Rock Springs Walmart

When I hitched up at Flaming Gorge to leave, I received a “low tire air” warning light. Sure enough, my rear driver’s side tire was down 20 percent. This was a good opportunity to use my portable air compressor for the first time. Actually, a better opportunity would have been to use it before leaving Wisconsin so that I knew how it worked.


Anyway, after a few struggles and tries, I figured out that the compressor’s tire fitting was threaded, which once screwed on to the tire valve, actually allowed air to enter the low tire. Once that was completed, I drove to the Walmart in Rock Springs to resupply and see if the tire air was holding. I suspected a slow leak. That same tire had been repaired about six months ago for a nail hole.

Now my wife and I have never been very big supporters of Walmart, which has driven many small independent businesses out of business. One nice thing that Walmart does do (sometimes) is to let recreational vehicle users stay overnight. Walmart figures they will spend some money resupplying, and it’s a cheap overnight for people on the road. Many Walmarts, in response to pressure from private campgrounds and local city councils , have stopped offering the service as ordinances are passed prohibiting overnight stays in parking lots.

Some of this is understandable, as there are always people who take advantage of the situation: staying for weeks, taking prime parking spots, leaving trash and worse behind, and generally treating the parking lot as their personal free campsite instead of just an overnight sleepover.

Thankfully, the Walmart in Rocks Springs, Wyoming, still allows overnight stays. When I asked for permission, the manager, seeing my shopping cart full of provisions, told me that it was ok to stay overnight but to park in the back of the parking lot (which I had already done). Knowing that I was going to Utah (where watered down beer happens), I stocked on beer, food, toiletries, and miscella-neous items (including ice cream). I took Elvis on long walks to make up for leaving him alone while I shopped, read, caught up on email and the blogs, and generally relaxed. That was the good part.

The bad part is personal to me. I need darkness to sleep. The security lights at Walmart make it seem like broad daylight at 3 am. I slept quite poorly. I know that I should have black-out curtains or an eye mask or something, but I think that I will make my overnight trips to Walmart infrequent. In the morning, I was glad to see that the tire was holding it’s pressure at 35 psi. I also checked the trailer tires which also were holding pressure. All good for the next adventure. To Salt Lake and beyond!

Flaming Gorge, Days Two and Three

My campsite has been so quiet until this morning that I’ve almost felt like I’m not supposed to be here. There is a gate leading down to the beach road that can be closed and locked. I hope that someone lets me know if the beach season suddenly ended without locking me inside this little corner of paradise.

I discovered a boat launch about a mile away by road walk and about one-half mile by a little-used trail. There are heated bathrooms with flush toilets here, along with a fish cleaning station with the water still on. I haven’t seen any boats launch from here, but there was a bit of boat traffic on the water late yesterday afternoon.

After our early morning hike, coffee and breakfast, blogging, and reading, the temperatures gradually rose throughout the day. I took a sirloin steak out of the freezer to defrost and decided to take Elvis to the water to cool off. Now, Elvis is 75% golden retriever and 25% poodle. You would think such a dog would be a natural swimmer., but that’s not the case. Elvis will sniff at the water like it’s some kind of trap, trying to get him. Because he was so hot, I was going to force the issue a bit. I started throwing sticks into the edge of the water, and he would tentatively go out and retrieve them—only realizing after he got back to shore that his legs were wet. How did that happen?

Finally, I started throwing the sticks out further in the water. He refused to go completely under, letting those sticks float away. But he did get in far enough to get his legs, underside and chest wet, which cooled him off and reinvigorated Elvis. He started running up and down the beach like a greyhound, shaking the water off and acting reborn.

After that excitement, I returned to the Brew Hut for my last beer (we didn’t bring much with us), reading on my Kindle, and then feeding Elvis. It was too hot to cook inside and too windy to cook outside, so I prepared a late dinner after the sun went down, cooling things off. I dined on sautéed spinach with garlic, mushrooms in butter, and one-third of a large sirloin steak. I saved the remainder for two more meals.

Early the next day, Elvis was primed to hike. We made a big circle around the area before coming back to the Brew Hut to brew coffee. As I went outside with my cup of steaming Brazilian, I walked around the other side of the Brew Hut and discovered an old, beater car parked less than 50 yards away. It was parked on a steep angle, and there was no evidence of condensation on the windows (which would mean someone was probably sleeping inside. My mind started racing. Stolen car? Hidden dead bodies? I walked closer, took a quick photo of the license plate, and then looked inside.

