Before, and During, Memorial Day Weekend

May 23, 2013

Tahkenitch Landing Campground

Gardiner, OR

 

I posted a new episode today on the Oregon Dunes 4 the Summer blog.  I am having trouble posting more often than once a week or so.  The opportunity for internet usage at the campground is intermittent, and certainly not strong enough to save and post a missive.  So I have to wait to go to town, 7+ miles away in Reedsport.   It’s amazing what you learn about cell service and wi-fi service and any kind of network availability in the north woods.  I use Verizon for my cell and network service.  In Reedsport, a town of about 2,500 folks, Verizon is pushing 4G service on their cell system.  In Florence, about 15 miles north of me, a town of about 4,500 folks, Verizon is withering away with intermittent 3G service that will just drop off without any notice.  Hell, I have as good or more consistent Verizon service in the campground.  

I am told by the Verizon folks, that they are upgrading the whole wireless system on the Oregon Coast.  They started near the California line and are moving north, up the coast, a town at a time.  They finished Reedsport and are now working on Florence.  Doesn’t help get my phone calls completed or my internet usage handled.  So, if I can avoid it, I don’t try to complete anything of importance with Verizon in Florence or points north, along the coast.

So let me tell you about the fun time I had yesterday.  My normal days off are Tuesday and Wednesday of each week.  On Tuesday, I woke up about 5:30 to rain, not just any rain, but solid, heavy rain beating on the roof of Irv (my RV).  Not a problem, rain here falls heavily, lets up a bit, stops sometimes, maybe all day, maybe not, rains some more, turns to mist, and so I wasn’t worried about it.  I had plans to drive to Eugene (It is raining now, but wasn’t a few minutes ago, but had been during dinner, hard).  I had a bunch of errands to run and didn’t mind the wet.  I have a rain jacket after all.  It rained all day Tuesday.  I got back here about 7:00 p.m., had some dinner, read and went to bed, listening (like now) to the sounds of rain on the roof.  I slept well, but about 6:30 Wednesday morning, I rolled over and realized that I was not only a bit chilly, but my foot was laying on wet sheets.  Irv apparently had a leak in the roof.  And it was still raining as hard as it could.  When I finally got hold of the RV shop about ten of 8:00 a.m., I was packed, unhooked from power, water, sewer and phone (I have a landline, courtesy of the Forest Service) and ready to drive to Florence.  I got there about 9:00ish and the RV wizard showed that it was not the window (on the front of Irv), but the roof seam on the front of the motor home.  While the repair was much less expensive and somewhat easier to accomplish technically, because of the pouring rain, Irv had to be moved indoors to be dried off and warmed up (temps yesterday hit a high of about 45 – 48 degrees).  In addition to being in a hurry to get the roof problem fixed, I sort of didn’t get or fix any breakfast.  As Irv was getting dry and warmed up, I also had no way to prepare any food in Irv, nor have any transportation to a food place.  My other vehicle was 15 miles away and useless to me at that moment.  Thank god for Triple A.  The RV shop is the emergency road service Triple A go-to place and they had just gotten a call for a person who had locked themselves out of their car.  So I got to ride along and afterwards, the road service guy took me to McDonalds for a bite.  The rest of the day, until about 5:00 p.m., I spent in the RV shop waiting room, trying to stay warm and waiting for Irv to be finished and drivable.  The interesting thing is that with all the waiting, the amount of labor expended on the repairs to Irv was only two hours.  Eight hours of time, two hours of labor, 6 hours of waiting for things to dry.  Not my favorite day in Oregon. (And it’s still raining)

May 27, 2013

Tahkenitch Landing Campground

Gardiner, OR  

Today was just beautiful, sunny, some breeze, cool and the beginning of the Memorial Day Weekend.  Last evening there was just one campsite in use by some folks who are down from Portland, suffering through their first furlough day of the work year.  The couple both work for the IRS and there are five furlough days ahead for  each of the employees of the IRS in Portland…and maybe two additional if the feds can’t come to some agreement.

This morning was mostly clear and sunny.  By about 10:30 or 11:00 a.m., the day use area, boat docks, boat ramp and picnic area were in use by a couple of families, some kayakers, and folks just out for a visit.  There was a bald eagle flying around, a V of geese heading north, a float plane departing from one of the arms of the lake and a variety of boats heading out onto or returning from the lake.  Wow, real activity around the campground and the day use area.   It also looks like I’ll have some campsites in use this weekend.  For Saturday evening, there were four of 25 campsites in use, a banner weekend for the campground.  And, naturally, more rain, into the evening.

I finished up the weekend with 3 campsites used all weekend.  And it rained rather hard on Sunday evening and most of Monday.  But the campers forged onward.  Boating, fishing, hiking and sitting around the campfire between bouts of rain.  The folks told me they had  great time, but a bit damp. And some of the visitors had some success with the fishing thing...mostly trout, but some crappie also.

Thank you all Veterans and Active Duty Military for your service.  Thanks, Dad...

This process is interesting...

Sitting here in in the dinette area of Irv, I am looking out on the lake, watching the geese, boaters, birds of prey, the wind across the water, deciding what to write about today.  

It's been raining over the last couple of days.  Last night it woke me a couple of times with its intensity.  I am told that Oregon needs rain.  The folks who come to visit this lake and campground tell me often, that the lake is at the "lowest level they have ever seen" or "lowest level they have seen in years" or "they don't remember ever seeing the lake water level this low".  I have only known the lake for just over two weeks, so I have no opinion about lake water levels, or whether or not we need rain. Seems to be a lot of mosquitos around.  Sure doesn’t seem that dry.

