Mount Baker Experience, Spring 2024

Photo: Courtesy Wings Over Water NW Birding Festival

Winkler Photography

by Pat Grubb

It’s been a bit of a bummer in terms of snow levels this season. Slow to fall, and slow to accumulate. We can thank El Nino for that and other bad things, weatherwise. But here it is, the last week of February and a storm system just rolled in and, who knows? Maybe we’ll finish the season with enough snow that Ski to Sea will still be able to hold its ski segments of the race come May.

Regardless, we have lots of articles and photography to keep your mind on the great outdoors despite what Mother Nature is or is not doing at the moment.

Feeling tense or out of sorts? Tara Nelson has the cure for you – a ride in a hot tub boat on Lake Union in Seattle. You could be driving in the bathing suit you wore when you first came into the world.

Or, you could be paddling on a river in Hawaii along with Eric Lucas. Didn’t know there were rivers in Paradise? Of course there are.

Every day freighters, bulk carriers and tankers enter the Strait of Juan de Fuca on their way to port in the Pacific Northwest. Do they know the safe way to travel these waters? Maybe not. That’s why there are local pilots aboard to make sure they get where they’re supposed to be. Mike Nolan tells their story.

Looking for a navigation app that won’t let you down? Local writer and adventurer Jason Martin runs through the options so you don’t have to ...

Also, check out the Mt. Baker Summit to Sea ordeal that Jason Hummel put himself through.

And, if you’re thinking about heading farther afield, there’s a short account of a trip yours truly just took to the Galapagos. I highly recommend it. The trip, that is. Not necessarily the story.

We hope you enjoy the issue!

PUGET SOUND

Send it big in Bellingham.

MOUNT BAKER EXPERIENCE

Since 1986

Special publication of The Northern Light and All Point Bulletin

PUBLISHERS

Patrick Grubb and Louise Mugar

EDITOR

Nolan Baker

PUBLICATION DESIGN

Doug De Visser

COPY EDITOR

Grace McCarthy

ADVERTISING DESIGN

Ruth Lauman • Doug De Visser

ADVERTISING SALES

Gary Lee • Molly Ernst

CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE:

Tony Moceri, Mike Nolan, Tara Nelson, Eric Lucas, Meg Olson, Erin Deinzer, Jason Martin, Jason Hummel, Colin Wiseman, Radka Chapin, Andrew Grubb, Jason Griffith

EMAIL: info@mountbakerexperience.com

WEB: www.mountbakerexperience.com

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/mtbakerexperience

TWITTER: twitter.com/MB_Experience

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/mtbakerexp

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

Vol. XXXVIII, No. 5. Printed in Canada. ©2024 POINT ROBERTS PRESS

225 Marine Drive, Blaine, WA 98230 TEL: 360/332-1777

Summer 2024

Ads due: May 3

CONTRIBUTORS MBE spring 2024

RADKACHAPIN

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

ERINDEINZER

Erin Deinzer has worked as a copywriter, travel writer, and editor, and would one day like to ghostwrite an autobiography. As a recently-minted PNW resident, she enjoys exploring her adopted home as well as off-the-beaten path destinations around the world. Planning for Halloween is her favorite pastime, and wherever she celebrates holidays is her happy place.

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.

ANDREWGRUBB

Born and raised in the heart of the Salish Sea, Andrew is a skier, organic farmer and environmental educator.

JASONHUMMEL

Jason is an outdoor photographer from Washington who has documented numerous first descents in the North Cascades.

ERICLUCAS

Lifelong journalist Eric Lucas lives on a small farm on San Juan Island. He is the author of numerous travel guidebooks, and is a regular correspondent for Alaska Airlines Beyond magazine. He first learned canoeing at summer camp when he was 10.

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

TARANELSON

Tara Nelson is a graduate of Western Washington University’s editorial journalism program and a former legislative aide. She started Taradactyl Design in 2017 and is also cofounder and principal of Terra Firma + Consulting, which focuses on political campaign strategies. She also makes hot sauce under the label “Tarabanero.”

MIKENOLAN

Mike Nolan is a freelance writer who lives in Port Angeles, where the mountains greet the sea.

MEGOLSON

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

COLINWISEMAN

Colin Wiseman is an outdoor lifestyle and action sports photographer, writer, and producer who has lived in Bellingham since 2007. He also serves as the content and brand director for Funny Feeling LLC, makers of The Snowboarder’s Journal, The Ski Journal and The Flyfish Journal. Follow him on Instagram @colin_wise_man and on the web at colinwisemancreative.com

including the two-day Galbraith Mountain Enduro (part of the Cascadia Dirt Cup) the popular pump track race, jump and cornering clinics with guided teaching, the waterfront jump jam, and the zero gravity bike show.

If you like bikes, or beer, or just being out in the sun with good live music, Northwest TuneUp might be a decent way to spend a weekend, or just an afternoon.

Three-day early bird passes are $135 for adults aged 18 and up, and $50 for kids aged 13-17. Early bird tickets will end on Tuesday, May 14, when prices rise to $165 for adults and $60 for youth. Kids under 12 get in free with a paying adult.

Single day passes are $80 for adults and $35 for youth, and additional, music-only ticket tiers will be released in the coming months on www.nwtuneup.com.

Headline artists have yet to be announced, but NWTU is excited to continue working with Hunter Motto, talent buyer at Seattle’s Crocodile music venue, who brought past headliners like Wolf Parade, STRFKR, and Travis Thompson to past Tune-Ups.

“Ski” portion of Ski to Sea up in the air due to low snowfall

Whatcom County’s iconic Ski to Sea relay race could be forced to forgo its cross-country ski and downhill ski/snowboard sections of the race due to extremely low snow accumulation on Mt. Baker.

In a February 13 press release, event organizers said while it is still too early in the season to make a decision, the two snow-dependent events could be replaced with an alpine run replacing the cross-country ski leg, and a mountain bike portion at Marine Park replacing the downhill ski/snowboard leg.

A March 7 committee meeting will evaluate where current snow levels are, and if any new snow is expected through the late winter months.

“As of today, we are looking at a model that mirrors 2015, the last time snow levels were this low,” stated the February 13 press release. The 2015 race was kicked off with a mass-start alpine run at the top of Mt. Baker Highway.

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“While we are looking into this plan, please note that it is in no way confirmed at this time,” organizers emphasized. “We simply want to share with you any and all updates we are considering as we know it will affect your team and who does what leg.”

As of February 23, 264 teams had registered for the relay race, with a team cap at 500. Early bird specials ended on February 29, but new teams can still join until registration closes at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22. The race will be held on Sunday, May 26.

For more information about participating, volunteering, or anything else, visit www.skitosea.com.

New Galbraith Mountain bike race set for June

Local event organizers Quest Races announced on February 12 it is in the final stages of securing permits for Galbraith Supreme, a massive, 33-mile mountain bike race through dozens of trails in the legendary Galbraith Mountain recreation area.

Seasoned mountain bike veterans will have a chance to truly challenge themselves with this race, boasting a lung-busting, 33-mile course with over 5,200 feet of elevation change. For those who want to experience the best Galbraith has to offer, but aren’t up for nearly three dozen miles of cycling in one day, the race offers two- and three-person relay races, with legs as short as eight miles with just 850 feet of vert.

Quest Races organizer Brent Molsberry said his team spent weeks putting together what they believe to be the perfect showcase of all Galbraith Mountain has to offer.

“Even if people have ridden it a number of times before, there’s probably chunks of trail that you’ll go on this race that you’ve never been on,” Molsberry said. “It’s really cool to showcase the diversity of great riding that we have at our fingertips here in Bellingham.”

“The ultimate Galbraith Mountain bike race,” as Quest Races’ website puts it, is scheduled for Saturday, June 1. Quest Races specializes in swimruns, an amphibious sport that combines – you guessed it – swimming and running, and long distance adventure races.

“Galbraith is world class mountain biking,” Molsberry said. “A lot of people come up and ride portions of it. But this is really the grand tour of Galbraith.”

Signups have not yet been released as of press time, but Molsberry encourages anyone interested in Galbraith Supreme to join the Quest Races newsletter to get new information as soon as its out, or to visit www.questraces.com.

Cougar attacks cyclists near Snoqualmie Falls

A group of cyclists were attacked by a wild cougar on a trail northeast of Fall City, Washington on February 17, with one woman sustaining neck and face injuries from the attack, resulting in an extended hospital stay.

According to a press release from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), officers responded to a report of a cougar attack, capturing and euthanizing the 75-pound, young male cougar at the scene.

“We are thankful that the victim is stable after the incident,” said WDFW lieutenant Erik Olson. “The people on scene took immediate action to render aide, and one of our officers was able to arrive within minutes to continue medical aid and coordinate transport. We may have had a very different outcome without their heroic efforts.”

According to the press release, eyewitnesses reported a second cougar on the scene, but officers were unable to locate the second animal.

In 2022, WDFW estimated roughly 3,600 cougars residing in Washington, but said attacks on humans are “extremely rare.”

In the past century, Washington has seen only two fatal cougar attacks, and approximately 20 encounters that resulted in human injury, according to WDFW.

WDFW submitted the cougar for examination at Washington State University, and will release more information on the exact age and condition of the big cat when tests are complete.

In the extremely unlikely case that you encounter an attacking cougar, WDFW suggests fighting back, as cougars are known to flee when encountering aggressive human behavior.

“Cougars have been driven away by people who have fought back using anything within reach,” WDFW’s website says. “If you are aggressive enough, a cougar will flee, realizing it has made a mistake.”

For more information on how to respond to cougar encounters, how to protect property and livestock from predators, and hunting information, visit WDFW’s cougar webpage at bit. ly/3OZ42YH.

Mt. Baker Hill Climb awarded ninth best North American gran fondo

To ring in the New Year, Gran Fondo Guides, the pro cycling news site, named Mt. Baker Hill Climb as North America’s 9th-best race on January 1.

In just its sixth year, the Mt. Baker Hill Climb brought 450 riders from around the world to compete in a daunting 22-mile, 4,440-foot climb up Mt. Baker Highway (SR542) from Glacier to Artist Point.

Former professional cyclist Phil Gaimon competed in the 2023 hill climb, and took nearly six minutes off the previous best with a time of 1:14:42.

Gaimon, who authored multiple books on the professional cycling world and now runs the popular cycling YouTube channel “Worst Retirement Ever” said closing off to car traffic was

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Co me get away from it all with Serene Mountain Escapes, where we’ll help yo u make beautiful memories to last a lifetime Ch oose from:

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big and small from around the region

crucial for the safety and enjoyment of all riders.

