Finding Upper Kent Lake . . .
“C’mon, Spike. Get in. Time to find our new home.”
We’ve had our lunch while waiting for the PTV to cool down. Spike doesn’t want to ride any more. I pick him up and place him next to Bridget on the bench seat. “It won’t be much longer. I promise.” I certainly hope not. I’m tired of this road. I’d stay here if it weren’t for the No Trespassing signs on that fence over there.
About a mile up the road (and I do mean up!), we approach another clearing.
This one is large enough for three, well-spaced campsites. A camper is parked in one of them, but no one is around. I pull in and find a level spot next to a pine tree and a fire ring. I check the bubble levels and look around. Hmm . .. lots of horse poop and flies. Not so good. And in plain view of the road. Should I stay here or keep going?
I get the crew out and we walk down a very narrow, dirt lane next to where we parked.
It ends at a pleasant lawn under pine trees that’s obviously seen much use. It has a huge fire ring and, of course, litter. The lane is deeply rutted. No good. Too much shade.
We walk back to the BLT. A pickup truck is parked in the clearing. The hood is up and a man is looking into the engine area. I walk over with the crew. “What seems to be the trouble?”
“Oh, I think I have a busted heater hose.”
“Is there anything you need? I’ve got electrical tape and jugs of water.”
“No, thank you. There’s a stream over there.” He’s a big guy with a pleasant face, not yet retirement age.
I take the crew back to the BLT and loop their leashes over the hitch.
I grab a jug of water and take it back to the man. A few minutes later he comes over to return the jug and to thank me again. His wife is with him. I hadn’t noticed her in the truck. “The water poured right through it. We’ve called a tow truck.” The wife asks if there’s anything they can do for me.
“No, thank you. I’m fine, just a little disappointed.” I point to my new BAL leveler on the ground by the BLT’s tire. “I just ordered this by mail and now I find out it doesn’t fit my tire. So I’m back to fooling with this wood.”
We introduce ourselves to each other.
Bonnie and Tom live in Beaver and have a cabin on this mountain. Bonnie and I discover something in common. She teaches first grade.
“I really don’t want to camp here, but I’m a bit tired of this road. How much farther is it to the lakes?” Tom and Bonnie encourage me to keep going. “It’s only a mile or so and you’ll come to the first lake. The three lakes are close together. The third lake is Upper Kent. You can camp there free. We saw deer there yesterday. “ I ask about the road and they assure me it doesn’t get any worse. “You should go there. You really should. It’s nice,” they advise.
Later that afternoon, while the crew and I are inside the BLT, happily camped next to Upper Kent Lake, Bridget and Spike start barking excitedly.
“Now who could that be?”
I look out the window and see Tom and Bonnie looking back at me with big smiles.
“Hi, Sue! We thought we’d stop by and make sure you’re okay.” What nice people I meet on the road!
The next day . . .
The crew and I walk up the road, but not too far. This is bear country and I don’t have any bear spray. Mostly we wander around the lake. I want to give Bridget and Spike time to run around off-leash. Spike is in and out of the water.
I find a huge boulder that makes a comfortable seat from which to watch them. Bridget scampers over and to my surprise leaps up on top of the boulder to sit with me. “Wow! What a big girl you are! You’re a little mountain goat.” She’s very proud of herself. I get off the boulder to record the moment. Spike has come over to join us.
As usual, when I lift the camera, Bridget puts on her dour, camera face.
After lunch I don’t feel like doing much. I take the camp chair, camera, monocular and a book over to the lake’s edge. No one is around. The two campers next to us have left (leaving a load of trash), and the men camped in a tent down the slope from us are gone for the day. We have the lake to ourselves. I feel lazy and dreamy. The afternoon drifts away as I read my book and the crew, tired from exploring, nap nearby.
At sunset I look out the window of the BLT and see two deer grazing. This time last year I was dreaming about a place such as this, and my dream has come true. [slideshow]
rvsue
So happy your dream has come true, but remember YOU made it happen with your planning and dedication to that dream! Just dreaming something doesn’t make it happen! Dreams take a lot of work and courage and you deserve every dream come true you get!
Thanks, Geri!
Your new Nikon is working well too! Great photos!
Learn to fish some. Those look like nice trout lakes.
I know how to fish! My late husband loved to bass fish and he tried to teach me. I never was any good at fresh water fishing. Saltwater fishing was my passion for a time when I lived in Florida. I was pretty good at that! . .. redfish, snook, flounder, sea trout, bluefish, amberjacks . . . I don’t fish anymore, too wimpy.
These are nice trout lakes. There are rivers in the Beaver area, too, that are good.
OK, I must have missed the part about the BAL leveler. I’ll look that one up. Sucks that it doesn’t work for you, whatever the heck it was.
