If you can see Mt. Baker, you are part of The Experience
Serious wildfires throughout the North Cascades forced multiple closures of Highway 20, better known as North Cascades Highway, throughout the summer. The most notable closure lasted 20 days due to a massive mudslide that blanketed the highway until roads were cleared on August 22.
The Easy Fire, which began in the Okanagan Wenatchee National Forest, roughly 17 miles west of Mazama, was sparked by lightning on the evening of July 17, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The fire burned 2,130 acres over the course of six weeks, and was 36 percent contained by 115 fire personnel according to the most recent DNR update on August 21.
Significant rainfall, combined with weakened vegetation due to weeks of fire, led to a massive mudslide on August 11 that covered approximately 100 feet of both lanes of the highway between milepost 152 and 153, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). WSDOT closed the highway from Granite Creek (milepost 148) to Rainy Pass (milepost 157) as crews were already fighting the encroaching Easy Fire that was feet from the highway.
It took days for work crews to remove what WSDOT said was 7,000 tons of mud from the highway, piling ten feet deep at certain points.
On Monday, August 26, traffic resumed with flagger-controlled points at milepost 150 and 154, and flagger cars to keep traffic flowing while work continues on the road, according to WSDOT.
Even with heavy rain throughout the region, the U.S. Forest Service announced on August 8 that the Easy Fire, along with several other regional forest fires, are expected to continue to burn until the region experiences significant rain or snow in the fall.
For up to date travel information, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/travel. For wildfire updates, visit www.inciweb.wildfire.gov.
Bellingham’s picturesque waterfront will come alive on Saturday, September 28 for the first annual “Day on the Bay,” a free, self-guided tour of more than a dozen maritime locations and businesses along Bellingham Bay.
Organized by Bellingham SeaFeast in conjunction with Sustainable Connections and the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County, the event hopes to show off the vibrant maritime community that thrives in Bellingham, and allow the community to meet the very people who make the maritime industry move.
“Our local seafood industry plays a major role in the food economy of our region. As we celebrate September Eat Local Month and the folks behind the food we eat, we are excited to collaborate with SeaFeast and Working Waterfront Coalition to share the stories of local fishermen and the businesses that support their work. Day on the Bay is a chance to learn more about our waterfront community and highlight Bellingham’s unique location on the Salish Sea,” shares Jessica Gillis, Food and Farming Program Manager at Sustainable Connections.
Attendees will meet local fishing families, tour working fishing boats, explore the Salish Sea’s incredible biodiversity, learn to tie knots, and so much more. Partnering businesses and organizations include Dragonfly Kayak Tours, LFS Marine, U.S. Coast Guard, Bellingham Youth Sailing, Village Books, Community Boating Center, among others.
The event is free and open to all, but some specific events require a ticket. Day on the Bay will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at various locations around Bellingham Bay, clustered around Fairhaven and Squalicum Harbor. For more information, visit www.dayonthebay.org.
After last year’s warm El Niño winter weather pattern, ski and snowboarders can celebrate an encouraging prediction from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Weather experts at the National Weather Service and NOAA cited a 66 percent chance of La Niña emerging in the September-November window, and that chance increasing to 74 percent from November-January.
NOAA predicts, from December to May, below average temperatures combined with above average precipitation caused by La Niña. If all goes according to the predictions, that could mean great conditions in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest all winter long.
El Niño and La Niña are the warm and cool phases of a recurring climate pattern across the Pacific Ocean dubbed the “El Niño-Southern Oscillation” or ENSO, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The pattern can exist in its two namesake phases, or a neutral phase, and stay there for two to seven years.
The most recent La Niña event lasted three years from September 2020 to early 2023, the first “triple dip” as the scientific community puts it, of the 21st century.
The dire effects of a warm El Niño event are well known in the winter sports community. In 2024, the Legendary Banked Slalom at Mt. Baker Ski Area was abandoned when 14 inches of snow base was eroded by just three days of unseasonably warm precipitation.
All told, these weather fluctuations can drastically impact the world economy. According to the WMO, an El Niño pattern from 1997 to 1998 caused an estimated $32 billion in global economic losses.
In the near-term, get your boots ready for the ski season, because the experts at NOAA, NWS and WMO all agree, it will likely be a cold winter in the Pacific Northwest.
