10-02-2021 Sheldon NWR to Grants Pass Oregon 289 Miles

We woke in the early morning after a great night's sleep to crystal clear skies.  I took some time to walk around the campground again in the early light.  The pond that supplied water for the pool reflected the silky sky.  A pair of ducks flapped and quacked as I walked around the small pond, but seemed unbothered by my presence.

I took a few more photos of the campground noticing how many campers had come in last night after we did. It was clear that volunteers who loved the campground and the spring took excellent care of the place. 

A free little library sponsored by the Friends of the Denio Library was full of books and magazines, and even a pair of rubber boots.

The little campground was beautiful in the early morning.  With a light breakfast, we were on the road by 9 am. 

Driving back toward Highway 140 on the 2 miles of gravel road didn't seem as troublesome as it had yesterday. Mo drove slowly enough that the shaking and rattling was minimal.

The woven fences around the main buildings at the refuge headquarters were fascinating.  Much of the infrastructure around the refuge that is still being used today, including roads, stone buildings, water control structures, and entrance portals were built by the CCC between 1936 and 1942.

Mo continued a slow pace as she drove through the refuge, hoping to see a few wild animals.  There are pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and burros throughout the refuge. While many of the wild horses have been removed to protect the rangeland from overgrazing, we passed a couple along the highway.

East of the tiny town of Adel is a long, steep grade that I remembered from previous trips on this route.  With the torque converter feature of the MoHo keeping our use of brakes to a minimum, we descended easily and slowly.

We passed the road leading to Hart Mountain, and from that point on, the route was very familiar.  Highway 140 goes through Bly, Beatty, and Klamath Falls before reaching the southwestern shore of Klamath Lake. 

At the Howard Bay public dock, we stopped to give Mattie a break and walk around a bit to enjoy the view.  We saw pelicans roosting at the dock,  but there were so many people there that I didn't bother to attempt to get a photo of them.  At the lower end of the bay, we saw hundreds of coots staging for their winter flight south. 

We arrived home around 4 PM, happy to be there.  It was early enough in the afternoon that we unloaded all the food. We collected a few personal items, but the rest of the clothes and "stuff" of travel would have to wait until morning.

Everything at home was in great condition.  The rains that began just as we left Grants Pass turned the dry brown pasture green and the flowers were bright and happy.  My friend Maryruth's husband Gerald checked in on our place each morning.  He made sure that all the drip sprinklers were working.  It was very important to have someone check the well to make sure all was running as it should. We appreciated his care so much.  It made it much easier to come home without worrying that something may have happened to the place while we were away.
It may have been because we had been in the desert for so many days, but everything seemed especially lush on this sunny afternoon.  After a great trip, it was good to be home.

09-30-2021 The Long Trek Home (Almost)

Storm clouds over the La Sals east of Moab on the morning of our departure

Traveling home from canyon country requires a commitment of at least three days for us.  We usually can travel 350 miles in a day, but prefer 150 to 300 and have been known to cross 500 miles or more when the conditions require it.

There is much to see along the route home, but after 10 days exploring miles and miles of such a magnificent red landscape, it is hard for me to get excited about dallying in the vast expanses of the Utah and Nevada desert that are part of the Great Basin.

We have visited Great Basin National Park in the past and had no desire to camp there this time of year.  Many of the wonderful wildflowers are past peak bloom season and the fall temperatures make the nights quite cold.  We thought maybe we would enjoy a leisurely stay in Eureka or Austin, but when push comes to shove, we are simply ready to be home.  As I have said before, that horse to the barn thing is inescapable.

The night before our departure from Moab great loud thunderstorms crossed over the valley, lighting up the sky and rocking the MoHo in the wind.  Heavy rains pounded on the roof and when we woke in the morning it was still raining.  By the time Dan and Chere pulled out near 8am, the skies were clearing and we could see snow on the highest peaks of the La Sals.

Bye to Dan and Chere as they depart from the Moab KOA RV Park

Their route would be different from ours.  They planned to drive north through Price toward Salt Lake City, camping in Snowville, Utah on the first night and on the Oregon/Idaho border at Farewell Bend State Recreation Area on the second night before returning home to Beavercreek on the third day.

