Archive for August, 2016
Continued Migration to the Pacific North West
Posted by Deb in Canada, Destinations, Hiking, RV Parks, RV Upgrades, Solar, Trail Run on August 28, 2016
Welcome to Track Town USA!
After leaving Bend, Oregon Jeff and I headed west to Eugene so that we could stop into AM Solar.
About a year ago we got most of our RV projects/repairs completed in Elkhart, Indiana and made a dash back to Arkansas to regroup. We had planned on having a month to catch our breath and install our final project, solar, before we headed to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.
Unfortunately our repairs lingered on in Indiana and we were left with a measly week to complete our final project.
As I mentioned in my last post, Jeff is extremely handy. His single Mom of five kids became a General Contractor in California and raised her kids to know how to “raise a barn” from the ground up. Jeff was certified in solar installation and has installed hundreds of solar water heaters all over California and Arkansas.
Installing 4-6 little solar panels on an RV roof would be a breeze!
Oh our plans!
We had a Solar panel that was damaged during shipping and our NorthStar batteries needed to be picked up 2 hours from home. The week flew by and we only got as far as installing 3 panels on the roof, batteries placed and inverter mounted. No connections were made and we left for ABQ without a functioning system.
Once in ABQ we received our replacement panel. With a little help from our friends, Kuhl Odyssey and Technomadia, we finally got our system up and running.
Over time Jeff has tweaked our system and it has been running beautifully. We got all of our supplies from the highly recommended AM Solar in Eugene/Springfield, OR. Since we were in the neighborhood Jeff wanted a consult just to have them give us the once over.
AM Solar made a few modifications and after $800 our completely functioning system… wasn’t working properly! Darn it!!!
AM Solar “fixing” our system
We couldn’t have planned a delayed stay in Eugene any better since the Track & Field Olympic trials happened to be going on. We headed over to Track Town, USA to Hayward Stadium. Interesting history…The University of Oregon outgrew their football stadium. Instead of demolishing the old stadium it was retained as a track-specific venue that is held in reverence to those who have competed here.
The day we attended, the women’s Hammer Throw was happening. We learned that this was the first time ever that the hammer throw was being held INSIDE the actual stadium. Normally the event was held off-sight with very little attendance. But this year was different and the Hammer Throw was given its just due. The crowd was still small but we heard that the ladies were feeling honored to finally be having their beloved event inside the stadium.
Top 3 Olympic Qualifiers..Good Luck in Rio!
Neither Jeff nor I knew anything about Hammer Throw, despite me growing up in Track and Cross Country. We learned that HT is about pure technique of heel-toe foot action with maximum spin in order to hurl the 8.82lb hammer down field.
The top 2 ladies at Olympic Trials competed in Rio where Amber Campbell finished 6th and DeAnna Price finished 8th.
Toutle, Washington
Toutle (too-tle) is a very small town that was located in the devastation zone of Mount St. Helens that erupted in 1980. There are times in your life that you remember certain world events. The eruption of Mount St. Helens was one of those events for me and I remember hearing about the mushroom cloud of ash that re-routed airplanes states away and covered towns as far as Alberta, Canada.
Morning run along the Toutle River right from our campground
Jeff had heard about a training bike ride from Toutle to Mount St. Helens, so we stayed at the Harry Gardner City Park in Toutle. This park was destroyed in the 1980 eruption and was never re-opened until 2015. There is a very nice 14-site campground in the park with water and electric hook-ups for $20/night. We were there on a weekend and were one of only four RV’s parked here. We loved this CG on the Toutle River. Unfortunately there was no connectivity what so ever and we had to shorten our stay.
Jeff’s bike ride was cold, rainy and 80 miles of long hard hills and 6,000’ of elevation. Since I wanted to see Mount St. Helens from the Johnson Observatory, I took a drive and met Jeff there.
Some of the group in front of Mout St Helen
Before and after photos of Mount St. Helens
What a sight! The drive was stunning and the regrowth of trees were so symmetrical that I was almost dizzy until I reached the blast zone. The devastation is still palatable even after 36 years. I listened to the Ranger talk about that fateful day and learned that 57 people lost their lives, how rivers were rerouted, new lakes formed and the mountain lost about 1,300’ of elevation. Ms. Helen has remained active off and on since then, with her last recorded activity as late as 2008.
Auburn, Washington (Seattle)
We were getting to Seattle a little earlier than planned so I made last minute reservations at the Game Farm Wilderness Park in Auburn WA. This was another gem of a find especially since most RV parks that I spoke with in Seattle were booked up.
There was a wonderful paved trail system that ran through the park and it was also home to the busiest 18-hole frisbee golf course in the state! Over 300 people come here daily to play!
Beautiful Des Moines, WA Marina
Since we had a lot on our plate for work we didn’t really explore too much of Seattle except to have Sunday brunch with a co-worker of Jeff’s at a marina in Des Moines. It was a beautiful sunny day and we finished our meal with a relaxing walk out on a peer.
