Being gone for six months requires a lot of planning and preparation, both as what to take and what to leave behind. Decisions based on last year’s experience: What to do with the houseplants, which I love and some of which I have had for many years? Although someone came to tend them, being left all last winter in a 50 degree apartment was too hard on them; I decided it would be better for them to go to homes where they will be warm and looked after. Gradually over the summer I gave them away, but it was sad to pack up the last of them. Many of them will be with my daughters and hopefully wood-heated cabins will stay warm all winter. Which cello to take? I find the most joy in playing the Snow cello, but fear that the camping venue will be too hard on it. I couldn’t get it insured, so I finally decided on the old stout German cello, but the good bow, and a wide selection of pieces to work on.
Journey from Wallace, Idaho, to the Rest Stop near Anaconda, Montana
We leave Friday, October 7th, more than a month earlier than last year.
The journey begins
Hopefully we’ll avoid the snow that accompanied us all the way to Arizona last winter. We spend the night in Alberton in the parking lot next to the park and walk up to Merri’s in the rain for dinner. Good conversation and good food; bed late.
The next day, Saturday, October 8th, we drive out to Ang’s place. I lend a helping hand with the greenhouse construction, a drop in the bucket compared to what they have done so far and have yet to do, but at least I can say I helped.
The greenhouse under construction – lots of veges in the future
Sunday, October 9th is bottle-cutting day – a demonstration that Ang is doing using wine bottles that will become “bricks” in a straw/clay-built wall, the tops becoming wind-chimes. Raining hard most of the day.
Monday October 10th, Rama and Luther, Ang’s property-mates, help us figure out some electrical issues we have with Terry (our 19’ Terry Resort camper); a new converter is ordered and will be shipped to Katie’s house in Missoula. We say our good-byes and head for Missoula.
Leaving Two Raven
As we are going down Reserve (a main thoroughfare across town), our winter travels come within an inch or two of a complete disastrous halt as a vehicle in the oncoming lane of traffic makes a left turn across traffic right in front of us. Clifford swerves sharply to avoid a collision, Terry fishtailing like crazy. We pull over as soon as we can to assess damage. Miraculously, we did not hit the car that cut in front of us, nor did the fishtailing camper sideswipe anyone. Clifford thought he may have hit the guy and as we look closely, we see a new scuff mark on the bumper that could have been caused by a fast brush against something. Literally an inch or two difference between a serious wreck and the continuation of the journey. On to Katie’s house and park in front of the vacant lot next door.
Tuesday, October 11th, I am invited to join Katie and Justice on an outing that includes a trip to Saddle Mountain to secure things on their property there. I had dressed to run errands with Clifford, so do a bit of tip-toeing through the snow to take photos in my street shoes.
Snowy road to Saddle Mountain
Katie on Saddle Mountain
Views from Saddle Mountain
Then we go on to Quinns’ Hotsprings to soak in the hot water and savor an adult beverage before driving back to Missoula.
Wednesday, October 12th is errand day. We take Terry to Les Schwab to have tires flipped, run errands, and then out to see Mom. She is doing much better. She shows us her current projects and then while Clifford naps, she and I visit and play cribbage, which she wins. The hardest part of being gone all winter is not being able to see her until spring. Then on back to Les Schwab to pick Terry up and back to Katie’s place.
Thursday, October 13th, Rollie comes and helps us put in the new converter in trade for a cup of fresh-made organic French press coffee. By 1:00 we are packed up and ready to roll. Very pretty autumn colors along the Clark Fork River as we drive I-90 east toward Deer Lodge, our first gas stop. From there onward, it is quite windy; we are glad to reach the junction of I-90 and hwy 1, as there is a rest stop near the junction where we will spend the night.
Sunday August 28: I get up at 8:00, but what with one thing and other (getting water, making tea, and a visit to the lake), it is 9:00 by time I get around to a campfire. It is only 53 degrees out, so I figure I am entitled and since Mel gave me some good firewood, I have plenty of wood so don’t need to be stingy with my campfires. Since the email on my cell phone doesn’t work right, I decide to go ahead and delete everything, thinking it only affects the phone. Unfortunately, I discover when I check email on the laptop that I have deleted everything in my inbox across all my devices…. Uh, oh, not good. I have to spend some of my precious battery time on retrieving as many emails from the trash as I can. Oh, what a bother.
