Prior to starting my blog, I used to keep a log of our travels.
This is from 2017.
March 17 - 19 - Vernon, BC. ( 2 nights, 2 total)
Fri, March 17 - Vernon - Moms driveway - Staying in the trailer while we hold a yard sale.
Sat, March 18 - Vernon - 2nd day of the yard sale. De-winterized. Also installed the 12V power source for the sat receiver and weather station.
Sun, March 19 - Vernon > Kamloops - Brought the trailer home after finishing the yard sale.
March 20 - April - Washington trip. ( 10 nights, 12 total)
Mon, March 20 - Home > Bellingham, Wa - Left home about 10AM and made a couple of stops. Lunch in Cache Creek and one to check out a new trailer in Langley; a Grand Designs Momentum. Crossed over into the US at the Pacific crossing. This turned out to be a lot more involved than any other crossing so far. Got pulled aside for a secondary and 2 agents went through the truck and trailer while we got to wait inside. No real issues and we were on our way about 20 minutes later. Stopped at Fred Meyer for groceries, Asian One for dinner and spent the night at Wal-Mart.
Tues, March 21 - Bellingham, Wa > Fort Casey, Wa - Pulled out of Bellingham around 9AM. Quick stop at BevMo and PetSmart then south. More stops at Camping World and the Outlet Mall in Burlington then on to Anacortes. Made a stop for lunch then over to the Marine Hardware store where I found a nice heavy winter shirt/jacket. Afterwards we headed further south and pulled into Fort Casey around 3PM. Set up camp in the site (#15) right next to the one we had last year. After setting up we went back out and wandered around Oak Harbour a bit before coming back.
Quite windy here but it cleared off and calmed down for a bit just before sunset.
Camping - $20/night
Wed, March 22 - Fort Casey, Wa - Very windy overnight, also at least one really good shower. Still blowing like crazy this morning. So bad it took 2 hands to hold the door to keep it from whipping out and slamming against the side of the trailer. After breakfast we moved the trailer to a site sheltered a bit behind some bushes. I noticed we were getting a fair bit of salt spray at the old spot.
After moving we went up to the old gun emplacements and poked around for a while and played ball with Maya. After lunch Maya and I went and checked out the bunkers on the back side of the hill.
Pretty good sun today. Got the batteries charged up quite a bit. Shouldn’t need to run the generator tonight. I notice the left front landing gear is getting quite slow and weak. I hope it holds out til we get home where I will have to get it serviced.
Camping - $20
Thur, March 23 - Ft Casey, Wa > Sequim, Wa - Pulled out of Ft Casey around 9AM and caught the 10AM ferry to Port Townsend. After landing, we drove to Sequim and pulled into the 7 Cedars Casino. Nice spot to park and they even have 30 Amp power. After dropping the trailer we went into Sequim for a couple of hours then back to the trailer around 5PM.
Pretty windy around here again tonight. There have been a couple of good blasts. Some showers around as well.
The plan is to stay here tonight and tour around this area some more tomorrow, stay tomorrow night and then head south through Kitsap on Saturday.
Fri, March 24 - Sequim, Wa - After breakfast we look the truck and drove down Hwy 101 to Shelton and back. Hwy 101 through this stretch is quite winding and speed zones all over the place. Most of the things we might have wanted to stop and check out were still closed for the winter so all in all it was a pretty dull drive. We got back to the trailer around 2PM and went for the buffet lunch at the casino. It wasn’t bad but nothing to write home about. After lunch we played with Maya for a bit then just relaxed for the rest of the day.
Weather today has been a real mixed bag. Some sun, some cloud, a bit of rain but no wind for a change.
Sat, March 25 - Sequim, Wa > Nisqually, Wa - Pulled out of Sequim just after breakfast and headed south through Kitsap and Bremerton. Made a quick stop in Fife to look at another trailer; a Solitude this time. After that we carried on to the Red Winds Casino in Nisqually arriving right around lunch time. Nothing special about the parking area, just a bare gravel lot. After having lunch we went over to the casino to register and then just relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.
The weather today was pretty much a repeat of yesterday; a little bit of just about everything.
Sun, March 26 - Nisqually, Wa > Ocean Shores, Wa - Left Nisqually about 8:30 and headed West to Ocean Shores arriving around 11 AM. First order of business was to dump tanks which we did at the State Park then next door to the Quinault Casino where we plan to spend the next couple of nights. Same kinda lot, basically just a gravel lot but at least fairly close to the ocean. Unfortunately the weather started out kinda wet and dreary and just got worse as we went west. Most of the afternoon was rainy so we went for lunch at the casino then hit the slots for a bit. Chris did quite good, pretty much paying for the majority of our trip! Me, my usual luck, tapped out in about 15 minutes. It stopped raining after supper so we took Maya for a walk on the beach and then back here around 8:30.
Mon, March 27 - Ocean Shores, Wa - Went over to the casino for their $2.99 breakfast which other than being in the lounge which was a smoking area, wasn’t bad. After breakfast we went into Ocean Shores and wandered around a bit then back to the trailer for lunch. After lunch we took Maya for a good long walk on the beach then went for a drive north for a ways. Found a nice little State park at Pacific Shores which could be a parking possibility for a future trip. Back for supper then relax for the rest of the evening. The morning weather was actually quite nice. Enough sun that we got the batteries mostly recharged but after supper and into the evening things deteriorated and by bedtime it was quite blustery.
Tues, March 28 - Ocean Shores, Wa > Tulalip, Wa - Very windy overnight. The trailer was rocking and rolling quite a bit. Enough that it woke me up a couple of times. Also rained a lot. Everything around us was soaked when we got up.
Both of us were up just around 6, had breakfast then packed up and were on the road by around 8:30. Stopped in Aberdeen for fuel then on to Tulalip. Arrived just before 1PM. Along the way we almost T-boned some clueless driver who ran a red light at one point! At least now I know all our brakes work. Got signed up with the casino then used up our free plays. By bed time the RV lot was almost full.
The weather improved quite a bit on the way over here but it is still overcast and the odd light shower around.
Wed, March 29 - Tulalip, Wa - Rained most of the night. Up around 6:30 and still raining. Spent the day doing some shopping around Marysville and Tulalip then just took it easy for the rest of the day. The weather through the whole day was wet, wet and wet.
