Trip Report: Mt. Rainier, July 17-19, 2011

   I had been hoping to do a backpacking trip in the Olympics this weekend, but the weather just would not cooperate. After consulting the maps and trail guides we decided our best two options were Dosewallips on the east side or Obstruction Point a little further north. Then we learned the road to Dosewallips was washed out and Obstruction Point was under six feet of snow and not accessible by about three and a half miles. After a little more looking to find another option in the Olympics we turned to our recent excursion to Mt. Rainier and decided on the option of camping up at Longmire and doing day hikes from there. Disappointing in that we have recently outfitted ourselves better for backpacking, but under the circumstances we were happy to wait for better weather.

   Of course, the day before we planned to leave two unforeseen events conspired against us. The first was a minor disaster that meant spending most of the day with the landlord, a plumber, and a repair company. That's a whole other post, but the end result is that I got no packing or prep done at all. The second thing was the weather forecast dramatically changed from a 10% chance of rain to 40%-60% over the three days. We have enough experience with this area to know that means we have 100% chance of getting wet. My wife is a pretty good sport, but camping, hiking, AND being wet is a combination that would likely equal her final outing of the season and maybe even a hard sell next season. We bit the bullet and decided to book a room. The National Park Inn at Longmire was full, so we found a cabin just outside the park entrance. Now the backpacking trip had turned into a cabin vacation with hiking excursions…

   On Sunday we arrived at the Gateway Inn around 3pm. After getting checked in to cabin #1, sorting out our gear, and a meal from Gateway's restaurant, we entered the park and drove up to Longmire. We decided we had just enough daylight to make the Rampart Ridge Loop. It was a more difficult uphill climb than we anticipated, gaining about 1300 feet in just over a mile. By the time we arrived at the viewpoint overlooking the Longmire complex we questioned whether we should press on or turn back. We had already spent about half the daylight we had and were only about a third of the way. Since the hard part was behind us, we decided to press on.

   The trail was beautiful. After another mile or so we came upon the junction with the Wonderland Trail. I pulled out my camera to take a picture and started hearing mosquitoes. Just before coming to the Wonderland Trail, the path made it's way around a swampy pond, obviously the breeding ground for these little bloodsuckers. I got one photo before my wife exclaimed that the mosquitoes were covering me. They smelled blood and swarmed. By the time we were able to get away from the mosquitoes I had eight bites on my neck and face. My wife got a couple bites on her face and hands. Our son was untouched. Unfortunately, the rest of the hike was an itchy race against the impending darkness and our near-full bladders.   As we neared Longmire I noticed a trail marker in the other direction indicating a trail to Paradise, 5.7 miles. Hmmm... We ultimately returned to Longmire, utilized the restrooms, and made the drive back to our cabin.

   By the time we got to the cabin, showered, and dressed, it was almost 9:30pm and the Gateway's restaurant was closed. We decided to drive toward Ashford and see what was available. After driving about 6 miles we came on a country store that was open until 11pm. We picked up a couple things and headed back to the cabin for the night.

   Monday morning the sun came in through the windows and rousted my wife and I early. We let our son sleep while we looked over maps, discussed the day's options, packed up, and snacked on granola and trail mix. We decided to head up to Paradise and check out some trails there, starting with Dead Horse Creek. Upon arriving at Paradise, we set out on Dead Horse Creek Trail, which was buried under eight feet of snow. The mountain was currently at 600% normal snow cover. We didn't even make it to the Nisqually Vista before deciding we were ill-equipped for the conditions and turned back. Feeling a bit discouraged, we went to the Paradise Inn just as the dining room was opening for lunch, so we got a table and reconsidered our plan for the day.

   While having lunch one of the servers, Doug from Wyoming, stopped by our table and suggested we head over to the Ohanapecosh area and check out the Grove of the Patriachs and the Silver Falls Trails. Excellent! We had a new plan. After lunch we got in the car and headed east down the mountain.

   The parking lot was full at the trailheads, so we parked in the overflow area just beyond the lot. Here is one major difference between the Olympic National Park and Mt. Rainier National Park: Mt. Rainier gets a lot more tourist traffic. I have become used to going out for a Sunday-Tuesday excursion and seeing few, if any, people after the first day in the Olympics. Here it was Monday and it was crowded with people from all over the world!

   I voted for taking the Silver Falls Trail first and no one vetoed. The trail is a gradual decent to Silver Falls, only about 0.3 miles from the trailhead. We watched the falls for a while and snapped some pictures before continuing on the loop. The loop goes about a mile and a half along the east side of the Ohanapecosh River to Ohanapecosh Campground and then back up the west side of the river. I was not aware the the campground is a full-on, eight-loop, car-camping and RV set up until we arrived, but the restrooms were a welcome surprise.

   Unfortunately, my wife's new hiking boots were beginning to hurt her feet, having not yet been broken in. We took a short break before slowly making our way back up the other half of the loop. By the time we arrived at the trailhead my wife was not up for hiking the Grove of the Patriarchs. I guess we'll have to do that one next time.

   We took our time driving back through the Ohanapecosh, Paradise, and Longmire areas, pulling over frequently to take photos.

   Back at the cabin, we showered and got online to consider our options for dinner. After reading reviews for our options within a reasonable distance, we opted for the Copper Creek Inn & Restaurant. When we arrived the place was packed and we were told there would be a short wait. Totally understandable -- it appeared we hit the dinner rush. We browsed the gift shop which featured all kinds of blackberry foodstuffs and our table was ready in surprisingly short order. The place is pretty small, but still they seemed understaffed for the amount of business they had. At one point the crowd seemed to thin and we thought the rush must be over, but only minutes later the place was packed again. It was also very hot inside. If I had it to do over I would ask to sit outside. Still, dinner was good, as was the overall experience.

   We returned to the cabin and I made a suggestion for the following day: how about my wife and son drop me off at Longmire and I make the hike up to Paradise while they explore the tourist attractions. I would meet them at Paradise and we could have lunch before heading home. My wife's feet were sore from her new shoes and my son was thrilled with the idea.

   Tuesday my wife was up before me and was half packed before I was even awake. We loaded up the car, checked out of our cabin, and made our way to Longmire. At the trailhead I put on my pack loaded with the ten essentials and started up the trail. I estimated two and a half to three hours, give or take, to meet my wife and son at Paradise.

   My first setback was only a tenth of a mile up the trail when I second-guessed myself and thought I had possibly chosen the wrong trail. I went back to the ranger station at Longmire and verified that I had the correct trail, I merely needed to walk a little further to the junction for Narada Falls and Paradise. That cost me some time.

   The path up to Cougar Rock runs between the road and the Nisqually River. Since it's only about a mile and a half from Longmire to Cougar Rock, there were many hikers from one or the other along the way. At Cougar Rock the trail takes an immediate right across the Nisqually River, but I missed the turn and inadvertently explored the Cougar Rock area some before returning to the trail and realizing my mistake. This was my second setback.