“It went better than I thought, to be honest,” Gaimon said. “The pack part was super safe, I was nervous about the beginning in the flat part, but a couple of guys set a really good pace and once we hit the switchbacks, it was every man doing their own pace.”

A gran fondo – Italian for “big ride” – is a long-distance cycling race that usually incorporates a mass start for both amateurs and professionals to compete, similar to a marathon.

Touted by Gran Fondo Guides as one of the most scenic and geographically isolated races on the continent, the 2024 Mt. Baker Hill Climb is set for Sunday, September 15.

Riders can save $10 off registration fees by signing up before May 31st, but the event is capped at 450 riders across three divisions, and the race fills up quickly, according to Whatcom Events, the race organizer.

For more information on the race, visit www.bakerhillclimb.com.

FjallRaven retail store coming to downtown Bellingham

Swedish outdoor apparel and equipment company Fjallraven is set to open a new retail location in downtown Bellingham at 128 W. Holly Street, directly on the busy corner of W. Holly Street and Cornwall Avenue. The store, which specializes in high end outdoor apparel, especially its popular “Kånken” backpacks, will be just the latest around the Pacific Northwest, with stores already established in Seattle, Portland, Marysville, Vancouver and Victoria.

Boundary Bay Brewery’s Wave Breaker commemorates late paddler, raises money for local youth watersports

Local Bellingham beer manufacturer Boundary Bay Brewery announced a new, limited-edition brew to commemorate the life and legacy of Peter Marcus a year after his passing from cancer.

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Wave Breaker Pale Ale will help the community raise money for the sport Marcus loved, and keep contributing to the charitable endeavors that he worked so hard for.

Marcus was a popular leader in Bellingham’s paddling community, and the town’s outdoor community generally, and is credited with starting the Paddle4Food Relay, which raised money for the Bellingham Food Bank, the Bellingham Rough Water Race (now dubbed the Peter Marcus Rough Water Race), the Paddler’s Film Festival, chairing the sea kayak leg of Ski to Sea, coaching countless youth sports and volunteering with local nonprofit Bellingham Youth Paddlesports.

Longtime friend and local paddler Brandon Nelson said Marcus was a natural leader for Bellingham’s paddling community.

“He filled his tank so full that it was spilling over and then he said, ‘Okay, I’m full now, how can I give to the community? What can I give to the community? What can I give to my friends to make this area even more special?’ And then he did it.”

A portion of the proceeds generated by Wave Breaker Pale Ale will be donated to Bellingham Youth Paddlesports, which encourages the next generation of paddlers to get out on the water and lowers barriers to the often-expensive world of watersports.

Boundary Bay Brewery general manager Janet Lightner saw the impact Marcus had on the community, and hopes the commemorative brew can sustain that charitable energy.

“The Boundary team is honored to play a role in keeping Peter’s memory and philanthropic spirit alive.” Lightner said. “Wave Breaker is a tribute to the man who shined both on and off the water.”

Washington State Parks seeks to hire 300 aides

Washington’s 140 historic sites, trails, state and marine parks don’t just clean up after themselves. It takes the hard work and dedication of park aides to keep our beautiful state parks clean.

That’s why Washington State Parks (WSP) is seeking to hire 300 park aides for the upcoming spring, summer and fall busy seasons.

Park aides are tasked with registering campers, cleaning campgrounds and maintaining fa-

cilities, and many park aides go on to careers as park rangers, or to work in the environmental, outdoor and public lands industries, according to WSP.

Olyvia Buday began her career as a seasonal park aide before rising through the ranks to become area manager for all South Puget Sound parks. She said working in the great outdoors is a benefit unlike any other.

“Working for state parks is a great opportunity to have a career that eliminates the monotony of a desk job,” Buday said. “Every day is different.”

WSP said the job is perfect for recent high school and college graduates, retired workers looking for an encore, or military veterans transitioning to civilian employment.

Pay for a park aide ranges from $16.90 to $20.33 an hour, and senior park aides can earn between $19.40 and $23.40 an hour, depending on experience. Many different areas are hiring, and prospective aides can apply for positions across the state, or in specific areas at bit. ly/3UWB7IB.

State’s national parks receive $1.5 million in funding

Washington’s three national parks received a combined $1.5 million in funding from its official philanthropic partner, Washington’s National Park Fund (WNPF). The combined total is a record-breaking sum for the organization, according to a February 22 press release.

Over $987,000 in initial funding will be distributed to the parks, supporting 42 priority projects that park commissioners say they cannot complete due to budgetary restrictions. An additional $540,000 will be doled out to the parks later in 2024.

The 42 proposed projects fall into four main categories: science and research, visitor experience, volunteerism and stewardship, and inclusivity. WNPF raises the funds through individual and corporate donors, park lodge guest contributions, fundraisers, and the statewide national park license plate program, among other methods.

Mt. Rainier National Park received $552,034 to fund projects like online trail guides, trail improvements and maintenance and hiring bilingual rangers, among many others. An additional $43,621 will be awarded to the park later in the year.

North Cascades National Park received $161,925 to go towards wilderness internships, bear education programs, rare carnivore research, and support for incident responders, to name a few. The “American Alps” park will receive another $199,916 later in the year.

Lastly, Olympic National Park received $274,484 in funding for various youth programs, aviation training for park rangers, restoring webcams on Hurricane Ridge and elk monitoring projects, along with other ongoing projects. Olympic will receive an additional $296,385 “when the park is ready to receive it,” per the press release.

Alex Day, director of marketing and communications at WNPF, says the money raised didn’t just come out of thin air – but was because of the countless individuals who care about these wild gems in Washington’s backyard.

“This isn’t just a milestone,” Day said. “It’s a testament to the power of our supporters’ shared commitment to preserving Washington’s national parks for future generations. … Each of our supporters has helped leave an incredible impact on these beloved places.”

WNPF was cofounded by former governor and senator Dan Evans and mountaineer Lou Whittaker to support Washington’s national parks, and has awarded more than $7.5 million to the parks in the past decade.

To make a donation, or to find out more information about the funded projects, visit www.wnpf.org.

Fairhaven’s Hundred Acre Wood home to outdoor classroom

After a decade of work, Fairhaven’s Hundred Acre Wood is now home to a brand new outdoor classroom, thanks to Recreation Northwest.

In collaboration with Bellingham Parks and Recreation and funded by corporate and individual donors, Recreation Northwest completed the final phase of construction on the outdoor classroom in early 2024, and held a ribbon cutting ceremony with Bellingham mayor Kim Lund on February 21.

Recreation Northwest executive director Todd Elsworth said the urban forest in Fairhaven was already used informally as an outdoor education space for years, and this was a way to finally make that permanent, while highlighting the natural beauty of the area.

“There are many individuals and formal groups that use the Hundred Acre Wood urban forest for their outdoor activities and environmental education programs,” Elsworth said. “Having dedicated places for people to connect with one another and with nature is important for our community.”

The new classroom is the cherry on top of years of work spent upgrading a park that has served the people of Bellingham for over 100 years. A natural amphitheater carved into the slope of a former blackberry bramble accommodates 25 people on native wood benches, along with space for ADA seating in front of the stone stage. A covered pavilion provides shelter for the space, intended for environmental education and small public performances.

An adventure trail leads from the “back door” of the amphitheater to a dry creek bed, and will provide ample opportunity for young kids to get their energy out. A native plant garden will also give the public an opportunity to learn about invasive and native plant species in their backyards.

Recreation Northwest became Fairhaven Park’s official park stewards in 2014, and have been upgrading and maintaining trails, protecting wetlands, and hosting community work parties regularly ever since.

The new facility will be reservable through Bellingham Parks and Recreation for scheduled programs and events, and will be open to the public when not reserved. To make a reservation, visit www.cob.org/services/recreation.

The Galápagos Up Close & Personal

STORY AND PHOTOS BY PAT GRUBB

Years ago, while taking the train from Nairobi to Mombasa I recall thinking that traveling in Africa was reminiscent of childhood. As we passed by herds of elephants and giraffes, I remembered how we learned to read, memorizing letters by their animal counterparts: E is for elephant, G is for giraffe, L is for lion. It felt comfortable, like going home.

Well, going to the Galápagos is different. It’s like going back to before time began. Much, not all, of the environment is young and stark and raw. Lava fields stretch out before you, sharp, black and treacherous. Strange cactuses have evolved trunks to place their succulent leaves out of reach of creatures that would eat them. Those creatures, tortoises, have themselves evolved longer necks and saddleback shells that allow them to reach higher.

Volcanoes still emit steam and threaten to explode as this land is still growing, fed by molten lava from the depths of the earth. The Nazca Plate on which the Galápagos sit moves imperceptibly towards the South American landmass 600 miles to the east where it is being subducted under the continental plate. As it moves over a stationary hot spot in the earth’s mantle, more lava spews forth to create new islands while others, perhaps, sink into the depths.

The Galápagos are young, ranging from the youthful Ferdandina Island at 700,000 years old to the creaky-kneed Espanola at

3.25 million years old, much younger than the Hawaiian Islands at 20 million years.

And then there are the animals. Huge, lumbering land tortoises who look like ET but have no phone with which to call home. Iguanas, land or sea versions, are smaller versions of the dinosaurs of bad dreams. Birds with puffy bright red necks to attract mates and show no fear of humans or another creature. Galápagos sea lions who will swim right up to you and nip your fins or camera and flick away while throwing bubbles at you.

No, the Galápagos are different. They are unlike anywhere else on earth and your time here will be unlike anything you have ever experienced in your life. I flat-out guarantee it.

Four of us flew to Quito, Ecuador at the end of January. A man one row in front of us asked us if we were on the Rhodes Scholar tour of the Galápagos. Thinking he was a pretentious twit, I replied no, we were with the Mensa group. Turns out that mensa in Spanish means stupid. It also turns out that there is a travel organization called Road Scholar so anytime any of us did something dumb we’d say SM, for Spanish Mensa. And if we ever did something smart, we’d say EM for English Mensa. To illustrate, buying the brand-new Oceanic+ dive housing for my iPhone was EM. Waiting to read the manual until just before my first snorkel outing? SM.

Of Pirates, Buccaneers and Naturalists It is not known who or when the first

person stepped ashore one of the 70 or so islets and islands but the first recorded visit was by the Bishop of Panama whose ship was blown off course in 1535. Soon to follow were pirates and buccaneers who used the islands for refuge between attacks on Spanish galleons carrying Incan gold back to the King. Then came the whalers who used the islands as a base to slaughter sperm whales and the extraordinarily tame sea lions. Tortoises were captured by the thousands and used for food and oil aboard ship as they lasted for a long time without food or water. It’s commonly reported that they were stored upside-down; an unlikely practice as it would soon lead to death from respiratory failure.

