Uruguay – The Adventure Begins

Uruguay – The Adventure Begins

Moving to Uruguay

For pictures and information about our initial visit in January, see the previous posting here.

Alright, so we decided to move to Uruguay. We sold the house, we arranged for all sorts of documents that would be needed for establishing permanent residency, got rid of most of our stuff, and packed the rest to be shipped.

April 21 – Movers came to pack up what little was left to be shipped.
April 22 – Last meal at the house on Myrtlewood. We moved to an AirBNB to await our one-way flight on the 25th. In the meantime we made some last visits and sold our car.

Our Stay in Montevideo (MVD)

We arrived in Uruguay on the morning of April 26. We rented a car ahead of time, and then realized it wouldn’t hold all our luggage, so we rented a mini-van for one day and swapped out to our regularly-scheduled rental the next day. That ended up being a Peugeot 208 automatic. Not a bad little car. In January we drove one with a manual transmission, since the automatics had all been rented due to the season. While I’m comfortable with a manual transmission, the combination of adjusting to the local traffic, and an anemic engine, convinced me to get an automatic this time. We rented the Peugeot for a while and then switched to a VW ID.3 all-electric.

We stayed in Montevideo for 5 weeks to be close to the offices where we would take care of administrative/bureaucratic tasks needed to apply for permanent residency. Our residence in Montevideo was at La Toscana Residences, just east of the airport. This was in a gated community consisting of modern houses and some apartment buildings for short-term stays. There was a lot of shopping and several car dealerships close by. Between attending to appointments in town we tested several different electric cars. Some conversations with sales reps were via Google translate on our phones. Interesting, it got the job done to do a test drive, but not to the point I would complete such a significant purchase that way.

Moving to Punta del Este (PDE)

Our timing for moving to PDE worked out well. Several days before our move the last essential task (getting a bank account) in Montevideo was finished. Now it’s just a matter of letting bureaucracy grind away. Meanwhile, we’ll be in PDE looking for a permanent residence, most likely a house.

Our new location is an apartment right in the middle of town, not far from shopping and close to where we’ll be looking for houses. This will be our home base for up to 6 months. By then we’ll need to have a permanent home, or we’ll have to find a new rental outside the tourist zone because the rent goes up 4X (!) due to the tourist season.

Cars

Renting a car isn’t cheap for the long term, so we started looking at cars as soon as we had time in MVD. Our target was a small, all-electric vehicle. Parking, driving on narrow roads, and gas prices were the main motivations. After renting the gas car for four weeks we switched to an electric to get a feel for what it would be like. The VW ID.3 we got was nice, with lots of power and good suspension, not something we would buy ourselves, but good for practice. We got phone apps for charging from the two main vendors. You put in your credit card information, and when you are ready to charge the car you scan a QR code and proceed. The apps give you a map of local charging stations, and if you select one it tells you if it’s busy or not, along with the connector type, and if you have to bring your own cable.

We tested several cars, one European, and five different Chinese brands and models. Common features are advanced electronics and driver-assists, good acceleration, and automatic transmissions. We settled on the JAC S3 Ytterby in white. That wasn’t our first color choice, but it was in stock from a dealer who spoke English. It’s also not as comfortable as I would like since a bit of self-pretzeling is required for me to get in it. But it will serve for now. Once we understood the buying process it was pretty straightforward:

  1. Decide on a car and get an invoice.
  2. Dealer forwards car info to an insurance broker.
  3. Go to insurance broker and get a policy, who forwards info back to dealer.
  4. Go to bank and get a check.
  5. Bring check back to dealer.
  6. Dealer calls back next day when car is ready. Dealer has arranged for license plates and paperwork so we don’t have to deal with it.
  7. We pick up the car and drive off. We have to drive both cars to the local car rental office to return the rental. Timing worked out well so we returned the rental on the current return date without having to extend the rental period (again).
  8. Titles don’t automatically come with the car(!?). That is a separate charge (US$500 in this case) and takes several weeks to be arranged by a notary (escribano). Having it will make it easier to sell the car later on.
  9. Let apartment reception know our new license plate number so the entry gate will recognize us.

In a little over 24 hours we bought a car. The 200-page user manual is in Spanish only and will give me a lot of practice with technical terms.

Pictures

Here is a slide show of some pictures, which includes the project brain map, the location of our shipping container at the time of this post, and a map showing our current home. You should maximize the slide viewer (in the top left corner) to properly appreciate the pictures. All were taken with Galaxy S23 5G phone.