   From here the trail leaves the road and takes a more direct route to Narada Falls following the Paradise River. I began to gain some elevation. Again, since the section of the trail from Cougar Rock to Narada Falls is only a few miles and includes Carter Falls along the way, I came across many hikers along the way. One thing that I noticed is that very few hikers I came across were what I would consider to be adequately equipped for wilderness hiking. Granted, a hiker here is rarely, if ever, more than a mile or so from a trailhead, road, campground, etc. and there seems to be no end of other people to rely on if something were to go wrong. Still, in my mind, it's an unusually wet and cold summer, it's the wilderness, and stuff can go wrong. I was amazed at the number of people I saw walking around in cotton shorts, cotton t-shirts, cotton socks, a pair of shoes, and nothing else.

   Let me take a minute to review the ten essentials for any hike, no matter how short you intend it to be:

• Map
• Compass 
• Sun protection
• Extra food & water
• Extra layers
• Headlamp/flashlight
• First aid kit
• Whistle and/or signaling device
• Fire starter
• Knife

   These lists can very from source to source (the original list coming from The Mountaineers in the '30's), but the idea is to be prepared in the event one gets lost or injured. Chances are good that no one hiking between Longmire and Cougar Rock is going to wind up having to spend a night in the wilderness. Even if one were to break a leg and be unable to walk, chances are pretty good someone would be along soon to get help and the road is right there. Still, wouldn't it be nice to have a whistle to blow to try and get someone's attention or something to put on when it starts to rain? Speaking of rain, cotton kills. If you're out hiking and it rains or you fall in the water, cotton will hold onto that water and drop your body temperature. There are many natural and synthetic fibers that are much better suited for outdoor activities.

   Just sayin'.

   Back to my hike…

   By the time I arrived at Narada Falls I had about 40 minutes before my three-hour estimate to arrive at Paradise was up. The trail from Narada Falls is only 1.2 miles, but I knew it would be steep and I knew there would be snow and I would probably be late. What I didn't know was that the entire trail from Narada Falls to Paradise was buried under several feet of snow. Fortunately I had my map and compass and was able to stay headed the right direction even if I was unsure about where the trail was supposed to be. After about a half a mile the trail comes to the road where it crosses the Paradise River and then continues north to Paradise for 0.7 miles. I came out on the road only 100 feet or so from where the trail actually was. From there it was just a matter of following the compass and any foot prints and pole holes I could spot. It was a steep incline and the snow did not make things easier.

   I finally spotted the roof of the Paradise in about three and a half hours after my family had dropped me off -- a half hour longer than I estimated. Considering the setbacks, I felt pretty good about it. A red fox sitting along the trail just off the road watched as I left the trail and crossed the parking lot to meet my family.

   After finding my wife and son in the lobby of the Paradise Inn, I dropped off my pack in the car, we had lunch while we shared our experiences of the previous few hours, I changed my clothes, and we headed for home. On the way out we saw several hoary marmots near the side of the road.



   I made note of three major differences between Mt. Rainier and the Olympic Mountains on this trip. The first one I talked about: there are a lot more people at Mt. Rainier. Also, the trails where we were seem to be a lot less isolated. In the Olympics you can literally walk for days without coming up on anything more than a rustic ranger outpost or a small, primitive camping area with a pit toilet, maybe bear wire. On Mt. Rainier (at least in the areas we saw), unless you head toward the summit it seems rare to go a mile or two without coming across some car-accessible attraction. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I tend to prefer a more secluded experience. Last, the terrain at Mt. Rainier seems to be more extreme. The Olympic National Park has more than it's share of steep hikes and scenic vistas, but it also has many trails that are more mild with relatively little elevation change. My family has enjoyed backpacking and hiking these less extreme areas. We were hard pressed to find trails that weren't strenuous for my wife and son on Mt. Rainier.

   For myself, I still want to hike the 93-mile Wonderland Trail that circles the mountain. Maybe next year...

Headlamp: FOUND!

   My missing headlamp (see Prepping For The First Backpacking Trip of 2011) was found last night! My wife found it in an old nap sack we had forgotten we had taken with us to Mt. Rainier. I had looked there, but I apparently missed a pocket.

   Of course this comes the day we bought it's replacement.

   Oh well, now we each have one and, to be honest, I'm glad we didn't get a less-expensive replacement because it's a good, versatile lamp.

   We haven't replaced the french press. This last trip we took tea bags and single-serving coffee bags. It creates a little more waste to pack out, but it works for now and we can compost them when we get home.

   We did get the wife new hiking boots and a new pack. Her old boots were cheap to begin with and pretty tired, but we've had a difficult time finding solid, affordable, comfortable boots for her. More or less the same story with the backpack. After the North Fork of the Skokomish trip we agreed to put the debt pay-down on hold for a moment and remedy those two issues. We took advantage of REI's Summer Sale and upgraded or replaced a few other items.

   I can't wait for the next trip!

   Where's my map?...

Trip Report: Backpacking The North Fork of the Skokomish River. June 19-21, 2011

   Sunday, June 19th. The forecast called for a 30% chance of rain until 4pm, so we didn't hurry as we got some coffee, loaded our packs into the car, and stopped for food on our way to the Olympic National Park. Our driving destination was Staricase, an area on the southeast corner of the park. The first year we moved to Washington we did most of our camping at Staircase and Big Creek nearby in the National Forest. (My hike up Mt. Ellinor started from Big Creek.) From there we would don our packs and hike four miles up the North Fork of the Skokomish River Trail to Spike Camp.

   The weather was a bit overcast with highs in the low 60's. This was our first backpacking trip of the year and we were all out of shape after a long winter. My son was not thrilled about the four-mile hike with a pack on his back. I wish we could have worked up to it and done a few warm-up hikes, but the weather has been awful and we've been so busy. The first day is always the hardest.

   At our first stop to take a break and drink some water we realized that my wife's water bottle was gone. Somewhere it had fallen out of the pouch on her pack. Only a minor setback as we carry an extra water bottle to have at camp for cooking, cleaning, etc. We stopped at the next creek crossing to fill up the spare bottle and top off the other two.

   When we arrived at Spike Camp we still had plenty of daylight, so we took our time setting up. Before I had the tent up our son had rebounded from his misery and was bouncing off the trees. We set up the tent, sleeping bags, filtered water, built a fire, had some food and drink, and were almost ready to call it a day before the sun went down. I was able to start the fire without a match using tinder from the area, a small bit of tissue, some magnesium, and a flint.

