Mount Baker Experience: Winter 2025

PUBLISHER’S

by Pat Grubb

This issue of the Mount Baker Experience marks the 40th anniversary of its founding, making it one of the oldest outdoor adventure magazines in the state of Washington. Started by longtime newspaper veterans Al and Nickee Magnusson in 1986, MBE has covered the local outdoor scene through thick and thin ever since.

We are grateful to our readers, our contributors and our advertisers for their longstanding contributions and support. Without this partnership, the magazine would never have lasted, let alone prospered. We have been especially proud to feature the voices and photography of the Pacific Northwest’s most committed adventurers who have communicated their passion and expertise to thousands upon thousands of readers.

In an interview with a longstanding contributor Grant Gunderson, he said, “I’ve always tried to gravitate towards creating photos that share what I love about skiing with other people.” That echoes the magazine’s unofficial motto of, if you can see Mt. Baker, you’re part of the Experience. This region offers so much in the way of outdoor recreation through four seasons, and like Grant, we’ve tried to share what we love about the place where we live and play.

Below this note are shots of MBE’s first cover as well as the first one we did when we took the magazine over in 1999. We thought it was pretty cool – what did we know?

Right now, we are waiting for the snow to arrive so we can strap on the skis and snowboards and get back to the mountains. See you on the slopes! x

FRED BECKEY’S LOST MAP

Follow Cameron Fenton as he retraces a legend’s footsteps

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:

Rene Crawshaw, Andrew Grubb, Madelyn Jones, Natalie Plush

EMAIL: info@pointrobertspress.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. XLI, No. 1. Printed in Canada. ©2025 POINT ROBERTS PRESS 225 Marine Drive, Blaine, WA 98230 TEL: 360/332-1777

NEXT ISSUE Spring 2026

Ads due: February 7

ON THE COVER

Malcolm Evans skiing in the Mt. Baker backcountry.

Photo by Grant Gunderson.

MBE winter 2025/26

CONTRIBUTORS

ERINDEINZER

Erin Deinzer is a freelance writer residing in the Pacific Northwest. Specializing in business and leisure travel, she also recently published her first illustrated book for children titled Dracula’s Vampire Kitty.

CAMERONFENTON

Cameron Fenton lives on the Canadian side of the North Cascades near Chilliwack, BC where he works as a writer and a guide.

GRANTGUNDERSON

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

JASONHUMMEL

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

JASMINELONG

Jasmine is a Bellingham-born creative with Olympic Peninsula roots. Owner of Mildcat, a modern art, photography and design collective. A lover of Mt. Baker and avid snow sport enthusiast. Find her online @ mildcatcreative and mildcat.org

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

MIKENOLAN

Mike Nolan is a freelance writer who lives in Port Angeles. Nolan’s new book, “Hardhat Days,” recounts his rough-and-tumble experiences as a sandblaster in Seattle’s shipyards. Available at Washington State University Press.

MEGOLSON

Meg and Brad are the owners of Kingfisher Bookstore in Coupeville, which has a bit of everything but specializes in the natural and human history of the Pacific Northwest. Meg likes to explore, in person or on pages.

MATTTREAT

Matt lives in Ferndale with his wife, Teri, and their son, Cooper, his trusted support crew, whether they’re along for the ride or providing valuable back up. They all agree that life is just better with a little adventure.

DAVESUMMERS

Addicted to altitude, business, adventure. Photographer, athlete, explorer, businessman. @davesummertimes

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, publishers of The Snowboarder’s Journal, The Ski Journal and They Flyfish Journal. Follow him on Instagram @colin_wise_man and on the web at colinwisemancreative. com

B etween Vancouver and Seattle, discover a coastal gem worth stopping for!

Make your border crossing a journey worth taking. With a stopover in Blaine by the Sea, you can slow down, stretch your legs, and savor the quieter side of life along the Salish Sea coast. Explore our parks, coastal trails, and vibrant local flavors—adding a coastal chapter to your trip you won’t find anywhere else.

• Global Eats: Indulge in international and farm-to-table cuisine where every dish is a celebration. • Boutique Shops & Galleries: Explore curated local art and stylish coastal-inspired fashions. • Outdoor Escapes: Explore Blaine’s scenic trails, paddle through calm waters, or simply relax by the bay in one of our seaside parks.

Newsroom Notes big and small from around the region

Mount Baker Experience wins multiple WNPA awards

Mount Baker Experience took home three editorial awards, including a first-place award, at the 2025 Washington Newspaper Publishers Association (WNPA) Better Newspaper Contest for its great work over the past year.

Photographer Radka Chapin won first place in the Special Section Covers category for her cover shot for the 2024 Summer edition of the magazine, a beautiful long-exposure shot of the Milky Way above Mt. Baker from Mt. Rexford campground in B.C.

Photographer Jasmine Long earned second place in the Photo Essay category for her “Scenes from Northwest Tune-Up” photo gallery featured in the Fall 2024 edition of the magazine.

Writer Liam Delaney earned a third-place award in the Lifestyle Feature

Washington State Parks announces 2026 Discover Pass-free days

With the New Year just around the corner, Washington State Parks announced a slate of a dozen days where anyone can enjoy state parks, or land managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, without a fee.

• Thursday, January 1 – New Year’s Day and First Day Hikes

• Monday, January 19 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• Monday, March 9 – Billy Frank Jr.’s Birthday

• Thursday, March 19 – Washington State Parks 113th Birthday

• Wednesday, April 22 – Earth Day

• Saturday-Sunday, June 6-7 – Free Fishing Weekend

• Friday, June 19 – Juneteenth

• Sunday, August 9 – Smokey Bear’s Birthday

• Saturday, September 26 – National Public Lands Day

• Saturday, October 10 – World Mental Health Day

• Wednesday, November 11 – Veteran’s Day SnoParks are not a part of the free days and will still require a daily permit for us from November 1 to March 31. Any overnight fees are also still required on those days, WSP said.

More than 40 state parks will participate in the annual First Day Hikes event on January 1. Hikes are free and do not require a Discover Pass, but

Local state parks hosting First Day Hikes include Birch Bay State Park at 11 a.m., Camano Island State Park at 1 p.m., Moran State Park at 11 a.m., South Whidbey State Park at 10 a.m. and Deception Pass State Park, time to

Vacation homes in Glacier, WA near Mt Baker

Come 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:

~ Pools & Hot Tubs ~ Mountain View Homes

~ Large & Luxury ~ Small & Cozy

~ 1 – 12 Guests ~ Pet Friendly

Newsroom Notes

Continued from page 8

be announced.

Normally, a one-day pass is $10, and is only valid for one vehicle at a given time. Washington State Parks encourages visitors who plan on going to multiple state parks over a season to invest in an annual pass for $45. The pass can be assigned to two vehicles, and provides unlimited day-use parking for everyone in the passholder’s vehicle.

Funds generated by Discover Pass day-use and annual fees go towards critical funding for WSP, DNR and WDFW, keeping trails and parks preserved and maintained, all while protecting our forests and seashores for future generations.

For more information about acquiring a Discover Pass, or to learn more about the Discover Pass-free days, visit parks.wa.gov.

Twig Earthgoods opens shop in Glacier

At Twig Earthgoods, Zoe Petersen, along with her husband and wood carver Jordan Yates, has been creating usable art in Glacier for the better part of a decade. Sculpting her unique and whimsical stoneware, Zoe has been selling it at the Wake N' Bakery coffee shop, community art fairs that she has helped organize, the Bellingham Farmers Market, and galleries across western Washington.

