Date:         16 Oct 1995 10:11:10 EST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Tom Forhan" <TFORHAN@hr.house.gov>
Subject:      Re: end of oct. camping (CA) (was baja)



     In early August we passed (but did not stay at) these campsites on
     this summers SSWMDAA (Silver Syncro Westie Mad Dash Across America).
     These are sites at a Core of Engineers reservior (sp) which must be
     used for irrigating in the San Joaquin valley. The lake was pretty
     low, and the two campgrounds were a bit away from the water. Small
     trees around the sites, which were pretty much open. Seemed pleasant
     enough, facilites looked modern. The lake is used extensively for
     power boating, and there are large fleets of houseboats as well.

     A little further up, Three Rivers is a great town, from there
     you go up the big hill to Sequoia Nat'l Park, but only immediately
     available campsite is Lodgepole, beautiful setting, reservations
     required.

     We did find a nice, low key campsite run by the state north of Fresno
     not far off 99. I cannot remember the name, somebody or other
     recreation area, but not Millerton, which is nearby. I 1996 AAA road
     atlas, it is indicated by a tent symbol. In the midst of the central
     valley, this was a wonderful shady oasis, twenty campsites or so,
     surrounded by huge trees and facing a meandering river suitable for
     swimming and fishing. Hot showers, of course. If someone wants further
     information e-mail me and I will look it up in our books at home...

     Second tip, if anyone does decide to go up into Sequoia, e-mail me and
     I will dig up the directions to a wonderful, one/two lane road that
     ran from the Grant Grove area back down to the valley. It is on some
     maps, but not all.  4wd not required, but no Winnebagos, either. A
     wonderful, quiet road descending thousands of feet through redwood
     forest, passing a Univ of California forest research center, then down
     toward the town of Badger, or if you need to head north, Dunlap and
     Squaw Valley, into country like the gold rush area, but more quiet and
     no tourists.

     From the Lake Kaweah area, think about a caravan up 198 to Giant
     Forest, then continue north toward the Grant Grove area, take our
     little shortcut  back down the mountain, and then head home, north
     or south. Anyway, there are  lot of options in this area, we really
     enjoyed it.

     Tom F.
     90 Syncro Westie
     90 Audi 200 Turbo Quattro Wagon IA Stage I



______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: end of oct. camping (CA) (was baja)
Author:  BUSGIRL (INTERNET.BUSGIRL) at HR
Date:    10/13/95 4:34 PM


One of the jobs of a good pyromaniac is to scout out campsites which
are a little bit "removed" from the beaten path.  They are less likely
to arouse suspicion when one burns engine cases, sends up rocket
flairs, performs lawn chair and circuit board melt-downs, etc.

While we discussed earlier on this list to have our campsite at Isabella
Lake, our very own resident flame-wrestler, Bradley, pointed out
to me that a lake a bit further north might be preferable for this
group's "needs."  It is still off 99, and in the same general area,
but a bit more north; just east of Visalia.  It's called Lake
Kaweah (we figure it's a good idea to have water nearby, just in case),
and is near spots on the map named Lemon Cove, Woodlake, Three Rivers,
and so forth.  There are only two campsites here, and it looks at
least from the AAA map not to be a highly touristed area, so I
move we take Prunehead's suggestion and locate our campsite to
this location.  If we get there and don't like it, it will be
easy enough to progress on up the highway (which is 198), further
into Sequoia National Park, and find other campspaces higher up.
>From Lake Kaweah, there's a vast array of directions we could
go and find alternate camping grounds in a relatively short
drive.

The favored campground looks to be one on U.S. Army Corps of
Engineer's property, AAA campground #664, which has EVERYTHING
except riding stables.  They DO have showers! Yeeeeeeehaaaaaaaw.

Anyway, the place is called the Horse Creek Recreation Area, on the
SE shore of Lake Kaweah.  The phone there is:  209.561.3155.  The
places is open all year, and charges a humble $10.  There's RV
spaces galore, but no hookups for AC, etc.

I know that some of you may not be able to arrive on the traditional
Friday evening, so we're setting up a phone line with answering
machine for you to call before you set out, to make sure you'e
going to the right place (in case we get there, don't like it,
and change location).  This phone machine can have the outgoing
message altered remotely, so we'll change it as necessary.  Don't
lose the number - (ha!)...it's 510.783.1194.  It will be
set up to give you the information you'll need by Friday, the
first day of the campout.

----

Here's some of the people who've responded, indicating they plan
to go.  If a "?" is by your name, it means you probably will, but
are not quite certain.  There are several others who are less certain,
and several from whom I've not heard.  Please let me know as soon
as you can, so that we can plan the potluck thing...
----

David Schwarze             des.teleport.com
Jack Stafford              stafford@alcor.hac.com
Michael/Diane Wagner       mwagner@deltanet.com
David Garth                dgarth@cymbal.aix.calpoly.edu
Scott Harvey               sharvey@CNS.UCLA.EDU
?Dave Kautz                dkautz@hpsidms1.sid.hp.com
?Steve/Linda Johnson       sjohnson@pcocd2.intel.com
?Al Knoll                  alf@hpptc38.rose.hp.com
?Bob Kenyon                rrk@rahul.net - not sure
?Al Hubbard                Hubbard_Al@mlstrmac.ssd.lmsc.lockheed.com