Monday, December 1, 2014

Five years with our Bobcat

                                      December 3rd,2009 we picked up our new ATC Bobcat # 1084
                                      In the past 5 years we have traveled to places as far north as
                                      Denali Ak. East into Minnesota,several trips to Yellowstone.
                                      Trips along the California,Oregon,Washington coast.
                                      Into BC Canada, Vancouver Island. Canyon lands of Utah.
                                      To date we have traveled over 32,000 miles and have spent about
                                      150 nights camping with our Bobcat.
                              
                                      Two different trucks have carried the camper. The first was a 2006
                                       Ford Ranger,for two years. Than after our trip to Denali we
                                       felt we needed a little larger and more powerful truck.
                                       That search found the 2002 Toyota Tundra that carries the camper now.
                               
                                       Here are some of the places we have taken the rig.
                                                            
                                      





The crew at ATC installing the new Bobcat. Sure looks nice and clean.


If you make a reservation for a camp site at Yellowstone,this shot comes up as a size choice for your spot.




Yellowstone NP
The cafe from the TV show



Fall color along the Snake River Wy.

Vancouver Island

Haines Junction BC
Dawson City,Yukon
Beginning of the Dempster Hwy.,Yukon


Tombstone Provincial park, Yukon
Loading up on the Alaskan Ferry out of Haines Ak.
Friends we met in Denali,headed home from Pt Rupert,BC.







Installing the Bobcat on the Tundra,at ATC.

 
The "new" to us Tundra. We like red.


Big Sur bridge.

Mosquito Lk, Ebbetts pass.


Fall color in Minnesota.

At camp with Minnesota friends.

.
Paul Bunyan.  



The sub Hawksbill #666,Arco,Idaho

Pebble Creek CG Yellowstone.

Red Rock CG ,Majove Ca.

Zion NP.

Kodachrome Basin,SP Utah

First snow of the season,Carson Pass Ca.

Big Trees SP Calavaras,Ca.


Friday, September 19, 2014

Short lemonade lite trip

First off the title, "when you get lemons you make lemonade" , well this trip was a lemonade lite one.

We had a Yellowstone trip planed 16/18 days visiting the park for a week than wandering our way home by some routes not taken.
Well our first day out went great,started up Carson Pass and saw the King fire from a distance no problem.
Had planed to find a place to camp,maybe Hope Valley. That looked good but it was to early so we decided to head to Fernley to spend the night and get a nice early start Wednesday morning. To shorten our second day on the road.
On Wednesday morning I made the mistake of listing to the National weather report and it sounded like the end of the world was headed up through the South West with some problems for the Jackson/Yellowstone area.
They had posted "hazardous" weather for the next 3 or so days,just right as we would be driving and arriving there.
I listened and checked the parks report and same thing.So not wanting to get caught in something that would be a problem over 1,000 miles from home, we thought it better to not to continue east.
So to make "lemonade lite" we decided to hit the Sierras to some of our favorite places.
Even gave some thought to the Mammoth area but didn't know about the fire at Yosemite and if it was sending smoke over to Mammoth. 
So the best bet was to head up Ebbetts Pass, thought about turning onto Highlands lake road but by the time we were on the pass the winds were blowing really hard and we had been back at the lakes with wind like that.
So the next stop was Union Lake and than after a coulpe days there the wind might lesses and we could go Highland.
That didn't work as when we woke this morning the wind had shifted during the night and all the smoke from the King fire moved into our area.
Well that seemed to be a sign and home was looking good.
As we headed down the hill the smoke just got worse and by the time we arrived in Murphys to get a goodie at the Aria bakery the smoke was so bad you couldn't see very far.
It's a good thing we are flexible,sure would have liked to visit our animal friends in Yellowstone but next time.
The only pictures I have are of the fire smoke,sorry.

                                        This is the plume from Union Lake on Wednesday afternoon about 40 miles
                                         away. It just would grow and move east and grow another one. Awesome.



                                         This shot is Tuesday afternoon from Carson pass area. The fire was still
                                         15,000 acres or so.
                                         This is Tuesday evening at Fernely Nv. By that time the smoke
                                          down into the Reno area and moving east.
                                         This is the "storm" that moved into the area but I don't think it did
                                         much to help the fire except change the wind direction,and blow the
                                         smoke to the south. Yuck....




                                         We still ended having a good time and all the places we wanted
                                         to visit will be there for next time.

Monday, August 11, 2014

The Sea to the Sierra's

Our latest trip took us up the Ca. coast via Hwy 101 and into Oregon to Sunset Bay SP to spend some time with Eugene friends.

