Beckler River Campout
Yes, LJ, I'm sorry I've neglected you. We camp out several times a year, and often in the same area, and while we take the RV, which I admit isn;t REALLY camping, it's home without internet, maybe this'll give you some insight as to why we do it. Mike & I took the RV out Wednesday night to get a spot, the one we really wanted was taken, but we found another that was satisfactory. Took moving a few times to get level enough for the fridge to work (I miss tents, really I do). The hardest part of THAT was keeping the chickens from running under the RV to hide. They're somewhere around two months old and their little voices are already starting to go from 'peep' to 'awk'. Having them with us was less hassle than I expected, though I think they annoyed a lot of the campers. they generally stayed close and were happy to come in and bed down in the bathtub before sundown.
I digress. So it's just Mike & I out there. It's good and dark, we grab a couple of sleeping bags and head under the trees for some outdoor sexy time (my favorite!). This went pretty well until {{Inappropriate toad}} who hoisted its clammy self onto my foot an hour into it, making me retract my legs somewhere into my diaphragm with a holler of alarm. Mike was left wondering what he did wrong until he saw me scanning the ground with a flashlight.
We headed back into the RV for some actual sleep.
Thursday we watched Zebedee and Zoe cavort around the RV, Mike worked on his novel and I proceeded to attempt to take the cluttered chaos that our home is more often than not. My cousin Kim showed up that evening and cooked us a great Mexican style meal. Sue & The Flame-Haired One showed up right after dinner. We had a few drinks and joked around the fire. As we were all getting ready to head to bed, Kim said she didn't want to sleep out there alone -the tent spot was about 50 yards from where the rest of us were sleeping, because of "bears". *eyeroll*. Black bears-which are the only kind you get out here-are pretty timid, especially this time of year: bear hunting season. We've seen one in our years of coming out to that area and it ran like hell.
"Fine. I'll go sleep out next to your tent." I grabbed my sleeping bag, laid it down about 5 feet from Kim's tent, stripped down, used my clothes as a pillow and settled in. Inappropriate toad came by my head once, and a couple times I was awaken by noises, I scanned the site, didn't see anything, and went back to sleep. The forest floor was more comfortable than I'd been dreading, and I'd wanted to sleep under the stars for awhile. Kim wondered why I didn't stay in the tent. "Well, if you're worried about bears, since you're next to the river I can't hear much, and if I was in the tent I couldn't see anything either. And I snore."
Sleeping in the RV is fine, and I LOVE that I can leave the blinds up and look out at forest in the morning. At 6:30 Am I awoke to another sound nearby. Mike was sitting against a tree in the morning light, watching me. "I couldn't sleep." He looked so peaceful and handsome. Awww. Best scenery yet. He left me a cigarette and went back to the RV to make coffee. I was warm and cozy and didn't want to get up and fumble with my clothes, but I quickly realized lying there for much longer wasn't an option as I was becoming a mosquito feast.
Kim woke up, we talked for a while under the cedars, and I staggered back to the RV in my sandals, clothes and sleeping bag in my arms-easier to get dressed in the Beastie anyway.
Got some Mike cuddle time then threw on my bathrobe, grabbed some all-natural chamomile soap and a towel and headed to the river. It took working up to it and a bit of fortitude, but I managed to submerge myself in the glacial water, have a good flap to stave off the pain of the water, soap up and rinse off. Note: Chamomile & goat milk soap seems to attract fish. This could be handy information later. Cleaner, awake, and refreshed, I went to get dressed-for real this time.
I hung out for awhile, we moved the chairs and fire down to the lower fire pit under the trees so people could park without worrying about their cars catching fire. Sue said she wanted to go to the river, I told Mike and She, Kim, and the Flame-Haired-One hiked about 1/3 of a mile downstream, crossing once and otherwise picking our way over small boulders. We reached a small swimming hole protected by a mossy rock, and I found immersing oneself in the sunlit river in the afternoon is much easier than a morning bath in the shade. We splashed around and tried to coax the Flame-Haired One and her mother to go all the way under with little result. Kim showed fortitude and more athleticism than I'd expected of her on the hike, AND she was fine with the water if not the dress code.
