AlCat's Camping Journal

Cat tells me we are now past 50 nights!!

just did two nights at Camp Lotus, Coloma, CA (July)

 

Congratulations on passing fifty nights. I'm just getting started and sure wish I had gotten my trailer when I turned fifty.

 

+2 nights at Big Sur Campgrounds and Cabins, on the Big Sur River

 

+3 nights at Pinnacles National Park. Newest National Park!!

and we saw condors!!

 

Yes, condors are like moose, you never forget the 1st time and your second and third...

 

On the first day, we saw some up high, which was exciting. But the second day, we got buzzed by a pair. They were less than thirty feet overhead. INSANE! I barely got my head up to see one of them. Of course, we saw none the rest of the day.

My brother-in-law got a photo of one as they buzzed us, and it may be in the Chronicle on Thursday, per Tom Stienstra!

(Loved seeing moose when I worked in the Tetons. A bit unnerving when you are out on the trail and come around a corner to see one.)

 

One bird we need to add to our bird life list!! I can imagine how awesome this sighting was!

 

Susan and I were at Big Sur a few years back and came upon a couple that were transfixed on something way up in a redwood tree. Watcha lookin at I say, California Condor they say, CALIFORNIA CONDOR! I say. I followed their gaze and sure enough their it was, even though it was way up high in the redwood tree you could see how huge it was. That was our 1st sighting

A few years later we were at the Grand Canyon and we saw them again only much closer. A half dozen were working the afternoon thermals rising out of the canyon right in front of El Tovar lodge. I swear they were making faces at the tourists and mugging for their cameras as they whirled by only feet away. They were there everyday, we'd go check em out after our morning hikes. I remember how disappointed I was a few years later on another visit to the park when the condors weren't there, haha, silly man.


Lifted this photo from the web

Michael

 

I also saw them at the Grand Canyon. I'm not sure why it felt more "special" at Pinnacles. Maybe because I had hiked about 2 hours before I saw them. At El Tovar at the Grand Canyon, you can see condors after walking 50 feet from your car! (which is AWESOME!!)

I spent quite a while watching them at the Rim. It's very cool what they have done, introducing the condors there.

Seeing them in the Big Sur redwood tree must have been fun!

(My bro-in-law's photos were in the SF Chron, yesterday.)

 

and two nights at Wright's Beach near Bodega, on the Sonoma County Coast, California (site 4)
[Sites 5, 6, and 7 are best - great beach view]

 

and two nights at New Brighton Beach - Capitola, CA

 

soon to come: two nights at Bothe Napa (with nearby mud baths, massage, and wine tasting (at a favorite winery - Imagery)!)

two nights at Hendy Woods (with nearby wine tasting at our favorite winery, Navarro)

and then two weeks between SF Bay and Bend, Oregon, including stops at Shasta, Ashland, Bend, and a few days on the Lost Coast)

suggestions of hikes, hot springs, restaurants, are welcomed!

We may not cook a single meal while in Bend, as the food and beer are so good there!

Meanwhile, on the Lost Coast, we will be on our own, for sure.

-Al

 

Lost Coast is a favorite place. First went there in the 70's with my folks. Make sure to have a full gas tank! We did get gas at Pertrolia one time, but not reliable. Its a wild and amazing place. Be sure to drive the Avenue of the Giants coming or going.
When ready for some civilization - Ferndale is great to poke around - was there for 4th of July last year during the IRG. Classic fun old time parade. My favorite shop is the Blacksmith set of stores - could drop a fortune there! The beach out of Ferndale is great for dogs, and clamming. There are cheese factories (in Loleta) to explore. And I think there is still a exhibit for the Kinetic Grand Champion Race in the Hobart Gallery on Main Street.

 

just did our two nights in Napa, at Bothe-Napa. There is a shuttle there, $1, to take you back and forth to town!!

http://www.ridethevine.com/community-shuttles/calistoga-shuttle

On demand, door-to- door, for $1!!

Did a great 8+-mile hike in the park on Saturday. Tuesday, and my legs are still sore. Might have something to do with the concert I went to Sunday evening, which included about 6 hours of standing (including 3 or 4 of dancing)

Only tasted wine at ONE winery, and didn't get a single mud bath. But had a great time!!

-Al

 

just did another 7 or 8 nights - in Crater Lake National Park, in Bend, Oregon at La Pine, and at Bunny Flat on Mt. Shasta

in Crater Lake, we had three tears in a row - 2 CampInn's and a home made woodie, just out of the nest

the other CampInn was a gentleman from Houston

then, when walking after dinner while visiting friends in Ashland, my friend took us around the corner to see a CampInn.

 

Cat tells me we are now over 100 nights and 11,000 miles!!

Just spent 18 nights in:
Eastern Sierra (Silver Lake)
Great Basin NP
Arches NP
Dead Horse State Park (Utah)
Goblin Valley
Capitol Reef NP (Fruita)
Zion NP (Watchman) (When driving into the park from the east/tunnel entrance, I saw my first ever Bighorn Sheep about 50 feet off the road. While I was howling for Cat to look at the sheep, she directed my attention to the road in front of the car - where the dominant male was guiding one of his females to get off the road. We were very excited to see these beautiful animals up close!)(I even got some good photos, which I will eventually post.)
Valley of Fire State Park (Nevada)
Red Rock Canyon State Park (CA - eastern Sierra)

TONS of hiking, tons of stars.

