Start Mileage: 84,588 End Mileage: 93,691 Total Mileage: 9,103 Start Engine Hours: 2485.13 End Engine Hours: 875.41 Total Engine Hours: 3360.54 States: NY, PA, WV, KY, MO, KS, CO, UT, NV, CA, OR, ID, MT, ND, MN, WI, MI, Canada 2019.04.15…MON…Day 1: Naweedna … to … Ripple Run COECG, Burnsville WV Up: 5:00 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 48/42/50 Weather: Clouds-Wind-Rain-Snow-Fog Did: You know the song, Ride Ranger Ride? Well, today it was, Drive Bogie Drive: I-390, NY-36, I-86, I-90, I-79, and East Shaver Road to Ripple Run CG. We planned to leave yesterday, Sunday. However, a couple things conspired to change our minds. First, it was the weather. A major cold front was moving in, forming a squall line that stretched from the Great Lakes to the Gulf. It produced T-Storms, Hail, High Wind & deadly Tornadoes (8 dead as of the last report). We even had a Tornado warning for WNY, and one was sighted near Fredonia NY. If we had left as planned, we would have been driving right into all of that. Nope, not gonna do it. Another reason for not leaving Sunday: our taxes. The accountant had promised they would be ready for our signatures Saturday PM; he lied. They were not ready until 5 PM Sunday. We would have had to postpone the departure anyway. So, Monday morning, we were off in a hail of hen shit, as Earl used to say, at about 7:45. The weather was miserable, although not as life-threatening as yesterday. There was a steady wind blowing from the west that later switched to the south, and those were the directions we were driving. The wind coupled with Interstate driving meant low mileage … and not very good (s)mileage either. Ah, but we persevered and have one big day in the book. Tomorrow we will start heading west … into the wind, no doubt. Green … the farther south we got, the more greenery we saw. From Pittsburg on, the grass was ready to mow and most of the trees were either flowering or leafing out. The first flowering trees looked like Cherry, or perhaps Serviceberry, dotting the hillsides and livening up an otherwise dreary day. A bit farther along, we started seeing Forsythia, then Redbud, and they added to the roadside merriment. I expect tomorrow we’ll be driving through a corridor of Redbud and Dogwood. Traveling this time of year, at this latitude, it can be difficult to find open campgrounds. Janie investigated before we left and found a State Park that is open all year and within a day’s drive. When we started getting close, she checked out some particulars: site availability, directions … and cost. OMG, this is one of those “Resort” SPs that they have turned into a destination for family fun … more Disneyland than campground. It is right off I-79 for easy access and as a Resort, is complete with amenities we will never need. And the price? Well, it would cost us upwards of $60 for one night. That’s ridiculous. A bit more research provided some alternatives. Janie found not one, not two, but three Corps Of Engineer campgrounds (henceforth COECG) in the area … and they had just opened this week … and we can camp there at half price. We picked the one most convenient and settled in for a measly, but way more reasonable, $15 for a clean campsite with electric. Done. Who needs golf, frisbee golf, movie theater, shuffleboard, swimming pool, lodge, restaurant and all that other stuff? I capped the day off with a rewarding Southern Tier 2x Milk Stout … yum! Saw: We saw lots of wildlife on the drive … unfortunately, nearly all of it was dead: Deer, Raccoons, Vultures, 4 what- looked-like otter (but oh, no, please say it isn’t so), and a lot of unidentifiable biomass. The one live animal we saw was a Red Fox who trotted across the road in front of us as we descended Abel Hill Road … only a mile from Naweedna. Fortunately, we did see a few birds … mostly the usual suspects that frequent WNY. There were a few
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Naweedna Ripple Run COECG, Burnsville WVboger/Naweedna/Naweedna Pages/Nawe… · all the distilleries advertised along the highway. A stiff SW wind kicked up in the afternoon. As
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2019.04.15…MON…Day 1: Naweedna … to … Ripple Run COECG, Burnsville WV Up: 5:00 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 48/42/50 Weather: Clouds-Wind-Rain-Snow-Fog
Did:
You know the song, Ride Ranger Ride? Well, today it was, Drive Bogie Drive: I-390, NY-36, I-86, I-90, I-79, and
East Shaver Road to Ripple Run CG. We planned to leave yesterday, Sunday. However, a couple things conspired to
change our minds. First, it was the weather. A major cold front was moving in, forming a squall line that stretched
from the Great Lakes to the Gulf. It produced T-Storms, Hail, High Wind & deadly Tornadoes (8 dead as of the
last report). We even had a Tornado warning for WNY, and one was sighted near Fredonia NY. If we had left as
planned, we would have been driving right into all of that. Nope, not gonna do it. Another reason for not leaving
Sunday: our taxes. The accountant had promised they would be ready for our signatures Saturday PM; he lied. They
were not ready until 5 PM Sunday. We would have had to postpone the departure anyway.
So, Monday morning, we were off in a hail of hen shit, as Earl used to say, at about 7:45. The weather was
miserable, although not as life-threatening as yesterday. There was a steady wind blowing from the west that later
switched to the south, and those were the directions we were driving. The wind coupled with Interstate driving
meant low mileage … and not very good (s)mileage either. Ah, but we persevered and have one big day in the book.
Tomorrow we will start heading west … into the wind, no doubt.
Green … the farther south we got, the more greenery we saw. From Pittsburg on, the grass was ready to mow and
most of the trees were either flowering or leafing out. The first flowering trees looked like Cherry, or perhaps
Serviceberry, dotting the hillsides and livening up an otherwise dreary day. A bit farther along, we started seeing
Forsythia, then Redbud, and they added to the roadside merriment. I expect tomorrow we’ll be driving through a
corridor of Redbud and Dogwood.
Traveling this time of year, at this latitude, it can be difficult to find open campgrounds. Janie investigated before
we left and found a State Park that is open all year and within a day’s drive. When we started getting close, she
checked out some particulars: site availability, directions … and cost. OMG, this is one of those “Resort” SPs that
they have turned into a destination for family fun … more Disneyland than campground. It is right off I-79 for
easy access and as a Resort, is complete with amenities we will never need. And the price? Well, it would cost us
upwards of $60 for one night. That’s ridiculous. A bit more research provided some alternatives. Janie found not
one, not two, but three Corps Of Engineer campgrounds (henceforth COECG) in the area … and they had just
opened this week … and we can camp there at half price. We picked the one most convenient and settled in for a
measly, but way more reasonable, $15 for a clean campsite with electric. Done. Who needs golf, frisbee golf, movie
theater, shuffleboard, swimming pool, lodge, restaurant and all that other stuff?
I capped the day off with a rewarding Southern Tier 2x Milk Stout … yum!
Saw:
We saw lots of wildlife on the drive … unfortunately, nearly all of it was dead: Deer, Raccoons, Vultures, 4 what-
looked-like otter (but oh, no, please say it isn’t so), and a lot of unidentifiable biomass. The one live animal we saw
was a Red Fox who trotted across the road in front of us as we descended Abel Hill Road … only a mile from
Naweedna. Fortunately, we did see a few birds … mostly the usual suspects that frequent WNY. There were a few
noteworthy sightings, however. We’ve seen Bald Eagle in the Salamanca NY area and today was no exception. Janie
spotted two nests with white heads sticking out of ‘em. Later, we passed through a wildlife area between Meadville
and Pittsburg and saw a couple Osprey nest-platforms complete with an adult bird. Here’s the complete list for
today: Kestrel
Redtail Hawk
Gull sp
Mourning & Rock Doves
Starling
Crow
Grackle
Redwinged Blackbird
Turkey
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle on nest
Swallow sp.
Mallard
Canada Goose
Osprey on nest
Red Fox
Cherry/Serviceberry Blooming
Forsythia Blooming
Redbud Blooming
Skunk Cabbage Leaves
Reflect:
Neither of us seem to have the usual level of excitement that accompanies the start of a trip. Why? I perceive 2
main contributors. First, we are not looking forward to days of hard driving necessary to extricate us from the
familiar or undesirable parts of the journey. That means having to wait a few days before we can start touring …
DALASing, as it were. Secondly, we are heading for unfamiliar locations – places we have either never been or only
briefly explored. That means we don’t have the added impetus of expectations. Normally, that would be a good
thing, because expectations can lead to disappointment. But a little expectation is necessary to stimulate the
imagination and whet the appetite for exploration. That being said, I find myself sitting here typing these words
while looking at a pleasantly natural hillslope with trees producing fresh, green leaves – the Honeysuckle is already
leafed out. It is early spring here in every way except temperature … 46o with a stiff wind. It will be cold tonight,
but we have our two little space-heaters to keep us warm. We are on the road and it feels pretty normal.
Ate:
Granola
Hardboiled Egg
Chili w/extra Beans & canned Chiles purchased in Hatch, NM once upon a time in a state far away
Drive:
End: Ripple Run #4 COECG, Burnsville WV
Arrive: 3:52
Temp (degrees): 45
Elev (ft): 808
D (miles): 448
Mpg: 18.3 (Interstates & Wind)
2019.04.16…TUE…Day 2: Ripple Run COECG, Burnsville WV … to … Canal COECG, Gilbertsville KY Up: 5:15 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 50/34/41 Weather: Valley Fog-Clear & Sunny, stiff PM headwind
Did:
Another driving day, this one bigger than the last. I-79 to Charleston WV, then I-44 to Lexington KY where we
fueled up before getting on the Bluegrass Parkway, which eventually changed to the Western KY Parkway, which, in
turn, changed to I-69 that later merged with I-24. Finally, we arrived at the exit to KY-453 where we fueled up
again before heading down to Canal COECG where we paid $9 for site #8. Whew! All in a day’s (none) work.
The entire drive was REDBUD Way. They were in full reddish-purple or purplish-red glory, lining the highway on
both sides. The most notable were those in the low light of early morning, which caused them to glow among the
surrounding gloom. Somewhere between Lexington KY and the COECG, we crossed into Central Time zone, gaining an
hour. That extra hour allowed us to cover 500 miles and still be sitting in camp by beer time. The Bluegrass area
around Lexington was made even more glorious by the wall-to-wall sunshine. We didn’t see a lot of horses but were
assured we were passing through the racehorse capital of the world … and the Bourbon capital as well judging from
all the distilleries advertised along the highway.
A stiff SW wind kicked up in the afternoon. As you might expect, we were heading SW and our mileage suffered
even worse than yesterday. We were up to 19.5 mpg and climbing in the AM, but, once we turned west, the wind
whittled that down to 18.1 by the time we got to the CG. We expect that sort of wind in the plains, but not so much
here. Hey, it is what it is and it’s only money so what the heck? Thanks, Mark.
Our campsite is very nice. It’s immersed in deciduous trees just coming out in leaf and that means Warblers, which
we heard and even saw a couple times. We learned recently that the warblers time their migration with the
emergence of new leaves. We’d always assumed that was for camouflage, but no, it’s much more involved. It seems
moths also time their reproductive cycles so their eggs hatch just as the tender new leaves are emerging. Those
new leaves don’t contain as much bitter tannin as they will later, and the freshly minted moth larvae happily munch
them and grow. And the warblers? They feed on the tender, young moth-caterpillars. It’s the way Nature has knit
together these seemingly disparate life-cycles over the millennia. A few other woodland birds presented
themselves, and they are listed below. There are Tall Phlox flowers and May Apple umbrellas dotting the ground.
We have a view of the lake as well. Very nice, and it is only made better by the warmth that allows us to open
DALAS up for airing. We are also airing out by sitting at the picnic table where we can listen to the birds and even
occasionally see ‘em. Very pleasant … relaxing … Zzzzz …
Ah, but before I sleep, I’ll toast the day with one of Joe George’s gift Hamburg Lagers. Hmmm, it’s pretty good;
wonder if they have it at Beers of the World …
Saw:
A lot more road kill today … mostly the bugs splattered on our windshield. It is certainly spring down here. Great Blue Heron
In the CG:
Blue Jay
Yellow Rumped Warbler
Belted Kingfisher
Double Crested Cormorant
Turkey
Red Eyed Vireo
Tufted Titmouse
Carolina Chickadee
Carolina Wren
Red Headed Woodpecker
Heard Owls, either barred or great horned
Tansy Ragwort
Tall Phlox
May Apple
Poison Ivy
Dogwood
Redbud
Reflect:
Our trip outline is coming to fruition. We’d planned to escape the WNY weather by making a forced march
southward. That was yesterday. Then we hoped to head west, which was today. Those two hard-driving days totaled
nearly 1,000 miles. That is very unusual for us, but it seemed necessary to get through the stuff we’ve done (if not
overdone) and get to more virgin territory. We still have MO & KS to traverse, however. We expect to take US
highways through MO and then start touring in KS, confining ourselves to areas south of I-70. Now if the weather
gets nasty, all those plans may change. We’ll go wherever we must to avoid bad weather. What about CO? Dunno.
We will have to cross the Front Range somewhere – to be determined by weather. Then the virgin territory begins:
northern UT, NV, CA, OR … and back. It’s all an adventure after tomorrow. In the following days, I will reflect on
how we did or did not achieve our plans. Stay tuned.
Ate:
Granola
¾ Sardine Sandwich w/Mustard
Thai Fish Curry w/Mixed Vegetables on Brown Rice
Drive:
End: Canal COECG #8, Gilbertsville KY
Arrive: 3:59
Temp (degrees): 80
Elev (ft): 350
D (miles): 510
Mpg: 18.1
2019.04.17…WED…Day 3: Canal COECG, Gilbertsville KY … to … Crabtree Cove COECG, Stockton MO Up: 5:43 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 67/60/65 Weather: Hazy Sun-PC-Overcast, stiff SW wind
Did:
Hoo-Hoo-Hoo … We were in bed and had just dozed off when a very clear and nearby Hoot started up. That was
followed by another hooter a bit farther away and then a third even more distant. The call & response continued
for a few minutes and either they stopped, or we went back to sleep. We played Owl calls while driving today and
settled on Great Horned and maybe Barred as one of the responders. We’ve never heard that many call/responses
before. Neat.
We perused the weather during morning beverages … dangerous T-Storms expected for tonight thru tomorrow
morning. What! There wasn’t any indication of that in yesterday’s report. It seems a couple lows in the NW are
linking up with a low from the SW and forming yet another squall line that we must deal with. There is no going
around – it’s too extensive; the only thing we can do is stay put and face it in daylight tomorrow. More investigation
revealed that the most severe weather is to the south where the temperatures have been higher. What to do? We
decided to take our chances and drive toward the coming weather … and vector a bit north to get farther away
from the most dangerous part.
Decision made, we fired DALAS up and headed toward Paducah. It turns out we are retracing a route we took
coming back from the SW a few years ago. Although we were immersed in the Paducah morning-rush, we peeled off
before getting to the city and picked up US-60 to cross the Mississippi River. We remember this crossing being a
bit unusual but couldn’t recall why – other than the crossing is N-S on a river that’s supposed to flow in that
direction. Ah-ha, the first bridge cleared up the confusion. It was a bridge over the Ohio River, and a scant mile
later we got a second bridge crossing the Mississippi. We were at the confluence of the two mighty rivers.
There wasn’t much floodplain on the east side of the river, but the west side was a different story. We drove for
several miles with the elevation hovering around 320’. Hmmm, it’s only a 320’ drop from here to the Gulf? Guess so.
Eventually a ridge appeared on the horizon – the western bank of the Mississippi, 100’ above the floodplain. After
the first ridge, the terrain leveled out again – an older floodplain? – before we got to a second 100’ ridge. After
that, we were crossing the northern end of the Ozarks.
We were on US-60 all the way to Springfield MO. We fueled up at a Walmart ($2.67-lowest we saw all day by far)
and took the east loop around Springfield to pick up MO-13 going north toward Stockton MO. Before getting to
Stockton, we turned on a county road that led us to Crabtree Cove COECG. Yep, our third COE; they would all be
COE if we could swing it. We settled on site A1P (for Prime=water view) and paid our $10 rent. The site seemed to
be the most sheltered but … sits in a Walnut grove, and they are about the last trees to leaf out. We will not have
much cover if the storms produce hail.
We took a shower while Terry, the lady attendant, tried to figure out the new registration system. She had a
bunch of prints outs with screen captures and instructions. It wasn’t helping. The CG had just opened yesterday,
and we were among the first to register … and apparently the first to try to pay with a credit card. Janie likes
using credit for records and not depleting our travel cash. After we showered, Terry was still clueless, so we gave
her a ten-dollar bill and got on with our collective lives.
So here we sit, in the continually gusty SW wind, looking out over Lake Stockton’s Crabtree Cove and being
entertained by a variety of birds. Although not as nice as last night, it is still delightful to have these things to
enrich our lives while sitting in comfy 75o weather … while it lasts. I decided to salute the day with a Brooklyn
Brown Ale, making the experience even better.
Saw: Cardinal
Mockingbird
Killdeer (heard)
Brown-Headed Cowbird
Barn swallow
Meadowlark
Bluebird
Summer Tanager
White Breasted Nuthatch
Black & White Warbler
American Goldfinch
Horned Grebe
Common Loon
More Dogwood than Redbud
Lilacs blooming
Violets
Reflect:
Another day of driving too fast on big roads. US-60 is soon to become I-57, only lacking the controlled access of a
true Interstate. There was amazingly little traffic so I could enjoy the scenery while feeling relatively safe tooling
along at 60-65 mph. The day would have been much more enjoyable if we didn’t have the prospect of dangerous T-
Storms in our immediate future. Assuming we survive, we’ll be heading into KS tomorrow with two NWRs and two
cultural stops. Our touring will be starting and none too soon. Lindsborg KS, Lucas KS, Cheyenne Bottom NWR &
Quivira NWR possibly await us.
Ate:
Granola
Jarlsberg Swiss & Nance’s
Mac’n’Cheese’n’Tuna’n’Peas
Drive:
End: Crabtree Cove COECG #A1P, Stockton MO
Arrive: 2:58
Temp (degrees): 77
Elev (ft): 941
D (miles): 376
Mpg: 19.2 (more wind)
2019.04.18…THU…Day 4: Crabtree Cove COECG, Stockton MO … to … Old Mill Museum CG, Lindsborg KS Up: 5:32 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 67/56/65 Weather: Overcast-Partly Cloudy-Overcast-Sunny, all with NW Wind
Did:
We survived the night with only a glancing blow from a passing T-Storm. The raining & blowing was accompanied by
an impressive lightning display but no hail and no damage to trees or DALAS. Yay! However, we did awake to a
strong wind rocking DALAS. It’s KS, so the old RV adage “If this van’s a-rockin’, don’t come a-knockin’” doesn’t have
the usual meaning; the wind will always be rockin’ DALAS in KS.
The day began with some chores: utilities. We really didn’t need to do ‘em, but we may end up in places that don’t
have such amenities in the next couple days, so we decided to do ‘em now while we have the facilities. Chores done,
it was on down the road toward Lindsborg KS. That meant MO-32 north to pick up US-54. Along the way we
stopped at a roadside rest bordering the Toronto Wildlife Area for our Granola. We didn’t see any wildlife, but the
Granola sure was good. US-54 shoots straight across to Wichita KS. We fueled DALAS in El Dorado KS, just east
of Wichita and immediately picked up KS-198, which arched up and around the city. Then it was I-135 north to
where we could get on Old 81 Highway that leads directly into Lindsborg. Ah, finally a little back roading; a welcome
change.
The wind shifted after the front passed. The previous couple days, it has been out the SSW. This morning it was
out of the NW and shifted to due N later in the day. Hmmm, which way were we heading? West and then North, so
we were fighting a stiff crosswind in the AM and a stiff headwind in the PM. Just our luck. Interestingly, our
mileage increased in towns – the opposite of normal. Reason: driving slower where trees and buildings serve as
windbreaks. Back out on the open road, the wind took back everything we’d gained in town … and more. You’d think
we could count on equally strong tailwinds when we start heading home, but our previous experience in this part of
the world doesn’t support that theory. Other than the wind, it was an enjoyable drive. The traffic wasn’t bad, and
the straight roads allowed our followers to pass easily … which they did.
Most of the day was spent in the Flint Hills, AKA Bluestem Prairie. The bedrock consists of interbedded limestone
and chert (flint to the locals). The limestone weathers much more rapidly than the essentially inert chert and
differential weathering is the source of the hills. The Bluestem part is thanks to the native Bluestem Grass that
once dominated this part of the prairie. Currently, the area is becoming increasingly dominated by petroleum
production. We started seeing small pump jacks in eastern KS, and they eventually gave way to much larger ones …
and a couple big refineries. Gotta produce that fuel that we are offering up to the wind. On a more scenic note, we
are starting to see ranches complete with increasingly larger herds of cattle. We will certainly see much larger
ranches with proportionately larger herds as we continue west.
Lindsborg KS, home to 3,500 souls, many of Swedish extraction. From the KS-2007 Trip Log: Shortly before noon, we found ourselves in a miraculous culture warp: Lindsborg KS. It seems back in the days when KS was being settled, a
Swedish land speculator bought up the rights to some acreage in a far-off land called KS – or more likely “The Territories” at the time. He then
arranged for a bunch of Swedes to settle there, and that is what they did. They established a Swedish community pretty much in the middle of
what is now Kansas. The town flourished and is now famous for its Swedish heritage – especially its Dala horses. These colorfully painted wooden
horses are now the town’s logo and the very busy little Hemslojd Gift Shop thrives selling them along with many other Swedish items. Now what
do you have when you put more than one Dala together? Well, you got DALAS. We just had to get a couple for BAWB … who, as far as we know,
invented the term: D(riving)A(round)L(ooking)A(t)S(tuff).
You may be familiar with the painted horses, cows and other animals that have become so popular in towns. Well Lindsborg is no different: they
have a Dala horse on every street corner, each painted differently. We bought a poster showing each of them. You might be interested in some
of the Dala horse’s names: Dalalujah (church), Dalahippus Lindsborgensis (museum), Hello Dala (theater), Yankee Doodle Dala (government
office), Two Bits-Four Bits-Six Bits A Dala (bank), Fala The Dala Brick Road (KS – OZ – Dorothy – Toto, get it?), Dalalama Tellacomma (outside
the phone office), and my favorite, Salvador Dala ( a famous artist whose name I forget – it’s NOT Glenn – has/had a studio in Lindsborg, but
his name didn’t go with Dala in any cute way).
As noted above, when we visited Lindsborg in 2007, we walked the village and stumbled upon a craft shop:
Hemslöjd. That’s where we got Gunter & Terri a Door Harp for their Paradox Ranch. Today, we wanted to revisit
the town to see how it felt after 12 years, and we were especially interested in checking out Hemslöjd again. Our
intention: get wedding gifts for Jason & Jenn and Caitie & Tom (our niece and her guy). That was our first stop. We
picked out a couple Door Harps and waited while Shirley ‘personalized’ them. This was the very same Shirley who
‘personalized’ Gunter & Terri’s. She hasn’t changed a smidge in 12 years. She sits on a stool and paints all the Door
Harps, Dala Horses and other Swedish items that the shop sells. And … she also adds names and/or messages to
any item purchased. When she’s not painting, she’s munching unwholesome snacks. Sitting there painting and
snacking all day would lead you to believe Shirley might become a bit of a toad. You’d be correct.
In 2007, we did our best to find a restaurant offering some Swedish delicacies. No such luck. Again, the KS-2007
Trip Log: By the time we were done, it was lunch time, so we asked the young salesgirl what she was doing for lunch. She was a bit flummoxed by such a
direct and personal question but eventually stammered out an answer: “I had lunch at home before coming to work.” Well, not to be put off with
such a lame excuse, we asked where she lived and where she kept the key … under the flower pot on the front porch maybe. This really confused
her, so I had to ask where we might find a good lunch IN TOWN. She blurted out a name, said it was a block or two down the street, and
promptly started helping another customer. Poor girl, someday she’ll regret not going to lunch with us.
While Janie stashed the loot, I strolled down the street to check out the eatery. Hmmm, the main entries were things like open-face, hot
roast-beef sandwich. They did have some Swedish specialties listed almost as an afterthought, but … as much as I like roast beef sandwiches
with creamy mashed potatoes all slathered in rich, brown gravy, I was really looking for something more ethnic.
Today’s experience was no different. When we registered for the CG today, we asked the friendly lady about
restaurants that might serve Swedish dishes and were informed that the only restaurant that offered an Swedish
food just closed. She did suggest one that might be of interest, so we checked it out. Hmmm, it was basically a bar
& grill offering traditional bar food. Nope, we’ll go back to DALAS and have some peanut butter on crackers, thank
you very much.
This weather is nothing if not changeable. The day began overcast and gloomy. As time passed, it became partly
sunny and then mostly sunny. The afternoon warmth created thermals that resulted in some scattered light
showers. Now … well, I’m sitting in full sunshine with only a few spindly clouds overhead. But there is still the wind
… always the wind. It’s Kansas.
Today’s libation is a Troeg’s Troegenator – introduced to me by dear, sweet Amy Carey. A fitting end to another
good day. Thanks, Amy.
Saw:
Right off the bat we saw three Redtail Hawks, each perched in identical locations on three successive utility poles.
That matches the three we saw in a WV tree. What’s up with these threesomes? The other interesting natural bit
was the abundant and beautiful Redbuds that continue to line our drives. I had no idea they extended this far west.
The other notables are: Great Egret
Cliff Swallow
Yellow Headed Blackbird
Reflect:
Our Interstate driving dwindled down to a five-mile stretch of I-135, necessary to connect two state highways.
Back roading is our game and we got to play it today. Almost all two-lanes passing through multiple little towns, only
a couple with populations in the low 10-thousands. We got to drive through the main streets of the smaller ones and
noted that they all seemed prosperous – no boarded-up store fronts with For Lease signs. Just about every little
town has a village park, and many have public or private camping available. Unfortunately, many of those campsites
are occupied by semi-permanent campers associated with the ever-growing petroleum industry. Each of these little
towns has its own character and it’s interesting to see how they differ.
We didn’t get to Geneseo KS today, but we stopped there in 2007. It was an exception to the prosperous rule. The
census puts the Geneseo KS population at a whopping 267. We didn’t see any of them on our 2007 visit. My notes
tell the story: There are not many places you can walk along main street taking pictures on Saturday afternoon and see more cow pies than people.
That was 2007 … wonder what it looks like in 2019. Maybe we’ll see it tomorrow.
Ate:
Granola
Peanut Butter on Crackers w/Miracle Whip
Kielbasa & Creamed & Regular Corn Mixed together
Drive:
End: Old Mill Museum CG, Lindsborg KS
Arrive: 2:25
Temp (degrees): 66
Elev (ft): 1345
D (miles): 278
Mpg: 18.6 (another headwind)
2019.04.19…FRI…Day 5: Old Mill Museum CG, Lindsborg KS … to … Cheyenne Bottom Wildlife Area, Hoisington KS Up: 6:49 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 53/42/52 Weather: Clear & Sunny
Did:
Oops … we overslept a bit. Oh well, this was a true touring day, so it didn’t make no matter mind. It all started by
going back into Lindsborg KS and picking up KS-4 that delivered us to Hoisington KS where we fueled up before
going to Cheyenne Bottom Wildlife Area. This is an impressive state-run operation that we visited in 2007, and we
spent the rest of the day and night in the refuge. They have a 6-site primitive CG, and we settled in there after
touring the refuge. I read about our 2007 experience in the KS-2007 Trip Log, and it seems appropriate to share
some of that now:
Before setting up camp, we took the auto tour to check out the wilder inhabitants. While traversing the first few miles, we noticed a couple of
recently killed small rattlesnakes. The very next thing we saw was a pickup coming toward us with the driver waving a beefy arm out the window.
