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🐹 A Coastal Giant 🐸🐸

🐹 A Coastal Giant 🐸🐸

March 17, 2025

Good morning, Bellingham. This is your Monday update from The Hamster Wheel.

We left the house for a lovely afternoon walk downtown. There were clouds in the sky but no wind or reason to worry. By the time we reached Picket Bridge, penny-size hail was falling sideways. Springtime in the PNW is a mystery. 😉

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Crazy Large Hail - 📷 by Jessica Turner

Alaska Ferry and Coast Guard Boats - 📷 by Duffy Brook

Mt Baker from Ferndale - 📷 by Barb Gibson

Tag @bellinghamsterwheel on Instagram or reply to this email to get your photos in The Hamster Wheel.

Weather Forecast

Monday: 48°F 🌡️ 35°F | 🌧️ Light Rain | 🌧️ 90% | 💨 S 8 mph

Tuesday: 49°F 🌡️ 37°F | 🌧️ Light Rain Likely | 🌧️ 70% | 💨 S 2 to 8 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Day	Time	H/L	FT
Mon	1:32 AM	L	3.65
Mon	7:15 AM	H	8.06
Mon	2:06 PM	L	1.00
Mon	8:46 PM	H	7.04
Tue	2:10 AM	L	4.50
Tue	7:36 AM	H	7.91
Tue	2:42 PM	L	0.59
Tue	9:47 PM	H	7.01

Moon Phases

Weather & Tides from NOAA. Moon data astronomyapi.

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Meet the Coastal Giant Salamander

Did you know Whatcom County is home to a salamander that can grow up to 14 inches long? The Coastal Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus), is a Pacific Northwest native, that thrives in mountain streams and moist forests. It’s often spotted in its gilled, aquatic form but may also be found as a terrestrial adult displaying a gold-on-brown pattern along its back. As the region’s largest salamander, it rules small streams as a top predator, laying eggs under rocks and logs.

It’s been years, but I remember stumbling into these beautiful salamanders while fishing for trout in feeder streams above the Nooksack. I never found any close to fourteen inches, though… The longest I remember seeing was no more than eight inches.

Want to learn more about the amphibians of Whatcom County? Vikki Jackson, the Program Manager at Whatcom County Amphibian Monitoring Program (WCAMP), part of the Wildlife Conservation Trust, reached out to tell us about two interesting classes they are offering. Exploring Worlds: Frogs and Salamanders of the Puget Trough, an online two-part course with Dr. Stephen Nyman on April 30 and May 7, and Amphibians of Northwest Ponds and Wetlands, a full-day field class with Nyman and Jackson on June 7. WCAMP’s classes fill up really fast, so grab a spot. Both classes look fascinating to me! 🐸

Celebrate Women in Snow Sports

Grounding Truth, Cascade Mountain Ascents, and Backcountry Essentials are hosting a free screening of Girl Winter tomorrow, a series of six short films spotlighting women in snow sports and filmmaking. Held at Backcountry Essentials on State St., doors open at 6:30 p.m., with films starting at 7:15 p.m.

Expect stunning skiing, heartfelt stories, and laughs, plus a raffle, free popcorn, and chances to support local non-profits. Donations are encouraged to keep the vibe going! From Sierra Schlag’s biracial journey in Nisei to Alenka Mali’s snowboard base jump in The Beginning, these films inspire and educate, proving snow sports are for everyone.

In other news…

🦀 Last week, we looked at the European Green Crab, and I was left wondering how and where they might impact Bellingham's beaches and waterways. Fortuitously, one of our readers is an expert and send us some details! 🙂 Bryanne McNamara, who worked as a Green Crab removal technician at the Department of Fish and Wildlife, indicated that as few as two seasons ago they would “pull out about 1,000 of them a day from the lummi sea pond [.] but now we only catch about 5-6 a day.” She also indicated that they’re unlikely to be found on our rocky beaches as “they're big mud dwellers and love areas with low flow and large structures like rocks, oyster beds, and woody debris.”

I did a little more digging and found this interesting chart from WDFW that shows the removal totals from 2022 through 2024 in Bellingham Bay and surrounding waters:

🚢 The Port of Bellingham Board of Commissioners meets tomorrow (March 18) at 4 PM. Attend in person at the Harbor Center or stream live on the port’s YouTube channel. The meeting will include a presentation on the Comprehensive Scheme of Harbor Improvements. The Commission will review approval of the Harbors’ Rules, Regulations, and Rates Handbook for Blaine and Squalicum Harbors and the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, alongside a proposal to update rental rates for meetings and events.

