No, this is not a new rendition of a Charles Dicken's tale, it's our tale of new adventure and drama on our 2012 shakedown camping trip. We were headed to the coast again (our favorite destination).
Kat had Friday off, the weather forecast for the weekend called for sunny skies so we really didn't need too much arm twisting to flee the confines of C. G.. Thursday had us loading the camper, washing the truck and gathering supplies. All the duties we had to do slowly came back to us as we hooked up and started up and stocked up the camper. By the time we were done with all that we were exhausted and made it an early night.
After finishing the loading process in the morning, we left at about 10. Our destination? Cape Blanco State Park for camping, hiking, beach-combing and relaxation. The sky couldn't have been bluer or our spirits higher. We were doing the thing we love the best.....traveling on the fly, with our home on our back and the freedom to enjoy the ride. The familiar road toward Reedsport was a leafy tunnel that encased us as we drove along the Umpqua River. It seemed like the grasses and trees were on steroids.....they were pumped up with green-ness We stopped in Elkton for breakfast and a loaf of bread for the road and were singing along to The Amazing Rhythm Aces as we turned south.
We got to the turn off for Cape Blanco after a stop to fill the fridge. It's about 4 miles to the campground. We were aware of the wind, as the camper was being buffeted and the pines were bent sideways. The campground was only about half full and we found a lovely spot with a view of the ocean through the trees. We parked, got out to look around and realized we were freezing. The temp of the warm day inland dropped considerably under the influence of a brisk north wind. We drove to a more sheltered campsite, and again parked and tested the atmosphere, this time with our coats on. Still windy and still cold. I looked at Jeff and he looked and me and we immediately concurred: keep going south to Humbug in search of wind and cold free camping.
We turned the corner at the intersection to Humbug Mt. State Park and knew we had come to the right place. While Cape Blanco is on a windy promontory, Humbug is in a sheltered valley with a creek running through it to the sea, off of the steep mountain slopes. Those slopes are protective, and the temp felt balmy and the wind undetectable. Perfect! We quickly found a spot away from 101 and close to the base of the north slope. There were no neighbors. I would say the campground was about half full.
Memory served us well, and we got the camper and camp set up in record time. All those miles on the road last summer weren't wasted. After a sandwich lunch, we filled the backpack and headed down the trail and under highway 101 to the beach. A group of 30-something testosterone filled boy/men were playing horseshoes on the beach. A pile of dead soldiers gave away their state of intoxication. But they sure were having a great time. We had the rest of the beach to ourselves. The wind was there, but not enough to keep us from walking into it. We picked out a comfortable looking log a ways up the beach and headed to it. We were amused by the antics of the pelicans diving for fish, seals sticking their heads up and eying us, and the frat brothers playing football. Finally, it was time to go back to camp and settle in for the night.
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| The trail under Highway 101 |
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| Watching the pelicans dive for fish |
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| Crashing waves |
Marinated cube steak cooked over a wood fire, asparagus sauteed in garlic with a veggie packed salad with a chocolate ice cream bar for desert, wow, this ain't your father's camping. A very nice night with WKRP playing on the computer for bedtime entertainment - still very funny after all of these years.
Saturday saw a veggie omelet, toast served with large quantities of strong coffee. I talked Jeff into going for a walk to the front campground to get a map of the campground and all the trails. We followed the creek up and back about a half mile there and the same back. As we approached our campsite, we saw the same maps available 45 yards from our site - tenderfoots, I'm so embarrassed. I talked Jeff into taking a hike up into the stratosphere to a guaranteed great viewpoint. The trail started right behind out camp and zigged and the zagged pretty much straight up the side of a steep slope. It was entirely wooded with pines, firs and myrtlewood shading the path until it met old highway 1 halfway up. We took a breather and enjoyed the sunshine. We could see remnants of the old pavement slowly being swallowed up by grasses and brush. We kept going up, up, up until we came to a clearing and a picnic table. And what a view! Our mouths dropped open as we gazed, the Pacific stretched out before us meeting a rugged old growth coast line. We took pictures and ate our PB and Banana sandwiches and lingered. Then we found a trail to another viewpoint. Sitting on the very tip top of the mountain and staring down at the sea, 1200 feet below. We gave thanks to be alive on such a marvelous day.
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| Our lofty lunch spot |
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| So happy to be here |
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| From the top of the mountain looking south |
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| And looking north.....Highway 101 below |
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| Focusing--It's a loooong way down! |
We started the long trek down. The camp host came by and Jeff hitched a ride, but I hot-footed it down the hill in the cool shade. With my hiking sticks I felt like a four footed graceful gazelle, but I probably sounded more like a rampaging grizzly. Here's what I saw in camp.
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| J holds down the fort |
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| A Stellar Blue Jay takes advantage of Jeff's inattention |
I climbed into the camper and took a little nap and I believe I heard some snoring coming from outside also. (She did) After the rest, we had dinner and packed up to go to the beach for the sunset. We decided to be comfortable and packed the chairs and beverages and soon found a spot on the beach to call our own. This spot of our own was moved twice as high tide crept up the beach. The sunset was beyond our expectations and then we hustled to get home and build a fire before it got dark.
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| Swirling birds |
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| A comfy chair, an adult beverage, an amazing sunset.....ahhhh! |
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| Sunset at Humbug Mt. |
The fire was warm, the cocoa was hot, the marshmallows toasty. A very good day.
Sunday - After a leisurely breakfast we broke camp. What's nice is easily falling into old patterns where we each assume different chores and responsibilities and it almost feels like a choreographed dance. We waved good bye and headed up the coast.
We agreed to stop at the Casino for one hour to try our luck. We were down $10 and were about to head out when I sat down at a slot called Twin Win while waiting for Kathy on a bathroom break. She came out just as I hit 3 seals which pays a dollar. I explained how hitting 10 seals is a good thing as I pushed the slot one last time - 10 seals come up and Kathy looks at me with a quizzical look of, did you just call your shot, well yes I did - me and Babe Ruth. It felt great walking out with more money in my pocket - $40.00 plus a bunch of warm memories of the weekend.
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| Wild Iris's, just a small part of the whole package |
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| The lone pelican |
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| Check out the smiles |
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