mount baker experience spring 2009
DESCRIPTION
Adventures in the great NorthwestTRANSCRIPT
2 Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009
Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009 3
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12 Equipment Guide19 Regional Map
THE USUAL
www.mountbakerexperience.com: Read the current issue ofMountBaker Experience here, and find all the archives aswell.
www.mtbakerchamber.org:Discover the area’s businesses.
www.weather.com:Get all the weather you need.
www.mtbaker.us: Find the latest information about theMt. Baker SkiArea, including snow amounts, events and trails.
www.wsdot.wa.gov/regions/northwest/traffic/bordercams:Need to know about border delays? Find out here.
FIND IT ONLINE
Photo byTyler Mitchell
On theCover
CONTENTSFEATURES
Publisher/Managing Editor Patrick J. GrubbAssociate Publisher/Advertising Manager Louise H. Mugar
Welcome to the Mount Baker Experience, the newspaper for and about the Mt.Baker area, published by Point Roberts Press, Inc. Locally owned and operated, the company also publishes The Northern Light, All Point Bulletin, Pacific CoastWeddings and Waterside in Blaine, Washington. Point Roberts Press is a member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, chambers of commerce inWhatcom 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 welcome your letters; however, the opinionsexpressed are not necessarily those of the editor. For circulation and rate information, 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 protected]. Printed in Canada.Address: 225 Marine Drive,
Blaine, WA 98230Tel: 360/332-1777 Fax: 360/332-2777Email:[email protected]:www.mountbakerexperience.comNext edition: June 2009Ads due: May 15
XMOUNT BAKER
e perienceVol 23 No. 2
Spring 2009 edition
Editor/Layout Pat GrubbAdvertising Design Karena CrottoReporters Jack Kintner, Tara Nelson,Marisa Willis
Advertising Sales Karen Ornelas, Classified Sales Janet McCall Office Manager Heidi Holmes
it all HAPPENS...This is where
XIt doesn’t always have to be high-speed. Slow down andreally look at the scenery with a pair of snowshoes, polesand a picnic lunch.
4 Snowshoeing at Mt. Baker
Admit it. You’ve been dying to tear off your clothes andsoak your aching muscles in a spring-fed hot tub. Howabout some organic, locally grown vittles as well?
6 Get into the flow at Doe
Baffled at the boarder-speak you hear on the chairlifts andslopes? Here’s a quick translation for some of the terms.
9 Languages 101
Face it. You’d rather not need the ski patrol but, boy, whenyou do, you are plenty happy to see them. Who are thesepeople?
15 People you don’t want to see
Local entrepreneurs Kai and Catherine Janson grow coffee on his family’s estate in Panama and bring it to theirfarm in Glacier to roast it. They do the work, we get todrink it.
10 From Panama to Glacier
Spring2009
4 Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009
“We had Camp Robbers!” shout-ed Marge Froiland, “They ate rightout of our hands!” Froiland, fromCamano Island, was snowshoeingWhite Salmon Road with her friendReita Anstensen of Anacortes. “We walked back into the woods
and it was quiet, like a cathedral.The sun was glinting through at acrazy angle and you could just standthere and listen to the snow melt-ing and breathe in the clean, clearair.”Not long after they’d paused dur-
ing their four-hour hike into thesnowy woods just downhill fromMt. Baker Ski Area they were visit-ed by a band of Canada Jays, alsoknown by hikers as Camp Robbersfor their brazen habit of landingon your head or hands while you’reeating and helping themselves. Theharmless but bold little robin-sizedbirds are always a treat to see, thewomen said. “We love snowshoe-ing, what it lets you see and whereit lets you go,” Froiland said.If you can walk, you can snow-
shoe. And if you can snowshoe, youcan open up a whole new world ofwalking into scenes most peopleonly see on greeting cards and cal-endars. It’s inexpensive, equipment usu-
ally renting for less than $20 a day.Unlike skiing and snow boardingthere’s little in the way of specialequipment that’s needed aside fromweather appropriate clothing anda few other things you may alreadyhave.Another good thing is that it’s a
one size fits all kind of thing equip-ment-wise, like water skiing, so youcan share the equipment and theexpense. Current models are notnearly as big as the classic ash andrawhide Sergeant Preston modelsthat looked like tennis rackets onsteroids. They’re lightweight plas-tic or aluminum tubing, very strongand have crampons built right intothem so they won’t even slip on ahockey rink. With ski poles, youbegin to know what your car feelslike when you put on tire chains.They’re handy for balance and forgetting a more complete exercise.They make steep slopes easier tonegotiate. The high-end poles areadjustable like the legs of a photog-rapher’s tripod for side-hill workwhere you’ll want the up-hill poleto be shorter.
Snowshoeing:A slower &quieter way... Story and photos by Jack Kintner
The combination lets you walkthrough some impressive sceneryeasily. You just don’t slip, even onhard flat ice, and your feet don’tget as tired because the snowshoealmost always provides a nice flatsurface to step on, like carrying yourown flagstones along on a hike. Even in deep powdery snow you
won’t sink in more than a few inch-es, which makes these things use-ful in all kinds of applications suchas mountaineering, rescue workand back-country cross-country ski-ing. That’s the objective, and itmakes you into your own little for-est-friendly SUV. Suddenly a snow-covered area becomes inviting andcan be safely explored. It’s like look-ing at a lake and suddenly discov-ering you have floating feet: youcan go just about anywhere youwish.Although you will have a bigger
footprint than normal and may feelawkward at first, a natural gait isbest, remembering to lift your kneesand avoid dragging or shufflingyour feet to prevent the crampons,the ice-gripping points under thesnowshoes, from catching on firmsnow. Ski poles, putting the rightpole forward with the left foot andleft pole forward with the right foot,will make all this rapidly fall intoplace. It’s hard to think of a moreintuitive sport, or one that will showyou as much.Going uphill is a lot like climb-
ing stairs, and coming back downa steep slope is easy as long as youlet the snowshoe do the work ofsticking to the slope. The deeperthe snow the shorter the stride andthe more exaggerated the knee liftand plant becomes. Deep powderis easy to negotiate but it’s also easyto become exhausted, so pace your-self and take breaks as often as youneed them.
HHaazzaarrddss aanndd ssaaffeettyySome are obvious, such as thin
ice, especially along streams, andburied obstacle like old mining tack-le or holes. Essentially, you’re in themountains so you need to be pre-pared and equipped. The classic tenessentials (from Mountaineering –TThhee FFrreeeeddoomm ooff tthhee HHiillllss) are a goodplace to start and should be carriedanytime when hiking out of sightof your car: map, compass, sunglass-
Please see Slower, page 5
s Reita Anstensen on White Salmon Road.
Give a gift certificate for a ride to the San Juans or Mt. Baker
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Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009 5
es and sunscreen, extra food andwater, extra clothes, a headlamp orflashlight, first aid kit, fire starter,matches and a knife.A GPS receiver is not a replace-
ment for a compass as trees and ter-rain or weak batteries will mean nosignal. Compasses are cheap. Sun-screen is important even on over-cast days as you will burn muchmore quickly given the altitude andthe reflective qualities of snow. Nice to have’s include an insu-
lated water bladder that fits insidea pack, making drinking easy andconvenient and keeping the waterfrom freezing; a square of thin foampadding to sit on, because if you sitin the snow especially for long peri-ods you’ll get a wet behind; wrapyour camera in a large microfibertowel which is nice for everythingfrom mopping your brow to clean-ing your camera. Microfiber can besafely used directly on eye glassesand camera lenses. You may find yourself able to get
closer to birds and other wildlifebut remember to keep your distanceand respect the fact that winter canbe tough for them without havingto avoid you, too. Frost bite isn’t abig concern in this area unless itreally gets cold, but hypothermiasure is. Cotton that gets wet fromsweat can be as cold as diving intoa nearly frozen lake. Remember thatdry = warm, and that drinkingenough water and eating enoughnutritious food are essential tomountain survival. Finally, avalanches. A snowshoer
was killed at Mt. Baker just a fewyears ago, although the SalmonArm complex is relatively free ofsuch hazards. Since avalanches dohappen in the area, it’s wise to famil-iarize yourself with the terrain andpossible dangers before departing,and carry the appropriate equip-ment. More information is avail-able from the renter or shop whereyou buy your snowshoes as well asthe Nooksack Nordic Ski Club mem-bers.