   I had traded my hiking boots for my new Vibram Five-Finger barefoot shoes as soon as we arrived and they were a welcome change. In fact, the only downside to the barefoot shoes I noted on this trip is that they are not warm on a chilly night. The Tevas aren't warm, either, but it possible to put on a pair of wool socks with the Tevas. Not so much with the barefoot shoes. Still, I think the barefoot shoes will continue to be a part of my warm weather backpacking gear.

    Monday, June 20th. That night, for whatever reason, we all woke up during the night and had a difficult time getting back to sleep. As a result, it was 10am before we got up the next day. After some coffee and a bit of food, we took down camp, packed up, and headed up the trail just before noon. It was mostly cloudy with a high in the low 60's. We filtered some water on our way out since the nearest water source is a little way up the trail. Our plan for today was flexible -- we would hike up to the next camp which is Big Log and at that point decide if we wanted to stay there or continue on to Camp Pleasant.

   This section is where we started to run into some minor obstacles. The trail winds along the side of a reasonably steep hill and there were places where a tree had fallen across the trail and had to be scrambled over. At one point I spotted what we believe to be a ptarmigan appear on the trail ahead and then duck back into the brush. As we approached we were able to spot her again with maybe a half dozen baby chicks following her.

   We got to the spur for Big Log and the sign said Camp Pleasant was only 1.4 miles further. We agreed to press on.

   There were three major creek/river crossings along the way: Madeline Creek, Donahue Creek, and the Skokomish River itself. The Donahue crossing was no problem as there was a log bridge over the water. There was a good-sized, well-built bridge high over the Skokomish River. The Madeline crossing, however, was a different story. There were still signs up indicating a river ford, but it was clear that flooding had seriously altered the terrain at some point. The current river crossing is a large log with a single rail on the downstream side about 20 feet over a pretty respectable water flow. My wife isn't a fan of high ledges. I, on the other hand, will jump off a bridge tied to a bungee cord. I found the crossing a little nerve-wracking; I can only image how my wife felt. It was the highlight of the trip for our son, of course.

   After we crossed the Skokomish River the trail followed pretty close alongside the river. There were a couple minor challenges like loose footing down and back up into post-flooded creek beds and scrambling under small fallen trees. A short distance before Camp Pleasant we rounded a corner to find a fallen tree over the trail -- not a small tree, but one that had been around during the founding of Rome. Seriously, it was probably seven feet in diameter where it covered the trail. It took a little exploration but we found where a handful of previous hikers had made a way over. After helping each other over we were happy to find Camp Pleasant just beyond the huge obstacle.

   Like Spike Camp the night before, we had the place to ourselves. We picked the spot next to the river, took off our packs, and set up camp. My wife took our son down to the river to play. I tried to start the fire using only tinder, magnesium, and the flint and got some smoke, but had to resort back to the tissue for flame. We ate some food, played games, and sat talking around the campfire. At one point my wife stopped, spotting a deer over my shoulder. The buck continued to come closer and we tried to be still and quiet so as not to scare it away. It wandered into the neighboring camp site, grazing along the way and did not seem very concerned with us. We were able to get pretty close and get some pictures before it decided to head up the hill.

   We enjoyed the campfire well after the sun set and then retired to our sleeping bags. We had not seen another person all day. With the sound of the river just outside, we all slept soundly through the night.

   Tuesday, June 21st. The next morning the sky was clear and blue. Our son was up before my wife and I. We had seven miles to hike out plus the drive home today. We didn't hurry, but after breakfast we divvied up the tasks of cleaning up, taking down camp, and getting packed so we could get going. The weather was beautiful and I was happy to have my sun hat. Since this trip was an out-and-back, it was nice to know what to expect. Once we were over the huge tree near Camp Pleasant, we knew the hardest part was over.

   As we approached the dreaded crossing of Madeline Creek, my son spotted a deer on the trail ahead. This deer was being followed by a fawn that still had it's spots. The two darted up the hill and into the trees. Just beyond was the bridge and on the other side was another hiker with his eyes on the hill behind us. "Did you see the deer?", he said, holding up his hands to indicate the size of the little one.

   We took a break on the other side of Madeline Creek and then continued on. We took another break at Spike Camp. We were making better time than expected. Some point beyond Spike Camp four hikers appeared ahead of us. The hikers turned out to be fly fishers who were just looking for a better spot to wet their hooks. They continued to disappear and reappear ahead of us as our pace varied. A wild rabbit came out onto the trail and ran away from the fishermen -- right at us! The little guy got surprisingly close before it finally noticed us and ducked back into the brush. We also spotted some other critter that I thought at first to be a chipmunk darting back and forth across the trail, oblivious to the fishermen and us. It turned out to not be a chipmunk and we're still not sure what it was, but there was a bird nearby squawking loudly at the critter. We suspect the bird may have been protecting it's eggs and the critter was looking for a meal.

   The last two miles were difficult. Again, I wished we had been able to work up to this trip. We never did spot our lost water bottle and there was no one at the ranger station to ask if it had been turned in. After stowing our packs in the car, we drove down to the campground restrooms for a quick clean-up and then headed for home.

   Over the course of the trip I kept notes of things we forgot or needed to acquire/change/upgrade. Being our first trip of the year, the list was disturbingly long and the subsequent trip to REI expensive. On our way back from the Olympic National Park I added one last thing to the list: don't forget a change of clothes to leave in the car for the drive home.

Home

   We got home last night from our backpacking trip up the North Fork of the Skokomish River in the Olympic National Park. I'm working on a trip report, but I also have much to do, clean up, put away (and the lawn needs to be mowed)...

   So until I get the report up, here are a few pictures:

Weekend Update

   Tonight brings to an end a three-night weekend, something of an event of late. The weather wasn't as great as forecast, but this afternoon was beautiful. Our backpacking tent which was washed a couple weeks ago finally got the seams sealed and treated with Nikwax Solarproof. After last week's trip to Mt. Rainier we are talking about a camping trip with day hikes around the Longmire/Paradise area. Since the weather is looking like that won't be in the cards this month I am hoping to put together a backpacking excursion to Upper Lena Lake in the Olympic National Park before we hit Mt. Rainier.

   While waiting for the weather to improve we did some laundry, dishes, picked up the wife's serger from the shop, and backed-up the wife's desktop.We are now ready to start consolidating some hardware, moving some furniture, and making room to create a new sewing/craft space in the living room.

   The pepper and tomato sprouts are doing great inside. Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating to move them outside yet. We picked up peat pots and some organic soil for the bigger plants, but have yet to transplant them. 

   I was able to erect the tee-pee trellis for the peas that are starting to come up in the garden, sweep the driveway, do some edging, seed the bare spots in the lawn, fill in some of the larger chicken divots in the lawn, and do a little rough mowing (I'm saving the real mowing for when the grass gets too tall for the chickens).

