Public Access to Public Lands... An Emotional Subject...

... for the most part... outside of my always present passion for Freedom... I resist the encroachment of religion and politics here... Those are a couple of issues for which there is no solution... and to which people hold too fanatically to the "Party Line."

This is one time... I step outside that self imposed, limitation.

First, let me say I will not tolerate, Flaming, insulting, or otherwise degrading any of my readers... by any other... of my readers. I possess the ability to lock out any who violate those rules of behavior. If you can not come here, and communicate with decency and respect... you will be prohibited from coming here at all. I've done it before... I'm willing to do it again. Enough said.

Now... Something I find ridiculous is the notion that I must stand by, and defend someone... blindly... simply because they are "One of Us."... to use a significant exaggeration, to make my point, that would be like the German people defending the right of Adolf Eichmann to do what he did.

If an RVer expects me to defend their right to access, or an ATVer, or a Mountain Biker, or a Motorcyclist, of a Fisherman, Hunter, Hiker or whatever other sub group you care to mention... they are REQUIRED to behave with proper care and respect.

There are dedicated, patient and well funded groups who do worship the earth, and who do seek to reduce if not eliminate our access to as much of it as possible. To allow, without criticism, the careless, and wanton mutilation of public lands by unthinking, uncaring, dis-respectful RVers, Hikers, Hunters, and yes... ATV'ers... is to hand a large stick to our "enemies" to Beat us with.

That is not a foolishness you'll see me commit. If you do something stupid and rude... Expect... to hear, at least my "Voice"... castigating you for it.

When actions such as I have witnessed over the last couple of days are taken... they do severe and direct injury to everyone who loves the mountains and hungers to be in them. These actions are ammunition for those who wish it... to restrict our access to the mountains we love... and for that reason... when people such as my recent "neighbors"... do what they do... They MUST experience Consequences for their poor behavior.

I am NOT a greenie, an environmentalist or any other such group, which I consider to be just another variety of Political Racism.

I do NOT worship the Earth... and do NOT put it's "Rights" before the Rights of Man. I do however, behave as a Carpenter does, toward his tools. As a Carpenter shows respect for the tools of his trade, the tools that feed him, I show respect for the Land. I show respect for the creation that provides my physical subsistence as well as food for my Soul.

That said... I currently reside in what was a beautiful Meadow... and will be here for a few more days...

*The Area of the "Camp"... a couple days, before the "Incident"...

We camped in a campground just up the road for several days, waiting for the ground to dry and harden enough to permit us access to this meadow. When we pulled in, I stopped just off the road, in the access drive... to Walk the Meadow, on foot... to determine if I could enter without damage to the Meadow.

I found, only the center of the Meadow was firm enough to allow that, and I pulled my rig into position without damage... barely leaving any sign at all...

*MY Dispersed Camped - in the SAME meadow - Without Damage*

Now... my neighbors... RVing ATV'ers... couldn't be bothered with such precautions or care. I watched them pull off the road and churn into the "Upper" meadow... without stopping... When they decided it was too wet up there... they churned back past my camp... to the lower meadow... cutting fresh ruts most of the way...

They set their trailers and went home to wait on the Memorial Day weekend... when they returned with far too many rigs, far too many people... and far to much IMPACT on too tight and too fragile a piece of ground.

Their children ran circles around the camp, for an hour at a time... grinding the grass into mud. I watched them drive their ATV's up onto the slopes behind the camp... luckily, rocky enough to endure a little more abuse than the Meadow.

They sunk their trucks, their trailers, and their jeeps, deep into the mud...

*When people see this... How would YOU expect them to React?*

*These pics are taken from the position of the two trees above*

 I took these pictures from the position of the First photo... of the undamaged Meadow...You can see my camp in the background... and the photo of - My Camp, occupied Without Damage - above.

Is some of this damage repairable? Of course... given time and effort... but... why should it need to be repaired? So that callous, unthinking, dis-respectful RVers/ATVers can shove their way through life, abusing the land, the people who came before... and left it in the condition these bozos found it? and... abuse the people who come AFTER... and have to endure this disgrace? .... So that these useless eaters can continue their disgusting ways... Without Consequence?

And who's going to do the "Remedial" work? The Forest Service? With what funds?

The simple truth is... Scenes such as this... replayed all across the country ARE THE TOOLS used by those who wish to lock us out... Scenes such as this... replayed across the country ARE THE WEAPONS that are being used to Eliminate our Access.

For me to say nothing... for me to "Be Polite" and respect the "Access Rights" of simple minded people such as those who inflicted this disrespect... on the Lands that belong to Us All...Would be dishonorable and Cowardly in the extreme.

If You want to defend your Public Lands Access... You Must Be... INTOLERANT ... of willful abuse such as this.

...and it doesn't end here... There were close to a dozen kids in that camp... being taught by their parents... that THIS... is the way you do it... perpetuating this despicable behavior... Long into the future...

