Fall 2011

So, this fall has been like most over the past 20 years - busy with school and not much time for adventures.  We've managed a good 15-20 mile bike ride about every three weeks, with a shorter 8-9 miler here in town in between.  We've been to Walmart and Goodwill and the grocery store; exciting, huh?.  We've spent mega hours over too many weekends in our offices.  I've created over 20 PowerPoint presentations to provide content to my online class.  And then there is the grading...

What has been different was (and still is) the weather.  This has been one of the nicest fall seasons I can remember.  We've had a few short cold spells but it has been warm and dry (probably too dry) for several months.  The capris and short sleeved tops are still hanging in the closet, though it really is time to admit capri weather is over.  The leaves have been changing color so slowly that it seems like we are missing that burst of color.  Once we stop and really look, the color is there but just not all at once.

It is hard to believe that November is almost here.  Will snow and ice appear soon?

This is evidence of a fall bike ride, taken on the town bike path.  Yes, my big city friends, the corn fields come right to the edge of town.

Hutch and Gromit manage to find a way into the waist pack for a ride on the bikes.

This is the view from our front window.  In the late afternoon the leaves almost glow as the sunlight is reflected on the leaves.  A cold night meant that the lawn was blanketed in yellow leaves the next day.

Our two maples had already lost many of their deep red leaves but they were almost glowing.  Again, the next day most of these leaves were on the ground thanks to temps in the 20s overnight.

Critters in Colorado

In early August we managed a quick trip to Rocky Mountain National Park.  Our favorite campground is Glacier Basin and here are the reasons why:

• The views are great.
• It is very convenient to the free shuttle bus system.  The one bus stop in the campground was right at our loop!  The Park and Ride is a 10 minute walk if you miss the bus.
• A couple of trails begin/end at or near the campground.
• It is the closest campground to the wonderful Bear Lake and Glacier Gorge trailheads.
• It has two loops of 'first come, first served' campsites.  Monday through Tuesday that works great!
• While much of the campground lost its trees due to beetle kill, the two loops described above have some of their trees.  They get inoculated every spring at a cost of $1000 each.  
• Remember those views?

While the Bear Lake and Glacier Gorge trails are wonderful, they are very busy and not where you expect to see any wildlife except those fat, aggressive, tourist-fed chipmunks. Imagine our surprise when we saw three elk, all within about 10 minutes in the very busy mid-afternoon!

Okay, a bit of camouflage....

I never managed to get the antlers... just the rear view!

About a mile away from Glacier Basin is a day area at Sprague Lake.  This is lake is VERY shallow and it is common to see fisher-people standing knee deep out in the middle!  While attending the evening ranger talk on coyotes, we were told that several moose were frequenting Sprague Lake and a bull had been there earlier in the evening.  So the next evening we skipped the ranger talk and headed to Sprague Lake.  (Well, we went earlier too but no moose.)  There he was, oblivious to camera flashes and tourists walking by him on three sides.  He just kept on slurping up the slimy stuff from the lake bottom.

Slurp, slurp.

Something caught my eye off to the right!  It looked like a muskrat.  Quick!  Change to zoom back to normal and snap!  Amazingly, I got both the moose and the muskrat in the same shot.  If I'd been a bit faster with the zoom, the grass and leaves wouldn't have interfered but I still like it!

Marilyn's muskrat and moose (alliteration is fun!)

Okay, this is a more common sighting, and often annoying... but still kind of cute!

Posing on top of Deer Mountain

Please give me some peanuts!

Minnesota cycling - New personal record!

For our third day of cycling we could ride to Park Rapids or Bemidji.  Park Rapids is a smaller town and the trail brings you right to the middle of town.  It appeared that negotiating some city streets would be in the cards for Bemidji, so we opted for Park Rapids.  Either route would be just over 60 miles which would surpass our previous personal records of 52 miles.

Again the route began right at the motel with the first mile along a quiet lake front road, through a park, then on about 2-3 blocks of quiet side streets before the spur to the actual trail.  We headed southwest on the Heartland Trail under cloudy but muggy skies.  The first seven miles retraced our last miles of the previous day, through the woods and along side Lake May.  After that there was a small town every 6-9 miles that made a nice break.