WWhheerree ttoo ggooIn the Mt. Baker area there are
several good spots to go as all youreally need is a few inches of snow,but the best are the trails of theSalmon Ridge Ski Trail Systemmaintained by the Nooksack NordicSki Club out of Bellingham. Before discussing this, remem-
ber that as a snowshoer your respon-sibility when sharing an area withother non-motorized pursuits is tostay off the ski tracks, usually twolittle parallel grooves in the snowthat skiers need. Stepping on themin a snowshoe crushes them, and itcan do to a skier what sand on theice do to a skater. The Salmon Ridge System is locat-
ed 13 miles east of Glacier just pastmilepost 46 on the Mt. Baker High-way (542), across from the Silver FirCampground. The gps coordinates:
48 degrees 54.189 min. N and 121degrees, 41.699 min W.The system includes Anderson
Creek Road, Ridge Road, the Han-negan Pass Road, White SalmonRoad and the Razorhone Road corearea. A map and more detail is avail-able at nooksacknordicskiclub.org. The area is open to the public
free of charge but it is part of thestate Sno-Park system, so daily ($9)or seasonal ($30) parking permitsare required. An exception is WhiteSalmon Road, a little farther easton 542 a half mile beyond milepost51. The road has limited parkingand does not require the parkingpass. Since it branches off the leftside of the highway in the middleof a sharp hairpin turn as youapproach it, users are advised tokeep going a half mile past the road,turn around at the Salmon RidgeDay Lodge entrance and return, orpark there and snowshoe back!
WWhhaatt kkiinndd ttoo ggeettThere are different shoes for dif-
ferent purposes, of course, but forthe most part it’s a one-size-fits-allkind of thing in the foothills aroundthe Northwest where so-called backcountry snowshoes are the modelof choice. There are also racing shoesthat have tails on them for track-ing and others for more specializedapplications, but for general trailand off-trail use it’s hard to beatthe Mountain Safety Research (MSR)Denali, a plastic shoe with built-incrampons. Atlas makes a brand thatconsists of a steel tube wrapped infabric and which has an extra clawunderneath for greater traction.The Atlas is somewhat quicker butthe Denali is better on sidehills, andhas rubber straps that don’t freeze,unlike the nylon straps found onvirtually every other brand of snow-shoe.They’re mounted by placing the
ball of your foot directly over thehinge that allows your foot to piv-ot, and centering it on the snow-
shoe. Tighten the front strap first,followed by the heel strap and fin-ish by tightening the straps overyour instep. Most are foolproof andcan be put on wearing thick mit-tens.
CCllootthhiinnggThe idea, as with almost any out-
door exercise, is to dress in layersthat can be shed or put on as need-ed. You’ll be exercising in snowcountry where temperatures canrange from very cold to surprising-ly warm, especially in the sun, notto mention your own temperaturevarying as you warm up during awalk. A rule of thumb is that at leastto begin with you’ll be dressed aboutright if you’re just a little chilly atfirst, about ready to put on a coat.Warm up with exercise instead andput the coat on when you stop fora break. Except for towels or a bandana,
avoid cotton (jeans especially), sinceit will retain moisture and then getvery cold, as will you. An inner lay-er of non-cotton long johns worksbest to allow you to perspire butstay dry. The middle layer shouldbe an insulating layer or fleece orwool, and top that with somethingthat will block the wind, snow and(this is the northwest) rain.Tip: if you’re the kind that likes
to rummage through second handclothing stores, you can often findwool pants from old uniforms thatwork great. Another great inven-tion that can help you fine-tuneyour clothing to the right amountof warming for varying conditionsare vents, zippered openings in theback and sides of jackets and parkas.
BBoooottssJust about anything works as long
as it’s waterproof, the only way tomake sure your feet stay dry. Thekind of boot you use does not haveto be big or stiff but it should keepyour feet warm and be something
SSlloowweerr....Continued from page 5
S Buy or rent?You can do bothat local outletssuch as John &Drew Adams’ Gla-cier Ski Shop(left), Sportsman’sChalet, REI for justa few examples.This packagerents for $15, notincluding the dog.
Please see Slower, page 8
6 Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009
By Tara Nelson
GGeettIInnttooTThheeFFllooww
Need a break from skiingor boarding? Hit the tubs atDoe Bay on Orcas Island
It was cold.Cold, dark and snowing as bone-
chilling Arctic winds blasted mostof Western Washington. The kindof night most would settle for cozy-ing up at home with the furnaceturned on, soaking in a tub, or doinganything other than packing upand heading out on the frozen roadfor a 90-minute drive down I-5 tocatch a two-hour ferry ride, followedby another 45-minute drive.But we were heading to Doe Bay,
a cozy, rustic resort on Orcas Islandthat promised locally grown andartfully prepared food, unbeliev-ably friendly staff and, most impor-tantly, natural spring-fed, clothing-optional soaking tubs heated to acomfortable 102 degrees.Doe Bay sits on 30 acres of gor-
geous waterfront overlookingRosario Strait and the San Juanarchipelago. In addition to beingdestination-worthy for the foodalone, the resort is a glowing mod-el of sustainability. From the refill-able containers of Dr. Bronner’s all
natural peppermint soap (the soapis biodegradable so it’s safe to usenear high water tables) to the on-site organic garden that reduces theneed for diesel fuel to ship food infrom thousands of miles away (nev-er mind the unbelievable freshnessand flavor), mindfulness is all partof the business philosophy.What’s more, it was New Year’s
Eve and the planned festivitiesincluded the musical stylings of thetruck-driving singer/songwriter,Sandman -The Rappin’ Cowboy, ahearty selection of appetizers, cham-pagne toast, midnight dessert buf-fet and a New Year’s Day brunchthe following morning. We arrived more than hungry.
Because of our lack of planning, wehad skipped lunch and rushed tothe ferry terminal in a haste only tofind after being stuck in line thatthe food service stopped at 3:30 p.m.Washington State ferries often havevending machines onboard but theyare generally full of worthless, over-priced junk. I had, for example, achoice between a $2.25 one-ounce
Please see Doe Bay, page 7
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Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009 7
growling, and I was left wonderingif we should have stopped for din-ner, even if it meant missing the fer-ry and the special New Year’s meal. Right as I was about to give up
and settle for the remnants of a canof nuts I had found under the seatof my car, a man standing behindme offered me five $1 bills inexchange.I took my crackers and a cup of
lousy instant coffee from a machineto the opposite end of the ferry andrelaxed on one of the cushionedbooth seats toward the back of theboat. Over the dull humming of theengines I heard a familiar soundthat made me feel at home: A groupof young musicians were on theirway to play a benefit concert on theisland for school children in Mex-ico and were singing and drummingwith sticks on the guitar cases inan impromptu jam session. It was-n’t exactly my kind of music, but itgave me a good inward chuckle.This is Washington state. The road from the Orcas Island
ferry terminal is long and windsaround the horseshoe-shaped island,through the town of East Soundand continues through Moran StatePark, home to Mount Constitution,the tallest point in the San Juanislands. If it hadn’t been so cold anddark, I would have gladly hitch hikedto avoid the $45 car and driver feeon the ferry and possibly meet someinteresting island folk along theway.Turning into the driveway at Doe
Bay, the trees and a lack of outdoorlighting (the resort has a policy onusing as few incandescent bulbs aspossible to reduce light pollutionand save energy) seemed to add anentirely new dimension of darkness.However, once we made our wayinside the café, it was bright, cheeryand festive with music, minglingand wine. The food was spectacular. Doe
Bay has recently acquired twodynamic gourmet vegetarian andseafood chefs who deserve recog-nition: Abigael, a former executivechef at New York’s Candle Cafe andAnde Janousek, former executivechef at Seattle’s popular Carmeli-ta vegetarian restaurant. Birrelltrained at the Natural GourmetCulinary School in New York Cityand said the school is the only culi-nary school with a main emphasison food as a healing mechanism.She also ran her own catering com-pany Rebel Girl Catering in Seattlewhile employed at Carmelita. Appetizers included truffled pop-
corn with parmesan and rosemary,local caught and smoked salmoncakes with Meyer lemon and chiveaioli, sesame-seared Alaskan seascallop skewers with orange misodipping sauce, a Mezze assortmentof flatbreads, Muhummarah, Tyros-alata, roasted garlic hummus, falafeland finger Caesar salads. The standout among all of these,
however, was a polenta and goatcheese tart with a smoky, savory lay-
er of porcini mushrooms and toppedwith a mildly spicy piquillo peppercoulis. The desserts were ethereal as well.