This year, she has opened her own gallery right in the heart of Glacier. The space not only serves as a retail store but a functioning workshop with a kiln, something she once had to travel to Deming and Bellingham for since she and Jordan live offgrid deep in the forest near Glacier. Zoe's style is deeply inspired by the lush, intense nature that surrounds life in Glacier, and her work is imbued with an organic flowing nature that is rarely found in modern stoneware.

For visitors and locals alike, Zoe's work is a physical representation of the ineffable feeling that this special place creates. Alongside her own creations, the Twig store will showcase other local artists and creators that call the foothills home. The Twig store will be open Friday-Sunday 2–6 p.m. powder permitting.

big and small from around the region

Adopt a Highway Program

The Mt. Baker Chamber of Commerce is calling for volunteers to help maintain cleanliness along the Mt. Baker Highway (SR 542) as part of its highway-cleanup effort. Twice a year, the chamber organizes teams to pick up litter along segments of the mountain roadway in one of the longest stretches of Adopt-a-Highway maintained by a single organization in the state.

Volunteers are transported to different sections by the iconic Baker Bus, and participants are treated to lunch at a local restaurant afterward, a perk organizers say helps foster community spirit.

The cleanup aligns with Washington State’s broader Adopt-a-Highway program, in which local groups commit to regular roadside litter pick-ups to promote environmental stewardship and reduce state maintenance costs.

The chamber encourages community members to join the effort by contacting Mt. Baker Chamber of Commerce at 360/599-1518 or by visiting mtbakerchamber.org.

Fire & Story Festival returns to Bellingham waterfront

This winter, the waterfront in Bellingham will glow with warmth, art and storytelling as the Fire & Story Festival returns for three nights, January 22–24, 2026. Produced by local nonprofit Paper Whale, the event will once again transform Bellingham’s waterfront into a magical gathering space of fire pits, light installations, live performance and community.

Over 100 performers will take the stage across multiple themed areas, including Song, Lore, Story, and the 21-and-over “Fable Lounge.” Attendees can expect music ranging from folk and punk to experimental sounds, spoken-word storytelling, indigenous voices, fire dancing, glassblowing, metalworking, and puppetry.

One of the festival’s standout features is the Sauna Grove, where wood-fired saunas offer 50-minute sessions amid fire-lit surroundings perfect for warming up between frosty January evenings.

The site also boasts sculptural fire pits designed by local fabricators, which act as intimate, glowing stages for performance. The Bellingham Waterfront’s historic Tile Tank will be used for projection art created by students from Western Washington University’s Design Department.

Continued on page 14

RIDE THROUGH WINTER: Mountain Biking on

Whidbey Island

By Natalie Plush

When most of Washington’s trails turn to slush and mud, Whidbey Island keeps the pedals turning.

Tucked in the Puget Sound rain shadow, the island dodges much of the winter downpour that soaks the mainland. That means milder weather, drier trails, and a mountain biking season that never ends.

Instead of snowbanks and icy climbs, you’ll find miles of soft singletrack winding through evergreens, coastal bluffs, and fern-covered forests. Local favorites like Fort Ebey and the Kettles Trail System stay remarkably rideable all year long. The ground drains perfectly after a light rain, making for fast, fun laps surrounded by snow-capped mountain views, the shimmering Salish Sea, and a forest so green it almost glows.

Each spring, the Whidbey Island Bicycle Club (WIBC) celebrates those same trails with the annual “Mussels in the Kettles” mountain-bike event, held in conjunction with Penn Cove Musselfest. All proceeds

go directly back into trail maintenance, keeping Whidbey’s paths in top shape yearround. After the ride, WIBC even watches your bike in their corral while you enjoy a free beer at the festival.

Winter riding on Whidbey has a special kind of calm. The air smells like cedar and saltwater, eagles glide overhead, and the only sound for miles is your tires crunching through the trail. No crowds, just quiet rides where it feels like the island belongs entirely to you.

And when the ride is over, the warmth isn’t far away. Grab a coffee, beer and something to eat in Oak Harbor or Coupeville, where muddy calves and helmet hair are part of the charm. The local riding community is small but mighty, always ready to share a route, a pint, or a good story.

So, this winter, don’t hang up your bike. Take the bridge or hop on the ferry, chase the sun breaks, and discover why Whidbey Island might just be the Pacific Northwest’s best-kept winter biking secret.

ENERGY FOR YOUR HOME POWER FOR YOUR LIFE

Newsroom

Continued from page 10

Tickets are on sale now, with early-bird options available at fireandstory.com. Organizers advise bundling up, wearing rain gear, and bringing light sources like headlamps to navigate the festival’s outdoor wonderland.

Registration open for Birch Bay Polar Plunge Guinness World Record attempt

The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce is seeking help to put Birch Bay on the map as world record holder for the polar bear plunge.

The chamber has opened registration for its Birch Bay Polar Bear Plunge on January 1, 2026, when it will attempt to beat the Guinness World Records’ largest polar bear dip.

Chamber events coordinator Sacha Sanguinetti encouraged anyone wanting to make history to sign up early.

“We want an idea of how many people will be there,” Sanguinetti said.

The world record is currently frozen at 2,461 people who plunged into chilly waters in the Czech Republic in March. Sanguinetti hopes the community will rally together to beat that record as the New Year’s Day celebration in Birch Bay typically brings out about 1,500 to 1,800 people, though only about a third of those actually register.

Chamber coordinators hope to have early registration finished by Christmas Day. Day-of registration will be available as long as there aren’t more than 5,000 early registrants. Additionally, attendees will be required to sign in the morning of the event for their plunge to count.

Sanguinetti said the idea for the record attempt came about two years ago, when Beach Cat Brewing own-

Notes big and small from around the region

er Jake Gobeille realized the record was within reach. The chamber spent $38,500 to use the Guinness World Records’ marketing and licensing and to pay for a representative to certify the event.

Sanguinetti said the chamber will be regularly updating its social media and newsletter, the Birch Bay Buzz, with new information about the plunge. For more information, visit the chamber’s website at bit.ly/3VyhINk.

Hiking guide to empower disabled hikers features local state parks

A new guide designed to make Washington’s state parks more accessible to disabled hikers has been released by the Washington State Parks Foundation in partnership with Disabled Hikers and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.

“Accessible Adventures: A Disabled Hiker's Guide to 5 Washington State Parks” offers detailed accessibility information for five Western Washington state parks: Lake Sammamish, Flaming Geyser, Federation Forest, Dash Point, and Saltwater state parks. Written by Disabled Hikers founder Syren Nagakyrie, the guide provides detailed descriptions of trail grades, surfaces, obstacles, and facility access, along with notes on both ADA and non-ADA features.

Disabled Hikers Foundation Executive Director John Floberg said the guide addresses a major barrier for many visitors: a lack of clear information about accessible outdoor experiences. The commission assisted in selecting parks close to population centers to reach more hikers.

Nagakyrie described the project as a shift toward centering disabled people’s expertise in outdoor recreation.

“By providing detailed information that considers a variety of accessibility needs, visitors can make more informed choices and better prepare for their state park adventures,” Nagakyrie said.

Available as a free digital download, the guide aims to improve inclusion across Washington’s park system and may serve as a model for expanding accessibility resources statewide.