Autumn foliage around the campsite
Cello in the afternoon, but not as long as usual, as I got a late start. Mel comes by: he is sending another musician my way – he wants another concert. Turns out this young woman, who comes by with her husband and two little boys, is a professional cellist!!! I think she should be the one to give a concert! I don’t play for her family, but we do have the nicest chat. After dinner, since it is not quite dark yet, I make a campfire and sit out to write in the journal; as darkness comes on, I get a lantern so I can continue to write as I enjoy the campfire.
Monday August 29: I get up at 6:30 (5:30 Pacific) to use the restroom and could stay up, since it is beginning to get light out, but it is so chilly, I decide to get back into bed. As I doze off, the squirrels start dropping cedar and fir cones. The cedar cones are green and heavy with sap, and they hit Terry’s roof with loud kerthunks. Next my phone tells me I have a message; someone from the east who doesn’t realize it is not yet 6:00 a.m. here in Idaho, then the garbage truck comes in to pick up garbage. Why is it that garbage trucks always come early? Okay okay, I’m getting up. It is still early, chilly, but an excellent time for a campfire and some quiet meditation time. After breakfast, I walk down to the lake to take a few more photos and around the campground again.
Down to the lake again
At campsite #9, I strike up a conversation with the couple there who are obviously packing up to leave. I want to know if they liked this spot, as it is the one I’d like to nab next time. We end up having a great conversation, sharing travel adventures, before they have to get on with their leaving preparations. Would have been fun to have met them sooner!
When I play cello in the afternoon, Mel comes by, pulls up a chair, and it is a concert for an audience of one! Later, I go for a hike on the trail that starts on the other side of the campground, the Woodrat Trail.
Woodrat Trail
Priest Lake through the trees on the Woodrat Trail
I am more concerned about bears than woodrats at this time of day, but hike about a half-mile in. Between logging and forest fires, this is not the prettiest forest, but it is interesting.
Interesting forest
After dinner, I begin packing up loose stuff, as we will be leaving in the morning.
Tuesday August 30: I am up before Clifford, take a photo of the sun rising over the lake through the trees, and then take care of outside things like folding up tarps and table cloths.
Sun rising over the lake
After Clifford is up, I finish packing up the inside while he takes care of his radio gear and bicycle. Mel comes by to say good-bye to us. We get Terry hitched to Blazer and take a last look around. It has been a good spot for us. Good-bye Priest Lake; maybe we’ll see you next summer!
Friday, August 26: Not quite as chilly this morning, so I make only a small campfire, as it will soon be warm enough to move to the sunshine. Mel, the camp host, has told me that a neighboring camper, Nancy, plays piano and that he has invited her to come over to our camp so I can play a concert for the two of them! So, I go over and introduce myself to her, a woman younger than me, traveling and camping alone for her vacation. In the later morning Mel and Nancy do indeed come over and I play the cello for them, talking about each piece, everything from selections from “Lord of the Rings,” fiddle tunes, Bach suites, and a piece written by a dear cellist friend of mine. It is quite an informal and fun concert! Later Nancy and I drive down the road a couple miles to a little village to get a few basic groceries and great ice cream cones. After this little outing, she and I walk along the lake, chatting and enjoying the lovely setting.
Walking along Priest Lake with Nancy
In the evening, after dinner, as I go out to make a campfire, I see that Nancy has a good campfire already going, so I walk over to her campsite and visit with her until bedtime approaches for all of us.
Saturday August 27: I get up a little earlier this morning so I have time to have a campfire and say good-bye to Nancy, who will be leaving on the next leg of her journey. After breakfast, I walk around the campground and down to the lake; not nearly so crowded and noisy as last weekend, thank goodness.
Down to the lake
Perhaps it is because of the changing season: we notice the squirrels are busy as can be, first knocking cones out of the trees and then scurrying around, carrying them off to a den somewhere — AND the trees are dripping sap on us.
Picnic table at our campsite
The picnic table is especially susceptible, which makes it hard to sit there to write and work on projects, but even sitting by the campfire, I had sap drip on my head: talk about a hair product to create a tall mohawk!! I could make my hair stand straight up until I finally got the sap washed out. And I have to be careful where I sit to play cello. Do a little editing on Alex’s book, but laptop battery is low, so my time is limited. I call my mom, who is in the hospital (again). Luckily, my brothers and sisters who live close by keep a good eye on her and took her to the hospital before she got so sick as last time. She is feeling better and should be able to go home in a day or two. After dinner, Clifford and I sit outside in the dark to have a cup of tea, enjoying the mild evening temperatures.
