In one of the most surefire signs of the incoming winter, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced crews will be closing State Route 20 (North Cascades Highway) at 6 p.m. on Thursday, November 30.

Once upon a time, there were two brothers, John and his younger brother Drew, who grew up in their parents’ ski shop on Northstar Mountain in California. When they weren’t outside sliding on the snow, they ran around the ski shop getting in the way of ski techs and other mountain people and generally making a rambunctious nuisance of themselves. Sure, they learned about DIN settings, camber and torsional rigidity but what really rubbed off the on these boys was their love of mountains and skiing.

It’s no secret the glaciers and the alpine environment are changing, yet despite extensive media coverage, it remains an issue that’s tough to fully comprehend. Those who are lucky enough to live in the shadow of big, glaciated mountains can only see so much change from down below. From Bellingham, it’s easy to spot the difference in Mt. Baker’s soft, snowy winter coat and its rocky summer skeleton, but it’s hard to notice how increasingly famished it become each summer.

If there’s one person who can illustrate the tumultuous history of the initial incorporation of the park, the inception of its caretaker, North Cascades Institute, and the ongoing efforts to educate and share the pristine wilderness with all, it would be John C. Miles.

By MBE Staff Washington State Department of Transportation courtesy photo The gates at milepost 54 on State Route 542 (otherwise known as Mt. Baker Highway) were officially closed for winter on the …