Bonito Campground at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument - 8/12/17

Bonito Campground at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument - 8/12/17

Full circle, back camping at Bonito Campground in Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.    We truly enjoy camping here, even if we have to go completely dry (no electricity, no water, no sewer … only what we carry for water and use of our batteries for electricity and propane gas for cooking, heating water and maintaining our refrigerator).

As we drove down from Utah, we realized that for the first time in weeks that we saw blue skies, really blue, with white cumulonimbus clouds billowing in the distance.  We left the smoke and haze behind and regained our blue skies on our way home.  We had rain last night in Panguitch (Paiute for “big fish”), Utah and that must have also cleared the skies … no dust, no haze, no smoke … just deep, cyan blue skies.  And, in the far distance, we could see the summer monsoon storm building over the San Francisco Peaks and knew that we’d be entering a rainstorm when we arrive at Bonito Campground.

We’re at approximately 7,000 foot elevation here, rain showers have arrived, thunder is rolling around the mountains bouncing off of Sunset Crater and the surrounding San Francisco Peaks.  We actually have cool, bordering on cold, temperatures … first time that we’ve both been in jackets … so close to home and we’ve found cool.  Rufous hummingbirds are whirling around the campsite and Stellar’s blue jays inspect each campsite.  Abert’s squirrels are also about harvesting pine nuts.  Some opportunistic flowers have flowered trying to catch a last chance for pollination before the summer ends.

Home tomorrow … perhaps we wander for the richness of gaining new experiences … and, if that is the case, we are quite wealthy.   And, we appreciate your willingness to go along for the ride … so does Bambi.

Bambi enjoys harvesting new experiences … the javelinas enjoy going along for the ride.

Shout-out to Anita:  A shout-out to Anita, my mother, who will be celebrating her 90th birthday later this month with family and friends in Tucson.  She has genuine “sisu” (it’s a Finnish thing …)!

What Do We Do At Night? - 8/10/17

What Do We Do At Night? - 8/10/17

The question has been asked about how do we entertain ourselves in the evening … (no, we won’t go there …)

The easiest, and most obvious, answer is that we read … freed up from the weekly pressure of keeping with The New Yorker, we can actually read books that have been piling up.   And, when we have Internet connectivity, there is the endless “reality show” drama of the daily news cycle on The New York Times and Washington Post.

Sometimes we are able to pick up local television channels with our antenna and even more rarely, we are able to get the local PBS channel and stay in touch with our PBS Newshour friends and their reporting on the national and world events.

Paul is an avid crossword puzzle enthusiast … and he brought along a book of Will Shorz’ best (read hardest) New York Times crossword puzzles.  While we have solved a few of the puzzles, we were daunted by the complexity and obscurity of several of the puzzles … the book has not found its way out of Paul’s briefcase recently … I think that it is “dead to us”.

Scrabble has also been a part of our nighttime entertainment … two individuals locked in competition, like center court at Wimbledon, and Paul so soundly beat me last time that I have not proposed any re-match recently.  I suffered silently as I had such wonderful word opportunities with
double and triple value (“quince” and “zeros”), only to watch Paul snatch up my possible opportunities … he was an admirable competitor and my loss humbling.

We have a guilty pleasure of watching the first season of Mr. Robot … not a television series for everyone … but if watching a paranoid, likely schizophrenic, cyber security expert lead an Occupy Wall Street-like movement against an evil corporation sounds like entertainment, this is a fast moving, visually exciting drama.

And, if one is in Brigham City, Utah at a KOA campground, one goes to an ice cream social … not to be sociable, but to bring more ice cream back to Bambi … to watch the last episode of Mr. Robot.

Bambi advises us to get a new crossword puzzle book and … to me, to work harder at Scrabble …

Shout-out to Bruce:  A shout-out to our friend, Bruce, who is the only person whom we have ever met who can claim the distinction of having published a crossword puzzle in The New York Times … so impressive!

Shout-out to Trudy:  A shout-out to my sister, Trudy, who is caring for our house and plants and making it easy to be out on this adventure.  Many thanks!  You made it possible to travel with peace of mind!

