Officials are considering freeing up space at quieter national parks campgrounds to meet the growing demands of people who now own bigger-sized Recreation Vehicles. To read more click here.
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Photo: While VW vanagons can easily fit into most of Canada’s national parks’ campsites, Parks Canada is considering ways to make parks more accessible for larger-sized RVs. (Submitted by Carly Macoun)

Butch is caretaker of a great piece of property called Birch Leaf Guest House at an elevation of 3200 feet. “Quietly tucked away between Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness and Idaho’s Hell’s Canyon at the south end of the Wallowa Mountains.”

Butch lives in the Bunk House (pictured above) on the property and maintains the farm including mowing, fencing, moving the wheel and hand irrigation lines. Cornicopia Peak in the Wallowa Mountains, Eagle Cap Wilderness, can be seen in the distance from the property.

We pulled in beside the Bunk House near Butch’s pop-up truck camper. While there, Jimmy helped Butch helped move some cattle that had been grazing on the land, move the irrigation lines and cutting the grass areas around the guest house. Jimmy was in heaven.

Photos by Julianne G. Crane

We first noticed them, however, before we became members. It was back in the fall of 2011 when we were visiting Park Sierra for the first time. Every morning we would see them, this elegant couple walking the park’s roads and “back forty” trails.

Who were they? She walked like a dancer. He carried himself like a stage actor. In my imaginings I had them as theater people or former college professors.

Unfortunately, we only had a few passing conversations during our short time that fall before Margaret and Dave were off on some adventure … and we were headed to the southwest desert and gulf coast of Texas for the winter. Not enough time to inquire about “their past.”

By the spring of 2012 when we became Park of the Sierra members we discovered to our delight that we would be neighbors with this “elegant couple.” What we learned over the course of time is that they are truly “elegant” people with sweet and tender hearts who love the land, and live and travel simply in a 1991 21.6-foot Toyota Winnebago Warrior that they purchased in 2002. They’ve taken many trips from their homebase in California … including as far away as Nova Scotia and Florida. Their little class C motor home has more than 135,000 miles on its engine. They’re still dreaming about the ultimate RV trip to Alaska.

As for their ‘past’ … it is rich and interesting … however the most important event is that they met in 1986 at a church singles’ group in the Bay Area. Every Wednesday night back then there was a singles’ hike and it seems Dave would always finagle a way to end up walking beside Margaret. Finally she noticed and took pity on him … they’ve been walking together ever since.

Photos: Margaret McNevin and Dave Danielsen (Julianne G. Crane)

(After reading’s Jimmy’s musing, come back to this post, double click on the photo to enlarge and scroll down to the bottom of the photo and get further insight.)

Photo by Julianne G. Crane.

We picked up the Oregon State Atlas at Crater Lake National Park. Each individual state’s atlas has amazing data for “the utmost in trip planning and backcountry access.”  It contains topographic maps with unbeatable detail. Each paperback is 11″ x 15-1/2″.

The Dixie Campground is one of those wayside places located just off the highway for those of us who are traveling through and just need a conveniently place to boondock.

Near the Dixie Summit in Malheur National Forest, it is 11 miles NE of Prairie City, Ore., on US 26.  Turn at the brown campground sign and go 0.2 mile to campground.

There are eleven sites for tents or RVs up to 20 feet, along with picnic tables, fire grills, and vault toilets. No reservations/fee. Pack it in, pack it out. Open May through Nov. For more information, contact the Blue Mountain Ranger District. The elevation is 5,200 ft.

The only drawback was the abundance of flying insects … however it is spring in the middle of a Lodgepole pine, Douglas and White fir forest. Cost is $8 per day ($4 for Senior Pass). Maximum Stay is 14 days.

- When you do have Internet access, the best online source for Forest Service campgrounds is www.forestcamping.com.

- Boondocking expert Bob Difley talks about “How to find dispersed boondocking campsites on public land” in a post on RV Net.

Photo: Jimmy Smith setting up camp at Dixie Campground site #9. (Julianne G. Crane)

We were driving east along Hwy 20 from Bend, Ore., when we began reminiscing about the time we boondocked not too many miles away at Alvord Hot Springs a couple of years ago.

I grabbed our copy of “Hot Springs in the Northwest” to check if there were any hot springs within our general direction and location. And there it was, only 25 miles east of Burns, Ore., Crystal Crane Hot Springs.

