Ken Campbell, Author at The Last Wilderness

Pummelized

Posted by Ken Campbell February 23, 2010 0 Comment 1270 views

The La Push Surf Pummel, 2010 edition, went off this past weekend. I have been going to La Push to kayak since the mid-1990’s, at every month of the year, and I have never seen conditions like they were this time. Dazzling blue skies, blazing sun, big waves and temperatures touching 60 degrees. In February. […]

A New addition

Posted by Ken Campbell February 22, 2010 0 Comment 1073 views

According to the morning fish wrap, the National Park Service is looking to expand Olympic National Park by purchasing 240 acres in the Lake Ozette area. The proposed buy includes parts of Umbrella Creek that are critical habitat for native sockeye, along with additional acres of pristine forest. Current owners of the parcel, the Cascade […]

Dazzled by Hollywood

Posted by Ken Campbell February 22, 2010 0 Comment 1126 views

It used to be, when I would walk around La Push all gussied up in a drysuit or a dry top or some other piece of specialty kayak wardrobe, I would feel somewhat odd. Or, at least, I would feel as though my clothing choice set me apart somehow, like maybe I was a bit […]

Pummel time

Posted by Ken Campbell February 18, 2010 0 Comment 1149 views

The La Push Surf Pummel is scheduled for this weekend. Hard to believe there will be much pummeling involved – waves are supposed to be small the whole time – but even if the surf is down, there is still enough to keep me busy. More than I will have time for. I’m taking a […]

In the rock gardens

Posted by Ken Campbell February 17, 2010 0 Comment 1395 views

The Juan de Fuca Pillar, named for the old Greek navigator, is one of the most prominent of the many stacks and offshore rocks in the Cape Flattery area. When other early explorers like Cook and Vancouver came calling, one of the few landmarks they had already on their patchwork charts was this distinctive stone […]

Oil

Posted by Ken Campbell February 15, 2010 0 Comment 1115 views

The third beach south of La Push (named “Third Beach” by some creative soul in the map business), was once the site of an exploratory oil well. In 1902, what became known as the La Push Oil Well was dug at the western end of the beach, near the headland. Drilling was halted by a […]

Death on the Foss

Posted by Ken Campbell February 14, 2010 0 Comment 1084 views

A body was discovered floating in the Foss Waterway on Saturday morning. A white male, 40 – 50 years of age, according to Tacoma police, was reported by an employee of Foss Harbor Marina at about 8:30 AM. “As far as we know,” said TPD spokesman William Budinich, “there’s no foul play.” His identity has […]

Plans

Posted by Ken Campbell February 14, 2010 0 Comment 1076 views

Some of my favorite trips, my most interesting and valuable wilderness moments, have never happened. At least, they haven’t happened yet. I can think back on years, decades even, of backcountry adventures that never made it out of the planning stage, wild notions that never survived their first brush with reality. “The best laid schemes […]

The Cruise

Posted by Ken Campbell February 12, 2010 0 Comment 1159 views

The Olympics are not known for quality rock climbing. The rock in most areas is friable and tends to slough off in the hands at just the wrong moment… anyone looking for multi-pitch granitic perfection is going to be disappointed. With that said, Mount Cruiser may be among the best of the bunch, at least […]

A different Olympic circle

Posted by Ken Campbell February 11, 2010 1 Comment 1020 views

I should probably have mentioned this site a year ago. Steph Abegg, local Northwest climber and photographer (check out her awesome night shots – like the one above), has put together an impressive backcountry/climbing resume that should manage to inspire even the most lethargic of armchair explorers. I went to hear her speak last year […]