   Speaking of chickens, the neighbor's dog was inside this afternoon, so we were able to let the girls free-range for a while today. I tipped up some pallets where the firewood was stacked and it was all-you-can eat-buffet.

   For dinner tonight the wife made dough while I picked a couple cups of fresh oregano that is still going strong from last year's garden and we had homemade pizza.

   Yum!

Mt. Rainier

   It's official, last month was the coldest April on record. In fairness, it was the "coldest average high temperature", but still, I'm ready for spring! The radishes are starting to poke through the top soil in the garden! We have had a couple of nice days already. The forecast for tomorrow looks beautiful!

   Today the family and I decided it was time to stop talking about Mt. Rainier and go see it. I've been looking over the topographical hiking map and hiking book I bought after Easter and it was time to go check it out. We got up, fed the chickens, had some coffee, packed up our hiking gear and hit the road. The first thing we learned is that there is no real direct or scenic route to the mountain. From I-5 we took exit 127 and headed east highway 512. Instead of taking highway 7 south, we continued on to highway 161 in the belief it would be far enough out to be more scenic. Wrong. Turns out that, rather than dealing with suburban sprawl from Tacoma along highway 7, highway 161 pushes south through suburban sprawl from southern Puyallup. Oh, well. The purpose of this trip was to explore and learn -- sort of a mini-version of our Olympic Peninsula trip last April -- and we were learning.

   Eventually the sprawl gave way to farmland and I was happy to be there. We drove through Eatonville, LaGrande, Alder, Elbe, and Ashford before coming to the Nisqually Entrance of the Mount Rainier National Park. Signs were posted that the visitor center at Paradise was only open on weekends, so we missed out there. There was also a notice that Stevens Canyon Road (beyond Paradise) was not yet open. Based on what I read I suspected this might be the case. Having just come out of the coldest April on record I should have known it was overly optimistic the think we might be able to drive all the way around the mountain.

   The other thing we learned is just how much more seasonal Mt. Rainier is than the Olympics. In hindsight this seems obvious, but after spending a couple years camping, hiking, and backpacking in the Olympics, and it's been more than a decade since we lived on Mt. Hood in Oregon, we forgot just what we were dealing with. Good to learn!

   We stopped at Longmire to look around and visit the museum. At this point, The Wonderland Trail crosses the road and it was like shaking hands with a celebrity to take just a couple steps along the path. I picked up another hiking book at the museum and we all enjoyed the information and displays about the Native Americans, wildlife, and geology around the area.

   We made our way up to Paradise, but as we were warned, it was still closed on weekdays this time of year. Visibility was low as well, so we let the boy play in the 18' of snow a bit before making our way back down the mountain.This learning experience reminded my wife and I that long periods in the car followed by short adventures has a peculiar affect on our son that I describe as, "Random thought generator on overdrive and mouth engaged." The boy can get a bit chatty.

   We did stop for one very short hike. The Twin Firs Loop is a quick, 0.4-mile loop right off the road. From my new Falcon Guide, Hiking Mount Rainier National Park, "This short loop takes you through an old-growth, low-elevation forest. Along the trail you will see a variety of flora such as vine maple, skunk cabbage, giant ferns, mossy logs, Douglas fir, western hemlock, and western cedar, as well as numerous squirrels darting across the trail." The book didn't mention large patches of snow still on the trail (did I mention that April was cold?) and a couple of huge, fallen trees we had to shimmy under. I'm not complaining -- it was absolutely fantastic to get out into the woods and breathe in the cleanest air we've had in our lungs in months! The book also didn't mention that much of what is left of old-growth forest in the United States is in the foothills of Mt. Rainier, so there were some of the biggest trees I've ever seen!

   I was wearing my new five-finger barefoot shoes, which reminds me of another learning point. I love the shoes for walking and hiking (I haven't worked up to any serious running in them yet), but they are still a little chilly on snow and very cold, soggy ground. While my soles were well-insulated, the snow and wet got between my toes and my feet were pretty cold after only 0.4 miles. Learning experience.

   We headed for home, taking highway 7 this time and stopping for dinner along the way. I think we may stick to the Olympics for any ventures into the woods this month, but I am looking forward to exploring the area later this summer.

   C'mon spring! I'm ready!

Easter

   The Family and I spent Easter with family in Portland. I missed the early Sunday festivities (it's difficult to work into the wee hours in Seattle and attend morning appointments in Portland), but was mostly present for the family gathering afterward (in all honesty my sleep schedule is still off). We had a nice evening just wife, son, mother-in-law, and myself. The wife and I talked about how our jobs are up and down. Mother-in-law had great stories of poor-laid plans, misplaced dogs, and over-abundances of ducks. By the time we retired to bed we had all been up later than expected.

   Monday morning we bid farewell to mother-in-law as we departed town and headed north. We made a few stops, including lunch at McMenamins. I popped into REI to pick up a hiking map and book for Mt. Rainier. Not sure what this backpacking season has in store -- I'm  not abandoning the Olympics, but I like the idea of exploring new territory. I also picked up a filter replacement for the water filter and stuff to clean and treat the tent. I washed the tent but will have to wait until the weather is more stable to take it outside, treat it with UV and water-proofing, and reseal the seams.

   The chickens are well. The garden hasn't begun to sprout yet, but the indoor sprouts are doing very well! I've been spending as much time in my new "five-finger" running/hiking shoes as possible. I think it's time to start exploring day-hikes around Mt. Rainier!

   I have some new ideas about the music/writing project I committed to choosing that I might decide to take on. I am disappointed that the writing (and the exercise, for that matter) has taken so long to start in on. I have let enough time lapse that spring and summer will now overtake any indoor project. That's fine, though, I now have several options to mull over while toiling in the garden and exploring the great outdoors. 

   I'm so happy spring is finally here.

Dividend Season

   If I wasn't entirely prepared for daylight savings time, my REI dividend completely made up for it! It's time to get ready for camping and backpacking season. I really need to get back outside. I need to remember that my job is just a means to an end and what that end can be. I think it's time to plan an outing...

   Speaking of which, cousin-in-law and I have plans to take our boys to the gun range tomorrow. I'll be able to test some reloading experiments, spend some time with my son outside of the routine, and blow off some steam.

   It's going to be a good day. 

Resolutions and Condiments

   The winter solstice has passed and it is time to take stock and look at where we are, where we've been, and where we're going. This time of year about a decade and a half ago I recall telling a co-worker who seemed to mourn the passing of another year, "I just think, 'am I happier now than I was last year?' and, I am." There have been a few times since when I did not feel that way, but in the past 15 years or so I have found it true this time of year more often than not. As long as I have a purpose and a goal, I find that I am usually moving in a positive direction. This has resulted in my using resolutions to set goals for myself and, in an effort to be as unoriginal as possible, I tend to do this near the beginning of the year.

