road-triathlon.

GOAT RUN: Saturday, September 10, Great Olympic Adventure Trail Run is a point-to-point half marathon, marathon, and 50K trail race that traverses Kelly Ridge between the Olympic National Park and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Port Angeles. For more information, visit peninsulaadventuresports.com.

BELLINGHAM TRAVERSE:

RACE TO ALASKA: Monday,

June 13 and Thursday, June 16, Race to Alaska will be held in two legs this year. Stage 1 of this year’s race is a 40-mile sprint from Port Townsend to Victoria, B.C., which is designed as a qualifier for the full race. It’s also an opportunity for people who want to see what it’s about without doing the full 750 miles. Stage 2 is the long haul from Victoria to Ketchikan, Alaska. Racers start at high noon on June 16 and follow their own route across the 710 miles to Ketchikan. There’s no official course besides a waypoint in Bella Bella, B.C. For more information or to register, visit r2ak.com.

NORTHWEST TUNE-UP: July 8-10, The Northwest Tune-Up is a bike, beer and music festival held in celebration of PNW culture. This three-day event showcases the beauty of the region and everything it has to offer. The on-trail portion of the Northwest Tune-Up will take place on Galbraith Mountain, just a short pedal from downtown. The events will consist of a five-stage enduro, an action-packed cyclocross race, group trail rides, skills clinics and bicycle demos from the industry’s top brands. The waterfront festival grounds downtown will have spectator-friendly races, kids events and demos. For more information or to buy tickets, visit nwtuneup.com.

GALBRAITH MT. ENDURO: July 9-10, The Specialized Galbraith Mt. Enduro will take place on Galbraith Mountain across two days. Podium awards and post-race revelry will be held down on Bellingham’s waterfront each

Saturday, September 10, The Bellingham Traverse Course includes a 5.5-mile greenway run, 6-mile mountain bike, 18-mile road bike, 4.3-mile trail run, 3.6-mile paddle, 0.65-mile team TREK to the Boundary Bay Brewery finish line. Teams consist of 1-12 racers (depending on how many people you can fit in the boat). This race is for everyone.

Families, friends and local companies are invited to assume their Spawner identities. Choose Chinook (solo), Coho (tandem), or CHUM (relay teams). Within each division, there are female, male, mixed, family, masters and youth categories. For more information or to register, visit bellinghamtraverse.com.

MT. BAKER HILL CLIMB: Sunday, September 11, Ascend 4,462’ from Chair 9 in Glacier to Artist Point (5,140’ elevation) in 22 miles along the Mt. Baker Highway. One of the most scenic paved roads in the country. Steep elevation but the views are stunning. Experience the agony and the ecstasy. Awarded the #2 Hill Climb in the U.S. by Gran Fondo Guide. For more information, visit bakerhillclimb.com.

THE BIG HURT: Saturday, September 24, A premier multi-sport race on the Olympic Peninsula. A four-leg test of endurance, strength and tenacity intertwined with the beauty of the North Olympic Peninsula. The event starts with 15-mile mountain bike, followed by 2.6-mile kayak, 30 mile road bike and a 10K run along the scenic Olympic Discovery Trail, Port Angeles. For more information, visit bighurtpa.com.

find more events and submit your own at mountbakerexperience.com SPRING 2022 | MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

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THE RACE IS ON!

AMERICA’S LARGEST MULTI-SPORT RELAY RACE FROM MT. BAKER TO BELLINGHAM BAY 93 MILES • 7 LEGS • 3-8 RACERS VOLUNTEERS NEEDED skitosea.com/ volunteer SIGN UP TODAY!

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Made possible in part by a Tourism Grant from Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR OUR OTHER EVENTS THIS YEAR

TOUR DE WHATCOM

MT. BAKER HILL CLIMB Ascend 4,462 feet in 22 miles

30+ miles • 10 breweries

July 23, 2022 / tourdewhatcom.com

September 11, 2022 / bakerhillclimb.com

October 16, 2022 / trailstotapsrelay.com

22 • 44 • 62 • 100 mile rides

22/44/62/100 mile rides with rest stops, road assistance & after party.

TRAILS TO TAPS