Paul Bunyan and the two of us in Akeley, MN.

For some reason the first 20 miles were a struggle for me.  John got way ahead of me and mentally it was tough to catch up and that only happened when he stopped at a junction.  After 3 hours on the trail, we pulled out the peanuts and craisins for a small snack.  The last 30 minutes were so much easier.  Could it have been the wrong food for breakfast?

Once again, we questioned the mileage on the signs as we rode almost two more miles than what we expected on that last leg.  Perhaps the mileage was to the city limits (though we never saw a sign).  The trail dropped us across the street from Burger King.  By this time John was hungry enough for a Whopper and after the peanut boost, I decided a Whopper Junior with cheese was a good idea.  This Burger King had four choices for iced tea and the sweetened green tea was excellent.  We filled a water bottle each with iced coffee (John) and iced green tea (me).  The ice didn't last an hour...

Those burgers must have hit the spot way out.  We even stopped in the same places for water and potty breaks, but we do have to take out the five minutes we spent in the morning getting our photo with Paul Bunyan in Akeley!  A quick Google Earth check revealed that the elevation of each end of our route was about the same but the middle was about 40' higher.  Who would even notice that amount of change over 15 miles?

Every town in Minnesota seems to have its giant 'sculpture.'  Nevis, one of the small towns along the route, has a Tiger Muskie.

That personal record?  By the time we ate our recovery Blizzards in Walker and then slowly pedaled back to the motel, we had ridden 64 miles, shattering our personal records!  When converted to kilometers, we had accomplished a metric century!  Yippee!

Look at that!

Minnesota cycling - part two

Typical rails to trails bike path.  This is part of the Paul Bunyan trail.

Our second day of cycling in Minnesota was to be a bit shorter but with a hilly section.  We headed out of the parking lot, across the street and onto a bike trail.  However, that trail just went behind the neighboring restaurant to cross Hwy. 371.  The next three miles were on a side road and then Hwy. 371, fortunately with excellent wide shoulders.  I was glad to be heading this direction because that side road had a nice downhill and the next section of bike path was a right turn off the shoulder.  Both would have been less than pleasant if going the other direction.  First we would have been crossing Hwy. 371 two more times, both on curves, and then ending our ride with a significant uphill!


After a few curves and hills the trail straightened out and was flat for about eight miles to Hackensack.  The trail passes right through this little town so we stopped at the city park with nice restrooms and a few shops across the street.  We bought iced tea and coffee, but got no ice for the tea because it was bottled and in a cooler.  Oh well.  It was consumed quickly anyway!

Hackensack is home to Lucette, Paul Bunyan's girlfriend.

We then retraced our route for those same eight miles and this time headed basically west for nine miles of curves and hills.  The hills were steep enough for us to get down into our lowest gears and just plug away, but the downhills were fun.  It seemed that we chose the right direction because it felt like we had more downhills than up.

Why is it that hills flatten out in photographs?  This was UP!

Once through the hills we crossed Hwy. 34 to get back on a fairly flat rails to trails section of both the Paul Bunyan and Heartland trails.  At an intersection one sign indicated Walker was six miles but ten feet away the distance was listed as seven miles.  After the hills, it was definitely more like seven miles!  Based on our experience the next day, we believe there is inconsistency in determining where a town is located (at the edge or in the center).

The deer flies were out in abundance, especially on the flat sections.  A speed of at least 12 mph is needed to avoid being pestered too much but that isn't always possible.  I took a bandana, sprayed it with OFF! and put it on under my helmet.  Not pretty, but effective!  Note the 'deer fly' trap of duct tape.  It was suggested by a friend in New Hampshire and this was our first attempt.  With only three flies trapped, we felt it wasn't worth the effort.

Minnesota cycling - part one

We decided to drive for 8-9 hours north by northeast for a few days of bicycling on paved trails.  At first we were going to cycle the length of the Paul Bunyan trail (about 120 miles) both up and back.  Because we didn't want to carry camping gear and lodging in some of the VERY small towns didn't correspond to our desired daily mileage, we adjusted our plans.  We got a motel room in Walker, MN and can actually ride at least 25 miles in four directions!