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Monday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Calcutta by Simmering Tava @ K2
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Falafel Feast @ 4370 Meridian St
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St.)
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tezpoteco Taco @ Stemma Brewery

Tuesday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Calcutta by Simmering Tava @ K2
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Falafel Feast @ 4370 Meridian St
Galley 2 Go @ Stones Throw Brewery
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Fringe Brewing
Tezpoteco Taco @ Stemma Brewery
The Galley @ Ponderosa Beer + Books

Test Your Knowledge

Bellingham & Whatcom Trivia

What invasive species was discovered in Lake Padden in 2018?

The correct answer to the last question: “Which coal mine was the location of Whatcom County's worst mining disaster?” was the Blue Canyon Coal Mine.

The Blue Canyon Coal Mine, situated on the southeast shore of Lake Whatcom, began operations in March 1891 after Fairhaven entrepreneur James Wardner tapped a thick coal vein on the forested hillside high above the lake. The mine was producing up to 200 tons daily by 1893. It supplied high-grade bituminous coal to the U.S. Navy before oil gained favor.

Transporting coal to Bellingham’s waterfront included a steep tram ride down the hillside, where it was loaded into railcars, which were barged across Lake Whatcom to rail lines at Silver Beach. Competition and shifting markets forced its closure in November 1919, punctuated by a 1920 fire that razed its facilities.

On April 8, 1895, a methane gas explosion in the gangway near the coal seam’s working face killed 23 of 25 miners underground just before a shift change. The blast left toxic afterdamp (carbon monoxide-rich air), claiming nearly all of those who survived the initial explosion. Learn more at WhatcomTalk and HistoryLink.

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Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

THEATRE - DANCE - FILM

BAAY Theatre:
Snoring Beauty | Sat, Sun 11 AM

iDiOM Theater:
Serial Killers | Sat 7 & 9 PM

Mount Baker Theatre:
Dragons & Mythical Beasts | Mon 10 AM

New Prospect Theatre:
Bellingham Puppet Slam | Sat 5 PM

COMEDY

Uisce Irish Pub:
Guffawingham | Mon 8:30 PM

Corner Taphouse:
Southside Comedy Hour | Fri 8 PM

The Blue Room:
Bo Johnson | Fri 8 PM

Boundary Bay:
Laughs on Draft | Sat 7:30 PM

The Upfront Theatre:
IMPROV the Musical | Fri 7:30 PM
March Madness | Fri 9:30 PM
Drag-Prov | Sat 7:30 PM
March Madness | Sat 9:30 PM

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Bachata : WWU Salsa and Bachata Club @ Viking Union MPR | Mon 7 PM
Tango : Urban Salon Tango @ The Majestic Ballroom | Mon 7 PM
Swing : B’ham Hop @ Hotel Leo Crystal Ballroom | Tues 7 PM
Cuban Salsa : Beginning Cuban Salsa @ Cof& | Tues 6 PM
Cuban Salsa : Intermediate Cuban Salsa @ Cof& | Tues 7:15 PM
Tango : Tango Practica @ The Majestic Ballroom | Wed 6:30 PM
Bachata : Bham Bachata @ ‘ONO Kitchen & Bar | Thurs 7:30 PM
Social Partner Dance : Flow Fusion @ Karate Church | Thurs 7 PM
Party : Equinoxx Rave @ The Shakedown | Sat 8:30 PM
Party : Diva Up! @ Make.Shift | Sat 8 PM
Belly Dance : Belly Dance Workshop @ FireHouse A&E Center | Sat 12 PM
Silent Disco : Sunset Silent Disco @ Zuanich Point Park | Sat 6:30 PM
Party : Brunch Beats @ The Blue Room | Sat 11 AM
Salsa : The Salsa Collective @ The Majestic Ballroom | Sun 5:30 PM

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Music & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Monday Games & Trivia
Trivia Night @ Ono Kitchen & Bar | 7 PM
Trivia Night @ Paws for a Beer | 6:15 PM
Trivia Night @ Zeeks Pizza & Fountain Brewing | 6 PM
Trivia Night @ Overflow Taps | 6:30 PM

Tuesday Games & Trivia
Cribbage Tournament @ Kulshan Brewing K2 | 6 PM
Trivia Night @ Corner Taphouse | 7 PM
Trivia Night @ Uisce Irish Pub | 7 PM
Trivia Night @ Thirsty Badger | 7 PM

Hakuna matata

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Have a great Monday!!