He had his wife in the front and about four kids in the jump seat. When I stopped and rolled down my window, he said, “I saw your license when
I passed you a while back. Don’t get out of your vehicle. There are lots of Prairie Rattlers here. I’ve killed most of ‘em, but you need to be
careful.” While he wagged his equally burly tongue at me, I couldn’t help but notice the gold stud stuck in the middle of it. As I processed his
words of advice, I kept wondering how it would feel to have your tongue pierced. Wouldn’t it set up electric shocks when it contacts your
filings? Hey, stick a piece of aluminum foil in your mouth and check it out. What about hygiene? Do you clean that thing or what? The whole idea
is repulsive. Back in what passes for reality, I thanked him for the warning and assured him that we would be careful. I came just short of
telling him how very thrilled I was that he was protecting us from these 6-10 inch rattlesnakes, that he was a personal hero of mine for doing
so, and that he will one day have a plaque erected in his honor on this very spot. But I was actually more focused on his tongue stud. In
retrospect, I really wish I had told him he should have a stake driven through his heart for purposely killing snakes of any kind.
We finished the loop and ended up back at the primitive campground. We had just settled in and started hearing a Great Horned hooting in the
cottonwoods nearby when a beat-up old car with four high-school-age boys drove up. Great, it’s Saturday night, and they got a keg in the trunk.
No, they just got out and stood around the car. Okay, they aren’t going to have a beer party, maybe they are waiting for dark so they can
harvest their marijuana plantation … or trek off to their meth lab. After a half hour or so, they got back in the car and slowly drove by us to
the other side of the camping area. Remember, there are 5 camping sites, so it’s not like this is a huge campground that a young man couldn’t
walk around. They parked, got out of the car and walked off into the surrounding undergrowth. Oh, this isn’t looking good at all. One of them,
the bigger, burlier one was using a battery-powered saber saw to cut up wood. Are they just gathering firewood? Using a saber saw to cut it?
What’s going on here? After another half hour or so, they turned around and slowly drove past us again, parking at the other side where they’d
been before. All this slow driving, what’s that? Are they casing us out? I got out the cell phone to see if we could make a connection, we could; I
punched in 911, and was ready to hit the call button if necessary. Shortly after dark, they got in the car and very slowly drove off. I fully
expected to see them again, later in the night. We took Ambien, locked ourselves in RVan, and kept the phone handy. Next morning, we were still
alone, nothing happened, and we felt kinda foolish. Better to feel foolish than have some kind of incident, I always say.
Okay, back to real time. We didn’t see any snakes today, nor did we see the tongue-studded hero. Let’s hope we
don’t see any teen-aged boys doing strange things tonight … but let’s also hope we hear the Owl.
This was an altogether fine day. The weather was exceptional, thanks to a big high that is passing over. Today, we
were on the eastern side of the high, so the wind was out of the north. Tomorrow, the wind will shift to the south
as the high moves eastward … and the temp will rise accordingly. About half-way between Lindsborg KS and
Hoisington KS sits the not-so-thriving metropolis of Geneseo KS. Janie had written some postcards, so we decided
to see if this Geneseo had a PO. As I mentioned yesterday, we stopped in Geneseo KS in 2007 and were not
impressed. It hasn’t gotten any better in the intervening 12 years. It is truly a dying little town. They do have a PO,
and it was by far the nicest building in town. Some of the other businesses we remembered from 2007 were
boarded up … unfortunately, that included the It’ll Do Saloon. Apparently, it didn’t, and now it don’t.
Our last town for the day was Hoisington KS. It is everything Geneseo is not-very prosperous, neat & clean with
thriving businesses, mostly local but there was a DQ. They also have camping along the edge of the Community
Center parking lot. We checked it out and remembered that we’d done the same in 2007. As in 2007, we decided to
put up for the night in the Cheyenne Bottom primitive CG so we can have morning beverages while watching the
birds.
So here we sit in a grove of big, old Cottonwood trees pretty much like 2007. It’s been a fine day – our first true
touring day. Of the 92 miles we travelled, 22 were on the refuge tour road. We finished the tour loop around 3p
and decided to unleash the bikes. We only got in 8 miles, but those 8 miles were the first of the season … and felt
very good indeed. Everything worked out so well today, I think I’ll reward myself with a nice Beards Serendipity
Porter – thanks to Kurt.
Saw:
We spent most of the day in Cheyenne Bottom Wildlife Area and saw lots of first of trip (FOT) birds. Here they
are in the order seen: Horned Lark
European Collared Dove
White Pelican
Blue Winged Teal
Northern Shoveler (lots)
Green Winged Teal
Swainson Hawk
Mallard
Redhead
Gadwall (aka black butt)
Black Necked Stilt
Marsh Hawk (aka Northern Harrier)
Ruddy Duck (lots)
Bufflehead
Lesser Yellowlegs
Franklin’s Gull
Eared Grebe
Pintail
Snow Goose
Snowy Egret
Pied Billed Grebe
Coyote
NO Snakes
Reflect:
Touring day. We toured Geneseo KS; we toured Hoisington KS; we toured Cheyenne Bottom Wildlife Area … and we
only covered 92 miles in doing it. That’s ever so much better than the marathon drives we’ve been doing. We got to
spend several hours in the refuge and were rewarded with lots of bird sightings … including the requisite White
Pelican afternoon soaring event. They are such graceful birds in the air. I don’t know why they opt to take to wing
and soar around, but it is exhilarating to watch. We also got some good views of Black Necked Stilts with their
shockingly pink legs. Yeah, it was a good day, and we hope tomorrow will be similar when we go to Quivira NWR –
another memory from the KS-2007 trip. Here’s an interesting snippet from that trip log:
About mid-afternoon we arrived at Cheyenne Bottoms State Wildlife Area. They have a geologic explanation for this lowland area that is now a
wetland complex. They say a part of the crust sank, which changed the course of the Arkansas (Ar-Kansas) River. The eroded fault lines are now
exposed as the hundred-foot bluffs surrounding the wetland. Okay, I have a problem with this explanation. How can subsidence cause a stream
to be moved away? Wouldn’t it sorta encourage the steam to flow into the depression? I expect the surrounding crust was elevated, so the
bottoms appeared to subside. It’s all relative, you know, but this interpretation better addresses the deflection of the stream. Whatever,
Cheyenne Bottoms is a large, depressed area that consists of several lakes separated by marshy areas – an attractive wildlife habitat in an
otherwise semi-arid terrain. Thus, it is a magnet for waterfowl, amphibians, and reptiles.
I’m still puzzled, but enjoying the experience nonetheless.
Ate:
Granola
Clementine & ½ Slice Bread
Sesame Chicken w/Mixed Vegetables & extra Peanut Butter on Brown Rice
2019.04.20…SAT…Day 6: Cheyenne Bottom Wildlife Area, Hoisington KS … to … Hoisington CC, Hoisington KS Up: 5:41 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 53/44/53 Weather: Sun all day & S wind
Did:
Well, last night was interesting. We didn’t have teenage boys with a saber saw running off into the woods like in
2007 but … we had three much better-behaved boys, each with his own vehicle, tossing a football and snacking on
some unidentifiable stuff. We wondered if they might be the sons of the boys we saw in 2007. The current three
stayed at least until dark but were gone when we got up. We also had a couple other campers: 1. A father & son
whom we saw again today on the tour road, and 2. A youngish couple with Louisiana license plates, both skinny, but
she was rail thin … and a person of color as they say. They had a little dog, no tent and a pot of something that the
guy stirred, added six eggs, and continued to stir for a very long time. I wanted to ask what it was they were
concocting … and to tell him to stir with his left arm for a while to balance things out. I’m sure it didn’t take them
nearly as long to eat as it did to prepare. Soooo, we were not alone and there were no issues other than our RV
batteries being nearly depleted by morning. I guess they are getting weak after nearly seven years of use.
Oh yeah, there was a lot of traffic on the dirt road next to the CG. Lots of pickups going fast and raising dust
clouds. And there was a, let’s say heavy-set, woman tearing up and down the road on her ATV. She’d zip past, do a
loop through the CG pullout, and head back to wherever she came from … but she didn’t stay, rather she repeated
the process ad nauseum. My thought: get off and let the ATV ride … or at least give it a rest. Eventually she did
stop, but it was to join our neighboring teenagers. She then let them run up and down the road on her ATV while
she scarfed down their grub.
We planned to have morning beverages in the refuge, but we got up at o’dark thirty, so we decided to stay put until
there was at least enough light for photography. Then we drove the tour road and discovered that the bright,
morning sun was in our face and not conducive to picture taking. We were about halfway down the tour road when
we decided to take advantage of the remarkable weather and bike again. Let’s ride bikes!
As predicted, the wind switched from north to south and brought more heat and some humidity with it. It will
continue blowing from the south until Monday when it switches back to the north. The high that has provided two
days of perfectly clear blue skies is passing, giving way to the next weather system with north winds and rain. So
what did we do after biking Cheyenne Bottom? We headed south – into the wind, of course – to Quivira NWR to see
what it has to offer: a Trumpeter Swan, but not much else. Clearly, the action is in Cheyenne Bottom, so we headed
back north to Hoisington KS to take advantage of the parking lot camping at the Community Center. We also took
advantage of the showers that were included in our $15 rent payment. The CC is a large, relatively new facility and
serves as the High School Basketball and Wrestling venue. There wasn’t anything going on at the CC today, and the
skeleton staff consisted of one HS Senior who kindly showed us to the showers and unlocked them for our use. All
clean … time to wash the dusty window. Have you ever tried to wash windows in an arid 25 mph wind? You gotta be
quick. You may ask why I took a shower before washing windows, and I’d answer, boy are you nosy! I actually was
washing the windows when the HS Senior came out to say he was locking the building in ½ hour, so we hustled to get
ourselves clean first, then went back to the windows.
Here we sit, both of us lounging on the bed because the cab part is bathed in evening sunshine and too hot to
tolerate. But back here, we have a nice cross breeze, so things are pretty comfy. I’m celebrating the day with a
Southern Tier 2X Milk Stout and intend to give it my full attention right … now …
Saw:
Today we saw many of the same species as yesterday with these FOTs: Spotted Sandpiper
Lesser Scaup
Forster’s Tern
Avocet
Semipalmated Plover
Long Billed Dowitcher
Trumpeter Swan
Reflect:
I’m sitting on the bed, looking out the back windows at an Alfalfa field that extends as far as I can see. It’s the
plains, and it’s flat. There are a few windbreak trees scattered across the view … and a couple working oil wells. I
don’t remember seeing pump jacks in KS in 2007. However, they are certainly abundant now. Some are big, some
are small, but they are almost all pumping away. This is our third day in KS and we are enjoying the touring, wildlife
and biking very much. Two 100-mile days are a welcome relief to the breakneck pace of our first few days.
Tomorrow, we will have been on the road for a week, and when I think back about where we’ve been, I find myself
wondering if that really happened … on this trip … just a few days ago. Were we really in WV, KY, MO? We started
in rain & snow and are now in wall-to-wall sun and warmth bordering on hot. It’s good to slow down and absorb some
of the ambiance – some of the local character. That makes it all the more memorable. But I expect that by next
week I will be wondering if Hoisington KS was on this trip. Such is the life of a vagabond.
Ate:
Granola (very late)
Salmon Steaks w/Coleslaw and Potato Salad
Bike Data:
Trail: Cheyenne Bottom Tour Road
ST: 8:30
ET: 11:00
TT: 2:30
BT: 1:57
D (miles): 13.23
Mx (mph): 10.4
Avg (mph): 6.7
Drive:
End: Hoisington CC #10, Hoisington KS
Arrive: 2:44
Temp (degrees): 88
Elev (ft): 1858
D (miles): 106
Mpg: 18.4
2019.04.21…SUN…Day 7: Hoisington CC, Hoisington KS … to … John Martin SP, Hasty CO Up: 6:31 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 67/60/66
Weather: High Clouds, Clear, Cumulus & WIND
Did:
Last evening, we were entertained by a mass-movement of black birds: Red Wings, Grackle, Starling. It wasn’t in
the class of the Passenger Pigeon but it was certainly the biggest flocking we’ve seen. Stringers of ‘em were moving
NW-SE, and it continued for the better part of fifteen minutes. The sky wasn’t darkened, more like wisps of
smoke. They seemed to be heading to the Cheyenne Bottom refuge. If they all perched in the same area, it will be
well fertilized by morning. Another strange thing occurred last night. We both had dreams about Jason & Jenn.
How weird is that? They were different dreams but clearly about the same people. I don’t recall that ever
happening before.
Good Friday has passed, as has Pretty Good Saturday (thanks to Jason for that one), today is Easter Sunday, the
morning of which I pondered our parking area. We have water right at the site, and I’d checked out the dump
station yesterday: neat, clean and easily accessible. We don’t need to do the utilities but … It took all of 15 minutes
to take on fresh water and dump the gray & black. Done for another few days, unless we opt to do the adult thing
and take advantage of readily available facilities. We are so responsible. We try to not be responsible for doing
anything wrong ... or stupid.
Time to move west. The Hoisington CC borders KS-4, which is what we took out of town before translating over to
KS-96 to continue our westward migration. The driving was great: essentially no traffic, wide road, Plains scenery -
touring at its best. The only issue was, as usual, the wind. It started as a crosswind from the south, then SW, and
ultimately it became a full-on headwind from the west. Right now, as I type this it has again changed direction is
coming from the north, rather savagely. Back to today, we found ourselves ‘drifting’ into the High Plains and
managed to gain some 1,400’ by the end of the day. Nonetheless, DALAS eked out a respectable 20.3 mpg. Makes
me wonder what she’d be getting with no wind … or, as long as I’m fantasizing, a tailwind.
We parked on a side street in Ness City for granola. It was sunny and nice, so we walked around a bit. Just across
the way was a house with some elaborate hedges. Some short & bulbous, others tall, and still others more like a
normal but very wide hedge. After marveling at its beauty, we started wondering how they trim it. The bulbous
ones were longer than a car-length and the tall ones not much narrower. Even the normal hedge was very wide. They
must use a tall ladder … and very long trimmers … and have massive shoulders to hold ‘em. Pretty, but too much
work for me.
The house behind the Hedge House had a double driveway lined with large, colorful, ceramic pots. There were also
some on the sidewalk along the front of the house. A neatly-lettered sign on the garage door read: POTS For Sale
– Only Those In Driveway & On Sidewalk – Call xxx-xxxx For Appointment. Very interesting little corner we just
happened to stumble on.
These little prairie towns are entertaining. Everything is local and often tending to the colorful side. There were
only a couple that had traffic lights, most were just 4-way stops at major intersections – of which there were few.
They all had a water tower of one type or another and an even larger grain elevator. You can see these structures
from far away. And, yes, they are colorful. On the outskirts of one town there was a field filled with rusting farm
implements and a sign advertising Experienced Equipment … we’ve seen lots of rusty equipment but never saw them
identified as ‘Experience’. Sorta captures the imagination, eh?
Today was the first day we’ve encountered people waving to us. The population density is so low that the locals
seem glad to see someone – anyone – even strangers from NY. There were the usual variety of waves: one-finger
flip, hand flip like sowing seeds, and the uncommon flag-wave of pure joy. The casual, one-finger flip is by far the
most common. It’s refreshing to experience any of them; you just don’t see that sort of thing in high population
places.
We also saw miles of Post Rock Fences. The local bedrock splits into slabs used for signs and fence posts. After a
while, we started wondering how they attach the barbed wire to a stone post. Well, one of the little towns we
passed through had a museum addressing that very issue. We didn’t stop, so we still don’t know. As we’ve seen
before, a whole section of the stone posts were adorned with old boots. They’d been there a while and looked
bedraggled, or else the people who wore them had very weirdly-shaped feet. Before leaving KS, we crossed into
Mountain Time. That necessitated a stop to change all our time machines. One more time zone to go. Wonder when
we’ll get there?
We continued to climb up the high plains and after a few miles of CO, we stopped seeing trees – hence the stone
posts – and started seeing some type of Yucca and Sage. There were large expanses of prairie that must look like
the virgin stuff. One of the large sections had a Coyote trotting through. Now all we need is … oh, look, a Prairie
Dog Town. Wonder if that’s where the Coyote is heading. Still no Pronghorn yet, however. Things greened up
considerably when we descended into the Arkansas River Valley. That’s Our-Kan’-sas, not Ar-can-saw’.
The end of the trail today was John Martin SP just a little beyond the non-bustling collection of buildings referred
to as Hasty CO. The river is dammed, and the SP CG occupies a section of the valley below the dam. We pulled into
the Visitor Center (VC, henceforth) and signed up for site #37. It borders a small lake, and we’ve already been
rewarded with a Clark’s Grebe paddling along the shore, within easy telephoto range. Click, click, click, click – 45
pictures later maybe I have a keeper. It’s a little early for my evening libation. I think I’ll close up shop and see if I
can fire off an On The Road report.
Saw:
The High Plains coughed up some FOTs today. We will likely see more if we take a walk around the CG, but for now,
here’s what we got: Great-Tailed Grackle
Weaver Finch
Chimney Swift
Yellow-Shafted Flicker
Chipping Sparrow
Raven
Clark’s Grebe
White Throated Sparrow
Yucca (of some type)
Sage
Prairie Dog (large town)
Coyote (looking for Prairie Dogs?)
Reflect:
Today, I’m going to reflect on camera equipment. As I discussed in the Saturday AMs before we left, I purchased
a second camera body to dedicate to the 200-500 lens I bought last year. I wasn’t using the big lens as much as I’d
like due to the inconvenience of lens changing. I’ve been impressed with the quality of the big lens and clearly need
to use it more. Soooo, I bought a D7500 body that is kept conjoined with it. The last two days in Cheyenne Bottom
was the first trial, and the new system gets an A+. When I got the big lens, I also bought an Ape case for it. The
case is large enough to hold the lens with the camera attached, and the shoulder strap allows me to carry the whole
mess while biking. So we bike along, see something interesting, and I pull my camera & lens out of the case like a
long gun out of a scabbard … and shoot. There’s a bit of awkwardness to it, but nothing I can’t learn to deal with. I
will not be biking long hours with the system, however, so it’s only useful for refuges where picture opportunities
abound.
So how does this 2-body system work? Well, as described, I have the big lens & D7500 in the Ape case slung over
my shoulder. I also have my 18-300 lens mounted on the D7100 and securely tucked into my handlebar pack – within
easy reach. If I’m expecting wildflowers or other up-close-and-personal things, I’ll pack the 40 Macro lens. The 18-
300 isn’t the best quality lens, but its large range makes it useful. Yesterday, I used the 200-500 lens to take bird
pictures at distance, and the 18-300 to photograph an immature Prairie Rattlesnake that was sunning itself in the
road. Yep, this 2-body system seems to be working.
So what about the quality? Last year I got some good results with the lens on my old camera, so I expected to do
at least as well with the new one. So far, I’d have to say the D7500/200-500 camera/lens combination is working
very well. I did some research before we left and learned a lot more about settings and such, so I think that
helped. The big lens isn’t ‘fast’ – can’t justify the cost of that feature - but it is good enough to allow taking what I
call grab shots – handheld, no tri- or mono-pod. Happening onto wildlife is not something that I can plan for, so grab
shots is about all I can expect. I’ll be getting more experience as the trip unfolds – let’s hope it is all good.
Ate:
Granola
¾ Sardine Sandwich w/Mustard
Beef Marsala w/Mushrooms & Onion on Pasta
Drive:
End: John Martin SP #37, Hasty CO
Arrive: 1:42
Temp (degrees): 85
Elev (ft): 3881
D (miles): 261
Mpg: 20.3 (wind & elevation change)
2019.04.22…MON…Day 8: John Martin SP, Hasty CO … to … Black Canyon of the Gunnison NPCG, Montrose CO Up: 5:48 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 58/47/58 Weather: Overcast
Did:
We arose to high clouds which ultimately thickened, rendering the rest of the day overcast. The wind was from the
NE in the AM but switched to the E in the PM. That provided the first helping wind of the trip. That’s the good
news. The bad news … it was blowing at a paltry 10 mph. Hey, it helped DALAS get the best mileage of the trip even
though she had to climb 6,000’ and only back down a little over 2,000’. All of this was accomplished via US-50
nearly the entire day. The towns between Hasty CO and Pueblo were significantly less affluent than those we saw
in KS. The fuel prices steadily increased as we progressed toward Pueblo … until Fowler where we scored $2.95.
But, as we didn’t expect, the prices were lower in the Pueblo environs. Hunh!?
The Arkansas River Valley east of Pueblo is a rich agricultural area. We saw signs advertising Cantaloupe,
Watermelon, Okra and Pinto Beans … none yet available of course. After navigating around Pueblo, we took a side
road to Lake Pueblo SP where we had our Granola. We didn’t eat alone. Just as we were beginning, an Osprey went
winging by carrying its breakfast: a fish held torpedo-style. The sky west of Pueblo was dark and menacing,
obscuring the mountains, but it didn’t take long to see and feel their effect. Just before we started the climb up
to Monarch Pass, we saw a High Wind Advisory sign for high-profile vehicles. Hmmm. We took time to check the
weather … for the fourth time. Monarch CO, the high point, was expecting 10 mph wind. We proceeded, hoping the
weather prediction was more accurate than the warning sign. Turns out it was.
It quickly became evident that we were NOT in Kansas anymore. We’re not even in the High Plains. We are in the
mountains with the objective of punching through the Front Range. We did that at Monarch Pass at ~11,300’.
SNOW … there was still a significant amount of snow on the ground, but none on the road, for which we were
eternally grateful. In fact, it was 65o during our transit. There are still lots of mountains to go around or through,
but most of them will likely not involve such an abrupt elevation change. For example, we drove through the Blue
Mesa Valley and through a couple passes that required 1,000’ change. Along the way, we passed the Dillon Pinnacles
which have this Geologic History:
Tertiary volcanism is responsible for one of the most notable geologic features in Curecanti National Recreation Area. The Dillon Pinnacles
tower above the northern shore of Blue Mesa's Sapinero Basin. The rock forming the pinnacles is called the West Elk Breccia. It formed from a
huge volcanic mud flow (lahar) of ash and volcanic debris that spewed from violent, pyroclastic eruptions in the West Elk Mountains about 30
million years ago.
The West Elk Breccia contains a jumble of angular rock fragments that are imbedded in a matrix of fine volcanic ash and mud. Many of the
larger clastic fragments are more resistant to the effects of erosion and weathering than the soft, mud-ash matrix. These larger rock
fragments provide an "umbrella of protection" against the elements, sheltering the rock immediately beneath it. The result is the mysterious
spire-like form of the pinnacles.
These high valleys are littered with reservoirs that catch and hold meltwater for controlled distribution later. The
ones we passed were still ice covered. Although it was a mushy ice, it was still ice to accompany the surrounding
melting snow. Our destination was Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP CG, just east of Montrose CO. The NP & CG are
2,000’ above Montrose and there is still snow at that elevation. We made the climb and stopped at the entrance
booth to show our Old Age Pass. We also inquired about the camping.
Yep, Loops A & B are open.
What about electric.
Oh, that’s Loop C.
The closed one?
Yeah.
We pulled into Loop A, saw the CG Host’s site, and parked DALAS two spots down from him. We are situated on the
bald crest of a rise with only stunted Gambel’s Oak separating us from the snow, wind and whatever weather might
be coming our way. Other than the host, the only camper we saw was a hearty soul in a small tent – no doubt a young
person. The rest of the CG is essentially empty, although a couple cars have passed by. Just as I was about to
lament the lack of wildlife, a Raven went croaking overhead. I like Ravens … my bike is named after ‘em.
So here we sit, typing up our notes and trying to plan our future adventures. I’m capping the day with a Great Lakes
Porter compliments of Joe George. Here’s to you Joe …
Saw:
Today, we left the High Plains and popped through the Rocky Mountain Front Range. More driving than we’d like but
it was necessary to get where we hoped to camp. Saw a few arid plains things like Cholla, Rubber Rabbitbrush,
Pinyon Pine & Juniper before climbing up to Monarch Pass where we started seeing things like Aspen, Ponderosa
Pine, and wonder of wonders, Mule Deer & Big Horn Sheep. Black-Billed Magpie
Common Merganser
Cholla (with blooms)
Pinyon Pine
Juniper
Rubber Rabbitbrush
Ponderosa Pine
Aspen
Bighorn Sheep
Mule Deer
Gambel’s Oak
Reflect:
We are not in Kansas anymore. No more Plains, be they high or low. We are in the mountains and sitting on top of a
baldy rise with patches of snow still clinging to the ground. It is certainly a radical departure from the terrain
we’ve been in to this point. Ah, but that’s what this traveling is all about - experiencing exotic places. In the past, it
has made us more sensitive to what we have at home. If you spend all your time in one area, it tends to become too
familiar and you lose your appreciation for it. Where we are now is nothing like Naweedna. It’s part of the USofA
but that’s about the extent of the similarity. We’ll be in these exotic terrains for a few more weeks before turning
tail and heading home, which will become progressively more familiar as we proceed.
We’ve made a tentative plan for tomorrow: head to Arches NP. We were there in May 15, 2014 and the place was
overrun with people. There was no place to park and the line at the Visitor Center wound around the outside of the
building. Big signs indicated that the CG was FULL. We took a gander down the tour road and saw that it was
clogged with vehicles. Nope, not for us. We got in DALAS and headed anywhere but there. We’re hoping that things
will be different on April 23 of 2019. We’ll see how it turns out … or maybe we’ll find a nice road and head in
another direction. Are we vagabonds or just silly? Time will tell.
Ate:
Granola
Leftover Coleslaw
Beanie Weenies w/ Onion & BBQ Sauce
Drive:
End: Black Canyon of the Gunnison NPCG #A26, Montrose CO
Arrive: 3:51
Temp (degrees): 56
Elev (ft): 8426
D (miles): 347
Mpg: 21.0
2019.04.23…TUE…Day 9: Black Canyon of the Gunnison NPCG, Montrose CO … to … Ridgway SP, Ridgway CO Up: 5:34 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 51/39/50 Weather: Clear AN – Cumulus in PM
Did:
We made it through our second night of primitive camping (no hookup). Just like the first time, the batteries were
down to 12.1 v. In the past, they would have bottomed out around 12.4. Seems like we are going to need new ones –
cha-ching. No problem, Mark (our financial guy) will pay for ‘em ;-)
There was no cell connectivity, so no paper to read. We did morning beverages and decided to head down the NP
road to have a gander at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison in the slanty, early-morning light. We did the drive in
2014, but it was crowded to the point of annoyance. Today was vastly different. We only saw two other vehicles,
and their occupants were off hiking. It was as though we were alone. We could stop in the middle of the road, look
at a bird, ooh & ahh at the scenery or just stand there with mouths agape staring off into space. We’ve never had
that experience in an NP anywhere, anytime.
