2 Mount Baker Experience

Deep in the heart of the North Cascades moun-tain range, on a lonely stretch of highway betweenSedro-Woolley and Eastern Washington’s MethowValley, lies an unexpected gem. Tucked awayinto a pocket of forest near Lake Diablo is theNorth Cascades Environmental Learning Cen-ter, a place where children learn and adults gethands-on training in the 684,000-acre wilder-ness playground known as the North CascadesNational Park.

Don’t let the name fool you. While the cen-ter provides a variety of outdoor educationalprograms, it’s an excellent way for grown-upsto have fun in the woods and explore a varietyof outdoor activities – no equipment or priorexperience necessary.

The center, created in 2005 as part of a miti-gation agreement by Seattle City Light for itsuse of the Skagit River for hydroelectric proj-ects, offers outdoor interpretive excursions ledby staff naturalists. It was founded in 1986 bySaul Weisberg, then a North Cascades parkranger, along with his college buddies as a sideproject. With a $39,000 budget, they offeredmulti-day trips around the Cascades and groupcamping trips, often forgoing a salary to keepthe operation going.

“We love this place and saw the potential forit to get torn apart because there wasn’t a placefor people to get good information,” he said.“The dialogue back then was always us versusthem and it was always angry. We thought if wecould get more people exposed to nature, the

conversation might become more informed andmore civil. Our goal was conversation and alsoto help save this place we love.

“We like to joke we’re a faith-based organi-zation, in that we have faith that the more peo-ple experience something the more they’re goingto care about it and the more they’re going towant to know.”

Today, the non-profit manages a $2.5 millionprogram and 16-building complex that featuresa library, dorm-style bedrooms and classroomsthat feature workshops on everything from pho-tography to geology to butterflies and art.

Although the center was first designed tooffer youth programs, director Saul Weisbergsaid they have added more adult seminars, retreatsand other programs in the past few years. Someof those classes – including the SourdoughSpeaker Series offered twice a year – are gearedtoward older audiences. Last season’s seriesincluded a presentation by noted Northwestlandscape photographer Lee Mann (see inter-view, page 10) with an overnight stay in com-fortable guest rooms, breakfast and a guidedcanoe trip across Lake Diablo. The series is namedafter the nearby Sourdough Mountain, wherebeat poet Gary Snyder served as a fire lookout.

Another popular series “Searching for Ker-ouac in the North Cascades” reflects the factthat author Jack Kerouac (On The Road, Dhar-ma Bums) served as a fire lookout at nearbySourdough Mountain as did poet Gary Snyder.

Each Sourdough engagement begins Satur-

day around sunset with wine and hors d’oeu-vres on the deck of the lakeside dining hall, oneof the only buildings refurbished when the NorthCascades Institute built the complex on the exist-ing foundation of the former Lake Diablo Resort.Guests also enjoy an informal gourmet dinnerusing local and organic foods whenever possi-ble. .

The campus is designed to encourage gueststo be outdoors whenever possible. Realizing thatit rains more often than not in Pacific North-west, architects with Henry Klien group in MountVernon included overlapping eves made froma mix of recycled fly ash and concrete to allowguests to walk throughout the complex with-out getting wet.

“They really got the issue of sustainabilitybefore it was even a buzz word,” Weisberg said.“We used simple materials and simple systemsbecause sustainability also involves longetivity.Although at the time, we had a hard time find-ing subcontractors who were certified.”

Site placement was selected with the sun’sheat in mind, capturing southern exposure inthe winter and shading from the intense north-ern exposure in the summer. As a result, no airconditioning is needed.

The campus also features trails, a canoe dock,outdoor learning shelters, an amphitheater andthe Wild Ginger library.

The North Cascades Learning Center’s web-site is www.ncascades.org.

Photo by Benj Drummond

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Institute offers broader array of programs, including sourdoughUpcoming ProgramsMany adult programs are so pop-ular that it is recommended guestsbook months in advance, especiallyfor summer guided getaways andfor Diablo Downtime, a retreat filledwith canoe trips, guided hikes andyoga.To apply, see ncascades.orgDiablo DowntimeJuly 5 – 7 & August 20 - 22$245 and upDiablo Downtime offers a retreatinto the North Cascades with plen-ty of time to unplug and unwindhowever one sees fit. An array ofactivities, however, are offeredincluding hiking and yoga, whileevenings will feature fireside talesafter leisurely dinners prepared byChef Shelby Slater with organic,fare from local Skagit Valley farmsand producers.Pocket Camera Wildflower PhotographyJuly 19 – 21$215 and upPhotographer Mark Turner showspocket digital camera owners howto make the most of their built-infeatures in the wilderness. Fieldtrips to wildflower meadows andgroup critiques are included. Costincludes two nights of lodging andseven meals.Free Diablo Lake paddleThrough SeptemberOn selected weekends through Sep-tember, the institute offers freehalf-day canoe trips and hikes atthe learning center on a first-come,first-served basis. Their next sched-uled trip is from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30p.m. Saturday, July 31. Donationsare welcome.Spirit of Place: Writing About the OutdoorsAugust 23 - 25$275 and upParticipants will learn to recreatethe world on the page through useof concrete language, vivid imagery,dramatic scene and point of viewwhile reading travel and naturewriting from Paul Theroux, EdwardAbbey, Brenda Peterson. Costincludes two nights of lodging andseven meals.

Mount Baker Experience 3

Welcome to the Mount Baker Experience, the quarterly recreation guide for and about the Mt. Baker area, pub-lished by Point Roberts Press, Inc. Locally owned and operated, the company also publishes The Northern Light, AllPoint Bulletin, Pacific Coast Weddings and Waterside in Blaine, Washington. Point Roberts Press is a member of theWashington Newspaper Publishers Association, chambers of commerce in Whatcom County and the Bellingham/Mt.Baker Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and are offered for the general interest of readers. We wel-come your letters; however, the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editor. For circulation and rateinformation, or to send your letters, please address to: Mount Baker Experience, 225 Marine Drive, Blaine, WA 98230,fax them to 360/332-2777 or email info@mountbakerexperience.com.

Address: 225 Marine Drive, Blaine, WA 98230Tel: 360/332-1777, Fax: 360/332-2777Email: info@mountbakerexperience.comWeb: www.mountbakerexperience.comNext edition: September Ads due: August 15Publisher/Managing Editor/LayoutPatrick J. GrubbAssociate Publisher/Advertising ManagerLouise H. MugarGraphic Design Charlie Hagan, Ruth LawlessContributors Cak Kamak, Lee Mann, GradyMcComb, Kate McDermott, Tara Nelson, JeremySchwartzAdvertising Sales Molly Ernst, Janet McCall Office Manager Heidi Holmes

XMOUNT BAKER

e periencePrinted in Canada Vol XXIV No. 3

This is where

www.mountbakerexperience.com: Read the current issue of Mount Baker Experience here, and find all the archives as well. www.mtbaker.us: Find the latest information about the Mt. Baker Ski Area.www.mtbakerchamber.org: Discover the area’s businesses. www.weather.com: Get all the weather you need.www.wsdot.wa.gov/regions/northwest/traffic/bordercams: Need to know about border delays? Find out here.

find it online

contents4 Because it’s there...

It’s calling you. You know it. Why resist its sirensong when you’ll feel so good afterwards...

6 Bringing the house downThe 15th Annual Mt. Baker Rhythm & Blues Festival is getting ready for some serious music-making. Have you got your tickets yet?

8 Festival 542Here’s an early look at the newly expanded Ride542. From cyclocross to trail runs to a food fest,Ride 542 is one hot weekend in September.

9 Get yourself dirtyOnly the Bivalve Bash and the Low Tide Mud Runputs good food, beverages and downright filthyfun together with such style. Don’t miss it!

12 Panning for goldYou may not get rich but then again, maybe youwill. At least you’re not working for the man.

19 Regional Map

it all HAPPENS...

On the coverMountain Wildflowersby Lee Mann

www.facebook.com/MountBakerExperience

Photo by Cak Kamak

4 Mount Baker Experience

Around this time of year when the clouds roll awayand Mt. Baker can be seen in its summer glory, therearises a murmuring in these parts. It’s quiet but it’sinsistent. “Because it’s there,” it seems to say. “Becauseit’s there.” You’ll never know when you’ll hear it orwho will be murmuring it but hear it, you will. It maycome when you’re sitting having a beer with a perfectlysensible friend who will turn to you and say, “Dude,how would you like to climb Mt. Baker with me?” Asa mouthful of Hefeweizen flies across the room, you’llreply, “What, are you nuts? Why would you want todo that?” And looking at you with a far away look inhis or her eyes, your friend will murmur, “Because it’sthere.”

