Chattermarks

Most of the current North Cascades Institute graduate class – “C9” – participated in another year of the Bellingham Ski to Sea race over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

The competition between the staff member team and the graduate student team has grown since last year. Some would even go as far as to call it a rivalry. Putting aside all the pre-race build up, the friendly competition between the teams made for an amazing race.

Being a graduate student myself, I won’t let the cat out of the bag about which team prevailed. Let’s just say, there’s always next year. By far the most amazing part of this event was the teamwork.  With seven legs consisting of cross country skiing, downhill skiing, running, road biking, canoeing, mountain biking, and sea kayaking, group cohesion was essential. Both staff and grads rose to this tremendous challenge. Congratulations to both teams, and to everyone who participated in this wonderful event. On behalf of the graduate class, I want to thank all of those who let us borrow gear, assisted us with transportation, and cheered us on.

(Title) The graduate student team takes on Ski to Sea (Above) The mass start of the cross country leg

» Continue reading Taking on the Ski to Sea

Spring is here and it was time for the North Cascades Institute cohort-ions of the ninth - C9 graduate students - to take our spring retreat on Sunday, May 23rd through Tuesday, May 25th. With itinerary in place, gear packed and risk managers appeased, it was time for our departure and to get peninsular at Olympic National Park.  

Day 1—After a nice drive across Highway 20 to the Keystone Ferry on Whidbey Island, we quickly found ourselves enjoying a refreshing sea breeze. The cohort arrived in Port Townsend and made a b-line for the nearest brewpub. Oh graduate students. I quickly found myself at the Water Street Brewery sipping down a smooth locally brewed Irish Stout and enjoying my company. 

(Title) Justin McWethy sets up camp at Boulder Creek Hot Springs (Above) Rebecca, Justin, Brandi and Mike pause for a goofy pose aboard the Keystone Ferry

Corey and Justin enjoying some cheer at the Port Townsend brewpub

» Continue reading From the Cascades to the Olympics

All over Washington, the earth is reawakening. Can you see it?

In a period of only a few weeks, spring has come – a monumental paintbrush caressing the landscape, stirring it back to consciousness. Dabs of bright white, pink and yellow compliment deeper streaks of lavender, red and orange, all placed upon a backdrop of fresh green. Buds change to blooms on wildflowers and the hardier of the tree species sport new-growth fuzz.

I always feel so fortunate to stand witness to this spectacle, this miracle of life. From the western Washington’s Salish Sea shores to the contouring curves of eastern Washington’s Palouse Hills, I have made an attempt to capture the most current evidence of spring in our state’s many ecosystems.

Below is a detailed photographic guide to the spring blossoms of three distinct Washington ecosystems – western Washington’s Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve on Whidbey Island, eastern Washington’s Kamiak Butte in the Palouse Hills and the North Cascade Institute‘s Environmental Learning Center in North Cascades National Park. If you do not have enough time to read it all through, just glance through the photos and see if you can’t spot these beautiful spring colors in your own home ecosystems!

» Continue reading Painting a Washington spring portrait

With the season of fresh beginnings overtaking the physical landscape of the Skagit Valley and North Cascades, the mindsets of those apart of this year’s North Cascades Wild program from North Cascades Institute, North Cascades National Park and the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest are brimming with excitement for a season of new life, new experiences.

North Cascades Wild‘s first of three spring day trips, held on several Saturdays throughout April and May for Skagit and Whatcom county-selected participants, commenced on April 17th at the North Cascades National Park Ranger Station off Highway 20 in Marblemount. Eleven students, representing towns within Whatcom and Skagit counties, joined North Cascades National Park’s Volunteer and Youth Programs Coordinator, Mike Brondi, native Nursery Manager, Cheryl Cunningham, and Institute instructors Amy Brown, Kelsi Franzen, Martine Mariott and Rebecca Ryan, for a day of connecting to their place and each other through learning and service.

(Title) The North Cascades Wild crew goes “wild” for wetland grasses at the nursery (Above) Karla, a NC Wild participant, examines plants in the greenhouse

» Continue reading NC Wild plants the seeds of spring

Harbinger—a presage, a foreshadow, to announce. Something that precedes and indicates the approach of something.

We all experience the wildness of the North Cascades differently. Each of us, in our own way, notices subtle details of the seasons changing in this ecosystem that others may miss completely. In order to tell a more beautiful story, paint a more vivid portrait, we must combine our individual details to articulate the true forms that nature takes in the beginning of spring.

Perhaps it is the calls and presence of varied thrushes in the neighboring forests. Maybe it is the emerging blossoms on cherry trees amidst farmland. Or perhaps it is a detailing so slight, understated, almost unnoticeable, that its mystery is its draw.

The staff and graduate students of North Cascades Institute’s harbingers below announce the presence of spring in the North Cascades and Skagit Valley in a way that draws upon the communal knowledge of having lived in this place for decades to only several months. Each perspective is important to paint that vivid portrait, articulate that poetic story of spring.

(Title) A rainbow across Ross Dam signals the coming of spring in the mountains (Above) Red alder leaves reach out from beneath bud casings at the Learning Center

» Continue reading An Institute ode to spring

With a busy week behind us and another looming ahead Ian and I decided nothing sounded better than staying close to home.  Of course “staying close to home” while residing at the North Cascades Institute environmental learning center presents a handful of hiking and exploring options, ranging from technical climbs to lake side strolls.  We decided a leisurely hike was in order and headed up the Pyramid Lake trail. 

» Continue reading Pyramid Lake trail….a beautiful spring jaunt

I am always amazed at the difference a few days makes.  I leave the learning center for five days and come home to gentians, lilies and orchids!  Just wanted to share a few pictures and keep everyone up to date on what’s blooming in the North Cascades.

» Continue reading The colors of spring

“Cheerio~ Cheeriup~ Cheerio~ Cheeriup~” The American Robin’s song is a loud, optimistic voice of spring. However, at times here in the mountains it is difficult to hear the Robin because of the sheer number of springtime songsters! The colorful Varied Thrush sounds like someone unanswered phone in the woods. The tenacious Rufous Hummingbird buzzes, bugles and chirps. There are other, more difficult to identify, voices in our spring chorus.

» Continue reading New Forest Voices

Here in Western Washington many of us wait in anticipation for the coming of spring. Indications of this seasonal change are different for different people. For some it’s sighting the first of the migratory birds, blossoms of the indian plum, deer in their spring velvet, tulips bursting from the warm ground, or the eerie drumming of the ruffed grouse. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy and look forward to all of these milestones, but I am a backcountry skier.  Spring to me means smooth, fast, Cascade corn snow so I wait in anxious anticipation for the opening of Hwy. 20 over Washington Pass to access the deep snowpack and rugged mountains of the North Cascades.

» Continue reading Skiing into Spring

Friday, April 17th I tagged along with Amy Brown and Orlando Garcia, assisting with the Kulshan Creek Neighborhood Program. With the arrival of spring and the return of many migratory birds Amy had a wonderful afternoon planned, which included talking about our feathered friends and playing games. As we drove into the Kulshan Creek neighborhood the clouds that had been hanging around all day dissipated and the sun broke free.

» Continue reading Kulshan Creek kids migrate, mingle and munch