Borderlands - Northwest passages: riding out the storm - CycleBlaze

July 28, 2020

Borderlands

Another hot, sunny day; and another flattish ride starting from Everson.  After looping northeast along the base of Vedder Mountain, we doubled back west to Sumas.  From there we biked west as close to the Canadian border as we could - which proved to be ridiculously close at one point - before doubling back east again through Lynden and on to Everson.  A nice mix of old roads and new, and a chance to stop off again at the sidewalk blueberry stand in Lynden.

East of Everson, looking north into Canada again. This short 15 mile loop northeast of Everson makes a beautiful ride, or a great start to a longer one.
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East of Abbotsford. I was surprised trying to place this formation to see that its part of Sumas Mountain - but not the one behind our backs. Apparently there’s a Sumas Mountain in Washington and a second one facing it from just across the border.
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A peaceful scene along Telegraph Road.
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Hey, Navigator! What’s this gravel doing on our route today?
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Bishop Road, a short but sweet break from the boring old pavement, with Vedder Mountain angling off into Canada ahead of us.
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On Jones Road, east of Sumas. I liked the mix of greens and blues here. Rachael chose the right outfit for the day.
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Wheels within wheels.
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On Halverstick Road, west of Sumas. A road with a few surprises - straight and nearly flat for six miles except for a series of three short but steep risers.
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Clearbrook Lutheran Church, on Halverstick Road.
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So how close is Canada now? Pretty Close! We’re on Boundary Road, and just to the right is 0 Road in Canada. The border is in the middle of the ditch somewhere. We could have hopped over, coughed out a few germs just to annoy our Canadian friends, and hopped back.
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Keith ClassenHey guys! I think I can see you from our house. Thats close enough .. keep those germs to yourself.
Good to see you guys carrying on not skipping a beat. Looking forward to our adventures across the pond. If you do go to Munich we love the Claudia Augusta route via Verona, Bolzano.
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4 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Keith ClassenSorry. I think I was looking straight toward Victoria when I coughed too, so watch out. We would like to visit Munich alright, but not this year - those mean Germans are no more welcoming to folks from USA than our northern neighbors are. Hopefully next year though.
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4 years ago
Maintaining international relationships. Actually, I’m not sure here but it looks like the couple on the left have actually stepped over the border here. They’ll probably have to self-quarantine once they back up five feet.
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Ron SuchanekWell, if that doesn't make the case for Trump's wall, nothing does.
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4 years ago
A friendly stroll along the border. Easy to socially distance, especially with a border patrol officer parked just to the right.
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Some hay wagons and a biker, Prairie Road.
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Lunch in the shade of the big barn, Berthusen Park.
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Image not found :(
And I do mean BIG. Built in 1901, the Berthusen barn measures 188 by 128 feet, with its peak about 50 feet high.
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Horse chestnut leaves, Berthusen Park.
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Northwest of Lynden is another great vantage point for the mountains. Here we see Baker and the Sisters, but there’s more.
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Ron SuchanekIt ain't ugly
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4 years ago
Just to the left are what I think must be the Border Peaks and Mount Shuksan.
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Nice try, but we’re not fooled.
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Jen RahnA horse with a zebra striped shawl
Makes me laugh so hard that I could bawl
She dines on the grass
A meal of high class!
And neighs with a Florida drawl.
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4 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Jen RahnNow that. That’s a limerick! Bravo!
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4 years ago
Jen RahnI can't imagine any other response to that fantastic photo!
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4 years ago
Ron SuchanekI can see exactly what's going on here. The horse is planning to make a break for Canada disguised as a zebra.
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4 years ago
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Rate this entry's writing Heart 8
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Bob DistelbergYour photos showing the proximity to the border made me think of our little library in Vermont that actually straddles the border.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-us-canada-border-runs-through-this-tiny-library
9/11 sort of messed things up for this library and now with the pandemic, it's closed completely. But, it's nice to dream about happier times when people wandered freely back and forth in that little town.
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4 years ago
Jen RahnGreat article and what a handsome building!

I remember listening to a podcast (maybe This American Life?) about a family that got together at this library after not seeing each other for a long time.
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4 years ago