To Sheldon NWR, Sunday, 6/28/20

A real change occurred in the nighttime, 'cause dawn broke cloudy and cool and windy, with rain in the forecast.  Long-sleeve weather.  Since a) the weekend was over, b) we weren't going to camp at Page Springs near Frenchglen,  and c) we discovered Hwy 205 was paved all the way south, we decided to continue to Virgin Valley campground in Sheldon NWR (top west corner of Nevada) -- see map below.

For Our Getaway, we started at Hart Mountain, drove north to Malheur, and now south to Sheldon.  All National Wildlife Refuges.  Was this our plan?  I don't know ... I think it just evolved.  But it was a good choice.

The drive was great, no traffic AT ALL, a brisk north (tail) wind, and plenty of fine scenery; I enjoyed being behind the wheel.  Plus, the weather improved as we made our way south.  We knew nothing about Sheldon, though I remember my friend, Lyn, talking many years ago about nearby Denio and an opal mine.  I'd forgotten about it, but when I saw we'd drive through Denio to get to our campground (no fee, first-come/first-served, no hookups), I recalled she'd suggested we go there.  Hmmm ....

Awww, at the vacant entrance kiosk, these li'l cuties had taken up residence.  They were waiting for Mom/Dad to bring home some bacon.  Or skeeeters!  Eat more skeeters!

Our campground is fairly exposed (above), but we chose a decently level site, with no other campers around us.  By the time we arrived, the wind had turned into a gale.  Birds were having trouble flying!  We watched a blackbird aiming for a cottonwood, overshoot the mark, try to flyback (like backtrack) into the wind, fly sideways, and finally reach a branch.  It was kinda funny, but probably not to the bird.  A Nighthawk sitting on the ground was nearly upended by the wind. I'm sure it didn't enjoy being jostled about like that.  We were happy to be camped and off the road.  We decided to take a walk into the desert, enjoy the moment Out and About ... but had to hang onto our hats!  The best news is the wind kept the skeeters at bay!

Does time stand still?

Littering is not a new trend.

People have been dumping stuff 'n junk since forever.

Appears as though the weather might be catching up to us here at Sheldon.  Notice the clouds?  We were on an explore and could've walked for hours, but ... the time.  Dinner and all that.  We did spot a newly headless small game bird (??) and several bleached old bones, but no gold or opals.  Darn!

Sure enough, we watched a big ol' thunderstorm close in while we were cozily installed inside Tergel, and drops fell, but we had no rainstorm.  A draw for this campground was the warm springs pool, which we used!!  Had our bathing suits with us in Tergel and, by gum, in we went -- water maybe 90 degrees?  Very nice.  You don't often see a photo of me in a bathing suit!  After our swim, we hurried to get our towels in the lee of the rustic bathhouse, then a shower, and warm duds for the walk to Tergel.  By this time, the temp was plunging, and we felt cold (wind chill).  I know my sister, broiling in the deep south, won't believe it, but we climbed back into our sweats!

Tomorrow we'll probably move on ....

Hart Mountain NWR, Wed, 6/24/20

We knew it was going to be a hot one today; it was hot all over the west.   Dressed in shorts and Tee's, we hopped in Smartie for the drive to the top where the Visitor Center is.  We figured it would be shuttered, as most federal entities are; as in, Forest Service/Fish and Wildlife, etc., and it was.  But their info boards with maps provided help.  Hart Mountain NWR, in South-Central Oregon, is a large refuge, with abundant, wide-open space, and gravel roads twining hither and yon.  Much of it is inaccessible to cars like Smartie (no high clearance) and I'm guessing a good deal of it can only be explored on foot.  Today we wanted to check out the Hot Springs and beyond -- a fairly short, easy drive from the VC. 

This area is arid, sage-brush covered.

You have to realize that where we're camped is "below."  The gravel road to the VC ascends abruptly nearly three-quarters of a mile above the Warner Valley floor in a series of rugged cliffs, steep slopes, and knife-like ridges.  It's greener at the top, too, with grassy meadows and riparian areas along streams, thanks to snow melt and occasional storms.  This photo was taken up top ... I thought the cloud formation had thunderstorm potential.  