The story of the canyon goes something like this: major uplift as a magma chamber pushed upward; the Gunnison
River flowed over the area as it uplifted and formed meanders that later entrenched themselves into the
Precambrian crystalline rock. Sorta like a smaller version of the Grand Canyon story. The exposed, nearly vertical
walls are cut with Granitic stringers, some very large. All of that was essentially ours to enjoy … alone. Aside from
the local rocks, we were offered good views of the snow-covered Western Elk Mountains off to the NE. And then
there were the birds. We got five FOTs during our slow drive on the park road. It was a very enjoyable morning –
one we didn’t expect. Let’s see, I believe that’s called a lagniappe.
Taking a slow, 14-mile drive through the NP consumed most of our morning … and our fuel. We stopped in Montrose
CO to feed DALAS and decided it was time to feed us as well. We were headed to Ridgway CO where there just
happens to be one of our favorite SPs. We’ve been to Ridgway in 2014 & 2018 and stayed three nights each time.
Yeah, it’s that nice. We pulled in and parked at the VC for our morning Granola. While we were eating, a Mountain
Bluebird took a perch in a nearby tree. Hmmm, it’s bluebird weather; we like the park; and it’s bluebird approved.
We looked at each other and said “Hell, I’d Stay” (to paraphrase Dan Hicks). We can set up camp, bike the roads,
look for birds, and see if we can scare up some Mule Deer … oh, there are five right over there. We picked out a
site (#18) and headed to the VC to register. $32 later, we were parked and gearing up for a ride. Seems like a lot,
but when you consider last night was free, we are averaging $16. However … showers are $1 for 4 minutes. Charging
for showers is a pet peeve of mine. Just add the damned dollar to my fee so I don’t have to carry around a roll of
quarters. We took a shower anyway; Mark will pay for it. Oh, look, there’s another bluebird. This one is a Western
Bluebird. Our decision to stay has been doubly validated.
It is shoulder season meaning they are only partially open, they’ll fully open May 1. We opted for Dakota Terraces
where there are three loops. But only A Loop is currently open and that’s where we are parked, along with only two
other campers, and we can only see one of them, our next–site neighbor. She might be our neighbor back east, too,
because her license plate is New York and the vehicle was bought from a Canandaigua dealer. It feels like we are
alone, just like last night. That’s also how we felt on our two bike rides. I don’t recall seeing a moving vehicle either
time. The park is situated in the Uncompahgre River Valley with the Cimarron Mountains to the east and San Juan
Mountains to the south. Most of the mountains are volcanic, associated with more magma chamber uplift. We are
currently facing SE with a good view of the southern end of the still-snow-covered Cimarron range. Ahhhh …
Although there are few other campers, we are not alone. We’ve been visited by Mountain Bluebirds, Chipping
Sparrows, and Black Billed Magpies. They’ve come right to our site, perched in our little Cottonwood, and even
hopped around our pad looking for dropped food bits. It’s getting on into evening, so I’m going to shut this down and
enjoy the rest of my Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. My head will be swimming by dinner time. Here’s to you. We
hope your day has been at least as good as ours.
Saw:
We got some good FOTs today. The Towhees were active in the AM and provided some good viewing – and listening.
The Scrub Jay was a treat; we’ve had difficulty getting good views of them in the past. This one was a Woodson
variety that we’ve only seen once before (in TX). The Virginia Warbler was a treat … for Janie, I didn’t see it. We
were surprised to see a group of Evening Grosbeaks fly in and perch in a tree right in front of us. We stopped – in
the middle of the road – IDed ‘em and took pictures while watching ‘em plucking berries off the bushes. The
Western Bluebird sort of capped the day for us. Here’s the complete FOT list: Spotted Towhee
Western Scrub Jay (Woodson)
Virginia Warbler
White Throated Swift ?
Evening Grosbeak
Mountain Bluebird
Western Bluebird
Mountain Chickadee
Indian Paintbrush, which we later decided is actually Early Paintbrush
Barrel Cactus (in bloom)
2-Needle Pinyon Pine
Reflect:
Well, this was certainly a grueling driving-day. We covered all of 51 miles and were setting up camp well before
noon. Now that’s living in the fast lane. As I mentioned above, today was a surprise. We’d expected to leave Black
Canyon and head to Arches NP. However, the Black Canyon was there for the taking and we took advantage of the
opportunity. It was great. It seems that planning leads to expectations, and expectations are almost never fully
realized. That leads to disappointment. Our best days are those that weren’t planned, thus, no expectations and no
possibility of disappointment. That’s what happened today. We didn’t expect to spend the morning in Black Canyon.
We certainly didn’t expect to be spending the rest of the day (and night) in Ridgway. It all just happened like
serendipity. We got to take a couple of short bike rides. We got great views of snow-covered mountains. We saw
some new birds. Ohhhh … there’s a Mountain Chickadee right there in the tree by DALAS. We didn’t expect that
either. All good, no bad; and we got a shower.
One more thought. Between sentences, I can look up and see the Cimarron Mountains. There are avalanche scars
that separate patches of trees flanking the jagged peaks. Those peaks rise some 3,000 feet above us and are still
covered in snow. As I look, I find myself wondering what it might be like to be up there sitting under one of those
trees. It would be cold for sure and probably windy as well. In my mind’s eye, and using a lot of imagination, I can
place myself up there looking back at DALAS sitting in a shaft of golden evening-sunlight. Something like that will
never happen in my lifetime, but my mind can conjure up the images and reward me with their effect.
Ate:
Granola
½ Tuna Salad Sandwich
Chicken Gorgonzola w/Mixed Vegetables on Pasta
Bike Data:
Trail: Ridgway SP, Ridgway CO
ST: 11:45 & 3:15 = 3:00
ET: 1:45 & 4:15
TT: 2:00 + 1:00 = 3:00
BT: 1:52
D (miles): 10.77
Mx (mph): 13.7
Avg (mph): 5.6
Drive:
End: Ridgway SP #18, Ridgway CO
Arrive: 10:46
Temp (degrees): 54
Elev (ft): 7047
D (miles): 51
Mpg: 17.5 (NP & SP roads)
2019.04.24…WED…Day 10: Ridgway SP, Ridgway CO … to … Green River SP, Green River UT Up: 5:50 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 51/38/48 Weather: Clear & Warm
Did:
The day began with a trip to the dump station where we did the usual big three plus one (empty our trash). Then we
bid farewell to Ridgway SP, once again, and headed down the commuter-infested US-550 to Ridgway, the town.
There we picked up CO-62 heading west. DALAS climbed out of the Uncompahgre River Valley and crossed 8,979-
foot Dallas Pass. That lead us to CO-145 otherwise known as the Unaweep-Tabegauche Scenic & Historic Byway. A
little translation is in order at this point. Colorado, of course, means colored red. Uncompahgre means dirty water
and Unaweep means canyon with two mouths. It seems two streams carved the canyon and issue forth separately,
thus the two mouths. They claim it is the only such canyon in the world, but I’ll be a little more conservative and
confine it to the US. No matter, CO-145 certainly qualifies as scenic, as does CO-141, which we joined later.
Our last CO road was CO-90, which took us right down the axis of the Paradox Anticline. The core of the Anticline
has been eroded, making a good passageway for the road. We pulled over a few miles short of Bedrock CO for our
Granola … and a long look at the acres, literally acres upon acres, of blue Phlox. The plant is only about a foot tall
and blankets the stream valley. In places, it looked like water. We crossed the CO/UT border shortly after leaving
Paradox. The road number changed to UT-46 but the idyllic scenery continued. Rocks and flowers don’t adhere to
political boundaries.
Except for US-550, all our roads were very user friendly. There was very little traffic, few towns – all vanishingly
small - and great scenery to enjoy. We cruised along at 45-50 mph and enjoyed our tour. DALAS enjoyed it too; she
topped out at 25.5 mpg before we got to US-191 and headed to Moab and Arches NP. US-191 is what I’d classify as
a suicide road, mostly two lanes with too much traffic and a 65-mph limit that is treated as a whispered suggestion.
Fortunately, we weren’t on it too long before arriving in Moab UT … at exactly noon. We drove through Moab
around noon in 2014 and the traffic was bumper-to-bumper. Today was much better. I think we only stopped at two
traffic lights.
It’s a short drive from Moab to Arches NP where we arrived around 12:30. We used our Golden Age Pass to get in
free and decided to take the tour road. Neither of us has ever been in Arches NP. We tried once but found it way
too crowded. It was crowded today, but not as bad, so we decided to give it one last shot. We drove the entire 18-
mile tour road and two of the side roads and finished up around 2 PM. It’s a spectacularly beautiful place with
exotic rock exposures that are especially appealing on clear, sunshiny days like today. The buff Navajo Sst
underlies the reddish Entrada Sst, both Aeolian. The area was elevated by a Salt Diapir, causing vertical fractures
in the overlying rock. Erosion then formed the present-day structures that we all marvel at. The high-angle cross-
bedding lends itself to arch formation … and there you have it: Arches NP. The only issue I had with it all was …
the people. I expect today’s population was small compared to later in the season, but it was just too crowded for
me. All the vehicles & people distract from the natural beauty of the place in my mind. I’m glad we did it, but we
are unlikely to do it again. If we had been able to find a place to park, we would have been in a “parade” of people
walking to the most famous places: Delicate Arch, etc. We didn’t park and we didn’t walk and we don’t regret it.
The Arches area is a mecca for mountain bikers, dirt bikers and ATVers. That translates into full CGs. There are
very few campsites in Arches itself and they are always booked. The next best place is Deadhorse Point SP, which
was also full. We had no option but to get back on US-191 and head to Green River CO, and that’s exactly what we
did. That stretch of US-19 is truly awful. I cranked DALAS up to 60 mph and headed for I-70 with its 80-mph
limit. Again, neither of those stretches were long, and we were delivered into Green River UT around 2:30. There
are some private and one SP CG in Green River. The one private that seemed nice was priced at $40/night. We
passed it and stopped at the Green River SP to see what the tariff was there. Good news: you don’t have to pay the
entrance fee if you’re camping. Somewhat bad news: the campsites are $35/night. Well, that’s better than $40,
besides we’re here so sign us up for #10 and we’ll be done with it.
So here we sit in a copse of Cottonwood just coming out in leaf, typing up our notes as usual. I’m lubricating my
thoughts with a Founders All Day IPA – not bad for an IPA. I’m doing all of this outside in DALAS’ shadow and now
that the Sun is hugging the horizon, I’m getting a little chilly. Time to go inside and get ready for dinner. See ya …
Saw:
Rocks, lots and lots of ROCKS. And those rocks are all involved in a geologic structure of one sort or another. Way
too much going on for us to figure out, so we just focused on the beauty of it all. The blue Phlox ground cover in
the stream valleys was spectacular. From a distance, it was difficult to tell it from ponded water. We were
entertained by several Ravens soaring around pretending to be White Pelicans. Not many FOTs today; just these: Black-Crowned Night Heron
Pronghorn
Phlox
Desert Evening Primrose
Lupine
Reflect:
New territory from here on. Our stated goal for the trip was to visit some places we haven’t been. It’s now time to
do that. It’s daunting when you look at a map and see nearly 100 miles of road and no towns on it anywhere. We’ll
have to be diligent and make sure DALAS doesn’t go below half full. It would be nice to find more quiet, scenic
roads like those we drove today, but that’s always a crap shoot. Our experience helps, but there are always
surprises – and necessary connections on larger roads. Our attitude: we managed to discover good roads and find
interesting sights in the past, so maybe we’ll get lucky and do the same in UT, NV, CA & OR. Janie has a book that
covers the geology and points of historical interest along US-50 as it bisects UT. It’s called Traveling America’s
Loneliest Road: A Geologic and Natural History Tour through Nevada along US Highway 50. We can always fall back
on that if our attempts at discovery don’t pan out. Hey, pan out, a reference to mining, which seems to be a major
activity in UT. Hope we don’t discover that US50 has gotten less lonely since publication of the book in 2000.
Ate:
Granola
Tuna Salad & Cracker
Spaghetti w/Pronto Linguini and as much Romano as good judgement allows
Drive:
End: Green River SP #10, Green River UT
Arrive: 2:49
Temp (degrees): 81
Elev (ft): 4050
D (miles): 245
Mpg: 22.8 (25.5 max)
2019.04.25…THU…Day 11: Green River SP, Green River UT 2 Up: 5:58 Weather: Clear
Did:
It was a slow morning. We weren’t sure what to do, so we did nothing. Well, not entirely nothing. We decided to put
in a camp day, so we checked out the available sites and picked #16 with the hope that our slider side would get
some afternoon shade, unlike yesterday’s #10 when we were facing west. Next came a slow drive through non-
bustling Green River where we picked up some groceries for us and diesel for DALAS. Hey, we haven’t had a brunch
yet; let’s give the Granola a rest and settle in for some French Toast and Bacon. Some birds fluttered in for a mid-
morning snack as well. A pair of Oregon Junco and a small group of Lesser Goldfinch (Greenback variety) busied
themselves eating Dandelion seeds. Hard to believe there’s enough seed there to sustain them, but there certainly
are enough Dandelions.
There is a John Wesley Powell museum in town, and that’s where we spent most of the afternoon. It was
surprisingly elaborate and informative. They even gave Mt Morris NY credit for being his birthplace. They had
replicas of some of the craft that dared the Green & Colorado Rivers. The oldest was called a Bull Boat because it
was made of Bison hide stretched over a network of River Willow branches. It was round and barely able to
accommodate one adult. That was followed by dugout canoes and eventually the wooden craft depicted in old movie
footage. It was all capped off with a replica of Powell’s boat, the Emma Dean, named for his wife. The replica had
an old office-chair attached to the top, which made a curious sight. The accompanying description explained it:
Powell lashed a chair to the boat and instructed his two oarsmen from that relatively lofty perch. It also said that
he read them poetry through the quiet stretches of water. Powell was an interesting man, especially considering he
lost an arm in the Civil War.
Janie had picked up the weekly Melon Vine Grocery ad, which showed La Victoria Thick & Chunky Salsa Verde was
on sale. We’d seen bags of Tortilla Chips baked fresh in their deli during our first stop at the store. Hmmm,
chips’n’dips would be good … and an appropriate reward for doing nothing all day. After all, the sign on the chips
display said “Made Fresh For You”. Off we went to the grocery again. Hey, if we’re getting La Victoria Verdi, why
not Red as well? Time to check out before we succumb to anything else. Oops, not so fast. Janie told the checkout
lady that we can’t find this stuff back in NY. Ha! She’s originally from Rochester and, later, Canandaigua.
Incredibly small world. She asked if we had seen the Fresh Salsa & Pico De Gallo on the table with the “Made For
You” chips. No, we missed that. She said it was just made in the deli and really good. Sold. We walked out with two
jars of La Victoria, a tub each of fresh Salsa and Pico … and a bag of chips with our name on it.
The day was spent contributing to the local economy and our waistlines while soaking up some local culture. The
chips and dips were excellent, as expected. I took some time to prune my beard before we hit the showers. The
original reason for the grocery stop was to procure some salad makings. We are in need of a wholesome, mostly
green meal. Maybe we’ll spice it up with a little Pico. The plan for evening shade at site #16 is working well. That’s
where we are sitting typing up the day’s activities. Like yesterday, other campers are streaming in, most of ‘em
with dogs to walk. Just like yesterday, it’s an extremely pleasant evening … the main difference is … it’s time to
have that salad.
Saw:
While we were enjoying our brunch, Janie, being the birder that she is, saw some activity in the grass. Her
binoculars revealed an Oregon Junco eating Dandelion seeds – yeah, the Dandelions here have already gone to seed.
A bit later, she noticed something yellow also attacking the Dandelions. This is where the big lens and D7500 come
in. I snapped pictures of ‘em that permitted a positive ID. This is the third or fourth time on the trip that the
camera has helped us IDs birds we would otherwise not be certain of. Sure, it’s a Junco, but what kind? Yeah, I
know it’s a goldfinch, but which variety? The system is useful even if I can’t take pro-quality images. Yay! Oregon Junco
Lesser Goldfinch Greenback variety
Western Kingbird
Reflect:
Hey, you Geneseo Geology types, we are in Green River UT and parked within a hundred yards of the river. Last
evening, we walked down to check it out and I was close enough to piss in it – like so many of you had threatened to
do. Oh, those Geomorph projects. They were so difficult and time-consuming but look what you got out of it: a
quality education and some serious bonding with your fellow suffering-companions. What seemed so daunting at the
time, turns out to be a life-long reward. That seems to be the way with so many things.
And that brings me to one of my life observations. I don’t know about you, but I tend to remember stressful times
more than gleeful, happy-go-lucky times. The stress seems to make a more indelible impression. I suppose that’s an
evolutionary relic. Our ancestors had to remember the dangerous and stressful times to avoid them in the future
and thereby increase the possibility of survival. And that less stressful survival leads to happy-go-lucky times, so it
all comes back to the same thing. Being a human animal is a never ending joy.
Ate:
French Toast & Bacon w/VT Dark Maple Syrup
Tortilla Chips, Fresh Salsa & Pico De Gallo (all from Grocery Bakery)
Salad
Drive:
End: Green River SP #16, Green River UT 2
Arrive: 3:30
Temp (degrees): 84
Elev (ft): 4050
D (miles): 18
Mpg: 15.9
2019.04.26…FRI…Day 12: Green River SP, Green River UT 2 … to … Sam Stowe CG, Fremont Indian SP, Sevier UT Up: 6:37 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 65/58/64 Weather: Clear-Clouds-Rain
Did:
The day began with a sprint down I-70 to pick up UT-24 heading S & W. The very first thing we came to was the
San Rafael Swell. Oh my, another uplift folding sedimentary rock to a steep angle with erosion cutting myriad big &
small canyons through the exposed material. The result is a series of triangular rock-slabs of Navajo Sst reaching
for the sky. Shortly after that came the significantly less awesome Hanksville UT were UT-24 headed more
westerly into territory we’ve never traveled. The rest of the day was all new to us. The thrill of discovery was
somewhat tempered with the anxiety of finding a campsite on a Friday, but everything turned out just fine. Why do
we stress so much? We need to follow Alfred E. Newman’s What Me Worry philosophy more.
We were driving through what could only be described as Big Country. The breadth was partially the work of the
Fremont River, which we followed upwards toward some of its must magnificent handiwork: Capitol Reef NP.
Unfortunately, Capitol Reef was a lot like Arches in terms of the people. We muscled our way through and took the
10-mile tour road – and back. The scenery was too spectacular to comprehend. The current creation myth goes
something like this. Some 250 MYA an ocean encroached onto the land and deposited Lst & Shale in shallow water.
The coastal region was arid and massive sand dunes formed – really big ones it seems. Equally extensive swamp and
fluvial deposits followed. This was a truly impressive amount of material, nearly 10,000’ thick. Between 50 & 70
MYA, an old fault was activated, and the western part of the area was uplifted some 7,000’. The sediment bent
rather than broke, forming a large Monocline that was later eroded to form what we call Capitol Reef today. Ta-da.
QED for Ma Nature.
Right in the middle of the Capitol Reef NP sits what’s left of a Mormon pioneer fruit-growing settlement
appropriately named Fruita. The NP has preserved or reconstructed many of the old structures, and some fruit
trees, or their descendants, are still producing. We pulled into the picnic area for our Granola and met up with a
couple ancients dating back to the first settlement: two very old, very large Cottonwoods. We’ve never seen such
gnarly old Cottonwoods. One of ‘em had a big branch broken off and we were reminded of John Wesley Powell with
his missing limb. You’ll have to look at the pictures to full appreciate their grandness. The entrance to Capitol Reef
NP sits under a 1,000’ foot wall of Aeolian Sst. That means there was an even greater thickness of sand dunes
before compaction and erosion. That’s a lot of sand … and wind.
Time to move onward and try to find a place for the night. We climbed to Summit Pass at 8,406’ where there were
still some bachelor drifts in the shady areas. The descent into the next valley took us to Richfield UT, the biggest
town we’ve been in for a while. I fueled DALAS while Janie searched for possible campsites. She zeroed in on an
apparently little-used SP just two exits down I-70. It didn’t seem far but exits here are much farther apart than
back east. We didn’t want to go there and find it full, so Janie called and talked to a friendly young lady who said
there were plenty of sites in the primitive CG and … let me check … yeah, two still open in the CG with hookups. Off
we go, zipping down I-70 at 65 mph into as stiff a headwind as we’ve experienced. Down goes the mileage, up pops
the sign: Fremont Indian Museum SP next exit. We had to drive past it and take an access road back, but when we
did, we found a very nice, refreshingly quiet SP. The young lady was correct, there were two unclaimed sites and
now there’s only one. After paying our $25 dues, we headed back to the Museum to learn all about the Fremont
People.
Not a lot is known about the Fremont Culture, and nothing was known about it here until the construction of I-70
began. The highway engineers had identified 4 large hills of easily excavated material and planned to use it as fill
for the roadbed. Whoa! The top of one hill was littered with abandoned Fremont dwellings and hoards of artifacts.
A bit more investigation revealed a large concentration of Petroglyphs etched into the vertical Volcanic Tuff
comprising the canyon walls – a greater concentration than anywhere else in UT. The museum offered us a movie
about the history and cultural information about the Fremont People. It seems the canyon was occupied from about
400 to 1300 AD at which point they up and left for reasons unknown to anybody but themselves. That’s two
museums in two days and both were informative. I preferred the Indian one; it made up for the lack of Native
American material at the John Wesley Powell Museum. Together, they covered the natives and explorers of the
region.
The afternoon wind blew in some T-Storms to boom and echo around the canyons. We experienced what passes for
rain here in the semi-arid west – about ten episodes of 50 raindrops over ~10 minutes. I think I only ran the wipers
twice. However, we are camped next to a small mountain stream that’s issuing from a narrow canyon. We’re hoping
the 50-drop rain doesn’t increase just to impress us easterners. It’s a very nice CG that’s full but doesn’t feel that
way. We are boxed in by tall expanses of Tuff that extend back and disappear in an ever-narrowing canyon. It’s the
Shales, Volcanic Tuff, Scoriaceous Basalt, Petroglyphs … and an equal number of other things we didn’t list. But no
FOTs in form of living creatures.
Reflect:
Today I’m going to reflect on rocks. As we used to tell our students, rocks are the pages of Earth History. More
often than we’d like, that history is difficult to read, but the information is there nonetheless. I found myself
thinking about the history written in the rocks I saw today. The 10,000’ of sediment deposited in the Capito Reef
area was what set me off. Let’s just focus on the Aeolian Sst. Once you deal with the massive nature of the
deposit, it’s time to contemplate where it came from. Each of those billions and billions of sand grains originated in
another rock somewhere. They may even have been derived from the erosion of even older rocks – second or third
generation, if you will. But let’s keep it simple and only consider one generation. What must the area have looked
like back when those sand grains were being eroded from their source rock and transported to the sand dunes?
What was that ancient geography? And what about the flora & fauna that inhabited the area? I don’t know nearly
enough to answer these questions. I can’t even conjure up a believable lie. The only thing I can say for certain is it’s
all mind boggling … and humbling … extremely humbling.
Ate:
Granola
Chips, Green Salsa & Pico De Gallo
Half Kielbasa & Half Chorizo w/Potato Salad
Drive:
End: Sam Stowe CG, #SS7 Fremont Indian SP, Sevier UT
Arrive: 2:40
Temp (degrees): 74
Elev (ft): 5809
D (miles): 210
Mpg: 19.4 (I-70 w/Stiff Headwind)
2019.04.27…SAT…Day 13: … Sam Stowe CG, Fremont Indian SP, Sevier UT 2 … Up: 6:28 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 51/39/51
Weather: Clear
Did:
We awoke to a gorgeous day. A Canyon Wren was trilling back in the canyon recesses, a Raven was sitting on a rock
spire and croaking the morning, a pair of Say’s Phoebes were bugging across the way … hmmm, this place is pretty
nice. Let’s scrap whatever plans we had and stay here. Another Hell, I’d Stay Day. After morning beverages, we
drove down to the VC/Museum where they have handouts with descriptions of the 16 stops along the road and
trails that head off into various canyons from them. Then it was back to Sam Stowe CG to pick out a campsite …
#2 looked perfect … pay the Iron Ranger his $25, mark the site and get on with the day’s adventure. But first,
look at the Broad-Tailed Hummingbird trying to get nectar out of our taillights.
We systematically did all 16 stops and read all the handouts, which were very well written and packed with
information. We whiled away the entire morning looking at stuff and taking short hikes back to even more stuff.
Most of it was about the many Petroglyphs, but one was a well written description of the geology. Here’s my
summary: 19 MYA there was an active volcano 12 miles SW in what is now the Tushar Mountains. It was one of
those explosive, Rhyolitic volcanoes coughing up repeated surges of Ignimbrites that flowed down existing valleys,
one of them was the ancestral Clear Creek Valley where the SP now resides. Repeated eruptions piled up over 600’
of Tuff, now exposed in the canyon walls. Any living thing in the path of such flows would have been cooked
instantaneously. Think Pompeii. When the eruptions ceased, the volcano collapsed forming a caldera that may (or
may not?) be Mt Belknap. Recess; the Geology lesson is over for today. Don’t smoke ‘em even if you’ve got ‘em.
This place is loaded with Petroglyphs. We have several along the cliff face that bounds our campsite … and they
aren’t listed anywhere. The same is true for many of the ones that are listed. If you look around, you’ll see others
not formalized in the descriptions. One of the questions most asked is how did the Fremont people chip these
images so high up on the cliff faces? The brochure suggests they climbed on boulders that have since mass wasted
down slope. Of course, I have my own theory. They lived in Pit Houses dug into the valley sediment and used ladders
to get in and out. The Pit Houses provided good shelter from the severe weather in the area. Let the winds howl,
we’re secure in our cozy hole in the ground. You know, given the increasing severe weather today, we may all be
living underground. So back to my theory … the Fremont people certainly had mastered ladder technology, so maybe
they just used ladders to reach those high, rock-faces. Whatever, the whole place is like a series of billboards
depicting hunting scenes, maps of important places, warriors, prey animals (mostly Big Horn Sheep) and enigmatic
religious symbolization … just like billboards today.
Whew! By noon, we were getting hungry, so we pulled into the Centennial Picnic Area. Hmmm, a little late for
Granola; we have tomatoes that are ready; let’s have a Cheese, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich (CLT) … a whole one
each. Yum! After lunch, we did the rest of the designated stops and ended up back at the VC. There are several
trails that take off from the VC parking lot and that’s what we did for the rest of the afternoon. A couple of them
climbed up to viewpoints where the entire Clear Creek Canyon is visible. The double ribbon of I-70 is a little off-
putting, but everything else rendered it relatively insignificant. It was 4 PM when we finished the trails, and time
to head back to camp and get a much-needed shower. What! $1.25 for 4 minutes. We tried to foil the system by
sharing the same shower – you lather, I’ll rinse, reverse – but ended up paying $2.50 anyway. We got to shower
together; that was a bonus.
