North Corral Creek Campground

November 5-9, 2012

Monday- We went to an internet café and got somewhat decent speeds for surfing.  We had our inaugural commute via double scoot.  It went very well!   Missy has definitely improved her driving after her class!   We’re going to try to use the scooter as much as possible, since we get 60 mpg.  The only snag in the plan is when we want to go somewhere to have a hike.   Then we have to take the truck so Cassie can come.   But yay for having the option now!

After checking weather reports and seeing that the extended forecasts were still favorable at our next spot (i.e. no scary snowstorms), we decided to stay in our current spot for a bit longer.    When we got back to camp, we checked out the other side of the campground.    When we first got here, there were a couple of campers already here.    Now that they’ve gone, we feel that they had the best spot.   Better views (we can now see the river from our rig).  We’ll move tomorrow.    We had a campfire tonight.   The stars put on a nice show for us, as long as we were outside.    When we were ready to call it a night, I shoveled about 2 tons of sand on that sucker to make SURE it was out.   Fire Safety is Important!

Tuesday- We got semi-packed and drove 100 yards to our new spot.  (We didn’t pull in the slides).   Love it!!!!!!   We should have moved earlier when the other people first left.   This spot has 2 trees for shade…very helpful for the full sun and high 80s weather we’ve been having.   Other than moving, we spent some time on bike projects.  Specifically: installing kick stands and bells.    For some reason, WalMart doesn’t think adults want bells.    So I now have a Cars bell on my bike, and Missy got the coveted SpiderMan.

Wednesday:  Woke up early this morning, but still had to wait almost an hour for the one English speaking radio station to get around to announcing who won the Presidential Election.   Woo-hoo!   No Mitt!   It was kind of a strange feeling not knowing who won, and more specifically, not knowing whilst the rest of the nation DID know.   We discussed looking into getting a cell phone booster or satellite internet system.    We enjoyed the last of the shorts/flip flops weather for the foreseeable future.

Thursday: Left early for a trip to Bakersfield.   It’s about an hour twenty south.    It includes a long stretch by the Scary and Impressive Kern River valley.    There are tons of warning signs about taking the river seriously and not dying.   I wish we could see it when it was running.   We got into town around 9:30.   Found out the library didn’t open until 11.   So we did some shopping at Walmart first.    When we got to the library, we found out that there was crappy wifi.   Sigh.   I miss Colorado and its great wifi and phone reception in the mountains.   (I do NOT, however, miss its cold and snowy winters). I did a lot of research on upcoming moves.  Missy did a lot of research on cell phone boosters and sat.    It’s hard to do anything without an address for shipping to.    We tabled technology discussions and left the library.

Next up: Costco.   We were extremely disappointed that they didn’t have the Kirkland sunglasses that we have been desperately seeking.    We got them a while ago in MN, but since then, they’ve never been stocked again.  (ours have scratches).  We were certain that CA, where it’s sunny and warm still, would stock them.   Nope.     This trip to town was turning into a real bust.    Interesting notes about Costco:  unlike the rest of CA, the prices were pretty much the same as in MN.   But some differences between states include: in CA, the eggs are in one 18 pack; whereas in MN you have to buy two 18 packs.   Also, they don’t sell caffeine free diet pepsi.  Boo-hiss!   I guess they use that shelf space to sell Squirt.   Is that more refreshing than CFDP?   Hell No!   And finally, at the exit, one of the vendor booths you pass (carpets, furnaces, etc.) is for caskets.    Huh?????  I wonder how many impulse buys for caskets they get in a week.

Friday:  Today was forecast to be quite a bid colder.   Highs only in the 50s.   We drove with the pooches to check out that boondocking clearing we found last week.   It was a great place to park and be able to do a walk that Buddy could handle.    It was strange having the sun be as harsh as ever, but not provide much warmth.    As we were getting ready to go back home, clouds moved in and we got some precipitation.   Where we were, it was mostly rain with some snow.   But as each system passed over the nearby mountain tops, it deposited fresh snow up high.   Then the sun would come out and melt it.   Rinse and repeat all day.   It was fun to watch this weather system all day.   At night, we had some cold temps into the low 30s.   Luckily, the furnace worked wonderfully.   

