Deception Pass, Easter 2012

As you may know, Easter Camping is one of my favourite traditions. It is the annual gear-check and tarp-christening. It is the first, tentative excursion from your winter cocoon. If you live in the northwest, and like me, you don’t ski, you find yourself absolutely stir-crazy by spring. For me, every year, Easter is the rebirth of the lady camper. Shake out your sleeping bags, drag out your camping duds (you know, those cargo pants you save for trips like this), and bid a blissful adieu to your work/life/TV for a couple of days.

In 2012, I took my partner Jon camping with me at Easter. It turned out to be our last trip before I got pregnant. I did camp while pregnant, but it was not all that comfortable. I was also not able to eat and drink exactly what I wanted on my pregnant camping trips, so that was also a bit different… I have one or two posts up my sleeve about pregnant camping, so stay tuned.

Anyway, Easter 2102, Jon and I headed to Deception Pass State Park in Washington. It is a very scenic location, and on a sunny day, the views are incredible. It can be quite windy in the most exposed parts the park, so we used the incredibly efficient and well-organized reservation system to find a perfect site – sheltered, private, well-treed and away from the busier beach areas.

A view from the road of beautiful Deception Pass

A short walk to the beach and we were playing my favourite camping game – Rock Baseball. The rules are simple: find a suitable piece of driftwood to serve as a bat (this takes hours). Stand by the water, and get someone to throw rocks in your general direction. Swing away. Cheer wildly when your rocks flies. Like “real” baseball, this game can last hours and requires snacks and cans of beer. Unlike other popular camping games, it requires neither brains (Cribbage) nor brawn (axe-throwing). Just an afternoon on an empty beach.

What is your favourite camping game?

16May2013

First Family Trip: Olympic National Park

Posted in Camping with Children, Camping with Men, Glamping by Amy Clausen

The Olympic National Forest is a pretty unbeatable old growth wilderness, just four hours from the Lower Mainland

I recently had a baby, and my partner took a 12-week paternity leave from his teaching job so we could hang out as a family for a while. It has been an amazing time, and it passed a little too quickly. Before he went back to work, we decided to celebrate with our very first “camping” trip as a family. We packed up the car and headed south, over the border into Washington state and to the Olympic Peninsula. We have done camping trips to the area before – see last year’s Easter Camping excursion to Deception Pass State Park – but this time we figured we needed something a bit different. A roof over our heads, for one. Neither of us was quite ready to brave the elements in April with a newborn baby, so we opted for a cabin. We wanted heat, running water, a basic kitchenette, and NO access to internet, phone, wifi or a television.

I was happy to find a spring promotion for a cabin at Sol Duc Hot Springs, in Olympic National Park. I liked the sound of the simple, rustic accommodations, and the hot springs themselves. The site is located 12 miles off the main road through the park, so it does require a commitment to hunker down for a few days. It is just over a two hour drive from Port Townsend, the beautiful city on the other end of the Washington State Ferry from Keystone.

Port Townsend – our first stop on the Olympic Peninsula

An unremarkable cabin in a remarkable place

Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort is one of those funny old lodges-with-cabins you find in the middle of a spectacular wilderness, a legacy of the outdoor recreations of the privileged class in the early part of the last century. Perhaps the most stunning is the Ahwanee Hotel in Yosemite, which I would call a wilderness-ski-castle for very rich and good-looking WASP families. The Sol Duc Lodge is nowhere near as storied or as opulent as the Ahwanee, but it has the same kind of overpriced meals and rustic-themed gift shop. Between the run-down staff and the aging hippy clientele, the Sol Duc actually bares a closer resemblance to the folks at the Big Sur Lodge. The landscape is wet and cold most of the year, but the trees are huge and the wilderness trails are plentiful. It isn’t hard to imagine that the regular visitors come here year after year, and this helps keep the place, oddly, both dated and timeless. The curtains are a treasure worthy of any standard-issue portable classroom in the 1980s, the heating is dodgy, the cabins are entirely without good design or modern decor. The cabins are too close together and charmlesss to be considered luxury, and yet it’s fabulous.

The family at Cape Flattery, Makah territory, Washington state.

It was a wonderful escape. The baby slept on one of the two queen sized beds, which took up all but a few square feet of the small cabin. We managed to take several nice long hikes, despite my fear that we would wake up a large bear along the way. Jon and I ate well, read books, soaked in the stinking hot springs, and raised a glass to our new family. On the one day that we left the cabin for a driving adventure, we went to Cape Flattery, the north-westernmost point in the lower 48, and enjoyed a spectacular view.

What was your first outdoor adventure or camping trip with kids?

