Mount Baker Experience Spring 2010

T The birth of snowboardingT Going for the glory at Ski to SeaT A look at Mt. Baker, the volcanoT Olympics on the cheap T Hot bikes

2 Mount Baker Experience

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 [email protected].

Address: 225 Marine Drive, Blaine, WA 98230Tel: 360/332-1777, Fax: 360/332-2777Email: [email protected]: www.mountbakerexperience.comNext edition: Early May Ads due: April 16Publisher/Managing Editor/LayoutPatrick J. GrubbAssociate Publisher/Advertising ManagerLouise H. MugarGraphic Design Karena CrottoContributors John Brunk, Ryan Duclos, GrantGunderson, Jake Lunden, Tyler Mitchell, DaveTucker, PJ WrenAdvertising Sales Martha Alvarado, JanetMcCall Office Manager Heidi Holmes

XMOUNT BAKER

e periencePrinted in Canada Vol XXIV No. 2

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, including snow amounts, events and trails.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 The Birth of Snowboarding

Thank your lucky stars. If you wanted to go snowboarding 45 years ago, you would have beenriding a Snurfer. Then came Sims and Burton...

6 Going for the gloryHave you put your team together for the Ski toSea Race? It’s time to start thinking about whogets to ride and who gets to paddle.

10 Cool GearYou’re riding on the snow now. But soon you’ll belooking for new wheels. Here are some of the bikes waiting for you in local shops.

12 It’s not the boom that countsIt’s the lahar. We’re standing on a live volcano andwhen it goes, well, you heard what happened toHarry Truman at Mount St. Helens?

15 The Olympics on the cheapFrom now til March 21, the Olympic celebration keeps on happening. Best of all, lotsof fun can be had for little cash.

19 Regional Map

it all HAPPENS...

On the coverNick Ennenby Ryan Ducloswww.bellinghamphotographer.com

www.facebook.com/MountBakerExperience

Photo by Tyler Mitchells Michela Hackett

Athletes from across the globe have trekked to our cornerof the world this month, eager to give their all for glory in asport that didn’t exist a few scant decades ago. Olympic snow-boarding has been around for a dozen years, one of the mostrecent additions to the winter games. It first debuted in the1998 Nagano games, amid international hoopla and full-fledged media circus. Yet 30 years before, the modern snow-board was yet to be sold, built or even designed.

Anecdotes of the first snowboard span the 20th century.Stories of clumsy plywood boards and modified sleds jock-ey for position with lunch trays and anything ever used toslide down a hill for elusive title of first, a subject of muchdebate and little decision.

It wasn’t until the ’60s that snowboarding put down somedefinitive roots. A child’s toy, a failed shop-class project andover a decade of tinkering paved the way for the first mod-ern boards. While one true inventor remains elusive, snow-boarding has a host of founding fathers, who spent the ’60s

and ’70s innovating new concepts mostly independent ofeach other.

Some say snowboarding was born in the not-so-illustrious snowy hills of Haddonfield, New Jersey. Juniorhigh shop class student Tom Sims had his heart set on build-ing a custom skateboard, but the wheels for the project nev-er materialized. The year was 1963, and Sims’ shop teacherokayed the 8" by 34" ‘ski board,’ now housed in a museum.

Others contend it started with the Snurfer, a portmanteauof snow and surf. One seemingly endless Michigan winter,Sherman Poppen daydreamed of a better way for his daugh-ter Wendy to take to the hills. Finding his daughter hadbecome the most popular girl on the block, Poppen, a chem-ical engineer, brought the idea to mass production. Over halfa million sold in one year and the entrepreneurial Poppenstarted Snurfer competitions.

Despite the Snurfer’s success, it was a far cry from today’ssnowboards. There weren’t any bindings, though riders tooka hint from skateboarding and opted for grip tape. Snurferscame with a rope at the nose riders held for stability, and

steering was tricky at best. Skiers took little notice of whatwas regarded as a children’s toy, but the Snurfer gained acult following among riders who saw greater potential in theboard.

Among the Snurfer’s devotees was a young Jake BurtonCarpenter. A native Vermonter, he was raised on skis, butnever stopped dreaming of surfing . He took to the Snurfer,and modified it with his own designs and a pioneering firstat the 1979 National Snurfing Championships: bindings.His fellow competitors went up in arms, but judges allowedhim to compete and he won. Carpenter had clearly improvedupon the Snurfer, and his designs eventually morphed intowhat would become Burton Snowboards.

Fellow would-be surfer and snowboarding pioneer Dim-itrije Milovich was braving hills at Cornell University on cafe-teria trays, dreaming of a way to take his love of surfing tonew, wintry heights. In one of Milovich’s favorite surf mag-azines Wayne Stovoken penned a letter to the editor abouta design he was working on for “snow surfing” gear. Intrigued,Milovich sought out Stovoken in 1970, and the two formed

The birth of snowboardingBy Jake Lunden

4 Mount Baker Experience

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a partnership. After dropping out of the engineering pro-gram in favor of Utah powder two years later, Milovich turnedStovoken’s 6' 20-pound redwood prototypes into lightweightboards with a uniquely forked ‘swallowtail’ design. Rudi-mentary bindings in the form of a strap kept riders on theboard which, like a surfboard, had a leash. Stovoken returnedto New York after just a year, but Milovich stuck it out, patent-ing the Swallowtail design and later forming Winterstick in1976. Despite a little good press, the boards never fared wellcommercially and Milovich went on to open an engineeringfirm.

By 1980, snowboarding began to come into its own, if onlyas blurbs in the back of skateboarding or surfing magazines.There was still no hard and fast definition of a snowboard,as wood or composite boards drew their inspiration fromskateboards, surfboards, skis and of course the Snurfer, butthe sport was gaining some modest popularity. Jake BurtonCarpenter incorporated metal edges onto his boards, withother companies soon following suit. Inspired by skis, theedges gave greater maneuverability to the boards.

Around the same time, Tom Sims landed a contract witha large company to produce his skate and snowboards, allow-ing for greater exposure. Promoters of the sport held a smallsnowboarding contest in 1981, but it was snurfer Paul Graveswho organized the first National Snowsurfing Championshipin 1982. The Vermont event drew together pioneers of thesport, with Jake Burton Carpenter and Tom Sims both com-peting. Mainstream press covered the event, with an untoldnumber of youth learning about snowboarding for the firsttime.