Still Corral Creek

November 1-4, 2012

We’ve had a change of plans.    When we went into Lake Isabella to use the library, we were sad to find out that there was no free wifi.   So we drove to the McDonalds and sat in the parking lot and used their weakfish wifi.    Since there are no free RV dumps nearby, and since we now need to find some fee wifi, we decided to wait on heading up to the forest campground.    With now having to plan on paying for a private campground between boondocking ($40-50/night) and with gas at $4.20/gallon…we need to be more fiscally conservative with our moving about.    Sooooo.   That means staying at our current free location for another week or so until it’s time to dump our tanks.    Then, after paying for one night at a private place, we’ll stay put at a free spot for the full 3 weeks our tanks allow before moving to a new spot.

We’ve been passing the time by enjoying the hot sun and doing some exploring of our neighborhood.    A word of advice: if you want to hike, do it in the morning.    The afternoons get way too hot to enjoy any activity.    I took Cassie on a fun hike on the Rincon Trail one morning.    It worked out nicely, since I got to hike in the shadow of the foothill on the way up.  

Another day, both Missy and I took Cassie to another spot where there was a sign for the Rincon trail.  (I think this trail is kind of like the Superior Hiking Trail).    However, we erred in parking our truck by the sign.   Turns out you were meant to drive on the dirt road for quite a bit before parking and finding the trail.    Oh Well.    We enjoyed the walk on the dirt road… lots of tree coverage and great views.     Plus….we found a potential boondocking site!    It is completely private, with a huge clearing and 360 views.    It might get a little hot in the full sun, but perhaps the temps will cool down in the coming weeks.     The only issues to work out were to verify if we’d fit underneath the low hanging power lines, and to check if we could get the RV up the windy dirt road.    When we finished our hike, we drove the truck back to the spot.   There’s a tricky bit of turnaround needed.    We might need to back up and pull forward a few times, but I think we can make it.    Then we went to the power line and measured the distance.     After getting back to the rig, it seems like we’ll clear underneath with 4-5 inches to spare.    But I’m holding final judgment until we’re hooked up and I can get an accurate reading.     But for now, Missy for one is extremely excited for our new find.    It will be nice to be away from the main road completely, and it will be nice to be away from all the trash!

Tomorrow we are going to double scoot into town to look for an internet café (where I can hopefully post this).   While in town, we’ll check out the RV parks to see which will be the best fit for us when we move on Wed or Thursday.    

 

Just for fun...Pictures of the Family!

Pictures

That's our home...for now!

Overlooking the Kern River

Kern River

Looking up at our rig from the river level

Cassie in front of a giant sequoia tree

Gorgeous Sequoia!

Missy and Buddy next to a tipped over Sequoia

Dad...how long would it take you to make this into neat stacks of firewood?

Corral Creek Campground, Sequoia National Forest

October 30-31, 2012

Here are our impressions of our new home.    It’s got great views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.   Unfortunately, we’re in a spot where there was a fire some years ago, so it’s not as tree laden as we’d like.    I hate to be picky about a free spot, but I can’t help but complain about the trash.   It’s everywhere!    Food trash, dirty diapers, toilet paper.   It’s really hard to comprehend how terribly people have treated this campground.   Why doesn’t a boy scout troop take care of this?    I’m guessing that this spot gets great use by the rafting companies during the summer.   Why aren’t rafting companies monitoring trash pickup?  Missy and I are going to see about maybe doing some trash pickup while we’re here.   But even if we filled 3 giant contractor bags, we probably wouldn’t get more than a 20 foot radius from the RV clean.   Sigh.