Thur, March 30 - Tulalip, Wa > Home - We pulled out of Tulalip around 9 and headed North. Made a couple of stops in Burlington and then Costco in Bellingham then on to the border at Sumas. No issues here, through the Nexus lane in under 30 seconds. We then stopped at the Info Centre in Chilliwack to have lunch and dump tanks. Checked DriveBC and noticed the canyon was still closed. The Coq was showing slushy and slippery sections and dense fog so we decided to come home via Princeton. Hwy 3 between Hope and Princeton is in terrible shape! Almost wished we had waited another day for the canyon to reopen. At any rate we got home around 6 tired but safe.
A side note, a small tornado touched down about 10- 15 miles from where we were at Tulalip just after we had left. It looks like it touched down around the fairgrounds in Monroe, Wa.
Towing milage for the trip was 20.5 L/100 KMs
May 5 - 7 - Princeton trip to fly jets. ( 2 nights, 14 total) $25/night
Fri, May 5 - Home > Princeton, BC - We are here to fly jets on Sunday but came down early to relax a bit. Left Kamloops right after I got off work at Kal Tire; around 6:15. We took highway 5A to Merritt where we stopped for a very blah meal at McDonalds. After a bite we carried on to Princeton. I was hoping to arrive before dark but it was around 9:30 by the time we got to Princeton. We had a bit of trouble finding the campground (Rivers Edge R.V. Campground) as their signs were not very good. Once we did find it we got parked and were set up just after 10. Site #2 gave us good satellite visibility.
Sat, May 6 - Princeton, BC - Spent the day doing some exploring and then a bit of geocaching. In the daylight, Rivers Edge is a nice quiet and small campground with 12 power/water sites and a few tent sites. It is right beside the river which was pretty high at this time of year. They charge $25 a night which is pretty good for a 30Amp site with water and free showers.
We left around 2:30 and we're home about 5.
Towing milage for the trip was 21.2 L/100 KMs.
May 19 - 22 - KMAS Field. May long weekend ( 4 nights, 18 total)
Fri, May 19 - Home to KMAS field - Left home around 12 and arrived at the field about 12:30. Set up in our usual place. Chris arrived about an hour later.
Sat, May 20 - KMAS field - Started the day by starting to paint the KMAS letters on the runway. Went back to town to pick up a few more essentials and then chilled for the afternoon. Ended the day painting some more.
Sun, May 21 - KMAS field - More painting in the morning then some members showed up and we flew til about 2 PM. Painted some more after it cooled down in the evening.
Mon, May 22 - KMAS field - More painting in the morning then went home for the rest of the day. Spent the night at home.
May 23 - 29 - KMAS Field. KMAS Fun Fly ( 6 nights, 23 total)
Tues, May 23 - KMAS field - Back to the field early in the afternoon after some pre fun fly shopping. More painting in the afternoon after it cooled down some. Very windy though which made it tricky. Still windy at bed time and a few rain drops.
Wed, May 24 - KMAS field - Morning was still a bit blustery but it calmed down mostly by early afternoon and the sun was out later in the day.
I finished the runway painting finally. Walshes were the first to arrive around the noon hour followed by Walter, then Len Steg and Doug Ison. Last ones to arrive today were the Dames around 6PM.
Thu, May 25 - KMAS field - Warm day. A few more arrivals for the fun fly
Fri, May 26 - KMAS field - Another hot one. Most everyone is here for the fun fly
Sat, May 27 - KMAS field - Hot, hot, hot. Fun Fly going very well
Sun, May 28 - KMAS field > Home - Still very hot. Pulled out at around 3PM
May 29 - June 4 - Sandy Point Resort. GAF Spring Float Fly ( 6 nights, 29 total) $40/night
Mon, May 29 - Home > Sandy Point for the GAF Spring Float Fly - Left home around noon and arrived about 1:30. We have the site we wanted; #304 ($40/night). The lake is quite high. Still quite warm. Got set up and then got the A/C going. Jim and Darlene here already.
Tues, May 30 - Sandy Point - Another hot one. Got everything put together and a couple of test flights. Chris and Jan and the Plesters arrived today.
Wed, May 31 - Sandy Point - A bit cooler today. A couple of thunderstorms and a rain shower or 2. Still lots of flying.
Thu, June 1 - Sandy Point - Quite a bit cooler today. More thunderstorms and a fair bit more rain. The lake is coming up about 2” / day. Almost all the beach is gone so I expect we will be pitting on the road soon.
Fri, June 2 - Sandy Point - Nice day today. Was a bit cool first thing but then warmed up to a comfortable temp. Lake still coming up 1-2” / day.
Sat, June 3 - Sandy Point - Another nice day. Some sun, some cloud. Not too hot. A breeze came up in the afternoon that kept a few flyers on the ground. Went into Salmon Arm for dinner with a bunch of people then came back and did a bit of night flying. Also got the cub packed up. The rest should go quickly tomorrow.
Sun, June 4 - Sandy Point > Home - Picked Maya up around 11:30 and home by 12:30. Towing mileage for the trip was 21.0 L/100 KMs.
June 14 - 18 - Princeton Airport. Princeton Spring Jet Rally ( 4 nights, 33 total)
Wed, June 14 - Home > Princeton, BC - Left at noon, arrived around 2:30. Set up beside Len Steg. Several others here already.
Thur, June 15 - The day started out pretty good. Got a couple of flights in with the Boomer but having a bit of engine issues. Later on the wind came up which pretty much kept everyone on the ground. A few showers around as well.
Fri, June 16 - Weather again not so good today. One flight which seemed to go OK. More wind and showers. A bunch more folks showed up.
Sat, June 17 - The weather today was pretty good. Overcast and not too windy. Lots of flying happening. I got 4 flights in. Still not 100% happy with the engine performance. A bunch of us went for dinner at the Brown Bridge Pub.
Sun, June 18 - Princeton, BC > Home - A couple more flights in the morning. First one was short with another flameout. I think I may have an idea what is going on now though. Second flight was probably the best of the week. We packed up and were headed home by around 12:30. Stopped for lunch in Merritt and home around 3:30.
