~ Anderson Reservoir, Trinity Lakes ~
This past weekend, Josh and I went camping in the Anderson Reservoir/Trinity Lakes area. I'd like to begin by directing you to Josh's blog entry that contains a nice summary of the events.
The Anderson Reservoir/Trinity Lakes is a lovely area. That photo above is of the canyon right at the base of the reservoir. And a big reservoir it is. To get to where we would camp, we had to drive on a scary road to the end of the reservoir and then through the forest and mountains to some campgrounds approximately 13 miles before Trinity Lakes (some high mountain lakes). Our camp spot was lovely.
Soon after we arrived, we went on a mountain bike ride up Fire Road #101 which took us up a gradual climb to the top of some mini-mountains. After the bike ride, we went down to the stream adjacent to our camp, and washed the dust and sweat off our persons and spent several hours splish-splashing around in the water. This was one of my favorite activities of the trip. We cracked open a few beers and had a splendid time playing stream-side.
Interestingly, we opted not to have a camp fire. I realize this is normally a prime joy in camping, but for some reason we weren't feeling it. Instead, we went on a nice evening walk - - primarily so that I could massage the terrible intestinal cramp that I had developed - - played some smashmitten and boggle, and retired to the tent for some reading at a ridiculously early hour. I read half of an exciting science fiction short story about a kid who stumbles upon an abandoned alien space ship and takes it for a spin. It was apparently one of the year's best sci-fi short stories, some years ago.
The next day's primary activity was a big mountain bike ride up to the Trinity Lakes area. According to Josh's calculation, we climbed about 2300 feet in elevation. We rode up a gravel mountain road, which featured an interesting mix of turns and straight-aways, smooth dirt and rugged rocky surfaces. The first part of the ride was through the forest, and then it took us well above the tree line to a higher mountain zone. After two hours of consistent climbing, I began to wonder how much farther it would be to get to the lakes. It was about this point that the road began featuring some more challenging rugged surfaces that took a bit more effort to pedal one's bike over. Also, without the trees, we found ourselves more directly in the sun's rays. All of this, in addition to the fact that my leg muscles were starting to feel the burn, compelled me to feel a bit cranky. At some point, a truck passed us and Josh took the opportunity to ask how much farther it was to the lakes. The man said that the lakes were still a ways away and that the road was really rugged and that we wouldn't be able to ride our bikes up there. This last statement really irritated Josh because the guy clearly underestimated the utility of the mountain bike. Soon after that, we found the turn-around spot. It took about 2.5 hours to ride up, and about 15 minutes to bonzai down. I must say, wow, the downhill was incredibly fun. We had the whole road to ourselves and we bombed down SO FAST. Before we began the descent, Josh commented that we would probably be using our breaks a lot, what with all of the ruggedness and turns. In reality, the breaks were hardly used. I did opt to navigate the particularly rugged stuff slowly, and those sections I really enjoyed - - it's amazing what sort of terrain a person can roll right over on a bike, I didn't even bother navigating around huge rocks, I just rode over them. On the smoother surfaces, I kept my fingers off the breaks and was flying down the mountain. So thrilling! I wish that I had my cycle computer on the bike so that I could have known how fast I was actually travelling - - Josh seems to think that it was faster than ever before and I have to concur. Of course, as irony would have it, Josh later consulted a map and discovered that we had stopped not too far from the lakes.
Photos for this adventure may be found on my Anderson Reservoir photoset
~ Dancing at the Arcade ~
I've finally gotten around to posting my photos from the camping trip to Upper Payette Lake onto my flickr dealie. If you depress your mouse button on the above photo, your browser should be directed there. I've decided to refer anyone interested in the narrative of the camping trip to Josh's Camper's Log as I feel that it does a very nice job of capturing some of the camping moments.
Anyhoo, last night Josh and I found ourselves in something of a pickle as we tried to decide how to spend our evening together. See, we work kind of incompatible hours, and Friday and Tuesday are the two weekdays that we have the possibility of spending a decent chunk of time together. Which is why I like to embrace my Friday evenings...that, and you know, celebrating the end of the work week. So, part of the problem of deciding what to do was the fact that it was over 100 degrees outside, which basically precluded doing anything outdoors. Josh was attempting to persuade me to go to a movie with him. I, however, was hesitant because I feel that I've had a disappointing several months of trying to go to the movie theaters. A few weeks ago we saw the latest Pirates of the Carribean movie and Josh was so bored that I think he fell asleep (we also saw the LATE showing) and I just sat there and sat there and sat there wondering why the movie wouldn't end. I thought it was terrible, it duplicated so many of its scenes and gimmicks, and the plot failed to substantiate the duration of the film. So we left before it was even over. A few weeks earlier, we saw that Nacho Libre film by the director of Napoleon Dynamite. I believe that I already provided the internet with my thumbs down review, but aside from the fact that I was so annoyed with the teen boys behind me talking for the entire movie, the movie sucked. And we walked out of that one before it was over too. Which makes me feel like both of those experiences were just a waste of money, and I am of the opinion that wasting money is lame. So Josh had quite the task ahead of him if he thought he could convince me to go to another summer blockbuster...
