Lake Wenatchee campout, Pt. II: This Time, It's Personal
posted August 9, 2015 4:03 PM   RSS | iCal | +googleCal

Fri October 2 at 1:00 PM, Lake Wenatchee State Park, WA
Lake Wenatchee State Park, Washington, USA (Map & Directions)
THIS EVENT IS ONE WEEK AWAY! ALL SYSTEMS GO. Ok gang, let's try again! This event didn't happen due to weather, so we're doing it Oct. 2-4.
Campsite website. It's about 5 hours from PDX, less than 4 from Spokane, and 2-ish from Seattle. Here are a few pictures. There are two separate campgrounds on either side of the lake's outlet at the southeast end; apparently the north site is quieter while the south site is Party Central, so we're set up in the north part.

Make reservations here - fees run ~40$/night per site, most of which hold 2 tents so talk to one of the people who've already reserved a site about splitting the cost before reserving your own spot (see the thread below).

The historical forecast for that area puts "average" temperatures for the beginning of October in the low 70's, but it may be warmer this year...or maybe not. Bring layers of all types - and do plan to dress warm at night.

I'm hoping mosquitoes won't be too much of a problem this time of year, but just in case:
- cover most of your skin with baggy, lightweight, tight-weave shirts (long-sleeved) and pants (ex. UNcoated nylon wind shell).
- Use bug repellent on your exposed skin (face, neck, hands, and ankles) - the most effective appears to be 25-30% DEET (higher concentrations evaporate too quickly).

Other options:
- products with 30-40% Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, ex. Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Pump Spray (Note: more frequent applications needed, since it wears off quicker than DEET)
- products with 5-20% picaridin

What not to do - These products either don’t work well or aren’t worth the risks:
- Products with more than 30 percent DEET, such as Jungle Juice 100. The potential side effects aren’t worth it.
- Off Clip-on, a device that attaches to your waistband or belt and uses a fan to circulate a repellent around your body. The active ingredient, metofluthrin, can pose risks to your nervous system, and our tests found that it didn’t work very well anyway.
- Wristbands with repellent claims.
- Garlic or vitamin B1 pills.
- Devices that give off sound waves designed to keep insects away.
- tight clothes (which mosquitoes can penetrate), dark clothes (where ticks can hide), or strong scents, which may attract pests.

Top rated products according to Consumer Reports (all have 15-30% DEET):
Off Deep Woods Sportsmen II
Cutter Backwoods Unscented
Off FamilyCare Smooth & Dry
3M Ultrathon Insect Repellent 8

Here's a link to the existing food/misc spreadsheet that we can modify to our heart's content to coordinate meals and other handy-dandy camping items.

Due to problems with insect infestation, we'll probably want to scout out nearby places to buy firewood rather than bring it in from outside (i.e. less than 50 miles from the campsite).
posted by Greg_Ace to Meetup (156 comments total)

That date is so perfect for me... and I'm totally wanting to camp with y'all again, because you are so totally groovy!
posted by hippybear at 4:14 PM on August 9, 2015


I feel I should clarify that while the original Lake Wenatchee location seems fine, I'm not tied to it; so if anyone else knows of some fantastic OR/WA place for Fall camping feel free to speak up!
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:29 PM on August 9, 2015


That date works for me, as does the location.
posted by wallabear at 5:19 PM on August 9, 2015


I have this date free. Most likely would want to bring my kids (6 and 3). I wonder if any one else is considering bringing their miniMefites. And if I'm picking up an adults only vibe, that's not necessarily a deal breaker for me.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 6:15 PM on August 9, 2015


I don't have objections to kids as long as parents are relaxed around a human adult being a bit loose (read some beers) and maybe not being as censored with language as otherwise, but not talking like a sailor either. I'm not kid "behavior inappropriate", as much as language, and I can watch that if the kids are around.

Speaking just for me. Of course.
posted by hippybear at 6:42 PM on August 9, 2015


I'm not totally sure what my workload is going to be like at that point, but so far, that date looks good. Yay!
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 6:44 PM on August 9, 2015


Re: kids - what hippybear said.
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:57 PM on August 9, 2015


I am considering this, and if Slarty brings his kids, I could bring my 4.5-year-old (I guess almost 5 by then) which would be pretty perfect agewise for playing together. I'll talk to Mr. Rabbit tonight.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 9:28 AM on August 10, 2015


Oct 2-4 is swell (not least since I am the one whining about missing the campout if it is later in October).
posted by janell at 10:13 AM on August 10, 2015


Oh, I'd be whining if it were later in Oct, too.
posted by hippybear at 10:35 AM on August 10, 2015


I think we're in! I have no kids, but kids are a-ok with me, I don't plan to do anything dangerous or kid-inappropriate. I'll warn you cortex is sometimes terrible at keeping his language clean, but also jovial about being criticized!
posted by Secretariat at 12:43 PM on August 10, 2015


Oh, and the early October date works well for me.
posted by Secretariat at 12:58 PM on August 10, 2015


My 4-year old swore like a sailor at 2. He has since cleaned up his f-bombs and only drops the occasional shit these days. IOW, language is not a thing I am worried about.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 1:46 PM on August 10, 2015


Aw rats, I'm already camping that weekend.