One visitor to the islands was the US Navy frigate Essex which arrived in 1813 during the War of 1812. The captain apparently let loose four goats who soon begat more goats who begat more goats and so on. Able to out-compete the native tortoises, the goat population grew to around 250,000 while the tortoise dropped from 150,000 to an estimated 15,000 over the course of 150 years.

In the 1990s, Project Isabela was created to eradicate goats from the islands. Sharpshooters were imported from New Zealand who used helicopters to kill goats from the air. Feral pigs and donkeys were also part of the plan. The elimination of introduced species and breeding programs continues to be the goal of the Galápagos Conservancy and the Galápagos National Park Direc-

torate. While still considered threatened, breeding programs have had some success in restoring native populations.

Perhaps the most famous visitor to the Galápagos was the English naturalist, geologist, and biologist Charles Darwin. Darwin visited the islands for about a month in 1835 during his five-year journey aboard the HMS Beagle and his observations of different species and their adaptations to their environments played a crucial role in the development of his evolutionary theory. His groundbreaking work, On The Origin of Species was published in 1859, almost a quarter-century after visiting the Galápagos.

Flora and Fauna

A present-day visitor can expect a closeup view to the natural aspects of the islands. While one is expected and admonished to keep a minimum of feet distance from the wildlife, sometimes the wildlife has not heard of that rule. Sea lions have little concept of personal space and the young ones will swim up to you while snorkeling and show no hesitation in bumping your camera or nibbling your flippers.

Older bulls are more standoffish and aloof but one I drifted towards soon established his territory by showing me his teeth and pushing my camera away (see above). I would have moved away from the bull even without my naturalist guide telling me to except for the calf cramp that suddenly came on. That was a SSLM (Spanish Sea Lion Mensa) moment.

Birds, iguanas, lava lizards are all remarkably tame and show no fear of humans. Tortoises are shy at worst and will tuck themselves inside their shells. Should they decide to make a run for it, they are easy to catch as their top speed clocks in at only 0.16 mph.

Logistics

Most flights to the Galápagos fly into Baltra Island from Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Formerly a U.S. Air Force base during WWII, Baltra is the stepping off point for transfer to tour boats or to the other islands. While many travelers choose shipbased travel, others opt for land-based itineraries or a mixture of both. Ours was a smaller, 16-passenger vessel (as are most locally owned ships). Despite being nearly

100 feet long, there was a fair amount of rocking and rolling on some parts of the seven-day itinerary.

Our guides, Juan Carlos Lomilla and Orlando Penaherreta, were government-certified and possessed a wealth of knowledge about the archipelago’s geology, natural history and the animals we were there to see. The passengers were from throughout the U.S. with the exception of Jim, a tightlipped member of the British Navy stationed in Washington, D.C. Despite many subtle hints, he refused to tell us what he did for a living, leaving us to conclude he was a liaison for the Trident missile program, at the very least.

Some of the key populated areas and tourist hubs in the Galápagos include:

Puerto Ayora is the largest town in the Galápagos and is located on Santa Cruz Island. It serves as a central hub for tourism, with various accommodations, restaurants, shops, and tour operators. Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the capital of the Galápagos Province and is located on San Cristóbal Island. It’s another significant town with amenities for tourists, including accommodations and excursion services.

Puerto Villamil is the largest settlement on Isabela Island. It’s a more laid-back town compared to Puerto Ayora, with beautiful beaches and proximity to various natural attractions.

These towns are the main bases for tourists exploring the Galápagos Islands, providing access to guided tours, cruises,

and other activities that allow visitors to experience the unique wildlife and landscapes of the archipelago. Accommodations range in price and luxury from exotic villas to hotels to hostels.

Keep in mind that the Galápagos are a protected area, and tourism is regulated to minimize environmental impact and preserve the delicate ecosystems.

Suggested Reading:

Galápagos: A Natural History by John Kricher & Kevin Loughlin, Princeton University Press, $29.99 paperback or EBF. Written with wit and verve, this is a mustread richly illustrated nature tour of the Galápagos.

On The Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin from various publishers. x

Clockwise, from top left: A mess of iguanas; a flamboyance of flamingos; a land tortoise; a blue footed booby; a frigate bird; a solitary sea tortoise and a Sally Lightfoot crab.

Cascade Vibes

Vibes

The ability to share our time in the wilderness with other people is a gift. We hike on trails and ski down slopes, taking in the scene together, locking in whatever images our minds are capable of remembering. To hold on to those moments, we may snap a few pictures and share them with a select few on social media, but that’s where the sharing will end.

Then there are the creatives among us. They take these special places and moments and turn them into lasting memories to be shared by all. Their talent to create let us take those places with us, bringing them into our homes where memories can be relived forever.

Sarah Woolson is one of these local artists. Working under the apt artist moniker Cascade Vibes, Woolson shares her vision of the Cascades in her paintings. From zoomedout views of Mt. Baker to up-close takes on thistle flowers, she shares the perspectives and colors nature shares with her.

With a love for art from a young age, Woolson meandered through different mediums for most of her life. To pursue her love of art, she went to school at Northern Illinois University for illustration, planning to work in children’s literature. Like many of us, those plans in our younger years morph into something else. That something else for Woolson was a stint in graphic design. When she switched careers to being a mom, she broke out her paintbrushes and started painting.

Woolson is drawn to the mountains for

day hikes with her family and overnight backpacking trips when the bustle of life allows. Her favorite trail with her husband and kids in tow is Chain Lakes because it offers such great views for just a little bit of effort. She likes to get up to Skyline Divide and Yellow Aster Butte when the opportunity arises.

These treks into the mountains are what get her Cascade Vibes going. Inspired by the grandeur, she paints in a garage bay when using the smelly oil paints and in her “studio,” a spare office in the house that also doubles as her son’s gaming room. Describing herself as “mostly a mom,” her painting fits in around the rest of her life, doing it when and where she can to meet the demand she has built up over the years.

Her work can be found in the shadows of the Cascades and the mountains themselves. Glacier Ski Shop, The Green Barn, and the Jansen Art Center gift shop all carry her work, ranging from cards and stickers to original artwork. She has also had temporary installments in places like Old Town Café, the Bellingham Food Co-op, and Terramar Brewstillery.

Woolson’s biggest opportunity to date came by putting herself out there at a show at Bellewood Farms. She talked to patrons and had a raffle going for someone to win a piece of her art. After the show, she drew a name and found that it was someone she hadn’t even talked to. The person’s name was Pat Renau, and it turned out to be a stroke of good luck. Renau is the retail manager for the North Cascades Institute, and this happenstance interaction led to him giving Woolson the opportunity to sell some of her art in the North Cascades visi-

tor center near Newhalem.

Woolson is humbled to display her art in the locations that derive her inspiration. She has heard stories of people bringing her art home to remember their time in the Cascades. To show her appreciation to Renau and the Cascades themselves, 40 percent of her sales in these locations are given to the North Cascades Institute.

When exploring Woolson’s work, you will find she bounces between mediums. She paints in oil, acrylic, and watercolor, with each presenting its own benefits and challenges. The oil painting forces her to move slower through a piece of work while the paint dries so she can do her layering. Watercolor allows her to quickly bring a vision to completion, with acrylic landing somewhere in the middle. The different mediums help keep her creative juices flowing and give her pieces a unique look and feel.

At this point, between being a mom, and keeping up with current demand for her work, her plate is full. In the future, she would like to do plein air painting in the mountains. In the meantime, she will continue to work in her shared spaces at home and bring the family to the mountains to get her inspirational boosts.

Her first year selling at the North Cascades visitor center was in 2016, and she has continued to do so ever since. Her art will be back again this year when the visitor center opens on May 19. Thanks to Renau, her work can also be found in the Heather Meadows visitor center.

Woolson’s work can also be seen on Instagram @cascadevibes, her website www.cascadevibes.com, and on her Etsy page www. etsy.com/shop/cascadevibes. x

Experienced

Experienced or new to boating, we can help you discover the joys of cruising the Salish Sea! Beginner to advanced courses. Sailboat and powerboat bareboat charters.

Puget Sound Pilot

by Mike Nolan

The pilot stood on the open bow of the pilot boat, legs spread, gripping a stanchion to steady himself in the rolling sea. Supported by a deckhand, he prepared to grab the rope ladder dangling down the side of a mammoth container ship, which was making seven or eight knots in the choppy water.

With a cold salt breeze blowing in my face, I watched from the safety of the pilot boat’s bridge. Our boat had matched the ship’s speed and direction, but because of their size difference, the parallel vessels bobbed and weaved in different rhythms. The ladder – a manila rope with wooden slats – was swaying as well. The pilot needed to grab the ladder at exactly the right time, hoist himself onto it over churning waves, then climb a few stories to an open hatch in the ship’s hull. This maneuver – known as a “transfer” – happens day and night in all kinds of weather in the waters of Puget Sound, every time a pilot boards a vessel entering the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

All commercial foreign flag vessels – container ships (some the length of three football fields), freighters, tankers, cruise ships – are required to have a local pilot on board to navigate the ship through our inland waters. These 52 elite mariners are highly trained, experienced individuals with in-depth

knowledge of the waterways, inlets, and channels of the Sound – more than two thousand miles of shoreline. Keeping our ports and waterways safe, protecting property and the environment, they perform a vital service supporting local industry and maintaining global trade. Thousands of vessels are professionally delivered by pilots every year to the ports of Anacortes, Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia, carrying over 80 billion dollars’ worth of cargo.

While the ship’s captain retains overall control of the vessel, the pilot has “the con,” or has control over the ship’s navigation. It’s a close working relationship, one pilot explained to me: “The captain knows the ship and the pilot knows the waterways … knows where they’re going.” While steering, pilots keep track of other commercial traffic, as well as fishing boats, Washington state ferries, tug boats, and pleasure craft.

“You can think of us like airline pilots who specialize in takeoffs and landings.” Pilots have performed these services as long as there have been ships delivering cargo.

“Piloting is one of the oldest professions in the world,” one pilot remarked, “dating back to early Roman and Greek times, and it’s a necessary job practiced around the globe.”

In Seattle, a central dispatcher juggles schedules and directs Puget Sound pilot assignments, keeping track of who

goes where and when – including state-mandated rest periods between shifts. Inbound ships take a pilot aboard as they pass by Port Angeles; outbound ships have their pilot dropped off at the same spot. The pilot station has dormitory-like quarters as well as cooking, dining, and living space where off-duty pilots can get rest time. Then they get ready to go back out and do it again.

