This past weekend I took a walk out to the Chuckanuts, visiting the same spot Avagdu, HatterOfMaddnesz, and I visited a couple months prior. The ice had disappeared from the lake by now. I opted to pitch my tarp up at the viewpoint above the lake, which had caught my fancy last time around. The sun was out and not a drop of rain fell from the sky for both days, making for a pleasant contrast with the last few trips I’ve taken. In the evening I could watch the sun set over the San Juan islands in the west, and the following morning watch the sun rise over Mt. Baker to the east.
I set my Kifaru Paratarp up in an elevated manner, opting to rig it to trees with paracord rather than using my trekking poles underneath. This makes for a huge amount of living space underneath.
On the way out, I made a detour to Raptor Ridge, another nearby viewpoint that I had been unable to visit on the outing with Avagdu and Hatterz.
After fixing a small breakfast and soaking in the view, I finished the 12-ish mile hike home, munching on the odd Stinging Nettle leaf plucked from the side of the trail and pondering butterflies.
How do you eat the nettle leaves without getting stung? Wikipedia says that soaking in water removes the chemicals but I don’t imagine that is very feasible on the trail.
The stinging needles are only on the stem and the underside of the leaf. You can pinch the top of the leaf with your fingers and pull it off the rest of the plant. Then, fold the leaf over itself, applying a little pressure. Make sure the leaf has been folded so that none of the bottom is exposed. This folding action and applying pressure breaks off all the needles and neutralises the stinging chemicals. You can pop the folded leaf into your mouth or, if you’re a bit more paranoid, unfold it and run your finger across the bottom of the leaf to see if it stings you. I always just pop the folded leaf right in and have never had my tongue stung.