Hiking Archives * The Hunter Gatherer Society

Hikers relaxing beside the Dungeness River on the Upper Dungeness Trail in Olympic National Forest Washington

Upper Dungeness Trail: One of Washington’s Most Peaceful River Hikes

May 21, 2026 rpolipnick Hiking

There are some hikes that challenge you.Others simply remind you to slow down. The Upper Dungeness Trail on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula feels like the second kind. Instead of a brutal summit grind or exhausting backpacking trip, this trail offers something calmer. Along the way, you find yourself stopping every few minutes just to listen to the river, look up at the old-growth trees, and remember why getting outside matters in the first place. During our trip, we hiked about 3.4 miles into Camp Handy and back out for just under 7 miles total. Because the elevation gain is minimal and the trail conditions are excellent, the hike feels approachable and relaxing almost the entire way. Even better, the scenery never[…]

A rustic bowl of red lentil stew with wild foraged greens and mushrooms on a wooden table in a forest setting

Lentils: My Go-To Foraged Food Base for Hikers, Campers, and Anyone Living Simply

December 11, 2025 rpolipnick Foraging Wild Edible Plants and Mushrooms, Primitive Camping and Hammock Camping

When you spend enough time outdoors, whether it’s hiking, bikepacking, or just trying to make it through a tough stretch, you start to realize that good food doesn’t have to be complicated.For me, one food has proven itself again and again: lentils. They’re lightweight, packed with nutrients, and they mix perfectly with wild greens and mushrooms you can find almost anywhere. Over the years, I’ve learned that lentils aren’t just “trail food”, they’re one of the most practical, inexpensive, and nourishing staples you can carry, especially when you combine them with foraged foods. Why Lentils Are My Go-To Wild Food Base I’ve tried a lot of staples over the years, rice, oats, beans, but lentils win every time.Here’s why. They’re[…]

Foraging and Outdoor Living: From the Boardroom to the Backwoods

July 31, 2025 rpolipnick Foraging Wild Edible Plants and Mushrooms

Some people spend their lives chasing balance. I live mine transitioning between two very different worlds—one defined by professionalism and purpose, the other by pine needles, riverbanks, and the wild freedom of the outdoors. By day, I’m a credit union branch manager. It’s a role I take pride in—coaching teams, mentoring others, and helping people take confident steps toward financial freedom. But once the tie comes off and the office door closes, I step into a completely different rhythm—one shaped by foraging and outdoor living. That’s when the real adventure begins. You’ll often find me riding the backroads of Washington on my motorcycle or ebike, following the call of the forest, the pull of a mountain trail, or the peace[…]

Hike With Me, Cypress Dome Trail

March 10, 2021 rpolipnick Foraging Wild Edible Plants and Mushrooms, Primitive Camping and Hammock Camping

I love to hike and combining that with wild food foraging and primitive camping makes me one happy outdoors man. Over the past couple week I have been exploring the CREW hiking trail system. Although I hike these often I wanted to dig deeper into the connections these trails have with others. These connections extend the hiking trails significantly while also offering a more diverse hiking experience. On my last outing I spent a couple hours on the Cypress Dome trail which offers six miles of well-marked loop trails. These scenic hiking trails wind through pine flat-woods, oak hammocks, wet prairie, slough, and two beautiful cypress domes. Most trails are flat grass and sand at ground level but seasonally wet[…]