The Great Giff Pinch

Ian Freeman

16 Sep 2025 — 2 min read

The last weekend of July (yeah a long time ago) was spent with some brief exploration in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest (maybe my favorite national forest? It's up for debate). My dad and I cruised out to the Forlorn Lakes and somehow managed to snag the last lakeside campsite 😱, which set us up for a nice afternoon of lakexploration and relaxation. The following morning, we meandered our way South to check up on some spots I'd found last year with Brendan.

Always a good day when you see Yews and Ghost Pipe and Trailing Blackberry (instead of all that invasive crap).

The Giff Pinch really has it all. Lots of trees, plenty of lakes, lava beds, ice caves, volcanoes in every direction, Sasquatch probably, endless roads to get lost on, and a few remaining areas of deep wilderness that have never seen a road and hopefully never will. So here's your reminder to tell the feds why we'd like to keep some roadless areas if you haven't already... https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FS-2025-0001-0001

This is not junk mail, this is pictures of yellow leaves.

I'm a sucker for a river valley, and the White River's Skookum Flats had been calling my name for a while. Apparently 'skookum' means strong or powerful in Chinook Jargon, alluding to the mighty river flowing off of Tahoma. Clearly not at full might

Up the Hoh

Last backpacking trip of the year (two months ago now 😬)! And a long awaited one too. We'd put together an itinerary for a backpacking trip with Catelynn's dad last year, but were tragically foiled by an ill timed COVID infection. This year, things went more according

I Like My Cedars BIG

After that night out on the coast, we weren't quite ready to leave the serenity of the Olympic Peninsula. As it so happens, my aunt has been entrusted with the caretaking/usage of a nearby cabin while her friends are away. So by extension, the entire Freeman family

Hoppin Around on Slippery Rocks

Walking with a heavy backpack is one of my all time favorite activities, especially when it involves trudging through sand and clambering over ocean sprayed boulders. While living in Wyoming and even in Tacoma, I've neglected the coast, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity for

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This is not junk mail, this is pictures of yellow leaves.

Up the Hoh

I Like My Cedars BIG

Hoppin Around on Slippery Rocks