Glacier National Park

Montana!

And Glacier National Park!

Look how tall Julie is!

Yes, we are now in northern Montana! This is both park and state number 4! We are making great progress! We have found that the best way to visit most parks is to camp outside the park and do a day trip through the park to get a feel for it instead of trying to stay multiple days. So that is what we did here!

We stayed overnight in Kalispel, which is a very cool little town just to the west of Glacier. In the morning we headed to the Apgar Visitor’s Center where we had breakfast and formed our plan of attack!

View of McDonald lake near Apgar Village.

We decided that we wanted to experience a part of Glacier that fewer people get to see, so we did some research and decided to head to the northern part of the park and Kintla Lake!

The lake is reached by heading north along the western park boundary for about 30 miles.

A view on the drive to Kintla lake.

It usually takes a couple hours, since a large part of the drive is on gravel roads that are infested in many places with potholes which can be quite surprising if you don’t happen to see them before you feel them… not that we ever had that experience. As you get into the northern area the road narrows with bushes and trees encroaching into the road in may places. There are a lot of blind corners as well. Basically, it takes awhile, but if you have time, it is worth it!

Kintla Lake is located so that as you arrive there is a view eastward across the lake of several of the Glacier peaks. The lake itself is cold and clear, and there are lots of good skipping rocks all around on the beach! There is a trail that goes from Kintla lake farther into the park, past some other lakes, but we didn’t have enough time to explore too far, so we hiked a couple miles around the lake before heading back to the car.

To complete our Glacier experience we drove the Going-to-the-Sun road. This road wends its way through the heart of the park, and many of the most famous views are seen from the overlooks along this route. If time is limited this road is probably your best bet for getting a park experience. There are quite a few other people, but we never had to struggle to find a parking spot at the overlooks. Sadly over the last 100 years the number of glaciers in Glacier has decreased greatly, but there are still quite a few that can be seen on the drive. Well worth it!

As we exited Glacier we found ourselves on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation. We found a place to camp for the night in preparation for heading toward the next park… Yellowstone!

Personnel:

We didn’t interact with too many of the personnel at this park. Really the only person was working at a boat rental shop, and she gave us a somewhat depressed description of the bathroom locations near Apgar (it was early, I don’t think she was too pleased to be at work in a boat shop that early).

Climate/weather:

We had some clouds as we were walking, and it was a bit chillly at times, but no rain, and it was great hiking and driving weather! The clouds made for some great pictures of the Glacier skyline with the sun outlining the clouds in light.

Facilities/signage:

The signs at glacier were quite good at the main tourist areas, with good directions at all the intersections. There were also bathrooms at all the areas we stopped (including the closed St. Mary’s Visitor’s Center). The pit toilets were clean and had TP, some had hand sanitizer, some didn’t, it was hit and miss.

Hiking trail experience:

The hike was (oddly enogh) quite beautiful. We were on one of the out of the way hikes that isn’t as well known, but it was very pretty. The lake had a beautiful green color to it in places, and the mountains behind were awesome. There are bears here as well, so we kept our bear spray handy, but we didn’t encounter any of them (sadly?).

Driving experience:

The drive up to the northern lakes was not a great drive. There were a few really cool views of the mountains over the meadows, but the road was not in great shape. That said they were working on grading it and some parts were smoother than others.

The Going-to-the-Sun road is a beautiful drive though! Lots of elevation change. Lots of pullouts with beautiful park views. This is one that is probably worth spending several hours on, though it can be done in about an hour if there isn’t traffic.

Camping options:

On the west side of the park we stayed in a parking lot in Kalispel. When we woke up in the morning we discovered signs indication that staying overnight there wasn’t allowed… oops. I wasn’t too worried about it as we shared the parking lot with about 5 other RVs and 10 other cars who were there overnight as well...

On the east side we were on the Indian Reservation, so we found a nice casino parking lot and made camp for the night. We found out in the morning that the casino closed sometime during the night, so probably not our best choice of location… but we survived!