I'm camping a whole lot in October, so this is me grumbling and not a request for a new date because I'd probably be busy that one, too.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:54 PM on August 10, 2015


Keep your eyes open for another camping event next Spring-ish.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:23 PM on August 10, 2015 [1 favorite]


Heh. I'm a new dad via adoption (great-uncle, actually). If there are 5, 6-ishes about I might bring the Lilly-Monster. She'd dig it.

Not quite sure I would tho, will have to give it some thought....

palmcorder_yajna, please please please come!
posted by wallabear at 12:14 AM on August 11, 2015 [1 favorite]


If there are going to be that many kids there, then hackwolf has to show up with Jasper.
posted by hippybear at 2:31 AM on August 11, 2015 [1 favorite]


Yay! October 2-4 is the best weekend for me that month as well. I'm pretty sure I can make it - I'm putting myself down for "maybe" right now, but consider it a very strong maybe.

I'm with hippybear and Greg_Ace regarding kids - totally welcome, as long as the presence of adults after a couple of glasses of wine isn't a problem.

I'll have Jasper with me, and I do love to entertain kids (and adults) if that's a thing that everybody is OK with, but I want to be very careful about inflicting undue weirdness on anybody in an environment that's harder to remove one's self from than, say, a festival or busy city park. Sometimes costumes like that really bother people, and I want to make sure that's fully respected.
posted by hackwolf at 1:40 PM on August 11, 2015


I have no kids, and I think some kid antics might be entertaining. Similarly, Jasper is a-ok (though I might want to take a close look at the construction).

If we're still thinking about the north campground, I'd propose we look at sites 124 and 126 (these are slightly spendier sites on the outside of the loops and not facing the parking lot) and the tent sites across the road from them. Having sites close together, but on opposite sides of the road, might make it easy for kidlets to get to bed even if some people are still happy to sit up with some scotch and fires.
posted by janell at 2:37 PM on August 11, 2015 [1 favorite]


I get paid on Friday and I will snag one of those that morning before my weekend vanishes into a haze of concert festival weekend.
posted by hippybear at 2:48 AM on August 12, 2015


OK, well, yeah, if we're ready to commit I'll go snag one this morning. As we discovered earlier this year, the reservations are pretty easy to change.
posted by janell at 8:18 AM on August 12, 2015


I am a probably-not maybe at this point. I'm not sure it's worth 11 hours in the car for a 2-night camping trip.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 8:37 AM on August 12, 2015


I reserved site 126.
posted by janell at 10:31 AM on August 12, 2015


Thanks for checking, hackwolf- cortex and I are also fine with Jasper.

Those sites say max 2 tents each- maybe we're going to need a 3rd site? Perhaps I should get one too? What happened last time when you had to change reservations?
posted by Secretariat at 10:40 AM on August 12, 2015


Well, I was going to wait until Friday to confirm the event/update the location, but if people are reserving sites I'll go ahead and do so this evening (along with adding reservation links, etc.). I'll also grab site 128 since it looks nice and shady. That plus janell's site can hold 4 tents (and maybe 2 RVs as well?), which pretty much covers the current "Yes" list. Those still on the "Maybe" list can decide whether to commit and either snag an existing pull-through or grab another 2-tent site.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:56 AM on August 12, 2015


By the way, here's the Google Map of the campsite. The overlay of the road is slightly off, but you can see the paved circle road in the "Earth" view.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:00 AM on August 12, 2015


Whoops, someone beat me to 128. I got 124 instead. Looks like the outer (RV pull-through) ring has been pretty much booked, but there's plenty of tent sites on the inner ring of that circle.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:13 AM on August 12, 2015


Ok, what the hell, I'm committing to this. Yay, two day outdoor MeFi slumber party!
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 7:08 PM on August 12, 2015


Confirmed! Be sure to update the spreadsheet to coordinate food, camping eqpt, etc.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:11 PM on August 12, 2015


Food in the spreadsheet sounds amazing. Are there still plans for a BYOM night?
posted by Secretariat at 12:19 PM on August 15, 2015


I don't see why not, it was pretty popular last time.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:03 PM on August 15, 2015


Greg just liked hosting a bunch of meat in his trunk for a while.