Observations

Most cars have a manual transmission. This is obvious when you are on a hill at a stop light. When it turns green, they all rollback a little as the clutch and accelerator are engaged.

There are a LOT of electric cars. Most are from China, some costing less than US$20,000. There are some from Europe, and a tiny handful from the US. Most gas stations and shopping centers have a charging station.

Most coffee comes in thimbles, or at least it seems that way. Starbucks sells coffee in “normal” sizes.

Of US franchises, McDonalds, Burger King, Subway and Starbucks are the only ones we’ve seen so far.

I was looking for alcohol as a solvent and antiseptic. Normally I would get 75% or 99% isopropyl, or rubbing, alcohol. I did find an alcohol in the grocery store, next to the bandaids. Upon fully reading and understanding the label I discovered that it’s 95% ethanol, essentially the same thing as Everclear®! At US$5.60 for almost a quart. Okay, well they do sell liquor in the grocery store. Again, think European model, where they don’t make such a big deal about drinking alcohol. I still need to find isopropyl though, since ethanol doesn’t dissolve stickum.

Driving is an organic process. I mentioned this in the January post, but it became much clearer when we had to navigate the roads in the center of Montevideo. Taxi and Uber drivers must be in touch with some special driving spirit, or at least be very chill. Lane markers are mere suggestions, and motorcycles seem to go wherever they fit. Some rules are followed: (Almost) nobody goes through red lights, nobody turns right on red, and zebra stripe crosswalks give pedestrians the right of way. And there is no leeway when it comes to blood alcohol and driving. 0.0% is the limit.

There are a lot of cameras. They’re also smart, at least when it comes to reading license plates. When you get your parking ticket at a pay lot, it prints your tag number on the ticket. When you leave the mall or airport, you pay at a kiosk. Then, when you drive out, the cameras recognize you and open the gate without you needing to stick the ticket into a slot. I haven’t done a lot of paid parking in the US recently so this may be typical, but here is where I encountered it for the first time. Pretty cool.

A lot of houses use wood stoves as supplemental, if not primary, heating. Even modern, high-end homes. And almost every home has a serious barbecue area. The apartment has several party rooms that include a barbecue pit large enough to roast at least an entire pig. As a result, you find wood lots scattered about. Even in-town Montevideo there were small plots piled high with firewood. The grocery stores sell wood pellets for use in pellet stoves. While shopping at a Sodimac (the local home improvement chain) I recently saw a micro-car being filled to the brim with bags of wood pellets. Winter is coming down here.

Speaking of winter, the noon sun is in the North, not the South.

Aside from the pile of suitcases we brought with us, we are also shipping some household items by boat. There is a ship tracking web site that shows the current location of our boat and it’s fun to watch. It doesn’t show the complete historical track at once, just the track from the most recent port. I can see the boat bouncing along the coast from port to port, and sometimes backtracking. It just got through the Panama Canal. If you look at the canal with Google Earth, you can see it’s not a simple passage.

Social Scene

So far, the local expat group is providing contacts. The group meets monthly at a restaurant for several hours, and has members from all over the world. It’s a starting point to get linked to other people. There’s nothing, so far, like the UU church we attended in Gresham, which provided us with such a nice community of friends.

Spanish

I know, you all want to know about the greatest hurdle at the moment, and probably for a while: learning Spanish. Well, we certainly should have gotten serious about this sooner. There are a lot of resources for learning Spanish. Apps, videos, websites, etc. Most are free. I’ve been dabbling with Duolingo for a few years, and I did study some Spanish in high school and college, so I have a little head start over SJ. Also, English is my second language, after German. I studied French for six years and I enjoy studying linguistics as a hobby. For now I will continue with online resources and watching television. SJ is using online resources and working with some tutors. Other than building a useful vocabulary, listening comprehension is the hardest part. We can formulate a somewhat comprehensible question, however the response is frequently a burble, not too dissimilar to the sound a stream makes when flowing over some smooth rocks. Apparently, after Japanese, Spanish is the second fastest-spoken language. Watching Spanish-dubbed Discovery Channel isn’t too bad, I can make out most of the words and can get the gist of it since many of the technical and scientific terms have Latin and Greek roots common to English. And there are many pauses. But listening to a local TV news show can be challenging, especially when they interview a local resident! In any language, there are people who can talk continuously without taking a breath. When it’s in a foreign language, you really need pauses every now and then so you can process. I have not noticed any significant progress yet, but I assume one day I’ll be surprised to actually understand what the cashier at the grocery checkout is asking me 🙂

Well, that’s it for now, more to come as we continue this adventure. Cheers!