Mountain Biking and McCall, ID - 8/9/17

Mountain Biking and McCall, ID - 8/9/17

We tried some mountain biking trails today … we have professional mountain biking expertise in the family, so one might think that I have some mountain biking skills … not.  Ponderosa State Park is on a peninsula jutting into Payette Lake.  The park has developed a mountain bike and trail hike system that essentially circumnavigated the peninsula … trails paralleling the shoreline and then climbing a rocky prominence toward the tip of the peninsula to give one a view of the entirety of the lake.

The “mellow” green trails were a piece of cake, even paved, running along the shoreline, building my fledgling confidence.   The “intermediate” blue trails less so as we added single track trails with obstacles and elevation. I’ve learned some new lessons (don’t laugh) … the wrong choice of gear going up a hill can stop forward momentum … roots and sharp rocks can stop forward momentum … and when forward momentum stops, I turn into a mountain bike walker … and I walked up a couple of hills … and then down some hills.  I don’t think that walking a mountain bike is the same as mountain biking.  Paul was more successful than I was, but we both turned around before the “advanced” dark purple trails were reached.  I think that I prefer the security of my own hiking feet … but, I must admit, one certainly covers more of the trail on a bike … and going downhill is exhilarating … I just couldn’t see much of it because I was watching for those momentum-stopping, bike walking, large roots and sharp rocks.  More to learn …

McCall called to us … we took our bikes into McCall, Idaho both to explore the town and to get some groceries.

Later, we headed back to town to have dinner once it cooled off … dinner at Salmon River Brewery … local beer and and exceptionally tasty Thai beef salad while sitting on a open deck watching the breezes rattle the leaves on the trees below and the sunset over the lake… life is good.

Then on to Ice Cream Alley, where life is even better.  Ice cream is a major aspect of life in the land of the L.D.S. Church … the treat that had seemingly everyone in the town lined up to get.  A cheerful young woman took our order after we patiently waited in a long, but fast moving line, and was delighted to know that we had come all the way from Tucson to visit McCall.  After placing our order, we waited briefly for the “mountain” of ice cream to be delivered to us and sat in the alley patio as we ate our “single scoop” cones that each must have been a half pint of ice cream and watching the world of McCall converge on Ice Cream Alley and enjoy all forms of ice cream treats (the sundaes were almost pornographic …)

Bambi wanted to know why we didn’t bring any ice cream back for him … Fritz was stoic, as usual …

Shout-Out to Hillary:  Our daughter-in-law, Hillary, is a professional mountain bike racer and a mountain bike coach.  She has a big birthday tomorrow and we send her our best wishes for a wonderful birthday and great year to come.  And, I know who can help me with mountain biking skills …

Ponderosa State Park on Payette Lake - 8/8/17

Ponderosa State Park on Payette Lake - 8/8/17

We started our return pilgrimage back home … heading south to Ponderosa State Park on Payette Lake, Idaho.  We had long wanted to see Payette Lake and the community of McCall, Idaho.

We followed the Salmon River through the mountains lined with high desert sage brush, following the river and then climbing to the forested mountains and up to Payette Lake, around 5100 feet elevation with surrounding mountains hosting ski areas.  The Salmon River valley was filled with smoke… and the high desert sage brush looked dry and vulnerable.  The forested mountains, gigantic ponderosa pines and the beautiful lake provided a welcome sight … we had arrived at Ponderosa State Park and the charming town of McCall, Idaho with nearby ski areas.

Ponderosa State Park is another one of the well-designed parks in the Idaho State Park system.  It is heavily used by families for their camping experiences by a lake … paved bicycle trails for kids and ready access to the lake.  There are an amazing number of families with six, seven, even eight children … all stair-stepped one to two years from each other … we are clearly in the land of the L.D.S. church … even a few families with one adult male with two or more adult females and multiple children … perhaps “living the principle” (see “Big Love”).