21Apr2013

Learn to Camp at Fort Langley, June 22-23

Posted in Cooking with Fire by Amy Clausen

Last year I had the pleasure to camp for a night with two other capable lady campers in the shadow of Fort Langley at Brae Island Regional Park. This is a neat location, very nearby for city-dwellers. Not wilderness camping by any stretch, but an easy way to spend the night out-of-doors. There are great cafes and antique malls nearby for them that likes to end a camping trip with a latte and lap around a warehouse full of vintage tea sets and record collections. Who doesn’t? Full posting of this trip is forthcoming.

Anyway, I am pleased to see this program just announced. I am very interested in “learning to camp” as a concept. Glad this is being offered!

Learn-to Camp Fort Langley

Parks Canada and Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), with the support of other local partners, will present a Learn-to Camp program from June 22 to 23, 2013. Participating families will sleep in a tent overnight at Fort Camping in Brae Island Regional Park near Fort Langley National Historic Site, and enjoy outdoor activities with other families and experts. Meals and equipment will be provided. In addition, a visit to Fort Langley National Historic Site on June 23 is included.

Transportation to the campground is the responsibility of each family or group. Advance registration is required.

I am looking for more information, will post a link when I find the original source.

6Apr2013

Easter Camping retrospective

Posted in Camping with Men, Easter Camping, Gimme Shelter by Amy Clausen

Well… it has been a while since I updated the site, so I have been perusing my photo archives and deciding where to jump back in. As a starting place, I thought I should acquaint my readers with the tradition of Easter Camping (or Pesach Camping if you prefer, or just plain it’s-really-too-wet-in-the-Lower-Mainland-to-go-camping-what-are-we-thinking? camping).

Easter Camping is a group camping tradition started in 2009 to celebrate a friend’s early April birthday. After a successful 20-person excursion to a local island for a weekend of cooking, eating, campfire singlaongs and capture-the-flag, a legacy was started. This particular trip deserves its own post, so I will attempt to make that happen in the near future. For today though, I will focus on a somewhat more challenging trip at Easter the following year.

In 2010, a slightly smaller group of the same friends agreed to try a new location – Cat Lake, a small recreation site operated by the Ministry of Forests and a popular spot (in summer, at least) for ATVs, motor bikes, under-age drinking and general mayhem… The camping sites are heavily forested, and situated around a small lake with the occasional bear-bucket for securing food in trees and safely away from tents. Surely there is a better name for this than bear-bucket? … which I just made up.

The site is beautiful, if you are into forests and moss and junk like that.

The elevation of Cat Lake (apparently only 300 m), combined with the time of year (early April), makes for a unreliable weather. With steady rain for most of the long weekend, I was prepared to bundle up and crouch near a fire for hours on end. What I may not have been prepared for was the fact that we were camping pretty much right at the freezing line, so a few steps uphill from our tents, the rain was coming down in snow form. FUN! Digging drainage trenches around your tent in the middle of the night has always been a hazard of west coast camping, but doing at it zero degrees is a special treat.

The sun is out! Oooh, don’t I look SO HAPPY.

But I must take a moment here to talk about what was decidedly the worst part of this particular trip. It may come off as a rant, but it may also have also formed a cornerstone of my good camping practice since this trip. Here’s the jist of it: low-ceilinged tarps around campfires do not happy campers make. Let me explain. When it is raining and/or snowing outside, and the sun sets at some ungodly early hour, and your entertainment for the evening includes Tom with a guitar (only ONE guitar and HE’S NOT SHARING), and a generous supply of boxed wine… you had better be comfortable. This means spending a fairly serious amount of setup time on the positioning and angles of the tarps under which you will find yourself for the next, oh, 72 hours. Because once they are up, NOBODY is going to entertain your suggestions to improve the design. Believe me.

So, what’s a camper to do when her man-friends have rigged the entire campfire area in such a way that the fire itself (which is safely within a chimney/ventilation opening area) is surrounded by extremely low-hanging tarps? What if said tarps are muddy (like, on the bottom side)? What if the airflow from the (extremely smoky) fire has created a veritable smokehouse in the seating area? Well, the sensible thing to do would be to catch some Rainbow Trout and actually smoke them, and sleep in your car. Yes? No. Sadly, it is well-established that Tom can’t catch fish. So. There you are.

Feast your eyes on this hunk, who is demonstrating the low-ceiling conundrum, and who sensibly slept in his car for the weekend.

But let us return for a moment to the muddy undersides of the tarps. Sure, occasionally tarps need to be laid out on the ground for placement and measuring. I concede. However, tarps that also have holes in them then turn into mud colanders, and inevitably drip freezing mud on you incesantly. This makes for a never-ending game of musical chairs in which you are the only player and your chair is the only chair. If you are lucky you will kick over a few bottles and step in the fire at least once over the course of this game.

