If you’re an owner of the Alucab Canopy Camper, you might have encountered an issue with the factory-installed rear door strap.

The bracket attached to the camper tends to flex under windy conditions or when the door swings open quickly, risking potential breakage.

In this YouTube short video, I present the solution to this problem. I purchased and reviewed the Camper Door Strap Kit from 813 Fabrication & Design. This kit relocates the door strap to the door frame, providing a sturdier and adjustable setup for the rear door.

Take advantage of this excellent addition to enhance the stability of your Alucab Canopy Camper!

Product Link: https://www.813fabrication.com/product-page/alu-cab-rear-door-strap-kit

Are you an outdoor enthusiast who loves to explore off the beaten path? Then you know the importance of keeping your gear and living space safe from dust and water. In my recent YouTube short video, I explained my process of dust/water sealing the bed of my Jeep Gladiator and the Alucab Canopy Camper, ensuring a hassle-free adventure experience.

One of the primary reasons I chose an Alucab Canopy Camper was the ability to seal the camper from dust and water. This isn’t easy to do with a canopy that retains the tailgate.

Following these simple steps, you can protect your Jeep Gladiator and Alucab Canopy Camper from the elements and keep your gear dry and safe.

Here are some of the benefits of dust/water sealing your Jeep Gladiator and Alucab Canopy Camper:

• Protection from dust and water
• Increased longevity of your vehicle and gear
• Peace of mind knowing that your equipment is protected.

If you plan on using your Jeep Gladiator for off-road or camping adventures, dust/water sealing is a great way to protect your vehicle and gear.

After retiring my 80-series Toyota  Land Cruiser and Jeep JLU Wrangler, I’m introducing my new vehicle for my Pacific Northwest adventures.

One of my favorite regions in Washington state is the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Once the snow melts in late spring, I make several trips to the area throughout the summer and fall. 

Growing up, we would spend many days camping in the area. Besides summer visits, my dad and his buddies set up a 6-week hunting camp in various locations yearly. I would visit hunting camp on the weekends (plus a few missed school days). 

These times in the woods were when I learned a lot about the outdoors. Such memories make this area special to me.

My recent opportunities to explore this region have been day trips between my 24-hours shifts at the fire department where I work. My work schedule prevents me from making an early start, meaning I arrive late in the morning at the areas I visit.

After fueling up in Randle, Washington, I set off to the forest lands south of Highway 12 along Forest Road 25. Along the way, passing places with memories of past trips: Huffaker Mountain, Woods Creek, and Kraus Ridge, to name a few.

Without a specific destination, I drove across the Cispus River and up Ryan Lake Road (Forest Road 26).

After leaving FR25 and the Cispus River Valley, Ryan Lake Road starts its climb. Paved most of the way, the forest road has gravel and sunken sections. Once the road rounds the end of a ridge, it follows the Quartz Creek drainage, passing through clear cuts at various stages of growth. 

Quartz Creek Waterfalls

When Ryan Lake Road crossed Quartz Creek, I stopped to look for photo compositions. I realized there was a small waterfall upstream.

After bushwhacking a short distance, I was at the base of a small waterfall. It surprised me at the volume of water still flowing on this early September day.

Green River Valley

I quickly drove up the Green River Valley on Forest Road 2612 to the road’s end. Since it was Labor Day Weekend, all the parking for the area’s trailheads was full. There are multiple trails and mines to explore in this area.

Driving further up Ryan Lake Road, I found a great view encompassing much of the Green River Valley, including Goat Mountain.

Meta Lake

After I photographed the Green River Valley, it was a short drive over Norway Pass, where I found a vantage point overlooking Meta Lake.

Meta Lake was inside the blast zone during the 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption. At Meta Lake, protected by the terrain and buried under 8 feet of snow, small flora and fauna survived the eruption. In the forty-plus years since the blast, the forest is growing back. A few silver snags that survived the initial blast are still standing.

Mt. St. Helens

After Meta Lake, Ryan Lake Road ends at Forest Road 99. FR99 is the road that leads to the Windy Ridge Interpretive Site on the flanks of Mt. St. Helens at 4000 feet in elevation.

Like Ryan Lake Road, FR99 has sections of gravel and some severe dips where the pavement sunk.

On this trip, I skipped the various interpretive sites and scenic views along the route and drove straight to the end of the road to see Mt. St. Helens.