Abbotsford & Vancouver, Canada
Jeff had an intern years ago that was getting his master degree from John Brown University. They hit it off and have stayed in touch since then. He and his wife have been asking us to come for a Canadian visit for a long time, so we purposed to make it happen this summer. The added “bonus” was that the Ironman Whistler was taking place during our stay. Not one to miss a race, Jeff signed up for the half.
Not sure what Sam was thinking but we were prepared for our boarder crossing!
This was our first boarder crossing in the RV and we were a bit nervous and had braced ourselves for a long wait. We used up most of our produce and got rid of the rest. I had Sam’s medical certificate and our passports ready. We nervously pulled up to an empty boarder crossing where we were asked where we were heading, how long we were staying and if we had any fruit on board. Then we were waved through. Easy peasy!
We spent our first couple nights in our friend’s backyard getting caught up before heading to Whistler for the Half Ironman. The drive from Vancouver to Whistler was spectacular! I’ve never been to Switzerland, but this drive made me think of the Swiss Alps.
Jeff and Sam relaxing before the big race
Incredible blue water, dramatic mountain views and lush forests. We were on sensory overload for sure! We stayed at the Wonderland RV Park in Squamish, B.C. and made the 30-minute drive to Whistler for the race. It was a great race on a beautiful sunny day in a picturesque setting!
Vancouver
After Whistler we returned to our friends backyard in Abbotsford, BC. We spent time exploring their community, visited mutual friends, tasting some farm-to-table food and just hanging out with their family.
Another awesome driveway surfing spot!
Dear friends Dave and Danaya taking us to Harrison Lake for dinner. Truly a delightful evening!
We planned a day trip to Vancouver via a train, water taxi and city buses with 4 kiddos in tow. Our first stop was Grouse Mountain known for the infamous Grouse Grind. This is a 1.8-mile hike, 2800’ elevation gain, and 2,830 stairs at a 30-degree slope to the top. There is a tracking device at the bottom and top of the mountain and you can see how fast people are hiking here.
After shredding our gluts and hams on “Natures Stairmaster” we took in the Lumberjack show, saw two grizzly bears in captivity and our favorite…the Birds of Flight show at the top of the mountain.
The Birds of Flight featured an Eagle, Falcon and Owl that were released high above the outdoor amphitheater and swooped down over the crowd to gracefully land on designated perches. What a treat to feel and hear the power of their wings as they flew just above our heads. It was interesting and highly entertaining and we would highly recommend this show!
Giant carved lumberjacks
Grouse Mountain resident bears
The beautiful eagle on Grouse Mountain
Funny…the falcon flew off into the surrounding valley and was enjoying its freedom until a wild falcon aggressively went after him. The two tangled and the captive Falcon made a b-line back to the safety of his handler. Poor guy. Out for a leisure stroll around the airways when the big bully showed up!
After we were all sufficiently sunburned we took the sky tram down the mountain where we picked up the city bus. The bus was air-conditioned and super comfy and all eight of us took power naps while we were transported back to downtown Vancouver. We stopped for a late lunch then walked the city a bit before catching a train back to Abbotsford.
Train ride into Vancouver
Sky Tram ride down Grouse Mountain
It was a great day full of new adventures with our host family of 6! Our week’s stay flew by and before we knew it, it was time to head back to the states!
Running on Sunshine
Posted by Deb in Uncategorized on August 21, 2016
Welcome to Chico, CA
I am here again playing catch-up with my blog posts so hold on to your wigs while I do a quick recap of our stays since our skydiving adventure in Lodi CA.
Chico, CA
Jeff and I had signed up for the Rim2Rim Ultra 50K (Jeff) and Half Marathon (Deb) at Upper Tidwell Park.
I made reservations at the Almond Tree RV Park just 6 miles from the event. This was a small but very nice RV park with a beautiful pool and shower facilities. Long term residence are not allowed (except camp hosts) and the pride of ownership really showed here. It was just off of Hwy 99 and couldn’t have been more perfect for our needs.
Nice pool all to myself at the Almond Tree RV Park
Jeff and I hadn’t run a race since mudageddon in Zion. We were looking forward to dry conditions and for Jeff, a chance at redemption after his Zion DNF!
The Chico Rim2Rim is held at Bidwell Park, a municipal park on the western edge of Chico. Annie Bidwell donated 2,500 acres to the city of Chico in 1905. The city purchased additional land in 1922 and 1995 making Bidwell the third largest municipal park in California and one of the 25 largest parks in the US. At 3,670 acres, Bidwell Park is a lot of hiking, biking and trail running goodness.
Ankle turner of a trail
Jeff redeems himself at the 50K finish
Hot and dry conditions
NOTHING feels better than kicking off your shoes after a long race!
