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Date:         Mon, 1 Aug 2011 07:28:05 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Strange Herd behavior..
Comments: To: WetWesties <wetwesties@yahoogroups.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Saturday I drove up to Trout Lake, Wa. near Mt. Adams in the Pac NW. seeking cooler temperatures for riding my road bicycle. The loop I rode is over smaller Forest Service roads, often paved here in the NW. I rode about 50 miles, I guess, on the southwest shoulder of that spectacular volcanic peak in the Gilford/Pinchot Nat. Forest. I use DeLorme map Atlas to find these obscure roads, though this particular loop is familiar to me.

As I rode along, solo, I observed uncounted informal camping areas. There's literally thousands of smaller two lane and spur roads to fire lookouts, creek crossings, cut-offs, etc. Depending on the elevation, there were spots on rivers, in mixed deciduous forest, shaded old growth groves, some rocky outcrops in clear-cuts, spring-fed fern and moss covered glens, grassy meadows...simply gorgeous. I also passed a few Forest Service campgrounds, all seemingly pretty full, it being a hot weekend over in the Willamette valley population centers.

Here in the Northwest, we have what are called Sno-Parks...usually wide parking areas adjacent to highways where during the winters, the State will keep the lots plowed and charge anyone parking there..you buy a Sno-pass to use these, during the season.

A few miles outside the "Town" of Trout Lake (there is no lake, and not much Town) just off a county road onto the Forest Service road, there was a Sno-Park...Probably most used by snowmobilers in winter. This Sno Park was big, flat, unshaded and bordered two sides with clear cut area, but with a great up-close view of Mt. Adams' southwest face. Essentially a paved blacktop parking lot....but it was packed with 'campers' cheek-by-jowl crammed in with a few feet separating their 'camps' As I rode past, climbing at a slow pace, I could smell the bacon and the coffee brewing, I saw people standing out, brushing teeth out of cups, gazing at the mountain. EZ-up shades, kiddie pup tents, a few oversized motorhomes with pop outs, tent trailers, kids and dogs galore...a regular little mountain city, right there in that Sno-park..Crammed in tight. Probably around 25 familys or groups, all within a few feet of each other...There was even a line for the Portopottie...

I find that strange.

A beautiful area, though...not that crowded parking lot, that was just weird..... but the rest of it. And as usual, my vanagon did it's job really well. I parked at the Ranger Station and changed in my van, took the bike from inside and went off, leaving the windows cracked and my 'locking hatch prop' in place. Returned about 4hrs later to tolerably cool interior, got some oatmeal cookies and gatoraid from my fridge, washed up in my sink, changed and went on down the road...

Don Hanson


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