Back to the Ocean

Back on the highway again. This time we backtracked from Eugene following highway 126 to Florance and then highway 101 north to our destination at Nehalem Bay State Park. It was a long drive, but the weather was great and we enjoyed all the coastal views.

At the park we set up the rig and headed directly down to the beach. Over the next couple days we rode our bikes, walked the beach, and relaxed. 

On Tuesday morning Linda and I loaded up and drove home. We were going to spend a night on the road, but as we got closer to the Tri-Cities we decided to "run for the barn" and drive all the way home.

Costal Visit with the Family

 Walking around the campground after our 334-mile drive not only gave us an opportunity to wind down before we settled in for dinner but it provided a look into the history of the area. 

Wyeth Campground (Exit 51) was a CCP Camp built-in 1933 from a former Forest Service seed kiln. This history gives the area an old-school look with tight curbed turns leading to large sites with no camping amenities. It cost us $10 for the night which gave us a flat site in a quiet area.

We left Post Falls at 9:30 arrived at 3:30 pm. The drive was easy and the only thing to report was that we ran into smoke from forest fires as soon as we left Tri-Cities.

For lunch, we bought a Subway at The Dalles. Early to bed lead us to an early morning departure, our sights on Sunset Beach State Park 274 miles west.

Arriving in the early afternoon, we set the rig up and unloaded our bikes. Linda led the way and we rode south out of the campground to several of the overlooks. The sun was out and amazing. It was worth everything to watch Linda smile and enjoy the ocean she loves so much.

As we returned from our ride we ran smack dab into Kenyon, our nephew, in his truck. It was great to see him. In the next hour, the entire Sollinger family had arrived. We loaded up and drove to the ocean where we enjoyed watching the seals and the surf.

We had dinner, sat and talked, and then drifted off to bed.

Misc Photos:

Sunset Beach on the Oregon Coast.

Cape Arago Lighthouse Viewpoint

Seals on a beach just offshore.

More seals on the beach. (Zoomed in.)

My camera is amazing! Massive zoom.

Breakfast with the family!

A Good Getaway

 Back in May of this year, Linda jumped online and found that there were very few open camp spots available up the St. Joe in the Huckleberry campground. She looked at our calendar and noted that we would be returning from river trips, but there was a mid-week where we could squeeze a camp out into the timeline.

Between May and the present, many things have changed, forest fires are everywhere and the super hot weather makes going camping a true “Roll of the Dice.” Our river trips did not work out and we were unable to get on the water. Camping looked to be our only possibility to get away from our duties around home.

On Monday, with everything loaded, we left home for the mid-week getaway. Linda needed to be able to return to Cd’A quickly, if something happened with her parents, so she drove the Kia while I followed in the camper. 

Darren and Marcy Upchurch were also camping up at Huckleberry this week so we rendezvous with them when we arrived. 

Tuesday morning I got up and took a bike ride up Spring Creek road which splits off the St. Joe River Road just upriver from the campground. The road is very well maintained and has a good riding surface. The major problem is that it gains elevation very quickly. Elevation gain is no longer a problem for me on my Trek. I put it in “sport” mode and spin my way up to the ridge tops. It is tiring, but it does not wind me like riding without the assist would do. 

View from the ridge above the campground.

Spring Creek Road connects to many other logging roads and at the top of one prominent ridge, it connects with Huckleberry Mountain Road. I took this side road and followed it as it descended back down to our campsite.  The total mileage on this ride was about ten miles, and that was about my limit for that up and downhill adventure.

The next day we drove to the Lines Creek Historical Trail and hiked the loop. We have hiked this trail before, but we were able to get off track and ended up hiking much longer than needed. It was a fun hike on a very nice day.

Back in camp, I took another bike ride. I rode upriver to the green bridge and crossed over. Then I road back downriver to just across from our camp spot. The ride was about six miles.

Looking downriver from Spring Creek road.

Beaver cuts.

Beaver Creek with the Andersons

 It is definitely a dry heat! That's what we were thinking as we returned from our four-night visit to Beaver Creek Campground up on Priest Lake. When we left the campground our truck thermometer read 88 degrees and when we arrived home the reading was 101. I will get back to our return after I recount the great week we had up on Priest Lake.

With our truck loaded with food, water, and our new bikes, we pointed the rig north following Hwy 41 through Rathdrum. At the Spirit Lake Cutoff Road, we took a right and cut across the Hoodoo Valley. When we arrived at the end of this road we turned left and followed the Pend Oreille River down to Priest River. From there it's a straight shot north following the road that ends at the Beaver Creek Campground.

Mangata on Priest Lake.

In this adventure, we joined Mike, Rayelle, and Julia Anderson for four nights of relaxing. The weather for these days started warm and moved quickly to hot. 

Our two sites were a little ways apart but gave us the option to visit either one based on shade and breezes. Our site had great shade and a slight breeze most of the time we sat out. The Andersons site gave us lots of space to play Corn Hole and other games as well as close proximity to lake access. They worked out perfectly.

The first night gave us a spectacular full moon that rose above the ridges of the Selkirk Crest Mountain range. We sat on logs at the beach and watched the mangata (shimmering of the moon on the water). Later as the air cooled off, we ate dinner and played games. We slept in the cool breeze off the lake. It was good to be out in our little home again.

The next morning we packed water, some snacks and hiked the 6-mile round trip trail from the campground up to Upper Priest Lake. The trail is very well cared for and hiking was easy. When we arrived at the lake we were the only hikers up there and were able to take in the beauty all by ourselves. I took some photos and then as soon as other hikers arrived we left the lake, returning back to our sites.

The rest of the day was spent in the shade sleeping, reading, and playing games.

Linda and I went for a long bike ride the next morning. It was nice to get out, but as we rode we knew that the day was going to get very hot. When we got back to our site we settled in and laid low enjoying the shade and light breeze off the lake.

Each evening we played Corn Hole and several table games. We really enjoyed this time with the Andersons.

By Sunday the weather reports stated that for the next week we would be in record-breaking heat. We loaded up and drove back home. As we drove, the outside temperature climbed. Linda turned on the truck's air conditioner and got nothing. Great! What a time to have no air conditioning.

How the Rack Works

 I made up this stop motion video to show the bike rack in action. Each photo shows a different action and lets you get an idea of how this rack will function on the back of the camper.  You will note that at one point the two bikes and the rack lean forward. This is to show how the rack allows you to access the trunk of your car or the pop-up on a station wagon. It can also be tilted to help with loading if needed.

We finally bought a cover and now the package is complete.