Since we were to meet our daughter,who works in San Raphael for lunch we spent a night at
Samuel P Taylor SP. This has been a nice find as it's quite during the week and close to Pt. Reyes National Seashore.

The drive to the next nights stay was hot and the road seemed to be full of RVs. We stopped at Gerberville for gas and it was 100* but by the time we got close to Redwood NP the fog was around and the temps cooled. Not many Elk at the field north of Oric but the few there were nice to view. One large male and a few younger ones plus about a dozen females. 

This night found us in Mill Creek SP and also a great find. Nestled in some old growth redwood and Big Leaf Maple the camp site we had was almost like we there alone. After a nice shower to cool off and some trail walks we had a nice night of quiet.

Heading out north the next morning we checked out some other camping places for future reference.
There are some county parks in the Del Norte county around Crescent City that would do and they are first come first serve.

Our stay at Sunset Bay was fun. It's a family campground but again we had a spot that was quiet.
Visited with friends and their grand kids and had some good times.
At this campground there is a garden from the mansion that was there many years ago. The flowers were showing off nicely, especially the roses.

After out time there we had choices. 1, drive more of the coast but to many people and not sure if we could get spots to camp. 2, drive east up the Umpqua River Scenic drive and toward the Cascade Lakes area but there were some fires north so didn't want to be a part of that. 3,  drive through and spend time at Lassen as we haven't been there for a few years,but again fires and loads of smoke in the area. 4, just call it the end of the trip and drive home down I 5 but didn't want to do that either.
'
Since we were in the Diamond Lake area and the weather and smoke weren't a problem we spent a night at a nice site along the lake's northern side. Had a nice sunset with the distant smoke adding color to it,and another quiet night.

Crater Lake is only a short distance from Diamond Lake area and it's been 25 years since our last camping visit there we found a spot that was so big you could have built a house on it. Site D-29. Lots of room and firewood if you wanted.
We had not walked the trails there and had a great experience this time. The surprise was that the wild flowers were still around and actually not many people out and about, but also not any animals either.

After two great nights of evening thunder/lighting/rain storms we continued south for a long days drive to the Ebbetts Pass area and some time at Mosquito Lake.

Since we had a cabin in the area, Dorrington, we spent a lot of our time up in the high country. But never overnight since we had a cabin to sleep at.
This was such a treat, the camp ground at Mosquito Lake has 11 spots and it was just 3 of us camping there. The road,Hwy 4 next to the CG was very quiet very few cars travel this road in the evening/night.

We had a super treat on Thursday night as an early evening storm was building in the west than moved on east over the crest and this gave us a show that lasted for hours. We watched it build and as the sun went down and the moon came up, the sight was one of the most spectacular sunsets we have seen. 

Our trip home from there was uneventful except for the stop at the Aria bakery in Murphys for some treats.

Usually we don't get out into the camping crowd during July/August but with some planning it all worked out. Thanks for reservation camping,it does have it's place.

We have already planned on doing more time in the Ebbetts Pass area.

                                          This site at Mill Creek among the Big Leaf Maples and old Redwoods was
                                          one.
                                                   Sunset Bay with the light house at the entrance to Coos Bay.



                                         The rose garden at Shady Acres in the SP was such a treat.
                                          Got some ideas for the home garden.
                                         The coast line there is very rouged and the strata of rock layers is
                                         interesting.
                                         Some of the late flowers on Annie's Creek at Crater Lake.
                                          This was about all the animals we saw and this guy had his mouth full.
                                                    This is Plaikni Falls, off the east rim road at Crater. The trail was a
                                                   nice walk with a lot of rock work and flowers still out.
                                           The top of the falls with a lot of color to the flowers.
                                                    Didn't expect to see Pine Drops this late but many were around.

                                         This is the Pinnacles area also off the east rim drive.
                                          The lake was quit hazy so the dark blue color didn't show.

                                          More wild flowers on the Castle Crest Trail. A great rock garden and
                                          meadow, built back in the 20'/30's by the Boy scouts.
                                          Got this sighting at the rest stop on 395 just south of Susanville.
                                          It's a Scamper built in 1990,couple were from southern Ca.
                                          Were on there return from northern Washington and reported smoke all the
                                           way south. Yuck!
                                         Our spot at Mosquito Lake, good view of the lake and pass off to the east.
                                         Our late afternoon snack and view. Doesn't get much better.



                                                    The above 4 photos were the evening storm, no rain just fantastic
                                                     color. We just sat on the rocks and let the show work itself.
                                         Can't have a trip without a nice moon shot.

                                                    I have endless photos of this shot from snow covered to this.
                                                    The first light reflection was fantastic. It's the best we have seen.
                                                    Our site from across the lake at dawn.