Carpenter saw his sales go up every year, but it wasn’t until1984 that he broke even. By the mid 1980s, snowboard designswere taking a more consistent shape as pointed-nose, flat-tailed boards made it on to the scene. Major ski manufac-turers were jumping on the snowboarding bandwagon andby the end of the decade the modern snowboard shape emerged.Countless regional snowboarding events popped up on Eastand West Coast mountains, often sponsored by manufac-turers eager to show off their new products.

Mt. Baker played a seminal role in the history of snow-boarding 25 years ago, with the first Legendary Banked Slalom.Among the first ski areas to welcome snowboarders, the per-fect topography – one of the few mountain resorts with anatural halfpipe – proved a logical choice to host the event.Tom Sims was first through the 15 gates that inaugural year,riding one of his company’s boards to victory.

Snowboarding’s popularity was growing steadily and man-ufacturers were finally starting to turn profits, but snow-boarding was facing strong resistance from ski resorts. Whilemost resorts had neither seen nor heard of snowboardingduring the 1970s, resorts frequently prohibited snowboard-ers in the ’80s, citing safety and insurance reasons. Notingthat a small handful of resorts did allow them, snowboard-ers didn’t buy this reasoning. Younger and definitely morecountercultural than skiers, snowboarders embraced theirpersecution complex.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Gen-X youthwere coming into their own in the late ’70s and early ’80s,and snowboarding was the athletic equivalent of punk rock,rebellion and sticking it to the establishment. Breaking ruleshad never been so fun. Somewhat ironically, the ban on board-ing and maligning of boarders drew youth to the sport indroves.

Unsurprisingly, ski resorts realized the error in turningaway thousands of paying customers. In 1985 snowboarderswere banned at over 90 percent of ski resorts, but only a decadelater just as many welcomed them.

Mt. Baker Ski Area was definitely ahead of the curve, beingone of the first to welcome snowboarders. Say what you willabout champagne powder, there’s nothing like Baker crudfor building a jump or halfpipe. It may have been the greatsnow that led to snowboarding’s early success here, coupledwith the excellent terrain. Or perhaps it was a strong live-and-let-live attitude, or that local skiers didn’t take them-selves as seriously as their Aspen, Tahoe or Vermont coun-terparts.

Unknown in the ’60s, a curiosity in the ’70s and widelymocked in the ’80s, snowboarding went from pariah to main-stream by the ’90s. The sport that would get you kicked offmost mountains 10 years earlier was the most talked-aboutevent at the 1998 Nagano Games.

All photos by Tyler Mitchell www.tmitchellphoto.com

6 Mount Baker Experience

Looking for glory ...The 2010 Ski to Sea Race

Whatcom County turns itself inside out everyMemorial Day, as athletes from all over maketheir way from the heights of Mt. Baker to

the shores of Bellingham Bay. The 90-mile race drawshundreds of teams, and with them hordes of specta-tors to cheer them and to share glory or ignominy.

Based on an old Bellingham slogan “From ski to seain 60 minutes,” the race was inspired from early 20thcentury relays and the Bellingham Chamber of Com-

merce’s desire to showcase Whatcom County’s recreationopportunities.

Mostly loggers and outdoorsmen well versed with What-com County’s terrain, the 14 original participants of the1911 Mt. Baker Marathon made their way from Belling-ham to the mountain and back by any means at their dis-posal. Trail running and mountain climbing, horses, ear-ly Fords and even a train helped racers get to Baker andback again. There was no set route, so racers forged their

own. The winner the first year was Joe Galbraith, who tookover 12 hours to complete the distance.

The race was held again in 1912, but 1913 marked the lastyear of the race. According to local lore, the marathon wasstopped in 1913 when Vic Galbraith, a cousin of Joe Gal-braith, fell into a crevasse while racing down the glacier. Hewas found six hours later, nearly dead. Comprising teamsrather than individuals, a set course, and rejecting motor-ized vehicles in favor of more athletic events, 1973 was the

Story By Jake Lunden

Photos by Jon Brunk

Mount Baker Experience 7

beginning of the modern Ski to Seaera.

Since the early ’70s, teams of ama-teurs, professional athletes, localtalent and visitors from the worldover traversed the route from Bak-er to Bay. In its current form, therace has seven legs, each a differentsport on the route to Fairhaven.The Bellingham Ski-to-Sea paradeand a Fairhaven street festival roundout the festivities, along with oth-er events for spectators through-out the course in Whatcom Coun-ty.

The seven legs combine wintersports with more fair-weather activ-ities, to show that in WhatcomCounty you really can have it all.The first leg requires two figure-eight loops by cross country skisaround the Mt. Baker ski area, 4.5miles in total. Passing the prover-bial baton, the second teammate isthe downhill skier (or snowboard-er, as of 2004). It’s not as easy as itsounds: the skier or boarder has tohike up the hill with their gear beforethey can strap in and ski back down.

From there, a third teammateruns eight miles on the Mt. BakerHighway, bringing the race out ofthe snow and onto lower ground,where the baton is passed to team-mate number four. At 36 miles,cyclists cover more ground thanany other teammates, weaving down

the mountain roads through thetowns of Glacier and Maple Fallsand onto the flat farmland aroundEverson.

At the banks of the NooksackRiver, the cyclist hands off the batonto teammates five and six, startingthe two-person canoe leg. This 18-mile stretch leads through farm-land and meadows, ending in thetown of Ferndale. One of the orig-inal events, it has the distinction ofbeing the only cancelled leg of route,when spring rains raised the riverto unsafe levels.

From the riverfront HovanderPark in Ferndale, the seventh team-mate makes a nine-mile trek viamountain bike to Squalicum Har-bor in Bellingham. While havingmade it from ski to sea, the finalseventh leg takes the eighth team-mate who paddles a kayak fromSqualicum Harbor across the bayto Maritime Park in Fairhaven, wherehe jumps ashore and runs acrossthe beach to ring the brass bell, mak-ing for a dramatic finish in frontof hundreds of cheering spectators.

The race has changed somewhatover its 36-year history, as team-mates went from passing batons toteam necklaces, and now an elec-tronic chip card worn on a wrist-band. Swiped by the first teammateon Mt. Baker, it is swiped again bythe kayaker at Fairhaven harbor

after ringing the ceremonial bell.The legs of the race have seen

their fair share of change as well.Originally comprising downhill ski-ing, cycling and canoeing the Nook-sack River, running (1975) cross-country skiing (1983) mountainbiking (1991) and kayaking (1992)came later. Sailboats first made thesaltwater leg in 1980, with 50 boatswaiting at the mouth of the Nook-sack River on a windless day. Whena breeze finally did come up, theboats crossed the finish line enmasse, making for an inconclusivewin. Before mountain biking,canoeists often found themselvesstuck in the mud at the mouth ofthe Nooksack if it happened to below tide.

