Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition

Nate’s family and friends have been devastated by the loss of this amazing man. On December 16, 2023 a tragic fire took Nate’s life and destroyed the historic Fairhaven Terminal Building, including Nate’s beloved Harris Avenue Café and The Old Independent Coffeehouse.

Please help us honor his amazing life by contributing to this fund to create a memorial on Galbraith Mountain in his name! We are also using this GoFundMe to start an annual sponsorship for kids mountain biking programs. Please read the latest update below for current information about the plans.

Nate was a loving father, cherished son and brother and great friend to so many people. His loss left his family, friends and the Bellingham community with a giant hole in our hearts.

In the days following the fire, we heard story after story of ways Nate had made a positive and lasting impact on friends, coworkers, customers and total strangers - whether it be sharing food with employees during COVID, serving a meal to a homeless man at the café, sharing fun times and adventures or simply listening and coaching a friend through a tough situation.

Many people asked Nate’s family how they could contribute to a memorial to express their love for Nate and to honor his life.

His friends suggested a fitting memorial to honor him would be sponsoring a mountain biking trail on Galbraith Mountain. Nate loved mountain biking on Galbraith Mountain and was well known for helping new biking enthusiasts to not just learn to mountain bike but also to build and maintain their own bike. He hoped to someday have a trail sponsored by Harris Avenue Cafe’.

He enjoyed introducing his 3 year old daughter to the joy of biking and was eager for the day when he could take her mountain biking with him on Galbraith. Unfortunately that dream was cut short.

Nate’s family and friends have partnered with the Whatcom Mountain Biking Coalition (WMBC https://www.wmbcmtb.org) to sponsor a memorial on Galbraith Mountain in loving memory of Nate. All funds we receive will go directly to WMBC to support a memorial to Nate; the exact memorial will depend on how much is raised. Our goal is $35,000 for a mountain biking trail and bench on Galbraith. Any funds raised in excess of the cost of the trail and bench will be used by WMBC to sponsor mountain biking opportunities for children.

Our dream is that we can install a trail and bench where people who share Nate’s love of the outdoors and biking will find joy. We intend to place a bench in his honor at a scenic location that is easily accessible by his daughter, parents, family and friends to visit in remembrance of his vibrant life. We hope that in some small way this trail will bring joy to his loved ones and be a place that his daughter will one day go to be close to her father’s spirit.

Thank you for your continued love and support as well as contributions to Nate’s Memorial Fund.

Please leave any remembrances you have of Nate when you make your donation as well as any suggestions for the memorial.