“What the F do you think you are looking at?” shouted a male voice. I turned around and discovered a young man fishing just below the cliff on which the Brew Hut was parked. “Oh, sorry, sorry,” I said retreating. “I didn’t notice you drive up and was surprised that someone parked so close to my camp.”
He didn’t respond or necessarily seem accepting of my explanation. The fisherman apparently caught no fish and moved on about twenty minutes later.

When your closest camping neighbor is one-half mile away, the sight of a strange car and a profane encounter leaves one a bit off-balance. Another cup of coffee and morning views of my herd of pronghorns provided the antidote.

The rest of the day went without incident, and we enjoyed a very quiet evening.  On the next morning, my original plans to drive to Moab shifted when I discovered one of the truck tires was low.  This gave me a chance to try out the new portable air compressor which attaches to the battery and reaches long enough for any of the truck’s tires.  After a some trial and error, the small machine worked the way it was supposed to, although it did heat up markedly. I decided to return to Rock Springs to resupply at Wal-Mart and do my first Wal-Mart stay-over in the parking lot.  I checked with the manager and he pointed out the proper part of the lot to park the Brew Hut.

Resupplied with beer, food, and toiletries, we are ready for the next part of the journey.  Hopefully, the truck tire cooperates.

Flaming Gorge, Days One and Two

After breaking camp above Green River, Elvis and I backtracked to Rock Springs to post blogs, download newspapers and podcasts, and gas up. Then we drove south of Interstate 80 to the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.

The campgrounds in this area are quite popular and subject to reservation. I was a little bit worried that the campgrounds would be full, but I had a boondocking back-up plan. Upon arriving at Firehole Campground, I knew right away my my concern was misplaced. Not only was the campground empty of campers, it was closed for the season and gated. Hmmmm.

Time for the back-up plan. There were forest dirt/gravel roads all around the campground, and someone on the Campendium website mentioned camping without any problems at the beach close to the campground. The beach had several attributes, including beautiful views, potential swimming opportunities, and pit toilets.

The beach also had several downsides. Many of the “camping spots” were on soft, sandy ground. Getting stuck would not have been fun. The ground was sloping, and the best solid spot that I could find was not very level. I decided to make the best of it and set up camp anyway. Elvis and I hiked up and down the beach and across many of the gravel roads between the beach and the campground. In the process, I found a couple of other spots that seemed to work also. I noticed that the original beach area was extremely windy with blowing sand. In the afternoon, the trailer was already rocking and rolling, promising an interesting night.

So I bailed on the original site, prepared the Brew Hut for travel again, and moved about a half mile down a narrow, rutted road to a large turn-around circle that was gravel and appeared to be used as a campsite previously (evidence of bonfires). This was much better. Less windy, I had the Brew Hut situated so that the door was on the opposite of the direction of the wind, so that it was comfortable to sit outside and read.

I had already decided that it was going to be hamburger night, so the patties were sitting out to defrost by the sink. As I prepared dinner, I noticed that the temperature of the fridge was rising. Now I’ve had problems in the past regulating the temperature of the fridge, but it was always on the cold side, freezing food that shouldn’t be frozen. Hmmm. A half hour later, the temperature was 45, and I knew that something was wrong. Apparently, the gale-force wind had blown out the propane flame that keeps the fridge cold. At least, that was my first theory.

I followed the procedure for relighting the fridge. That process is not user-friendly. There is a tiny hole at the bottom of the fridge which is supposed to tell you if the flame is lit or not. The only problem is that flame is impossible to see during the daylight, leaving two options. The first option is to wait until it’s dark. The second option is to check a metal tube in the outside compartment to see if it’s getting hot. Either option takes time, and I was impatient to find out whether the fridge flame was out or if it was just dead. Fortunately, after about 30 minutes, the metal tube was warming up. I dialed down the fridge to colder. In the morning, it was back to normal, freezing food that it shouldn’t. I dialed the fridge back to low.

There is only one other camper within sight, and he's about half mile away. Temperatures fall into the mid 30’s at night and climb up into the 70’s during the day. Mornings are less windy, and the ample sun allows me to charge up all of my devices and top off the battery. Unless weekend partiers arrive, this spot seems like a great place to spend a few days.