It's also where we spotted Pronghorn Antelope, for which the refuge was established in 1936, providing range for remnant pronghorn herds.  I learned a bunch from the brochure.  Fer instance:  Pronghorns (which I think are cute) are able to run up to 60 miles an hour, making them the fastest land animal in North America.  They can outrun any predator.  Their large eyes see the world as we would if using binoculars with 8 power magnification.  They look like they're smiling (not in the brochure). You're welcome.

We found the hot springs, but neglected to bring our suits.  Ixnay on just the birthday suits, though some do.

Not much to it, as you see, but the water was nice and warm, with bubbles (below) regularly floating to the surface.  I'm sure other hot springs are out there somewhere.  Camping is allowed at the Hot Springs area, but we don't think Tergel would want to make the trip up here.  We saw a few tents and truck campers.

Wildflowers appeared, especially near moist areas.

Jimmy had a nice conversation with this cute li'l guy, next to the hot springs.  I believe it's a Belding's Ground Squirrel, and it didn't appear to be afraid of us.

Spots of snow linger on the higher peaks.  Hart Mountain itself rises to 8,017 ft.  The winding road ahead is where we're going ... we didn't know where it would lead, but intended to find out.

That road dead-ended at Barnhardy Road, closed to all but foot traffic.  We parked Smartie and set forth.  Have I mentioned mosquitoes yet?  We've been assailed since we got here, both at the campground and everywhere else.  We sprayed.  I even used Skin-So-Soft on my legs and arms, but nothing stopped these voracious blood-suckers.  We'd hoped to walk to Guano Creek and an old camp, but I was being bit on my fingers and my head where my hair had parted!  I said, NO, I can't stay out here.   Meanwhile, we watched our favorite Western Tailed-Blue's puddling for a few seconds.

I bet it would be fun to see what's on the other side (after skeeter season).  About the same time we came upon this bridge, we heard a thunder clap and turned around to see a monstrous anvil-shaped cloud not too far away.  That cinched the return to the car ASAP.

So we came on down, admiring the spectacular views of the beautiful Warner Valley Wetlands.  This is such a diverse park, so much to see and appreciate.  I wondered about the line across the cliff, where the lighter green begins.  It carried on all the way down till the slope was out of sight.

We came home to Tergel, parked in Camp Hart campground.  There's no fee to camp here, but it is dry camping.  Two other, widely dispersed campers shared the camp.  You see Tergel is all by herself.  The view, oh my, the view!

With their cheerful refrain, Western Meadowlarks kept the melody going during our stay.  They were up early and sang till dusk.

Jimmy plopped on the bed and took a short nap.  I watched another huge thundercloud approach the campground.  Thunder growled.  We have no hookups here, so our door and all the windows were open to encourage a breeze.  In no time, I heard rain drops.  All of a sudden, great big drops hit the ground and bounced a foot.  A cloudburst!  The rain on the roof was deafening.  Jimmy slept through it.  I had to close windows on one side of the rig, and ten minutes later the rain was over, the clouds moved on, and a delicious coolness walked right in!

As the sun moved lower in the sky, we watched the changing colors on yonder hillsides.  Obviously I took this picture from Tergel's vast windshield, and every few minutes we'd look again to see the hillside transformation.

From a different window, we have a different, dramatic glowing view. 

Followed by a stellar orange sunset.  Clouds will give you a fine sunset.  So ends Day One of Our Little Getaway.  Tomorrow will be a new day with new opportunities.  What shall we do?

Grover Hot Springs St Pk, CA -- Monday, 10/10/16

After checking into Woodfords Inn Monday afternoon, we decided to go exploring.  Nothing like hopping back in the car after a long drive! Six miles south of our Inn is the town of Markleeville, population under-200, elevation approx 5500'.  We were fortunate to find a visitor's center open and a knowledgeable lady inside ready to answer questions and offer suggestions.  Otherwise, it seemed Markleeville had closed up shop for the year.  Indeed, after leaving the VC, the first guy we spotted seemed fossilized (below, with Jimmy)!

