Hello from Portland

[Marty-ESC]

Hi Everyone. My husband Duane (WannaBeEscaped) and I have ordered our 5.0TA. It's been our dream for years and now we get to hurry up and wait. But, we took a step in the right direction to make it more real and we traded in our Honda Pilot on Sunday and brought home a beautiful new Ford F-150 (Magma Red! It's so pretty! - and it has the power to do the job). Our litmus test for the truck is being able to go 'vroom, vroom, vroom' up the Beartooth Pass, or up from the bottom of Rattlesnake Canyon all the way to Enterprise Oregon, without freaking out and turning off the AC and pulling in mirrors and throwing ballast out windows. Not asking a lot, right?

I retired from teaching and being head of school this past spring with the arrival of the Covid Shut Down. Hubby won't be able to retire for roughly another 2 years. But we are ready to get down to the good stuff and start living our dreams.

Have been enjoying reading the forum and thought it was time to actually join and participate. We will of course have questions as the time gets closer to finalizing a build sheet, but unless there are cancellations, we are looking at a delivery in the spring of 2022! WAH!:-[

First question from us though is - Composting Toilets? Any of you using them? Like? Dislike? Problematic or easy to use? We are leaning that way but want to hear from others on their experience.

Glad to meet you all!

 

[gbaglo]

Subject of composting toilets has been thoroughly discussed and discussed again recently ( like last week ). Do a search and you'll find lots of cons and some pros.
Also, see "Commode liners for dry camping" ( next thread under recent discussions ).

 

[Marty-ESC]

Thanks!

 

[padlin]

Welcome Marty. Every time I see Portland I think Maine.

 

[Marty-ESC]

found and read some of the discussion. I think I withdrawn my question!!!

 

[Marty-ESC]

Given you're from MA, I can see why!

 

[StarvingHyena]

Welcome Marty,
I have been interested in going to Enterprise and Joseph, Oregon for sometime and may be able to this Spring. So what about Rattlesnake Canyon?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Marty-ESC]

WA Hwy 129/OR Hwy 3 - the Rattlesnake Grade, from Lewiston ID up to Enterprise OR is one of the great drives you can go on. Long, steep, twisting, stunning scenery, Hell's Canyon. Breathtaking and totally worth it! But holy smokes! You want a good tow vehicle that can handle the long haul. And for some, iron nerves if you get anxious looking down the drop to the bottom of the canyon.

 

[StarvingHyena]

Thanks again Marty,
That whole area has interested me for a long time. Would the grade be easier driving from Enterprise towards Lewiston?

Tom

 

[Marty-ESC]

Not sure it is easier one way or the other. Going down, need to use your gears and go easy on your brakes. Going up, it is good to read 'The Little Engine That Could' to your truck first, give it a pat and tell it "I know you can, I know you can!". We haven't traveled it from Enterprise to Lewiston. Either way, you start out on the high Columbia plateau, descend to the Grande Ronde river and then climb for miles to get back up. But it is so worth it. The whole area of the Snake River Canyon and the Wallows is so beautiful and pretty remote. Full of history and geologic interest. Highly recommend you make the trip when you can.