Tuesday August 23: Chilly morning – 44 degrees – but I didn’t make a campfire because I thought we were going to drive up to the north end of the lake today. But Clifford doesn’t want to spend two days in a row driving – too much interruption of his studies and research. Better to stay at camp and take advantage of the sunshine on the panels, as we have to write an article for a health newsletter. I try unsuccessfully to get hold of the dentist in Wallace – not good, but I have started taking an antibiotic that I had for such a case as this. In the afternoon, when my daughter Becka calls, I walk along the lake as we chat and take photos of the light on the water and the foliage showing signs of autumn.
Light on the water
The campground is nearly empty, so it is a good day to play cello. In the afternoon, after the article is written, my laptop is still charged enough that I can download photos and pick a set to edit for blogs. I’ve been tending my infected tooth with tea tree oil and clove oil, and along with the antibiotic and ibuprofin, it is starting to stabilize.
A beautiful sunset this evening, but hard to see it for all the trees to the west of the campground.
Sunset hidden by trees
Wednesday August 24: It is 45 degrees this morning, and being August, my body thinks that is chilly, so I make a campfire and sit out with tea to write in the journal. After Clifford gets up, I make a picnic and we head out to explore the other campgrounds along the lake. Mostly they all have the same issue as Outlet Bay: not enough first-come first-serve sites and the sites too close to one another for my taste. Coming back we stop at the Ledgworth picnic area, which gives us the best views of the lake, as well as a sandy beach and a rocky outcropping.
Ledgeworth Picnic Area Sandy Beach
Ledgeworth Picnic Area Rocky Outcrop
Our picnic at Ledgeworth Picnic Area
We have our picnic and then while Clifford naps, I wade in the water and take photos of the lake.
Wading in the lake
Priest Lake
When he wakes up, we walk to the rocky outcropping and find a rock to sit on where we can admire the lake.
Clifford and I walk to the rocky outcrop
Sitting on a rock
A young man comes with his guitar and sits nearby; I’m sure he was playing for himself and the lake, but it felt like we were being serenaded by his lovely music.
It is too late for me to play cello when we get back to camp; dinner and cleanup wrap up the day for us.
Thursday, August 25: 43 degrees – the chilliest night so far, but I sleep in, so even though it is still brisk when I go out, I am comfortable sitting in a patch of sunlight. Texts, mostly business, take up a chunk of time today, as well as beginning editing Alex’s interesting book. His wife is an excellent proof-reader, but it is always a good idea to have a someone take a fresh look at one’s writing. Today is my son Matt’s birthday, so I give him a call and as we chat, I walk along the lake picking up bits of wood that can be added to my woodpile.
Trail by Priest Lake
Play cello in the afternoon; I’ve only skipped playing on the days when we have gone somewhere. And before I know it, it is time for dinner, followed soon by bedtime.
Friday August 19: I go for a walk along the lake first thing this morning, not as far as yesterday, but with more excursions down to the water’s edge.
Excursion to the water’s edge
Sitting on a rock
I sit on a rock, desiring to do a “lake meditation,” but am too easily distracted by sounds: birds, boats, whatever. Playing cello and reading Alex’s book are the main focus of my day. Very noisy here today: ski jets on the lake, a chainsaw, a dirt-blower (like a snow-blower) used by our fastidious host to clean around the campground, excited kids, crying babies, whining dogs. It’s almost as bad as being in town.
Saturday August 20: I am up at 6:00 a.m., in time for the sunrise.
Sunrise at Priest Lake
Since it is a cool 45 degrees out, I decide to have a campfire this morning. I use a couple pieces of the firewood I brought, but mostly gather twigs and small branches from around the campsite. Make a cup of yerba matte and sit by the fire to write in my journal. Nice and quiet this time of the day.
Campfire with yerba matte and journal
Later, as I’m playing the cello, a couple of girls are curious enough to engage in conversation and I talk them into coming over and trying out the cello. That was fun for them and for me. In the afternoon, Clifford and I walk along the lake trail past Osprey, the next campground up the road. I’m going to explore it a bit more another day.
