Black Butte Lake, Orland, California

usbackroads destination-black butte lake, orland, california

We are back at Black Butte Lake for the third time in four years.  This tells you something about the quality of the area.  The campground fees have gone from eight dollars to SIXTEEN dollars this year.  Half-price with a Golden or Inter-Agency Pass.  Wow, if there is no inflation why is the Federal government increasing prices for campgrounds EVERY year??

We finally left Medford in-between weather fronts.  I kept watching the conditions around Shasta City and kept thinking that the weather man was wrong with winter storm warnings and watches for the area.  Well, there was snow alongside of I-5 almost into Redding!  Wet pavement, but no snow or ice for our 47 feet of rolling stock.

We did see a bumper sticker on the way into California.  It said..."Help the Third World.....Vacation in California".  A sad commentary on the decline of a great state over the past thirty years.  However, the mountain areas of California remain....what California was once.   A former great state, now becoming what it has always been critical of since its creation.  If the song was written today.  Would it be "Texas Dreaming"?.

Black Butte Lake has been our FIRST winter stop in California and it has always come through.  We arrived to sunny skies and temperatures of 60 degrees.  The campground is totally empty.  Yep, four hosts and one camper.

So we have taken this opportunity to dry out the 5th wheel, further test the electric bicycles, and let the dogs get some needed exercise.  Seems the Corps of Engineers have come up with a handy-dandy stake for keeping your dogs on a leash while allowing them some freedom.

Seems a bit much for a dog like Snowpatch, however, if we had tied Bugaboo to that stake there is a chance that he would have managed to rip it out of the ground.

For years we have picked activities around our kid.  All of you know the drill.  Swim practices, piano, and any other activity.  Your friends become those folks going through the same life experiences that you are going through.

So your retired.  And your pick campgrounds and activities based on your dogs needs!!  Well Buckhorn Campground has a great hiking trail right next to the campground for the dogs!!

This is the first spot that we have been able to ride the electric bicycles.  Sunny and no rain!!  Complete report coming in a future blog.   Yes, there are some interesting differences between bicycling and electric bicycling.

Here is the view of our campsite.  Complete with two kennels for the dogs and a fancy Camping World carpet for the front steps.  We thought we were buying two smaller carpets, but the package contained ONE large carpet.  Oh well, check out that folding rocking chair sitting on the carpet.  Isn't that what retirement is about??

Now the US Corp of Engineers is world renown for their concrete work.  Well, there is nothing like a little bit of concrete to save a dying tree!!

For some reason this was never covered in my Forestry education.  Must have been a horticultural thing.