#phrasesthatsounddirtybutarent
posted by hippybear at 3:00 PM on August 16, 2015 [2 favorites]


So, do we have enough camping spaces, or should I snag one to round out our area?
posted by hippybear at 9:06 AM on August 17, 2015


On reflection, that might not be a bad idea. At this point, unless any of the "Maybe" folks decide to commit, I think one more site should be enough to cover us.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:58 AM on August 17, 2015


I think a third site sounds good. It sounds like they are very serious about staying on the not-huge tent pads, and with a third site we're more likely to make all the puzzle pieces fit.
posted by janell at 4:21 PM on August 17, 2015


Uh, we were maybe already at 5 tents? Me, Greg, S & C, hippybear, and P-y? So definitely three sites, probably 4 if any of the maybe folk join us.
posted by janell at 4:25 PM on August 17, 2015


Yes, plus maybe Hackwolf's van, which I think should be able to park in the either of the two current pull-through drives without raising the ire of campground management.

To clarify for anyone who didn't attend last year's campout, Bring Your Own Meat night (currently scheduled for Saturday) basically involves bringing a personal-sized meat item of your choice, for your own consumption, to be cooked on community stoves (or the campfire). Last year everyone brought a steak, but of course that's not a rule or anything - nor is eating meat if one prefers not to! Apart from that, folks bring side dishes, condiments, etc. to share.
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:45 PM on August 17, 2015


... park in the either of the two ...

But not in the ether.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:11 PM on August 17, 2015


But not in the ether.

You underestimate the capabilities of the Space Van...but a pull-through makes things easier.

I'm going to go ahead and commit. Spreadsheet updated appropriately, I'll do the math on whether I should book a site tomorrow.
posted by hackwolf at 12:22 AM on August 18, 2015


Oh, nuts. We just moved to Yakima two weeks ago, but I don't know if my medical-school-attending girlfriend can commit to something like this this far out...or ever.

Nor do we own a tent or any other camping gear.

Maybe next year...
posted by adamdschneider at 10:22 PM on August 18, 2015


Sorry to hear it! If things change between now and then, we'll probably have room for you; if they don't, keep your eyes open for an event I'm sure someone (i.e. probably me) will set up next spring.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:04 PM on August 18, 2015


And depending on how you feel about short road trips (looks like its ~2hrs from Yakima), you can always pop up to Lake Wenatchee for lunch or BYOM and say hi.
posted by janell at 9:14 AM on August 19, 2015


you can always pop up to Lake Wenatchee for lunch or BYOM and say hi.

That is true and an excellent idea.
posted by adamdschneider at 9:56 AM on August 19, 2015


Okay, I've reserved campsite 125, which is across the road and between the other two campsites. It will hold 2 tents and 8 people and also maybe a van or something. I have a Hyundai Accent, so I will be taking up minimal parking space.

I don't feel like I must camp there myself. Maybe that would be a good place to put families with children, so they can be a bit away from what might be going on between the two other campsites?

Anyway, unless we have a sudden influx of folks, we should have enough camping room now.
posted by hippybear at 11:10 AM on August 19, 2015


BTW, fine print in the camping email talks about $10/extra vehicle charge.
posted by hippybear at 11:26 AM on August 19, 2015


Yeh, the 2nd vehicle has a surcharge. It's unclear whether we need to pay that when the site permit-holder checks in even if all cars are not yet present, or if we pay when the extra vehicle actually arrives. If the former, we might need to do a little more in-advance arranging of nominal car/site. If the latter, we might need to do a little bit of texting or mosey over to the office as people arrive.

In any case, yeah, I think we arrange the actual people across campsites however fits, irrespective of formal reservation-holding. Early-bed folk across the street from the late night campfire?
posted by janell at 2:07 PM on August 19, 2015


I'm reading it as additional vehicles can pay as they come in.

I certainly hope we get enough rain for the fire ban to be lifted by early October. (He said, tasting burning wood in his mouth from the smoke created by fires 200 miles away.)
posted by hippybear at 1:52 AM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


In my experience, usually a camp host will drive around and clarify if there are any fees left unpaid! Not that it's not a good idea to try to figure it out in advance.