Walking the trail to Osprey with Clifford
Sunday August 21: Another cool morning and I make a campfire with wood I gathered on our walk yesterday. I try the technique for quieting the mind, per Alex’s book, but too many distractions: Mel stopping by, Clifford getting up, the fire needing tending, and so on. Today is a quieter day, as many campers leave fairly early. I finish the book, briefly check email on the tablet, and have just enough power on the laptop to edit one chapter for the Montana author whose book I have been editing. Power has been inadequate here due to lots of trees and not much sunshine on the solar panels; we are grateful for the shade, which has kept us comfortable, but not being able to use my laptop puts a crimp in my editing and blogging. Glad I have the cello and play it a couple of times today.
Walking the trail to Osprey
In the afternoon, I walk along the lake trail to Osprey by myself and walk around its long loop, checking out possibilities for next year. After dinner, Clifford and I sit outside, as the temperature is quite mild, but it is past my bedtime, so I soon head to bed.
Monday August 22: In the night last night, my tooth problem flared up, which is not a good thing, but an ibuprofin helped. Today, since we are going to town, there is no time for a campfire, so I stay warm and cozy in bed until Clifford is ready to get up. Then we head off to Priest River, about a 25 mile drive, to mail some government forms that we finished filling out over the weekend. We get all the way there before I discover that the papers to be mailed at still at camp. I am super annoyed at the waste of time and gas to drive down here, but we make the best of it by going on to Newport and getting groceries at the Safeway there. We check out a couple of small campgrounds on our way back to Outlet Bay, including one near the little village of Coolin on the SE shore of Priest Lake.
View of Priest Lake from Coolin
Even though we still have papers to mail, we have a nice little outing.
Our trip to Priest Lake in northwest Idaho begins with internet research to find out where the forest service camps are located, followed by a couple of phone calls. Seems that more and more campgrounds require reservation, which is a drag for those of us who come and go depending on weather, health, and finances. I settle on the campground at Outlet Bay after a call to the camp host: other campgrounds either have no water, are over-crowded, or too far north for us.
Wednesday – August 17: Almost everything was packed yesterday, so this morning is just watering the little garden and the houseplants and getting the cold food into a cooler. Even so, we get a later start than hoped for, and almost as soon as we leave Wallace, we run into road construction, which further slows us down.
We make brief stops in Coeur d Alene for gas, propane, and a few groceries before we head north to Newport, WA. We encounter road construction much of the way, chatting with a flagger for several minutes at one stop. At Newport, we head east on highway 2 to the small town of Priest River and then north again, on highway 57. Finally we arrive at Outlet Campground, later in the afternoon than we had planned, but luckily several of the first-come sites are still available and we pick the one that suits us best.
Glimmers of Priest Lake
All the sites along the lake are reservation-only, but from our site, we can see little glimmers of the lake through the trees. Our site is roomy, though not as far off the road as I like. We are surrounded by cedars, Douglas fir, and a variety of shrubs, offering a fair amount of privacy. It takes us awhile to get set up because the parking pad is not level. Once things are in place inside and out, Clifford takes a nap while I walk down to Priest Lake, admiring its clear blue expanse of water.
Clear blue expanse of water
When it cools off, I take the cello out and play for awhile. Figure since I’ve hauled it all the way up here, I’d better make use of it! Once Clifford wakes up, we have nachos for a late dinner. Before heading to bed, we admire the reflection of the rising moon on the lake, happy to be out of town.
Moon rising over Priest Lake
Thursday August 18: First thing this morning, I go for a walk on the trail along the lake shore that I noticed yesterday. The trail goes right next to the lake-side campsites, but once I am past the campground, the trail is pretty with some autumn colors and views of lake through the trees.
Autumn colors at Priest Lake
The Lakeshore Trail at Priest Lake
Back at camp, I talk to Mel, the 83-year-old camp host making his rounds, then make tea and write in my journal. After breakfast, I take out the cello and serenade the lake and the trees.
In the afternoon, I begin reading the manuscript of a book written by very special and interesting friends of ours, Alex & Ardeth Merklinger. I have to read on Clifford’s tablet, which is not the easiest way to read a book, but that is what I have. Later on, a strong wind comes up very suddenly and the calm lake is now white-capped with hefty waves rolling into the shore. Quite exciting, really.