“Accessible Adventures” can be found online at bit.ly/4ptAja6.

Fred Beckey’s Lost Map

By Cameron Fenton

She said the guy had made it to be a famous climber. His first name was Fred, but she couldn’t remember his last name.

“Was it Beckey?” I asked. “Beckey! Yes!” she exclaimed. “He was a real bum.”

THE ARCHIVE

Spend enough time in the North Cascades and you're bound to end up in Fred Beckey's footsteps. Whether it's his writing, his name on climbing routes or just stories about his adventures, the German-born climber who cut his teeth in the Cascade Range is still everywhere.

Which is why I was so surprised when, a few years after he died in 2017, I learned about a longlost map. I was reading a trip report about a high alpine traverse in the Chilliwack River Valley, and in the preamble, the writer referenced “Fred Beckey’s Adventure Map.”

Surprised I had never heard of it, I pulled out my phone and put the phrase into Google. There were plenty of articles that used Beckey’s name and the words “map” and “adventure,” but no record of an actual map.

I texted a few friends to ask if any of them knew anything about the map. From climbing guides to writers, no one knew anything about it. Even Sam Waddington, who owns Mt. Waddington Outdoors in Chilliwack and grew up on stories about Fred Beckey, never heard of it.

“It's about as close to a treasure map as you get,” he said. “Not only would it be out of print, but the information in it is largely forgotten.”

I needed to find this map.

A REAL BUM

Like all climbers in the northwest, it didn’t take long for me to recognize Fred Beckey’s long shadow. One afternoon, his ghost even showed up in the back of my ambulance.

I was stuck in traffic, working as a paramedic transporting a woman from Squamish to a facility in Vancouver. A massive bike race had shut down most of the highway. Instead of a quick 45 minutes, it was a four-hour ordeal. I had exhausted my medical questions and was relieved when the woman chimed in. She told me about growing up exploring the local mountains with her three children, eventually landing on her son’s old climbing buddy. “He was always showing up for dinner and eating all my food,” the woman complained with a huff. "Anytime he came over, there would be canned food missing when he left.”

When a basic Google search didn’t turn up anything about the map, I went old school. I stopped into mountain town bookstores, often repositories for old and out-of-print maps and guidebooks. I emailed a few other places. Most had copies of Beckey’s books, but none had ever heard of the map.

By the time he passed, Beckey had written nearly a dozen books. On top of his three-volume “Cascade Alpine Guide” series, he penned guidebooks for Mt. Rainier, Index and other climbing areas throughout the Cascades. He wrote about his own climbing in “The Challenge of the North Cascades” and “Fred Beckey’s 100 Favourite North American Climbs.” He was also a historian, penning a book about the geologic and human history of Denali and writing “Range of Glacier,” an in-depth look at the survey and settlement of the Cascades.

After a little more than a year of searching, I was on the verge of giving up when I finally found a lead, the Western Washington University (WWU) Library’s Mountaineering and Fly Fishing Collection.

According to the WWU library website, the special collection “traces the history of mountaineering as a sport as well as its complex relationship to larger social and environmental issues.” With more than 200 years of books, articles and maps, I found the recreation map of the North Cascades: International Border Area of Washington-British Columbia at number five in the archive’s online search results.

THE MAP

“This trail up the back of Mount Amadis,” said Sam Waddington, pointing to the scan of the map on my laptop. “That does not exist anymore.”

A summer student working at the WWU library had pulled the map a few weeks earlier. It was still crisp; the folds crackled when I laid it flat on the library counter. The map was published in 1981 by The Mountaineers. Beckey had provided the information, and Al Cardwell had done the cartography. In a 1995 interview with The Oregonian, Cardwell remarked that, although computers were intriguing, he wasn’t convinced they could match his level of detail. Instead, he painstakingly drew the maps by hand. One map he produced of the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Area took him “800 hours etching contour lines.”

According to Lowell Skoog, The Mountaineers volunteer archivist, the map was likely a companion piece to the third volume of Beckey’s Cascade Alpine Guide series. Covering Rainy Pass to the Fraser River, it was also published in 1981.

“American climbers would likely have a USGS map of the Mt. Challenger quadrangle,” Lowell explained. “You could buy one at REI, but it would be harder to find a map of the Canadian side of the border. So this map perfectly fills that need.”

To Waddington, the Beckey map was unique for another reason. Other than roads, trailheads, and shelters, the map only showed two things: trails and what Beckey called “cross-country routes.” It was a hiking map where thin, red dotted lines followed ridgelines, connecting peaks, passes and obscure alpine lakes.

“Either that's an anomaly of Fred’s and he just was stoked to lay out some high routes, which is really cool, or there's also the sense that using this map, you can clearly see that if you want to get to that peak, that’s the best way near it,” Waddington said. “Once you're there, the climbing becomes much more self-explanatory.”

FORTY YEARS OF BUSH TO WHACK

If there is one thing more prolific than Fred Beckey in the North Cascades, it's bushwhacking. I’ve spent weeks slogging through alder and devil’s club, but searching for one of Beckey’s trails at the far end of Chilliwack Lake was on another level. Beckey’s map showed an established trail climbing to a remote cirque south of Mt. Lindeman. I found a rough trail that meandered through a grove of exquisite old-growth cedar and Douglas fir in the valley, but lost it when I crossed the Chilliwack River. I climbed through the brush for a few hours in search of the remnants of an old trail –markers, cut logs and old tread – but found nothing. I couldn’t even pick up a decent game trail. I gave up after a few hours. I wasn’t surprised the trail had disappeared. It was remote, hard to access and ran right along the U.S.-Canada border. I explored a few of the other routes on Beckey’s map and found a mix of access conditions. Some areas were still popular trails and routes, maintained by land managers and volunteer trail crews. Others had disappeared entirely, wiped out by logging operations and wildfires. Most of the cross-country high routes were still navigable. I even found a few old cairns on ridgelines that had probably only seen a handful of visitors since Beckey published the map.

“I've lived here my entire life, that's 30 kilometers by the crow from my house, and I don't know anyone who's ever been there,” Waddington said, pointing to a high route along a ridgeline above the Skagit River Valley. “How wild is that?”

To Waddington, that’s the appeal of maps like this; a look back at history and inspiration for grand adventures.

“This map came out 40 years ago,” he said. “These zones are still as wild, or more wild, than they were even at the time when Fred was exploring them.”

A copy of Beckey’s map can be found at the Western Washington University library in Bellingham. x

The Joy of Sledding

There's something magical about white flakes falling from the sky. As the first ones materialize, our mind starts to wander. Our hands begin to move as we form snowballs in our mind. We check the fridge to see if there's a carrot to serve as a nose, and we envision the white world we will see as we look up while making a snow angel.

Snow represents a nostalgic kind of fun that never goes out of style. Of all the ways to play in the snow, the joy of sledding is unmatched. Yes, sledding has evolved into all sorts of sports and gear, but in its simplest form, whether standing, sitting, or lying, it all boils down to slipping and sliding down a slope on a slick gift from Mother Nature.