Hammockability:

Again we didn’t have time to set up a hammock here, but there were lots of trees around lake Kintla that would have been ideal for hammocking (as long as a bear didn’t find you and turn you into a bearrito…) It was a little chilly for hammocking without an underquilt (elevation may have something to do with that) so make sure to bring something to keep you warm!

Scenery:

Yeah… this is a National Park. Mountains, rivers, trees… pretty much amazing.

Awwww.

Nearby food:

The town of Kalispel on the west is a really cool place, with lots of food options. There are also several places in the park itself with food (Apgar villiage for example has some) so food should be available.

Overall Glacier was an awesome place, but we felt like we barely got to see any of it, so we will probably be going back to explore some more!

North Cascades National Park

The final National Park in Washington!

We made it through Washington!.

First, let me just say, camping in bear country is a little bit intimidating. Bears are no laughing matter. We took precautions, but I still had a bit of nervous energy when we went to bed the night before we hit the park. We were in the National Forest just outside the park on a NF road, about 5 miles from the nearest town. Since we were in an area that could have bears we tried to take precautions (hanging our food away from the car, closing and locking up the doors, etc. but never having been in bear country before, I was a bit on edge.

Turns out no bears were out hunting or gathering in our area, so everything was fine. Friday morning! A beautiful sunny day! Which we didn't know until about 8:00 because we had blackout curtains up (which Paul's mom spent hours meticulously making!) and they worked amazingly well! We bounced out of the truck (well, kinda slithered, there isn't really room for jumping on the bed) retrieved our food, and were off!

The first sign we had that we were in the NP was the North Cascades National Park sign. Now, let me just say, we haven't visited every NP, and of the ones we have been to, we have definitely not seen all the entrance signs, but this park has a fantastic entrance sign. It really sets the tone of excitement for being in the NP! Almost enough awesomeness to visit just for the sign! Well... maybe if you live in Bellingham... but if the park were that close why wouldn't you visit the rest of the park!!!

Notice there's a glacier on top!

We stopped at the visitor's center to get some info on the bear situation and to see if they had any trail suggestions (and, how handy, they also had bathrooms! This becomes much dearer when you don't have one in your home) and decided to go to Thunder Knob and Ross Lake! There were several other trail options, but a couple of the good ones were actually outside the park, and that just wasn't working for us since the whole point of our trip is the parks!

Thunder Knob was a fairly short hike (3 ish miles one way), the view at the top was pretty good, although there were many trees so the view wasn't quite as panoramic as we were hoping, but still definitely worth it. Unfortunately we didn't have time to stop at Ross Lake on our way out, so we just put that on our "future" list!

View from the top of Thunder Knob.

Our feet got a bit dirty on the way up,,,

So we washed them on the way down.

Thank you E-station family for keeping Julie hydrated!!!

Personnel:
The rangers at the visitor's center were very helpful with the surrounding trails. The ranger we talked to had hiked most of the trails and had good suggestions on which ones would be best in the morning and afternoon if we chose to hike them. They were also able to point out where most of them were which was nice since the free map didn't have great labels. Definitely recommend stopping in as there is also a nice forest life exhibit in the visitor's center.

Climate/weather:
Another beautiful sunny day for hiking! The trail we took had good shade the whole way up, which was nice because the day was actually a bit warm for hiking. We were glad to get back to the AC in the car! Many of the trails here are more exposed, so if you are going hiking make sure you pick your timing with that in mind and bring water!

Facilities/signage:
The sign. Let me just say. Awesome. We came in on Hwy 20 from the West side. You really can't miss it. Take some pictures! The facilities were quite nice, the visitor's center was really well done, and the bathrooms were clean. There was also a campground at the trailhead that was quite full, except for the walk in campsites. It had water and bathrooms available which were clean and in good repair.

