Yuba State Park and Onward

Linda walked back to the pay area and read all the signs, paid and got our site confirmed for two nights.  Our view was amazing and we could sit and look out over the reservoir with an unobstructed vista. There were only a few campers in the entire park and we had the best spot, in our opinion. Linda was itching to get out and take a run so she took off south around the dam end of the lake. We ate lunch and relaxed after she returned.

Cleaning and securing the house.

After dinner and as the sun set, a pink glow covered the sky. We slept well and were glad we didn’t have to travel in the morning.

Linda got up early and took a run. She went to the other end of the lake. I slept in and then made coffee and tea. The weather looked to be changing with a few clouds coming in. Linda returned from her run and we were sitting out in the sun enjoying our drinks.  A ranger looking fellow approached and said that they were starting a paving project that would replace the entire pavement in the park. He told us that we didn’t have to leave. We said that we had checked the park phone message, the bulletin board, and everything at the park office and there was nothing mentioned of a closed campground with paving project. He inferred that there was a message on the phone. We had listened to that message, at least six times, because it was such a bad recording and we were sure it said nothing of the closure. We smiled and asked what we should do and he said we were ok to stay the second night.

The construction workers worked around us and we weren’t disturbed too much.  A truck here, a backhoe there; we just ignored the moving about.   They were gone by 5:00 PM and so we enjoyed the privacy of our park. By this time we were the only people camping there. It was very quiet.

The lake had a population of American White Pelicans and those amazing birds kept flying and paddling by. I took some photos of them, but never could get a shot of one in flight.  Linda posted the best photo on Facebook and the replies gave us quite a bit of info on these odd birds.

The next morning we packed up before the road crew arrived and took off south for our next stop somewhere near St. George, Utah. As I drove Linda checked out the camping possibilities and we picked a spot called Sand Hollow State Park. Our reservations in Zion were for Wednesday so we only had one night to kill.

Linda directed me to the park entrance and they got us checked in.  “Go up the road to the right and follow it to The Sand Pit. You’ll be in #15.” Nothing good can come from somewhere called the Sand Pit.  We did what she said and found our site. Honey, we are not in quiet old Post Falls anymore!

Now they post the sign.

The recreation around this area deals strictly with off-road vehicles and we were now in the heart of sand buggy heaven. Everyone has a minimum of two or three of either motorbikes, ATVs or sand buggies. Here, my Jeep looks out of place. We set up camp and started our watch of baby ATVers circling our site as daddy taught his four year old how to be an all-terrain sand flea.

At 2:00 PM we were all set up and sitting out in the sun. We were in awe of all the machines that were wheeling about. Most of the drivers were kids just big enough to sit in the seat and touch the foot break. They ran back and forth, around and around.

2:30 PM roll by and the wind started to pick up. By 3:30 PM we were in a sand storm the likes we have never seen.  The wind grabbed one trailers awning and ripped it off. The group next to us sat under a sun tent, but only for a while. The wind caught it and turned it inside out. We watched until we couldn't stand the dust in our eyes. We put Kobi in the truck and scampered into the camper, and that's where we hid for the rest of the night.

Kobi's nemesis!

Sunrise on Yuba Lake.

Welcome to the Sand Pit!

At least we have what we traveled for, SUN!