As kids, those first snowflakes were not only a sign of the fun to be had but of freedom. I was always happy to trade a winter day off for an extra day of school in June. As the snow fell, I sat by the radio hoping to hear my school on the closure report. It's now e-mails, robocalls, and text messages, but the result is the same. That glorious snow day means digging out the winter clothes, exhuming the sleds from the depths of the garage, and heading out into the winter wonderland. The littlest of slopes become a playground to slip and slide down. As the snow accumulates and neighbors emerge from their homes, the risk (and fun) level rises. The neighborhood opens up, and soon any hill becomes fair game. Flung over your shoulder or pulled by a rope, your sled is your trusty steed. Self preservation goes out the window as you and your friends fly down hills, knowing wipeouts will be cushioned by the powdery snow and layers of clothes.

It is on these snowy days that adrenaline junkies are born. It begins with a larger hill. Then a couple of friends hop on together, ending up in a tangled mess at the bottom of the run. Next, someone starts compacting snow at the bottom of a slope, installing a jump that is sure to send puffball beanies flying through the air. Finally, in a daring act of brilliance, a kid launches themself down the hill. Yes, there may be injuries, potentially some tears, but also a level of excitement that can inspire a lifetime of snowy adventures. While the lowlands of Whatcom County in most years will provide at least a few fun-filled days of snowy play, there is no guarantee, and the timing is unpredictable. Some years we get a good dumping, creating a winter wonderland, and others we barely get enough to hide the grass below.

Fortunately, all we have to do is look east to find snow in the distance. The snowy cap of Mt. Baker is a reminder that all winter long, a sledding adventure is within reach. We can pile in the car and head through Deming, Kendall, Maple Falls, and Glacier as we make our way up the mountain to a snowy world. As we wind around corners, the snow builds alongside us until we reach the bowl by the ski area. Stepping out of the car, you can hear the screams of joy as kids and parents throw caution to the wind, hurling themselves down the sledding runs. All around, people launch themselves down the hill on whatever slick object they could find to ride. There are the newest store-bought sleds designed to shoot people down the slopes like a toboggan run, and classics garnering ’80s cartoon characters that are so scratched up they must be urged to move through the snow. Inflated inner tubes bounce people down the slopes, often ending in bodies flying at the end. If the mountain was calling and there was no time for a traditional sled to be found, there's a chance you will see a bright blue tarp or an air mattress being used as the day's vehicle. Inevitably, some will abandon the sleds altogether, body surfing down the slope on their swishy snow clothes.

No matter how the wintery fun is enjoyed, all that matters is the laughing and playing that happens when everyone becomes a kid while riding a sled. A day of sledding should always end the same way, with a hot cup of cocoa. Whether out of a thermos on a tailgate or sitting by a roaring fire, the day is completed by sipping the chocolate-y goodness while laughing and sharing the tales of racing down the slopes. x

Cascade Mountain Ascents show impact of affinity groups

By Nolan Baker

Cascade Mountain Ascents is one of the newest guiding services operating in the North Cascades, and the crew of founders is hoping to make a difference with their co-op ownership model, offering a wide range of custom trips, and making a point to host a growing number of women’s affinity groups.

CMA was founded in 2022 by Alyssa Young, Mike Elges, Zack McGill and Phil Staub, all lifelong mountain people and certified mountain guides. Now, the guiding co-op employs roughly 15 other guides throughout the year.

CMA is unique in the climbing world by operating as a worker-owned co-operative, meaning full-time employees get a stake in the decisions, responsibilities and profits. Young said the decision to organize the company as a co-op means CMA can run a more sustainable, and safer, guiding operation.

Young said that having CMA’s owners also working as guides, out in the field constantly, means decisions regarding safety and route specifics can be made organically, responsibly, and without waiting for a response high up the ownership chain.

“What we do is inherently risky, and we’re operating in a workplace where there’s an imbalance of power (between guide and client),” Young

said. “It felt like if the guides are also the ones choosing which routes to open, developing our risk management and emergency response plans, doing all the program development and deciding which type of client is a good fit for different types of trips, that creates a really high level of buy-in.”

CMA runs multiple trips per week between May and September, and during the winter months they are constantly running backcountry trips around Mt. Baker. Young said what really sets CMA apart is their dedication to educational opportunities, their use of custom trips to fit any client, and the women’s affinity programs that Young trailblazed.

The women’s affinity programs began in earnest last summer, with Young organizing as many classes as she could teach on her own as the only female guide working for CMA at the time. Since then, CMA has added a team of “incredible” guides that Young said are honored to get more women and minoritized genders out in the mountains.

“We need guides that are really on it and really sharp and capable in the mountains, but that’s just one tiny piece of the puzzle,” Young said. “Guiding is extremely relational. A huge part in determining outcomes is how you are with your guests.”

Young said she was used to working alongside highly qualified male guides, but it wasn’t until she participated in a women’s affinity program that she started to understand the power of affinity groups in outdoor recreation.

“Same curriculum, same expectations, same outcomes, but showing up in an environment like that, I didn’t realize how much more space I felt like I had internally,” Young said. “I learned a ton about myself. It was this transformative experience that’s not better, necessarily, just different.”

Since that trip, Young has worked to create her own women’s affinity groups with CMA, which is now offering multiple different women’s trips and a women’s AIARE 1 avalanche safety course.

“A difference I notice is that on the women’s affinity programs, in particular, people show up so completely,” Young said. “When you walk into a room full of strangers that you’re about to go climb a mountain with, it’s reasonable to have your hackles up. But people on these trips are often more willing to be vulnerable in a way that is really productive and conducive to learning.”

For more information about CMA’s affinity groups, avalanche courses, custom trips and more, visit cascademountainascents.com, or join the bi-weekly Bellingham Backcountry Meet-ups at Kulshan Brewing’s Sunnyland Taproom, 6-8 p.m. every other Wednesday starting November 26. x

Page 23: From

from

Grant Gunderson turns the page

A Mount Baker Experience interview

One of North America’s premier adventure sports photographers, Bellingham’s Grant Gunderson has been a frequent contributor to a who’s who list of international magazines, outdoor equipment makers, top resorts, and more – he has over 250 covers of North American, European, and Japanese publications. A short list includes Ski Magazine, Powder, Ski Journal, Skieur, Bravo Ski, Patagonia, and Eddie Bauer and, of course, Mount Baker Experience.

This being the 40th anniversary of MBE, we thought it perfect timing to feature some of Grant’s work and to interview him about his career and where his new goals are leading him.

Mount Baker Experience: Remind us – where are you from originally?

Grant Gunderson: I’m originally from Yakima and moved to Bellingham in 1998 to study engineering at Western Washington University.

MBE: When did you get into ski photography?

GG: I’ve been doing it for 25 years, which seems like it was just yesterday. Ski photography has al-

ways been my passion – it’s what I love to do more than anything else. I’m not going to stop shooting – anytime it’s a good day, I’m going to be out shooting with a bunch of guys and doing what I’ve always done because I love doing it.

MBE: What’s the business like these days, what with the decline in print magazines and so on?

GG: The ski industry is not what it was as far as being financially viable. I’m still going to do it. I used to have unlimited freedom. I’d go out all winter and front the cost of shooting for a season out of my own pocket, the travel, and everything, and I knew I would sell enough photos the following year to pay for it all and go out and do it again. When the magazines started dying off, it started being a little more commercial-based. So I shot more for the ski brands and a lot for the resorts, but you lose a lot of freedom. Now, the brands don’t have any money after Covid, and everyone’s afraid of tariffs. I don’t know how someone would get started in it right now, trying to rely on social media and what have you.

