Thursday: (08/01) A pancake and sausage breakfast sandwich to start. I drove out to Sol Duc Falls Trailhead. I hiked out to the falls and a few other falls on the way to Deer Lake. It was about 4 miles out then 4 more to return the same way.
After the hike I cleaned the potty then off to the Asian Buffet for dinner about 1630. I did have a tuna snack at the lake. I stopped at Swain's General Store again to finish looking around. When the sun was down, I returned to the Park And Ride lot for the night.
Friday: (08/02) PBJ waffles and a sausage for breakfast. I drove out Highway 112 to Cape Flattery and the Makah Indian Reservation. I paid $20 for an annual pass to be able to stop the van anywhere there. I had some jambalaya on bread for lunch. I hiked the .7 mile hike out to the cape. While there, some whales were putting on a show.
Then I went out to the other hike there. The Shi-Shi trail lead out and into the Olympic NP, about 2 miles out. Beautiful beach and rocks there. Lots of mud in the trail. Then I drove back out on Highway 112 to Highway 113 and stopped for the night near Beaver Lake on a Forest Service road. Salad and mushroom soup for dinner.
Saturday: (08/03) Up at 0400 and off to Hon Rain Forest. I arrived at 0545 but didn't Hit the trail until 0815.
I hiked out the Hon River Trail about 4.25 miles then tripped and fell on my forehead and nose. Only a few miner scraps but I also had a nose bleed that wouldn't. I was short of my hiking goal but decided to turn around. After a mile or so of nose pinching I stopped at a stream. I put paper towel corks in both nostrils and washed most of the blood off. I must have looked a mess because most of the other hikers I passed offered help. One was a doctor and checked me out. Back at y he van I removed the corks and luckily the bleeding had stopped. I had some jambalaya over bread for lunch. Later I hiked the Hall Of Mosses and The Spruce Trails. The morning hike was 8.5 miles, the afternoon hikes totaled 3 more miles.
Then I returned to Forks. I stopped at the Thriftway market and got a few things. I drove out Highway 110 to Beach #1 and had my dinner, a chicken breast and a baked potato. Then before it got dark, I drove back to town and stopped at the Transit Center Rest Area for the night.
Sunday: (08/04) Burritos and hash browns potatoes with salsa for breakfast. I continued South on Highway 101. I drove out Oil City Road to the end where beach 6 is. The parking lot was already full but I parked further back on the road. I tried to hike out to the beach to see why it was so busy but the muddy trail and overgrown path made me decide to cancel that idea. I returned to Highway 101 and then on South stopping and beach 5 where I walked out to the beach and took a walk there. It was also very busy.
Then continued on down to Lake Quinault. I drove the road around the lake, much of it single lane washboard road. I had more jambalaya over bread for lunch there at a picnic area. I stopped by the Merriman Falls. Then continuing South I stopped in Aberdeen at a Safeway market for more jambalaya soup. I stopped along the way for a nap then continued down stopping about 22 miles North of Astoria near Long beach and the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge with a view over the bay and of Long Island. I had a chicken pot pie for dinner.
I stopped at the Tillamook cheese factory. I enjoyed observing the cheese making and packaging. All three lines were in operation and all three were observed shutting down as well. Quite interesting. In their store I found some more interesting single cider cans and bought a couple of interesting flavors. Then I drove just south of Tillamook to a rest stop for the night. I learned the fair starts on Wednesday so I may hang around here for a couple of more days. I had a dinner from Panda Express I picked up as I was leaving Astoria. I had a chicken breast for lunch.
Tuesday: (08/06) PBJ waffles with bacon for breakfast. I returned to the Tillamook Cheese Factory and observed the production line again. I’m too fascinated with factory tours. I had a bowl of soup for lunch then went to the Tillamook Air Museum to explore what they had. I had some beer battered shrimp and tater tots for dinner then went back to the Rest Area for the night.
Wednesday: (08/07) Granola with yogurt for breakfast. I took a walk around downtown Tillamook waiting for the Fair to open at 1000. I arrived at the Fairgrounds and parked then bought my ticket and was inside at 0955. Interesting little fair similar to Ferndale fair. I finished looking around by 1300 and left to stop at Grocery Outlet for more ice cream. I had a hot dog sandwich for lunch in the parking lot.
Then I was on the road headed toward Bend. I stopped to look at Munson Water Fall a little ways South of town. I continued on turning off Highway 101 onto 22. Near Salem I noticed a sign for the Polk County Fair so I stopped red d in for a look. More animals, and more interest in them here. Also, no carnival here. So. I had a fair day.
