Ken Campbell, Author at The Last Wilderness

Just rocks, thank God

Posted by Ken Campbell May 29, 2008 1 Comment 896 views

The first men to cross the Olympic Mountains went from north to south, more or less. Beginning on the Elwha in the middle of what was (and still is), one of the harshest winters on record, the Press Expedition took almost six months to get to the other side. They left the interior by way […]

Tatoosh

Posted by Ken Campbell May 27, 2008 0 Comment 794 views

Off the coast of Cape Flattery, about a quarter-mile from the rugged shore, lies Tatoosh Island. It seems very close – it’s a mere 10-minute crossing in a sea kayak – and it feels as though it’s even closer than that. From the lookout at Cape Flattery it is easy to see the birds wheeling […]

Best of the rest

Posted by Ken Campbell May 25, 2008 0 Comment 790 views

The largest Sitka Spruce in the world is anchored in the fertile soil near Lake Quinault. At 191 feet tall and with a circumference of almost 60 feet, it is the biggest of its kind remaining anywhere. I cannot help but wonder if it is the record-holder because it truly is such an arboreal over-achiever […]

Rivers

Posted by Ken Campbell May 24, 2008 0 Comment 835 views

There are, by my count, nine major rivers that drain the Olympics. Clockwise, from the lower west side: the Quinault, Queets (above), Hoh, Bogachiel, Elwha, Dosewallips, Duckabush, Skokomish and the Wynoochie. There is room for disagreement on this point. The Hamma Hamma, the Humptulips and the Satsop, for instance, could be argued to be distinct […]

While it’s still here

Posted by Ken Campbell May 22, 2008 0 Comment 748 views

There are a pair of dams on the Elwha River that are scheduled to be removed some time in the next couple years. When the lower one goes, so too will Lake Aldwell. I am looking forward to seeing the rebirth of the river, but this is a beautiful lake and it will be missed.

Ancient musings

Posted by Ken Campbell May 19, 2008 0 Comment 1022 views

Many years ago, near the mouth of the Ozette River, not far from majestic Cape Alava and just a few miles south of the Point of the Arches, stood a native village. The Ozettes were ancestrally bound to their Makah neighbors to the north, but their village, a collection of less than a dozen longhouses […]

An abundance of grit

Posted by Ken Campbell May 14, 2008 0 Comment 782 views

In the waning months of 1889, the year that Washington became a state, the Seattle Press newspaper ran a job search that called for “hardy citizens . . . to acquire fame by unveiling the mystery which wraps the land encircled by the snow capped Olympic range.” It is unclear how many responses were received, […]

Best laid plans

Posted by Ken Campbell May 11, 2008 0 Comment 939 views

“If this is the road, I don’t want to see the river.” That was Mary, in the passenger seat. My wife, my stalwart, strong and sensible wife. I knew as soon as she said it that she was right, of course. I hated the fact that she’d given it voice, but I knew that it […]

Blueprints for adventure

Posted by Ken Campbell May 3, 2008 0 Comment 766 views

If you take the time to adequately plan your next trip, you get to do it twice. Maybe more. The planning of the trip can often bring as much enjoyment as the trip itself… it seems that way, for me anyway. I am town-tied this next week – working, family events, and so on – […]

Daydreams (part II)

Posted by Ken Campbell May 1, 2008 0 Comment 745 views

I wish I were in the mountains today. Or on a wild Pacific beach. Not in front of a computer screen. Not paying the bills. I will be back there soon. But not soon enough, if you ask me.