And that’s how you will come to climb Mt. Baker.Luckily for you, it’s a climb that even beginners cando. Even better, there are a number of clubs and organ-izations that can provide you with training and guidesto take you to the top of the 10,778-foot peak and backagain to the bottom. Virtually all of the people involvedin the guided tours stress the need to be fit beforeattempting the ascent – the climb requires strong legsand upper body (to carry a 50-60 pound pack), andthe cardio-vascular fitness to take you into thinningair under load. Mountain Madness, one of the pre-mier outfits offering guided trips up the volcano saysby getting your heart, lungs, and legs in top physicalcondition, you can focus on learning and still be ableto enjoy the high mountain environment. They alsorecommend that you have some camping and hiking

experience prior to this trip.There are three main routes to the top with the Cole-

man/Deming glacier route being the most frequent-ly traveled. The North Ridge is more difficult. Accessis gained by turning right a mile past the Glacier Pub-lic Service Center onto Road 39. The trailhead is approx-imately eight miles further up the road. The Ptarmi-gan Ridge version takes the Park Glacier route, theCockscomb and the Roosevelt headwall. It starts fivemiles past the end of SR 542 at Camp Kiser. Seattle-based outfits tend to favor the Easton Glacier routevia the Baker Pass trail. The trailhead begins at SchreibersMeadow.

Typically, the climbs take three days from start tofinish. The first includes travel to the trailhead and athree to four hour hike to base camp. The second dayis spent training and practicing needed skills such asice ax techniques, how to stop yourself sliding on snowand ice, traveling while roped to your fellow climbersand rescue techniques. Even though it’s summertime,the possibility of avalanches is still there for the unwary.The third day starts early, 2 or 2:30 a.m. with break-fast followed by an early start up the final ascent.Depending on how fast you and your group are, theascent can take up to eight hours. After admiring theview (and letting your friend know you have decidedto spare their life after all), it will be time to start head-ing home. And to a beer that will taste incomparablybetter than the one you had at the beginning of thesaga.

By Pat Grubb All photos by Cak Kamak

The Mountain is calling you

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Mount Baker Experience 5

skills at places such as Oyster Domeand Mt. Erie. The class will even-tually summit Mt. Baker.

Part of the training involves skillsin route-finding and navigating gla-ciers. The training creates real lifescenarios for crevasse rescues. Cre-vasses are beautiful but as a moun-taineer you would never want to fallinto one. The rescue training pro-vides an opportunity to see thesenatural wonders from a differentperspective.

The crevasse rescue exercises were

The Skagit Alpine Club hosts amountaineering class every yearthat starts in March and ends inJune. The class involves a three-hour, in-classroom lecture everyweek followed by an outing on theweekend.

The scope of the class covers every-thing from gear, conditioning, climb-ing skills to weather and expeditionplanning. The outings start withconditioning hikes and climbing

done on the Coleman Glacier. Thetraining includes a self-rescue exer-cise and also a team rescue exercise.The self-rescue exercise involvesusing knots that slide and grip onthe team rope that allows a climberto ascend up the rope. The teamexercise involves the use of a pul-ley system that can be used to pullthe fallen climber out of the cre-vasse.

The class is for club members,but by enrolling in the class youautomatically get a one-year mem-

bership to the Skagit Alpine Club.Most of this year’s group were newto the club and the class. There wereapproximately 20 students in theclass. The instructors are all clubmembers with many years of expe-rience in mountaineering.

Go Climbing!When: Now through Septem-ber, depending upon organi-zationCost: Depending on organi-zation, number of guidesCompanies and OrganizationsOffering Mt. Baker Excursions:

Mountain Madness3018 SW Charlestown St.,Seattle206/937-8389 or 800/328-5925info@Mountainmadness.comOpen Mon – Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain Madness has a few tripswith openings left. Cost is $775.

Alpine Ascents International109 West Mercer St., Seattle206/378-1927Open Mon - Fri 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Known as the Seven Summits Com-pany, Alpine has open spots forJuly excursions. Cost is $800.

American Alpine Institute (AAI)1515 12th St.Bellingham360/671-1505info@aai.ccCost is $590 with program datesextending into late September.You can also arrange for privatetrips for groups of friends. Con-tact the guide companies for moredetail.

Skagit Alpine ClubP.O. Box 1054Mt Vernon, WA 98273The club meets on the firstWednesday of the month. Meet-ings take place at Skagit ValleyCollege in Mt. Vernon in Room T-41 in Roberts Hall. Club membersare involved in a wide range ofrecreational activities such asclimbing, hiking, snow camping,sea kayaking, white water raft-ing, mountain biking, scuba div-ing and downhill snow sports.

By Cak Kamak

s The winged guardians of Mt. Baker accepting payment for safe passage.

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6 Mount Baker Experience

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Mount Baker Experience 7

Are you ready for some great music? Organizers ofthe 15th annual Mount Baker R&B Festival have pulledtogether some of the best names in international andregional R&B artists to send you home with your earsringing and your mind reeling!

The one and only Leon Russell, the King of Boogie-Woogie piano Commander Cody and the Lost PlanetAirmen, B.B. King 2009 entertainer of the year JanivaMagness, Junkyard Jane, the Northwest legends ofSwampabilly Blues, and many more legends in theflesh…

Back at the Deming Log Show fairgrounds for thefifth year, it’s a great place to listen to music, eat, meetfriends and camp out. The 180-acre site offers plenty

of space for campers and RVers with hot and cold run-ning water, toilets and lots of food vendors.

After each evening show there is an all-star jam thatgoes on until 2 a.m. on Friday, July 30 and Saturdayand midnight on Sunday, August 1. On Sunday morn-ing there will be a gospel service hosted by Seattle’sBlues Minister, Reverend Deb Engelhard with musicby Trimmed and Burnin.’

Tickets are available online at www.bakerblues.com(360/383-0850); in Bellingham at Avalon Music, 1330Railroad Avenue (360/676-9573); in Burlington atHugo Helmer Music, 1025 Goldenrod Road (360/757-0270).

By the way, there are only 2,000 tickets...

s Dave Halliday, proprietor of Cross Roads Grocery along with wife Jen,may now be better known as the man who brought the beer cave toMaple Falls and high-speed internet to Glacier. At Cross Roads Groceryin Maple Falls the store has been revamped with a major addition of abeer cave featuring over 200 kinds of the cold ones. For residents andbusinesses in Glacier he has opened up high-speed internet services start-ing with the water district and now being expanded to the surround-ing community. With a background at Microsoft and his own computerstore in Seattle, he got fed up with satellite and decided to take thingsinto his own capable hands. For more info contact Dave at the store at360/599-9657 or visit www.foothillsbroadband.com

s The Mediterranean Suite.

Get ready to bring the house down!

When Kara Black’s eco-travelbusiness, A Closer Look Travel, washit hard by the recession last year,she had a choice: hang on or branchout into other ventures. That’s whenBlack got the idea to open Tree FrogNight Inn, a small, sustainably-built lodge on the Mt. Baker High-way.

Surrounded by five acres of lush,mature forest, sunny glades and atributary to Squalicum Creek, TreeFrog Night Inn offers two cozy suites,each with art and furnishings thatevoke a distinct culture. The CoastSalish Native American suite fea-tures hand-carved works by localNative artists and pigmented Amer-ican clay walls, a natural alterna-tive to paint. The Mediterraneansuite features Turkish wall hang-ings, fabrics, Persian rugs andimported light fixtures.

“Since I was 20, I had always beeninterested in starting a retreat cen-ter and the sustainability factor Iwas aiming for is consistent with

my own, personal values,” she said.“I love nature, I love wild animalsand trees and want to make as lit-tle impact on it as I can. I also enjoyhospitality, and our house is alwaysfull of people so it’s kind of rightup my alley. I love meeting differ-ent people from all over and givingthem a comfortable, enjoyable stay.”

Black said the Mediterraneansuite was inspired by a recent tripto Turkey and the Coast Salish suitewas inspired by work with the Lum-mi Nation and the relationshipsshe forged during her role as com-munity connections committeechair for the Paddle To Lummi canoejourney a few years ago.