You know, when I started, magazines were king. As a photographer, we were kind of the gatekeep-

ers for all of the athletes trying to break into the sport. For them, getting published in a national magazine was the key to having a career. I didn’t think about it at the time, but looking back at it, I kind of feel like I started a lot of people’s athletic careers, which is just really kind of cool.

MBE: What about video? You never really pursued that, right?

GG: Looking back, I’m sure I missed a few opportunities not doing video. But video and photography are two different animals, not just how you shoot it but also the business side of it, like the licensing, where you actually get paid. Most of the time with video, if you’re shooting for somebody, you don’t own the content, whereas with photography, I owned the content and would have residual sales, which would help everything out. I always like focusing on photography, where I’m always about that one absolute peak action. It’s just a 1,000th of a second, and I want that perfect moment. With video, it’s more of a blend. I’ve always tried to gravitate towards creating photos that share what I love about skiing with other people. I have a pretty insane work ethic; it comes

from the fact that I’m never satisfied. I’m like, “ I can always do better than my last one.” I’ve always loved that challenge. You know, up on Hemispheres (an out-of-bounds run on Shuksan), I’ve probably shot it 1,000 times at this point, but every time I go back there, the light’s different, the snow’s different, the wind’s different; it’s always a different challenge.

MBE: I hear you’re working on a book.

GG: Yes, it’s called The Soul of Skiing, and it’s being published by an imprint of the Hachette Book Group. (Editor’s Note: HBG is one of the ‘big five’ publishers in the U.S.) They wanted to do the best 100 places to ski in the world, but I’m not really into that. I said, why don’t we do a book that really gets into the heart of what it means to go skiing at all these areas? It’s not like we’re going to go to Whistler because they have the most lifts or acreage. It’s really because of the personality and the local culture of each area.

MBE: What’s the format?

GG: It will be a coffee table book, hardcover, and trade paperback. If everything works out, it will be ready for next fall.

MBE: Anything else you’re working on?

GG: Well, I just signed a lease for a place at 1431 State Street to open up Alpine Edge. It’s a few doors down from Backcountry Essentials. I’ve been offering ski tune-ups, mountain bike suspension rebuilds, and e-bike rebuilds out of my garage for a while to mostly professional athletes, but the demand has grown to where I need a commercial space.

MBE: What can you tell us about it?

GG: Well, I’m the only one in North America fixing Shimano e-motors. I’ve got a high-end ski tuning machine that costs a half-million dollars –there’s nothing like it in the area. I’m going to be concentrating on high-quality service rather than a broad retail.

MBE: When will you open?

GG: I hope to be open in six weeks. In the meantime, I will be open by appointment. (Ed. note: call 360/319-8922)

MBE: You have a son, right? How’s that affecting your professional life?

GG: Yes, I have my son Stian, who’s eight. Some of my motivation to do this whole shop stuff is

that I was working for Icon Pass for four or five years, which is why I was on the road so much. It got really old flying out on Monday, coming home on Friday, having to edit photos, and trying to balance everything. He’s really into skiing and mountain biking, and he’s kind of at the point where he’s saying, “I want you to take a photo, but I want you to go stand over there to do it.” You know, he’s trying to direct Dad.

MBE: And the photography?

GG: I’ll be shooting a lot more photos than in the past. I honestly feel like all of my best stuff has always come from the times when I visit Mt. Baker, and when it’s good, it’s good, and we just go spontaneously to shoot. One of my concerns about opening the shop up is finding some really good employees. So when it’s good, I can go ski because that passion hasn’t changed. That’s why I’ve been doing this by appointments. I tell them, yeah, I’ll have this stuff done in a couple of hours or, worst case, the next day. But if it snows and dumps overnight, it’s after I get back from skiing.

MBE: See you up at the mountain.

GG: Or at the new shop. x

Thank you for your support!

Thank you SpaceBand and to the businesses and individuals that donated prizes and purchased raffle tickets at the fundraiser for the Mt Baker Volunteer Association at Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro on September 11.

The Mt. Baker Volunteer Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was established to promote and facilitate education, community-building, public awareness, and safe practices related to recreation in a mountain environment. If you would like more information or to donate please go to mtbakervolunteers.org

ChristmasLightsatSequimBay

By Mike Nolan

Drive west on Highway 101 at night during the winter months, and you're in for a long, dark, lonely journey. From the Hood Canal Bridge all the way to Sequim Bay, it’s mostly just you and the next car’s taillights in the black of night. But then you reach the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal area five miles east of Sequim, and it’s as though someone threw a switch: you come upon a true winter wonderland of light.

You are suddenly greeted – and surrounded –by a breathtaking array of Christmas lights. The experience is definitely mood changing. What started as a dreary nighttime drive immediately transforms into a joyous celebration of light.

The festive surroundings embody the holiday spirit on a stunning scale: this is one of the largest such displays in the state. It began 19 years ago as a more modest endeavor.

According to Tribal Chairman Ron Allen, “It all started with my brother Jerry (CEO of Seven Cedars Resort & Casino) traveling to Gig Harbor one Christmas to visit friends. He was captivated by the Christmas lights he saw in the neighborhood, which were very well done. I think the enjoyment of seeing those lights took him back to childhood memories of holiday decorations and

Christmas lights when he and I were kids.”

“I was impressed,” Jerry said. “It’s part of the Christmas spirit that Ron and I, as baby boomers, grew up with.” Jerry talked to Ron about decorating the casino, initially thinking they would do the display in-house, but they realized it would be too much to take on.

Asking around, Jerry discovered the residential displays were the work of a local Gig Harbor man, Patrick Walker. Jerry contacted Walker about the possibility of illuminating the trees and grounds around the Seven Cedars Casino. Started as lowkey “holiday decorating,” the area has blossomed into an ever-expanding explosion of light, color, and holiday cheer.

Lights are put up the week prior to Thanksgiving, and stay up through Christmas and into the New Year, Jerry said.

What began as Patrick Walker’s childhood hobby with his brother turned into a business. “I started hanging holiday lights when I was ten years old,” explained Patrick. “My first project was my parent’s home. From there we went to neighborhood residential decorating. Over the years the business has grown, so now we just do large properties, like tribal casinos. Jerry was my steppingstone.”

“We sure enjoy having these decorations put up,” Ron said. “We hear many, many stories of families making the drive every year to see the lights. We have people who lodge with us every Christmas and look forward to the lights. We've even had truck drivers tell us that driving among the holiday lights at night can focus them like a cup of coffee.”

The Tribe’s holiday display has grown every Christmas. Patrick began by decorating the casino the first year, then expanded to the Longhouse and the adjoining grounds in subsequent years.

“That initial year,” Patrick explained, “we just did the casino, outlining the building and decorating a few trees. But it's snowballed from there, and our business has grown right along with the tribe.”

“Patrick is quite creative,” Ron said, “and he keeps expanding.” Walker’s decorations went on to include the tribal administrative buildings along Highway 101 on the north and south campus, as well as the Seven Cedars Golf Course property at Dungeness and the Dungeness River Nature Center.

Moving forward, any new buildings the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe constructs will automatically include plans for Christmas lights.

When Council members of Marysville's Tulalip Tribe visited Jamestown for a retreat, they were blown away. “Their reaction,” Ron recalled, “was ‘wow… we've got to do this!’” Patrick’s business kept expanding.

Patrick’s company, P. Walker of Gig Harbor, now handles close to 40 million lights every Christmas in properties spread across three states, creating what Patrick called some of the biggest displays in the country. The trees, buildings, and bushes of the Jamestown property alone require between four and a half to five million lights.