Chefs Abigael and Ande created adelicate rosewater panacotta withspiced blueberry compote that was“enough to make you cry,” as gen-eral manager Harreld Dinkins putit, a rustic and tart heirloom appletartlet with Calvados whipped cream,a flourless chocolate tort, espres-so-chocolate mousse spoons, pis-tachio-cherry Mexican weddingcakes, bourbon pumpkin cheese-cake and a variety of handmade truf-fles.
KKeeeeppiinngg iitt rreeaallThe food wasn’t just delicious;
it was revolutionary. The café hasa “seeds to table” policy, which loose-ly translates into a priority purchas-ing policy for their ingredients.Dinkins explained that, with rareexceptions, if the ingredients aren’tgrown on-site or available locallyand seasonally, they simply don’t
Please see Doe Bay, page 8
package of beef jerky, a selection ofsugary candy bars and a small $1package of crackers, which I grudg-ingly settled for. Reaching into mypocket, however, I realized I had
DDooee BBaayy....Continued from page 6
only a $5 bill. The situation contin-ued to look more desperate whenthe woman in front of me informedme the bill exchange machine wasout of order. I started to panic, as it seemed
the snack gods were plotting againstme. All the while, my stomach was
s The café at Doe Bay offers waterfront views and is listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places. More than 70 percent of the café’s ingredients aregrown on-site or bought from local farmers.
s Visitors to Doe Bay can enjoy scenic vistas from a comfortable seat in oneof their three natural spring-fed soaking tubs.
s Doe Bay Café executive chef Abigael Birrell pours spiced blueberry com-pote into a pitcher for the café’s special New Year’s brunch on January 1.
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8 Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009
you can walk in for a while becausea poor-fitting boot will blister yourfeet, just as when hiking. Some peo-ple avoid Sorrels and other plasticboots for this reason, but light-weight hiking boots and shoes, oftennot much more than a running shoewith a big sole, are fine as long as,again, they’re waterproof.Socks are as important as the
boots or shoes themselves. Socksshould be polypropylene, silk orwool or both, wool with a polyproliner (not cotton), a good way tocut down on blistering. Gaiters willhelp keep your ankles and feet dryin powder snow. Some people pre-fer old-fashioned knickers withheavy wool knee socks because theygive you a lot more freedom of move-ment than pants.Hats and gloves are also impor-
tant, as you’ll lose heat much morequickly without a hat. Take alongsomething warm but small enoughto be stowed in a day pack or pock-et. Gloves should be lined, againbecause dry = warm.
IInnffoorrmmaattiioonnThe single best source of infor-
mation for snowshoeing in the Mt.Baker area is from the NooksackNordic Ski Club website,www.nooksacknordicskiclub.org. Avalanche information and cur-
rent conditions are available on-line from the Northwest AvalancheCenter at www.nwac.us.Current area information is avail-
able at the Glacier Public ServiceCenter in Glacier, open weekends
through February from 9 a.m. to 3p.m. 360/599-2714, and at the Mt.Baker Ranger District, 810 StateRoute 20, Sedro Woolley, open Mon-day through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30p.m. 360/856-5700, ext. 515.
PPaarrkkiinnggMany of the sites require a Wash-
ington State Sno-Park parking per-mit, good anywhere in Washingtonand Oregon. They cost $10 per dayor $30 for the season. Though notrequired everywhere, the fine is $66for parking in a fee lot without thepermit. Sno-Park permits may bepurchased at the public service cen-ter and the ranger district officeand at the following retail outletsin the area: Backcountry Essentials, 214 W.
Holly, Bellingham 360/543-5678 Joes, 300 Bellis Fair Pkwy, Belling-
ham 360/756-1120 REI, 400 36th St., Bellingham
360/647-8955Sportsman Chalet, 114 W Hol-
ly, Bellingham 360/671-1044Fairhaven Bike and Mountain
Sports, 1108 11th St., Bellingham360/733-4433Crossroads Grocery and Video,
Silver Lake Road and Highway 542,Maple Falls 360/599-9657Daily Sno-Park Permits are also
available on-line at www.parks.wa.gov/winter
RReennttaall eeqquuiippmmeennttMSR Denali snowshoes may be
rented at the Glacier Ski Shop for$15 per day. REI in Bellingham rents various
kinds of snowshoes for $12 to $18per day and poles for $4 to $8 perday.
SSlloowweerr....Continued from page 5
purchase them. The practice beganwhen local farming interns wouldcome to work in the café to supple-ment their income, from which own-ers Joe and Maureen Brothertonwere able to forge working relation-ships with local food producers. Squash and potatoes come from
Taproot Farms just up the road,while the heirloom apples used intheir signature dishes come fromSmiling Dog Farm. Fresh line-caughtwild salmon comes from the JonesFamily Farm on Lopez Island, whileclams, oysters and mussels comefrom Buck Bay on Orcas. “Doe Bay does a pretty good job
of walking the walk in a way that alot of restaurants don’t,” Dinkinssaid. “It’s all well and good to talkabout being sustainable and usinglocal produce but the bottom lineis we’re one of the only restaurantsthat doesn’t have a Sysco or FSAaccount. And while that means wedefinitely pay more and have morevendors, it’s really a responsibilityof stewardship, meaning the own-ership is seriously engaged in main-taining a high level of respect notonly for the property, which is DoeBay but also for the larger socialand ecological landscape.” Dinkins estimates that nearly 60
percent of food the restaurant servesis grown in their own garden andnearly 80 percent comes from pro-ducers and farmers in the San Juans. “Eating a local piece of produce
not only is it the right thing to dobut it also just tastes better,” Dink-ins said. “When you eat something
that was harvested six hours agoversus something that was shipped6,000 miles away in a refrigeratedtruck, there is a difference.”That philosophy carries over into
other aspects of the business as well.The resorts’ paper supply is 100 per-cent post-consumer recycled paperwhile clothing and outerwear aresourced through sweatshop-freecompanies such as American Appar-el. Office supplies and hardwareitems needed for repairs are boughtfrom on-island stores whenever pos-sible, and the resort has reduced itssolid waste by 60 percent over thelast two years, he said. “All of these things reflect a lev-
el of commitment to our guests andto the land here,” he said. “It’s notalways the cheapest way to do busi-ness, but we felt it’s the best way todo business.”
IIff yyoouu ggooOverall, the resort has come a
long way since my last visit in 2001when I slept at The Grebe, one ofthe small campsites located near arocky ledge overlooking the water.The campgrounds, although stillprimitive, have since been coveredin cedar chips to add a layer of cush-ion to the bedrock underneath.Sleeping pads or cushions, howev-er, are still recommended. If camping isn’t your thing, Doe
Bay offers many more comfortableaccommodations from yurts virtu-ally located on the beach to fullyequipped cabins that sleep as manyas 24. We stayed in “The LittleHouse,” a one-bedroom cottagewith whitewashed walls, a fold-outfuton in the living room and a halfbath. Located directly across fromthe café and steps from the main
beach, Little House has one of thebest views of the water and is mostconvenient with its proximity tothe community kitchen (the cot-tage has a microwave and sink) andthe showers. Other cabins have fullbathrooms and kitchens.The café hosts pizza night and
open mic nights on Thursdays, livemusic on Saturday. Their winterrecession special includes a Sundaynight movie with $12 soup and sal-ad combo plus a free hot tub soakwith a regular entrée purchase andhalf-price bottles of wine. They havealso scheduled a buy two nights,get one free Valentine’s Day eventbetween February 13 and 15.
