Wooly Moss Roots: Meet Lara, a wild mountain woman...

Mountain Hearth is featured in an interview this week on Wooly Moss Roots by Taryn Kae Wilson, an amazing mountain homesteader of the Siuslaw River. Here is the link below...

Wooly Moss Roots: Meet Lara, a wild mountain woman...

Getting Organized and Coming Prepared With Camping Bins

A few years ago, I realized that it was taking us a very long time to pack for a weekend camping trip. Our goal was to get out more frequently, as many weekends as possible, and no less than once per month. We had friends who went nearly every weekend (who did not have kids), and we decided we could do it too if we could just get organized and always be ready to go. I remembered when I was in college, I used to keep my backpack all packed in the back of my truck for any trails that might suddenly call to me. While we couldn't keep the car packed for camping all the time with it's many other uses during the week, we decided we could keep some gear packed up and ready to go in one place. We already kept our tent, sleeping bags, and other larger gear in one area of the garage. It was the cooking gear and smaller miscellaneous items that needed rounding up every time. We bought three Rubbermaid storage bins that were stackable. Two were the same size, and one was half-height, but still stackable.

In the smaller one we put general camping gear. One of the larger bins was stored empty for packing food in on each trip and keeping it a little more critter proof (Note: the bins themselves are NOT critter proof, nor are coolers. We put the bin and the cooler in our car each night. If you've ever had a critter incident, you'll know why!). The final bin was the camping kitchen. I began acquiring the gear I needed to fill the bin at thrift stores and occasionally a hardware store if the thing I was looking for was elusive second-hand. I used baby food jars, small glass juice jars, and plastic honeybears to keep oil, spices, syrup and vinegar. I learned over time that honeybears eventually leak oil or syrup in the bin and are maybe not a good idea, and honey sticks are a good way to bring along honey because long-term storage in your bin will cause it to crystallize and no longer be runny. I stocked the bin with a roll of paper towels, coffee filters, aluminum foil, plastic baggies, rubber bands, and twist-ties.

We were set. These bins brought about great ease and streamlined our camping lifestyle. After each trip, we assess and re-stock the bins for the next trip. We manage to fit all of the bins and gear in our Subaru Forester with a car top carrier. The next step would be having a camping vehicle (the V6 Toyota Tacoma of my dreams) in which the bins and gear are always kept and only clothing and food need packing. We just work away at improvements a little at a time.

Camping Kitchen Bin Contents:

large enamelware soup pot, small enamelware pot with handles and a strainer basket, enamelware coffee percolator, 4 enamelware bowls, 1 large enamelware bowl, 4 enamelware dinner plates, 2 enamelware coffee mugs, 2 small enamelware espresso cups (kid sized), 1 giant enamelware mug, enamelware skillet, cutting board, spatula, serving spoon, stirring spoon, ladle, bread knife, tongs, steak/cutting knife, can opener, veggi peeler, cheese grater, salad tongs, miscellaneous silverware, tablecloth, hot pad and mit, 4 dish towels, tiny salt and pepper shakers, Dr. Bronner's soap, dish scrubber, coffee filters, foil, paper towels, lighter and matches in bag, assorted tea bags, coffee, dehydrated milk, brewer's yeast, olive oil, balsalmic vinegar, salt, pepper, summer savory. A dish drying rack will be our next addition.

*Note: Why all the enamelware? After looking into cookware options, I didn't feel okay with aluminum or Teflon. I needed something not easily breakable. Enamelware is made in a process similar to making glass, and includes water, clay, borax, feldspar, quartz and granite. The enamel coating covers a base of steel or other metal. It withstands high heat, is tough, smooth, stain-resistant, easy to clean, and non-porous (germ free). It's only fault I have found is chipping when banged around, but a few chips are not a big deal.

Camping Bin Contents:

clothesline, wooden clothes pins, rope, flashlights and headlamps, t.p. emergency reflective blanket, first aid kit, hatchet, rain coats in pouches, candles, books of campfire stories and folklore, pocket knives, bathroom trowel, lighters.

