Friday, August 16
The right wheels of the PTV dip so far into the deep rut that it feels like we’re going to tip over. Branches scrape right under my open window. This can’t be the right road. The lady at the Rimrock Grocery wouldn’t have sent me down a road like this.
I park the PTV.
“I’ll be right back, pumpkins. I need to take a look at this road.”
I walk about a quarter-mile. Around a bend I come upon a man walking ahead of me.
“Hello? Excuse me,” I call out.
He doesn’t respond. I gain on him and call out again.
He turns around and waits for me to catch up.
After I explain why I’m walking on this road, he tells me he’s camped up ahead along the river. He’s a soft-spoken, kind-faced man, about my height, with a tendency to look at the ground when he smiles.
“Is the road okay up ahead?” I ask. “I parked my trailer back there so I could take a look at this road. I want to camp along the river.”
“If you came in that way,“ he replies, nodding toward where I walked, “you’ve already driven the worst of it. There are some nice camps along the river up that way,” he adds, pointing to one of the single-lane dirt roads intersecting the area .
I thank him and return to the PTV.
When I drive back, I meet the man again. He crosses the road to talk to me through the driver’s window.
“See that camper over there? That’s mine. I’ll show you some good campsites, if you want. We can go in my truck.”
“That’d be great! ” I pull up next to his Class C and get out.
I walk over to the man and extend my hand.
“My name is Sue.”
“Danny,” he replies, shaking my hand.
I take a few steps to the edge of Danny’s campsite. It sits several feet above the Tieton River.
“Wow! What a beautiful campsite! I have to take some pictures!”
In this light the river is a stunning shade of blue. The river races toward the campsite . . .
. . . turns and continues on its way.
Danny can see how captivated I am by his river view. “You can camp here,” he offers, pointing to a bare spot next to his campsite.
“Oh, no. Thanks, Danny, but I wouldn’t dream of crowding in on your camp. You have it too nice here to ruin with a neighbor!”
The crew waits in the PTV as Danny and I ride in his pick-up out to the forest road — the one I was supposed to take! It’s straight and wide.
Sheesh. I could’ve skipped that other mess. I notice fishing gear in the truck. “Ah, you’re a fisherman.” Then I add, “Well, I guess everyone is in these parts.” Danny nods and smiles.
A short spur to the right leads to three campsites on the river. A hand-lettered sign on a tree indicates a family gathering. One of the sites is occupied. People are milling about.
“No, this strip looks like a late-night party in the making. Too many people.”
We continue on.
Danny weaves us around potholes. “I know the campsite you want,” he says as we pass a few sites without stopping. He turns off the road onto a short lane.
“I camp here sometimes. It’s shady and cool.”
I jump out of the truck and look around. Beautiful trees, a big, clear area, a level place for the BLT. “I like this! I trot down to the river. Danny follows.
“You’re right! This is perfect!”
On the way back to Danny’s camp, he tells me his wife is coming out later today. “She doesn’t like camping,” he adds resignedly.
I tell him I’d like to meet her. I thank him again for his help and say, “Come over to our camp any time!”
Tieton River Camp!
A path goes between trees on its way to the river. See the blue camp chair? See two cute boondockers?
There’s something charming about a path down to a riverbank.
I sit here to eat meals, read, or simply enjoy the sound and sight of the waves with the crew.
I also watch chipmunks, swallows, and this dipper bird from my camp chair.
The Tieton at our campsite is a lovely, soft shade of blue-green.
Bridget and Spike like to lead the way on our daily walk. A path follows the river way upstream.
Of course, I like to take photos along the way! I’ll show more of them in upcoming posts.
Although you can camp up to fourteen days in the Wenatchee National Forest, the crew and I will stay only about a week at Tieton River Camp.
On the 24th of August water from Rimrock Lake will be released for the agriculture needs downstream. Traditionally hundreds of campers, floaters. and kayakers come to the Tieton River starting the weekend of the release. Danny tells me this area remains busy for about three weeks after that.
It would be fun to watch the floaters and kayakers going down the Tieton.
However, all that commotion on land isn’t something I want around us. That’s okay. I’m confident we will find more beautiful, quiet camps in the state of Washington!
rvsue
THANK YOU, RVSUE SHOPPERS, FOR SHOPPING AMAZON HERE!
Your continued support of my blog is greatly appreciated.
Hi Sue! Another BEAUTIFUL campsite!! I’m enjoying your trip and getting ideas for the future! It’s been really busy here in N.MN. this summer. Still trying to downsize and divest ourselves of possessions! I think winter will come early here !—We may leave early to go back to AZ. I told Rusty we may stop and see him. I loved the article on Rusty and Timber! Their story is still “JUST A MIRACLE” !!!(with help from rvsue!) Hugs to the PUPS!
Danny did right by you, leading you to a great camp site. Man! That’s my idea of a place to kick back and enjoy. You deserve it. PS So do we.