   So, how did I do this year? Let's start by looking at what the resolutions were...

1) this blog.
2) finish the AFI's top ten and start in on some of the top twenty-five.
3) eat food, not too much, mostly plants.
4) learn to reload.
5.0) add another raised bed for the garden.
5.5) pay closer attention to planting-harvesting-replanting.
5.6) do more canning and freezing.
6.0) do some hike-in camping.
6.5) do at least one big hiking trip like last fall’s Mt. Ellinor hike.
7) actually fill a deer or elk tag.
8) get more exercise.
9) make it to the wedding in NC in October.
10) try cheese making and homemade pectin.
11) harvest some of my own firewood this year.
12) do more with my son.

   As I covered in Resolutions Revisited back in July, numbers 1, 3, 4, 5.0, 6.0, 6.5 8, 9, and 11 were either done or on track. Most of the rest has been covered in this blog, but here it is in a nut:

   I did finish watching the American Film Institute's top ten films, but did not actually delve into the others in the top 25.

   The garden was a challenge this year as the weather was poor. As a result we only froze some pumpkin, but we did do a good bit of canning using what we could from the garden and quite a bit from the local produce stand.



   Hiking, camping, and backpacking across the Olympic National Forest all happened and were wonderful. I expect there will be much more backpacking to report next year!

   I did not fill a deer or elk tag. I did talk about it some here in Elk, Mayo, and Potato Salad and November Bane. I feel like I'm making progress and better understanding the area, but I have yet to put wild harvested meat in the freezer.

   I did get more exercise (though that's been less true the past month or so), we made it to the wedding in North Carolina and spent ten days visiting good friends, made and canned pectin, and harvested some of my own firewood. I now have two chainsaws that need repair, though, and ended up buying as much wood as I harvested. I'll need to work harder on that next year.

   I always need to do more with my son and while I have a difficult time sitting with him to play Legos, we have found some old TV shows and movies we enjoy watching together. Currently we are watching the first season of Airwolf and I have to say while it's not a great show, it held up better than I expected.

   Besides the deer and elk tags, the biggest failure on the list is cheese making. I knew when I set the goal that it was a longshot and, all in all, I actually achieved more than I expected. As I talked about in Elk, Mayo, and Potato Salad, though, I did start getting into making condiments. Being challenged by some friends in Alabama who are now making just about everything from scratch, I began to look closer at what is on our shopping lists and wonder if we could make it ourselves.

   We had already made relish from green tomatoes and red cabbage which came out great. It's purple and has a tangy flavor. The dilled green tomatoes turned out tasty, but because of the texture I anticipate using them primarily for relish as well. (We won't be buying relish anytime soon!) I have made a couple batches of mayonnaise now. The recipes I've referred to all say to use lemon juice or vinegar and we have found we much prefer vinegar. I made a couple half-pints of prepared horseradish when we ran out which turned out pretty mild, but wholly wonderful.

   Two weeks ago I bought out the produce stand's supply of California tomatoes and spent a full day making and canning tomato ketchup. If I can learn how to make steak sauce, mustard, and cayenne pepper sauce I'll be set!

Be Prepared

From The LA Times, a testament about how it pays to be prepared:


Missing hiker found alive after 6 days in Joshua Tree National Park

Ed Rosenthal, a prominent real estate broker from Culver City and an experienced hiker, was alert and able to talk and walk when found but was dehydrated and is in fair condition...

Rosenthal set out Friday from Black Rock campground on a day hike...

He told his wife and rescuers that he lost the trail and made a wrong turn. He ended up in East Wide Canyon, which descends to the park's southern border. He was found Thursday morning, about seven or eight miles from where he left the trail, in a ravine near the canyon. He was spotted by a helicopter from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office when he waved a shiny, Mylar-like material...

For someone on a day hike, Rosenthal was very well-equipped. Joe Zarki, a park ranger, noted that he had three or four liters of water, snack food, a space blanket, a whistle and flares.

He hiked for about a day and a half, descending almost 2,000 feet down the canyon, and then he ran out of food and water.

"At that point, he realized he was in some difficulty," Zarki said. "Once he found his spot, he thought he was better off staying there and that's what you're supposed to do."

Rosenthal whistled, but no one heard. He tried to light flares, but they did not work...

READ MORE

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My best wishes to Mr. Rosenthal and his family and I am glad he made it home alive. Still, his story is a stark example of why it's important to be prudent.


It's better to have it and not need it, but only if it works and you know how to use it.

New Year's Resolutions Revisited

   I recently reviewed my New Year's Resolutions for this year and was pleased to discover that I'm sticking to it better than I had expected.

   First was this blog, which, admittedly, I haven't kept up with lately as I should. I've been busy with other things, but I need to get better at posting even something short from time to time.

   On The Waterfront and second half of Lawrence of Arabia are the movies I need to watch to complete the AFI's top ten. I thought I still needed to see Vertigo, but it turns out I did watch that one last year. I haven't done anything about this one other than putting On The Waterfront in our Netfilx queue. I'll have to check Lawrence of Arabia out from the library. Those will be good ones for later in the year when the weather is yucky.

   The goal of “eating food, not too much, mostly plants” has been going better lately than it was at the beginning of the year. It's always easier when fresh produce abounds and, despite the weather being cool-ish for the season, the garden is doing very well! We added a second raised bed (another resolution) and have been doing better than last year with our planting-harvesting-replanting schedules, though I have not been as diligent with this as I wish I were. Still, progress is being made.

   I have reloading completely under control. There are a couple items I would like to get to make the job easier, less messy, etc., but right now I have everything I need to reload the two calibers I shoot with any regularity and have reloaded several hundred rounds.

   I have done three hike-in camping trips this year -- Olympic Hot Springs, Geyser Valley Complex, and Hoh Rain Forest. I have gotten a handle on the gear, what I do and don't need to pack, AND have made plans for a big trip. In a week I will venture out for a six-day excursion from the north end of the Olympic National Park to the south end. About 45 miles from Lake Mills to Lake Quinault (technically, from the Whisky Bend Trailhead to the North Fork Trailhead). I am excited!

   Airline tickets have been purchased for the wedding in October and money is being saved for the trip and to cover time off work.

   I found someone local who had two acres cleared in January and is letting people come harvest firewood pretty cheap. I have about two thirds of the wood we will need for this winter already.

   Between the hiking and woodcutting, I have definitely been getting more exercise this year. I have also been exercising more just to get in shape for the big walk next week.

   Cheese making and homemade pectin are two things I just have not gotten to yet. Filling a deer or elk tag is going to have to wait until the season starts this fall, but I have begun making plans.

   I'm still looking for ways to do more with my son. He and I did do the Geyser Valley Complex hike just the two of us, and the other two hikes were my wife, son and me. He is very much into Legos and what I really need to do is make time to actually build Lego stuff with him. That should be a goal.