The race is competitive, but with14 divisions teams can find com-petition in their niche based on age,gender or skill level. Forming a teamis easy thanks to the Ski to Sea web-site, which allows a team captainand their seven best friends, fami-ly members, workmates or any com-bination thereof to sign up (regis-tration begins March 1). Interactivemessage boards and individual teamsite pages on the website let Ski toSea athletes keep in touch and shareinformation with their fans. Team-mates can post pictures, companylogos and other team information.

Regardless of your teams’ skill

level, competing in Ski to Sea is atremendous amount of fun. Therace features a diverse array of skilllevels, and while many teams com-pete just for fun, some non-pro-fessional athletes surprise theirfriends and even themselves withstrong finish times.

Two-time winners The Bagelryexemplify the achievements of local,non-professional athletes. None ofthe co-ed team members are pros,and all are local to Bellingham andPuget Sound, according to KenRyan, who owns The Bagelry andsponsors the team.

Over the last couple of years, theteam of talented locals advanced

by leaps and bounds, resulting ina surprise victory in 2008.

“The first year, people at the fin-ish line were like, ‘Bagelry? Real-ly?’” says Ryan, “Because we cameout of nowhere.”

By repeating their success in 2009,they cast all doubts aside.

“When we won in 2008, peoplethought it was just a fluke. It wasfun to prove them wrong.”

If it seems like half of town is rac-ing in Ski to Sea, the other half iswatching. For more informationon forming a team, watching events,the parade, Fairhaven Festival orSki to Sea Junior, visit www.ski-tosea.com.

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8 Mount Baker Experience

Like bears in a den, most hik-ing boots wait out the winterin some dark out-of-the-way

place, when short days and dis-agreeable weather put even the mostavid hikers into hibernation mode.Excuses seem to outnumber poten-tial trails, and hikers curse the darkwinter days while dreaming of high-

er ground and warmer weather.Author and hiker Craig Romano

sees things differently, arguing thatwinter is a fine time to recreate.

Making the case for winter hik-ing is his latest work, Winter Hikesof Western Washington, a collec-tion of 50 hikes all suited for win-ter weather, packaged together in

a deck of 50-6"x5" cards. Despite(or perhaps, in spite) of winter weath-er, Romano hikes western Wash-ington year-round. The cards show-case favorite western Washingtonhikes accessible year-round, wheresnow-free hiking is almost alwaysa given.

Published by The MountaineersPress, the innovative card formattakes its inspiration from urbanwalking guides to San Francisco,and allows day hikers to carry allthe information they need on a sin-gle card without toting an entireguidebook.

“It’s been a hit so far,” saysRomano. “People have been lovingit.”

The cards include 20 never-before-published hikes, and are designedto alleviate much of the hassles ofplanning. Hikers can pick a card,hit the road and go take advantageof short winter days and soak upas much sun (or rain) as possiblebefore dark. The hikes are easy toget to, with good driving directions.

“All but one of the hikes is off ofa main, paved road,” says Romano,so hikers can access them withoutfour-wheel drive, and most hikesdo not require permits or passes.“Just get in the car and go.”

Like Romano’s other guidebooks,

each card lets you know if you ifyou’ll be sharing the trail with dogs,horses or mountain bikes.

Advantages to winter hiking –and Romano has a laundry list –chip away at excuses to hold off forwarmer weather. With far fewer hik-ers on the trails, you’ll get easy accessto solitude unmatched in summer,and you can leave the mosquitorepellent at home. The lack of leavesallow for entirely new vistas and agreater chances of spotting birdsand other wildlife. Driven out ofhigh country by cold and snow, elk,deer and other fauna are more preva-lent in the lowlands – especiallywithout the summer crowds of hik-ers to scare them away. An avid bird-er, Roman says winter is a phe-nomenal time to watch for flyingwildlife.

Wide-open views and low winterlight transform even the most famil-iar trails into entirely new experi-ences. Romano points to localfavorite Fragrance Lake, a hike thatboasts impressive waterfalls onlyseen in winter. In many of the hikes,the babbling brooks and lazy creeksyou see in summer take on new lifeas thundering waterways thanks towinter rains.

With a nod to western Wash-ington’s diverse geography andmicroclimates, the cards cover avariety of coast, forest, meadow andfreshwater areas from the Colum-bia Gorge to the 49th Parallel. Forthose of us fortunate enough to livein the Northwest corner of the state,Romano included over a dozen hikesspread throughout Whatcom, Skag-it, Snohomish, San Juan and Island

counties. In our region, “most guidebooks

tend to be Seattle-centric,” saysRomano, but the Skagit Countyauthor made sure that his hikesappeal to readers throughout theregion.

Close-to-home winter hikesRomano includes are Oyster Dome(which he says looks amazing in thewinter sun), Squires Lake, CamaBeach, the Anacortes CommunityForest Lands, Hoypus Point, Ebey’sLanding, San Juan Island’s Ameri-can Camp and more. And while itmay be always raining somewherein western Washington, there isstrong showing of drier hikes thanksto the rain shadow.

Though trail running throughthe driving rain may seem a littlecrazy to some, the ever-energeticRomano is winning over fair-weath-er hikers to the joys of hiking yearround. And he certainly raises somegood points. For many of the 50hikes, summer is a crazy time to go.

“Most people are going to go seethe rain forest in August or Sep-tember … when they’re dry. Youwant to go see them in winter.”

You may not have 70 degree days,late-evening sunsets or wildflow-ers, but you won’t have mosquitos,crowded trailhead parking or bus-loads of tourists, either.

Winter Hikes of Western Washington

By Craig RomanoMountaineers Books, 2009Available at REI, Village Books, Amazon.com. $15.95

Winter hiking:It’s in the cardsBy Jake Lunden

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Mount Baker Experience 9

Spring is my favorite time of year. When I close my eyes andthink of spring, I can smell the fresh lawn clippings, hear thebirds chirping and feel the warmth of the sun on my face. Ahh-hhh … like I said, it’s my favorite time of year!