GGeettttiinngg tthheerreeMost visitors to Doe Bay take the
1.5 hour-long trip by ferry fromAnacortes, but f lying is also anoption. By car the trip is 120 milesfrom Seattle to Orcas Island (includ-ing the ferry ride) and drivers shouldaccount for waits in line at the fer-ry terminal, but several flights departfrom Lake Union traveling to Orcas’Rosario airport in less than an hour. If you take the ferry, you may
want to consider leaving your carin Anacortes and walking across asrates for driving across are steep –$39 to $45, plus additional fees perpassenger – depending on the dayof week and season. But not to wor-ry, hitch-hiking is not only accept-able here, it is a way of life, and itoffers a way to meet some of thelocal island folk.For more information about the
resort, visit its website atwww.doebay. com. The resort islocated at 107 Doe Bay Road in Olga;call 360/376-2291.
DDooee BBaayy....Continued from page 7
s New Year’s guests ring in the new year with musical guest Sandman, TheRappin’ Cowboy.
s Baked apple pain perdu on its wayto hungry diners.
s Roads throughout the resort arenamed after Hindu gods and goddess-es such as Ganesh, who is said tohave power in removing obstacles.s A yurt overlooking Rosario Strait.
Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009 9
See Lingo, page 18
That wassick!Has life passed you by? Does it
seem that everyone speaks a differ-ent language than you? Nah, you’renot crazy. You’re just on a chairliftsitting beside a couple of snow-boarders who have a different wayof expressing themselves. Here then is your very own abbre-
viated dictionary of boarder talk.Don’t look for it in the Oxford.
3, 5, 7, 9, 19, 12To indicate a 360, 540, 720, 900,1080 or 1260 degree turn. Usedfor aerial tricks.BACKSIDE 180Aerial maneuver in which the rid-er makes a 180 degree rotationoff the jump leading with the heel-side (clockwise for a regularstance-counterclockwise for goofy)BAILEither deciding not to do a trickafter starting or crashing or falling.Eg. "He bailed and landed on hishead." BLINDSIDEAn aerial where the rider is "blind"to his/her takeoff or landing andmust look over their shoulder.Makes it tougher to do.BLUE BIRDA beautiful day. Eg. “Cuttin' thepow pow on a blue bird day.”BOMBBlast down a hillCOULOIRSSlopes. As in “badass couloirs."DANKAn expression used to describeawesomeness. Eg. that board istotally dank!DOPETo say something was good. Eg.“Dude, that was dope!”DROPPING INThe person going next down therun, jump, or rail.DUDEWhat you call someone when youdon’t know their name. FAKIERiding the snowboard backwardsfrom a normal stance.FALLING LEAFBeginner snowboarder that ridesone edge horizontally, back andforth, the whole way down theslope.FSFrontside (If you’re regular, spin-ning to the left. If you’re goofy,spinning to the right). Eg. “He didan FS 180.”GAPTo jump a gap, as in a road gap.GNARLYWicked, awesome or cool. It canalso mean something difficult orscary.GOOFYRiding with the right foot in frontinstead of the left foot which isthe normal stance
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10 Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009
For Glacier resident Kai Janson,coffee is more than just a way tostart the day; it is a way of life.Janson and his wife Catherine
started Mt. Baker Coffee Roastersin 2005 in addition to their BakerAccommodations business. Theroastery is one of a small handfulnationwide that has complete con-trol over their product from the cof-fee mill on his small family farmthat separates the pulp from thebeans to his customized Agtronroasting process near his home inGlacier. “I’m pretty passionate about cof-
fee,” he said. “The way I got into it,when you realize what coffee is froma historical point of view and froma social point of view, from theFrench Revolution to British womentrying to ban coffee shops becauseof its helping to raise conscious-ness, it’s incredible.”The farm, La Torcaza Estate, is
located just 25 miles east of the Cos-ta Rican border and was acquiredby his great grandfather, who migrat-ed to Panama from Sweden. Whilethere, he worked for the head of civ-il affairs for the government dur-ing the construction of the Pana-ma Canal. Kai Janson lived there with his
family until the age of seven andcontinued to spend summers in hisyouth there, enjoying the sun andfishing in nearby alpine lakes. WhenJanson, along with his three broth-ers, inherited the farm a few yearsago, they decided to start a coffeefarm to grow high-quality single-sourced estate coffee.Janson said he liked the idea of
being able to custom roast andprocess the coffee to create a myr-iad of notes and flavors. Estate cof-fee is a superior product, he said,because it doesn’t need to be blend-ed with other beans to taste good. “When you taste coffee, you’re
the own ruler of your own taste budsand whatever you think is the bestcoffee is the best coffee, that’s themagic of it,” he said. “We think ofcoffee as fresh food, that’s whenyou get the most benefit out of it.When coffee’s fresh, it’s more likea fruit than a dry bread, so it’s funto be involved with coffee.” Mt. Baker Coffee Roasters cof-
fee can be purchased at Maple Fuelsand Crossroads Grocery in MapleFalls and is served at Graham’s andMilano’s restaurant in Glacier. Headded he is looking into distribut-ing coffee to retailers in Belling-ham in the near future. Coffee can also be ordered via
their website at www.mtbakercoffee.com. You can read more about hisfamily Panama estate atwww.estatecoffee.com.
s La Torcaza Estate in Panama, 25 miles east of Costa Rica, is home to KaiJanson’s coffee farm, started by his three brothers and himself a few yearsback.
s Kai Janson processing coffee attheir farm in Glacier.
s The raw material.
By Tara Nelson
Coffee: From Panama to Glacier
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Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009 11
s Little Pinkie at the top of Chair 3 is the place to play this year.
s Hitting the pow!
s Treacherous conditions marked December and January as storms and Arc-tic temperatures and fog blew into the Northwest.
s Not to mention that the Nooksack River burst its banks.
s Local qualifying races for the Legendary Banked Slalom took place on the Martin Luther Kingweekend.
Of course, it wasn’t all fun and games...
Photo by Grant Gunderson
Photo by Grant Gunderson
Photo by Grant Gunderson
Photo by Tyler Mitchell
Photo by Tyler Mitchell
Photo by Tyler Mitchell
12 Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009
Skate Banana board has Magne-Trac-tion edge to give a 161 cm ride on a159 cm board. By Lib Tech, was $470.Cartel bindings by Burton are markeddown to $164 from $219.
EQUIPMENT GUIDEMT. BAKER SNOWBOARD SHOP
GLACIER SKI SHOP
MT. BAKER SNOWBOARD SHOP
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get outside
SKATE BANANA $257
This wax iron by Dakine gives thesmoothest, fastest base.
DAKINE WAX IRON $35By Back Country Access, marked downfrom $350.
DTS AVALANCE TRACKER $279WAX REMOVER $11Eco-friendly citrus wax remover by OneBall Jay.
Youth snowshoes for children under 10,by Red Feather.
Fleece neck gaiter gives light-weightwarmth without the hassle of a hat,comes in various animals by Cozee Critters.
NECK GAITER $15
Magne-Traction edge tuning file hasplastic guide for accurate edge.Designed for Lib Tech but works onother boards. By Lib Tech.
MAGNE-TRACTION $17
All temperature banana wax for yourbanana board, not your lunch, by LibTech.
BANANA WAX $10
Metal wax scraper by One Ball Jay.
WAX SCRAPER $9Nylon brush for buffing wax by One BallJay.
BUFFING BRUSH $15
Telescoping back country ski polecomes in three sections for compactcarrying, external clamps prevent col-lapsing under use, includes baskets, byBlack Diamond.
SKI POLE $80
Put on this Peruvian hand-knitted llamawool hat with scarf warmers and yourfriends will kiss you. Various colors.
LLAMA WOOL HAT $44
Pilgrim powder ski has large surfacearea for flotation, designed to be usedin lengths that match your size snow-board, graphics by Paar, by Icelantic.