Today was our first ride, from the motel to Cass Lake and back.  The odometer on the cycle computer registered 50.89 miles, just shy of our record 52 miles last summer.  We haven't cycled a lot this summer, with our previous longest mileage at just 20 miles, so this FELT like a lot of miles.

We didn't stop for photos, mostly because the biting flies would attack but here are few, some taken while in motion.

My personal mechanic - John tops off the air in the tires every time we ride!

One handed, backwards over the head shot.  Not bad!

One handed shadow shot of me.

Typical trail scene.  Actually quite a bit had a partial canopy and mottled shade.  Nice.

Haying in New Hampshire

We spent a week visiting John's family in New Hampshire.  Whenever asked when he planned to do whatever while there, John always answered that it depended on the weather.  Finally, I got it!  He LOVES to help with the haying...  I think it is the tractors!  Here are some photos that include John, his brother Rick, and his dad.  Note that at 90, his dad still wants to help hay too!  The hardest part is getting him to hear the yells to STOP the tractor!

John is on the tractor and Rick is to the right.

John's dad is to the left while John is on the tractor.

John baling.

John stacking bales with his dad on the tractor with the baler.

Changes in the kitchen

There were several changes in the kitchen this spring. No, nothing really big but some changes, nonetheless.

First, the over-the-stove microwave began making strange noises. Then, occasionally it seemed like the food didn't get warm. Hmm. Put it back in and try again. Warm food. Well, that only lasted for a while and we bought a new microwave. It seems like they last us about eight years.


Then the oven thermostat control malfunctioned. When the oven was turned on, it automatically showed 350. That was the same. However, it was not a problem to push that up arrow and increase the temperature but the down arrow had stopped working and there was no way to set a temperature lower than 350. If the temperature setting was too high, the only solution was to turn off the oven and start over. Think that the control panel can be fixed? No. Think that control panels for that model are still available? No. Time for a new stove!

So, a new stove with a flat surface was installed. Those glass tops require FLAT bottom pans and I've overheated a pan or two in the past. All but a couple of my pots and pans are hand-me-downs... including some from my grandma which were well used when I got them in the early 70s. A new set of pans was ordered from Amazon - stainless steel, aluminum core. It isn't one of those fancy brand names but it does have the aluminum base and sides and the stainless is 18/10. I got a 10 piece set and plus a big, deep 11" saucepan (still on its way).

The microwave, pots and pans, and new stove! It feels like a mini-remodel!

The new pots and pans were the impetus to clean out some kitchen cabinets.  Now there are a couple of boxes of kitchen stuff to take to a friend's garage sale next weekend.  Perhaps I should check out a couple more cupboards and the basement before that garage sale!

Cruise America RV rental

We rented the RV in Salt Lake City as this size is not available in all Cruise America locations.  Salt Lake City allowed us to keep the total mileage under 1100 miles which was our 'free' allotment due to a 'special offer.'  Special offers are only available in the off seasons which included May.  We made our reservation about two weeks before our trip, again easy because it was still 'off' season.  The Salt Lake City location had about five parking spots and we were able to leave our car there for the entire 11 days at no charge!

We arranged to pick up the RV early (around 10:30 instead of the normal 1:00-3:00) as they were not busy.  The paperwork and minimal orientation along with transfer of luggage, cookware, sleeping bags, hiking equipment, and toys/books/computers took about an hour.  The clerk was obviously new and had to ask the manager many questions when using the computer.  He was not there when we returned 11 days later. 

The 19' motor home at Capitol Reef National Park

There was a table and two benches.  The lower cushions tended to migrate away from the back of each seat, but this seems typical as it happens in our pop-up camper too.  When connected to electricity the overhead outlet was handy for the radio and computer.  The iPad usually got charged at a different outlet, either by the sink or in the cabover space.

