"Rock Trail" - WTA work party

Sunday, 17 March 2013 - After a camping at Larrabee State park on the West side slope of Mt Chuckanut over looking Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands, I woke to much of a surprise to the sun beaming in my box on wheels (Honda, Element).  If you haven't slept in an element you haven't slept properly in a car before.  A good nights rest after helping out at the Chuckanut 50k the day before.

So back on another Washington Trail Assoc. (WTA) work party.  This by far is already my favorite New trail of the year!  And even though we won't be done for several more months it is turning out to be quite the technical trail with a rough terrain and incredible up close views of the local geology.  On this day, a splendid day of St. Patrick's Day we wore our green hardhats and returned to chipping away rock, removing layers of duff (organic matter on the surface that acts as a sponge), cutting in switchbacks, and removing trees and that's just before noon!  So with an ideal morning of sun and warmth we hadn't felt in months we took a break for a midday lunch.  But just as we sat down cold air arrived and with it sleet and hail.  This continued through our lunch and into our afternoon work.  But the last hour it all changed once more and returned to the sunny and warm weather we were first welcomed to when the day first started out.  It was a tough and tiring day but above all it was great fun with like minded people.  At the end of our day we hiked out with all our tools and back to Arlen's truck (WTA bossman).  There he pulled out his traditional Hot apple cider, remaining donuts, fig newtons, and nutter butters so as to replenish us from an exhausting but rewarding day.  I have to mention I'm learning a fair amount of environmental engineering with learning to move large rocks/boulders with rock bars and pic-matics, it is a slow and tedious process but quite amazing.

Upon finishing up in Larrabee I was also bestowed my own WTA hardhat with my name and trail name, this is done once a person has achieved so many hours of volunteer time.  So I encourage you if you're a local to get involved if for no other reason than to give back to the trails we hike and be surrounded by enjoyable and hard working folks, or perhaps consider an annual gift to the WTA.  It is doing a great deal to help protect our trails, lookouts, and educate our communities and businesses.

Chuckanut 50k - Bellingham, WA

0300am, 16 March 2013 (Saturday) I sprang from my cozy mountain retreat to decent down the Mtn Loop Hwy enroute to Bellingham/Fairhaven, up the road North just over 1.5 hours.  Arriving about 0530 I joined a few other early birds as part of the Mtn Chuckanut 50k Ultra marathon Volunteer Crew.  We hoisted tents and setup registration tables to welcome entrants and handout race bids and Patagonia L/S shirts.  The race initially sold out at 400 entrants in less than a day, with only about 30 no shows the pack was ready to run.  The clouds slightly parted for a time to halt the rain till later in the race, and the racers were off at 0800 on the dot.  It's a pretty wicked course, not a suggested 50k for a first timer.  After you run the initial leg along the base of the mountain you come to a sudden Left turn up a path rightfully referred to as "Chin scraper", this is due to the the severe incline that basically has your chin scraping the ground ahead of you, NO JOKE!  Then you run along the ridge of the mountain that often times has some of the wildest weather.  Unlike last year when there was plenty of snow it was powder free this time, but howling winds of up to 30mph, hail, and blasting rain made a serious mess of the course.  However most survived with only about 25% drop rate.  First place male (David Laney) came in at an astonishing 3:40:21 and first female 4:01:15.  They arrived muddy and whipped to say the very least.  It poured rain so much that the race director Krissy Moehl (fastest women ever) had us spread out 12 bails of hay in an attempt to soak up the water at the finish and provide a decent place to hang out (see pics). The last runner came in at just over 9:06:32 and she was nothing short of a fighter, it was Anne's first Ultra.  And even though just about everything was packed up even the finishing line and tents, those that were still present gathered and cheered her on in support to welcome her home.  To an amazing class of racers, race staff, and volunteers, THANK YOU!

Oh, I must not forget I had a mid morning break so I drove into Bellingham and stopped at Ralf's Bavarian Pretzel shop and picked up a few freshly hand forged pretzels, had them coated with a healthy slathering of butter and quite merrily drove back to the race.  It was a Kai moment, thank you Ralf and Stef for your delicious gifts!

Granite Falls, WA - Museum

A pineapple express has arrived here in the Pac N.W., so instead of another batch of Winter wonder we are having a slight warm spell with a heavy dose of rain and wind.  To snow or flood, that is the questions!  Anyhow, found myself driving down the twisted Mtn Loop Hwy today for half day of Granite Fall work at the local Museum.  If you haven't been there yet it's a hidden gem in the old logging town.  It's only open on Sunday's from Noon-5pm or if you'd like arrangements can be made for private tours if you call ahead (great option), and located on Union Street.  For just over a month now I've been finding time a couple of days a week to work behind the scenes at recording donations of historical value in the museum database.  It may sound mundane to some but the space is an incredible time capsule of the late 1890's when towns around these parts were just beginning to form in response to the mining and timber industry.  A fair amount of the donations are old photographs or glass negative prints as well as objects of historical relevance.  For me it is walk into the past, and as some articles become familiar to me especially those of the old mining town that I now live in (Silverton, Est.1891), I find myself calling it apart of my new found roots.  It's quite incredible to feel such an attachment to one place.  I've attached just a few photos to tease you with.