It’s a carefully choreographed dance, and the logistical challenges don’t end with scheduling.

“Sometimes, there is a language barrier,” a pilot told me. “English is the official language used in navigation, so there is supposed to be someone on board who speaks enough English to get by.”

I asked how they made it work.

“It can be tough,” the pilot said. “A ship’s registry and the crew’s nationality aren’t necessarily the same. And sometimes the officers and the crew are from different countries. You do your best.”

Still, the job often leaves little room for error. Later that day, I watched the pilot complete his transfer, swiftly – bravely – grabbing the ladder with practiced self-assurance; timing was everything.

We gunned our engine and pulled away from the ship as the pilot climbed the ladder. Later on I was told that, worldwide, the pilot profession averages one fatality a year.

“However, 2023 was a bad year for us,” one pilot informed me. “There were five deaths.”

He paused for a moment, then added, “Six, if you count the pilot who died in Odessa. He was navigating a Ukrainian ship and was killed in a missile attack.”

Those tragedies stand out. During my day on the water, I witnessed nothing but flawless, expert transfers, and each ship was safely navigated to port.

I asked if bad weather affects their work. “No, there’s always a way to make it happen – and things you can do to prevent risk.”

Despite the dangers the job may entail, my impression after observing and speaking to these professionals is that they love what they do.

When asked what he liked best about his work, one pilot thought for a minute, then said, “On a nice day, cruising up and down Puget Sound . . . I love the water and I love boats. The work is fun.” He smiled and added, “Sure beats being in an office.”

“And the most challenging part?” I asked.

“One hundred thousand tons of steel and bad weather,” he answered emphatically. “You can be a master mariner, but we’re all captive to the elements in the end.” x

Hot Tub Boats Seattle

by Tara Nelson

If you’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest for some time, you know it’s not the rain that slowly erodes our sanity. Rather, it’s the cool weather and gray overcast that dominate the weather and effectively block out the sun for an average of 250 days–nearly two-thirds of the year. If you’re not an all-season hiker, aren’t a fan of walking in the cold rain, or haven’t taken up death-defying snowsports, PNW winters can feel pretty limited.

Sure, there are some who enjoy getting up at 5 a.m. in winter to drive for an hour and a half in the dark and spend more than $100 on a day’s snowboard pass just to get injured after going down the first run. For the rest of us, however, we had been left with the choice of being cold or staying indoors. That is until hot tub boats.

Yes, I said hot tub boats.

Legend has it, a wooden boat shipwright got tired of being cold during a particularly wet and miserable winter. The shipwright, Adam Karpenske, couldn’t install a hot tub on his Lake Union houseboat so he decided to develop the world’s first hot tub boat. The 16-foot electric boat set out on its maiden voyage on New Year’s Eve of 2011. A month later, Hot Tub Boats Seattle was born and Karpenske was in business.

So, how is it possible to fill a boat with water and have it not sink? The Hot Tub Boat has been carefully engineered with a sleek design and high load capacity, according to Karpenske. Because the hot tub is positioned on the boat’s center of buoyancy, this allows for remarkable stability even with 2,100 pounds of water and six adult bathers.

Oh and did I mention you drive this boat with a simple joystick?

Hot Tub Boats can be rented year-round, rain or shine. And don’t worry, even if it rains you’ll still stay warm as the boats’ diesel-fired boiler maintains the tub’s cozy temperature of 104 degrees while you enjoy the views of floatplanes, houseboats and the Seattle city skyline. The boats also feature dry storage, cellphone storage boxes, underwater lighting and surround Bluetooth speakers. And if you like them enough you can even buy your own for about $75,000 here.

Our journey began around 10 a.m. with Hot Tub Boats Seattle. Normally, I’d have opted for the evening boat trip to take in the sunset and enjoy the tub’s built-in underwater neon lighting. But as locals know, the window of time for traveling into and out of Seattle is limited to a few hours each day. And so, in our attempt to avoid the regular 4 p.m. rush hour and the 2 p.m. pre-rush rush hour of commuters trying to beat regular rush-hour traffic, along with the 3 p.m. Boeing cluster*&^# in Everett, we opted for an early morning soak.

The air was a brisk 52 degrees and the sky was mostly clear with the drone of I-5 in the distance and occasional jetliner or biplane coming in for a landing. (Hot Tub Boats advises boaters to stay

close to the shore as the occasional floatplane will land and take off from the center of the lake).

We headed down the stairs to the left of the green building and rang the doorbell where we were greeted by staff and shown the heated changing rooms and lockers. We also bought some last-minute snacks to take on the boat with us. After a short driving lesson and safety instructions we were off!

After taking off we turned right and forgot the instructions going straight down the center of the lake to the south to catch the best views of Seattle’s downtown skyline. We also immediately made the mistake of opening the hatch and knocking the crackers and other snacks into the hot tub, which slowly disintegrated into the water over the next two hours, forming a sort-of hippie stew. Lucky for the next patron, the boats are emptied, and thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after each use!

IF YOU GO: You’ll need to arrive 15 minutes before your departure and will be required to watch a short safety video. You’ll also need to bring a signed waiver for each person in your party (you can do this ahead of time online).

Towels, showers, sunscreen, shampoo and conditioner, waterproof containers for your cellphone and other devices, and a heated locker room are available in the boathouse.

Snacks like cheese, crackers, handcrafted chocolates and charcuterie boards are available for purchase. Bottled water is also provided in a cooler that can be stored in a waterproof compartment inside the boat’s bow.

Washington State only requires a boating license for vessels that travel over 15 knots (about 5 mph) and these boats do not. Children are allowed but those under 12 years of age are required to wear a life jacket at all times. x

AT A GLANCE:

NAME: Hot Tub Boats Seattle

LOCATION: 2520 Westlake Avenue North, Seattle

COST: $441 (tax included)

DURATION: 2 hours

PARKING: Free!

AVAILABILITY: Check website for booking dates & times.

WEBSITE: hottubboats.com

PHONE: 206/771-9883

EMAIL: rentals@hottubboats.com

Below clockwise from top left: Sunset sends overlooking the Salish Sea. Photo by Colin Wiseman. | Boots off as a hiking party fords a river. Photo by Jason Griffith. | A mountain biker attempts to stick the landing. Photo by Colin Wiseman. | Heather peaks out under snow above Baker Lake. Photo by Jason Griffith. Opposite page from top: Two fierce hounds take in the sunset. Photo by Radka Chapin. | Thumbs up from this young shredder. Photo by Colin Wiseman. | Onlookers watch mid-jump. Photo by Colin Wiseman.

GALLERY

Opposite page from top: “We camped a little short of the normal spot because we couldn’t walk past this view.” Photo by Jason Griffith. | Sunset at Ebey’s Landing State Park on Whidbey Island. Photo by Jason Griffith. | Camp one at the south end of Shi Shi Beach, Olympic Wilderness. Photo by Jason Griffith. Below from top: The view from Third Beach, Olympic Wilderness. Photo by Jason Griffith. | Setting up tent at Baker Lake, Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. Photo by Jason Griffith.

Below from top: Camp for the night. Photo by Radka Chapin. | Through the sea of giants. Photo by Colin Wiseman. | “I’m sure fires on this beach have been going on for thousands of years.” Olympic Wilderness. Photo by Jason Griffith. Opposite page: All photos by Colin Wiseman.

Kayaking Hawaii

By Eric Lucas

I’m pondering microclimates as I paddle up a quiet flow of water, the Kalihiwai River, on the north shore of Kauai. Yes, there are “rivers” in the Hawaiian Islands, though they would be called rivulets in, say, the Amazon, and in fact only this one island has any – three named rivers, all three the result of torrents of rain that fall just six miles inland on the 5,148-foot heights of Mount Waialeale, which may be the world’s wettest spot. Rivulets though they are, in Hawaii you make do with what nature and geography provide. Kalihiwai River is just 20 feet wide at its widest, possibly six feet deep and stretches barely a half-mile inland from the lagoon where it spills out on the ocean shore.

It’s a gorgeous half-mile, though.

At the input point (which is also the take-out point), tall coconut palms wave their fronded arms over a sun-braised Pacific shore of gold sand. At the back of the beach, you drop your kayak into malachite water and stroke gently upstream into a modest flow through a streamside forest colored every shade of green. Vines dangle from trees, late morning sun laces the vegetation and tropical birds tweet and twitter in a delightful fashion that reminds me of the meaning of those words before Big Tech stole them.

Birdsong beautifully indicates that freshwater adventure in the islands is generally more serene and reflective than saltwater. There’s no time for reflection at the Kalihiwai outlet, whose beach is a large crescent where North Pacific swells ride in like elephants and where I had just bodysurfed a 12foot breaker. Biggest ride of my life and, yes, I have a witness.

Now, on the inland river, all is calm.

I must look close to detect a millimeter ripple.

I snack on a fresh guava I picked from a hillside tree a halfhour earlier.

I rinse my hands in river water the hue and temperature of picnic lemonade.

Wait a while for Godot. No show.

Time passes, I think. I’m becalmed in what Henry David Thoreau called the “infinite leisure and repose of nature.” Paddling back downstream is a combination adventure, nap and meditation.

If that sounds perilously dull, you may need a little work on Zen equilibrium. Failing that, there are other options.

Nowhere in Hawaii is the world’s largest ocean not overwhelmingly present by sight, sound, or smell. Thus, the islands’ also-vast bounties of freshwater are often overlooked, specifically when it comes to outdoor adventure. And especially because the islands hold some of the world’s most pronounced hydrographic microclimates. With steep mountains in the middle of all the main islands, torrents of rain fall up high onto the northeastern windward slopes, but rain shadows mean sea level deserts line the western shorelines mere miles from some of the wettest places on Earth.

You can, and I have on many occasions, park at a scrubland trailhead, and hike up to a deliriously gorgeous tropical pool beneath a tumbling mountainside waterfall and dive into a picture-postcard scene. The water is fresh, cool, and clean as a sub-alpine breeze, a welcome treat as the hike invariably traipses uphill through hot, steamy thickets of bamboo, guava and mango. Should you need a little excitement, keep alert for falling rocks from above, hidden within the gush of

water. I’ve never seen such, but hazard is the theme of the moment in adventure travel and perhaps strict attention will yield a sighting, whereupon you can ponder the huge logical question attending such warnings: What are you supposed to do, duck?

No Brooke Shields in sight, but everything else is perfect. Perfect and meaningful.