We found our way there in time to enjoy the healing waters, talk with fellow travelers from as far away as England, and spot at least a dozen different types of birds that were taking in the waters of the run off pool (including the yellow-chested black bird).

RV Sites: Water/Power: $18/night,  (2 people)
Water/Power/sewer: $20/night (min. two nights)
Price includes soaks anytime between check in and 11 a.m. the following morning (check out time) Jimmy got up early to soak in the 102 degree outdoor pool.

To learn more about the wayfarer’s destination, go to an item I posted on RV Short Stops.com

Photos: Crystal Crane Hot Springs early morning; yellow-chested black bird; facilities including the RV parking area. (Julianne G. Crane)

Pop-up tent campers and avid bicyclists Mark and Carol Morris of West Seattle, Wash., say they have been coming to LaPine for years to bicycle the miles of trails in the park and around the nearby Bend area.

The park is set in a “sub-alpine pine forest where the air has that high-Cascades tang” next to a twisting, cold Deschutes River “brimming with trout (and a nearby legendary fly fishing spot) and surrounded by miles of waiting-to-be-explored wilderness.”

One of the many hike/bike trails leads to a 500-year-old Oregon Heritage Tree, known as “The Big Tree” … Oregon’s largest Ponderosa pine reported to be 162-feet tall and 28.9-feet around.

As for this year-round campground, it is six miles off US 97, about 27 miles southwest of Bend, Oregon. There are 82 full-hookups with sewer, electricity and water, 47 electrical sites with water ($22/night), plus rustic and deluxe cabins.

Acreage: 2,333.12
Annual overnight campers: 42,705
Annual day use attendance: 169,172

La Pine Oregon State Park to reserve go online to www.oregonstateparks.org

Another favorite Oregon State Park a few miles further south on US 97 is Collier Memorial State Park with the adjacent Collier State Logging Museum.

Photos: Jimmy Smith hiking the Nature Trail along the “trout-filled” Upper Dechutes River. (bottom) Camp site #72 on the Middle Loop. (Julianne G. Crane)

To read his on-going musings about life on the road, click on “Jimmy Smith’s Another View.”

Photo: Jimmy Smith and his ‘Loud Man Porter’ birthday pint. (Julianne G. Crane)

This destruction not only ruins campers’ experiences in favorite outdoor recreation sites and animal habitat, it hugely impacts forest economies and ultimately increases the costs of lumber products.

Just yesterday, Molly Sullivan of the Washington (State) Invasive Species Council sent this e-mail: “We are currently trying to spread the word about the potential for transporting harmful invasive species in firewood through the Don’t Move Firewood campaign. Since the weather has finally alerted us that it is indeed summer, we know that many people will be going on their camping adventures soon.”

“The season for fireworks, roasting marshmallows and camping is here.  This also brings the threat of transporting invasive species in the wood because we love to burn while sitting around the campfire.”

“Campgrounds and parks are often the first areas that tree-killing insects and diseases are spread because of firewood.  Don’t risk hurting the places you love.  Always buy firewood where you burn it, and ask if the wood you are buying is from local trees in order to avoid spreading invasive species and diseases.”

For more information about the status of each state’s injurious pests, visit dontmovefirewood.org.

According to the ranger at the North Gate, although there was a lot of snow this past season, it’s been an unusually warm spring and only about 7-percent of the snow pack remains on the ground and continues to melt rapidly. (Newspapers in eastern Oregon are reporting record low precipitation so far in 2013.)

From the North Entrance we traveled south along the West Rim Drive and stopped at the Watchman Lookout for the obligatory photo standing in front of the world’s deepest lake (1,943-feet) and Wizard’s Island. The East Rim Drive is still closed.

Because of the low snow pack, the concession-run Mazama Campground opened 3 of its 7 camping loops a few weeks early. The one huge downside was that the mosquitoes were thick, organized and hungry. No hookups: $29/night ($14.50/Senior Pass). Flush toilets, cold water to brush your teeth.

If you are planning a trip to this national treasure during the summer, click here for a park newspaper.

“Crater Lake has inspired people for thousands of years. No place else on earth combines a deep, pure lake, so blue in color; sheer surrounding cliffs, almost two thousand feet high; two picturesque islands; and a violent volcanic past.”

Photos: (Top) Jimmy Smith and Julianne G. Crane at Watchman Overlook at Crater Lake National Park (taken by a friendly young traveler from Dallas, Tex.). (Bottom) Campsite at Mazama Campground near the south gate. (Julianne G. Crane)