Our race started out as nice powdery double track trail but quickly turned into lava rocks, boulders and roots that were a challenge for the strongest of ankles. After the first half mile I was hoping that the trail would smooth over, but it never did. This was a 13.1-mile exercise in concentration for sure and I ended up walking a lot more than I had planned. Overall it was a great race in a beautiful park.
Oh ya! Jeff did redeemed himself and finished his 50K. By the time he was done it was very hot and he completed his race by soaking in the river.
Redding, CA
Though Jeff grew up in Sacramento he spent his summers in Red Bluff on his grandparents walnut orchard. He has so many fond memories of this area. My hubby is very mechanically inclined due in part to his time spent with his Granddad in the orchard. Fixing tractors, moving irrigation pipes and learning how to graft trees was the norm for the day, teaching Jeff to be a well-rounded guy. I LOVE how handy he is!
We driveway surfed at Jeff’s sisters house right next to her perfectly ripe blueberry field. The first day we were there we ate so many blueberries that I had a bellyache!
Fresh blueberries, eggs and home grown bacon! YUM!!!
We were having such a nice time with the family that we extended our stay to two weeks. We saw nieces and nephews and their children, cousins and Auntie Bon.
While in Redding we made a day trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park. We learned a new summer travel strategy…go to the lesser known National Parks during the summer to avoid the crowds!
Lassen was beautiful; snow covered and practically void of people and our intent was to hike to the summit of Mt. Lassen. But the trails were closed due to snow pack. Jeff and I decided to hike Lower Twin Lake instead which passed Summit Lake, Echo Lake and Upper Twin Lake as well. This was a wonderful 9-10 mile hike with water views and creek crossings.
Snow coverage is still deep in June at Mt. Lassen
Pretty Alpine Lakes
Exploring the lava tubes at Mt. Lassen…The Subway
While we were in Redding the Western States 100 Trail Run was going on. This is a brutal 100 mile trail run from Lake Tahoe to Auburn CA. Jeff had a couple of friends from Arkansas that were either running it or crewing for it. So he took an overnight trip to join the crews.
Interestingly, the runner who was in first for majority of the race and on course to kill the record got swept away by strong currents on a river crossing. He rescued himself and burned up a lot of energy doing it, but still maintained his lead. But with 5 miles left in the race he took a wrong turn and ended up 2 miles off course. By then he was spent and couldn’t recover and lost the race to another runner.
Jeff is planning his first 100-mile race at the Javelina Jundred later this year, so the experience was great training for what’s to come.
Crater Lake National Park
We had planned to stay at Crater Lake about a week, but since we extended our time in Redding we only stayed 3 nights at the Mazama Campground. In the end it ended up being a sufficient amount of time.
Though it was June it is still early season for Crater Lake. Snow covered parts of the campground and the road around the lake had not been completely open.
Dipping our toes on the PCT
Where did the trail go?
The stunning Crater Lake
Connectivity was non-existent and the mosquitos were relentless. We did manage one hike on the Pacific Crest Trail that runs through this National Park. After a super snowy stretch of trail and swarms of mosquitos I turned back while Jeff continued on. The snow coverage on the trail continued and gave Jeff’s Navigation skills a run for their money!
Crater Lake really is a beautiful place. The blue of the water is mind-boggling! Early morning brought smooth as glass reflections of the surrounding mountains. There are boat tours offered and we certainly would have taken one if we had been there longer.
Bend, OR
Oh Bend! How I love thee!
If someone forced me to say where I would like to live if we ever came off the road and couldn’t go back to Bentonville Arkansas, I would choose Bend.
Our free campsite on National Forestry Land
Bend is a super hip happening place with something going on all the time. The locals are fit and active, restaurants are pet friendly with outdoor seating. Cycling, mountain biking, trail running, floating, breweries, shopping…. I love this place!
Look, Listen, Smile
We met up with our RVing buddies, John and Becky in the Willamette National Forest just west of town. Free camping in the woods with good friends is always preferred over an RV park, especially when there is good connectivity!
We had running & mountain bike trails just outside our door under the cool coverage of native trees and it was easy to get our fitness in before we started our workday.
Tree filtered sunlight…running Bend
It was the 4th of July weekend so we headed to town for the annual pet parade and downtown festivities. Dogs, cats, snakes, horses and a chicken drew large crowds to the parade.
We also rented tubes for $15 to float the Deschutes River through the middle of town with a lot of other people. The water was cool and refreshing and the views of quaint cottages and homes along the river was entertaining.
Floating the Deschutes River
While Jeff was working, Becky, John and I went out for a hike. Good grief…it’s been so long ago I can’t remember the name of the place we went. We did manage to hike 12 miles and saw a bald eagle, snow, babbling streams and alpine lakes. The scenery was outstanding!
Dinner with RVing friends and fellow Xscapers
After a very quick weeks stay we bid farewell (until we meet again!) to our dear friends and moved on to Eugene, OR.
Stay tuned!
Rolling Recess 