Time for the rest of our chips’n’dip before settling in our record-keeping routine. I’m capping this exceptional day
off with a nice Southern Tier 2x Mild Stout and I’m going to start giving it my full attention … now.
Saw:
It was a four Wren day: House, Canyon, Rock & Bewick’s. That’s the first time that’s happened. We got several
other FOTs, including a Black Throated Gray Warbler. Not a life bird, but a rarely sighted one. The place was alive
with Butterflies. We could only identify two - Red Admiral & Painted Lady – but there were lots more fluttering
around in the bushes and lapping up nectar from their tiny flowers. Oh yeah, we also saw lots and lots of rocks. Say’s Phoebe
Hairy Woodpecker
Canyon Wren
Rock Wren
House Wren
Bewick’s Wren
Red Shafted Flicker
Broad Tailed Hummingbird
Black Throated Gray Warbler
Northern Sagebrush Lizard
Golden Currant Bush in bloom
Reflect:
Days like this happen when you don’t plan, or if you do, you don’t follow your plan. We didn’t know about this place
until yesterday. Our perusal yielded positive results. There are lots of things to do. The riparian habitat provided
by Clear Creek (which isn’t clear at all but a muddy torrent at present) should provide good birding. It quickly
became obvious that we should carpe diem and stay here another day/night. We secured our campsite early and got
the very best one. The place is now packed but, just like last night, it feels like we are alone. We’re spending a lot
more time in UT than expected, but it’s been working for us so far. We’re just seizing the days as they are
presented to us.
Remember those l-o-n-g driving days of the first week. Well, we have certainly settled back into our normal touring
mode. Today may be a record. We only drove a total of 9 miles. But we hiked 6, so even if you add that in, we only
covered 15 miles. Now that’s a real touring day I’d say … and I just did.
So how is it that a 75-year-old man and 68-year-old woman can just hop out of the vehicle and hike 6 miles, up and
down, over and under at altitude without suffering? Exercise, that’s how. Hiking 6 miles really isn’t a big deal but
doing it in this terrain and not being stiff & sore afterwards is a big deal. I’ll admit I took it slow on the climbs; I
did feel the effects of altitude. Whatever, we did it and were richly rewarded for the experience. Onward!
Ate:
Cheese/Lettuce/Tomato Sandwich
Green Salsa & Chips
Pears & Apricots w/Graham Crackers
Hike Data:
Trail: Fremont Indian SP Trails
ST: Several trails all day
ET: Ditto
TT: Ditto
D (miles): 6
Drive:
End: Sam Stowe CG #2, Fremont Indian SP, Sevier UT
Arrive: 3:47
Temp (degrees): 78
Elev (ft): 5809
D (miles): 9
Mpg: 12.4
2019.04.28…SUN…Day 14: Sam Stowe CG, Fremont Indian SP, Sevier UT 2 … to … Willard Bay SP, Willard UT Up: 6:57 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 57/49/57 Weather: Clouds & PM Wind
Did:
We reluctantly drove down UT-4 away from Fremont Indian SP. Eventually we were delivered to US-89 which we
took north and picked up a series of other state roads before getting to Manti UT. The morning drive was very
pleasant. Sunday in a religious area meant the roads were barren of traffic, and there were the added benefits of
great scenery and a tailwind. DALAS’ mileage soared to over 24. Manti UT is in the San Pitch Valley, bounded by
the Wasatch (E) and Gunnison (W) Mountains. We pulled into the Manti City Park for Granola and a slow gander at
the surroundings. The valleys we’d passed through were heavily agricultural with large crop fields and pastures for
both cattle and sheep. The towns, or cities as they prefer to call ‘em, were clean, neat and economically healthy.
Manti was the crown jewel of the day.
After Manti came Ephraim UT – a historically significant place for me. This is where OSU holds (held?) its geology
field camp that I attended a scant 50 years ago. More about Ephraim in the Reflect section. We eventually got to
the intersection with US-6 and things changed very rapidly. We had to wait a few minutes to find a gap in the
traffic so we could join the crowd. Then it was another of those driving-too-fast gauntlets on a two-lane highway –
basically 65 mph in nearly bumper-to-bumper traffic. I found myself looking forward to I-15 where at least we
wouldn’t be facing things head-on. Once we were on I-15, we were treated to over 100 miles of urban blight. First it
was Provo, then Orem, followed closely by Salt Lake City, Ogden, and finally Brigham City where our exit dumped us
into a relatively quiet, rural setting. The nearest town was Willard UT, but we went the other way to Willard Bay
SP where we paid $40/night for a full hookup campsite. It’s a price we are more than willing to pay because it’s just
a short drove over to Bear River NWR where we hope to spend tomorrow and maybe the next day.
The first time I remember hearing about Bear River NWR was from Brian and/or Amy lauding it and the birds that
frequent the place. Since then, others have said good things about it, and we’ve now gone through urban hell to get
here. Driving 70 mph through that series of towns is insane. It was fortunate we did it on Sunday. There were
several indications that traffic would be much more worser on weekdays. For example, entrance ramps have traffic
lights with signs forbidding more one vehicle entering per green light cycle. One! We don’t have issues like that on
Crossett Road – yet. I assume the traffic is heavy because these cities are in a narrow causeway bounded by Great
Salt Lake on the west and the majestic Uinta Mountains on the east. It reminded me of the Columbia River corridor
heading to Portland OR. In a day or two, our big challenge will be finding a way out of here that doesn’t involve
backtracking.
It is cool. All afternoon we were buffeted by a stiff NW wind ushering in colder air. It was only 55o at 3:30 and
that doesn’t include the wind chill. After setting up, we took a little walk along some CG trails to check out the local
sights & birds. We dressed as we would for a walk around Naweedna in early spring or late fall. It was worth it,
however. WE needed to get out of DALAS and let her and us have some time apart. We scored a few FOTs and got
familiar with the lay of the land. Tomorrow we hope to see much more wildlife. As for now, we’re sitting in the
evening sun and doing our evening chores. I’m celebrating today’s safe passage with one of Joe George’s Great
Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald. Thanks, Joe.
Saw:
Way too much Interstate traffic and urban blight. It served to enhance the memories of yesterday’s adventure
and this mornings drive. However, we did get some FOTs … none of them while on I-15. Golden Eagle (2 Im)
Cedar Waxwing
Western Grebe
Song Sparrow
Violet Green Swallow and Rough Winged Swallow were determined during brief stops without big lens/D7500 pictures. Later, we saw many more
swallows, none of them could be called Violet Green or Rough Winged, so we are backing off of those identifications.
Reflect:
Let’s see, I mustered out of the Army in 1969, returned to OSU in continuing education while trying to get into
OSU’s Geology Department. My undergraduate degree was in Physics, and I’d never had a geology course. I took all
the required undergrad geology classes in 1.5 years, and that qualified me to attend OSU’s field camp based at
Snow College in Ephraim UT. The little I knew about geology was book-learned, theoretical stuff. The real thing,
with real rocks, and complicated structures was, well, eye opening. It was an 8-week camp during which I learned a
great deal. I haven’t been back to the area since.
We took a slow jaunt through Ephraim and the Snow College campus. I recognized the surrounding terrain much
more than any of the cultural aspects. Human things change a lot in 50 years, rocks are significantly more
permanent. The Wasatch was still mantled with snow as was Mt Nebo at the north end of the valley. I’m sure
Skyline Drive that runs along the crest of the Wasatch was still snowbound. I recall it being that way on July 4,
1970. The one thing I recall most vividly about field camp was the structures. Well, that and a lot of fun with some
of the other participants, but that wasn’t true geology. Oh, wait, geology and fun go together. Anyway, one of our
last field days was spent in the too-hot San Pitch Valley, which we’d avoided as long as possible. We were working
on Singer Hill, so named because there was an old Singer sewing machine perched on top. Hmmm, this looks like a
fault, a very low angle fault. Aren’t they call trusts? Gee, there are slickensides and all. But wait, the sedimentary
structures suggest the beds are overturned. How can that be? An upside-down thrust? We puzzled over this for a
long time but finally convinced ourselves that it was true. Now that we knew the what, we needed the how. It turns
out that the San Pitch valley was one of those salt diapirs. Their tops tend to be bulbous, and we were looking at
the rocks that were folded back on themselves in that bulbous part. No, we didn’t figure that out by ourselves; the
faculty had to give us some hints before the light bulb lit. Ah, those were heady times. And I’m not talking about
the beer. We had to use our heads.
One last reflection. Today was vastly different from yesterday – Alpha/Omega, if you will. As we drove through
the blather of asphalt and box stores between Provo and the SP, we kept asking ourselves: What were we doing
yesterday this time? Hiking in the relative wilds of Fremont Indian SP is vastly different from driving headlong
down I-15 surrounded by people in a hurry to get somewhere and do something. We are included in that group
because we were in a hurry to get off the Interstate and parked in a peaceful SP. A price must be paid to get to
where you want to be, and we paid our dues today.
Speaking of price, we’ve come up with a new Trip Saying. Mark, our financial guy, keeps telling us to spend more
money. At our last meeting, he blurted out: “You are looking at a million-dollar funeral.” At that point he started
telling his assistant to sell this and that and have it transferred to our savings account. Okay, Mark, we’re spending
your (our) money. Whenever we have a choice between searching out a lower price for something or buying an item
that we want but would normally pass on, we say, “Let Mark buy it.” Relative to our past, we are spending more
freely because … “Mark’s paying for it.”
Ate:
Granolao
Drive:
End: Willard Bay SP #50, Willard UT
Arrive: 3:22
Temp (degrees): 55
Elev (ft): 4241
D (miles): 247
Mpg: 21.5 (24 before I-15 & stiff headwind)
2019.04.29…MON…Day 15: … Willard Bay SP, Willard UT 2 … Up: 6:22 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 53/45/51 Weather: Overcast
Did:
Well, we had quite a day … a hippo bird day … in the Bear River NWR. It is a large refuge with a 13-mile access road
and a 12-mile auto tour. The access road was about as productive as the tour road. We drove it all at an alarmingly
slow pace – very different from yesterday’s Interstate racing – 20 mph cruise control. Even that speed became too
fast. The place is a patchwork of grassland, lakes, canals, pools & playas all of which add together to make several
different species happy. We crept along, stopping frequently to ogle something, most of the time with DALAS
idling. That makes for low mileage but high (s)mileage. Places like this bring us great joy. We had our Granola in the
company of a hoard of Tree (not violet green) & Cliff Swallows (not rough winged). They perched on any available
surface, affording us some good views that we can’t normally get when they are darting around above our heads.
The entire day was spent looking at birds, IDing what we could and taking 130 pictures of those that sat still long
enough. Again, the camera system is working better than expected (or feared) and is proving increasingly useful
for identification. Even a blurry picture is better than our unreliable memories when it comes to looking things up in
our books after the fact. Not only can we not remember what we saw, we can’t look at all parts of a bird at the
same time, or now which parts of a bird are the diagnostic parts. But the camera makes a permanent record of
features we didn’t know to look for.
We called it a day around 3 PM and headed to Brigham City on the other side of I-15. This is a nice town. It sits on
an alluvial fan at the base of the Uintas, or their snow-covered foothills. A sign in the refuge told about ancestral
Lake Bonneville. At its maximum, the refuge, and most of the surrounding terrain, was under 1,000’ of water. It
said you could see the lake terraces on the mountains to the east. As we drove to Brigham City, we could clearly
see the benches – once we knew to look for ‘em. Bonneville was a large body of water; large enough to leave behind
Great Salt Lake and the even larger salt flats.
So why did we go to Brigham City? Well, because it was close and … there’s a place mentioned in the 500 Things To
Eat Before It’s Too Late book. In this case, it was Idleberry Pie served at the Idle Isle Café (since 1921) right
there on Main Street. Just like in the movies, there was a parking space right in front of the place. We tied
DALAS up there and went inside where we met up with Hillary who told us all about the place and, of course, the
pies. We opted for a piece of Idleberry (Janie) and Apple (me), both topped with homemade Whipped Cream, which
in turn was topped with a swirly stick referred to as a Pirouette (in French, and a bunch of other names in other
languages). We got ‘em to go, and they will be tonight’s dessert, just or otherwise. Ah, but we were not done with
the Idle Isle. There is also a confectionary across the street called Idle Isle Fine Candies. Janie ambled over to
check it out and came back with a box of Almond Butter Toffee and a couple of free samples as a thank you for her
(Mark’s) generous tip.
All this food talk is making me hungry. I think I’ll close now, finish my Stella Artois, a gift from JenO, and get
ready for dinner. Chow … literally … Ciao … Italianately.
Saw:
It is a NWR, and we expect to see lots of things. We kept track of today’s sightings and tallied 51 species for the
day. Fourteen of those were FOTs. We’ll go back tomorrow and see if we can scare up any more. The one living-
thing we saw the most of was Midges. There were hoards of ‘em hovering around and landing on DALAS. When we
looked down the road, we could see a curtain of ‘em on each side. They appeared like black plumes extending up 10
or 20 feet. Fortunately, they don’t bite and didn’t come in DALAS when the window or door was open. Well, maybe a
few got in, but not many. Cinnamon Teal
Tree Swallow
Ring Necked Pheasant
Long Billed Curlew
American Wigeon
Willet
Red Breasted Merganser
Loggerhead Shrike
Sandhill Crane
Marbled Godwit
Marsh Wren
Caspian Tern
California Gull
Ring Billed Gull
Midges (clouds of ‘em)
Reflect:
A day in a refuge is just what we needed after yesterday’s 100-mile ode to human excess called I-15. The quiet
simplicity of water, marsh, grass and playa brought us great joy. We put our window mount and big Swarovski
telescope on Janie’s side for better IDing. Even with the widow down and me opening the slider door to snap
pictures, very few of the many, many, many Midges got inside. The Midges feed the fish and some of the birds, and
the fish feed even more birds. Once the exhilaration of initial discovery abated a bit, I started getting sleepy, err,
I mean, relaxed. This happens whenever I spend time in a quiet, natural environment. It’s a testament to the
relaxing aspect of Nature. We humans are part of the natural world and generally feel more comfortable in it than
being immersed in the synthetic world in which we tend to incarcerate ourselves. At least that’s the case for us.
Sure, we wouldn’t have DALAS or the fancy optics or bikes or computers or … all those other things we possess …
if it weren’t for the synthetic world from which they come. But the fact remains that natural settings are
necessary for our wellbeing, and there are just too few of those places left. To state the obvious: we need more
soul-soothing natural spaces for us and wildlife to thrive in.
Sign me up for another day. We’ll be spending three nights and two whole days here for the tune of $120, FREE
showers. No problem, Mark’ll pay for it.
Ate:
Granola
Swiss Cheese Snack
Knorr Pasta Sides Parmesan w/Costco Sardines & Mixed Vegetables (a waste of good sardines)
Idleberry & Apple Pie w/Homemade Whipped Cream & Pirouette
CA-299 right on through … stopped at the Pit Indian filling-station to feed DALAS the cheapest CA diesel we’ve
seen. Then it was on through Alturus CA heading for Redding CA, shooting the gap between Lassen to our south and
Shasta to the north. We had our Granola just west of Nubieber CA. Yeah, there was a Bieber before getting to
Nubieber – interesting. We were in a fertile valley with lots of agriculture, mostly cattle, pasture & hay fields.
Fittingly, there were lots of cattle, hay & log trucks in addition to the usual commercial ones. More agriculture
means more people, more towns and more traffic. It was a busy road, certainly in comparison to the back roads
we’ve been traveling. The scenery was grand, what I could see between road & vehicle watching. We crossed over a
divide and dropped down into the Fall River Valley, even more agriculturally rich. There were stands selling
Strawberries, Blueberries, Cherries … and … Wild Rice. We saw several flooded, rectangular fields, likely the
source of the Wild Rice. The valley was also occupied by the same Pit River we saw in Alturus, only much larger, so
there was plenty of water available. We stopped at a Safeway in Burney CA to replenish our side dishes. CA-299
passes through Tertiary Volcanics all the way to Redding CA where there are some Mesozoic Intrusive exposures.
Tomorrow we’ll be going through some Paleozoic stuff then Jurassic & Cretaceous material scraped off the
descending plate I presume.
Although we were passing through small villages, we were also losing elevation. Eventually, the populations outpaced
the altitude, especially when we got to Redding – the largest city we’ve been in for a while. Our purpose for going
there, other than that’s where the road goes, was to stop at an NF Ranger station to get camping information. It
was on the southside of town and turned out to be a huge complex. The desk lady was a bit of an airhead, but very
friendly, and extremely talkative – like she was lonely just sitting in that big room with nobody coming in. We asked
our question and she said, “I have a map right here … umm, where is it? … oh, we’re out of ‘em. I ordered them last
week, but they haven’t come in.” She then proceeded to tell us how wonderful the map was and how it has all the
information we seek … and more. Then she said we could get one at the CA Welcome Center down in Anderson …
just down I-5. Like I said, friendly but lonely. We disengaged and headed for I-5.
The CA Welcome Center is just off I-5 … in a shopping center. In we go and meet up with another very friendly and
talkative desk person. This one was a youngish man who, when he started answering our question, I gave the
timeout signal and said, “You probably get this a lot, but you look like Leonard Hofstetter on Big Bang.” Yeah, he
agreed; he gets it a lot. Not only did he look like him, he also talked like him and had some of the same mannerisms.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d said Johnny Galecki was his cousin or something. He gave us the map and
showed us some his favorite campsites … there are literally dozens of ‘em in the area. Fortunately, another couple
came in, so we handed Johnny/Leonard-look-alike off to them. I-5 goes north through the center of the city, but
Janie found a state road that went on the west side and connected with CA-299.
Heading west on CA-299, we passed through the area devastated by the Carr WildFire. Trees were blackened as
far as you could see. We had some interest in Whiskeytown CA because of the name and there was camping there.
Johnny told us it was all burnt out. We could see little islands of green along the road; most of them contained a
dwelling saved from the fire. We came to a road that took off toward Lewiston CA and onward to the Trinity River
Reservoir where several of the NFCGs are located. We checked out the first few, but they were mostly for car
campers or backpackers. Then we got to Ackerman CG and found our home for the night. This is what they call dry
camping: no facilities, not even water. This will be our third consecutive night depending on our 7-year-old
batteries to keep the refrigerator running. I had ‘em tested before we left and they passed, but I can tell they
are on their last legs and will be replaced when we get back. Yeah, no water means no shower for yet another day.
Tomorrow we will have to find a place with full amenities. If they ask if we have pets, we’ll say, Just Pepe LePew!
So here we sit, outside because it is 90o in DALAS. We parked in a sunny spot to soak up some solar, but there is a
nice breeze in DALAS’ shadow and that’s where we are doing our evening routine. We are near the Trinity River,
and there are lots of birds flitting around in the trees. So far, we’ve ID a dozen species, five of ‘em FOTs. A male
Blue Headed Grosbeak keeps cycling through. He perches in the tippy-top of a pine and sings his little heart out …
defining the boundaries of his territory. Yeah, it’s not a bad life, even if we are developing a bit of unwanted
personality from lack of personal hygiene. It’s now time to get more serious about my Founders All Day IPA, so
check in tomorrow and see what (mis)adventures we got into.
Saw:
It all started with some probable California Quail that we flushed on the road from the campsite. This evening,
they are in our campsite, so the ID is now certain. We pulled over at a bank riddled with holes and a hoard of Bank
Swallows going in/out of ‘em. We’ve never had such a good view. The birds in the CG are putting on a show for us.
There are only a few trees, so we can focus our attention and watch the changing clientele. So far, we’ve seen a
dozen species, some of ‘em up close. Neat. California Quail
Bank Swallow
Black Headed Grosbeak
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher
Yellow Breasted Chat
Black Phoebe
Nashville Warbler (?)
Hermit-Townsend’s Warbler (?)
Pygmy Nuthatch (?)
Bald Eagle (white head on nest)
Poppies
Bluebonnets
Reflect:
Although the day was somewhat marred by traffic, it was still rewarding in many ways. Watching the geology
change as we move west is a highlight. We’ve been through explosive, Rhyolitic Volcanics and thick sequences of
more fluid Basaltic stuff – all associated with the subduction at a tectonic-plate boundary. It’s complicated in
detail, but much simpler when considering the BIG picture. Sitting outside in the cool of DALAS’ shadow is a treat.
The birds just keep coming, showing themselves to us, and then moving on before another species repeats the
process. It’s a bit like sitting in a bird blind, I suppose. Tomorrow we expect to be on the coast in the land of the
Redwoods. We hope to be meeting up with AJ Friday for a couple days of talking about you all.
Ate:
Granola
Peanut Butter & Crackers
Trader Joe’s Thai Curry w/Tilapia & Mixed Vegetables on Seeds of Change Brown Basmati Rice
Drive:
End: Ackerman NFCG #33, Shasta-Trinity NR, Lewiston CA
Arrive: 3:36
Temp (degrees): 85
Elev (ft): 1970
D (miles): 226
Mpg: 21.6
2019.05.09…THU…Day 25: Ackerman NFCG, Shasta-Trinity NR, Lewiston CA … to … Redwood Coast RV, Eureka CA Up: 6:04 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 60/54/61 Weather: Clear – Fog on coast
Did:
We continued on the NF road around the west side of the reservoir. Lots of ups/downs/arounds but almost no
traffic. Very scenic … and then we came onto the Grouse (see below). Eventually, we picked up CA-3, which
connected with CA-299 and more points west. We’ve been on CA-299 nearly all our CA driving. It’s a good road and
going to get better once they finish all the road work. We must have encountered ten “Flagger Ahead” where the
road was reduced to one lane a dozen times. It’s amazing how many times we encounter this one-lane thing … and
are the first in line. A few years ago, I came up with a strategy. When the pace car comes to lead us through, I pull
over a bit and wave the string of vehicles behind us on. After a bit of confusion, they pass, and I pull out at the
end of the line. Not only do I not have to deal with vehicles pushing me down the road, I’m protected from the rear
until the next string is released. It works pretty well, as does pulling in behind a slow-moving truck and letting it
run interference and serve as an excuse for going slow; let ‘em get mad at the truck and not me – so much.
The road is etched on the edge of the Trinity River Gorge and provides some spectacular vistas of both the valley
and raging river below. We had our Granola in one of the fat places in the road intended for slow-moving vehicles to
allow others to pass. It was exceptionally wide, so we didn’t interfere with the intended purpose. The fill at the
base of the rock wall was littered with … flowers. The one Janie could ID was Lupine … the others … dunno.
Onward, mostly climbing before starting a 20-mile, 3,000’ descent down to US-101 in Arcata CA. From that point on
we were in a fog, both mentally and literally. The Pacific must be colder than ambient causing a coastal fog. It
wasn’t heavy but certainly different. We pulled into a Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center to seek camping
information. A young woman was very informative and pleasant … and originally from Greenbelt MD. She, of course,
knew about Bowie and all that, so we settled right in kinda homey-style. She rattled off various places and gave us
an armload of brochures & maps. We needed a shower and to do our utilities. That meant a private CG; we settled
on one about halfway between Eureka & Arcata, signed up for one night and did our dumping and cleansing. Ah,
clean bodies encased in fresh clothes.
It was early afternoon, so we spent some time reconnoitering the area. The priorities were: places to camp that
aren’t RV Parks, check out the McKinleyville Airport where AJ will be landing; find some places to eat; and feed
DALAS some expensive diesel. Off we went, heading north to check on a County Park that’s pretty much right on
the beach. Hmmm, it seemed to be a paved parking-lot converted to a CG by adding picnic tables around the edges
and lining off parking spots. Interesting; it’ll be a fallback possibility. Next came the airport. It was much bigger
than I expected; they even have a car rental place. We’ll be picking AJ up there tomorrow evening.
We’d read about Patrick’s Point SP, near Trinidad CA, and Janie had checked it out online. All the sites were Xed
out implying they were already reserved. We opted to check it out anyway, and that’s where we met up with the
cutest and friendliest Rangerette we’ve encountered. She said they were just starting a new system where they
keep about 50 sites for first-come-first-serve, and if we were to show up between 12 & 2, there would likely be
some available. She allowed us to drive through and see for ourselves. OMG, the place is gorgeous. The sites are
separated by thick vegetation; there are trails going hither & yon; and AJ can set up his tent on our site for free
rather than an additional $20 at the RV Park. The downside: no hookups and pay showers. We stopped on the way
out to express our thanks and ask about interesting places to eat. Her response: “Oh, the Lighthouse in Trinidad.
They serve mashed potatoes in a cone and you can get it with cheese, gravy, or other gooey stuff on top.” Our
response: “Oh, a health food place.” After leaving, we stopped in Trinidad to check it out. Hey, Baby Back Ribs all
night Friday … and it’s between the CG and airport. Cool.
The final stop was a Shell station in McKinleyville where we filled DALAS with $4.25/gallon diesel. Hey, it’s Cali; I
expected to be paying $5. Back to the RV Park where we did some cleaning up before settling in for our evening
routine. OMG, the Sun came out; it got a lot hotter suddenly. It’s been in the upper 50s to lower 60s since we
arrived on the coast and now its up to 67o out – 78o in. Gonna get down to the 40s tonight, but, looking at the long
range, it doesn’t change much for the foreseeable future. That’s what a large body of water will do, I suppose.
Okay, time to get serious with one of Joe’s Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porters … see ya later, gator.
Saw:
While we were driving around in the NF, we noticed a fluffy lump in the road ahead. Hmmm, it looks like a … Grouse.
There was no traffic, so I could just stop while Janie tried to ID it. It was a female and they aren’t very
distinctively patterned. I edged closer and it continued to stand there. I unleased the big lens but had to shoot
through the dirty front windshield, so the pics were not very good. Eventually, the bird snuck off into the
underbrush, and we started going through the books. Hmmm, it looked most like a Spruce Grouse, the behavior
matches, but the range doesn’t. If not a Spruce, then maybe a Blue Grouse. Hmmm, they’ve split the Blue into
Dusky & Sooty. Dusky occurs farther north, so maybe a Sooty. We still don’t know. If it was a Sooty, it’d be a Life
Bird, so we need to be more certain of the ID. What we do know is the Pacific Dogwood is in full bloom as are the
Rhododendron – and big, everything is big, even the flowers, which we can’t ID either. And then there were the
Redwoods. None of the ones we saw today was large, but they have to start somewhere, right? Grouse (Spruce, Blue, Sooty?)
Pacific Dogwood
Redwood
Reflect:
We made it to the Pacific Coast … and it only took us 25 days. I got sand in my shoes, so it’s official, we’re at the
ocean. We could see the roaring waves … not much peaceful about the Pacific here. Our prior experiences in
California were weird. Janie was in the San Francisco airport for a few hours in 1965 returning from Okinawa. She
remembers riding on an escalator for the first time – UP the Down Staircase and Vice Versa, and hearing current
popular music. Army Radio Stations on Okinawa were not allowed to play Beatles music (I Wanna Hold Your Hand
was too “sexy”). The tune she remembers from the SF Airport was Gary Lewis and the Playboys “This Diamond
Ring”. The first and last time I was in CA was back in 1968 in San Francisco where I was herded onto an overpacked
airplane and shipped to Viet Nam.