We planned to return the way we had come, after traveling north to I-70, and west to Highway 50 at Salina, then toward Delta and crossing Utah to the Nevada border at Border Town RV Park.  Our original plan was to continue west on Highway 50 to Fallon and then north to Susanville, crossing the mountains from Susanville to I-5 at Mt Shasta and then north to Grants Pass.  We have traveled this route many times returning from trips east and south from our home.

By the time we reached our camp site at Border Inn we had decided that we would go home a different route this time.  Traveling from Border Inn on Highway 50 we would exit at Highway 278 north toward I-80, then west toward Winnemucca.  There we planned to stay the night at the RV Park that Dan used on his trip south, New Frontier RV Park.  We would then travel north on Highway 95 to Highway 140 and west through the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge, Lakeview, Klamath Falls and then home over the very familiar High Lakes Pass to Medford and then the last few miles north to Grants Pass and home.

This route would be about 30 miles farther in total than our original plan through Fallon and Susanville but we were both happy to do something a little bit different.  It also would give us a chance to pass through some favorite refuges, including Upper Klamath Lake NWR very close to where we used to live in Rocky Point on the west side of Klamath Lake.

09-30 Moab, Utah to Border Inn RV, Nevada  322 miles

Once on the road from Moab, the clear skies gave way to heavy rain as we approached Green River on I-70.  The black clouds hid the views and the windshield wipers were on full speed as we crossed the gorgeous San Rafael Swell.  The overlooks weren’t very inviting in the pouring rain so we forged on west.

Last of the red rock sandstone along I-70 before we drop down from the Colorado Plateau to the Great Basin 

Once we crossed the high point of the swell the rains let up and we could see the last of the Colorado Plateau landscape as the highway dipped toward the west and the edge of the Great Basin.

Above is a map of the Great Basin, dominated by the ups and downs of Basin and Range landscapes.  Once on the flat basin west of Delta the road opened up and the vistas expanded far and wide with only a few ranges to climb between basins.

We arrived at the Border Inn around 5 and settled in easily.  This park is a funky, dusty place in the middle of nowhere with a sketchy Verizon signal that only works well before 6am in the morning or after midnight.  We still love it.  The open space and low key vibe of the place is very relaxing after a long drive. 

Above is a view of the Border Inn RV Park from the south where you can see how isolated it is on the landscape

There is a café and casino which we have never tried, happy instead to simply enjoy our own space with fresh breezes and very few people around to bother us.  Sometimes there are very big rigs with very large oversize loads that stop and stage at this location before continuing north toward Ely.

After settling in by late afternoon we cooked a very simple meal that was incredibly delicious.  The burger is from our Grants Pass butcher shop, cooked on the grill with my favorite seasoning, Weber Chicago Steak Seasoning.  The scalloped potatoes were stored in our freezer for the trip. The tomatoes were from Chere’s garden.  All topped off with blue cheese crumbles and dressing.  We couldn’t believe how good it tasted!

09-30 Border Inn to New Frontier RV Park Winnemucca, Nevada  331 miles

When we left Border Inn around 9 the skies were crystal clear and gorgeous.  The night had been chilly, but not so much that the little space heater we use on cold nights when we have hookups couldn’t keep up.

Within a few miles, we found ourselves behind a huge flotilla of rigs with official police pilot cars in front of and behind a huge “thing” being hauled on the highway.  The big box thing took up almost both lanes and no one was allowed to pass in either direction.  The front pilot car traveled at least a half mile in front of the wide load and moved all oncoming vehicles off the road before the big thing approached.  We traveled about 20mph over the steep ranges but on the flats the whole group could go almost 45 miles per hour.  Made for an easy relaxing drive to Ely where we broke away from the trail to fuel at the Love’s where we fueled on the way east two weeks earlier.

Something to keep in mind about fuel in Utah and Nevada; the price posted is for the lowest octane fuel, sometimes only 85 octane.  We ended up paying  over $4.00 per gallon for 87 octane.  We found that gas was priced as high throughout Nevada and Utah as we were used to paying in Oregon, and almost as high as the stations we passed when traveling through California.

