Real time information from the road

[UncleTim]

Yes, I am on the road right now. I just picked up my new 5.0TA two days ago. Here is a road report.

The trip up was absurd! ALL my usual places I can easily get into for a quick night sleep were shut down. The only exception was Green River Lakes Recreation Area in Wyoming, which is great. Otherwise I could not find any places to crash at all!

When I picked up the trailer I started calling campgrounds to see if I could get in anywhere. There are some RV parks open. KOA's are open, but BE CAREFUL. Some are awful! I made a reservations in Concrete WA for one and was so appalled, I left without asking for a refund. It was horrible. I think they need the money.

There is a KOA in Lynden that is a life saver! This is a good stop and 13 miles from Bob's Burgers (the pick up spot)! Totally artificial but most welcome. I spent two days there getting to know this new camper (which I love). This is a good consideration.

I spent another night at a KOA in Coeur d'Alene, not all that great, but on the way. I am at a very nice hot spring in Idaho tonight. gonna stay a couple of night and recharge. I love hot water!

If you are going out, you need to know where you are staying. Nothing is open. But that is now starting to change. This is the first day you can camp here. Things are opening. AND NO ONE IS OBSERVING SOCIAL DISTANCING, but the Escape driver and me! This seems Darwinian, for sure!

Make reservations at private camps. No NFS camps at all. No open field dispersed camping, that I could find. It's all shut down. Use apps to find them and then call. It is weird but kind of cool too. winter is late to withdraw in the Northern Rockies. I had snow most nights with me while camping. Cold temps too! Rain has been a constant! It is raining now! Traffic still sucks!

Tim -out.

 

[Effie]

Thanks for the road report, good luck with your journey and your new 5.0

 

[Jim Bennett]

Is it Lava Hot Springs you are at by chance? Stayed at the KOA there twice, just about the only KOA I've stayed at that I liked. The only issue was a nearby train track.

Those hot springs are awesome. I love hot, but could only handle 15 minutes at a time in their hottest pool.

And a big congrats on getting your trailer, you will love it. [emoji106][emoji4]

 

[cpaharley2008]

Yes Lava Hot Springs with the railroad tracks across the highway, loved falling asleep listening to the trains traversing the hill.....

 

[Jim Bennett]

Fortunately the trains did not run more than a couple times at night, at least on the hanky dozen nights I stayed there.

Beautiful little river we camped along there.

 

[UncleTim]

No this one is different. I have been to Lava (by Bear Lake), and this is not it. This one is on Hwy 93 in a little town called Challis. 55 miles from Salmon ID. It is on the Salmon River, we affectionately call "The Main".

We use this hot spring after we run the Middle Fork of the Salmon, arguably the greatest white water run in the lower 48. This is on the way home and has very nice grass camping. It is a shoulder season hot spring, as Challis burns up in mid June. And the Sawtooths are just up the road.

I love the small family owned hot springs, if they keep them up. This one is great. Here is a pic. Remember this is small. No one in the hot tub while I was in it.

There is a family pool that carries a lot of laughter, I like the hot water!


Temp outside:43° F
Temp inside:71° F
I love this camper!

 

[Mike Lewis]

No this one is different. I have been to Lava (by Bear Lake), and this is not it. This one is on Hwy 93 in a little town called Challis. 55 miles from Salmon ID. It is on the Salmon River, we affectionately call "The Main".

US 93 from Arco, ID to Missoula, MT is one of the most beautiful drives I've ever experienced. I drove north on that road in May a few years back and was just stunned. It must be what driving through Switzerland is like.

 

[gsbfree-ESC]

Thanks for the road update. We'll be making the run in a couple weeks so it's timely.

 

[UncleTim]

Mike, it was beautiful Today.


The Bitterroot Mountains were spectacular.


C'mon back up!

 

[Rossue2]

Love that area; thanks for the reminder.

 

[h2owmn]

Lots of good river memories of that area...Main, Lochsa, Selway, Middle Fork. My younger days.

 

[Hollybee]

LOL

Thanks for the updates. We were planning to go to Sumas 3 weeks ago but cancelled. Now were are planning to have the 21 delivered to AZ in June, go there for the pickup/orientation and visit some relatives + camp at some OPEN CGs and Parks we've found.. in AZ a few days b4 heading up to Sedona, then back home. We hope we'll see about 1/2 of what we originally planned to see..but there is always next year. hom. We're steering clear of CA forever....that place is a freaking joke now, I am told. .