Best place to nap at the fair. Steer judging.
Chicken breast and salad for dinner. I left the fair about 1939 and continued East on Highway 22 stopping at a Rest Area near Gates.
Thursday: (08/08) I prepared scrambled eggs with wieners and cheese topped with salsa for breakfast. I headed on toward Bend. I stopped at the Santiam pass PCT trailhead. I met a trail angel and about six hikers there. They already had their rides to Bend so I continued on. After stopping at Winco Market for a few things and to have lunch, I cruised through Bend and stopped about 10 miles South at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument Lava Lands Visitor Center. Then I took a hike there to Benham Falls. Really not a fall but a darn treacherous rapid. The Deschutes River moves a lot of water. It is nice and calm for 18 miles before the falls and a popular kayak float. I decided to return to Bend for the night. I stopped in Old Bend by a river park that was supposed to be a great place to pend the night. Not this weekend. There is a food, art and music event there, “Munch And Music”. I had the leftover salad for lunch. For dinner, I stopped at King Buffet, a Chinese buffet. Science I could park by the park, I went to another nearby place parking on the side of the rod by a huge deep pit.
Friday: (08/09) Leftover scrambled eggs for breakfast. I stopped by a park upstream from Drake park where I had seen some river surfers the day before. I enjoyed watching gthe pros and the beginners riding the waves. Then I went back to Drake Park where the art and music event was yesterday. There was no trace of it having been there, not even any litter. I parked there and took a walk around downtown and the park then relaxed there watching the river and the people most of the morning. Jambalaya over bread for lunch. About 1330 I left Bend heading South again. I needed a nap almost immediately so I stopped South of Lapine at a Rest Area. After that, I continued and turned onto the road to Crater Lake. At the start after the turn there was a sign warning about a wildfire 18 miles ahead, so I decided to stop and check on the fire. It was one of the most active in the state per the online map and about a dozen near it. The smoke was heavy and I thought that the view at the lake wouldn’t be all that good anyway, so I headed back North from where I started and took Highway 31 toward Highway 395. The smoke eventually cleared and I saw some blue sky. I stopped about 2000 in California a couple of miles on top of a bluff overlooking a valley. A chicken breast and some tortilla soup for dinner.
Saturday: (08/10) A sausage and cheese pancake sandwich for breakfast. I drove down Highway 395 only stopping for gas and some groceries in Reno. I drove up Highway 108 about 7 miles to a campground that had water. I paid $6 for a day use pass and filled my water tanks. I then continued down Highway 395 stopping in Bridgeport for burrito but the stand ws closed. Darn. I then continued down to the road to Virginia Lakes and drove up about a half mile to a wide spot in the road for the night. I had soup and salad for dinner. I went to bed early for me at 2100 so I can get up early tomorrow.
Sunday: (08/11) Up at 0300 and headed into Yosemite National park. I found a parking spot by Tuolumne Meadows and settled in for 3 more hours of sleep. But, I was through the gate before 0500 when a reservation was needed. I had a sausage egg and cheese pancake sandwich for breakfast at 0700. Then I tried to decide what to do and where to go and ended up parked at Tenaya Lake.
About 0900 I started a hike toward Clouds Rest. I stopped about noon for a tuna trail lunch. Lunch sure helped with my energy. I made it to the top at about 1400. I had another trail lunch there.
I arrived back at the van about 1830. I had a chicken pot pie for dinner. Then I drove out of the park and back to my camp spot overlooking Mono Lake.
Monday: (08.12) I got up and started the water heater then took a shower. Then I drove down to Bridgeport to The Barn for breakfast. I got a chorizo burrito. I got it to go and ate it at the Vista Point overlooking Mono Lake. Then I continued South to Mammoth Lakes to a laundromat and did my laundry. After that I found a place in the forest to take a nap. After the nap I checked the cell service, which was reported as good in the area, but wasn't. So I left that spot and found a nice spot in a big meadow where I got better cell signals. I didn’t need lunch but had a chili size for dinner.
