Oh my, but the days are racing by!
On Tuesday we returned once again to Crater Lake National Park. Although we knew the Southeastern most section of the rim drive was closed, we hoped we could still get to one or more of the moderate hikes on the park map.
Seems I've really gotten to like hiking!
The trails we really wanted were closed, but the Garfield Peak trail was open much of the way. If you go all of the way to the top, you reach the highest hiking point in the park. We were able to go about two miles before we reached a snowy blockade. A path was cut through, but on the advice of some returning hikers I opted to wait below while Craig went up beyond the snow.
My view was pretty good. I didn't feel the need to go higher. As I waited for Craig to come back down,
I watched as one gal (much younger than I) slipped and fell. Her companion had to help her the rest of the way down the snowy path.
Craig rested after our hike, while I went off to find a restroom. We then found a picnic table in the snow and had lunch. After that we went up to the lodge and enjoyed a ranger talk before returning to our RV park.
We plan on going back up to the lake on Friday or Saturday for one more look. Can't get too much of its beauty!
I found a book of hiking trails in the office of our campground. In it I found what seemed like a good hike for us to do on Wednesday. It was in the National Forest and it looked like the access wasn't far from our RV park.
The hike was a bit longer than I wanted (10 miles) but it didn't look very hard.
Although I had both a printed map and written directions, we were still able to get a little lost looking for the trailhead!
We saw a sign that said "Sevenmile Creek trailhead" at the first road we came to, and turned. It was a cinder road. We drove six or so miles to its end, and found no trailhead.
We tried a side rod, but it was very rough and more suitable for a Jeep than an Accent. After a short distance we turned around.
When we got back to the turnoff for the cinder road we saw there was another road right next to it. It was gravel, but smoother than the first. It was the right road and we found the trailhead.
This trail was quite different from what we've become accustomed to in the National Park. It was not well marked and hadn't been maintained for a long time.
This view is of a more cleared section.
The further up we went the more downed trees and deadfall we encountered.
At many points the trail became completely overgrown with small trees, and we had to guess which way to go.
Is this the trail?
Or does it go over there?
I didn't take a picture when we got to the point where we could no longer find the trail. Guessing which way to go is not a good practice when you are in a somewhat wild forest.
So after about two and a half miles we decided to turn back. At one point we thought we were going in the right direction when Craig checked it with the compass feature on his Android phone. Oops, we were going in the wrong direction!
I'm glad we turned around while we were still able to find the way we had come.
It was still a nice hike, but only about five miles round trip!
I'm really not going to be satisfied with two miles on the treadmill when I get home!
What a long, long day!
Hard work,
Some stress,
No mishaps,
Nice lunch,
Long drive,
Safe arrival,
We're here.
We got up about an hour early this morning and had fresh baked croissants (frozen from Trader Joe's) for breakfast. This was a real treat, and we only had them because they were still in the freezer from "before healthy eating."
While they baked, I made some deviled eggs and chicken wraps to take along for our "rest stop lunch."
Our target departure time was 11 AM, but it took until noon to get everything stowed and all of the mechanicals checked. We didn't rush, but we both worked hard to get everything done right.
Craig got the Alfa out of her parking place quite smoothly and after filling the water tanks backed out of the lower drive and drove up our road without mishap. I followed him down to our agreed-upon hook up spot in the Accent. Getting the vehicles connected went smoothly.
Traffic was light and the miles flew by. We pulled into a rest stop for lunch and took this picture of the Alfa and her toad!
It was a little hard to keep our speed down to just over 55 MPH, but we both did. The Alfa really feels like she wants to go faster, but the California speed limit for towing is 55. Since we've had a few minor mishaps we really don't need a speeding ticket too!
We arrived at the Shingletown KOA about 7 PM. The driving distance was 286 miles. In a car it would have been about a five hour drive. For us it was seven.
We had a simple dinner, a couple of glasses of wine, took a short walk and are now having a cup of tea before bed.
As Kate would say
"Life is Good!"
But it's still pretty cold outside up here in the Mountains! We are still enjoying evening fires and Craig says it has to get warmer before he is ready to start the "outside" work!
On the "inside" work, he has completed work on one of three bathrooms. The other two will come after a long summer of outside jobs.
Not much happening with the RV. I did firm up our plans for the Crater lake trip, and made reservations at the Shingletown KOA for the week we will be down near Lassen National Park.
I first made a mistake in booking a one night stop over at the Burney Falls State park. I had looked at the reservation sight several times and was under the impression there were no sites big enough for the Alfa, but then I found one. Unfortunately it was a handicap site and I didn't notice that until after I had confirmed the reservation. OOPS, I called right away, but still got stuck with a cancellation fee. Lesson learned. Look at everything twice when you find something to good to be true!
I guess we will just be driving up to Burney Falls one of the days we are at Shingletown. We will have the Prius with us.
On the food front, I've slipped a couple of times. I remind myself no one is perfect and building new habits that will be good for me for the rest of my life.
I just get so bummed when I hit a plateau like I have for the last week or so.
I am excited about a new dressing/dip recipe that I have been making. I'm sure all my Vegan friends know all about silken tofu, but it was new to me. Silken tofu is sold in water packages next to the firm tofu in the cold case of the grocery stores. I see that it is also sold in "shelf stable" boxes which would be great to have along in the RV when you can't get to a grocery!
The following is a recipe for a very basic salad dressing. I made half at a time because I don't like to keep things mixed in the refrigerator for very long. It is a "basic" recipe and you could easily add more or other spices or even add tomato and relish for a Thousand Island style dressing.
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 6 ounces silken tofu (or soft tofu, drained) (comes in
- a box)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley (I used dried)
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Directions
- Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a blender container. Blend until well mixed.
The first time I made it we tried it as a veggie dip. I guess we were hungry, because between Craig and I we did in a whole small head of fresh cauliflower! At that time I thought the dressing was a bit thin and would have been better as a salad dressing than as a dipping dressing. I did save the little that was left over and used it on a salad a few days later and it was still good.
I made a second batch with the remaining tofu a few days later. This time I added a Tablespoon of Chia seeds and put it in the refrigerator over night. The dressing became a nice thick dip!
I had never heard of Chia Seeds before last week, except for when they are spread over a funny sculpture to grow a "Cha- Cha -Cha- Chia pet!
They are very high in fiber, 5 grams per tablespoon, and can be added to things like breads or smoothies. If you mix them into a liquid, and let them stand for awhile, they expand into a jelly like substance with little seeds inside. This is what thickened the dressing.
By the way, do not mix Chia seeds, almond milk and blueberries in a blender and pour it into little cups, expecting to get a nice "Chia pudding." The resulting concoction is not visually pleasing. The blueberries turn gray.