Instead, while I was in the shower after having a workout at the gym, I was brainstorming things to do. I didn't feel like sitting down at an establishment (like a bar or restaurant...or movie theater) so I began to think about what sorts of places would provide airconditioning as well as amusement. And it hit me! A video game arcade!!!
So we went to PoJo's Arcade and played a variety of shoot'em-up games, motorcycle racing, and other standard arcade games, as well as several rounds of that Japanese dancing game (which is quite a workout!) and bumper cars. We left around 10:30, which is my bedtime. By the time that we got to my apartment, I realized that I had locked myself out of my apartment. Which was this complete freak occurrance. I was stressed out because it was way too late to call my landlady to let me in (I've been thinking recently - about the last year - that I need to get a spare key, but I've been putting it off...). Josh and I wandered into the alley behind my apartment and he shimmied up the concrete wall and managed to open my alley window (which was totally latched and locked from the inside) and hoisted himself through. While I was delighted to get back into my apartment, I was alarmed at how easy it was to break into my place of residence.
This morning I got up at 7:00 and went on a two hour road ride before the heat hit. I think it's almost 105 degrees right now. Which is fine because I've already got my exercise in and now I can just relax at an airconditioned coffee shop all day playing on the internet.
~ Secesh to Loon Lake ~
This weekend, while Josh and I were camping at Upper Payette Lake in the Payette National Forest, we took a day trip to bike the Loon Lake Loop. We drove about ten miles from our camp to the Ruby Meadows turnoff from Warren Wagon Road. From there we asked for directions to the trailhead, as it was not readily apparent which way to go, and along with directions we also received some information about a WWII era bomber lodged at the far end of the lake. In my googling of Loon Lake information, I discovered someone who had taken photos of the bomber, which can be viewed here. We, incidentally, opted to not hike to the far end of the lake to view the bomber.
The first half of the loop, to Loon Lake, was amazing. It began as a road suited to ATVs and motorcycles, though all access, with fun banked turns and the sort of rollercoastery bumps that off-road vehicles tend to produce, which happen to be super fun on a bicycle. The trail took us through the area that was burned in the 1994 fire, and the effect was a graveyard of trees. Eventually the trail turned into a well maintained singletrack which had a pleasant combination of mild technicals and rolling intervals of ascents and descents, into meadows, forested hilltops, and rocky mountain slopes. There were several wooden bridges to cross as the trail wound through the meadows. These bridges were constructed with a series of wood panels jutting upwards into the center of the bridge. This created an effect similar to a rut. At some point, while I was navigating my bicycle tires in between the wooden bridge rut, my front wheel scraped the edge of the wooden panel causing a loss of control. I sensed that I was about to flip face-first onto the wooden bridge so I attempted to prevent falling with the use of my trusty left leg. As I was trying to catch myself, in a manner involving the wild flailing of limbs, I was stumbling along the bridge with my bicycle firmly attached to my right foot until I launched off of the bridge into the unknown. At either side of the bridge there was some thick tall grass, and it was impossible to see what was beneath the grass (whether water, rocks, mud, etc.). Fortunately for me, there was only soft ground, which provided that the only thing hurt was my pride. As I was hoisting my person back onto the bridge, Josh and I had a good guffaw.
We continued peddling until we reached Loon Lake, a name which I found pleasing, almost as pleasing, in fact, as the lake itself. Though, stunning would be a more appropriate description. Once lakeside, we relaxed and consumed some carbohydrates. I removed my socks and shoes, though not in that order, and noticed a very prominent dirt line divided my dirt and dust coated legs from my non-dusted and non-dirted feet. I placed said feet into some water, which I found somewhat freezing, and splashed them around.
For the second half of the loop, we took a different route to get back to the car. I have chosen to delete the second half of the ride from my memory. All that I will articulate is that I would not recommend that route to anyone with severe- to worse-than-severe phobias regarding narrow technical trails at the edge of steep rocky cliffs.
By the time that we reached the car, I was very happy to have reached the car. Frankly, I was kind of pooped. Back at the campsite, Josh and I inched our way into the lake for a refreshing wash - - and boy, did it feel great to rid my person of all the mud clumps, dust coating, dried sweat, congealed sunscrean, and smashed bug bodies. For the duration of the evening, I was in a daze of sheer exhaustion.