... and then they left...

*4x4... don't get your tires dirty!*

Only.. the locusts hadn't yet torn enough up... They couldn't just stay in the already established "Road Way" ...

... No... they had to drive over in the, as yet undamaged sod on the side...

... widening the entrance to this dispersed camp area... by something like 1/3 in the process.

Where does that stop?... when the "Driveway" is 300 feet wide?

*all you have to do is...Drive on the Grass!*

*After all... It's My RIGHT! To Mutilate the land!*

The bottom line people, is... IF... you want to defend your Right To Access on Public Lands...

... You MUST... Require Respectful Behavior...

... Within the RVer, ATVer, Hiker, 4X4, Hunter, Shooter, Camper... Community on the WHOLE.

You Can Not, defend such as these... and expect to win the Battle for your continued Access to these lands.

Those who wish to exclude you will use scenes like these... That No One complained of... and Lock the gates... and the only knowledge you will have of the Glorious Mountains... will be in your memories and the Photographs of your Grandfathers.

So people. Decide where you stand. On the side of common decency, respect and reasonable care?

... or on the side of; "I'll tear the world to hell if I want... it's my Right!" ???

... always remember... as those we Honored yesterday; With Rights... Come responsibilities. You can not have Freedom and Liberty... without cost.

Is the Requirement of a minimum, sensible behavior; Respectful of the Land, and the OTHER people who use it... Too much to ask?

Disgusted with Some of my "Own" Community, in the Utah Mountains
Brian

Return to the main site of goin' RV Boondocking or Visit my Sister website Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road

Memorial Day 2011... They Stand on the Wall... For US

It was snowing when we went to bed Sunday night. It had snowed and rained almost all day... and though the ground was soggy wet, it was green... at least where the ATV'ers hadn't torn it apart...

*no cajones... ATV'ers headin' for town... Bye!*

Just before supper, those folks started pullin' out in the rain... and though I may be bad... I giggled at the half hour procession, as they retreated to town... What can I say...

There's an old 'western' term... "He's got sand."... Means, a person has what it takes... and those folks... got no sand... and no sense... I won't miss 'em...

They left behind a sad mess...

But... Life goes on, and for each storm, there is a sunrise...

*Sunrise... Memorial Day 2011*

We woke to 6 or 8 inches of white... For a Special Day... a rather exceptional first sight, don't you think?

*The Memorial Day 2011 View from my window*

Sat watching the sun come up, drinking my coffee in the comfort of my rig... thinking...

I took a broom and climbed up the ladder to the roof... to clear the snow off the solar panels...

*Memorial Day Camp 2011*

The air is crisp and clean... the silence of the mountains returned now that our camp has had it's solitude returned...

My thoughts turned to my friend Eric... in Afghanistan... and Evin, on her way to Spain... soldiers both. They've got Sand.

I think of those who Stand on the Wall this Memorial Day... Who stand on that wall guarding... US... You and I... I think of those who have "Written a blank Check"... payable to the people of United States of America... for any amount, up to and including their lives...

I think of all those Checks over the past many years, that the people of this Nation have cashed... and I wonder... Does anyone think of them? Is the Cost of those "Checks" understood? Does anyone, appreciate what they, living and dead, have sacrificed? So that we can BBQ and party... in the Peace we enjoy... as the Direct Consequence... of the suffering and sacrifice of those... who Stand on the Wall... for... Us?

As always... on this day... My Heart is Heavy. There are so many... and I miss them so much...

Please... on this day... Enjoy your Families... Enjoy your Freedom... But... Understand... Just what a Precious Cost it bears. Just what they endured to give us the gift in which we live.

High in the Mountains... and Far in the Past
Brian

The 29th of May...

... and it's SNOWING!!!

Be careful what you ask for... if you're mean enough... you just may get it. :) The other day... all grumpy 'cause of all the ATV's, dirt bikes, dogs and people... disrupting MY solitude... they are my woods you know :) ... I quipped; "Maybe the weather will be really bad... and it'll keep 'em quiet!" ...

... yeah well...

*29 May 2011 Morning Snow in the Utah Mountains*

Sometimes... what you ask for... you get... and uh... not REALLY want it! :) So... how come, Summer don't come along? I ... and juuuuuuust a few other folks... REEEEEALLY want that! :)

I've been struggling with the new Video camera... got all cranked up and grumpy yesterday... and fired off an email to the outfit that sold me the camera... Chewing them out along with the manufacturer for promoting all the virtues of a camera... and NOT warning that it was not compatible with a great portion of the video software that a lot of it's potential customers would be using...

Didn't expect to receive any word back until Tuesday at the earliest... Holiday weekend and all...

Uh... Wrong again! I got an email back in a Very short time... :) I gotta tell you... the guys at SportHitech have a solid and shiny understanding of Customer Service...