Let me tell you about the lake…Lake Tahkenitch, my current location and home.  The lake is, I am told, the largest undeveloped lake on the west coast. Tahkenitch is 1674 acres and the shoreline is 25.5 miles long. According to the information I am using (Atlas of Oregon Lakes, Johnson et al. 1985;  http://www.aol.research.pdx.edu/?q=lake/383), the word Tahkenitch is an Indian word which translates to “many arms”.  When you look at an map or an aerial photograph of the lake, you can easily see the many arms.  Tahkenitch Lake was formed as a result of fluctuating sea level during and after the Pleistocene Epoch.  There is one resort on the lake, adjacent to U. S. Highway 101. There is also a Forest Service campground and boat ramp near the highway (The Forest Service boat ramp and campground are at my location) and a public launch provided by Crown Zellerbach (The primary landowner in the area).  I find it interesting to see the number of folks, in cars/trucks/vans/motorhomes, who drive in, stop for a brief view, use the public restrooms and depart.  Just this morning, there have been three trucks pulling boats, who pulled down to the boat ramp launch area, spent a few minutes (very few), and then pulled out, never getting their boats wet.  I guess I don’t quite understand why, if you have a boat on a trailer behind your truck, why not launch the boat and go fishing?

We arrived in Oregon, specifically Reedsport, Oregon, on April 29^th, after a relatively short drive from Roseburg, Oregon, and the Rising River RV Park, along the banks of the Rogue River. 

We had driven from Roseburg to Reedsport along the Umpqua River.  A beautiful and scenic route of about 70 miles, most of which was on a highway along the river.  Of course, prior to leaving Roseburg, we found it necessary to stop and visit with the folks in the tasting room at the Spangler Vineyards.  We met Pat Spangler, owner and wine maker, and had an enjoyable taste of his products, very enjoyable.  We favor reds and Spangler had some excellent reds.  We bought a bottle of their 2010 Malbec.

After our arrival in Reedsport, we were given a space at the Carter Lake Campground for a couple of days, until the camp host I was replacing moved out.  On the Thursday before my move in, we moved Irv to the Tahkenitch Landing Campground for the overnight and then drove the truck to Eugene in preparation for Deborah to fly back to Phoenix.  Very different climate between the coast and Eugene…cool, damp to warm, dry.  We spent the night in Eugene, ate some good food, went to a live broadcast of “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me”, and then, in the morning, took Deborah to the airport for her flight. 
So, now I am living alone for the summer.  More to come….

Settling in...

May 8, 2013

Tahkenitch Landing Campground

Gardiner, OR

This will be the first of my writings from beautiful, sometimes sunny, cool, gorgeous Oregon.  I will be living here for the summer.  Working/Volunteering for the Siuslaw National Forest, part of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.  I will be working at the Tahkentich Landing Campground.  More to come...

May 11, 2013

Tahkenitch Landing Campground

Gardiner, OR

I have been here, officially, since Monday, 5/6.  I am the Campground Host for this campground. The duties here are not difficult.  Keep the campground neat and tidy.  Clean the bathrooms daily and check during the day to ensure that none of the bathrooms run out of paper and that they are neat and clean.  In the evening, conduct a tour/inventory of the campground to record a list of those campers staying for the night.  For my services the U.S. Forest Service (Siuslaw National Forest) pays me nothing.  However, the Camp Host is given water, electricity, propane and sewer for my motor home (Irv).   The weather is stunning (mid 60s to mid 70s during the day - 50s to 60s at night) with a lake view from my dining room.  There are hundreds of trails and sights to see along the Pacific Coast and room to ride my bicycle along the famous U.S. Hwy 101.  What more could a retired individual want from life?

I am about 7 1/2 miles north of Reedsport, OR.  About 75 miles from Eugene, home of the University of Oregon (Ducks).  I am 190 miles from Portland and about 360 miles from Seattle.

I have been exploring the coast a bit.  I have learned that the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is the largest area of coastal sand dunes in the U.S.  I have learned that there are 30 (or so) Forest Service campgrounds in the Oregon Dunes area.  I have learned that the Oregon Dunes stretches from Florence, Oregon south to about Coos Bay, a distance of almost 50 miles. Some of the dunes can be 400 - 500 feet high.  And they are changing constantly.  As I drive south from Florence, the Dunes are consistently visible along the highway.  You can see folks with their shovel and bucket, collecting the sand from the dunes.  It is a fine white sand, suitable for walking, sandboarding and definitely climbing.  There are numerous trailheads that lead off into the Dunes.  The campground just south of me has a trail from the campground that appears to lead straight up, about a 100 feet or more.  The trail is soft sand, so the climb would be "rigorous".  I think I'll tone up some before I try it.

The weather here along the coast has been typical of the Pacific Coast in May or June.  In the morning, you normally wake up to an overcast of coastal clouds.  By about 10 – 11 a.m., the coastal cover has burned off and the skies are clear blue.  As the day wears on, around 4:00 p.m., the sun begins to drop below the trees to the west and the coastal cloud cover returns.  Today was somewhat atypical, Blues skies at sunrise.  The clouds did return about 6:00 p.m.  Tomorrow, Mother’s Day, it is supposed to rain…about a 40% chance of showers and Monday, there is about a 60% chance.  I have my raincoat, just in case.

I am enjoying the work, but miss my wife.  Deborah is in Phoenix, working and enjoying the grandkids.  We talk a lot, text more and share information through the email…but it is still different, working and living separately.  I’ll let you know how it turns out.  

I am including some pictures of the campground, courtesy of Deborah, and of the area.  I don’t have great cell or internet service at the campground, texting is the most reliable, so I am going to try and post about once a week.  Let me know what you think.