   All in all, I have to say I'm pretty pleased with how this year has been going!

Olympic Peninsula, April 2010

We woke up Sunday morning with a handful of loosely-defined goals: go out and explore as much of the Olympic Peninsula as possible (in three days), do some camping, try out some new camping gear, and test our preparedness to do some hike-in camping later this season. The chickens had been moved to a benign spot at the back of the yard, loaded up with food scraps, and we arranged for the neighbors to check on their food and water in exchange for eggs. In the days prior we had packed and re-packed our packs until we were satisfied, poured over maps, hiking books, camping books, and the internet, and decided our two nights would be spent at Kalalock Beach and the Hoh Rainforest.

Car packed and family fed, we got out only a little later than we had hoped and made our way to Shelton where we made a quick stop for gas. Onto highway 12 we drove west to Aberdeen, birthplace of Kurt Cobain (as you drive into town the big sign says, “Welcome to Aberdeen Washington “Come As You Are’”). We had not planned a stop in Aberdeen, but we were on the sort of adventure that allows for unplanned stops and The Star Wars Store was just too big a temptation. Imagine the biggest Star Wars geek you have ever met decided to set up shop and sell off his collection. Multiply it by ten and add more geeks driving hours in some cases to hang out at the store in costume and you get an idea. We had fun poking around and meeting people. My son bought a Lego speeder bike. Eventually we said goodbye and started north up highway 101.

The forecast had been for rain, but we all agreed that the weather would be nice instead and so far it was working. As we approached Lake Quinault the sky was almost cloud-free and the mercury was pushing 70. My wife had visited Lake Quinault as a kid, so we decided to drive up the south shore and take a look. On the south side of the lake is a small resort area called Rain Forest Resort Village built around the Lake Quinault Lodge built in 1926. April is still the off-season since many destinations around the peninsula don’t open or really pick up until sometime in May, so it was pretty quiet. We walked around a bit, picked up some information, went down to the lake, and agreed that we should plan to make this a destination in the near future. Besides the lodge and other hotel-type bungalows, the Village does offer camping and there are many hiking trails around the lake and surrounding area.

The Quinault Indian Reservation along highway 101 from Lake Quinault to the coast is more or less undisturbed. I was hoping to come across a Native American interpretive center or something along those lines, but if it was there I missed it.

After crossing into Jefferson County and going over the Queets River, highway 101 reaches the coast and enters a section of the Olympic National Park. A few more miles up the road is Kalalock Campground where we settled at the end of day one. The campground is situated on a narrow strip between the highway and a bluff overlooking the beach. Only half of the campground was open, but it was pretty busy for the season. None of the campsites offered any real privacy and all of the beachside spots were occupied. We settled on a spot away from the highway and other campers but not too far from the beach access, of which there was one for the three camping loops that were open.

I should probably do an aside here and talk a bit about how I think of camping. I grew up camping mostly with my grandparents who, as they got older, tended toward small RV camping in places with some amenities. As a young adult, I often camped alone or with a small group and looked for isolated wilderness near a stream, creek or river. Married with child, we gravitated to camping out of our VW bus and somehow more frequently began going back to “designated camping areas”. By this time, however, I was working weekends so we usually camped on weekdays when the campgrounds are slow or empty. While I will confess to having become used to more creature comforts when camping, what I realize I am looking for is a chance to reconnect with nature that just doesn’t happen alongside a paved loop. The trip we were doing this time out was more about seeing as much of the area as possible, so back to Kalaloch Campground…

Once we were settled, we went down and walked along the beach for a while. It’s been almost two years since moving back to the Northwest and this was our first time back to the beach. The sky was typically gray and overcast, but there was little or no wind and the temperature was pleasant. After our walk, we returned to our campsite for the first big test: hiking food. In preparation to do some hike-in camping this summer, we have begun to acquire gear to that end and decided to try some of the freeze-dried meals offered for such an endeavor. A small leap of faith was necessary here as I have issues with a lot of processed food. I had been pleasantly surprised (though in hindsight it makes perfect sense) to find that organics had hit the freeze-dried industry and that the options were more socially responsible than I anticipated. We decided to try the chicken and stuffing with mashed potatoes while our son opted for Alfredo pasta. The backpacking stove got the water boiling quickly and we had dinner ready in minutes. We were all impressed with the quality and flavor of our dinners, though my son found the pasta to have a little too much garlic for his taste (his mother and I liked it, though!).

The next big test was the sleeping pads and sleeping bags. We scored a deal on the pads and found some inexpensive fleece bags we thought would work fine for summer camping. My wife and son wisely chose to stick with our old, bulky bags for this trip. I had a feeling that if I kept my wool layers on in the fleece bag it would be enough to keep me comfortable through the night. I was mistaken. On hindsight, I should have at least brought my old, bulky bag into the tent for the night just in case. I ended up toughing it out and did not get much sleep that night. I got up early and made coffee to warm back up.

Before we left we took one more walk on the beach and then headed northeast to Hoh Rain Forest. The drive is only about a half hour and we made a couple stops along the way in search of a few minor items we realized we had forgotten or misjudged our usage. If Kalaloch and Hoh are any indication, the National Park campgrounds are not designed with privacy in mind. Fortunately, we only saw two other groups while we were there. We picked a spot and decided to go for a hike since it was still early and the weather was nice before setting up camp. As we set out toward the visitor center and trailheads, we found our path blocked by a couple of elk. Signs on the way in had indicated that local elk had recently become aggressive and to avoid getting too close. As we looked for a way around we found there were actually six elk among the trees and brush. We tried to get pictures without getting too close. Leaving the elk to their lunch, we hiked around the area while trying to get the wife’s pack adjusted properly. The area is gorgeous and we intend to come back later to take advantage of hike-in spots along the Hoh Rover. On our way back to camp we sidestepped the elk, which had not moved much, and encountered three deer about thirty yards from our camping spot.

The deer and elk more or less ignored us as we set up camp. We spent the afternoon by the river and then gathered firewood (usually they sell it onsite, but not this day), started a fire, and got to work on dinner. When we had first arrived we discovered that all of the water had been shut off because the sewer system had been overtaxed. (It is a rain forest, after all. I also noticed a conspicuous lack of notification to make sure fires are completely out. The place is wet.) This provided us with an opportunity to test the next bit of new gear: the water filter. The preliminary rinse we had done at home had not completely flushed out the weird filter taste, but it didn’t take long at all to finish the rinse and we were able to fill several water bottles from the river. That evening we tried freeze-dried corn and three-cheese chicken pasta and both were pretty good. As we ate our dinner it began to rain.