The header shows a herd of pronghorn, I believe. They are frequent visitors to the nearby water but are very skittish. Unlike deer in Wisconsin, they stay tightly packed together and move as one when running. We’ve also seen lots of rabbits, birds and snake skins (but no snakes yet). The closed campground is accessible by trail. The water spigots have been turned off, but the convenient dumpsters remain. A sign indicates that the campground closed on September 15^th. I’ve not smelled any smoke here. The air is clear and clean.

That’s all the news at Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area…

Wild Horse Canyon Road

I am camped in the mountains (7300’ elevation) overlooking Green River, a small town in southern Wyoming. The directions to this site were quite simple: drive on Wild Horse Canyon Road past the Hampton Inn and continue up the road beyond the pavement to the top of the hill. At first, I was worried that the road up the hill would be steep, but it was not. The gradual grade was bumpy but fairly easy. Once at the top, a dirt road cuts off to the right where there are several campsites within a half mile. At that point, the road becomes deeply rutted and plunges more steeply down.

I chose a big wide campsite that looks directly down on Interstate 80, Green River and the railroad tracks. Due to the distance, the road noise isn’t bad, and the sound of the trains was soothing to wake up to. The gravel road on top of the mountain goes about 30-some miles, and there are reportedly wild horses to be seen. I chose to remain at my campsite, to read, and to prepare a supper of scrambled eggs with fried tortillas, onion, and tomato.

As evening crept in, I could see a couple of small bumps on the horizon on top of the next crest. My binoculars confirmed that the bumps were actually two wild horses. Elvis and I set off on a walk along the road and were able to get close enough to the horses that we were both getting a little nervous. I think the horses are probably used to fending themselves from coyotes and wolves. Elvis must have seemed a strange-looking canine that they weren’t going to mess around with. The bigger horse started approaching us, stamping feet. We decided that we were close enough (although a better camera with zoom would have captured the moment), so we slowly backed away and then and then turned around back to the campsite. Both parties seemed satisfied with the conclusion.

Just before turning in, I noticed a large fire off in the distance, creating considerable smoke. I asked an older couple passing by on an ATV if they knew about it and whether it was anything to be concerned about. Yes, they said, it’s about a three-hour drive to that fire, and you can rest easy tonight. I would never have guessed that the fire was more than 100 miles away, but I did sleep well.

In the morning, temperatures had cooled off to the lower 40’s, and I could smell the fairly strong odor of smoke for the first time during my trip. By the time I finished breakfast and coffee, the odor was gone. Nevertheless, this stop will be a short one. We will continue south.

Thermopolis

Well, it was about that time.  I hadn’t had a real shower in about a week, aside from the dip in the lake.  Also, the waste tanks of the Brew Hut needed dumping, and the laundry needed doing.  I drove through Ten Sleep and Worland without finding any suitable place to do chores.  Finally, I remembered a full service rv park in Thermopolis that featured mineral baths. A little pricey at $45, but I had stayed for free several nights so I decided to splurge.

After taking care of chores, I went for a dip.  There’s hardly anyone around during the middle of the week, so I felt like it was my own private spa.

I expect to be back on the road after this overnight–headed towards Green River, Wyoming.

The Big Horns: Sitting Bull Campground

On my next-to-last day at Mikesell-Potts, I took a natural shower by jumping into the cold waters of the lake. There was only one other person in the water at the beach, and he was under ten-years-old and didn’t have the good sense to know how cold it was. But I did feel much better and cleaner afterwards.

In the morning, I prepared the Brew Hut for departure. Everything went great until it was time to hitch up. As I was turning the hand crank, I heard a funny metallic noise. When I looked down, I noticed that my jack handle was no longer secured by a nut to the bolt.

I looked everywhere in the gravel beneath the hitch and around the car and in about a ten foot circumference of the scene of the crime. The nut was nowhere to be found. I was able to continue raising the jack up by holding my hand to secure the bolt. Now, I have had trouble lining up the truck’s ball and the hitch last year, but I have had a really good stretch of no problems. Given my mechanical issues with the hitch handle, this was not an idea time for a new problem. I had no problems lining it up straight, but the hitch doesn’t fall into the ball unless it’s just right, and I was an inch or two off every time I got out to look. I tried ending in drive and reverse and blocking the truck wheels, but I kept missing it by eve so much, so that the hitch wouldn’t lock into place. Finally, I was able to get it in the right place.