PILGRIM POWDER SKI $600Also known as JJ’s by Armada, skis haverocker and extended tips for powder.Back Country Technology convertiblebindings by Marker, $369.
JP vs Julian $689
Purl premium wax works in all tempsfor greater speed. Small brick, $7.
PURL PREMIUM WAX $7Denali Snowshoes have rubber strapsthat stay more flexible than plastic. Onesize fits all older children and adults.
DENALI SNOWSHOES $130
RED FEATHER SNOWSHOES $50
X
Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009 13
FIBT Bobsleigh & Skeleton World Cup February 2-7The Whistler Sliding Centre, Whistlerwww.whistlerbobsleighskeleton.com
ISU Four Continents Figure Skating ChampionshipsFebruary 2-8 Pacific Coliseum, Vancouverwww.fourcontinents2009.com
FIS Freestyle World Cup February 5-7 CypressMountain, West Vancouver:www.freestyleki.ca/en/worldcups/2009/cypress/index.htm
FIS Snowboard World Cup February 12-15 CypressMountain, West Vancouver:www.snowboardworldcup2009.com
FIL Luge World Cup February 16-21: The WhistlerSliding Centre, Whistlerwww.whistlerluge.com
WCF World Wheelchair Curling ChampionshipFebruary 21-28: Vancouver Paralympic Centre(Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Stadium Park)www.wwhcc2009.com
Hockey Canada Cup – Sledge Hockey February 24-March 1: UBC Thunderbird Arenawww.hockeycanada.ca
IPC Cross-Country Skiing and Biathlon World CupFinal March 4-7: Whistler Olympic Parkwww.ipcnordic-vancouver.com
World Junior Curling Championships March 5-15:Vancouver Olympic Centre (Hillcrest/Nat BaileyStadium Park): www.wjcc2009.com
IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals March 9-14:Whistler Creeksidewww.ipcalpinefinals2009.com
IBU Biathlon World Cup Date: March 11-15Whistler Olympic Park www.biathlon-vancouver.com
ISU World Single Distances Speed SkatingChampionships March 12-15: Richmond OlympicOval: www.speedskatingrichmond2009.com
Hockey Canada Cup – Women’s Hockey August 31-September 6: UBC Thunderbird Arena and CanadaHockey Place, Vancouver
Get stoked for the 2010 OlympicsGot skunked on your online request for 2010 Olympics? Well, worse
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WHAT’S HAPPENINGSTORYTIME AT DEMING & MAPLE FALLS LIBRARIES: A half-hour of stories and more for preschoolers.Tuesdays through May 26, 10:30 a.m. Free. Deming: 5044 Mt. Baker Highway. For more info, call 592-2422; Maple Falls: 7509 Mt. Baker Highway. For more info, call 599-2020.
BEN PRESTIGE PERFORMANCE: January 30, 9 p.m. Super talented one man band from Florida. Joowana’s,Maple Falls. For more info, call 599-9800.
CASCADES FOOTHILLS SNOWSHOE EXPLORATION: January 31, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Meet with naturalistDavid Bean. If necessary, snowshoes can be provided. Meet at the Whatcom County Parks & Rec. office,Mt. Baker Hwy. to carpool to the trailhead. For more info, call 360/733-2900.
ROME GRANGE COMMUNITY BREAKFAST: First Sunday of the month until June. 8 a.m.– 1 p.m. Pancakes,french toast, sausage, scrambled eggs, biscuits & gravy, juice & coffee. Adults $5; Kids 6-10 $2; Kids 5 &under FREE Rome Grange, 2821 Mt. Baker Hwy.
STORYTIME AT SUMAS LIBRARY: A half-hour of stories and more for preschoolers. Mondays February 2through June 8, 11 a.m. (No storytime on Feb.16) 451 2nd St., 988-2501. Free.
JAMIE LYNN'S KANDI KODED AND TWEAKBIRD PERFORMANCE: February 6, 9 p.m.. Joowana’s, MapleFalls. For more info, call 599-9800.
2009 MT. BAKER LEGENDARY BANKED SLALOM: February 6 – 8. www.mtbaker.us for info.
SCHWEITZER CREEK LOOP SKI OR SNOWSHOE: February 7. Cross country ski the roads and trails nearGranite Falls on Mountain Loop Hwy. Miles can range from 10 to 14 and elevation up to 1,800 feet.Possible visits to Bear Lake, Ashland Lakes or Evan Lake. Meet at Sunnyland School, James Street,Bellingham at 7 a.m. Contact Paul at 676-9843 of the Mt. Baker Hiking Club for information.
DJ B KUTZ PERFORMANCE: February 7, 9 p.m.. Joowana’s, Maple Falls. For more info, call 599-9800.
GRAHAM’S RESTAURANT PERFORMANCES: Thursday, Feb. 5: Bent Grass; Friday, Feb 6: Lucky Brown;Saturday, Feb. 14: Gertrude's Hearse; Thursday, Feb. 19: Bent Grass; Friday, Feb. 20: Lucky Brown;Wednesday, Mar. 4: Free People;Thursday, Mar. 5: Bent Grass; Thursday, Mar. 19 Bent Grass; Saturday,Mar. 21: War Pigeons; Thursday, Apr. 2 - Bent Grass. All shows starts at 9 p.m. All shows 21+. Grahamsopen mic every Tuesday (free). www.grahamsrestaurant.com.
CHUCKANUT MOUNTAIN HIKE: February 21. A nine mile hike from Clayton Beach up the South SummitRd and return via south Lost Lake Rd. Meet at Sunnyland 8:30 a.m. Contact Marjan at 332-3195 of theMt. Baker Hiking Club for directions.
GEM & JEWELRY SHOW: February 21, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; February 22, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., WashingtonNational Guard Armory, 2730 Oakes, Everett. Hourly door prizes, special exhibits, kids activities, silentauction & much more. Free admission. www.everettrockclub.com.
BICYCLE SAN JUAN ISLAND: March 21. Meet at Sunnyland School, James St., Bellingham, at 9 a.m. andcarpool to Anacortes. Walk on the ferry for a 31-mile loop on San Juan Island. Contact Janet of the Mt.Baker Hiking Club at 360/734-6602 for details and possible change in ferry schedule. Carpool cost $3.
SNOWSHOE HIKE ALOUETTE MOUNTAIN, GOLDEN EARS PARK, B.C.: March 28. Snowshoe (or bring back-country skis) the trail up Alouette Mountain. Up to 13 miles and 3,600 feet elevation gain. Slow or fastgroup. Need passport or qualifying ID. Call Paul of Mt. Baker Hiking Club at 360/676-9843.
ONGOING MEETINGS/EVENTSCAN YOU PROVIDE HELP TO VICTIMS OF ABUSE?: Join the volunteer team at Domestic Violence & SexualAssault Services to provide immediate support to adult and child victims of sexual assault and domesticviolence. Call 671-5714 to schedule an interview or email [email protected].
BLACK MOUNTAIN FORESTRY CENTER TOURS: There needs to be at least three to four adults and the costis $12 per adult. RSVPs are requested. Call 360/599-2623.
EVERGREEN WATER & SEWER DISTRICT:Monthly commissioner’s meeting is the fourth Wednesday of eachmonth 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 Center.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. Bakerhwy. www.glacierchamber.org. Email: [email protected] 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 at 6:30 p.m. atthe Inn at Mt. Baker. Info: call 360/599-1518 or www.mtbakerchamber.org.
MT. BAKER FOOTHILLS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION: Meets third Wednesday, 7 p.m.,Kendall Elementary School. For info, email [email protected].
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.
SUMAS BINGO: Sundays, 12:40 p.m.; Mondays & Thursdays, 6:40 p.m., Sumas Legion Hall, 134 Harrison St.For more info, call 360/966-4971.
Out & About
s Jeremy Dubs, 27, is a filmmaker, world traveler and snowboarder.