 The kitchen area was compact but worked better than expected.  The microwave worked only when connected to electricity.  We used it only twice for two reasons: 1) We spent more nights without electricity than with it, and 2) It was way too high.  The RV is advertised as having enough headroom for six-footers, but that makes for problems when the cook is less than five feet tall.  I had to stand on the bench seat to use the microwave!

Along that same theme, I had to stand on the bench seats to open and close the roof vents.  At least twice we drove off without closing them.  Oops.  I doubt we were the first to do that!

The was plenty of storage and the cabinets above the sink and stove had built dish and cup holders.  This avoided falling dishware upon opening after driving.  There was an additional cabinet between the microwave and the visible upper cabinets in the photo below.  We put food in the drawers below the stove and cookware below the sink.  The only problem there was the clever mouse who decided to visit us two nights in a row at Squaw Flat Campground in the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park.

The refrigerator had an automatic setting and used either electricity or propane so we never had to remember to switch back and forth.  It did a great job of keeping food cool and the freezer was excellent. We should have taken an ice cube tray!  It froze a package of hot dogs overnight and kept ice cream firm.  The size was more than adequate - and larger than the one in the Pleasure Way we rented last year.

 Here you can see the cab area, the 'easy' chair, and a glimpse of the sleeping area in the cabover area.  The first night we tried to sleep with our feet towards the engine and our heads towards the living space.  It was enough room for Marilyn but not for John.  After that we slept with our heads towards the passenger side and feet over the driver's side.  There were little windows with curtains that were great for early morning views.  There was a light for reading but the whole set up got old after a few days.  You had to step on the back of the bench seat to climb up and down.  Marilyn could sit up comfortably in the sleeping space but since John was farther forward, there wasn't quite enough height available for him to sit up comfortably.  Marilyn slept on a seam between cushions.

The 'easy' chair locked into place as shown but it was possible to release that and swivel it a bit.  Right above that chair was a small cupboard that we used as our library.  Above the table were two cupboards that easily held all our clothes.  Usually I had to stand on the bench seat to rummage around and find what I needed. We found that we had plenty of storage.  There was a small area accessible outside where we kept hiking equipment, a hose, and a bucket.

The bathroom was actually a decent size.  It had a very small sink that was fine for brushing teeth but not much more.  There was a medicine cabinet but the latch was so tight it was easier to just keep our toilet kits with our clothes.  Actually, when we were in a campground, I hung my kit from my clothes cupboard and it worked just fine.  You can see it hanging to the left of the broom in the second picture above.  There was a shower which we used only once or twice.  In our minimal orientation we were not shown how to work it.  Of course, we didn't know that until I was standing there naked and frustrated!  Who knew you had to pull up on the connector and slide another tab.  Just one of those was described in the manual we were given!

The RV had the usual RV type furnace.  It was noisy and had a warning that the fan drained the battery with about two hours of use.  We used it sparingly in spite of the abnormally cool weather.  It was most helpful in taking off the early morning chill. A nice addition was the solar panel on the roof.  It kept the battery charged even though we had a lot of cloudy weather.  There was a light on the control panel that indicated when it was charging - which was most of the time, except at night, of course!  We used the interior lights without worrying about the battery!

The fresh water tank held about 20 gallons which we found to be adequate for 3-4 nights, without showers.  When connected to city water it was easy to use enough water to fill the gray water tank.  We used the toilet mostly for late night or early morning but found it handy on the road when no gas station was nearby.  Yes, we did pull off the road for that!

Driving the RV took total concentration.  The driver didn't get to do much sightseeing.  I only drove it one day (thanks for all that driving, John!) and I spent a lot of time checking the center line and the white line!  We probably got about 14 miles to the gallon and, of course, gas was $3.69-$3.89 per gallon.

The RV had to be returned between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.  This meant spending the last night fairly close to Salt Lake City.  We stayed in a campground that we wouldn't recommend in Draper, UT.  Next time I would suggest the very large KOA on North Temple as it was closer and probably used to Cruise America renters.  The gas tank was 3/8 full when we picked up the RV and worked to return it at the same level.  The gray and black water tanks had to be empty and the valves open upon return.  Even though we emptied both tanks, a bit sloshed around as we drove and we needed that bucket when we opened the valves.  We expected a detailed inspection and had really cleaned every surface we could but the manager was in a bit of a hurry (maybe short-handed?) and gave us the okay in about 30 seconds.  The $500 damage deposit was refunded to the credit card before we left the office.