Seconded on the fires- sounds like it's pretty bad this year. I mean, I don't want it to be a rainy weekend for camping, but I also hope the place is not literally on fire by then.
posted by Secretariat at 11:18 AM on August 20, 2015


adamschnider, if you or anybody needs extra camping gear, I have rather a lot I'd be happy to loan out. At least one spare tent, two if we sleep in the van, spare sleeping pads or air mattresses, etc.
posted by hackwolf at 11:04 AM on August 21, 2015


That is a very kind and generous offer, but I now see that the Fresh Ale Hop Festival is the 3rd, and my girlfriend's brother will be coming into town to work the festival for his brewery, so that weekend won't work for me after all. Have a lovely time, everyone.
posted by adamdschneider at 10:48 PM on August 21, 2015


Well.

I just found out that the owner of my house has decided to sell it, and I have to be out by the end of October.

It's hard to judge how these things will go, but it's possible that I could end up moving at the end of September - in which case I'm not sure that I'd be up for going camping that very weekend (or maybe I'd really need it at that point, who knows). I'm not officially backing out yet, this is just a heads-up that I might have to. This news was sudden and I'm still processing it myself. We'll see how it pans out.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:38 AM on August 24, 2015


I'm about to get all grumbly about this kind of thing happening....
posted by hippybear at 12:26 PM on August 25, 2015


Bucky, you ain't the only one! Apart from the (potentially) upset camping plans, this is the second time in my life that I've had a house sold out from under me.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:42 PM on August 25, 2015


Bucky?
posted by janell at 1:18 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]


Most people don't know this, but Buckminster Fuller faked his death, invented a time machine, and joined Metafilter.
posted by cortex at 1:42 PM on August 25, 2015 [2 favorites]


Now we know what purpose the Dymaxion car was really intended for!
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:09 PM on August 25, 2015


I was going to go with "Greg's suggesting a new fursona for me", but now that's been derailed.

I did once party in a geodesic dome house... and I've been in the restaurant in Reunion Tower in Dallas... if those count for anything...
posted by hippybear at 3:30 PM on August 25, 2015


The anecdote I heard was that when Bucky (not me, that other guy) was taken into the revolving restaurant inside Reunion Tower, he spent much of the meal doing actual pen-on-napkin calculations about how fast the restaurant would have to spin to cause the coffee to fly out of the cups and onto the windows.

I wasn't there, so that might be apocryphal.
posted by hippybear at 3:32 PM on August 25, 2015 [1 favorite]


I did once party in a geodesic dome house

I'm surprised such a party wasn't simultaneously (a) noisy as hell, and (b) you could've eavesdropped on a whispered conversation at the opposite acoustic node of the dome. At the same time.

I once practiced on an unamplified electric bass guitar in a geodesic dome; and granted it was in solitary circumstances, but I was able to hear myself remarkably well due to the dome's inherent reflective properties. It was pretty cool...but I don't think I would have wanted to be at a full-bore party in one.

Assuming I'm able to attend this campout (which is looking more possible at the moment, hooray!), if you're brave/foolish enough you can ask me more about this and many other experiences of living on a farm/commune in the wilds of western NC - including cows oh god don't get me started on goddamn cows unless you're ready for a seriously protracted and intensive rant. Seriously.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:15 PM on August 25, 2015


Re: cows - I would happily be Ray in this scenario.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:21 PM on August 25, 2015


It's like I'm watching the trailer for a movie about living on a western NC farm/commune here! How can I not ask ask for the full story around a campfire (or a gas grill, I guess, depending on fire safety rules).
posted by Secretariat at 3:47 PM on August 27, 2015


Minor spoiler alert: no actual bovine slaughter was involved. But I was tempted sometimes.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:22 PM on August 27, 2015


cows and cows and cows
posted by hippybear at 4:22 PM on August 27, 2015


I need to update the spreadsheet (and I will this weekend) , but I have a weber gas grill and a 7-gallon propane tank that will be available for any and all across the weekend.

That's mah back seat raht thar.
posted by hippybear at 4:37 PM on August 27, 2015


I did hog slaughter at my grandfathers hog farm in Amish country of Ohio one year... that left a mark.
posted by hippybear at 4:38 PM on August 27, 2015


that left a mark

Were you not gripping the cleaver tightly enough, and it slipped?
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:57 PM on August 27, 2015


I did hog slaughter at my grandfathers hog farm in Amish country of Ohio one year... that left a mark.

Wait, what?

