July 11, 2016 by Ray Phung

As the third edition of our 4th of July trips to the backcountry, I was able to get a last minute permit to Olympic National Park to do the High Divide trail. I first learned about this trail when I met a father-son team hiking the Hoh River Trail. They were on their way up to Hoh Lake and to do the High Divide Trail. This trail straddles the ridge between the Seven Lakes Basin and high above the Hoh River Valley. It's one of the limited quota trails in Olympic National Park, where backcountry permits are hard to come by. I sent in a permit request to the ranger station a week prior to the 4th, and miraculously was able to get one. Kevin and Tia, my usual adventure partners from Seattle, agreed to meet me and spend the 4th in the backcountry.

Goat Rocks Wilderness / September 4, 2015 by Ray Phung

Last year, a group of us went out to the Enchantments to get away from all the crowds, heat, and fireworks. We wanted to continue celebrating the holiday with the tradition of adventure. Goat Rocks Wilderness has been on my to-do list for quite sometime, as I continually hear about it's beauty and grandeur. Add lack of permit requirements and it's equi-distance between Portland and Seattle made it an irresistible destination. My good friend Tia picked out the route: a shuttled loop starting at the Lily Basin trailhead, hiking through Lily Basin, down to Snowgrass Flats, on the Knife Blade section of the Pacific Crest Trail, and back out to the Packwood Trailhead. After work on Thursday, Kevin and Tia met me in the town of Packwood and we headed out to the trailhead.

Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier, Olympic National Park / September 18, 2014 by Ray Phung

“I think we’ll do 15 miles the first day,” I announced looking up from the wilderness map. “But the first 13 miles are REALLY flat,” I continue in hopes of quelling the looks of skepticism that Hanna gives me from the adjacent couch, “Don’t let the mileage scare you: we’re reasonably fit people, we’ll be fine.” I think I also said this to reassure myself that the trail I picked would be doable in a three day weekend. I will admit – 15 miles in a day seemed like a lot. But with the time constraint, I couldn’t figure out how else to spread out the mileage. Surprisingly Hanna doesn’t seem phased by the proposed expedition. “It’ll be fun!” I exclaim. All summer, we’ve been talking about doing a backpacking trip. I hadn’t been out in the backcountry since the Enchantments and was itching for some adventure time before winter sets in. And Hanna, just moving to the Northwest, was ready to explore her new home.

4th of July in the Enchantments / July 24, 2014 by Ray Phung

My prior experience in the Enchantments was several years ago, when me and Temo "tried" to climb Dragontail Peak via Serpentine Ridge. Little did I know that Dragontail Peak was only the start of a whole chain of alpine lakes and towering granite peaks, known collectively as the Enchantments. I have long desired to backpack up to the Enchantments to both climb some of the famous routes there and to photograph the beautiful scenery. But for the longest time, the permit system in place to protect this fragile landscape kept this desire from becoming reality. Early this winter, I circled on my calendar the day the lottery opened for permits, and signed up as soon I could. I was miraculously awarded a pass for the 4th of July weekend to the Core Enchantment Zone, which is the most coveted permit as it allows camping in all of the other zones.

Surf Wax America / June 5, 2014 by Ray Phung

This last weekend, I headed out to the Oregon Coast for a little surfing adventure. Lauren and Erik go out surfing with some relative frequency, and I always tell them I want to tag along some day so I can take pictures. So we finally made it happen! Early Sunday morning, I piled into the back of their Mini with their pup Fu, and embarked a fun little day trip to the beach.