Hello There!

In a simple twist of fate I found myself traveling recently.  That's sort of why the delay in anything on here.

I was unexpectedly given an extra day off work.  I had July 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 to my druthers.  A quick trip around the internets and I found a cheap airfare.  Though one part was the red-eye (12:55 AM departure), I was back in Thee Olde Country.

Now before the 1.5 of you from Sioux Falls who read this get all pissy because I didn't alert you to this fact, you should know the facts.  My time in Sioux Falls can be described at short-ish.  Primarily it was getting off the plane, getting the rental car, and hauling ass up I-29 and to the Aberdeen area to visit the fam.

There will likely be a trip to Sioux Falls soon-ish and all the usual suspects will get word.  Word.

In other news, Friday's post will have a run-down of my June 28th - 30th camping excursion to Mt. Rainier National Park.  So, sit there and hold your breath for that.

In more other news, this coming weekend is booked full.  Saturday will be a co-worker and I making another assault on the John Wayne Pioneer trail.  Rumor has it the snow's off the pass. We'll ride up to Snoqualmie Pass, through the 2.3 mile long tunnel, and a ways down the other side.  We'll reverse it back to the truck when we've adequately infiltrated the eastern slopes of the Cascades.

Sunday I'm making a run north to Port Angeles and then to Olympic National Park.  I want to do a bit of recon for upcoming camping trips there.  I've never been and want to get a lay of the land and to check the tourist crowd levels.  I'm not sure when I'll be heading there for sure.  Plans have a way of changing.

My not-firmly-cast-in-stone plans are to do a three camping trip in the area of Diablo Lake area of North Cascades National Park in early August.  Then, I'd like to return to the Northwest corner of North Cascades mostly east and a bit North of Mt. Baker Ski Area in mid August for a three or four day backpacking trip.

If I don't do that, or maybe at the end of August for a three or four day weekend, I'm sort of thinking of backpacking at least part of the Pacific Crest Trail in the Snoqualmie Pass / Stevens Pass area.  It's supposed to be pretty remote and very scenic.

For either/both of these backpacking trips it would be sort of nice to drag someone along.  If you know of anyone or if you're game, shoot me an email.  The address is in the "view my complete profile" link up there and to the right.  These are probably not trips for the squeamish or uninitiated.