Hiking trail experience:
The hike was really fun; at the bottom of the trail it was a very green, mossy, fern-filled meander through the woods. As we got to higher elevation the woods became more sparse with less undergrowth, and then at the top there was a beautiful view of one of the lakes, although because of the trees surrounding the viewpoint we couldn't see as much of the surrounding mountains as we wanted. Still, worth the hike as the lake is a beautiful green which sets off the surrounding terrain to make for a very picturesque sight.

Driving experience:
The driving was definitely good, you are heading right through the heart of the park as you follow State Route 20. The road is curvy and hilly, but there are lots of mountain views and several beautiful lakes. We found that (in our 1 day data point) the traffic increased greatly later on in the day.

Camping options:
We had 2 camping situations that I will associate with this trip: the first one was on the west side of the park, where we found a NF road and parked in a pullout for the night. It wasn't anything special, but it was free, which is ideal.

The 2nd camping situation was quite nice. We stopped in the town of Davenport, which is about 30 minutes west of Spokane. There was a nice tree-lined lane right next to a park and swimming pool that had a little creek and some public restrooms that were open all night long. There is also a small covered area with picnic tables where we had breakfast. And it was also free!

Hammockability:
We didn't set up the hammock in this park, we considered it on our hike, but it was too hot, and we might have at Ross Lake, but we didn't make it there. However, there are lots of trees and plenty of good views, so I feel like some of the lake areas would be great for a hammock.

Scenery:
Lots of jagged mountains, deep valleys, long narrow green lakes, and trees. If you aren't into that kind of thing, probably head somewhere else... or you might still want to come here because it was awesome.

Nearby food:

There town of Marblemount on the west side is the closest food to the park. It is about 20 minutes from the visitor's center which is approximately in the center of the park. On the east side the closest food is Mazama, which is a little over an hour from the visitor's center.

We wanted to do some climbing in the park, but we didn't have time to get the gear together, and we wanted to be on our way. There are several good climbing places here, so we might come back and do that again later, along with some more hiking, kayaking, and exploring!

After leaving the NP we headed out to the Grand Coulee Dam! This is the largest electric power producing facility in the US (according to wikipedia) and it was something that was on the way, so we decided to stop and see it! The Crown Point Vista to the north of the dam gives a spectacular view of the size of the dam. While nothing compared to the size of the mountains we had been driving through, for a man made structure it is incredible. Definitely worth a quick stop if you are in the neighborhood! Also, in the evenings during the summer they have a laser light show at the dam! We didn't stay late enough to see it, but I think it would be fun to do sometime.

We jumped over the dam!

Our next stop is going to be Camp Mivoden in Idaho then on to Glacier National Park! We are definitely excited!

State number two!

Oh... we also took our first bath in the Spokane river today. On day 3. It was cold, but definitely felt good to be clean! 

Grand Teton National Park

Ah, back in the mountains! Well, the only mountains for pretty much as far as the eye can see... but mountains they are! The Tetons are kinda hard to miss. They stick up like jagged icicles, rising above the surrounding countryside. Definitely beautiful mountains! The peaks that make up the Tetons are all very close together, which makes visiting them much easier. Also, the Snake River meanders through the park which we took full advantage of!

There are many hiking options in the Grand Teton NP, but we were itching to get out the kayak and do some floating so instead of stopping and hiking just a small portion of the park, we decided to float about 15 miles of the Snake River, starting just below the Jackson Lake Dam, and ending at Deadman's Bar. Most of this stretch of the river is fast moving but flat with little or no white water. There are a few minor rapids towards the end, but we figured by that time we would be experts so it shouldn't be a problem... or something like that.

We dropped off the kayaks at the starting point, then Paul drove the pickup down to the pullout and hitchiked back to Julie... and the kayaks. We set off with much... well not much paddling, but much floating! The river is fairly fast moving so even when we didn't paddle it still felt like we were being super productive. Early on in the course of the river we saw a white pelican and several other unidentified birds. And some fisherman. They seem to like rivers for some reason.