Sue,
My world has me tied down tight right now but traveling vicariously through and with with you is my treat of every day you post.
Great pictures. I wish I could click in for close ups of your pictures to see more detail………….I’m to hard to please. Sorry you just keep on keepin on.
Tom
Tom, if you hold down your control key and press your plus key at the same time, you will be able to clock in for close ups of Sue’s photographs. To get out of that mode quickly, press control and zero… poof… you are back to normal!
Thanks that works
Oh by golly that worked like a charm!!!! Thank you Geri!!!!!!
k-
Keyboard class on RVSue.
I had to usehold Ctrl – to reduce. My Ctrl + 0 sent me somewhere else! LOL Thanks for the great tip.
Control “o” will send you someplace else, but control ZERO will reduce it back to normal in one click. But controm minus – works as well, just takes a bit longer! Glad it helped ya’ll.
Yes, a great site, definitely one of your best. The pups sure look happy. People or no people I could stay there for a couple months. Must be a zillion photo ops in the area.
Take care and enjoy.
Did you see Timber is getting his fence for free from Home Depot? A gift that keeps on giving. 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂
Nawww, no way. Free fence for Rusty & Timber? How kewel!!
I didn’t see that…………is that posted somewhere?
That is great! Rusty and Timber have touched so many!
Rusty responded to the blog in the previous session that Home Depot had called him and they were going to install it and provide the extra materials he didn’t have money for for free.
Thanks Alan…I finally found it..it was in the middle of the House Warming list! Sue I hope you don’t mind I reposted it!
Sid Durham says: August 17, 2013 at 3:08 pm
Rusty and Timber, on Monday August 19th, this coming Monday, Home Depot will be delivering to your door one 5 foot x 100 foot roll of the FarmGard horse fence to keep Timber in his new backyard. I sure hope someone else pops for the posts, gates and 2nd roll so it can go up soon.
Max, my buddy yellow lab and I wish you both the very best.
Timber n’ Rusty says: August 20, 2013 at 1:50
To All, Sid Durham ordered 100 ft. x 5 ft. Farm Guard horse fence and it came Monday Evening by a nice lady who helped unload it to the ground. I told her our story and gave her a copy of the article on us and thanked her, Well about 15 minutes ago the assistant manager of that Home Depot just called me to ask when would it be a good time to come out and do the whole yard with a gate , to give Timber a good and secure yard to run in. Wow.,,,,A gift from Home Depot, A big thank you for your service, ,,,,,,,,,Thanks To all
WOW! Thank you Sid and Max. Thank you Home Depot!
I am in tears about this! I missed this entry and am very thankful you reposted it here. I read it to Chuck with tears rolling down! Maybe there is some good left in this old beat up world after all!
I would have missed it too. I normally look at the last entry and go from there.
Ya might want to browse thru it again….there is more.
Rusty and Timber’s house is coming along quite well.
ie chickens etc.
Well, I was going to write this up big in a blog post, but since it’s all told here, I won’t. How ’bout y’all write the blog for me and I’ll go take a vacation. 🙂
Yes, a big Thank you to Sid and Home Depot!
Sorry…hides head in hands.
Well Sue, ya’ll told us to keep each other company and that’s what we did! Sorry we ruined your surprise!
How kind of them to do this. Can you put in Rusty’s link up top which Home Depot this was. I’d like to drop them a line saying thanks.
When the fence is up and Rusty has a chance to take photos of Timber enjoying his new yard, I will post an entry about the fence in order to give Home Depot a bit of recognition, rather than it buried in the comments section of an old post.
Wow! I wonder if I could buy a Casita from Amazon? This is really feeding the fire to get out there.
I’s absolutely gorgeous!
The sound of that water rushing must be peaceful!
What an absolutely gorgeous and peaceful (for now) campground. Those are the type of places we like to stay at. I’m jealous. I can’t wait until next year when my husband retires and we can take our sweet time checking out places like the ones you get to visit.
Looks like a Water Ouzel (American Dipper) aways like watching them in rushing streams, hunting underwater, walking on & under rocks & little waterfalls.
Nice looking site. You have really created a true knock for finding great sites.
Always meeting interesting people along the way as well.
Definitely looks like an American Dipper. Spent my time with a few in Grand Canyon at Deer Creek.
Deer Creek, Did you hike in or was it a raft trip. If you hiked, did you get to Thunder river.
I immediately thought of the Oh Danny boy tune…. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Boy What a lovely spot…I’m sitting about half as sweet a spot on the Mississippi river with a wonderful breeze, geese a’flying but surrounded in the BIG campers. Soon this winter I’ll find all the fine forest and desert land you do! ENJOY Sue!!!
What happened to your Amazon list at the end of the post?