This visit to CA has been way more pleasant. We’ve confined ourselves to the northern part because we’ll likely be
doing the SW again (NM & AZ), and we can venture into the southern part of the state then. For now, it’s north
and more north. After our visit with AJ, it will be heading-home-time. We’ll do a little of OR before turning
eastward into ID and points east.
We’re going to check out the Big Trees in the National & State Redwood Parks either with AJ or after he returns
home. Neither of us has seen big Redwoods. The young lady at the Information place told us you could take a trail
back to the tallest tree in the world, but it isn’t labeled or otherwise identified. That’s cool, but we don’t need to
see the tallest, smallest, biggest, lowest, or greatest of anything. Just seeing a few BIG Redwoods will be fine for
us.
Ate:
Granola
Jen O’s Summer Sausage from Christmas/Her Birthday gift bucket
Dinty Moore Stew, seriously augmented by Chef Janie
Drive:
End: Redwood Coast RV, Eureka CA
Arrive: 12:32
Temp (degrees): 58
Elev (ft): 42
D (miles): 121
Mpg: 21.4
2019.05.10…FRI…Day 26: Redwood Coast RV, Eureka CA … to … Patrick’s Point SP, Trinidad CA Up: 5:56 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 61/53/59 Weather: Fog, Clearing some
Did:
This write up is three days after the fact. Why? Because we picked AJ up this evening and everything after that is
a BLURRRR … sorta. Our day began at Redwood Coast RV Resort where, in anticipation of AJ’s arrival, we did our
utilities again and showered. AJ wasn’t expected until around five, so we had some time to fill. Let’s mosey down to
the Arcata Marsh Wildlife place and see what’s shakin’ there. Hmmm, doesn’t open for another fifteen minutes. We
walked around a bit until 9 when we walked in and met up with a very informative and friendly host from SE PA
(near JenO) of all places. With the exuberance of his first contact, he told us all about what to see and do in the
Marsh, and then walked us out to where the Bushtits have an active nest. Holy crap, it looks like a fuzzy sock. The
owners were bouncing around in the scrub scarfing down big, juicy caterpillars. Ummm, yum. We opted for a
different breakfast: Granola at a parking area overlooking some tide pools. And our reward, other than the
Granola? A life bird: Red Necked Phalarope. Yay, us!
It was going on noon and time to see if we can get a campsite at Patrick’s Point SP. We arrived at 11:55 and by the
time the two ranger guys finished debating if it was late enough to register us, we were processed and it was
12:00, the official time for registering. By 12:05 we were parked in site #106; we’ll be here for two nights, maybe
three, depending on when AJ flies back to Karen. Hey, there’s a cute little rabbit munching the grass along the
edge of our campsite. It clearly isn’t one of our regular Cottontails – too small with different behavior. Have to
look it up later … assuming we can remember. We did and decided it was a brush rabbit.
We still had some time before AJ descends from the heavens, so we checked out a few nearby places of interest.
Hustling/bustling Trinidad (population 311) was clearly the place to go. Janie had done some research, so we had a
bit of an itinerary. First and foremost was Katy’s Smokehouse. We read about it and were impressed. She’s been
smoking fish and other delicacies in a style learned from local Native Americans … for 60 years. You’d think
someone who’d been smoking for 60 years would have health issues. Well, as it turns out, she did. We learned that
she’d had some ‘problems’, and when we arrived at her place of business, we were greeted with a large sign:
CLOSED Until Further Notice. Damn, we wanted some smoked Salmon … and to meet Katy. We wished her well and
continued our reconnaissance.
We heard the Beachcomber was a good place for breakfast & lunch … and everything in between. We quickly
learned that is was plain and simple: a good if not great place. Very, very local and environmentally friendly … and
people friendly as well, judging from the big YES painted above the entry to the kitchen. Behind the counter we
found a lovely young lady from … Lafayette LA. There was only one other customer, so we had time to chat. She
said northern CA fit her much, much better than LA, and her happy mood reflected that conclusion. They serve a
variety of sandwich-y things along with baked goods and coffee. No paper cups; you bring your own or borrow one
from their eclectic collection … or you can pay $1 for a Mason jar. About the only thing on the lunch menu that we
recognized was the Egg Salad sandwich. Hey, what’s this Really Gourmet thingy? Yellow Beets w/Goat Cheese and
Sautéed Onions. That sounds interesting; we’ll have one of those. Now about that big ol’ Carrot Cake sitting there
just ready to be sliced? How about giving us a chunk of that? We got our cake and a little number 6 and headed
into the ‘dining room’. Good lord, there are a dozen tables and only two of ‘em match. The place was furnished by
Goodwill. You take care of yourself in the Beachcomber. That means getting your own utensils, serviettes and water
… and you bus your own leavings. We were halfway through the Carrot Cake when Ms Lafayette brought our Really
Gourmet sandwich … served on a great, crusty bun. Half for me; half for Janie. Being the country bumpkins that we
are, neither of us had seen Yellow Beets before. Pretty good stuff. Before we left, we picked out some dessert to
celebrate AJ’s arrival: Chocolate Swirl Cake, Nut Bar and another slab of Carrot Cake. The to-go container was 3/4
of a paper egg-carton lid … no Styrofoam or paper cups at the Beachcomber. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Next, we walked over to the Lighthouse to inspect the place and menu. If sufficiently interesting, we’ll come here
with AJ for dinner tomorrow. Oh yeah, it looks interesting. Where else can you get Mashed Potatoes in a
Cornmeal/Garlic/Rosemary/Chive Waffle Cone topped with Veggie or Beef Gravy and your choice of
Cheese/Bacon/Brisket/Clam or all of it. Like the Beachcomber, the place was small, and we were concerned bout
seating on a Saturday night. We were told around 4-5 should work.
The Lighthouse is practically in Murphy’s Grocery parking lot, so we ambled over there to check it out. Ah-ha, they
have Fish Brother’s Smoked Salmon in Garlic and Pepper varieties from Blue Lake CA. Not as local as Katy’s of
Trinidad, but more available. We got a couple packages of the Garlic, stashed in it DALAS’ refrigerator and headed
across the street to the three gift shops. Two of ‘em were pretty pedestrian, but the third was the real deal: The
Sea Around Us. It’s a family run operation involving a brother, sister, nephew, and who know who else. The brother
was there when we went in. Bill Snell reminded me of Bob Mahoney; slow talking, informative, and friendly once he
got on a roll. He was sitting at a wooden table sorting a pile of Dentalia, a tusk-shaped mollusk shell used in making
necklaces and earrings. He puts ‘em in bags and sells ‘em to those who want to make their own jewelry. The prices …
amazingly, $20 for 1,000 of ‘em. Janie picked out a couple necklaces that Bill said his sister, Karen, made
yesterday. They were alternating Dentalia, Pine Nuts & Glass Beads, with an abalone medallion. The Snell family
isn’t Native American, but the store is full of that sort of stuff. In fact, Bill was wearing a T-shirt commemorating
a big Pow-Wow. On the wall was a photo of Dad Snell holding baby Karen in a Native American cradleboard. It was
the kind of interesting place we want to patronize. Absolutely nothing made in China or otherwise false in The Sea
Around Us. Hell, they even had bracelets made of Cobra vertebrae … and very large Dentalia from Madagascar. Oh,
Carlos Nakai flute music was playing the whole time.
How’s five o’clock sound … sounds like time for AJ to place his little plane-wheels on the local tarmac. We parked
DALAS in the short-term lot and went into the terminal to wait. It was a nice big terminal with almost no clientele.
There was one, small United Airlines area and that was it. A few people were milling around, and then there was us,
trying to get a good place to see AJ come in. The whole place oozed sleepy, but modern, airport. We were in text
communication with AJ and … there he was zipping down the runway and taxiing up to the north end of terminal
where he secured his plane and tended to the end-of-flight stuff. Next, we saw him walking down the outside of
the terminal with a backpack on his back and a daypack on his chest. The boy is ready for anything. Hugs &
greetings and we were off to the campground for an appropriate, celebratory libation.
AJ’s arrival almost didn’t happen; at least not immediately. Just before we saw his plane coming in there was an
announcement that a United connector flight had been redirected back to San Frisco because of the fog. AJ said
he cut through it and was a bit surprised when he got a visual on the airstrip. He also said it was clear, blue sky
above, so all he had to do was drop through the ground fog and hope to see the landing strip. It all worked out
because he was flying a small, maneuverable plane. Yay!
Okay, AJ isn’t an only child, but he could easily qualify for membership in the DOOCs. A wall of words filled
DALAS’ cramped confines for the next day and a half. After some of the anxiety succumbed to a couple of Stouts,
Janie started cooking up 5 Colosimo Bratwurst (Salt Lake City product) which, along with some Broccoli Salad,
constituted our dinner. AJ had never had Dusseldorf Mustard … he liked it – at least he said he did. AJ is a 10-
year-younger version of Jason. So much so, we kept calling him Jason. Eventually, we settled for AJ-ason. That
works.
We sat around talking until about ten when AJ when to his tent and we went to our bed. Whew, what a day we’ve
had.
Saw: AJ land his plane at the airfield … and we got a life bird while waiting for him to arrive: Red Necked Phalarope at the Arcata Marsh.
Bushtit (and nest)
Red Necked Phalarope (life bird)
White Crowned Sparrow
Flowers (unknown, abundant & BIG)
Reflect:
Okay, AJ (and his squeeze, Karen) are two of the special people in our lives. They are former Geneseo students; AJ
was a Geology major, Karen was Math. Karen was busy this weekend, but AJ opted to fly from Carlsbad CA (near
San Diego) all the way up to very northern CA to meet us. This isn’t the first time he’s done this sort of thing. A
few years ago, he and Karen drove from Ft Collins CO to meet us at Teddy Roosevelt NP South in SD and spent a
weekend camping and hiking with a couple of old farts. That was impressive, but today’s trek topped it. It says a lot
about Geneseo connections. They seem to be very tight, considering its been decades since AJ was a student. Yeah,
it’s special, as are the students who continually replenish our hope for humanity.
After four days/nights in the Eureka, Arcata, Trinidad area, it was time to move on to … hmmm, we haven’t had
time to look at a map or make any plans to not keep. Fortunately, there was only one option: US-101. We took that
north into Redwood NP where we’d been a couple days ago … or was it a couple months? Finally into virgin territory,
we opted for the former US-101 now called Drury Scenic Parkway. It was much more relaxed and allowed us to
drive slowly through more of the giant Redwoods, some growing right up to the pavement – or rather, since they
were first, the pavement was right on their toes. We came to what’s called Elk Prairie and guess what? We saw Elk.
There were a couple lying in the tall grass with just their ears sticking up, but down the way was a small heard of
bucks. The brochure IDed ‘em as Roosevelt Elk and the males had velvet-covered antlers growing for fall rut. All
too soon, the scenic parkway dumped us back onto US-101. We found Wilson Creek Pullout with an ocean view, and
that’s were we had our Granola – in the presence of another Black Oystercatcher. This was our last ocean view, so
we drank it in and tried to comprehend the significance.
All the pretty scenery came to a screeching halt as we approached Crescent City CA, the biggest town we’ve been
in for a while. Oh, look, there’s a Safeway. In we go to replenish a few supplies and pick up some fresh veggies &
fruit. They had tubs of Imitation Smoked Salmon Dip with added spice. Hmm, maybe an evening snack? And there
were some real Salmon fillets on sale for what we were assured by a customer was a good price. We scarfed it all
up along with some Potato Salad and a couple other items I don’t now remember, paid our dues and headed on down
the road. It was goodbye US-101 and hello US-199 heading eastward. Yep, we are officially homeward bound.
Ya know what? Jedediah Smith SP is just down the road a bit. We had “met” Diah Smith back in Fremont SP,
Sevier, Utah. Wonder where he was first? Don’t know, didn’t find out!
It’s getting on to noon, and we still have a lot of catching up to do. Let’s check it out, and if it meets muster, we’ll
hole up for the rest of the afternoon/night. Surprise, surprise, it looked great. We were greeted by yet another
bubbly Rangerette. This was her first day and she was practically giddy. She’s a local girl that bounces back and
forth between nearby Mill Creek SP & Jedediah Smith SP. Her family lives between the two and everything is
working out just dandy for her. Jedediah is another of those cooperative parks administered jointly by the state
and NP systems. Our Rangerette works for the NP but in a SP. We again learned that checkout time is noon and you
can’t register until 2:00 so they have time to clean up the sites. Hmmm, what to do for a couple hours? The NP
Hiouchi VC is less than a quarter mile down the road, and we went there to check it out. That’s where we met up
with a self-identified curmudgeon – a very friendly curmudgeon, however. He’s a retired firefighter, all stocky &
gnarly (think Wilford Brimley), with a ranger hat that has a Grumpy the Dwarf pin that bobbles when he moves.
The likeness on the pin matches the person beneath it. He filled us in on trails and back roads with good views and
even a road we could bike like he used to do. We mentioned our exchange with the Rangerette, and he said, “That
must be one of the Cox girls. Both of ‘em are now working at the park.” Yeah, he was all about local. Very
interesting, informative and brimming with character. He referenced his agedness several times, but I’m betting
he isn’t as old as me. However, there’s little doubt that he’s lived a fuller life.
It was only a little after one o’clock when we finished at the VC, so we went back to Jedediah Smith to see if we
just might be able to check in early. Nope. Our first Rangerette had been replaced by an equally young & bubbly
one with more experience. She informed us that since this is officially an NP place, we could display our Golden Age
Passport and use the day use area for free … and … get a campsite at half price. Great! We drove down to the day
use area, parked DALAS in the sun to keep charging our batteries and walked along the rocky edge of the gurgling
Smith River.
The park people are making changes in the driving pattern, so we had to drive all the way around the place to get
out. Along the way we passed the dump station. Hey, let’s take care of our utilities now when we have the time
instead of in the morning. That’s what we did. Finally, it was 2:00, and when we got to the registration booth …
there was already a line forming. We registered for #60, which we’d picked out on one of our several trips through
the park. The regular price is $34/night but we, in deference to our advanced age, get it for $17. See, getting old
does have some perks. So here we sit, on the bank of the Smith River, catching up with our office work as long as
our notebook batteries will allow. Another day spent in the company of the regal Redwoods, a couple of which are
lining our campsite. We don’t have a rabbit, but we do have a very active Chipmunk, which I haven’t yet had time to
ID. It’s still a little early for a brew, but that time is coming quickly.
Saw:
Oh man, we got to drive through more big Redwoods. Some were so close to the road we’d been able to touch ‘em if
the windows were down. The day went a little like this: Redwoods, Ocean, Elk Meadow with Elk, more Redwoods,
City (necessary evil), Raging River, still more Redwoods, Camp in the Redwoods. We only have one of the listed
items back home; guess which one. Roosevelt Elk
Redwoods (lots more, big ones)
Reflect:
I seem to have a variety of things to reflect on today. Let’s start with the silly and end with the more serious. We
passed several roadside places selling items related to the area - like statues of Sasquatch and the like. The one
that caught my irony-sensitive eye was a Redwood Tree chain-sawed from hunk of Redwood. Think about that a
moment. You cut down a perfectly healthy Redwood Sapling and whittle it into a bad replica of itself. All in the
name of pawning it off on some unsuspecting tourist.
The last few days have been punctuated by people with Selfie Sticks taking pictures of themselves with Redwood,
rocks, flowers, and/or ocean backgrounds. I’m not a Selfie advocate. Maybe I’m too shy and retiring. Right!
Whatever, I’ve come up with an alternate name for the Selfie Stick. I think of it as an Ego Stick. Look at me, look
where I am, I’m standing here looking back at my phone instead of the scenery around me. That scenery may as well
be a stage prop. Now that I’ve bad-mouthed Selfies, let me lay it on me. When we are camped in particularly scenic
sites, I tend to take a picture of DALAS and her surroundings. When we are back home and sitting in our
wheelchairs drooling, those pictures will serve to remind of us where we’ve been. Noble though that may be, it is
still a sort of Selfie, a DALAS Selfie, if you will. We all have egos, right?
Now for the more serious reflection. As of AJ’s departure, we are officially homeward bound. We began the trip
heading southward to gain a better climatic situation. Then it was go west, old man, go west until we hit the coast.
Now we are heading northward to get to the latitude of the northern-tier states through which we will drive east,
east, east until we hit water again, but this time it will be the freshwater of the Great Lakes. Well, mostly
freshwater if you don’t count the pollution introduced by population centers and industries. Whatever, we’re
homeward bound, but the adventure continues.
Ate:
Granola
(Imitation) Smoked Salmon Dip & Crackers
Big Ol’ Dinner Salad w/Kale, Brussel Sprouts, Tomato, Sunflower Seeds, Raisons, Croutons, a little Onion and
anything else that falls in it.
Drive:
End: Jedediah Smith SP/NP #60, Crescent City CA
Arrive: 11:30
Temp (degrees): 55
Elev (ft): 118
D (miles): 68
Mpg: 21.0
2019.05.14…TUE…Day 30: Jedediah Smith SP/NP, Crescent City CA … to … Collier Memorial SP, Chiloquin OR Up: 6:13 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 60/53/57 Weather: Overcast, Mist, Rain
Did:
And we were off, taking US-199 away from the Pacific and through the last of the Redwoods. The road passed
through a tunnel and shortly thereafter we were in OR. Redwood, Sitka Spruce & Western Hemlock were gradually
replaced by Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir, noble trees and stately in their own right. It quickly became clear that
we’d entered a Volcanic terrain. One clue: Crater Lake was just up the road. Another clue was the Table Land
formed when streams cut through a stack of flows leaving flat-topped areas in between. Soon we arrived at Cave
Junction OR, in the Illinois River Valley, where we had our Granola in a small wayside called Rough & Ready SP. The
Illinois Valley and others we passed through were flat-bottomed and broad, either choked with sediment or filled
with ash & lava … or both.
Medford OR appeared on our radar and we waved hello to Falcon NW Computers as drove by. That’s the birthplace
of my Falcon desktop – and Terri’s too. There may be another delivered to Naweedna soon. Oh, look, Diesel for
$2.95 … we pull in and learn it is Biodiesel. We still had a little over a half tank, so mixing the Biodiesel in shouldn’t
be an issue. You can’t beat the price, certainly not in Cali. Weird thing about Oregon fuel stations: they are full
service, not self-serve. We left Medford on OR-62 heading toward Crater Lake … but … we weren’t going to Crater
Lake, so we picked up OR-140 and vectored toward our camping destination. OR-140 breezes along in the valley …
for a while … and then climbs up, up, up to 5,100’ where there was still some snow left along the road. Snow was
more plentiful on nearby 9,495’ Mount McLaughlin. We noticed open areas between the trees that look kind of
bizarre. Close inspection revealed them to be masses of Basalt blocks, really large-grained AA Lava.
Unfortunately, most of the drive was tedious due to traffic, which wasn’t terrific. There are few roads and higher
population density translates into traffic. We experienced a few aggressive drivers, about the first we’d
encountered. Janie sensed my displeasure – my deep sighing and swearing at other drivers sorta gave it away – so
she put us on alternatives like Old this’n’that Road or smaller, more relaxed County Roads. Ahhh, much better … but
not long enough before dumping us back onto the busy highways.
One of the County Roads passed along the western edge of Upper Klamath Lake and then along the valley to the
north after the lake petered out. This is a large valley on the order of Surprise Valley in the NE corner of CA. Like
the other valleys we saw today, Upper Klamath was long, broad and flat. The dry northern part is rich pasture
populated by Angus cattle, some Sheep and a few Goats … and Mule Deer. We crossed the valley to get to Collier
Memorial SP, Chiloquin OR where we settled on #A8 for $29. Electric, we have electric for the first time in
several days. And there are showers, also much needed. But before showering, Janie changed the sheets &
pillowcases while I … watched. Well, I did fold the dirty ones so they’d fit where the clean ones once were. And I
cheered her on – Go, Janie, Go. In my defense, the bed area is entirely too small for two people to work, and since
she designed the bedding, she’s much better suited to do the changing. That’s my story and I’m stuck with it. And
now I’m no longer stuck to my sheets!
After our showers, we got out clean clothes for tomorrow and clean house clothes for tonight. Then we finished
off the (Imitation) Smoked Salmon Dip – which was quite tasty – and had a few bites of Cheddar before settling in
for our usual evening office duties. So here I sit … with no beer yet. What the … I better stop and pop a top of …
oh, let’s go for a New Belgium Fat Tire – another from JenO’s gift bucket. That girl …
Saw:
We saw our last Redwoods early this morning – likely the last we’ll ever see. We now know the names of a couple
trees we’d been seeing: Big Leaf Maple & Pacific Madrone. We also got a good view of a Golden Mantled Squirrel
right here in the campsite … and a definite Least Chipmunk. The entire campground is covered in pine needles deep
enough to smother almost all other vegetation. And in those pine needles, Oregon Juncos are pecking away at things
too tiny for us to see. We are no longer on the Pacific Coast or Redwood forest … or in Kansas, for that matter. Big Leaf Maple
Pacific Madrone
Golden Mantled Squirrel
Least Chipmunk
Reflect:
Today we took our first significant eastward trek; there will be more. Today’s drive took us back into Cascade
Volcanics, Ponderosa Pine & Douglas Fir … familiar but different at the same time. After four consecutive nights of
primitive camping, it’s nice to have electric. We also have water and sewer at the site, but don’t need it. I have to
say our 7-year-old batteries have performed surprisingly well. Not as well as new ones, but good enough to get us
through. The solar panels are a big help on those days when we don’t do much driving, but clouds and tree shade
reduce their efficiency appreciably. All in all, it’s worked out just fine. There will likely be more primitive camping
in our future.
What primitive camping lacks in facilities it more than makes up for in serenity. The sites are generally not
crowded or if they are, they are separated by vegetation, so you don’t see others. And you can’t beat the scenery.
Last night we were parked near some big Redwoods and tonight we are in a grove of Ponderosa Pine. Even the
worst-case scenario is better than most privates where you are literally packed in like Sardines in a can. Hmmm,
that reminds me; we haven’t had any Sardines for a while. Maybe tomorrow’s lunch, if I can remember.
Interesting observation: In the Redwoods, the ground was dry everywhere except under the trees. In the piney
woods, the ground was wet except under the trees. Simplest explanation: Fog for the Redwoods; Rain for the pines.
Ate:
Granola
Cheese Snack
Salmon Fillets & Broccoli Salad mixed with a bunch of leftover stuff & Raisins
Drive:
End: Collier Memorial SP, Chiloquin OR
Arrive: 2:29
Temp (degrees): 54
Elev (ft): 4198
D (miles): 195
Mpg: 19.5
2019.05.15…WED…Day 31: Collier Memorial SP, Chiloquin OR … to … Page Springs BLM CG, Frechglenn OR Up: 6:29 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 59/48/55 Weather: Overcast-Mist-Rain
Did:
A short, quiet, gentle drive out the Park Road unceremoniously dumped us onto US-97. OMG, my Garmin said the
speed limit was 55, so that’s what I settled in at. Everyone else seemed to think it was 100. A string of vehicles
stacked up behind and started passing from the rear forward. One passed and blew its horn. What? I’m doing the
legal limit; what’s your problem? Later it dawned on me that the limit might have been increased to 65 and my
Garmin hadn’t updated. Oops. Sorry! Driving US-97 was seriously jangling my nerves. Not only was it no fun, it
wasn’t safe. Janie to the rescue. She put us on County Road 676 AKA Silver Lake Road, and it was like alpha-omega.
There was essentially no traffic and great scenery. We were passing through the same Ponderosa & Lodgepole
Pines that we camped in last night. Very relaxing, and I could slow down and watch it all go by.
Eventually, we descended into one of those broad, flat essentially treeless valleys that looked like a 100,000-acre
manicured lawn. The mowing was done by cattle and Pronghorn, and they were certainly doing a fine job. Wonder if
they hire out? To our surprise, we came to Klamath Marsh NWR, but there was no access other than pullouts along
the road. I measured the valley at 10 miles wide and more than double that in length. There is a pattern to this
terrain: Valley-Volcanic Ridge-Valley … repeat several times over. The farther east we went, the dryer the
landscape became, turning into a ~4,500’ High Desert. We went from Ponderosa & Lodgepole Pines to Pinion Pine &
Juniper and finally into a Sea of Sage.
We had our Granola at a cattle-loading dock before leaving the valley and getting on US-395 heading northward to
Burns OR. This is desolate country, and you need to keep an eye on the fuel gauge. DALAS’ was sitting at a shade
over half, so we stopped at Christmas Valley OR to top up at the one and only station in this vanishingly small
community. Then it was onward to significantly larger Burns OR where we picked up OR-205 down to Malheur NWR.
Malheur is HUGE. It has a 42-mile Tour Road and an elegant VC. There were lots of people milling around outside
the VC – nearly all of ‘em had binoculars, cameras with big lenses or spotting scopes. These are pro/semi-pro
birders. Before we even got inside, we passed a couple whisper-talking to each other: “There’s a Warbling Vireo …
over here is a Cassin’s Vireo.” What have we got ourselves into? We talked to them a bit and learned they were
headed to the BLM CG, just like we were. We jokingly said it’d be a race for the last spot. Turns out that wasn’t
far from the truth. The CG is down OR-205, a mere 46 miles from the VC. I told ya it was big. The main road is
nicely paved and winds its way through a Volcanic scabland. Eventually, we got to Frenchglen OR, so named for the
two pioneer cattlemen, Peter French & his father-in-law Hugh Glen, where a gravel road takes off to the BLM CG.
Five miles of washboard later we discovered a nice campground with lots of other campers already set up.
Fortunately, there were still some sites left, and we settled for #1, paid our old-age half-price $4 and settled in
for the night.
Remember Christmas Valley? Well, appropriately, DALAS is parked on the banks of the Donner & Blitzen River. In
case you are as uneducated as I was, Donner & Blitzen is German for Thunder & Lightning. – seems kind of
testosterone-infused for two of Santa’s tiny Reindeer. The D&B River is running bank full, so we’re hoping there
isn’t any thunder & lightning up in them thar hills. We certainly don’t want to become part of the sediment load.
So here we sit, about 20 meters from D&B, watching the late arrivals trickle in. There are a few tenters, but most
are van campers like us, and a few big Class As. It’s a nice CG with the river on one side and a Lava wall on the
other. We’re typing our notes and researching where we might go next. We know what we’ll be doing tomorrow:
Malheur NWR. After that? About all we know is we’ll be heading east with some detours for good roads and
scenery. Hey, look at that. There’s a nearly full bottle of Southern Tier 2x Milk Stout in front of me. You know
what’s better than that? Not much.