In what is now a late-summer tradition, Whatcom Events announced the 2024 Mt. Baker Hill Climb is sold out. 450 riders (with over 50 filling the waitlist) will attempt the grueling 4,462-foot climb up Mt. Baker Highway from Glacier to Artist Point on Sunday, September 15.
All of them (though some will merely attempt to survive) will be attempting to break last year’s KOM set by two-time World Hill Climb Champion Phil Gaimon, who completed the 22-mile course with an astounding time of 1:14:42.
“Mt. Baker Hill Climb was well-run, safe, scenic, and challenging but with a positive atmosphere,” Gaimon told Whatcom Events. “I had tons of fun racing and meeting all of the riders, and I’ll keep my eye out for more reasons to return to Bellingham. This was a perfect way to check Mt. Baker off of my list.”
Mt. Baker Highway is known as one of the most scenic roads in the country, and the hill climb was named one of North America’s top-10 rides by pro cycling magazine Gran Fondo Guides.
Even without a spot on the list, people can view the beginning of the race at Chair 9 restaurant in Glacier on the day of the event, but the highway will be closed to traffic to keep cyclists safe. The 50-person waitlist is full, according to Whatcom Events.
For more information, visit www.bakerhillclimb.com.
The Greater Bellingham Running Club came in to existence shortly after the concept of running on sidewalks and trails for fun became popular. By 1976, the first year of GBRC’s existence, running was being done not just by training boxers, but by anyone who wanted to get fit and experience the great outdoors.
For nearly 50 years since, GBRC has run -pun intended- on a mission of connecting runners in order to foster a community that ultimately wants to give back. As a fully volunteer-driven, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, GBRC gives back to the Bellingham community through local groups like Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition, Bellingham Food Bank, and the Whatcom County YMCA.
But this running club does more than just organizing charity races and events.
In partnership with Haggen grocers in the annual Haggen to Haggen 5k, GBRC also funds a scholarship for local, college-bound student athletes and raises money to purchase running shoes for underprivileged high school runners through its “shoe vouchers” program.
Started in 2011, the shoe voucher program has outfitted countless student athletes at Bellingham, Sehome, Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden Christian, Meridian, Lynden, Nooksack, Mt. Baker and Squalicum high schools.
GBRC gets in contact with track and crosscountry coaches at each school to gauge the community’s need, with each school able to request one voucher each.
Besides being a crucial charitable organizations for young runners across Whatcom County, GBRC also facilitates dozens of races and events throughout the year, and is always looking for new members and volunteers to keep Bellingham’s vibrant running culture going strong.
GBRC hosts weekly runs, with groups for teens, trail runners, or group runs. After a busy Lake Padden relay on August 24, GBRC has plenty planned for the chilly months of the year, with the 10-mile Blanchard Beast Trail Race on Saturday, October 19, the Turkey Trot on Saturday, November 23, and the Fairhaven Frosty on Saturday, December 7.
For more information, or to join, visit www.gbrc.net.
A 49-year-old female driver was rescued after she drove off Mt. Baker Highway, on August 21, careening 50 feet down before stopping.
The driver was reportedly trapped in the overturned vehicle, conscious, while first responders attempted the rescue. Using rope gear, crews from Whatcom County Fire Districts 14 and 19 were able to carry the driver up a steep embankment to safety. The driver was taken via ambulance to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham as a precaution, but appeared to have minor, non-life threatening injuries according to a press release from Whatcom County Fire District 14.
When first responders arrived on scene just before 8 p.m. on August 21, they found the vehicle had exited the roadway on a tight corner and rolled 50 feet down a steep embankment before resting on its passenger side, according to the fire district press release.
The incident happened near milepost 51, close to Mt. Baker Ski Area.
“Fortunately, this was not right at MP 51,” the fire district press release stated, “as that spot is far worse to roll a vehicle off, especially when there isn’t any snow yet.”
Washington State Patrol also arrived on scene, and was investigating the cause of the crash, according to Whatcom County Fire District 14.
After issuing an initial missing person report for 42-year-old Daniel Gabriel who went missing while climbing Mt. Shuksan between August 19 and 24, the National Park Service has officially called off the search after discovering human remains near Gabriel’s tent.
Bellingham Mountain Rescue volunteers had searched the area where Gabriel was last seen preparing to climb the Fisher Chimneys route of Mt. Shuksan on August 26 when remains were discovered.
“Park officials have suspended search efforts and will work in the coming days on recovery and identification of the remains,” NPS wrote in an August 26 social media post. X