Closeup Bighorn Sheep siting!!

(only spotted ONE teardrop in our campgrounds - a tiny TD - not sure of the make and didn't get to chat with the owner) - also spotted a TAB, but I don't count those (no offense intended)

We gave very few tours of our TD on this trip. Not sure why. Maybe the heat made folks less curious.

The TD is cleaned up and put away, and all the clothes are washed and dried, and I am ready to head out on another adventure!!

-Al

 

I've got a lot of updating to do!!

(This does not include the few nights I was sick with a cold and Cat slept IN THE CAMPER instead of in any of our extra bedrooms....)

Month Year Destination Nights Miles
October 2011 SF RV resort Pacifica 1 40
October 2011 Big Sur Campground 2 260
January 2012 Wright's Beach 1 200
March 2012 Costanoa 1 70
April 2012 Southern California 110
Pinnacles 1 190
El Capitan 3 100
Montana de Oro 1 20
Morro Bay 1 30
San Simeon 1 220
June 2012 Bodega Dunes 2 180
August 2012 Hendy Woods 3 300
October 2012 Big Basin 2 90
December 2012 Half Moon Bay 2 20
March 2013 Half Moon Bay 2 20
April 2013 Southern Utah 270
Carrizo Plain 1 300
Red Rock 1 180
Zion 3 120
Escalante Petrified Forest 3 90
Kodachrome Basin 2 80
Stateline 2 180
Red Rock 1 570
October 2013 Samuel P. Taylor 2 100
October 2013 Camp Lotus 2 310
January 2014 Big Basin 2 90
February 2014 Memorial County Park 3 60
March 2014 Bothe-Napa 1 180
April 2014 El Capitan 4 600
July 2014 Camp Lotus 2 310
September 2014 Big Sur Campground 2 260
October 2014 Southern California 220
Morro Bay 3 70
Kirk Creek 2 160
February 2015 Pinnacles 3 220
March 2015 Wright's Beach 2 200
April 2015 New Brighton 2 120
June 2015 Bothe-Napa 2 180
July 2015 Hendy Woods 2 300
August 2015 Oregon 310
Mt. Shasta 2 190
La Pine 5 100
Crater Lake 2 80
Ashland (at Budd's house) 0 370
September 2015 Half Moon Bay 2 20
November 2015 New Brighton 2 120
February 2016 Pinnacles 3 220
May 2016 Bodega Dunes 3 180
June 2016 New Brighton 2 120
July 2016 Kirk Creek 3 320
August 2016 Southern Utah 240
Silver Lake 2 370
Great Basin 1 340
Arches - Devil's Garden campground 2 50
Dead Horse Point State Park 3 110
Goblin Valley State Park 2 70
Capitol Reef - Fruita campground 3 190
Zion - Watchman campground 3 130
Valley of Fire State Park 1 290
Red Rock Canyon State Park 1 370
September 2016 Half Moon Bay 2 20
November 2016 Big Basin 2 90
December 2016 New Brighton 2 120
March 2017 Bothe-Napa 2 180
April 2017 Southern California 300
El Capitan 4 120
Songdog Ranch 3 230
Sunset Beach 2 80
May 2017 Henry Coe 3 130
June 2017 Wright's Beach 2 200
July 2017 Pinnacles 2 220
August 2017 Hendy Woods 2 300
October 2017 Portola Redwoods 2 60
December 2017 New Brighton 2 120
January 2018 New Brighton 2 120
February 2018 Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park 3 270
Total 147 nights 13,770 miles

-Al

 

What a great thread! Your list of dates, places and miles is quite impressive and reading it in a list really tells a story of starting out a bit slow and then just kept going more often and for longer periods. I'm about seven years behind you in my Camp-Inn.

 

I consider it an investment in my well being.

What's left out are all the details of the time spent with friends; hiking; walking down the beach holding my wife's hand; great meals; chasing racoons out of my car; stopping short of hiking Zion's Angel's Landing because you just don't have the courage, even when your hiking partners do. It's just a list until you throw the real stuff on top.

We've made more time to get away in the past few years, I guess. As you all know, once you start going camping and work out a reasonable process, it really does get easier. Another factor is, I think, from living in California. Not just because we have year-round camping weather, more or less, but also because it's necessary to book a campsite 6 months in advance or so. And once the trip is on the calendar, I'm far more likely to go. (Maybe I'd camp just as many nights if I could get a site with no advance notice. I dunno. I haven't lived with that sort of system ever. )

Going camping with the TD is just so EASY. (To be fair, my wife does a ton of the pre-trip and during-trip work, so it's very easy for me. Plus, she is the driving force behind nearly every trip, if not every trip. So, we're lucky that we each share the love for camping. )

-Al

 

I know where that came from.