Saturday
Sept. 28
Update: Monday 5
PM see red
below.
We
came up against Mother Nature.
While still in Idaho
at the Medicine Lake dry camping site (last post below) we got word of
weather changes in store for us ,so we headed to Moscow ID to a 5 site
Robinson County RV park northeast of the city.
5168 Robinson Park
Rd., Moscow, ID 83843 We found site 4 that was good for satellite.
Normal cost $10 for 50 amp but they accept Golden Age so it was a whole
$5 a night. Water on site no dump. But the Fairgrounds on the
east side of Moscow also has small RV park with E/W/dump just off HW 8.
Since the weather was rainy we stayed two nights while also touring Moscow
and Pullman, WA.
The out of the way
park is off to the right outside of town a bit.
Wheat is the crop
all over the area and so is a pretty setting.
Time to move on and
after going through Lewiston, ID we headed west to the Columbia river and
landed at LaPage COE RV park right on where the the John Day river connects
above John Day Dam.
BTW none of these are our boats... I wish...
NOT. Ya all know the best day in the life of a boat owner as they
say... Is the day he sells it. One guy said the one in the
center was about $65 K. Guess I could get a nice pool at our house
in AZ for that. We stayed here for again two nights. Might have stayed
longer but site #6 was reserved for Friday night. Again good satellite
from this site. $11 a night with my old people's pass. They had a
no burn in effect but lifted it the second night.
On Thursday we took a day trip west along
the Columbia River all the way to the Bonneville Dam and then back on the
WA side on HW 14. We have been here in the past and this drive is one of
the USA great ones.
A little rain on the windshield... But
with views like this who cares. Another who wants to pull, or should I
say break a trailer down this road to the river to a 200 ft elevation.
Our 5er was parked at the COE RV park..... As we took this day trip. It
was bad enough coming down from on top in WA via US 95 to get to Lewiston
to get to US 12 at the bottom and head west on it. I do downgrades
VERY slow with flashers blinking. Some may not like me but I get to the
bottom in one piece... and that's what it's all about. I can kick it up
with the diesel and go uphill much better than down. But if you pull anything
you already know that...
Next move was south
on US 97 going high up across northern OR.
We made it to Madras,
OR at about 1 PM and normally I would just keep going but common sense
took hold (Damn) and we pulled into the Jefferson County RV Park which
has 66 full hook up sites for $23 50 amp, $20 30 amp. Open all year. Thier
fair is at the end of July. UPDATE: after
reading their rules flier.etc It said 10% discount for Passportamerica.
So with the bad weather with us staying 3 nights they gave a the discount
for all the three nights. Cool.
We and the host were
about the only ones here. We had the pick of any site but all are gravel
and one looks like all the others. We keep getting Severe Weather Warning
alerts about heavy rain and very high winds through the weekend on my smart
phone so we are here again tonight, Saturday and may stay Sunday night
as well. The only thing, the bad weather just has not materialized yet.
Me thinks we are south of the rough stuff. Will watch the Bend, OR
TV news tonight to see what gives. We did do a day trip to the canyons
to the west of Madras.
You can see all the clouds.
They had some campgrounds
in the canyon, but by looking at the pictures you can imagine the steep
grades on the roads to get down to them. Like my tag line sez. A
big rig looking for a tent experience. BUT not steep hard
pulls and can't see the road over my hood downgrades to get there, Thank
You.
So where to from
here, Think I'm going after some of Terry's treasured rocks he has found
along the way and has stored under the back seat... so I can have him stack
them, rub them, or just plain pray to the rock gods so as to improve the
weather as we head further south. Speaking of south, here is the
route.
From Madras in the
top of the first map down US 97 through Bend.
Then down to Klamath
Falls and on into CA on HW 39.
|
South of LaPine at Gilchrist and Crescent
is Cy Bingham Co Park 16 sites 10 No electric but water no dump Fee $3
Max Length 30' (but we all know these ratings are never true till they
are.) Than it's a Ops moment. Open Mar-Nov. Tel: 541-883-5121
UPDATE: WE DID
NOT STOP HERE |
|
HW 39 changes to HW 139 in CA. So now in CA
what do we do. Read below the maps.
See Tulelake in the NW corner is
Lava Beds NM - Indian Well 43 sites W No Dump Again max 30'
(we shall see) Fee $10 Open All Year Tel 530-667-8113
We stopped in
Tulelake at the county park which has full hookups for $18. We got their
about 2 PM so drove to the Lava Beds as a day trip. Found their campground
not big rig friendly at all. Glad we found the county park. |
On down HW 139 is North Eagle Lake BLM
20 RV sites Water No Dump Max 35' (that ought to work) May- Nov RV Fee
$8 1/2 price as an oldie $4 Close to Susanville and then on down that old
familiar route on into Reno, NV. |
Update: On Tuesday
we will head on down HW 139 and go past Susanville adn on into Navada.