“It was very, very inspiring,” shesaid. “I met a lot of Lummi people,and it really gave me an apprecia-tion of their art and their culture.Both the people of the LummiNation and Turkey are very, verywarm and hospitable people so allthe more appropriate for the themefor an inn that is meant to put peo-ple at ease and make them com-fortable.”

But beyond aesthetics, Black saidthe idea was to build and operate alodge with sustainability in mind,capturing rainwater, compostingfood waste, using natural cleaningand health products and offeringdual flush toilets. In addition, thefootprint of the inn was designedto prevent the cutting of any largetrees and local artisans and con-tractors were employed in its con-struction. Green, natural and non-toxic building products andfurnishings were used wheneverpossible, as well as energy-efficientappliances and paints with low lev-els of volatile compounds (VOC),she said. Breakfasts at Tree Frogincludes organic, local produce,pasture-raised dairy, local eggs andhumanely-raised meats.

“When you’re building sustain-ably, you have to be more creativewith your materials and practicesand you’re kind of innovating sothe end result can make for a moreinteresting experience. Part of sus-tainability, using local materialsand working with local artists madeit interesting to me as well as thepeople who are staying here as theyget a real, authentic Whatcom Coun-ty experience.”

Prior to Tree Frog Inn, Black hadspecialized in sustainable travel, anumbrella term that breaks downinto three areas: environmentallysustainable tourism, socially con-scious ‘voluntourism’ and eco-nomically responsible travel. Butbecause many of her clients weresmall-scale lodges, bed and break-fasts and farms, they couldn’t offerthe kinds of competitive rates asmulti-national hotel chains.

“My background is in construc-tion, cohousing, sustainability andtravel so it’s really neat I was ableto find a way to put them all togeth-er like this,” she said.

Tree Frog Night Inn is located at1727 Mt. Baker Highway in Belling-ham and can be reached by calling360/676-2300. Their website iswww.treefrognight.com.

By Tara Nelson

Ribbit, one tree frog night at a time

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8 Mount Baker Experience

The country’s first electric high-way is about to become reality,according to an announcementfrom Washington state governorChristine Gregoire. The governorannounced June 28 that the state’selectric vehicle (EV) infrastructureefforts would benefit from $1.32million in new Federal Recovery Actfunding.

The state is currently workingon plans to provide an initial net-work of public access electric vehi-cle recharging stations along Inter-state 5. Once done, the state wouldbe the first to offer border to bor-der fast charge technology.

Speaking in Olympia, Gregoiresaid, “Providing the nation’s firsttrue electrified highway (I-5) willbenefit Washingtonians and showthe rest of the country how we canuse innovative partnerships to solvesome of our most difficult chal-lenges like climate change and ourdependence on oil.”

The electric highway will sup-port plug-in electric vehicles suchas the Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus, and

This year’s edition of Ride 542takes place on September 12. Someriders will call it a day after riding25 miles from Glacier up Mt. Bak-er while others will ride down aswell. The U-Dumb (Up Down andUp Mt. Baker) riders will make it a100-mile day.

What’s different this year is thatit’s an all-weekend festival that startson Saturday, September 11 with aCyclocross at Silver Lake. Cross 542starts off at 9 a.m. on a course that’sgood for first-timers as well as expe-rienced riders.

Run 542 is later that day and isan 8.5 mile trail run/walk coursethat starts at the White SalmonLodge and ends at Artist’s Point.

Eat 542 is a fun food and awardsevent in Glacier starting at 5 p.m.on Saturday. Fill up on carbs if you’reriding on Sunday.

Ride 542 – participants must pre-register, no day-of. Ride 542 followsthe Mt. Baker Hwy from Glacier (e.955 ft.) 24.5 miles to its terminusat Artist’s Point (e. 5140 ft.), on the

border of North Cascades Nation-al Park. This is a state highway andwill be closed for the ride. Ride 542has several categories to fit yourability and desire for competitive-ness … or lack thereof.

For more info and to register, vis-it www.festival542.com

Start getting in shape (and wemean good shape) now. The Belling-ham YMCA has a program to helpyou do that. Ride 542 OutdoorTraining begins July 7 and runsuntil August 25 every Wednesdayfrom 6 – 8 p.m. Cost is $75 for Ymembers, $85 otherwise. It includesregistration for the ride. If you’renot planning to ride, you can knockoff $40.

Running, not riding? Those plan-ning on doing the Run 542 8.5 miletrail run from Mt. Baker ski area toArtist’s Point are encouraged totake the Run 542 class, also offeredby the Y for the same price.

The program starts Tuesday, July6 and goes through to August 24.Class goes from 6:30 - 7 p.m. Par-ticipants should be able to run forone hour prior to registration.

Chevy Volt soon to be available toconsumers. The infrastructure willenable electric vehicle drivers totravel the length of the state alongthe 276 miles of I-5 between Wash-ington’s borders with Oregon andCanada. Nearly 300,000 electric vehi-cles are projected to be used on stateroads during the next 10 years.

The “electric highway” will con-nect Puget Sound electric vehicledrivers with Portland and otherwest coast communities partici-pating in the EV Project, a $230 mil-lion project to deploy a total of 4,700electric vehicles and nearly 15,000charge stations in five states (Ore-gon, Washington, California, Ari-zona and Tennessee) and the Dis-trict of Columbia.

The project will bring 900 Nis-san Leaf vehicles and more than2,000 EV charging stations to theSeattle area. The state will partnerwith private companies to installfast charging infrastructure in crit-ical charging zones in unserved loca-tions along major interstates. Thefirst charging sites will be placedalong I-5 north of Everett and southof Centralia.

State offers electrifyingvision of Interstate 5

It also supports the West CoastGreen Highway, a tri-state initia-tive to promote the use of cleanerfuels along the 1,350 miles of I-5from British Columbia to Baja Cal-ifornia. Washington’s network ofelectric vehicle charging infra-structure could jump start the devel-opment of a regional EV networkspreading across the entire lengthof I-5 connecting three states andthree countries and serving the twomillion electric vehicles anticipat-ed on the west coast.

In February, Governor Gregoiresigned an action plan with leadersfrom Oregon, California and BritishColumbia to establish I-5 as a greenhighway by building infrastructurefor alternative fuels and electricvehicle charging.

Timeline:Stage ILevel 2 chargers will be installed

at Washington’s Gateway safety restareas for public education and out-reach. Level-2 chargers allow carsto be charged in as little as 45 min-utes, in contrast to the more typi-cal eight hours for 120 volt homeoutlets.

Gee Creek rest area: first pointof entry from Oregon, located onI-5 northbound in the Vancouverarea.

Custer rest area: first point ofentry from Canada, located on I-5southbound in the Blaine area.

Level 3 “fast charge” stations willbe developed through public/pri-vate partnerships with private firms.The exact location of these fast-charge stations will depend uponthe private partner’s retail location.

Summer 2010: Identify north-south corridor charging locations

Fall 2010: Select contractorFall 2010: Install quick-charge

stationsStage IIBased on analysis of Stage I, addi-

tional Level-3 “fast charge” stationswill be installed along I-5 and onWashington’s east-west corridor.

Spring 2011: Identify east-westcorridor charging locations

Summer 2011: Install quick-charge stations

For more information on theElectric Highways project, visit:www.wsdot.wa.gov/Partners/Green-Highways/electric_highways

By Pat Grubb

By Pat Grubb

Get ready for Ride 542s One of last year’s racers coming up the hill...

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Mount Baker Experience 9

You call it mud, we call it fun

The 8th Annual Samish BayBivalve Bash and Low Tide MudRun will be held Saturday, July 24at the Taylor Shellfish Farms onChuckanut Drive on the shores ofSamish Bay just north of Bow. Pro-ceeds from the homegrown, home-spun day of games and contests,food and beverage, entertainmentand family activities support thecommunity clean water awarenessprograms of the Skagit Conserva-tion Education Alliance (SCEA).

The popular 250-yard Low TideMud Run, yard for yard the North-west’s toughest foot race, begins atlow tide (-0.47), 10:49 a.m. The stren-uous race, limited to the first 200entrants, requires peak fitness. Shoesare required and clean up hoses areprovided. A change of clothes is rec-ommended. Runners stuck in themud will be rescued before theincoming tide. Mud Run divisionsinclude boys and girls, ages 8-12and men and women, ages 13 andup. The 100-yard Kid’s Mud Runwill start at 11:30 a.m. Medals andprizes will be awarded in each divi-sion. For information and entry goto www.bivalvebash.com or call206/612-2761. Bivalve Bash entryis $5 with kids six and under andMud Runners admitted free.

