Snow Camp Revamp
 Hearty
souls get a new home
You remember that terrible rainstorm back in November? Right...
the one that terminated several campgrounds around Mt. Rainier. One
of those campgrounds, Sunshine Point, simply doesn’t exist anymore.
A River Runs Through It’ would aptly tell the tale since today it’s
just another section on the Nisqually river. It was formerly
the home of the legendary Snow Camp.
That being said, Snow Camp has a new location this year – along
the Hood Canal. Pleasant Harbor RV Resort and Campground will be the
new home of Snow Camp which will once again fall on MLK weekend in
January.
Snow Camp has its roots in the German winter motorcycle campout
called the Elefantentreffen; which one founder, Rolf-Immo Gabbe,
heard about while living in Germany. It’s a cure for the winter
condition known as ‘Cabin Fever.’
As tradition has told us, it may not even snow, but in modern day
terms it's a chance to see just how good you are at keeping warm for
several days outside and how well your Widder or Gerbing electric
gear works.
 The event begins Friday night. The best way to keep warm is to
eat, eat and eat some more. It’s a bit of ‘Rider Potluck’ with
everyone chipping in food and firewood for the weekend. The food
fest continues throughout the weekend and past delicacies have
included deep fried turkeys, chicken fried bologna, an ice cream
cake, Friday night chili and a pancake breakfast each day.
Several of the meals are sponsored by South Sound BMW, but don’t
let the BMW sponsorship fool you, all makes and models of bikes are
welcome.
It’s a no-host deal which means that you’ll be paying your own
camping fees as you go into a fee collection box on the premises.
For about half the price of a state or USFS campground you can come
with just a tent and motorcycle, your car or even RV.
The Snow Camp agenda (such as it is) has always included a search
for snow when there’s no snow at the campground. Will there be snow
at sea level? It happened in early December of 2006, happens almost
annually, but even if it doesn’t happen a search for snow will no
doubt turn some up. Pleasant Harbor is situated close to the Olympic
Mountain Range and provides access to places like Bon Jon Pass, Mt.
Walker, Buck Mountain and on and on. Unless we have a heat wave, Bon
Jon is for certain.
 That being said the event founders want people to understand this
event is for those who like to get wet, cold, muddy, put snow chains
or paddle tires on their bikes, explore the local roads, laugh and
not take anything too seriously.
Put another log on the fire and pass the ice cream cake!
PT/Winter 07
Photos courtesy of Eric Blume |