14 Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009
an ‘epic adventure’ of year-roundsnowboarding and tracking thedeepest snow in the world from Bak-er to Chile, Argentina and localessuch as Easter Island. Dubs says he is partly inspired
by his minor in sociology to docu-ment a centerpiece of Northwestculture and provide an inside lookat what makes snowboarding a uni-versal sport. Dubs frequently alternates
between Glacier and Santiago wherehe met his wife nearly two years ago.
How did you get started in film making?
I had always been into visual art.When I was young, my parents hadthis gigantic VHS tape recorder thatwe used to record our friends whenwe were skateboarding, so I kind ofjust got some basics with that. I alsotook photography in high schooland I was always interested but nev-er had the money to have a decentvideo camera. When I started going to Western,
I had access to cameras that I couldcheck, go up to Baker or film peo-ple skateboarding downtown. I didthat for a few years until I was ableto buy my own camera. But the moment it turned to a
full time thing was early in the sea-son one year at Baker when I brokesome ribs. I could still ride aroundbut I couldn’t do tricks anymore soI was looking for something to keepmy interest up and I realized film-ing my friends was a good way todo that. I started to like editing thefootage and figured that’s the wayI should go. I never had quite thegift to be an amazing snowboard-er, I figured I could be better behindthe lens.
What inspires you about your work?
Growing up in the Northwest,there’s a lot of people who do film-making stuff, I ended up living witha roommate who did skateboard-ing videos and it was cool becausewe had these two different subcul-tures that kind of crossed over in
certain areas. I’m also inspired whenI know I can show something new,rather than show something that’srecycled over and over again. We’reusing Spanish and English and sowe’re doing something new and dif-ferent in that way. Another thing is that it’s a real-
ly talented region. The Northwesthas this cool outdoor mentality andprogressively thinking people. Thatreally helps. What is your next major project?We have a couple projects under-
way, including a movie coming outin September with lots of tricks forthe kids. We don’t have a name yet.Our last movie Sentimental Valueswas really good and I want some-thing to live up to that or exceedthat. We will also have various shortfilms on YouTube. On your website, you call yourwork ‘snowboard life study
films.’ What is that?It’s snowboarding with a little
bit of life study. We’re trying to openpeople’s eyes to what other peopleare doing or show people a placethey’ve never skied before. You have to look at beyond just
the basics because snowboardinghas so much of a culture behind itthan other sports and that kind ofunites all these places. You havepeople here who have heard aboutChile, and you have people in Chilewho have heard about Washington,but not necessarily any other states.It’s kind of a world community.Even if you don’t speak the samelanguage, you kind of share some-thing interesting. That’s one of thecool things about the snowboardculture.
Enjoying the ride... By Tara NelsonWhile many ski and snowboard-
ing filmmakers focus on the bestand most elaborate tricks, JeremyDubs wants to capture the entireexperience.Dubs, 27, of Glacier, is the own-
er and producer of Funner Films,a snowboard video company basedin Glacier and Santiago, Chile. Hisfilms have been featured locally aswell as in Japan, Europe and in sev-eral South American countries. Dur-ing his time off, Dubs often shootsshort snowboarding films for ESPNas well as some promotional piecesfor companies in Chile.With beautiful scenery, exotic
locales and interviews with localsnowboarders, Dubs creates an enter-taining, often humorous, andbehind-the-scenes look at North-west hardcore snowboarding cul-ture. HisSentimental Values film, for
example, profiles local legend LucasDebari who, at age 18, became theyoungest person ever to win the Mt.Baker Legendary Banked Slalom,beating out Olympic Gold medal-ist Seth Wescott. The film follows Debari, and oth-
er local pros such as Nathan Lindand Eric Jackson in what Dubs calls
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Their website is www.funner.us.Their Youtube page iswww.youtube.com/funnerprojects. He added he is now selling alpacawool beanies hand-made byChilean crafters ($20). They canbe purchased at Maple Fuels inMaple Falls and online atwww.funner-clothing.com.
Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009 15
Peter Ellis hits the snooze but-ton on his alarm once, twice, threetimes before waking up at 5 a.m.Friday morning. He stumblesthrough the dark hallway and walkszombie-like toward the kitchen. Hescours the cabinets for the neces-sary ingredients to make coffee –anything to zap the grogginess ofsleep at this early hour is a must. A bowl of cereal and three cups
of coffee later, Ellis and his gear arepacked and driving down Mt. Bak-er Highway, en route to the Mt. Bak-er Ski area. Like a handful of oth-er men and women from this region,Ellis is a member of the Mt. BakerSki Patrol and a guardian of theslopes. Rain or shine, snow or slush,
washed out roads or not, the Mt.Baker Ski Patrol, a division of theNational Ski Patrol, looks out forthe safety and well-being of the ski-ers, boarders and all visitors whograce the mountain.
The Mt. Baker Ski Patrol oper-ates with more than 150 volunteerpatrollers like Ellis, who devote sev-eral days a month to supervisingthe mountain. There is also a dozenprofessional patrollers, led by ProPatrol director Sam Llobet, whoworks with ski area general man-ager Duncan Howat to assess moun-tain conditions and safety concerns.The professional patrollers are alsoin charge of triggering morningavalanches to ensure safer condi-tions throughout the day. During a busy weekend, the slopes
have about as many visitors as thepopulation of Blaine, said market-ing co-director Amy (Howat) Trow-bridge. That’s an estimated 4,500skiers, snowboarders and hikersthat the ski patrol is responsible forevery weekend, meaning Ellis andhis friends are kept plenty busy. From towing out stuck snow-
boarders with his ski poles to con-ducting search and rescue missionsfor missing persons, Ellis has seenand done it all. Between patrolling
Please see Patrol, page 16
at the White Pass Ski Resort for fiveyears as a teenager and volunteer-ing at Mt. Baker while in college,Ellis has been a part of the ski patrolfor nine years. He said he couldn’treally imagine his life without ski-ing or the mountains.“I love the fact that I get to ski
with this group of guys who are allreally good skiers and just genuinegood people,” Ellis said. “It’s real-ly something to be surrounded bypeople who like the mountains andlike helping others as much as youdo.” Having a life devoted to the snow
seems to be a popular trend for thepatrollers on Mt. Baker. VolunteerSki Patrol director Kent Nelsongrew up around the Mt. Baker SkiArea and has been skiing its slopessince he could walk. “It’s such a generational thing,”
Nelson said. “[Skiing at Mt. Baker]runs in my family and it just getsin your blood.” Nelson said ski patrol is more
than just a second kin to him. It’s
shaped the person he is today, andfor Nelson skiing on Mt. Baker hastruly become a family affair. Nel-son proposed to his wife on top ofPanorama Dome and even namedhis son Kanyen after RazerhoneCanyon on Mt. Baker. Nelson said skiing is a great fam-
ily activity, which is one of the rea-sons he accepted the volunteer direc-tor’s position three seasons ago. Healso cited the unique experienceMt. Baker has to offer as a reasonhe said yes to the position. Nelsonsaid of all the factors that make Mt.Baker unique, it’s the people wholeave the most lasting impression. Whether it be the 40 years of ski
area management by the Howatfamily, the easy-going locals or thelong-term volunteer patrollers, Mt.Baker has its fair share of charac-ters. “Every single person you come
By Marisa Willis
The people you want to see after the going got tough
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16 Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009
s Rebecca Andersen in her Wake ‘n Bakery next to the Glacier Ski Shop. Thereare plenty of new and tempting items for the passing boarders and skiers.
s Innate Skate and Snow opened in November offering skate and snowboardgear in downtown Bellingham. The shop also offers a screen printing studio,art gallery and, on occasion, a live music venue. The shop is located at 1215Cornwall Avenue in the former Edge Boardshop building and can be reachedby calling 360/392-8675.
s Peter Ellis
in contact with up there, somehowimpacts your experience,” Nelsonsaid. “At the end of the day, it’s allabout the Mt. Baker experience.” And dedicated patrollers like
Bruce Rustad certainly contributeto setting a tone of camaraderie atMt. Baker. Rustad has been a mem-ber of the Mt. Baker ski patrol for45 years and served as the volun-teer director for 10 of those years. Rustad is in charge of the Friday
volunteer patrol team and is on themountain every weekend. He saidhe devotes so much of his time tothe organization because of the peo-ple he gets to work with and theability to ski runs whenever he wants. “We get every type of weather up
there,” Rustad said. “But as long aswe don’t get involved in too manyinjuries, nothing beats a good pow-der day and a couple feet of newsnow,” Rustad said.