The other hazard is the toque-on-tarp hazard. Low tarps mean you have to bend and duck to get under them, and can’t strecth your legs completely without getting out from under cover. And as anyone who camps in BC will know, the toque is a full-time game, especially in April. So if your toque becomes an upside-down swiffer sweeper for your muddy tarp-roof, you will end the weekend with a muddy toque and a clean tarp, not to mention an aching back. And wet clothes that have completely absorbed all that the smoke-house had to offer. Which is what happened to us. Luckily, we were able to dull the pain while Tom played guitar. Play on, Tom.

Heed this cautionary tale, friends. Make sure your tarps are clean and have no holes. Bring duct tape for emergency repairs. Lady Campers: if you don’t know how to erect good-quality shelter, learn. Practice. Ask for advice. Don’t assume that men can do it all correctly. Your shelter is sacred in April.

This would be the end of the story, but no retelling is complete without a shout out to two friends who didn’t stay the whole weekend. Genny was 8 1/2 months pregnant when we ventured out, and her husband was in a full leg cast, recovering from a serious injury, and using crutches. These two bravely waddled and hobbled past the gate (that is apparently locked during the night) and down the dirt path from the parking lot. Perhaps one or two of us worried that we may be delivering a baby this weekend. Genny had this thought herself before too long and they turned back to Vancouver before we had to test our midwifery skills. Good call Genny. No one wanted to swaddle the babe in muddy tarps and smoky sweaters.

6Apr2013

Lady Camper Profile: Morgan

Posted in Camping with Children, Lady Camper Profile by Amy Clausen

This interview is the first in a series of profiles of Lady Campers. I am super excited about this series, mostly because I get to learn about other women’s camping and outdoor experiences, and be inspired, compare notes, and make sense of some of the lady-specific experiences of the outdoors. Here is an interview I conducted a few months ago now, with Morgan, an accomplished car camper, campsite reviewer and mother of a mini-lady-camper.

What is your earliest memory of camping?

My earliest memories are of camping with my dad and stepmom in BC, Washington State and Alberta, following my stepbrother around for his cycling. I would have been 7 or 8. I still remember the first time we camped outside Calgary and Rhys and I said “where are the trees? this is weird!” And then we discovered there was a swimming pool (!?!) and we were all good. I also remember going on trips with my grandparents in their RV. We camped by the Similkameen River and I thought that was the best name ever for a river. I’d say those are the earliest.

Do you remember learning any camping skills from observing or helping out? (ex. fire-making, tent-erecting, tarping, etc)

I remember helping to set up the tent trailer (folding out the sides). I also went fishing with my stepbrother and my grandfather a little bit. General camp principles, where to get the water, how to do the dishes in a bowl, getting firewood. That kind of stuff.Later I was a girl guide and I learned a few things – although I was a bit upset to learn that the scouts did waaaaay more cool survivor stuff. I would’ve switched to scouting had that been an option.

Hmmm. With family camping, do you think there was a difference in how you and your brother learned skills? Were there boy jobs and girl jobs?

Not really – my brother is 3.5 years younger so he didn’t really get jobs. I think I learned that camping is about doing work together as a team so everyone can go and have fun.

My mom doesn’t like camping so it’s hard to say what I might have learned had she come on more trips. I will say that my grandma and stepmom were more in charge of meals when camping so I did think that the cooking part was the lady part.

But my dad has always gotten me to do tough stuff like help with renos and light fires and sort nails so in camping land I did stuff like that.

Like making kindling! That is a fun job when you are old enough to do it.

Agreed. So what kinds of things did you do in Girl Guides?

I don’t want to publicly disparage Girl Guides but I found that most of the activities were domestic or … soft adventure. Whereas my brother, who was younger, was doing cool things like lighting fires, tying knots (in actual situations), etc.

I remember for one of my badges I had to plan a household schedule. And make shopping lists. Very useful. But I wanted a KNIFE. For my POCKET.

When I say very useful I don’t mean that sarcastically. I just wanted to learn other skills.

[Ed. note. – I have a future interview planned with a very progressive GG leader so I hope to get more info on how that program has evolved, FYI]

Um, next question: How did camping change for you when you stopped drinking? If it did.

It’s cool, I don’t mind sharing. When I quit drinking, one of the biggest fears for me is that sobriety would ‘ruin camping’. I didn’t know what people did when they camped beside set up, and then go on a GIANT BENDER. I think you remember when we were in the store on our Glamp [ed. note: see future post on “glamping”] and the lady started talking about wine, and where the liquor store was, etc. People tend to equate the two. But, after a dry run (heh, get it?) I found camping, like most parts of my life, is so much more rewarding when I’m not drinking. I can enjoy getting up early, my tent doesn’t reek, I don’t fall down hills and pass out on the outside of the tent …

I can go for hikes and swim and sing and eat good food. And bring my kid! And not worry about “not getting time to get pissed.” Hangovers in the woods aren’t that great, so all around it’s better.