Too bad about the trashy people (not the rad hose guy and his wife, I mean the campers who leave sh*t behind)
A BAL leveler is a contraption that slides under both sides of the tire with plates that lift the tire when you use a rachet wrench on a large bolt. In short, it levels and chocks very easily and looks good. No wood or backing up.
Sue, take a small piece of board 1x4x4 or rock put under the tire to raise it just a little and the bal jack will fit.
You mean there’s hope? I’ll try that! Thanks, Jack. Wish me luck . . .
Sue,
I find that some sites the Bal will need an extra kick to fit. Most of the time it is that the ground to the outside of the tire is a little higher. The chunk of wood will work in the end too.
Good luck.
I was wondering if the ground might have hindered it a bit.
You obviously have the 15″ tires. I’ve read similar complaints about the BAL leveler on those size tires. Others have mentioned they don’t like the indentations it causes.
I knew my tires were 15s going in. I took a chance.
I am surprised at the temperature where you are. I thought that you were going to a cooler area. Does it cool down at night? The photo of Bridget on the large boulder is lovely. Good for her! It is sad to see the trash. I thought most campers tried to leave the area as nice or nicer than they found it. Another question- what is an OHV?
An OHV is an Off-Highway-Vehicle, also known as an ATV or quad.
The days are in the high 70s to mid-80s, and it cools down at night. Not enough to need a heater. I can’t tell what you are seeing in the weather widget right now because my computer is not functioning well, to say the least. Took me all morning to post today’s entry. If it says Virgin, UT, that’s a lot hotter than here. I tried to change in to Kent Lake but can’t tell if I succeeded. A new computer is on my shopping list!
Oh, I can’t tell you how irritating it is to see trash lying about. And those jerks who were next to me left food containers . . . Uh, this is bear country, people . . . sheesh.
The temperature for” Kent Lake, Utah” is showing daytime temps in the 100’s; but now it is 1:27 a.m. and no temp is showing. Bridgett is looking good.
It’s not working correctly. It’s not in the 100s here. Today is warmer than usual but I would guess 90 at the most at 4 p.m. Of course, I still have a lot of Georgia in me, so I’m not a good guesser of dry heat.
I’m always amazed at what pigs people can be, leaving trash everywhere. Beautiful spot otherwise.
I’d love to catch up with my former neighbors and drop a bag of their trash in their laps. Don’t mind me . . . just wishful thinking. I suppose there’s trash on the interior of Antarctica.
My husband has been to Antarctica. At the time he was there–1991–human waste was collected in large containers and put aboard a ship. Garbage was also shipped out. He doesn’t know the destination.
Well, that’s interesting. So no Coke cans, no plastic bottles . . .
We do some Geocaching and there’s a program called Cache In Trash Out that encourages geocachers to pick up any trash they find along the trail. Guess those of us going to really neat and lovely places will have to do a bit of Camp In Trash Out so they remain lovely.
If you’ve got to drive up on a board to use the Bal Leveler, I think I’d send it back and just use the boards. It think there were some posts on the forum about problems with the BAL and 15″ tires.
Gorgeous spot. I’m glad you listed to the folks and went on up the mountain.
Reine
Well, Reine, I guess I have a bit of the gambler in me. I read about the leveler not fitting all 15-inch tires. Chuck had one and it fit his 15 inch tire. I took a chance and lost.
I haven’t been at a campsite yet that didn’t require cleaning up. . . even a dirty diaper! I hate to see wads of fishing line left around. I picked up two big wads next to the lake. I remember a bird hanging from my orange tree in FL. It had picked up a bunch of fish line and then got tangled up in it on a branch. I cut it down, freed it up, and it flew away.
Bridget is getting boulder! (Sorry).
Bridget is also getting slimmer!
Geri . . . One day she looks slimmer and the next day fat again, back and forth. I’m thinking she retains water in her butt.
Groan.
Kim…that was very puny……I also think Bridget getting slimmer.
Gorgeous! How long are you allowed to stay there for free? I ask because there must be a limit – otherwise no one would leave!
As for the trash and the mess they left behind……….makes me furious.
At least 14 days. I heard somewhere it’s 16 days in Utah but I haven’t confirmed that.
Now, you’re getting into country I like to camp in! It’s beautiful! Please, Sue, if you are in bear country, get yourself some GOOD bear spray. It will set you back for 30-40 dollars, but dogs are like bait to bears, and knowing Mr. Spikey he could get you all in a lot of trouble! Get a holster with the spray and don’t leave the trailer without it. http://tinyurl.com/7c5qq6s
You’re near a lake which means it’s a water source for all kinds of animals including bears. They don’t allow dogs in National Parks for a lot of reasons, but one of them is because bears will go after them.