Bivalve Bash activities kick offat 9 a.m. with Mud Run registra-

s Taylor Shellfish Farm president Bill Taylor samples his wares,center, while mudrunners come in from the mud.

tion and The World’s Only OysterShell Sculpture Contest and SCEAsilent auction. There are amateuroyster shucking competitions, Mr.Krabby’s Kid Pond, oyster shuffle-board, mud volleyball and muddytug-o-war. The kid’s beach will beopen throughout the day where kidscan try their hand building a fairyhouse. Crab races will be ongoingall day.

Shellacious Bivalve Bash farebegins at 11 a.m. and includes oys-ters, steamed clams, bbq’d or cur-ried mussels, bbq’d salmon, hotdogs, corn on the cob and raspberryshortcake. There is also a beer gar-den. Live music will be provided byThe Atlantics, a Bellingham band,from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

For a complete list of festivalactivities, schedule of events andmenu go to www.bivalvebash.com.

The only parking available at thefestival site is for daytime bicycleparking. For free car parking, fol-low the signs going north and southon Chuckanut Drive. Shuttle bus-es, will leave every 15-20 minutes;one with handicapped accessibili-ty. Note: no pets and no coolers areallowed at the festival site.

By Kate McDermott

We offer all year family fun!

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For more information,Call 360-988-2261 or (360) 961-2122

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10 Mount Baker Experience

Lee Mann has traveled throughout the United States aswell as to Antarctica, Africa, Tibet, the South Pacific and theCanadian Arctic but he said his heart will always remain inthe North Cascades.

It was the early 1950s, the Korean War had just ended andMann had just returned from service in the U.S. Navy. Soonafter, he took a backpacking trip into the North Cascadesthat changed his perspective on life and his career.

“I came back from war very nihilistic, very cynical,” hesaid to a packed house during a speaker's series last Marchhosted by the North Cascades Learning Center at Lake Dia-blo. “But after a night under the stars, I awoke to a hawk fly-ing above me in the morning light. Jewels from the morn-ing dew were everywhere. The beauty was absolute and Iknew my life would be different from then on.”

It was then when Mann made a split decision to give uphis teaching career to spend the rest of his life doing whatexcites him the most: Mountain climbing and photography.

Thirty years and thousands of photographs later, the 73-year-old Mann, who sometimes refer to himself as a “quin-tessential hillbilly from Hooterville,” is arguably one of theNorthwest's most prominent landscape photographers andsells 110 high-quality photographic print posters and 200note cards through his distributors in North America andEurope. Mann added that all work is done without com-puter spliced images and no images of captive zoo or gamepark animals are used.

Mann was born in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. His fatherspent many years in the logging industry and the familyoften hunted for food. Before entering photography, hetaught environmental education in the Sedro-Woolley schooldistrict. When I caught up to him, he was in his home pho-tography studio, working with his son, Bryce, and his sixmonth-old golden lab, Lokie.

What’s your favorite place to photograph and why?That isn’t an easy answer. What makes a good photograph

is light. You can go to a place that is fairly humdrum dayafter day and then you can come onto it someday and it’smagic. You can have a situtation where the light is so dif-

ferent than you’ve ever experienced that suddenly it’s incred-ibly gorgeous because the light is coming through the cloudsin a certain way.

There was one moment, in particular, when I was comingdown off Skyline Divide trail by Glacier, and I was comingdown off the ridge and soaking in the sun during the falland, you know, it’s one of those days when you’re kind ofgritty and sunburned and you’re sweaty and coming downoff that ridge and it’s a beautiful day and you’ve got all thatfloss from the fireweed and here I come around the bendand the sun is coming down and there’s a silvery river wind-ing through the gorge and the light’s coming down and strik-ing that river.

You could come down there 1,000 times and it wouldn’tbe particularly pretty. But in this day, the combination ofthese shafts of light and these trees silhoueted, it was justthis incredible magic. So I slammed on the breaks and thenext hour, I was just there with a camera just utterly enthralled.So what you get is a combination of elements, maybe it’syour mood – you’ve had this wonderful day and you’re mel-low and your karma’s in the right spot – and the light is justperfectness.

All of a sudden this ordinary place, you could just spendall day there with your jaw hanging loose. But I do have to say that I’ve always felt paritcularly at home at this section area Mt. Baker/Mt. Shuksan quadrangle, Ruth Moun-tain, Canadian border, and the Twin Lakes. That whole areaI get a lot of pictures and every time I go it seems to be productive.

Would you call yourself a climber first or a photographer first?

I started climbing because I started doing things at West-ern Washington University. A big influence on me was TupBressler and we formed an alpine club, of0 which I was pres-ident, and started climbing. That carried on when I becamea teacher, I got more and more and more interested in climb-ing and also along with that, I started taking pictures.

Bit by bit, I became more interested in photography untilit kind of overcame my interest in teaching. I still liked teach-

ing but I liked being outdoors more. In 1970, I went intophotojournalism full time. I sold a lot of stuff to a compa-ny from Wisconsin and every month they were publishingmy photostories. Except they weren’t paying me. When I hadto get an attorney to sue them for payment, I realized I was-n’t going to make enough to make a living at it, either thator I was going to have to quit eating or something.

There are very few people who can make a complete liv-ing at photojournalism. If you are both an exceptional writerand an exceptional photographer you can find a niche foryourself, or if you have a particular niche, you can do it. Butit’s tough. Meanwhile, people kept wanting to buy my printsso I just put on my hippie beads and started doing streetfairs.

How did you go from growing up in a logging commu-nity to teaching environmental education?

For a lot of the people I grew up around, environmental-ism was anything but what people wanted. Most peoplethought that anyone who was educated was crazy and peo-ple who were educated didn’t think that them thar peopleknew anything about them thar hills.

But getting a degree changed my perspective entirely. Theother thing is when you get around people with degrees innatural sciences you realize suddenly that things that log-gers called jack pines and jack fir of lot of the terms the hill-billies used didn’t have any scientific significance. Some-times they knew things the scientistis didn’t but, by andlarge, they’re riddled with superstitions. But my grandfa-ther and my father both told me I didn’t want to be a loggerbecause they said they were ruining it, and they realized thatif they were taking out the best timber, the future genera-tion wouldn’t be able to get a good job in the woods.

My father was a poacher and often hunted with a beartrap. When we caught a bear, my mother would render thefat to grease our boots. For those bears, it was a horrible,horrible thing. But that’s the life we lived.

For the bears that were trapped it was a tragic thing butwhen you change a piece of land by paving over it, indefi-nitely destroying habitat, that’s a tragedy for all bears.

An interview with Lee Mann by Tara Nelson

Mount Baker Experience 11

Facing Page: Alpenglow on Mt. Baker;this page from top:The North Cascades; Eagle withFish; Evening Along The Stream.

All photos by Lee Mannwww.LeeMannPhotography.com

12 Mount Baker Experience

GoldThe wildflowers of the Mt. Baker area are not the only way to see a

splash of yellow or gold while hiking the numerous trails the toweringvolcano and its surrounds have to offer. With a practiced eye, one canfind something worth slightly more in beds of the rivers flowing downfrom Mt. Baker and the surrounding Cascades.

Gold. That’s right, that beautiful yellow metal. Washington state has a rich mining history, and panning for gold is

a way to get in touch with that history while also enjoying the outdoors.With knowledge of where to look and the right tools, nearly anyone canpartake in this unique, and sometimes lucrative, hobby.

The Washington Prospectors Mining Association (WPMA) is an organ-ization that lends support and advice to both prospective prospectorsand seasoned gold panners. It is the largest nonprofit, small-scale min-ing organization in Washington and has been around for a little morethan 18 years.

The WPMA maintains the leases to 35 claims in Washington, Oregonand California. A claim is a plot of land specifically set aside for goldpanning. Only members of the association have access to most of theseclaims, but some are open to anyone with a touch of gold fever. An exam-ple of one of these claims lies near the south fork of the Nooksack Riv-er.

A winding drive eastward on the Mt. Baker Highway will lead to StateRoute 9, just past Deming. Once on Route 9, head south through Acmeand turn left on Saxon Road. Saxon will lead to a salmon hatchery onthe left and a gravel road on the right. Off the gravel road is a trail, whichin turn leads to a sandy riverbank: a perfect spot for panning for gold.

