Mount Adams and other goals for the summer

(Mount Adams)


My goals for the summer in ascending order of difficulty

Climb Mount Jupiter
Climb Mount Hall
Climb Mount Adams
Get a pap smear.

Eureka Assault Outfitter, Bummer...

Eureka Assault (horrible name) Outfitter 4 8.5-Foot by 7.5-Foot Four-Person Tent

My family camps a lot and we got tired of cheap tents that fall apart after the first season and leak the first time they get rained on. Four or five years ago I splurged and invested in this expensive tent because it seemed durable and was good for 4 seasons. We would never use this tent for backpacking; it is far too heavy and bulky for that.

This has been an excellent tent. When the tent was new getting the first pole in was so difficult that I was afraid it would break, but now that the tent has been pitched dozens of times the first pole goes in easy. The tent has been water tight, with no need to apply seem sealer to it. We have camped at the ocean in the fall and still never had a problem with condensation inside the tent body. We have pitched it on sharp gravel multiple times and with out a ground cover and the floor had not been damaged.

The tent body is very durable and it the stitching is high quality. I like the side pockets and the optional loft. The heavy duty zippers never get stuck.

The roomy vestibules are great for storing gear and keeping the family dog dry. Due to the size and configuration of the front vestibule it is hard for me to reach the zipper. We have started using the back door as the main door because it is easier to get in and out of. I had really long arms it would be easier to reach the zippers in the front.


I love this tent. But there is one problem, the lame plastic window. I never cared about having a window in the fly sheet. The window is too cloudy to see out of and if I really need to see out I can just unzip the fly sheet a bit and still stay dry thanks to the roomy vestibule. But my real problem with the plastic window is that it has started falling apart. The plastic window had several holes in it when I unpacked the tent this summer. My tent in no longer waterproof thanks to this stupid plastic window. I'm going to see if Eureka will fix the window. If not for the problem with the window I would give this tent a 5 star rating. Would I buy this tent again? Yes if not for the plastic vestibule.

I have called Eureka (Johnson Outdoors) about getting the window repaired. I had to wait on hold for 15 mintues before I could get through to a humen. Then they said that the cheap ass plastic might be covered under warranty but they will not replace the window, instead they will sew a piece of fabric over it. They must do this a lot. Also I have to pay the postage to send it to New York State for repair and it will take Eureka 4-6 weeks to repair my tent add to that a week for it to reach New York and another week for it to be mailed back and the entire summer will be gone. That adds up to 6-8 weeks to get my tent repaired; I am very disappointed!

I don't know what I am going to do. I might wait until winter to get it repaired but this is my 4 season tent so I would like to be able to use it in the winter.

Eureka sells tents to the military now so I guess us lowly citizen / customers are not their concern anymore.

How To Obtain Eureka Warranty Service:
Consumer Tents, Aluminum Pole Screen Houses, Steel Pole Screen Houses, and Solar Shades:

Return the product, freight prepaid, to the Eureka! dealer from whom it was purchased, or contact Eureka!'s Customer Satisfaction department for return authorization: toll free 1-800-572-8822.

What Mountain is this?

I picked this up at a garage sale for about $5.00 a couple of years ago. I don't know what mountain is in this picture. Do you know? The photographer is Don J. Lanc

Sorry for the small image size; I'm getting broadband on Sunday.

Lake Angeles, Switchback and Klahane Ridge

(I pitched a tarp so my family could stay dry if it rained. My family is asleep and am about to start my hike. After I left my dog woke up the entire campground barking for me to bring her along. What a bad dog!)



(lets go!)

To Hurricane Ridge from “Heart ‘o the Hills” campground Via Lake Angeles, Switchback and Klahane ridge trails.


We camped at the rather pretentiously named “Heart ‘o the Hills” camp in Olympic National Park. While my family slept in I got up early and hit the trail at 6:45 am. The plan was for me to hike up to the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center and meet my family there between 1-3 pm. My family was to drive up the hill and maybe even have a picnic lunch ready for me when I arrived.

