July 2007

Greetings to all,

Darn, we are beginning to wonder if western Washington ever gets warm and sunny for more than a couple of days in a row. We realize most of you are experiencing a summer that may be too warm, too dry, or both but that isn't the case here. Just having a few hours of sunlight has us celebrating. Oh well, the locals tell us August is always sunnier but that's what we were told about July. On the positive side, all the rain and overcast sky has given Fred some photographic challenges with wonderful results and we have saved a fortune in sun tan lotion.

Even with less than optimal weather conditions, our work and the fun continues. We haven't completed all our research but got big chunks of the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee National Forests done in July. All the falling moisture and cooler temperatures have kept the Cascade Mountains snow capped (our July 4th trip up Mt Baker was blocked by over 20 feet of snow) and has delayed the threat of fire until later in the month. "How can there be a threat of fire if it's raining all the time?" you may very well ask. There are two reasons: the soil is like coarse sandy so the water soaks right through; and, a worm, bug, or something like that is causing acres of fir trees to die from the tips of each branch inward. This makes them great kindling for a lightning strike. Overall, a dangerous combination.

After spending the July 4th holiday in the shadow of Mt. Baker, we headed for a few days at Anacortes on Fidalgo Island and, from there, explored Whidbey and Orcas islands. We stayed at a private campground right on the water, next to a casino, and near a field of fireworks booths. Watching the boats come and go was great, seeing fog roll in and out was relaxing, and the price of gas at the casino's station was a relief, but the dogs seemed to be in a constant state of stress with firecrackers going off at all times of the day and night. We drove to Whidbey Island and explored the communities of Greenbank and Coupeville, and a landmark called Deception Pass. Another day we took about a two-hour ferry ride to Orcas Island. This island is in the north portion of the Strait of Juan De Fuca and looks like a horseshoe tossed on top of the water. We spent hours exploring this island but could only see the sights on its west side. We enjoyed exploring tiny Deer Harbor where many of the orca (whale) viewing cruises leave from, and found a little forest hideaway of amazing potters. Back on Fidalgo Island we enjoyed watching the water, exploring Washington Park , and the views from Mt Erie. It's not Cape Cod but a nice break.

Back in the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest we met a Forest Service recreation technician named Pete. Pete has spent his whole career, more than 35 years, on the same forest. He is a commercial artist by training and a wealth of information about the area's Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Forest history. It was one of those interviews we wished wouldn't end. A couple of weeks later we met two other Forest Service employees who's dedication and creative thinking impressed us. Like so many national forests, Washington's are dealing with budget shortfalls, reduction in staff, and a continuing increase in users (Although we have heard use is down, that isn't what we are seeing on the forests or in the ever increasing number of hits we get on our website). It's Forest Service staff like these folks that keep the forests "working" and a great experience for us all.

One of the greatest challenges the Forests are dealing with is water - safe, wholesome drinking water. Most of the water systems are 30, 40, or more years old and leak like sieves. Plus, many states are imposing very strict water quality requirements. This combination, along with a need to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has produced a variety of responses from pulling the whole water system (so there is no water at the campground) to drilling a well and installing hand pumps. Often these hand pumps aren't the old work-a-lever-up-and-down a bunch style. No-o-o-o-o! In Washington we have seen two very different hand pumps. One is a locally developed solar powered device while the other is manually operated, an ADA approved hand pump. This hand pump looks like a pole with bicycle pedals mounted on top and requires one to turn the pedals. We are told the flow rate is one gallon for every five minutes of turning or 200 cranks per gallon - whew! The other pump looks like a 3-foot cube of wood with a spigot on one side and a drinking fountain on the other. There is no lever to pull or pedals to turn. You just push a button and the electric pump, powered by sunlight, whirls and water flows. Sounds good except you need several hours of sunlight each day and a solar panel to keep it working. The problem is the solar panel can be and is often stolen and, as we have learned, hours of sunlight can be "ify" in this part of the world. However, in our opinion, either hand pump is better than no drinking water at all. A third solution we have heard of is the concessionaire provides bottled water to the campers. We aren't sure how successful this is or how use is calculated (one gallon per person per day or is two gallons needed and does this take into account dishwashing and teeth brushing?). The point is, for Washington's national forests campgrounds, drinking water is becoming a luxury item. We are wondering if it is becoming this way in other states.

August will see us complete our research of the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee National Forests, revisit Olympic National Forest, and get a chunk, if not all the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest completed. Like Colorado, Washington has huge national forests with clusters of campgrounds separated by annoying things called mountains. The Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest claims over 300 recreation sites while the Wenatchee claims over 700! Of course, these recreation sites aren't all developed campgrounds that meet our criteria but our work is taking a good bit of time. Oh! what hardships! Oh! what demands! What? No sympathy?Darn, we are beginning to wonder if western Washington ever gets warm and sunny for more than a couple of days in a row. We realize most of you are experiencing a summer that may be too warm, too dry, or both but that isn't the case here. Just having a few hours of sunlight has us celebrating. Oh well, the locals tell us August is always sunnier but that's what we were told about July. On the positive side, all the rain and overcast sky has given Fred some photographic challenges with wonderful results and we have saved a fortune in sun tan lotion.