While some advanced goldpanning machinery can cost upwards of$400, a plastic, goldpanner’s pan won’t run more than $10. In additionto the pan, a bucket, shovel and classifier are also needed. A classifier isa plastic or metal grate about the size of a dinner plate that is placed overthe bucket. Shovelfuls of sand and gravel are poured into the bucketthrough the classifier to separate the largest rocks from the sand. Clas-sifiers sell for approximately $20.

The basics of goldpanning equipment may be cheap, but the tech-nique of panning for gold will most likely take a few trips to a local river-bank to master.

The first step in panning for gold is knowing where to start digging.Bill Thomas, the president of the WPMA, says the best places on a river-bank are large rocks stuck halfway into the sand. Gold flakes, which sinkin water, flow down from the Cascades and get sucked behind rocks bythe force of the river.

“You have to know how to read the river,” Thomas says. “The gold isonly going to move when the river is really moving.”

Once a suitable rock is found, a few shovelfuls of sand and gravel fromthe downstream side of the rock must be dumped into a bucket fitted

By Jeremy Schwartz Gold panning photos by Rhys Logan

Present thiscoupon and receive $10 OffRegular Price*

*Offer may not be combinedwith any other offer or discount

Mount Baker Experience 13

with a classifier. Rotating the buck-et back and forth with sharp, twist-ing motions will leave the largestrocks on top of the classifier andthe sand, where the gold f lakesreside, in the bucket.

The next step requires a bit offinesse and utilizes the all-impor-tant pan. No matter what methodis used to separate the gravel androcks, called aggregate, from theblack sand, called concentrate, pan-ning is the only way to free the goldflakes from their geological prison.

Take a handful of concentrateand small pebbles from the buck-et and place in the pan. Add a smallamount of river water. Sift with agentle back and forth motion, tak-ing care not to wash the gold-bear-ing concentrate into the river.

Soon the sand will start to accu-mulate on the molded ridges of thepan. If any gold has been collected,this is where it will end up. The goldis heavier than the sand and anyflakes will get caught on the ridgeswhile the sand itself is washed backinto the river. Gold flakes are com-monly collected in small, plasticvials filled with water.

Finding a few flakes on a goldpanning trip is not uncommon, butThomas says people shouldn’t expectto get rich – a pin-head-sized flakeis worth about $3.

“If you’re lucky, the gold youfind can pay for the gas for yourtrip,” Thomas says.

Even at gold’s current marketprice of just over $1,200 per ounce,Thomas says most members of theWPMA see the hobby as a chanceto connect with the outdoors andenjoy their surroundings.

For more information, visit theWashington Prospectors MiningAssociation online at: www.wash-ingtonprospectors.org/.

s Dylan Rees, who manages the paddle sports department at Yeager’s Sporting Goods, enjoys getting peopleout on the water. On June 26 he held a demonstration at Bloedel Donovan Park on a variety of kayaks andcanoes, giving instruction to first timers and providing the curious with access to testing the latest brands. Givethe store a call for future demos at 360/733-1080. Rentals are also available at the store on 3101 NorthwestAvenue in Bellingham.

Left, Bill Thomas, the president of the Washington Prospectors Mining Asso-ciation, inspects his pan for gold flakes after sifting sand and small pebblesinto the Nooksack River. Above, Thomas displays $10 of gold he got after fourhours of panning.

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Corner of Silver Lake Rd. & Mt. Baker Hwy360/599-2222

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Harvest Moon BakeryServing breakfast & lunch everydayOffering the freshest ingredientsas the seasons change! We support local farmers!Serving: Fresh baked goods daily• Moka Joe Coffee • Gourmet sandwiches & wraps • Betsy’s famous biscuits & gravy• Homestyle empanadas • HomemadeSoups • Fresh baked artisan bread

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At the crossroads of Mt.Baker Highway & Silver Lake Rd.7802 Silver Lake Road inMaple Falls 360-599-9657

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Maple Falls is the perfect stop along the Mt. BakerHwy 542. Plan on having a bite to eat at one of several restaurants, pick up some groceries, and

even fill up the gas tank. Maps of the area are available free at the Mt. Baker Foothills Chamber

of Commerce Visitor Center, located on the northeast corner of the highway and Silver Lake Rd.

14 Mount Baker Experience

Missed the last chairlift ride upat the mountain? No biggie, youcan always stop at Chair 9 just beforeGlacier. Opening in late July, Chair9 is a full-serve restaurant featur-ing a fire pizza oven and full bar onthe first floor.

Owner Pete Cook, seen here withwife Danielle and baby Garrett, saidit’s been his dream to open up arestaurant at that location ever sincethe old Chandelier burned down.It’s taken Pete, a builder, exactlyone year to build it with the help of

Summer’s warm temperaturesand sunny skies bring all the morereason to visit Mountainside Gar-dens Gallery and Gifts, located at6900 Mt. Baker Highway, a mileeast of Deming. Mountainside Gar-dens’ flowers are in bloom and itsowners, Nancy Jacobsen and CarolKilgore, are inviting everyone to vis-it their nursery and stroll throughtheir display gardens.

Visitors to the ivory-colored houseare greeted by plants of all kinds,most of them for sale. Examples ofthe artwork Mountainside Gardenssells can also be spotted nestled inamongst the tapestry of vibrantflowers.

Mountainside Gardens sells pot-tery, jewelry, gifts, paintings andquilts from more than 50 WhatcomCounty artists. Customers can alsopurchase different foodstuffs fromlocal vendors, such as BelleWoodAcres, Holmquist Hazelnuts, Back-yard Bees Honey, and HammerheadCoffee.

Co-owner Jacobsen said she has

always wanted to own a store likeMountainside Gardens. Some gen-tle pushing from Kilgore, her friendof 13 years, finally inspired her totake the leap.

“Let’s just do it,” Kilgore said.In addition to art pieces and edi-

bles for sale, Mountainside Gar-dens offers regular workshops thatteach everything from beadwork tobasket weaving. On July 10, visitorscan participate in an orchid-plant-ing workshop given by gardeningand orchid expert Chuck McClung.Those who own orchids can learnmore about caring for their uniqueflowers while those who don’t canstill enjoy McClung’s vast garden-ing knowledge, Kilgore said.

The orchid workshop will go from10 a.m. to noon. Registration costs$10.

More information on registra-tion and a workshop schedule canbe found at www.mountainside-gardens.com or call 599-2890.Theowners invite anyone with an inter-est in art and gardening to visit Fri-day through Monday from 9 a.m.to 6 p.m.

WHAT’S HAPPENINGRIDE 542 OUTDOOR RUNNING TRAINING: Tuesdays, July 6 - August 24. 6 – 8 p.m. YMCA 1256 N. StateStreet, Bellingham. Outdoor preparation class for the 7.2 mile trail run from Mt. Baker Ski Area to ArtistPoint. $85 program members, $75 YMCA members, includes the $40 event fee. For info: 733-8630.

RIDE 542 OUTDOOR BIKE TRAINING: Wednesdays, July 7 - August 25. 6 – 8 p.m. YMCA 1256 N. StateStreet, Bellingham. Outdoor preparation class for the bike ride from Glacier to Artist Point. $85 pro-gram members, $75 YMCA members, includes the $40 event fee. For more info, call, 733-8630.

MUSIC PERFORMANCES AT GRAHAM’S RESTAURANT: July 8, Bent Grass; July 10, War Pigeon; July 22,Bent Grass; August 7, Musekiwa Chingodza; August 26, Monica Taylor; August 27, Vaughn Kreestoe. Allshows start at 10 p.m. Must be 21+ to attend. www.grahamsrestaurant.com. 9989 Mt. Baker Highway.Glacier.

EVERSON NOOKSACK DAY: Saturday, July 10. Parade, games, vendors and more. Downtown Everson.

ALL ABOUT ORCHIDS WORKSHOP: July 10, 10 a.m. – noon. Get to know your orchids. Bring one if youhave one. Mountainside Gardens Gallery & Gifts, $10. 6900 Mt. Baker Highway. For info: 599-2890.

FROM HILLS TO MILLS WOODWORKING & CRAFTING SHOW: July 10 – 11, Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m, Sun-day, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Live demonstrations and chainsaw competitions. Crafting such as bead work, soaps,and knitting. Deming Log Show Fairgrounds, 3295 Cedarville Road. www.demingloggingshow.com.

