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 Connecting to Facebook
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Letter from the Bondi's
As the days grow shorter, the river level drops, larches turn golden, and frost threatens the last tomatoes on the vines, we can finally give one collective thank you to all the North Cascades Basecamp guests, trail users, Ecology Center presenters and participants, and to our staff, volunteers, friends and neighbors who made this a busy and rewarding summer! But as we all know, when one season ends, another begins. Excitement is brewing as autumn transitions to winter- ski trails, snow shoveling, ecology programs including our Soup Night Series, fireside meals from the Basecamp kitchen, and long starry nights. October is our favorite month in the Methow Valley- we hope you will join us as we soak up its crispy colored splendor!
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In This Issue
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Letter from the Bondi's
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Reflections
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Up and Coming
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Garden Goodness
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Thank You
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Employees Corner
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Testimonials
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Local Roots
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Mica's Musings
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Reflections
Summer Campfire Presentations
June 02- September 01
 
We had an amazing line-up of speakers this summer for the Thursday Campfire Presentations. Potlucks were delicious - thanks to all our friends who shared their favorite foods and flavors pre-program each week. An especially BIG thank you to all our speakers who generously gave their time and expertise to share their knowledge with us:
Dr. Andrew Kulmatisky (soils),
Bob Goldstein (biking adventures in Finland),
Julie Grialou (frogs and amphibians),
Dr. John Lehmkuhl (riparian habitats),
Katy Stuart (western gray squirrels),
Rosalee & Xavier de la Foret (wildcrafting and medicinal uses of plants),
Kent Woodruff and crew (bats),
Eric Bard (geology),
WSU Raptor Club- Lyndsey & Conner (live raptors),
Dr. Michael Schroeder & Leslie Robbs (grouse)
Stacey Matthews & Bernie Krausse (hiking the Pacific Crest Trail).
See our website's gallery photos for a slide show of these adventures.
 
Wild Foraged Foods and Fish Weekend
June 24-26th
Becky Selengut, Dana Visalli, & Steve Bondi
Through the lush summer greenery, we tromped about looking for and sampling the botanical bounty of the Basecamp. Dana taught us mushroom identification, Steve discussed the ecology of the wild foods collected, Kim prepared meals from our harvesting adventures, and Becky discussed sustainable fishing and demonstrated her culinary talent with an amazing dinner made with wild foraged foods. The group of us were inspired and went home talking of next years weekend workshop. See the Basecamp's Blog for photos, our menu and details of the workshop.
2nd Annual Chelan Ridge Raptor Migration Festival
September 17-18th
USFS Methow Valley Ranger District, North Central Audubon Society, Hawk Watch International and North Cascades Basecamp presented a weekend of festivities celebrating the migration of raptors and their incredible journey south.
A huge thank you to Bud Anderson for his contagious enthusiasm for raptors! He presented a slide show titled "Southern Cross Peregrine Project" at the North Cascades Basecamp, and then led a day of raptor viewing up at Harts Pass for 30 birding enthusiasts. Golden eagles, a prairie falcon, and coopers hawks were the highlights of the day.
 Saturday's festival in Pateros and Chelan Ridge was also a great event. The Basecamp's booth painted raptor faces on at least two dozen children that day. Kent Woodruff, Chelan Ridge Project Coordinator and USFS Biologist explained a highlight of the day was the raptor-painted faces at Chelan Ridge as they watched for migrating birds, and in one case, released a sharp-shinned hawk from their hands.
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Up and Coming
Fall Colors: Watercolor Retreat
Sept 30th - Oct 2nd
Maria Coryell-Martin
 This weekend we are hosting a fabulous watercolor retreat where we'll explore the vivid autumn hues and develop our confidence for plein-air watercolor painting. Maria Coryell-Martin will teach techniques for color mixing and painting elements of the landscape including wooded forests, expressive skies, and majestic mountains. Presentations, fabulous meals, field trips, and relaxation at the Basecamp. We had a last minute cancellation, so call today!
Winter Soup Night Series
Dec 2011- Mar 2012
 We are gearing up for the winter season and recruiting our winter presenters for Soup Nights at the North Cascades Basecamp. Watch for presentation descriptions in our next newsletter or on our website. We post on Facebook as well if you'd like to follow us.
Garden Goodness
 We had an amazing season of garden, harvest, & preserving this season at Basecamp.
