Craters of the Moon National Park

 Two days after leaving Bend we found a dispersed camp site west of the park.  Campsites in the park were nice but for the most part too small for our rig. Also they were on a first come first served bases. In late July it was quite warm.   Out site was over looking a small reservoir with lots of geese and a couple of sand hill cranes working the mud flats each day. 

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The area was a lot like Central Oregon Lava flows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 It turned out the John had to work the day we arrived but Wendy had the day off.  We had a private ranger tour of the key areas of the park. John was able to join us later in the day and we shared a dinner in town together. 

to the untrained eye, looked like the lava fields near Bend. 

 Wendy was able to explain the differance between these lava fields and the ones near Bend.  For the most part the Craters of the Moon lava fields are much younger. 

down into a lava tube. 

We joined up with an other ranger and took a tour of a lava tube.  Photos of the best lava tube did not come out but it was great, and much cooler than outside. 

Mid Summer Holliday

Truck loaded ready to roll. 

Bobbe and I did a 21 day mid season Holiday, Craters of the Moon in Idaho, High Elevation Hiking in Colorado and a Five Day Canoe Trip on Green River UT.  The Original trip was planned for visiting Colorado and Utah but I had learned that John and Wendy Short were working at Craters of the Moon, national park.   I could not drive past with out stopping in to visit. 

Spring Break 2018 second post Bend to Ely, Nevada

First evening had a nice rainbow to the north east

Highway 97 just before California

Set up at Michael's rice farm

It was a rainy day as we pulled out of Bend.  Actually it was just a little damp.   Great weather to travel.  California greeted us with lite snow but the only place the snow stuck was on the windshield of the truck.  Shasta Lake was still a little low but  it always looks low..   We drove to my cousins rice farm and parked behind the house.   We had planned on spending a couple of nights in Gridley before cross the Sierra Nevada Mts but a late spring snow storm delayed our departure.  I did not want to drive Donner Pass during a snow event.  The highway was steep and it was not worth the risk.  Our truck and trailer is quite heavy and even with tire chains it would be risk.  We waited a few days and the road crews and warmer weather cleared the highway.  This was a good decision, the road was snow and ice free and the back up of traffic from the storm had passed.   We had planned for a visit to Bobbe's cousin in Reno but due to the delay we did not stop but continued along Nevada Highway 50, "The Loneliest Highway in America".   Highway 50 took us through a lot of new country.  I was not aware how high much of Central Nevada was.  We traveled from 3,500 to 7,500 feet elevation along this route.  I tried to park in a BLM campground just off the highway but the road was snowy and muddy,  Bobbe was not happy and the rig acquired a few hundred pounds of mud.   We finally stopped in a KOA in Ely, NV.   The site was not level and was too short for our rig.  We spend an uncomfortable night and moved on the next morning early.

Weather began to clear as days passed

Heading over Donner Pass

could not believe the elevation in Nevada

family dinner before we left to head east

lots of new country in Central Nevada

Spring Break 2018, first post

This is the first Spring Break when we are retired.  Now we are freer to travel at our pace and not tied to our work schedules.   This year we were gone 16 days, drove 8 of those days and covered nearly 2500 miles.  I took nearly 300 photos and videos. 

This year we tried to get an overview of southern Utah and central Nevada.  These destinations were too far from Central Oregon to explore during our normal weekend or extended weekend trips.  Now that we have completed the overview trip we are planning future trips.  Next fall we plan to take our canoe and travel down the Green River from Green River, Ut. to Mineral Bottom near the north boundary of Canyon lands NP.  This is the first of several posts to document our trip. 

Rig loaded and wheels ready to roll

Rain as we left Central Oregon and
snow as we entered California  

Depoe Bay 2017

It has been too many years since we have spent time on the coast.   Several friends got together for a few days at Depoe Bay, Oregon.  We had a great time visiting, hiking on beach, and eating well, Life is Good. 

Classic view of hwy 101 bridge to harbor

Between whale migrations but great day to visit viewing station

good friends and good food, life is good

Bobbe and I do miss the smell and feel of being on beach.  

Walking but never forgetting to watch for sneaker wave.

Who remembers what this is?

No big storm this trip but reef provides some excitement

There is something about sunset at the beach.  

First trip of 2018, return to Hart Mt NWR, Sheldon NWR, and The Steens January 2018

 After retirement it took a while to get our life in order, if we ever get it in order.  Our first midweek trip was to revisit several camp spots that we have enjoyed in the past.  First two nights were at Camp Hart Mt.the  third night was at Virgin Valley CG in Nevada and the forth night at Paige Springs CG.  Most of people winterize their RV's in the fall and put them away for the winter or travel south to warmer regions.  I love the winter and find it a great time to use the RV.  We have a great trailer with an insulated floor and good furnace.  We have been comfortable to 0 degrees F in past. 

Loaded and ready to roll

After a 6 hour drive arrive at Hart Mt NWR

Camp Hart Mt started as a CCC camp

Who has used propane lights inside?  My parent,s first travel trailer had them. 

Camp Hart Mt. started as a CCC camp.   Not sure how long ago it was rebuilt as a very fine campground well suited to large RVs.  I think there are about 17 sites with long level and graded parking spots.  Also a very spacious covered pavilion with power and picnic tables. The campground also has clean pit toilets and a frost free water  near the pavilion.    

Hart Mt Hot Springs. 

A smaller camp ground is past the headquarters site.  There are quite a few smaller camp sites better suited to tents or smaller RVS.  The road is graveled and passable depending on snow depth.  The hot spring is one of the nicest we have seen but water is luke warm and soaking during winter would be marginal. 

Virgin Valley CG

First trip with whole family

 The third day we drove to Sheldon NWR in northern Nevada. Virgin Valley camp ground is a large open area with picnic tables, fire pits, clean pit toilets, and a hot spring pool and shower.  Bobbe loved the shower.  Water is warm enough for a good warm shower, the pool is a little on the cool side for me.  Last time we were there Bobbe spotted 4 big horn sheep.  None on this trip.  We did see 5 coyotes running up the hill, late in the day.  The area has been known for its wild horses and burros.  They have since been removed from the NWR to provide better habitat for the native prong horn antelope.  The refuge was established to provide habitat for the prong horn.     I was able to find many Apache tears on the round in the campground and in many areas that I hiked. Apache tears are obsidian stones that were in streams at one time and are now rounded into spears.  I understand they tumble and polish well.   

Note grade on highway.  

 From Sheldon NWR we drove to Paige Springs CG on the Steens.  We passed through Fields, Oregon and had to stop and have one of their famous burgers.  Rural highways are not like highways near high population areas, note the grade on sign.  If my memory serves me correctly maximum grades on state highways are normally less than 6 %.  For the none engineers a 6% grade changes six feet elevation for each 100 feet you travel horizontally.  This section just out of just south of Frenchglen, Oregon is more than twice that grade.  Thank god my truck has compression brakes.

Bobbe out for a walk

 Winter is a great time to get out and see much of Central and Eastern Oregon,  I have learned the hard way to keep truck and trailer on good roads as most of the BLM roads in this area are unsurfaced and can get quite slick when wet.  If the weather is very cold the roads will be frozen and passable   but can be rough.  Enjoy every day, We try.