Waves come rolling in
White caps on Priest Lake
We have chicken ‘n rice and veges for a tasty dinner. After clean-up, I take a shower before heading to bed, washing off the warmth of the day and the dust of the trail.
Thursday May 28:Here we are at Lee Creek Campground in western Montana after several days and hundreds of miles of travel. What a relief to stay put for a bit in our comfy little home.
Campfire, coffee, and journal writing.
I make a campfire first thing this morning and a cup of organic coffee in the French press to go along with journal writing. What a great start to the day! I keep the campfire going throughout the day as the weather alternates between showers, clouds, and sunshine.
Campfire to awning
We put out the awning in the afternoon to have a place to sit outside even when it is raining. I move frequently from campfire to awning.
Forest in the rain
In the afternoon there is a real downpour; luckily we have a tarp over the woodpile and another one over the table where Clifford has his books spread out. I write in my journal when I can, but with the moving about, fire-tending, meals and clean-up, I don’t get much done.
Trillium in the rain
In lulls between rain showers, I stroll about the campground taking photos of June berry and chokecherry shrubs in blossom, and droplet- covered trillium.
Lee Creek
It is so nice to have a non-driving day, especially in such a sweet place as this with the creek running beside our campsite and being surrounded by trees and shrubs for privacy if anyone else shows up. As it is, we are still the only people here other than the hosts at the other end of the loop.
Friday May 29: Mist this morning, but it doesn’t last long and looks like we will have a sunny day.
Morning mist at Lee Creek
No campfire this morning, as we are heading up to the Lolo Pass Visitors’ Center, six miles up the highway. At the visitors’ center, numerous kiosks with maps and information about the journey of the Lewis and Clark expedition are of interest to us. We are intrigued with the great explorers in history, Lewis and Clark among them. Being here, we will be able to see where they camped and find sections of their trail as they made their way into the Bitterroot Mountains. Inside, I browse while Clifford spends a long time looking at books before deciding what to buy.
Then we drive down the Idaho side of the pass to the DeVoto Cedar Grove. The grove is dedicated to Bernard DeVoto, conservationist, author, and historian, who loved to spend time here as he edited the Lewis and Clark journals.
Lochsa River at DeVoto Grove in Idaho
Clifford and I walk together through the grove on the Lochsa River side of the grove. I love seeing the ferns and other little plants that grow at the base of the great tall cedars.
Then Clifford settles in at a picnic table to read while I cross the highway and walk the trail on the hillside portion of the grove. It is entirely different in character being darker, more moist, and kind of spooky.
Although I wish Clifford had joined me for this part of the walk, I enjoy the beauty of the grove, pausing frequently for photos.
Back at camp, we can tell it rained here at the campground, but luckily, the woodpile and the picnic table are still tarp-covered. Left-over chicken along with Annie’s mac & cheese makes an easy dinner. As we eat, I download photos to my laptop and enjoy looking through the photos of the past couple of weeks, a pleasant end of the day. I am grateful and happy for my life!
Tuesday May 26: It is 43 degrees this morning, brisk, but comfortable as I walk about the Chickahominy BLM Campground in southeastern Oregon, taking photos before we pack up.
Morning at Chickahominy Reservoir
I make tea for the road, along with hard-boiled eggs, cheese, crackers, and apples to eat as we go – a traveling picnic. On the way out, I stop to chat with the camp host for a moment and to admire the rock collection at the host site. She points out a particularly rich vein of obsidian, like a sparking river running across the ground, and she encourages me help myself to some obsidian. I feel like a kid in a candy-store as I walk along the vein picking out just the right pieces to carry home.
Buttes and mesas…
More buttes and mesas
We backtrack a few miles to Riley and continue eastward on state highway 20, traveling through more sagebrush. The landscape changes near Burns with a broad valley and farmland being in contrast to most of what we have seen in this part of the country.This is followed by more rugged mesas and buttes, and farmland again as we near Payette, Idaho.
Followed by farmland
After Payette, heading north on state highway 95, the landscape features large treeless hills. We have a lively discussion about whether these are mountains or not. I say no: they are hills, mesas, or buttes – but they are not mountains in my book. Clifford disagrees, but maybe just to be poking fun at me.
