The Camping Trip of the Decade

 Camping has never been my thing. Working that hard to go on vacation just reminds me of a dog chasing its tail, there is no end to the work! Anytime Rob suggested a camping trip I said "No Way!!" 

He would go camping during elk season each year with any hunters we had visiting. Till us ladies got them all packed and out of here I was exhausted...then the texts would start shooting back at us, "Did you send any...???

It was just safer to stay home and sleep in my own bed and drink fresh brewed coffee! 

Then the Pandemic of 2020 happened. 

We like to get away from the ranch for a few days.. or a week each summer. In July we had a couple weeks between visitors. We had already cancelled our plane tickets to PA so Rob gave me the ultimatum, either we stay home or go camping, I could choose! 

Camping it is! I was desperate!! He decided we would just go for two nights which suited me fine! I did make one stipulation, we had to take our queen sized 26in deep air mattress! He said no problem! 

I made a list and checked it twice! I packed everything I could think of that would make my life on the mountain easier. 

We were about a half hour from home when Rob exclaimed.."the camp chairs, I didn't put them in the truck"       I had them sitting in the garage right with the coolers except they were leaning against the wall not against the coolers. That cost us about an hour of daylight and at this point he was keeping track!! 

We finally found a camp site about an hour from home....that was how I started gauging everything. :) 

                                 

We got the tent set up without a hitch. Rob got the air mattress out and hooked it up to the air pump. . I looked at the door of the tent and back at the air mattress..."it aint gonna fit and I'm not sleeping with the mosquitoes." He said "it'll fit and if it doesn't we'll just let some air out."  "Alrighty , I hope you know what you're doing!" We carried the mattress over to the tent and I was right,  it didn't fit! He said "ok, lets open the valve and start pushing." We started pushing, it didn't seem like we were making any headway even with the air escaping. It was like pushing an elephant into a telephone booth. Then I started to worry someone would drive by and see us pushing this monstrosity and they would KNOW this was our first time camping! We finally got the thing through the tent door but it was about flat! "I didn't want to drive the truck up here with the trailer hitched to it but it looks like I'm gonna have to, watch I don't hit this tree...!" It took a little wiggling but he got the truck close enough to the tent, if we pulled the mattress out the door as far as we could all the cords would still reach. 

Note to self: Next time put the tent out in the open enough we can get the truck up to it easily!! 

We got the mattress pumped up again. The mattress fit perfect but nothing else did. We had to crawl in at night and back out in the morning. It sure beat sleeping on the ground though!! 

We had a 4 wheeler along so we spent most of our time riding the mountain roads. The first place we rode, was the Indian Mountain Lookout. We drove past open fields of wildflowers. They were so thick it looked like someone planted them.

                                        

                                                        The Lupine was in full bloom

Indian Mountain Lookout, elevation 7250

 We came upon a turkey hen with 4 tiny offspring following her but they flew into the trees before I could get my camera up.

                                      

                                        A doe with a tiny fawn wandered out in front of us. 

                                     

On the way back to our campsite Rob wanted to show me a place on the mountain we could see our ranch. It was pretty hazy but we could see it. Our elevation was just over 5000 ft.

When we looked down the other side of that ridge we saw a deserted ranch. They use it as a hunting camp now.

                                  

 Rob took his binoculars everywhere, just in case he would see some elk. 

                                    

      

The next morning we drove across several ridges to the area we had cattle pastured. We spent several hours looking for our cattle. We had 20 pair on this property but we only found 10 or 11 pairs.

                                               This area had burnt 2 years ago.  

  

    Looking for cattle in this jungle was like looking for a needle in a haystack! 

 

      We finally gave up and went exploring along another mountain road. Rob had never been on it before and wanted to see where we would end up. We followed it several miles till it turned into a walking trail. Rob said, "If you weren't with me I would walk that and see where it leads......" I had wanted to look for huckleberries so he went down the trail and I scouted the area for berries. Half an hour later I was done looking for berries that weren't there and Rob was still walking... after another 15 minutes I knew he was lost. When I got over my panic attack, I started to think somewhat rationally. Neither of us had phone service so I took the 4 wheeler back out the way we had come till my phone found service. I called his phone but it was still dead. I went back to where he left me and waited another 20 minutes. While I was sitting there I heard 3 gun shots. I knew it was Rob trying to tell me where he was but I was sitting in a hole and the shots sounded like they came from behind me. . I waited a few more minutes then drove back to the spot I had service and called him again. I was driving back to our spot again when I heard another shot, closer this time. I turned around and headed in the direction I thought the shot came from, and met him walking on the road. He wasn't lost...he got on the wrong trail when he was coming back, he knew it was the wrong trail, but he couldn't find the right one. He ended up walking in a big circle. He was exhausted and I was worn out with worry...It had been 2 hours since we parted! 

Note to self: Get the man a GPS before our next camping trip!! 

We decided to take one more 4 wheeler ride. Cascade Lake was about 21 miles one way at the bottom of the West mountains. As we came around the last ridge and headed down the mountain the lake spread out before us. 

                            Our first glimpse of the lake at the top of the mountain. 

      

     It was a beautiful sight and well worth the 4-5 hour drive on the back of the 4 wheeler. 

The next day we packed up and headed for home. On the way home, I told Rob it was fun, I enjoyed it, I could have done without all the extra excitement but I would go again.. He asked, a little too eagerly, "You want to go again next week?" Next week just might be a little too soon!! We still had a truck full of camping gear to unload, ask me again when I'm finished unpacking!!