In the islands, there are two cardinal directions, mauka and makai, and they indicate toward mountains and toward the Pacific. The mountains are the birthplace of Hawaii’s life-giving steams, and this is world-class hydrology here – the high points of Kauai, Maui and the Big Island all variously claim the most rain on Earth, ranging up past 600 inches a year and, in one amazing episode, totaled 705 inches in the West Maui Mountains in 1982. That’s 58 feet of rain, enough to fill a five-story building. Geographers generally award the ongoing prize to Waialeale, the pinnacle of Kauai, from whose sodden slopes issue the state’s three rivers, including the rarely traveled Kalihiwai. Most tourists rent paddleboards or kayaks, or board tour boats, farther down the east shore for a scenic pass by a lush fern grotto on the Wailua River.

Atop Waialale is the world’s ultimate rainforest, a hike here is an eye-opening experience. You expect torrents of rain and instead find a steady, persistent drizzle. You expect towering jungle trees and instead find bedraggled, twisted sparseleafed skeletons clinging to a landscape where the rain has leached most nutrients from the ground. Inconsequential as the rain seems at any given moment, the Kauai highlands emit so many cool-water freshets that some enterprising settler years ago stocked rainbow trout in a reservoir and truly adventurous trekkers can bring along gear for a piscatorial escapade.

If you’re seeking a less artful prize and want to witness exactly how the West Maui Mountains scraped 58 feet of rain from Pacific trade winds in 1982, tie on mud shoes and hike into the hills above Lahaina along a tumbling-stream valley where “wild” coffee trees grow. Pick your own berries (called “cherry” in coffee parlance for their close resemblance to the popular tree fruit) and utilize them as dessert for a picnic

lunch while you enjoy soothing tired feet in the stream.

Rain patters down in lace-falls of droplets and mist. Shafts of sun follow the showers like massive searchlights. The hills below are a carmine canvas of volcanic dirt, with the azure Pacific far beyond.

It doesn’t seem like the wettest place on Earth, just clean, fresh, lush and wild.

RESPECT YOUR MOTHER

With Pele’s volcanic forces adding new land to Hawaii almost every day, it is one of Earth’s youngest landscapes. That’s cause for awe and respect, not arrogance and bad behavior. As one of the planet’s most popular, high-visibility travel destinations – especially among winter-weary Northwesterners – the Hawaiian Islands bring joy to millions of visitors who, in turn, provide employment and livelihoods to island residents.

But not all is fine here, and state and local tourism agencies have in recent years been popularizing a philosophy that asks all, especially visitors, to treat the land and its people with respect and care. Malama Hawaii, it’s called, which simply means practice care for the place and its people.

First and foremost, even though Maui is now open to travel (including the fire-ravaged West Maui region), gawking at disaster is awful and disrespectful. “Dark tourism,” it’s called, and it is as soul-gouging to gawkers as it is to residents. Don’t try to tour Lahaina, OK?

• Don’t go traipsing around the landscape unless you are sure you’re in a public area where visitors are welcome. Not all private land is fenced or marked – and some upland areas are considered sacred by Native Hawaiians where, just as in ancient times, not everyone could wander about.

• Don’t go in the ocean unless you are a strong swimmer, know how to read the Pacific, and know you are at a safe place at a safe time.

• Not all streams, pools and rivers in the islands are open to visitors – especially the so-called “Seven Sacred Pools” on the southeast lowlands in Maui’s Haleakala National Park, which are subject to periodic flash floods that occasionally turn greenhorn visitors into fish food in that big ocean out there. Check with local visitor centers in all the islands to ascertain which adventures are legit.

• Don’t take anything from the land. Pele will get you, even if authorities don’t. Don’t leave anything either. The same rules apply here as in mainland preserves, parks and wildernesses and, we hope, your own backyard.

• Don’t build rock cairns or inukshuks – the latter are an Inuit tradition and highly disrespectful to an indigenous culture, Native Hawaiians, that sailed the world’s largest ocean 1,500 years ago while Europeans were still barely paddling around the Mediterranean.

• Do treasure the beautiful and unique facets of these islands – the waters, mountains, trees, birds and lovely people who live here. If you can cherish and respect Hawaii as much as they do, all will be well. x

Eric Lucas lives on a small farm on San Juan Island, where he grows organic hay, beans, squash and apples; and where there are no rivers at all.

Book Reviews by Meg Olson

Salmon Cedar Rock & Rain: Washington’s Olympic Peninsula

Tim McNulty

Braided River

Between the Salish Sea and the Pacific Ocean, the Olympic Peninsula is an iconic intersection of wilderness and human cultures. An almost impenetrable mountain range at its center radiates a dense network of rivers that run through ancient forests on their way to the sea, supporting rich biodiversity. Still host to many of the indigenous peoples that have called it home since time immemorial, the peninsula’s history is filled with stories of adventure and wild spaces, of taking from nature, and of restoring and protecting it.

Naturalist, writer and poet Tim McNulty is the author of the classic “Olympic Natural Park: A Natural History,” now in its fourth edition. Here he takes us beyond the park boundaries, collaborating with writers from five of the sovereign tribes of the Olympic Peninsula and dozens of celebrated regional writers and photographers to take you deeper into the natural and cultural history of a complex and magical place like no other.

Other books to guide your visit to the Olympic Peninsula

Olympic National Park: A Natural History

Tim McNulty

University of Washington Press

Olympic Mountains Trail Guide

Robert L. Wood Mountaineers Books

Across the Olympic Mountains: The Press Expedition, 1889-1990

Robert L. Wood Mountaineers Books

Day Hike Washington: Olympic Peninsula

Seabury Blair Jr.

Sasquatch Books

Getting Paid, Saving Salmon

By Nolan Baker

For most hobby anglers, getting out on the water and casting a line is a way to decompress, enjoy nature and maybe even grab lunch.

For a select group of hardcore anglers on the Columbia and Snake rivers, it’s a fulltime job. And for the best of the best, it can pay handsomely.

Enter the Sport Reward Fishery Program, a pay-per-catch system that pays anglers between $6-10 per caught northern pikeminnow, with certain tagged fish worth $500 a pop.

In 2021, the top-20 anglers caught an astounding average of 2,393 fish and averaged a reward of $19,752 each. To date, roughly 5.3 million northern pikeminnow have been removed by the program, reducing predation of juvenile salmon by up to 40 percent compared to pre-program levels, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The idea began in the 1980s when salmon populations along the river were dangerously low due to a century of overfishing, habitat degradation (especially due to hydroelectric dams) and predation. Juvenile salmon that live in the freshwater environment of the Columbia and Snake rivers are a common meal for the marauding northern pikeminnow.

A flurry of studies were conducted by Oregon and Washington fish and wildlife departments and the University of Wash-

ington to determine the best method to protect these smolts.

Setting these young salmon up to be gobbled down by preying pikeminnow were the gauntlet of dams throughout the river system that help power the entire Pacific Northwest. The studies found, in dam after dam, that juvenile salmon were – ahem –like fish in a barrel for hungry pikeminnow.

The lights for millions of residents couldn’t be shut off to save the salmon, so a novel idea was broached.

Have the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) – the federal agency that provides over a quarter of all electric power in the region via hydroelectric dams – pay cash to anyone who catches a full-grown northern pikeminnow. Per the 1980 Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act, an energy provider such as BPA that sells power from 31 federal dams in the Columbia River Basin must offset their environmental impacts.

The goal every year is to cull 10-20 percent of the environment’s pikeminnow population, which Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife project lead Eric Winther said has been met all but three seasons in the three decade history of the program.

Winther has worked on this project since its inception in 1991. He’s likely seen thousands of eager anglers check in at his kiosk along the Columbia hoping to make a small fortune.

He’s seen payouts rise over the years to keep anglers coming back for bigger and bigger rewards – the BPA’s program budget currently sits around $1.5 million, Winther said.

He’s also seen anglers make six-figure sums from the season that runs from May to September.

The current program record for the largest single-season payout to an individual angler was $119,341 in 2016. That angler caught an astounding 14,019 fish, with a dozen of those being the prized, special tagged pikeminnow. In the most recent season, the top angler earned $107,800, with the top 20 all earning over $17,000.

“In my world, everybody knows about this, but I’m always amazed how many people that are into fishing or the outdoors or Columbia River issues who have not heard of it,” Winther said. “It’s a constant battle trying to get the word out.”

While getting the word out and getting more anglers on the water is a constant job for Winther, he also notes that there is a big difference between the cohort of high earners and everybody else.

“River gossip,” as Winther calls it, gets around quickly, and the best fishing spots are often the ones nobody has heard about yet.

Fishing, like any sport, brings out the competition in people. Especially with anglers. Add a dollar sign to a hobby already steeped in competition, and you get a fierce

fishing season on the Columbia and Snake.

“A lot of them are competitive anyways,” Winther said. “When you add dollars to that, it just spurs the competition that much more.”

Winther said if you’re just starting out, don’t get your hopes up for a massive payday. Competition is fierce and the high-earning anglers aren’t keen to blab about their favorite fishing holes.

“They get hit up all the time by somebody that’s brand new who wants to go out and figure out how to make $1,000 a day fishing,” Winther said. “Odds are, [top anglers] aren’t going to give them much in the way of information.”

While the cohort of top-20 anglers are unlikely to help out newcomers – or reporters vying for an interview – Winther did say a great place to start out is the Dalles Dam at the beginning of the season.

“That’s your best bet to have good fishing right away from day one.”

For more information about the sport reward program, visit www.pikeminnow.org. The site has everything a hopeful angler could need on boat launches and check in stations along the basin, fishing maps, and state and federal fishing regulations. The 2024 season will open May 1 and close September 30. x

A Different Kind of Ride

At the NorthWest Therapeutic Riding Center, kids and adults gain unbridled confidence.

By Erin Deinzer

In 1886, the original Horseshoe Cafe opened on Holly Street in downtown Bellingham to serve “ornery folks” like loggers, fishermen, and coal miners who likely made their way there on horseback. Fast-forward 138 years and you’ll still find locals dining at the cafe, even though their mode of transportation has changed from four legs to four wheels.

While it’s still possible to enjoy the abundant green spaces surrounding Bellingham on horseback, what about those who can’t quite so easily saddle up?

Enter the NorthWest Therapeutic Riding Center (NWTRC). Driven by the mission of “giving a leg up to people of all abilities,” it’s certified by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.), which accredits riding centers around the world that operate according to a high set of standards that include safety, ethics and effectiveness in equine-assisted services. Instructors must complete workshops and pass exams to become certified to teach equine-assisted services.