Other Equipment:

tarps (large and small), cast iron skillet and dutch oven, iron fire tripod, propane lantern, sleeping bags and air mattresses, tent, 5 gallon water jug, 2 1-gal. glass jugs of drinking water, Coleman propane stove, 2 dish tubs, firewood

An Enchanted Valley Day Hike

One morning in late December, while the kids were on winter break from school, we got a group of friends together for a hiking adventure. I was feeling like exploring a new place, so I searched on the internet for some ideas. A place near Florence called the Enchanted Valley, caught my imagination. I was familiar with the Enchanted Valley up the Quinault River in the Olympic National Park near where I grew up, and knew that to be a spectacular place. This hike sounded very mellow and well suited for the younger children we had along, plus there was promise of abundant wildlife viewing as reports from other hikers included elk, coyote and black bear. All that aside, any place with such a name must be worth exploring, so we shared a hearty breakfast at my house and set off.

From Florence we drove up the road beyond Mercer lake and pulled into a turnaround at a gate across the road at the edge of a grassy valley with a creek meandering through the middle. The trail followed an old dirt road along the edge of the valley with a series of footbridges crossing the small streams flowing through. Already we saw elk tracks and scat everywhere and the children got out their pocket track ID books and confirmed their recent presence.

After walking for a while, we came to a larger footbridge crossing the creek and the path moved to another grassy road in the forest along the North edge of the Valley. Aside from one house perched atop the ridgeline back by the parking area, there were no other signs of development. The old road itself, the bridges, some planted trees and riparian restoration plantings were the only indications we were not actually out in the wilderness. I had read that this was a small settlement of homesteads long ago, and we observed some old gnarled fruit trees in the little fingers of valley that we crossed as they reached up into the hills. We hiked through mossy maples, Douglas-fir, Sitka spruce and bracken fern following a smaller stream along the edge of the Enchanted Valley, and saw red bellied newts in the little pools of water that collected from the rains. One of our friends found several owl pellets under a great spruce tree, much to the excitement of the children. Because we had little ones along, our pace was very slow and relaxed, and the downpour after our picnic lunch out in the meadow sent us heading back home.

I was still curious about following this valley to it's end, so our family returned a few weeks later to see where the path might lead. We hiked along observing birds nests in the bare salmonberry branches and saw several pairs of mating newts. About 2 miles in the valley came to a head at a beautiful little gravelly bar by Bailey creek, where we saw a great blue heron fly off, and found succulent green miner's lettuce and chickweed growing along the bank which we happily snacked on. The road continued here up along the hillside above the creek, and we followed it a ways, but decided to save it for another day. We were feeling intrigued about the side valleys and streams for future explorations as well.

I was impressed with this place as a lovely, serene, year-round hike that is very accessible and easy for young children. It would be a good place to come and spend an entire day exploring, picnicking, and playing outside. It's an invigorating feeling to find a place outside that intrigues you, promising hidden and mysterious places to explore, and giving your imagination somewhere to wander in times of boredom, washing dishes or doing a mundane task. It's a feeling reminiscent of childhood, when you and your friends planned to go on a great adventure, exploring a creek bottom or maybe a vacant overgrown lot in town. I'm delighted to see that same spark in my children's eyes as they shout gleefully and run up a little side valley to see where that little stream is coming from. Does it go on forever? What may be found at it's headwaters? The vastness of forests and the wilds is an important awareness in a child's consciousness. Given the sense that there are these vast places to be explored, the imagination may open to horizons and cultivate dreams that carry us far in the world.

For directions and more information on this hike, here is the link to the hiking page I came across: www.localhikes.com/Hikes/EnchantedValley_2400.asp

Sleeping in a Yurt by the Wild Wintry Sea

I awoke to a deafening boom in the night accompanied by a bright flash of light, which caused me to sit bolt upright. A winter storm wailed around our snug little camping yurt by the ocean, sending rain pelting and blowing sideways against the clear dome skylight. I could almost make out the dark shapes of Sitka spruce branches dancing wildly in the dark above us. All the while, my little family and our friends were safe and warm within the round walls of this canvas shelter.

This is January at the ocean. The rugged, rocky Oregon coast between Florence and Yachats with it's high cliffs, stunted patches of salaal, spruce forests sculpted in sweeping curves by the wind, and wild waves both beautiful and terrible, seems perhaps an unusual choice for a family camping trip. Yet, it is a perfect invigorating reprieve from the short, dark, rainy winter days that seem to be spent more and more indoors throughout the holidays and the beginning of the new year.