It wasn’t a hard rain or even a down pour, no it was more like a falling mist that just seeped into everything. It was difficult to keep the fire going at all. Soon it was wet and dark and time for bed. This is where we faced the most critical failure in our testing. We realized the first night that our tent was too small for the three of us plus any gear to speak of. As it was the two on the outside were up against the sides of the tent, which, of course, soaked right through, when wet. I opted for my old, bulky sleeping bag and, still dressed in wool from head to toe, kept warm and dry throughout the night despite my bag sopping up water like a sponge. The tricky bit here is that the wife is allergic to wool. While we were able to acquire some water resistant clothing for her, it was not enough against the rain forest. By the time morning came my wife and son were ready to leave. We packed up as quickly as possible and headed to Forks for breakfast.

At this point I was a little disappointed feeling we had been defeated by the weather, but I reminded myself that this trip was about exploration for future adventures. In hindsight, the early departure to escape the weather gave us much more opportunity toward that goal. As we drove through Forks we chose The In Place for breakfast. It was a slow Tuesday morning in Forks and that was fine with us. We warmed up with coffee and hot chocolate while we waited for our food and read the local ads, detailing just how much the Twilight books and films had impacted this small town. After breakfast we made one more stop for gas and continued along highway 101.

It was agreed that it would be a shame to be this close to the northwestern most tip of the lower forty-eight states and actually go, so we headed north up highway 113 toward Neah Bay. Here we entered the Makah Indian Reservation (which did have an interpretive center) and drove to Cape Flattery. A half-mile hike from the road brought us to the edge of the country, looking out over the Pacific and Tatooish Island. The hike and the views were beautiful.

Backtrack to 101; we drove past Lake Crescent and signs for Sol Duc Campground and Hot Springs. A quick look at the camping and hiking references we had brought along bumped Sol Duc up the list of destinations for this summer.

Not finding anything in Port Angeles that caught our eye, we continued on to Sequim. Here we got off the highway and drove out to the Dungeness Spit and through town, stopping for snacks and a little local vibe.

By now it was starting to get late into the afternoon and we decided it was time to get home. We crossed over the Hood Canal Bridge and drove south on highway 3 toward home. We arrive home with plenty of daylight to unpack, say hello to the chickens and thank the neighbors for taking care of them, and check on the progress of the garden.

That evening we discussed our adventure and agreed that our tent must be the next upgrade and that sleeping bags may take priority over a hiking lantern. It’s going to be a good season.

(map image by Google Maps)

“some kind of survivalist”

I was asked if I’m “some kind of survivalist” recently. If you’ve known me for ten years or more, this is surrealistically funny, but it’s a funny question anyway.

Let’s take a walk…

It is in our nature to survive and procreate. Did you eat today? Have you recently participated in any act that could possibly introduce a new mini-you into the gene pool? Does that make you a survivalist? Do you pay a little extra in loss of mileage by carrying a mounted spare tire, jack, and lug wrench in your car? Does that make you a survivalist? Am I a survivalist because I have AAA? Or because I carry a cell phone? Does deciding not to do my shopping in the bad part of town after midnight make me a survivalist? Aren’t we all survivalists to some extent?

Okay, okay, I understand the premise and I was being asked if I am a paranoid kook with a bunker under my house stocked with canned goods and ammo. I should probably start with the truth, but it’s much more entertaining to play devil’s advocate.

When did the Boy Scout motto of “be prepared” get demonized? No, I have no such bunker. I have food that I have canned and, sure, I have ammo. More than that I have a freezer stocked with food, a generator to run the freezer and refrigerator and fuel to run it in the event of a power outage, a couple hundred gallons of water in rain barrels, maybe a dozen oil lamps and enough oil to keep ‘em lit. I try to keep some emergency cash on hand in a fireproof safe and I keep emergency supplies in the car. I also have two vegetable gardens and half a dozen laying hens.

Now, if you just read the last paragraph without any other context, I can see how the average American might start to draw a mental stereotype. To my credit, I have a very earth-drawn wife who helps me keep things in perspective, so even if I were to suggest something such as a bunker it would likely get vetoed for being kooky. So let’s examine the “kooky” things that got through:

First off, my family and I enjoy camping, hiking, and hunting – all of which require a bit of preparedness. I put together a few things in the event that something goes wrong and one or more of us end up being in a place longer than anticipated. To me this is common sense. Hunting requires ammunition – be it arrows or bullet cartridges – and it tends to be cheaper to make your own, so I am learning to do so. There is an element of Do-It-Yourself involved that is all about economics. I like jerky, but it’s expensive. I can make it for a fraction of the price (and without all the chemicals), so why not make it myself? Same with beer, ammo, and many other things (before even taking external costs into account), plus it’s just fun.

When we lived in North Carolina, “hurricane lamps” were handy because hurricanes tended to happen and it’s nice to be able to see when the power goes out and the sun goes down. Flashlights and battery-powered lanterns are fine for short-term situations, but if you’re going to be without power for days, oil lamps do a better job with less waste. We acquired several oil lamps and a habit to stock up on oil while we were living in North Carolina. Ebay, craigslist, freecycle, and your local consignment shop are all great places to find some really cool oil lamps for only a few bucks. Now we’re back in the Northwest and when it’s a little chilly in the spring or fall but not cold enough to light up the woodstove a few oil lamps can make all the difference. So we like oil lamps.

When we got back to the Northwest we were confronted with some of the same power outage problems from hurricane country for different reasons. We were informed that the house we were moving into had not had power the previous three Christmases due to an outdated infrastructure. We bought a generator that fall, but no one knew what was to come that first winter.

The fireproof safe? One night in North Carolina, the apartment building we lived in caught on fire due to an electrical short. While the fire did not reach our apartment, our home did trade a tobacco bouquet for a more industrial scent after that. I am told it was entertaining watching me run keyboards and guitars from our apartment in bare feet where, at one point, carrying something through the glass storm door that I was unaware was closed at that moment, I cut my feet pretty badly. We later realized neither my wife nor I had thought to grab our wallets and we didn’t have a card or cash to buy bandages for my feet. A short time later we bought a fire safe to keep documents and cash and we tend to keep some essentials in a dedicated spot near the door. We also maintain renter’s insurance. Learning experience.

The freezer came from a family we knew in the area who was moving and generously gave it to us. When we discovered a local butcher that sold grass-fed beef packages when available, we decided to save up and stock up as we needed because the grass-fed beef sells out quickly. We save money and support a local and more sustainable beef market.

As far as canning and freezing goes, that is really about local, sustainable food and gardening. Of course, in the long run, all of that is about surviving on this planet, so I suppose it might be a survivalist thing in a weird, long-term global way. We grow veggies and buy local produce, but it’s all only available a short time of the year, so in an effort to eat more locally and sustainably, we started canning and freezing foods. Initially, we tried to not eat too much of what we had preserved in case of snow and floods and ended up with an abundance. We quickly discovered how easy it is to can and freeze enough food to feed a small family for a few weeks (or even months) and cut the grocery bill, all while eating better.