Ski patrol is by no means all funand games though. Every patrolleris required to go through intensetraining and must be prepared touse their emergency medical skillsat all times. As the volunteer director, Nel-
son oversees all the training andplacement of the volunteer staff.With one of the largest volunteergroups in the region this is no easytask. The rigorous ski patrol train-ing includes toboggan, emergencymedical, avalanche and cliff-rescueproficiency tests. The 2008-2009 season has been
especially challenging for the Mt.Baker Ski Patrol. With such a latestart to the season, backcountryrescues and avalanche dangers wereheightened because the snow camelate and all at once, Nelson said.Road closures are also an ongoingissue the ski patrol has had to dealwith this season. From the ski patroller’s morn-
ing meeting at 8 a.m. to the finalsweep of the mountain at 3:30 p.m.,Ellis said his primary job is to checkin with skiers and snowboardersthroughout the day, ride the slopeslooking for people in distress andensure the ski patrol has a presenceon the mountain. That way, visi-tors know there is someone avail-able for help if needed.“We sometimes get the reputa-
tion of ‘mountain cops’ but that’snot what we’re about,” Ellis said.“We’re here to help the mountainrun smoothly and make sure skiersand snowboarders enjoy themselves.” As visitors to the ski area slice
and carve down the mountain, per-sonal safety is probably not a toppriority. But for the Mt. Baker SkiPatrol you can bet it is, and theytake their job as guardians of theslopes very seriously.
PPaattrrooll....Continued from page 15
SSoo yyoouu wwaanntt ttoo bbee aa sskkiippaattrroolllleerr??
Here are the basic steps to getyou there: (compiled by skipatroller Peter Ellis)Step 1. Exhibit advanced or
expert ski skills. This meansbeing able to ski down any ter-rain the mountain has to offer.You must be able to do so quick-ly, efficiently and in good formunder any conditions.Step 2. Contact your local ski
area about testing with the skipatrol, or openings with a patrolteam.Step 3. Pass a rigorous ski test
administered by the ski patrol.Ski patrollers judge your per-formance on a variety of terrainfrom double black diamond toeasy runs. Step 4. Take and pass the Out-
door Emergency Care course. (8hours a day, Saturday and Sun-day, 12 weekends in a row)Step 5. Complete “on the hill
training,” which includes prac-ticing first-aid in the snow, learn-ing to efficiently run a tobog-gan with an injured person onany terrain, becoming proficientin avalanche rescue techniquesand emergency chairlift evacu-ation skills. (This phase usual-ly lasts 1/2 or 3/4 of a ski sea-son)Step 6. Pass a final practical
exam. Patrollers must success-fully proceed through an injuryscenario starting with the callof an incident to getting theinjured person safely off of themountain and properly fillingout required paperwork oncein the first-aid room.Step 7. Congratulations you
made it! You are now a memberof the “You fall, we haul,” team!
The old terrain park off Chair 8is no more, a victim of logistics andlow snow according to area man-ager Duncan Howat. “Looking at the cost vs. benefit,
it just wasn’t working,” he said,“because it was costly to maintainand wasn’t getting a lot of use.” The series of jumps and rolls on
the north side of Chair 8 sent thosewho did use it on spectacular flights40 to 50 feet through the air, butdriving the snow-cats out there towork on the park took 45 minutes.“The one at the top of Chair 3
takes us about six minutes,” Howatsaid, “and has been a popular fea-ture for several seasons.” CalledPinky Park, it has 12 boxes and railsand two rolls along with some small-
er features and banked turns.Howat said that this year’s snow-
fall began well but has settled sig-nificantly due to a three-week tem-perature inversion in January. While Bellingham and Vancou-
ver had seemingly endless fog, “Wesaw it as high as 63 above up here.That’s the warmest I’ve ever seen itin 40 years,” Howat said, addingthat even last year with more snowthe terrain park was only able to beopen the last month and a half ofthe season.Howat said the decision was unre-
lated to a $14 million judgmentawarded two years ago to formercollegiate wrestler Kenny Salvini,29. Salvini was left a quadriplegicafter going off a 40-foot jump atthe terrain park at SnoqualmieSummit near Seattle.
By Jack Kintner
Terrain park bites it
MAKE SURE YOUR BUSINESSIS ON THE NEW 2009/2010
MAP!Distribution starts Summer 2009 through the
2010 Olympic Games!What makes our map so useful?
T Detailed street maps & directory T Large format when unfolded - 27”x19”T Folded, conveniently fits in glove compartment T Business display adsT Advertiser’s place of business located on the map T Calendar of events T Useful community phone numbers T Advertiser directory by category
T Mile Posts T Area history T Trailheads
Distribution T 20,000 copies distributed to visitor centers throughout the county as well as high traffic locations and at advertisers.
Full listing and location on map starting at $150.
Reserve early! Space is limited.
Contact Louise at the Mount Baker Experience360/332-1777 [email protected]
Ad DeadlineMay 1
Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009 17
s John Adams on Alpina X Terrain skis.
Skis are always changing. Thisseason there are a couple of newwrinkles, both of which are designedfor back country powder situations,plus a new kind of patterned bot-tom XC ski that can burn up thehills almost as easily as it scootsdown them. Put a Salomon Czar, a Rossignol
Caballero or an Armada JJ on a flatsurface and the first thing you’llnotice is that the outer 24 inches inthe tip and a little less in the tail arehigher than the middle of the ski.What some call a “barrel stave,” therocker is there to help the ski floatin the soft back country snow anddeep pow situations without requir-ing the skier to sit so far back. There are also five width meas-
urements instead of three, becausethese skis are widest well back fromthe tip and tail. The Salomon Czar is typical. It’s
a big wide ski and has very little vari-ation in shape when viewed fromabove but features an extended rock-er for very effective flotation. 620mm(about two feet) of rocker meansthat the ski starts to curve upwards620mm from the tip and tail. Thatmeans that the ski curves upwardspretty much everywhere except underthe boot and binding.Similarly, Armada’s JJ uses rock-
er and variable sidecuts, combin-ing them with generous width that,along with an extended tip and tailprofile, ensures flotation in bot-tomless powder and crud alike. It’sa backcountry ski that’s relativelyeasy for snowboarders to transitionto since they’d use the same lengthas a snowboard, they’re that wideand supportive.The skis by contrast revert to a
more normal camber and sidecutunder the boot for more normalbehavior on harder packed snow.The rockered tips in these situa-tions don’t necessarily lift clear ofthe snow but do mean that most ofthe power goes to the part of theski that carves the turn, what Arma-da calls a “ski within a ski.” “We now have the proper tools
for serious backcountry powder,”said John Adams of the Glacier SkiShop. “Snowboarders who are begin-ning to transition to these kinds ofskis find that they use the samelength in these skis as they do withsnowboards. Boarding is a lot eas-ier than skiing, but these skis arewide enough that they float like aboard, making the transition easi-er. The JJ is maneuverable enoughfor the trees but is also big enoughfor jumping.”Another very popular innovation
is adapting the radical sidecut tomore powder friendly designs, suchas the Icelantic Shaman. It solvesthe contradictory problems of mak-ing a ski that handles powder as
well as hard pack with increasedsurface area, similar to what therockered ski design does with itsdouble side cuts and rocker but theIcelantics are smaller and lighterthan the rockered back countrybehemoths. The narrow waist makes for an
easily carved turn but the greatersurface area helps the ski float likea balloon. Icelantic’s Pilgrim is alittle narrower for less powdery con-ditions and the Nomad lies some-where in between. The skis are morefun in the bumps than the rockereddesigns while allowing the board-ers to go into the same soft condi-tions that they did with a snow-board. Finally, Adams took a pair of
Alpina X Terrain patterned baseskis up the hill to the Mt. Baker SkiArea. At a range of $240 to $270 perpair plus bindings they’re abouthalf of what the rockered back coun-try twin tips go for. They’re madein the small Slovenian town of Ziriin the southern foothills of the Aus-trian Alps.They’re standard cross country
skis with a three-pin toe bindingand nothing at the heel, but are alsoheavier and have as radical a side-
cut as the Icelantics, a large tip forfloating up in powder and a pat-tered base under the boot that some-how gives them a goat-like climb-ing ability. Adams played with them under
Chair One, closed during the week,by skiing a quarter mile or so downinto a gully and then walking backup the hill as if he were on skins.He’d applied no wax so he may havebeen a littler slower coming downthe hill.The skis are truly versatile and
fun. “You have to telemark them,”Adams said, “with bindings likethis.” However, that’s helped outby the radical sidecut and their bal-ance and weight. On one run heapproached a moderate little riseat speed and rode it up for aboutthree feet of air in a jump that wouldpulverize most XC skis not to men-tion the skier. “The boarders like these and the
Icelantics because they can climbwith them in the back country, butwith the flotation they’re a lot likeriding a board,” Adams said. TheGlacier Ski Shop has X Terrain skisfor rent in what they call their backcountry package – skis, boots andpoles for the day for just $30.
