September 2001

Another season of research comes to an end. October finds us on our way home. Even though we are ending a little early, it has been a productive year. All the National Forests in Utah and Idaho are now completed and a good dent has been made in the Humboldt National Forest in Nevada. This means research for another softcover book is nearly done - Intermountain Region. That will leave only the Pacific Coast states to do. Imagine spending the next four years working on the National Forests' campgrounds in California, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. Boy, this job just keeps getting tougher and tougher.

The events of September 11 did make us, and we are sure you too, think about a wide range of things: the horror of such an action; the sorrow felt by the families and Nation; the pride in the actions of our fellow Americans; the anger at those who would do such a thing; the annoyance at those who lump people together by skin tone, attire, or religion; and, what might be the long term effects. And like you all, our hearts and prayers go out to those who have been touched by such cowardly acts. But we are here to report the Americans we have met and listened to here in the west no longer express a "red hot" anger but a quiet determined resolution. "They" might destroy buildings and end the lives of many but will never break the American spirit. A sign outside a junk yard in Idaho may summarize the American attitude - "Bye-bye bin Laden."

We also want to report, we have done our part to "thumb-our-noses" at the terrorists and support the American economy. Just in the month of September we have traveled from New Meadows, Idaho through the northern reaches of Nevada, and than down to San Diego, California. Besides providing diesel fuel manufacturers a tidy little chunk of change, we did some major shopping in San Diego (Fred was in need of a new sport jacket and a few other items) and had some maintenance work done on the trailer. So not only did we continue to travel but provided some economic stimulant. So what did you do? Perhaps buy a couple of our books or tell someone about our books?

Okay, enough about September 11! Two notable observations made during September were the number of hot springs we saw and distances to many of the campgrounds from our base camps.

The hot springs in Idaho are easy to find - for most, just follow your nose. These delightful treats are the leftovers of moving volcanic hot spots that now create the wonders found in Yellowstone National Park. Some of the hot springs are nothing more than a seeping riverette on the side of a hill and others are a collection of steaming springs flowing into a river. We learned there are three ways to locate a hot spring. The first way is your nose (the smell of sulfur is noticeable). The second is to look for puffs of steam at sunrise. And the third, and possibly most reliable, is sighting man-made rings of rock along a river forming small bathing pools.

We thought Yellowpine, a small and rustic campground, at 70.2 miles from Cascade, ID, in the Boise National Forest, would hold the record for "longest distance traveled to survey." After traveling about 24 miles, then another 31 miles on a single-lane paved roadway with a river along one side (full of salmon and trout) and thick Ponderosa tree covered mountain sides on the other, and finally 14.9 miles on a dirt road, the campground is finally reached. Why, you might ask, would anyone want to travel such a distance. Well, there are several reasons. One is outstanding fishing, another is the annual Harmonic Festival, and a third is the tree studded golf course in the nearby community of Yellow Pine (year round population of 18). One thing about the golf course is the natural handicap provided by numerous trees equalizes everyone's skill level. Even Fred's son, Thomas, an avid and excellent golfer, might find it hard to break 200 on this course.

I bet you are thinking the Yellowpine campground's 70.2 miles broke the record for distance traveled from the nearest town. Wrong! South Ruby campground in Nevada's Humboldt National Forest took over first place at ll8.3 miles! This campground is also on a dirt road but only 23.3 miles. The South Ruby campground, with an RV dump station and modern vault bathrooms, is located on the slopping edge of the Ruby Mountains just above Ruby Lake Wildlife Refuge. The closest thing to shade is provided by ten-foot tall junipers and the nearest fishing is in the Refuge. This is definitely not a campground for summer days but you can't beat the vista from any site and the delightful variety of bird life found in the Refuge.

September saw us complete one of the largest forests, Boise, and the smallest, Payette, of our 2001 season. They provide an interesting comparison. Boise NF, as you might think, is near Idaho's largest urban area, the city of Boise. Payette NF is a narrow strip of lush forest land north of Boise NF. After being overshadowed by the Boise NF for many years, Payette NF has a definite inferiority complex. Although Boise NF does have some very attractive areas, it really can't hold a candle to Payette's overall beauty. Of course, our personal preference is small crowds and lots of green so we would first suggest Payette NF when considering camping in this area.

What we have seen thus far of Nevada leads us to say it is a whole lot of flat with these surprising treasures tucked into the folds of scattered bumps the locals call mountains. It has whet our appetite to see more of the most desolate state we have driven across. But that will have to wait for next year. Now we are looking forward to being at home for awhile. As Dorothy said, "There is no place like home." Especially after you have been away for awhile. So this is the last installment of "The Wanderings" for the 2001 season. We hope these past five months have been as interesting and pleasant for you as they were for us. Until next year, take care and be healthy.

Suzi and Fred