Once west of Ely we lost the slow wide load and continued over the passes without incident.  There were a few cars parked in Eureka but I saw no sign of a bakery, which is something I had been searching for since we were in Moab where none were open early enough in the morning for us to enjoy.

Just beyond Eureka we turned north on Highway 278, the route Dan took from Winnemucca toward Baker on the way south.  We noticed that a northward trending route like this one lay between ranges and traveled through a long basin.  We didn’t have to cross a lot of high ranges as we did on Highway 50 which travels east and west.  However, the route north was terribly boring, with very little change in the view.  By the time we reached I-80 Mo needed a driving break and I took over for the last 100 miles or so west to Winnemucca.

Once in Winnemucca we easily found the huge New Frontier RV park and settled in quickly before dinner to relax a bit.  Full hookups, cable tv, a dog park, and showers that we never bothered to use made it a nice stop.  We were thrilled to discover that it was a Passport America park and we paid  half price for our site, a total of $21.69 with tax.  Can’t beat that.

The dog park was roomy but the space was all deep rounded gravel.  Mattie didn’t seem to mind and still always seems to know where the dog park is when we go there for the first time.  She has the routine down well, and runs right to the gate of the park, even when she has never seen it before.

The night was cold, with the temperature reading 27 degrees F when we woke on Friday morning.

10-01 Winnemucca to Virgin Valley Campground, Sheldon Wildlife Refuge, Nevada  127 miles

This was to be the day that we planned to push hard to drive 411 miles and reach home by late afternoon.  Instead we languished a bit this morning, both of us feeling a bit tired and a bit lazy.  We fueled at the Flying J, where gas was a few pennies higher than the nearby Pilot. More importantly, the Flying J had a Cinnabon kiosk and I was really wanting something bakery sweet so I didn't mind paying more for fuel.

Once on the road north on Highway 95 we settled in to the wide open landscape of Northern Nevada.  Here the distant hills are barren, not a juniper in site, not a leaf, not a shrub or a tree for miles.  The wide basins are thick with low sage and very little else.  About 29 miles north of Winnemucca we turned west on Highway 140.  I wish I could have taken a photo while driving because I am pretty sure this is the longest, straightest stretch of road that we have encountered on our entire trip.  I know that Highway 50 has the reputation for being the loneliest road in America but I would say that Highway 140 in northern Nevada has it beat.  We drove for 100 miles with absolutely nothing to break the monotony.

At the Denio Junction, Highway 140 makes a sharp turn west toward the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge.  The landscape is still open and empty but the landforms begin to shift.  In the distance the mountains have a bit more shape and shadows and I could see huge black lava flows on the horizon.  We stopped at the information kiosk at the entrance to Sheldon NWR and looked at the map. 

I would have been perfectly happy to stop right there and spend a night listening to the silence and watching the skies.  We decided that we would drive north and west a bit more into the refuge and explore the free Virgin Valley campground.

Turning south on the refuge road, we were bummed that it was graveled and the washboards were intense.  With all the shaking and rattling Mo forged ahead 2 miles till we reached the tiny campground.  What a treasure!  The campground is open, with little shade, but there are picnic tables and wide open sites that are quite level.

There is an old rustic stone bath house with water flowing all the time from the nearby spring.  The warm spring pool is clean with a ladder to enter and clear water that stays about 87 degrees.  Not hot, but warm enough to be enjoyable. 

The shower comes from the same spring and is a steady 87 degrees.  Not hot, but definitely not a cold shower.

We settled into our site, put out the slides and relaxed with cool breezes.  The evening was perfect for a walk around the campground, a dip in the pool and a nice warm shower.

For most of the afternoon and early evening we were one of a very few campers in the campground.  After supper, as evening approached, quite a few more campers appeared.  It was a night for campfires and stars.  I stepped out at midnight to see the stars and saw a few campfires surrounded by people quietly enjoying the night.

I have yet to learn how to take photos of stars so will have to remember how clear the night was and how magnificent the stars were in that desert sky.

The next morning we would get on the road one last time heading for home.