The rain barrels are more quirk than practical, but only because we live in a rainforest. We have four barrels that cost us $50 total – two 35-gallon barrels and two 55-gallon barrels. I have done some limited experiments with hoses and fittings and we currently conserve about 180 gallons of water at a time. If we had the storage I am quite confident we could gather more than ten times that amount just from our roof, but that is just not cost effective. Why? Because what we pay just to have water service is about four times what we pay during a heavy usage month. We get our water from a local system (which is great! – it’s local, but again, we live in a rainforest) and the infrastructure costs a lot more than the water. As a result, unless we turn our water service off, it would take years for the rain barrels to pay for themselves even if we never turned on the tap. The rain barrels are more about interacting and sharing notes with a friend from Portland who is actually saving a lot of money with his rain barrels, conserving water, and helping to curb flow into the overwhelmed storm drains. Our barrels support the garden and grass for the chickens, both of which need the most water during the driest months, but they aren’t really saving us any money.

Hopefully the progression of these things now seems rather ordinary. There is more to the story, though.

Here is what happened last winter:

We had a snow storm that shut down the Puget Sound area for two weeks in early December. The snow came and no one was too surprised, but then it kept coming. Then the temperature stayed low and the snow hung around. Here in the Northwest, in the rare event that snow comes, it might stay a couple days at best (or worst, depending on your perspective, of course). Usually, it comes down and there’s not enough time or snow to build a snowman before it’s filling the storm drains. Last winter we had two weeks of snow that shut us down. Christmas shopping and a two week shut down cleared out store shelves at a surprising rate. The snow was gone by Christmas and we had power on Christmas Day, but as it melted, we had flooding. As a result, there were no shipments from the east, which was closed due to snow over the pass, the southern route was flooded, and we don’t appear to get groceries from Canada or the Pacific Ocean. We all saw exactly what happens to a grocery store when nothing comes in for three days and the store shelves were virtually empty a second time. Again, we learned to do the Boy Scout thing and be prepared.

This year the weather here has been mild. The east coast has been beaten up by winter storms, but the Northwest has been pretty mild (I am knocking on the wood desk top right now). We actually have carrots that were planted late last fall and given up on that are coming up now. We have used about a third less firewood than we did last year, but winter isn’t over so it’s too early too say just how well we did.

Next year may not be so kind.

All in all, we are trying to be sustainable, eat local, and be prepared. Is that “some kind of survivalist”? Yes, it is some kind. Mostly it’s about living better on less money – not necessarily a bad thing in the current economy. If some people see that as being “kooky” what can I do?

New Year's Resolutions

I should preface by saying that I'm not really big on New Year's resolutions, per se. I am a fan of self-examination, striving to do better, and having goals of some kind. The new year is as good a time as any to re-evaluate and set some goals and, since the tradition is already there, why not? I’ve also found that writing it down and revisiting it throughout the year helps. I am often amazed at how the act of writing something down can seem to affect it’s outcome. Something about putting things out into the quantum universe I suppose. Last year’s list included a few things I thought were highly unlikely that actually did come to pass, so this year I’m going to just put it all down and see how it goes.

The first resolution I’ll list is this blog. I pretty much covered that in the intro, so we’ll just have to stay tuned to see how I do there.

There are a couple carry-overs from last year. I wanted to see all of the AFI’s top ten films, which are actually twelve films because they did the original list in 1997 and then changed it in 2007. I missed On The Waterfront, Vertigo, and I only made it through half of Lawrence of Arabia, but I watched (or had already seen) the rest. This year I want to finish the top ten and start in on some of the seven that I haven’t already seen in the top twenty-five.

Another carry-over is to continue eating food, not too much, mostly plants. A resolution straight out of Pollan’s, In Defense of Food, I did a pretty good job eating better last year and I want to continue to get better. The gardening, canning, and freezing all help us do a better job of eating seasonally and locally and it is my intent to look for ways to improve there as well.

I had a resolution last year to be able to reload by the end of the year. I did acquire some of the tools, but not all and I still have yet to learn the actual process. However, my wife’s uncle has offered to teach me and we have made plans to do it while we are in Portland during the next few days. In an added bit of serendipity, my wife’s grandmother just told us she has a couple boxes of her late husband’s reloading gear and that I am welcome to it. So this one is just a little behind schedule, but should right on track this time next week. It’s kind of crazy how just putting it out there colluded and the pieces came together.

Not really a carry-over so much as an expansion of last year’s resolutions, we are planning to add another raised bed for the garden this year. I hope to pay closer attention to the planting-harvesting-replanting schedules to get a little more out of this year’s garden. I hope to have more canning and freezing to do next fall. We are still eating peas, green beans, pickles, and tomatoes from last summer’s garden and corn, jam, and jelly from other local sources, but I would like to be able to buy even less from the store next winter.

I’m going to put camping and hiking together here since our goal this year is to do some hike-in camping. Back when I was single my transportation was a motorcycle and I could strap everything I needed for a camping trip to the seat and handlebars. Now, with the wife and child and the VW bus, our camping gear has expanded quite a bit. During the last year we began picking up things like hiking packs, a small tent, lightweight sleeping bags, etc. By summer we hope to have everything we need to do at least two or three family hike-in camping trips. It would also be nice to do at least one big hiking trip like last fall’s Mt. Ellinor hike.

I made good on last year's goal to get out deer hunting. Since I am relatively new to the area my goal here was primarily to learn the state regulations and where the deer are. I did that and also found a really good elk spot. This year’s goal is to actually fill a deer or elk tag. Now that I better understand the seasons and where to go, I think this can be do-able.

I need to get more exercise this year. The first year we were here we did a pretty good job of getting out on the bikes or going for walks but this year we’ve been busy and regular physical activity has fallen by the wayside. I need to figure out a way to remedy that.

I have a good friend in North Carolina who is getting married in October. I resolve to make it to that wedding. Since our family lives on a pretty moderate budget, cross-country trips require planning and saving. We have already started, but we will need to keep everything on track to make it happen.

A couple things I would like to try this year are cheese making and homemade pectin. I’m not sure when we’ll find the time, but I’m going to put it out there anyway.

This past year I acquired a pick up truck and a chainsaw (thank you to my uncle who upgraded both!) and I would very much like to harvest some of my own firewood this year. There is no reason for me to pay to have some else cut and split it – I need the exercise!

Finally, I always need to do more with my son. Between our family’s schedules and homeschooling, we actually do spend quite a bit of time together as a family. Still, I feel that we always need to be striving to do more together. This is a constant goal.

…So, that’s it. I did actually leave a couple things off, but I think this is enough to keep me busy this year. Besides, I need to save something for next year, right?