Uruguay – January 2025

Uruguay – January 2025

Uruguay?     Why?

In the course of looking for a calm, peaceful place to retire, Uruguay came up and we went for look. Here is some basic information about the country and then you can look at the pictures of our trip. Additional comments are on the pictures, along the bottom edge.
Uruguay is in South America, south of the equator, below Brazil. It is as far south of the equator as Los Angeles is north of the equator.

Some of the pros of living in Uruguay:

  • Stable, secular democracy
  • Socially progressive
  • Excellent healthcare
  • Excellent cell phone and Internet access
  • Temperate climate rarely gets below freezing

 
Some cons:

  • Highest point in the country is 1685 feet (513m)
  • High humidity year-round
  • Most of the countryside is ranchland
  • High import duties

We flew in to Montevideo and drove one and a half hours to Punta del Este, which is essentially a resort town attached to the city of Maldonado, roughly 100,000 inhabitants together. This swells in January which is “high season” and Punta del Este is swarmed with tourists taking advantage of the extensive beaches. Our rental car was an anemic creature with manual transmission – but the muscle-memory kicked in pretty quickly. With all the stop-and-go traffic in the city and towns, we’ll opt for an automatic on any return visits.

We stayed in a hotel in the center of Punta del Este, close to restaurants and shopping. Since we were not quite sure what we were getting ourselves into, we wanted to be close to resources, and potentially English-speaking staffs.

You should maximize the slide viewer (in the top left corner) to properly appreciate the pictures. All were taken with Galaxy S23 5G phone.

Some observations…

The Uruguayan economy depends heavily on dairy and meat industries, and it seems that every house, large and small, has a significant outdoor grill. In spite of this, we were able to find good vegan-friendly options in the restaurants. We also appreciated the restrained use of oils and salt in the dishes.

Driving takes a little getting used to. There are few signals or signs in the neighborhoods, and round-abouts are the primary traffic controls on larger roads. Learning to go with the flow is a major skill that must be adopted. Drivers will collectively slow and speed up so everything flows smoothly. If you see someone ahead of you stepping off the side of the street to cross it, don’t slow down. The pedestrian will have already timed the crossing, and slowing down unexpectedly will disturb the pattern.

I could not locate a library, or central repository of natural and cultural history. There are a number of book stores, each having a slightly different collection, and there were books by local (Uruguayan) authors, as well as books on local flora and fauna. The shops attached to the arboretum and museums had books related to their subjects.

Additional Information

You can find out more about MACA here.

More information about the arboretum is here.

The undulating bridge at La Barra has a Wikipedia page.

The Museo del Mar has a Wikipedia page.

Alaska 2024

Alaska 2024

 
Here are some pictures of a trip to Alaska to visit my sister and her new baby. We had hoped to have enough snow to go snow-mobiling and snow-shoeing, but the weather didn’t cooperate. We still got in a lot of walking in the hills and on the property. Saw a few moose but no other wildlife.

The clouds, ice fog, and the fact that the sun barely rises above the horizon, made for some nice pictures. The dogs are Tundra, a 4-year old Karelian bear dog, and Lark, a 2-month old Golden Retriever. Tundra is 40 lbs and Lark will be about 60lbs when full grown. On walks, the GPS collar on Tundra shows she runs about three miles, sometimes more, for every one of ours.

We did check out the Alyeska ski area. They had enough snow to have a few runs open. We took the tram up, and down.

You should maximize the slide viewer (in the top left corner) to properly appreciate the pictures. All were taken with Galaxy S21 5G phone.

Lair 2024

Lair 2024

Here are some pictures of the lair. You should maximize the slide viewer (in the top left corner) to properly appreciate them. Pictures were taken with Galaxy S21 5G phone.

Campervan Trial

Campervan Trial

What to do…
I was looking for some adventuring options – boating, ferry rides, cruising, car camping – and such, when I settled on RV-ing. At least it’s something that can be tried out at relatively low cost and risk. There are several companies that rent RV’s for people that don’t use them full time, like an airbnb. I wasn’t going for some huge land-yacht, just something big enough for one or two people, and agile enough to tackle the camp and logging roads I like to explore.

