Deming Camping Trip Write Up

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Truckerbizz

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The Plan: Leave Tuesday afternoon and swing by Walmart on the way out to get food. Planned to camp in the mountains north of Lake Whatcom for one quick solo overnight trip. The next morning I would get up and break camp at noon.


Tuesday:

I woke up excited about going on a camping trip, it had been far too long since my last trip and I was getting a little stir crazy. I had just finished my finals and the weather had been amazing the last few days, so I was feeling pretty great. I got up and threw an extra pair of clothes in a bag and grabbed all my gear and headed out the door. I jumped in the truck and headed to Walmart to get some food and to resupply some of my gear. I left Walmart and headed towards the entry point for the trail system I had mapped. I pulled up and there was a locked gate. Bummer. So I took a look at the map and decided I would head to another place I had mapped a long time ago and decided to go for it. It was an extra couple of hours but I had wanted to explore the upper part of these trails for a long time. The lower roads take you to a big gravel pit that everyone goes shooting at. So I head down the familiar dirt roads that head to the gravel pit and when I came to the fork in the road, I took it. The lower roads are graded pretty well and are resurfaced with gravel every once in a while because they are logging roads that are still used, but the upper roads were not as nice. Usually, you can go around 15-20 MPH on the lower roads but once I took the turn onto the old roads that were no longer used my speed came to a quick stop. I was traveling at a brisk 2-10 MPH depending on the surface. The farther I followed the trails the rougher it seemed to get.
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My truck has an LSD in the rear which is so nice to have because for the most part I was in 2wd the whole way but there were a few rocky sections that had been washed out and needed 4wd. I kept crawling oh so slowly up the side of the mountain, taking in the beautiful views. It seemed like every time there was a clearing in the thick bush the view was better and better. My GPS showed I was rounding the last bend, I have never been on a prettier road, I could tell that not many people come up that far and it showed, the wildlife was beautiful and the views were breath-taking.
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Truckerbizz

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The only thing I would redo about my trip is the spot I chose to camp. When I had mapped it out I saw that there were 2 spots I could go; one was by a small lake and the other was on a cliff. I chose the one next to the lake because I thought that would be the better of the two. (I should have chosen the other). I backed in the narrow pull out and pulled up to a beautiful secluded lake with a great single vehicle campsite. However, it seemed as though the people before me had trashed the place. There were beer cans everywhere, shotgun shells littered the ground and fishing line, plastic, and more beer cans were tossed carelessly into the fire ring. That really bugged me, so before I set up camp I grabbed a trash bag and started cleaning up the site. I ended up filling 2 bags full of these other people's trash. After the site was cleaned up I cued the music and started setting up camp. I love the feeling of excitement when you have just conquered a hard section of trail, good music is playing and you’re setting up camp somewhere new. With everything set up I grabbed my shotgun, threw it over my shoulder and headed out to explore on foot.
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My first stop was the second campsite, I have to say, the pictures don’t do it justice. The views were so immense and beautiful that I was getting chills just standing there. I could see for miles and miles and could hear nothing but the birds chirping and the bugs buzzing. I could have sat there for hours just taking in the sites. Reluctantly I got up and continued exploring, at the end of the road there was a small pathway and my curiosity got the best of me, and I am glad it did. I followed the trail for about a mile in and came upon a ridge where I could see both sides. One side I could see Canada and the other side I could see all the way to the bay and even some of the San Juan Islands. The clouds had started to roll in so I decided to turn back around and head back to camp. When I got back to camp I started a fire and cracked open a much-deserved beer. After an hour or so of enjoying my beer, the fire, and the gorgeous view my stomach sounded off and demanded food. I got up and started cooking my tacos. Unfortunately, my local Walmart doesn't have a good food selection so all I had was beef, seasoning, hard shells and hot sauce… But I couldn't complain, I was out being spoiled by the beauty of nature.
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Truckerbizz

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After my delicious tacos, I cracked open my “American Hunter” book and started reading. Next thing I knew it was dark and my fire was almost out. I was so engulfed in my book that I probably wouldn't have noticed a bear if it walked right through my camp. With the fire back roaring away I sat and contemplated how lucky I am to be able to experience nature like this, it is sad that some people will never get to experience or even worse, they don't want to experience it. With my eyes heavy and the fire dying I crawled into my sleeping bag and was fast asleep in minutes dreaming about truck mods.

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The next morning I got a slow start, I was so comfy in my pillow and blanket fortress that I didn't want to get out. I must say, a truck bed tents and air mattress combination is a great way to get a good nights sleep while camping. I finally emerged from my cave and made myself some coffee. I enjoyed my view of the lake one last time and started to break camp. Within an hour I was all packed up and ready to get back on the trail. I slowly rolled my way down the trail, taking in the views one last time. And with that, I was back on pavement.

The feeling of driving on smooth pavement after being on such rough roads for so long is oddly satisfying, I guess I should probably invest in an air compressor so I can air down and not be at street pressure the whole way… Driving back through the farms and ranches I thought about how even with just an overnight trip when you come back you feel like you have been gone for weeks. I pulled onto my street and turned off the truck. Another successful trip with amazing stories to tell, this is what I love about overlanding.
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Heres the link to the video!
 
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Bob

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Very nice trip report. I love the Pacific Northwest. I am going to try to head up that way later this year.
 
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expeditionnorth

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excellent read, the amazing photos & video
there is nothing in this report not to adore
makes me miss the PNW
I lived in Spanaway for 9 yrs...
given the area you visited that had to be Mt Baker?
we used to explore Mt St Helens all the time
was there before & after the implosion
 

Truckerbizz

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excellent read, the amazing photos & video
there is nothing in this report not to adore
makes me miss the PNW
I lived in Spanaway for 9 yrs...
given the area you visited that had to be Mt Baker?
we used to explore Mt St Helens all the time
was there before & after the implosion
Thank you so much for the kind words! I have always had a passion for writing and I figure since most people make videos I would try something different and write about my trips in addition to a video. I like living here but I am excited to move back to CA next year. My fiancee is from Tacoma, so I know exactly where you're talking about! Yes, this is the Mt. Baker area, I'll attach a picture of where it is on the map.
 

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Winterpeg

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Great write-up!

Yes, airing down makes things way more comfy offroad.... not to mention more grip and easier on the tires!

:sunglasses:
 

RyanC

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You really make me want to get out for an overnight trip. I just don't know of any place in SE Michigan to do that except busy camp grounds
 

20DYNAMITE07

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Great write up! Oh, and thanks for taking the time to clean up! That kind of crap ticks me off beyond words.

When my family and I break camp, we all do a sweep for trash - the kids get "bonus points" for finding trash after we've picked up all of ours :grinning:
 

Truckerbizz

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You really make me want to get out for an overnight trip. I just don't know of any place in SE Michigan to do that except busy camp grounds
Between being a full time student and working 35+ hours a week I take advantage of any time my schedule allows me to leave for a night. Its a great way to quickly recharge and make life manageable.

Great write up! Oh, and thanks for taking the time to clean up! That kind of crap ticks me off beyond words.

When my family and I break camp, we all do a sweep for trash - the kids get "bonus points" for finding trash after we've picked up all of ours :grinning:
Yea it is definitely a pet-peeve of mine! I actually just took my buddy camping for the first time in his life and as soon as we got there I was like "for every 5 pieces of trash you pick up Ill give you a beer" needless to say that campsite was cleaned up faster than I could unpack the cooler.
 
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