Saw:
We think we saw a Prairie Falcon, maybe a couple of ‘em. The best view was one winging along beside us. I slowed
and it crossed over and swooped up to a utility pole. Our short observation revealed a bird about the size of a
Harrier, but lighter and without the characteristic white rump-patch. It seemed to have the falcon’s facial
pattern, but we couldn’t be certain. We’ll list it as a ‘probable’ and hope to see another one for a more definite ID.
Once in Malheur, we started seeing all the usual suspects: Phalarope, Stilt, Ibis, Crane, Goose, Teal, Coot, Grebe
and lots of Red Tail. We’ve seen more Cinnamon Teal on this trip than all the others combined. They are
appropriately named. We also got a few FOTs: Western Tanager
Great Horned Owl (chick, big chick)
Black Chinned Hummingbird
Prairie Falcon (probable?)
All the usual suspects
Porcupine
Reflect:
Janie picked up this very revealing item from today’s news headlines:
56% of Americans say: Don’t teach Arabic numerals to our kids.
Now, if that’s true, it is an exceptionally sad commentary on our supposed advanced society. I fully expect that
everyone reading these words is aware of the origin of our number system. I also expect you are aware of the
rampant racism and phobias that are soiling our societal ideals and principles. Again, it may not be true, but if it is
even slightly true, it would suggest that half the population should be prevented from making significant public
decisions … like voting.
Ate:
Granola
Sardine Sandwich w/Mustard
Pesto Chicken w/Mixed Veggies on Pasta
Drive:
End: Page Springs BLM CG #1, Frenchglen OR
Arrive: 3:42
Temp (degrees): 53
Elev (ft): 4260
D (miles): 277
Mpg: 20.0
2019.05.16…THU…Day 32: Page Springs BLM CG, Frenchglen OR … to … The Narrows RV Park, Princeton OR Up: 6:24 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 53/47/53 Weather: Overcast & Rain
Did:
It rained enough last night that I got up to check on the Donner/Blitzen River – no change, it just kept chuggin’
along like it had a train to catch. The morning dawned relatively clear, but that changed in a hurry. It was either
misting or raining most of the day. No biking for us; we’d have been drenched like some of the birds we saw. The
Tour Road takes off near the campground, and we were rumbling along on the heavily wash-boarded gravel by 7:30.
By ten we were all of 10 miles down the road. There was a convenient pullout and that’s where we had our Granola …
and did a little calculating. If the Tour Road is 40 miles long, and it took us 2.5 hours to cover 10 miles, how long
would it take to finish? I’m going with answer B: 10 hours. Maybe we better speed up a little. Another reason to
speed up is to get better mileage. When we stopped for breakfast, we were getting all of 7 mpg. Last night I
estimated that we’d get 10 mpg and burn up 4-5 gallons of diesel, which would leave us with less than a half tank to
cover the 100+ miles to the nearest fuel depot. However, averaging significantly less than 10 mpg would be cutting
it a little thin. I cranked DALAS up to 20 mph, the lowest cruise control setting, and rumbled even harder down
the road. It worked, DALAS got all the way up to 14 by the end of the day, and we now have plenty of fuel to get
us back to civilization – we hope.
The rain kept most of the other birders at bay, so we pretty much had the road to ourselves. Several habitat
changes occur in the 40 miles, and that means lots of different birds. Janie tallied 60 species but only 3 of ‘em
were FOTs. The scenery was as special as the birding. The valley walls are stacks of lava flows cut here and there
by tributary streams. We passed through Willow thickets, grassland and Sage flats, interspersed with open water
and marsh. Like I said, lots of habitats. The Refuge is in the Donner/Blitzen River Valley that formed along a
weakened area known as the Brother’s Fault Zone and represents the northern end of the Basin & Range we drove
through in NV. Erosion has left flat-topped butts capped with Basalt flows, but the most prominent feature in the
area is 10,000’ Steen’s Mountain extending some 35 miles along the west side of the valley. Steen’s is a fault block
that dips gently westward, but the eastern boundary is much more abrupt, dropping 5,000’ into the Alvord Desert
in the mountain’s rain shadow.
When we finished the 40 Miles of Bad Road (look it up), we found ourselves back at the VC … and Gift Shop. A little
walkabout netted some interesting things (see Saw below) as did the Gift Shop. The sales lady was in our
generation and, as you might expect, friendly and informative. She confirmed our ID on Belding’s Ground Squirrel
and California Quail and offered up advice about where to go in ID. There was a young family in the shop: Mom, Dad
& four young’ns. They were amazingly well behaved and fun to watch. The kids had been given $10 to spend on
whatever they wanted, and it was a hoot listening to them go about bleeding every last cent out of the ten spot.
We met up with them a little later where they’d spotted a Great Horned Owl in a tree. The father and I had a
little conversation about my camera & lens. Janie & I had decided he reminded us of Brian Sheldon, so I explained
that to him in the context of our Geneseo family.
Finally, it was time to call it a day and settle on a place to camp. We’d passed a private RV place just down the road,
and as much as we’d rather go back to the BLM CG, it was just too far. It would be 50 miles down and 50 back,
which didn’t seem prudent in view of our fuel situation. We pulled into the place and started negotiating for a
campsite. The woman said they charge less for smaller vehicles because they assume we’ll be taking a shower, which
costs $2 for 4 minutes. Ha! The jokes on you lady; we’re not going to take a shower. It’s a captive audience here so
the prices are high. The diner menu had things like omelets for $16 and simple dinners for $18 … and homemade
cookies for $3.50 each. So how much did our full-hookup site cost? $26.46. A bit steeper than last night’s $4 and
not nearly as serene but necessary to do our utilities and get ready for our next jump eastward. BTW there was
better ATT connection in the “primitive” cg than in the private cg near the main road and largest town!
I’m sitting here clattering away on my notebook between sips of Founders All Day IPA … I seem to be getting
hooked on it. Time to continue my sipping while editing the 100+ pictures I took today. Chow for now.
Saw:
We spent the day in Malheur NWR and saw lots of stuff: scenery, water, quasi-desert, Basalt, swollen river, and
birds, of course. The Tour Road only netted 3 FOTs of the 60 species we saw. The Bobolink was something we
haven’t seen in a while, as was the Short Eared Owl flying low over the ground looking for its breakfast.
Surprisingly, we hadn’t seen a Yellow Warbler until today. Some of the best viewing happened at the VC, however.
It’s located in a grove of trees, a rare commodity in this region, and that attracts wildlife. Yesterday, we saw a
Great Horned Owlet, and we saw it again today. We also saw one of the parents. A snag at the edge of the pond
had two very wet Red Tailed Hawks perched in it. They looked really pissed. One of them sat on the tip-top branch,
faced into the wind and spread its wings to dry. Never saw anything like that before. A bit later, we saw a Red Tail
carrying something big in its talons. We followed its flight until it disappeared in a tree. Then there was a bunch of
jumping around – it was a nest and dad was bringing in supper – more than a loaf of bread and carton of milk. And it
didn’t end there. The little tree next to our campsite is the future home of a Western Kingbird family. We
watched it bring in sticks and fuss with ‘em. So far, it’s kind of puny, but I’m sure it’ll all work out. Oh, we finally
got a good shot of a California Quail. He was sitting on a fence post alternately preening and proclaiming his
dominance over his turf. And the back row of the cg, which we normally prefer, was closed off due to the Killdeer
nest and recently hatched triplets. We went to see them, then were appalled at how much trauma the parents went
through truing to lure us away from the little ones with their “follow me, I have a broken wing, you can catch and
eat me, just leave my babies alone” feint.
Now for the mammals we saw. There was a Nuttall’s Cottontail in the middle of the Tour Road. A trail around the
VC provided a Pygmy Rabbit … small enough to hold in your hand – but we didn’t try. Then there were the many many
Belding’s Ground Squirrels. The open areas around the VC and Gift Show was overrun with ‘em. A Least Chipmunk
hopped up on a stone wall right in front of us and disappeared before I could get the camera on it. Yeah, it was a
wildlife-filled day. Yellow Warbler
Bobolink
Short Eared Owl
Nuttall’s Cottontail
Pygmy Rabbit
Belding’s Ground Squirrel
Least Chipmunk
Reflect:
Last night we watched the Gray Beards/Heads walking around camp with their binos & spotting scopes. They’d stop,
point and everyone in eyesight would follow the azimuth to a bird. After a bit of watching people watching birds, it
became evident that this was a special population. All in the same generation … and … all thin and healthy looking.
You don’t see that combination in most campgrounds.
Tonight is a slightly different story. We are by far the smallest camper in the lot and there isn’t a tent to be seen.
It’s still a bit different from most RV Parks in that the clientele is mostly bird watchers, but it’s still an RV Park
with all the pluses and minuses.
Ate:
Granola
Peanut Butter & Cracker
Zatarain’s Dirty Rice w/extra Rice & Beans to dilute the salt
Drive:
End: The Narrows RV Park #10, Princeton OR
Arrive: 3:03
Temp (degrees): 49
Elev (ft): 4093
D (miles): 46
Mpg: 14.5 (40 miles of Refuge road)
2019.05.17…FRI…Day 33: The Narrows RV Park, Princeton OR … to … Stanton Crossing IDFG, Bellevue ID Up: 5:18 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 55/43/48 Weather: Overcast, Rain, Wind
Did:
We awoke to a stiff NW wind pelting us with rain. Reluctantly, we left Malheur NWR and headed back to Burns OR.
So how important is Malheur to OR? It seems OR celebrates Malheur Day on what the rest of us call Memorial Day
… or MemHorribleDay as Janie calls it. When we got back to Burns OR, we pulled into a filling station on US-20, our
road for the day, and a nice young man came out to pump our diesel. Yeah, OR has gas station attendants like I
remember from my formative years. I chatted with the attendant for a bit while the meter cha-chinged away some
of Mark’s money. I remarked about the blustery weather and was greeted with: “Yeah, Seneca is supposed to get 4’
of snow.” Uh, where’s Seneca? “Just up the road off US-395. That close!!! Recalculating …
You see, there’s this little thing called the Idaho Batholith that must be negotiated. The road we’d planned to take
skirted it on the east side, headed up to Chief Joseph Pass and then back south. We’d been that way before and
stayed in Sitting Bull NFCG where we were privileged to see Dippers in the cool waters of a mountain stream. We
wanted to repeat that experience. But not if it’s going to be snowing, and/or uncomfortably cold. Recalculating
…We opted for a more southerly route that took us to Boise. More about that later. Let’s take it a step at a time.
We took US-20 out of Burns OR passing through a canyon cut into a thick sequence of Volcanic material. The
‘cutter’ was none other than the North Fork of the Malheur River. It has done a lot of work over the millennia. We
crossed the time zone and made use of a pullout on the west side of Harper OR for our Granola stop. We were
driving through a major agricultural area with large fields already planted and many more ready for planting.
Planting what? A big sign revealed the answer: Onion Capital of The World. Onions! Lots and lots of Onions … to go
with Idaho Potatoes for Hash Browns fried up nice and crispy, maybe a little Catsup … but I digress.
Boise … Bois is French, or at least French-Canadian, for tree, hence Boise, pronounced boy-see, not boy-zee. If we
were to avoid noon-time Boise traffic, we’d have to get on I-84 … for 100 miles … to where US-20 takes off. That’s
a hundred miles of very few smiles. The speed limit is 80, there are lots of trucks and other assorted traffic all
traveling too fast for the rain & wind conditions. When we finally got off, I took a few minutes to shake out my
hands and get the blood back into my knuckles. We passed an accident on the other side – traffic was backed up
for a couple miles. It was a sobering sight that I didn’t need to see, the accident or the traffic. We exited I-84 at
Mountain Home ID where we made two rights and pulled into a Walmart parking lot. We were running low on
dehydrated milk and Walmart has it in convenient 1-qt packets that minimize dusting DALAS with fine milk powder.
We also needed Walnuts, Bananas and a couple other items … and fuel. Hmmm, this Walmart has electric-car
charging-stations but no diesel. Not to fear, there were two stations just the other side of the freeway. We chose
the Chevron because it was a nickel less than the Pilot across the road. Go figure.
US-20 was a breeze compared to the Interstate. A little too much traffic for my liking, but certainly manageable.
So we’re zipping down the road to … dunno. It’s getting late, we’re tired of this driving, where can we hole up for
the night? Janie found a private that’s open year-round and relatively cheap for full hookups and showers. When we
got to it, we quickly turned up our noses and continued toward Peekaboo ID where there was another private. If
that wasn’t sufficient, we’d continue on to Craters of the Moon NM. However, that would make a 400-mile day, and
we wouldn’t get there until after five. We kept our eyes pealed and … look there’s one of those NF camping symbols
pointing to … a place where there are some RVs. We did a U-turn and pulled in to check it out. Ah, this is the place
Janie read about earlier. It’s run by the IDFG, which was a new one for us. It turns out the ID is Idaho and the FG
is Fish & Game. It’s a place for fisherpeople to camp and fish the very full and angry-looking Big Woods River.
There are no official campsites, you just park and camp. We found a level spot and settled in.
It was good to get off the road, but it’s still raining like it has been for the last four days. A quick review of the
weather map revealed two big low-pressure areas passing over this part of the country and dumping rain or snow,
depending on elevation. We’re free of snow here, but the rain continues to pitter-patter on DALAS’ roof. As fate
would have it, we seem to be moving eastward at about the same rate as the rain. Not much we can do in this
weather other than drive, so drive we will.
So here we sit doing our regular evening chores. I’m having a Founders Porter that’s requesting more direct
attention. Then it will be dinnertime followed closely by bedtime. The routine continues. Hello, Mr. Porter!
Saw:
Rain, low-hanging clouds, snow-capped mountains, fast moving rivers and lots and lots of volcanic rock. There were
some nice valleys interspersed with the rock outcrops and signs warning of Deer & Elk migration. We didn’t see
either. We did see lots of Hawks. They’ve been socked in by the weather and finally forced out by metabolic
necessity. Most of ‘em were perched on utility poles and looking pissed like those we saw … yesterday … was it only
yesterday? Yep, that’s the way time expands when you’re traveling. Yesterday we were in Malheur NWR, today
we’re in a much less scenic IDFG CG. Tomorrow? I’ll let you know when I find out.
Reflect:
Let me make a brief comment about Interstate driving. For us, it’s an occasional necessary evil, but almost never
enjoyable. Today was a good example. Way too much traffic travelling at a ridiculous speed. I found myself
contemplating the contact area of our tires on the pavement. If drivers considered how little there is compared to
the vehicle weight, they might just slow down to ensure reasonable breaking distance. You can have the most
expensive vehicle possible, but it is still only as safe as its tires and the tire/pavement contact area. But most
drivers don’t consider this parameter and that forces me to drive much faster than I’d like just to keep from
becoming a traffic hazard. Nope, give me a little backroad with wide-open spaces where I can putz along at what I
consider to be a safe rate. Where do you find such roads?
Okay, one more thing about Interstates – I promise. BAWB & Char have a saying: “Remember where you are.” That
is particularly important in AK, but it’s applicable to other places as well. While driving along on I-84 today, I had
to force myself to remember where we were. We were in ID, not NY or any other state. It was Idaho. Why?
Because just about everything I could see was the same as any other Interstate in any other state. The big
difference: the few volcanic rock outcroppings that remained after road construction … and Magpies. It was kind
of depressing. Again, give me the backroads where I can experience the local environment and culture.
Speaking of wide-open spaces. I continue to be impressed by the bigness of the land out here. Today, I looked up
ahead and saw a couple specks coming down a mountain side. Those specks were vehicles several miles distant. That
just doesn’t happen in the cramped confines of the east. As I continued to ponder these wide-open spaces, I
started wondering about westerners who’d lived out here most of their lives. What do they think when they visit
the east? I expect they would feel “clusterphobic”. I know I did under similar circumstances.
My first duty station was Ft Huachuca AZ, between Tucson and the border. I spent a few months in that Sonoran
Desert environment and got used to its sparseness … liked it in fact. I got leave before being shipped off to
Vietnam and came home to OH in what happened to be a very wet spring. The trees were in leaf and the roadsides
were lush with un-mowed vegetation. I had the sensation of driving through a green tunnel. Although I’d spent all
my life in such an environment, it seemed alien after getting used to the desert. I expect westerners would have a
similar reaction.
Ate:
Granola
Gorgonzola Cheese Snack, maybe a cracker or two but who’s counting?
Leftover Zatarain’s Dirty Rice Roll Ups w/Cheese, Onion, Salsa
Drive:
End: Stanton Crossing IDFG, Bellevue ID
Arrive: 4:01
Temp (degrees): 51
Elev (ft): 4853
D (miles): 347
Mpg: 20.7 (Interstate, Mtns, Wind)
2019.05.18…SAT…Day 34: Stanton Crossing IDFG, Bellevue ID … to … Craters of the Moon NM, Arco ID Up: 6:31 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 53/41/45 Weather: Fog, Clear, Overcast, Rain, Hail
Did:
Another grueling drive-day … all of 46 miles … through the same agriculturally productive valley we were in
yesterday afternoon … and then we came to lava fields and Craters of the Moon NM. We were here in 2015 on our
way back from meeting up with BAWB & Char in AK. It was August then and 90o. That wasn’t the case today. We
started in fog that quickly lifted to reveal a bright sun. We’re now heading east, so it was smack in our faces. The
decision to hole-up in Craters of the Moon was an easy one. We can bike the road, like we did the last time, and we
can enjoy the exotic terrain … and maybe see some wildlife. Besides, it’s free to us old farts. The camping isn’t
entirely free, however; we coughed up $7.50 for site #32 overlooking a field of blocky AA Lava that emanated
from the nearby cider cone. After settling in, we geared up, had our Granola and headed down the park road.
Hmmm, it seems to be spitting rain, and there is a very ominous looking cloud over the mountains to our west. Hey,
we got gear, let’s do this thing. Pretending we were John Muir, we cycled on.
After a couple miles, it started raining a serious sort of rain. We had on our raingear, so it wasn’t all that bad. Hey,
look, the cinder cone that should be black is … white. That’s when the hail started. It was only pea-size, but it still
stung our faces. Our bike computers dropped from 45o to 35o. We took refuge under a Limber Pine and hoped the
rain would relent. It didn’t. Discretion/Valor … it was early, so we decided to go back to DALAS and hope for
better weather later. We had planning to do, and we could use the Internet to check the weather. OMG, it’s going
to be 30o with possible snow where we’d hope to go. We looked at other routes, but they didn’t seem as appealing –
most involved at least some Interstate driving. At least we aren’t facing the weather they are having in the mid-
continent: tornadoes and hail big enough to kill animals, including humans. Maybe a little slushy snow isn’t so bad,
comparatively. We’ll see how it shakes out tomorrow.
Around three, the clouds lifted a little, and it looked like it might clear up later. The bikes were out, as was our
gear. Why not try it again? The tour road consists of a loop with some spurs off to interesting features. The tour
road’s main objective is Inferno Cone. Now you might think there would be some climbing involved to get to the
Inferno … and you would be right. Janie bravely tried, but was too wet, tired and too unsteady to bike a narrow
road with large campers driving by too fast. She headed back to DALAS which turned out to be the right decision.
I pedaled on just to earn the beer I hope to be drinking later. It was steep, for us anyway. Jason would have
breezed up it and then come back to help me along. The climb up was significantly gentler than the way down. I
easily broke the 25-mph speed limit. Back at camp, the weather was steadily improving, so we decided to walk
around and see what we could see. The first thing we saw was our neighbor camp’s awning collapsed on the ground.
There wasn’t that much wind, so it must have been a malfunction. After the walk, we put our gear away, racked the
bikes and settled in for the evening.
So here I sit typing away between glances of volcanic rubble in the foreground and a steep-sided cone on the
horizon. Interestingly, at the moment, there is a small Cumulus cloud perched right on top of the cone making it
look like an eruption smoke-plume. These eruptions began 15,000 years ago and the most recent was 2,000 years
ago. The area is still active, so there will be more … some day … we hope not while we’re here. It’s all part of what’s
called the Great Rift and is related to the movement of the American Plate over a hot spot that currently sits
under Yellowstone. At least that’s what I recall from my working years.
We didn’t take time for a lunch snack, so my Southern Tier 2x Milk Stout is going directly to my head. Think I
better stop before I say something even more stupid than usual.
Saw:
Lots of Basaltic Volcanic: AA, Pahoehoe, Lava Tubes, Lava Bombs, Cinder Cones … all immersed in Ash & Cinders
from fine- to pebble-size. We saw our first Cassin’s Finch perched in a tree and trilling away. Janie saw a Chikaree,
the first we’ve ever knowingly seen. It’s the western equivalent of our Red Squirrel, not as colorful and lives in
among the rocks. And lots of Brewer’s Blackbirds hopping around on the rocks. And Ravens, lots of Ravens. After
the rain, there were about ten of them catching the wind where it was channeled through a saddle between cinder
cones. They were doing their bonding thing: acrobatically flying in tandem, taking a death dive together and
wheeling out just at the last moment. Really neat … they seemed as happy about the rain stopping as we were. Cassin’s Finch
Chikaree
Reflect:
Not a reflection as much as an observation: Janie’s bike computer leaked. Yeah, it rained that hard. Water and
electronics don’t play well together, so it is officially kaput. Fortunately, we have a spare. Now if I can only
remember her wheel-circumference setting. Oh yeah, we have that recorded in a spreadsheet. Now if my notebook
battery lasts long enough to finish this document … and look up the setting.
Today’s drive into the morning sun was a blatant reminder that we are heading home. We’re not ready to go home,
but we must ... sometime. It’s a real approach/avoid issue. Do we keep putzing around in the mountains and then
take a leisurely drive through the plains … or … do chunk driving like yesterday? Originally, we’d hoped to be off
the road by Memorial Day. It doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. The weather may force our hand, however.
It’s cold, even snowing, north of here and there are terrible storms heading east from the mid-continent. The
cause seems to be a couple big low-pressure areas moving through our current latitude. They are sucking cold air
down behind them, hence the cold north of us. Where the cold meets warm, moist Gulf air, you get seriously bad
weather like they are experiencing south and east of us. I firmly believe the weather is becoming increasingly
severe as the atmosphere/oceans warm. I read that the CO2 levels are the highest they’ve been in a few hundred
thousand years. We, or more likely you, and even more likely your children, and certainly their children are going to
experience climatic conditions that last existed when Dinosaurs ruled the planet. It’s about the only thing that
makes me grateful to be old.
Ate:
Granola
Sesame Chicken w/Peanut Butter on Rice (oops, made with Tuna by mistake ;-)
Bike Data:
Trail: Craters of the Moon NM, Arco ID
ST: 10:30 & 3:00
ET: 12:00 & 4:00
TT: 2:30
BT: 1:20
D (miles): 13
Mx (mph): 8.3
Avg (mph): 28.3
Drive:
End: Craters of the Moon #32, Arco ID
Arrive: 9:24
Temp (degrees): 44
Elev (ft): 5869
D (miles): 46
Mpg: 18.1
2019.05.19…SUN…Day 35: Craters of the Moon NM, Arco ID … to … Wakeside Lake RV Park, Rexford ID Up: 5:48 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 51/40/44 Weather: High Overcast
Did:
The day began with a slow drive around the Tour Loop where we relearned that most of the pines are not Pinion but
Limber Pines. They are appropriately named because their limbs readily bend in the wind. They only occur in a few
isolated spots west of the Rockies, and this is one of ‘em. After completing the loop, it was time to bid farewell to
Craters of the Moon NM and get back on US-20 – in this area, combined with no less than three other US highways
(and still not too busy). We were retracing our route on our return from AK and recognized many of the cultural
phenomena. One of those being Arco ID. It has an interesting history as outlined in Wikipedia:
Originally known as Root Hog, the original town site was five miles south at the junction of two stagecoach lines (Blackfoot-Wood River and
Blackfoot-Salmon). A suspension bridge that crossed the Big Lost River funneled traffic through the settlement. The town leaders applied to
the U.S. Post Office for the town name of "Junction".
The Postmaster General thought the name too common and suggested that the place be named Arco for Georg von Arco (1869–1940) of
Germany who was visiting Washington, D.C. at the time. Georg von Arco was an inventor and a pioneer in the field of radio transmission and
would become the lead engineer of Telefunken, a German company founded in 1903 that produced radio vacuum tubes. The town later moved
four miles southeast when the stage station was moved to Webb Springs at Big Southern Butte. When the Oregon Short Line Railroad arrived
from Blackfoot in 1901 the stage lines became obsolete and the town of Arco moved northwest to its present site.
Arco was the first community in the world ever to be lit by electricity generated solely by nuclear power. This occurred for about an hour on
July 17, 1955, powered by Argonne National Laboratory’s BORAX-III reactor at the nearby National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS), which
eventually became the site of the Idaho National Energy Laboratory, a predecessor of the current Idaho National Laboratory. NRTS made
further history on January 3, 1961, when the SL-1 reactor was destroyed through an operator maintenance error, with the ensuing steam
explosion causing the deaths of all three personnel present. It was the world's first and the United States' only fatal reactor accident.
We translated over to ID-33 just beyond Arco and drove through miles and miles of land controlled by the Idaho
National Laboratory. The land area was impressive. Time for Granola … but there were no pullouts on our side roads
in the confines of the IDNL, so we settled for the West Jefferson ID High School athletic complex. The few
towns we passed through had church parking lots filled with dusty pickups … it’s Sunday and these people go to
church. Hard to imagine where they all came from, the area appears almost uninhabited. The churches were still
busy through the noon hour.
Our previous passage through this area took us to the Camas NWR where we netted two life birds. We decided to
check it out today and see if we get lucky again. To get there, we had to take I-15 (same one we were on in the Salt
Lake City area) and get off at the first exit for the very sleepy collection of dilapidated buildings known as Hamer
ID. The town consists of a PO, church & elementary school surrounded by a few, well-used houses, that’s it. Of
course, the church was packed like all the others we saw. After driving the one city block that constitutes Hamer,
we got on Old Butte Highway, and after 5.5 miles, arrived at Camas NWR. We spent an enjoyable hour and a half on
the well-maintained tour roads – no washboard and few ruts. Camas isn’t world class, but it is very nice with lots of
good views that offer close observation … and we had the whole place almost to ourselves.
Time to find a place to camp. We were near Rexford ID where we stayed in an interesting private CG last time.
Janie called ‘em up but … number no longer in service. I guess Connie Thompson has moved on, one way or the other.
Okay, how about this one: Wakeside Lake RV Park? The office was closed on Sunday, but an answering machine told
us there were sites and a self-registration station, which turned out to be a repurposed telephone booth. Every
time I see one of those old booths, I’m reminded of the drunk who was calling for someone to come pick him up.
Where are you? Ummm, at the corner of telephone and telephone, he slurred.
After feeding DALAS, we pulled into Wakeside Lake RV Park and signed up for #27 for $33. Kind of steep
compared to our last two campsites: free & $7.50. However, it has full hookups and that means we can do our
utilities, not have to agonize over batteries (camper & devices) … and … take a shower. All needed and welcome
occurrences. So here we sit, all squeaky clean, doing our office chores while watching other campers fussing with
their leveling, slide outs, hookups, window covers and whatever else they do. I’m having my last bottle of Joe
George’s Hamburg Lager and enjoying very much, thanks, Joe.
