Tuesday, June 3
After breakfast the crew and I board the Perfect Tow Vehicle and head down Badger Mountain.
We’re on our way to explore the area around Lake Hill campground and the nearby reservoir. It’s not far, a few miles and about 500 feet lower in elevation from our Bluebell Camp.
That 500-foot drop makes a big difference.
The aspens are in full leaf, gloriously back-lit to a yellow-green glow by the bright morning sunshine. The spruce and fir trees provide vivid contrast.
Lake Hill Campground (8,400 feet) is utilized mostly by fishermen and can accommodate small rigs only in its single sites ($10/$5 with pass). There are two group sites, vault toilets, and water available. The reservoir is a short walk from the campsites.
While waiting as Spike soaks, several good-sized fish jump and splash. My previous research tells me these are rainbow trout.
A dark area in the water draws my curiosity.
It’s about 15 feet long and 5 feet wide. I figure it’s a tangle of water plants, maybe a glob of algae, right under the surface. Not so! The dark area moves. It’s a school of trout!
A few separate from the group and swim near where I stand on the bank. I estimate the size of these trout at 8-10 inches, although determining size through water isn’t always accurate. At any rate, this very small reservoir does have fish!
The photos in today’s post are from our walk on a two-track trail.
The trail leads away from the reservoir through open woods and small clearings. The first photo of this post is actually the end of our little hike, because Spike likes to soak after walking far. This is the longest hike we’ve had in several weeks and in thin, mountain air, too. I’m very proud of the crew!
Wildflowers, vines and bushes are in bloom.
I discover many different varieties of wildflowers.
Most are in the budding stage. I also see several brambles that are either wild roses or berry plants. These are plentiful. This trail must be even more beautiful in late June and July.
We pause in a little meadow.
Bridget and Spike take a breather while I photograph a few flowers.
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The town of Ephraim is visible through a break in the trees.
It lies in the valley which is about 3,860 feet below us.
We continue following the trail at our usual, leisurely pace.
Well, leisurely for me, but not for those with shorter legs! I’m delighted to see how Spike is keeping up with Bridget and me. I slow down to let him lead the way and to give me a chance to take the next photo.
I’d like to camp at this lower elevation.
I’ve looked for a campsite in this area, but I haven’t found one suitable for us.
I checked the 10-day weather forecast for Ephraim. Temperatures in the 80s with clear, sunny skies and no precipitation are predicted. Of course, on the mountain it will be slightly cooler which means perfect weather for several days ahead.
This morning it’s in the low 70s, just right for hiking.
By the time we return to camp, Bridget and Spike are pooped!
They crash on the bed in the Best Little Trailer and in only a few seconds they drop off to dreamland. I can tell when they’re in a good, deep sleep. Spike sounds like a threshing machine and Bridget makes faint, high-pitched, yippy sounds like she’s having an animated conversation. Cute!
They sleep on either side of me as I go online and work on the money report for March.
I’m very pleased with the response to these reports. Do feel free to ask me questions about the reports or anything you’d like to know more about (well, almost anything!).
As usual, at dusk the deer appear on the grassy slope.
Spike protests their appearance with a spate of barks. The deer look at him like, “There he goes again” and go back to the business of grazing. (The aspens look weird because I had to photo-edit to show the deer better. This was taken right before dark.)
Spike crawls under the BLT and lies down facing them, keeping an eye on their activities. Which is pretty much… look…. eat grass…. look…. eat grass.
Our first day here there was one deer grazing, now we’re up to seven. That’s one reason why I like to stay in a boondock for several days. The wildlife — animals and birds — become accustomed to our presence and go about their daily activities around us.
Of course, sometimes that’s disturbed by other people.
A man brings two young boys up the mountain and parks in the road in front of our campsite. The boys take out what I guess are BB guns and shoot into the ravine where the creek rushes through. They do this for about a half-hour and then they leave. It’s always more fun for the boys to shoot a gun in front of someone’s campsite, right, Dad?
I enjoy zooming in with my camera on animals far away.
Where the deer graze is too distant for me to see detail with my eyes. My camera can’t make a perfectly clear shot, but it does well enough for me (and I hope for you!).
I also like to sit in my camp chair and survey the facing slope of meadow and trees, using my monocular to pick out detail. I’ve seen a few deer over there, too, and no bears.
Water still pours down the mountain in quantities that amaze me.
The loop that is our campsite is drying out, making it possible for Spike to wander around without getting muddy. Possible but not probable.
Later . . .
I transfer several ebooks from the Kindle website, most of them free, a few for 99-cents each. Lately I stay online in the evenings, surfing the web or playing computer games in between answering comments. Tonight I shut the laptop and settle in bed with the crew and my Paperwhite.
Before closing and locking the door for the night, I step outside and take this photo.
Nightfall on Badger Mountain
It’s not a particularly good photo.
I post it to let you imagine what it’s like to stand outside your camper on a mountain in June, at the close of another peaceful day, surrounded by dark forest, listening to water relentlessly hastening to the valley below, while you inhale sweet, brisk air and watch the sun disappear behind aspens and firs.
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A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL RVSUE SHOPPERS!
Click the links to see some recent purchases from Amazon:
APC BE350G UPS System
Urban Expressions Dakota (Blue)
Honeywell Fresh Breeze Tower Fan with Remote Control
Midland 36-Mile 50-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio
Keurig, Green Mountain Coffee, Half-Caff, 50 K-Cup Packs
10 Tire RV Cap Sensor Tire Pressure Monitoring System
