October 21, 2017 Day 135
When my alarm sounded at 06:00 it was STILL raining! Rain, Rain, Go Away Come Again Another Day. Crawling out of my camper I walked in the rain to the restroom and back at my camper I made breakfast which consisted of: steel-cut oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, honey, blueberries, bananas and coffee. Once I ate that I went and did a workout that broke my arms for it was practically all push-ups for thirty minutes. After my workout, I made a tasty vanilla shake and went to take my final shower. :(
With myself all nice and clean and in my new warm hiking pants I went about packing up and organizing to get back on the road. By 11:00, I was pulling out of the RV Park and headed into Washington with the Kalaloch campground being my final destination for the day with a pit stop at the Mount St. Helen's Visitor Center. Before either of those stops though I stopped at a Walmart for bleu cheese, lotion and some ice for my food. At my camper, I took out two hard boiled eggs and a slice of bread which I put almond butter and a banana on for my lunch. By the way it has not stopped raining haha.
The Mount St. Helen's visitor center wasn't what I expected and they wanted me to pay to see their exhibit which I could read about online for free. I was going to drive to see it but it was all overcast so I wouldn't have seen anything. I continued my five hour drive in the gloom and rain and yet it was still pretty for all the trees were in their fall foliage and I was taking the route that took me thru all the small towns. Around 18:00 I pulled into the campground and unfortunately all the beach sites were taken so I backed into one spot and ate dinner in my vehicle where it was warm. Then I climbed into my warm sleeping bag with no socks!!! I can not express how amazing it feels to be able to sleep with no socks on once again.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Day 134
October 20, 2017 Day 134
My new Murre EX0 sleeping bag from Feathered Friends is so warm and cozy that getting up in the morning is proving to be even more challenging. The fact that it is raining outside and gloomy does not help with getting up either. None the less, I did get going with my day by first taking a slice of whole wheat bread and toasting it on a pan and then I added a teaspoon of almond butter and a banana. I ate that with my coffee, inside my camper out of the rain, while I planned the next leg of my trip.
Planning seems to have become more difficult for I cant see past my time in Seattle at the end of the month and the next couple of states I really don't have anything on my list to see. Once I had somewhat of a plan I then called customer service for beachbody on demand to see what was going on with my downloads. During this time, I was noticing that my lights have dimmed in my camper and my converter wouldn't charge my computer anymore so I took a look at my battery and there was a complication. First, my charger indicated it wasn't charging my battery and the battery itself was very low. Then the battery symbol started blinking and I tried to find a manual to tell me what the symbols all mean but I had no luck finding one. In the end, I called up my dad in Florida for him to get in touch with his friend who installed the solar panel for me to see if he knows what is going on. In the meantime, I will just not use my computer in my camper and limit my light usage.
Since I wanted to catch up on my Excel sheets I sat in my vehicle with my computer plugged into it via my converter. From there I ate some blueberries and pomegranate seeds and spoke to a man who was interested in my camper. His partner and him used to have a teardrop but they needed something bigger. After he left I went and did a core de force workout in the gym and after that I had a shake and then I went and took a lovely hot shower; I think if I could live in the shower I would.
All day it never stopped raining and by not even 17:00 I was eating my pre-made dinner of chicken, quinoa and broccoli. While I was heating it up a couple came by to look at my camper and they could not say enough times how amazing it was. They were super nice and the husband was a tall, quite man who used to be a trucker and is fascinated with small things and is currently redoing a beetle car. His wife was short and extremely talkative she would ask a question and before I was done answering she was asking another question or talking about something else. I liked them though and they reminded me of being back in Wisconsin. With nothing else to do for the evening I decided I would go to bed; for all day I was in a crappy mood or more so just a funk.
My new Murre EX0 sleeping bag from Feathered Friends is so warm and cozy that getting up in the morning is proving to be even more challenging. The fact that it is raining outside and gloomy does not help with getting up either. None the less, I did get going with my day by first taking a slice of whole wheat bread and toasting it on a pan and then I added a teaspoon of almond butter and a banana. I ate that with my coffee, inside my camper out of the rain, while I planned the next leg of my trip.
Planning seems to have become more difficult for I cant see past my time in Seattle at the end of the month and the next couple of states I really don't have anything on my list to see. Once I had somewhat of a plan I then called customer service for beachbody on demand to see what was going on with my downloads. During this time, I was noticing that my lights have dimmed in my camper and my converter wouldn't charge my computer anymore so I took a look at my battery and there was a complication. First, my charger indicated it wasn't charging my battery and the battery itself was very low. Then the battery symbol started blinking and I tried to find a manual to tell me what the symbols all mean but I had no luck finding one. In the end, I called up my dad in Florida for him to get in touch with his friend who installed the solar panel for me to see if he knows what is going on. In the meantime, I will just not use my computer in my camper and limit my light usage.
Since I wanted to catch up on my Excel sheets I sat in my vehicle with my computer plugged into it via my converter. From there I ate some blueberries and pomegranate seeds and spoke to a man who was interested in my camper. His partner and him used to have a teardrop but they needed something bigger. After he left I went and did a core de force workout in the gym and after that I had a shake and then I went and took a lovely hot shower; I think if I could live in the shower I would.
All day it never stopped raining and by not even 17:00 I was eating my pre-made dinner of chicken, quinoa and broccoli. While I was heating it up a couple came by to look at my camper and they could not say enough times how amazing it was. They were super nice and the husband was a tall, quite man who used to be a trucker and is fascinated with small things and is currently redoing a beetle car. His wife was short and extremely talkative she would ask a question and before I was done answering she was asking another question or talking about something else. I liked them though and they reminded me of being back in Wisconsin. With nothing else to do for the evening I decided I would go to bed; for all day I was in a crappy mood or more so just a funk.
Day 133
October 19, 2017 Day 133
I was so comfortable and warm in my brand new zero degree sleeping bag that I didn't want to get up this morning. I felt really tired also and it didn't help that it was raining outside. Sometime after 08:00, I dragged myself out of bed and stepped out into the rain with a small bag full of clothes, toothbrush and soap that I took with me to the restroom/shower area. I just washed my face and did not shower today for my hair was still decent from yesterday. I walked back to my camper in my new boots and went to the office to see if I could stay another night. Thankfully I could and after I paid an additional $35.00 I made my first Shakeology shake and got in my vehicle.
I decided that today I would try and drive myself into downtown Portland and park instead of paying Lyft or Uber another $15.00 each way. The drive took some time for it was going on 10:00 and the traffic was still pretty crazy. When I reached the Lan Su Chinese Garden I parallel parked and paid $4.00 for two hours. Since I didn't want to go to the gardens just yet I walked down the street in the pouring rain to Voodoo Doughnut. There I ordered the: Memphis Mafia (fried doughnut with banana chunks and cinnamon covered in glaze, drizzled in chocolate and peanut butter with peanuts and chocolate chips), Dirty Snowball (chocolate cake doughnut with pink marsh-mellow topping and dipped in coconut, with a dollop of peanut butter), and the lemon chiffon crueller (french crueller with vanilla frosting, lemon dust and three marsh-mellows). When I left and was walking back to my vehicle a young homeless man came up to me and asked for a doughnut but I said sorry and just kept walking. I never really know what the appropriate response or action is.
In my vehicle I ate the lemon chiffon and the dirty snowball which I did not like though the lemon chiffon was delicious. I then called my mom to tell her I was staying an additional night so I can plan out my trip some more. I then was able to pay for an additional two hours at 11:00 so that I could be at the gardens until 13:00. All in all I paid $8.00 for parking versus $30.00 for a cab back and forth.
The Lan Su Chinese Gardens were pretty and with it raining outside it put a new look and feel to everything. Though it was small it is amazing this oasis exists in the center of downtown Portland. I truly liked how all the walkways were made out of little stones and moss. I would like to have something similar at my own place one day. I learned that everything but the plants were brought over from China. Per a gentlemen's suggestion, who worked there and had begun talking with me, I joined a tour for about five minutes and then vanished for I could barely hear the woman and I wanted to have tea and do calligraphy. Turns out the calligraphy entailed just watching someone so I didn't stay. I did sit down by myself and ordered some Jasmine pearls tea which are tea leaves rolled into pearls and then heated with jasmine flowers giving a flavor profile of roasted chestnut and wild honey aroma with a delicate, lingering honeysuckle sweetness. It was so good I had to spend the money and buy some for its the best tea I have had so far in my life.