Test Drive 2009: Back country powBy Jack Kintner
s Kintner’s double exposure shows John getting big air for cross country skis.
We are located at 4208 Mt Baker Hwy, 11 miles east of Bellingham. Visit us at www.truelog.com.
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18 Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009
LLiinnggoo....Continued from page 9
HELLAAwesome (that was hella cool).HUCKThrow yourself wildly through theair without landing on your feet.HUCKFESTA gathering of snowboarders rid-ing as hard and wild as possible.JIBRiding something other than snow,Eg. Rails, trees, logs. KICKERTo build your own jump. MANUALRiding with the nose of the boardlifted from the ground.MISTYFLIPFront flip 180.NOSE MANUALRiding with the tail of the boardlifted from the ground.OLLIELifting the nose and tail of theboard into the air at the same time.“That ollie was huge!”PHATSomething that is truly extraordi-nary. POACHIf a run is closed and you still rodeit, you poached it.POWShort for powder.RODEOA back flip 540.SCORPIONWhen you face plant so hard thatyour legs and your board look likethey will hit the back of your headlike a scorpion's tail.SHAVE ITShave the fresh powder off a slopeor top of cornice.SICKAn expression used to describesomething exceptionally good.SICK NASTYIntense, insane.SKETCHYShaky, landing a small air or trickbut messing up the landing butnot falling.SLAYTo pull an insane trick on a rail,or to grind or jib the whole rail.STOMPMaking a good landing. TABLETOPA jump consisting of a smallerjump, then a large tranny and thenthe landing. TAIL SLIDETo slide on a box or other surfaceonly on the tail of the board.TRANNYLittle ditch or empty space to gap. TRIPWhen something is good. Eg."That 900 was trip!"WACKSomething that is not good. Eg."It's pretty wack that my boardbroke in half." YARD SALEBad spill that strips you of yourhat, gloves, goggles, glasses,backpack, etc.
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Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009 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.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.ReserveUSA.com.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.ReserveUSA.com.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-growthDouglas 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.ReserveUSA.com.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
11 Business Locationmap key
3377 Mile Post
11 AACCMMEE GGEENNEERRAALL SSTTOORREEHwy 9, Acme • 595-2146
22 EEVVEERRYYBBOODDYY’’SS SSTTOORREEHwy 9, Van Zandt • 592-2297
33 MMTT.. BBAAKKEERR AAUUTTOOMMOOTTIIVVEE3833 Mt. Baker Hwy, Deming • 592-2321
44 DDOODDSSOONN’’SS IIGGAA3705 Mt. Baker Hwy,Nugent’s Corner • 592-5351
55 KKEELLLLEEYY IINNSSUURRAANNCCEE103 W. Main St., Everson • 966-3732619 Cherry St., Sumas • 988-2462
66 NNOORRTTHH FFOORRKK BBRREEWWEERRYY6186 Mt. Baker Hwy, Deming • 599-2337
1122 IINNNN AATT MMTT.. BBAAKKEERR8174 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-1776 or 877/567-5526
1133 CCAANNYYOONN CCRREEEEKK CCHHAALLEETTSS7474 Miller Way, Glacier • 599-9574
1133 TTHHEE LLOOGGSS7577 Canyon View Dr., Glacier • 599-2711
1144 MMTT.. BBAAKKEERR HHOOMMEESS && LLAANNDD9937 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier599-1900 or 599-1135
1155 GGLLAACCIIEERR SSKKII SSHHOOPP//WWAAKKEE NN’’ BBAAKKEERRYY9966 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-1943
1155 HHAAIIRRSSTTRREEAAMM9970 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-2043
1166 MMTT.. BBAAKKEERR VVIIEEWW GGUUEESSTTHHOOUUSSEE6920 Central Ave., Glacier • 599-2155
77 MMIISSTTYY MMOOUUNNTTAAIINNSS RREEAALLTTYY8193 Kendall Rd., Maple Falls • 599-2659
88 MMIISSTTYY MMOOUUNNTTAAIINNSS RREEAALLTTYY7425 Mt. Baker Hwy, Maple Falls • 599-2093
88 MMTT.. BBAAKKEERR LLOODDGGIINNGG7463 Mt. Baker Hwy, Maple Falls • 599-2463
99 JJOOOOWWAANNAA RREESSTTAAUURRAANNTT7471 Mt. Baker Hwy, Maple Falls • 599-9800
1100 MMAAPPLLEE FFUUEELLSS WWAASSHH--AA--TTOONNCorner of Mt. Baker Hwy & Silver Lake Rd.Maple Falls 599-2222
1111 CCRROOSSSS RROOAADDSS GGRROOCCEERRYY && VVIIDDEEOO7802 Silver Lake Rd, Maple Falls599-9657
1166 MMTT.. BBAAKKEERR SSNNOOWWBBOOAARRDD SSHHOOPP9996 Forest St., Glacier • 599-2008
1177 MMIILLAANNOO’’SS RREESSTTAAUURRAANNTT9990 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-2863
1188 GGRRAAHHAAMM’’SS SSTTOORREE9989 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-2665
1188 GGRRAAHHAAMM’’SS RREESSTTAAUURRAANNTT9989 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-1964
1199 GGLLAACCIIEERR CCRREEEEKK LLOODDGGEE10036 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier • 599-2991
2200 BBAAKKEERR AACCCCOOMMMMOODDAATTIIOONNSSSnowater, Glacier • 599-1017
20 Mount Baker Experience - Spring 2009
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360/599-2863
Open 7 days a week9990 Mt. Baker Highway
Glacier, Wa.www.MilanoRestaurant.us
MILANO’S
E s t w• 9 9 y
•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 STAURANT & D E L I
HOT SHOTS � BIG SCOOPSEspresso • Ice Cream • Groceries
Bagel Sandwiches • Videos • Local Crafts & More
Glacier, WA • 599-2665
STORE
SnowboardRentalsBEST PRICES
Lib-Tech • Burton GNU & much more
Open everyday 8-69996 Forest St., Glacier, WA (behind Milano’s)
360/599-2008 • 888/466-7392Shop online at mtbaker.com
View • 2 BedroomsFull Kitchen • Hot Tub • Sleeps 6
Cascade RetreatSpacious • Hot tub • SaunaFull kitchen • Sleeps 15
Reservations 360-599-2155www.mtbakerviewguesthouse.com
Mt. Baker ViewGuesthouse
GLACIER, WASHINGTON
Wendy & Tom Cosgrove
7577 Canyon View Dr.(Glacier Springs) Glacier, WA
336600//559999--22771111www.thelogs.com
Cozy LogCabinsFireplacesKitchens
Mid Week
SpecialStay 2 nights,
the 3rd is FREEAsk about our large vacation homes
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Full Amenities
Hot Tub
7474 Miller Way
Glacier, WA360-599-9574866-839-5342
www.canyoncreekchalets.com
Canyon Creek Chalets