July 11 - 16 - VRCAS field. Canadian Scale Nationals ( 5 nights, 38 total)
Tue, July 11 - Home > Vernon, BC - Left home at 9:00 AM, arrived at the VRCAS field about 10:30 and got the spot I wanted. Walter and his wife arrived about 10 minutes after I did and set up right beside us. Very smokey when I left Kamloops and not much better here. Chris arrived about 6:30 PM
Wed, July 12 - VRCAS field - Still smokey but not as bad. Brian and Annie Griffiths with Mom stopped by for a visit in the morning. Went for a nice dinner with them later on.
Thur, July 13 - VRCAS field - Most of the smoke had cleared out overnight. Really nice day albeit a bit on the warm side.
Fri, July 14 - VRCAS field - Clear day again today, no smoke. Laura Patterson and Chris’s folks came by for a rib dinner. Laura’s 40th. Using both generators to get the A/C running.
Sat, July 15 - VRCAS field - Very hot today for the first rounds of the scale contest. Fired the generators up at 6PM to cool the trailer down.
Sun, July 16 - Vernon > Home - Cooler today and a few more clouds. Got both rounds finished up by about 11:30 and then started pulling things apart. Just before we had everything wrapped up, a very strong dust devil went down the row of trailers! 3 of us had damage. Virgil from Wenatchee had a table dumped on one of his airplanes destroying it. Mike and Teri Ingram had the awning on their brand new trailer torn and twisted up and we had the fabric of our awning torn right off.
After hasty repairs and finishing the awards we left about 2:30 and home about 4PM. Milage for the trip 20.2 L/ 100 Kms
Thur, July 20 - Finished recaulking the top roof seam. Used non-self levelling Dicor.
July 27 - Aug 2 - Burns Lake, BC - To-Sink-It - Hoppers ( 12 nights, 50 total)
Thu, July 27 - Home > Blue River - Left home about 4 after setting up with our new truck. Made it as far as Blue River where we stopped for the night in our usual spot. Truck seems to be handling the trailer very well. Weather very nice.
Fri, July 28 - Blue River > Burns Lake - Left Blue River about 7 AM and carried on. Quick stop in Valemount for fuel then on to Prince George. Met up with Jim and Sally at Costco for lunch then fuelled up and carried on. Pulled into Hoppers place around 4PM. We couldn’t set up in our regular spot because the front left landing gear finally gave out completely so we set up down on the flat temporarily. Weather still holding up. DIC is showing 22.8 L/100Kms for the trip up.
Sat, July 29 - Burns Lake - Dave and I pulled the landing gear out and took it apart. The top end gearing is fine but the jack screw and nut are stripped and not repairable. Looks like I will be ordering a replacement leg. After putting things back together we moved the trailer across to the East side of the lawn in the spot Harolds usually take. We are using a small bottle jack on the left gear in the interim. Gorgeous weather here today. Hardly a breath of wind.
Sun, July 30 - Burns Lake - Spent the day just taking things easy and helping Dave with his planes and stuff. Weather still very nice.
Mon, July 31 - Burns Lake - Decent day today, Bob and Wilma showed at around lunch time and Bob and Denise around supper time. Ken Neilson came a bit before that and the 3 of us got some flights in. Weather again very nice with calm winds and not too hot.
Tue, Aug 1 - Burns Lake - Another nice day. Took a drive over to Grassy Plains with Bob and Wilma for Ice Cream. Roy Williamson and GF Karen arrived just as we got back. I think I pulled a muscle in my left shoulder while at Grassy Plains. Quite stiff and sore by the end of the day. Weather still perfect for flying
Wed, Aug 2 - Burns Lake - Still another nice one although a slight hint of smoke in the air. Later in the day we started getting things ready to pull out tomorrow.
Thu, Aug 3 - Burns Lake > Chetwynd - Pulled out of Hoppers at 8AM and with short stops in Vanderhoof and PG, we arrived in Chetwynd at about 4PM. Was quite smokey in PG but cleared up the further North we went. Went through quite the heavy hail storm while going through the Pine Pass. Sure did get the truck and trailer dirty! Staying at WestWind RV park. Nothing special here, about 50 smallish sites mostly occupied by workers in the area ($36/night). Parked beside M&M. Other than the thunderstorm we went through and a slight shower as I was setting up, it has been a nice day. $35/night
Fri, Aug 4 - Chetwynd - Took a drive out to Tumbler Ridge with Jim, Sally, Marshall, Marilyn, Tammy, Theresa, Seth and his GF Jessica. While there we stopped and about half of us hiked in to Flat Top Falls. After that we stopped for lunch at a small RV park just outside Tumbler Ridge then back to Chetwynd. Hot day today. Had to run the A/C when we got back.
Sat, Aug 5 - Chetwynd - Pretty quiet day for me. Chris and her sisters went out for a bit. Another warm one.
Sun, Aug 6 - Chetwynd - Another quiet day. Pretty much stayed around the camp. A bit cooler and overcast today. Still nice though.
Mon, Aug 7 - Chetwynd > Blue River - Left just before 8 headed to Prince George. Halfway there the truck started to complain the DEF was getting low. Zimmer was supposed to have filled it but I guess they didn’t. Picked some up at a Husky just after stopping for lunch, then on to Costco for fuel. On the road again around 1:30 headed East on Hwy 16. Another fuel stop in Valemount then to Blue River where we stopped for the night at about 6PM.
Tue, Aug 8 - Blue River > Home - Up at 6 and on the road by 6:30. Had hoped to stop at the Husky for breakfast but they weren’t open so carried on to Clearwater. After a couple of false stops, ended up at A&W for breakfast. Then onward and home around 10.
Aug 15 - Aug 21 - Grand Ronde Or - Total Solar Eclipse ( 6 nights, 56 total)
Tue, Aug 15 - Home > Monroe, Wa - Left home about 10AM. Headed down via the canyon. Passing through Cache Creek there was quite a bit of fire evidence. Surprising how close it came to the town proper. Made a quick stop in Hope to grab a bite to eat then on to Sumas. Crossing was no issue. Another quick stop at Ship Happens to pick up the new landing gear leg then Bellingham for fuel and on to Everett. I had hoped to pick up a replacement disconnect switch for the solar system at Home Depot there but they didn’t have any. Finally on to Christensens for the night after a quick grocery shop at Fred Meyer.