Leaving the Lan Su Gardens I drove back to the RV park to pick up my shopping list and drove into Washington to shop at a Trader Joe's. From there I went to a Walmart to acquire containers, a steamer and a few other things. It's still raining by the way. Finally, back at my camper for good I began prepping for my meal prep not really knowing what I was doing. Since it was raining my cmaper was leaking so I went about putting out containers to collect all the water. Then my one burner on my coleman stove was creating huge flames instead of the low burn so I had to finish boiling my eggs before looking into that. As my eggs boiled, which took about twenty minutes, I began making hte mango-lime dressing only to find out the mango I bought was not a good one. I salvaged what I could of the mango, then realized I also needed a blender so since I do not have one I just tried to cut it up as best as I could and the dressing will just not be smooth but clumpy.
With the eggs done, I found the cause to the burner issue to be a web of sorts in the burner so I removed that using a Q-tip and it worked. While I cooked up the chicken in my frying pan I also cooked quinoa in my pot. Then I divided that into three containers with one serving each of protein and a carb. From there I cooked up the steak flank and steamed some broccoli. Note that during all of this I do not have a "sink" so I am catching rain water with my dispenser and rinsing my pot and pan between each meal using some soap for a quick clean. To also conserve my water I took the water that I used to boil the eggs to cook the quinoa with. When the stead was done cooking I let it sit and put 1.5 cups of kale in three containers and .5 cup of shredded carrots in there also. With the steak chilled and cut up I added one serving to each salad. I then took one serving of steamed broccoli and added that to the containers of chicken and quinoa. Then I sauteed up all the spinach I bought to go in a separate container for an extra serving of vegetables.
Cooking and cleaning took me from about 15:45 to 19:00 to do and I was wet and freezing cold by the end of it all. I spent $65.00 on food for a week though a portion of that went to provisions that would keep longer such as: black beans (canned), tuna (canned), brown rice, quinoa, peanut butter, almond butter, bread and kidney beans. After everything was cleaned and somewhat dry I desperately wanted a hot shower to warm up. It was now dark outside and I drove to throw away a bag of garbage and recycle all my boxes. Then I went into the showers and filled up all my water bottles in the sink and washed my shaker cup. Finally, it was time for a hot shower and I stood under the boiling hot spray for an eternity and could have stayed longer but I was tired.
In my camper, it was around 20:00, I couldn't use my computer for there has been no sun to power my battery. Also, for some reason some of the workout programs wont load so I will have to call tomorrow. In the meantime, I devoured and savored every single morsel of the memphis mafia doughnut for lunch and dinner. With that gone I wrote in my journal while texting some of my friends and my little brother. Then I crawled into my sleeping bag to finally find some warmth among-st this cold, wet day.
I was so comfortable and warm in my brand new zero degree sleeping bag that I didn't want to get up this morning. I felt really tired also and it didn't help that it was raining outside. Sometime after 08:00, I dragged myself out of bed and stepped out into the rain with a small bag full of clothes, toothbrush and soap that I took with me to the restroom/shower area. I just washed my face and did not shower today for my hair was still decent from yesterday. I walked back to my camper in my new boots and went to the office to see if I could stay another night. Thankfully I could and after I paid an additional $35.00 I made my first Shakeology shake and got in my vehicle.
I decided that today I would try and drive myself into downtown Portland and park instead of paying Lyft or Uber another $15.00 each way. The drive took some time for it was going on 10:00 and the traffic was still pretty crazy. When I reached the Lan Su Chinese Garden I parallel parked and paid $4.00 for two hours. Since I didn't want to go to the gardens just yet I walked down the street in the pouring rain to Voodoo Doughnut. There I ordered the: Memphis Mafia (fried doughnut with banana chunks and cinnamon covered in glaze, drizzled in chocolate and peanut butter with peanuts and chocolate chips), Dirty Snowball (chocolate cake doughnut with pink marsh-mellow topping and dipped in coconut, with a dollop of peanut butter), and the lemon chiffon crueller (french crueller with vanilla frosting, lemon dust and three marsh-mellows). When I left and was walking back to my vehicle a young homeless man came up to me and asked for a doughnut but I said sorry and just kept walking. I never really know what the appropriate response or action is.
In my vehicle I ate the lemon chiffon and the dirty snowball which I did not like though the lemon chiffon was delicious. I then called my mom to tell her I was staying an additional night so I can plan out my trip some more. I then was able to pay for an additional two hours at 11:00 so that I could be at the gardens until 13:00. All in all I paid $8.00 for parking versus $30.00 for a cab back and forth.
The Lan Su Chinese Gardens were pretty and with it raining outside it put a new look and feel to everything. Though it was small it is amazing this oasis exists in the center of downtown Portland. I truly liked how all the walkways were made out of little stones and moss. I would like to have something similar at my own place one day. I learned that everything but the plants were brought over from China. Per a gentlemen's suggestion, who worked there and had begun talking with me, I joined a tour for about five minutes and then vanished for I could barely hear the woman and I wanted to have tea and do calligraphy. Turns out the calligraphy entailed just watching someone so I didn't stay. I did sit down by myself and ordered some Jasmine pearls tea which are tea leaves rolled into pearls and then heated with jasmine flowers giving a flavor profile of roasted chestnut and wild honey aroma with a delicate, lingering honeysuckle sweetness. It was so good I had to spend the money and buy some for its the best tea I have had so far in my life.
Leaving the Lan Su Gardens I drove back to the RV park to pick up my shopping list and drove into Washington to shop at a Trader Joe's. From there I went to a Walmart to acquire containers, a steamer and a few other things. It's still raining by the way. Finally, back at my camper for good I began prepping for my meal prep not really knowing what I was doing. Since it was raining my cmaper was leaking so I went about putting out containers to collect all the water. Then my one burner on my coleman stove was creating huge flames instead of the low burn so I had to finish boiling my eggs before looking into that. As my eggs boiled, which took about twenty minutes, I began making hte mango-lime dressing only to find out the mango I bought was not a good one. I salvaged what I could of the mango, then realized I also needed a blender so since I do not have one I just tried to cut it up as best as I could and the dressing will just not be smooth but clumpy.
With the eggs done, I found the cause to the burner issue to be a web of sorts in the burner so I removed that using a Q-tip and it worked. While I cooked up the chicken in my frying pan I also cooked quinoa in my pot. Then I divided that into three containers with one serving each of protein and a carb. From there I cooked up the steak flank and steamed some broccoli. Note that during all of this I do not have a "sink" so I am catching rain water with my dispenser and rinsing my pot and pan between each meal using some soap for a quick clean. To also conserve my water I took the water that I used to boil the eggs to cook the quinoa with. When the stead was done cooking I let it sit and put 1.5 cups of kale in three containers and .5 cup of shredded carrots in there also. With the steak chilled and cut up I added one serving to each salad. I then took one serving of steamed broccoli and added that to the containers of chicken and quinoa. Then I sauteed up all the spinach I bought to go in a separate container for an extra serving of vegetables.
Cooking and cleaning took me from about 15:45 to 19:00 to do and I was wet and freezing cold by the end of it all. I spent $65.00 on food for a week though a portion of that went to provisions that would keep longer such as: black beans (canned), tuna (canned), brown rice, quinoa, peanut butter, almond butter, bread and kidney beans. After everything was cleaned and somewhat dry I desperately wanted a hot shower to warm up. It was now dark outside and I drove to throw away a bag of garbage and recycle all my boxes. Then I went into the showers and filled up all my water bottles in the sink and washed my shaker cup. Finally, it was time for a hot shower and I stood under the boiling hot spray for an eternity and could have stayed longer but I was tired.