Our site is spacious and shaded by huge ponderosa pine trees towering about 400 feet tall with small pine squirrels and chipmunks chattering in the huckleberry shrubs on the forest floor.    Payette Lake is larger than I had expected, supporting a wide range of water craft, with the town of McCall anchoring the lively village life around the lake.  We walked along the lakeside, watched the sunset over the water, cooled by the breezes off of the water and spied a couple of fawns (still spotted) munching a few bushes in the early evening.  Tomorrow we’ll explore the area by bike.

Bambi seemed pleased to be back in a forest, cooled by breezes off of the lake … protected by a gigantic ponderosa pine.

Shout-Out to Bob’s sister and brother-in-law:  We passed by the area where our friend, Bob, has a sister and brother-in-law, living near Cottonwood, Idaho.  Actually, we understand that they have a home in a remote location where they have an airplane in a hanger that also includes their home … makes me mindful of winter conditions in the high desert.  Alas, timing did not work to visit, but perhaps another time …

More of the Selkirk Loop - Sandpoint, Idaho - 8/7/17

More of the Selkirk Loop - Sandpoint, Idaho - 8/7/17

Picture the face of a clock … that is the Selkirk International Loop … two countries and two states.  We’re staying at Blueslide RV Resort in Cusick, WA … approximately at 8 o’clock.  Nelson, BC was at approximately 11 o’clock and Balfour, BC at approximately 12 o’clock.  Our next destination was Sandpoint, Idaho at about 5 o’clock on the imaginary clock face.  We had wanted to visit Sandpoint as another possible vacation location along the Selkirk Loop … and because our friend, Regina, had always urged us to visit it.

Again, we left Bambi to wait patiently at Blueslide, WA as we made our way further along the Selkirk Loop to Sandpoint to check it out.  This is beginning to sound like a travelogue … not intentionally, but our plans for hiking have been altered by the heat (mid-90s in Sandpoint) and the air quality with the smoke.

We started our Sandpoint adventure at the City Beach, walking around a park area jutting out into Pend Oreille Bay and gathering place for families to spend time playing in the water.  We found the Pend Oreille Bay Trail and walked the bayside trail between the communities of Sandpoint and Ponderay (so American to anglicize the French word, Pend Oreille … you can hear me groaning).

It is hard to capture the impact of the fires … the picture below shows the layers of mountains across the water that can be barely glimpsed and the larger mountains beyond are invisible in the haze.

We then walked through the renovated cannery building and into the town center.  One thing that we can always do is eat and found our way to Baxter’s for another tasty lunch before more wandering through the town.  We did find the true “town square” … and decided that it was time to head back home to Bambi …

Shout-Out to Regina:  We finally made it to Sandpoint and it was a treat!   With al of the waterways, we fully understand why you had wanted to consider us all moving there.  I can picture you in your kayak on the waters with Jim in his canoe with your blue heeler in the bow. Thanks for the recommendation!

Nelson, BC - Part 2 - A Gem - 8/6/17

Nelson, BC - Part 2 - A Gem - 8/6/17

Nelson was a delight … such a pleasure that we may find a way to spend more time there, perhaps this is the alternative second location that we had hoped to find.

Bi-lingualism is universal … it is a treat for me to see French and even more a comfort to see the commitment, even in western British Columbia, to creating a country that celebrates its diversity.

The main street, Baker Street, has been lovingly restored with local shops, businesses and restaurants.  And, we ran across three yoga studios before finding the first bar … something for everyone.

We walked along the Kootenai River to the City Beach and enjoyed the local commitment to creating a public space for all to enjoy … even the Nelson Electric Train that runs along the waterway.  We had lunch at Loka, a locavore Mediterranean-inspired restaurant and had a fearlessly cheerful waitress and a deliciously excellent lunch … followed by more walking around the city.  The younger man with the harem pants, untied hiking boots, skinny t-shirt, body ink and man bun was as welcome as the the older man with khaki pants, docker shoes, button-down shirt and regular man’s haircut.  Young families mingled with older folks, street people with shop owners, everyone had a dog (or a kid, or both), and eclecticism ruled the day.  We even found a possible location to live … near the heart of the town and close enough to the riverside walk with a co-op grocery store on the ground floor.  We just may have found a second home for a couple of wayward aging hippies … stay tuned.

