Trail report week of June 24

I explored some of the trails in the Hansville Greenway this Sunday afternoon. Visiting this inviting trail system is a rare treat, since it's a bit more of a drive for me and my family. Both the trails in Hansville and the trails near Port Gamble show the muddy effects of the recent rain we've had. We are fortunate in North Kitsap to have access to such a rich variety of land and trails for recreation. Upcoming event on the Port Gamble trails:

• July 8: Roots Rock Trail Race Timber Town 10K

North Kitsap Trail encounters this week:

• Sunday Hike to Lower Hawk's Pond on the Hansville Greenway with friends, my family, and Tia, about 2.5 miles in 75 minutes.
• Monday Mountain Bike Ride with wade on Port Gamble trails, from Stottlemeyer trailhead, about 90 minutes.
• Tuesday Hike with Ian, Koen, Sascha, and Tia on the Port Gamble trails from PG Gate 2, 80 minutes with 20-lb pack.
• Thursday Hike with Chris L. and Tia on Port Gamble trails from Gate 1, 180 minutes with 20-lb pack.

Trail report week of June 17

The mix of wet and dry weather has kept the Port Gamble trails fairly muddy. Upcoming trail events to be aware of:

• Roots Rock Trail Race Timber Town 10K

I spent the Father's Day weekend with my family in the Olympics along Tubal Cain, Tull Canyon, and Gold Creek. North Kitsap trail encounters this week:

• Hike Thur. with Jason and Tia, 75 minutes from PG gate 2 with 7-lb pack.
• Hike Sun. with Denise and Tia, 75 minutes, from PG gate 2 with 9-lb pack.

Big Agnes Sleeping Pad Review - A Positive Customer Service Experience

I have to share this great story about the fantastic service I received from Big Agnes, maker of my backpacking sleeping pad. About six years ago, I was gearing up my family for backpacking and bought a total of four Big Agnes insulated air core sleeping pads, one for each person in my family. After about six hikes, three of the four began losing inflation, and wouldn't hold air overnight. The fourth, mine, was fine. I go on more trips than my family does, so mine gets far more use. To this day, my Big Agnes pad holds its inflation just great. I had read in an online gear forum that some of the early models of the Big Agnes pads had warranted manufacturing issues and that Big Agnes had replaced the pads even though the stated warranty period had passed.

I contacted Big Agnes via their web site and went through the returns process for the three leaking pads. Big Agnes deemed the problem a warranty situation, and just yesterday, I received replacement pads. Throughout the process, Big Agnes kept me apprised, via email, of the status of my return claim.

I've recommended Big Agnes pads to several people, and two or three friends have bought them based on my recommendation. I doubt that my friends will need to return their pads, but if they do, I'm confident that Big Agnes will treat their request with the same care that they did mine. I am extremely happy with the service I received from Big Agnes, and I continue to sleep soundly and warmly in the woods on my comfy Big Agnes pad. Now my family can, too, just in time for this year's peak hiking season!

Trail report week of June 10

The weather is nicer, but the Port Gamble trails will need four or five days of dry weather before they dry out. There is still lots of mud and muck on the singletrack. Trail encounters this week:

• Sun. hike and beachcombing with my family at the Nature Conservancy Foulweather Preserve in Hansville in glorious, sunny, warm temps. The tide was very low, so we encountered a bed of live sand dollars. I saw one move across the sand for the first time in my life. Amazing to watch!
• Mon. hike with Tia, 110 minutes from PG gate 2, with 20-lb pack. A typical circuit finds me climbing, staying at a fairly constant elevation, and dropping back down. Today, I purposed to choose a route that climbed and dropped several times. This is more typical of some of the hikes in the Olympics and therefore good preparation and conditioning for trips outside Kitsap.
• Wed. hike with Tia, 115 minutes from PG gate 2, with 20-lb pack. After rain last night and this morning, the trails and roads are definitely muddy. I did the hilly route again, for its training benefits.
• Thur. hike with Jason and Tia, 60 minutes from PG gate 2, with 7-lb pack. Jason and I always have such uplifting conversations. He is very successful in business, and I appreciate his insights and positive influence. I hope that I can return something good and encouraging to him.
• Fri. mountain bike ride with Wade, 90 minutes from Stottlemeyer trailhead.

Trail report week of June 3

I spent the weekend on the Dosewallips putting in some extended miles with tame elevation gains and caught sight of a black bear. >>>MID-WEEK TRAIL CONDITIONS UPDATE - Three words describe the Port Gamble trails: mucky, mucky, mucky. Bikers involved in this weekend's sports festival will appreciate fenders on their bikes.<<< Salmonberries are ripe, so maybe we'll see a few black bears! This weekend's event on the Port Gamble trails:

• Saturday and Sunday June 9-10 NW Adventure Sports Festival

Trail encounters this week:

• Hike Tue. with my family, PJ, and Tia, 60 minutes from PG gate 1 with 20-lb pack.
• Hike Wed. with Tia, 75 minutes from PG gate 2 with 7-lb pack.
• Hike Thur. with Tim, Don, and Tia, 10 miles in 220 minutes from PG gate 1 with 20-lb pack...slower pace than usual, but plenty of time to talk.
• Hike Fri. with Tia, 40 minutes from PG gate 1 with 7-lb pack.