I went of a day hike today at Sunbanks Lake. It was an amazing experience. The hike to the lake was one of the hardest I’ve ever done. Thank God we each had wood hiking sticks and fully-stocked hiking daypacks with us.

When we got to the top, it was even better knowing that we had everything we needed to spend all day swimming and eating delicious food. Sunbanks Lake looked like an ad for alpine water. We even thought about drinking some and then chickened out at the last minute, probably for the best.

The best purchase that I have made to improve my camping experience is definitely the portable shower.  It light and compact and makes for an exhilarating experience when you are out in the woods.  I just couldn’t stand that really grimy feeling of being someplace and not able to rinse off.

And if you have been camping in Washington without any clear water around you, you can certainly understand what I mean.  There is always a better way of doing something you have been doing for a long time, and this is one of those things that will be a part of any camping pack that I take with me out into the woods.