Next up was a trip to Ace Hardware in Buffalo to find a new nut. I also picked up some other odds and ends: a small scissors, gorilla glue, AA batteries, and a few items for Elvis (flea/tick treatment, brush). Now 11 am., I could finally hit the road. I drove west on Hwy 16 up, and up, and up, until I reached Powder River Pass (elevation 9666). It was very windy and desolate here—above tree line with only small brush and alpine grasses.

After descending a few miles, I came to our destination: Sitting Bull Campground, which was still over 8000 feet but lush with fragrance from tall pine trees and sheltered from the wind. When I went to the pay station for the campground fee, the host told me that the campground was closing the next day, and that my site would be free. Although the campground would be closed, water shut off, and bathrooms locked, he said that I could stay as long as I wanted through hunting season. Free is my kind of price!

About a dozen other campers were in the campground, but I chose a spacious, quiet site at the end of the loop. There is enough sunlight through the trees that my Brew Hut battery is getting filled each day, although with no cell service I’m not using my devices for much. There are ATV trails (without any ATV’s present-the best kind), that Elvis and I have been hiking each day. The gravel road in from Hwy 16 has a beautiful stream running along its side, and on the other side of Hwy 16 (about a mile hike) is North Cove, a beautiful small lake and day use area.

The nights are cold and clear with temperatures dropping into the mid to high 30’s. The days warm up into the low 70’s. We are settling into a nice routine of long walks and hours spent reading my Kindle. I’m on the last book of Game of Thrones and will be finishing it in no time. I’ve been wanting to get back into the Big Horns ever since my son Justin and I drove through a couple of years ago. This is such a beautiful part of the country, although summers are quite short. I can’t say that these mountains feel like a place I could ever live, but the Big Horns are very special to me. Life is good.

Mikesell-Potts Recreatiion Area

On the evening of my stay at Devil’s campground, the Scamp reached temperatures of 96 F., before dropping into the 50’s during the night. I went from sweating in my underwear to retrieving the heavy sleeping bag and crawling under its warmth.

I was up early at Elvis’ request (food and walk), so we took advantage of the empty road at 6 a.m., and hiked out to the admission booth and beyond to the KOA, where campers were packed in like sardines but presumably enjoying their full electrical hookups (air conditioning). After hiking back, I ate a quick breakfast and made coffee for the road. Because I never unhitched the Scamp at Devil’s Tower, departure was a matter of pulling up the rear stabilizers, preparing the inside of the Scamp for the shaking and vibration that occurs in a day of travel, and plugging in the tow wires.

Elvis and I drove out to Interstate 90 and then on to Buffalo, Wyoming, where we took the exit for the Mikesell-Potts Recreation Area, a county park located on a big lake. Two separate campground loops include spaces on the lake, tucked into the trees or up on top of a big hill (which is the one that I chose.

The camp host told me that the campground gets very busy in the summer, but once school starts, it’s easy to find a space—first come, first serve. I had my pick of over 100 spots, and I think that I chose wisely. There is no water here. About ten sites have electric ($15), but those sites are close together and without the prime views. The rest of the sites have no amenities other than vault toilets and garbage dumpsters. I think it’s quite a bargain. Elvis and I have been taking lots of walks along the various campground roads and a grass path connecting the two loops.

T-mobile doesn’t live here. I had reasonably fast ATT roaming until T-mobile sent a text that my limited roaming plan was exhausted. We are at 4600 feet, have the lake on one side and the Big Horn Mountains off to the distance in the other side. Temperatures have been pleasant during the day and cool off into the 40’s and 50’s at night . On the coolest night, I closed up the windows, except for a crack, and slept comfortably under the sleeping bag. Our brews of choice have been Brazilian manual drip in the morning and Hot Streak IPA in the evening by Black Tooth Brewing out of Sheridan, Wyoming.

On my second night, I was awakened after dark by a party setting up camp at the campsite next door. And I do mean a party. There were 3-4 pick-up trucks and a couple of cars full of young folk, drinking cheap, making lots of noise, and depositing cans, trash and uprooting a small tree, presumably to burn for firewood. They left in a thunder of gravel/dust at about 2:25 a.m., doing a U-turn at my site. When I got up early the next morning, I found a soiled towel next to my truck.