Before leaving home, our friend, Cliff, mentioned going to Grover's Hot Springs St Pk, and advised us to take our bathing suits.  (That's the third item I'd forgotten ... sigh.)  The VC lady also mentioned the springs and hiking trails in the state park.  And, it was only four miles down the road from Hwy 89. That suited us just fine.  Oh, OK, off we went to Grover Hot Springs, sans suits (and hiking shoes).

After passing the campground (still open, no hookups), this fine golden meadow opened up before us.  The state park is situated at nearly 6,000' on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, at the edge of the Great Basin.  Markleeville itself is a mere stone's throw from the State of Nevada.  In fact, when we couldn't find a restaurant open for dinner, we drove down the mountain to Gardnerville, NV and enjoyed a tasty Mexican meal.

One of the hot springs owners, Charles Scossa, lived in this log cabin, built ??

Still standing, but it looks like it's seen better days! 

We started out walking on this peaceful trail, our footsteps softened by layers of pine needles.  This time of year, the crowds are gone, and we encountered no one else.  Very tranquil, and what we've come to truly appreciate when we're Out and About.  Of course there are other trails in the park, but this 2.5 mile R/T was all we wanted today.

When the trees opened up, mountain vistas could be seen.  Lots of rocky outcrops, too. 

We were loosely following tumbling Hot Springs Creek and here we successfully "jumped it." In Birkenstock's, I had to keep shaking tiny pieces of crushed granite and bits of pine needles from each shoe bed, not the best footwear for trail hiking!  But, I kinda got used to it. (below)

Suddenly we heard water falling, and followed the sound to the waterfalls on the opposite side of a narrow canyon from where I'm standing.  We spotted several cascades, but this seemed to be the main one.  Judging from footsteps in the soft dirt, others had clambered over boulders and climbed down into the canyon and up the other side to the waterfalls, but seeing this "water feature" was cool enough and we didn't need to go further.  

We made our way back to the car, wondering about this set of wheels spotted in a meadow. 

Definitely not the same log cabin.

I climbed a short hill to read informational signs and watched a couple fill multiple (big and bigger) containers with the hot, somewhat sulphuric water that trickled out of a pipe. Inside the fence is the hot springs pool and on the other side of the building is a cooler, temperature-wise, swimming pool.  Next time! 

Love autumn's mellow yellows ... the quaking Aspens and Cottonwoods prevalent in the high country.  So, we were well after dark returning to Woodfords Inn from our dinner in Nevada, and easily ready to hit the sack early.  We'd like to come back here after the winter snows and do some more exploring ... seems to be an awfully lot to do, not just in Grover Hot Springs, but everywhere in these Sierra Nevada Mountains!

And now for a little dip! Sunday, 10/25/14

Since we were skunked on riding the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge train yesterday, we picked Pagosa Springs as our next destination.  Actually, Jimmy asked me what I wanted to do, and I thought for at least two seconds before replying, "I'd like to swim in Pagosa Springs."  We piled out of Durango and drove the 60 miles to Healing Waters Resort & Spa in Pagosa Springs.  We snuck in under the wire on this one ... their RV area closes Oct 31st, all five sites.  

Nothing fancy here, but the full hookup "room" charge included use of all their on-site mineral pools. Jimmy and I were quite comfy in this "charming setting," and it was quiet. I looked up a 2004 Colorado trip diary I kept and this is the same place (different name) we stayed at then, only we were in their motel, not an RV. We found the place today w/o any problem, and felt pretty proud of ourselves. Ten years later, however, we could see the years were catching up with this grand ol' place (and us, too?).

According to the Guinness World Records, Pagosa Springs is home to the deepest geothermal hot spring measured by a plumb line. The actual depth of the spring is unknown, as the plumb line measured a maximum depth of 1,002 ft, and it ran out before hitting the bottom of the spring. Ute Indians believed the hot springs were a gift from the Great Spirit; most people believe the hot mineral water holds healing and therapeutic value.

The lady at the check-in desk told us that the large mineral swimming pool temperature was 95°, the large outdoor soaking tub was 105°, and the indoor baths (separate male and female baths) measured a skin-burning 108°! Neither of us went near the indoor baths! Jimmy favored the outdoor hot tub, and I enjoyed a blissful swim in the 95 degree pool. My hair felt so soft when I washed it later.