Jeez, don't check a thread for a couple days and all hell breaks loose. Bucky.
posted by wallabear at 8:06 PM on August 27, 2015


I just added myself as a "maybe" -- that weekend comes right after the busiest week in the year at work, so I don't want to firmly commit in case I'm just too wiped out, but it might be a really good change of scene/pace/everything.
posted by Kat Allison at 5:19 PM on August 30, 2015


Oh Bucky. It's going to be a good camping trip.
posted by Secretariat at 8:07 PM on August 30, 2015


Yeah, IF the nearby Chelan Complex, First Creek, and Wolverine wildfires don't gobble it up.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:10 AM on August 31, 2015


The good news is the prevailing winds and such don't really point to those fires, located mostly north and east of Lake Wenatchee, as advancing on where we plan to go camping.
posted by hippybear at 9:25 AM on September 1, 2015 [1 favorite]


Tent-only (i.e. no electric) site 124 is currently open for that weekend, in case any of the people who are on the "Maybe" roster are still interested (see the "Make reservations here" link in the event notes). There are lots of others as well, but they're further away from the main cluster of MeFi-held sites.
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:55 PM on September 4, 2015


Although I suppose that separation could be considered a Feature rather than a Bug...
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:31 PM on September 4, 2015


And... we're three weeks out from this campout.

Just, ya know.. sayin'
posted by hippybear at 1:54 AM on September 10, 2015


So, still fingers crossed for the fire ban to be lifted, but it's still pretty dry...
posted by hippybear at 1:27 PM on September 13, 2015


This looks like it might be a site to watch for news - last updated Sep. 2.
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:00 PM on September 13, 2015


Current Campfire Restrictions - September 9, 2015:

The ban on campfires in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest will be partially lifted on September 10. ... campers may have campfires in all federally designated wilderness areas in the forest.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:44 AM on September 14, 2015


Woo! Let's burn stuff! Very responsibly!
posted by Secretariat at 12:15 PM on September 14, 2015


I'm just going to leave this here.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:34 AM on September 15, 2015


How is everyone about dogs? Sorry for getting to this late.
posted by corb at 3:38 AM on September 20, 2015


To me, dogs are an unqualified bonus.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 1:04 PM on September 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


I'm pretty neutral about dogs in general; I'm okay with them as long as they're reasonably quiet and well-behaved. In my experience with group camping, there's often easily-accessible food lying around that could be a lot of temptation, so vigilant keepers are a plus. ...But then, I'd say the same about children.

So as far as I'm concerned, neither is unwelcome as long as those responsible for bringing them continue being responsible for them.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:39 PM on September 21, 2015


I'm going to come out for this Friday evening to Saturday afternoon, I think. (I chucked my puck into the sunroof of the Buick SUV at the last Kent T-Birds hockey game last season, so I won free tickets to the season opener Saturday night!)

It's kind of unclear what the camping situation is at this point, it looks like maybe I should reserve another site? 127 is close and available and we might get more stragglers.

I'll take a look at the spreadsheet later tonight and see what I can provide. I'm a pretty good baker and I'm sure I'll bake something, for a start. No kids/pets/significant others, but hopefully my advanced beginner guitar situation will be tolerated.
posted by Kwine at 9:58 AM on September 23, 2015


I just did a quick scan of the spreadsheet and thread. We have three tent sites reserved (125, 126, and either 124 or 128 - Greg's comments are confusing). Each of those three sites is allowed 2 tents and two vehicles.
We look to have seven semi-firm "households" (greg, hackwolf (&al.?), me, hippy&walla, secretariat&cortex, palmcorder_yajna&fam, kwine) and four more slippery folk in the maybe column. I'm going to assume that each of those households = 1 tent + 1 vehicle. I think that even if hackwolf's crew are going to sleep in the van, we are going to need at least one more site to keep under the vehicle limits.

Sites 122, 123, and 127 are all still free and nearby.
posted by janell at 10:53 AM on September 23, 2015


Clarification: I reserved site 124 back in August (I thought 128 was open, but I was looking at the wrong date).
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:15 PM on September 23, 2015


Yeah, I am still firm. My household will be either me (and my car, and my tent) or me, my husband (Sauce Trough) and our tent and car. Should I go ahead and snag one of the remaining sites?
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 2:25 PM on September 23, 2015


I just went ahead and snagged 123.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 3:15 PM on September 23, 2015


Dogs, adding people, adding sites, etc. all sound good to me!
posted by Secretariat at 3:45 PM on September 23, 2015


Thanks for grabbing 123 palmcorder_yajna. I'll plan to split the costs with you/yours or at another existing campsite for now, but I'm happy to sign up for another site if that starts to seem appropriate.
posted by Kwine at 9:51 PM on September 23, 2015


I have a thing I'd like to bring up, regarding Part 1, The Campout That Wasn't Personal. A couple folks lost some dough on the reservations. I said I'd help with that expense. Please let me know what I can do.
posted by wallabear at 10:41 PM on September 26, 2015


I'm inclined to say "bygones" and not worry about it, since it's not like it was anyone's fault. As long as we can split the current costs, I'm fine. But that's just me, I can't speak for anyone else.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:49 PM on September 26, 2015


Thanks, Greg.
posted by wallabear at 11:02 PM on September 26, 2015


Does anyone have some sort of tarp or awning or (non-wind-destroyed) gazebo type thing they can bring? It looks like there's some chance of rain Friday evening/Saturday morning - depending on who you believe (NOAA says 20%, Weather.com and Weather Underground say 50%, Accuweather says "Friday afternoon showers" but otherwise clear). Just in case, it would be nice to have some cover over the cooking area at least.

