We may not be camping....

[cpaharley2008]

but, we certainly are pre-planning.......all those gorgeous pictures from Utah made me make some phone calls and request information. They arrived today so now the planning stage begins...

[daniel108]

If only we knew when things will be open and ready for visitors! We are still making plans for our Alaska trip in late July/August and hoping for the best. But as our trailer is new we had several "shakedown" trips planned in the spring/early summer that are getting crossed off one by one.

[Hollybee]

Our trip to pickup the E21 obviously was cancelled, so we are in the midst of RE-pre-planning the trip for mid June. Planning to add a stop at Yosemite on the way down to AZ from Chilliwack. Any experienced folks here... who know that Yosemite area?? Thanks in advance.
WE figure this may be the last time we will ever have a chance to see CA anyways, so we will stop by Jedediah Smith Redwood Park, Yosemite a, Sequoia Park and even Joshua Tree Parks...'camping our way' to visit relatives in AZ.

[Rossue]

If it were me I would would leave first week of May vs. mid-June. By then things could be really opening up and the pent-up demand is going to start flooding campgrounds. I would be getting expert at boondocking in all definitions if you know what I mean. It could be a great experience being ahead of the curve.

[barry]

Originally Posted by Hollybee

Our trip to pickup the E21 obviously was cancelled, so we are in the midst of RE-pre-planning the trip for mid June. Planning to add a stop at Yosemite on the way down to AZ from Chilliwack. Any experienced folks here... who know that Yosemite area?? Thanks in advance.
WE figure this may be the last time we will ever have a chance to see CA anyways, so we will stop by Jedediah Smith Redwood Park, Yosemite a, Sequoia Park and even Joshua Tree Parks...'camping our way' to visit relatives in AZ.

While I admire your positive outlook do you really think everything is magically bounce back completely to normal in 8 weeks that you can go roaring all over the country?
Barry

[Hollybee]

Originally Posted by Rossue

If it were me I would would leave first week of May vs. mid-June. By then things could be really opening up and the pent-up demand is going to start flooding campgrounds. I would be getting expert at boondocking in all definitions if you know what I mean. It could be a great experience being ahead of the curve.

Thanks for the opinion..we did consider that..still are, but OTOH we also believe [and fear] that the ~25+% Unemployment may temper the travel plans of many folks, including us, for months. I do not believe the economy will be as easy to turn ON as it was to turn off..it is not a light switch. Too much supply chain disruption.
WE are also considering having her shipped down.

[steve dunham]

We had our 40th annual fishing trip to Manitoba planned and booked for late May
Well it ain’t happening cause we got cancelled !
We have reservations made for a week of camping in early July with my daughter , SIL and four grandkids at a State Park . Not counting on that one either - looking real iffy !
Our trailer is still winterized and will stay that way until our path is clearer
As my trailer sits except for a coat of wax , it’s all set for 2021, so no reason to get too excited.
Not trying to be pessimistic but getting people back to work is one thing but opening up the nation to unnecessary pleasure travel is another .

[cpaharley2008]

Holybee,
I have a feeling that once this thing is lifted there will be a mass exodus heading to the National Parks. Yosemite is very popular in spring and summer, so the lines and crowds will be an issue. You may have to just head straight home after pick up and start your planning all over from your home base. But you will now have your Escape. Great Smokey NP is a lot easier to handle with crowds as is Acadia NP both closer. Perhaps next year you can attend the rally in Osoyoos, it is like the swallows of Capistrano, or the crane migration in Nebraska, or the monarch butterfly ,and lets not forget the salmon swimming upstream to return to home, picture all the Escapes returning to British Columbia.

[jerryc]

We had the month of May planned for southern Utah/4 corners area; was cancelled out. Have reservations for Glacier, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, and a number of lesser know places beginning the end of July through September. Doubtful that road trip will happen as planned, either.

[cpaharley2008]

I'm holding out for the September rallies as a last resort for an interstate camping trip.

[Iowa Dave]

Like many in our region. North Central United States, our camper remains winterized. Of course considering it is 20 degreesF this morning that’s probably more prudent than happenstance. We’ve been discussing the great places we’ve camped over the years and the
upshot is that we really enjoy the road less traveled, rallies are fun and visits to Big Name national parks well let’s just say “been there done that”. A dusty sunset while set up in a no services national or state forest site, a coyote in the distance and the hooting of an irritated barred owl, while we cook for ourselves, suits us fine.
Iowa Dave

[cpaharley2008]

Here I have been calling them barn owls, never knew there was a barred owl also. Owl do you keep them straight ?