About 5 miles into the trip the Tetons came into view, and we started taking pictures! We also started paddling shortly thereafter as we realized that the Tetons were right between us and the sun, which meant sundown was significantly earlier than we had anticipated. Also it was starting to get windy and cold... and hungry. The last 3rd of the river was a bit more enthusiastic the the begging and our expertise was put to the test. Lets just say we passed with, well, colors. We got to the pullout just as the sun was dipping behind the mountains! But not before we saw a bald eagle flying around searching for its dinner.

We packed up the boat and headed east, with a beautiful sunset behind, and thunderstorms ahead in the distance. Next up, a short stop in Nebraska.

Personnel:
We stopped in at a visitor's center on our way into the park and got some guidance from the rangers there while we were purchasing the first of 2 required boat permits (fortunately you can't get them at the same place so you get the opportunity to see more of the park...) The rangers were very helpful and seemed to know the park and river quite well. Like all the rangers so far in the NPs they were very helpful and professional.

Climate/weather:
The weather was a little bit cool for floating the river, it was better hiking weather, but we wanted to float, so we did. There was a bit of sprinkling before we set out, but most of the trip was scattered clouds and cool. As we were leaving there was some awesome thunderstorm activity around us as well. If you are planning to float it might be good to choose a warmer day as there were sections that were shady and cold, especially after we got wet in the rapids.

Facilities/signage:
We came in a back entrance from the town of Moose instead of the main entrance from Jackson, and the entrance sign wasn't amazing, but once we were in the park on the main roads the signage was high quality. The bathrooms were stocked, and even had hand sanitizer at both the boat pullouts we stopped at.

Floating experience:
Since we didn't hike, we will be doing the floating experience instead for this section. The river is cool, clear, and fast moving. The parts we were on were fairly tame, with little to no white water (any whitecaps could be avoided with some strategic paddling) but still opportunities for some fun current play. If you choose to float this section you will definitely get a good overview of the park's diversity. Everything from mountain views, to forested areas to grassy plains could be seen from the kayak. Unless you are wanting a more aggressive experience I highly recommend this portion of the river. Expect it to take about 3 hours unless you want to paddle the whole way.

Driving experience:
The driving experience was all about the views of the Tetons. They dominate the western view of the park and there are many pullouts that allow for great picture opportunities. If you head north past the Moran junction you will have to go through a 2nd park entrance and watercraft check (assuming you have a watercraft). There are also wildlife like buffalo and pronghorn that can often be seen from the road. In fact, we saw a heard of buffalo, which the people in Yellowstone would have absolutely stopped traffic for. We also saw a bear! Sadly we didn't have time to park and get pictures before he decided to descend from his tree perch because he had somewhere better to be. Aww :(.

Camping options:
There are of course campgrounds in the park that you can pay for. We, being retired, have very little income, so we decided to stay for free at a curbside location in the town of Ashton. On the other side of the park we drove to Nebraska (through 2 awesome thunderstroms!) and found a gravel lot outside a motel. And we slept.

Hammockability:
We passed a lot of potential hammock locations, and a lot of potential bear habitat... sooo... there's that. Hammock at your own risk!

Scenery:
The Tetons really are majestic looking mountains. They are beautiful, and because they are surrounded by a lot open space their stark mountain-ness is set off in an amazing way. Also, the river provides so many picturesque views not only of the mountain, but of the other habitats in the park as well.

Nearby food:
There are several food locations in the park, as well as the town of Jackson Hole just to the south towards the towns of Moose and WILSON!!! (Paul may be a little bit biased...)

The Tetons are definitely beautiful. I would say if I were to go back I would do the river float trip again. It offered such a good overview of the park beauty in a way that was fun and low stress (worth the $25 for permits I feel). Even though it was a bit cool it wasn't uncomfortable, I would recommend it to anyone who is headed there!

Next stop, Wind Cave NP in South Dakota (with a brief stop in Nebraska...)

1988 Toyota Pickup

So, the vehicle chosen to carry us on our monumental journey is my 1988 Toyota Pickup, red in color, with a 4 cylinder 2.4L engine, and 4WD. I (Paul) have had the truck for about 5 years, and I love it. It is not large. It is not powerful. But it will go forever. (Check out the Top Gear on the Toyota Hilux, which is the international version of my truck.)