Now final thoughts for the days here in
Madras, OR. The wind is coming up, we are warm (with our heat pump
on the roof) and with satellite DirecTV and Datastorm Hughes internet service
what's not to like. And with 50 amps which we don't need, but nice. Guess
it is good for this: Just set our Magnum 2000W inverter/charger to the
equalizing setting. We have 4 12V AGMs and they do need to be equalized
from time to time even though some say not. My experts say yes they do...
Now to remember to turn it off later when going ot bed. Terry put a note
on the steps up to the bedroom... that will work.
Now for the not so lucky thing today...
We have been needing haircuts after travels all summer. So we saw a small
barber shop in downtown Madras... Went in and noticed all the hair all
over the floor. Don't most places sweep after every few cuts. Not this
one. All seemed friendly with two cutters on duty, third one at lunch..
I got the nice woman who as I watched took a long time with each client.
Terry got the VERY heavy set skin head
biker looking guy with LARGE tattoos up his arms. This guy was open next
and I pushed Terry to go for it as I didn't want him. Boy did I screw up.
As I wanted the woman. He got a great cut even after he (Terry) brought
up politics while I just cringed as to what was going on. Me by the way
with the nice lady got a skin job haircut.
I can't even find any hair to even grab
onto. Was close to being shaved. I didn't protest when
she said how about 1/2 inch all around. Missed that concept as I just sat
there. I do remember saying taper the back. Taper... there is nothing
left to taper. I guess the baseball caps we bought as souvenirs this summer
might well be a used to cover my shaved head. Such is life... As like all
things it will grow back and I can now save on shampoo. Although Terry
still needs it. At least he is still a cutie, at least one of us
should be.... He has alwas been cute and me not so much... if ever...
I'll just hide under the cover of darkness of a baseball cap for the next
few months... And when in Quartzsite, AZ later who cares... they
all look like me.
Sunday
Sept. 22
We
left YOGI at Jellystone RV Park and tried to befriend Smokey
The
Bear at the Forest Service.
But
we found out he like all bears, does his thing in the woods AND on us.
We wanted to head
up the Coeur d' Alene River in Idaho and called the Forest Service to find
out which campgrounds were still open. It's hunting season so surely some
are left open for hunters.
We were told the
Meadows Loop in the Bumblebee USFS Campground (upper right in map northwest
of Kellogg) would be open till snow shuts it down. It's as the name implies
should be good for sun and satellite. (checked Google Earth) So off we
went on Wednesday morning leaving Missoula, stopping to get my meds and
mail at St. Regis USPS. All was going smoothly until we got way back to
the campground and found it closed. You can bet when we later got cell
service one gov't agency got a polite earful.
So by now it was
raining and we had to go to plan B... Keep on going up I-90 and go east
on ID HW 3 and look for ID fishing access sites like we had stayed at in
Montana. I had done some research and kind of had an idea which ones we
could get into and a prior call to the state told us these sites never
closed.
Time to insert the
trusty map.
We found FS dispersed
camping at Medicine lake just off HW 3 at Medimount, right about at the
top on the HW 3 sign.
We would later take day trips back up
the river past the Bumblebee area for future reference and another day
trip up US 97 to Cour d' Alene and back down US 95 to St. Maries. BTW the
city RV park in Harrison wanted $42 a night. Och. HW 97 was steep up and
down road and would never want to take a big rig over it.
St. Maries is a cool small city and as
county seat doing well. They have a RV park at the fairgrounds E/W/D for
$15. We will use their dump and move on, on Monday heading to Moscow as
they also have a city RV park 5 sites E and on site water for $10 (told
they take golden age pass for $5).
Now for the details...
Our boondocking dispersed site on Medicine
lake. The campfire is up on a hill over looking it all. Behind me is another
marsh/lake where we have campground friends again. Remember the bears in
Bighorn National Rec. area. Fort Smith, MT. Well we have moose here...
A bull, a cow, and two caves. They wonder right through our campsite. We
have to look out before we go out. Don't want to get between Moma and her
younguns.
This view is right behind where I am sitting
looking down onto the other marsh.
It must be mating season as this bull is
staying close to the cow.
This calf is walking right past our fire
ring.
We did drive south
of St. Maries scouting for campsites and took a Sportsman access road and
found why this area is so big on lumbering.
Terry sez they will go back, gather this
up and shred it for particle board.
Guess we don't have to wonder what the
high school mascot is.
Monday we're off to Moscow down
White Pine Scenic Byway. HW 3 to HW 6
Of course we have
to stop in Moscow as Terry wants to buy Elk Ivory at Moscow Hide and Fur.
He wants to craft
more bling.
Terry asked me to
include he is taking orders for these Elk Ivery pendents.