Tuesday: (08/13) Granola and yogurt for breakfast. I drove about 15 miles South to Crowley Lake to see the Crowley Lake columns. The first problem is to find the parking area to start the 2 mile hike out to the columns. You can drive much closer but need a good (excellent) four wheel drive high clearance vehicle to get there. It is really just a short downhill then short uphill climb through a bunch of deep holes on dust and sand. Our jeep could do it but no way a front drive van that is fully loaded nor most AWD SUVs could do it. It would also be a trap in that it starts with a downhill so getting out needs to be assured. Weather was nice for the 4 mile hike out and back. The columns are interesting and there is a really nice beach there. I should have carried my kayak out for even better views of the columns. I need to get/make a nicely padded backpack that can carry the not too heavy but large kayak and some water and lunch. Back at the van, I turned on the air conditioner and spent the rest of the day at the trailhead. A hot dog sandwich with cheese for lunch. I worked on updating my blog post for the past year's entries. For dinner I had a chicken breast and some chili beans. About 1830 I left the Column's Parking area. I returned to Mammoth, got a little gas and more groceries. Gas is more expensive here than in Bishop where I plan to be tomorrow.
Wednesday: (08/14) I drove down to Bishop to get breakfast at the Pupfish. I checked on their hours and I arrived about 15 minutes later. That is when I found that Wednesday is the only day they are closed. My bad luck, no avocado toast breakfast. So I checked Google for breakfast spots near me and found excellent reviews for El Ranchito Mexican Food nearby. Their breakfast burritos sounded good so I got a Machaca Breakfast Burrito. It came with hash browns as well. It was the absolute best breakfast burrito I’ve ever had and the hash browns were equally excellent being freshly shredded and seasoned with black pepper. The burrito was on the wet side so I ate it with a knife and fork. They also had a variety of fresh sauces to add.
After breakfast, I visited the Dollar Tree store and bought some ice cream bars for use later. I met a poor fellow and his son who stopped at the nearby laundromat and their campervan won’t start now. They have been waiting a couple of days for the AAA tow truck. None of the local tow companies are interested in towing them to a garage that can repair it. A tow truck is coming tomorrow to take the van to Ridgecrest. I attended my Wednesday webinar and relaxed in the shade most of the morning. When I checked at 1130 it was 88 degrees but not bad in the van with just the sliding door open. I had my leftover from breakfast for lunch. I made a run to the ACE hardware store to get some blue shop towels. I used my last roll today. About 1800 I drove South to Big Pine and stopped for the night at the abandoned Zurich RR Station East of town. I had some cottage cheese and a wiener for dinner.
Thursday: (08/15) Pancake sausage sandwich for breakfast. Note my shadow in the center of the left photo below.
I headed up to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine National Monument to the Schulman Visitor Center. I hiked the Mine Cabin Trail, about 3 miles. A nice hike to see a good group of the trees. Also you can see the remains of the mines but almost nothing is left but some trenches.
When I got back to the Visitor Center, it was open. I’ve been here 4 times in recent years and this is the first time it was open. I ask about the Patriarch Grove. It is located about 13 miles out on a high clearance needed gravel road. I headed out and hiked to two short trails there. The grove there earned its name. The trees are much bigger, some 15 feet in diameter, and healthier. I spent the rest of the afternoon there relaxing. About 1600 I returned back to the Vista Point on the road into the monument. I enjoyed the sunset there and relaxed some more. About 2000 I headed further down the road to a pullout where I stopped for the night last spring. I had some jambalaya over bread for lunch. I had a chicken breast and baked potato for dinner.
Friday: (08/16) I drove down and up to Bishop to the Pupfish Cafe for breakfast. I had an Italian (avocado toast topped with strawberries with a chai latte. Quite good. Then I drove out Hwy 6 to Benton and then onto Hwy 120 to a nice spot in the forest above Mono Lake. I had to drive a quarter mile out a sandy road to my spot. I took a shower then relaxed the rest of the day. I had a salad for lunch. Ramen noodles with chili for dinner.
Saturday: (08/17) A breakfast sandwich from the freezer for breakfast. I reversed the van so I had a great view of Mono Lake through the windshield. I had to park in the opposite direction to allow for a better drain for the shower. Now, a little tilt doesn’t matter. I worked at the computer most of the day updating blog posts with photos for this past year. I also have 2023 to do. Jambalaya over bread for lunch. BBQ ribs and a baked potato for dinner.
Sunday: (08/18) PBJ waffles for breakfast. I drove down to the South Tufa area and took a walk by the spires. The water was nice and calm so i thought about putting the kayak in but I had read about needing an inspection at the Visitor Center first. I did not see that notice at the Navy Beach, a kayak launch point near the tufas. After a good look around both places, I drove down to Lee Vining to the Visitor Center. I ask about the inspection and they don’t require one, Must be an older notice at the old saw mill site near where I camped. But, the after noon winds make being on the water after noon a bad idea so maybe tomorrow. Looked around the Visitor Center then had jambalaya over bread for lunch in the parking lot. I left the air conditioner on when I left and the batteries still completed their charge to 100 percent and stayed there.