Sunrise is around 8:30 (defined as when we see the sun peak out from the mountains).    Sunset is at 5:00.    So far we’ve had full moons, so you can walk around at night and see everything clearly.    Since we’ve been here, there have been no clouds.    Daytime temps get into 80s.   In the shade, it’s comfy with the breeze.   But in the full sun, it’s unbearable.   I’m disappointed.   I don’t see how we can do hikes or ride bikes in these conditions.   Maybe when we explore a little more up the mountain, we’ll find better forest trails (i.e. shaded).

Several times during the day we get fly-bys of military jets.    They are quite impressive specimens.    Some go by high, and that alone gives off a great loud noise.   But once or twice, they fly by really low, like maybe only 50 yards overhead.    That is deafening and alarming to both man and beast.  (Deaf Buddy hears that one).   The pilots do this Top Gun maneuver by tipping their planes sideways and following the curve of the mountain sides.    At first I assumed that we must be at war….but now I’m guessing that they are using the mountains here as training tools.    Next time we’re in range we might have to call Dad and see what he thinks.

So far, I’ve got to say we’re enjoying this campsite.  It’s not what I was expecting back when we were planning in MN.    But, I can’t complain (too much) about free mountain camping!  Coming up in the next few days, we’re going to head up the mountain to check out possible other spots closer to the forest.   And we’re going to scootie to the Grove of One Hundred Giants.   This, according to the nice ranger, is the closest grove of Sequoias to us.   I’m anxious to see them…this is what I was excited for when I picked this National Forest.    I suppose it was naïve of me to assume that the whole forest from boundary to boundary was covered in giant Sequoias.

Oh…we had a nature encounter this morning!  A beaver was swimming around in our section of the river.   We’re right by a giant eddy, and it went over and swam around a bit.  It wasn’t shy at all.   I wondered if it had a home nearby, because why else would it swim within 15 feet of shore where 2 dogs are barking at it?    Missy said it must be rabid.   Either way, it was great to be able to watch it for 20-30 minutes. 

Missy got bit by a fire ant after she foolishly set up her lounger on their home.   She twas a bit of a baby about the whole thing.  :-)

 

Halloween:  We left camp early with the dogs to check out a trailhead listing a hike to a waterfall.    We were hoping it was nice and easy, for Buddy.    The going’s rough for him on the riverside trails at home because of all the big river rocks.   We never did find the waterfall, but we enjoyed our walk up the surprisingly well maintained forest road.   When we got back to the truck, it was such a nice day that we agreed to keep driving and see if we could find the Trail of 100 Giants.    It turned out to be about 20 miles/45 minutes away.    We were the ONLY people on the road and at the trail.  (Full disclosure: one other couple did show up while we were walking the trail).   Man, off-season touring is the way to go!    The giant sequoias are mind boggling.   There’s a paved trail winding its way through the forest.   Cassie had a blast hunting the squirrels.    And Buddy enjoyed a barrier free forest hike!   After leaving the grove, we pulled off to check out a possible new boondocking site.  (Oh, first we drove through the pay/$18 campground adjacent to 100 giants….it was tiiiiiiiny.   Our truck alone barely made the curves on the loop).    It caught our attention immediately.   Gorgeous pine trees with cleared understory.   And plenty of sunlight streaming in.     We carefully checked it out, and we think we can get the RV in.    I just hope it’s an acceptable camping spot.   There are no signs saying “no camping”, and it fits the rules for dispersed camping in the national forest.    Let’s just hope no rangers roust us…     The plan is to go into town tomorrow (Thursday) and see if the library has internet.   Then we’ll get last groceries and head up the mountain first thing Friday morning.     We’ll stay as long as our tanks allow us…hopefully at least 2 weeks.    So it might be awhile before I get to post again.     Wish us luck with the weather!

 

First Days in California

  October 28-29, 2012

We woke up in our sucky campsite rejuvenated.   Yesterday we couldn’t imagine feeling recovered from our road trip until after a couple of days of relaxing.  But the ugly campground and the high fee ($20/night for with NO hookups) motivated us to find a new spot.   We took off at around 9 to scout our next home.   First we drove back to look at the BLM campsite in daylight.   Although it was on the Kern river (a fun looking class 3-5…too bad it’s not running), the mountains and surroundings are rather bare.   Not too many trees.   There was an open parking lot area we could have squeezed into next to the 2 or 3 other rigs.   But Missy vetoed it, and as usual we follow UN Security Council rules.