We picked our way back to find Mike had done all the dishes and made coffee, but was upset he'd missed nakey time. I felt pretty guilty about that.
Then our people started showing up: Chelsea, Corwyn and their two cats, Bob, Sandie, Keith, Micha and Mark. Parking was getting pretty tight as those staying in their vehicles jockeyed for a level spot.
The cats had a little mesh tent with all their amenities, though they were content enough it was evident they wanted to explore. They were let out, leashed, and did that low-slung crawl that cats do when so encumbered. The chickens set about teasing them, this probably wasn't deliberate, but they were chasing each other in front of the tent.
Keith showed up with a truck full of cedar he'd cut, we helped him move it down to the fire. While it would have made a blazing inferno, we kept the fire fairly small to prevent the overhead trees from going up with it.
Mark raked the entire fire area and the trail. ...I don't know what else to say about that save the piles he left at the edges of the camp area ended up being a prime scratching area for the chickens. Zebedee seemed to have an unrequited crush on Micha, who was not thrilled by the bird appearing on her armrest every hour or so.
The party got going. I made us some buffalo burgers with onions and JD BBQ sauce- Note to self-get a grate so you can actually cook these things properly, like, not in a skillet like you do every damn day- and I made us some muppet juice. Mike & Bob told Nemo some ghost stories at her request, then we sent her to bed (muahaha).
Mike got pretty lit, I had a nice buzz on, and the convo rolled in all directions.
Saturday was packed with good times. Sue & the Flame-Haired One got out their bows and target. We all tried out Sue's compound bow, which one you got the hang of, you were an idiot for missing the target at that range, anyway. We all had a little bit of string bite, but Chelsea won that game.
We picked our way down to the swimming hole again, this time with Mike, Bob, and Sandie. Bob brought a chair, which seemed a little more hassle than it was worth, but perhaps not if we'd stayed longer. Mike does not immerse himself in glacier water quietly. Just sayin'. It was a little more tolerable than usual, or our usual spot: I could stand in it for long periods of time without feeling that achy pain you get before everything goes numb. We hung out and splashed around until the deer flies found us.
Jax & JC showed up with Cerberus, which was actually three scottie dogs on a short split leash, Aryana showed up and the Flame-Haired one finally had someone to play with. They hunkered into Jax's Van with the iPad. The adults took turns scaring the bejeezus out of them as we walked by. Though the success rate was maybe 30%, it would've been easier to scare Kim.
I made a fritatta to share with everyone, assuring Keith there were no nettles in it this time. Chelsea shared some venison hamburger helper, and Mark was quite generous with his slow-cooked ribs. I eat WAY batter at these campouts than anywhere else.
The kids were allowed to stay up. At 10:30 we went up on the road away from the trees and watched the meteor shower. I grabbed a blanket and lay in the road. I quickly became furniture for Mike, Sandie, Nemo and Aryana. Bob and Chelsea in turn laid on them. I got a bit panicky when we heard a car coming, and we had to upset the whole pile. Turned out to be the ranger. We exchanged pleasantries, he asked if we'd seen any meteors, chatted about the job and how busy it was, and he went on his way. "Game on" someone said, and we resumed our sky watching. We saw quite a few, a couple blazed though with giant tails, storybook style.
Dusty and stiff, we eventually returned to the fire and eventually, bed. Jax was generous with the homemade Kahlua and coffe. Mark and I were the last ones to bed about 3:30.
Sunday I took Aryana to the river, as she hadn't been and she REALLY loves it-more than anyone. The Flame-Haired One came with. I hadn't really planned on getting in again, but...aw hell. We cut the swim a bit short as the damn biting flies found us again.
Kim was making her morning trip into the RV to use our toilet, since the chickens weren't out at that point she always got pecked by Zoe for some reason. She'd never pecked me, I was a little jealous.