Established in 1993 by executive director Julia Bozzo to address the need for recreational activities for people with disabilities in northwest Washington, it started with one therapy horse named Babe and two participants. Today, NWTRC serves close to 100 individuals and has seven therapy horses, two fulltime staff members, and over 100 volunteers. Located in Bellingham, the fiveacre facility serves both adults and kids – many of whom go on to later become volunteers.

As we sit inside the “Stable Classroom” (which was built and designed by Bozzo’s husband, who helped found the center), I learn that the structure is heated by horse manure – one innovation of many at the center.

“We serve people with autism, Down Syndrome, muscular control issues, low vision, anxiety, Parkinson’s … basically anyone with physical or behavioral limitations,” explains Bozzo. “Some of our participants could go to another riding program, but they might feel more pressure there; this feels comfortable for them.”

After joining the program, riders learn horsemanship and riding skills as well as about the horses themselves — who also have their own unique personalities.

“The horses we have are the backbone of our program,” adds Hilary Groh, NWTRC’s program director and a PATH Intl. advanced instructor. Bringing with her a degree in therapeutic recreation from Western Washington University, Groh has been riding horses since she was five. “We spend a lot of time with our horses, some of whom have won Horse of the Year; but it’s equally important to make sure the rider is a good fit.”

What Bozzo and Groh are teaching at the center is called “adaptive riding,” which translates to a custom-tailored approach for each participant, about a

third of whom are children. The system is taught in sessions, and it deliberately builds upon itself so that both horse and rider became more familiar, and more comfortable, with one another.

“The people who ride with us like consistency, so they’ll use the same horse, with the same group of riders, the same instructor, and at the same time of day,” says Bozzo. “Horses also crave consistency — with their feed, the grooming they receive, when and how they’re worked out; so it’s a good fit.”

All horses at NWTRC are taught how to walk, trot, and canter when given clues by the rider, and the instruction provided is dressage (English-style riding), which can include jumping, if the rider is suited for it. The goal for each participant is riding-skills based, but the therapeutic benefits can include improved balance and coordination, increased physical strength, self-confidence and self-control, peer interaction, and social skills.

The oldest horse on the property is Kleng, a 32-year-old Norwegian Fjord gelding who’s been in the program for 29 years. These days, he’s enjoying his retirement while he watches the reins being handed off to younger horses, including one that just joined the facility this year.

Like the flowers that bloom in springtime, the activities at NWTRC are beginning again. Soon there’ll be riders inside the covered, outdoor arena working on their horsemanship skills, learning how to care for the animals, and perhaps interacting with their peers. But regardless of the season one thing remains constant – despite some limitations, you can still ride off into the sunset at a special place in Bellingham. x

If you happen to own your own horse, or know someone who does, the Whatcom County Parks & Recreation Department offers horse trails at the following locations: Chuckanut Mountain Park, the Interurban Trail, Lily Point Marine Park, Silver Lake Park, Squires Lake Park, and Sunset Farms Park. In the case of the latter (a 70-acre equestrian facility), the non-profit Friends of Sunset Park works to maintain the trails, fencing, and fields.

For riders interested in learning more advanced skills, contact Burkwood Farms – a USHJA recognized riding academy that specializes in hunter-jumper programs.

Whatcom County doesn’t have any day- or trail-ride facilities. The closest one is Lang’s Pony Farm in Mount Vernon which offers trail rides, birthday parties, a horse camp, and riding lessons.

Instructors must complete workshops and pass both written and practical exams to become certified to teach equine-assisted services.

“Greatest Wildlife Photographs” exhibit heads to Whatcom Museum

By Nolan Baker

SPIRIT BEAR

Photograph by Paul Nicklen  Gribbell Island, Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia, Canada, 2010

In a moss-draped rainforest in British Columbia, black bears are born with white fur. Neither albino nor polar bears, spirit bears (also known as Kermode bears) are a white variant of North American black bears, and they’re found almost exclusively in the Great Bear Rainforest. “I’ve always dreamed of being close to a bear in the forest,” says photographer Paul Nicklen. But it wasn’t until the end of a ten-week assignment that he was finally able to get close to one.

WALRUSES

Photograph by Evgenia Arbugaeva  Enurmino, Russia, 2019

Though Arbugaeva considers her work to be essentially documentary in nature, she imbues many of her images with a haunting painterly quality. During a 2019 trip to the isolated village of Enurmino, along the shore of the Chukchi Sea, she took this ghostly image of a walrus framed by the door of a wooden hut. She and an animal researcher spent three days trapped inside the hut, warmed by the body heat of the surrounding walruses, during a massive haul-out of the imposing creatures. They stayed as quiet as possible while some 100,000 walruses gathered on the shore, shook the walls of the flimsy shack, and fought outside.

When the term “wildlife photography” comes to mind, one can often automatically surround the imagined photo with that famous, bright yellow border that makes National Geographic covers so recognizable.

National Geographic has pioneered the art of wildlife photography for over a century, and now some of its greatest work will be taken on the road. The only place in the Pacific Northwest where you can see these largerthan-life images will be Bellingham’s own Whatcom Museum. “Greatest Wildlife Photographs” will feature work from some of National Geographic’s award-winning photographers, such as Michael “Nick” Nichols, Steve Winter, Paul Nicklen, Beverly Joubert, and many more.

The exhibit will run from March 9 to September 8 in the Lightcatcher Building, 250 Flora Street. Whatcom Museum will also hold a live presentation from National Geographic wildlife photographer Ronan Donovan at Mount Baker Theatre on May 24 at 7 p.m.

Tickets for the exhibit and Donovan’s presentation are expected to be announced in early March. Visit www. whatcommuseum.com for more information. x

SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALE

Photograph

by

Brian Skerry

Auckland Islands, New Zealand, 2007

Right whales are the rarest of all large whales. There are several species, but all are identified by their enormous heads, which can measure up to one-third of their total body length. While working on a story about right whales for National Geographic magazine, photographer Brian Skerry encountered a population of southern right whales in the sub-Antarctic waters of New Zealand. The outcome, as Skerry explains it, was “an absolutely, off-the-scale, magical experience.”

Mapping Applications Backcountry

by Jason D. Martin

for the

The use of a GPS has never been easier. In the old days, we carried around bulky devices that didn’t even have the capacity to allow for mapping. They just directed you to waypoints.

Since then, things have changed dramatically. Indeed, mapping apps for your phone are now an integral part of wilderness navigation. They tend to work incredibly well, allowing you to track your movement and ensure that you always understand your current location. However, they are not all built the same, and depending on your specific activity, one app may be better than another for you. And indeed, in some cases you may feel the need for more than one app.

Here, we’ll look at several different options that I have used both alone and in conjunction with one another, their advantages and disadvantages and, hopefully, give you a place to start if you’re looking for a new mapping app.

It is important to remember that every single one of the following apps requires you to download the maps you need before you’re out of service. If you have the map downloaded in your phone, you will be able to turn your phone to airplane mode, the map will render and you’ll be able to see where you are.

Gaia GPS

There were a number of options in the early days of smart phone mapping apps. Apps like Hillmap and ViewRanger eventually faded away, while Gaia GPS became an early goto for all backcountry travelers.

I’ve been an active user of Gaia GPS for the better part of a decade, and I find it easy to use. It has several map layers available at any given time, it’s easy to import tracks and perhaps best of all, is really easy to plan on the fly without

a desktop to work with. It is an incredibly friendly app for field-based navigation work.

Gaia GPS has always been a little bit ahead of the curve. New updates usually make the app better and easier to use. But with so many quality competitors on the market, they’ve had to make some other changes to stay ahead. The most interesting new feature they’ve done is partnering with Outside+, so when you get a subscription to the varied outdoor publications that now live under that banner, you also get a subscription to Gaia GPS.

There are a few things I don’t like. Of particular note, the way data is organically managed can be difficult. It’s often

hard to find saved items (e.g. waypoints, tracks, etc.) without finding them on the map first. To do this quickly, I’ve developed my own cataloging system, something you shouldn’t have to do.

There are a couple of other things that could be better. The satellite images can be dated. Weather tools are weak. Map printing can be poor. And land management lines are not always apparent.

While I like Gaia GPS and it works well, it still could be better. And honestly, if I didn’t have to move reams of data from one platform to another, I’d be more open to switching to another platform.

CalTopo

I first experienced CalTopo as an exceptionally well-performing online mapping application. I used the online platform extensively to develop personal route plans as well as to de-

velop maps for commercial land use permit applications (I work at the American Alpine Institute). Indeed, there was a period where I preferred CalTopo for online planning, and Gaia for smartphone planning.

Eventually CalTopo’s app caught up to the online interface and now the two work well together. Though, I would argue that there is a learning curve. CalTopo isn’t always the easiest to use.

Like Gaia GPS, it appears that CalTopo had to find some kind of niche that made it competitive with the other options out there. As such, they developed a search and rescue version of the app that is referred to as SAR Topo. This adjunct can be used by SAR management and rescuers to manage emergencies, rescues and searches for missing people. It is a very cool add-on for those who do that kind of work.

In the scheme of things, CalTopo has taken a leadership role in most aspects of the navigation app world. It doesn’t burn through as much battery as others, the terrain resolution is awesome, the layering options are great, and this is by far the best app for map printing. If you intend to carry an analog map, you can build CalTopo maps at whatever scale you need.

The biggest downside is that it is hard to use for route planning in the field. It’s possible to do, but it takes some practice.

OnX Backcountry

OnX Backcountry is the newest product on the market. When it first came online, mountain guides were given early access, and now some are using it exclusively on their programs, converting more people over to OnX.

There are some cool features. It provides information not just on fires in a given area, which is a function available on other apps as well; it also provides info on historical fires. This can help you with your planning long before your adventure.

Another interesting feature is that you can share waypoints with other users through satellite messaging. This is accomplished through a service called Somewear.

And finally, OnX is the best app out there for those concerned about property lines. OnX provides detailed information about public and private property within their maps. This is really important for those that need to avoid private property on their hunting and fishing adventures. I’ve used this extensively to determine land management and private property for some of my guidebook projects. The app, however, is far from perfect. There are limited layers. Importing data is hard. And route building both on the desktop and on the app is more complicated than it needs to be.

I suspect that this app will continue to evolve. In a couple of years it will be as clean as CalTopo and Gaia GPS, if not cleaner.

All Trails

All Trails is a weird one. Many websites and blogs link directly back to this particular product. It’s likely because All Trails is really about trails and not about backcountry navigation. It provides you with a lot of options wherever you are.

There is a free version of All Trails that you should probably get just to peruse the trails in any given area. But the All Trail Pro version provides a lot more options.