Excellent. Can you describe your first camping trip with your child?

Yes! I was invited to do a spring weekend camp with some friends. We brought Fraser, she was right around her first birthday. She wasn’t walking, so it was easy peasy. We brought a playpen, and grubby clothes. The only hitch was sharing a sleeping bag. That was cold and uncomfortable.

[Ed. note – Morgan is referring to Easter Camping 2011 at Golden Ears – more on that later!]

What were the unexpected challenges of camping with a child?

Challenges: hm. Just the sleeping bag part. Fraser was co-sleeping, so I had her in my sleeping bag with me. And it didn’t really zip up, and I couldn’t move around. So I would recommend a separate bag for little ones and/or a large/double bag (the kind you zip together). Oh, and she woke up earlier than usual. But that was okay.

… and unexpected joys?

Joys: watching her play in the dirt, with rocks. Having all the grown-up campers cuddle her and wear her and sit by the fire with her. (She is very snuggly).

Pretty sure that’s where she developed her love of little rocks! And hiking with her in her carrier. That was nice.

ok! two last questions: Please describe your camping style!

My camping style is “tote city”. I love putting everything into totes. I prefer car camping because the trunk of the car is such a great place to organize (totes) and keep things dry. I also am pretty cool with minimal research, I prefer having access to a lake and spending very little time in the car. So that means I tend to camp in the Lower Mainland/Vancouver Coast and Mountains region.

… Any favourite spots?

Well, Golden Ears was great. Cultus Lake is actually okay, depending on what site you get (it’s kind of a crapshoot with partiers some years). I really really enjoy Beaumont Marine BUT we haven’t tried it with Fraser yet. And we probably won’t until she can hike at that level.

Ok last question: what is your can’t-leave-home-without-it piece of camping gear?

My claw stove. It’s technically called a trail stove. It’s a claw that screws onto a small tank. The open claw becomes the burner – so I call it a ‘claw stove’.

But this is on my wish list of all camping wish lists!

http://shop.biolitestove.com/BioLite-CampStove_p_15.html

So now you know how to pay me back for this interview.

Ok! awesome. Thanks. [Ed. note: I never paid Morgan back for this interview.]

14May2011

What is Lady Camping?

Posted in Why Lady Camping? by Amy Clausen

Welcome to Lady Camping!

If you grew up in North America, like me, you’ve probably been camping before. Perhaps you had the great fortune to be raised in a family with a mini van, or a station wagon, and a stinky old canvas tent you would take to the woods a few times a year. What happened next was magic: you watched your dad and brother chop wood, attempt to get a fire going, and then erect a very dubious-looking tarp to shelter the family from the ever-present drizzle. Meanwhile, you tried to stay warm and/or dry and/or away from mosquitoes, while dreaming about what meal would come next… beans and wieners, or crackers and peanut butter? All while yelling whiterabbitwhiterabbitwhiterabbit to try to magically avoid the smoke monster rising from the fire.

These family camping excursions are some of my fondest childhood memories, but times have changed. I’m all grown up now, and camping involves organizing loads of my friends: friends who have camped their whole lives, friends with mad MacGyver-like skills and a toolbox full of camping gadgets, friends with offspring, and friends with absolutely no discernible survival skills. (Don’t worry, the bears will get to them first)

Getting a camping team together and dragging them away from their regular lives for a weekend (or more) in the woods is one of the most satisfying activities I pursue, and I try to camp at least six times a year, in all seasons. However, I have noticed that the men in these camping teams still take on almost all of the work that my brother and dad did when I was young. In fact, left to my own devices in the woods, I have a hard time remembering how to light a camp stove, let alone design and build a useful shelter from the wind. Instead I spend much of my camping energy re-arranging the picnic table, planning elaborate (and ultimately very ashy) meals, and pouring myself yet another glass of wine of the cardboard box variety.

Because I would like to share these joys with you, and also learn some new camping skills from other women, I invite you to join me on this site. I look forward to exploring the possibilities, challenges and joys of all-female camping excursions with you. Yes, the men get to stay home this time. Perhaps this is the only way we’ll learn how, exactly, this god-forsaken tent pole fits into that one. Or what meals, treats and experiences we might create, while we enjoy a campfire we lit and stoked for ourselves. Or how (and why) to master the art of throwing hatchets at trees. While swilling whiskey from a plastic sippy cup.

Join me, friends. This is Lady Camping.

Take it outside, ladies.