Wed, Aug 16 - Monroe, Wa - First thing, I changed the landing gear. That was a piece of cake and it works so much better now. Spent the rest of the day hanging around with Christensens. Chris and I went flying for a bit in the evening then played a dice game for a bit before bed.
Thu, Aug 17 - Monroe, Wa > Grand Ronde, Or - Got away about 9:30 AM and headed south. Traffic was quite heavy around Tacoma and just stupid busy going through Portland. Finally arrived at Spirit Mountain around 6:30 PM. Not too busy here yet but they are expecting a full house for Monday. $75/5 nights
Fri, Aug 18 - Spirit Mountain - Went for a drive today. Back to the coast at Tillamook then south to Cape Lookout park and spent an hour or so on the beach with Maya. After that further south to Lincoln City and then back to the trailer for the evening. Noticed a screw in the trailer left rear tire. Will have to get that attended to ASAP.
Sat, Aug 19 - Spirit Mountain - Went east today to Salem. Spent a bit of time at an outdoor market then an hour or so in Salem Centre which is a mall that allows dogs so Maya came with us. Chris wanted to check out a Jo-Anns so we did that then came back to the trailer.
Sun, Aug 20 - Spirit Mountain - Went and checked out Fort Yamhill this morning. Pretty simple little park at the site of an old fort. They have a short walking trail but not too much to see. After that we fuelled up the truck in preparation for the drive tomorrow and then just took it easy for the afternoon. There really isn’t a lot to do around here.
Aug 21 - Aug 28 - Wenatchee Red Apple Flyers - NWSAM regional scale meet ( 7 nights, 63 total) $20/night
Mon, Aug 21 - Spirit Mountain > Celilo Picnic and camping site - Eclipse Day! Weather is perfect! Nary a cloud to be seen. Headed over to the viewing area about 8:30. First touch was just after 9 and around 9:30 we started to notice environmental changes. It started cooling off and by about 9:45 it was quite noticeably cooler and starting to get dimmer. By 10 we were almost to totality and it was getting quite gloomy and cool. From 10 until 10:10 when we hit totality things were changing quite rapidly. Totality was incredible! More that I expected. Seeing the sun obscured and the corona was surreal. The corona was much bigger than I expected. Unfortunately it only lasted about 1 minute and a half and then it all reversed. After that we decided to start heading for Wenatchee. We pulled out about 1PM and traffic was pretty good until we hit McMinnville then got pretty heavy until we hit I5. A quick stop in Hood River and then on to the Celilo picnic site where we spent the night.
Tue, Aug 22 - Celilo Picnic and camping site > WRAF field, Wenatchee, Wa - Left early and arrived at WRAF around noon. Roly and Diane showed a bit later. Good weather.
Wed, Aug 23 - WRAF field - Danny and Rita arrived around noon. Another nice day. Pretty warm though.
Thu, Aug 24 - WRAF field - Another nice day. First day of the scale contest. Quite windy all afternoon. I am third in static behind Tom Wolf and Scott Enochs.
Fri, Aug 25 - WRAF field - Started out fairly cool but warmed up later in the afternoon. I was up first thing and it was very windy. Not the greatest flight. The wind backed off later in the round and the second flight went quite well.
Sat, Aug 26 - WRAF field - Beautiful day, very little wind. 2 rounds in.
Sun, Aug 27 - WRAF field - Another perfect day. Best day yet for flying and my best round, good for high flight score of the event. Wound up 2nd in expert behind Tom Wolf but took the NWSAM season winner.
Aug 27 - Sept 4 - VRCAS - Larry Christensen Memorial Fun Fly ( 7 nights, 70 total)
Mon, Aug 27 - WRAF field > VRCAS, Vernon, BC - Left about 9AM and made the border just before noon. Stopped in Oliver for lunch then on to Vernon around 3PM. Pulled into Superstore for fuel and to dump tanks. Also grabbed some groceries. We weren’t sure if we could get into the VRCAS field today but turned out we could. Arrived and set up around 5. Very warm here so got the generators set up and ran them for a few hours so we could cool the trailer down some before bedtime.
Tue, Aug 28 - VRCAS field - Another hot one. Also getting more smokey again. Walter and Louise arrived about 2PM. Just took things easy today. Went into town for a visit with Mom after supper. May put the Protege together today.
Wed, Aug 29 - VRCAS field - Going to be warm again today. Still very smokey and everything covered in ash this morning.
Thu, Aug 30 - VRCAS field - Another warm one. This is getting tiring. A few more folks showing up but still a low turnout.
Fri, Aug 31 - VRCAS field - Pretty clear today, and hot. A couple more arrivals. Had M&M and mom over for dinner.
Sat, Sept 1 - VRCAS field - Clearest day so far but hot! Still not too many showing up. A very quiet fun fly this year. Got a wasp sting in the afternoon.
Sun, Sept 2 - VRCAS field - Woke up at around 2:30 or so to a strong smell of smoke. When I got up in the morning the smoke had set in again and it was down to about a mile visibility. It did slowly get better as the day progressed. Dropped Maya off at Allmans in the afternoon and then Chris and I went for a sushi dinner.
Sept 3 - Sept 9 - SLAM Fall Classic - ( 6 nights, 76 total) $40/night
Mon, Sept 3 - VRCAS Vernon > Sandy Point, Salmon Arm - We pulled out of the Vernon field around 9:30 and arrived at Sandy Point about an hour later. We were disappointed to find that our usual and preferred spot had been given to someone else. As a result we picked site 130 which is on the other side of the campground. After dropping the trailer we made a quick trip into Kamloops to drop some stuff off and pick up some other stuff we needed for the float fly. Got back to Sandy Point around 2PM. Paul and Joan arrived around that time as well and Keith and Cathy shortly after.
One thing this year is the number of gnats! There were a lot in Vernon but that was nothing compared to here! Anything yellow or orange is just covered in a manner of minutes. Also lots of wasps.
So far the turn out seems a bit low. I hope we get more flyers later in the week.
The weather is also very hot!