And if you love sports, then you must love spring as well.The crack of the ball against the bat, the sound of the golf ballslicing into the air, the feel of the wind when racing down amountain on two wheels, the solitary pleasure of hiking a moun-tain, or running your morning run. These are all experiencesthat confirm that Spring truly is amazing, and every year itbreathes a breath of fresh air into our stale, gym workouts.

Before you head out there, and into your favorite sport ofchoice, incorporate these exercises to give your body a tune-up and a chance to get ready for what’s about-to-come duringthese wonderful months ahead.

Softball/BaseballThe key to hitting a baseball - or softball - hard and long is

located right in your mid-section. The power behind your swingstarts with your core and travels outward to the arms and thenfinally, one hopes, to the bat. Try this exercise, specific to theobliques (responsible for twisting your torso) and the trans-versus (responsible for protecting your spine), to hit the nextball long. This exercise, accompanied by my father’s favoritesaying, “Keep your eye on the ball and swing like you meanit!” should help you find success at every at-bat. Russian Twist on ball

Grab onto a lightdumbbell, or medi-cine ball, and lie faceup on a stability ball,positioning your feethip width apart, yourhips bridged up highby squeezing yourglutes and position-ing the dumbbell ormedicine ball direct-ly above the chest.

Maintaining yourbridge positioning inthe lower body, rotatethrough the torso (notyour shoulders!) dig-ging the ball into theshoulder and pullingit down the side ofthe arm.

Pause and then slowly return back to your start position. Do 15-20 repetitions leading to your left side and then per-

form the same count to the right. Tip: A stronger core will also improve your throwing abili-

ties as well as your overall speed - both on and off the field.

RunningRunning is one of the greatest sports around. It’s not one

that I watch on television, mind you, but it is one that I encour-age all my personal training clients to try. What other sportcan burn 400-700 calories in less than an hour, increase bonedensity, improve your heart and lung function, allow you toperform it wherever you are and whenever you want, and giveyou some amazing looking legs?

Alright, I admit, running may not be for everyone, but forthose of us who do run, I suggest this butt-building exerciseto counteract all the stress and work the quadriceps and hipsdo with each stridewe take. Heel Presses

Start on yourhands and knees witha band handle in eachhand and the loop ofthe exercise bandwrapped around one

of your feet.Kick your heel

straight back whilemaking sure that yourback stays flat andthat your hips don’trotate outwards. Ful-ly extend your leg and

squeeze your glutes at the full extension.Pull your leg back into the starting position and repeat 20

times. Wrap the tubing around the other foot and perform 20reps on that side.

Tip: Tubing, such as the tubing used in this exercise andsome of the others, is an inexpensive workout tool that is eas-ily transportable.

HikingFor the sport of hiking, it is crucial that you strengthen the

muscles surrounding the knees. The knee joint, which appearsto be a simple hinge-joint, is one of the most complex jointsin the body and it is due to this complexity that it is more like-ly to be injured than any other joint in the body. Unfortunately,we tend to ignore our poor ol’ knees until something happensto them that causes us pain. This can easily be remedied, how-ever, if we take good care of our knees now - before there is aproblem. Try the following balance and strength exercise tohelp aid you (and your knees) to a con-tinued healthy and happy life togeth-er. Around the Clock Lunges

Stand on a BOSU ball. Keeping your hips level, lower your

left leg to the ground a good step infront of you – like the a 12 o’clockposition on a clock.

Lunge downward and then pushthrough the front of the foot and bringthat leg back on top of the BOSU.

Now, step back to what would be a6 o’clock position on a clock with thatsame left leg and lunge again.

Come back up to the BOSU and stepout to the left side of the BOSU andperform a side lunge.

Perform the same round with the oth-er leg. Aim for 3-5 rotations of the clock.

Tip: When lunging, think about com-ing straight down with your back kneewhile keeping your front knee over theankle. I see a lot of people perform alunge by lunging forward and pushingthat front knee ahead of them. This caus-es too much force on the patella, whichwill result in a sore knee as opposed toa stronger knee.

Mountain and Road BikingI’ve been a mountain biker on and off for many years and

the one thing that always surprises me when I start off theseason is how much of a beating my upper body takes. My legsare okay after that first ride but, wow, I can’t say the same formy shoulders and upper back and neck. Same goes with roadbiking. Maintaining that forward flexed position can be fatigu-ing for the first few rides until the body becomes accustomedto supporting your upper body and absorbing the impact ofthe road and trail.

Try the followingexercise to not onlyimprove your upperbody strength, butyour core strength aswell. Plank & Toe Taps

Start in a plank

position withboth hands ontop of the medi-cine ball. Keepyour back flat,hips down andshoulders lined upover top of yourhands.

While main-taining your plankposition andkeeping a soft

bend in your knees, start alternating toe taps. Perform 40 taps total. Tip: To further increase the strength of your shoulder, per-

form a push-up right after this exercise with the medicine ball.Position the medicine ball under the right hand with the lefthand under the left shoulder and perform 4-10 push-ups. Rollthe ball to the left hand and perform another 4-10 push-ups.By performing the same muscle group back-to-back you willsee faster and greater results.

Kayaking/CanoeingKayaking and canoeing is essentially the same paddle mechan-

ics, with the exception of one sport having you alternate sideto side with each stroke, while the other has you returning tothe same side. It is pretty obvious that the arms are used fair-ly heavily with each sport, the core musculature should alsonot be forgotten when training for performance.

As mentioned in the baseball/softball series earlier in thecolumn, all of your power starts from your core and travels out-wards to the arms.The core is also reliedon to maintain yourposture while pad-dling, as well as pro-viding the power forthe actual twistmotion as you applyyour down stroke withthe paddle. Give thisoblique twist exerciseon the BOSU ball a tryto prepare you for aday’s on the water. Oblique Twist

Sit on top of a BOSU ball with an 8lb hand weight or med-icine ball in yourhands.

Pretend that youare a puppet and the“puppeteer” is pullingyour strings taunt,causing you to sit uptall and straight.Maintaining this pos-ture lean back untilyou feel the abdom-inals grab and thenlift up your feet. Findyour balance, and place the medicine ball in front of you.

Using your waist, turn side to side with the medicine ball. Aim for 20 twists each side. Tip: If this hurts your lower back, keep your feet on the

ground and drop your bum down on the BOSU ball. The BOSUwill provide some support while your spine learns to supportitself.

