A classic Fourth of July is supposed to be hot. I rolled into my new campsite (northeastern Oregon) a couple days before the Fourth, and braced myself for heat and obnoxious weekenders. But it worked out much better than that.
Camping at 5000 feet of altitude is comfortable in the inland Northwest. You don't need 8000 feet, as in the Southwest. Of course you need partial shade, hardly a difficult task in this part of the country. At times the campsite is too shady, but that only requires moving the trailer 30 feet to expose the solar panels for a couple hours. I underestimated the benefits of simply adding another solar panel to the roof of the trailer.
The main challenge right now is finding flattish 5000 foot camping. Simplified topographic maps help a lot.
My holiday campsite is in thicker trees. Although I used to be repelled by denser forests, I have started to make peace with them. They serve a purpose in July and August. With some effort, a person can visualize these forests as luxurious. It is a pleasant feeling.
In order to carry that mindset to its conclusion I could start enjoying narrow, overgrown hiking trails. Close to camp, there is a wilderness trailhead and one of those trails. A young couple was embarking on an overnight stay in the wilderness. The woman was exposing a lot of skin to insects, sun, and scratches. Neither one of them appeared to have bear spray.
They were admirable on some level. But I took one look at the first ten feet of that overgrown narrow trail and cringed. Perhaps I will overcome that reaction some day. Oh wait a minute, there is still the matter of bears!
Comments