Life is too short. I picked up camp and moved across the lake, where I found a nice spot next to the beach for my last night.

I spent three nights here and would stay here again, especially during the off season. The party crew? Well, that’s just luck of the draw. Hopefully, I won’t encounter that again soon. From here, we are headed for the Big Horns.

Devil’s Tower

Last night at Wyatt’s Hideaway, after stopping for groceries in Belle Fourche, I retrieved my cast iron skillet, seasoned my steak with freshly purchased salt and pepper (how could I have forgotten that?), and cooked up the meat medium rare. After supper, I had a big bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough and then sat outside in my chair, sipping an IPA, as temperatures cooled into the evening.

These are some of the luxuries that I never enjoyed on my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, made possible by Scamp Manufacturing (a/k/a the Brew Hut).

Empowered by wi-fi at Wyatt’s, I caught up on the news, blogs, and email. The days are getting shorter. By 8:00, it was dark out, and by 8:30, I was asleep. Several times during the night, I awoke to the sounds of trucks passing close by on the highway. I realized that the weather is also starting to change. Last night was the first time that I actually got cold enough to wrap up under the heavy double sleeping bag.

By 4:15 a.m, I was pretty much wide awake. I tossed and turned for an hour, gave up, and fed Elvis, who was only too happy to get an early breakfast. By 7:15, I had eaten breakfast, used the luxurious bathrooms, hitched up, and dumped by gray (sink and shower) and black (toilet) tanks. I gave Julia a call and then was on the road by 7:30 a.m.

My initial plan was to visit Devil’s Tower National Monument on the eastern edge of Wyoming and continue across the state to Buffalo, Wyoming for a camping spot nearby. However, Devil’s Tower was much more spectacular than I was expecting. Also, even though it was only about 8:30 a.m., people had started leaving the full campground, and there was a beautiful campsite on Loop A (the no generators loop), which looked directly at Devil’s Tower. I snagged the site, paid by $20 and went to see about the trails.

Stymied again. No dogs allowed on the trails. The sign suggested walking your dog in the campground, limited picnic area, or on a dirt road with no directions to get there. The sign also said that dogs were no allowed more than 15 feet off the road. Okay, we would improvise. Elvis and I walked about a mile and a half from the campground towards the visitor’s center. We had to dodge a few buses, motor homes, and large campers, but we made it to the dirt road that I believe they were taking about. It was definitely a challenging walk, but still fairly cool out.

During the afternoon, the temperatures climbed to 90 and higher than that inside the Brew Hut. We had a couple of shade trees at the campsite, and we moved our hanging out shady spot to match the sun’s progress across the sky. I read and blogged. Elvis slept.

After Wyatt’s, I  appreciated the quiet of nature again. The wind and the rustling of leaves. And there might be a bit of ice cream left in the freezer.  I will be headed west next.

Water problem in the Brew Hut

I didn’t sleep all that great last night.  The winds were from the wrong direction and didn’t cool off the trailer much at all.  Finally giving up, I fed Elvis before sunrise and hiked the lake trail.  The mixture of clouds and blue sky produced a startling sunrise.

I used the water jug to fill my teapot and Elvis’ water bowl.  That was enough for breakfast’s needs:  coffee, oatmeal, dishes, brushing teeth.  Then I started getting the Brew Hut ready to hitch up and go.  One of the things I do is to empty the toilet and give it a good rinse by turning on the water pump.  When I flipped the switch, I heard the sound of silence.  Not good.  Back and forth with the switch.  Nothing.  I had a full water tank with no way to get the water to the sink, shower or toilet.  Bad.

Now the worst case scenario is running through my mind.  Was the water pump dead?  Would I have to return to Rapid City to get it diagnosed, fixed and/or replaced at an rv shop?  Muttering sweet nothings, I lifted up my eight inch memory foam mattress which covers the access door to the water pump.  Can’t see a thing.  Next, I put on my headlamp and stuck my head in further, lifting the wires gently to see what was going on.

One of the electrical connectors to the water pump had apparently vibrated out.  Using my immense mechanical/electrical skills (not), I stuck it back into the slot.  Tuned on the switch.  The pump was working again.  Blood pressure returned to normal.

