It's official! The Dirty Scouts are meeting up in Bellingham, WA to hit the water and sail to Cypress Island, out in the San Juan Islands of western Washington State! We'll be gathering for three days at the Cypress Head campgrounds, a small peninsula on the east side of Cypress Island. This campground has wooden picnic benches, fire pits, and even pit toilets! In addition to being a very comfortable spot, we will be surrounded by 280+ degree views of the ocean and surrounding islands:
You can find more photos in @iamwhatiam's thread by clicking here.
Where is it?
We will be getting to the island on a group of boats picking everyone up in a parking lot next door to 2551 Roeder Ave (google maps link) near the Port of Bellingham. If you're curious where Cypress Head Campground is located, here's a google maps link. There will be free parking available for anyone driving a vehicle to the event.
When is it?
This year's gathering will be on August 5th-7th, 2020.
That's Wednesday to Friday!
What are we doing there?
The Dirty Scouts Jamboree is our yearly gathering of travelers and other friends of Squat the Planet to meet up somewhere fun, say hello in real life, swap stories and information, have a few drinks (optional), sing some songs around the campfire, and serves as a great way to get to know some of the folks that make up the world of underground travel. There are no requirements other than your presence and some basic supplies to get you through a few days. Also, don't be afraid if you've never traveled before and are just curious to see what it's about, all are welcome.
What happens at the even is largely up to you; some people put on workshops to teach specific skills, others relate stories of their travels, some nerd out over trains and train hopping, and don't be surprised if you hear the bellowing of people singing their hearts out to our favorite songs around the camp fire into the wee hours of the night!
Every year has been a blast so far, so you're missing out if you don't make it!
More information about specific activities at the event can be found in comments to this thread or by starting a separate thread to discuss your activity in the Jamboree forum section.
Supplies
Food, booze, and any other supplies can be obtained from grocery or convenience stores nearby or in downtown Bellingham (google maps search).
How to get to Bellingham, WA
By Bus:
Boltbus is available from Seattle to Bellingham for around $15.
City transit directions to Bellingham from Seattle can be found in this post.
By Car:
Just make your way up the I-5 freeway north from Seattle.
By Train:
Amtrak is available from Seattle to Bellingham for around $25, although it might be more expensive if purchased last minute. You're probably better off with Boltbus.
Freight train directions will be coming soon for anyone interested in hopping freight up to Bellingham.
What about covid-19?
We are currently running on the assumption that the virus will calm down enough by August to safely have this event. If that turns out to not be the case, we'll post a notification here to let you know if the event has been cancelled due to covid-19.
Getting to the Island
As mentioned before, we'll be taking three or more sail boats out to the island and the trip should take about 2-3 hours. Due to the time and effort involved in getting folks to and from the island, we will only be taking one trip there and one trip back, so it's extremely important you don't miss the boat! If you think you're going to be late, contact @Matt Derrick and we'll try and wait for you. That said, please try to prepare ahead of time to be there on time. If you want to get there a day or two early, there's plenty of forest to sleep in near the railroad tracks next to the marina.
Safety
So given the remote location and the logistics of getting out there, we're asking people to please be prepared and most of all, be cool! We haven't had any major issues with our events in the past, but anyone that perhaps imbibes too much and makes an ass of themselves or otherwise acts in a shitty manner might just get left on the island and have to hitchhike their way home. There's only one boat out, and one boat back to shore; no extra trips will be made unless it's a dire emergency (injury/sickness/etc).
You can find more photos in @iamwhatiam's thread by clicking here.
Where is it?
We will be getting to the island on a group of boats picking everyone up in a parking lot next door to 2551 Roeder Ave (google maps link) near the Port of Bellingham. If you're curious where Cypress Head Campground is located, here's a google maps link. There will be free parking available for anyone driving a vehicle to the event.
When is it?
This year's gathering will be on August 5th-7th, 2020.
That's Wednesday to Friday!
What are we doing there?
The Dirty Scouts Jamboree is our yearly gathering of travelers and other friends of Squat the Planet to meet up somewhere fun, say hello in real life, swap stories and information, have a few drinks (optional), sing some songs around the campfire, and serves as a great way to get to know some of the folks that make up the world of underground travel. There are no requirements other than your presence and some basic supplies to get you through a few days. Also, don't be afraid if you've never traveled before and are just curious to see what it's about, all are welcome.
What happens at the even is largely up to you; some people put on workshops to teach specific skills, others relate stories of their travels, some nerd out over trains and train hopping, and don't be surprised if you hear the bellowing of people singing their hearts out to our favorite songs around the camp fire into the wee hours of the night!
Every year has been a blast so far, so you're missing out if you don't make it!
More information about specific activities at the event can be found in comments to this thread or by starting a separate thread to discuss your activity in the Jamboree forum section.
Supplies
Food, booze, and any other supplies can be obtained from grocery or convenience stores nearby or in downtown Bellingham (google maps search).
How to get to Bellingham, WA
By Bus:
Boltbus is available from Seattle to Bellingham for around $15.
City transit directions to Bellingham from Seattle can be found in this post.
By Car:
Just make your way up the I-5 freeway north from Seattle.
By Train:
Amtrak is available from Seattle to Bellingham for around $25, although it might be more expensive if purchased last minute. You're probably better off with Boltbus.
Freight train directions will be coming soon for anyone interested in hopping freight up to Bellingham.
What about covid-19?
We are currently running on the assumption that the virus will calm down enough by August to safely have this event. If that turns out to not be the case, we'll post a notification here to let you know if the event has been cancelled due to covid-19.
Getting to the Island
As mentioned before, we'll be taking three or more sail boats out to the island and the trip should take about 2-3 hours. Due to the time and effort involved in getting folks to and from the island, we will only be taking one trip there and one trip back, so it's extremely important you don't miss the boat! If you think you're going to be late, contact @Matt Derrick and we'll try and wait for you. That said, please try to prepare ahead of time to be there on time. If you want to get there a day or two early, there's plenty of forest to sleep in near the railroad tracks next to the marina.
Safety
So given the remote location and the logistics of getting out there, we're asking people to please be prepared and most of all, be cool! We haven't had any major issues with our events in the past, but anyone that perhaps imbibes too much and makes an ass of themselves or otherwise acts in a shitty manner might just get left on the island and have to hitchhike their way home. There's only one boat out, and one boat back to shore; no extra trips will be made unless it's a dire emergency (injury/sickness/etc).
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