In my camper, it was around 20:00, I couldn't use my computer for there has been no sun to power my battery. Also, for some reason some of the workout programs wont load so I will have to call tomorrow. In the meantime, I devoured and savored every single morsel of the memphis mafia doughnut for lunch and dinner. With that gone I wrote in my journal while texting some of my friends and my little brother. Then I crawled into my sleeping bag to finally find some warmth among-st this cold, wet day.
 |
| This is literally the best shake I have EVER had!! |
 |
| I want these stones for my yard |
 |
| Jasmine pearl tea with coconut scones |
 |
| Meal prep at its finest! |
 |
| YUM!!!!! I need to order like 100 of these. |
Day 132
October 18, 2017 Day 132
My alarm sounded at 05:00 for me to get up and go work out and it couldn't have come at a better time for I was having a bad dream. To my surprise, I got up and walked to the bathroom and then went to the small gym at the park. There I ran 2.2 miles which took me forever to do and then I did 5.5 miles on the bike. It was a pathetic workout in my mind but one has to start somewhere right?
From there I went and took another blissful shower and this time I blow dried my hair and straightened it even though it was raining outside and would probably just start curling. Once I was dressed and back at my camper I kind of just moseyed around for it was still pretty early and looking at Lyft and Uber prices for a ride into town kind of upset me for it was around $15.00! So I sat in my vehicle to warm up, waste time and contemplate the situation. I was oddly nervous about going into Portland, though I do not know why, and eventually just had to do it so I called a Lyft for a ride. The ride itself was relaxing for the guy didn't talk to me and he just played Jimmy Buffet which I would hear once again today.
Being dropped off at the Voodoo Doughnut place I just felt a bad vibe for their were homeless people everywhere and everything about the area seemed gritty. Inside the the ATM machine didn't work and they only accepted cash so I had to use the ATM that was in the alley. Once I had my pothole doughnut in hand I stood outside eating it for all the seating outside was wet and there was no seating inside. After I had consumed its deliciousness I used my phone to guide me to the Pioneer Place Mall and walked quickly for I just didn't feel comfortable. I arrived a little before the shops opened so I just sat inside and waited. Once they opened I would find that none of them had any fall boots and the mall itself was very lacking.
I sat around for an hour talking with my mom and really not doing anything. A big part of me wanted to just go back to my camper but I had paid quite a bit to get here and was not about to just turn back around. From Pioneer Place, I walked to The Old Towne Pizzeria which they say is haunted by a ghost but I don't believe in any of that. There I ordered two beers and ate a small BBQ pizza which was very good. I have noticed that the further North I go the less people seem to talk to me where in the South everyone was talking to me and asking me questions. So needless to say I was quite bored for I had tried to start a conversation with the bartender but that didn't last long. As I left, I walked to the waterfront park and talked to my grandma while simultaneously looking for a restroom and then called a Lyft.
As soon as I was dropped off at my vehicle I drove right down the street to DSW to look for fall boots. Of course all the ones I really liked they did not have in my size so after spending an hour talking and skyping with my mom to get her thoughts, since I didn't care for any of them enough to really make an executive decision, I bought a pair that would do. I then decided to try and call the post office just to see if my packages had arrived and to my surprise they were both there! I drove there then and picked them up and it felt like an early Christmas to me.
At my camper, I opened up my sleeping bag and crawled in it immediately and it was like Heaven! I sat in that the rest of the evening while I went thru my Shakology box and read up on the information pertaining to the meal portions. I was then going to update my Excel sheets but due to having no sunlight lately my battery is apparently too low to charge my dinosaur of a computer. I then took to uploading workouts onto my phone...or at least trying to for that too was slow.
My alarm sounded at 05:00 for me to get up and go work out and it couldn't have come at a better time for I was having a bad dream. To my surprise, I got up and walked to the bathroom and then went to the small gym at the park. There I ran 2.2 miles which took me forever to do and then I did 5.5 miles on the bike. It was a pathetic workout in my mind but one has to start somewhere right?
From there I went and took another blissful shower and this time I blow dried my hair and straightened it even though it was raining outside and would probably just start curling. Once I was dressed and back at my camper I kind of just moseyed around for it was still pretty early and looking at Lyft and Uber prices for a ride into town kind of upset me for it was around $15.00! So I sat in my vehicle to warm up, waste time and contemplate the situation. I was oddly nervous about going into Portland, though I do not know why, and eventually just had to do it so I called a Lyft for a ride. The ride itself was relaxing for the guy didn't talk to me and he just played Jimmy Buffet which I would hear once again today.
Being dropped off at the Voodoo Doughnut place I just felt a bad vibe for their were homeless people everywhere and everything about the area seemed gritty. Inside the the ATM machine didn't work and they only accepted cash so I had to use the ATM that was in the alley. Once I had my pothole doughnut in hand I stood outside eating it for all the seating outside was wet and there was no seating inside. After I had consumed its deliciousness I used my phone to guide me to the Pioneer Place Mall and walked quickly for I just didn't feel comfortable. I arrived a little before the shops opened so I just sat inside and waited. Once they opened I would find that none of them had any fall boots and the mall itself was very lacking.
I sat around for an hour talking with my mom and really not doing anything. A big part of me wanted to just go back to my camper but I had paid quite a bit to get here and was not about to just turn back around. From Pioneer Place, I walked to The Old Towne Pizzeria which they say is haunted by a ghost but I don't believe in any of that. There I ordered two beers and ate a small BBQ pizza which was very good. I have noticed that the further North I go the less people seem to talk to me where in the South everyone was talking to me and asking me questions. So needless to say I was quite bored for I had tried to start a conversation with the bartender but that didn't last long. As I left, I walked to the waterfront park and talked to my grandma while simultaneously looking for a restroom and then called a Lyft.
As soon as I was dropped off at my vehicle I drove right down the street to DSW to look for fall boots. Of course all the ones I really liked they did not have in my size so after spending an hour talking and skyping with my mom to get her thoughts, since I didn't care for any of them enough to really make an executive decision, I bought a pair that would do. I then decided to try and call the post office just to see if my packages had arrived and to my surprise they were both there! I drove there then and picked them up and it felt like an early Christmas to me.
At my camper, I opened up my sleeping bag and crawled in it immediately and it was like Heaven! I sat in that the rest of the evening while I went thru my Shakology box and read up on the information pertaining to the meal portions. I was then going to update my Excel sheets but due to having no sunlight lately my battery is apparently too low to charge my dinosaur of a computer. I then took to uploading workouts onto my phone...or at least trying to for that too was slow.
 |
| Bavarian creme filled! |
Day 131
October 17, 2017 Day 131
I slept better knowing no one would come bother me and there were no parking lot lights blaring thru my curtains either. I was warm and all snuggled under my blankets until about 08:00 at which point I put on some jeans, re-braided my hair and sat in my vehicle until both it and I warmed up. Leaving the turnout I drove back to Troutdale.
Parking in the mall lot I walked to the downtown district and into the General Store. First, I used the restroom where I brushed my teeth and then I went upstairs where the camper ornaments were that mom wanted as my Christmas ornament this year. To make sure I got the one she wanted I called her up and we skyped again so that I could show her the ornaments. It was quite the hilarious affair and once a decision was made I hung up with her and went back downstairs. There I purchased the ornament along with a cinnamon roll and a pumpkin spice white chocolate mocha. Then I went and sat outside and began skyping with mom again while I ate my roll and sipped on my mocha. We talked for about an hour about things that were going on back home and it made me miss being home with everyone but I really enjoyed the conversation. When I left the General Store I walked to the Rip Caswell gallery and went in. There I spend a good hour or so looking at the beautiful bronze sculptures and talking to the man who ran the jewelry portion of the shop.
When I got back to my vehicle it was now time for me to drive to the Jantzen Beach RV Park where I had made a reservation from October 17 to October 20. It was a quick forty minute drive to the RV Park and pulling in was somewhat confusing for they were re-paving the road and the signage was not all that helpful. When I got to the office there was only one woman working to check in people and there was a line so I waited. When it was my turn it took some time for they had two reservations for me and neither of them had the right vehicle down for me. One said I had a full size RV and the other said I had a truck camper. Once we got that all straightened out and had the truck that was parked in my spot moved I could back in and get on with my day.