Fortunately, there is a category of RVs, or camper vans, called “Class B” which falls into these parameters. These are usually high-roofed commercial vans, visualize the typical Amazon or FedEx delivery vehicles, that have been converted into an RV. A common chassis is the Mercedes Sprinter with 4-wheel drive. Dodge, Ford and Nissan make vehicles that are almost indistinguishable from the Sprinter. As far as I can tell the Sprinter is the only 4×4. There are many variations in outfitting and the Revel and Storyteller are widely described and reviewed. Google either of these and you’ll see many videos and blogs describing them. I checked out GoCamp.com and found a Storyteller near me.

The sign-up and reservation process was easy. I signed up for 3 and a half days so I could pick up in the morning and return in the evening. Once I paid, I was put in contact with the owner. My reservation was a few weeks out and I was able to get a preview look at it so I could prepare as much as possible.

On the road…
I picked up the the 2023 Storyteller Mode Classic 4×4 in Wednesday morning (23.01.25), and took it home to load up my gear. There was a bin of clothing, a bin with food, coffee maker, and “stuff”, my “I hope I never have to use this” duffel, a portable toilet (much more about this later), my “office” backpack, my hiking backpack, and some bedding. I ran a few errands with the van and found that gear was sliding around all over the place due to the slick plastic floor and lack of tiedowns. Fortunately, I prepared for this. The reviews told me the Storyteller had L-tracks on the floor and I ordered some clips ahead of time. I attached these, prepped some ropes, and was able to firmly fasten everything. By about 13:00 I was on the road – a bit later than I wanted. Days are still short in January and I wanted to get to Quinalt Lake before dark. I expected the drive to take about 4 hours.

After a stop for coffee in Longview, WA, I got on the highway again and discovered I was in what is apparently a known condition called “limp mode” (Google it), however there were no dashboard warning lights. Aaaarghhh!!! Up to this point, the Sprinter had been behaving like a large, powerful sedan. It accelerated easily onto the highway, kept speed on hills, and, generally, was a joy to drive. I called the owner, who had no resolution but would do some research.

After reviewing the dash pictures I took for the owner, I noticed that there was a yellow engine check light on. Very subtle, when compared to the boldly displayed text message on the screen that told me to add DEF fluid. The check engine light can be caused by many things, all boiling down to “send in for maintenance”, which wasn’t really an option. Owner said I should carry on.

It didn’t disable me but the van now had all the acceleration of a 70’s VW bus loaded with Boy Scouts and their camping gear. Been there, done that! At this rate, I wasn’t going to make it to my preferred first stop on the north shore of Quinalt Lake – I didn’t want to navigate the forest roads and try to find a campsite in the dark. I checked the iOverlander app and found a spot right off the highway just before Quinalt Lake.

I parked on a spot about 100 yards off the highway on NF-2258, or Quinalt Ridge Road. I backed into a spot just as it got completely dark, and settled in for the night. I still had cell service so I was able to call home and do a little (fruitless) research into “limp mode”. During the night I could still hear the highway. The gravel road announced any passing cars, of which there were only a few. The only noteworthy incident was around 5:00 when a car stopped just past my spot on the road. The driver couldn’t avoid seeing my bright white van. He got out, rummaged about in the back of his station wagon and fed his dog. He did have a pretty big flashlight that he didn’t shine directly at me, but it did light up the forest. He also entertained me with some rock music. Eventually he packed up and went on his way toward the highway. Perhaps a “resident” from further up the road, trying to discourage any new neighbors? Back to sleep.

Day 2…
Got up around 7:30, had breakfast, took some pictures, and headed out to Quinalt Lake. Still in “limp mode”. Drove a ways up South Shore Road and then went to North Shore Road. Drove all the way out to North Fork Ranger Station. See pictures. Partly cloudy and some sun all morning, making for some nice pictures. Retraced a lot of where I was in 2020. No time for serious hiking. The fern field was totally brown – sad. You can compare pictures to the ones I took in 2020. I checked out the Quinalt Inn, and the person there said it had been a really hot summer.

Headed to Forks after lunch, started raining and drizzling. Picked up a green salad and a fruit salad at the market, reset power, and fueled up. Still in “limp mode”. Headed to Ho Campground and settled in to overnight there. No cell service but could text home via satellite link.