Andy, the guy I "spoke" with... through several emails back and forth on the Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend... Took good care of a grumpy, short tempered, frustrated... bad weather "Trailer Bound" old biker cowboy... fighting his way through the psychotic gyrations of dealing with High Technology! :)

In amongst all that confusion and frustration, we thought it would be a good idea to just get out of the rig... and take a drive to clear out the cobwebs...

*Doesn't look cold and windy does it? :) *

*Near the Red Canyon Visitor Center*

We pulled into the only place nearby to grab a sandwich... and uh... it was edible... but I won't brag about it :) Seemed like some others were looking for lunch too...

That Ol' Heron tried for the fish in the pond... for a little while... but it finally decided it couldn't tolerate all the people close around... and went to look for a less crowded smorgasbord.

Feeling better, from just getting out and around... We rolled back to camp... still "frustrated" with my Technology struggle...

When we got back to the rig is when I accidentally discovered the solution to my Video woes... is a relatively simple thing... and that the good service from SportHiTech is actually... Excellent care...

I discovered, mostly by accident, that my "secondary" laptop...a lil' 10" Acer I use on motorcycle trips... Will Load and edit video clips from the Drift Camera... The difference? the version of Windows Movie Maker that is loaded into windows 7 and Windows XP...

So... I fire off another email to Andy... and... in short order, get a reply with a link...

In fact... though I've not been able to get it downloaded due to the poor signal I've got in this camp... (I'm going to have to look into one of the "directional" antennas Jack mentioned)  Andy, took the time, during our email back and forth, on his holiday weekend, to hunt up and send me an email link to a version of the Microsoft program I need to make my main Dell Laptop (an XP) model able to handle the video clips...

One day... I'll learn to NOT get so frustrated and fired up over the lack of reliability in modern technology...Yep... on the very same day that the wind stops blowing in Wyoming...

Still... Waiting on Spring
Brian

Return to the main site of goin' RV Boondocking or Visit my Sister website Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road

A Lot of People Will Find THIS, Hard to Believe... But I'm a Naturally Quiet Guy!

Really!... Stop Laughing! It's true!

I remember a guy, standing in a shop I was foreman of one time asking me; "Do you ever shut up?" :) My reply; "Some folks drink to deal, some folks eye gives a little twitch when they get nervous... Me? My nervous twitch is, I talk!... and bein' in town amongst 6 billion people... makes me Yack like a magpie!... get me out in the bush... and I get real quiet, real quick."

That's my story, an' I'm stickin' to it...

So... Though I'm likely to have my "neighbors" come back this weekend... I'll deal... 'cause you know why? I was here before they came... and I'll be here after they leave. :) ... and they, with all their commotion won't see the deer that walked through their abandoned camp... or the turkey that walked across the head of the meadow last evening...

They're unlikely to see any more then a flash of this little guy...

and though I couldn't find the frogs doin' the croakin' in this pond either...

Which I very much wanted to capture a picture of... Those noisy folks likely won't even be able to hear the croakin'... 'cause those frogs are awful careful. Just me creepin' up as quiet as I could get turned 'em off... They'll close up fast when they hear the racket of them others comin'...

Yeah... the best medicine is to just pull on my boots... and put my boots on a trail in the mountains somewhere... maybe I can't control the peace in camp... all the time... but I can sure take myself to places rude people don't have the ambition to get...

... and see the things most of them will never see... 'cause they can't seem to learn... :) oops... there I go... gettin' all grumpy again... enough of that...

One thing I can say about this area... and Mark kind of touched it in his comment about Ashley National Forest yesterday... They don't seem to have the manpower... or the initiative to do any trail maintenance in this area :) ... we followed a couple of trails yesterday, that had markings at the head... and clear trails... but... you get a few hundred yards down the path... and pfffffttttt! gone...

... and I mean gone... not just faint... I mean... the trail that the signboard at the trail head says "2 miles" comes to a patch of deadfall and rocks and just goes away...

Now... that isn't a huge issue... I can find my way through that stuff and get home again... but... that takes... OK... this is kinda delicate... so cover the kids eyes...

...All  Covered Up? ... ok... That takes W-O-R-K ! ... and I just want a nice, pleasant, walk in the park! Not a bunch of bushwhackin'! :) or... that 4 letter word! :)

*Mountain Trail to Nowhere!*

So.. we ended up makin' it kind of a "cloverleaf" hike... a whole bunch of circles comin' back to the main trail... when the "Marked" trail just disappeared into deadfall and rock fields... with nuthin' ... and I mean Nuthin'... comin' out anywhere... :)

It's a little early yet... the flowers are juuuuuuust startin' to poke up... give it another week or so... and with all the moisture of this past winter... and this "spring" that just can't seem to get sprung, there should be plenty to capture on "film"...

Hey! Somethin' else those "other" sorts aren't likely to see either... assuming they're just rippin' up and down the roads and ATV trails... you gotta put boot leather on muddy trails... and take your time, to see a lot of the best that's out there to be seen...