Surrounded by trees and shrubs
At Midvale, about 30 miles further north, snow- peaked mountains come into view with treeless hills in the foreground, reminding me of southeastern Montana. Another 50 miles or so brings us to our next campground, Evergreen. What a different landscape than yesterday’s home-for-the-night. Now we are surrounded by trees and shrubs of all sorts, with a lively creek flowing alongside the campground. We are the only people here, so have our pick of the sites. We decide on a pretty spot furthest from the highway and do a modified Pony (our pop-up tent trailer) set-up. I look around and find enough firewood to make a delightful campfire to go with our dinner: home-made soup for me, beans and hotdogs for Clifford. It is great to have some daylight left to relax before we go to bed.
Wednesday May 27: I didn’t sleep well and wake up with my head screaming, possibly from propane leaking as the bottles were changed on the lantern last night. Ugh. I make mint tea from sprigs of mint I keep in a vase of water and as I move about packing up, I begin to feel better. We take our time getting packed this morning, preparing tea and another traveling picnic to eat as we drive.
Our next destination is Lee Creek along highway 12, but I don’t know if it is in Montana or Idaho. We stop at the ranger station in New Meadows, a thriving small town just north of Evergreen Campground, and learn that Lee Creek Campground is on the Montana side of Lolo Pass.
Salmon River near Riggens, Idaho
As we travel north, the valley narrows and rugged barren mountains dominate the landscape. We see a great number of vehicles parked by the highway as we approach Riggens, where the Little Salmon and the Big Salmon Rivers join forces to become the powerful Salmon River. Stopping for gas, we find out that hundreds of fishermen are here for the salmon run. Vehicles line the sides of the road and RV’s fill every pull-out for miles past the little town.
Looking ahead – a long steady climb
Beyond Riggens, before Grangeville where we will head east to Montana, is a long long long climb – part of the Hells Canyon Recreation Area. Go Chevy Blazer Go!!!
Quite the view
Looking back to where we were – we’ve come a long way.
Whew – we made it. On the very left is the traffic sign that shows we are now going to head downhill.
At Grangeville – whew, we made it! – we buy gas, groceries, and ice since there will not be towns of any size along highway 12. We leave Grangeville on highway 13, a narrow winding mountain road with no shoulders, driving in the rain.
The very lovely Clearwater River comes into view and we are pleased to see that its banks are full.
The Clearwater River
The highway is narrow and winding
At Kooskia, we take the junction onto highway 12, which isn’t a whole lot better. The mountainous drive is lovely with the Lochsa River tumbling alongside, but the road is winding and narrow. We check out several campgrounds on the Idaho side of the pass, as we are weary of traveling, but do not find any that really seem right to us.
Lee Creek
Finally we cross Lolo Pass and, entering Montana, we leave the Lochsa River behind and soon arrive at the Lee Creek Campground. A wonderful spot right alongside the creek, with lots of trees and shrubs for shade and privacy, is available. When I say “hello” to the creek, I am almost ready to cry with relief that we do not have to go anywhere for at least a week. We’ve seen some interesting country and had good places to camp, but too many miles in the last three days for me. We get the Pony set-up, full mode this time, and have nachos for dinner because it is a tasty and easy dinner. I am so glad to be here!
Monday May 25: We are up early to finish packing, as today we are leaving the Pit River Campground in northeastern California on our journey back to Idaho. We have a quick breakfast of yogurt topped with applesauce, and as we are getting ready to go, we hear the couple, who came in late yesterday, shouting at each other and babies crying. Someone calls the sheriff. How sad that people live in such unhappiness; it is very unsettling to me. Not a good way to end such a lovely peaceful stay as we have had here.
We are soon on our way, heading north on highway 299, with beautiful cumulus clouds billowing above us. Past Fall River Mills the valley opens up; lots of ponderosa and some ranch land, then back into sage brush land.
When we arrive at Goose Lake, which straddles the California-Oregon border and appears on the map to be a body of water stretching for 20 miles, there is virtually no lake left. The drought has made it impossible for this lake to be replenished. Dry steep barren hills and sagebrush dominate the landscape along with the mud flat that was once a lake bottom.
We had planned to spend the night at Goose Lake State Park, but it is still early afternoon and seeing the condition of the area, we decide to push on. It is a bit of a long haul to our next destination, but Clifford is up for it. The road, although narrow, is straight and flat with not much traffic, so we make good time. Leaving Lakeview, the town north of Goose Lake where we stop for gas, the landscape reminds me of the country south of Lamy, New Mexico, where we used to live: rugged with sage, juniper, and small pines.