Day 3…
A beautiful rain forest winter morning! Everything was wet and sparkly, the sky was partly cloudy and the low morning sun was creating some nice effects. There was even a rainbow over the van! I had breakfast, headed to the parking lot and booted up for some hiking. I took the Hall of Mosses trail and the sun shining through the moss-covered leaf-less trees created some awesome and creepy pictures. The mile or so was as much as my hip and knee could take so got back on the road again.

Going south on 101 I stopped at some of the beaches and roadside views. Checked out campgrounds around Quinalt (all closed) and headed for a boondock just north of Neilton on NF-2303. I selected a spot on a power-line access road. This was a bit more open and sky was still only partly cloudy. Maybe see some stars?

Cell service allowed me to call home. I did a little walking about, took pictures, had dinner. I also tried out the Halo shower. Note – turn on the vent. And, when using the vent open one of the windows a little. The van is sealed pretty tight and the vent labored without some inflow. Shower worked OK, the instant heater had a lot of trouble keeping up with the flow. Way better than not having one, though. Some reading and then lights out. Highway was close enough that I could hear trucks. It did cloud over and drizzle, so no stars 🙁

Day 4…
Got up around 6:45, was still dark but I wanted to be ready to go when it was light enough to see. Usual cereal with blueberries and almond milk, and coffee. Cleaned up as much as possible and drove out at 7:45. Headed home. The Sprinter briefly got out of limp mode and then resumed after a stop. Totally weird because there was no indicator, and the vehicle had less than 6000 miles on it.

Got home, unloaded gear, cleaned, rinsed off mud, and returned to owner at ~ 13:00.

I really look forward to doing this again – once the “limp mode” issue is settled. A key advantage of camping close to hiking and scenic sites is being there early. If I was staying at the motel in Forks, as I have in the past, I’d have to get up, check out, and drive to my destination. It’s nice already being there at sunrise 🙂

Here are the pictures. You should maximize the slide viewer (in the top left corner) to properly appreciate them. These were taken with a Samsung Galaxy S21 phone. The pictures are in high resolution and may take a few seconds to load. You can click on the “+” in the top left corner to zoom in.

 
Equipment:

  • 2023 Storyteller Mode Classic 4×4 (2022 Sprinter chassis)
  • Galaxy S21 phone
  • Garmin inReach Explorer+ for satellite texting
  • Thetford Porta Potti 565
  • L-track clips for tie-downs: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XVYPPVB

Injuries: None. Haven’t been hiking or walking a lot lately so hip and knees easily tired.

Costs: The 3 1/2 day rental was $1057.90. This included 125 miles a day. Additional mileage was $0.40 per mile with tax. The vehicle got 13 miles per gallon, and at about $5.20 per gallon of diesel, that added another $0.40 per mile. Add in the periodic DEF refills and operating cost approaches a dollar per mile, not counting maintenance. Something to bear in mind for longer trips, or purchase considerations. My total driving distance was 642 miles. Would have been more with more daylight and less limping.

Comments, observations…

The Storyteller is a stock item so it makes some compromises. Clearly, if I was building my own I would do it a little differently.

  • A curtain behind the front seats would provide privacy for eating and toilet use while in areas with other people around, without need for installing all the window shields.
  • The second row seat is too wide. I kept bumping into it and it really cramped the cabins space while trying to use the galley.
  • A longer counter would be nice, even if it extended under the bed area. I didn’t use the induction plate, but when I set it out as a trial it used up most of the available space.
  • Even with the beds folded up, I had a hard time visualizing suiting up for snowshoeing or skiing for just one person, much less two. Not sure how I would fix this but needs to be considered for future trips, or a custom design. I saw some custom designs that eliminated the “lounge” area and had a bench seat and table at the back, thereby opening the central area.
  • The indicator LEDs are a nuisance at night. The USB outlet had a bright blue LED that lit up the cabin. A towel over it fixed that. Since I was using the inverter for the electric blanket, the microwave was on and it’s timer light added to the night lights. A piece of cardboard fixed that. Bring black vinyl tape next time.
  • Being able to sit or stand on the roof is fun. Also a great platform for taking pictures.

 

The toilet…
Having access to a toilet, in comfort, is a significant modern convenience. As one ages and the personal plumbing becomes less reliable, this is even more noticeable. In the course of reviewing the Class B RVs in general, and reading reviews of the Storyteller in particular, there was information about the toilet options that are available. Discussions covered built-ins with black water tanks, cassette systems, and totally portable options. The Storyteller comes with a portable. These are essentially two-part systems consisting of a top seat with a reservoir for the flush fluid, and a bottom reservoir that is the holding tank. After reading Joe’s review of the Thetford Porta Potti 565 on https://weretherussos.com/, I decided to get that, since the Storyteller came with a smaller one.