We then headed 10 miles north to Kernville.  This is the Southern tip of the Sequoia National Forest.   We had a list of 3 or 4 campgrounds up the Kern River that were open and could maybe fit our rig.    As we checked them out, we started to get really worried.   For the most part, the fee campgrounds were tiny and not suited for big rigs.   Even if we did find a spot we could make do, the campgrounds were ugly.   Run down and not very well laid out.    But then…we spotted an oasis in the desert!    A free campground, right on the river with fantastic mountain views!!!    We scouted carefully to make sure the rig would fit, and then headed back to pack up and move the RV again.

On the way, we stopped at the ranger station.   I wanted to get a permit for campfires.  Luckily, there was a ranger there who was just on his way out.   I guess they aren’t usually open on Sundays, but he was stopping in so he was able to get me the permit and he made me a copy of the forest map.   Such a nice guy!

We got hooked up in record time….and then got the rig filled with water.    We’d been told by the host that there was a threaded spigot…but it was worn mostly free and covered in calcium.  So we had to use the camp hosts’ water.   It seemed to take forever to get filled.   Finally, we were on our way.    We stopped to fill up the propane tanks at True Value, and then got back to our new home at around 2.   It is wicked hot here.   When the sun is shining full on, it’s scorching.   Luckily, Missy got us parked to that we can sit out front and be totally shaded by the fitty.  Since the inside temp went over 80 degrees, we decided to take cold showers to save on propane.    Very refreshing in the heat.

Road Trip, Days 2 and 3

October 26-27, 2012

Day 2 of the road trip was mostly uneventful.   We put in another 10 hours of driving before stopping at a rest stop in Sun Valley, Arizona.  We were next to noisy semis like at Walmart last night, but we were both so exhausted that we slept great.   It was cold overnight, but we managed with extra layers and some use of the furnace.    The next morning we made our coffee and indulged in watching a show before we got on the road.    I must admit, although I thought we could do fine without an inverter, I am greatly enjoying using it!

Day 3 of the road trip went mostly smooth.   We had a couple of hiccups with the GPS, which made for short bits of anxiety as far as getting the rig going the right way again.   We thought we’d be at the campground (BLM) around 5:30, but we were late as usual.   This meant we were trying to find it in the dark.   It was scary not being able to see down dirt roads to evaluate if the rig would fit.   I decided to pull the plug on the BLM and we went back about 5 miles to pull into a National Forest campground: Paradise Cove (near Lake Isabella).    This campground Suuuuuuuuuuucks!   I can only assume it was named ironically.  Tight corners on the loops.  And some idiot decided to line the ENTIRE roadsides with concrete bumpers.   This meant there was NO wiggle room off the shoulder.   Parking in the dark and the concrete barriers made this one of the toughest parking jobs yet.    Missy and I almost got divorced; there was extreme snippiness going on.    But we finally got it parked.   (Luckily the entire campground was empty.   Only the camp hosts were witnesses to our fighting and prolonged parking job).  We unloaded the generator, ate dinner and went to bed.

Random Stuff from the Trip:

-In Kansas (I think), we passed the Agriculture Hall of Fame.   Missy and I both immediately added “getting inducted” to our bucket lists.   We need to research how to get in there.

-In Arizona, we passed a sign for “bulk water”.    I don’t know why, but this amused us.   Might have been the road weariness setting in.

-We alternated between listening to an audio-book and listening to tunes, both from the cell phone.    We were seriously annoyed that the app we downloaded to run both had a problem with the audio-book.  Every time it switched tracks, it would jump around to random other spots in the book.   We felt mighty stupid when we finally realized what it was…the shuffle setting was left on.   D’oh!    Missy just figured it out when we got over the California border.