In front of the pickup, ready to get started!

The pickup started bone stock. It didn't have power anything, no AC, bench seat, basically no options added except 4WD. That has changed. We started planning for this trip about a year ago, and the pickup started to transform...

First there was a new canopy. It is aluminum (super light!) white on top with windows that run the full length of the sides, the back half of which can slide open. I made a net out of paracord for the inside of the canopy, because that seemed useful (spoiler alert, that was one of my best ideas ever). The canopy isn't super tall, but it is light enough that it can be moved easily with 2 people, and by 1 with difficulty, so that seemed like a good way to go.

Some cosmetic upgrades were also needed. I (with the help of a friend) repainted the truck to the stock color (red) because the old paint was fading heavily on the bed, so it looked pretty bad and mismatched. We also took care of some of the rust that had built up in the bed and tailgate. I also got a seat cover for my birthday from my parents! The old seats were ripping pretty badly at the seams, so this was definitely a welcome improvement!

Since most of the additional weight from gear on this trip would be in the bed, and the pickup is only 1/2 ton, it was suggested that I might want to add airbags to the rear suspension so it doesn't sit awkwardly low in the back. I ordered these... then they sat in my room for about 6 months during winter. I also acquired an air conditioner kit about the same time, because lets be honest, September in the south is pretty warm. That also sat in my room. My room is small. It got crowded. But worth it in the end!

The biggest change that had to happen was the sleeping platform. The only possible way to cram all our stuff in the car and still have the option to sleep in it if needed was to build a platform with drawers and storage boxes. Unfortunately I didn't get to start this until the spring. I SHOULD have started it in the winter. I did not. (Spoiler alert... it takes awhile to build them). The sleeping platform is modular. There are 8 sections, each of which can be removed individually. That makes it MUCH easier to install and store.

Drawer construction underway.

Empty pickup bed.

Side boxes in place.

Sleeping platform inside view.

The drawers in place!

The main section is about 4.5' wide and 4' long and houses the 2 drawers. Each drawer rolls on 3/4" square tubing that fits in between a row of bearings. The front 2' of each drawer is made into a cooler section using 1" foam insulation sheets. These drawers represent the majority of our food storage currently. We tried out using dry ice in one of the coolers, but it was expensive and didn't last long enough to make it worth it, so regular ice it is!

The side boxes are all designed to sit flush with the main box. They have lids that lift off to reveal the space underneath. The height of the platform is 12" off the bed, that leaves enough room for Paul to sleep on his side and still have stuff in the net above. The boxes are all covered on top and inside with carpet as well (THANK YOU LISA MCMILLAN!) which makes it far more comfortable to live out of!

Lisa was amazing, carpet and staples were flying!

The back is also newly equipped with its own battery and lighting system. A second battery was added for the sleeping area which charges off the alternator. There is a battery isolator to keep the two batteries separate when discharging. The second "house" battery is a deep cycle marine battery that powers the lighting and a 12v adapter in the back so we can charge cell phones or plug in a 110 inverter if needed to charge other things. The lighting in the back is 6 LED strips that are dimmable.

Since the windows in the canopy are quite extensive and, lets be honest, we are going to be sleeping in from time to time, we needed some blackout curtains. We also want to be able to camp with the rear open so we needed some misquito netting and a rain cover. These were all custom sown (THANK YOU LINDA WILSON!) with velcro and some magnets to fit the various needs. Velcro was added in the appropriate locations and glued and riveted in place. Now we can sleep in blissful darkness all day long!

The last major quality of life upgrade is the air conditioner. I purchased a kit online and installed it. Never having installed an AC before it took quite awhile, but it was all done eventually. We had it charged at a local shop so they could leak test it and verify that everything is in the proper place. Which they did, and it WORKS! Blessedly cold air pours out of the vents when that button is pressed... it is a beautiful thing!