Once I was backed into my spot I tore all the blankets and sheets off of my bed and threw them in my vehicle and drove to the laundry room. The machines were small so I had to do two loads that cost $2.00/each. As those were washing, I went about taking all the clothes out of my vehicle and placing them in my camper along with everything else that was in my vehicle: it was nice being able to see my backseats for a change. Then I took wipes and cleaned out my vehicle of all the dust and dirt. As the timer went off I went and put the blankets in the dryer for an additional cost of $2.00. While that was drying I drove to a sketchy car wash to vacuum out my vehicle that has not been cleaned since I left Florida. I also decided to wash my vehicle but that proved to be pointless and a waste of time and money. At least now, my vehicle is clean inside and smells great also...sigh, what a great feeling! When I got back to the RV park I put all my clothes and everything else back into my vehicle neatly.
I then drove back to the laundry room, I should mention it is a quick walk from my site but it has been raining non stop and I prefer to not have my clean things getting wet, where I removed my clean and dry blankets and threw in two loads of clothes to wash. While they were washing I went and took a boiling hot shower that I could have stood under the spray of the water for an eternity. It is such a great feeling to have hot water fall over ones' skin and to finally be able to shave and apply lotion to smooth skin. After the shower was sadly over with I switched my clothes to the dryer and drove to my site to start the arduous task of making my bed. By now I was starving so I made some rice and corn so I could eat something before a meeting I had. Right at 17:00, I had my meal cooked and was sitting in my camper with my computer ready for the meeting. My fitness coach and I spoke for some time about the programs and what each one entails and after we hung up I had already decided on one and began figuring out how to attack this meal plan situation.
Once the phone call ended, I went and folded my laundry and put on warm pants and a sweater for all day while my clothes were washing I was walking around in shorts and it was quite chilly! From there I cleaned up some more and when I was back inside my camper I called my dad in Florida to catch up with him since it had been some time since we spoke. After our conversation I messaged my little brother and then tried to go to sleep though I was not all that tired.
I slept better knowing no one would come bother me and there were no parking lot lights blaring thru my curtains either. I was warm and all snuggled under my blankets until about 08:00 at which point I put on some jeans, re-braided my hair and sat in my vehicle until both it and I warmed up. Leaving the turnout I drove back to Troutdale.
Parking in the mall lot I walked to the downtown district and into the General Store. First, I used the restroom where I brushed my teeth and then I went upstairs where the camper ornaments were that mom wanted as my Christmas ornament this year. To make sure I got the one she wanted I called her up and we skyped again so that I could show her the ornaments. It was quite the hilarious affair and once a decision was made I hung up with her and went back downstairs. There I purchased the ornament along with a cinnamon roll and a pumpkin spice white chocolate mocha. Then I went and sat outside and began skyping with mom again while I ate my roll and sipped on my mocha. We talked for about an hour about things that were going on back home and it made me miss being home with everyone but I really enjoyed the conversation. When I left the General Store I walked to the Rip Caswell gallery and went in. There I spend a good hour or so looking at the beautiful bronze sculptures and talking to the man who ran the jewelry portion of the shop.
When I got back to my vehicle it was now time for me to drive to the Jantzen Beach RV Park where I had made a reservation from October 17 to October 20. It was a quick forty minute drive to the RV Park and pulling in was somewhat confusing for they were re-paving the road and the signage was not all that helpful. When I got to the office there was only one woman working to check in people and there was a line so I waited. When it was my turn it took some time for they had two reservations for me and neither of them had the right vehicle down for me. One said I had a full size RV and the other said I had a truck camper. Once we got that all straightened out and had the truck that was parked in my spot moved I could back in and get on with my day.
Once I was backed into my spot I tore all the blankets and sheets off of my bed and threw them in my vehicle and drove to the laundry room. The machines were small so I had to do two loads that cost $2.00/each. As those were washing, I went about taking all the clothes out of my vehicle and placing them in my camper along with everything else that was in my vehicle: it was nice being able to see my backseats for a change. Then I took wipes and cleaned out my vehicle of all the dust and dirt. As the timer went off I went and put the blankets in the dryer for an additional cost of $2.00. While that was drying I drove to a sketchy car wash to vacuum out my vehicle that has not been cleaned since I left Florida. I also decided to wash my vehicle but that proved to be pointless and a waste of time and money. At least now, my vehicle is clean inside and smells great also...sigh, what a great feeling! When I got back to the RV park I put all my clothes and everything else back into my vehicle neatly.
I then drove back to the laundry room, I should mention it is a quick walk from my site but it has been raining non stop and I prefer to not have my clean things getting wet, where I removed my clean and dry blankets and threw in two loads of clothes to wash. While they were washing I went and took a boiling hot shower that I could have stood under the spray of the water for an eternity. It is such a great feeling to have hot water fall over ones' skin and to finally be able to shave and apply lotion to smooth skin. After the shower was sadly over with I switched my clothes to the dryer and drove to my site to start the arduous task of making my bed. By now I was starving so I made some rice and corn so I could eat something before a meeting I had. Right at 17:00, I had my meal cooked and was sitting in my camper with my computer ready for the meeting. My fitness coach and I spoke for some time about the programs and what each one entails and after we hung up I had already decided on one and began figuring out how to attack this meal plan situation.
Once the phone call ended, I went and folded my laundry and put on warm pants and a sweater for all day while my clothes were washing I was walking around in shorts and it was quite chilly! From there I cleaned up some more and when I was back inside my camper I called my dad in Florida to catch up with him since it had been some time since we spoke. After our conversation I messaged my little brother and then tried to go to sleep though I was not all that tired.
Day 130
October 16, 2017 Day 130
Okay, so I am not as tough as I'd like to think I am and due to the constant worry about someone bothering me during the night I didn't sleep well and by 05:30 I was up and driving to the Sandy River Delta Park to sleep an additional couple hours. When I was up I made some oatmeal in my vehicle and looked up libraries in the area to spend the day at. Unfortunately, the library did not open until noon! In the meantime, I drove around the area and then went and ate at Arby's for lunch. When it was finally noon I went into the one room library, which I was not expecting, and proceeded to really not accomplish anything. I caught up in my blog, cleaned out my emails and tried to plan my trip up to when I would meet Sal in Seattle. All of it just didn't go like I had wanted for I was antsy to go do something and I have had an unbelievable amount of energy lately.
After the library I went to another park to make some Ramon noodles and try to find hikes in the Olympic National Park. By 18:00, I was parked on a turnout/scenic vista on Interstate 84 East of Troutdale by about five minutes and went to bed.
Okay, so I am not as tough as I'd like to think I am and due to the constant worry about someone bothering me during the night I didn't sleep well and by 05:30 I was up and driving to the Sandy River Delta Park to sleep an additional couple hours. When I was up I made some oatmeal in my vehicle and looked up libraries in the area to spend the day at. Unfortunately, the library did not open until noon! In the meantime, I drove around the area and then went and ate at Arby's for lunch. When it was finally noon I went into the one room library, which I was not expecting, and proceeded to really not accomplish anything. I caught up in my blog, cleaned out my emails and tried to plan my trip up to when I would meet Sal in Seattle. All of it just didn't go like I had wanted for I was antsy to go do something and I have had an unbelievable amount of energy lately.
After the library I went to another park to make some Ramon noodles and try to find hikes in the Olympic National Park. By 18:00, I was parked on a turnout/scenic vista on Interstate 84 East of Troutdale by about five minutes and went to bed.
Day 129
October 15, 2017 Day 129
When I woke up this morning I changed into the jeans I had laid on top of during the night to keep warm. Speaking of being warm I slept quite well last night and woke up all cozy! As I stepped out of the vehicle it was a beautiful fall day but the wind was something wicked. After I made some coffee in my camper and went into the travel center, to use the restroom and spray dry shampoo in my hair, I drove across the road to the shopping center. However, before I get into that part of my day I want to mention that while I was in the restroom I met a woman who asked if I was traveling. When I responded that I was she went on complaining about being on the road and how difficult it is and how she regrets doing it. Apparently, she is traveling with either her dad or her boyfriend (I couldn't figure out which one) for three weeks in a truck and on top of it all is pregnant. She was not having any of it though and as she told me about her situation and the difficulties of being on the road I thought to myself that I have become quite adapt to being on the road and actually enjoy it. I have found out that I really don't need a shower everyday and I can go without a lot of things. True it would be nice to wake up warm and go to bed warm every day, have a shower whenever I want and not have to search for a restroom; however, I was made for life on the road. If I am somewhere too long I become bored and anxious and I like the feeling of not knowing what I am doing each day or where I will be. Every day I feel myself growing stronger and more independent.