 

[rubicon327]

Thanks for the updates. We were planning to go to Sumas 3 weeks ago but cancelled. Now were are planning to have the 21 delivered to AZ in June, go there for the pickup/orientation and visit some relatives + camp at some OPEN CGs and Parks we've found.. in AZ a few days b4 heading up to Sedona, then back home.

How are you getting a trailer orientation in AZ? Is it at the Escape ambassador...Lead Dog Motorsports in Lake Havasu?

 

[Mucram (2018 19’ escape)]

No this one is different. I have been to Lava (by Bear Lake), and this is not it. This one is on Hwy 93 in a little town called Challis. 55 miles from Salmon ID. It is on the Salmon River, we affectionately call "The Main".

We use this hot spring after we run the Middle Fork of the Salmon, arguably the greatest white water run in the lower 48. This is on the way home and has very nice grass camping. It is a shoulder season hot spring, as Challis burns up in mid June. And the Sawtooths are just up the road.

I love the small family owned hot springs, if they keep them up. This one is great. Here is a pic. Remember this is small. No one in the hot tub while I was in it.

There is a family pool that carries a lot of laughter, I like the hot water!


Temp outside:43° F
Temp inside:71° F
I love this camper!

Might you be thinking of challis hot springs? Don’t think there is a lava hot springs there. Quite a few primitive hot springs in the area. Flew into Indian creek from challis & floated middle fork. It was awesome. Love floating our idaho whitewater.

 

[UncleTim]

Hi Julie:

I was at Challis Hot Springs. But there is also one in the area called Lava Hot Springs too. It is below Pocatello. The local people I talked to said they like Challis better.

The two "Jims" thought I was talking about Lava.

If you flew into Indian Creek you probably floated during a high water year. Usually that means Boundary Creek, the put in, is still snowed in. The Middle Fork is my favorite river by far. By far! Done it three times. First time as a passenger, I quit counting cutthroat trout I caught at 200. I have never counted fish since then.

Idaho is the best for white water, for sure!

A funny thing happened while I was there. The Lady in charge switched the cold and hot intakes. So in the morning the hot pool was cold and the cold pool was hot. They drained the hot pool and refilled it and let me get in while they were filling it. The water temperature tested 109° and then twenty minutes later at 110°.

I could only stay in for about 5 minutes at a time, never left the steps, but boy was that nice. I LOVE HOT WATER. I actually train for this in a steam room throughout the Winter, so I can take high, high heat. Do not try this ever! This can kill you. I love it!

 

[UncleTim]

BTW, if you are going out, you have to take all the precautions, cause no one else is!

No facemasks
No gloves
No disinfectant (that I could see)
No distancing

I actually had a doctor tell me this is just like the flu and we don't have to worry about it. No workers in any food mart or gas station had any masks or any protection at all. One of the few exceptions was the Escape driver!

Things are opening up now. More campgrounds are opening. Wyoming state campgrounds are now open to Wyoming residents only! Reservations required.

I drove over 3,000 miles without much trouble, but I heard stories of people getting ticketed for going downtown in their own towns. The range of stories is big as well as strange. Traffic in the northern Rockies was business as usual. Down South in Colorado, it is a little more sparse until you hit Denver.

 

[Mucram (2018 19’ escape)]

Tim, I’ve always wanted to stay at challis hot springs especially during the Braun brothers reunion. Sounds like you’ve had lots of adventures in my state. Happy trails to you & yours.

 

[UncleTim]

Let's have a rally at Challis!

 

[Mucram (2018 19’ escape)]

That sounds fabulous! I’m in.

 

[Hollybee]

yup

How are you getting a trailer orientation in AZ? Is it at the Escape ambassador...Lead Dog Motorsports in Lake Havasu?

Talked w Randy C at Lead Dog in Lk Havasu..he will do the orientation and setup of our (new to us) WD Hitch and even hold the trailer if we get delayed on our trip out there. WE plan to camp 2 nites at nearby Lk Havasu SP in case any tweeks are needed b4 heading to McDowell Mtn Park near Scottsdale to visit w friends and some relatives 3 nites, then on to Sedona and points east. Del chg is only 1/4th of what it wd have costs us to get it to TN and we still get to see about 1/2 of the neat places we were gonna see pre-Beer Flu days. I say give Randy a call and tell him we recommended him. if you want to.. I bet ETI is lookin at Lk Havasu for the planned "expansion" into USA.
FWIW orientation should be simple after watching boo coo YT videos anyways.