~ Silver Creek ~
"You know, I don't go in for that whole "God thing", but there's something to the Great Outdoors and a renewing of the spirit." - - Amy, 2006.
On Friday last, Amy and I loaded into her automobile and "got away from it all". We traveled to a place called Silver Creek, which is near to the small town of Crouch, Idaho, about a two hour drive North of Boise. In between our witty banter focusing on the ridicule of science, we admired some scenery and got in some physical activity.
Here are some photographs that I snapped while seated in Amy's moving automobile.
It took us a small time to locate a camping spot suitable to the both of us. There was some confusion regarding whether we ought to camp at that which appeared to be the idea of spots, except for that it was along the creek and we had seen some signs which notified campers that they were not allowed to camp within 50 feet until June 1st of the creek. Amy and I were uncertain of the distance from our camp to the creek, it might have been 50 feet, but we decided that should a forest ranger question us, that we would deny having seen the sign. Deceit always, you know, being the correct plan of action.
After we arrived at our ideal camping location, Amy set up the tent while I gathered firewood. I do not know what it was like for Amy to set up the tent, but my firewood gathering was quite the adventure. I had to wander deep into the woods which seperated our camping ground from others. I triped and stumpled over ground debris, received whips to the face from low-dangling pine tree branches, got my feet wet in the waters of the flooded stream, all the while loading my arms with a large amount of branches and hauling them back to camp. That evening, we hopped onto our bicycles and went on a small toodle up the forest service road which connected all of the camping lots.
Then we returned to our camp, Amy started the fire, and we sat around drinking wine and making obvious observations about the scientific world around us, until we were so tired that it was time to go to bed.
We stumbled over to the outhouse for one last time and then got all bundly in the tent. Right about the time when I had perfected my bundly sleepingbag arrangement, I had to pee yet again. Fie, wine, fie! So I donned my attractive-and-not-at-all-dorky headlamp and ventured outside. I returned to the tent and slept soundly all through the downpour of the night. At some point around what I hypothesize was 6:00 a.m. or thereabouts, my bladder woke me up. I realized that the torrential downpour had stopped and decided that it was time for me to get up. I put on my clothing and navigated my way out of the tent to find a very foggy and moist morning. I was about fifteen feet away from the tent heading towards the outhouse when the torrential downpour began anew. Luckily, I was wearing my rainproof jacket, but I became very wet during the two minutes that it took me to travel to and from the outhouse and the tent. Despite being wide awake and wanting to seize the day, I returned myself to the tent and snuggled in my sleeping bag adjacent to a sleeping Amy and listened to the rain for several hours. Throughout most of this experience I was worried that we would have to call our camping adventure off.
At some point, I dozed off and had a dream about being the captain of a tugboat off the Baltic Sea. When I woke up, the rain had stopped. Amy and I emerged from the drenched tent and put together a breakfast and some thick french pressed coffee. I spent a good deal of time sitting alongside the creek staring at the water. Then we went on a stroll up another forest service road. It was during this walk when I informed Amy that due to my ability to theorize, I am a theorist. While I was talking about my theory-making, Amy and I became alarmed when we heard loud gunshots near to our persons. Considering that there were signs pretty much everywhere which indicated that the shooting of firearms was not a forest service approved activity in that area at that time of year, it was lame. We then proceeded to have a conversation, before returning to the conversation about how I am a theorist, about how we aren't really "gun people".
We returned to the camp, made some salads for lunch and headed out on a bike ride. We rode bicycles for about three hours, up and down the forest service roads. At the end of the ride, I had decided to ride up this road to a summit. But during this ride, I became alarmed yet again as the people with guns were at the summit playing some sort of gun game. I felt glad that I happen to have been wearing my construction orange jersey so that the gun-shooters would perhaps not mistake me for a deer or whatever they might have been trying to shoot. I made an effort to stay away from them and I quit my bicycling adventure sooner than I had wanted because of them. Fie, gun-shooters, fie.
I spent the rest of the day lounging near to the creek reading my book and admiring the beautiful scenery around me. I am one of those people who can be kind of awed my the natural beauty that can be found on the Earth and it is very enjoyable for me to sit back and just observe some nature. That evening, Amy and I made some delicious chilli to which we added chopped onions and loads of cheddar cheese. She built us another fire, which we sat around. We went to bed at a time suited for senior citizens and despite all promising circumstances, I was unable to attain sleep that night. I was much too cold. I spent the night shivering, with my muscles cramped and knotted with cold. I was kind of sleepy the next day. We left early in the day because we both had things that we had to do to get back to our lives, but yes, the camping trip was very nice.