The Thetford 565, as compared to others, is almost normal toilet height, and the seat and opening are almost normal toilet size. Other models are lower and have small openings, which can make wiping and peeing while sitting uncomfortable.

As a test, I used the Thetford exclusively for both #1 and #2 at home for two weeks. One week I tried the vinegar option recommended by Joe, and for one week I tried a chemical option. Vinegar works fine and smells less, so I stayed with that for the trip.

  • Use septic tank friendly toilet paper. Mine was bamboo-based.
  • Guys – sit for #1!
  • In addition to the electric flush, I also used a spray cleaner to rinse the bowl after each use. I would also spray the bowl before a #2 to reduce sticking and streaks. Use the electric flush with each wipe to encourage the TP to fall into the hole.
  • Spray and wipe bowl to be sure it’s clean before closing the seal.

I set the toilet into the shower well on the Storyteller. The extra hoses and cleaners nestled around it to hold it in place. The lid to the well stayed open. (Sorry, no picture – one of many I forgot to take.) It worked well. There was no smell in the sealed van. Everything was closed up most of the time due to the weather. It was nice to have it available during the night and first thing in the morning.

I don’t mind having the spare toilet. It can be handy as a bedside toilet during illness, can be used during emergencies, and, of course, will be used for future camping trips. Even if I decide to go car tent-camping, it might be nice to have.

Happy wandering 🙂

Ho Rain Forest 2020

Ho Rain Forest 2020

Took an overnight trip October 20-21 to Ho Rain Forest. Drove up Tuesday morning and did a little exploring close to the ranger station. Spent the night in Forks Motel and got an early start so I could hike a little way along the Ho River. Drove back in the afternoon and evening. Takes a little over 5 hours each way. A little drizzle every now and then but overall pretty nice weather. Temps in the 40’s and 50’s – good shirtsleeve weather so I can keep dry. Really need to spend 2 nights so I have the full day for enjoying the woods and can get further up the valley. Hip slowed me down some.

Used the Garmin InReach to keep SJ updated via satellite texting.

Here are the pictures. You should maximize the slide viewer (in the top left corner) to properly appreciate them. These were taken with a Nikon D5300 and a OnePlus 5 phone. Last picture shows my circular light attachment I use with the phone camera. I also have a bracket that can attach it to the Nikon. The power supply is a standard 5V backup pack I can also use to recharge the phone or GPS.

 
A little video of Mineral Creek Falls about 4 miles in:

Quinalt Lake

Quinalt Lake

After being cooped up for way too long, we, Orion and I, decided to head out. Birthday is coming up on Sunday, but we thought better to go out during the week. We looked at the map and decided that Lake Quinalt, in the southwest corner of Olympic National Park would be a good target.

Headed out on I-5 at 7am until we hit Tumwater. I had intended to turn west earlier but missed some turnoffs. Anyway, west to Aberdeen and then north on US-101 to Quinalt. Took a little over 4 hours. On the way back we took 101 south until we met the Columbia River and then hugged the north shore, back to I-5 at Longview, and then back home. Got back 10:30pm. Love these long summer days! When I left Lake Quinalt I considered going on to Hoh rainforest, only 50 miles away. For another day though. Temps for most of the drive up were in the 60’s and 70’s with some drizzle as I dodged around mountain ranges. Once I got into the valley around the lake temps were in the 80’s and it was pretty dry overall. I want to come back when it’s wetter, and more rain-foresty. At least I have a good idea of what it takes to get here.

Quinalt Lake has some resort cabins and inns, nothing fancy. Spotty cell service. Best bring your own food if you want to eat healthy. The lake is nice, clear, and swimmable. There are South and North Shore Roads along the shore. They meet further up the Quinalt river, which feeds the lake. The north road is less populated and has hiking trails off it. Aside from serendipitous walks along logging trails, lake parks, and forest meadows, I only took one “official” hike. That was to Lake Irely, about 2.2 miles round trip. It’s a bog lake at the upper end of the glacier-carved valley, which has Lake Quinalt at the lower end.

Along the North Shore Road, just before it splits at the bridge to the South Shore Road, there were several fields of huge ferns, out in the open, unshaded by trees. This section was significant enough that the road was paved, instead of gravel.