And finally there were some general repairs that had to happen. The biggest was replacing the bushings on the steering knuckle so that we can use 4wd without it vibrating like monstrous angry bee. Thankfully we stopped over to visit Julie's brother and sister in law and her brother (Kirk) let us use the car lift! I also took the opportunity to change the oil, and check all the other fluids, bleed the breaks and clutch lines, and just do a general once over of the car. It looks like it is ready to go!

The car lift makes EVERYTHING easier.

Some shout outs to people who were big helps in this:
Jim Bourdeau (huge help on the drawers in the sleeping platform and painting the pickup)
Lisa McMillan (pretty much all the carpet was done by Lisa)
Linda Wilson (making all the curtains)
Duane Wilson (various improvements and for the use of tools and hanger space)
Kirk Betz (use of tools and car lift)
Christine Betz (for hosting and feeding us as we worked on getting the final touches on the pickup)
There were definitely others, and for each of them we are very grateful. It was truly a team process. Now that the truck is ready to go we kinda feel like we are starting on our adventure AGAIN! Woohoo! Retirement is awesome!

Olympic National Park!

Park number 2, checked off! Definitely a fun one to visit! We drove over to the park Saturday afternoon (crossed the Tacoma Narrows Bridge!) and headed over to Port Angeles and Hurricane Ridge. Hurricane Ridge is a little bit more on the beaten trail than we would prefer, but it is also an incredible view, and it was getting close to sunset, so it seemed like there would be some fantastic picture opportunities.

There are actually 2 options, Hurricane Ridge itself, or you can continue on to Hurricane Hill. We ended up going to Hurricane Hill, there were fewer cars, and a (optional) 2ish mile hike to the top of the hill. As it was almost sunset we opted out of the hike, but the view from the area around the parking lot was still spectacular. There were mountains on all sides, and to the north we could just make out the fog covered sound. We took MANY pictures (a few of which are at the bottom!)

Personnel:
We stopped at the visitor's center for Hurricane Ridge (located just south of Port Angeles) and asked about getting water from an off duty ranger who was very willing and helpful and give us guidance on where to get water. We didn't end up talking to any other personnel as it was after hours when we were in the park.

Climate/weather:
The day was clear and beautiful up on the ridge. No rain in sight, and a few scattered clouds positioned perfectly for a picturesque skyline. We did wake up to fog in the Port Angeles area, but it was all in the low elevations and as soon as we got up away from the water it was gone and we could again see the mountains! This seems like a great time to visit this park!

Facilities/signage:
There were several locations that had toilets available for public use during business hours, but the visitor's center closed at 5:00 and they locked the toilets... so that wasn't very handy. Fortunately up between Hurricane Ridge and Hurricane Hill there was a restroom that was unlocked and useable (although there was no lighting...) which was very welcome. There were also plenty of signs in the area that directed us to the Hurricane Ridge location, and all of the trailheads appeared to have the appropriate signage. Since this is a big tourist location it is quite well marked.

Hiking trail experience:
Our hiking was only about a mile in total. The trail was incredible with views on both sides of the ridge of the mountains and sound, but we wanted to get set up for pictures so we stopped at the first good viewpoint and set up our cameras. I am definitely planning to go back for some hiking here, it was amazing!

Driving experience:
The driving experience was the best so far (out of our 2 data points!) But really it was amazing. There were several viewpoints on the way up that offered views of the Olympic Mountains towering around, and of the valleys around Hurricane Ridge. The road was well maintained but it is very winding and only 1 lane each direction so you can't really hurry up it if you are late for a sunset or something... I would recommend starting your drive at least an hour before you want to get to the ridge so you can stop at the viewpoints and enjoy.

Camping options:
There is a campground about 10 miles from Hurricane Ridge called Hart O' the Hills that was full when we drove by, this is prime camping season, so it would be good to check before assuming you can camp there. Also, there is backcountry camping available but overnight campers are required to fill out trip permits and itineraries before they leave. There was water available at the visitor's center (even during non-business hours) and the restroom up past Hurricane Ridge had several water spigots. 