After I finished hitching up, I drove to Spearfish, South Dakota, intending to stay at the City Campground. Reports on the Campendium website indicated that rates were as low as $10/night off-season.  I guess it’s not off-season yet because the campground was nearly full. The attendant quoted rates of $45 for a narrow RV slot with hookups or dry camping in the primitive area without any hookups for $30/night.  I said no thanks and drove to Wyatt’s Hideaway at Belle Fourche just up the road.

With my Passport America discount card, the rate was half-price and $25/one night, electricity, wifi (serviceable), hot showers, laundry, dump station and fresh water.  Although I’m sure it’s packed during Sturgis Week, there’s hardly anyone here now.  A swift running river runs along the back of the campground and a busy road in front.  Not a nature experience, but I will get my errands done, resupply with groceries and be ready to head out in the morning to Wyoming.

Bear Butte State Park

I’m camped at Bear Butte State Park, which is just a few miles from Sturgis, South Dakota.  The campground is small, no hookups, vault toilet (i.e. outhouse), a water spigot, a few small trees for shade, and decent T-mobile service.  The only noise is the sound of the wind.

There are a couple of tent campers and a campground host with a big motor home.  He/She has full hookups.  But I didn’t camp here for the company or the amenities or the $11.67 (tax included) campsite.  Bear Butte is a special place, long-held sacred by the Cheyenne and Lakota.  On the summit trail, the indigenous people perform ceremonies during special occasions.   Just off the path appear sacrifices of tobacco, pieces of clothing, and other items. Hikers are requested  to remain quiet and respectful.  The place made a special impression on me during a previous visit many years ago.

Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed on the summit trail. I could try to leave Elvis in the camper or the truck while I hike the two to three hours round trip, but it doesn’t seem right.  I’ve been here once before, I remember the trail; it needs no repeating if Elvis can’t come.

So I’ll spend my time here enjoying the views of Bear Butte,  the reservoir, and the Black Hills in the distance.  There’s a stiff, cooling breeze, blowing across Bear Butte Reservoir.  A couple of hiking paths lead from the campground around the water.  Even though I’m not up on the mountain, I’m still getting that peaceful feeling of enjoying the simple things in nature.  There will be other mountains, Elvis.

Now that I’m Settled In, It’s Time to Go

I absolutely love this camping spot in the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands.  Free, access to water in a nearby town, relatively decent Internet, lots of solar energy to harness, views to forever, a nice five-mile hiking route, bighorn sheep and whitetail deer, and did I mention free?

Elvis and I have settled into a routine.  We get up before sunrise and go for a hike along the Wall’s rim, trying not to wake up other campers on their own perches on the cliff. 

Then I eat breakfast outside, enjoying coffee, the view and pleasant temperatures of the morning.  By late morning, the sun has driven us inside the Brew Hut, which is still pleasant with the cooling strong breezes.  After a light lunch, we take short walks and spend the afternoon in the shade, reading the (digital) newspaper and my Kindle.  By late afternoon, it’s time for a beer or two, supper,and then more view enjoyment as the temperatures subside.  We end the day with an evening walk as the sun sets.

With a routine, however, my mind starts to wander and thoughts rise of cooler weather and higher elevation.  I’d like to hike some bigger hills and a couple of mountains before the cold weather comes.  So in a day or so, Elvis and I will head north and west to a special place in the Black Hills.  With that move, we will probably lose Internet reliability, so do not worry if I do not post for a bit.  I will continue blogging and post online when able.

At least, that’s the plan.

The Badlands: It’s all good

I made it to the Badlands yesterday at about 1 p.m. (Mountain Time Zone).  This isn’t my first trip; I’ve been here several times as a kid and as an adult.  There’s something about this place that takes all of life’s tensions and washes them away.  Blows it away is more apt.  The wind is nearly constant here.  Some people complain about the wind, but I’ve always found the wind soothing.  One of my Iowa relatives used to say that the wind blows the stink off you.

I’m camped just a few miles from Wall Drugs.  This place has nothing in common with Wall Drugs.  Coffee might be five cents at Wall Drugs, but it doesn’t taste anything like the coffee that I roasted myself, ground on a manual knee grinder manufactured over 50 years ago, made in a cone filter without any electricity. and sipped outside while overlooking the wide expanses of the West.