Aw well.. their loss, not mine... 'cause me... I get my "words talked out in the morning" ... and put my boots on the trail... uh... or a Motorcycle, leaning through the twisties... grateful that at least, I, learned...

*Yeah, a little early yet... Not quite bloomed...*

So... a grey day again yesterday... but today... the sun is threatening to show up a little... so it's time to get the Raider unloaded... go check out another trail... maybe even a test run with my new camera... and try to be optimistic that a lil' of my fabulous virtue will rub off on other folks!  ... hey! and maybe so, even a lil' bit of my humility too! :)

Just Another Walk in the Park
Brian

Return to the main site of goin' RV Boondocking or Visit my Sister website Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road

Well... It's Time for Another Tirade! People Who Don't Know Better... Should Stay Home!

How Come, In Life... Even RV Boondocking,  You Always Seem to Have to Take the Good With the Bad?

A day can start out on a real high note... and then some bozo with the IQ of a small turnip... has to dump all over it...

We got hitched up yesterday and pulled over to the area of where we plan to make a long camp. The weather predictions seem to be showing a little more Outdoor Weather... Let's hope.

On a spur of the moment/what the hell sort of a decision I passed the "Temporary" location and pulled the few hundred yards up to the location we really preferred. When I got out and walked it I decided it had firmed up enough overnight that I could get pulled in and set, without doing damage to the meadow...

... and did just that. Got parked and didn't hardly leave a track.

*Ashley National Forest Camp*

Take a little time... and you can find a sweet camp... without tearing things up...

*an RV Boondocking "Long Camp"*

... then you can kick back, hike, ride the scooter... write... bead... read or listen to music... living just about as cheaply as a person can... and for the greenies... taking only pictures, and leaving nothing but a few tracks... that will disappear almost as soon as you do... or any other thing that toots your whistle...

Right up to that moment when the peace and solitude is broken by the noise of people... who don't give two hoots and a holler... for much of anything...

Like I said... I pulled off the road in the access... and Stopped... climbed out... and WALKED to check the meadow and conditions.

Only a disrespectful idiot just puts his foot on the pedal as HE Turns In without stopping... runs up where it's wet... gets stuck... climbs out and locks in his hubs... and four wheel drives through the meadow, dragging his trailer... churning up nice, ugly ruts... Decides... "This is too wet at this end"... and comes churning back past me... to the OTHER end.... making ruts... just about the whole way... except for the mostly dry, firm section where I parked... after checking conditions ON FOOT...

... or a Pair of idiots... dragging two trailers... who are now our neighbors.

The good news? They left. :) So, we have our solitude back this morning.

Oh, they left their trailers parked down below us... I guess they're just making sure they've got a place for this Memorial day weekend... So Likely they'll be bringing back a bunch of ATV's to raise a ruckus and see how much more they can tear up... That and their dog... which they let just run all over hell... so we couldn't even sit... in our own camp... with our dogs... which are ALWAYS kept close and under control...

'course... we wouldn't want to do that either... what with all the hollerin' and squealin'... and that argument that; "It's the mountains... we come here so they can holler and squeal" falls on deaf ears in This camp. You want to make that much racket and such... don't park by other folks... go find a place off... all by yourself so you can be as stupid as you wanna be.... show some respect!

Sound kinda grumpy don't I? What can I say? 'bout the only thing that comes to mind is... "Some People's kids!!" ..... arrrrrrrggggghhhhhhh!

Do me a favor... When you pull back into the bush... Don't just go churning off the road... Clear off the road and stop. Put your boots on the dirt... and go WALK where you're thinking 'bout pullin' your rig. Make sure doin' so ain't gonna leave damage that folks will have to see... 50 freaking years from now!

I'm not a greenie... never have been... never will be (that's a tirade for another time)... but People... Have a Care! Exercise some plain ol' common etiquette. Show some respect for both the land and the other people that came before you... Who left the land in the beautiful condition YOU  FOUND IT... AND... the people who will come after you leave.

Leave it yourself... in that Same, Good, Condition... or if you can... Better.

What really bothers me about "This crew" is... it's plain... from their rigs... they come from ranch/farm backgrounds... They Should Know Better!.... arrrrrrgggggghhhh!

Well... I'm going to go and burn off some "Mad at Fools" energy... and take a nice Walk in the Park... leaving only my tracks... faint tracks that will wash away with the wind...

You know... I've heard it suggested now and then... and I'm Thinking a License to Breed... might not be such a bad idea after all...

Grumpy and "Kicking Pigs" in the High Country
Brian

Return to the main site of goin' RV Boondocking or Visit my Sister website Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road

Re-scouted a camp location yesterday... about 8 miles west of where we've been parked. It's a location with some pros and some cons.

First, and I guess the prime consideration is it's beauty...

It isn't lacking in being a pretty place.