SUMAS BULL-A-RAMAS: Saturday, July 10 & August 7, 7:30 p.m. Concession, Beer Garden, other vendors.Sumas Rodeo grounds, Highway 9.

EXPLORE DIABLO LAKE: Saturday, July 21, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Hike to a secret waterfall, canoe on Di-ablo Lake. North Cascades Environmental Learning Center. Free. www.ncascades.org. or 360/854-2599.

SUMAS JUNIOR RODEO: July 31 & August 1. 10 a.m. Barrel racing, pole bending & much more. Conces-sion. Sumas Rodeo grounds, Highway 9.

MT. BAKER RHYTHM & BLUES FESTIVAL: July 30 – August 1. Deming. Music, food, crafts, beer garden andcamping. Deming Logging Show Fairgrounds. www.bakerblues.com.

TOUR DE WHATCOM: Saturday, July 31 7:30 a.m – 3 p.m. Fairhaven. A bike ride to benefit Boys & GirlsClubs of Whatcom County. Choose the length of your ride - 25, 50 or 105 miles. Snacks and drinks willbe available at rest stops along the routes. Support vehicles are available if needed. See the route mapson website. www.tourdewhatcom.com.

ABBOTSFORD INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW: August 13, 14 & 15. Abbotsford International Airport, Ab-botsford, B.C. For more info and purchase tickets, www.abbotsfordairshow.com.

SUBDUED STRINGBAND JAMBOREE: Friday and Saturday, August 13 & 14, Deming. Two nights and aday of picking, singing, and stomping. Deming Log Show Fairgrounds. www.stringbandjamboree.com.

NORTHWEST WASHINGTON FAIR: August 16 – 21. Carnival, agriculture displays, draft horse exhibitions,vendors, concerts & food. Northwest Washington Fairgrounds, Front Street, Lynden. www.nwwafair.org.

MT. BAKER FOOTHILLS CAR SHOW: Saturday, September 4, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Rain or shine. $10 per entry.Maple Falls. All proceeds benefit the Mt. Baker Lions Club. Trophys, raffle, 50/50 drawing. Info: Dan Gra-ham,1-800-709-7669 ext. 113 or e-mail: reservations@mtbakerlodging.com.

FESTIVAL 542: Saturday & Sunday, September 11 & 12. Run 542 is a 7.2 mile course from White SalmonLodge to Artist Point. Ride 542 is a 24.5 mile cycling challenge for recreation, competitive and first timecyclists of all ages which follows the Mt. Baker Highway from the town of Glacier to Artist Point. Formore details and race times, www.ride542.com.

ONGOING MEETINGS/EVENTSEVERGREEN WATER & SEWER DISTRICT: Monthly commissioner’s meeting is the fourth Wednesday ofeach month at 7 p.m., district office, 6229 Azure Way. For more info, call 360/599-1699.

EVERSON/NOOKSACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING: Fourth Tuesday, noon, Everson Senior Cen-ter. For more info, call 360/966-3407 or www.eversonnooksackchamber.org.

FRIENDS OF THE DEMING LIBRARY MEETING: Fourth Tuesday, 7p.m., Deming Library. Info: 592-2422.

GLACIER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING: Third Tuesday, 7 p.m., Glacier Visitor Center, 9973 Mt.Baker hwy. www.glacierchamber.org. Email: info@glacierchamber.org or 599-2299.

KNIT NIGHT AT EVERSON LIBRARY: Tuesdays, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Bring your knitting, crocheting or otherportable hand work to enjoy a casual evening doing something you love. Everson-McBeath Library; 104Kirsch Dr. Everson. For more info, call 360/966-5100.

NORTH CASCADES NATIONAL PARK HEADQUARTERS INFO STATION: Weekdays, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (maps,trail conditions & more) 810 State Route 20, Sedro Woolley. 360/854-7200 or www.nps.gov/noca.

MT. BAKER FOOTHILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING: First Tuesday of every month, call 360/599-1518 for time and location or www.mtbakerchamber.org.

MT. BAKER FOOTHILLS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION: Meets third Wednesday, 7 p.m.,Kendall Elementary School. For info, email nuqualum@gte.net.

MT. BAKER FOOTHILLS VISITOR CENTER: Wednesday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., 7802 N. Silver Lake Rd.,Maple Falls. For info, call 360/599-1518 or www.mtbakerchamber.org.

MT. BAKER HIKING CLUB ACTIVITIES: Participate in hiking and other activities. For info and costs, call360/734-4461 or visit their website at www.mountbakerclub.org.

Out & About

s XXX

s Carol Kilgore, l., and Nancy Jacobsen.

Chair 9 to open late July

Art and gardens By Jeremy Schwartz

his parents William and Conniewho moved up from Olympia topitch in.

Upstairs there will be pool tables,ping-pong, a game room for all agesas well as free WiFi. Pete says car-nivores should especially enjoy thebuffalo steaks, burgers and pep-peroni that is sourced from theTwisted S Ranch in Ferndale. Startoff with calamari, nachos or chick-en wings – move on to salmon filets,steaks or chicken.

For info, go to www.chair9.com

and air travel and equipment rentals. 50 Trail Runs in Washington

Cheri Pompeo Gillis$16.95ISBN 0-89886-715-0With 50 runs ranging from urban

routes to wilderness trails, this bookis heralded by readers as “must have”for anyone who wants to explore trailrunning in Washington state. The bookincludes maps, elevation charts, pho-tos, and difficulty ratings as well asa bit of history, geology and humor.236 pages.

Hiking Whatcom County

Ken Wilcox$14.95ISBN 0-96178-798-8One of the most popular guide-

books, this handy gem fits easily ina pocket or backpack and contains anexpansive selection of trails, fromeasy walks to more strenuous hikes.Wilcox gives readers a glimpse of What-com County from the inside out, fromBellingham’s urban trails to the Chuck-anuts and North Cascades, plus someof the best public parks and view-points around.

Mount Baker Experience 15

The Mt. Baker area has plenty ofgreat trails and hidden beauties andwho better to write about them thensomeone who has lived their entirelife and knows the area like the backof their hand? The following is alist of hiking, trailrunning and kayaktrail guide books by authors fromWhatcom County and Washingtonstate. The books are available local-ly at Village Books, Michael’s andHenderson’s in Bellingham.

Trail Running Guide to

Western Washington Mike McQuaide$16.95ISBN 1-57061-273-0Athlete and freelance writer Mike

McQuaide shares his first-hand knowl-edge of 50 trails in Whatcom Countyand Western Washington in this 181-page guide. Includes topographicalmaps, elevation profiles and photo-graphs as well as trail running adviceand safety tips for all skill levels.

Winter Hikes Deck

Craig Romano$15.95ISBN 1594852715Craig Romano specializes in writ-

ing about hiking, running, paddlingand outdoor adventure in the North-west and was lauded by The SeattleP-I as being “one of the better guide-book writers around.” In this clever

deck of hiking cards, Romano features13 never-before-published off-seasonhikes ranging from lowlands to rain-forest to protected peaks. The 50 cardsinclude round-trip distance, elevationgain, suggested warm-ups, difficultylevel and a map.

Day Hiking North Cascades

Craig Romano$18.95ISBN 978-159485-048-6Day Hiking North Cascades includes

descriptions of 125 trails ranging frommoderate to difficult, topographicalmap, information on flora and faunaand historical sites as well as full-col-or photos. 356 pages.

Kayak Routes of the

Pacific NorthwestPeter McGee and John Dowd$17.95ISBN 13978-155365-033-1Newly updated and expanded, this

easily accessible book is written bypaddlers for paddlers and featureseverything you need to plan a shortor long paddling trip. Contains detailedinformation on more than 40 kayakroutes from Columbia River in Oregonto the rugged Queen Charlotte Straitin British Columbia as well as infor-mation on currents, weather, ferry

Ask the locals

s Jeff Margolis.

When Jeff Margolis took overthis century-old general store 40years ago in the small communityof Van Zandt near Mt. Baker, thecivil rights movement was under-way and the vision was clear: Getback to the land to live the goodlife.

“We are pioneers in this ‘buy local’movement,” he said, citing two ofhis inspirations, Helen and ScottNearing, former New Yorkers andtheosophists who spearheaded the‘back-to-the-land’ movement of the1950s. “We’ve been doing it for near-ly 40 years, long before it was trendy.”