I’m perched on a cliff in Buffalo Gap National Grasslands.  The temperature gets up into the 80’s during the day but falls into the 50’s at night.  I hear coyotes at sunset and steers at sunrise.  I’m just going to let all of this soak in for a few days, but all is well.

Magnolia, Minnesota

I’m not going to lie.  Last night was rough.  I picked up Allie at O’Hare in Chicago at about 11p.m., dropped her off in Milwaukee, and arrived home at about 2 a.m. She was sick and understandably upset about saying goodbye to her boyfriend for who knows how long after having the time of her life in the Greek Isles. Once home, I slept for maybe four hours, off and on.

Then, with the help of a full French press pot of fresh-roasted Brazilian coffee, I began making my way west.  I was originally going to stay off of the interstate, taking Hwy 60 and then Hwy 18 across northern Iowa.  However, there was extensive flooding along that route, so I opted for Interstate 90, boring but not flooded.  By afternoon, I was making frequent bathroom stops to balance out all of the coffee consumed and was singing loudly to myself with the windows open to stay awake.

We arrived at the Magnolia City Campground at about 4 p.m. It’s a typical Midwestern small town with no services except for this nice campground less than a mile from the interstate with full hookups for $10/night. A café offers breakfast but closes at 2 p.m.  There’s a campground sign that says no discounts are offered  because the rates are already so cheap. I can’t disagree: electricity, water, showers, dump station, good Internet coverage from T-mobile, and a bunch of free digital tv stations.

Unfortunately, there’s no grocery store or even a convenience store.  I haven’t really stocked my fridge, so it’s a cold beer and scrambled eggs and cheese for dinner.  The good news is that I’m ahead of schedule and hopeful that I’ll be in the Badlands tomorrow night.

Elvis is very excited about this trip. Or maybe he’s just ready for supper.

Countdown at 5 days

Wisconsin doesn’t win many firsts, but we were apparently the first state in the nation in rainfall over the last two weeks with all of the usual consequences that go along with that. An elderly man in the Madison area was swept away by flood waters from his car into a culvert and drowned.  Milwaukee released 296 million gallons of raw sewage into local rivers and Lake Michigan so that the effluent didn’t back up into people’s basements.  We have had plenty of heat to go along with the rain which has meant high humidity and a healthy crop of mosquitoes.


Closer to home, I moved Justin back into the dorms for the fall semester on Thursday.  He was ready to go back to leading life without parents nagging him, and we were ready to stop nagging him.  Classes start next week.  I talked to him last night on the phone, and it sounded like he was making new friends and settling into dorm life.

Allie is still in Greece, vacationing with her Turkish boyfriend. It sounds like they are having a great time, living on a meager budget but enjoying the street food and beaches. My last “to do” task will be picking her up at the Chicago airport late Tuesday night and driving to her Milwaukee apartment where she will start the fall semester one day late on Wednesday.  I will try to get some sleep on Wednesday before taking off west in the Brew Hut.

Most of my preparation work for the trip west is done.  I’ve been picking up little odds and ends at the last-minute.  The square plate at the bottom of the Brew Hut’s trailer tongue’s jack has seemed a little shaky to me, so Amazon shipped me an 8 dollar Camco cone stand which is supposed to be more stable and multi-functional.  We’ll see.  The plate can be re-installed if the plastic thing doesn’t work out. If it works, I can eliminate the cinder block that I’ve been carrying around as a jack stand.

I also restocked green (raw) coffee beans for the trip.  Friday afternoon was spent roasting so that Julia can have fresh coffee while I’m gone.  Most people don’t know that you can freeze (colder the better) freshly roasted coffee in small one pound freezer bags, and then use one bag at a time (defrosted and staying at room temperature), and the quality is excellent.  Blind taste tests don’t lie. What you don’t want to do is take frozen coffee back and forth out of the freezer allowing it to partially defrost or be exposed to humidity. It should go without saying that the coffee has to be fresh-roasted.  Putting stale coffee into the freezer doesn’t preserve anything.   For myself, I plan on roasting coffee in the Brew Hut while traveling.  Still working out those details.

Other than that, I’ve been stocking the kitchen with canned goods (black beans, coconut cream) and spices so that I can make my staple curries and dirty beans with rice.

Recent reports from the Badlands are that it may be muddy with reduced access to the location that I hoped to camp, but weather changes.  We’ll see how it goes.  There will be a back-up plan.