There are really, only two problems with it, the first being access. Though it sits right alongside a well maintained Forest Service road, the meadow itself is still pretty wet from the recent storms.

The next few days of weather prognostication says it should be pretty sunny... and that ground should firm up quick...

... but...

The Forest Service takes a dim view of vehicles cutting the ground up bad, 'cause the drivers just couldn't wait for the land to dry off a bit... and I can't argue with 'em... it's gonna take another few days for this to dry up enough...

Torques me off to, when you go into a nice area, and it's been all cut to ribbons by 4X4's with brain dead idiots behind the wheel...

The second issue with this particular camp... is more of a personal problem... the cell service is weak. :)

But... there does seem to be a reasonable solution... just behind where I was standing to take this pic... of our wished for camp... is a spot... about two hundred yards or so closer back toward the pavement... that has a rockier base... and is drained and firm enough to pull in on... with about the same signal available...

So... it looks like, later today, we're gonna warm up the wheels and move on over there for a few days or a week or so...

As for dealing with bad signal? That's something I'm gonna have to work on finding a decent balance on... Though a fella that wants to keep his "show on the road", and needs some communication access to do that... has to "Take care of business"... getting all fevered up over cell/internet service can't be a good thing either... so... I'll try to just keep an eye on things and try to keep the "obsession" under control... :) and maybe I'll be fortunate enough that my cell amp will do a decent enough job on the poor reception there to keep me working!

On the way back from that scout, we were passing that lil' lake where we took the pictures of the snow on the fence and such that first day we pulled into this area.

The Utah Wildlife/fisheries guys were doin' their job... so we stopped to watch for the lil' while it took 'em.

We'd stopped earlier... on our way out to take another look at this lil' lake... Good size fish were jumping clean out of the water...

I'd guess those were well over a foot long...

These fellas were dropping in 600 more Rainbows, in the range of 10".

If you look close... you can see a couple just coming out of the spout of the Pipe... that last one looks to be working as hard as it can to stay in the tank! :)

Don't look like there'll be any shortage of pan sized fish in this lil' pond. They said they were gonna be bringing another load over in the next few days too!

Well... if I'm gonna be moving camp... I better get after it... and a nice day to move too... A bright Blue sky... Maybe I can leave the generator off today! :)

Soakin' up the Sunshine in the Utah Mountains
Brian

Return to the main site of goin' RV Boondocking or Visit my Sister website Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road

Just Another Day in the Life of an RV Boondocking Biker Cowboy...

So far so good...

The "Healing" continues... each day a bit improved... Comin' up on a week since the onset... so nobody 'round here is complainin'... and the 'puter is healed too!

Made another run down to Vernal yesterday. The primary reason was to have a guy chase some malware out of my laptop that I couldn't chase off no matter what I did. Near as I can tell, he was successful. Now, following the advice of several folks on here, as well as the Computer Bug guy in Vernal, I've added Malwarebytes and AVG to my Electronic Vermin Control... With three programs on the job, maybe One of them will find the crud in the future... BEFORE... it gets my BVD's knotted so tight they're cuttin' off circulation!

The secondary reason was a possible follow up visit to the People Doc. But, herself had improved enough by the early morning that we decided that pricey option was no longer a necessary thing... and her situation is much more improved today... so... my Cowboy medicine, of a "Walk in the Park" seems to have done the trick! :)

Today, in a lil' while we're gonna go re-scout that lil' park for a full dispersed, RV boondock camp we found up the road a few miles. The ground was too wet the other day... and we'd have likely cut things up pretty bad pullin' in there. I'm not real optomistic that it's improved enough, considerin' the rain and hail yesterday... but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Today is one of those Rare short posts... and there's chores that need attending to... with hauling water one of 'em... and the spigot here in Skull Creek is a few hundred feet away... so... I'll be gettin' my workout hoistin' those 5 gallon jugs from there to here...

So, I better get to it!

Just Soakin' up the Mountain Air
Brian

Return to the main site of goin' RV Boondocking or Visit my Sister website Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road

What Do You Do if You've Been Cooped up and RV Trailer Bound......

... for better then 3 days, 'cause the weather's been so lousy and you've been sick as a dog to boot? ... Why, take a 4 mile hike of course! ... Right? :)

We took off, not intending to push it much... what with herself feeling puny, and still sick to tell the truth... but we Had to get out in the sun a bit... since we'd not seen it much in a while... and the walls were starting to close in! :)

Saturdays drive helped... but it just 'twern't enough... Know what I mean?

So... when the clouds broke open, and the sun come spillin' through, and it looked like it was gonna last for a while we chased the dogs outside, locked the door and set off strolling through the Utah Mountains.

*A Walk in the Park, Sunny Utah Style*

You know, it's hard to match the Spectacular shots you get in places like Zion, and some of the extra special High Rockies... and sometimes I get to feeling like I'm not holding up my end of the bargain here, when the photos seem sort of, plain... but you know what? Maybe a guy shouldn't even think of tryin' to keep up with Zion, Yosemite, The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone... and all those Spectacular sorts of places... Not everywhere can be that special...

and if you did succeed in putting everywhere into that same category... ya kind of knock it all down to routine, don't you?

