PNW Tear Drop Group Meeting

Highlights:

This was the 3rd Annual Camping trip of Tear Drop Trailers.  A great group.  Train ride was a highlight.

Details:

Four day weekend trip down to the Morton, WA area at Tacoma L&P Mossyrock Park. 

I drove down the inside passage and other than strip center traffic was a very nice trip through the green valleys, winding around on a 2 lane highway.

Camped in the Tent area off to the left of the park, just grass and tables, pit toilets.

Went on the Train ride, would recommend the Cab Ride, apx $75 going up so you can experience the power and fire flashes and watch the Engineer and Fireman/Tender control the beast.  You go up, pretty scenery to the train depot station, cruise around on foot to the maintenance sheds and back down.  ride is about 40 min or so.

Then back for fun and games, campfire and "Green Box" (aka pot lucks).

Weather was good, no rain, no wind, too much sun.

Photo Gallery

7/25/2013  Frank's OTRA  PNW Tear Drop Campout at Mossyrock, WA

Round Trip Miles:     206 mi

Drive Time One Way:     2.15 hrs

Nights in "Le Droppe":     3

Google Map:    Route Map 

Links to the Campsites:   

Tacoma Power's Mossyrock Park

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Zion & Bryce Canyon, Utah

Highlights: 
Visit Bryce and Zion canyon parks. No hiking, just driving around, was nice but not mind blowing as I would have thought.


Details:
Game plan was to meet Kelly S at the KOA campsite in Cedar, UT and explore the two canyons.  It's a big place and nice to see the formations and colors.  A little driving around though and seeing the "Lava Flow" right up to the road was amazing.  

Campsite was excellent in that it was centrally located, clean, right next to town for ease of use and near the freeway for traveling along.  Did a loop from the north end to Bryce and then back across the hills to Cedar.  Nice, but long.

I'd go back but hit the Eastern side which I believe is the better side of the two.  At least we "Knocked" this side off the list, once is enough unless I got out to hike it.  Then maybe a different story.  Especially at Zion up the streams...

Photo Gallery Here 

Miles:   2220 apx 
Drive Time One Way:   12.5 hrs
Nights in "Le Droppe":   10 nights
Google Map:   Route Map 
Links to the Campsites: 
Cedar City 
(Two other ones can't remember - Twin falls, down in a gully, quite nice easy to miss and one on the way back, fergit)

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Fun...

DAM Meet - Mt Shasta, CA

Highlights: 

Crater Lake. Got to Mt Shasta, left after 20 min, too hot-buggy-dry-crowded. rerouted to Klamath Falls, Crater lake was the highlight.

Details:

Hmmmm.... Well, the best laid plans of mice & men...

It's just me, I know, I know, but after driving 10hrs from Seattle to Antlers a quick drive round about the loops and I KNEW this wasn't going to work. Luckily I met up with Sarah and Joan but alas, eventually they tried to convince me but didn't work.

After about 20-min driving around the park, aside from knowing the fellow Camp Inn campers - I left. Just couldn't see any reason to stay, not my Cup O' Tea.. min 2-6 TDs per site, mosquitoes (Sarah found those little buggars...) Wasps, dirt/dust/ hot, just not going to work. Left after about 20 mun, headed and stayed at Klamath Fall KOA which was actually nice. My thinking is KOAs are good during the OFF season.  Sort of like McDonalds, mostly clean and you know what you'll get.

After KOA (today driving for Wed was 13 hrs headed up to Palisades Park that Bob & Kathy suggested. Saw it, different name and Garmin kept saying it's .4 miles.. continued on, marina... along the river, crossed the bridge, up to the closed Deschutes park, back down a river, single lane bridge (and yes, I was getting my doubts Garmin knew where it was) back up to the butt, end up along a dusty=dirt road for about a mile and finally sunk in. Never use the GARMIN to pinpoint a state park. It shows you the center of the 20-SqMilesk miles of the park itself. went back to the park found a spot and tried to figure out what was taken or not. Figured I'd just stay to Sun when I actually had a RSVP. Sigh... I was also off a day, thinking it was Wed.. bottom line, stayed one night, now up at Maryhill SP and enjoying it. 2-3 days, not sure yet, but warm, grass open spaced... sweet...

So, I certain everyone had a good time, jut not my Cup O'Tea...

cheers..

Photo Gallery Here 

5/1/2013 Frank's OTRA DAM gathering Mt Shasta, CA

Round Trip Miles:   1176 mi appx (rerouted back via Klamath Falls)

Drive Time One Way:   9.8 via I-5

Nights in "Le Droppe":   3 nights

Google Map: Route Map 

Links to the Campsites: 

Antlers RV Park

KOA Klamath Falls

Cove Palisades State Park

Maryhill State Park, WA

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Camp-out - Lopez Island, WA

Highlights: 

Just a weekend relaxed camping at the Beach. Love Lopez.  

