If you can see Mt. Baker, you are part of The Experience
Bicycling enthusiast? We have the ride for you. On September 15, the Chuckanut Century bike event will bring a variety of unbelievably scenic routes to choose from. Distances include 25 miles (a great loop designed for families, first-time event cyclists, and parent/child duos), 38 miles, 50 miles, 62 miles, traditional 100-mile century rides or, for the daring, the double metric century of 124 miles.
Photo by Tim ChandonnetNo matter which route you choose, you’ll see some of Whatcom County’s most beautiful scenery along the way. The south loop offers views of the San Juan Islands, the Chuckanut and Blanchard mountains and overlooks of Bellingham, Samish and Padilla Bays. The north loop offers spectacular views of Mt. Baker, Mt. Shuksan, the Twin Sisters, Birch Bay and Vancouver Island.
All routes start and finish at Boundary Bay Brewery in Bellingham. Although all cyclists should be fully prepared when they take to the roads, there will be ride support along the way if needed and food stops with a wide variety of high-energy food and drinks along each route.
Cost: Early registration, before September 1, $55. After September 1, including dayof-event registration, $60.
Cyclists tackling the 100- or 124-mile routes should be on course between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. to ensure they have enough time to finish. All routes will be marked with “Dan Henry” indicators on the road. Maps and directions will also be available the morning of the ride.
All proceeds from the event will go to The Treehouse, a Kids’ Council NW program that offers peer support to children and families after the death of a loved one. For more information or to register, visit chuckanutcentury.org.
The annual event, set for Saturday, September 21, brings hundreds of people together to celebrate the life cycle of wild salmon and the natural and urban challenges they face through a multi-sport relay race. The event serves the dual purpose of having fun and raising funds for local charities.
The five-sport event is comprised of a 5.5-mile greenway run, a 6-mile mountain bike ride, an 18-mile road bike ride, a 3.4-mile trail run and a 3.6-mile paddle that culminates with a team trek from Bellingham Bay to Boundary Bay Brewery for a celebration.
This year the course can be tackled by soloists, tandem teams or teams consisting of up to six people, and allows racers to challenge themselves and one another on a rugged course that highlights opportunities for recreation in the city of Bellingham’s parks, greenways system, bike-friendly roads and open water.
The routes will be the same as last year, but road runners will have the advantage of having the ability to pass the baton if they distance seems overwhelming.
“We wanted to enable more people to be able to do this,” director Todd Elsworth said. “For some people, the 5.5-mile run is more than they can tackle, so we decided to allow a second runner for the leg to make it not so grueling.”
A percentage of the profits will be donated to Appliance Depot, a Bellingham- based nonprofit training business that salvages and sells reconditioned appliances. “We choose our nonprofits based on their community involvement and their involvement with the Traverse,” Elsworth said. “We really enjoy the sustainable work Appliance Depot does for the community.”
A beer garden will be located on the sidewalk in front of Boundary Bay. As in past years, Boundary Bay Brewery will be brewing a signature ale for the event, the Traverse Ale, and this year they will create a full batch of Red IPA, which will be on tap at various restaurants around town. “They’ve done this for years,” Elsworth said. “We’re really excited.”
All participants and volunteers in the race will receive steel pint cups as a thank you. Registration ends on Friday, September 20. For more information, visit recreationnorthwest.org or call Elsworth at 360/739-8458. X
