Ken Campbell, Author at The Last Wilderness

Mystery

Posted by Ken Campbell January 13, 2010 0 Comment 1037 views

At 7639 feet, Mount Mystery is one of the 10 highest peaks on the Olympic peninsula.

The bottom line

Posted by Ken Campbell January 12, 2010 0 Comment 985 views

According to this morning’s paper, possible budget cuts will force closure of some 20 campgrounds and trail systems across the State. It’s the DNR (Department of Nothing Remaining, as Abbey would say), that’s on the block in this instance, and sites that might get axed include Mima Mounds, Mount Si and Little Si trailheads, and […]

No kidding, take a class

Posted by Ken Campbell January 9, 2010 1 Comment 1143 views

According to Seattle police, the two men who were pulled from the Sound a few miles south of the West Point lighthouse had been drinking. Huh, no kidding. Didn’t see that one coming. According to first responders, the two men, 36 and 28 years of age, had downed a few tankards of ale while watching […]

Air show

Posted by Ken Campbell January 7, 2010 0 Comment 1051 views

The Olympic flying squirrel is a nocturnal creature, which might explain why I’ve never seen one. It’s not that they are uncommon in the Olympic forests – many a hollow tree holds the den of these flyboys – it’s just that they don’t put out much noise. They are large for their genus, getting up […]

A walk in the park

Posted by Ken Campbell January 4, 2010 0 Comment 1044 views

There is the skeleton of a trail that runs between Jefferson and Clallam counties, a trail that will someday connect Port Townsend with La Push. Using miles of former rail right-of-way and land donations, along with negotiated use agreements, the Olympic Discovery Trail is currently about 30% completed with another 30% funded and scheduled for […]

Polar recap

Posted by Ken Campbell January 2, 2010 0 Comment 1026 views

The first annual (first ever), Polar Bear Paddle was a resounding success. Twenty-five paddlers total – 24 in kayaks and 1 on a SUP – putting in at Owen Beach, paddling down to Ruston Way and finishing up about 2 hours later. It was good to see this many people out on the first day […]

Do the bear

Posted by Ken Campbell December 31, 2009 0 Comment 1051 views

Happy New Year! If you can make it down, I’ll see you at Owen Beach, 11 AM, New Year’s Day. The 1st Annual T-Town Polar Bear Paddle… Years from now, you’ll want to be able to say that you were there! For more info, check out the Matelot site, follow updates and messages on the […]

Blue moon

Posted by Ken Campbell December 31, 2009 0 Comment 1151 views

There’s a blue moon on New Year’s Eve this year, a combination that certainly must be fairly rare.* As rare as the last day of the year, the dregs of 2009, the final few lines and movements. One more day to get it done, whatever “it” may be, before the odometer rolls over for another […]

Looking forward

Posted by Ken Campbell December 30, 2009 1 Comment 1072 views

As a somewhat obsessive list-maker, I am drawn at this time of the year to review the vitals – where I’ve been, where I want to go next. Not resolutions exactly, but rather a guidance system for the upcoming year. Cairns of experiences, Inukshuks of the mind. In terms of the Olympics, there are places […]

Stirring it up (Part 2)

Posted by Ken Campbell December 28, 2009 0 Comment 1099 views

Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia and overall environmental savant, said it this way in his book Let My People Go Surfing: “One of the hardest things for a business to do is to investigate the environmental effects of its most successful product and, if it’s bad, to change it or pull it off the shelves. […]