“People don't realize how many lights go into making a display of this magnitude,” Patrick points out. “There are three big birch trees by the entrance to the Jamestown Casino; just one of those big birches takes close to 40,000 lights. Remember, we wrap each and every branch, and we work one branch at a time.”

Jerry said the display is expanding every year, and that feedback from the community has been “over the top” in its positivity to the gargantuan displays. Ron explained that their philosophy is rooted in giving back to the community. He acknowledged that the cold winter weeks leading up to Christmas

can be a gloomy time of year, but that their festive display always lifts everyone's spirits. Jerry chimes in, noting that the dark highway leading up to their campus works to their advantage. With no city lights to compete with, their decorations shine brightly.

“We think of ourselves as the gateway to the Olympic Peninsula,” Jerry said. “And it certainly feels that way as you dive through this time of year.”

Many people, including retirees, parents, and grandparents, make a special trip each winter just to see the lights, and even those who’ve seen it before still find it brings a smile to their faces, Ron said. Patrick echoed this sentiment, saying that they love putting the display together because of the joy it brings to people.

“We love putting this together because of the amount of enjoyment it gives people,” Patrick said. "The response has been very positive … phenomenal, actually. It's like Jerry and Ron point out, it's a ‘gift back to the community’ for their support.”

If you are within driving distance of the tribal area – just off the southern tip of Sequim Bay – seeing this roadside attraction is definitely worth the trip. You won't be disappointed. x

A Clean Sweep

Celebrate the advent of winter by getting to know the ancient sport of curling

By Erin Deinzer

If a final “Jeopardy!” clue was: “A brush, hammer, hog line, and biter have this in common,” a contestant might be tempted to respond with, “What are things you’d find on a farm?”

But if their opponent answered with, “What are terms you’d hear while curling?” that second competitor would be declared the winner.

Curling is one of the world’s oldest known sports, with written evidence tracing it back to 1541 when a notary in Paisley, Scotland, recorded a challenge of stones thrown across a frozen pond between a monk and the lay governor of the abbey. Centuries later, the Scottish poet Robert Burns underscored the continued significance of the game when he wrote,

When Winter muffles up his cloak, And binds the mire like a rock; When to the loughs the curlers flock, Wi’ gleesome speed…

In 2024, curling celebrated its 100th year as an Olympic competition and along the way has been designated an “official sport,” which means that a sport’s global appeal and popularity deem it to be worthy of inclusion on the official program. To illustrate that point, in 2022 the World Women’s Curling Championship’s bronze medal match pulled in more than half a million viewers, while a hefty 2.2 million American viewers tuned in to watch the inaugural Everest North American Curling Club Championships in 2025. With all these auspicious indicators of a winter sport steeped in history yet still as popular today as it was five hundred years ago, I decided it was time to experience for myself what all the fuss was about.

My curling sojourn took me not across “the pond,” but rather over the border to the north. A 30-minute drive from Lynden had me in the parking lot of the Abbotsford Curling Club, which

traces its origins back at least 60 years. Entering the building, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I did know that the time I’d selected was during the Thursday afternoon Masters’ Competitive. Out on the ice, dozens of curlers were actively engaged in co-ed competitions spread across six ice “sheets.” On each sheet, eight players were actively engaged in a game that looked to be a combination of shuffleboard and bowling played atop an icy field.

Curling is a civilized game, traditionally starting with the flip of a coin and a handshake to determine who goes first. Then two teams of four take turns sending a 38-44-pound granite stone (or “rock”) towards a 12-foot “house,” which consists of several concentric circles containing a bullseye (or “button”) in the middle of the house. Six to ten rounds, or “ends” are played with stones strategically cast and scores kept along the way.

The skip, oftentimes the captain of the team, determines the placement of the stone. The slider (the team member who pushes off from the “hack”) takes hold of the rock’s handle, and both will move forward towards the nearest “hog” (or release) line. Following that, brushing – which is done by two team members – will be done to control the speed and direction of the stone as it makes its way down the ice.

According to Smithsonian’s Science Education Center (SSEC), because each sheet is unique, “Curlers must master reading the ice to know how much a stone they throw will curl.” That explanation gives away a hint to curling’s most obvious question: Why is it called curling?

When a slider propels the granite stone forward, it will “curl” along its trajectory. Sometimes, a team wants the stone to move in a straight line; but other times, the curl of a stone can make all the difference between victory and defeat.

“The reason teams sweep the ice in a particular way is because the ice has been intentionally pebbled,” noted the SSEC. “Pebbling was designed to mimic the natural snow and pebbles that were on the ice when curling was played outside. If the ice was flat, the friction of the stone would be too high, and the rock would not travel half as far [so] ice technicians sprinkle two layers of water droplets on top of the ice to form two heights of bumps.”

Hoping to get a better view of the games being played inside the club, I walked upstairs for a birds-eye view of the action out on the ice. An affable barkeep was setting up for the après-game happy hour, and she asked me if I was a curler. I explained to her that I was just watching, but considering taking a lesson – which she told me you can on Monday nights during a five-week session. Equipment, along with instruction, is included in the fee, but beginners are encouraged to bring and wear a helmet.

I laughed at that, and quipped that I didn’t realize curling was a contact sport.

The barkeep narrowed her view and, like a grizzled professor to a wide-eyed student, explained to me that people do fall on the ice and sometimes hit their head on that 40-pound round block of granite.

So, note to self: wear a helmet. But also, don’t forget to bring a sense of fun. After all, it isn’t every winter’s day that you’ll have a chance to slide, sweep, or shout out on the ice participating in a sport that’s been played for half-a-millennium.

NOTE:

Whether you’re looking to participate or spectate, there are opportunities to get familiar with the intricacies of curling at two local clubs (the Abbotsford Curling Club, or Seattle’s Granite Curling Club), or by attending a bonspiel (curling competition). x

Arctic Quest

Exploring America’s northernmost National Parks

Story and Photos by Matt Treat

It was an eerie feeling, watching the twin engine Otter disappear into the clouds after leaving my friend Bill and I alone on a rocky outwash plain at the headwaters of the Ambler River, well above the Arctic Circle in wild Alaska. It was early August and the culmination of many months of logistics and planning had us standing there, with a pile of backcountry gear, bear barrels and a rolled up, un-inflated inflatable canoe.

As part of my ongoing quest to visit and find some adventure in each of America's National Parks, this was by far my most ambitious idea to date. The plan was to bag the last two, of Alaska's eight, magnificent National Parks, by paddling 140-plus miles from Gates of the Arctic National Park to Kobuk Valley National Park. We would start south on the crystal clear and fast moving Ambler River to its confluence with the vast, dark and sluggish Kobuk River and then follow it west to the Salmon River where a tenuous gravel bar landing strip awaited.

This trip was an easy sell to my frequent traveling companion, Bill. A lifelong Alaskan, he had yet to see these parks himself. What’s more, he was an avid fan of the author Seth Kantner. Seth grew up in the Alaskan arctic tundra and raised

his own family there. He’s written several books about it, among them, “Ordinary Wolves” and “Shopping for Porcupine,” awesome books both. At Bill's urging I had read them before coming

up to get a hint of what we would be up against. Seth lives in Kotzebue (the base camp for our adventure) and we had looked him up before flying out. He was gracious enough to have coffee with us, share some laughs and give us some insights about life in the land of the caribou. Now we were

here to find out for ourselves.