The exterior is charmingly rus-tic and deceptive in its simplicity.A quick trip inside, however, is near-ly sensory overload with fresh organ-ic produce grown on-site, local wines,hand milled flours, bulk herbs andsingle-source chocolate. The cheesesection alone is enough to get youdistracted and staff here is happyto sample any of the varieties. Forstarters, try the potato goat cheesefrom Holland, the wasabi-flavoredcheddar and the Nokkelast, a tra-ditional raw-milk Scandinavian hol-iday cheese studded with cumin,caraway and cloves and commis-sioned from Pleasant Valley Farmsin Ferndale. The award-winningcheese, traditionally eaten at Christ-mas time, is sold in two and sixpound wheels. Margolis, however,will cut smaller portions on his 106-year-old antique cheese wheel cut-ter. (The cheese is also availableonline at www.everybodys.com orby calling 866/832-4695 and can beshipped nationwide.)

Given the store’s adventurousmercantile, the engaging demeanorof the store’s owner comes as nosurprise. During a recent visit, Mar-golis, a former political philosophyprofessor from New York with asuspiciously large vocabulary,launched into an effortless diatribeabout a 1960s movement thatfavored a simple life of living off

the land and Whatcom County’sown subversive culture that boast-ed “Northwest Passage,” one of themost avant-garde undergroundtabloids in the country.

But before I could dig further,Margolis whisked me over to sam-ple fresh green beans from the store’sfresh produce cooler, show me thenine different types of bulk rice(including long-grain, Canadianwild rice), a selection of bulk floursfrom grain milled in Bellinghamand, finally, took me on a grazingtour of the 9,000-square foot on-site garden.

“If you take care of your garden,you’re not going to get in trouble,”Margolis said. “If Obama spent timein a garden, that’s where he wouldsolve more of the world’s problems.”While munching on wild rose hipsplucked straight from the bush (Irespectfully declined), he talkedabout conjugated linoleic acid, orCLA, a type of fatty acid found most-ly in the store’s pasture-raised beefthat has been shown in studies tohelp individuals lose weight; Incapropensity, or the Mayan techniquehe uses to plant beans, corn andsquash together in a symbiotic fash-ion; anarchy movements of the late1800s; and the importance of liv-ing a simple, frugal and purpose-ful life that serves the community.

“I live here, I work here, I growthe food, I eat and sell the food,”he said. “It’s a good set up.”

Today, the store has been hailedby Seattle Post Intelligencer andPacific Northwest Magazine as a“food mecca.” But whether or notyou choose to delve into the socio-political aspects of various foodconspiracies, it’s still a good placeto stop before you get into the hillsto put together a picnic or fuel fora day hike with some of their local-ly made energy bars.

Everybody’s Store is two milessouth on Highway 9 from the Mt.Baker Highway, which it meets justeast of Deming. 360/592-2297.

Everybody’s StoreBy Tara Nelson

16 Mount Baker Experience

Feel like a wild and scenic ride on the river?

River rafting in the Pacific North-west is unlike any other place. Withthe steepest mountains and mostpristine wilderness in the lower 48,rafting down a river in Washingtonoften feels like a primeval experi-ence. The foothills of Mt. Baker hostthe Nooksack River; its headwatersformed at the base of Mt. Shuksan,Mt. Baker, and the Twin Sistersmountains.

Home to an abundance of wildlifeincluding all five species of salmonand migrating bald eagles, the Nook-sack River is a great destination forfamily-friendly, whitewater adven-tures. The vibrant and diverse ripar-ian system makes it unique even to

the Northwest. This is thanks to ahistory of lacking the large damsand other river diverting and imped-ing projects that have plagued manyof the rivers in the West.

In 1990, the Forest Service deter-mined that much of the NooksackRiver system is eligible to be includ-ed under the Wild and Scenic RiversAct. Environmental controversysurrounding old-growth forestsand the spotted owl has, however,put many of Washington’s riverson the back-burner. A Wild and Sce-nic designation would protect theNooksack and other eligible riversby restricting hydroelectric andwater resource projects such as dams,diversions, and changes to river-banks.

Furthermore, the act mandatesgovernment agencies to emphasizeaesthetics, scenery, history, arche-ology and scientific features. Recre-ational opportunities such as riv-er rafting trips would becomeinvaluable tools for increased aware-ness and education about the riv-er ecosystem and our relationshipwith it.

With only three rivers designat-ed under the Wild and Scenic Act,Washington is host to a large num-ber of eligible rivers that are stillleft unprotected. Compared to Ore-gon’s 40 rivers protected under theWild and Scenic Act, Washingtonseems relatively vulnerable. Thissituation seems to be improving,and many organizations are work-ing to draft the studies and billsneeded to pass legislation.

Just this past March a bill passedin the House of Representatives toextend the Alpine Lakes Wilderness,which would include designatingpart of the Middle Fork of the Sno-qualmie River as Wild and Scenic.

Story and photos by Grady McCombs

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Feel like a wild and scenic ride on the river?

Mount Baker Experience 17

Local and global water quality issuesand disasters may finally providethe impetus for Washington to stepup its watershed protections.

For outdoor enthusiasts, a Wildand Scenic designation would high-light the importance of enjoyingthe natural and historical beautyof our rivers. Under the Wild andScenic mandate, the river becomessomething to experience instead ofsomething to use. River rafting onthe free flowing Nooksack River isa great reminder of why this kindof legislation is important. Withguaranteed wildlife sightings, fos-sil excursions, pristine wilderness,and a riverside lunch, there’s noroller-coaster in the world that cancompare to whitewater rafting inthe Northwest.

In Glacier, one local company,Wild and Scenic River Tours, pro-vides daily rafting trips on the Nook-sack River for small to large groups.Additionally, the rafting outfittersRiver Riders and River Recreationrun commercial trips during thepeak season. Springtime melts pro-vide the most exciting whitewateraction from the beginning of Maythrough mid-June. During thehottest part of the summer the gla-

ciers keep the river going when oth-er rivers in Washington become toodry to raft. The season extends intolate August when the river comesdown low enough to trigger the fallsalmon runs. Once this occurs raft-ing isn’t suggested to allow thesalmon to lay their eggs undisturbedin the shallow gravel beds. So makesure you get out there and to remem-ber why it’s important to protectour rivers, lakes and oceans.

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18 Mount Baker Experience

Court and Rebecca Andersen areon the move. Oh, relax. They’re justmoving their hugely popular Wake’N Bakery around the corner fromthe Glacier Ski Shop where they’vebeen for the last 6 ½ years.

Now in their own building, theyare busy fixing it up to make theirJuly opening date. They’re addinga front porch, a kitchen – there willbe plenty of seating on the firstfloor, even a small children’s nook,and a loft upstairs with a couple oftables and Wi Fi.

One of their motivations for themove? They have customers withfamilies who want to come in andstay. In the old location they calledit the “Wake ‘n Bakery shuffle” –people had to move every time some-one else made a move to look at asweatshirt, or stir sugar in their coffee.

Come in and get one of theirfamous scones or macaroons or bet-ter yet, Court’s special brownies.

s Located off the Mt. Baker Hwy 6 miles east of Bellingham, Glen Echo Garden is open Monday through Saturday, 10a.m to 6 p.m. The cost to tour the gardens is $9.50 for adults and $8.50 for seniors. The beautiful gardens have beendeveloped by Dick Bosch who started working on them six years ago as a retirement project and opened them tothe public four years ago. On seven acres Bosch has made theme gardens to walk through and tables and benchesare set up to enjoy a picnic. “I like to think of it as a smaller version of Butchart Gardens in Victoria,” said Bosch. It’sa lovely setting for large groups, such as weddings and family reunions. For more information call (360) 592-5380.