If nobody has something like that, I can grab a big tarp from Wal-Mart and we can string it up to some trees with paracord.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:24 AM on September 27, 2015


I don't currently have anything, but I was just thinking about how a rain shower could temporarily kill the social aspect of our trip. I might go see if I find something for a reasonable price today, depending on where my travels take me.
posted by Secretariat at 11:44 AM on September 27, 2015


In fact, we have acquired an approximately 10x10 popup canopy thing, which we will bring with.
posted by cortex at 3:24 PM on September 27, 2015


The van has an 8' awning built in; if we put the canopy next to that, that can add some rain-free space, and the van can be turned to block the wind if necessary. Unfortunately, my last EZ-UP canopy pretzeled itself in high winds in eastern Oregon.

Thanks for bringing that up, janelle, and palmcorder_yajna for grabbing the site. Our group (me, Rowan, Rik) can sleep in the van if needed, but it would be nice to have the option of staying in a tent if it's not raining.

Wallabear, I appreciate the offer, but I was an idiot and completely forgot to cancel reservations last time; I won't ask anybody pay for that.
posted by hackwolf at 8:13 PM on September 27, 2015


Oh, yeah, wallabear - I'm also fine from the last time.
posted by janell at 6:29 AM on September 28, 2015


The shelter thing I had was utterly destroyed by freakish winds at the last campout, and I have not repaired it yet.
posted by hippybear at 8:17 PM on September 28, 2015


I have a large-ish tarp (8 X 14 or so? I have no idea) in fine shape. I'll toss it in the car. No rope or anything though, hoping someone has that.
posted by wallabear at 8:33 PM on September 28, 2015


I've got plenty of paracord I can bring.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:27 AM on September 29, 2015


Quick reminder that this is bear country, so plan to keep ALL food and garbage locked in vehicles overnight.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:10 PM on September 29, 2015


Preferably someone else's car.
posted by janell at 2:42 PM on September 29, 2015 [1 favorite]


Now I know why everyone wanted to put their meat in my trunk!!
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:50 PM on September 29, 2015


Just shifting to firm if it's Ok? Sorry it took so long, I had to convince my non mefite husband that this was not a recipe for murder.

I am confused - should I grab a site or just bring money to chip in? We will be two adults, one pre-teen, one German shepherd who is moderately well behaved. I will also have him on a leash. He is also a little shy and mostly wants to just hang out with me anyway.

Also who is short of what equipment? I have a ton of gear. Only some of it olive drab. :)
posted by corb at 9:23 PM on September 30, 2015


Just looked - should I grab 127?
posted by corb at 9:37 PM on September 30, 2015


Yay, glad you could make it, corb! If y'all are in one tent, I count 8 tents right now including you (Greg, janell, hippy&walla, team hackwolf, cortex&secretariat, palmcorder_yajna & family, kwine, you), which would put us right at capacity for the sites we have. My crew can also give up our tent space in favor of the van as an overflow, and if Kwine is leaving Saturday afternoon, that frees up another tent spot for that night. So, I think the short answer is no, unless either my count is off or another maybe converts to a yes.
posted by hackwolf at 10:25 PM on September 30, 2015


Here's a link to the event spreadsheet - other than y'all's personal requirements (such as chairs), if you see anything crucial missing or you want to contribute to a meal, pop it on in there - one more cookstove wouldn't go amiss. I'll corroborate Hackwolf's tent count, but if there's still an open site nearby and you want a little elbow room, do whatever you deem appropriate. Otherwise we'll work out sharing of site costs once we're there.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:18 PM on September 30, 2015


Also, with less than two days left 'til the event we're still 20 short of the number of comments for the previous thread...I can tell you guys' hearts aren't really in it this time. COME ON PEOPLE STEP UP YOUR GAME
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:21 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]


Also also, we hardly ever murder non-Mefites. Unless they're just totally asking for it or something.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:24 PM on September 30, 2015 [1 favorite]


We will be one tent, and probably according to mapreading and my husbands lack of vacation time, we'll be arriving around noon Saturday. Looking forward to seeing you guys and will fill in the spreadsheet!
posted by corb at 5:58 AM on October 1, 2015