I often welcome the onset of winter as a time to curl up in my cave, enjoying the stores of the harvest while focusing inward and undertaking projects long sitting untouched during the busy days of summer and fall. I light glowing candles, drink hot tea, and look out the windows at the cold, wet weather outdoors. I certainly get out to do the chores, get from place to place, and hopefully out on walks and day excursions when weather and time permit amidst the holiday preparations and activities, but by mid-January, I and my family are downright stir crazy. This is where yurts play a critical role in my winter well-being. I do not really see myself wanting to take my children out sleeping in a tent in January. I have done this plenty of times in my life before children, but being cold and wet with them, without the ability to dry out for more than the duration of a several hour hike is beyond my level of grit. In my youth I often slept out in the back of my pickup truck in the snow with a campfire and hot red wine for warmth, or backpacked in sleeting rain. A friend and I once hiked to the beach in a winter storm where I had only my two-man backpacking tent between myself and the tempest, and he only his sleeping bag as he braved a large rope net hammock suspended some 8 feet off the ground. What I have learned since, is that wet miserable children make wet miserable parents. However, we are a family made up of people who thrive on being in the outdoors. Yurt camping solves this dilemma and adds a level of comfort to camping that makes it feel like a luxurious treat. For around 30 dollars, we rent a yurt in a coastal state park 2-3 times during the winter season and spend our days out in the brisk, sometimes drenching weather, knowing we will dry out and be quite warm at night. This to me is worth every penny. Sometimes we go with friends, as a yurt can be shared cozily by two families to economize the trip even further and foster some good connecting time with fellow appreciators of Nature. We hike through old growth Sitka spruce forests, play in the sand by little rills running off the hillsides, build driftwood forts, collect rocks and shells, and get our senses filled by the delights of the sea. We see bald eagels, ravens, elk, and sea lions. These experiences recharge us and are carried with us through the rest of the winter as we anticipate the spring.

The treasures we bring home always seem to inspire our creativity and bring a little of the outside in. The wild waves at this time of year wash up the most amazing pieces of driftwood and translucent agates are uncovered. I have a wooden bowl full of these amber colored rocks on my counter that almost seem to glow when the light falls on them. One year we found a large gnarled root mass and a number of long curling tree roots polished smooth by the waves. We took them home and built a large gnome village in our living room. This provided hours of entertainment for my children and myself through the long, cold February days.

Ultimately, it comes down to finding ways to get your family outside in the winter and creating a positive experience. The more experiences children have enjoying themselves with you out in weather that tends to carry negative associations (such as rain, wind or cold), the more likely they will be to grab their raincoat and run out to play on a rainy day rather than incessantly begging to be plunked down before the television or finding squabble with one another. Being comfortable in their surrounding natural environment will build confidence, self-reliance and a sense of connectedness to the web of life that will shape who they will become and how they will contribute to the world they live in. Don't expect perfect ease and cooperation from them every time, and don't be discouraged if they say they don't like the outdoors. My daughter still whines when we start out on a hike, much to my dismay, but always manages to settle in and enjoy herself as we go along. They may even put up an all out rebellion. I went on a hiatus from backpacking when I was fifteen and told my parents I didn't like it and would never go again. They will come back to it. They will always hold memories of time spent together with you out in the fresh air discovering the world together, and carry these with them to pass on to the next generation.

Camping With Children Throughout the Seasons

Many of us have been camping in the summer. The weather is warm and comfortable to be out in, we need less gear and clothing, and it just feels good to be outdoors on sunny days and see clear vistas or swim in cool water. Often people go to campgrounds for ease, amenities, reserve-ability, and possibly for the comfort of having other people around so we don't feel quite so out in the middle of nowhere. The downsides to this type of camping experience can be noise, lack of privacy, and close quarters with camping neighbors (who may or may not be pleasant folks), all of which can hinder our experience of really tuning in to the natural world around us.



First, I urge you to try camping in other seasons of the year. Fall, spring, and even winter each offer unique and amazing experiences in nature which summer cannot provide. Secondly, I urge you to try camping somewhere where there are not quite so many people, or even somewhere totally isolated. Campgrounds need not be ruled out to achieve this. They are often nearly empty in September after children go back to school, and in winter, you may have the entire place to yourself aside from maybe a campground host. State park campgrounds, for example, sometimes only offer this degree of peaceful solitude in winter. There are also an abundance of un-developed campsites on Forest Service and BLM land where campfire pits and good tent sites can be found by creeks, along rivers, beside lakes, on ridge tops, and just about any sort of place you can imagine. Thirdly, do not let the inclement weather deter you. Oregon State Parks have a wide range of camping options, including rustic cabins and yurts which are cheaper than a hotel and well worth having a place to be dry and warm, all the way up to deluxe cabins and yurts with bathrooms and kitchens. These may be rented at www.oregon.gov/OPRD/PARKS/index.shtml. The US Forest Service also rents out fire lookout towers when they are not in use, and these are equipped with propane lights, cooking stoves, heaters or woodstoves. These may be rented at www.fs.fed.us/r6/recreation/rentals. Personally, it is important to me to avoid the fiasco of wet, soggy tents and surly children. Everyone has to draw a line somewhere, and that is mine.