Spirit Lake

After I shot the photo of Mt. St. Helens, it was only steps away from the viewpoint of Spirit Lake. Before the 1980 eruption, Spirit Lake was a pristine forested lake with amazing views of the cone-shaped Mt. St. Helens.

In this photograph, you see a section of Spirit Lake and the pumice plains, where a lahar of mud and melted snow slept down and filled the valley after the initial high heat blast. One can still see trees taken out during the eruption along the banks and floating on the lake’s surface.

Smith Creek Valley

I wanted to explore another area before dark. As I was making my way to the next destination, I had to make one more stop for a photo when I saw this view of Oregon’s Mt. Hood overlooking the Smith Creek Valley.

By this time, I was getting Hungary and made a quick stop to cook up a steak on my camp stove.

Elk Pass

Since I had limited daylight left in the day, I limited my stops along FR99 on my way back to FR25. I wanted to explore the area near Elk Pass.

Heading south on FR25, I turned onto FR2551. When I started using digital mapping, I discovered it’s also known as the Snyder Pasture Road.

FR2251 has deep meaning in my memories. It was an area where my dad would often camp in his later years. He loved this area so much that he requested his ashes spread here. I can’t confirm or deny that it ever happened.

It has been a while since I’ve been in the area. With a limited amount of daylight left, I set off down the road.

I drove to the end of the road. There were other areas to explore; however, I was losing daylight fast. It’s another reason to camp in the area.

It was dark when I got back to FR25. I would have loved to spend the night in the area if I weren’t working the following day. 

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a perennial favorite of mine. There are still remote and wild areas to see, plus it’s far enough away from the major population areas of Seattle and Portland that its distance deters visitation. It’s a region where I could spend weeks exploring.

You can the original post plus the fine art black and white landscape photographs I created from that day on my photo blog at https://www.stevebisig.com/an-afternoon-exploring-the-gifford-pinchot-near-mt-st-helens-washington-2022/

It’s inevitable. If you spend any time outdoors, you will, at some point, have no choice but to go number two.

Releasing your bowls outside has been a regular part of human history throughout the ages, a skill lost only in the recent generations of western civilizations.

We’ve all seen (or nearly stepped in) the fecal messes left by inconsiderate people. Not only is it distasteful, but it also has the potential to spread bacteria/viruses and contaminate water sources.

In this video (via Outside), Wes Siler takes us through the proper etiquette steps when nature calls.

The video outlines the basic rules of pooping outside, the recommended tools, convenience tips, and choosing the best location. Also included are tips when pooping in high mountain and beach environments, and last, what to do when you’re outdoors and unprepared.

After viewing the video, you may want to assemble a personal outdoor poop kit. I’m planning on making a lightweight version for my pack and one for my vehicle (which I can also use for restocking my lightweight bag).

Recommended Outdoor Poop Kit:

• Trowel
• Toilet paper
• Baby wipes
• 1-gallon resealable plastic bag
• Hand sanitizer

With the number of people enjoying the outdoors, we all need to do our part to leave minimal traces of our presence in the outdoors.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

There are a lot of videos on YouTube demonstrating the use of the ax. With possibly a few exceptions, most people do not use an ax day in and day out in the course of their work. Even though it’s still an essential skill in the woods, with the increased productivity of using power saws, the use of the ax has diminished over the past 50 years.

It’s easy to tell those with a lot of experience swinging an ax. You will observe smooth, effortless swings with precise placement and technique.

“The Creed of a Good Axman: Every blow counts; Every blow directed to the exact spot; No swing wasted and no lost motion.” 

The Axman Movie

The following video titled “The Axman” (posted by YouTube by  Jim Thode in 2015) is an excellent educational video from the ’50s or early ’60s that covers the basics on ax usage. The men demonstrating the ax techniques make falling a tree almost effortless.

The key points presented in the video include the following:

• How to hold and swing an ax.
• Selecting and inspecting an ax.
• Chopping patterns in standing timber; sectioning logs; splitting wood and kindling; limbing trees.
• Ax safety.
• Blade maintenance

Never will I use an ax daily nor achieve the skills demonstrated in the video, but this is an excellent example to strive for.