Hammockability:
This is a rain forest... there are PLENTY of trees. And beautiful views. We were on the eastern side of the park; towards the west side rain would definitely be a bigger concern as it rains over 200" a year in some places, so just make sure to check the weather!

Scenery:
Wow. No really, wow. When you get to the top of the ridge, and you look around and see snow covered mountains (in August!) all around, and out to the north the valley that turns into the sound, it is breathtaking. We did have to share it with several other adventurers (we had about 8 people pass by us while we were taking pictures) but if we had been off trail backpacking I feel like we would have been effectively alone taking it all in!

Nearby food:

The nearest food was at Port Angeles, which is about 45 minutes away. There are restaurants and groceries stores (I even saw a drive in organic food place) in town, so whatever food situation you are in you can probably find something there! Or, you could fight a bear for its dinner... whatever works.

Such an amazing place! And this park is huge! We only went to a tiny piece of it! Fortunately it is located in the Northwest! And so are we! Going back is high on the priority list, and exploring more, especially on the west side! One thing to note, this is bear country, so if you come here for camping, be prepared to deal with good bear camping practices. Definitely would be a bummer to end the trip running away from a bear because you forgot you left some dirty dishes in your tent...just sayin.

Mt. Rainier National Park!

Park number 1 completed! On Thursday, August 11 we traveled to our first National Park!
Mt. Rainier National Park is located around, oddly enough, Mt. Rainier! The mountain dominates the skyline near Seattle, WA, and is surrounded by many beautiful hikes and views. Since we were staying at Sunset Lake Youth Camp we, along with Julie's brother and sister in law, headed out to Lake Mowish, which is in the NP! Pictures were taken! Cold water was experienced (mostly by Julie...) and hammocks were slept in!

The four of us at Lake Mowich!

We are hoping to get pictures with a sign at every National Park!

True love...

One of the things we are going to do is to do a review of each park based on several categories (obviously this will be based on the places we went and won't represent the entire park):
Personnel,
Climate/weather,
Facilities/signage,
Hiking trail experience,
Driving experience,
Camping options,
Hammockability,
Scenery.

Personnel:
The only personnel we saw were working on some signage upgrades. They seemed pleasant, but they were very focused on getting their tasks done.

Climate/weather:
The weather was beautiful when we were there, mostly sunny with some clouds. It was pretty much perfect hiking weather, but not great for swimming, as the water was definitely cold and the sun wasn't out enough to overcome that.

Facilities/signage:
There was a sign indicating that we were entering the National Park! (We took at least 2 pictures, it might have been more...) There were 2 pit toilets, they were acceptably clean, and seemed to be well maintained, but while we were there they were sorely tasked with keeping up with demand. There were also trash receptacles that were covered to prevent bears from getting into it.

Hiking trail experience:
Our hiking was limited (due to the "swimming" aspect and our limited time constraints) but the trails we did end up exploring were well maintained and had good views of the lake and surrounding hills/mountains. There were several spots around the lake where you could see Mt. Rainier as well.

Driving experience:
The driving experience was probably my least favorite part of this experience. The signage was limited (there were 2 signs, 1 of which was the NP sign), and the last couple miles of road were gravel that had copious pot hole opportunities. There were a few good views of the mountain and some nice view points, but there may be better roads elsewhere that have similar views with fewer pot holes interspersed.

One of the beautiful pullout locations on the drive!

Camping options:
There is only 1 drive up campground at Mowich, and it was packed full. Literally the tent stakes were less than a foot apart. Not an ideal camping situation, but then, I wasn't camping! Choose your time wisely if you are interested in car camping at Mowich. There are some other camping options that you can hike to nearby, but we didn't get to any of those.