Trying not to belabor the point, but when I was out west Jack Hannah had a group of people with him and they encountered a bear. He knew what to do. It’s an interesting read. Around the same time, there was a woman killed by a bear. She didn’t have bear spray.
http://tinyurl.com/83kfdd6
Stay safe and ENJOY your dream come true! I’m very happy for you.
Just one more little comment and I’ll shut up. Your sloppy neighbors are inviting bears with their trash. It’s unfortunate that a minority ruin things for the majority. Okay, I’m outta here. 😉
I thought the same thing about the bears. Very thoughtful of them. Erghhh.
What a great view! Thanks so much for the pictures
You’re welcome, Mary. Glad you enjoyed them.
Now that looks like northern ontario country, lol… and the bears to lots of those here.. What a marvelous place, looks peaceful.. As for people and their garbage that will never change, a bag is cheap and to bring it home, or find the first garbage bin can’t be that difficult, but it seems it is.. what a world we are leaving for our children.. Enjoy it and Keep it Clean.. Bridgette wow you are an amazing girl, and Spike well without his antics well .. lol take care
Well, Bear, I replied to your comment and then my computer ate it up.
Bridget was so cute jumping up on the rock. She was prancing around on it, showing off. I wish I could get her to ignore the camera. She knew she impressed me.
Hope all is well in northern Ontario.
hello again, please don’t give up on your bal yet. as several people have mentioned, if you drive on a thin board (no more than 1 thick) the bal will slide under the tire where it belongs. I have a casita and 15 inch tires and use the bal all the time. in fact, its on right now, hope this helps,
renette
I”ll see if I can get it working for me. I didn’t try very hard as I was still debriefing from the Road From Hell To Heaven . . You have a Casita, 15 inch tires, and it works for you … very encouraging!
Check your tire pressure….might be low from (1) higher altitude (2) lower temperature. More air in tire makes it rounder(really) and the BAL should slip under each side. Raising it a 1/2- 1″ should allow it to get under the tire.
Okay. I’ll check it in the morning.
Glad you moved to a cooler aeea. I finally got on the road June 1. I am in Calif now at a campsite surrounded by redwoods. Life is good!!!!
Pat, that’s wonderful! What a great start! Enjoy.
Know exactly where Glens Falls is!
Your pictures are gorgeous. Funny you talk to your kids like we talk to ours! And they understand!
A huge Christmas like bell works well for bears. You can tie it to your leg/ankle with a bandana. Bear spray is just a huge amount of Capsaicin powder not great if it blows back at you…and prolly not enough time to figure out wind direction. It’s the same as MACE/Pepper spray but seriously overpriced.
The garbage situation is horrible…..some people are so disrespectful and don’t think of the consequences of harming the wildlife or the land. Pure lazyness.
I’m going to write a story for my next post which will tell something about the bears around here. Can’t give it away now!
As usual, it’s the behavior of people that annoy me the most. Everything else here is perfection.
Nice to hear from you again . . .
Harriet,
Forget about bears. Think about kittens, sweet, adorable, helpless kittens that love you and would never hurt you. That’s it . . . The kittens are playing . . . You are getting drowsy . . . The kittens are snuggling up to you . . . Your eyelids are heavy . . . Your body is completely relaxed . . . sleep . . . sleep . . . meow.
My computer is set up to do routine maintenance, clearing of temp folders, cookies, etc. The signal is four bars here and it was at Zion, too. Computer performance lousy at both places. The computer is only about a year and a half old but it’s had a ton of use (and abuse).
Good to hear laptops are cheap. Now if I could find a store . . . I looked at the WalMart in Hurricane a few days ago and none of them appealed to me. I’m sick of HP.
Mostly black/brown bears dont want anything to do with you either and will run the other way if you come upon them. I have a few times while out hiking. In fact I live in bear country . One night back in Jan. when we had a very odd warm spell, a mother and two cubs where right outside my bedroom window. They had found the container that I kept birdseed in. They should have been hibernating in Jan. but we had an unusualy warm Jan.
I can understand. Many a night I’ve woke up hungry and went rummaging for food!
Beautiful campsite and lovely name also.
Mick
It reminds me of you . . . I knew it would be a great place.
Hey Sue!!!! Do you think the MotherShip could get up there? ? Beautiful site, sorry about the pigs.. Everybody here says they’re the Las Vegas variety…..
Probably, if the driver had the nerve and the truck had the power. Some tight turns . . .
Trash collection seems the norm for my group when we go camping, even at some KOA’s. At the Great Salt Lake a few years ago there were dirty diapers floating in the water, so disturbing that people don’t have respect, for nature or for themselves. Utah is lovely, enjoy.
I love your blog!
Thank you, Susan. It’s always a pleasure to hear I have a happy reader!