Monday: (08/19) A frozen breakfast sandwich to start. I drove down to the South Tufa area and Navy Beach where I launched my Tuctek kayak and paddled over and around the tufa. After the paddle, I had to clean up the kayak which had all that Alkaline water all over it. I hosed it off at the van and dried it off before putting it away. I also had to rinse off my legs and feet that felt like they had snail slime all over them. After that, I was off to Lake Mary where I relaxed the rest of the day. I didn't feel like a hike. Jambalaya soup over bread for lunch. Salad for dinner. I spent the night parked just outside the East entrance to Yosemite Park.
Tuesday: (08/20) A breakfast sandwich to start. I hiked out the John Muir Trail in Lyell Canyon to the Yosemite Trail junction, 6.23 miles out, then back. I enjoyed a tuna trail snack lunch looking out over the Tuolumne River.
Thursday: (08/22) Lou made peach blintzes for breakfast. I took a walk around the neighborhood to see what's happening these past couple of months. We all went out shopping for a butterfly net for Lou to capture her chicks when needed. A BBQ pulled pork and cheese sandwich for lunch. I worked on Dawn’s computer to fix it being slow and having a bad Internet connection. Lou made stuffed bell peppers and baked zucchini for dinner.
Friday: (08/23) I made a sort of omelet, lots of onion and bell pepper, and ham, topped with cheese, with only three eggs.It was more like a hash. I made enough for two breakfasts for three people. I washed my little Hyundai and Lou’s Jeep and the van. Then Lou and I assembled a tent in the back yard where Lou and Dawn plan on sleeping tonight. Ice cream and a wiener for lunch. I received a charger from Amazon for the bicycle. I’ll carry it in the van and leave the original charger at home so wherever the bike is, a charger is. I also received a 25 foot hose for the van. Now I’ll have 40 feet of hose for filling and other needs. Having only a 15 foot hose made filling the tank more difficult because I needed a close faucet. I also received more laundry detergent sheets. I like them much more than powdered or liquid detergent. After an afternoon nap, I straightened some leaning fence posts. Over time, the posts have shrunken and the post anchors needed their bolts tightened. I picked up Chinese food for dinner which we ate in the front yard.
Saturday: (08/24) I had leftover yesterday’s breakfast this morning. My first job was to take a shower. Then I cut my hair and beard which required another shower. I’m no longer a mountain man. Later, Lou made waffles and bacon for brunch. I made a shopping run to Grocery Outlet for cheese and eggs and Trader Joe's for ciabatta bread. In the afternoon I had leftover Chinese food. Then a nice afternoon nap. For dinner, I made chili sizes with baked potatoes. Lou made an apple cake for dessert.
Sunday: (08/25) I had more leftover breakfast from Friday for today’s breakfast. I then got busy with some tasks. Before I left I had installed the drip tubing for Lou’s garden. I patched a couple of cuts in the tubing but ran out of couplers before fixing the third cut so I taped it up and ordered more couplers from Amazon. I departed the next day and the couplers arrived while I was gone. I replaced the tape patch, with some difficulty, and installed the coupler. These couplers are the best design I’ve used, strong and easy to install. The problem with the tape was it worked too well and was difficult to unwrap. Next project was to repair the sticky door on Ernie’s trailer. It was dragging across the deck. I determined the door was sagging at the outside end so I installed a cross support strap to keep the outside up off the deck. I made it with plumbing tape and bolts, screws and washers. I could have taken the time to get a gate support cable assembly but I’m not sure it would have worked as well. I also located and placed my whippet walking stick/ice ax into the van for just in case use. Next task was to cancel my SeriusXM service on the old Hyundai Accent. That should have been an easy task of just clicking the cancel button, BUT NO! They ask you why you want to cancel as the next prompt then give you an offer for reduced service for less cost. Then they send you off to an AI assistant chat to finish it. In the chat they ask what you want to do, ask why you want to cancel, insist on an answer and then try to talk you out of it. After 20 questions, AI transferred me to a live person and we continued. I made them an offer. The next response had to be that they were canceling the service on that vehicle or I would be canceling my other two services as well. Interestingly, the next response was that they were canceling that service. What do you know? Needless to say I did not respond favorably on the customer satisfaction survey that followed. Lou’s split pea soup for lunch. Lou made her pineapple, shrimp, and cashew rice for dinner.
