In Bellingham: the Ferndale Farmstead loop

July 29, 2019

A report from the West Coast Trail

You’ll recall the five young women we chatted with in Port Renfrew last week before they began their trek up the West Coast Trail. They promised they would update us at the end of their hike and send a photo or two. They came through!

Here’s what Jessica had to say about their incredible experience:

Hi Scott!

Thanks so much for the photo again, and I hope you and Rachael were safe on your travels! We got off the trail yesterday morning around 11am and WOW what a trail. All 76 km were pure bliss—we didn’t want it to end!! We saw over 50 whales (we stopped counting after 50😊), 6 bears, 15+ eagles, wolf tracks, and plenty of seals and sea lions. We hiked up and down the rain forest, climbed multiple ladders, had a shower (or two!) under water falls, and camped on the most beautiful beaches. Here are a couple snap shots of our hike to add to the blog. It was a pleasure meeting both of you!

Cheers,
Jessica (&Kirsten, Lindsay, Kelsey, and Jaeden)

Today’s ride

So today’s ride wasn’t quite up to the West Coast Trail for drama, wildlife sightings and all-around awesomeness; but it was still a pretty fine ride. Two things made it particularly special: the fact that we had riding companions for a change, and a visit to an artisan cheese factory. The ride itself was also very pretty, a loop to Ferndale and back through the low, gently rolling farmland along the Nooksack River.

It was great fun riding with Jamie and Seong. Bicycle travelers themselves, we first met up with them a few years ago when they contacted us after reading the journal of our first tour of Greece. They were planning a tour of Greece themselves, so we met up over beers, spread out our map of Greece, and discussed our experience.

They’ve only recently moved to Bellingham and haven’t had much time yet to hop on the bikes and explore their new surroundings. They left it to me to craft a ride for the day, so I took them out through Ferndale. I lived near Ferndale and then in Bellingham for two years in the early 70’s after being discharged from the army, and I was curious to see it after all these years.

We get off to a shaky start, showing our inexperience riding as a group; but after a false start or two we finally get the hang of it.

The ride was very pleasant, but Ferndale isn’t the most exciting destination, if you really want to know the truth (nor was it 45 years ago). We stayed just long enough to pick up a subway sandwich to go to assuage Rachael’s calorie insecurities, and then hurried off to the backroads again.

Besides enjoying the company of riding with Seong and Jamie, the other highlight of the day was our stop at Ferndale Homestead, an artisan cheese factory that caught Jamie and Seong’s interest as we biked past. At their urging, we decided to stop in for a look. It’s not the sort of thing Rachael and I normally tend to do, but it was easily the highlight of the ride - one of the plusses of riding with someone else: you get some fresh eyes and ideas.

When we biked up, Nidia (the business manager, and the spouse of the cheese maker) was just walking out of the office and locking the door behind her. She said they were closed for the day, but after chatting with us for a few minutes she offered to give us a tour of the place. It was a wonderful experience, and we came away with a new appreciation of what’s involved in manufacturing artisan cheese. And, we were impressed and inspired by Nidia herself. It was a heart-warming encounter of the sort that leaves you feeling more hopeful about the future. If you’d like to learn a bit more about them, their story and products, you can check out the Ferndale Farmstead website.

Heading north toward Ferndale on Curtis Road. We don’t have many photos from the day’s ride because I didn’t want to hold the group up; and once I stopped it took me a long time to catch up again.

This is pretty flat country here, so I took advantage of the hill to grab another shot of the group wh nit slowed them down.

Ferndale Farmstead Cheese Artisans - well worth a stop.

Nidia explains what’s happening on the other side of the glass, where the whey is draining. The ‘homestead’ designation means that everything is locally sourced. The cows are a few yards away, their feed was home grown. That whey was grass yesterday, Nidia says.

What a beautiful place to live and put down roots!

A wall of udders. Milk from here is piped directly to the cheese room in the adjacent building.

The maternity ward. I could have shown a picture of one of these mamas and her exploding udder, but it’s just a bit embarrassing.

Nidia teaches us the cheesemaking ropes. Nothing to it - we’re all experts now and are considering new careers.

Chow time. Nidia tells us that their 500 cows all have the option of going out into the field, but when the sun is out their happier here in the shade.

It wasn’t enough that we got a free tour (though we made a donation) - we got free samples! You can try it yourself by checking out the artisan cheese rack at New Seasons or Whole Foods.

On our way back to Bellingham we bike along the Red River next to the Lummi reservation.

Video sound track: Conviction of the heart, by Kenny Loggins

We stopped off on the way back at Marine Drive Park to share Rachael’s subway. I don’t know why I didn’t take any photos of the group at the park, but at least I came back with this ery impressive conifer.

We ended the day the same way we did yesterday, with a sundown walk along the waterfront promenade. Bellingham is a town that grows on you quickly, and leaves you wanting to see more of it. And now with friends to call on up here (and just across the border in Canada), we’re starting to pile up reasons to head north again sooner than later.

Too lazy to set up a delayed shutter photo, I find another way to sneak myself into the frame.

On Bellingham’s waterfront again. I could get used to this.

The brilliant thing about waterfronts is that they seem different every time you see them.

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Ride stats today: 40 miles, 1,500’; for the tour: 502 miles, 23,100’

Today's ride: 40 miles (64 km)
Total: 502 miles (808 km)

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Jen RahnVery cool that you heard back from Jessica and friends about their hike! Thanks for including their story and photos.

Also - glad that Jamie and Seong encouraged the stop at the cheese place. Always fun to learn something new .. and nice of Nidia to show you (and us) how it all works!
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