Saturday, November 24, 2012

Traditions--Same Trip, Same Stops, Same Time more or less....




Traditions—Same trip, same stops, same time more or less.....

Our annual trip to warmer clines has a sameness to it year after year. 

Pre-position the 5th wheel in Eugene in October.   Drive the truck to Eugene after it snows in Wenatchee stopping at the LaQuinta Inn in Woodburn.  Pick-up the 5th wheel in Eugene and resupply while camping at Armitage County Park.  Then down to Valley of the Rogue State Park outside Medford.  If the weather is good we continue to Black Butte Lake outside Orland, California.

That was the plan this year and it worked pretty well.   We left a good month early to miss the snow and rain.  It snowed in Wenatchee just prior to leaving.  Then it poured all the way to Eugene.

We stored the “must be dry” stuff in the Rubbermaid tubs.  They fit perfectly and by drilling four holes in the cover.  The covers can be secured with cable ties.  The system worked great. 
Everything else was double wrapped in large black garbage bags.  Only one of those bags allowed rain water to meet clothes!
The bicycle seats and electronics were wrapped into small garbage bags and then taped to be water proof.  It worked. 

Rain and lots of it forced us to travel at 40-50mph to Medford.  However, the net day it was clear sailing all the way to Black Butte Lake.

We had the same campsite at Armitage County Park.  Then the same campsite at Valley of the Rogue State Park.  However, we got a surprise when we got to Black Butte Lake. There were campers and lots of them for Thanksgiving weekend.  Our lonely campground was packed.



Bugaboo, once again is enjoying Black Butte Lake.  He gets his morning two mile walk along the trails.  This morning he went on point for mice twice and flushed a jack rabbit  that rather quickly ran down the trail.  A few quail, moments later and I am sure for him it was the perfect start to a perfect day.

Trails are drying out rapidly from rainstorms last week.   We took the bicycles up the trails and had a great time winding through the oak and grass covered slopes.  There was a dead baby rattlesnake on the road heading north from the campground.  It does not look real “snaky”, but it is probably a good thing that Bugaboo has his rattlesnake vaccination. 



Temperatures have been perfect at Black Butte Lake, but our four night stay is coming to a close.  Rain is predicted for Wednesday and hopefully we will be in the Mohave Desert and dry by then.

Monday…we head to Kit Fox continuing the “traditions” .  Then a stop at Orange Grove RV Park outside Bakersfield and the third day we hope to settle down for a few days at Katherine’s Landing on Lake Mohave, Lake Mead National Recreation Area.



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