Initially, the family was only going to make a day trip to Oak Harbor, Washington, to visit friends for the day. However, since the forecast was for nice weather over the weekend, I suggested that we stay overnight in a hotel, take the Keystone-Port Townsend ferry over to the Olympic Peninsula the next morning, and do some sightseeing. I suggested Cape Flattery as one possible destination.

Saturday morning, we made it out the door and headed North on I-5. The closer we got to Seattle, you could easily tell that there was a University of Washington Huskies football game in town by the school colors on nearly 1 out of 5 vehicles on the freeway.

Once we reached Burlington, Washington, we headed west on Highway 20. Along the way, Padilla Bay and Fidalgo Bay views are visible from the highway. It was low tide when we passed, so the mud flats were visible.

Our first stop along the way was at the Deception Pass bridge. After a few pictures and a quick peek at the water below, my wife elected to stay with the Toyota FJ80 Land Cruiser. At the same time, my daughter and I ventured out across the bridge for better photo opportunities.

In addition to the normal traffic over the bridge, there was an organized bike tour on Whidbey Island, which meant much more congestion.

To experience the views from the Deception Pass bridge, one must stop, get out of the car, and walk. You miss so much by simply driving across. The views are fantastic. We were even able to spot a seal in the water below.

Once back to the car, we headed into Oak Harbor for lunch and then to our friend’s house just outside of town. After a short visit, we headed to North Beach at Deception Pass State Park.

After some photos of the kids playing on the beach, I headed out with the camera and tripod for additional photos of the shoreline. I ended up walking the shoreline from the beach, around the point to the beach just below the Deception Pass Bridge. Great photo opportunities all around. I could have easily spent hours taking photos of the diverse shoreline.

After spending a few hours at the park, it was time for dinner and then back to the motel so the kids could swim in the pool.

The next morning, we headed out to catch the 8:45 Keystone – Port Townsend ferry. I forgot to set the alarm, so we had to rush a little. Luckily we made it with about ten minutes to spare, and the ferry wasn’t full.

We were fortunate that the weather was sunny and the water was relatively calm, though cool. This ferry ride was the first for my wife and daughter. After about a 30-minute ferry ride, we arrived in Port Townsend, Washington.

Once in Port Townsend, we parked the Land Cruiser and searched for a coffee shop downtown. After a coffee and a quick bite to eat, we strolled through the downtown area before heading out. Because of the time of day on a Sunday, most of the downtown businesses were closed.

From Port Townsend, we headed south on Highway 20 to US 101. Along the way, we had great views of Discovery Bay. Once on US 101, we headed west through Sequim and Port Angeles. We stopped in Port Angeles for fuel and lunch.

After lunch, we continued west on US 101 until we reached Lake Crescent in the Olympic National Park. US 101 follows the south shore of Lake Crescent and offers great views of the lake. Of course, we stopped along the way to take photos.

From Lake Crescent, we continued on US 101 through the Sol Duc River Valley. I pointed out the Kloshe Nanitch Lookout high above the valley floor.

When we reached Highway 113, we headed north towards the Straight of Juan de Fuca, where the road intersects SR 112, where we headed west. From this junction, SR 112 also leads east just outside Port Angeles. Once we reach Clallam Bay and Sekiu, SR 112 follows the shoreline of the Straight of Juan de Fuca. This stretch of highway is another must do scenic drive.

At the entrance of the Makah Indian Reservation, there was a tribal police checkpoint that was inquiring about our destination. Later we found out that some members of the Makah nation killed a whale the day before (that explains the TV news vans we saw later in the day). We made our way through Neah Bay, Washington, and followed the sign to Cape Flattery.

The road to Cape Flattery was in the process of getting paved. All except the last three miles was fresh pavement. The gravel sections were in excellent condition and will soon receive asphalt.

From the trailhead parking area, it’s about a 3/4 mile hike down to Cape Flattery. The trail is an easy hike through the forest, with many sections on wooden boardwalks over the more damp areas.

Once you reach Cape Flattery, there are great views of the Pacific Ocean, the Straight of Juan de Fuca, Vancouver Island, and the Cape Flattery Lighthouse on Tatoosh Island. Again, we had great weather.

By the time we completed the hike down to Cape Flattery, it was already mid-afternoon, which didn’t leave much time to do more sightseeing, so we had to start heading home.