Details:

Went to the Spit on the other side, but mainly just sat on the beach like bumps on a log, watching the ferry go by...

We used to dive it, but Sigh, old age and not wanted to break and ankle climbing over the rocks makes it just a "Relaxing" trip watching the ferries go  by.

Dove the bay there, not much there, just like a "Moonscape".  Rocks on the side were pretty barren when not covered by Kelp.  Just not worth dragging/cleaning/rinsing gear for a Moonscape dive.

Photo Gallery here 

3/27/2013 Frank's OTRA - Lopez Island, WA

Round Trip Miles: 200 mi

Drive Time One Way: 2.8 (ferry ride and wait time)

Nights in "Le Droppe": 3

Google Map: Route Map 

Links to the Campsites: Odlin Park

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Water Falls - Deschutes

Highlights of the Trip: 
Trying to capture the Waterfalls in the area along the Columbia River in Oregon. 

Details:
Unfortunately got "Blown Out" with Gale force winds and rain squalls.
I was able to drive around so i now know the locations and what is needed.  Also a lot of signs warning about car break-ins.  I had all my camera and computer gear in car so a little hesitant to leave it.
 Will redo after Summer.

Photo Gallery here 

Round Trip Miles:   500mi (down I-5 due to weather)
Drive Time One Way:   4.0
Nights in "Le Droppe":   2
Google Map:   Route Map 
Links to the Campsites:   Deschutes River State Park 
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Yellowstone - Winter Photo Tour

 

Did a fun trip over to Yellowstone with my bro, Robin from Missoula, MT, World Famous Photog IMNSHO heheh, and a group from there.  Not camping, moteling.

12 hr drive, left Seattle at noon, big mistake, ended up in Twin Falls, ID and then in the next day.  Drive home was straight through from North Entrance to Seattle, almost snow, but just beat the storm, luckily.

0700am departures, snow cat rented, can stop anytime at any place.

Great tour guides, lots of people running around on snow mobiles, looks like fun and some X-Country Skiing.

"Animules" were out, hard to adjust to the "Big Ole Bisons" just parking in the road.  Technique is to keep moving, 1mph or it'll be a 3-hr parking lot. 

I got caught once, LOL... and like a dumb tourist, stopped.. 

Weather was great, no snow, no wind, no blizzard so that means it's gotta be good.

Worst weather was coming back into Seattle, Rain...   

Photo Gallery here

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Dog Sledding - Leavenworth

Highlights:
I've Always wanted to do this, so finally did.  Will do it again in Alaska, but this satisfied the urge and was fun.  These dogs "Love" to pull... biggest problem???  Holding them back, the biggest problem

Details:

Stayed at the KOA in Leavenworth, stayed there last time, close to town, power and is open.  Minimal, just took chair and small beer chest.  Got there later, hooked up computer in their WiFi and tried the Sprint phone dongle that I originally had, no signal, then did the Verizon “hot spot” from my phone and that worked, so Verizon it is..

Packed it all up and headed for dinner in town.

Talk about “Happy Drinks” Yikes… heheh a Martoonie with Pumpkin, Yeagar?, Schnapps or some 3 liquor combo, just to start, beer with meal and the “Face Plant”  151 Rum, Schnapps and coco…  and will keep that recipe, it’s a “Warmer Upper”..

Took the town photos, back to camp, no beer as needed to get up in the morning…

Morning??

C-c-c-c-cold.. 18F, just ate some cheese sticks and Slimfast and headed out.  Got a little lost on a one road canyon and new GPS isn’t what it should be.

Got to the dog sledding place, it’s got to be a way of life for them, people, not the dogs.  Dogs, Alaskan Malumet? Were there just howling none stop.. They really know how to have fun, just full of energy.  Had to “Anchor” them down or they’d take off.

Got off and running and tipped over on first bend, dogs went around, but like a big semi-Truck trailer going around a tight corner sled tipped over, dogs of course kept going for about 30’…heheh.. Guide told me to expect it, might happen, so no harm done, but fun..

Then off and running up the hill, along the trails.  New trail for the dogs so a lot of stops & Starts, sniffing around.  Dogs are pretty much like cats going off in different directions, but once they settle down, they go.  The biggest problem for the “Musher” is to get them to stop..  They just wanna go…

Fun trip, worth it, might do it again, would recommend it.

Just went back to camp, hooked up and came home… nice get-a-way, not really camping, too cold, so just taking Le Droppe for sleeping…

Photo Gallery: 

Contact:

 Tom & Katy Porter

LEAVENWORTH DOGSLED ADVENTURES
www.leavenworthdogsledding.com
509-630-0456

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