| Friday, July 18, 2008 - Eagle Meadows Camping
A long awaited camping trip, the first trip for two years!
| Food for two for a weekend |
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$270 |
| Camping supply purchases |
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$420 |
| Replace broken equipment while camping |
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$171 |
| Mental health weekend in the woods |
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Priceless |
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| (click on the pictures to see larger version and more of the
same) |
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The truck is loaded, we are gone. Leaving the smoke filled
valley due to the hundreds of California fires, we pass the start of a fire
near Chinese Camp, and spot the neon highway sign that said "Escaped Prisoner
- Do Not Pickup Hitchhikers." Yipee!!! Perfect weather promised a wonderful
weekend. |
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The tennis shoe tree was priceless, worth turning around
for. Two hours later, our normal camping spot was open, thank you, Lord.
The firepit was destroyed, evidence of logging was everywhere, but
we were home! Only after we started to unpack did we discover we had forgotten
our pillows, and our blow up bed. |
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Sleeping on the ground is never on my menu. The camping
kitchen table, the six foot tall tent and new lanterns were wonderful. We
discovered at 3 am that our heavy beach towels were a relief from the extremely
hard ground and we slept well for a few hours. The full moon and stars were
heavenly but the continual jets were a drag. |
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Morning campfire, a book and a few pots of coffee thankfully
before the stove gave out with a major propane leak. Off we go to explore.
The view at 7000 feet is rather spectaular, we are at the top of the world!
The camping kitchen never left the tailgate so we had lunch at the river
where David went fishing, Anne read. |
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Dardanelles for a new stove, blow up bed, Kennedy Meadows
for a drink at the bar, Bengay and a fly swatter. We passed horses on the
road where Anne and a mama horse with her colt fell in love. The wind chime
sounds were finally explained, so many black and white cows hiding in the
woods! |
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We took off up on road 5N01, back up to 8000 odd feet and the top of
the world again. We saw the Bennett Juniper tree, but did not go as fas as
the Silver Creek Mine, another two hours at 5 mph. Windy Ridge reminds you
of the Von Trapp family. Salmon, sausage and noodle dinner was superb! Asleep
by dark on a BED. |
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Another glorious morning, leisurely reading by the campfire with coffee
for hours turned into a frantic breakfast (but delicious!!) while you pack
in the rain. The gorgeous fluffy white thunder clouds of Saturday afternoon,
to our east, evidentally went west (??) and dropped the rains on us, as well
as frequently changing temps. |
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Coats on, coats off. Coats on, coats off. Back up the mtns looking
for more wonderful, private campsites where my grand daughters might survive
without toilets. I discovered a "gnome tree", and a big surprise was the
antennae at the top of 5N04. Back down again, 5 mph, 13 miles in a few hours. |
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We stopped at Diamond Jim's in
Mi Wuk on the way back, passing over the Inn at Strawberry for some unknown
reason. Well, they had scallone. Small wonders. Home again, home again,
to hot showers, hot tub, Icy Hot and our own little bed. David called Monday
morning from work and said, pack it up, we need to go back. |