Utah is a lot more than I expected it to be. Litter is bad anywhere but it’s especially painful to see it in a lovely reservoir like this one, or, I imagine, the Great Salt Lake.
Such a shame that someone could desecrate such a peaceful place by leaving trash. Sure glad you ventured on. Bridget is getting brave.
Bridget has blossomed into her own woman these past few months. She doesn’t always submit to Spike’s wants like she used to. Now he might get a show of teeth, snaps and growls when he tries to lick her ears or bully her out of the doggie bed
Thank you for your posting, Sue. Yes, you have realized your dream for sure. Lots of forethought and your willingness to leave what most of us have come to think of as necessities behind you, has made this a reality. I’m really proud of you. Bridget looks so cute on that boulder. I think she has slimmed down a bit. Love the pictures. It’s hard to imagine all that beauty in one place. I hate that people are too lazy to pick up after themselves. Would it really be too much trouble to grab their garbage on the way out of that beautiful place? Shame on them! PS I was very proud of hubby for commenting last Saturday when you asked for feedback on how you might change your blog. It’s the first time he’s done that, but he’s been a faithful reader for a couple of months. He loves the stories and pictures. Thanks for all you share. We love to discuss each post as well as the comments you receive.
You’re welcome, Karen. I’m trying to connect who your husband is. I’m glad you both get something out of reading my blog and the interesting comments people write. By writing, you make my blog better!
Yes, one of the first steps toward this dream is letting go . . . of familiar faces, places, possessions, and routines. I’ve heard people remark on this blog and elsewhere, that once you start letting go, a sense of liberation takes over. I remember thinking, while emptying out my house . . . “If you don’t have a function, out you go!”
When the crew and I leave here, the cans, bottles, fish line, etc. will go with us.. Thanks for writing.
Hi, Sue. Just to clarify who “hubby” is…….he sometimes goes by the name of Big Chief Dark Cloud in this household and I think I mentioned that in a previous post. It’s an endearing term I use when he can’t seem to see the bright side of a situation. (His given name is Mike.) In his comment he called the Mick Stick the Mitch Stick by mistake. Your blog has become a “can’t miss this” in his daily routine and I’m loving it. You have no idea how great this is for our discussions.
Oh yeah! How could I forget Big Chief Dark Cloud aka Mike! Thanks for jogging my memory. Hello, Mike!
Really scary that food trash was left and there are tent campers! I don’t like bears. We hiked some in Glacier NP and we had bells and made lots of noise as we were walking. It really was not an enjoyable hike as I was a nervous nellie. One of the park rangers suggested a good bear spray and said he is never without it. (course, I can’t remember it now) I then had to go into one of the park visitor centers and buy a book on bear attacks. Guess I am a glutton for punishment!
Hi, Cathie,
Our minds are very powerful. I know what you mean about not enjoying your hike because you were nervous. That’s why the crew and I haven’t been walking these woods. There’s enough enjoyment of naturearound this reservoir without pushing our luck. I’m very cautious upon entering an environment I’m not familiar with. Ignorance is not bliss when in wild places!
My next post will include some information about the bears around here. I think it will make you less fearful!
I understand about a hike not being very enjoyable with lurking bears. Many years ago I was at Glacier NP, alone. Decided to go for a hike. At every trail head there was a warning about grizzlies. I had no bells, no spray….but I wanted to walk in that beauty. At first there were other people around here and there, so I felt fine, but as I walked farther into the woods, there were less people. I sang for awhile, to make noise….but I became more and more anxious, and soon every stump on the hillsides looked like a bear to me, and every sound was a bear sneaking up on me, so I knew it was time to turn around. I fairly ran back to where I was seeing people again! 🙂 Funny now. Scary then!
I don’t blame you for hurrying back to people in grizzly territory. (Although running probably wasn’t a good idea!) Glad you got back okay Micky.
I know some don’t agree with us cathieok, but trash and bear is a dangerous combination. The first rule in bear country is to keep a clean camp. Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife on Black Bears http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/bears.html
Any official site will advise that you carry bear spray. There are other ways to try to protect yourself if you surprise a bear, but they all say to carry bear spray.
Sue, hoping not to seem like a nag, but you’re camping in an area that, from your description, will attract bear and you have Sir Spikey who would most likely run toward the bear in an encounter in order to protect you. I disagree with anyone who is advising you not to take ALL precautions. You’re “trespassing” in the bears environment. Hopefully, you’ll never encounter one, but you’d be glad to have the spray in the event that you are threatened.
http://tinyurl.com/7nng6le Your decision, of course, and just my humble opinion.
Hi, Sue,
It was so nice of Tom and Bonnie to stop by to check on me, especially on a day when they had their truck towed off this mountain necessitating them to go down it, too, to get their car so they could drive back up here. It would be understandable if they just drove on by on the way to their cabin further up the mountain.