While we walked along the river front park, we watched helicopters carrying thimbleful baskets of water or slurry to the fire zone further up the mountain … somehow they looked so Lilliputian compared to the task of handling the fires.  Apparently the fire chief of Nelson had the day before flown to the site of the fire to confirm that the city’s water source was not threatened and was reassured, but the talk of the town was the air quality and the heat.

We continued our drive along the Selkirk trail to the town of Balfour where a ferry carries one across to Courtney Bay, the other side of the Kootenai Lake … the longest free ferry crossing in the world (so they say) … but, we decided not to wait in the endless line of RVs, motorcycles and other vacationers trying to get home on Sunday afternoon … that trip will have to wait until we return some day

We turned around, said goodbye to Nelson and Canada and returned to Bambi who was waiting patiently for us to return at Blueslide, WA.

Nelson, BC - Part 1 - Crossing the Border -8/

Nelson, BC - Part 1 - Crossing the Border - 8/6/17

Situations change … and we must be flexible with our plans along the way.

We decided to not bring Bambi any further north … there is a fire incident encampment just a few miles up the road and the locals complain that the cellphone traffic from the incident camp is slowing down Internet connectivity episodically.  Frankly, I’d trade slow Internet traffic for a reduction in the fires any day … the air quality is worse … and heading further north with Bambi just feels like going into the heart of darkness …

But, we could head north with Fritz (the uncomplaining German) and visit the town of Nelson, BC … first, though, we must get across the border before the Canadians build a wall or ban Americans from heading north (after all, we must all be murderers, drug dealers and/or rapists, right?)

We hit the border early and met two Canadian Border Control Agents … it must have been a slow morning as they decided that their system identified us for a “random” search.  Gone are the days of driving across the Canadian border with just a valid driver’s license … we were prepared with our passports and Canadian money.  It turns out that one must have a valid passport to enter Canada because the US requires a valid passport to enter the USA … Canada cannot accept anyone in its country that cannot get back into their country of origin (I thought that Canada had initiated the change …).

The first question that the Border Control Agent had for us was “What brings you to Canada?”  When we responded that we wanted to escape the heat of Arizona, he asked “And how is that working for you?”  He went on to describe the 101 degree temperatures from last week … perhaps he only says that to Americans to discourage them from heading to Canada.  The agent then conducted a search of Fritz and had a hard time believing that a couple from Arizona was not carrying weapons … after all, we’re from Arizona, land of everyone packing a gun.  Our agent had family near Scottsdale and he had visited and knew that everyone in Arizona walked around with a gun on their hip. We claimed Tucson as our home and that it is a small island of sanity in the midst of the Republican Red Sea of Arizona.  He looked a bit dubious …

Our only weapon was bear spray for hiking, which, of course, he wanted to see.  He was a bit dismayed to see that we still had the safety catch on our bear spray cans and solemnly advised us that we should cut off the safety catch before hiking (I think that we got credibility points for having the bear spray for hiking and lost our points by still having the safety catch attached … we win some, we lose some).

After having all of the dark windows on Fritz lowered (sunscreen on windows is not popular this far north) and having us remove our sunglasses (the sunglasses were necessary because of the light diffusion glare from the smoke hazed skies), he wanted to know if we were carrying wads of cash in excess of $10,000 … I decided not to joke that we wished that we had that problem.

Off we went to Nelson …

Movin'On - Blueslide Resort, WA on the Selkirk International Loop - 8/5/17

Movin’ On - Blueslide Resort, WA on the Selkirk International Loop - 8//5/17

There is something exciting about moving on down the road … even if it is only a few hours further away.  We had long wanted to explore the Selkirk Loop, a 280 mile road circuit that runs through eastern Washington, British Columbia, Montana and Idaho … here is our opportunity to do at least part of it … And, yes, we’re driving further into the land of smoke and fire … we may have to rethink part of our plan of camping in southern British Columbia.

