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Yes indeed. Washington's hottest backpacking destination is ready for your application. The online lottery system requires dates and party size. Good luck.
A backpacking trip on the coast sidelined by injury left us staring bleakly into the barrel of an empty three-day weekend. Not to be denied, we fired up the old world wide web and looked around for lodging on the cheap. In a standoff between modern comforts and braving the elements, a compromise was made, a state park was notified, and the family was off like a herd of wild turtles to the inner chambers of the Puget Sound.
We arrived at Dosewallips State Park with an armful of wet firewood, down comforters, and a brand new Discover Pass on the windshield. City slickers. Even had to ask the ranger for the correct pronunciation of Dosewallips (doh-see-wahl-ups). We pulled up to our $47-per-night platform tent and unloaded.
The platform tent was a few scraps of wood and canvas nailed together, but the gold miners were on to something when they put these together back in the day. Sturdy and plenty big, the tent had room to sleep five comfortably, an electric heater to keep the kid warm, and a lamp for late night reading. Highly recommended for winter family retreats.
Checked out the Steam Donkey Trail for another hit Tmber video and then took in the sights at nearby Shellfish Beach. Got the green light to harvest up to 18 oysters, and we took them back to the fire pit and cooked them in the shell until they popped open and we slurped them down on the spot. Delicious.
We're giving our official thumbs up to winter camping at Dosewallips State Park. Nice to be able to keep things simple and yet have the benefit of a little modern electrical heat so the kids (and wimpy adults) don't freeze at night. Plenty to do, plenty to see. Definitely a worthy stop on the train of life. Wow, yes, we just said that.
New videos posted this week. Can't think of two better hosts. Thanks again to Kevin and Chris for helping us do the hard work out there. Get some.
Lindsey and Lannie Rae share a moment on the sandy shore of the Wenatchee River. Picture perfect.
Hiking with the family. Hollywood style. Scene shot in Westridge-Canyonback Wilderness Park in Encino.
That's right Bellingham; we're in the big time now. Prepare yourself. Andrew Skurka is bringing his best for two nights only, live and in-person, Whatcom County style. Talking about such things as circling all 4,700 miles of Alaska by foot, ski, and raft. Don't miss this one. Details to come. Let's just say there might be a historic theatre, heavy industry swag, and grizzly bears involved. Better mark this on your calendar.
There's some serious letterhead going on in this still-frame we hacked from a YouTube video that hacks an eight-minute clip from a Ric Burns Documentary of Ansel Adams. Hacking the hackers. This footage appears during a section of the film discussing Ansel's obsession with writing letters to newspaper editors in order to opine wilderness protection. Can't help but smile at that thought.
Permits to climb Mount Saint Helens during the peak summer season (April 1–October 31) go on sale February 1, 2012. Get your permit and a massively complicated explanation of the different permit seasons on the mountain here. Best money that $22 can buy. Well, let's hope so anyway.
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