PJ Wren is a personal trainer and fitness trainer who has beentraining people’s “inner-athlete” for over 14 years. She can bereached at www.fitnesswithpj.com

By PJ Wren

Get Ready For Spring Sports

10 Mount Baker Experience

Definitely one of the hottest bikes around, the Ibis Mojo HDis the longer travel bigger brother to the Mojo and Mojo SL.The HD has 160mm of rear wheel travel, up 20mm from theother Mojos. Brian Lopes says “The angles, stiffness, andthat added amount of travel all are huge factors that trans-late into the ability to ride steeper, rougher, more technicalterrain with more ease and confidence.”Ibis bikes are available at Fanatik Bike Co. in Bellingham.

One of the Platinum Series constructed of butted and hydro-formed aluminum, the Paragon features SRAM X.9 front andrear derailleur, Avid Elixir 5 hydraulic disk brakes with FoxF80 suspension. Gary Fisher bikes are available at KulshanCycles in Bellingham.

Raleigh Cadent FT-3A venerable name in biking, Raleigh isback in a big way. The FT-3 performancehybrid features Shimano Tiagra derailleur,carbon cross with alloy steer tube RE2Pgeometry. Check out Fairhaven Bike & Skifor Raleigh, Specialized and other makes.

The Covert is Transition’s all-mountain, do-it-all bike, de-signed for ultimate versatility. Six inches of rear wheel travelmated to a lightweight aluminum tubeset creates a bike per-fectly balanced between weight and strength. The Covertbuilds up to between 28-32 lbs for the complete bike,and is the optimal choice in efficiency for long days inthe saddle. A Covert frame with rear shock starts at $1,559USD and complete bikes start at $3,300. Transition bikes areheadquartered locally in Ferndale. Transition bikes are carriedby Drop N’ Zone in Bellingham.

Ibis Mojo HD

Gary Fisher Paragon

Transition Covert

gear guide: an early look at what’snew in bikes for 2010

Mount Baker Experience 11

Mt. Baker 25th Legendary Banked SlalomFebruary 5-7, 2010

2010 Legendary Banked Slalom WinnersDivision Winner Time Hometown AgePro Men Temple Cummins 1:43.08 Gig Harbor, Washington 35Pro Women Maelle Ricker 1:49.88 Squamish, British Columbia 31Pro Masters Tim Carlson 1:50.73 Monroe, Washington 35Masters Jonathan Martens 1:48.37 Bellingham, Washington 32Super Masters Bob Satushek 2:35.52 Deming, Washington 62Grand Masters Jim Taylor 2:06.89 Mount Vernon, Washington 55Mid Masters Gorio Bustamante 1:54.40 Seattle, Washington 42Women Masters Tanya Simonson 2:02.30 Bozeman, Montana 29Women Amateurs Martina Nemcova 2:04.93 Boulder, Colorado 19Older Amateurs Craig Newbury 1:46.57 Glacier, Washington 26Younger Amateurs Austen Sweetin 1:47.76 Lake Forest Park, Washington 18Juniors Gus Warbington 1:55.14 Bend, Oregon 14Next Generation Cody Warble 2:00.43 Edwards, Colorado 10

Photo by Pat Grubb

Photo by Pat Grubb

Photo by Pat Grubb

All photos by Tyler Mitchell except where noted.

s Temple Cumminss Duncan Howatt

Maelle Ricker T

s Maria Debari, 3rd Place Pro Women

s Kai Janson,race con-tender, andcoffee roasterextraordinaire.

s The Next Generation; left, Milo Malkowski, 2nd (Seattle),Hank Kennedy, 3rd (Glacier) and Cody Warble, 1st (Colorado).

12 Mount Baker Experience

The ice-mantled, steaming coneof Mt. Baker is an active volcanoright in our backyard. There was a“failed” eruption in 1975, whenmagma rose into the volcano butdid not erupt.

Steaming gas plumes, sometimedirty with old ash, rose hundredsof feet above the volcano’s Sher-man Crater and were a commonsite from the lowlands. The increasein heat flow melted or broke up theSherman Crater glacier to a largeextent. The mountain was closed

to climbing, and fears of mudflowsprompted the closing of Baker Lake,on the east flank, to recreation.

Baker was briefly the focus ofmuch study, although monitoringmethods were relatively primitivethen. Sherman Crater, which formsthe prominent notch seen from thelowlands, is just south of the sum-mit plateau, and has dozens of activegas vents, or fumaroles.

These spew 150-200 tons of car-bon dioxide and about one ton ofhydrogen sulphide per day – both

Volcano!Mount Baker: The Not So Quiet Giant In The Backyard

Story & Photos By Dave Tucker

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Mount Baker Experience 13

lion years ago. At the time, a thicksheet of glacial ice lay over the region,one of the numerous glacialadvances out of Canada. In the vicin-ity of Table Mountain, PtarmiganRidge, and Heather Meadows, agreat volume of gassy magma erupt-ed through the crust and throughthe overlying ice.

The result was a devastatingcaldera collapse eruption, 100 timesthe size of Mt. Saint Helens in 1980.The evacuation of this magma cham-ber caused the overlying rocks tosubside at least 3,000 feet, leavingbehind that much ash filling acaldera, or large crater extendingsix miles by three miles across. Thisis the Kulshan caldera, first describedonly in 1996. It probably lookedsomething like the much youngercaldera at Crater Lake in Oregon.

The huge gaping crater left behindwas quickly filled with a lake. Fol-lowing glacial erosion of the calderawalls, sediments deposited at thebottom of this lake now sit on topof the caldera-filling ash aroundColeman Pinnacle. There are sev-eral other old volcano remnantslike this one – few are very easy tovisit, and like The Bastile, nonewould be recognizable to the non-geologist as a volcano today.

Mt. Baker itself is constructed ofhundreds of separate lava flows thaterupted from Carmelo Crater. Thiscrater, on the mountain’s summit,is now filled with at least 275 feetof glacial ice, and apparently hasnot been active for around 10,000years. Since that time, activity hasbeen focused at Sherman Crater.Eruptions from Baker itself tend tobe small; there is nothing in the geo-logic record hinting at anythinglike the Mt. Saint Helens eruption.

The last eruption of any size wasaround 6,500 years ago, when asmallish eruption at Sherman Craterspread black volcanic ash east andnortheast in a thin layer for per-haps 50 miles. A layer of this ashcan easily be seen in trail cuts andalong the roadside in Heather Mead-ows, as well as most other trails onthe mountain.

However, volcanic mudflows, or

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of these gases come from a magmabody lurking below the volcano.The historic record of eruptionsfrom Mt. Baker is poor; there arereasonably creditable reports of sev-eral small steam explosions in the19th Century, probably similar tothose in 1975.

