Category: Washington

Ranger Creek – Sunday August 16, 2015

Morning inside temp 51 and outside temp 43.

Hiked with Dennis to Lake Eleanor and then on to Grand Park meadow inside Mt. Rainier Natl Park.

Started at 12:30 back to trail head at 5:00 traveled 8 miles and I was tired.  Nice hike on a beautiful sunny day.
The mountain was clouded in by the time we got to Grand Park but that is what living here is all about, clouds and rain.  Mt. Rainier actually makes it’s own climate around itself.  The entire Pacific Northwest was clear yesterday except for the area around right around the mountain.
Dennis at the trail head.
Trail head map to lake.
Beautiful day in the old growth forest.
Lake Eleanor
Another Lake Eleanor.
Trail above Eleanor.
Little wild life.
First meadow
Mt. Rainier from the first meadow, by the time we got to Grand Park the mountain was clouded in.
One of the first views of Grand Park meadow.
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Ranger Creek – Thursday August 13, 2015

Morning inside temp 61 and outside temp 54.

The sky did clear last night however I did not see any meteors out my bedroom window. I had decided if I could see any out my window I would get up and go outside for some pictures, didn’t happen.

Had a lot of company today: Ryan and Zach – on their way to 0hanapecosh for Ryan’s birthday camp out; then Dennis stopped by while out looking for a place to camp with his new trailer.

Two small helicopters came in late in the afternoon, two fuel trucks, two US government SUV’s and a Muckleshoot Indian pickup. I walked down and talked to one of the fuel truck guys, he said they were here to count elk.  He was with the private helicopter and the other one was a National Parks helicopter.  Muckleshoot tribe bought a bunch of Hancock forest area several years ago and they have it open to fall hunting.

We stayed up until 12:30 in hopes of seeing more meteors tonight, only saw two in 10 minutes so we went to bed.

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Ranger Creek – Wednesday August 12, 2015

Morning inside temp 63 and outside temp 55.

We had some rain last night, I could see the sky light up and than several seconds later the thunder so it was hitting a ways from here.  The sky has a lot of high smoke in it today.  The sun light is orange.

The side of our motorhome is white with today’s light it is a light orange.

Had light ash falling all day.
Fir needle for size comparison.

Then I smugged the ash with my finger.

Hank and I want for a walk along the river.

Mariners got a no hitter today.

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Ranger Creek – Tuesday August 11, 2015

High 77 here and 87 at the start of the ball game at Safeco.

After a week at home we ventured out to explore Ranger Creek.  Yes this is the same place we have been going to all summer.  Most if not all the state parks are now reservation only from May 15 to September 15 and reservations can be made nine months in advance.  This is great when you want to plan ahead.  Over the last ten years starting in October one of the first things I did at 7:00 a.m. every Friday was to make weekend camping reservations starting for the next May.  We went to a verity of places; lot of Fort Flagler, Silver Springs, Dosewalips, and Penrose almost every weekend.  During the winter, early spring and fall these places are nice however the summers they are a pain.  The worst part is kids and parents how walk through other people’s campsites.  Not just close to the site but through the site as in between the motorhome and picnic table or fire ring because this is a straight line between where they are and where they want to go.  This does not go well with Hank and most of these people look at Hank like he has done something wrong.

We started going to Crystal Mountain a couple of years ago and we usually had the whole lower parking lot to ourselves.  Now at Ranger Creek the closest people during the week range from 50 yards of heavy forested area to a half mile and some days miles to the next person.  On the weekends it is 30 yards between campsites.
This is the closest site next to us.

This is the one just north of that.

There are several busy weekends, mountain bikes, 50 mile run, horse group.  Still a nice place to camp.

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Ranger Creek – Sunday August 2, 2015

Nice sunny morning 60 inside 53 outside
Cloudy morning

Walked around the area and it is my estimate that 10% of the horse people could not find enough room in their horse trailer to take all of their horse shit home.  The whole area definitely smells like a horse area.  I think we reached 60 horse trailers.

I know from my retail days it is usually 3 to 5 percent of the people who think only of themselves and are basically obnoxious.  Here are pictures showing the size of this event.
The other group of people that focus on themselves are the ones who leave the campsites in a mess.
It is a shame these people can not all use the same campsite.  The problem is these self centered people all believe they have to start with a nice clean campsite.

9:00 p.m. Started to get a few rain drips.  High today 82.

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Ranger Creek – Friday July 31, 2015

Nice SUNNY morning,  57 inside 47 outside

Warm day, 90 in and out, being in the trees is nice.

The runway looks like is was 15 and then 17 placed over the 15.

It will be interesting to see what is marked this time.  I will have to go back to google earth and see what the history bar has to say.  If I remember correctly the difference between magnetic and true north is 22 degrees here.  I will have to look on a Green Trails map when we get home.

By the way we have not seen a cloud all week.

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