Back to the day at hand. I sat in my vehicle, in the parking lot, talking with my mom until the stores opened up at 10:00 for the day. Then I went looking for some fall boots to wear when I get to Seattle for I would prefer to not ruin my cowboy boots by walking around in the rain or snow. Walking in and out of the stores made me realize how long it has been since I went clothes shopping (I think over a year now) and how I am in desperate need of new clothes! In the end, I didn't find any boots but made the mistake of walking into an Eddie Bauer store and came out with a wonderful pair of hiking winter pants: though I really wanted a lot of other items that were there!
From there I walked up the interstate a little ways to enter downtown Troutdale. It was a quaint little area, walking into the General Store I ordered a marion berry danish and an old time root beer and sat down at a corner to eat it and message a friend. Afterwards, I spent the next couple hours looking around the store at all its little knickknacks and they had some really cute things. At one point, I skyped with my mom for they had fake Christmas trees set up around the store with ornaments and every year my mom buys everyone an ornament to symbolize something that happened that year. So I walked up to each tree with my mom on skype and we went ornament shopping together which was a blast! It's amazing what one can do these days with the technology.
Leaving the store, I was heartbroken to find out that the gallery I wanted to see was not open like their site said and wouldn't be open until Tuesday. So I went to a Dairy Queen and got a concrete blizzard and fries which wasn't what I was really craving. I had nothing else to really do so I just went back to the Travel Center and finished watching my TV show. All day I felt lonely and had way too much energy but nowhere to put it. Eventually, I would just decide to head to bed but before going to bed I climbed out of my camper to find a piece of paper taped to my vehicle telling me to leave the parking lot immediately for it is only for DOT vehicles. That just pissed me off for there were over 250 spots in the trucking lot and I was in a different lot that was for campers and other big vehicles and there were plenty of spots so I said fuck them and stayed the night.
When I woke up this morning I changed into the jeans I had laid on top of during the night to keep warm. Speaking of being warm I slept quite well last night and woke up all cozy! As I stepped out of the vehicle it was a beautiful fall day but the wind was something wicked. After I made some coffee in my camper and went into the travel center, to use the restroom and spray dry shampoo in my hair, I drove across the road to the shopping center. However, before I get into that part of my day I want to mention that while I was in the restroom I met a woman who asked if I was traveling. When I responded that I was she went on complaining about being on the road and how difficult it is and how she regrets doing it. Apparently, she is traveling with either her dad or her boyfriend (I couldn't figure out which one) for three weeks in a truck and on top of it all is pregnant. She was not having any of it though and as she told me about her situation and the difficulties of being on the road I thought to myself that I have become quite adapt to being on the road and actually enjoy it. I have found out that I really don't need a shower everyday and I can go without a lot of things. True it would be nice to wake up warm and go to bed warm every day, have a shower whenever I want and not have to search for a restroom; however, I was made for life on the road. If I am somewhere too long I become bored and anxious and I like the feeling of not knowing what I am doing each day or where I will be. Every day I feel myself growing stronger and more independent.
Back to the day at hand. I sat in my vehicle, in the parking lot, talking with my mom until the stores opened up at 10:00 for the day. Then I went looking for some fall boots to wear when I get to Seattle for I would prefer to not ruin my cowboy boots by walking around in the rain or snow. Walking in and out of the stores made me realize how long it has been since I went clothes shopping (I think over a year now) and how I am in desperate need of new clothes! In the end, I didn't find any boots but made the mistake of walking into an Eddie Bauer store and came out with a wonderful pair of hiking winter pants: though I really wanted a lot of other items that were there!
From there I walked up the interstate a little ways to enter downtown Troutdale. It was a quaint little area, walking into the General Store I ordered a marion berry danish and an old time root beer and sat down at a corner to eat it and message a friend. Afterwards, I spent the next couple hours looking around the store at all its little knickknacks and they had some really cute things. At one point, I skyped with my mom for they had fake Christmas trees set up around the store with ornaments and every year my mom buys everyone an ornament to symbolize something that happened that year. So I walked up to each tree with my mom on skype and we went ornament shopping together which was a blast! It's amazing what one can do these days with the technology.
Leaving the store, I was heartbroken to find out that the gallery I wanted to see was not open like their site said and wouldn't be open until Tuesday. So I went to a Dairy Queen and got a concrete blizzard and fries which wasn't what I was really craving. I had nothing else to really do so I just went back to the Travel Center and finished watching my TV show. All day I felt lonely and had way too much energy but nowhere to put it. Eventually, I would just decide to head to bed but before going to bed I climbed out of my camper to find a piece of paper taped to my vehicle telling me to leave the parking lot immediately for it is only for DOT vehicles. That just pissed me off for there were over 250 spots in the trucking lot and I was in a different lot that was for campers and other big vehicles and there were plenty of spots so I said fuck them and stayed the night.
Monday, October 16, 2017
Day 128
October 14, 2017 Day 128
Last night was by far the coldest night for me on this trip. It was snowing out and raining with temperatures in the low 20's. I kept waking up freezing cold throughout the night plus I had nightmares and a loud rifle shot went off at some point which woke me up out of a decent sleep. No matter what I couldn't get warm and around 06:00 I was up and it was still dark out. I waited for some sunlight and then I had to use some force to open my door. My window was frozen open and took a lot of effort to close. Once again I slept in all the clothes I had worn yesterday so I didn't have to change in the cold. Outside was beautiful with the forest covered in snow but still very cold. There was also a thin layer of ice over everything.
I went about brushing my teeth while using my backpacking stove to boil water for coffee. Brushing my teeth and combing out my greasy hair caused my fingers to go numb but I continued working. The mouse trap I had set the previous day didn't go off but the food was gone so I will have to try again. During all of this, I had my vehicle running with the defroster on high and when my coffee was done I sat in my vehicle and drove out on an ice covered road. When I reached the dam spillway it was a clear day and I could see the magnificent Mt. Hood overlooking Trillium Lake. After I pulled over I carefully walked on the icy road to snap some pictures and pray I wouldn't become stuck on my way out to the highway.
Thankfully we made it and as I drove back down towards ZigZag I called my older brother and spoke to him about the trip he is taking to Wyoming to go hunt Mule Deer and how I wish we could meet up. Before turning onto E. Lolo Pass Road I stopped to message a friend of mine Happy Birthday and respond to some of his text messages. Then off I went to a beautiful morning drive up a one lane road to the Ramona Falls trail head with no one else on the road but me.
The hike to Ramona Falls was 3.7 miles and absolutely stunning! Starting out, the sun was still climbing in the sky and the earth had a light dusting of frost with a few patches of snow. The trees were again laden with moss and the ground and rocks were all covered in moss also. When I reached the river crossing I found a thick snow covered log and scooted across that on my butt. Continuing further up the trial the ground went from being covered in moist pine needles and rich dark dirt to where ones footsteps made no sound to being covered in two inches of snow crunching under foot. It was a glorious hike and I was so happy to be here.
Reaching the waterfall it was deep in the woods and dark and cold but oh so beautiful. There were four other people there and one of the girls "Mo" asked if I wanted her to take my picture. Afterwards we got to talking and ended up swapping Instagram and blog information for she was from Florida and her and her companion were also planning on buying a camper in five years to travel and hit every state in the USA also! Hiking back 3.7 miles was not difficult and the first segment I ran to warm up. As I neared the trail head I saw more and more people and dogs.
