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The Pacific Northwest Tour – Week 6

The Pacific Northwest Tour – Week 6

Written by

Val Weston

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Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

It’s now been six weeks on the road in the Pacific Northwest tour and we’ve finally made it to Canada… and started moving back eastward.

What I’ve been up to…

After a little longer in Washington than originally planned, we started easing back eastward.
After a little longer in Washington than originally planned, we started easing back eastward.
  • 1 day exploring Seattle: We did a big day in the city and visited the Great Wheel, the Space Needle, the REI flagship store, the Pike Place Market… and the all-important Groundspeak Headquarters. What geocacher could resist?
  • 2 low-key days at Deception Pass: We ramped down for a bit to offset the pace we’d been keeping. We explored the park, got Blubaru a much-needed oil change, and took some down-time around camp.
  • 1 day to move to Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest: It took us the entire day to pack up and move camp only a couple of hours away but it was worth it for a fantastic campsite along Nooksack Creek.
  • 1 day exploring Artist Point: We had the amazing pleasure of spending the day with Lee (AKA @onewhohikes) and Mike of Mike Off the Map.
  • 2 days drive to Banff: We exited Washington after 10 days and finally headed into Canada. We overnighted in Revelstoke then geocached our way to Banff… which is a really good way to take a long time to get somewhere, by the way.

By the numbers…

  • Total Days on the Road: 7 (42 total)
  • Miles this Week: 915 (6,420 total)
  • States this Week: 1 (WA) for 14 total
  • Canadian Provinces: 2 (British Columbia, Alberta) for 2 total
  • National Parks & Lands visited this week: 4 (Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Glacier National Park, Yoho National Park, Banff National Park)
  • State Parks visited: 1 (Deception Pass, WA)
  • Instagrams: 19 (134 total)
  • Time Zone Changes: 1 (6 total)
  • Nights in Hotel: 1 (12 total)
  • Nights Camping: 6 (30 total)
  • Geocaches: 11 (33 total)
  • Oil Changes: 1 (2 total)
  • Continental Divide crossings: 1 (4 total)

Highlights in Instagrams…

Our first stop in the Seattle area was Groundspeak to log the official HQ geocache.
I’m notorious for visiting REI stores around the country to keep these expeditions on track. And how could we not visit the flagship store in Seattle?
We did one big day in Seattle trying to take in the sights. That meant indulging in local icons like the Space Needle and the Great Wheel.
There’s a reason Deception Pass is a popular destination… The view from Rosario Head was my favorite.
The training runs out of the nearby air base were distractingly loud at times but this place is more than worth a little aircraft noise.
We had a good laugh over this at Deception Pass State Park… probably fine if you’re a local.
I got a great final taste of Washington at Artist Point courtesy of Mike Off the Map and One Who Hikes.
Mike and Lee got along quite well with Fred and George… Good? Scary? Haven’t decided yet.
After a full week of camping, we stopped in Revelstoke for the night. It was a very fortunate decision. Best mattress I’ve ever slept on…
Getting camp set up at Banff proved to be a wet one.

Don’t forget to follow along on your favorite social media outlet…

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Flickr | G+

And now for your moment of green…

This Florida native is quite unaccustomed to snow in general but this much snow still sitting around in June is very foreign.

So far…

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