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Jim
The Barn owl and the Barred Owl are two very different owls. The Barn owl is the owl shown on the old White Owl cigar boxes. The barred Owl is an owl of the woods and bottomlands. The barred owl is pretty common in our area. They have a nine note call often heard as they call to each other. The call in ”whos” goes like this “Who cooks for you who cooks for you all.” You can learn to mouth call them in if you practice. This bird call is distinctive while some calls are more difficult to differentiate between species. Like being able to tell the difference between Tenor Saxophone greats Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. I’ve been fascinated by birds, especially birds of prey and warblers for many years. I took Ornithology under Dr. Milton Weller at Iowa State in the 60’s and haven’t had very many days in my life where I didn’t spend some time looking at or listening to birds. The Chinese Ringneck Rooster Pheasants are feeling pretty randy here these days and are calling this morning as an overnight dusting of snow melts away. The submissive hen, silent and elusive, not so. Some things don’t change. Stay safe, be well.
Iowa Dave

[emers382]

Like Steve and Dave our trailer is still winterized (for the second time), minus 12C last night again, at least it's slowing down the melt of the water coming our way from MN and ND.

We are thankful we got out in March to GA even though had to hurry home. Still hoping for maybe the MB rally is it goes ahead in August. We are fortunate in our province to have no to a handful of cases added per day of the Cv19.

Now if we're allowed to cross the border again by September hopefully if still on we'll get to IL for the Miss. Rendezvous.

[cpaharley2008]

It is hard for me to fathom the rivers up where you are running north vs running south which always seemed the normal below the border.... interesting. I'm aware of the east west divide, is the north south up there by Banff? I recall seeing a read sign back in 2000 when driving the Banf something about the continental divide, or was that a continuation of the east /west?

[steve dunham]

12 deg F this morning with a high today below freezing , snow in the air and on the ground & the rooftops . Spring is still a ways off .

[emers382]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

It is hard for me to fathom the rivers up where you are running north vs running south which always seemed the normal below the border.... interesting. I'm aware of the east west divide, is the north south up there by Banff? I recall seeing a read sign back in 2000 when driving the Banf something about the continental divide, or was that a continuation of the east /west?

Jim I don't know about further west but the divide south of us is in SD/MN. Take a look on Google Maps of Brown's Valley MN. North of the town the water runs north to become the Red River eventually. So this is the Arctic watershed. South of town water runs south eventually to the Mississippi, the Atlantic watershed.

[Vermilye]

36°F & snowing during my morning walk. I have managed to do a few trailer projects, but would prefer to wait for warmer weather.

The Spring Fling rally is still on, and I'm hesitant to drive to New Hampshire in May. I might have no choice - the truck is still waiting for special order parts.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

It is hard for me to fathom the rivers up where you are running north vs running south which always seemed the normal below the border.... interesting. I'm aware of the east west divide, is the north south up there by Banff? I recall seeing a read sign back in 2000 when driving the Banf something about the continental divide, or was that a continuation of the east /west?

Hi Jim
Science Day today
Look up the triple divide and read up on the Geology of North America as it relates to watersheds and drainage patterns. The Blackfoot Jack Gladstone poetically refers to this point on Earth in one of his ballads and if you go to Glacier make sure he’s performing his summer concert series in the Park. He’s an incredible story teller, his historical knowledge, and his social commentary are to be admired. I’ve seen Jack in concert many times in several places throughout the country over the past 25 years.
Iowa Dave

[brightday]

The weather in Houston is lovely now, but the enforced pause is nevertheless a good thing for me, as I'd forgotten to order locks for my batteries and propane tanks. The "reminder" arrived a couple of weeks ago when I discovered that ONE of my Husky Towing WDH bars was missing after having been parked on the street one night. I know that the bar didn't pop off when driving or backing, because the retaining pin was in place to secure it. I looked in my storage compartment three times, just to make sure that I hadn't simply forgotten to put the second bar on. (Yes, I'm at that age.) The thief either needed only one bar or was scared off before getting to the second. Either way, I'll avoid street parking from now on. (Do any of you lock those bars in place?) The loss is more annoying than anything, as such parts are made in China, are now on backorder, and will take longer than usual to ship.

The long and short of it is that, while many of you are now dealing with snow, I may be facing the heat and humidity of a long Houston summer and all of the issues that beset our trailers in such weather, issues that I'd hoped to avoid by traveling north to Quebec this month. Reminds me of an adage Mom favored: "It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good!" Yup!