Should you find yourself in the area I surely suggest you visit the establishment and enjoy stepping back into time.  I think you'll be amazed at what you'll discover...

WTA - trail work parties

This past weekend on March 9th and previous weekends I've been having a wicked good time volunteering with the Washington Trail Association (WTA) building new trails and improving upon pre-existing trails in some of the states most spectacular parks.  My favorites in the past month have been Larrabee State Park up in the Bellingham area atop Chuckanut Mtn.  We're creating a new trail named "Rock Trail" which will allow for a short access from Cleator Rd to Lost Lake.  The trail is rather steep with an initial descent by rappel which is being switch backed and staircased, but the trail continues along side these impressive rock bands into unchartered territory.  We've been working here for several weekends now and likely will continue to do so for months to come, but the progress is grand and the trail is sure to be an epic addition.

But this particular weekend we were out at Sharpe Park that shares a boundary with a county park the Montgomery-Duban Headlands.  Also up North but West on Hwy 20 to Fidalgo Island, and just before you head over Deception Pass you veer off to the Right as you pass Pass Lake, and up 1.8 miles on the left.  A stunningly rock/cliff park that edges on the West side of the Island and overlooks the Strait, Lopez Island and the other San Juan Islands, and to the South Whidbey Island.  It's an excellent local to spot whales as they migrate and see into the distant Olympic Mountains or over to Victoria, B.C.  This day we improved an existing trail that needed some severe widening that rolled over some jagged rocks and up a rather good ascent just 200 meters away from a spectacular view point that shouldn't be missed.  Our primary focus was locating large rocks we could also move.  Several of these boulders took 6+ people to move into, a process we were all rather stunned we could actually accomplish.  I've added a few photos but only of the finished product not of a before and after, but mann what an awesome improvement.  And we couldn't have asked for a better weather forecast!

Check out the wta.org website on trail parties in your area around the state.  You'll meet some of the most energetic and positive array folks you'll ever come across!  Hope to see you out there soon...

Salmon Ridge Snow-Park - Mt. Baker, WA

This past Friday the 8th of March 2013, I met up with my adventurous friend Tigerlily (aka David) up in Sedro-Wolley at Ranger station.  From there we commuted up the rural route 9 North then 542 East to the base of Mt. Baker (not far from the Canadian boarder).  Neither of us had ventured to the Salmon Ridge XC snow-park before, but on this near perfect day of late Winter weather the sky was mostly blue and the temperature in the upper 30's.  We did both sides of the snow-park, about 20km and could have gone further had we not lost day light.  I've included a couple of photos for proof of the splendid scenery both on the drive as well as the ski.  I'd surely recommend the visit, week day if at all possible.  The park was well groomed for both XC, a nice wide section for Skate, and nicely marked snowshoe paths as an alternative.  Note, it's a good 2.5-3hrs from Seattle but well worth the scenic drive.  Enjoy the quaint towns of Acme, Deming, and Glacier.  And don't forget your Snow-park Pass!  - Cheers

Hola Mi familia, today I spent the day with the new folks of Session II of the PIARA Project, my director and fellow staff.  We first set out just South of Lima about 40km to a site known as Pachacamac, which is one of two archeological sites that are significant to Peruvian due the size of the area of over 460 hectacres, and temple where many people came to visit an oracle.  After visiting the grounds scattered with pyramids and cemetery, we made our way to a nearby popular restaurant La Casa de Don Cucho.  Lunch was ordered family style with samplings of the more traditional dishes that includes;  La evolucion del cebiche (fresh raw fish in lime sauce and onions with sides of peruano maize and papas), and some chicha morada (a non-alcoholic, sweet beverage purple corn drink native to the Peruvian Andes).  The afternoon was followed by a visit tot he Nacional Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and Peruvian History.  Unlike the other Museum Larko which is more of an art gallery the Nacional Museum displays an array of Peruvian artifacts and timeline that would make any Peruano proud.  Tomorrow we meet early once more and head off to a bus line and head North along the Peruano Coastal Highway for some time then head East up and over a 14,000ft pass over the Cordillera Blanco and into the highland Andes to the Town of Caraz.  We will have a day or two in Caraz (about 7500ft) to get acclimatized before headed up in small cambi bus/taxi to Hualcayan to our home/village for the next three months.

July 3 - traveling from Seattle through Dallas and Miami, soon to depart for the final leg to Lima, Peru. It's been a smooth trip so far, but I must admit it was tough to depart Seattle this morning after a blue sky and a perfect 57F (Seattle Summer). A huge thanks to my dears friends David and Paul for allowing me to stay with them and escape to the mountains as often as I could and did. Farewell my PAC N.W. friends, I plan to see you later this years we bring the holidays and year to a close.