Saw:
We’d just pulled into Camas NWR and were getting a refuge map, when a largish, very dark hawk soared into view. I
took pictures, but even then, we couldn’t get a positive ID. Most likely it was a Dark Phase Swainson’s Hawk. That’s
the best we could do. Things got a little better in the ID department after that. We saw a Swan sitting on a nest
and IDed her as belonging to the Tundra clan … our most positive Swan ID on the trip. Then, while we were
watching a Long Billed Curlew, a pair of Black Bellied Plovers swooped in. It was a rare sighting for us … and
according to the wildlife list, a rare occurrence at Camas. Finally, we got our first Canvasback of the trip. It was an
hour and a half well spent. It meant we didn’t make much progress today, but doing these wildlife things is a
primary reason for traveling in the first place. Limber Pine
Black Billed Magpies (lots & lots)
Hawks (unidentifiable, perched on utility poles or soaring)
Trumpeter Swan (positive ID, on nest)
Black Bellied Plover
Canvasback
Reflect:
What a difference a day makes. Last night we were immersed in a sea of Volcanic Cinders & Lava Flows. Tonight, we
are within earshot of a very busy highway. As with most private CGs, the sites are cheek-to-jowl separated by
scraggly-looking Cottonwoods. Last night’s view was a field of cinders and flows creeping up the side of a Cinder
Cone – very natural, pleasant & relaxing. Tonight, we have an artificial lake with water-ski jumps and a couple of old
guys flinging baited hooks into it. Last night we had Chikaree, Cassin’s Finch & Brewer’s Blackbird to look at.
Tonight, it is American Robin and Weaver Finch (House Sparrow/Old World Sparrow). Yep, big difference.
When you start doing this traveling/camping thing, you quickly learn that everything is a tradeoff. Tonight, we’ve
traded pleasant scenery and interesting wildlife for traffic noise and close campers. But … we got to do our
utilities and take a shower. You can’t do any of that in Craters of the Moon NM. We’ve had our fair share of bucolic
campsites; a few private CGs thrown in from time to time is okay. It seems unrealistic to do either exclusively.
Ate:
Granola
Gorgonzola & Crackers
Chorizo (1) & Kielbasa (1) & Potato Salad
Drive:
End: Wakeside Lake RV Park #27, Rexford ID
Arrive: 2:04
Temp (degrees): 58
Elev (ft): 4877
D (miles): 148
Mpg: 18.4 (wind & refuge)
2019.05.20…MON…Day 36: Wakeside Lake RV Park, Rexford ID … to … Ackley Lake SP, Hobson MT Up: 5:53 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 54/44/50 Weather: Overcast, Rain, Snow
Did:
We pulled out of Wakeside and drove down to ID-33 then over to US-20, a four-lane highway heading north out of
Rexford ID. Most of the traffic was going to Rexford, so we were gladly swimming upstream. It was blustery with
a stiff wind out of the NE … and we were going … NE. Yay! Last night, with the aid of a good Internet connection, I
learned a bit about the geology we’d been passing through and were going to encounter today. From Wikipedia:
The western Snake River Plain is a large tectonic graben or rift valley filled with several kilometers of lacustrine sediments; the sediments are
underlain by rhyolite and basalt and overlain by basalt. The western plain began to form around 11–12 Ma with the eruption of rhyolite lavas and
ignimbrites.
The eastern Snake River Plain traces the path of the North American Plate over the Yellowstone hotspot, now centered in Yellowstone National
Park. The eastern plain is a topographic depression that cuts across Basin and Range mountain structures, parallel to North American Plate
motion. It is underlain almost entirely by basalt erupted from large shield volcanoes. Beneath the basalts are rhyolite lavas and ignimbrites that
erupted as the lithosphere passed over the hotspot.
Island Park and Yellowstone Calderas formed as the result of enormous rhyolite ignimbrite eruptions, with single eruptions producing up to 600
cubic miles of ash. Henry's Fork Caldera, measuring 18 miles (29 km) by 23 miles (37 km), may be the largest symmetrical caldera in the world.
The caldera formed when a dome of magma built up and then drained away. The center of the dome collapsed, leaving a caldera. Henry's Fork
Caldera lies within the older and larger Island Park Caldera, which is 50 miles (80 km) by 65 miles (105 km). Younger volcanoes that erupted
after passing over the hotspot covered the plain with young basalt lava flows in places, including Craters of the Moon National Monument.
We’d been driving in the Snake River Plain for the last couple days, and Craters of the Moon represents one of the
young basalt flows superimposed on the much older Rhyolitic material. Shortly after leaving the Rexford area, we
climbed up and over the southern lip of Henry’s Fork Caldera and drove through the flat-bottomed valley until
entering the larger Island Park Caldera. During our passage through these once fiery structures we were pelted
with SNOW. The trees slightly above our elevation were covered with frost and there was fresh snow in protected
areas. We were at 6,800’ and the temperature dropped to 29o before we descended to lower elevation. The snow
gave way to snow-fog and then just rain, which we were in the rest of the day.
Here’s something else about the Snake River Plain that I found particularly interesting. From Wikipedia:
The Snake River Plain has a significant effect on the climate of Yellowstone National Park and the adjacent areas to the south and west. Over
time, the Yellowstone hotspot left a 70-mile wide channel through the Rocky Mountains. This channel is in line with the gap between the Cascade
Range and the Sierra Nevada. The result is a moisture channel extending from the Pacific Ocean to Yellowstone. Moisture from the Pacific
Ocean streams onshore in the form of clouds and humid air. It passes through the gap between the Sierra and Cascades and into the Snake
River Plain where it is channeled through most of the Rocky Mountains with no high plateaus or mountain ranges to impede its progress. It
finally encounters upslope conditions at the head of the Snake River Valley at Ashton, Idaho, and at Island Park, Idaho, at the Teton Range east
of Driggs, Idaho, and at the Yellowstone Plateau of Yellowstone National Park where the channeled moisture precipitates out as rain and snow.
The result is a localized climate on the eastern side of the Rockies that is akin to a climate on the west slope of the Cascades or the northern
Sierras. The head of the Snake River Valley, the Tetons, and the Yellowstone Plateau receive much more precipitation than other areas of the
region, and the area is known for being wet, green, having many streams, and having abundant snow in winter.
So that’s why we’ve been in rain since leaving the coast. It’s amazing what you can learn with a little research … and
an Internet connection.
After we dropped out of the Calderas, we took ID-87 over to US-287, which wisely followed the Madison River
Valley. The geology is right there to see. Roadcuts through deep cobble to boulder outwash; the magnificent river
raging with high water; the several terraces representing various stages of downcutting. Some of the roadcuts
revealed cobble layers interspersed with much finer-grained layers: storm surges followed by periods of
quiescence I assume. Our great western terrain is a geologic marvel – confusing, but marvelous just the same.
Somewhere along the line we passed into MT and eventually arrived at Ennis MT where the sign announcing the
town read: 840 People and 1,000,000 Trout. There were fly fishing stores, signed pullouts leading down to the
river, large Trout replicas on shops with names referring to Trout … the place was fly-fisherman heaven. It got me
to wondering, why do people go to such great lengths and expense to catch flies?
Just north of Ennis, there was a mile-long road of packed dirt that led to the Meadow Lake Recreation Area where
we settled in for a very late Granola break. Janie had read that it was a good place to bird, and that was correct.
After Ennis, we continued northward on US-287 to MT-84, which took us to the outskirts of Bozeman MT where
we fed DALAS. There were several train lines coming into Bozeman, one on the south side had a long string of coal
hopper-cars; the one on the north side had an equally long string of petroleum tank-cars. Yep, we are just west of
the Williston Basin that has been raped of its resources between the time I first passed through and the present.
But I gleefully pour several gallons of diesel into DALAS’ tank every day. Natural resources – a necessary
annoyance.
We headed east out of Bozeman on I-90. This section of I-90 is nothing like I-90 at home. There was very little
traffic and almost no trucks. Not that way in NYS for sure. I-90 delivered us to US-191, which we took north to …
are you ready … Eddie’s Corner MT. The dot on the map is almost bigger than the place it represents on the ground.
Janie had read about Ackley Lake SP just west of Eddie’s Corner and that’s where we were headed. Oh my, take
this road, take that road, turn here, up this dirt path and, viola, there you are at Ackley Lake SP. It has 15
campsites, all primitive. The charge is $24 and all you get is a fire ring, picnic table & windbreak. We’ll only make
use of the parking space and view of the lake. We put up our windshield insulation and settled in for what promises
to be a chilly night.
Janie is sitting in her usual place using the bed as a lounge. I’m in my driver’s seat rotated so I can put my feet up
on the passenger seat … and look out the passenger & slider windows at the lake while typing away between sips of
Founders All Day IPA. I still have several of them left … good thing, I’m liking ‘em. So, I’ll bid you adieu for today
and report in tomorrow sitting in the same seat but looking at different scenery.
Saw:
Well, we saw a lot of stuff in today’s 350-mile journey. One notable FOT: Violet Green Swallow. We’d been looking
for them since getting into their territory, even thought we’d seen some, but they turned out to be the very similar
Tree Swallow. The damned things move so fast, it’s hard to get a bead on ‘em. Did you see any white up around the
eye? No, but I saw a white saddle that nearly meets on the back. Oh, wait, there is some white around the eye, but
you can only see it when the bird is close and banks a certain way. Whatever, they are Violet Greens and that ’s
that. We read that Pelicans need to consume four pounds of fish a day to sustain themselves. Four pounds,
minimum. They also say Pelicans aren’t as heavy as they look … plus or minus four pounds. How many little bugs do
Swallows have to eat each day? Less than four pounds but still a lot.
When we pulled into our Granola stop north of Ennis MT, we were met with a blather of birds. An immature Golden
Eagle was soaring around overhead, there was an Osprey nest with an Osprey head sticking up, and a group of
White Pelicans were out for their afternoon soar. We didn’t see that kind of activity until we were leaving when
another blizzard of birds appeared. What we did see while eating was a blizzard of another sort: Tree Swallows
plucking bugs off the surface of the water. There were 100s of ‘em; they looked like a swarm of Mosquitoes as
they darted around over the water. Janie spotted a pair of Lesser Scaups, and we saw our first Meadowlark in a
while. A bit farther down the road, we got a glimpse of an Eastern Kingbird on one side of the road and a Western
Kingbird on the other. We’re getting back into the range of our familiar eastern species.
We passed a field of Bison; they were fenced in like cattle but still looked natural out there in the open field. I
caught a glimpse of a live Skunk skulking along in a ravine next to the road. And then there were the Pronghorn. We
hadn’t seen any for a while, and today we saw as many as we’d seen on the trip. Violet Green Swallow (finally, positive ID at campsite)
Eastern Kingbird (on one side of road, Western on the other)
Tree Swallow (100s of ‘em at Meadow Lake, Ennis MT
Bald Eagle (on fence post)
Osprey (on nest and fishing)
White Pelican
Meadowlark (first in a while)
Lesser Scaup
Golden Eagle (immature)
Pronghorn (several – first in a while)
Skunk (alive in a gully below the road)
Bison (domesticated)
Pronghorn
Reflect:
The Sky Is Crying … since AJ left … Ain’t No Sunshine When He’s Gone.
Eight consecutive days of rain, even some snow. AJ, come back!
It’s more than the rain, however. It’s damned cold. There is a bubble of cold air stretching from the border down
well below Salt Lake. Last night we were in Rexford ID, which was a pivotal spot navigationally. Yellowstone was
just up the road, but it is higher elevation so some of the roads were closed and others required snow tires. We
need to get to lower, not higher elevation. The question became: go south or north? We must eventually be up north
at the latitude of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. And that means ID/MT/SD/MN-200. We’ve traveled 200 several
times and found it suitable. Interestingly, it maintains the same road number all the way from Duluth MN to Idaho
and maybe beyond. If we opted to go south, we’d still be in the cold and have farther to drive. North it is … and
hope for the best.
Generally, when we come to this part of the country, we are seeking mountains as our alien-terrain destination. Now
we are seeking the Plains with their lower elevation and expected warmth. Things have been reversed by the fickle
weather, he said while listening to the all-too-familiar pitter-pat of raindrops on DALAS’ roof. At least it isn’t
snow, yet. It’s maybe 40o now and expected to drop into the low 30s by morning. No snow, but we’ll be burning our
propane furnace to keep warm. However, we will survive and profit from the experience. Whoa, there goes another
Violet Green seeking the last few morsels of insect protein before roosting time. Me? I’m enjoying the last few
sips of beer before dinner time … and then bed.
Ate:
Granola
Sardine Sandwich w/Mustard
Thai Curry w/Tilapia, Mixed Vegetables on Brown Rice
Drive:
End: Ackley Lake SP #8, Hobson MT
Arrive: 3:52
Temp (degrees): 41
Elev (ft): 4318
D (miles): 356
Mpg: 18.8 (Mtns, I-90, Wind)
2019.05.21…TUE…Day 37: Ackley Lake SP, Hobson MT … to … Ft Peck Downstream COECG, Ft Peck MT Up: 5:05 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 51/38/43 Weather: Overcast, Rain, E Wind
Did:
We wound our way out of the Ackley Lake SP and got on MT-200 heading east. No need to worry about sun in our
faces; it never showed the entire day. Lickety-split we were in Lewiston MT, population 5,000 or so. We drove
through downtown and gawked at the various shops & businesses. Guess which one was busiest? McDonald’s …
another commentary on our collective society. We found a fuel depot on the east side of town and filled up with
$3.08 diesel. We’ve been in the Judith Basin since late yesterday, and now we were exiting via a 5,000’ pass
through the Judith Mountains. They were the last mountains we’ll be seeing for a while. The slopes of the Judith
were populated with Ponderosa Pine nourished by the alkaline soil developed on Shale bedrock. Those are likely the
last Ponderosa we’ll see for a while also.
Next came the Musselshell River Valley with very few views of the river but nice views of the valley it carved.
There was essentially no traffic on MT-200 just as I remember from as far back as the 70s. Janie found a review
of one Chicago woman’s experience driving the road: long, boring, no facilities, crank it up to 80 and get it over
with. My response: why don’t you just fly and leave the road to those of us who appreciate the grandness of the
American West with its raw but spirit-lifting scenery? With so little traffic, there is little need for roadside
rests, but the two we encountered today were of Welcome Center quality. We took advantage of the first for our
Granola, and the second just to read the signs describing the area. We learned that we were driving through the
Bearpaw Shale (Eocene), a Black Fossiliferous Shale. It and its companion Cretaceous Rocks were deposited in an
inland sea stretching from the Arctic to the present-day Gulf. The future Cascades & Rockies were forming to the
west and the ancient Appalachians shedding sediment from the east. These rocks that cover much of eastern MT
are famous for Dinosaur fossils, Hell Creek being one of the important localities.
We were just a little west and south of the Missouri River and started noticing its effects on the local topography.
The bedrock is relative soft and readily eroded down to the Missouri base level resulting in a badlands-like
topography. Long, cylindrical concretions are eroding out and look like giant Dinosaur ribs. Maybe some of them
were. I believe this kind of topography gave rise to the Missouri Breaks moniker. Imagine traveling west in a wagon,
on horseback or on foot and encountering this rough terrain with its labyrinth of gullys & gulches. Not a pleasing
sight for them, but scenic for us.
We took a 60-mile detour to swing up to Ft Peck where the WPA built a dam across the Missouri. It was the
largest earthen dam at the time and employed thousands of otherwise out of work people – a very important social
program during the Depression. We camped here on our way back from AK in 2015 and marveled at the size of the
place. I wanted to see it again and maybe do some biking on the paved trails. But the wind, the damned Plains Wind,
is just too much to deal with. It wasn’t cold, in the low 50s, but the wind chill made it unpleasant. Instead, we
visited the Ft Peck Interpretation Center and got to see several T-Rex skulls unearthed from nearby locations …
and two complete, reconstructed specimens. One was a skeleton, the other fleshed out. Standing beside them left
me feeling small, insignificant and frightened. Most of my body would easily fit in its mouth. They also had a 40’
Crocodile skeleton hanging from the ceiling. Think about that a moment. Find something around you that’s 40’ long
and imagine it being a Crocodile. For us, 40’ is twice the length of DALAS, almost the length of our house –
assuming it still exists. There were lots of other impressive displays in the Interpretive Center; it was enlightening
… and not the least bit windy.
After being humbled by the Dinosaurs, we drove over to the Wildlife Pasture to see if the recently dropped baby-
Bison were showing themselves. First, let’s consider the term Wildlife Pasture. That seems to be a contradiction,
right? Now about the Bison, we could see them, but they were maintaining a very respectful distance from the
access road. Basically, black dots on a rolling, green landscape with maybe a couple small, reddish dots that might
be the calves. We had a little afternoon snack to soothe our Bison disappointment.
On down the road a bit, we found a fuel station and topped DALAS up with $3.39 diesel. I had a conversation with
the lady clerk. It wasn’t a pay-at-the-pump, so I went inside to see how she wanted to handle the transaction. She
said, “Just lift the handle and start pumping.” My reply: “I won’t drive off, I promise.” She said, “DALAS, right?”
She’d already memorized our license plate, so I told her what it stood for. She: “So, what kind of stuff are you
driving around looking at?” Me: “About anything that gets in our way, but mostly birds.” Then she wanted to know
what part of NY we were from. I told her, “The Buffalo area.” She then said she was heading to Scranton PA to
see her daughter next week. She said she’d been to the Buffalo area to see Niagara Falls … didn’t need to do that
again. I agreed.
Hey, the afternoon was getting on, time to thinking about setting up camp. But first, let’s do our utilities. It’s only
been a couple days, but since we don’t know where we might end up, it’s best to do ‘em when we can. The same is
true for showering. We did both and now we are now sitting in the Downstream COECG #8 for $9, thanks to our
Golden Age Passport. As with many of the dam-related COECGs, we are below the dam and hoping it holds. Our view
includes the hydroelectric facility and the angry water exiting the turbines. The Interpretive Center had a display
showing the Margret Bourke-White iconic image of the spillway structure before it was finished. The image served
as the cover photo for the first issue of Life magazine. I can’t see the spillway from where I’m sitting, but I can
see the bottle of Troegs Troegenator that’s demanding more personal attention.
Saw:
Today we saw a whole lot of rolling plains, mantled in grass and feeding herds of cattle and some sheep. We’re
seeing some of the birds we saw on the way out, Lark Bunting being the most notable. We’re also seeing lots of
Loggerhead Shrike which are uncommon back home – at least for us. More eastern species are showing up, like a
Baltimore Oriole and White Tail Deer. Interestingly, we saw a mixed of White Tail & Mule Deer in a gully and
Pronghorn on a nearby slope. By the way, don’t call ‘em Pronghorn Antelope. They are not Antelope, nor are the
Deer or even Camal; they are a breed all their own and unique to the North American continent. They evolved in the
wide-open spaces of the planes where there was no need for jumping. Thus, they have difficulty negotiating fences
and that’s an issue affecting their annual migration. Run fast, you bet; jump stuff, nope, not gonna do it. Lark Bunting
Baltimore Oriole
Black Tail Prairie Dog
White Tailed Deer
Mule Deer
Pronghorn
Beaver (unfortunately a roadkill specimen)
Blue Flax
Reflect:
It was our ninth day of rain & wind. This is getting to be a drag. I’m longing for a warm, sunny day so I can prune my
beard and wash DALAS’ windows … and have the windows open so we can hear some ambient sound. I had a thought
while driving today. We’re out of the mountains and starting the plains. That recalls the concept of the High Plains
Drifter. As I looked out over the terrain, I started wondering how those individuals navigated the plains. How far
could you expect to go in a day? A human can walk maybe 30 miles; a horse, also walking, might cover a bit more,
maybe as much as 50 miles. So I look out at the terrain and wonder where I might end up fifty miles down the trail.
Would I be looking for some high ground, or maybe a gulch that offered more protection from the wind? How would
a true drifter make these decisions? We are drifters of a slightly different sort. We drift from established
campsite to established campsite. We’re never sure where we’ll end up until around noon when we start calculating
how far we can get comfortably. Then Janie starts looking for possibilities. We zero in on a likely spot and it
becomes our day’s destination. High Plains Drifters of the modern era, that’s us.
Ate:
Granola
Peanut Butter & Cracker
Beef Stroganoff w/Peas on Noodles
Drive:
End: Ft Peck Downstream COECG #8, Ft Peck MT
Arrive: 1:21
Temp (degrees): 52
Elev (ft): 2048
D (miles): 257
Mpg: 19.8 (Headwind except last 10 miles)
2019.05.22…WED…Day 38: Ft Peck Downstream COECG, Ft Peck MT … to … Theodore Roosevelt NP North,
Watford City ND Up: 5:16 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 53/42/47 Weather: Overcast, Wind, some Rain
Did:
We wanted to get back on MT-200, and there were two options for doing that: 1) backtrack the way we came up
yesterday or 2) pick up US-2 east to MT-13 heading south to MT-200. MT-13 is designated as a Montana Scenic
Byway, so we opted for #2. It turned out to not be the best choice. US-2 had much more traffic than MT-200, and
the Scenic Byway wasn’t. Yesterday’s road, MT-24, was much more scenic. The difference was so striking that I
started wondering if they just put the ‘Scenic’ label on the wrong road. If not, then it is another example of their
values vs. ours. We win if we just follow our instincts.
The day dawned with high clouds and a big, bright spot we assumed was the long absent Sun. At one point, we found
ourselves bathed in sunshine, but that didn’t last very long. A little before noon, we started getting hit with a stiff
NE wind. It built to a steady 20+ mph blow and ultimately dark clouds and … more rain. The speed limit was 70 and
I was doing 50 … but … if you add in the 20-mph quartering headwind, I was right there at the posted limit. The
few vehicles that we shared the road with didn’t agree. Fortunately, there were plenty of opportunities for them
to pass us … and they did.
Ahhhh, back on MT-200, ever so much better than US-2 … or I-84, for that matter. Those are the three choices
if you are going E or W in this part of the world. We pulled into Richey MT and looked for a park where we could
have our Granola. Hmmm, not where we expected it to be. Finally, we gave up and got back on MT-200. Oh, there it
is. The sign was so weather beaten it couldn’t be read. Shortly after leaving Richey, we saw our first Pump Jack – a
big one, but it wasn’t pumping. It wasn’t long before we saw another one, then another and another.
We were in the Williston Basin, specifically the Bakken Oil Field. The portion of MT we were in was past the
development stage and into the production stage. When we got to ND, we saw even more Pump Jacks; some
platforms had 4 or 5 of ‘em in a row. We also started seeing drill rigs and lots of trucks. It seems the ND part of
the field is still in development. That means lots of trucks racing up and down the road. Big trucks, little trucks,
pickups, all hauling equipment, parts, supplies, brine and petroleum. The last big town for the day was Watford City
ND, so we pulled in to fill up DALAS. OMG, Watford City even worse than we remembered. It has a boom town
vibe. Lots of equipment and parts in fenced in big lots. Mud and dust coating just about everything, and all the
sleezy things one associates with a boom town. Kind of depressing, and we rushed to get out of there.
We took US-85 south toward Theodore Roosevelt NP North Unit. The road was also clogged with truck traffic.
The wind had picked up, it was raining, the truck traffic was bad, and I got a little white-knuckley. But suddenly
everything changed when we saw a sign notifying us that TR NP was just 2 miles ahead. In we go, and our day
changed for the better. As if passing through a time warp, we were in a soothing, natural environment and … face
to face with a shaggy bull-Bison. I could feel the stress draining from my body … as long as the Bison didn’t charge
… and if he did, we’d just pay him and move on. Our first goal was the CG, five miles down the park road. Holy crap,
the place is nearly empty. We settled on #30, paid our $7 (Old Fart discount), and took a slow drive through the
remaining 14 miles of park road.
We’ve been coming to ND since the 70s. That’s almost 50 years. I’ve been driving for 60 years. Both numbers are
equally depressing and impressive at the same time. Our most recent trips to ND were 1999 (tenting), 2001 (RVan),
2004 (meeting AJ & Karen), 2008 and now, 2019. At the risk of being maudlin, this will likely be our last ND event.
At least the western part where the only places left of interest to us are the two TR NPs. Thus, we are treating it
as a farewell tour and trying to wring all the pleasure out of it we can. On our previous trips, this was the farthest
west we got; it was later in the season and there were lots more people. Now it is early, and there are only a
handful of other visitors. Now if the sun would just come out and show off the brilliant colors of the rock
exposures … but not heat it up too much. Generally, the Williston Basin is a hotbox – not today, however. It’s barely
spring at this latitude.
The NP CG is primitive, so we have to rely on our batteries and that includes our devices. My notebook is screaming
at me to save and shut down, so I guess I will do as it requests and devote my full attention to the scenery … and
my Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale.
Saw:
We took a wrong turn out of the CG this morning and ended up in the Picnic Area where Janie spotted a pair of
Brown Thrashers (FOT). Guess it wasn’t a wrong turn after all. The drive netted several groups of Pronghorn and
Mule Deer – we’re about to leave their territory, so it was good to see ‘em. TR proved especially productive. Most
of our sightings were in the CG where we got good views and ID photos for: Lark Sparrow, Swainson’s Thrush,
Spotted Towhee, Harris’s Sparrow and a Turkey hen. Whew! It was a flurry of activity. We’ve left the Short Grass
Prairie behind and are now in the Mixed Grass Prairie. Next comes the Tall Grass portion. The differences are the
result of the Rockies stealing the moisture from the air, and as the dry air moves eastward, it sucks moisture out
from the ground. By the time it gets to MN, it is moist enough to support more grass growth, hence, the Tall Grass
Prairie. At least that’s what the sign we read on the park road said. The government wouldn’t lie, would it? Brown Thrasher (FOT)
Lark Sparrow (FOT)
Swainson’s Thrush (FOT)
Harris’s Sparrow (FOT)
Spotted Towhee
American Goldfinch
Yellow Shafted Flicker
White Crowned Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow (lots)
American Turkey (hen)
Pronghorn (several along drive)
Bison (up close & personal in TR)
Reflect:
I could go on a rant about the oil patch and all of its mess and truck traffic … and temper it with the admission
that I depend on its production every day. But I’ve already covered that or similar ground before … too many times.
Rather, I think I will reflect on Ranches.
We’ve just left the Short Grass Prairie where the ranches are separated by 10s of miles and are 1,000s of acres in
size. We almost never see the ranch houses; they are set way back down a long ranch-road and probably nestled in
a box canyon, protected from the weather. The only way we know a ranch is present is the big Torii-like gate
announcing its or the owner’s name. Things change as we proceed eastward. Population density increases, the
ranches are closer together, measure 100s of acres in size, and can frequently be seen from the road. Here’s an
interesting fact we learned from the host at the Interpretive Center yesterday: the state of Montana only
recently surpassed the 1,000,000-population mark. MT is a big state, so that leaves a lot of area uninhabited by
anything but large ranches, cattle and sheep. ND is only slightly more populous. Its total population is just a little
over that of Rochester NY and the county it’s in. A bit more people in a slightly smaller state means the ranches
are closer together. When we get to the Tall Grass Prairie, we’ll be in much more familiar territory. There will be
farms instead of ranches; they will be substantially smaller and primarily produce cultivated crops rather than
livestock. Just like home.