Back at my camper I wanted to try and seal up my back hatch some more but my silicone was frozen so I put it under my front floor vent and turned the heat on high. In the meantime, I finally did my dishes using my solar shower which was easier to get too. Once my dishes were cleaned and my hatch was all caulked up I had completely lost feeling in my fingers. During all of this I was eating the last of my applesauce and made a protein shake. Climbing back in my vehicle where it was a lot warmer I drove back to the ranger station. By 09:00 I pulled into the station and parked and used the time that I had cell service to call and wish my friend a Happy Birthday. We talked for quite some time until he had to go.
It took me some time to figure out what I wanted to do next and in the end I decided to I wanted to hit up another hike. So I drove right down the road to Salmon River Road and drove five miles to the Salmon River trail head. This place had a lot more people and almost everyone I met had a dog which made me wish that I had one also. Starting out I was instantly blown away for the area was exactly how I would picture the rain forest to be. Every shade of green one could imagine was here and that was literally all one saw. All the trees were completely covered in moss to where one couldn't see any bark and didn't know where the trees ended and the ground began for it was all one. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face nor my surprise for I was not expecting this! The trail was 14 miles one way so I just went three miles in and turned back.
All in all I hiked 13.4 miles today and when I got back to the ranger station I went in to thank the woman for her wonderful advice and then filled up all my water containers. By now I didn't know what to do. A woman whom I had called earlier asking about the Rowena Crest Viewpoint had called me back and left a voicemail saying that the bridge to the viewpoint is out of commission for they are replacing it. I did and didn't want to hike some more but most importantly I didn't want to go back to where I had camped the previous night for I feared this time I would get stuck. There was no other free camping nearby so in the end I decided to go to a Travel Center in Troutdale where it was at least a few degrees warmer.
Once there, I couldn't stand my stench anymore so I went inside to the restroom and with my spray bottle full of hot water I stood over a toilet in the handicap stall and washed my hair. Then I took off of the clothes I had been hiking and sleeping in for the last couple days and tossed them aside. I used cleansing wipes to clean my body and applied some lotion. There you go I was now clean and snuggled back up in my camper for the night.
Last night was by far the coldest night for me on this trip. It was snowing out and raining with temperatures in the low 20's. I kept waking up freezing cold throughout the night plus I had nightmares and a loud rifle shot went off at some point which woke me up out of a decent sleep. No matter what I couldn't get warm and around 06:00 I was up and it was still dark out. I waited for some sunlight and then I had to use some force to open my door. My window was frozen open and took a lot of effort to close. Once again I slept in all the clothes I had worn yesterday so I didn't have to change in the cold. Outside was beautiful with the forest covered in snow but still very cold. There was also a thin layer of ice over everything.
I went about brushing my teeth while using my backpacking stove to boil water for coffee. Brushing my teeth and combing out my greasy hair caused my fingers to go numb but I continued working. The mouse trap I had set the previous day didn't go off but the food was gone so I will have to try again. During all of this, I had my vehicle running with the defroster on high and when my coffee was done I sat in my vehicle and drove out on an ice covered road. When I reached the dam spillway it was a clear day and I could see the magnificent Mt. Hood overlooking Trillium Lake. After I pulled over I carefully walked on the icy road to snap some pictures and pray I wouldn't become stuck on my way out to the highway.
Thankfully we made it and as I drove back down towards ZigZag I called my older brother and spoke to him about the trip he is taking to Wyoming to go hunt Mule Deer and how I wish we could meet up. Before turning onto E. Lolo Pass Road I stopped to message a friend of mine Happy Birthday and respond to some of his text messages. Then off I went to a beautiful morning drive up a one lane road to the Ramona Falls trail head with no one else on the road but me.
The hike to Ramona Falls was 3.7 miles and absolutely stunning! Starting out, the sun was still climbing in the sky and the earth had a light dusting of frost with a few patches of snow. The trees were again laden with moss and the ground and rocks were all covered in moss also. When I reached the river crossing I found a thick snow covered log and scooted across that on my butt. Continuing further up the trial the ground went from being covered in moist pine needles and rich dark dirt to where ones footsteps made no sound to being covered in two inches of snow crunching under foot. It was a glorious hike and I was so happy to be here.
Reaching the waterfall it was deep in the woods and dark and cold but oh so beautiful. There were four other people there and one of the girls "Mo" asked if I wanted her to take my picture. Afterwards we got to talking and ended up swapping Instagram and blog information for she was from Florida and her and her companion were also planning on buying a camper in five years to travel and hit every state in the USA also! Hiking back 3.7 miles was not difficult and the first segment I ran to warm up. As I neared the trail head I saw more and more people and dogs.
Back at my camper I wanted to try and seal up my back hatch some more but my silicone was frozen so I put it under my front floor vent and turned the heat on high. In the meantime, I finally did my dishes using my solar shower which was easier to get too. Once my dishes were cleaned and my hatch was all caulked up I had completely lost feeling in my fingers. During all of this I was eating the last of my applesauce and made a protein shake. Climbing back in my vehicle where it was a lot warmer I drove back to the ranger station. By 09:00 I pulled into the station and parked and used the time that I had cell service to call and wish my friend a Happy Birthday. We talked for quite some time until he had to go.
It took me some time to figure out what I wanted to do next and in the end I decided to I wanted to hit up another hike. So I drove right down the road to Salmon River Road and drove five miles to the Salmon River trail head. This place had a lot more people and almost everyone I met had a dog which made me wish that I had one also. Starting out I was instantly blown away for the area was exactly how I would picture the rain forest to be. Every shade of green one could imagine was here and that was literally all one saw. All the trees were completely covered in moss to where one couldn't see any bark and didn't know where the trees ended and the ground began for it was all one. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face nor my surprise for I was not expecting this! The trail was 14 miles one way so I just went three miles in and turned back.
All in all I hiked 13.4 miles today and when I got back to the ranger station I went in to thank the woman for her wonderful advice and then filled up all my water containers. By now I didn't know what to do. A woman whom I had called earlier asking about the Rowena Crest Viewpoint had called me back and left a voicemail saying that the bridge to the viewpoint is out of commission for they are replacing it. I did and didn't want to hike some more but most importantly I didn't want to go back to where I had camped the previous night for I feared this time I would get stuck. There was no other free camping nearby so in the end I decided to go to a Travel Center in Troutdale where it was at least a few degrees warmer.
Once there, I couldn't stand my stench anymore so I went inside to the restroom and with my spray bottle full of hot water I stood over a toilet in the handicap stall and washed my hair. Then I took off of the clothes I had been hiking and sleeping in for the last couple days and tossed them aside. I used cleansing wipes to clean my body and applied some lotion. There you go I was now clean and snuggled back up in my camper for the night.
 |
| Mount Hood overlooking Trillium Lake |
 |
| Trail to Ramona Falls |
 |
| The log I crossed on |
 |
| Ramona Falls |
 |
| Salmon River Trail |
Day 127
October 13, 2017 Day 127
Last night I was actually somewhat warm adn woke up around 06:00. It was still raining outside when I climbed out of my cmaper and brought my cmaping stove and covffee inside my vehicle. I washed out my coffee mug in the bathroom sink and then made coffee inside my vehicle with a window down. While my coffee was steeping I bent down to tie my hiking boots up and when I sat back up I noticed that these two young girls were staring at me from outside my vehicle. I opened the door and as I stood before them I felt like I was towering over them and also felt like I was so much older than me; though, I couldn't have been but a few years older. Anyways, they wanted to talk to me and give me a pamphlet about surviving natural disasters which turned into, of course, dealing with God. I was polite and took the pamphlet and listened to what they had to say and then since it was raining out and I was slowly getting wet I apologized and said I should be getting back on the road.
Leaving the rest stop, I called my mom and left a voicemail with a woman whom I have been in contact with for months now about joining an online fitness program (potentially becoming a coach?). More about that later. From there I had a relaxing drive towards the Silver Falls State Park which was about an hour away and like normal had no cell phone service. After speaking with a ranger and acquiring a map of the 10 falls trail I wanted to do I parked over at the South Falls lot and paid $5.00 for the day. I was one of only a handful of vehicles there for it was only about 09:00 and still misting out. Starting off on the trail did not go so well for first I went the wrong way that cost me two miles round trip and then I go to take a picture with my camera to find out I didn't replace the memory card! Sigh...so I had to walk grumpily back to my vehicle to retrieve it; though, I will say the thought of saying fuck it and not going to get it crossed my mind but I knew me and if I didn't go get it I would regret it later on in the hike.