It was a good idea to rent this size of RV.  While it was the same length as a class B Roadtrek or Pleasure Way, it felt larger, especially when driving.  It was almost three feet taller than a typical class B which was too tall for me.  We both decided that we prefer a class B van conversion.  They are more compact, the seats in the living area are more comfortable, and all storage is accessible for short people!  We hope to find a used one some time in the future.

Is this really a desert?

We made our annual trip to Utah in May, visiting some of our favorite national parks.  Usually we have nice, warm, sometimes HOT weather.  Temps range from low 80s to low 100s. 

NOT THIS YEAR!  It was 80 degrees when we left home but we met a cold front in Cheyenne, WY.  Day 2 of driving we were in long pants and fleece sweaters! In Capitol Reef National Park we actually had one day in the 80s and three days in the 70s but the rest of the trip it was lucky to get into the 60s!

This trip we decided to rent an RV from Cruise America to see how we liked that style.  Last year we had rented a Pleasure Way class B (van conversion) so we wanted to do some comparison.  Look for more information about the RVs on another blog entry to come!

Capitol Reef National Park is one of our favorite places in the whole country.  The campground is a green oasis in the middle of towering red and gold canyons.  Trees abound throughout the campground which is almost surrounded by historical fruit tree orchards.  A small river runs right by the campground too.  The trees are full of birds - with lots of robins singing their delightful song.

A small Mormon homestead next to the campground has been turned into a museum and shop.  A few years ago the local jellies and pickles for sale were supplemented by 6" pies, breads, and scones.  We have learned to end our hikes with a shared pie!

 As you can see, Hutch and Gromit were eager to dig into the strawberry-rhubarb pie but we managed to eat it all ourselves!

We walked up to the visitor center a couple of times to check the posted weather reports.  It was obvious that cooler temperatures were on the way - and if Capitol Reef was going to be in the 60s, our planned stops in Natural Bridges National Monument and Monticello would be even cooler.  While the RV had a small (somewhat noisy) furnace, we couldn't run it constantly and didn't want to run it at night.  So we changed plans and headed to Moab knowing it would probably be warmer there.  Besides, we could stay in an RV park with water, electricity, and WIFI!  We headed to Canyonlands Campground right in the center of Moab where we could walk to the grocery, visitor center, museum, and bakery.

Instead of heading into the very popular Arches National Park, we took what has become one of our favorite hikes into Hidden Canyon.  The trail head is a couple of miles south of Moab's downtown and the trail begins with rocky switchbacks right up the Moab Rim.  The initial climb scares off tourists so it is usually just a few locals on the trail.  We did see three people carrying their mountain bikes up the switchbacks so they could ride all the way back down to the Colorado River.

 

Just as we approached the 'dead' tree, I stated that there was a cactus in bloom next to that tree two years ago... and John said, "It's still there!"

 Then we headed down to the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park.  Our intention was to stay in the park's Squaw Flat campground and we knew it always filled early.  There were two sites available when we got there but neither was flat enough for the RV.  So we headed to the privately owned Needles Outpost.  We parked the RV in a site with NO shade which would have been awful in most years but gave us great views of the Needles and the storms rolling in.

The next day we managed to get a great site right by the trailhead in Squaw Flat.  Each of the next two days we waited until blue sky appeared, then started our hikes.  However, each day more storms came in and we did some hiking in the rain!  Because we didn't HAVE to be hiking in the rain like many of the backpackers with permits for specific dates, we kept our hikes short.  Entertainment was watching other hikers departing or returning, especially in the midst of downpours.

 

Finally, we woke to blue skies on our last day in Canyonlands.  After a short loop hike above and behind the campground, we headed to Green River and then Salt Lake City to return the RV.