Tue, Sept 4 - Sandy Point - Day 2 of the fun fly. Not as hot today as there is a thick smoke layer about 2000 ft up. Also hardly a breath of wind. Spent most of the morning putting airplanes together but did get a few flights in the afternoon.
Wed, Sept 5 - Sandy Point - Much smokier today although we can’t smell it thankfully. Temperatures in the mid 20’s. Got some flights in this morning then went to town to check on a possible sitter for Maya. I don’t think we will use them.
Thu, Sept 6 - Sandy Point - If anything the smoke is a bit heavier today! Can barely see Mt Ida. At least it is keeping the temperature down. Also nary a breath of wind. The forecast though is for some showers and possible thunderstorms tomorrow. Good day flying though. 3 flights on the big Cub, 2 on the Carbon Cub and 1 on the Polaris.
Fri, Sept 7 - Sandy Point - Heavier smoke yet. Can’t see Mt Ida at all! Dead flat calm again. Couldn’t fly the big cub as the floats are broken. Weather started to change in the afternoon. Some thunder and lightening later in the evening.
Sat, Sept 8 - Sandy Point - Not as smokey this morning and was quite warm overnight. However it started to rain around 9AM and it looks like it will continue for a few hours. We sure need it. Started packing up a few things we won’t need before leaving tomorrow. Will pull the big cub apart this afternoon and get it stowed as well. Chris did her Saturday morning Cinnamon Bun bake again which is always well received.
Sun, Sept 9 - Sandy Point > Home - Nice day today. The smoke was all gone and the sun was back out. Started cleaning up around 9 AM and had most stuff done by 10. Went to the fun fly wrap up and draws where I came away with a motor and speed controller. Chris wanted me to go with her to pick up Maya so we did that. Allman’s seemed quite happy with her and she was happy to see us. Headed back to the campground to pick up the trailer and headed home. Arrived around 3:30 or so. Average milage for the whole 4 weeks was 21.1 L/100Kms.Just over 3000 Kms
Sept 26 - Oct 1 - Princeton Fall Jet meet - ( 5 nights, 81 total )
Tue, Sept 26 - Home > Princeton BC - Left home about 10:30 AM and after a quick stop in Merritt, arrived at Rivers Edge about 1PM. Took the Coquihalla from Kamloops to Merritt and the truck handled the hills with no problem. It did burn more fuel though which was to be expected. Bart Ramsay arrived shortly after we did.
Wed, Sept 27 - Left Rivers Edge about 8:30 and headed up the the airport for the meet. Bart was here when we arrived. Set up in about the same place as back in June. The weather has been very good. A couple of the Alberta crew arrived later in the afternoon.
Thu, Sept 28 - First day of flying. All going very well. Len Steg arrived today and parked beside us. Another perfect day weather wise.
Fri, Sept 29 - The day started out very nice, clear skies and fairly warm but about noon the clouds started to move in and by mid afternoon there were a few showers around. They cleared off for the most part around 4:30 and I was able to get a 4th flight for the day.
Sat, Sept 30 - The day started out nice but the clouds moved in mid morning. After that it was quite unsettled all day. A couple of very light showers, some sun, but mostly cloudy. Wind came up about 2PM which made it quite cool. Still got 4 flights in today.
Sun, Oct 1 - Woke up to a fair day. A bit cool and cloudy but not raining. Started tearing the camp down around 7:30 and got the jet ready for a flight which I did about 8:15. Soon after that though the clouds rolled back in and we had showers on and off for the rest of the morning. Finally got everything packed away, good byes said and pulled out about 11:30. Stopped for such in Merritt then on home arriving about 2PM. We took the Coq both coming and going so more hills than usual. Towing milage was 26L/100 Kms.
Oct 6 - Oct 9 - Vernon for MAAC AZM - ( 3 nights, 84 total )
Fri, Oct 6 - Home > VRCAS field - Left Kamloops about 3:45 and got to the VRCAS field about 5:15. The gate was locked when we arrived so had to wait a bit until we could get someone to open it. Steve Hughes obliged. In and set up just before sunset.
Sat, Oct 7 - AZM day - Woke up to about 2 degrees. Had breakfast and then headed into town. After the meeting met Chris and Mom at Village Green Mall. Mom had had a minor accident and needed to go to the walk in clinic. After taking care of that we had to make a quick trip back to the field to move the trailer. They didn’t like where we had parked as others had arrived and needed some space. When we got there it was raining pretty hard. I got pretty wet while making the move. After that picked up a new bed for M&M at City Furniture.
Sun, Oct 8 - Another cool morning although not quite as bad. Spent most of the day with M&M and my Mom. Laura, Serena and her other half Dave arrived in the afternoon and we all hung out there for supper. Headed back to the trailer around 8.
Mon, Oct 9 - VRCAS field > Home - Coldest morning yet! Only 0.2 degrees when we got up. Made a quick trip into town then back to the field. Hooked up and were on the road by 11. Home at 12:45. Towing milage this trip 22.2 L/100 Kms.
Arizona departure. Trip B - 7091.5 21.4 L/100 Kms
Nov 16 - Dec 31 - Winter trip to Arizona ( 46 nights, 130 total (2017))
Thu, Nov 16 - Home > Monroe, Wa - Pulled out at 8:15 (+1 C) and headed south via the canyon. Ran into some rain, but otherwise the roads were good. Breezed through the border at Sumas and then made a couple of stops in Bellingham before carrying on to Monroe. Pulled into Chris and Jans about 4:45. Weather is overcast and about 10C. Exact coordinates are GPS 47.88979,-121.96686
Fri, Nov 17 - Monroe, Wa - Overcast this morning and about 5C. We plugged in last night so were able to use the fireplace. Hopefully we can dispense with that fairly soon! First thing I did this morning was replace the dimmer switch for the living room lights. New one seems to be working just fine. Also ran out of water this morning. Guess I didn’t put quite enough in before we left. We can fill from Chris and Jan though so no biggie. Bathroom night light isn’t working. I will probably have to take the roof vent apart to take a look.
Sat, Nov 18 - Monroe, Wa - Hung around Monroe today. Spent time with Chris and Jan and did some shopping. Cool and overcast but no rain. Chris did a rib dinner for all of us which was really good. C&J had a show they we going to so they left around 6. We just took it easy and watched some TV.