Bein' kind of honest here, if you stop and give it a lil time to percolate... A life with views like these here... if you had Them grace your eyes and soul, every day when you stepped outside, that'd be pretty gol' darn Spectacular itself... wouldn't ya think?

So... strollin' along, soakin' up the sun... breathing in the fresh air... NOT... cooped up from the rain and snow any longer... and though, still kind of sick from... what, no-one's figured out yet...  it's just plain and simple, good to be up and around...

We started out only planning on a short walk...  but kept on puttin' one foot in front of the other... now for Mark and Bobbie... even a 4 miler IS a short walk :) but... when you've been layin' around and still aren't tee total up to snuff... We'd been thinkin' a mile would be just fine! :)

But, I kept askin' was she doin' alright... and she kept sayin'; "A bit farther"... till we got to a sign that said we'd gone nigh on to a mile and a half... just goin' out... Still felt like there was some left in the tank so we turned east and did another mile or so...

*Buck was sure glad to be out in the sunshine!*

Now... Ya know how I said before it's been kinda wet around here? Well... you know it ain't dry, when the trails...

*Pretty lil' Creek huh?... Only... That... is the Trail!*

... are all flowin' like creeks. Most of the afternoon, we walked over in the grass... 'cause the trails were all full of water! :) No drought to speak of in this country... and Buck seems to prefer the Mountain "Spring" water.

Deer and Elk were all around... mostly keeping too far off, lopin' away through the trees, to get any nice pictures. I guess they don't much care for Aussie Stock dogs. Even well behaved ones...


We kept hopin' we'd come on an overview of the countryside... before we hit that point where she'd say... "OOPS... I think I've gone too far to make it back... guess you'll have to carry me!"

*Another Day or Two, and It'll be a Flower!*

*Looks like somebody did a whole lot of work a good long while ago!*

It came close... but we found a lil' bit of an overlook... and still got back to the rig without us havin' to find out, could I carry her home, needs be! :)

*The Southern End of the Flaming Gorge Nat. Rec. Area*

... Seeing the remains of what looked to be a couple of Homestead cabins, there on the center right... from up on the hillside makes a person think; "How lucky they were to live here"... until you think about the snow slammin' through the leaky chinks in the logs at 10 below zero on a January night... and you tryin' to warm back up from a day of sleddin' hay to your cows through hip deep snow... and choppin' ice so they can drink...

Yeah, the Romance wears thin quick... at 10 below zero! :)

We decided that it would be easier and shorter to go straight back south from where we were... then to follow the trail back and around... so... me bein' the great white trail guide... we set off and sure enough... hit just east of the end of the camp ground... pretty good for an Ol' Cowboy Biker one time Soldier...

... 'course that creek, 4' wide and a couple deep, twixt us and camp, had herself lookin' at me pretty close...

But not to worry! I soon had a rock in a narrow spot found and we got across dry... Without even a foot slippin' into the current! :)

... and you know what? It may have been good medicine... 'cause after a nice long nap... herself seems a bit on the "Brighter" side.

On the Mend in the Utah Mountains
Brian

Return to the main site of goin' RV Boondocking or Visit my Sister website Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road

Just Another Day of, People Virus, Computer Bugs and Muddy Roads...

Spring is fighting its way to the top. Actually saw the sun for several hours yesterday. Long enough at times, the pair of Solar panels up on the roof were producing up over 200 watts for a while...

*Flaming Gorge Nat. Rec. Area*

After three days of rain and sick... Heidi got to feeling good enough, for a while, to go take a short drive around the area, scouting for a long camp. Which we found several really nice lookin' prospects... which we'll likely pull into one of, as soon as the ground firms up enough so the rig stays on top... and not go sinkin' in to the hubs!

Now... this morning, though some of the flu like symptoms have receded, an allergic reaction (to what we can't figure out) that pretty much started the whole thing is back with a vengeance... It ain't over yet...

 Also, woke up this morning to an almost clear sky... What a teaser! Didn't much more then get the coffee made and here they come... At least they're broken clouds with blue showin' all over, :)

* Flaming Gorge Reservoir*

Good thing I've got this lil' Acer computer for a backup... Nothing I've tried has cornered the "Bug" that's infested my main Laptop... I'm planning on taking it to the computer Doc in Vernal Monday morning... That's convenient since it's lookin' like Heidi is gonna require a follow up visit to a people Doc as well.

Part of her illness is much improved... but... the Bad Allergic reaction symptoms that sent us to the ER the other day aren't seeming to improve a whole lot... Bad enough when you're in town, with a Doctor you know... this situation is less than shiny... 