He sez the perfect
gift for your hunter friend. His statement not mine...
Email him at
tpaulsen AT hitchitch.com for details.
Not only that but
even with it cold and rainy out he managed to bake another loaf of bread.
Good Terry...
I hope the moose don't decide they like
bread better than green marshy grass.
Oh and remember me talking about bears
doing it in the woods... They have to, because as soon as the FS concessionaire
campgrounds were closed early, they also closed the dump stations and locked
them up so you can't even PAY to dump. So we ALL have to do it in the woods,
I guess.
Notice the release latch that allows you
to dump ater you pay the consessionaire. When in season that is.
Saturday
Sept. 14
We
have come in from the wilderness...
That is after we
spent last weekend at Bevertail Hill State Park where we took a day
tour of Rock Creek Rec Area down Rd 4296 acroos to Philipsburg, up to Drummond
and back over to Bevertail Hill SP. We had strayed there in years past
in a pop up camper and wanted to relive the area. If in the area Drummond
has a city park right on the Clark Fork river for $15 with electrric and
water on site.
As you can see this is no place for a big
rigs. Tents and pop ups are the rule.
Much of the road is one lane.
Terry thought he could see a smoke plum
and sure enough up ahead we came across these guys.
A Hot Shot crew.
We asked if we should turn back and he
said no problem... just a few strikes and they had it under control.
As I said up front
we came out of the wilderness and landed in Missoula at where else
a
Terry has Quartzsite Rock Club friends
here in Missoula that he wanted to spend time with, so we are staying a
week with YOGI. They are getting up in age and not going back to Quartzsite
this winter. They are true artists and have been mentoring Terry on water
color painting, etc.
That gives us time to plan ahead as the
Forest Service in its great wisdom gave all the campgrounds to concessionaires
and when camping starts to recede they close most campgrounds after Labor
Day. To us fulltimers this is prime time. So that means we have to do serious
planning and call the forest service and ask which ones are still open
and plan accordingly. In our case I have also ordered mail order
meds and they are being shipped to a post office up the line from us so
we have to see when they get delivered. They were sent first class with
USPS tracking so I can track and know when to expect them.
So now about here in Missoula... It's Saturday
and we ventured downtown to the Farmers Market, Art and Craft Fair, and
another Market and food event at at another location under the bridge next
to the river. All downtown at three separate locations. Missoula
sure does know how to throw Saturday events. They run till Oct. 26.
Huge crowds at all three. Now for some pictures.
There were street musicians on most every
street corner. She was selling CDs fro $8. Look in heels.
Now this is how to serve Pizza at a downtown
event.
Terry bought three large cucumbers for
$1 and is going to put one in a sour cream sauce and the others in vinegar
and onions. I love them that that way. I bought three big slicing tomatoes
and we had two of them when we got back on BLTs. Yummy. (Did I use
that word?) They were $2 a lb. Tasted much better than store bought but
not quite like I remembered as my home grown ones of many years past. Yes
the mind might have better memory, than my taste buds these days. Green
beans were $7 for a bag... not in my price range. Sweet corn was like three
for $2. Terry sez his friends in town have told him they will have some
personally homegrown tomatoes when he goes to visit them again on Monday.
Oh and Huckleberries which everyone had for sale were 5 lb. for $35.
Och. But a good time was being had by all.
Vendor booths were set up everywhere.
One had a very overweight belly dancer who was showing it all as in mid
section. Terry couldn't get up the courage to shoot her picture. It was
pretty gross or beautiful, all in the mind of the viewer. I wish I had
that picture as she was doing her thing for all to see and having great
fun. More power to ya.
If you pay close attention you might recognize someone
in the above picture.
After the walking all over downtown...
Ugh. We went to the fairgrounds as it was advertised a Vintage Market 9
to 4. Better known as Flea Market, Junk Sale. Parking
was tight and after we walked a great distance we came across a entrance
booth with a $5 entrance fee. Not me will I ever pay to go to Flea
Market.. Thank You. You can read the story in the local paper Missoulian
So about Wednesday we will head up tp St.
Regis, MT for oyur USPS mail and continue up I-90 into Idaho to Bumblebee
FS campground witch has a north (Meadows loop) staying open which
has open sites for sun and satellite access on the Little North Fork of
the Coeur D' Alena River.
And later on over across Idaho on HW 3
with more just like MT with ID ST fishing access sites (that are open all
year) again along the Coeur D' Alene River. ..
So a ID fishing lic. may well be in the
cards, if fishing looks good. That's the paln anyway.
Stop back and come along for the ride.
Wednesday
Sept. 4
Another
fine (mess) campground I've gotten us into.
Left Norris, MT and
drove to Lewis and Clark State Park to dump for $5, which is just the entrance
fee. Good deal.
HW 2 by the state
park.