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Mount Baker Experience 19Mount Baker Experience 19

Mt. Baker Highway mile postsMile 1: Junction of I-5 and Mt. Baker Hwy., SunsetDrive.Mile 3: View of Coast Mountain Range in Canada (left).Mile 8: Whatcom County Parks & Recreation Dept. (Right).The headquarters offers a rest area with picnic tables, rest-rooms and a view of Mt. Baker, elevation 10,778 feet. 360/733-2900.Mile 9: Deming Logging Show – second weekend in June.Two-day show: log rolling, tree climbing and axe throwing. Nooksack River Bridge – great fishing spots can be found.Mile 10: Community of Nugent's Corner. Groceries, gas, bank(ATM), bakery, cafe, crafts and other services.Mile 11: U-pick berry farms (right and left). Strawberries inJune, raspberries in July and blueberries in August. Christmas tree farms (right and left). Mount Baker Vineyards (left). Tasting room/gift shop openWednesday – Sunday. Grape Stomp Festival in September.Mile 12: Community of Deming.Stewart Mountain – elev. 3,087 feet (right).Sumas Mountain – elev. 3,430 feet (left).Mile 14: Highway 9 South Junction (right). South to Van Zandt,Acme, Wickersham and Skagit Valley. Attractions: B&B, gen-eral store, mushroom farm, and train ride.Nooksack River Forks (right). Nooksack River forks into threesegments: the North Fork, which Mt. Baker Highway parallels;the Middle Fork, which heads southeast to the southern faceof Mt. Baker; and the South Fork, which heads south into theSkagit Valley. Hwy. 9 follows the South Fork.

Mile 16: Mosquito Lake Road – Bald Eagle Viewing Spot (right).Dec. – Feb. Turn right onto Mosquito Lake Road, drive to thefirst bridge that crosses the North Fork Nooksack. Park on leftshoulder of Mosquito Lake Road Look for eagles.Mile 18: Community of Welcome (left). Grocery store, fire sta-tion, senior center and other services.Mile 21: Kendall Creek Hatchery (right). Turn right onto FishHatchery Road. The hatchery raises chinook, coho and chumsalmon as well as steelhead, rainbow and cutthroat trout. Mile 22: Slide Mountain – elevation 4,884 feet (right). Namedfor a landslide on its north face that may have dammed up theNooksack River in ancient times.Highway 547 North Junction/Kendall Road (left). North toKendall, peaceful Valley, Paradise Lakes, Columbia and Sumas.Gas, groceries, golf, tavern.Mile 23: Community of Kendall. Grocery store and gas (left).Mile 25: Community of Maple Falls, post office, pay phones,cabin rentals, lodging, restaurants, gas, groceries, liquor,library.Silver Lake Park, Silver Lake Road, 3.5 miles north (left). Parksits on 411 acres around Silver Lake. Mile 27: Farm stand (right). Fresh produce, gourmet foodstuffs.Mile 29: View of Nooksack River (right). Highway ascends aledge overlooking the North Fork of the Nooksack River.Mile 30: Mt. Baker Scenic Turnout (right). Mile 33: Glacier – elev. 932 feet. Last community along thehighway. Fire department, post office, library, general store,restaurants, snowboard shop, lodging, phones.Mile 34: Gallup Creek Picnic Area (right). Picnic tables and

trash cans; no restroom.Glacier Public Service Center (right). Open Memorial Day toOctober. Rangers assist with hikes and camp planning, andissues permits. Restrooms , picnic area. 360/599-2714,www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs.Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Boundary National For-est Scenic Byway. Glacier Creek Road (Rd. #39) to Mt. BakerVista (right). Mostly paved, 9.5 mile road leads to Mt. Bakerview.Mile 36: Douglas Fir Campground (left). National forest campbuilt by the CCC in the 1930s. Fees charged. Reservationsaccepted: 1-877-444-6777 or at www.recreation.gov.Horseshoe Bend Trail (right). Access for guided river raftingtours.Washington State Sno-Park (left). Permit required for snowmobiling or cross-country skiing.Mile 37: Church Mountain – elevation 6,245 feet (left). Highelevation trails on the southern slope are often the first in thearea to open for summer hiking.Turnouts to view North Fork Nooksack River (right).Mile 40: Excelsior Group Camp (right). National Forest Camp-ground. No water. Fee charged. Reservations only:1-877-444-6777 or at www.recreation.gov.Nooksack Falls, Wells Creek Road Road #33 (right). Take WellsCreek Road a half mile down to parking area and fenced view-point. Fall plummets 100 feet.Mile 41: Excelsior Pass Trail (left).Mile 43: North Fork Nooksack Research Natural Area (left).Established in 1937, this is a 1,400-acre preserve of old-growth

Douglas Fir, Hemlock and Western Red Cedar.Mile 44: Nooksack River Viewpoint (right).Mile 46: Twin Lakes Road (Road #3065) at Shuksan HighwayMaintenance Sheds (left). Twin Lakes is not accessible untilearly to mid-August. Hannegan Pass Road (Road #32) (left). Popular cross-countryskiing area in winter.Shuksan Picnic Area – Hannegan Pass Road (left). Tables, arestroom, Nooksack River views. Mining cabin nearby.Silver Fir Campground (right). Fees charged. Reservationsaccepted: 1-877-444-6777 or at www.recreation.gov.Mile 47: Goat Mountain – elevation 6,891 feet. (N.E.). Summergrazing range for one of four bands of mountain goats.Mile 49: View Mt. Shuksan – elevation 9,038 feet. (East).Mile 50: View Mt. Sefrit – elevation 6,015 feet. (Southeast).Mile 52: Mt. Baker Ski area White Salmon Day Lodge (left).Mile 53: Entrance to Heather Meadows. Mile 55: Picture Lake (road forks – stay to the right). PictureLake – elevation 4,100 feet, provides a postcard view of Mt.Shuksan – elev. 9,038 feet. Vista picnic area (right). Picnic area;no restrooms. Mile 56: Austin Pass Picnic Area (right). CCC-built area sits ina bowl-shaped valley with glorious views.Heather Meadows Visitor Center (right). Open mid-July to Sep-tember.Mile 58: Artist Point – elev. 5,140 feet. (End of highway). Park-ing lot surrounded by Mt. Baker’s peak (south), Mt. Shuksan(east) and Table Mountain – elev. 5,628 feet.

Map directory7 NORTH FORK BREWERY6186 Mt. Baker Hwy, Deming • 599-2337

8 MISTY MOUNTAINS REALTY8193 Kendall Rd., Maple Falls • 599-2659

9 MOUNTAINSIDE GARDENS GALLERY & GIFTS6900 Mt. Baker Hwy, Maple Falls • 599-2890

10 MT. BAKER LODGING7463 Mt. Baker Hwy, Maple Falls • 599-2463

11 HARVEST MOON BAKERY7466 Mt. Baker Hwy, Maple Falls • 599-1347

12 JOOWANA RESTAURANT7471 Mt. Baker Hwy, Maple Falls • 599-9800

19 HAIRSTREAM9970 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-2443

20 MT. BAKER VIEW GUESTHOUSE6920 Central Ave., Glacier • 599-2155

20 WAKE ’N BAKERYForest St., Glacier • 599-1568

20 MT. BAKER SNOWBOARD SHOP9996 Forest St., Glacier • 599-2008

21 MILANO’S RESTAURANT9990 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-2863

22 GRAHAM’S STORE9989 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-2665

22 GRAHAM’S RESTAURANT9989 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-1964

23 CHAIR 9 WOODSTONE PIZZA & PUBGlacier • www.chair9.com

24 BAKER ACCOMMODATIONSSnowater, Glacier • 599-1017

13 MAPLE FUELS WASH-A-TONCorner of Mt. Baker Hwy & Silver Lake Rd.Maple Falls 599-2222

14 CROSS ROADS GROCERY & VIDEO7802 Silver Lake Rd, Maple Falls • 599-9657

15 INN AT MT. BAKER8174 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-1776 or 877/567-5526

16 CANYON CREEK CHALETS7474 Miller Way, Glacier • 599-9574

16 THE LOGS7577 Canyon View Dr., Glacier • 599-2711

17 WINTER CREEK B&B9253 Cornell Creek, Glacier • 599-2526

18 SCOTT’S SKI SERVICE9935 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-WAXX

18 MT. BAKER HOMES & LAND9937 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier599-1900 or 599-1135

1 BLUE MOUNTAIN GRILL974 Hwy 9, Acme • 595-2200

2 ACME GENERAL STOREHwy 9, Acme • 595-2146

3 EVERYBODY’S STOREHwy 9, Van Zandt • 592-2297

4 NOOKSACK RIVER CASINO5048 Mt. Baker Hwy, Deming

5 DODSON’S IGA3705 Mt. Baker Hwy,Nugent’s Corner • 592-5351

6 KELLEY INSURANCE103 W. Main St., Everson • 966-3732619 Cherry St., Sumas • 988-2462

20 Mount Baker Experience

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