We hung out and relaxed until late-ish, then Mike & I led a convoy of 5 down the scenic secret ninja route and avoided the highway 2 backup. We ended the trip with dinner at La Hacienda in Gold Bar. Great place. They;re starting to recognize us, though I'm wondering if they call us 'the filthy people' as we always go there after camping.
Good times.
I digress. So it's just Mike & I out there. It's good and dark, we grab a couple of sleeping bags and head under the trees for some outdoor sexy time (my favorite!). This went pretty well until {{Inappropriate toad}} who hoisted its clammy self onto my foot an hour into it, making me retract my legs somewhere into my diaphragm with a holler of alarm. Mike was left wondering what he did wrong until he saw me scanning the ground with a flashlight.
We headed back into the RV for some actual sleep.
Thursday we watched Zebedee and Zoe cavort around the RV, Mike worked on his novel and I proceeded to attempt to take the cluttered chaos that our home is more often than not. My cousin Kim showed up that evening and cooked us a great Mexican style meal. Sue & The Flame-Haired One showed up right after dinner. We had a few drinks and joked around the fire. As we were all getting ready to head to bed, Kim said she didn't want to sleep out there alone -the tent spot was about 50 yards from where the rest of us were sleeping, because of "bears". *eyeroll*. Black bears-which are the only kind you get out here-are pretty timid, especially this time of year: bear hunting season. We've seen one in our years of coming out to that area and it ran like hell.
"Fine. I'll go sleep out next to your tent." I grabbed my sleeping bag, laid it down about 5 feet from Kim's tent, stripped down, used my clothes as a pillow and settled in. Inappropriate toad came by my head once, and a couple times I was awaken by noises, I scanned the site, didn't see anything, and went back to sleep. The forest floor was more comfortable than I'd been dreading, and I'd wanted to sleep under the stars for awhile. Kim wondered why I didn't stay in the tent. "Well, if you're worried about bears, since you're next to the river I can't hear much, and if I was in the tent I couldn't see anything either. And I snore."
Sleeping in the RV is fine, and I LOVE that I can leave the blinds up and look out at forest in the morning. At 6:30 Am I awoke to another sound nearby. Mike was sitting against a tree in the morning light, watching me. "I couldn't sleep." He looked so peaceful and handsome. Awww. Best scenery yet. He left me a cigarette and went back to the RV to make coffee. I was warm and cozy and didn't want to get up and fumble with my clothes, but I quickly realized lying there for much longer wasn't an option as I was becoming a mosquito feast.
Kim woke up, we talked for a while under the cedars, and I staggered back to the RV in my sandals, clothes and sleeping bag in my arms-easier to get dressed in the Beastie anyway.
Got some Mike cuddle time then threw on my bathrobe, grabbed some all-natural chamomile soap and a towel and headed to the river. It took working up to it and a bit of fortitude, but I managed to submerge myself in the glacial water, have a good flap to stave off the pain of the water, soap up and rinse off. Note: Chamomile & goat milk soap seems to attract fish. This could be handy information later. Cleaner, awake, and refreshed, I went to get dressed-for real this time.
I hung out for awhile, we moved the chairs and fire down to the lower fire pit under the trees so people could park without worrying about their cars catching fire. Sue said she wanted to go to the river, I told Mike and She, Kim, and the Flame-Haired-One hiked about 1/3 of a mile downstream, crossing once and otherwise picking our way over small boulders. We reached a small swimming hole protected by a mossy rock, and I found immersing oneself in the sunlit river in the afternoon is much easier than a morning bath in the shade. We splashed around and tried to coax the Flame-Haired One and her mother to go all the way under with little result. Kim showed fortitude and more athleticism than I'd expected of her on the hike, AND she was fine with the water if not the dress code.
We picked our way back to find Mike had done all the dishes and made coffee, but was upset he'd missed nakey time. I felt pretty guilty about that.