Like I said, we found several real promising locations for a long Boondocking/Dispersed camp. The best are about 7-8 miles west of the Skull Creek camp we're in right now... Their only down side is really weak or non-existent cell svc.

*Boondocking site in Flaming Gorge NRA*

So... What the current plan is, is this. We'll set up in one of these, assuming the ground hardens up in the next couple of days...

I just won't be able to post to the blog every day. I'll prepare my pics and posts in camp... then run up this way, until I've got enough signal to hook on and upload 'em.

Not as convenient as having the air card work right in camp... but... in a spot as pretty as those... and NOT being able to get online... just might be a blessing in disguise.

I should be able to get a whole lot more work on Book #2 done, don'cha think? :) and to tell the truth? ... as great as my "itch" is... to get on line and "Blog"... I don't like the idea of allowing myself to be kept from setting camps in locations like these... just because they don't have "Good signal"!

That's a thing (internet addiction) I'll have to work on some. :) ... moderation in all things... right?

*Dispersed Campsite at Flaming Gorge Nat. Rec. Area*

There doesn't seem to be any shortage of nice spots to set up for a while around here. The only thing holding up the show is the ground is so soft from all the rain and snow...

As soon as it firms up we'll move from the pay as you go NF Campground to a dispersed site and kick back for a bit!

 There's a road, a lil' farther west they call a "Geological Loop"... about a lane and a half of pavement... mostly...

Seemed like a good choice for a day when nobody was feeling top notch but we HAD to get out and around... a lil' bit... cabin fever was starting to get confused with genuine medical issues!

* along the Geological Loop*

*Another Utah Arch in the Making*

Something about Utah must make it THE place for the creation of Rock Arches... come back in a million years or two... and that Lil' hole you can juuuuuuust see on the left side of this formation will likely be a big Ol' arch and there'll be a couple hundred screeching tourists climbing in it to get their picture took! :)

The trees are just starting to leaf out... that bright green of early spring...

*Spring Leaves against Utah Stone... and Blue Sky Showing!*

So... I guess, if a guy has to wait somewhere... for someone to heal up... this is a pretty fair place to do that... if the rain will just haul itself off... and stay away for a while! :)

*Along the Road to Vernal*

Boondocked in Ashley National Forest
Brian

Return to the main site of goin' RV Boondocking or Visit my Sister website Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road

It's Been a Long Few Days... Maybe "The End Of The World"...

... that's been predicted for today might be a welcome respite! :)

Heidi came down with some sort of a nasty bug Wednesday night. You name it... and it was sick... Neither of us has slept much since...

The Forest Service came by the next morning and requested we move camp, as where we were wasn't supposed to have been opened up yet... They agreed to let us just stay that night, since we'd already dropped the check in the fee box...

...another long, long night...

We finally went in to urgent care yesterday morning, when things seemed to be declining a bit more... and ended up in the Vernal Hospital ER for a few hours... got her all doped up with this and that... which she had a rather negative reaction too last night... again, drugs or not... no sleep...

so... fatigue is starting to pile up!

Now... to shine things up... I get up this morning... fire up the laptop... and some sort of phony "Malware Protection" program has seized my main laptop... which leaves me building this post on my lil' Acer... while my REAL virus protection tries to clean up the other machine...

So... far, the scan has been running for 45 minutes and hasn't found anything yet... though... the "Phony" program keeps popping up... that Laptop may be down until I can get it into a computer geek who knows how to kill that sorry trojan crud...

What a bummer! That Panda software has kept me clean for several years... this is the first time it's let me down... and perfect timing too! :)

Yes sirree... a shiny couple of days!

At least it hasn't rained in a few hours... and there's actually a few patches of blue sky showing... Guess I'll just shut ever'dang thing off and go take a walk! ... We did get reset in a real pretty camp... Skull Creek Campground just about a mile up the road from our first camp here at Flaming Gorge...

Nice camp set in the pines... and we're tee total alone here... so, maybe just taking a "day off" in the fresh air will calm things down a touch... let's hope! :)

Fighting Bio and Electronic Bugs in Flaming Gorge
Brian

Return to the main site of goin' RV Boondocking or Visit my Sister website Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road

Federal Smoke Signals lost in the Rain... and a Unique Class 8 Trailer Toter.

OOPs! The Forest Service and the Campground Mgmt. corp. that runs the camps in this part of the world apparently missed communications a mite... as a result, we've got to move camp. They're doing Bark Beetle Mitigation and other work... apparently, Red Canyon Campground wasn't supposed to be opened yet...

... and... me being the troublemaker I am... I managed to park the rig, right, directly, beside... the three trees they need to take out of here... 'course, my excuse is, it was the only spot in this particular camp that much fit our rig... Red Canyon Campground, though a lot of room in the area, the sites are pretty snug. Mostly for tents and pretty modest rigs...

So... sometime this morning we'll hitch up and move to another camp, Skull Creek Campground, just up the road a mile or so. Scouted it late yesterday... and it's a nice place to wait out the weather a few more days.

