The sun finally broke out today. By the time I got out of my car it was already 50 degrees. It felt warm in comparison to most days and it was tempting to put shorts on but it would’ve been too much of a hassle to actually find a pair of shorts to wear. I ate breakfast at the McDonald’s that was attached to the WalMart. I surveyed the area around Bellingham on my phone while eating a #7 combo, a sausage, egg and cheese McGriddle, hash brown and several refills of coffee. In unrelated news, I finally got around to washing my hair and the 63 days of growth on my face in the back corner of the parking lot this morning. That alone gave me a nice recharge. I’ve gone without properly bathing now for longer than I care to share, so I won’t. I only mention it because I’m sure it will embarrass my mother.
Out of Bellingham I drove US-542 (aka Mt. Baker Hwy) to Mt. Baker. The total drive was about 75 minutes and almost 60 miles. On the way I stopped in at the Glacier Ski Shop. The sign out front said open Saturday and Sunday. There were no cars in the parking lot and when I walked inside to a dark shop I found out they were closed. Even though they were closed, I stayed and talked ski equipment for almost an hour with a guy named Drew, I’m guessing he was the owner? He could’ve shut the door on me but he was more than willing to talk shop. I’m going to give their website a plug here, www.glacierskishop.com. If you’re ever out by Mt. Baker, stop on by.
The drive up to Mt. Baker offered tremendous scenery as it passed through the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, which extends more than 140 miles from the Canadian border all the way south to Mt. Rainier. The two lane road worked its way up the mountain through a thick forest of old growth firs and pines to a base elevation of 3,500’, starting at almost sea level in Bellingham. In some places the trees formed a canopy over the road, creating a dark, shady environment. 
Views of 10,000' snow covered mountains could be seen in the clearings. The snowline came on at once with clear, dry roads and perfectly clean trees that quickly turned to burms of plowed snow and branches flocked in white. Mt. Baker has it all, the beauty of a PNW national forest and a ski resort which averages 647 inches of snow annually. During the 1998-1999 season they received 1,140 inches. That’s 95 feet of snow! There were probably 30+ cars in the parking lot at the base of the resort. 
Everyone was there for the same purpose. Men, women, boys and girls, as well as few dogs came to make their way up the mountain, just to come back down again, whether it be on skis, snowboards, snowshoes or sleds. I had to fight myself to leave my snowboard and related gear packed away inside the bubble on my roof. My car box is so perfectly packed that I would never be able to fit everything back inside again. It was hard to watch others make turns without being able to join them.
I finished the day back in Bellingham. I made it to the downtown area to visit another ski shop. Bellingham is a nice area, almost city-like, with views of both the mountains to the east and the Puget Sound waterway to the west. I walked around the downtown area for about two hours, or eight quarters worth of meter time. At one intersection I came across a protest, well not so much a protest but a group of about 20 people walking around waiving signs. I love a good protest so I went to find out what the cause was. Given where I was, I probably could’ve guessed what people were angry about. Here are a few of the signs I saw: “The RIGHT is WRONG”, “Jesus Christ was a Socialist”, “Free people, not markets”, “We want healthcare!” and “Eat your babies” to protest the end to federally funded abortions. Everyone there was peaceful and willing to talk to me, and even ask me for some spare change. Now, I’m not going to turn this into a political rant, those of you who know me, know where I stand. Let’s just say that it might be difficult for me to “fit in” around here.