I’m not a huge fan of this app due to the difficulty in planning for unusual adventures like backcountry mountaineering. But if you’re more of a “stay-on-the-well-marked-trail” type person, then this could be the app for you. I do have a free account though, which allows me to look at weblinked trails.

FarOut

FarOut was originally an app called Guthook, which was primarily used by thru-hikers on National Scenic Trails. At some point, the company rebranded.

If you are thru-hiking any portion of the PCT, this is by far the best product. There is a tremendous amount of crowdsourcing implicit in the app. You always know how far you are from a campsite or a water source. And you also always know how good the site is and whether or not the water is running.

The app makes hiking on one of these trails incredibly easy. You don’t feel pressed when it’s late and you pass what looks like the last site for a while. You can see where every single tent site is along the trail and how far away it is.

The problem with FarOut is that if you want to get off the trail somewhere, or you’re trying to figure out where a spur trail goes, information may be sparse. This app is best used in conjunction with another app if you’re dipping in and out of National Scenic Trails.

Conclusion

It is odd.

In every case listed above, I mentioned how the app wasn’t perfect, that I needed another to supplement it for one application or another. At some point, one of these will take off and offer all of the things that combined to make each of the individual apps listed above valuable.

But until we have “one app to rule them all,” we’re still stuck with a patchwork. Which means that for most people, they’ll pick the one that makes the most sense to them. x

MT. BAKER: SUMMIT TO SEA

By Jason Hummel

From snowflake to sea swell, water has a cycle. A circulatory system whose seasonal heartbeat pumps snowmelt into this green and gracious land so many of us have come to call home. Yet any appreciation I’ve had for Washington state and this process, has been limited to the Cascade Mountains and their mantles of ice. Once those rivulets were spun from the glacier, it was out of sight, out of mind, and the impact their accumulations had upon the fabric of our environment was ignored. Once I’d realized that, it became imperative for me to trace that story from summit to sea.

With the thesis for my project established, I needed a destination. I found it on Washington state’s northernmost volcano, Mt. Baker (10,786 ft.). From it flows the Nooksack River, a free-flowing stream that is nearest to its pre-industrial state, headwaters to the estuary, than any other river in this region. For that reason, among others, it became my chosen path.

With a mountain and river in mind, my next objective was a logistically feasible plan. What I came up with was a transit over Mt. Baker’s summit with skis. The ascent would be by the Easton Glacier (with a camp on the summit) and the descent would be by the Coleman-Deming route. For the

transition to water, I would begin with a pack raft at Glacier Creek bridge (considered intermediate to advanced difficulty) and, joining up with the Nooksack River (easy to intermediate), I’d continue to Bellingham Bay and the Salish Sea.

June 30, 2023: Easton Glacier to Summit Ice Cap

The route up Mt. Baker’s upper slopes is covered with flowers and viridescent forest, all bursting with life after another turn of winter. Murmuring in every low vale are streams and shouting from every high cliff are waterfalls. Fracturing the broad flanks are slopes riddled in crevasses. Nothing of man except a path and tents mar the pristine alpine scenery.

My partner for this adventure, Sage Vogt, and I set off at 1 p.m. with strides as wide as our smiles. Behind us, Delilah, Sage’s better half, drove off after shuttling us partway up the mountain to the trailhead.

We raised our eyes toward the Easton glacier and the summit 7,500 vertical feet above us and the climbing began. As I walked, I remembered how the glacier was named. In 1909 the Mazama Club asked Charles Easton (1858–1931) what he would call it. He suggested Twin Glacier, but after he departed for home, the Mazama members christened it Easton Glacier.

Outside Easton’s work as a local historian, his greatest contribution to Mt. Baker was a map he published in 1912. What I love about maps are the stories hidden behind the names and symbols. For example, below the Bastille Glacier, barely discernible, is a cross. Written below it is the word “grave.” But whose grave? When and how did that person die?

The story dates back to July 1891 when three prospectors from Blaine, Washington attempted to climb Mt. Baker. They never made it. As they reached a point above timberline, one of them, Richard L. Smith, spotted mountain goats. In those days, hunting was as much sustenance as sport. Sadly, in Smith’s exuberance, he inadvertently shot himself through the arm, severing his brachial artery. Within seconds, he fell to his knees, tumbling 200 feet down the steep, rocky slope they had just climbed. By the time his friends rushed to his side, it was already too late. With extreme difficulty, his body was carried back up the moraine. He’s there still, buried above the headwaters of what has long since been called Smith Creek.

We soon climbed by serac fields, tottering towers of ice, jumbled and split by gravity. Chasing sunset, we swept by them, following cloud shadows that cooled us until they

passed. Then heat would blast us, as hot as 100 degrees, and as fierce as any desert sun. Not until we made it to the final headwall did the temperatures moderate.

At the summit, freezing fingers yanked my tent from my bag, and Sage helped me pitch it. An hour later, stars shone overhead, bleeding through the blue hour’s bright facade. As we sat alone on this mountainous rooftop, I gazed upward, transfixed, lost in the night’s sky. Without conscious awareness of it, I unanchored myself. Between terrestrial and intergalactic planes, I paddled into that gulf that separated me from everything and fell asleep dreaming of star clusters and super massive blackholes.

July 1, 2023: Mt. Baker Summit to Glacier (the town)

A side trip to the true summit of Mt. Baker at 8 a.m. placed Sage on the top of his very first volcano. The view reveals half a dozen ecological zones. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west, the Fraser Valley to the north, the spine of the Cascade Mountains to the south and the dry scablands to the east.

From the crest of the summit dome, we cut our skis into

ice-ribbed slopes, sun-cupped and pockmarked by old steps and rocks. The price of our night’s camp was an icy ski. Each turn clattered our teeth. Every stop strummed frayed nerves across shaky knees.

After a vertical mile of descent, we reached bare ground. Lush grass and various bushes sprouted wherever they could take root. All of them newly arrived tenants to replace evicted glaciers. Glaciers I’d seen covering this very earth just two decades earlier.

At the trailhead, Sage and I continued another five miles to Glacier Creek bridge, a half mile past the current road washout. Once again, Delilah, our knight in shining armor, came to our aid. This time she had our fresh water stallions i.e., pack rafts, on board.

It was an hour later, after a beer and a prepped boat, that I scouted Glacier Creek from the bridge. Conditions were touted as good enough, and good enough is all you can ask for.

Once we casted off from shore, our control was limited to

paddle strokes. Even as I slid from a car-sized boulder into the swift current, hardwired instincts took over. In seconds, I slipped between a narrow channel, dove off a pour over and spun out into an eddy. Upstream, I watched Sage hit every mark he needed too, and knew we had 65 miles ahead and nothing more to stop us.

Of course, we spoke too soon of easy goings. Smiles faded as we climbed around yet another logjam. Each time hopes would rise, another pile would appear. I remembered how my friend Ben passed away 20 years ago while kayaking the Grand Canyon of the Elwha. It was his PFD I was wearing now. I wear it to remind me that fear and danger, thrill and challenge are currents all their own, and that we have to balance those realities with our own skills and the conditions we find.

After several hours, we stashed our boats just outside the town of Glacier with hopes its sole restaurant was open. It was closed up, so we raided the local market and soon returned to camp.

July 2-3, 2023: Glacier (the town) to Bellingham Bay Mosquitoes and stinging nettles battled us as we packed bags and sorted gear. A side trip to Glacier’s Wake’n Bakery and cold water from the Nooksack salved all wounds. I couldn’t imagine a more idyllic way to begin the day.

Could this morning get any better?

In a mid-river transfer of gear, we attempted to make it worse. After Sage left his boat and paddle atop logs, he pulled my boat up. Soon after he cried, “Where’s my paddle? Did you see my paddle?” We both looked downstream at the same time. Glinting in the waves, in the far distance, was his paddle.

I leapt in my boat and Sage flung me from the logs. I paddled like a man possessed. Just before another logjam, breathless, I managed to snag it.

As I waited for Sage to come down, what I craved right then was a river beer. But even if I had one at hand, it couldn’t have competed with the thrill I got when I saw Sage. As he neared, he had a substitute paddle, an 8-foot branch.

Tired and ready to be done, we pulled our boats up fistsized rocks to a sandy patch just big enough for our tent. Sage’s watch told him we’d gone 30 miles. With camp pitched, we rested against a log.

Thoughts of the day flowed back upriver. Few houses were seen. Diverse forests and natural shorelines predominated throughout, a surprise to me.

With an early rise, we set our goal to be in salt water before sunset. Every trip has a turning point, when the momentum of the end pulls you toward the finish line. If 30 miles could be done the day before, we saw no reason it couldn’t be done again.

As paddle stroke follows paddle stroke we are drained through Cottonwoods and alders, pulled past frothing and boiling water into green and turbid pools. I thought the water would slow, but outside strong breezes around several bends, we found the going as good as we’d hoped for, and nothing short of another perfect day.

Bridges for railroads and cars were passed under, but none so thunderous as Interstate 5. The health of the river, from all appearances, was undeniably changed for the worse, but as the miles passed, we found the river recovering.

Around 3 p.m., we entered the Nooksack wildlife area. It’s an estuary whose outlines are made up of muddy shores and stacks of driftwood. Through its fluid center, we kept moving, afraid that we’d be fighting tides.

Then, like that, we were there. From Bellingham Bay, Mount Baker rose like a cloud cap, white and bulbous.

From the billions of accumulated snowflakes on Baker’s summit, to the billions of accumulated raindrops crashing onto the shores of the Salish Sea, I ask myself: What have I learned? What wisdom was spun out of those endless eddies?

Water will outlive us. Earth will outlive us. How we live, and what balance humans strike with nature, that alone will determine if our story will move with the current or against it. x

BLAINE

PACKERS KITCHEN & BAR AT SEMIAHMOO RESORT

9565 Semiahmoo Parkway

360/318-2090

semiahmoo.com

Seaside dining with stunning views and a fresh menu of seafood, hand-crafted pizza, and local specialties.

BELLINGHAM

BELLINGHAM CIDER COMPANY

205 Prospect Street, Suite A105

360 /510-8494

bellinghamcider.com

A local craft cider producer and solar-powered restaurant with a full bar overlooking Bellingham Bay. Our food is prepped fresh and sourced from local farms and businesses.

BOUNDARY BAY

BREWERY & BISTRO

1107 Railroad Ave

360/647-5593

bbaybrewery.com

A family-friendly community hub. Unwind in the taproom, bistro, deck or beer garden with handcrafted brews, fresh local food. Open every day at 11 a.m.

HOLLY’S MEAT PIES

4073 Hannegan Rd. 360/778-1111 hollysmeatpies.com

Washington’s original pasty company. Artisan hand pies made from scratch. Order online.