Our first couple days were fabulous – fast moving water, fun rapids and gorgeous weather. Then:

1) It rained for 48 hours without let up.

2) We hit the lower river sections where the current slowed to a snail’s pace.

3) We experienced our first day with headwinds.  It was a total wake up call. We knew continued rain like we’d just had was going to create flood conditions and if the headwind kept up we were going to make zero forward progress, or possibly even go backward. Our canoe was not what you would call a “high-performance watercraft.”   The idea of making it to our take out point began to loom large. On the way in, the bush pilot had tipped his wings and gestured below at a narrow gravel beach. He warned us that was the last place he could safely land. It was a sand bar created by silt from the confluence of the Salmon and Kobuk rivers, still some 80 miles away. He said that bar would be submerged if the river rose significantly. If it disappeared, we'd have to paddle an additional 50 miles to the native village of Kiana to get taken out. That was not something we wanted.

Sporadic satellite weather updates we were getting from my wife, Teri, showed rain, rain and more rain in the forecast. That meant there was

an ever-increasing chance we were going to lose our gravel bar landing strip. Our plan of a leisurely paddle, fishing our way down a lazy river was replaced by a sense of urgency and concern. We began pulling the canoe farther up on to the beach at night and stabbing a stick into the waters edge to monitor the river's rise. And paddling in earnest. The forecast, at least, showed tail winds for the next couple of days. Still, paddling with purpose was slow and laborious and we would be lucky to make 15 miles a day, totally spent. Not good enough. We were going to need to get to our take out much earlier than planned. Inspiration borne from desperation struck and we hit on the idea of rigging up a sail to take advantage of the tail wind. We stretched a rain tarp between two spare paddles and damned if it didn’t work like a charm. We almost doubled our speed and managed a couple of high mileage days that really saved us.

We made the Salmon River by midday on Day 8 and – hallelujah – the gravel bar landing strip was still intact. But – yikes – the Salmon River itself that feeds in just above it was at full flood stage, raging, mud colored and full of tree debris. It wouldn’t take long for that outflow to eat up our precious beach. Right away we inReached our outfitter requesting an early pick up. Their first satellite text response read, "You will have to paddle on by.” What? No! For reasons we didn’t understand at the time, they were convinced our landing beach was already gone and that we would have to keep paddling to Kiana. Low on food, battery power, human power and dry clothes, we were not anxious for an extra 50 miles.

It took convincing through irregular back and forth texting that, yes, we really do have a beach. We held soaked phones up to dripping clouds to acquire a satellite connection and then had agonizing waits for replies. It wasn’t until we paced off the beach and sent those coordinates that we finally received: “Okay, get your asses ready, we’re coming.” Yes! We deflated our canoe, rolled it up and packed up all our gear and waited. An hour later: “All planes were grounded in Kotzebue due to low visibility, not sure when we will be able to come." No!  What does that mean? Later today? Tomorrow? The day after? This beach won’t last and now we have a deflated boat.

So we sat, tense in the rain all afternoon, each of us with our gloomy thoughts. Do we re-inflate the boat and keep going? Pitch our tents and wait it out? Will this beach even survive the night? As evening approached, a decision needed to be made. Then, while deliberating ... a sound? We tilted our wet faces to the sky, ears straining for the thrum of an engine that was, to our very great relief, getting closer and closer.

When we were safely aboard, flying back to Kotzebue about 300 feet off the ground, our pilot told us the entire town was a mess. Apparently, all Alaska Airlines flights over the past couple days, in and out, had been can-

celed because of volcanic ash clouds from the eruption of the Russian volcano Krasheninnikov. What’s more, the atmospheric river that had been dumping on us had been dumping even more vigorously to the north and the Noatak River and all its tributaries were well above flood stage. They were certain our landing strip was in the same condition, which explained why they needed convincing it wasn't. Fortunately for us, we were on a more southerly river system and the flood conditions were just a little more delayed. Our outfitters' hunting, fishing and flight seeing trips had been canceled and they were rescuing groups off of the northerly river systems. All of those people were now stranded in tiny Kotzebue, all looking for a place to stay.

Again fortune smiled on us when our very resourceful outfitter was able to get us bunked up in an Airbnb that already had four people in a three-bedroom house. Now there were six of us. Turns out the four strangers-turned-roommates were a scientific group from the University of Alaska: Paddy Sullivan, Director of the Environment and Natural Resource Institute, and his fellow researchers.

They had been camped out on a gravel bar, much like ours, awaiting pick up after doing research on the Noatak River. In the middle of the night they woke to find the river had risen to within a few feet of their tents. They had to pack everything up and escape in their pack rafts! They were washed out on floodwaters until a boat rescue could reach them. Their rescuer? None other than Seth Kantner, in his fishing boat and well familiar with the Noatak River.

As the final exclamation point to our great good fortune, our bush pilot texted us the following evening to tell us the beach he picked us off of was completely submerged when he flew over it the next day. x

Kingfisher Staff Picks

DISASTERS

AT SEA

Brad’s Pick

“The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald”

John U. Bacon

Liveright

Released in time for the 50th anniversary of one of the most famous 20th century maritime tragedies, and not just because of the song, this book combines an intimate portrait of the lives changed and lost through the headline-grabbing disaster with a detailed history of Great Lakes shipping and the economies it drove.

“This is a story that’s been hard to tell because of the ‘why,’” said Brad, who came to bookselling after retiring from a 40-year career as a merchant sailor. “It’s an emotional story about hubris and ego and competition. They were pushing the limits, kept trying to break more records. McSorely, the captain, was retiring at the end of the season. Did he decide to keep going because he wasn’t going to end his career as one of the most skilled great lake skippers of all time chickening out, hiding behind an island?”

“There’s a lot of detail about some of the crew members and their lives and hopes and families. Their radar was out, they were dead reckoning, only fifteen miles from safe water when they went down. Having worked on the Great Lakes on ships carrying taconite and frozen coal, it was emotional for me to imagine being in their shoes.”

Meg’s Pick

“Wrecked: Unsettling Histories from the Graveyard of the Pacific”

Coll Thrush

University of Washington Press

The waters off the Pacific coast of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia are treacherous, and it seems every community has a shipwreck story. From the Columbia River bar to Clayoquot Sound, and from Spanish galleons in the 1600s to the recent past, the book tells the stories of some of the over 2,000 shipwrecks that dot our Pacific coast.

“Thrush looks at the stories of shipwrecks along the coast with a self-described ‘view from the shore,’ looking at the afterlives of the wrecks themselves and what they meant to indigenous and settler communities,” Meg said. “This isn’t a traditional collection of stories of doomed vessels and sending the women to the lifeboats. It is human and uses innovative storytelling that shifts the focus from man against the sea to the intersection of Indigenous peoples and the natural world with colonialism.”

Felix’s Pick

“Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession and Shipwreck”

Sophie Elmhirst Riverhead Books

“Marriage at Sea” is both high seas adventure and a grueling survival story, but it is really a story about love and partnership tested by adversity.