Ron
I suspect it has something to do with limited internet connection. A few posts back she was driving 12 miles to post but could not reply to all comments. I believe researching the Amazon links would also been too much do do with a remote connection. River canyons are a perfect place to camp – not get on the internet.
Great camp site! Enjoy your stay Sue so we all can take a deep breath and enjoy it along with you.
That’s right. The links would mean another half-hour to 45 minutes sitting alongside the road waiting for this slow internet connection.
Also, I’ve found that the links hurt my conversion rate. People click on the links out of curiosity (which was my intention in putting them there), but they don’t buy much through those links. In other words, lots of clicks with few sales. That’s not good for my standing with Amazon. Maybe, when I have faster internet and that isn’t 12 miles down the road, I’ll put them back occasionally.
Too bad… I enjoyed clicking on the links to see what the heck some of the stuff was. Sometimes stuff would get put on my wish list to maybe buy later. Oh well… 🙂
I won’t eliminate them altogether, ok? I don’t know what Home Depot it was and I have to get the crew back to camp now. Maybe someone will offer the info. I’ll include it when I write an entry about the gift.
You meet the nicest people when you are out and about. Great camp site.
What a beautiful campsite!!! It looks so peaceful
Has it really been two years, since you’ve been full timing?
Seem like yesterday!
Love you and the crew,
I thought the same thing. Has it been two years? Wow, how time flies.
Dumb struck at yet another beautiful campsite! A week in this lovely area will be so nice. Again the rain is pouring down here and this suits my melancholy as my dear Father passed away peacefully last night and seeing your lovely shots of such a gorgeous spot has bought some light to my day………….thanks Sue……love you and the crew!!
Sue, every site you post about, I think to myself, “This is the one, this is the one I want to visit first…and then you go and post another great site…I don’t know how we are going to choose when we finally get on the road in 4 years 🙁
But thanks to Geri’s tip about enlarging the photo’s now it seems like I can just dive into the picture and cool my toes next to Spike’s paws.
k-
Sue, I recently started following your blog. LOVE IT! I travel in our small RV with my husband, who has dementia, so feel like I travel alone, too. I am not a fulltimer but do wander for several weeks at a time.
I have a question about the Crews’ harness. Is that the Thunder harness? I have a new Husky/Shepherd rescue that is an escape artist so am looking for something that can be used when I need to make sure he doesn’t wander.
Since I know Sue is out of wifi range, I will help here. Under her header photo at the top of the blog, you will see the header for “shopping links” and under that a sub-title “for the crew”. There you will find the halters Sue uses for the Crew and many other items useful for your pets. If you have never explored the sections under her header photograph, you should! Lots of very good information available there! We use the same “Puppia” halters for our 2 dogs and recommend them!
Agree with all the comments above…glad for the clue about making the photos larger….and about wishing we could buy a Casita from Amazon! And especially about each campsite being perfect.
Sue, you have done it again! Met another interesting and helpful person AND found another GLORIOUS place to find peace and beauty all around you! You live a charmed life my friend!
Sue, you should see the Tieton in spring after runoff. It’s a raging torrent and a wonder to behold!
Hi Sue, Love your photos. I am wondering if you can remember when you posted your photos of the inside of your Liberty. I’d like to see how you set thing ups.
If anyone out there knows when those were posted please let me know.
Thanks
Laurie-
This one has a slideshow with various interior shots: http://rvsueandcrew.com/2012/04/28/a-look-inside-our-casita/ (Sue commented in a 4/20/13 post that she’s added the drawers all the way to the back)
This one has info about storage: http://rvsueandcrew.com/2011/11/06/storage-solutions/
Let me know if those don’t work for you.
I think she still has slow/no connection…
http://rvsueandcrew.com/2012/04/28/a-look-inside-our-casita/
Thank you so much, cinandjules! Laurie asked to see that post a few days ago and I promised I would find it for her. But this internet is so slow… An email takes 20 minutes… To blog takes about two-and-a-half hours and that’s when I write the text off-line back at camp. To search for a post would be more time. After a while the crew won’t sit in the PTV any longer!
You are welcome…I figured driving umpteen miles to get a signal and then sitting on the side of the road..you wouldn’t have time.
All I do is google “RVSue and whatever topic I’m looking for….city, incident or what have you..
I thought special “ed” comments were familiar… so I typed “horrendous” and whaaaalahhhhh!
I don’t get your last paragraph at all.
Searches are slooooowwww.
Cinandjules, thanks for finding the photos.
Sue, Your quilts look great. I like the set up of the Liberty because it looks more open although I’m not sure I wouldn’t roll over and fall out of bed. lol
I probably would set up the bed and take it down in the morning. I also have 2 45 lb dogs that will want to be up on the bed or maybe I’ll have them sleep on the floor. . Now to get my spouse to buy into the idea.
Sue, I was wondering….it doesn’t look like you’re getting a lot of sun. How’s the solar system working??
I LOVE this campsite! Beautiful!