LARRABEE LAGER COMPANY

4151 Meridan St. Ste 100 360/230-8334

larrabeelagerco.com

PENNY FARTHING BAR AND RESTAURANT AT CHUCKANUT BAY DISTILLERY

1309 Cornwall Avenue 360/738-7179

chuckanutbaydistillery.com

Featuring a variety of delicious, shareable “small plate” dishes and creative craft cocktails. The

perfect downtown Bellingham destination for any occasion.

RED GINGER ASIAN CUISINE

1208 E. Maple St. 360/306-8629

redgingerbellingham.com

Serving classic Asian cuisine with fresh ingredients. Open MonSat 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and 4-9 p.m.

STRUCTURES BREWING

601 W. Holly St. 360/656-6186

structuresbrewing.com

Open every day 11:30 - 9:00 Fried chicken sandwiches, burgers and beer made by us. Also: Check out our Original Taproom at 1420 N. State St.

BURLINGTON

SKAGIT’S OWN FISH MARKET

18042 Hwy 20 360/707-2722

skagitfish.com

Offering the highest quality in local seafood. Daily lunch specials freshly prepared. Local jams, jellies, salsas, honey and sauces.

CONCRETE

ANNIE’S PIZZA STATION

44568 State Route 20 360/853-7227

anniespizzastation.com

Family-owned pizza restaurant focusing on fresh, homemade quality Italian fare. Friendly service, helpful information and great food combine for an unforgettable experience.

DEMING

THE NORTH FORK BREWERY

6186 Mt. Baker Highway 360/599-2337

northforkbrewery.com

Handcrafted beer and hand tossed pizza. Order online for to-go orders. New covered beer garden. Weekday Happy Hour Mon-Fri 12-5 p.m.

FERNDALE

SILVER REEF CASINO RESORT

4876 Haxton Way 866/383-0777

silverreefcasino.com

Diverse dining options from woodstone pizza to award-winning fine dining at The Steak House.

GLACIER

GRAHAMS RESTAURANT & BAR

9989 Mt Baker Hwy 360/599-3302

grahamsglacier.com

NW Craft Brews on tap, NW Comfort Food with a culinary twist. Live music. Open 7 days a week at noon.

GUNNERS TEX MEX BBQ

9990 Mt. Baker Hwy 360/599-0783

gunnersbbq.com

Succulent, fresh smoked meats, order by the pound or dish. Burgers, tacos and vegan option. Beer, wine, craft cocktails.

WAKE ‘N BAKERY

6903 Bourne Street

360/599-9378

getsconed.com

Open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. serving breakfast burritos & sandwiches, quiche, soup, paninis, and freshly baked goods. Savory and sweet gluten-free and vegan options. Organic espresso and coffee.

MOUNT VERNON

SKAGIT VALLEY FOOD CO-OP

202 S. 1st Street

360/336-9777

skagitfoodcoop.com

Deli food from scratch using fresh, quality ingredients, sourced from local and organic suppliers whenever possible. Entrees, side dishes, soups, salads, sandwiches, and handmade, organic ice cream. Vegan, vegetarian, raw, gluten-free, and whole food choices for every meal.

SLEEPS

BLAINE

SEMIAHMOO RESORT

4565 Semiahmoo Parkway

360/318-2000

semiahmoo.com

A casual northwest beach resort surrounded by the Salish Sea. An authentic Pacific Northwest experience for everyone – from families looking for a fun getaway to couples and friends seeking an easy-going retreat.

FERNDALE

SILVER REEF CASINO RESORT

4876 Haxton Way

866/383-0777

silverreefcasino.com

Exit 260 off I-5. 206 luxurious rooms or suites to make yourself feel at home with beautiful Mt. Baker views, complimentary breakfast, free WiFi.

GLACIER

LUXURY GETAWAYS

10005 Mt. Baker Hwy.

360/398-9590 or 877-90-BAKER

luxurygetaways.com

Redefining the cabin in the woods. Vacation rentals in the heart of the Mt. Baker Recreational Area – perfect for hitting the slopes or relaxing.

SERENE MOUNTAIN ESCAPES

360/961-0123

serenemountainescapes.com

Quality vacation rentals that sleep from 1-12 guests. Choose from pools, hot tubs, dog friendly & more.

THE KNOTTY LODGE

360/303-2887

VRBO.com/563675

Premier Mt. Baker vacation rental. 3BR, 2BA luxury timber home with modern amenities, hot tub, WiFi, gourmet kitchen, fireplace, fire pit. Your perfect getaway base camp!

LYNDEN

THE INN AT LYNDEN

100 5th Street

360/746-8597

innatlynden.com

Your closest full service hotel to the Mt. Baker Ski Area. 35 luxury rooms in a historic building, close to shopping and restaurants. Less than 5 miles from the Canadian border.

MAPLE FALLS

MT. BAKER LODGING

7425 Mt. Baker Hwy.

800/709-7669

mtbakerlodging.com

Find your perfect accommodationsfrom rustic to luxury getaways, from studio to 12+ bedrooms. Open 7 days a week.

RACES, RUNS AND EVENTS

MUSSELS IN THE KETTLES:

Saturday, March 2

Mussels in the Kettles is a non-competitive mountain bike ride and poker ride in Coupeville. You pick your pace and your route, 3 courses set up from 10 mile easy trails mostly double track, 15 miles of moderate trails double and single track, and 20 miles of expert trails mostly single track. For more information, go to bit.ly/3xgWkz3.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE & TRAVEL SHOW:

March 2-3

BC’s largest showcase of outdoor gear and adventure travel experiences. Over 250 exhibitors and 60 adventure presentations. For more information, go to outdooradventureshow.ca.

WINGS OVER WATER NW BIRDING FESTIVAL:

March 15-17

Blaine, Semiahmoo and Birch Bay. Celebrate the incredible variety of migratory birds that flock these coastal waters. Field trips, cruises, birding expo. For more information, visit wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.com.

BAKER SPLITFEST:

March 15 - 17

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 and live music. Chair 9, Glacier. For more information visit: splitfest.com.

FROSTY MOSS RELAY:

Saturday, March 16

Experience the green season on the Olympic Peninsula. Frosty Moss Relay is an 80-mile running relay on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. The course takes place on the paved Olympic Discovery Trail as well as the singletrack Olympic Adventure Trail. Teams of 3 or 5, 15 legs. For more information, go to frostymossrelay.com.

CHUCKANUT 50K:

Saturday, March 16

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. For more information, go to chuckanut50krace.com.

OAT RUN (OLYMPIC ADVENTURE TRAIL RUN):

Saturday, April 13

Port Angeles. OAT (Olympic Adventure Trail) Run is a 12K and half marathon trail race on the Olympic Peninsula. The point-to-point course takes place on the singletrack Olympic Adventure Trail. For more information, visit peninsulaadventuresports.com.

GRAVEL UNRAVEL:

Saturday, April 20

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 (April 20, June 15, July 20). For more information, visit peninsulaadventuresports.com.

VANCOUVER SUN RUN:

Sunday, April 21

Canada’s largest 10k road race. Vancouversunrun.com

WHIDBEY ISLAND

MARATHON:

Sunday, April 21

One of the Pacific Northwest’s hidden athletic gems is the perfect destination race. Starting at the famed Deception Pass Bridge then winding its way through picturesque ocean views and tranquil farmland, the courses promise to be scenic from country back roads to waterfront coastlines, snow-capped mountains and rolling hills.. Boston Marathon Qualifier. Go to runwhidbey.org

TOUR DE LOPEZ:

Saturday, April 27

This is a great family event. Come for the day or stay for the weekend. Non-competitive rural road tour through scenic Lopez Island. Registration includes buffet lunch, live music and beer garden. For more information, visit lopezisland.com.

SKI TO SEA:

Sunday, May 26

Ski to Sea is the original multisport relay race, from Mt. Baker to Bellingham Bay. Organize your team of 3-8 racers and join us on Memorial Day weekend. Celebrating 51 years. For more information or to register, go to skitosea.com.

GALBRAITH SUPREME:

Saturday, June 1

The ultimate Galbraith Mountain bike race. Do the 33 miles, 5,200’ vertical on your own or divide into segments with one or two teammates. For more information visit questraces.com/galbraith-supreme.

RACE TO ALASKA:

Sunday, June 9 and Wednesday, June 12

North America’s longest human and wind powered race. Race to Alaska is held in two legs. Stage 1 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 12 and follow their own route across the 710 miles to Ketchikan. There’s no official course besides waypoints in Bella Bella, and Seymour Narrows, B.C. For more information or to register, visit r2ak.com.

BELLINGHAM SWIMRUN:

Sunday, June 9

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.

LAKE WHATCOM TRIATHLON:

Saturday, July 13

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.

NORTHWEST TUNE-UP:

July 12-14

A bike, beer and music festival celebrating PNW culture on the Bellingham waterfront. Family friendly events. 3-day festival passes, which include access to endless bike demos, award-winning headliners, bike and skills clinics, shuttles to trailheads, as well as single day admission. For more information, visit NWTuneUp.com.

CASCADIA DIRT CUP SERIES:

July 12-14

Takes place on Galbraith Mountain across two days. Podium awards and post-race revelry will be held down on Bellingham’s waterfront each day at the Northwest Tune-Up. For more information or to register, visit racecascadia.com/events.

TOUR DE WHATCOM:

Saturday, July 20

Enjoy all that the Northwest has to offer in one ride — Mt. Baker, Lake Whatcom, valleys, rivers, farmland and beaches. Rides vary from 22 to 100 miles. Join the post ride party at Boundary Bay Brewery. For more information, visit tourdewhatcom.com.

BELLINGHAM OFF-ROAD TRIATHLON:

Sunday, August 18

Includes 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 bellinghamoffroadtri.com.

GOAT RUN:

Saturday, September 7

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.

MT. BAKER HILL CLIMB:

Sunday, September 15

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. For more information, visit bakerhillclimb.com.

BELLINGHAM BAY MARATHON:

Sunday, September 22

Also, half Marathon, 10K and 5K races. Often called one of the most beautiful races in the Pacific Northwest. For more information, visit bellinghambaymarathon.org.

THE BIG HURT:

Saturday, September 28

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.

March 2 - 3

Vancouver Convention Ctr.

PARTING SHOT

Night skiing at Stevens Pass

Photo by Andrew Grubb

recreational real estate

"Since 2015, Jason has helped 86 mountain bikers with their real estate needs in Whatcom County and raised $44,000 for the WMBC! Personally, my wife and I have worked with Jason several times and his expertise and advice have always been spot on!” Eric