“This is not so much a biography as an extremely readable story based on real events and documents,” said bookseller Felix. “A charming English woman marries a man who is a bit of a misanthrope but does like boats. They sell everything, buy a boat and set off to sail to New Zealand from England, but in the Pacific a whale smacks their boat and they are stuck in a life raft for 117 days with no one but each other. Their relationship quickly flips on its head when they need someone really in charge, at an existential level. They harness sea turtles, keep pet sea turtles and eat sea turtles. They fight a shark, the elements, boredom, discord and terror.” x

EATS & SLEEPS

EATS

ACME

ACME DINER

2045 Valley Hwy

360/595-0150

Acme-Diner.com

Everything made from scratch! Full breakfasts to dessert. Full bar. Open 6 days a week 8am-8pm. Closed Tuesday.

ACME GENERAL STORE

Hwy 9

360/595-2146

Daily fresh baked goods, sandwiches & take-nbake pizza. Open 7 days a week.

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. Food is prepped fresh and sourced from local farms and businesses.

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.

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.

EVERSON

HERB NIEMANN’S STEAK & SCHNITZEL HOUSE

203 West Main St.

360/966-2855

Herbniemannssteakhouse.com

Hand-cut aged steaks in an old country German setting. Prime rib Wednesdays.

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

CHAIR 9

10459 Mt. Baker Hwy. 360/599-2511

Chair9.com

Family dining, Woodstone pizza and sports bar.

GRAHAMS STORE

9989 Mt. Baker Hwy.

360/599-2665

Bagel sandwiches, espresso.

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

BLUE T LODGE

10459 Mt. Baker Hwy.

360/599-9944

Bluetlodge.com

Nightly room rentals. Closest room rental to the mountain.

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 accommodations - from rustic to luxury getaways, from studio to 12+ bedrooms. Open 7 days a week.

Vancouver’s Best Kept Secret is Just Across the Line

Explore the Tiny American Gem on the Canadian Salish Sea!

While the world gathers in Vancouver for the 2026 global tournaments, a hidden treasure awaits just minutes away. Discover Point Roberts, a unique American exclave on the Tsawwassen Peninsula, perfectly positioned off the Highway 99 corridor. This quiet corner of the Pacific Northwest always welcomes visitors with its blend of relaxed charm and natural beauty. Here, you can escape the crowds and find your moment of peace. Stroll through waterfront parks, hike pristine trails, or enjoy a round of golf on a championship course.

Retreat to the tranquility of Point Roberts. It’s the perfect balance of global energy and serene solitude. Just remember to bring your passport!

Events can be big in our small seaside community. Our community thrives on connection and celebration, hosting events that bring together locals and visitors for unforgettable experiences. You won’t want to miss the Fourth of July parade and the summer-long celebrations for our nation’s 250th birthday. And mark your calendar for July 11, the 3rd Annual Point Roberts Strings & Things International Music Festival—a one-day celebration of string-driven artistry set against the stunning backdrop of the Salish Sea. Purchase tickets at stringsandthingsmusicfestival.com

Make Point Roberts an essential part of your 2026 travel experience and discover an unforgettable destination.

EVENTS

ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION

JINGLE BELL RUN:

Saturday, December 13, 2025

Bellingham High School. 5K run or walk, 1 mile Dog Trot. Get decked out and be festive, while racing to raise funds and awareness to cure America’s #1 cause of disability. For more info: JBR.org/bellingham.

FAIRHAVEN FROSTY:

Saturday, December 6, 2025

10k, 5k and Little One’s Run. A very fun and festive event located at the Fairhaven Park in Bellingham. Holiday-themed costumes encouraged (there are several holidays in December, so choose your favorite)!  We’ll be awarding ‘spot’ costume awards to our most festive runners and holiday music will be playing at the start and finish area. For more info: gbrc.net/races

GALBRAITH MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY RACE SERIES:

2nd Saturdays November/ December 2025 to January 2026

Winter in the PNW is legendary. Muddy trails, misty forests, and cold temperatures are guaranteed, but to the stalwart trail runner these conditions are essential to the joy emanating from a winter running practice. For more info: aspireadventurerunning.com/Galbraith-mountain-trail-series/ TIMBRRR!

BEST TRICK CONTEST:

Saturday, December 27, 2025

Mt Baker Ski Area. A best trick contest is always a fun way to kick off the season in The Sticks. This event will feature an exclusive wooden rail setup for contestants separate from the zone’s public line. For more info: mtbaker.us/events

GUINNESS WORLD

RECORDS™ ATTEMPTLARGEST POLAR BEAR DIP:

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Birch Bay. Help us make history! Join thousands in Birch Bay, WA as we

attempt the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Largest Polar Bear Dip at our annual Polar Bear Plunge Event! Every participant must go waist deep in the water and stay in for 1 minute (we’ll have markers and a siren to keep time). No wetsuits, no costumes — just bathing suits! The record to beat: 2,461 people (Czech Republic, March 2025). Pre-registration encouraged. For more info: birchbaywa.org/birch-bay-polarbear-plunge/

BEACON RALLY:

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Mt. Baker Ski Area. The Beacon Rally is a jumping off point where you can be exposed to basic avalanche awareness, practice using your avalanche transceiver and hone your group rescue skills in a fun environment. For more info: mtbaker.us/events

37TH ANNUAL LEGENDARY BANKED SLALOM:

February 6-7-8, 2026

Mt. Baker Ski Area. This snowboard race holds a special place for locals and legends alike and offers the simplest form of competition, pitting each rider against the clock on the same world-famous banks. For more info: lbs.mtbaker.us.

PADDEN MUDFEST:

Sunday, March 1, 2026

5K and 10K trail runs on Lake Padden Park, Bellingham. Expect narrow winding trails, steep ups and downs, rocks and roots and, all being well, lots of sloppy and slippery mud courtesy of the Mudfest Monster.  For more info: gbrc.net/ races/padden-mudfest/

MUSSELS IN THE KETTLES:

Saturday, March 7, 2026

A non-competitive ride for all types of riders in Coupeville. You pick your pace and your route, 3 courses through the Fort Ebey and the Kettles trail system. For more info: whidbeyislandbicycleclub.org

WINGS OVER WATER NORTHWEST BIRDING FESTIVAL:

March 13-15, 2026

Discover the magic of birding in Blaine,

Birch Bay and Semiahmoo. Experience field trips, wildlife presentations, kids activities and so much more. For more info, wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.com

FROSTY MOSS RELAY:

Saturday, March 14, 2026

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 Route. Teams of 2 to 5. For more info: frostymossrelay.com.

CHUCKANUT 50K:

Saturday, March 21, 2026

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 info: chuckanut50krace.com.

OAT RUN:

Saturday, April 11, 2026

Port Angeles. 50K and point-to-point 12K and half marathon Trail Race that traverses Kelly Ridge between Olympic National Park and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, all on single-track trail. For more info: peninsulaadventuresports.com

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE & TRAVEL SHOW:

February 28 & March 1, 2026

BC’s largest showcase of outdoor gear and adventure travel experiences. Over 250 exhibitors and 60 adventure presentations. For more info: outdooradventureshow.ca.

VANCOUVER SUN RUN:

Sunday, April 19, 2026: Canada’s largest 10k road race since 1985. Inspiring healthy, active lifestyles for people of all ages and at any fitness level. For more info: vancouversunrun.com

WHIDBEY ISLAND

MARATHON:

Sunday, April 26, 2026

One of the Pacific Northwest’s hidden athletic gems it’s 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. For more info: oakharbor.gov

SKI TO SEA:

Sunday, May 24, 2026

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 52 years. Registration opens January 1, 2026. For more information or to register: skitosea.com.