Hammockability:
Lots of suitably sturdily spaced trees surround the lake, meaning any time of day you can choose sun or shade, views of Rainier, or views of the surrounding hills, close to the lake or tucked back in the forest. Even though the campground and parking lot were quite full when we got there and we put up our hammocks quite close to the entrance we only had 1 person pass by us, and if it had been more crowded there is plenty of space to explore and find some privacy. Combined with the beautiful scenery (see below) this spot is a great place for putting up your hammock and taking a siesta on the shores of an alpine lake.

Scenery:
The lake was truly beautiful (alpine lakes are so amazing!) and with the views of Mt. Rainier and the surrounding forests the beauty is only heightened. The water was quite clear and fairly still while we were there, great for pictures!

A truly beautiful view!

Overall this was a really cool spot to visit, the water was somewhat cold, and depending on the time of year there may be quite a few other people at the trailhead, but there are plenty of options for trails and generally you can find a secluded spot to set up your hammock. Also, because of the clear, still water and nearby parking bringing a kayak is an awesome way to experience this lake! Definitely worth a few pot holes and having to share with some other outdoor adventurers!

On the road!

The journey has begun! We are on the road after hours of preparation. Months ago the idea for this trip popped into our minds and we eagerly started planning. First we created a map of our route to each national park in the lower 48 states. We have since added more stops to the list to see family and friends across the country. Paul spent countless hours designing and building a platform for the back of the pickup as well as working on other projects to make the truck ready for the trek. Now the back is packed and the kayak is securely strapped down...adventure awaits!

The first day of travel was definitely full... mostly of... packing. We wanted to get to Sunset Lake in time to spend Thursday with Kirk and Christine (Julie's brother and sister in law) on their day off, so we really wanted to get going on Wednesday! Unfortunately... and completely shockingly... packing took a BIT longer than we expected. The plan was to leave early afternoon so we could be up there in the evening and maybe have supper at the camp. Sadly, that didn't exactly happen.

Part of the problem was that we still had a few things to do on the truck in the morning... some back story on the truck: The trip is going to be undertaken in a 1988 Toyota Pickup. This pickup is sitting at 283,000ish miles, and is basically bone stock. Or it was until recently. In preparation for the trip we have added several new features! Air conditioning! (Definitely a good thing to have when we head south!) A canopy on the pickup bed! (Helpful for keeping off the rain) And a sleeping platform in the back! (Good for, well, sleeping on...) There are a few other sundry upgrades as well, but they are fairly minor and don't warrant mention here and now (possibly in a future post someday).

Anyway, part of the sleeping platform is a drawer system with a built in food cooler. In order to get the food cooler sealed we used some silicone, which has a long drying time, so we couldn't actually load any of the collected food into the drawers. This caused some packing mayhem, not to mention the fact that we were still putting finishing touches on everything. So the day got later... and later... and then even later. We ended up leaving somewhere around 9:30ish on Wednesday night. No worries. Oh wait, they close the gate at 10:30 at Sunset lake... slight worries...

So we departed, with far less fanfare than we were planning on! (There were still an appropriate number of pictures taken of course) The journey is in full swing! First stop, Washington State, about 20 minutes away! We took some more epic and meaningful pictures at... the gas station. Because... that is where we stopped. With gas and pictures acquired we once again sallied forth!

Washington State!

We kept on sallying until about 1:15 am, when we arrived at the locked gate. Which would have been a real problem. Except that Julie had, in her infinite wisdom, called ahead! We were informed that we were cordially invited to park outside the gate and walk in! Which we did. Around 1:30 we finally dropped into the prepared beds, and slept.

On the list for Thursday, Mt. Rainier National Park! Woohoo!

Introduction

This will be the story of how 2 people (Julie and Paul) travel near and far to see the United States! Since it is the 100 year anniversary of the National Park Service it seemed like a good time to visit all the National Parks too! Gonna be an amazing trip! The approximate route is as follows:

We are starting from Portland Oregon, heading North, then East, then South, then West. Ish. The approximate travel time is 3 months, the approximate mileage is 18,000 miles. The map doesn't show every stop, but the red markers are the locations of the National Parks that we will be visiting during the trip. If you are located anywhere near our route and would like to hang out, let us know when we get close!