Before jumping into our suits, we strolled along the river walk and into the town proper. The day was sunny and warm, and it felt good to be Out and About. It being a Sunday, not much was going on and most of the shops were closed. Jimmy is on the bridge over the San Juan River.

 

I betcha there's trout just waiting to be caught in this shallow river! 

 

Ten years ago, this huge resort across from ours wasn't around -- The Springs.  Don't think they have RV sites, and I bet the rooms are a lot more expensive.   

 

Nice man sitting in front of a nice mural on San Juan Street. 

 

Here is the actual (CAUTION!) hot mineral springs.

 

There is also a certain odor about this spring, our pools, and the whole area of town near the spring -- the exotic fragrance of rotten eggs -- sulfurous!  Aw heck, we got used to it.

We bought a few groceries, we walked, we soaked and swam, and then we had a yummy dinner out at Ramon's as the sun was setting.  This little lake had lots of coots and grebes, and one black kitty sitting on the shore watching them longingly.  Cute to see.  All in all, today was a very good day!

  

Banff, Labor Day wkend, Sat/Sun/Mon, Sept. 2011

Overlooking Banff, a train, and the Bow River.

Do you think we hike all the time, every single day? Or hop on our bikes if we’re not on foot? Not so! We have found that the best way to see anything in the great outdoors is to get out of the vehicle! Jimmy and I enjoy going places and doing different things, obviously – or we wouldn’t be on the go as much as we are! We like hiking and have seen some spectacular sights while Out and About, as evidenced by the photos we post on this blog. Same for biking. This lifestyle suits us – I guess we have restless feet! However, we don’t spend every day hiking thru wilderness or biking out-of-the-way paths, and we plan in advance for the outings we want to do.  Most of the time....

That being said, we wanted to climb to the top of nearby Tunnel Mtn (5543’), which offers beautiful views of Banff, Mt. Rundle and the Bow Valley… and so we joined quite a few others on a fine Sun morning. Ate our PBnJ sandwiches overlooking the town of Banff and then hiked the mile down. We changed clothes back at Tergel and drove to gorgeous Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel – a castle-like hotel set amongst the evergreens with planters of flowers placed everywhere about the grounds. We sashayed in and had coffee and “biscuits” (Jimmy had an apple fritter, I had strudel) in this enormous and elegant establishment. And when we finished gawking in the shops, esp Mountain Galleries, we strolled down to Bow Falls for a look-see.

Jimmy at Bow Falls.

On Saturday, we donned bathing suits for a visit to Banff Upper Hot Springs and parboiled ourselves in 102° water (ahhh). No pictures.  Fact is, we’ve visited quite a few natural hot springs in our travels. We like museums. And libraries. Love farmer’s markets with local produce/products and always find goodies to buy. Some evenings, we’ll catch an interesting program on TV, but that’s pretty rare, or we’ll go to a movie. Downloading and filing the many pictures we take and blogging takes up a heap of time, too. On this trip we’ve taken up Yahtzee and some evenings we’ll play till bedtime. Jimmy is keeping track of who’s ahead, but I’m afraid to ask.

Actually, we’re sort of normal! While we drain a pot of coffee every morning, we’ll watch a news show such as Good Morning, America if we’re hooked up to electricity and if we have a station to watch – and there are plenty of mornings we don’t have either. We both read and can easily bury our faces in a book. We shop for groceries and do laundry, same as if we were NOT in a motor home. We eat most of our meals in; I’m the chief cook in the family and Jimmy is the clean-up man. 

Today (Monday) we joined the international throng of tourists walking along the streets of this small town, and sat outside with a cup of coffee people-watching ... almost as good as Disneyland! After that, we strolled lovely Cascades Gardens with tiers of annual flowers, rustic bridges and flagged walks.And now on Labor Day, the long summer holiday is over – thank goodness (for us), as camping should be easier. Less people and more spaces. But, back to hiking, a favorite activity – we go and enjoy. Feels good to lace up the shoes and breathe in fresh air and stretch those leg muscles. Good for the body and the spirit. And at 66, as the saying goes, it’s use it or lose it. There’s a time to “do,” and then there’s a time to rest. Balance isn’t always easy to achieve, but we try, and diversity is the key.