Arthur Lake, which on the map is much smaller than Goose Lake, is a sizable body of water set in a most barren landscape of flat land to the west and rock-strewn mesas along the highway to the east of us.
Once past Arthur Lake, the mesas open up to miles and miles of sagebrush, nothing but sagebrush.
We are happy to finally arrive at the town of Riley, where we turn at the junction toward the BLM Chickahominy Campground just a few miles to the west.
We drive through the campground, grateful to be here, looking for a site out the wind. We end up picking a site, designated by nothing more than a rugged plank picnic table, alongside the reservoir. It is windy everywhere, so we might as well go for pretty. The landscape here has its own unique beauty with a mix of black lava rock, obsidian, and sagebrush. The reservoir is lower than normal, but it still has water and here we have the best views. Later the wind dies down and it is quite pleasant. Even though we are doing a modified set-up, the tub of pots and pans is accessible and I cook a real meal to nourish our weary bodies.
Before heading to bed, I take photos of the lovely sunset colors reflecting off the water and write in my journal. Clifford, worn out from the day’s driving, is in bed before I am, which doesn’t happen very often. Looking out at the reflections on the water, I am glad for the stillness at the close of this day.
Friday May 22: I begin my day at the Pit River campground by doing a few yoga stretches under the great limbs of the oak tree at our campsite.
After breakfast I make a cup of coffee, grab my journal, and head over to the day use area. It is more private there and the picnic tables offer a view of either the river or the lagoon, depending on which table I choose. I write several post cards to family and friends before I write in my journal. So peaceful sitting here, writing and listening to the sounds of the river and the birds.
Journal and coffee by the lagoon
In the afternoon we make a trip to Fall River Mills to the post office to pick up a package sent to us with stuff we left at our friends’ guest house: Clifford’s hotspot, which we need, and our coats left in a closet. Thanks, Kate! Back at camp, Clifford naps while I write and take photos. Rain comes in the afternoon – very welcome in the drought-stricken northwest.
Cumulus growing
We walk down to the river in the early evening, talking about this and that until the sun goes down. Back at camp, we watch a big cumulus cloud grow and move slowly away, to be replaced by a handsome sunset.
Replaced by a handsome sunset
Mist in the trees
Saturday May 23: I am up at 7:00 a.m. and greeted by mist hanging in the trees around the campsite. I hustle on over to the lagoon for photos before the mist fades away. Even though I never once got a photo of mist while in the redwoods or visiting the ocean on this trip, here in the dry northeastern corner of California we have another misty morning. Go figure!
Mist on the Pit River
Today, after breakfast, we go to Burney, a town about 15 miles to the west. We need gas, propane, and water. We also want to get caught up with email, so find a little city park where we can hang out using Clifford’s hotspot. Although email works, I can’t upload photos to wordpress and waste a lot of time trying. Clifford gets some of his things done while we are here, but it isn’t that much fun or productive for me. I will have good internet eventually, but I don’t like wasting my precious time.
Lagoon in the early evening
After dinner I head down to the river and the lagoon before the warm light fades. Clifford was going to go with me, but he is dallying, so I go on by myself. Upon returning to camp, he still wants to go, so we return together, too late for photos, but lovely in the dusk light and nice to have a short outing together. At the camp, every site is over- flowing with cars and people for the Memorial weekend. Not far from us a group plays guitars and sings a lot – nice to see families and friends getting together to do that.
The view from the campsite
Sunday May 24: We are staying at Pit River another day since it may be hard to find a place to camp if we leave today, being Memorial weekend. I spend much of the day organizing and packing, which takes longer than usual since food, utensils, and clothing need to be available for three one-night stops between here and Lee’s Creek in western Montana, where we will be staying longer. For the one night stops, we don’t open the Pony (our pop-up tent trailer) all the way or unpack the tubs that are closely packed on the floor space for traveling. It is not very convenient, but takes a lot less time to set up and take down, since mostly we just need a place to sleep and a couple of meals at each stop.
Wild roses grow near the lagoon
I make my usual trips to visit the lagoon and the Pit River while Clifford studies all day.
In the evening I make a campfire, the only one during our stay here. This has been a good spot for us with the river and the lagoon, trees, shrubs, and flowers, the sky with great clouds, mist, and rain. An oasis of lovely beauty, nourishing for the soul.