09-19-2021 Fallon to Baker Nevada Highway 50

The sun is shining brilliantly into  the east windows as I write this on Monday morning.  Such a delight.  To the west, the magnificent island of mountains of Great Basin National Park rise from the desert reflecting the morning sun. 

Last night when we settled in here at the Border Inn RV Park we had no idea whether the skies would clear for us.  The smoke from the fires near Sequoia National Park in California was thick and the air quality was over 150 throughout half of Nevada and almost all of Utah.  It was a sobering moment when we topped a pass west of Ely to see the thick brown cloud filling the valleys and obscuring the mountains.

The day started in Fallon on a positive note. The smoke had cleared and the sky was mostly clear except for a few high clouds.  The high winds of the previous day had dissipated by the time we got on the road at 9.  Highway 50 officially begins in California going through Carson City and intercepts Interstate 80  at Fallon.  Traveling east from Fallon we were officially on the Loneliest Road in America.

I love Highway 50.  We have traveled this route several times over the years and it has never been disappointing.  On this day the skies were dramatic as always, with big puffy clouds racing across the brilliant blue sky.  The morning sun made the mountain shadows dark against the horizon.  The rabbitbrush was in bloom most noticeably along the roadsides, lighting up the landscape with brilliant yellows.

As we continued east toward Austin and Eureka I texted Dan and Chere to see how they were doing.  All was well, and they had departed Winnemucca at 9 as well.  We had 181 miles to go to Eureka and they had 191 miles.  Funny thing, they arrived at the intersection of highway 278 and Highway 50 just ten minutes after we did.

The stretch of the highway between Fallon and Eureka is especially gorgeous. The pavement stretches for long distances, with sometimes miles of straight road without another vehicle visible.  Traffic was minimal all day, with a few RV’s on the road and more than a few souped up, stripped down, very tough looking back road vehicles heading for the wide open spaces and sand dunes perfect for ATVs.

Basin and Range is just that.  The ranges trend north and south and if one is traveling east or west the drive includes many long basins, and many steep, winding ranges.  Traveling Highway 50 is all about ups and downs.  Austin is such a charming little town, nestled into the side of the mountain on one of those “ups”.  We have traveled through Austin, but never stopped for more than a quick photo before continuing.  I made a note on our calendar that on the way home in a couple of weeks we need to plan to actually stop in Austin and explore some of the charm.  It is an historic mining town with a cemetery that even from the road looked like it would be a great visit.

We were communicating the Chere and Dan as they neared Eureka and decided that it would be a good place for a lunch spot.  The road through downtown is two lanes wide with a large parking lane as well.  The town was quiet, and an entire block of parking lane was open right in front of the town Senior Center.  We parked and Dan and Chere were parked behind us within minutes.  The skies were so blue and the sun so bright it was blinding.

We took the dogs for a short walk in an open area between buildings and discovered a group of picnic tables behind the closed Senior Center.  Perfect! It was the official beginning of our shared trip to Utah and we all feeling happy about the good weather.  Seems as though Dan and Chere had encountered some serious storms and narrow roads on highway 278 that connected Interstate 80 to the north with Highway 50.  They were happy to be in the sunshine.

We continued east with a plan to fuel at the Love’s station in Ely,  easy for us and for Dan with his big diesel rig. The uhoh moment came as we got closer to Ely when the thick smoke blanketing everything to the east appeared.  I checked the smoke map to discover that the thick stuff was emanating mainly from the huge fires in California and extended all the way east to Colorado, with an especially dark plume covering the area along the Colorado River.

I had been checking for smoke over and over before we left for this trip, encouraged that it hadn’t reached the far southeastern corner of Utah where we were headed.  It was a sad moment.  After we fueled up and continued south toward Baker, the gorgeous mountain ranges around us were completely invisible.  When we stopped for lunch, the four of us agreed that it might be nice to unhook after we settled in and take a side trip up the roads of Big Basin National Park.  When we got to our spot for the night, the smoke was so thick I had to get out my Big Basin NP book to show Dan and Chere what the view was to our west.  Not a good day for a side trip to high mountains completely shrouded in smoke.