Not a real big deal... and though I'd prefer to just pull back into the woods somewhere... it's too wet and sloppy in my estimation for that yet. Give it another few days and maybe things will dry out to allow that... I don't want to be one of "Those Guys" that  chops the roads all up 'cause he couldn't wait for 'em to dry out a bit...

They claim 60 degrees or so tomorrow and a lower % for precip... so... I'm keepin' my fingers crossed... was closeted in the rig yesterday, most of the day by an almost constant rain/snow mix... That and a bug runnin' through the rig. Went through me in a few hours... Heidi is down hard... hoping she makes a turn for the better today...

While sitting here trying to hold off Cabin Fever by distracting myself with some work I really need to get done, a rather interesting Rig passed by...

*Class 8 RV Trailer Toter*

My first thought was; "How do they haul a trailer with those bikes hangin' way out there?" and second; "Usually, they shave the second axle off when they convert a Class 8 Truck to an RV Trailer Toter."

It wasn't until I loaded the pic on the computer, and blew it up I spotted what they did...

*Unique Class 8 Trailer Toter Hitch Arrangement*

If you look up on top of that heavy beam, just in front of the bicycles... you can see the hardware of a hitch sitting there. They simply built a heavy frame extension back far enough to clear sufficient bed to carry their jeep... and... support a fifth wheel hitch...

... leastways that's what I take it to be.

... and that pretty much says why they left the tandem axle on there... to make sure they could handle the weight hung out behind... pretty much converts a fifth wheel RV Trailer to a Bumper Pull! :)

'course, when you're steering a truck built to drag 80,000 lbs around... a 25 or 30,000 lb house on wheels ain't much of an issue...

Outside of the short move we have to make... it's shapin' up to be another lazy day, waiting out spring weather in the Rockies... With 70% snow/rain prediction for today... and some sort of 'Flu' bugs on the loose... There likely won't be a whole lot of Hiking done today!

Sittin' Warm and Dry waitin' out what is HOPEFULLY the last of this winters weather!
Brian

Return to the main site of goin' RV Boondocking or Visit my Sister website Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road

I Must Issue a Warning to the Residents of Idaho and Montana...

We have found that if we're going to go there... the weather is going to get wet, cold and even snowy...

It'll be 72 and sunny... the day before we arrive... but the morning of our arrival... the weather'll be comin' in... Well... We're planning on spending much of the summer in the Idaho/Montana country... so... you folks up there should count on and plan for a cold, wet summer! :) Sorry!!

We rolled along 530, down the west side of Flaming Gorge reservoir, crossing out of Wyoming and back into Utah. It's open, high desert country... The kind of country that washes away that pressure in your chest. You know, that sensation that feels like a pair of the "Biggest Losers" is using your chest for a bench while they have lunch.

At the southern end of the lake we turned back east for 25 miles or so to climb up through Cedars and Pines to get to the Red Canyon area.

*A byway pullout at Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area*

... and of course... my great ability at herding precipitation into an area... was easily maintained...

Just west of this pretty little lake is the road that turns down into the Canyon Rim Campground. Considering the weather I figured it would be better to stay on some paved roads for a bit... rather then trying to drag a 12,000 lb. fiver through the mud hunting a Boondocking camp.

So... we turned down the road to Canyon Rim... only to find it closed... apparently for Bark Beetle mitigation work... But now worries... There's two more camps along the same road... Greens Lake and Red Canyon...

It was Red Canyon that we chose... and by late afternoon the temps had climbed back up enough to melt off the inch or two of snow that had fell...

*Red Canyon Campground, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area*

I like this country. It's got it all. Tall timber, Far views... and the Freedom only found in the West... at least the only Freedom that I can recognize...

*Flaming Gorge*

When the sun came out in the late afternoon, we took a walk down past the visitor center... The traffic is pretty heavy here... and required us to wait for it to clear a bit, before we could cross the road...

*A Utah Traffic Jam*

I'm not sure who was watching who... We had to keep backing off when these four gals kept advancing on the dogs! :) Now, I'm one who is the first to tell folks to keep a proper distance from wild critters... you get too close, and they'll be on you before you can react...

But... how are you supposed to do that... when the critters keep following YOU! :)

*Big Horn Tourists  in Flaming Gorge... watching the canine tourists!*

*Flaming Gorge Big Horns*

It was a cold night... but... the weather man keeps promising that spring is on the way... anybody seen it anywhere? We kept south... just moved west, and still haven't seen a whole lot of it... but... I looked at the calender... it's Supposed to be coming... Hell, it's supposed to BE here, It's May! :)

So... we'll wait... keep the propane tanks full... and hope... that the dumbo scientists who have been claiming that Global Warming is a comin' aren't weather dyslexic... and  that in reality... it's another Ice Age! :)

Camped in Far Country
Brian

Return to the main site of goin' RV Boondocking or Visit my Sister website Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road