The weather story continued as we drove home with stops in Grand Junction and Vail.  Downpours and even snow were interspersed with just plain gray skies.  We deliberately took an extra day visiting friends in Vail and Thornton just to avoid heavy rains and winds across Nebraska.  That plan worked well as the ONLY sunny day in the last week was our last day of driving from North Platte to Wayne.

Is it Spring?

 

The first flower of the season!  By the time I got the photo off the camera and onto the computer, a couple of days had gone by - and so had this little crocus.  There used to be 2-3 little crocus plants in this spot but this is the only one left.  I've got to remember to buy some new bulbs next fall!

These daffodils are now the only flowers in the yard but they are enough to put a smile on my face whenever I look in their direction.  I just noticed the rose canes in the photo too.  Can you see that they are beginning to green up with little buds?  I am SURE that spring is really on its way.  

Any other signs of spring?  Well, the lawns are greening up a bit; all we need is a good rain for a major 'green' leap to occur but it has been fairly dry lately.  It was supposed to be about 75 degrees today but we woke to a pea soup fog and it is barely into the low 60s.  I broke out the capris anyway.

Welcome Spring!

Saturday Sun!

After suffering through the first 10 days of February with average temperatures 13F below normal, we now have a few days of a warming trend to enjoy.  Yesterday it got above freezing and today it was in the mid-forties.  So what did I do?  Got in the car and went shopping in Sioux City!  Roads were clear, I could  leave my coat AND sweater in the car, and sunglasses were a necessity.  Yee-haw!

It IS February so I know this can't last but it is so nice for now!  I wonder if those sections of sidewalk that are solid ice will actually melt and be dry?  Maybe, maybe not.  There are still a lot of snow piles on the grassy areas left by the plows, shovels, and snow blowers and they will cause puddles which will freeze overnight.  At least this warm up gives me hope that spring WILL come.

Winter

Hooray! It got above freezing today for a few hours.  That was after freezing rain or sleet last night that left the sidewalks slippery but a bit crunchy.  Thank goodness for Yaktrax!  

Now, the wind has picked up and the temperature is dropping.  The high temperature predicted for tomorrow is 6F!  

How fickle winter weather can be!

Steady Snow

It has been snowing steadily all day, lightly this morning and then a bit heavier since about noon.  The temperature is about 17 F so the flakes are small.  Gradually the wind is increasing and more snow is moving sideways than down.  It ended up being a great afternoon for baking bread and surfing the web for summer plans!

And what were my original plans for today?  It was the annual handbell choir festival in Sioux City.  When we practiced at 8:30, most of us were hesitant about going due to potential road conditions on our way home.  However, the choir director was so excited that none of us spoke up.  By 10:30 the father of our college student was adamant that she not go, and the state road report warned against unnecessary travel after 3:00 p.m.  So the decision was made to stay home.  I'm glad.

We all have memories of the drive home last year through 30+ one lane 'tunnels' through drifts. After watching the snow this afternoon, I am sure we would not have enjoyed the festival, would have had trouble focusing on the music, and would have spent the whole afternoon worrying about the drive ahead.

Pictures?  I didn't even think of getting out the camera until the light began to fade.

Gromit's Adventure in Oregon: Christmas with the family

The last few days in Oregon were spent in Portland with family. This is always a fun time with good food, family visits, and PRESENTS! Marilyn and John need to learn to bring big suitcases so they can take home more stuff but they insist on carry-on luggage only. Besides presents, they could buy lots of stuff because Oregon doesn't have a sales tax!

While I have been to Austria, Germany, France, and Italy, I have never been to England. Was I excited to hear that one evening we would go out to a real English pub, right here in Portland. I helped Marilyn drink her cider and eat her fish and chips. Marilyn said it was a lot like the English pubs she'd been in but the fish and chips were even better.





Marilyn and John bought some desserts at Waves of Grain in Cannon Beach for the Christmas Eve dinner. Key lime tart with ginger crust, lemon tart, and mocha (or some coffee flavor) roulade plus a few special cookies.



Grandma Penny, Great Aunt Marilyn, Mom Erin, and Wren all oohed and aahed at an interactive advent calendar.

Presents!

It was a great trip and I can't wait to go back for another Christmas!