Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:36:19 -0700
Reply-To: Ellen <elleninoregon@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ellen <elleninoregon@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Western trip: Trip report
In-Reply-To: <002101c92c0d$7f776d60$4001a8c0@gateway.2wire.net>
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Very nice report! I agree the vanagon platform is the best for on-the-road/on-the-go camping. I'm a third of the way through my trip and couldn't be happier with the way Lola has performed.
Ellen & Lola, '85 Vanagon ASI & Coee, Camping Cat Extraordinaire
Don't wait for a light to appear at the end of the tunnel; stride down there.....and light the bloody thing yourself." ~Dara Henderson> Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:54:43 -0700> From: dhanson@GORGE.NET> Subject: Western trip: Trip report> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > I just returned this morning from another fun Vanagon outing, from the> Northwest down to the 'almost' Southwest. The Vanagon, an '84 semi-Westie> (has all but the pop-top and the rear cabinets) with a '92 Golf/Rabbit 1.8L> Digifant II gas motor..5sp tranny from a diesel)> I did 2111 miles, from the Columbia River Gorge down to St. George, Utah> with a side trip over to Zion. I took three bicycles mounted on a Yakima> rack that is hung on the rear hatch and my gear for camping, as well as> spares and extra wheels for four days of bicycle racing around St. George.> With that load and traveling at ~65mph average my fuel mileage was 23.7 mpg.> The van worked perfectly.> I headed east on I-84 through the Blue Mts, and overnighted in Ontario,> Or. I "camped" in a lot behind a Pilot Travel Plaza right in "downtown"> Ontario. Pulled in there at 11pm and found the regular lot full of semi> trucks. Using my roof mounted spotlight as I left, I spied another truck> yard with a few stored trailers and some tractors, stacks of pallets, etc.> and decided I could safely tuck in for a few hours of sleep amongst them.> The roof mounted spotlight is very useful for scoping-out potential> campsites after dark.> Then a long day through one of my favorite areas in the world, the high> northwest desert of Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon. I cut south at Twin Falls,> Idaho and headed through what they now call the Great Basin, down Hwy 93. I> choose this route over the MapQuest route down through Salt Lake and Cedar> City on the interstates. Through Jackpot, Nv..Wells, Ely, Pioche and> another overnight at a small state park called Cathedral Gorge in> southeastern Nevada. Very quiet there, with about half the spots (about 10> sites) filled, a great half moon with owls in the trees and coyotes at> night.> From there, I turned east across another range of mountains, scheduled to> arrive at my destination, Snow Canyon State park just outside St. George, by> 3pm, where I'd reserved a site for the duration of my 4-day bike races.> The first day's race ran right up the road through Snow Canyon St. Park,> so I could just ride to the start from my campsite. There was a couple in a> very nice white Westie who also were camped there and doing some of the bike> races also. I only talked to them briefly, all of us being pre-occupied> with the cycle racing (The Huntsman World Senior Games)> The second day, our race was run from the west entrance of Zion Nat. Pk.> about an hr east of St. George. There, as I went on my bike down to the> start line, I saw another turd brown Westie, this one with Wyoming county 22> plates (my former home in Jackson Hole, Wyo) The next day (too busy racing> to stop and chat then) I found out the Westie belonged to a couple I'd not> seen for years. The guy built my very first custom race bicycle back in the> 70's..He's recently decided to race bikes again and found the old Westie for> that and for camping with his small family. He'd just had it redone by> GoWestie for around $6k and was quite happy with it.> After 4 days of one bike race per day, and camping in beautiful Snow> Canyon St. Pk, it was time to head out for home again.> Left S. Utah at around noon after a ~45mile road race on the bike, back up> Hwy 93. Hit snow flurries in Jackpot, Nv and headwinds (very strong) from> Twin Falls west...Spent another 'short' night in the Ontario parking lot> spot, then into the Columbia River Gorge and home at 10am this morning..No> fuss, no muss.> I recently installed some H-4 headlights...a great improvement across the> cold dark night drives. Still need some refining with the aim, but much> nicer than my sealed beam halogens that I had before.> Sorry for the length of this..but this kinda trip is exactly what the> Vanagon is best at...> Don Hanson
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