The Olympic Peninsula has a diverse ecosystem, including ocean shorelines, river valleys, lakes, and rain forests to the alpine areas of the Olympic Mountains. There is so much to see on the Olympic Peninsula that it would probably take a good week to visit all the places you can visit by car. I guess another trip will have to be planned to explore more.

You can view all of the photos of this trip at Deception Pass to Cape Flattery Photos.

Since I had to work Labor Day weekend, my wife, daughter and the family dog made a quick overnight trip to visit my 83 year old grandmother in Kelso, Washington. In the past, she had mentioned that she had wanted to drive up the Rose Valley Road and the Coweeman River out of Kelso to see the area she grew up in, but no one has offered to take her for the 20 mile drive from her house. Once I mentioned the idea, she was quick to say yes.

My Grandmother was one of two people who exposed me to road trips to me at an early age (the other was my Father). I guess I never got it out of my blood.

When I was very young, we traveled all over the western United States and Canada – with my Grandmother driving, my Great Grandmother in the back seat and with me riding shotgun and following along with a map.

We always made a large loop ending in Kamiah, Idaho to visit my great-grandmother’s brother Uncle Joe. Highlights I remember include several trips to Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Lake Louise in Alberta, Virginia City in Nevada, the real Ponderosa Ranch, Wildlife Safari on Oregon and many other places.

Now back to the Coweeman River story. My Grandmother grew up on a farm along the Coweeman River off the Rose Valley Road. As far as I knew, they had the last house up the river. While I was in elementary school, I was able to spend what seemed to be the summer (it was probably much less time that that) at was known as “Grandma Kathy’s house” (my great-grandmother mentioned above). That was the experience that I’ll never forget. For most of her life, my Great Grandma lived what is now called “off-the-grid”. There was electricity. No propane. No running water (unless you count the water gravity fed through a pipe from a waterfall from the creek on the property into the back yard). Kerosene lamps provided light at night. Food was cooked on a wood cook stove/oven. Heat was provided from a separate wood stove. If you were cold, you either put more clothing on or you made a fire. No TV. Only a radio powered radio. I could go on and on but I’ll have to save that for another time.

To get to the Rose Valley Road, you travel south on I-5 from Kelso. You take the Carrols exit and follow the old highway (formally Highway 99) until you reach the Rose Valley Rd. The lower Rose Valley Rd. is a nice drive past old farms and like in most areas, some newer homes. No major sub-divisions yet. All along the way, my grandmother was amazed about all the new houses that have been built in past twelve years since she last traveled the road. She pointed out the homes of people she knew growing up and places she would go (swimming holes, community dances, etc).

Once the road crossed the Coweeman River, the road narrows down to a paved single lane road with turn outs. Here the road follows the river rather closely. Eventually the road comes to a group of homes known as Elk Meadows. There a few permanent residents as well as a few vacation homes and RV lots. A few of the full-time homes are rather nice, considering that there is no utilities (truly living off-the-grid). Even with the lack of electricity, most homes had satellite dishes. Some had solar panels, one had a small windmill for power. Most all of them had propane.

The road eventually climbs up and over a bluff (with a steep drop off into the river below). When I was really little, the road was gravel and I would cry every time I passed through this section of road (good thing I got over that). Today, it doesn’t seem that bad at all. There are a couple of old mine shafts visible into the rock face from earlier mining attempts.

We finally reached where where my Grandma Kathy lived. It had been 30 years since I last seen the property. Even though the area where the house stood was a little overgrown, I could still see the pasture that was behind here home. The creek that ran through the property looked the same as when I was younger.

We drove up the road past the old place. My grandmother pointed out where an old ranger station was located. She lived in a house next to ranger station for a while with my Grandfather while he staffed a nearby fire lookout.

She pointed out where one of two CCC camps was located along the Coweeman River.

At about 16 miles from old 99, the road enters into Weyerhaeuser lands and turns to gravel. The gate was open, but we turned around. If one was able to continue (during hunting season?), you could follow the river up to Coweeman Lake and also visit the Elk Mountain lookout site (my great grandfather used to staff the lookout and it would take all day to pack in and out with a horse from the house on the Coweeman).

Just inside the gate was the location of the old dam. My grandmother said that they would back up the water and fill it full of logs. When filled, they would release the floodgates and allow the logs to flow downstream to mills in Longview or Kelso below. Through all the years, my great grandmother only lost one cow to this.