In the winter months, clear sunny days may be found at the ocean along with a certain degree of comfort in State Park yurts. No matter if the weather be fair or foul, it is a spectacular experience to get out onto the beach this time of year. The lush, misty spruce forests provide a sense of mystery and wonder as trails wind through giant old-growth tree trunks and carpets of moss and sword fern. Late winter into early spring is a good time to explore the southern Oregon coast as well, and we have enjoyed many April trips to Cape Blanco and the Port Orford area with favorable weather and abundant signs of spring emerging lush and green along coastal rivers.

In the Spring, we move up to the mountain lakes on the eastern slopes of the Cascades. The birds are migrating and the days are warm enough to make the chilly nights manageable. This is a good time for canoe camping to sandy shores inaccessible by car. These chilly nights also keep the mosquito population from emerging this early in the year. After our first backpacking trip with our six-month-old babies on a high mountain trail in northeastern Washington, when we were swarmed with mosquitoes so thick we couldn't see our children's faces, I drew another line as to my limitations. We simply learned to avoid areas at the times of year when the mosquitoes are a problem, and go when the temperatures give us the all clear. In the summer, we avoid the very high country and explore valleys and rivers and un-developed Forest Service campsites. This is also a good time to take children backpacking, as it requires less gear to carry along for everyone (who may not yet be carrying a full share of the gear).

Then, in the fall, the mosquitoes die off in the chilly nights and you can enjoy warm, summery days at high mountain lakes, picking huckleberries and hiking along ridges and mountains in perfect bliss. Campgrounds empty out, and National Forest campgrounds are especially peaceful this time of year. Hot spring excursions are nice in the fall with the cooler morning and evening temperatures. The late fall, as well as the spring, are good seasons for fire lookout tower trips, as they are not in use for fire watch, and provide the experience of having an entire mountain top complete with views (and some shelter from early winter weather) all to yourselves. Even into late October and early November, as long as you come prepared for sleeping warm on the cold nights, fall camping is by far my favorite.

A certain degree of attunement to the cycles of nature can be found in all-season camping as one places themself more fully in the ever-changing wheel of the year. Even day hikes in "0ff-season" times will give you a fresh look at a place you may have experienced only on hot sunny days, allowing you to see it as though for the first time. You will also be competing with significantly less people for enjoyment of a place, and may have more wildlife viewing opportunities and peaceful moments connecting with the natural world. This will also teach your children that camping and being outdoors are not merely activities reserved for the summer, but can be enjoyed throughout the rest of the year as we grow, move, and change with the seasons.

A Mountain Hearth

I have always been an outdoor girl. I grew up camping, backpacking, and playing outside in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains. Back in college, I aspired to become a backcountry ranger, wilderness plant researcher, or something equally rugged, solitary and wild. Then I had twins and decided I needed to be at home raising them. Ever since, I have aspired to be a backcountry forest mother. With my husband and two children in tow, I have continued to explore wild places. Over the last eight years I have discovered how to camp, hike, canoe, and backpack with young children, how to do it frequently, and how to come prepared. From backpacking with babies to sleeping in fire lookout towers rented from the US Forest Service, I have never lacked for adventure. Do I get out in the woods as much as I want to? Not always, but when I do, seeing how happy and at ease my children are in Nature makes it somehow more enjoyable. I am confident that these experiences will help them grow to be adults who love the outdoors and find peace and solace there in this hectic world. It is my hope that this blog will provide information and inspiration to other families and individuals on living a life closer to the earth and the wild. Since the bulk of my work is tending home and hearth, I will include writings about that as well from time to time. It's good to hear how other people live sometimes, as it widens our own perspectives, and gives grains of truth to which we may relate. All that said, I have secretly wanted a blog for a while now because I love to write. I have let it go by the wayside for far too long. So, here it is. A Mountain Hearth.