An eruption in 1843 spawnedvery localized ash deposits, and ledto lahars, or volcanic mudflows,which ran down the east sidedrainages of Boulder, Park, andMorovitz Creeks.

Mt. Baker geology has been large-ly neglected until the past decadeor so. A thorough study of the vol-canic history was first publishedonly in 2003. This paper focusedon the construction of Mt. Bakerand other volcanoes in the imme-diate area. From that work, we nowknow that Mt. Baker is only about40,000 years old. It is only the mostrecent of several volcanoes whichover the past one million years orso make up the Mt. Baker volcanicfield (MBVF). A study will be pub-lished later this year by the U.S. Geo-logical Survey detailing the past10,000 years of volcanism.

Many people know that the jaggedpeaks of the Black Buttes high onthe west flank are the remnants ofan older cone. This volcano waslarger than Mt. Baker. Black Butteslava flows extend further than thoseof Mt. Baker, even poking out underBaker’s skirts to the east.

Black Buttes was active fromaround 290,000 to 375,000 yearsago. Much of this period was dur-ing one or more periods of Ice Ageglacial advances, which probablyate away at the rock of the BlackButtes cone even as it was erupting.There are remnants of other volca-noes in the MBVF. The Bastile is atthe very south end of Skyline-Chow-der Ridge north of Baker, and canbe seen across the Coleman Glacierfrom Survey Rock at the end of theHeliotrope Ridge Trail. This oldvolcano forms a little peak on theridge crest, and is survived by lavaflows along Bastile Ridge to thewest.

The granddaddy eruption fromthe volcanic field occurred 1.15 mil-

14 Mount Baker Experience

lahars, are more dangerous thanash eruptions. Remember the 1980Toutle River lahars at Mt. SaintHelens, or the repeated lahars fol-lowing the much larger 1991 erup-tion of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philip-pines?

The largest lahar identified fromMt. Baker occurred about 6,600years ago, just before the black asheruption. Floods of mud and boul-ders descended down all the eastside drainages toward Baker River,as well as the middle fork of theNooksack River. This “Middle Forklahar” left behind a 30-foot-thickdeposit of mud, rocks and logsaround Deming and Nugent’s Cor-ner, and probably continued all theway to the Fraser River.

Wait a minute; the Fraser? Yes,because it seems that 6,600 yearsago, the Nooksack flowed down themodern Sumas River channel andon to the north, rather than westthrough the county to BellinghamBay. It was probably the big laharthat plugged up the drainage atEverson, and diverted the Nook-sack westward in an old channelleft over from glacial times.

A repeat of this lahar would nowthreaten Whatcom County cities.The drainage divide with the SumasRiver at Everson is only a few feethigh, so Sumas and Abbotsford,B.C. are also at risk. What is reallyominous about this dangerous vol-cano is that the Middle Fork lahar,and virtually every other one iden-tified, did not result from an erup-tion, but simply from gravitation-al collapse of the upper flanks ofthe volcano. This is because the cir-culation of sulphurous gasesthrough the rocks around ShermanCrater weakens the rock and turnsit into unstable, slippery clay, proneto sliding.

Sherman Crater’s fumaroles areconstantly releasing clouds of gas,and they roar like jet engines. Thestink of sulphur near the crater canbe nauseating. Mt. Baker is moni-tored by researchers at the U.S. Geo-logical Survey, Western Washing-ton University’s geology department,and the University of Washington.Future eruptions are likely, laharsare almost certain.

The lessons learned at Baker in1975, and since then at Saint Helensand other volcanoes around theworld, make it unlikely we will becaught off guard by a future erup-tion, though collapses could occurwith no warning. Every time we lookto the east and see a wisp of steamrising from Mt. Baker, we are beingreminded that this volcano is verymuch alive and well.

(Dave Tucker is a Mt. Baker researcherand coauthor of the upcoming USGS Mt.Baker report. He can be reached [email protected]. A direc-tor of the Mt. Baker Volcano ResearchCenter, he frequently gives public pre-sentations on Mt. Baker geology and haz-ards. His website about local geology, withself-guided field trips, is at www.nwgeol-ogy.wordpress.com. He lives in Belling-ham.)

For more information about Mt. Baker:

Videos of the fumaroles inSherman Crater and the latestinformation on Mt. Baker, canbe found at the website of theMt. Baker Volcano Research Cen-ter www.mbvrc.wwu.edu

Real-time earthquake infor-mation can be found at the Pacif-ic Northwest Seismic Center (UW)website www.pnsn.org/Bak-er/welcome

The USGS Cascade VolcanoObservatory website is a gatewayto Cascades volcano informationwww.vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volca-noes/Baker

Volcano..Continued from page 13

s This page: Doug Nathe collects Sherman Crater fumarole gases to monitorchemical changes in magma beneath the volcano. Opening page: Steam plumes rise above Sherman Crater in this 2002 view fromBoulder Creek, near Baker Lake. All photos by Dave Tucker.

Mount Baker Experience 15

s Dan Irwin, trailing ‘smoke.’

s Zach Davison soaring over Home Run Gap in the Mt. Baker backcountry.

Photo by Ryan Duclos

Photo by Grant Gunderson

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16 Mount Baker Experience

You may not have had any luckscoring tickets to the 2010 Van-couver Olympics but that doesn’tmean you have to miss out on allthe excitement north of the border.It’s a once in a lifetime opportuni-ty to experience Olympic fever inthe flesh and best of all, there areplenty of things to do and see thatwon’t cost you an arm or a leg.

Besides the actual events, organ-izers have set up celebration sitesacross the lower mainland wherepeople can gather to hear music,watch events on big screen TVs,meet Olympic athletes, eat and drinkand much more.

How To Get There:First make sure you have your

passport if you’re crossing the bor-der. Then make it easy on yourself.Even though it’s a straight shot upHighway 99 to Vancouver, all of thesites you’ll want to visit are close topublic transportation. Park by aSkytrain station in Richmond orSurrey if you’re going downtown.If you’re going to the Richmond orSurrey celebration sites, guess what?They’re both at the end of the Sky-train track. The Richmond termi-nus is at No. 3 Road and Westmin-

ster Highway adjacent to the Rich-mond Center mall. It’s less than 30minutes to downtown from there.