The first few miles are in a rather boring forest but the forest is filled with saprophytic plants, so there might be good mushroom hunting on this trail, in the fall. On the way to the Lake the trail passes through and area where a massive blow down took place a few years back.


(windfall on the Lake Angeles Trail)


(saprophytes on the Lake Angeles Trail)


When I got to the turn off for Lake Angeles I threw down my pack and made a side-trip to see it. The last time I hiked this trail I did not see the lake and I wanted to see it this time. The lake was really pretty and above it I could see the cliffs that I would soon be walking up. Those cliffs looked like a forbidding challenge but I remembered that the trail was nice and very walkable.


(Lake Angeles and the cliffs above)

Still, I was glad to have my trekking poles with me when I reached the steepest part. I did fall down one time but luckily I caught myself with my left hand. I have not fallen on my right hand since my surgery and I’m dreading the first time it happens. I broke my right wrist on October 1st, and it still hurts some, I’m sure falling on it would be very painful.

When I got to the ridge and the same snow bank that I threw myself down on last time I took a break and brewed some vile tea. I knew that I would soon be hitting the switchback trail and all the crowds. It was almost perfect hiking weather this time though so I did not throw myself onto the snow. The other time I did this hike it was a hot day and I suffered for it. I threw myself down on a snow bank to cool off. This time when I reached the same snow bank I thought about putting my sweater on.



(Above Lake Angeles)



(cow parsnips and lupine)




(Klahane Ridge Trail)


Once you cross over the ridge the road is in plain sight and it no longer feels like a wilderness hike. But this time the switchback and ridge trails were not as crowded as I expected and I had fun trying to spot my family as I knew they would soon be driving up the road.


(The visitor center is up the road and around the corner)


After crossing the ridge the trail drops almost 1000 feet and then regains 200 feet only to drop another 200 feet only to regain it again. While I was losing that first 1000 feet I kept looking towards the visitor center and trying to gauge if I was higher or lower then the visitor center. I hoped I was higher then the visitor center because I did not want to have to regain any elevation. I bonked on the second to last regaining of elevation. I could have re-energized myself by eating lunch but I was trying to lose weight so I suffered onward without lunch.

The meadows on the ridge were lined with beautiful flowers. The flowers and the view looking down at Lake Angeles were the highlight of the trip. I could not see Port Angeles, it was obscured by a low cloud cover. I saw a goat way down on the Heather Park trail. I also saw two deer, one on the switchback trail and one near the visitor center.

I arrived at the Hurricane Ridge Visitors center at 2:20pm and that was just 5 minutes before my family arrived. I enjoyed the views and lunch at the Visitor center. Lunch was spam on bread with mustard and mayo. While my husband thinks spam in a wonderful treat, I only like spam when I am really hungry.


(Gourmet lunch at the visitor center)


This hike kicked my butt I feel pretty good today. I’m tired but I’m not sore. Going down steps is a bit awkward though. We took my car this time, so I did not get motion sick on the way back home.


(Hubby exhausted after the long drive up to the visitor center. This is happens when you smoke for too many years.)


(Our youngest drinking rainwater as it drips off the tarp after my hike was done)


According to my GPS, my average moving speed was 2 miles per hour. I was pushing myself to walk faster then normal on this hike. I am training for a possible climb up Mount Adams at the end of August.

10.8 miles
4,100 feet elevation gain
Total GPS elevation gain was 4,700 feet

106 shoe miles

Other times I have blogged this hike:
Friday, July 28, 2006



(Lake Angeles Trail)



(switchback trail)




(Klahane Ridge Trail)



(entire route with elevation profile)

Baby Bagged a Peak!

Baby with goats



The youngest member of our family (5 years old) made it to the summit of Mount Ellinor today! This is her second time up the mountain but the first time under her own power. Whoo hooo, congratulations baby! Going up she did quite well but going down was a bit scary for her and she slipped a few times. She saw Mountain Goats and squirrels. She says she does not want to go back because going down was too scary and "the mountain hurt her". But she did have a good time on the way up and at the top.

3.4 miles RT
2100 feet elevation gain
95 shoe miles




We made it up to the "big snowy mountain"


Our second time on the summit together



There is my baby 5944 feet in the air!