When returning from a trip like this, I get the feeling of decompressing. I’ve been on an alien-terrain high for a
month now, and we are coming down the glide path to increasingly more familiar environments. Once we get home,
we’ll rest up, get our chores done, have DALAS maintained and be heading out again sometime this fall. Where?
Dunno. Stay tuned.
Ate:
Granola
Cheese & Tomato Halfwich
Chorizo (1) & Kielbasa (1) & Potato Sala
Drive:
End: Theodore Roosevelt NP North #30, Watford City ND
course, Red Winged Blackbirds & Cowbirds. Whew! And the Granola was good, too. In case you didn’t count, that’s
15 species, some of ‘em FOTs.
With a tear in our eye and a knot in our throat, we left Crex behind and headed eastward on a series of WI state &
county roads. Whoa, there’s the St Croix Indian Reservation; in we go to fuel up on $3.08/gal diesel. We’ve been in
this area so many times, it’s difficult to not repeat roads & places. Nonetheless, we were continually surprised when
we turned a corner and said, “We’ve been here before” or “Hmmm, that looks familiar.” The winters are harsh up
here, and they need to tap into some of that Trillion-Dollar Infrastructure proposed program. We may need new
shocks by the time we get home. The trees suggest that we are in the North Woods, or at least darned close.
After passing through some relatively rugged morainic material strewn with large boulders, we got into the
Precambrian stuff and … Iron Country. We drove right through the Gogebic district and will see more tomorrow.
Welcome to Michigan … our last state, just one more country to go before home. Like the OSU song says, we don’t
give a damn for the whole state of Michigan – except for the Upper Peninsula, and only that because of Seney
NWR. However, we will be driving through nearly all of MI before crossing the border into Ontario. Ah, but that’s a
few days away. Right now, we are sitting in site #18 of the Sunday Lake CG and have a clear view of Wakefield MI
across the lake. It’s a full-service CG, but we are only using the electric for a scant $25, which will be collected by
Jim at 5:30. We can see all the vehicles on US-2 across the lake, but fortunately, they are far enough away we
can’t hear them. Tomorrow, we’ll be one of ‘em.
Saw:
Oh, we saw a lot in our two hours in Crex. It started with a pair of Bald Eagles that were on the bank of a large
pool. We flushed ‘em, and they flew up to a dead tree and posed so I could take their portrait. Truly a bonded pair,
feeding together, perching together, sort of like us. We saw a mother Trumpeter Swan sitting demurely on her
nest keeping her eggs nice and warm. Later we saw a pair of Trumpeters trolling their recently hatched Cygnets
behind. I took their portrait, too. I didn’t get a shot of the Hooded Merganser family, but they were paddling along
on the pool as well. Our 20-Minute Magic provided a lot of activity. Janie can now ID the Sedge Wren by sound, and
they were singing all around the marsh. A pileated woodpecker flew over the grassy area where the Cranes were
feeding. It was our first of the trip, surprisingly. A female Ruby Throated Hummingbird came by to check out
DALAS’ taillights, and a male hummer has visited them here at the campsite. There was a pair of American Bitterns
standing along the roadside, but once they recognized us, they quickly turned into reeds. We saw another one fly
over during our breakfast stop. Bitterns are abundant in this habitat but rarely seen. One could be standing right
in front of you, but when it points its beak skyward, they look exactly like dead Cattail stalks … and that’s how they
have survived all these millennia.
All of that was great, but maybe even better was the Beaver. It was swimming toward its lodge when we startled
it, and a tail-slap later, it was safe in its home. We saw another Beaver later, but, unfortunately, it was dead. We’d
pulled over to look at some ducks when I looked down and saw the Beaver, belly up and starting to bloat. Kind of
sad, and, no, I didn’t take a picture of it. A Black Squirrel crossed our path just as we were leaving Crex. Goodbye
to all; we’ll be back to check on you again sometime. American Bittern (2 together, one flying later)
Pileated Woodpecker
Wilson’s Warbler
Swan Cygnets
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Beaver (one alive & tail slap; one dead in the water, belly up & bloating)
Black Squirrel
Reflect:
We finally made it to MI. One more country to go and we’ll be home. We’ve passed through 17 states and only have
Ontario left. Our odometer says we’ll have covered almost 10,000 miles before DALAS gets back to Carmen. It’s
been a wild ride. I got curious about how many NWRs or similar places we’ve visited, so I counted ‘em up: 11 refuges
of one type or another. That doesn’t include the refuge-like highways we drove that were dripping with wildlife. We
have one more NWR left, and we will spend at least a day there, weather and road conditions permitting. Back when
we first started traveling around the country, our primary destinations were National Parks. After a few years,
they became too crowded, so we started focusing on National Monuments. They vary widely in size and purpose …
and they quickly got too crowded as well. Now we go to NWRs almost exclusively.
On this current trip, we visited four National Parks, two of ‘em were nice, the other too … well, you know, too
crowded to enjoy. By contrast, nearly all the Refuges we’ve visited have been super. The few that weren’t were
either too small or relatively barren at the time. Four NPs on one trip is more than usual, but we were there, it was
free, so we drove through. Of the four, Teddy Roosevelt and Redwood were by far the best. TR because we spent a
couple days and saw a lot of stuff; Redwood because AJ was with us … and the trees, of course. For the most part,
the NWRs were destinations that we went out of our way to visit; it becomes a connect-the-dots thing. We’ll go far
out of our way for big NWR like Bear River in UT and Malheur in OR. Going to these places form the skeleton of
our travel itinerary. It’s not for everyone, but it works for us. Now when the Refuges get too crowded … we’ll be
sitting at home, and you can come and wipe the drool off our chins, all of ‘em.
Ate:
Granola
Peanut Butter & Cracker
Chicken Gorgonzola w/Mixed Vegetables on Penne
Drive:
End: Sunday Lake CG #18, Wakefield MI
Arrive: 2:11
Temp (degrees): 72
Elev (ft): 1575
D (miles): 189
Mpg: 20.8
2019.05.31…FRI…Day 47: Sunday Lake CG, Wakefield MI … to … Big Cedar CG, Germfask MI Up: 5:45 (4:45) Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 63/60/64 Weather: Hazy Sun
Did:
What time is it? Technically, we awoke in Central Time because, although we are in MI, whomever is in charge of
defining the timeline decided it should be just a tad east of the WI/MI border. We’d set our clocks to Eastern
Time last night, so when we got up, it was … 5:45 or was it 4:45? Whatever, after a few minutes of driving on M-28
we passed the Eastern Time sign, our last change of the trip. M-28 was a delight in the morning. We drove for 30
miles before a vehicle came up behind. The early hour and light traffic may have contributed to deer crossing the
road. Two of ‘em ran right in front of us. Whew! That could have been a messy situation. The afternoon traffic was
more what I expected: too many people going way too fast for the narrow, two-lane road. We saw several log
trucks loaded down with … logs. We also saw the finished product: trucks piled high with freshly milled lumber. In
go the logs, out comes the product.
We pulled over at a Roadside Rest for a pee break and noticed the parking area was lined with hunks of Banded
Iron Formation (BIF). Ah yes, BIF, Precambrian and the source of this region’s economy, at least in the past. The
oxidized Iron, as I recall, is the result of Earth’s first atmospheric Oxygen. All those Algal Mats eventually
produced enough to saturate the oceans, and that allowed the excess to escape into the atmosphere and oxidize
the Iron weathering out of even older rocks. That simple explanation has probably changed since my teaching days.
It’s a nice story, however.
Years ago, we discovered a route around Marquette, and we repeated the process today. When we came out on the
other side, we were driving along the Big Sea Waters AKA Gitchegumee AKA Lake Superior. It’s scenic and there
are several pullouts offering a view of the lake. We used one of them for our Granola break. Our Garman indicated
the elevation to be a little under 600’. Okay, this is Lake Superior, and it connects to Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie &
Ontario before issuing into the North Atlantic via the St Lawrence. In that distance, it only drops 600’. That just
happens to be the same drop for the Mississippi River where we crossed it on our outbound leg. 600’ doesn’t seem
like much but apparently it’s sufficient.
Next came Munising MI where M-28 turns south, away from Lake Superior, before heading east to Seney MI. That
40-mile stretch of road is referred to as the Seney Stretch and considered a boring drive by the locals. So boring,
they crank it up to 70 or more and zoom down the highway, passing anything going even 1 mph slower. We did it
much more slowly and were repeatedly passed. Finally, Seney and M-77, an only slightly quieter road, that takes us
to Seney NWR where everything slows down to a crawl. But before going into the refuge, we needed to secure a
campsite. Germfask is the nearest don’t-blink-town, and it has two private CGs. We plan to bike the refuge
tomorrow, and the second one is near one of the entrances. That’s the one we picked: Big Cedar CG, on the south
side of Germfask MI.
After paying our $26 for site #30, we went back to the refuge and pulled into the VC where we spoke with not
one, not two, but three friendly and informative women about the refuge, biking, and possible highwater issues.
Tomorrow’s weather is supposed to be good – only slight chance of rain and no appreciable wind – so we gathered up
maps and information with the intent of biking right from our campsite. We’ve done that very thing a few times
before and it made for a good ride. After getting our bearings, we took a slow drive on the Tour Road. Just like we
experienced in Crex, most of the waterfowl are hiding in the reeds either incubating eggs or tending to their
recently hatched chicks. Nonetheless, in an hour and a half we tallied 18 species, but no FOTs.
So here I sit, sipping my penultimate beer … a Founders Porter … and watching the Mosquitoes and Black Flies
clustering on our sliding-door screen. Unfortunately, some of ‘em got in while we were on the Tour Road, so we are
periodically doing the UP Wave trying to snatch ‘em out of the air. There goes another one … swat … damn … missed
it again.
Saw:
Well, we saw a lot of the UP, and we also saw a lot of Seney NWR. It’s … oh, hell, here’s what the brochure says:
Seney National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1935 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The wild land
that today is the refuge has not always appeared so wild. This is a land that was once heavily logged, burned, ditched, drained and cultivated.
Despite repeated attempts, the soils and harsh conditions would not provide a hospitable environment for sustained settlement and agriculture.
So, nature claimed it once again.
Seney National Wildlife Refuge is located in the east-central portion of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, halfway between Lake Superior and Lake
Michigan. The 95,238 acre refuge encompasses the 25,150 acre Seney Wilderness Area.
As you can see, Seney is large. There are roads of gravel and/or packed sand that crisscross all but the wilderness
part where only canoe & foot traffic are allowed. Some of those roads and all the Tour Road are what we hope to
bike tomorrow. Seney seems to be a good habitat for Trumpeter Swan and Sandhill Crane, Caspian Tern and Loon.
In 1987, a Loon chick was banded, and it has returned to Seney every year since. At 32, it is the oldest known
member of its species. The ranger said its mate is older but wasn’t banded as a chick, so they don’t know how much
older. I don’t know how they know she’s older, but the ranger was definite in her description. We saw one Loon
today, maybe that was him. Let’s say it was.
The white board where they list the recent sightings indicated that a young Black Bear had been seen in the
refuge. Just as we were about to leave, we came up behind a stopped car. The man got out and came back tell us
there was Bear on the other side of the clearing. Sure enough, there it was, busily gathering up food tidbits. We
saw a Bear. Yay!
Black Bear
Reflect:
Yooper Bumper Sticker: Say Ya To Da UP, Eh?
So what’s Yooper? Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it:
Upper Peninsula (UP) English, also known as Yooper English, or colloquially as Yoopanese, is a variety of American English native to the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan, locally abbreviated as "UP" and the basis for the endonym "Yooper". Upper Peninsula English is considered a subset of
North Central English, an American regional dialect in transition. Although spoken throughout the UP, it is primarily spoken in the western UP,
but also found throughout the Upper Midwest, especially in northern Wisconsin and northern Minnesota and to a degree in the northern lower
peninsula of Michigan and rural Ontario .
Yooper differs from standard English primarily because of the linguistic background of settlers to the area. Most people living in the Upper
Peninsula are of Finnish, French Canadian, Cornish, Scandinavian, German, or Native American descent. The Yooper dialect is also influenced by
the Finnish language making it similar in character to the so-called "Rayncher speek" (a dialect spelling of "Ranger speak")]spoken in the Mesabi
Iron Range in northeast Minnesota. Almost half the Finnish immigrants to the U.S. settled in the Upper Peninsula.
Ya, sure, you betcha. Yooper it is.
Ate:
Granola
Cranberry Walnut Bread
Beenie-Weenies
Drive:
End: Big Cedar CG #30, Germfask MI
Arrive: 12:48
Temp (degrees): 64
Elev (ft): 704
D (miles): 223
Mpg: 21.3
2019.06.01…SAT…Day 48: … Big Cedar CG, Germfask MI … Up: 6:45 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 56/47/56 Weather: Overcast - Clear
Did:
Looks like we’ve adjusted to the time change; sleepy heads got up later than usual. No problem, we only had to bike
over to Seney and spend the day in one of our favorite NWRs. We started on one of the back roads and took a
connector over to the Tour Road, which we biked all of once and some of it two or three times. In the past, we’d
started on the backcountry roads and ended up on the Tour Road later in the day when it was its busiest. The Tour
Road is a tour road for good reason. It winds its way around several pools and through varied habitat. Thus, it is
more productive – and scenic – than the backroads. Knowing that, we got on the Tour Road quickly and had it pretty
much to ourselves until midafternoon. It seems everyone was sleeping in today.
We started the day on an access road, and shortly after getting on it, we arrived at a bridge separating two
extremely scenic pools. It was early morning, the air was still and the pools were mirror like. A scream drew our
attention skyward where we saw a Bald Eagle and two pair of Osprey. The BE was movin’ on, maybe because the
Osprey were threatening it. One pair of Osprey also moved on, but the second stayed and circled lazily overhead.
One was carrying a knobby stick; we suppose to impress the other one: “Look what I can carry and use to build a
nest.” If so, it must have been an immature because all the other Osprey are already incubating eggs. Whatever, it
was a nice opening for our day in the refuge.
The connectors we took had gates that forced us to walk in the tall grass to get around them. Tall grass means
Ticks, and you know how we feel about Ticks. Once we got on the Tour Road, we headed to the VC where we could
sit on a bench and check for unwanted passengers … and watch a mama Osprey sitting on an unusually large stick
nest. No Ticks, so we went inside to talk to the volunteers. They showed us The Tick Jar, a glass jar with Ticks
that had been picked off visitor clothing. Yuck! We’d seen something that was bigger than a Muskrat and smaller
than a Beaver and wondered if it might have been an Otter. The VC has stuffed replicas of all three so we could
compare them with what we saw. Damn, it looked like an Otter. We can’t be certain, but it certainly wasn’t a
Beaver, and if it were a Muskrat, it was a very large one.
Back on the Tour Road, around and around until it was time for lunch. We pulled into the Trumpeter Swan
observation platform where there was a bench in the shade but, alas, no Swans. What we did see was our camping
neighbors. They stopped and we chatted a bit. She’s a retired Air Force Master Sargeant and she introduced her
husband as her war trophy. He spoke with a British accent, so I guess it was an overseas encounter. We couldn’t
talk long because their vehicle was rapidly filling with Mosquitos and Black Flies. Fortunately, the observation
platform had enough breeze to keep the buggers at bay. I have one of BAWB’s blue-handled AK-knives mounted on
my handlebar pack. It’s very noticeable, and when I’ve been asked about it, my response is always the same: “It’s
used to cut cheese and tomatoes for our sandwiches.” That’s what we did today.
After lunch, we biked the parts of the Tour Road that seemed best while working our way back toward where we
started. The traffic had picked up but wasn’t as bad as we recall from other visits. When we got to the bridge
between the two mirror pools, we noticed another road the Ranger had mentioned. A quick check of the time
revealed … yeah, we can do it. Off we go on the Goose Pen Loop. It was going on 4p by the time we finished, and we
were starting to feel the effect of the day’s activity. Time to hobble the horses (no, wait, Blaze may be a horse,
but Raven is a bird) on the back of DALAS, put stuff away and head to the showers.
We had a full day … almost 7 hours in the refuge and 28 miles of trail/road traveled. As a reward, I popped the top
on my last beer: Oskar Blues Old Chub Scotch Ale. It’s tasting pretty good so goodbye for now …
Saw:
Well, there were Osprey and Bald Eagles and Trumpeter Swans and Caspian Terns and Ring Necked Ducks and lots
and lots of Canada Geese … and … so much else. We may have seen an Otter, or at least a very large Muskrat. And
most of all, we saw lots of the idyllic Scenery (serene Seney scenery). The place is well maintained, the roads are
as perfect as non-paved roads get and at every turn you are presented a picture postcard view. It’s not that way in
bad weather, but today, it was just grand.
Janie’s tally for the day: 32 species. Only four of them were FOTs, however. Sora (heard)
Yellow Billed Cuckoo
Eastern Phoebe
Green Heron
Otter ?
Reflect:
We are in the North Woods … in the Spring … and that means … Mosquitoes, Black Flies & Deer Flies. Those pesky
things are why we started biking NWRs in the first place. Originally, we just drove them like the other tourists.
Then we started walking them but quickly discovered the folly of that idea: bzzzzz. Biking generates its own wind
and that keeps the little devils at bay … although they sometimes end up perched on the back of your shirt, in the
slip stream. Seney may be the first NWR we ever biked. It was back in the days of tent camping with the bikes
racked on top of the car. I remember parking in the VC parking lot and loading up the bikes for our very first
Seney ride. It was a 15-20 mile ride, depending on whether we had the gumption to ride the wrong way on the Tour
Road rather than risk our lives on the busy M-77 to get back to the VC. At the time, a fifteen-mile ride seemed
like a big deal. Big enough for me to strap a floor pump on my bike just in case … of what? I didn’t have a spare
innertube, so if I got a flat, I’d just have to keep stopping and pumping it up until we got back to the car … where I
still didn’t have a spare innertube. Oh, those were the days. Innocence and naivete ruled. Two campervans and
thousands of bike miles later, our primary limitation now is old age. That no one can defeat; we can only accept it
gratefully while doing as much as we can while we can … Can-Can …
Ate:
Granola
Cheese & Tomato Sandwich
Beef Marsala w/Peas on Noodles
Bike Data:
Trail: Seney NWR Roads
ST: 9:15
ET: 4:00
TT: 6:45
BT: 4:17
D (miles): 28.15
Mx (mph): 14.3
Avg (mph): 6.5
Drive:
End: Big Cedar CG #30, Germfask MI
Arrive: N/A N/A
Temp (degrees): N/A
Elev (ft): N/A
D (miles): N/A
Mpg: N/A
2019.06.02…SUN…Day 49: Big Cedar CG, Germfask MI … to … Otter Creek Village CG, Otter Lake MI Up: 5:00 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 56/44/54 Weather: Clear – T-Storms later
Did:
We started the day by taking care of at least part of our utilities - Gray & Black stuff – before leaving the CG. I
didn’t want to get water because it had probably been sitting in the pipes all winter. We’ll get some tonight, if it’s
needed. We motored down M-77 to US-2, which was almost empty on a Sunday morning – very unusual in our
experience. We passed Lehto’s Pasties shop, but they didn’t open until 10a … damn. Lehto’s is a Road Food place, and
we’ve sampled their Pasties several times in the past. It has been a family-run business since ’47 and continues to
be the place for UP Pasties. When you go in, you quickly learn that there is no menu. You have two choices: Pasties
fresh or Pasties frozen. That’s it, folks. And yes, they do contain rutabagas.
Next came the Mackinac Bridge over to Mackinaw City and I-75. Yep, two spellings for the same place. The bridge
can be a scary transit on a windy day, but it wasn’t windy when we crossed, although it did get gusty a bit later.
After fourscore miles down I-75, it was time to pull into a Roadside Rest for Granola. We’d had a quartering
tailwind most of the day and that really helped with the mileage. DALAS got up to 22 mpg on US-2 where I could
go slowly, and only dropped to 21 mpg on I-75 where I couldn’t. Amazingly, we only saw one semi on I-75 the whole
time we were on it. That’s Sunday for ya. Unfortunately, the lack of trucks was more than made up for by private
vehicles going to or coming from Sunday outings. It got progressively more congested as we approached Saginaw.
There is a Columbia outlet in Birch Run MI, just south of Saginaw. Janie’s long legs and short torso make fitting
difficult, but she’s found several Columbia tops/pants that work, with only slight modification. In we go to hunt for
more. Yay, they had some possibilities. I even found some biking pants and a lightweight hooded sweatshirt thing.
All our loot totaled $340 but the actual cost after discounts and coupons was … $162. That woman of mine, she’s
amazing. We got everything for less than half the sticker price, which was a sale price to begin with.
We fed DALAS some $2.99 diesel and headed away from I-75 on backroads wet from a rain that fell while we
were in the store. Shortly, we came to Otter Lake MI where Janie had learned there was a village CG. Sure enough,
it was right at the end of Main Street. In we go and negotiate for #21 with full hookup and showers for $33.
Seems like a lot but not when compared to the state park we usually stay in. There we must pay an entrance fee, a
camping fee and a reservation fee that adds up to almost $60. The village CG isn’t the least bit scenic with big rigs
parked cheek to jowl and us squeezed between. But it’s the same way in the state park … we are definitely back
east where things are much closer together, including the campers.
No beer tonight … my beer tray is empty. We’ve stayed out one more day than I stocked for, so I’ll have to drink
wine instead. It’s tough being me.
Saw:
Too much pavement going by much too quickly. About the only wildlife we saw was roadkill and Crows/Ravens
cleaning up the leavings. Things got a little better at a Roadside Rest on the north shore of Lake Michigan. There
were two immature Bald Eagles gliding along the shoreline at eyelevel. One gained a little elevation and then
swooped down toward the other. The target rotated its feet upward and they locked talons for a bit before
releasing and getting back to fishing. Kids. Once we got off I-75, we started seeing many of the expected birds
like Robin, Grackle, Redwing and even a Killdeer. Spring has sprung down here. The trees are in full leaf and Dame’s
Rockets were blooming along the highway … and the Sun is hot.
Reflect:
This is our last real night on the road. Tomorrow we’ll cross the border and spend a few days in London with
Mikey’n’Mare … then Naweedna. I guess it’s appropriate; tomorrow will be our 50th day on the road. During today’s
drive, we played the campground game wherein we try to remember the campgrounds we stayed in from day one up
to last night. Janie keeps a list, so we could grade our memories. Hey, we got a lot more correct than expected.
Strangely, one we missed was Teddy Roosevelt. Wonder what that means? As we named them off, I tried to
visualize the campground. Oddly, I seem to remember the roads before and after as much as the campground
itself. Memories are one of the main reasons I write this log every evening. Back when I was fourteen, I started
recounting the things that happened during the day. The idea was to create memories. After all, why do things if
you can’t remember them? That nightly recounting of events continued throughout my formative years and is now
formalized in these Trip Logs and the regular Saturday AM missives. Memories, life is basically a tapestry of
memories populated by family, friends, places and events … and … trees, birds, mammals, butterflies, mushrooms,
slime mold … and … weather, water, desert, dessert, and rocks …
Ate:
Granola
Five-Year Cheddar
Mac’n’Cheese’n’Tuna’n’Peas
Drive:
End: Otter Creek Village CG #21, Otter Lake MI
Arrive: 2:33
Temp (degrees): 60
Elev (ft): 878
D (miles): 306
Mpg: 20.6 (was 22.0 before I-75)
2019.06.03…MON…Day 50: Otter Creek Village CG, Otter Lake MI … to … Mikey’n’Mare’s, London Ontario Up: 5:55 Temp (In/Out/Under Bed): 53/42/51 Weather: Clear, Windy & Cool
Did:
It was the 3rd of June, but it wasn’t another sleepy, dusty delta day. It was a bright, cool, windy day. We were
about 70 miles from the border crossing, which we reached via backroads. After paying $3 to cross the bridge (not
the Tallahatchie), we were greeted by a surprisingly attractive, young border agent, an unnatural blonde. After the
usual questions about where you going, guns & alcohol, she laid this one on me:
“Where you coming from?”
“Well, we’ve been on the road for 50 days and been in 17 states; want a list?”
(smile) “Road Trip … you retired?
“Oh, yeah!”
And we were on our way into Canada. Just like last year, having two open boxes of wine didn’t cause the agent to
bat a mascaraed eye. The border crossing channels you right onto the busy 402, so we took the first exit to
Exmouth Road to accommodate our slower pace.
Janie decided to blaze a new route to M’n’M’s. It worked a treat until: “Take a right.” Oops: “I mean your other
right.” After taking a lap through the development, we pulled into M’n’M’s drive, turned off the engine and moved
into the house. They have a basement apartment that they rent out to U of Western Ontario students. It was
empty and we filled it. We usually stay in DALAS, otherwise we end up making umpteen trips back and forth getting
this and that. This time, we packed everything we expected to need and lugged it inside. Well, as you might guess,
we didn’t manage to get everything we need … we forgot their gifts and the wine boxes and … other stuff that
somehow becomes important when you don’t have it readily available.
After a brief greeting, we hit the shower and put on clean clothes. It was time … past time, actually. We arrived
earlier than any of us expected, and Mare was out running errands, so we sampled some of her Tortilla Soup in her
absence. It was Monday and that’s trivia night at a local pub ... an M’n’M tradition that we enjoyed on our last visit.
After Mare returned, we prepared mentally & physically for the night’s challenges. We opted to go to the bar early
and enjoy some pub grub before the team gathered for the heated (not really) contest. It was a double music night
because last week the moderator lost his thumb drive with the music. They play snippets of popular music and
expect the contestants to ID it. Nearly all of it is modern compared to my old-man music, but I’m expected to
come through for the few oldies they lay on us. This time I got Duke Ellington’s “Take the A-Train” and pulled Dick
Dale out of my butt at the last minute. The track was easily recognized as a surf tune but not The Beach Boys or
Ventures … it had to be Dick Dale, King of The Surf Guitar, right? Right!
Back home for a summation of the day’s activity … and bed. Zzzzzz …
Saw:
The border … American Goldfinch in Canada, must be a North American Goldfinch.
Northern Cardinal … hadn’t seen a Cardinal in a long time.
Mikey’n’Mare … always a welcome sight.
Reflect:
We’re in a house with a real kitchen, living room, bedroom & bathroom with a shower for the first time in 50 days.
We kept getting lost. Where’s my … too much room … we lost sight of each other frequently. We were with special
friends; one of whom dates to the 70s. Friends … True Friends … when you haven’t seen ‘em for a while and you pick
up right where you left off.
Ate:
Mare’s Tortilla Soup & Mikey’s Cornbread
Pub Grub: Beer ‘n Cheese dip and Deep-dish pizza Canadian-style, eh?