The King George Station is locat-ed in Surrey City Centre at the cor-ner of King George Highway and100th Avenue, just north of the west-ern terminus of the Fraser High-way. The station sits on the edge ofa large commuter parking lot. Sky-train will be running later in theday and more frequently to accom-modate the expected surge in rid-ership. Log onto www.translink.cafor schedules, prices and routes.

LiveCity Vancouver:The city of Vancouver with sup-

port from the Canadian govern-ment, has set up two gatheringplaces, LiveCity Downtown andLiveCity Yaletown. Downtown islocated at Georgia and Cambiestreets, close to B.C. Place and Gen-eral Motors Place (or what’s beingcalled Canada Hockey Place for theduration of the games).

The Canada Pavilion and Cen-trePlace Manitoba is located hereas is Live@LiveCity, a licensed chalet-style lounge that offers food anddrinks. There is a giant screen thatwill be showing events as they takeplace and is a good place to meetup with friends in a downtown set-

ting. The site will be open from 11– 12:30 a.m. daily.

LiveCity Yaletown:LiveCity Yaletown is located at

David Lam Park at the corner ofDrake Street and Pacific Boulevard.It will feature live local, national,and international entertainmenteach day and evening, ending everynight with an exciting closing show.Giant screens will show highlightsof Olympic Winter Games sportscoverage and visitors can enjoy inter-active Olympic pavilions, Vancou-ver House, and best of all – it’s free.LiveCity Yaletown will be open from11 a.m. until 11 p.m. daily.

Organizers have a few tips forvisitors. Dress for the weather. It’sVancouver so rain is not an infre-quent weather occurrence. Wearrain gear with a hood and try toleave your umbrellas at home. Expectline-ups and get to know your newneighbors. Don’t bring chairs andtravel light. You never know whenyou’ll be subject to security checksso small handbags are best. This isespecially true if you are attendingan actual sporting event.

Speaking of which, be preparedto be flexible. As events get closer,expect to see prices drop for someevents. Already, tickets on Vanoc’sFan to Fan exchange seem to becoming down with some pretty closeto the original face value.

Even if you were skunked on theoriginal auction, that doesn’t meanyou won’t be able to nab something.Note: the prices on the fan to fanexchange are for the number of tick-ets being offered, not a per ticketprice. If you see two tickets for Xnumber of dollars then that’s theprice for both of them. It’s not verywell explained on the site.

For more info or updates, go towww.livecityvancouver.ca.

Robson Square Celebration:On Robson between Hornby and

Howe streets, this site features anoutdoor skating rink, a zipline, mul-timedia displays and live televisionbroadcast. Free.

2010 Aboriginal Pavilion: Located on the plaza of the Queen

Elizabeth Theatre on W. GeorgiaStreet, it is only minutes from theLiveCity Vancouver site and fea-tures performances and the Abo-riginal Artisan Village and BusinessShowcase. The legendary BuffySainte-Marie highlights the open-ing night performance series at theChiefs’ House on Friday, February13. www.fourhostfirst nations.com

O|ZONE Richmond:There was no way Richmond was

going to get left out of the excite-ment. Just minutes from the ter-minus of the new Canada Line Sky-train, the site stretches fromRichmond City Hall into MinoruPark. Huge ice art, exhibits, mas-sive high-definition screen, outdoorskating, exhibits, food and bever-ages (Holland Heineken House any-one?), arts and entertainment.

If you’re into music, this is the

place to be. Artists and groups sched-uled to perform include Tokyo PoliceClub, Bedouin Soundclash, TheStills, Our Lady Peace, the Canadi-an Tenors, the SFU Pipe Band, Win-tersleep, Wonderbolt Circus andmany more.

A highlight of the site is B.C.Street, a look and celebration of thebest of B.C. from the Kootenays toSooke. In the Main Stage area, aninteractive experience allows youto try out your best slapshot, skithrough a forest or take a virtualride in a bobsled. Hang on! Otherhighlights include exhibits fromThe Museum of Civilization, FirstNations artists building a tradi-tional longhouse, a massive Ice Gatecreated by artist Gord Halloran andHolland Heineken House.

HHH has long been a fixture atOlympic events. Each night will fea-ture medal ceremonies for Dutchathletes and performances by Dutchartists and DJs. Food and drink aredefinitely a highlight – the venuestays open until 2 a.m. www.rich-mondozone.ca

Surrey 2010:Not to be outdone, Surrey has

spent piles of money to createOlympic excitement. Located at thecorner of King George Highway(remember him?) and Old Yale Road,it offers convenient access to theSkytrain station into Vancouverand Richmond. Another free site,it’s open Wednesday through Sun-day with varying hours.

There are lots of shows that willappeal to all ages. Blue Rodeo, theRCMP Musical Ride, Daniel Wes-ley, Hot Hot Heat, Sam Roberts, Jul-ly Black, Dan Mangan, Alex Cuba,54-40, Odds, Marianas Trench, WideMouth Mason, Wintersleep, TokyoPolice Club, Randy Bachman andmany more. Again, all free. www.sur-rey2010.com

One of your best resources is the2010 Olympic Games Free Attrac-tions Guide (www.vancouveraccess2010.com/2010-olympic-games-free-attractions). Here you’ll

find out about street performanc-es, shows, performances and more.

You’ll definitely want to visit thevarious pavilions and ‘houses’ show-casing nations from around theworld. Granville Island has beenturned into the French Quarter, thehistoric Roundhouse CommunityCenter is now Casa Italia andDoolin’s Irish Pub is now IrishHouse (get your Gaelic on!). TheVancouver Rowing Club in StanleyPark is German Saxony House, Sci-ence World is now Sochi (Russia)House and Club Bud at the Com-modore Ballroom on Granville Streetwill be party central for five nights.

Cultural OlympiadSporting events aren’t the only

things happening in Vancouver.From now until March 21, there isa huge variety of cultural experi-ences to be had, ranging from cir-cuses to theatre to light shows. Formore information, go to www.van-couver2010.com/cultural-festivals-and-events/

Some samples:Florence K

Quebec-born jazz-pop chanteuseand pianist Florence K dazzles theaudience with her vocal and song-writing abilities in many languages,including French, English, Span-ish, Italian, and Portuguese.

She performs Saturday, Febru-ary 27 at 9 p.m. at PerformanceWorks on Granville Island. For tick-et information, call 604/872-5200.

Cirque Éloize: RainCirque Éloize has been creating

magical performances since 1993.The company expresses its innova-tive nature through theatricalityand humanity, combining circusarts with music, dance and theatre.