Traveled light on my hikes, even though the car was loaded with gear. A collapsible canoe would have been nice for paddling on the lake. Could have taken the kayak, just don’t like to take long trips with it. And, it covers up the sunroof 🙂 Used the Garmin InReach to keep SJ updated via satellite texting.

Here are the pictures. You should maximize the slide viewer (in the top left corner) to properly appreciate them. These were taken with a Nikon D5300 and a OnePlus 5 phone. The pictures are in high resolution and take a few seconds to load. You can click on the “+” in the top left corner to zoom in. The HDR on the One Plus works well – it’s crazy how some of my phone pics come out better than the Nikon’s.

Latourell Falls

Latourell Falls

On the first Sunday in March, Orion and I ignored all chores, to-do lists, and all other clamorings for attention, and headed out for a drive along the Historic Columbia River Highway. Starting at the Stark Street bridge, we headed east through some small towns.

Chanticleer Point was our first stop. This provided a nice view eastward along the Columbia River, with snow-topped mountains in the distance. We also got a view of Vista House, a popular site in the gorge. There was a stiff wind and temperature was right at freezing.

I got out at Vista House to take a few pictures and had to lean into the wind to avoid being toppled. My face become numb quite quickly.

Then on to Latourell Falls. This is a pair of falls, with the lower one visible from the parking area. The upper falls are about a mile in. At this time of year there are lots of icicles around the falls. There was plenty of ice wherever the spray from the falls hit the trail. A trekking pole would have come in handy, but since it was only a short walk, I left them in the car. Crampons would have been better. I’ll be better prepared next time.

I wandered on to Bridal Veil Park which also has some nice views. I didn’t go to the falls, saving that for next time.

Here are the pictures. You should maximize the slide viewer (in the top left corner) to properly appreciate them. Most pictures were taken with Nikon D5300 and some with my OnePlus 5 phone. The pictures are in high resolution and take a few seconds to load. You can click on the “+” in the top left corner to zoom in.

Salmon River Wanderings

Salmon River Wanderings

Sometimes I just wander about without any specific destination. I wanted to explore around the Salmon Butte trailhead and today I did that. I scheduled this outing and it was going to happen, rain or shine. They day turned out to be somewhere in between, somewhat misty, and more water dripping off trees than from the sky. Temperature was in the 40’s, a bit warmer than my previous visit. All the fancy ice crystals were gone. I did bring my new gloves and they kept my hands nice and toasty. I didn’t really need them and wore the glove liners most of the time.

First I headed up the South Fork of the Salmon River, to see how far I could go. Close to the bridge there is a huge boulder that has several large trees growing on it. The path goes through large ferns and moss-covered trees. The path runs out pretty quickly where a cliff face comes all the way to the river.

Next I followed the South Fork downstream to see where it meets the main course. Water temperature is a chilly 42 F. Again, lots of ferns and moss-covered trees. I also found some interesting fungi. I wonder, does the mycelium (root network) of the fungi on the trees go to the ground and interconnect?

After running out of exploring options along the river, I followed the old roadway to where the trail branches off. I detoured onto the trail as far as the two camp sites. The first one had a trail leading away from it. This is also an old road, heavily overgrown, and you can still make out the center ridge. I followed only a little way. I suspect the camp sites were gravel depots. Orion and I have come across other large open spots, with gravel under the moss and grass, along other logging roads.

I continued on the roadway past the trail turnoff. It was filled with saplings. In the spring and summer it will be difficult to go along here because you won’t be able to see where you’re going. A few people have come this way since fall as evidenced by flattened leaves and ferns. The first portion is a thick layer of packed gravel, crossed by streams. After a while the gravel runs out and the road is just a graded way through the forest. Orion and I have passed along similar tracks elsewhere.

I passed two hikers with packs and trekking poles striding along. I also passed two runners puffing up hill at a good pace. Some postings on AllTrails claim to make the round trip to the top in a bit over three hours!

I sometimes just stand, or sit, by the trail, just to be there. In the distance is the tumbling of a large river. Closer by is the burbling of a stream crossing the path. One ear hears the uphill portion as the water comes toward me, and the other ear hears the downhill portion that’s making its way to join the larger roar. Sometimes  a bird will chirp. The wind tickles the tree tops, and tufts of mist roost among the branches. Nice!

I do need to come back with a tripod. Some of these pictures would make nice murals or screen savers. Fortunately the best ones are close to the parking area.