Whether it be at a community pot luck, soup night, meals during your stay in the lodge or cabin, or event dinners with friends and family... local organic ingredients are the base to our homemade meals. We didn't imagine that Mazama rocks and trees could muster up such an amazing first year garden.  Veggies produced right here include: Onions, kale, lettuce, cabbage, potatoes, peas, green beans, cilantro, basil, parsley, dill, tomatoes, beets, chard, cucumbers, pickling cukes, ground cherries, spinach, zucchini, yellow long-neck and patty pan squash, peppers, eggplant, broccoli,  and garlic. Many of these have been used to make pickles, dilly beans, salsa, spaghetti gravy, basil and garlic scape pesto, and relish. We have also been busy harvesting, blanching, freezing, pressing, making jam, and/or canning blueberries, raspberries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, greens, garlic, potatoes, strawberries, plum sauce, pear butter, apple cider, and more... We will share this garden goodness with all of you staying with us, so be ready to enjoy the harvest throughout the year.
Thank You!
Pacific Crest Outward Bound
Outward Bound students have been instrumental at the Basecamp in 2011 during their service projects where they've conducted trail maintenance, native plant restoration, weed pulling, and dismantling of an old bridge. Their help on-site is invaluable and we look forward to working with them and others on these types of projects in the future.
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Testimonials
"With thanks for hosting such a place,
with water, sun and grass;
with tasty food and cozy beds,
you're definitely first class!
The river trails were neat to hike,
the chickens fun to feed...
A special thanks to Amelia and Emmet and Micah for sharing their toys, play area, and swimming pond."
~Theo, Shirley, Myles, Shaunelle and Logan; Rosedale, BC Canada
"I just wanted to say thank you for everything. You guys were amazing! Everyone [at their wedding] was absolutely in love with not only the beautiful surroundings, but the welcoming atmosphere you and your family provided. The food was just perfect, everything was perfect."
~Stephanie Laws; Shoreline, WA
"Thanks again for the hospitality, great advice on local activities and general warmness. This was our second time at Basecamp but certainly won't be our last."
~Tanya, Eli and TJ King; Tampa, FL
From the House
 What a great season it has been, and our staff is a huge part of what makes things tick this summer. We are currently looking for fall-winter work-trade and interns, so spread the word!
Our first Conservation Biology Intern Katherine Krebs-Ellsworth completed a one month program at the North Cascades Basecamp this summer, learning about wildlife biology, sustainable communities, gardening, and how to run a B&B. Her internship focused on wildlife ecology  where she participated in local projects including the Methow Beaver Project, Pacific Biodiversity's Western Gray Squirrel Research Project, and US Forest Service rare carnivore surveys (lynx, grizzly bear and wolverine), as well as goshawk and peregrine falcon nesting surveys. Katherine also worked on Basecamp projects including building a garden spiral and chicken coop improvements while providing a constant cheerful presence and patience with us and our children.
 Our staff, Bernie Krausse and Stacey Matthews, have given their energies to the North Cascades Basecamp since June. Our bountiful garden harvest is in large part due to their hard work and care over the summer. They have also been the glue that held together the day to day operations at the lodge. Stacey's culinary and nature craft projects, Bernie's photography and assistance with our blogsite, and together their efforts to construct a firepit, flower beds, and their genuine interest in the natural history of the area have been a huge asset to the Basecamp. We will miss them as they move on to hiking trails across the country in the end of October. Happy Trails Bernie and Stacey!
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Local Roots at the Basecamp
Smallwood Farms
All summer long the kitchen at the North Cascades Basecamp has proudly served fresh tree fruit from Smallwood Farms in Okanogan, WA. From cherries and apricots, to peaches and nectarines, to apples and pears, the seasonal delights from this family run farm just over the Loup Loup Pass have made from some memorable Basecamp breakfasts, desserts, and daily fruit snacks. Owners Dennis and Mallory Carlton strive to grow and deliver the highest quality freshest fruit in the region, and they do it well!! Our weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery weighed in at 25lbs and always satisfied.
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Mica's Musings
Oh, the dog days of summer. Where have they gone? I so enjoyed my leisurely dips in the Basecamp's crystal clear ponds, my lengthy naps in the shade on the green grass, and those belly rubs from guests. And I so desperately want to have a sit down chat with that squirrel that consistently outruns then mocks me from the uppermost tree branches. Come find me and my family this fall as we watch the autumn colors give way to winter snow- now that's my favorite season!
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