02-22JUL22 - Sultan, WA (camping near mt rainier)

Not much done at start of month, but Thursday AM, 07JUL, up & scrambling to finish getting RV ready for today’s departure, but finally down to local gas station for diesel & on our way.  Purpose of trip is to meet up with daughter Rebecca & grandsons Jaxson & Mason for weekend camping southeast of Mt Rainier National Park.  Son-in-law Raymond has national guard duty.  Everyone’s schedule for camping don’t match perfectly so Rebecca & boys show-up Friday evening & because of medical appointments, we will leave Sunday; Oh Well!

Rebecca wanted to tent camp in the National Forest, but we opted for older/tired RV park in Randle, WA (Rebecca eventually decided to pitch their tent right behind our RV in the RV park).  Beautiful drive on state roads 123 & 410 over Cayuse Pass.  Not sure anyone will remember but we have been on this side of Rainier National Park twice before (see BLOG links below).  In 2010 we were here by ourselves & camped in Parkland while visiting the Ohanapecosh, Paradise, & Longmire Visitor centers.  Second visit was much shorter in 2011 when our daughter Rebecca & our son Joseph visited us.

The Ryan RV Express: 15-17JUN10 - Ashford, WA (mt rainier national park)

The Ryan RV Express: 09-15JUL11 - Various, WA (vacation time w/the kids)

Friday AM we first went to the Ohanapecosh Visit Center to get national park info for Rebecca’s arrival (hopefully early this evening).  Then we went to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest Ranger Station in Randle, WA & no one was there.  Interestedly because of covid the Ranger Station only has walk-up window service.  Next stop was the 2022 Lavender Celebration run by a local Cowlitz Falls Lavender Company outside of Randle.  Then a so/so lunch at Blue Stone Café before heading back to RV.

Mount Rainier National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

Gifford Pinchot National Forest - Home (usda.gov)

Events | Cowlitz Falls (cowlitzfallslavender.com)

Sometime after dinner Rebecca & boys show-up.  Rest of evening spent unpacking her car, setting up their tent, and letting boys burn off some energy after 2-1/2 hours in the car.

Saturday AM off to the Windy Bluff Observation area in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to view the area damaged by 1980 Mt Helens Blast.  Beautiful drive on Forest Roads 25 & 99,  then Dan, Rebecca & boys hike up to the observation point; and have a great NW view of St Helens & Spirit Lake (lake still has large amount of logs from the blast).

Back to Randle for great burger lunch at Huff & Puff; then back to campground for well deserved rest.  Check out campground pool (small pool, too many people, no supervision - can you say chaos?)  Then small dinner, followed by family fire & smores; and finally to bed!

Sunday AM Dan, Rebecca & boys head out; while Corrie takes a break to rest & get RV ready for this afternoon departure.  First stop is Mount Rainier National Park, Ohanapecosh Visitor Center, so Rebecca can renew her free annual national park pass based on husband Raymond’s National Guard service.  We were going park here and hike one of the easier trials; first still no parking for day use and park passes sold at the entrance gates not visitor centers.  Ranger recommends going up main rode couple of miles to the Stevens Canyon entrance gate to get pass & use the “day use” parking there.  Great advise!

After getting Rebecca’s new pass we hiked the Silver Falls trial; great hike & excellent views.  As we returned to car we saw seven or so young men with high performance kayaks.  We guess they were going to shoot the falls, but it was obvious that were taking their time to walk the falls & scoping out the rushing water; we decided not to wait.

At the car it was obvious that further hiking was low on the what to do next list.  So we decided to drive up to Cayuse Pass so the boys could play in the snow.  As we were deciding what next, Dan mention that Chinook Pass was close by & 800 feet higher & and the boys were all for higher!  Good decision because remaining snow field much bigger and GREAT views of Mt Rainier in full sun & almost no clouds.  Then back to the RV/tent, to break camp and three hour drive home.

Other than that, not much done during the rest of July but getting RV ready for another outing at end of month.  But on Thursday, 14JUL, we had a lite dinner & visit at neighbors Hans & Martha Dankers who we really haven’t seen since covid started.  On 16JUL we drove to a soccer tournament that grandson Mason was playing in.  Saturday, 23JUL, back on the road again in the RV😊

01JUN-01JUL22 - Sultan, WA (volunteer work in okanogan)

Wednesday first day of June; due to unbelievable rain last month, May ended being the second largest rain for that month ever.  Let’s hope June is better; but remember its not June, its called Junuary by Seattleites😊   Weather starts great but heavy rain storms by late afternoon,

Friday AM, 10JUN, Dan helps at food bank while Corrie has medical; Dan heads home & we pack truck for visiting Rebecca, Raymond & grandsons for weekend.  Unfortunately ferry system only running one boat (vs two) on Edmonds/Kinston ferry route; two hour trip takes four hours☹  After everyone gets to house, Raymond & Mason go to jui-jitsu practice, Rebecca, Jaxson & us head to Jaxson’s B-ball training (something he just started).  Dinner is various take-outs eaten in the car (or cold at the house); a very hectic day😊

Saturday early AM we head to Starfire Soccer Complex for a two day soccer tournament for Jaxson’s team; one game at 0930 and one at1530.  Starfire is presently the Seattle Sounders training complex & Jaxson’s soccer team was warming-up for second game when the pros came out to catch their bus & took photos & signed autographs😊!  Unfortunately no parents around to get photos to share.  After a very long day we all head back to the house, dinner and watching more episodes of Disney’s Obi Wan Kenobi.