Performances take place Thurs-day, March 18 through Saturday,March 20 at The Centre for the Per-forming Arts,777 Homer Street,Vancouver

Visit www.mountbakerexperi-ence.com for web links and updatesduring the Olympics. So go aheadand make plans to enjoy the Games!

Your guide to the (free!) venues and events thru March 21

By Pat Grubb

s The Sam Roberts Band will play at the Surrey Olympicsite. © VANOC/COVAN s Maria Pages, Flamenco Republic © VANOC/COVAN

Mount Baker Experience 17

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WHAT’S HAPPENINGGRAHAM’S RESTAURANT MUSIC PERFORMANCES: Thursday, Feb-ruary 18, Bent Grass; Tuesday, February 23, Grahams open mic; Sat-urday, February 27, J B Quartet (Winter Olympics); Saturday, March13, Spoonshine and Saturday, April 17, War Pigeon. All shows startat 9 p.m. Must be 21+ to attend. www.grahamsrestaurant.com orcall 360/599-1964. 9989 Mt. Baker Highway, Glacier.

HIKE ALGER ALP: Sunday, February 21, 10 a.m. Mount Baker Club. Afive mile round trip hike up local hill. Views of the Chuckanuts andSquire Lake. Meet at Sunnyland school, Bellingham. For info, Ron at715-1753. www.mountbakerclub.org

NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AND POETRY: February 27, 7 p.m. Dem-ing Library with Cindy Minkler & Lotni (aka Richard Elm-Hill). CindyMinkler will play Lakota/Salish traditional songs on the cedar fluteand hand drum and play original piano music. Lotni will play musicand read his original poems. Refreshments. For info: contact theDeming Library, 5044 Mt. Baker Highway, 592-2422.

COMMUNITY PANCAKE BREAKFAST: Sunday March 7, April 4, May2 and June 6, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. pancakes, french toast, sausage, scram-bled eggs, juice and coffee biscuits & gravy Adults $5; Kids 6-10 $2;Kids 5 & under free. Rome Grange is located at 2821 Mt. Baker Hwy,about 1/2 mile east of the "Y" Road.

SQUIRE LAKE HIKE Saturday, March 13, 9 a.m. Mount Baker Club.Walk around Squire Lake and up to the beaver pond. Meet at Sun-nyland school, Bellingham. For more info, 734-9463.

CHILLIWACK HERON COLONY AND VEDDER RIVER DIKE TRAIL HIKE:Saturday, March 20, 9 a.m. Mount Baker Club. Over 100 nests, upclose and personal. Dress for weather and bring border crossing pa-perwork. Meet at Sunnyland school, Bellingham. For more info, 966-3999.

SPLIT ROCK HIKE: Sunday, March 28, 9 a.m. Mount Baker Club. Easyto moderate hike of about four to five miles to a natural rock for-mation near Lake Cavanaugh. Meet at Sunnyland school, Belling-ham. For more info, 715-1753.

SNOW SHOE ON SLIDE/RACEHORSE MOUNTAINS: Saturday, Aril 3,9 a.m. Mount Baker Club. Explore a couple of options for hiking upthe old logging road system to high points with views of westernWhatcom County and Mt. Baker. Meet at Sunnyland school, Belling-ham. For more info, 676-9843.

MT. BAKER SKI AREA GOLDEN EGG HUNT: April 3. www.mtbaker.us

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Mt. Baker Homes & Lands, Inc.

Residential Appraisal, Inc.

Janette Owens & Nanette Lloyd

REAL ESTATE SALES

9937 Mt. Baker HighwayGlacier, Washington

360/599-1900360/599-1135

Fax: 360/599-2535

SOUNDS TOO LOW??? $269,900Beautiful Snowline cabin nestled

among the trees 1549 s.f., 3 BR, 1.5BA. Features new propane fireplace,

breakfast bar area, indoor sauna,large deck, Only minutes from Mt.

Baker Ski Area. Call today!

Rick Meyer 360/410-1213

REAL ESTATE

The Mount Baker Experience is onlinewww.MountBakerExperience.com

Mount 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 directory

1 Business Locationmap key

37 Mile Post

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

22 BAKER ACCOMMODATIONSSnowater, Glacier • 599-1017

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

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

15 MT. BAKER BIBLEWAY CAMP8444 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-2921

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

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

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

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

18 GLACIER SKI SHOP / WAKE N’ BAKERY9966 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-1943

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

www.theinnatmtbaker.com 877/567-5526

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Open everyday 8-69996 Forest St., Glacier, WA (behind Milano’s)

360/599-2008 • 888/466-7392Shop online at mtbaker.com

“At Graham’s, you get what’s coming to you.”

GRAHAM’S RESTAURANT

f Rotating Taps

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World famous restaurant & tavern at the foot of Mt. Baker

9989 Mt. Baker Hwy., Glacier, WA • 360-599-1964Music calendar at www.grahamsrestaurant.com

Hot Cider! Cold Beer!The Aprés Ski is here!

HOT SHOTS � BIG SCOOPSEspresso • Ice Cream • Groceries

Bagel Sandwiches • Videos • Local Crafts & More

Glacier, WA • 599-2665

STORE

View • 2 BedroomsFull Kitchen • Hot Tub • Sleeps 6

Cascade RetreatSpacious • Hot tub • Sauna

Full kitchen • Sleeps 15Reservations 360-599-2155

www.mtbakerviewguesthouse.com

Mt. Baker ViewGuesthouse

GLACIER, WASHINGTON

Not Your Ordinary Vacation Lodging

Enjoy a Private Mountain Cedar Chalet

Full Amenities

Hot Tub

7474 Miller Way

Glacier, WA360-599-9574866-839-5342

www.canyoncreekchalets.com

Canyon Creek Chalets

360/599-2863

Open 7 days a week9990 Mt. Baker Highway

Glacier, Wa.www.MilanoRestaurant.us

MILANO’S

Est. 1990

•Fresh Pasta Dinners All Day • Full Deli

• Daily Specials • Espresso • Catering

• Soups & Salads • Homemade Desserts

• Wide Selection of Beer & Wines

• Grilled Pannini Sandwiches

R E S TA U R A N T & D E L I

GLACIERWashington

Wendy & Tom Cosgrove

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

360/599-2711www.thelogs.com

Cozy LogCabinsFireplacesKitchens

Mid Week

SpecialStay 2 nights,

the 3rd is FREEAsk about our large vacation homes