Pacific Northwest Hammocking

**slowhike** · 06-14-2007, 20:17

Originally Posted by headchange4u

Tim had a foot warmer at Mt Rogers.

Tim,
I bet you are the one the smiling on those bitter cold nights where you are toasty warm.

oh yeah!!! it's a great feeling to know it's bitter cold outside & i'm warm as toast

**hikingjer** · 06-15-2007, 03:41

I recently went hammock camping near Mt Baker and on the east slope of the North Cascades and had no problem finding good trees to hang from. While many old growth forest stands common in Wilderness areas and National Parks are dominated by tall, overstory large diameter trees, there are often understory and middle-canopy trees that are smaller, yet large enough to hang a hammock to. Old-growth forests often have a multi-storied canopy (which is one of the reasons certain rare species of wildlife like them) of shade tolerant tree species with smaller diameters.

A stand of open, park-like ponderosa pine on the drier eastslope and eastside of the Cascades and Blue Mountains seems like a more difficult forest type to find good trees to hang a hammock. In these forest stands, it's all big ponderosa pines and some small, scraggly "reprod". This kind of forest isn't in the Olympics though.

Try poking around at http://www.nwhikers.net

**lvleph** · 06-15-2007, 11:30

I never had any trouble finding trees even in the red woods.

**speyguy** · 06-15-2007, 18:00

BB,

Last year I did a north/south crossing of the park. Up the Elwha, over Low Divide and out the North Fork Quinalt. I used the Hammock all 4 nights without a problem. Keep in mind that those are both river valleys but there were endless hammocking possiblities. I even met a ranger one night and she was checking out my home made hammock and said she was starting to see a lot more of them in the park. So, no regulations against them. My last night on the hike I got all jammed up with some weekend hikers about 6 miles from the ending trail head and was so glad I had my hammock because all the tent sites were taken.

More recently just over this last Memorial Day weekend I hiked on the south beach trail in the park and although I hammocked on the beach 2 nights I also hammocked in the forest 1 night without any problems. I posted some recent photos of the beach hike in the gallery.

Good Luck!!

**Just Jeff** · 06-16-2007, 08:25

Originally Posted by Hooch

Tim needs more insulated gear like I need a hole in the head.

Which is interesting, really, b/c I'm pretty fond of my ears, eyes, mouth and nose...all of which are holes in my head that I need. Bring on the insulated gear!

I haven't hammocked in Washington, but there are some really big trees in California. I took several trips in Big Sur and a few other places. I never had too much of a problem finding places to hang...there were a few places where I'm glad I had longer huggers or webbing, but finding a place wasn't a problem.

**Frolicking Dino** · 06-16-2007, 09:53

::: shivering tropical reptile hopes some polarguard falls in her lap

:::

**BillyBob58** · 06-16-2007, 23:45

Extremely helpful info, everybody! Info from folks that have hammocked these big tree places, which is exactly what I needed to know. I figured( or hoped!) there would be smaller trees ( usable for hammocks) mixed in with the gigantic ones.

What about the blackflies and mosquitos this time of year(Sept)? I was up there for a climb of Mt.Baker in early June about 20 years ago, and later with my wife for dayhiking in late Aug or Sept, and I don't remember any problems at all. But I've ben reading that the black flies can be a real problem.
Bill

**speyguy** · 06-17-2007, 02:05

What about the blackflies and mosquitos this time of year(Sept)?

When I did my Olympic hike in September there were no black flies or mosquitos. Pretty much bug free bliss.

Not sure what area of the north cascades you are considering, but I hiked in the Pasayten a few years back in August and the black flies were definately noticable there and biting. My experience with the black flies is that they seem to follow the livestock in the Wilderness areas. Quite a few horses and pack mules in the Pasayten. Also, the no-see-ums were bad in the Pasayten. No pack animals in the Olympics. Not even dogs.

**Just Jeff** · 06-17-2007, 09:15

Here's why you might want some bigger tree huggers...

This is somewhere around (on?) the Tall Trees Trail in Redwoods NP.

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...hp?i=1024&c=11

**BillyBob58** · 06-17-2007, 09:41

OK then, Speyguy, one factor in favor of Olympics: no black flies in Sept. Although my hike will be the very first week of Sept. I'm not planning on the Pasayten if we go Cascades. Possibly the Mt. Baker area or Glacier Peak or Alpine Peaks. Or a main contender right now is to take a boat ride up Lake Chelan or Ross Lake, and then hike into one of those areas. Lots of decisions yet to be made! So much to choose from!

And Jeff, if I carry a tree hugger big enough for that tree in your pic, I guess it would require it's own 4000 ci pack?

But at least you would not have to worry about the tree being stout enough to support the hammock load, even at 0* straight out from the tree!

Thank goodness, I do see some smaller tree possibilities in the background of the pic. Which I guess is why you, Hikingjer, Ivelph and ( and Speyguy also?) have all been able to hang in these giant tree locales! Which is excellent news.

Whether Cascades or Olympics, I do plan to go above timberline, and maybe have to camp there, at least one day- maybe more. So I will be carrying adequate padding for the ground ( as is my norm ), though hoping to get lucky and not need it!
Bill