I am so bummed to miss this. But I'll be laser tagging for my kid's birthday so I've got that going for me.
posted by vespabelle at 7:10 AM on October 1, 2015


okay where can we get some laser tag equipment on short notice
posted by cortex at 8:07 AM on October 1, 2015 [2 favorites]


We could always rob a laser tag company on the way there. It should be pretty easy - I mean, they're not likely to have any REAL guns to defend themselves with...
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:37 AM on October 1, 2015


There are a lot of companies willing to mail rental laser tag equipment! The notice is pretty short, so this might have to be for the next camping trip.
posted by janell at 10:36 AM on October 1, 2015


Amazon says it's like 20$ to buy a cheap two-gun laser set. Sadly their one day shipping promise is sometimes a lie.
posted by corb at 11:24 AM on October 1, 2015


Also Greg_Ace, I don't think we've even set up a Metafilter bail fund yet, much less funded it, so your plan is probably out. :)
posted by corb at 11:25 AM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]


Hmm, good point. I wonder what I'd be charged with...Grand Laserny, maybe?
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:09 PM on October 1, 2015


You'll be eaten by bears long before you're charged. Sadly they hate puns as much as they love kayaks.
posted by corb at 12:57 PM on October 1, 2015


In that case I'll have to rethink my plans to spend the weekend telling puns in a kayak. Maybe I still can, as long as I make sure to stay out in the middle of the lake while I do it.

Oddly, after some of my previous puns, people have told me to go jump in a lake - maybe they were onto something.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:57 PM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]


I just rented two inflatable kayaks for us to splash around in! I will also have two PFDs. I'm not sure what sizes the life jackets will be yet, so no guarantee if I'll have your size. The kayaks are one-seaters, but I guess it's not a fitted seat, more of a beveled canoe-y situation? I don't know, I've never used an inflatable kayak.
posted by Secretariat at 4:00 PM on October 1, 2015


I appear to have broken some things at work, and packing must take a back seat to fixing that. I'm unsure if I'll be making it up Friday afternoon, if I do it'll likely be late-ish.
posted by hackwolf at 6:03 PM on October 1, 2015


Sorry, that reads ambiguously - if I don't make it up Friday, it'll be Saturday morning.
posted by hackwolf at 6:15 PM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]


I will guarantee all of your safety by staying on land, thus guaranteeing the kayak will not capsize. I promise nothing by way of bear deterrent though.
posted by corb at 6:47 PM on October 1, 2015


AHEM, us bears are like, RIGHT HERE.

We'll be gentlemanly this weekend. We'll put up with terrible puns. No eating non-edibles. No breaking into cars, etc.

This is in no way to be construed as a commitment, and we reserve the right to act like complete animals. Thank you.
posted by wallabear at 6:54 PM on October 1, 2015 [2 favorites]


Correction folks! Just two and the dog. My daughter when offered a sleepover with her cool auntie leapt at the chance rather than be cooped up with boring parents and mom's "Iiiiiiiiiiinternet friends". Her loss!
posted by corb at 7:14 PM on October 1, 2015


Gotta say, the weather is looking perfect. Warm (not Insanely F-ing Hot) days, mildly brisk evenings perfect for campfire and laughter. A bit of moisture won't hurt, looks to be brief.

We're planning to arrive around 3-ish. See y'all tomorrow!
posted by wallabear at 9:52 PM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]


I'm bringing a pack raft, so we'll have a very small inflatable battle group. MetaFleet?

Rowanyote and Rik decided to pass due to circumstances and a busy month, so it'll just be me attending.
posted by hackwolf at 10:06 PM on October 1, 2015 [1 favorite]


I'm a little slower to head out than I planned. Right now I'm shooting for a 4pm arrival this afternoon.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:15 AM on October 2, 2015


Same here, the bears are slow to motivate this AM.
posted by wallabear at 9:45 AM on October 2, 2015


I'm guessing that Sec and I are gonna head out in time to arrive between probably 5 and 6.
posted by cortex at 10:30 AM on October 2, 2015


So I looked at the spreadsheet and now really don't know what to bring, because it says what people are bringing and not what they need. What do folks need/want? I'm heading to REI and then the commissary for food, are we missing things?
posted by corb at 11:43 AM on October 2, 2015


Looking at getting out of Seattle around 5pm, so I'll be there around 7:30. Also, I forgot about the tabouleh and now it's too late to recover. Apologies. I have plenty of other foodish stuff, though.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 4:10 PM on October 2, 2015


I'm here at 124. It's purty, y'all.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:26 PM on October 2, 2015 [1 favorite]