Dan and Chere insisted that we join them in their rig for supper, even though we had each planned our own meal.  Chere contributed home made sweet n sour for our pre dinner cocktails, and we enjoyed visiting and catching up with them, talking about our plans for the next ten days.  Dan agreed, that smoke or not, he wasn’t missing out on his long awaited trip to Southern Utah.

We went to bed in high winds, but during the night the winds dissipated and a couple of times when I woke I could see the nearly full moon shining into the rig.

Morning came with another wonderful surprise.  The smoke was gone.  Not just a little bit, but completely gone!  The mountain range of Big Basin NP to the west was gorgeous.  I checked the smoke map again, and while there is still a long plume heading into southeastern Utah, we have mostly clear skies ahead of us as we travel the last leg of our trip toward Torrey.  Amazing how clear skies can shift my mood.  I am really looking forward to this day and to once again arriving in one of my favorite little towns in the west.  I do love Torrey, ever since my first trip through there in 1991, it has been a special place for me.

09-27-2019 Traveling To Albuquerque for the Balloon Festival

We pulled out of our Grants Pass driveway at exactly 8:45 AM, just as planned, in excellent weather.  We felt well prepared for the trip and there wasn’t a single last minute glitch to handle.  Love it when that happens. 

Dropping down the grade toward Susanville on Highway 44

Deciding on the shortest route over the mountains, we traveled Interstate 5 south as far as Mt Shasta and then turned east toward McCloud on Highway 89.  The two lane road meanders through the beautiful mixed conifer forests of this southernmost portion of the Cascade Mountains, with views of Mt Shasta and Mt Lassen peaking through the slight overcast as we traveled east.  The road was quiet and gorgeous, with very little traffic.  We stopped at the beautiful Bogard Visitor Center on Highway 44.  It is a great rest area, and we discovered that in a pinch we could park there for 8 hours if we needed a break or the weather turned iffy. 

Just under 400 miles in a day takes us closer to 8 hours in the MoHo rather than the google estimate

I have to admit I wasn’t quite up to snuff due to a tough head cold and sore throat that attacked me on the day before we left.  I had been to Urgent Care to be sure it wasn’t a strep infection, but that surely didn’t make traveling or driving with a stuffed up head much fun.  Mo had to do a lot of the driving during the early days of this trip.

Using Gas Buddy we tracked down the cheapest gas we could find in Susanville, CA. Mo had driven all the way to Susanville, and we did a bit of meandering before we managed to find lower priced fuel with an accessible driveway and overhang.  After fueling, I took over and drove for just two hours before Mo took over once again and drove through Reno afternoon traffic while I navigated.  The route through Reno was fast and easy, and within a few minutes we were heading east on Highway 50 toward Fallon.

We had planned to boondock in the free parking lot at the Bonanza Casino in Fallon, NV, listed in the AllStays app, but it turned out to be crowded and tight, and didn’t look the least bit inviting or accessible.  On our way through Fallon looking for the casino, we saw that the WalMart on the west end of town had some RV’s parked, and decided to return there for the night. 

Best little travel dog ever!

I talked to a couple of the people parked right under the signs that said “no overnight parking”, and they said it wasn’t a problem.  I did go inside and attempt to speak with the management, but got three different stories about whether or not we could overnight in the lot.  Bought some Robitussin and a few other items and decided that it would be fine to spend the night between the other two rigs parked on the west side of the lot.  There were lots of lights, but our shades keep the interior dark and the night was beautifully quiet.

09-28-2019 Crossing Nevada on Highway 50, the Loneliest Road in America

After a good night’s sleep for Mo and a rather awful night for me, in spite of the Robitussin and Extra Strength Tylenol, we woke at sunrise around 7 and were on the road by 8:15.  Once again we realized how very much we love traveling Highway 50 through Nevada.  Eastern Nevada is no doubt the very best example of Basin and Range topography in the country, and the road climbs over countless mountain ranges before descending  onto open playas and stick straight stretches of highway.  Nevada must be doing something right because the pavement on Highway 50 was in great shape, smooth as butter. 

