Talking Story Archives - Page 42 of 114

Big Hump

Posted by Ken Campbell September 7, 2011 0 Comment 1165 views

There’s a fire burning out on the peninsula. I don’t know if that’s truly unexpected, given the hot weather we’ve been having lately and the uncharacteristic lack of rainfall, but the fire is believed to have been man-made. An untended campfire, apparently left to burn out on its own, failed to do so and, poof! […]

Labor Day

Posted by Ken Campbell September 6, 2011 0 Comment 1088 views

I can hear the thunder of rock fall from somewhere to the west but I never see it. Except once. Clouds of dust and debris hang in the air and huge boulders bounce down the steep terrain and make me glad that I am over here, instead of over there. Mostly though, the visible signs […]

Cloud Camp

Posted by Ken Campbell September 4, 2011 0 Comment 1022 views

Camp Muir, just above the 10,000 foot mark on the south side of Mount Rainier, used to be called “Cloud Camp.” It was renamed in honor of John Muir, who spent a couple of nights here during his climb of the mountain back in 1888. I haven’t been here since 1996, almost as long as […]

Making the old man proud

Posted by Ken Campbell September 2, 2011 0 Comment 904 views

He won’t be five years old until January, but he’s been telling me for months now that he needs his own paddleboard. As he’s gotten bigger – and heavier – I’ve begun to see things his way. We found an old windsurfer for free (does anybody even do that windsurfing thing anymore?) and got him […]

Deception Pass, then and now

Posted by Ken Campbell September 1, 2011 0 Comment 979 views

I can still remember the first time I took a kayak through Deception Pass. The roar of the current in full flood, the horizon line as I approached the narrow opening, where the water ran downhill so fast that the surface was no longer level, as if I were looking at the flow of a […]

Island ramblings

Posted by Ken Campbell August 30, 2011 0 Comment 971 views

There’s talk that it’s going to start raining later today… after about three weeks of summer weather. I hope that won’t be the end of it. I certainly feel like we’re entitled to more than that. Maybe that’s why I’ve been thinking about the California Channel Islands this morning. Warm, sunny days and cool, crisp […]

Smiles

Posted by Ken Campbell August 29, 2011 0 Comment 1004 views

This is one of my favorite photos. I took it on a kayak outing to the Nisqually Delta years ago… I don’t remember who this little girl was but I’m sure she’s in college now. (Funny, I haven’t aged a bit.) I do remember though, that the day was perfect for sea kayaking. There were […]

Punk’d

Posted by Ken Campbell August 27, 2011 0 Comment 1102 views

There was a report yesterday of an orca that was struck by a fast-moving boat in Haro Strait. The boat in question wasn’t a commercial whale-watcher; it appeared to be a private boat and it has yet to be located. From what I’ve been able to find out, it was a pair of kayakers who […]

Bonding

Posted by Ken Campbell August 26, 2011 0 Comment 1136 views

Two nights of car camping with a 4 year-old has its ups and downs. Mostly ups, though. Micah and I did an end-of-summer whirlwind trip around Rainier, first night at White River, second night at Ohanapecosh. (Don’t you just love saying “Ohanapecosh?” Four year-olds do, I can tell you that. Saying it, singing it, whatever.) […]

Some paper with that?

Posted by Ken Campbell August 25, 2011 0 Comment 990 views

I went up Mount Si a week or so ago… nice hike, for the most part. It really is a beautiful place. The views from the top are breathtaking. Because of its proximity to the population centers of western Washington, it sees a lot of use. Which is ok. The thing is, there’s only one […]