Overnighter to Ingalls Creek

Clint Hollingworth

With a need to get out of the house and into the woods burning me, I decided to go up towards Blewett Pass (Washington State) to the Ingalls Creek Trail and camp out at a campsite I knew along the creek. Note the recreation pass required... and the "wilderness permit" you have to fill out and attach to your pack. GRRRRR.

I had actually been out there 2 weeks before, trying out my minimalist camping skills. I had gone out with a blanket, poncho and the contents of a small shoulder bag. it had been fun, but I'd gotten pretty cold about 3 am in the morning. This time, I took my little ALICE pack and my beloved thermarest. This was more luxurious backpacking...
Here's a view from the trail.

It was a pretty hot day, but the scenery is worth it...

After a couple of miles, I made it to my spot. I was camping here because my favorite spot in the Icicle River Drainage has been temporarily cut off by a huge landslide that destroyed the road in one section. This spot is a nice substitute.

Here's the Kitchen... The large rock made a nice range for my little one-burner butane stove (fire danger was high,, so I only used my stove to cook)

Here's the living room. I sat in the sand and read my book in the evening and the cool of the morning...

Here is my bedroom area. I figure the overhang would keep me dry in all but the worst downpours.

Here is my sleeping set-up. A wool army blanket and a surplus wool sleeping bag liner. Susie was ticked I didn't take the $200 ultra light sleeping bag she gave me for Christmas, but sometimes you feel more Kephart than Jardine...

I slept quite well this time, and I could feel the warm air below me in the pad. I might have done OK had their been a lot of pine needles to make a bed from, but the thermarest was a lot less work and quite frankly, I was out there to loaf, this weekend.

"Come on, let's vogue!" The blue bandana, kept wet and evaporating helped me keep cool in the July heat. That's my stove in the background.

It was nice to be out for a weekend, with no worries, no plans, and a good book. (Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian).
I spent most of my time, reading, or slapping little non-biting flies and feeding them to a big ol' trout in a pool just below camp.

There are worse ways to spend one's time.