Sun, Nov 19 - Monroe, Wa > Eugene, Or - Another mostly overcast day. Pulled out about 9:30 after saying our goodbyes. Traffic on the route to Eugene was pretty light. Sunday is definitely the best day to travel through Seattle and Portland. Made quick stops at Camping World and Fred Meyer in Eugene then pulled into the Valley River Centre Mall for the night at about 6PM.
Mon, Nov 20 - Eugene, Or > Coos Bay, Or - Dreary rainy day all day. Pulled out of Eugene about 9:30 and made a couple of quick stops before hitting the road. Traveled via Hwy 126 to Florence then south on 101 to Coos Bay. Pulled into The Mill RV park about 1PM and set up in the overflow lot. After lunch we went exploring a bit then back to the trailer for supper. We had to run the generator for a few hours as we are not getting any sun for charging.
Tue, Nov 21 - Coos Bay, Or > Crescent City, Ca - The weather was a fair bit better today. No rain for most of it anyway and quite a bit warmer. Up just after 6 and already +14C. Had breakfast then got set up for travel. Dumped our tanks at the RV park before heading south. Heading south the temperature continued to climb until it hit +25C around Gold Beach. Very windy though. There were a few spots where the wind off the ocean was very strong.
We pulled into Crescent City around 1 and stopped for fish-n-chips at a place at the south of town then backtracked a bit to Point St George where we are spending the night. At 5:30 it is back to rain but still about +15C. A couple of very old beat up trailers here tonight as well. Another couple of hours on the generator to get the batteries back up. Exact coordinates are GPS 41.7830,-124.2520
Wed, Nov 22 - Crescent City, Ca > Nice, Ca - Woke up this morning to the trailer rocking and rolling. Very windy and raining pretty hard. Miserable morning. Warm though at +15C. I don’t think the furnace came on at all last night. We packed up shortly after sunup and were on the road by 7:30. Headed south on 101 and the weather got steadily better. The road was quite windy and rough through the redwoods but it was quite pretty in places. Redwoods are big trees! Made it to Nice around 2PM to sunshine and nice and warm. Parked at the casino and plan to spend the night here. After getting set up we did a bit of grocery shopping and then played the slots a bit. I won about $25 which we used to pay for an all you can eat pasta buffet. It’s a good thing it was essentially free as it wasn’t very good. Temperature down to about +11 at bedtime.
Thu, Nov 23 - Nice, Ca > Bakersfield, Ca - Slept in again and by the time we got packed up it was 9:30. Headed East and got on I5 then turned South. Followed I5 all the way down to Bakersfield where we pulled into Camping World for the night. Long day of driving pretty much all on the freeway. I found it surprising that some stretches were clean as a whistle while others were downright filthy. Traffic was pretty light. Maybe because of the holiday.
Fri, Nov 24 - Bakersfield, Ca > Acton, Ca - Woke up a bit early. Had breakfast and then did a bit of Black Friday shopping before hitting the road. Drove East into the Mojave and then south to Agua Dulce. We passed through an immense wind turbine farm on the way. There must have been several thousand wind turbines near the highway. Stopped to check out Vasquez Rocks (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasquez_Rocks) for a bit then over to the Californian RV resort in Acton for a couple of days. Late afternoon we took a drive into Lancaster for a few things.
Sat, Nov 25 - Acton, Ca - I woke up early again. After breakfast we went back to Vasquez Rocks and did a bit more exploring. Back before lunch then I did a bit of maintenance on the trailer and Chris did some laundry. I don’t think it was quite as hot today but it was still pretty warm. The campground here is installing a huge solar array. They have cases and cases of 330W panels (29 panels/case)! I would love to add one of these to the trailer.
Sun, Nov 26 - Acton, Ca > Chiriaco Summit - We got packed up and headed out around 9:30 or so and headed toward our first desert boon docking location. It is a spot near the Chiriaco Summit on I10 just outside the South entrance of Joshua Tree NP. (Elevation is about 540M) We arrived just before sunset and got everything set up before dark. Exact coordinates are GPS 33.6749,-115.8085. There are a few others here but not too crowded. Nearest neighbour is about 50M away. We hit about 32C today but it is cooling off nicely now at 6:30.
Mon, Nov 27 - Chiriaco Summit - Woke up just after 6 to a gorgeous sunrise. Then the clouds moved in and it was kinda overcast for most of the morning. I got a few maintenance issues taken care of and then after lunch we went up the road to the Gen. George S. Patton museum at the summit. I hadn’t realized this area had such a WW2 history. It was used as a training ground for US troops deploying to the N Africa theatre. While we were at the museum, the wind stared to come up and the dust started to fly. It was blowing pretty good when we got back to the trailer and as of 6PM is still blowing pretty hard.
Tue, Nov 28 - Chiriaco Summit - It seems the wind blew all night. I was up early again and it was still blowing pretty hard. After breakfast we decided to head down Box Canyon Rd towards Mecca and see if there were any good boondocking sites there. A couple of possibilities but all too close to the road for my liking. After getting to the bottom of the hill we went and checked out the Coachella model field. It was all locked up so wasn’t able to get in. We gave Gerows a call and paid them a visit for an hour or so before doing some grocery shopping and then back to the trailer about 3:30.
Wed, Nov 29 - Chiriaco Summit > Anza Borrego, Rockhouse Tr - We had a mouse in the house overnight! Woke up about 2:30 and could hear something munching on Maya’s kibble. I got up and set a trap and sure enough when we got up in the morning we had caught the critter. Left Chiriaco Summit BD location around 10AM and headed toward the Salton Sea. We were thinking of stopping for a night at a BD location in Salton City but when we got there it didn’t look very nice so continued on toward Borrego Springs. Another possible location we considered was Arroyo Salado primitive camp but we couldn’t find a suitable location so carried on to the Rockhouse Tr BD location outside of Borrego Springs. This is quite a large area with lots of RV’s all over the place. We found a nice level spot and were set up by about 12:30. Exact coordinates are GPS 33.3019,-116.2811.