A little further down was the site of old waterfalls on the Coweeman River. A fish ladder was constructed at the site (which is still visible today). At some point in the past, the falls were blasted out to make passage easier.

After a few stops, we made out way back to my Grandmothers place. At 83 years of age, it’s been a while since I had seen her so excited. She can still drive fine, but she doesn’t venture too far from around the Kelso-Longview area unless she has to. I was glad I was able to give back a little of one of the many gifts that she instilled in me.

Overall, its a nice drive up the Rose Valley road. The views are primarily from the valley floor of the surrounding hills and forest as well as the river. It was more of a sentimental back road trip for me and especially for my Grandmother.

You can view more photos of this trip at Coweeman River Photos.

Over four days, I completed a 671 mile adventure (not counting the additional 465 miles to get to the starting point and back home again) following an overland route through the Cascade Mountains of Washington state, stretching from the Columbia River near Carson, Washington to Chopaka at the border crossing with British Columbia. From my records, about 63% of the overland route was on forest roads.

Over these four days, my Toyota FJ80 Land Cruiser was driven hard, physically traveling roughly the same mileage that it would take to get to Los Angeles from Seattle via I-5 without leaving Washington state (is this what is considered “severe service” by the manufacturer?). Near the British Columbia border, the odometer on my LandCruiser also achieved the 190,000 mark.

Through all the abuse I dished out to my 80-series Land Cruiser (all these forest roads were not nice graded roads), the only mechanical failure I had was a broken catalytic converter support bracket (once I had climbed up the Bethel Ridge road I noticed a new knocking sound that was terrain specific). The only physical damage occurred while driving the FS-1701 on Manastash Ridge when I heard something hit (stick, rock ?) underneath the body. I stopped and could not locate any damage, so I continued. It wasn’t until I was at home, under the vehicle doing maintenance, that I noticed a dented rocker panel under the drivers door.

Had I known local road closures and conditions better, I could have eliminated some of the backtracking and alternate routes that I followed. I guess that’s why this was also an exploratory route finding trip.

Since I began posting my trip reports, I’ve received suggestions for several possible alternative routes to explore. Obviously, a person could substitute more 4×4 trails to the route, especially in the Naches/Cle Elum/Liberty areas. There may also more 4×4 trails or unimproved roads that are not clear on the maps that could be added in the route. Since I was traveling solo, driving designated 4×4 trails was not a goal for this trip.

After mapping out and driving this route, I’m hoping that this trip may lay the groundwork for an official overland route such as the Oregon Discovery Route (too bad the Oregon Discovery Route ended near Walla Walla and not closer to the Cascades).

My goal for this trip was to break down the North-South route through the Washington Cascades into manageable daily drives. I had originally planned each as follows:

Day One: Carson to Packwood.
Day Tow: Packwood to Cle Elum.
Day Three: Cle Elum to Chelan.
Day Four: Chelan to Chopaka.

The only day I did not reach my daily driving goal was on day one. Had I got an earlier start and eliminated some backtracking and/or driving dead end roads, it would have been an easily achievable goal. If a person desired to stay in comfortable accommodations, you could easily plan out each nights stay.

Would I do this again? In a heartbeat! (probably not this year though). I would rather have some friends/vehicles along to include more designated 4×4 trails. I would also add an extra day or more to the time frame to not be so rushed. I would also like to spend a day exploring the ghost towns and mines of the Okanogan region of Washington state.

Trip Summary:
Total Miles Driven: 671 miles (approximate)
Paved Highway: 95 miles (14%)
Paved County Roads: 158 miles (23%)
Paved Forest Service Road: 133 miles (20%)
Improved Gravel Forest Service Roads: 252 miles (38%)
Limited Maintenance Forest Roads: 33 miles (5%)

In case you missed some of the trip reports, you can catch up on each day by following these links.

Trip Report: Washington Cascades Overland Tour 2007 – Introduction
Trip Report: Washington Cascades Overland Tour 2007 – Day One
Trip Report: Washington Cascades Overland Tour 2007 – Day Two
Trip Report: Washington Cascades Overland Tour 2007 – Day Three
Trip Report: Washington Cascades Overland Tour 2007 – Day Four
Trip Report: Washington Cascades Overland Tour 2007 – Final Thoughts