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La Push Me Off A Cliff

14 hours of 5 people in a 3 person tent... You do the math!

By: Andrew Hoang + Save to a List

Wow this weekend is definitely one to remember...

I planned this trip out well ahead just out of sheer excitement to finally being able to go to the Olympic National Park. Was super glad to have my friends Eve and James fly up here and join us for the weekend!

We started with a late start to get to the ferry, catching the 5:30 from Seattle to Bainbridge Island and stopping by McDanks for a quick dinner before driving off to Heart o' the Hills Campground for the night. We set up camp in the dark and settled in to sleep around 9:30pm. We woke up to some light flurries around 6am, leaving for an early breakfast and start for the day. We headed into Port Angeles and ate breakfast at First Haven and had an amazing breakfast panini with hashbrowns. Then we headed to the ranger station to pick up bear cans and a permit for camping in the park. Then we were off to Lake Crescent!

As soon as I saw the lake starting to peek through the trees I started playing My Wish by Rascal Flatts because what other song are you supposed to play on a windy two-lane road next to a lake? Nothing.

Did you really go to Lake Crescent if you didn't go to this dock? I just had to come and take some photos here. After fangirling and taking way too many photos, we left for La Push

 How can you look at this road and not blast Taylor Swift or Jo Bros?

Early start means a mid day nap for James

We took a random detour off onto some dirt road and found this really cool bridge and stuck around for a few pics

I was somewhat underwhelmed, partly because the weather was poopy and probably more because I've thought about going here for so long and seen so many pictures but I was finally here and I don't think I was sure how to react.

We found a spot far up enough that high tide wouldn't sweep us up and did some landscaping of some logs create some space for our tents and worked on (and got a little carried away with) making a fire place for our mini MTV crib. After making our fireplace, we brought out all the stops to create our gourmet dinner: boysenberry, Nutella, and peanut butter sandwiches. Pretty soon, we ran out of light/things to do so we decided to just hop in the tents and call it a night... thanks to Washington, it was dark by 5:30.

But this is when things got a little crazy..... 

So the rain really really started coming down, and since we were on the beach, Em and Eve's tent started to leak and that's usually not great when its November in Washington (its cold for those of you who don't know). Their tent started to flood and the wind was blowing their fly off. So we only had one option, fit 5 people into a 3 person tent. Was it toasty? Yes. Was it comfortable? Far far far from it. I'm not a small guy, and neither are James and Boogie. So the 3 of us were already pretty snug in our tent but with 2 more people? Lot's of sass and comments were flying and trying to figure out how to fit and sleep. Meanwhile, our tent is getting just downright beat up by the wind and rain, but thanks to Boogie we had logs and rocks on our stakes to save the day. Keep in mind it's still only around 6pm by now, yet we somehow all went to sleep for a short nap until around 7:30pm.

14 hours. We were in a tent for 14 hours.

Mini anxiety attacks, freaking out, and booking it outside barefoot for pee breaks pretty much sums up the night. Literally no space to move, a tent that's trying to smother me, and 3 dudes who snore meant a pretty eventful night. 

Would I do this again? Absolutely. But with 5 people in a 3 person tent? I don't think so. Definitely a weekend to remember and I wouldn't rather be stuck in a tent with anyone else than Boogie, Em, James and Eve.


We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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