Leaving lynnwood now (stopped at rei for a rain shell...) should be there 7ish
posted by Kwine at 4:49 PM on October 2, 2015


The campground manager has firewood for sale, don't know yet how much is available or what it costs.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:52 PM on October 2, 2015 [1 favorite]


We're looking at a 7 pm-ish arrival now. Corb, I think we're set on equipment (if you haven't already left)- just whatever you guys need/ want, maybe some foods to share, something for BYO meat nijght if you want. The only tool maybe in question is stoves, for parallel cooking processes? I didn't bring one, but at last count there were several.
posted by Secretariat at 5:20 PM on October 2, 2015 [1 favorite]


Plenty of firewood available, but it's not the cheapest - $6 for a rather puny bundle. I figure we'll need at least 4-5 bundles per evening.
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:13 PM on October 2, 2015


Also, just realized I forgot Balderdash and Scrabble. Which is tragic.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 6:15 PM on October 2, 2015


Now stopped for an accident outside Monroe. Good thing my tent's easy to put up in the dark.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 6:57 PM on October 2, 2015 [1 favorite]


For late evening stragglers, we're chilling at 124/126. Lots of food, lots of drink, campfire.
posted by cortex at 9:10 PM on October 2, 2015 [1 favorite]


Got a really late start, so GPS says we'll be there around 2:30. Also the late start means food has gone from fancypants to simple cook stuff. See you guys soon!
posted by corb at 11:17 AM on October 3, 2015


I hope everyone had a safe and easy trip home. Thanks so much to all of you for joining me and making it such a pleasant experience! I'll probably post a thread for the next one in February or March.
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:58 PM on October 4, 2015 [4 favorites]


Home safe and sound. Wonderful weekend, I've returned to my regular life stress free, which means it was a perfect camping trip.
posted by hippybear at 7:15 PM on October 4, 2015 [2 favorites]


We are home! Cortex and I had a great time. It was good to meet/see all of you and I look forward to doing it again.
posted by Secretariat at 7:16 PM on October 4, 2015 [3 favorites]


Winder bar! Which is what my phone wants to say instead of wunderbar. Had a great trip home - a little slow along 2 going back, but we stopped off near Gold Bar and satisfied my antiquing addiction. Still relaxed and husband still agrees we should do this again, so all is well! Also hippybear those cookies helped get me a sugar high for the slow parts of the drive :)

A+++, would meet again ;)
posted by corb at 8:18 PM on October 4, 2015 [3 favorites]


Damn, forgot my password again. Good thing there's a mod handy.

Still curating the photoset, will post ASAP. Thanks so much to you all, this was such a fun weekend! Extra thanks to Greg_Ace for putting / keeping this together. Looking forward to next time!
posted by wallabear at 10:18 PM on October 4, 2015 [2 favorites]


Also home safe and sound. It was amazing! Y'all are such great people!

And Wallabear, I can't wait to see the pictures and such, especially of Wojtek and the steak!
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 12:57 AM on October 5, 2015 [1 favorite]


I had a great time and was sorry to leave so soon. It was lovely to meet you all.
posted by Kwine at 7:55 AM on October 5, 2015 [1 favorite]


That was a bunch of fun, thanks everybody for coming out.
posted by cortex at 7:58 AM on October 5, 2015 [1 favorite]


I added a couple of photos.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:08 AM on October 5, 2015 [1 favorite]


Yay! What a lovely weekend. See you all next year... Newberry Crater? We can all keep an eye for potential spots, and someone needs to write that MeTa post about the need for some regional meetup tools.
posted by janell at 1:09 PM on October 5, 2015 [3 favorites]


Photos are posted, and yes the steak thief pics are great. Who's a good boy? Huh? Not you! (I kid, he's adorable. And hungry.)
posted by wallabear at 8:35 PM on October 5, 2015 [3 favorites]


That was a really nice weekend, it was good to see the folks from last year and meet others in person for the first time. Thanks for being such a lovely and kind bunch; I'm looking forward to the next expedition.
posted by hackwolf at 10:21 PM on October 5, 2015 [2 favorites]


Omg, I love these photos! Yes, especially the steak bigger than Wojtek's head. But also everything else! It reminds me of the whole weekend all over, which was great times. Also looking forward to next time.
posted by corb at 5:30 AM on October 6, 2015 [1 favorite]


Great pictures! Aw, Wojtek. If this doesn't make him love camping, I don't know what will.
posted by Secretariat at 6:20 PM on October 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


Dang it! I need to pay closer attention to when these things happen. I'm sorry I missed it.
posted by bendy at 3:22 PM on October 16, 2015



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