Thu, Nov 30 - Anza Borrego, Rockhouse Tr - I woke up early again but all overcast so no sunrise to see. Chilly outside too at only +10. I actually ran the furnace for a bit to take the chill off inside. After breakfast we took a walk down to the Clark Dry Lakebed. It was a little under 4Kms each way so was a good workout. Interesting terrain. I understand the lake does flood occasionally but dries up very fast. Back to the trailer for lunch then drove into Borrego Springs to see what was there. Pretty small town and not too much shopping to be had. Back to the trailer around 2 and then just took it easy for the rest of the afternoon.
Fri, Dec 1 - Anza Borrego, Rockhouse Tr - Sunshine this morning! Woke up just before 6 to almost clear skies and +13C. I went for about an hours hike this morning before it got too warm. Hiked up a ridge just to the west of our camp and got some nice views of the BD area.
After I got back, we headed back into town so we could get rid of some trash and recyclables. After that we took a drive south to The Slot. A narrow gorge of the Borrego Mountain Wash. It was an interesting hike that took about an hour or so. Some very steep, narrow canyons that we just barely fit through.
Sat, Dec 2 - Anza Borrego, Rockhouse Tr - I actually slept in to 7 this morning. After breakfast we went for a short walk around the camping area and then headed towards town. We made a quick stop to drop off our trash and then headed West on SR22 just to see where it went. After winding up a very steep and twisty section of road it topped out at around 3500 ft. The terrain was very interesting in that all the hills here just look like piles of huge boulders. We continued on and then turned SouthEast on San Felipe Rd. We followed it for a few miles then turned East on SR78. SR78 wound down through a very narrow and windy canyon before opening back out onto a plain. We then turned left on Yaqui Pass Rd and climbed back up a ways on another very steep, narrow and windy road for a ways then back down into the Borrego Springs valley and then back to town. After a bit of grocery shopping we headed back to the trailer for the rest of the afternoon.
Sun, Dec 3 - Anza Borrego, Rockhouse Tr - After breakfast this morning we decided to check out some of the steel sculptures around town then back to the trailer and just relaxed for the rest of the day. Around sunset the wind came up and it was blowing pretty good up until about bedtime. Apparently these are the Santa Ana winds.
Mon, Dec 4 - Anza Borrego, Rockhouse Tr > El Centro, Rio Bend RV - Pulled up stakes this morning and headed SE towards El Centro. The plan is to spend a couple of days at the Rio Bend RV park and visit Andy and Marilyn Raniseth. Arrived around 11 AM and set up in site 383 just kitty corner from them. After setting up and spending a bit of time, we headed out to pick up a few things. One of which I discovered when I went to dump tanks. Somewhere along the road since Acton, we seem to have lost the dump handle for the grey tank. After supper went back and visited some more.
Tue, Dec 5 - El Centro, Rio Bend RV - It got pretty chilly overnight.only +7 when I got up and still only +18 at noon. Our new internet device showed up and so far seems to be working pretty well. Andy and I have a tee time at about 12:30. Will have to see if I can still hit a ball. Got the trailer washed while we were out in the afternoon. $67 to do the whole thing. We are pretty close to the Navy’s Seely NAS and regularity see F18’s, Ospreys and Sea Dragons flying around. It can get pretty loud at times but at least they don’t fly during the night. Apparently the Blue Angels train here in Jan and Feb. We may have to come back for a bit later. Chris has come down with a cold. her squeaky voice is back.
Wed, Dec 6 - El Centro, Rio Bend RV - Another chilly night last night. Only about +11 this morning. Needed the furnace for a bit in the morning. The last few days we have noticed a sewery smell in the bathroom so I figured the seal under the toilet was leaking a bit so I replaced it. After that I started on the hot water bypass project in the bathroom vanity. While working under the vanity, I noticed the sewer smell was still present. After I moved a few things around I found a mousetrap with a several days old dead mouse in it. That was the real source of the smell! After lunch Andy, Marilyn and the 2 of us went over to the activity centre for their ice cream social.
Thu, Dec 7 - El Centro, Rio Bend RV > American Girl Mine Rd. - Cool again overnight, about +8 when I got up and clear skies. Today we plan on moving East a ways. Looking at the American Girl Mine Rd. boondocking area for a couple of days.. We left Rio Bend around 10:30 and arrived at the BD area just before lunch. Exact coordinates are GPS 32.82448,-114.8232. Set up and went over to visit our neighbours and their 5 dogs and 2 cats. After lunch we went into Yuma for some grocery shopping then back out here around 6ish.
Fri, Dec 8 - American Girl Mine Rd. BD loc. - It was quite a bit warmer here last night, only going down to about +15C. Once the sun came up it warmed up to a comfortable +24 or so. Chris and I spent the morning out geocaching. There is a nice easy series quite close. Also went and took a quick look at the old Tumco mine and town location (https://www.blm.gov/visit/tumco-historic-mine). A bit later in the afternoon we went over and visited with our neighbours for a bit.
Sat, Dec 9 - American Girl Mine Rd. BD loc. - Did a bit more geocaching this morning. Finished up the series we started yesterday. After lunch, we went into Yuma to do a bit of shopping and touristing then watched the Christmas Parade of Lights before heading home. While at the Parade of Lights we met up with our neighbours and found out one of them (the Canadian) is a bit of a jerk.
Sun, Dec 10 - American Girl Mine Rd. BD loc. - Explored in a different direction today. Went up American Girl Mine Rd. a ways until we couldn’t go further due to the mining operation. Then checked out some other boondocking areas before heading down Sidewinder Rd and snagging a couple more geocaches. After heading back we went up and visited the Gold Rock Ranch Mine Museum (http://talesfromthebackroad.com/gold-rock-ranch-california/) before back here for lunch. Weather today was mostly high overcast and in the low 20’s. Had to run the generator for an hour or so. Chris’s cold is more or less gone now. Her voice is back to normal.
Mon, Dec 11 - American Girl Mine Rd. BD loc. - Some more geocaching today and another run to town, this time to a couple of RV supply places for some hatch locks. Fairly warm overnight and nice clear weather and mid 20’s during the day.
Tue, Dec 12 - American Girl Mine Rd. BD loc. - We needed to get a propane tank filled today so back to town again! Also some more geocaching. Weather pretty much the same as yesterday.