Here are the pictures. You should maximize the slide viewer (in the top left corner) to properly appreciate them. Most pictures were taken with Nikon D5300 and some with my OnePlus 5 phone. The pictures are in high resolution and take a few seconds to load. You can click on the “+” in the top left corner to zoom in.

Salmon Butte Trail

Salmon Butte Trail

Salmon Butte Trail starts where the South Fork of the Salmon River meets the main course of the Salmon River, and is in my main hiking area, the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness portion of Mount Hood Forest. Overall the trail is smooth and rises steadily along its length. The total length is 6.1 miles and climbs 3490 feet. Compare that to Cool Creek which rises 3200 feet in 3.3 miles.

On December 22, 2018, I headed out to give it a try. I got a late start and arrived at the trail head at 12:30. Sunset is at 4:30 this time of year, and in the mountains it would get dark even sooner. I didn’t have much time.

The trail starts out by crossing an old concrete bridge and follows what appears to be an old logging road. The roadway is covered with only light growth, probably owing to a thick and well-packed layer of gravel. It would be hard to drive now, however, due to the number of stream-worn little canyons crossing it. After 1.5 miles, the trail goes off on its own, while the old road continues off in another direction. Up to this point you can hear the South Fork in the distance.

Once I turned off the road into the trees, it was less windy and felt warmer. The path is soft and smooth. About 2 miles in there was a light dusting of snow in the clearings, and at about 3 miles there was a little bit of snow under the trees. I was passed by a young man in shorts with a dog. At 3.5 miles I was still in good shape but knew that there was not enough time to get to the top. I did not want to be stuck hiking in the forest after dark. I turned around and had a late lunch when I reached the campsite. I reached the car at 4:00 and the sun was far behind the mountains.

On New Years Day of 2019 I headed out at sunrise to try again. The sky was clear and I had the whole day to try this. I arrived at the trail head at 8:40 and started. The old road follows the river for a while and there is a strong, cold breeze blowing along it. I was glad to get to the trail and out of the wind. There wasn’t any snow on the road portion but once I headed into the trees and got a little more altitude, there was snow. After about 3 miles there was several inches on the path and that made hiking a bit more strenuous. I also had trouble keeping my hands and fingers warm. Gloves that are fine in town are not warm enough up here. I made it a little more than 4 miles and had to turn around. I just couldn’t keep my hands warm enough, and I was getting pooped out. Perhaps not getting much sleep the night before had something to do with that. Hiking in even a few inches of snow is also hard work, a little bit like walking uphill in sand.

Oh well, it will be here in the Spring.

I started back and made lunch at a convenient spot along the trail. The Indian Vegetable Korma is very good but takes half an hour to soften all the vegetables. I had to set the fuel canister on a glove. If they get too cold the fuel doesn’t expand properly. Ideally I would have a small piece of foam padding to set it on. (That is why I practice cooking on these hikes. I have to remember or relearn all the tricks I’ve forgotten.)

I found some small animal tracks. These looked like cat tracks, more like a house cat than a cougar(!) and are probably raccoon tracks.

I explored some strange ice crystals in the moss along the trail, and explored what at first looked like strange clumps of snow on some dead sticks. Looking closely at them I found ice crystals growing under the bark of some dead branches. These crystals literally peeled the bark off the branches. The ice crystals were very fine, like cotton candy, and melted at the merest breath.

I got back to the car about 3pm.

Clothes: Duluth light thermal underwear, top & bottom. REI pants and Duluth poly longsleeve shirt. Brimmed wool hat with integral earmuffs. Duluth socks.
On the first hike I wore a heavy windbreaker. Second hike was colder and I used my Duluth hoodie. Hoodie and hat were sweat soaked from the inside and always hard to put back on after resting. Only had work gloves. Need to get ski gloves. I have a small spur on the outside of left foot which has been rubbing the boot on the last few hikes. Finally thought to put a bunion ring on it and that helps a lot.

No injuries, not even to pride.

There are some other exploring options: 1) Follow along the South Fork upstream from the bridge. It looks like a trail starts here, it would be nice to see how far it goes. 2) Follow the road instead of going onto the trail at the 1.5 mile point.

Here are the pictures. You should maximize the slide viewer (in the top left corner) to properly appreciate them. Most pictures were taken with Nikon D5300 and some with my OnePlus 5 phone. The pictures are in high resolution and take a few seconds to load. You can click on the “+” in the top left corner to zoom in.