Once I was finally on the correct path and had all my stuff together the now 10.7 mile hike was breathtaking! The falls were magnificent and the landscape was alive with color. there was every single shade of green one could possibly imagine and all the trees were completely covered in moss.s The trial was littered with colorful leaves and wiht the river running thru it it was exactly how Fall should be. I couldn't have been happier nor wished for a better way to experience my favorite season. Unfortunately, my blissful experience was ruined for a short time when a wasp decided to sting me and I had no clue whether I was allergic to them or not. Luckily, I am not which I found out the hard way. In the end, all I can say is that I could go on and on attempting to describe in detail the pure beauty that befell my eyes and thunderous roar as the falls pounded into the rocks below but nothing I could say would truly capture it.
When the hike was over I made some rice at my camper to the stares of many a passerby. Once the rice was cooked I then added a can of corn, cumin, black pepper and sea salt. To my amazement when I sat down in my vehicle to eat this meal it was actually really delicious and I couldn't stop eating it! I also need to do dishes and clean up my camper some but it has been cold and I have just been lazy. My camper is also leaking again near the back hatch area but thankfully nothing is being ruined...well besides the actual wood of my camper. So I will have to address that once again.
Pulling out of the park, I had no cell phone service so luckily I am great at reading a map and just used the maps I carry with me to get in the direction I wanted to be heading. Once I did obtain cell service I typed in my destination, the ZigZag ranger station, and then used my phone to take me the rest of the way. Stopping at the ranger station in ZigZag (I just love that name) I inquired about the hikes I was thinking about doing and I found out that they were already covered in snow which I figured would be the case. The lady I was talking to was very helpful and offered up some other hikes within the area that are not yet covered in snow and are decent. I then asked her about where I was orginially interested in camping and she said that Government Camp, which was ten minutes up the road, already had quite a bit of snow but I should be able to get to Still Camp to spend the night.
It turned out that Still Camp was not accessable and so I pressed on and turned onto the road to Trillium Lake Campground. I immediately regretted my decision to do so but there was no where for me to turn around so my camper and I slowly made our way down the snow covered road. There was no dispersed camping like my app told me there would be and there was also no where for me to turn around without running the risk of getting stuck. So I really had no other option but to press on. Soon I entered the day use area but there signs stating no overnight camping and the ground had a good couple inches of snow already. Since I had no where else to go to camp nearby and the light was fading quickly I figured I drove all this way I wise well go and see Trillium lake that everyone talked about. So I drove yet a little further down the forest road to the dam but I could not make out Mt. Hood in the backdrop with the overcast sky.
A woman I had seen earlier came up to me and asked about the road conditions coming down and I told her that my vehicle did fine though I am worried about heading out since it will be mostly uphill. I also mentioned that I was trying to find a place to camp but had no luck thus far. She then told me that she has been staying in her van just 100 yards up the road and I should have no problem getting my camper there and that there was also another person camping up there in a tent. So I followed her down the road and was able to pull into a small clearing and park my camper with the snow coming down all around me.
It was freezing cold when I stepped away from the warmth of my vehicle to move into my camper for the night. It was only 17:30 when I climbed into my camper to escape the snow but not the cold for that followed me inside. It was so cold that I didn't bother to change out of the clothes I had been wearing and hiking in the last couple days. I did change out my socks and added a wool pair on top of my new ones. As I hunkered in for the night I cracked my window like always and worried that my camper door would freeze during the night from the snow and rain that was coming down. As I wrote in my journal before going to bed I began to lose feeling in my fingers and had to stop to cover them up. Tonight was by far the coldest night I have yet to endure and I did not sleep well at all. From waking up due to nightmares, the cold and at one point a rife shot going off close by it was quite the restless night.
Last night I was actually somewhat warm adn woke up around 06:00. It was still raining outside when I climbed out of my cmaper and brought my cmaping stove and covffee inside my vehicle. I washed out my coffee mug in the bathroom sink and then made coffee inside my vehicle with a window down. While my coffee was steeping I bent down to tie my hiking boots up and when I sat back up I noticed that these two young girls were staring at me from outside my vehicle. I opened the door and as I stood before them I felt like I was towering over them and also felt like I was so much older than me; though, I couldn't have been but a few years older. Anyways, they wanted to talk to me and give me a pamphlet about surviving natural disasters which turned into, of course, dealing with God. I was polite and took the pamphlet and listened to what they had to say and then since it was raining out and I was slowly getting wet I apologized and said I should be getting back on the road.
Leaving the rest stop, I called my mom and left a voicemail with a woman whom I have been in contact with for months now about joining an online fitness program (potentially becoming a coach?). More about that later. From there I had a relaxing drive towards the Silver Falls State Park which was about an hour away and like normal had no cell phone service. After speaking with a ranger and acquiring a map of the 10 falls trail I wanted to do I parked over at the South Falls lot and paid $5.00 for the day. I was one of only a handful of vehicles there for it was only about 09:00 and still misting out. Starting off on the trail did not go so well for first I went the wrong way that cost me two miles round trip and then I go to take a picture with my camera to find out I didn't replace the memory card! Sigh...so I had to walk grumpily back to my vehicle to retrieve it; though, I will say the thought of saying fuck it and not going to get it crossed my mind but I knew me and if I didn't go get it I would regret it later on in the hike.
Once I was finally on the correct path and had all my stuff together the now 10.7 mile hike was breathtaking! The falls were magnificent and the landscape was alive with color. there was every single shade of green one could possibly imagine and all the trees were completely covered in moss.s The trial was littered with colorful leaves and wiht the river running thru it it was exactly how Fall should be. I couldn't have been happier nor wished for a better way to experience my favorite season. Unfortunately, my blissful experience was ruined for a short time when a wasp decided to sting me and I had no clue whether I was allergic to them or not. Luckily, I am not which I found out the hard way. In the end, all I can say is that I could go on and on attempting to describe in detail the pure beauty that befell my eyes and thunderous roar as the falls pounded into the rocks below but nothing I could say would truly capture it.
When the hike was over I made some rice at my camper to the stares of many a passerby. Once the rice was cooked I then added a can of corn, cumin, black pepper and sea salt. To my amazement when I sat down in my vehicle to eat this meal it was actually really delicious and I couldn't stop eating it! I also need to do dishes and clean up my camper some but it has been cold and I have just been lazy. My camper is also leaking again near the back hatch area but thankfully nothing is being ruined...well besides the actual wood of my camper. So I will have to address that once again.
Pulling out of the park, I had no cell phone service so luckily I am great at reading a map and just used the maps I carry with me to get in the direction I wanted to be heading. Once I did obtain cell service I typed in my destination, the ZigZag ranger station, and then used my phone to take me the rest of the way. Stopping at the ranger station in ZigZag (I just love that name) I inquired about the hikes I was thinking about doing and I found out that they were already covered in snow which I figured would be the case. The lady I was talking to was very helpful and offered up some other hikes within the area that are not yet covered in snow and are decent. I then asked her about where I was orginially interested in camping and she said that Government Camp, which was ten minutes up the road, already had quite a bit of snow but I should be able to get to Still Camp to spend the night.
It turned out that Still Camp was not accessable and so I pressed on and turned onto the road to Trillium Lake Campground. I immediately regretted my decision to do so but there was no where for me to turn around so my camper and I slowly made our way down the snow covered road. There was no dispersed camping like my app told me there would be and there was also no where for me to turn around without running the risk of getting stuck. So I really had no other option but to press on. Soon I entered the day use area but there signs stating no overnight camping and the ground had a good couple inches of snow already. Since I had no where else to go to camp nearby and the light was fading quickly I figured I drove all this way I wise well go and see Trillium lake that everyone talked about. So I drove yet a little further down the forest road to the dam but I could not make out Mt. Hood in the backdrop with the overcast sky.