Wed, Dec 13 - American Girl Mine Rd. BD loc. - Just a quiet day at camp today. Didn’t go anywhere except to take Maya for a walk. Another warm one; up to about 26 or so after another warm night. This evening we did some sky watching for the Geminids meteor shower.
Fri, Dec 15 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - Pretty quiet day today. Nice and sunny and not too warm. We took Maya for a walk after breakfast then pretty much just relaxed for the rest of the day. It’s cooling off pretty good tonight though. Only +11 at 9:30. There are a couple of small stray dogs hanging around here. They seem to have been here a while as they are very shy and skittish. Neither one will allow anyone to come anywhere close. People are feeding them though so they aren’t starving.
Sat, Dec 16 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - A bit cloudy today and quite cool overnight. After breakfast we took a drive over to the Imperial Dam area to take a look at the Senators Wash BLM and Imperial Dam LTVA areas (https://www.blm.gov/visit/imperial-dam-long-term-visitor-area). Turns out is is quite a large area and a lot of RV’s over there. They also have a nice dump station and potable water station. Pretty barren country though. Lots of rocks. After leaving here we headed back toward Yuma and stopped at Cloud Museum in Bard (http://cloudmuseum.dynamitedave.com/). This guy reportedly has the largest collection of Model T’s in the world. They are literally everywhere. Some have been fully restored and are in drivable condition. From here we headed into town for some groceries then back to the trailer for the rest of the day.
Sun, Dec 17 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - Not as cold overnight. Only down to +10C. After breakfast I went for a good hike. I wanted to get to the ridge across the canal. Turned out it was a bit more of a challenge that I thought but I made it. Also snagged a Geocache while I was over there. After I got back and had a rest, Chris and I took Maya for a walk down to the trash bin and back. After that just took it easy for the rest of the day.
Mon, Dec 18 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - Pretty cool overnight but clear and warm during the day. I did a bit more hiking in the morning then took it easy for the afternoon.
Tue, Dec 19 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - Downright chilly overnight but warmed up nicely later on. After breakfast we headed over to the Imperial Dam LTVA and registered with the Christian Centre so we could get a package shipped there. After that we headed over to the Yuma Proving Grounds (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuma_Proving_Ground) and arranged a pass so we could visit the museum. They also have quite a collection of old tanks and armoured vehicles just outside the YPG along the highway at coordinates 32.8286, -114.3900.
Wed, Dec 20 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - Cool overnight again but clear and warm during the day. After breakfast we headed into town for some grocery shopping. After returning we met and visited with the neighbours (Eric and Susanne Richardson) for a while. They are a couple who have just recently started full-time RV’ing. After that we spent the rest of the evening watching TV.
Thu, Dec 21 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - Only down to about 10C overnight and clear again this morning. Was quite windy overnight and through the day as well. Not too warm either; only getting up to about +18 today. Didn’t do too much today other than hung up some Christmas lights and snagged another easy geocache. Chris did some more baking.
Fri, Dec 22 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - Downright chilly overnight and not overly warm today. Woke up at 6 and it was only 2C! It started to warm up when the sun came up but still only got up into the high teens. We went back into town again looking for some xmas gifts and ideas and to pick up water. Also needed to get another couple of jugs as one of ours sprung a leak. For the last couple of weeks I have had a nagging tickle in my throat and some slight chest congestion. Today I think it is turning into a full fledged cold! Coughing, tired and feeling chills one minute and warm the next. Just lovely!
Sat, Dec 23 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - Not quite so chilly last night. My cold has come up full force. As a result I didn’t do much other than sleep and take it easy all day. Chris found out though that where we are parked is outside the 10day stay limit area so we may be OK to stay here for a while longer. If that is the case I think that is what we’ll do.
Sun, Dec 24 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - Decided if we were going to stay here, we needed to dump our tanks sooner rather than later so we hooked up and pulled the trailer over to the LTVA. Back here at Mittry by about 2PM.
Mon, Dec 25 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - Merry Christmas! Cool again over night; about 4C but warming up nicely. A bit cloudier today. We joined a bunch of the other campers here for an early Christmas pot luck dinner. My cold is still hanging strong.
Tue, Dec 26 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - Made a trip into town to do laundry and pick up a few groceries. Also over to the Christian Service Centre to update our records there. Otherwise a quiet day.
Wed, Dec 27 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - Another quiet day. Didn’t go anywhere. Still getting over my cold so stayed in and slept some. Warmer today though. Into the upper 20’s and not so cool overnight.
Thu, Dec 28 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - Pretty much the same as yesterday. Stayed close and took things easy.
Fri, Dec 29 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area - This morning after breakfast we headed into town as we wanted to take in the Arizona Marketplace flea market. Picked up a couple of things and then back to Mittry in the early afternoon. Sat around the fire with the gang for a bit but some of the neighbours were burning some Palo Verde wood and the smoke was bothering all of us, as a result we retired early.
Sat, Dec 30 - Mittry Lake Wildlife Area > Imperial Dam LTVA - We were planning to hang in at Mittry for another day or 2 but saw the idiot neighbours dragging more Palo Verde up to their camp and really didn’t want to have to deal with the smoke. Also our close neighbours were all leaving today so we decided to do the same. Packed up and we were over at the Imperial Dam LTVA just after lunch. We have a nice open spot not too close to the closest neighbour. We will probably hang here till Tuesday or Wednesday then head for Quartzsite. Sunny and warm again today and fairly warm overnight as well. Exact coordinates are GPS 32.9032,-114.5133
Sun, Dec 31 - Imperial Dam LTVA - A bit overcast this morning so a bit cooler today. Topped out at about 22C. While getting ready for breakfast I noticed a couple vehicles headed down to where the model airstrip is so we put breakfast on pause and drove down to check it out. Turns out one of the guys down there is our neighbour here at the camp. Fellow named Ron from New Hampshire. Now that I know the lay of the land, I think I will dig the Protege out and go do some flying tomorrow.
Also opened up the belly to check the slide gears. The pinion is almost shot so had to order a replacement. We should hopefully get it when we get to Quartzsite.
My cold is almost gone. Just the nagging cough left.
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