Mount Baker – Snoqualmie National Forest

Day 234 – Up the creek without transmission

The Vancouver weather was again outstanding, so after going out for a spot of breakfast in Gastown we found a nice patch of lawn by False Creek and did some Japan reading (better late than never).

As we were due to fly out of Seattle on Sunday (it was US$300 each cheaper to fly from Seattle, despite the flight being with Air Canada and going back via Vancouver anyway!) we had pestered Elliott and Kat into driving us down there.  As a sweetener we decided to do a spot of camping along the way.  So we headed back over to Mountain Equipment Co-op to hire some equipment for the weekend.  I astounded Erin by being able to quote our seven year old phone number when it came time to look up our membership number, of course I can’t remember the names of most of the people we lived with!

I spent most of the afternoon trying to find a good spot to camp on the way between Vancouver and Seattle, but was frustratingly finding out that most places were booked up (Washington State Park Service have an online booking system for camping and cabins in State Parks, whilst this makes it easier to find a camping space if you are prepared, it also makes it much harder to find one if you are trying to do it last minute). 

Elliott was slightly delayed at work so we set off a bit late, stopping for pizza just before the border.  Crossing into the US went the same way it usually does (slowly and unpleasantly) but we eventually hit Highway US5 south just as it was getting dark.  At this stage I finally made a decision about where we should head.  Along the Snoqualmie River in the Mount Baker – Snoqualmie National Forest (try saying that one five times fast) there are about half a dozen campgrounds, many with first in best dressed spots.

It was pitch dark by the time we found the first of them and discovered the campground full sign.  By the time we found the fifth full sign and realised that the car was starting to die (we’d used half a tank of petrol in about 100km and the transmission was acting funny) we were starting to get a little worried.  Abandoning the campground idea we went in search of a bush site.  When trying to restart the car after an unsuccessful bush bash in search of spot down a side road we were rather alarmed when the car wouldn’t budge out of park.  It was beginning to look like we’d be sleeping in the car when Kat had the bright idea to try shifting into 4WD.  Amazingly this did the trick and from then on we left the car in neutral and became less picky about a spot. 

Sometime after midnight we found a slightly lumpy patch of ground just big enough for our tent between the river and the road, quickly erected our tent, went through the headspin inducing  undertaking of inflating the airbed and quickly collapsed asleep.

Day 235 – Changing fortunes

We awoke in the morning to the sound of traffic (we really weren’t that far off the road) and surveyed our campsite, deciding to go in search of a less precarious spot.

Packing up campsite one, there is a steep drop to the river about 2m behind Kat and the main road about 5m in front of me.

We soon discovered that finding campsites in the daylight was considerably easier and about 5 minutes up the road came across a nice spot, well off the road just a bit back from the river amongst tall trees.  When we went down to inspect it the guys occupying prime position in the area (closer to the river, more secluded) were packing up, so all we had to do was wait for them and their two Pomeranians to vacate and the spot was ours.  Jackpot! 

Furthermore as the guys were leaving one of them said to Elliott and I, “There’s a bit of firewood down there, I tried to burn it all but I couldn’t, so you’re welcome to it”, “Thanks” we replied.  “A bit” of firewood was a major understatement, we didn’t burn it all either.  If we had, you would have been able to see the flames from wherever you’re sitting now!

After quickly re-establishing our camp we headed into nearby Robe to grab some supplies and have some (really greasy) breakfast at the town’s only diner.  From there it was a matter of spending the afternoon lazing by the river, playing cards and making some more s’mores! (S’mores: Biscuit, slice of Mars or Snickers, freshly roasted marshmallow and biscuit lid to make a sandwich!)

In the evening Kat decided to cook us up some damper, we disputed the correct method, whether it should be done over flame or buried in coals, and ended up doing both, resulting in decent damper twice over.  We also had tinned spaghetti and soup, cooked in the tin over the fire (no pots or pans you see), and of course jacket potatoes with onion and garlic, not bad all in all.  Eventually we retired for the evening, dreading our early start in the morning, and trying not to dwell too much on whether the car would get us to Seattle Airport in time for our flight (or at all for that matter)!

 
Retrieving the beers from the fridge.

 

Men say ‘ugg’, what do women say?

Elliott and I may have added to it a little once the girls got it going!

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[Footnote – We’ve borrowed heavily from Marg and Jeff and Kat and Elliott’s photos over the last few weeks worth of posts.  Unlike in South America where we individually credited Hanneke and Maaike’s photos we’ve been too lazy this time, so instead a brief thanks here: thanks heaps guys, not just for the photos but for spending the last few weeks with us.]