A woman I had seen earlier came up to me and asked about the road conditions coming down and I told her that my vehicle did fine though I am worried about heading out since it will be mostly uphill. I also mentioned that I was trying to find a place to camp but had no luck thus far. She then told me that she has been staying in her van just 100 yards up the road and I should have no problem getting my camper there and that there was also another person camping up there in a tent. So I followed her down the road and was able to pull into a small clearing and park my camper with the snow coming down all around me.
It was freezing cold when I stepped away from the warmth of my vehicle to move into my camper for the night. It was only 17:30 when I climbed into my camper to escape the snow but not the cold for that followed me inside. It was so cold that I didn't bother to change out of the clothes I had been wearing and hiking in the last couple days. I did change out my socks and added a wool pair on top of my new ones. As I hunkered in for the night I cracked my window like always and worried that my camper door would freeze during the night from the snow and rain that was coming down. As I wrote in my journal before going to bed I began to lose feeling in my fingers and had to stop to cover them up. Tonight was by far the coldest night I have yet to endure and I did not sleep well at all. From waking up due to nightmares, the cold and at one point a rife shot going off close by it was quite the restless night.
 |
| Winter Falls 134 ft. |
 |
| Lower South Falls 93 ft. |
 |
| Middle North Falls 106 ft. |
 |
| North Falls 136 ft. |
 |
| North Falls |
 |
| Upper North Falls 65 ft. |
 |
| It's feeling a lot like Christmas! |
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Day 126
October 12, 2017 Day 126
This morning I got up just like every other morning but thankfully it was not too cold out: though, it was snowing which made it look beautiful in the woods. As I drove to the Blue Pool/Tamolitch falls trail head the snow disappeared and was replaced with rain. I had planned on it raining for that is what the forecast had called for so no matter what I was doing the hike today. I was dressed in multiple layers and was using a rain poncho to go over myself and my pack which I would later find out did nothing at all to keep me dry.
Pulling into the rail head lot there was a nicely constructed restroom and lots of signs about parking restrictions. I hoped I had parked correctly, for I was the only one there, so I guess I will know when I come back from the hike. Starting off on the trail it was a steady and constant rain and soon my body warmed up to a comfortable temperature that was neither too hot nor too cold. The hike was four miles in total and absolutely beautiful! Falls colors blotted the landscape and contrasted nicely with the dark green of the forest. The trees were all covered in moss and the river ran swiftly nearby in shades of deep blue and crystal white. Fog clung to the tree line and the path I was walking on was mostly covered in pools of water that ran down the black rocks. From all the water that was pouring out of the sky and pooling on the trail I found out that my new hiking boots hold up quite well in wet environments.
As I reached the pool the stark deep blue of the pool was a sight to behold. The waterfall didn't come from above either but emerged halfway down from underneath. It was beyond breathtaking and I think I took at least a hundred pictures of it. I just cannot get over how beautiful and mind blowing Oregon is as a state. Its like a cold version of the rain forest and I know Oregon will become a part of my future.
Hiking back out I came across two people one of whom expressed his astonishment at seeing another person out on the trail in this weather. I honestly wish I could find the right words to describe this place but alas I just can't. It is something that one must see for themselves for it is quite the experience. When I reached my vehicle my supposedly waterproof down jacket was completely soaked so I threw that and my next layer directly under the floor vent to dry out while I drove. Before leaving the parking area I grabbed my jar of pumpkin spice applesauce and proceeded to eat that on my way out.
The weather in Oregon seems to be constantly changing for no sooner had it stopped raining that it began to snow. I know that it probably had to do with the fact that I was driving up a mountain for I had to go up before I could go back down and get to where I needed to be. Still, seeing the snow made me realize how long it has been since I had to drive in it and this was my campers first experience with snow. I slowed down quite a bit for I was not sure how my vehicle or my camper would handle it but they both did fairly well. As the drive continued the snow turned back into rain and I was headed into the town of Albany to once again attempt to find parking at a library. Before reaching Albany, I came across and A&W sign which I had not seen in such a long time so I just had to turn around and go have some of their fast food. I proceeded to order a cheeseburger, fries, cheese curds and a root beer float and eat it all while sitting in my vehicle in the rain.
When I made it to Albany the library luckily had enough space for my camper so I backed into a spot and prepped my backpack. Inside the library, it was not as warm as I was hoping but I was able to catch up in my blog, update my excel sheets, create a new tab to enter all the people I meet along the way and organize my receipts. All too soon, the library intercom went off saying that the library would be closing in twenty minutes at 18:00 so I began wrapping everything up. Thanks to my moms hard work she was able to find a post office in Portland that would except general delivery so that by the time I left the library I had her email the feathered friends company with that post offices address so I can get my sleeping bag. From the library I drove to a rest stop on Interstate 5 and watched a TV show before going to bed in the wet cold.
This morning I got up just like every other morning but thankfully it was not too cold out: though, it was snowing which made it look beautiful in the woods. As I drove to the Blue Pool/Tamolitch falls trail head the snow disappeared and was replaced with rain. I had planned on it raining for that is what the forecast had called for so no matter what I was doing the hike today. I was dressed in multiple layers and was using a rain poncho to go over myself and my pack which I would later find out did nothing at all to keep me dry.
Pulling into the rail head lot there was a nicely constructed restroom and lots of signs about parking restrictions. I hoped I had parked correctly, for I was the only one there, so I guess I will know when I come back from the hike. Starting off on the trail it was a steady and constant rain and soon my body warmed up to a comfortable temperature that was neither too hot nor too cold. The hike was four miles in total and absolutely beautiful! Falls colors blotted the landscape and contrasted nicely with the dark green of the forest. The trees were all covered in moss and the river ran swiftly nearby in shades of deep blue and crystal white. Fog clung to the tree line and the path I was walking on was mostly covered in pools of water that ran down the black rocks. From all the water that was pouring out of the sky and pooling on the trail I found out that my new hiking boots hold up quite well in wet environments.
As I reached the pool the stark deep blue of the pool was a sight to behold. The waterfall didn't come from above either but emerged halfway down from underneath. It was beyond breathtaking and I think I took at least a hundred pictures of it. I just cannot get over how beautiful and mind blowing Oregon is as a state. Its like a cold version of the rain forest and I know Oregon will become a part of my future.
Hiking back out I came across two people one of whom expressed his astonishment at seeing another person out on the trail in this weather. I honestly wish I could find the right words to describe this place but alas I just can't. It is something that one must see for themselves for it is quite the experience. When I reached my vehicle my supposedly waterproof down jacket was completely soaked so I threw that and my next layer directly under the floor vent to dry out while I drove. Before leaving the parking area I grabbed my jar of pumpkin spice applesauce and proceeded to eat that on my way out.
The weather in Oregon seems to be constantly changing for no sooner had it stopped raining that it began to snow. I know that it probably had to do with the fact that I was driving up a mountain for I had to go up before I could go back down and get to where I needed to be. Still, seeing the snow made me realize how long it has been since I had to drive in it and this was my campers first experience with snow. I slowed down quite a bit for I was not sure how my vehicle or my camper would handle it but they both did fairly well. As the drive continued the snow turned back into rain and I was headed into the town of Albany to once again attempt to find parking at a library. Before reaching Albany, I came across and A&W sign which I had not seen in such a long time so I just had to turn around and go have some of their fast food. I proceeded to order a cheeseburger, fries, cheese curds and a root beer float and eat it all while sitting in my vehicle in the rain.
When I made it to Albany the library luckily had enough space for my camper so I backed into a spot and prepped my backpack. Inside the library, it was not as warm as I was hoping but I was able to catch up in my blog, update my excel sheets, create a new tab to enter all the people I meet along the way and organize my receipts. All too soon, the library intercom went off saying that the library would be closing in twenty minutes at 18:00 so I began wrapping everything up. Thanks to my moms hard work she was able to find a post office in Portland that would except general delivery so that by the time I left the library I had her email the feathered friends company with that post offices address so I can get my sleeping bag. From the library I drove to a rest stop on Interstate 5 and watched a TV show before going to bed in the wet cold.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)