In this picture I
was in lower gear with my flashers going doing it slow and easy. I don't
go fast but I get there. Coming down from over the divide with Butte ahead
where we picked up stuff at Walmart and got a new Canopy as our old one
broke in the wind at Red Mountain campground. Wallmart came out and took
the old one to put in their trash bin.
So
now the campsite we found...
Stuart
Mill Bay FAS Yep another Montana
fishing access site, and again $7 with MT fishing Lic.
FA Sites have no water or trash... but
just up the road is a FS campground with water and trash. And RV
park and marina for propane and dump is close by. . We've got it made for
another week.
Oh and you know I love fire wood. They
have been thinning the forest and so much wood I don't know what to do
with it all. We drove through three FS campgrounds and picked up left cut
and spit wood leftover from the holiday weekend. The FS sites are for the
most part empty.
We have not run into any campfire restrictions
except that you must use an in place fire ring.
No Problem, me thinks. I love my campfires
and Terry loves his fishing.
Right on Goergetown
Lake west of Anaconda, MT
Red dot marks the spot.
While checking out the three Forest Service
campgrounds look what we came across. A moma and bzaby Moose. They had
not a care in the world and it was like we were not even there. Just strolling
across the road chompping on the grass.
BTW the FS campgrounds around the lake
mostly have heavy tree cover so not a choice for us as we need solar and
satellitre access to the sky.
Off to explore Anaconda and who knows what
else.
Sunday
Sept. 1
Labor
Day weekend finds us in a new campground.
I hear Ya, another
week another campground. That's what we do and it has been working
pretty well.
It's Red Mountain
just a few miles northeast of Norris, MT, yet another BLM park for $4 water,
no trash.
Just a mere few steps from waters edge.
We got here early to beat the rush and got the best site closest to the
water.
We are only 35 miles from Bozeman, MT so
took off last Wednesday to do laundry, get stuff from Walmart, (my drugs)
and oil change in the diesel.
We stopped at the big GM dealer as they
had a quick lube and were not busy. Now for the rest of the story.
Asked them if they checked tire pressures and Oh Yes we do. When all done
and the truck was sitting outside I went to pay. I asked about the pressure
readings. He flipped the page and it showed front 53 and rear 55.
I said that's not good. The counter guys agreed, need more than that with
pulling a big 55 th wheel. He offered to have a tech come out and
recheck. After only checking one front tire, it was 53 lb... Well
they decided to take it back inside and add air. While doing so,
I said to make sure they checked the inside duallys. They hadn't
as the right inside one was flat, at 30 lb..
Now I ask you... They were about to have
us leave with a flat tire after they said they had checked them.
Not good.
Attached to the Quick Lube was their tire
center and of course they fixed the tire without any question or charge.
We drove off with 65 in the front tires and 70 in the rears. Seems to make
handling better.
This is whar they found. About two inches.
So after all that we didn't do laundry...
did that later in the week in Ennis, MT.
On our way to Ennis stopped at the Norris
Post Office as I had a new tail light shipped there. Things not going
well this week as you can see in the below pictures (the new one on top
and orig. one on the bottom) don't look the same.
When they put the sections together with
glue they didn't press them, thus the gaps between the parts. They have
to be tighter together as in the orig... to fit correctly in the truck
body. Who wood thunk they would mess this up this bad. Made in Taiwan.
Well Amazon got a piece of my mind since it was shipped by one of their
affiliates. You can bet my review did not rate 5 stars.
We didn't try to install it till we got
back from the Ennis, MT Fly Fishing Festival on Friday put on by the Madison
River Foundation. Terry went back to the Saturday events. I stayed
back at camp, relaxed watching the floaters go by on the river and working
on other web sites I do.
Presenting the program for those fly fishing
aficionados.
You can tell by the speakers this is taken
seriously, but then if you fly fish you know that.
Downtown Ennis, MT
Ennis takes this fly fishing thing to
a whole new level...
Terry did spend the $10 for a raffle ticket.
Would turn around and ask for an offer as I don't think we would want to
pull it attached to back of the 5 th wheel. He didn't win so there ya go.
Who wouldn't like to tie flys on this
table.
On the way back to camp we stopped in Norris
for a BBQ Rib Dinner at this place. Kind of a dive with atmosphere. Food
served in big oval paper plates with plastic utensils. But like the
barmaid said the ribs (with their homemade sauce) will fall off the
bones and they did. At $17.50 I would hope so. We enjoyed our not so very
often eat out event.
This was right next to the one room above
mentioned Norris Post Office. Along with a gas station that's about it
for Norris, MT unless you count the Norris
Hot Springs just ouside of town.
Google picture
Terry is at it again make lima backed beans
in his dutch overn and abou time to head outside and watch the tubers splash
on down the river.
Have
question or comment email rbunge@hitchitch.com |
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