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Re: Ernst Goes Camping in the Great Smokies
Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2015 9:35 pm
by Rob
Yes, nice post!
Do you wear your FitBit while sleeping?
Re: Ernst Goes Camping in the Great Smokies
Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2015 9:37 pm
by melville
I got an early start on Day 2, with camp broken, bike loaded, and in my gear well before sunrise. I got to Crater Lake well in time for this:
And things only got better from there. An unfamiliar bird:
Confirmed later by Muriel, an avid birder, as Clark's Nuthatches. Said she, 'I've only seen them once before.'
There's another volcano building in the crater:
More views:
One of my favorites:
There were other riders about:
For those who are unfamiliar, that's a KLR. KLR owners are the result when Dutch and Scots breed with each other. The KLR riders also arrived too late to find a campsite, so they spent the night at the KLR Hilton:
Yes, riders--there's a pillion on the bench on the far side. They may be on a heck of a ride--the bike was from a few states away. I let them sleep, but wouldn't have minded hearing a story or two from them.
Re: Ernst Goes Camping in the Great Smokies
Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2015 9:42 pm
by melville
Rob wrote:Yes, nice post!
Do you wear your FitBit while sleeping?
Yeah. FitBit confirms that 6 hours is a good night for me.
Re: Ernst Goes Camping in the Great Smokies
Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:14 am
by bbelk
melville wrote:bbelk wrote:I shouldn't distract from Melville's excellent post. Thanks - I enjoyed that a lot.
Not to worry--you and Ms. bbelk are somewhat our heroes. Here's our next project:
Wow - thats beautiful. If you have not been to the Airstream Forum, you should check it out. They are not as eclectic as this group, but they know a lot more about Airstreams, and there are a LOT of them on that forum. It would be a great place for the project pictures, which I really look forward to seeing.
Re: Ernst Goes Camping in the Great Smokies
Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 11:11 am
by enigmaT120
Pretty pictures. I've only been to Crater Lake once, to run the marathon. About 4 hours. It's hard. The lake is good for soaking your legs in after the race, though. If you don't mind the hike down and back up.
Re: Ernst Goes Camping in the Great Smokies
Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 11:17 pm
by melville
Continuing around Crater Lake:
Eventually I came to the spur road out to the Pinnacles, a curious confluence of volcanism and erosion. Here's the NPS overview:
Here's how they look:
The spur road also went by the smaller, tent-only campground and upon seeing it I can highly recommend camping outside the park as I did the night before. This campground is exposed and likely very cold at night.
After circumnavigating the lake I stopped at the village to lay in the day's provisions (I filled my CamelBak) and continued on. But first, another Tesla charging, not with a generator:
That trailer was not towed there by the Tesla. It is a demonstration unit from Oregon Tech. Onward from the park, this was the day's plan:
And some geocaches as well:
http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC2W ... -blue-lake
http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC3A ... erosa-pine
http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5T5N7_old-building
http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5V ... um-wayside
http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC13B9V_i-c-5
http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5X1GJ_dottys
I learned after the second geocache that a fifth gear start is quite possible on an Airhead. The cache was on a speedy section of Hwy 97 and I'd stopped quickly without downshifting (still had a decent walk back to the cache) and parked on some softish gravel. Feathering the clutch to get going on the gravel, I didn't get it fully engaged until I was going 20 mph where suddenly I was only turning 1200 rpm.
I can't recommend 97 as a road to ride for itself, but if there's no smoke the views are probably fantastic. Not on this day, though. Mt. Shasta was not visible as I rode by signage indicating "Look to your left, there's Shasta!" There were some pelicans on Klamath Lake:
Reminding me of the first time Muriel and I saw pelicans, just outside Watertown SD when we moved west in my Beetle 28 years ago. More to come.
Re: Ernst Goes Camping in the Great Smokies
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 9:44 pm
by melville
So I survived 97 all the way to Weed CA, where I picked up the Edgewood road, running parallel to I-5, to get to the old Hwy 99 alignment, which I took to Yreka. Time to eat, and this place sprang into view:
For once pale old me actually got some heat in the salsa. Usually I'm served bland stuff when the crew is Latino, no matter what I ask for. Good chow:
From Yreka I took Hwy 3 to Trinity Center to gas up. On the way were a couple markers. First church in the valley:
Old stage route:
The stage road marker was right by this:
And this:
The south side of Scott Summit continued that one turn after another twisting descent. Smooth pavement, but a tendency for gravel in the turns. And interesting grade changes, some of them mid-corner. After gassing up, I came back a ways on Hwy 3 and camped at the NFS campground called Trinity River. Six campsites, no water, just $4 for the night. As it was self service, it actually cost me $5....... All set up for another night:
Re: Ernst Goes Camping in the Great Smokies
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 12:39 am
by Airbear
Great 'real-time' ride report and photos, Mel. I love a good dramatic land-form.
I'm guessing that campfires are off the menu with all that smoke in the air.
ps: Are you allowed to shoot generators in the US? Or do you have to sneak up in the middle of the night to set them on fire, like we do.
Re: Ernst Goes Camping in the Great Smokies
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 12:59 am
by Major Softie
I didn't know the Clampers were active that far north - I always thought of them more as California gold rush connected - with a little dabbling in the Comstock Lode (Julia C. Bulete Chapter - I mean, how can you not have a chapter for the black madam of Virginia City?).
Re: Ernst Goes Camping in the Great Smokies
Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 1:50 am
by Rob
Major Softie wrote:I didn't know the Clampers were active that far north - I always thought of them more as California gold rush connected - with a little dabbling in the Comstock Lode (Julia C. Bulete Chapter - I mean, how can you not have a chapter for the black madam of Virginia City?).
Memory triggered...