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Unsportsmanlike Conduct

While shopping for a new RV boondocking campsite north of Prescott, I thought about how strange it is that it's still a challenge, despite years of experience. Actually 80% of the effort is in finding a campsite that also has wireless internet.

Think about the newbies who spend thousands of dollars on satellite internet systems for their rig. Does it ever occur to them how circular the argument is? Most RVers have rigs that are simply too big for RV boondocking, except in a few places. If there doesn't happen to be cellphone coverage there, the RVer then concludes that he must spend thousands of dollars on satellite internet. Why not save tens of thousands of dollars by buying a smaller rig that can camp in more places?

On today's campsite shopping trip, I saw something unusual. A helicopter was ferrying utility poles to a new power line in the national forest. The holes have already been augered; the helicopter carefully lowers the pole into the hole. Interesting to watch. (Maybe I need to get out more.)

The helicopter made a round trip every five minutes, ferrying pole after pole. At first it was amusing. A Harley guy might say that the flying ferry boat had a visceral beat. But I'm not a Harley guy. I was afraid of trying to take a mid-day nap, then waking up suddenly, and feeling like I was in the middle of the movie, "Apocalypse Now."

A few miles ahead there was a large substation that stepped the voltage down from 560,000 volts! It was connecting Edward Abbey's hated dam at Page, AZ, to Phoenix's air conditioners.

In a way I was disappointed. For years I'd seen power lines in impossible places in the backcountry, and wondered how they managed to do it. And now I find out that they cheated! I'd always fantasized that building them was the ultimate test of man, machine, and mule, back in the Heroic Age when men were made of iron, and utility poles were made of wood.

Comments

I wish we'd met before the Artful Adventure... It would have save us those tens of thousands of dollars.
Oh well, I sold the sat. dish last fall cause I'll not "have" to post every day ever again. I will admit tho, that it was pretty cool to be able to get on line 99.5 % of the time. Really had to work at it in the far northwest cause the satellite was near the horizon and all the trees got in the way.
It is true that my new rv dreams has us going smaller and lighter (and more efficient fuel wise). But how small can we go and still be comfortable for long periods of time? I think four wheel drive is the answer, but that would get us stuck for sure.
I got by beautifully without four wheel drive, but mountain biker/boondockers don't really want to go up that high. It might be different for hikers.

I too am interested in staying light with a new rig. If I don't plan on living in it 365 days per year, that should work OK.
Box Canyon,
Putting it differently, why do you need to be comfortable for LONG periods of time, if you use a hub-and-spoke travel philosophy, with the hub being a couple hour drive from good stuff at any month of the year?
cause I want to return to the pacific northwest and then spend the off season of autumn in Glacier. Those two places offer landscapes and emotions I can't find around the otherwise perfect four corner states.
sigh.
Unknown said…
Boonie and Mark,
Interesting. Verrrry interesting. What is the goal: Happiness; Scenery; Save money; Curiosity; Emotional tugs; ... Looks like I am not alone in struggling with living life -- settled or not.