We headed north and west from Heyburn State Park to pick up the Selkirk Loop around Newport, Washington and then headed north to our first stop, Blueslide Resort near Cusick, Washington.  The word “resort” is overused and, despite the online description, this is not a resort.  At least not how I would describe a “resort”, but fellow campers seem to have found this to be their little piece of paradise.  Many campers are “seasonals” and have set up little fences around their camp sites to define their area, complete with lawn ornaments and portable storage sheds to house the overflow from their trailers.  However, we do have a riverside campsite on the Pend Oreille River and some degree of privacy as our campsite borders the ramp down to the river.

If we were to vacation in this area often, we would need to get into the motorized watercraft culture of water skiing, towing inflatable water floats, jet skis and other forms of powered water vehicles.  From our campsite, we can smell the fumes from the fuel used to feed these crafts.  Our dock even has a gas pump for people to gas up their boats.  People definitely seem to be enjoying themselves and the river is lined with cabins and camping sites designed to support the use of the river for entertainment.  We can see fish coming to the surface to feed during the early morning hours and late into the evening, but fishing does not seem to be popular on this stretch of the Pend Oreille … nor does canoeing or kayaking seem to be used often … the wake from the power boats would likely swamp any canoes.

The smoke from the fires in southern British Columbia continues to create a gauzy haze over the surrounding landscape … it is a bit as if one had dirty eyeglasses … I keep wanting to clean my glasses to bring sharper focus but the haze persists.  Depending on the wind direction, we can begin to smell the fires in the air.  One “good” feature of the haze is that it is blocking some of the sunlight and the temperatures are a bit cooler during the daytime.   And, further north, the nighttime temperatures are definitely cooler …

This is not a sunset picture ... this is the smoke blocking the light and obscuring the distant mountains  that would otherwise have been part of the horizon ...

Paul discovered that he should not challenge the former junior high tetherball champion to a friendly match ... he lost three straight rounds and decided that it was not the game for him ...

Bambi advises being grateful for what we have … a lovely riverside view, cooler nighttime temperatures and an opportunity to explore more of the Selkirk Loop ... and he advises Paul to not play tetherball with Clarissa ...

Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes - Plummer Canyon to the Hn'ya)pqi'nn Trailhead - 8/4/17

Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes - Plummer Canyon to the West End - Hn'ya)pqi'nn Trailhead - 8/4/17

Saving the best for last!  Finally reaching the end of our journey, west to east and east to west, along the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes.  We started early this morning from the Plummer Point Marsh in Heyburn State Park and rode to the west end beginning or ending of the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes.  This section climbs (3% grade) up through a picturesque, steep-sided canyon, Plummer Canyon, to the final stop on our journey … and a simply delightful coast downhill all the way back.

The trail ends at a park established by the Coeur d'Alene Indians. About 15 miles of the trail runs through their reservation.  Interesting side story, the Coeur d’Alenes Indians forced the removal of approximately 15 feet deep of contaminated soil that would have been the foundation for the trail and the had the soil replaced with uncontaminated soil before the asphalt trail was laid … so, the section of the trail that runs through the reservation is safer, less toxic, than the areas that we had been running along off of the reservation (may be one of the rare situations in U.S. Government-Native American history where the Native Americans negotiated a better deal for their welfare).

We zipped along the way back … barely having to pedal … in the shaded, cool of the steep canyon walls and tall pine, fir, cedar and yew trees … and happy in the knowledge that we had completed 144 miles of the trail (west to east and east to west).

We celebrated with running into St. Maries again to do laundry, post to Bambi’s blog (only reliable connection in the area) and to pick up rib eye steaks, salad fixings and a bottle of red wine.

We ate well tonight!  Bambi appreciated the fact that we cooked outdoors and didn’t fire up our stove top.

Bambi also apologizes for the delays in posting.  He hates to disappoint his loyal readers, but we really were out of connectivity range at Heyburn State Park … and Bambi is eager to get on the road again.