Even with less than optimal weather conditions, our work and the fun continues. We haven't completed all our research but got big chunks of the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee National Forests done in July. All the falling moisture and cooler temperatures have kept the Cascade Mountains snow capped (our July 4th trip up Mt Baker was blocked by over 20 feet of snow) and has delayed the threat of fire until later in the month. "How can there be a threat of fire if it's raining all the time?" you may very well ask. There are two reasons: the soil is like coarse sandy so the water soaks right through; and, a worm, bug, or something like that is causing acres of fir trees to die from the tips of each branch inward. This makes them great kindling for a lightning strike. Overall, a dangerous combination.

After spending the July 4th holiday in the shadow of Mt. Baker, we headed for a few days at Anacortes on Fidalgo Island and, from there, explored Whidbey and Orcas islands. We stayed at a private campground right on the water, next to a casino, and near a field of fireworks booths. Watching the boats come and go was great, seeing fog roll in and out was relaxing, and the price of gas at the casino's station was a relief, but the dogs seemed to be in a constant state of stress with firecrackers going off at all times of the day and night. We drove to Whidbey Island and explored the communities of Greenbank and Coupeville, and a landmark called Deception Pass. Another day we took about a two-hour ferry ride to Orcas Island. This island is in the north portion of the Strait of Juan De Fuca and looks like a horseshoe tossed on top of the water. We spent hours exploring this island but could only see the sights on its west side. We enjoyed exploring tiny Deer Harbor where many of the orca (whale) viewing cruises leave from, and found a little forest hideaway of amazing potters. Back on Fidalgo Island we enjoyed watching the water, exploring Washington Park , and the views from Mt Erie. It's not Cape Cod but a nice break.

Back in the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest we met a Forest Service recreation technician named Pete. Pete has spent his whole career, more than 35 years, on the same forest. He is a commercial artist by training and a wealth of information about the area's Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Forest history. It was one of those interviews we wished wouldn't end. A couple of weeks later we met two other Forest Service employees who's dedication and creative thinking impressed us. Like so many national forests, Washington's are dealing with budget shortfalls, reduction in staff, and a continuing increase in users (Although we have heard use is down, that isn't what we are seeing on the forests or in the ever increasing number of hits we get on our website). It's Forest Service staff like these folks that keep the forests "working" and a great experience for us all.

One of the greatest challenges the Forests are dealing with is water - safe, wholesome drinking water. Most of the water systems are 30, 40, or more years old and leak like sieves. Plus, many states are imposing very strict water quality requirements. This combination, along with a need to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has produced a variety of responses from pulling the whole water system (so there is no water at the campground) to drilling a well and installing hand pumps. Often these hand pumps aren't the old work-a-lever-up-and-down a bunch style. No-o-o-o-o! In Washington we have seen two very different hand pumps. One is a locally developed solar powered device while the other is manually operated, an ADA approved hand pump. This hand pump looks like a pole with bicycle pedals mounted on top and requires one to turn the pedals. We are told the flow rate is one gallon for every five minutes of turning or 200 cranks per gallon - whew! The other pump looks like a 3-foot cube of wood with a spigot on one side and a drinking fountain on the other. There is no lever to pull or pedals to turn. You just push a button and the electric pump, powered by sunlight, whirls and water flows. Sounds good except you need several hours of sunlight each day and a solar panel to keep it working. The problem is the solar panel can be and is often stolen and, as we have learned, hours of sunlight can be "ify" in this part of the world. However, in our opinion, either hand pump is better than no drinking water at all. A third solution we have heard of is the concessionaire provides bottled water to the campers. We aren't sure how successful this is or how use is calculated (one gallon per person per day or is two gallons needed and does this take into account dishwashing and teeth brushing?). The point is, for Washington's national forests campgrounds, drinking water is becoming a luxury item. We are wondering if it is becoming this way in other states.

August will see us complete our research of the Mt Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee National Forests, revisit Olympic National Forest, and get a chunk, if not all the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest completed. Like Colorado, Washington has huge national forests with clusters of campgrounds separated by annoying things called mountains. The Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest claims over 300 recreation sites while the Wenatchee claims over 700! Of course, these recreation sites aren't all developed campgrounds that meet our criteria but our work is taking a good bit of time. Oh! what hardships! Oh! what demands! What? No sympathy?

We hope your August will have few challenges and lots of pleasant temperatures and beautiful sunshine. And ours will be likewise.

Suzi and Fred