Then our people started showing up: Chelsea, Corwyn and their two cats, Bob, Sandie, Keith, Micha and Mark. Parking was getting pretty tight as those staying in their vehicles jockeyed for a level spot.
The cats had a little mesh tent with all their amenities, though they were content enough it was evident they wanted to explore. They were let out, leashed, and did that low-slung crawl that cats do when so encumbered. The chickens set about teasing them, this probably wasn't deliberate, but they were chasing each other in front of the tent.
Keith showed up with a truck full of cedar he'd cut, we helped him move it down to the fire. While it would have made a blazing inferno, we kept the fire fairly small to prevent the overhead trees from going up with it.
Mark raked the entire fire area and the trail. ...I don't know what else to say about that save the piles he left at the edges of the camp area ended up being a prime scratching area for the chickens. Zebedee seemed to have an unrequited crush on Micha, who was not thrilled by the bird appearing on her armrest every hour or so.
The party got going. I made us some buffalo burgers with onions and JD BBQ sauce- Note to self-get a grate so you can actually cook these things properly, like, not in a skillet like you do every damn day- and I made us some muppet juice. Mike & Bob told Nemo some ghost stories at her request, then we sent her to bed (muahaha).
Mike got pretty lit, I had a nice buzz on, and the convo rolled in all directions.
Saturday was packed with good times. Sue & the Flame-Haired One got out their bows and target. We all tried out Sue's compound bow, which one you got the hang of, you were an idiot for missing the target at that range, anyway. We all had a little bit of string bite, but Chelsea won that game.
We picked our way down to the swimming hole again, this time with Mike, Bob, and Sandie. Bob brought a chair, which seemed a little more hassle than it was worth, but perhaps not if we'd stayed longer. Mike does not immerse himself in glacier water quietly. Just sayin'. It was a little more tolerable than usual, or our usual spot: I could stand in it for long periods of time without feeling that achy pain you get before everything goes numb. We hung out and splashed around until the deer flies found us.
Jax & JC showed up with Cerberus, which was actually three scottie dogs on a short split leash, Aryana showed up and the Flame-Haired one finally had someone to play with. They hunkered into Jax's Van with the iPad. The adults took turns scaring the bejeezus out of them as we walked by. Though the success rate was maybe 30%, it would've been easier to scare Kim.
I made a fritatta to share with everyone, assuring Keith there were no nettles in it this time. Chelsea shared some venison hamburger helper, and Mark was quite generous with his slow-cooked ribs. I eat WAY batter at these campouts than anywhere else.
The kids were allowed to stay up. At 10:30 we went up on the road away from the trees and watched the meteor shower. I grabbed a blanket and lay in the road. I quickly became furniture for Mike, Sandie, Nemo and Aryana. Bob and Chelsea in turn laid on them. I got a bit panicky when we heard a car coming, and we had to upset the whole pile. Turned out to be the ranger. We exchanged pleasantries, he asked if we'd seen any meteors, chatted about the job and how busy it was, and he went on his way. "Game on" someone said, and we resumed our sky watching. We saw quite a few, a couple blazed though with giant tails, storybook style.
Dusty and stiff, we eventually returned to the fire and eventually, bed. Jax was generous with the homemade Kahlua and coffe. Mark and I were the last ones to bed about 3:30.
Sunday I took Aryana to the river, as she hadn't been and she REALLY loves it-more than anyone. The Flame-Haired One came with. I hadn't really planned on getting in again, but...aw hell. We cut the swim a bit short as the damn biting flies found us again.
Kim was making her morning trip into the RV to use our toilet, since the chickens weren't out at that point she always got pecked by Zoe for some reason. She'd never pecked me, I was a little jealous.
We hung out and relaxed until late-ish, then Mike & I led a convoy of 5 down the scenic secret ninja route and avoided the highway 2 backup. We ended the trip with dinner at La Hacienda in Gold Bar. Great place. They;re starting to recognize us, though I'm wondering if they call us 'the filthy people' as we always go there after camping.
Good times.