Huge rain clouds were all around us, but we only got hit a couple of times with raindrops big enough to clean the windshield. We passed through the tiny towns of Austin and Eureka without taking time to stop for photos.  We have traveled this road in the past, several times, and while the towns are cute and historic, they are no match for the magnificent vistas that open up around each curve in the road.

Once again, our plans shifted with timing and weather.  We fueled up in Ely, to be sure that we had gas for boondocking if needed and continued past our original destination of the Ely KOA.  We have camped there in the past, but it is expensive, right on the highway, and we still had some driving time in us so continued east toward Baker.

AllStays was helpful again and we decided to camp with full hookups for a mere $25 bucks at the Border Inn RV Park.  The clouds were darkening, the winds were increasing and we were happy to be indoors enjoying warmed up leftover enchiladas and cozy warmth. Only funny part of the evening was that neither of us could hear each other because of our stopped up ears thanks to all the Basin and Range ups and downs.

Easy day for us, just over 300 miles

09-29-2019 Continuing on US 50 toward Capitol Reef National Park

The winds blew hard most of the night, and when we woke, it was very cold.  Nice to have hookups so we were cozy without having to use up propane.  We knew that we would be without hookups for the next few days and planned to be sure we had water and empty tanks before arriving in Capitol Reef.

Unknown to us until I stepped outside, was that the water hose was leaking from the inlet point and there was water puddled all over the place under the rig…right where we needed to hookup the sewer line to dump.  Not fun!  We managed to get the tanks dumped, although for some reason unknown to us, there was effluent in the pipe and it ran all over the ground.  We didn’t realize at the time that it was a hint of what was to come later, but that story will be saved for the end of our trip. 

We managed to get it all cleaned up and the tank dumped and water filled in spite of the cold winds.  Mattie wasn’t very interested in her walk and when I turned back to head for the rig she was in a BIG hurry to get back to a warm place.  She also wanted to visit with the very sweet little tabby kitty who visited us at our site, but Mattie isn’t very polite around cats, and her idea of play isn’t nice so the cat stayed away from her.

We left by 9, knowing that our 233 mile day ahead of us would be easy and enjoyable.  Continuing east on US 50 we had many miles of open rangeland, passing large saline lakes and playas before we did the meandering route where Highway 50 crosses over I-15, follows it for a bit, and then takes off east toward Scipio. 

I was feeling much better this day and drove as far as Aurora, Utah.  On the far end of town we found a beautiful city park with plenty of parking space, lots of open grass, and not a single “no dogs allowed” sign anywhere.  Mattie loved running on the soft grass and I loved the warm sunshine.

Once again checking in with Gas Buddy, we decided to fuel up in Loa, Utah rather than paying the much higher gas prices closer to the National Park.  I picked up a few groceries at the surprisingly well stocked grocery store and we continued east, arriving at our campground by 4pm.

The Fruita Campground in the heart of the Capitol Reef National Park, in Utah, just a mile east of the Visitor Center is lovely, although there are no hookups and now it is reservation only.  I’m glad I made our reservations several months ago since everything was completely full each day we were in Capitol Reef.

Mo was a bit frustrated because it was obvious that the campground was laid out before RV’s were popular, and the sites are angled such that your door opens on the opposite side of your table and fire pit.  Kinda dumb.  We did discover that the newer Loop C has sites angled correctly.  We were in Loop B

I do love Capitol Reef so much, and couldn’t believe that it had been 5 years since our last visit.  For many years I spent most of my time in this national park in the wild outskirts, but this time I was looking forward to the simplicity of a “real” campground, and exploring the local sights around the Visitor Center.

We settled in for the evening, took a short lovely walk to the nearby historic Gifford House, and enjoyed the gorgeous setting sun on the cliffs.  Time for a favorite soup, Martina McBride’s Bowl of Comfort, pulled from the freezer. We didn’t need to worry about the fire pit and picnic table location, and were perfectly happy to sit inside at our comfy dinette.

As we knew beforehand, there wasn’t any sign of a cell signal to be found.  I warned my kids and friends that I would be out of touch for a few days so it wasn’t a problem.  Funny how often I go to google to answer a question that one or the other of us has raised.  No google for a few days is an eye opener for sure.