Starfire Sports – Indoor/Outdoor Soccer – Seattle, Renton, Kent

Sunday AM, up earlier than yesterday & on the road to Starfire for Jaxson’s third tournament soccer game.  Rain hits right at end of game & we jump in truck to head home to Sultan.

Saturday, 18JUN, not much done, Dan takes junk metal to recycling; after dinner Rebecca, Raymond, & grandsons show-up for fathers’ day; watch jiu jitsu match on roku & then cribbage.  Sunday AM (father’s day) off to Denny’s, even with staff shortages & large crowd, they still handle all the customers.  Back at the house Rebecca dyes the boys hair bright colors as is their ”tradition for the summer.  Then Rebecca & Raymond leave kids with us & head home; that night family fire with smores.  Monday AM Dan goes to food bank with grandkids then home; put up the pool; then mows.

Tuesday, 21JUN, wake up to great sun/weather finish filling pool & boys are instantly in it even though water temp is 56 degrees.  Jaxson has idea for invention/experiment & it works great!  Jaxson’s idea/invention is to take 5 gallon bucket, run a hose into it, he holds bucket on head & walks around pool looking at bottom & not running out of air!  Worked pretty good as long as he didn’t tilt his head😊

Dan finishes hooking-up solar pool water heating panel only to have pool pump circuit breaker fail & become non-operable; off to wally mart for only pool pump in town.  Then dan spends hours mowing grass that has become overgrown in just four days.  After dinner has zoom meeting about United Methodist Volunteers rebuilding homes in Okanogan, WA, next week.

Wednesday, 22JUN, wake up to more rain☹  So after lunch Dan & boys head to the Snohomish Aquatic Center, last visited JAN2020.  Once again great time & lots of energy burned off by the boys; As the center website says:

“This facility has everything aquatic under one roof - swim lessons, surfing, diving, water play, recreational swim, competitive swim and water fitness classes.  The Snohomish Aquatic Center is a 52,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility owned and operated by the Snohomish School District.  It includes a competition pool, a dive area, wibit floating play structure, recreation pool, hot tub, spray-play area, zero-entry area, surf-simulation machine (FlowRider), lazy river, and the Splashtacular waterslide.”

The Ryan RV Express: 01-31JAN20 - Sultan, WA

Thursday Dan runs errands in the AM; then grabs grandkids & gets them to Edmonds ferry to rejoin their dad, Raymond, in Kingston; then back home & quick time volunteering at Sultan Food Bank.

Sunday AM, 26JUN, Dan finishes loading RV for one week volunteer house building in Okanogan, WA.  This will be continuation of projects started by many volunteer groups several years ago to help rebuilding the rural/farm homes in Okanogan County destroyed by wild fires in 2014, 2015 and again in 2020!  Support is provided by the community, but is no frills (cots in Methodist Church, potluck dinners, car pooling to job site, etc; Dan was invited to join the volunteer effort by his old Habitat for Humanity friends, but Dan decided to provide his own lodging in the RV.  Great four hour drive eastward on US2 to Wenatchee & then north on US97 to Okanogan and set up camp at the Okanogan County Fairgrounds.

That evening meet up with rest of group at Methodist Church; group is made up of (Dan#1, Dan#2, Mary & Bret from the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) out of Sedro Wooley, WA, and old Habitat buddies (Jan, Dennis, Bill, & Dan who is now Dan#3).  Dinner that night at Rancho Chico, Omak, WA.

Monday AM, 27JUN, meet up at house being built for family who lost everything in 2020 fire (3 Dan’s and a Jan on the job).  Long day in high 80s heat; deal with minor complications caused by on again/off again visits by volunteer workers & not having full set of tools on site or stored in secure storage back in Okanogan;.  Results in trying to remember where are the “parts” (say for plumbing fixtures) are; or did anyone bring a two foot level or 3 foot step ladder, how about three inch decking screws, etc (nearest major hardware store is 45 minutes away).

Tuesday early AM back to house/jobsite and ten hour day working on kitchen countertop install.  Cooler temps than yesterday but still hot.  Dinner with group in Methodist church basement.  Wednesday another ten hour day but earlier group dinner at the church.  Dan continues work on kitchen countertop; laying plastic sheeting in crawl space; installing hot water tank, etc; future home owner, Chrissie, comes by to thank us for work😊

Thursday (last day of June) another early day at Chrissie house.  But early afternoon four of us move over to Todd’s house right down the road.  Apparently, several houses being built throughout Okanogan County by various volunteer groups.  Back to church for group dinner.

First day of July AM, work crew split into groups to work on three different houses, off to Todd house for Dan.  End of work day all three crews recombine at the church for final potluck dinner of baked salmon, baked potatoes with all the fix-ins’, and fresh asparagus👍; Dan says his goodbyes before departing for last night in the RV & hitting the road tomorrow AM.