Good Afternoon
5/22/25 3:30 54f (12.2c) Breezy and fair. Mike and I spent the afternoon ranging across the ridge between Mosier and my house, looking for morels. We didn't find any, even where we have found them before. The soil was damp and the terrain looked promising, but no joy....
Plan B Camp March 2025
It was early March when I decided on a last minute camping trip to the Gifford Pinchot. The weather forecast for the weekend was fair, with rain predicted later on Sunday. Even with no real planning and a late start, I had the truck loaded and ready to go by...
MLK Camp
1/20/25 Jason, Andy, Walter and I hauled into Plan B for an overnighter Sunday afternoon and came home Monday, MLK Day. It didn't reach the predicted low of 17f (-8) but is was pretty chilly at 24f (-4). We managed to stay warm and had an enjoyable outing in the...
Valentine Weekend Camp
Amy and I went to Beverly Beach over Valentine's weekend. I love camping with my wife! The weather leading up to the weekend was sloppy. I got the poles loaded and the pickup tarped Thursday just as it started to snow. I...
Maiden Voyages
Saturday Amy and I went up to Kingsley Reservoir to try out the Kayak I just bought. My brother and his wife met us up there. I gave Andy my old kayak which had been mauled by a bear. This was is first time on the water since he patched it. They had stopped at Walmart...
Good Morning
1/5/26 6:30 34F (1.1C) Quiet, cold, and calm. Partially cloudy with a few stars showing. The waning moon, two days past full, shines through the bare oaks. A light freezing mist wafts down, coating everything with a thin layer of ice. Christmas break is...
Good Morning
1/4/26 6:45 37F (2.7C) Fog in the trees, with cold, steady rain and no wind.
Good Morning
1/3/26 5:30 36F (2.2C) Raining, no wind, warm for predawn January. By 6:00 the rain had tapered off. The full moon, low in the west, peeks through a veil of clouds, then disappears again. Trump's forces have illegally attacked Venezuela with strike...
Good Morning
1/2/26 6:30 37F (2.7C) Calm, quiet, damp. A thin fog sifts through the trees and settles in the canyon. It is warmer than yesterday morning, no ice. Everything is wet. I hear an owl softly calling. A few birds chirp quietly. A half dozen ducks rise from the...
Happy New Year
1/1/26 7:00 31F (-0.5C) Overcast, gray, subdued. Everything is encased in ice. Haze from morning fires has settled in the firs. A freezing mist is transitioning to light rain. Snow is forecast. I am surrounded by the discordant squawks of birds. Walter...
Rueben Handpie
Last camping trip, we made reubens in the pie irons. They were fabulous! Ingredients rye bread oil, butter, or lard thin sliced corned beef 1 small can sauerkraut horseradish sauce Swiss cheese We preheated the pie irons over hot coals while assembling...
Roasted Pepper and Eggs
Amy found a recipe for roast pepper and eggs in Backpacker Magazine. I think the original recipe called for doing all the prep at home, but since we were car camping, Amy did it in camp. It was simple and made a wonderful breakfast. Ingredients: Yellow or Red Bell...
Spam Pudgies
Dave was a little skeptical of the lunch menu- Spam pudgie sandwiches cooked in the pie irons. Straight from the can, Spam is unappealing, pallid, pink and soft. The prevailing flavor is salt. Heated, it darkens, becoming almost brown. The texture gets firmer, even...
Kentucky Mule
I don't care for vodka, so never acquired a taste for Moscow Mules. Bourbon, however, is an entirely different story. In camp or on the back porch, the Kentucky Mule is sure to refresh. Go ahead, have another. You deserve it. Ingredients 1 oz bourbon-I...
Robert’s Cast Iron Bread
Robert disappeared into the longhouse and emerged a little later with a beautiful loaf of fresh bread. It seemed so simple, and according to Rob, it pretty much was. I asked him for his recipe and this is what he gave me.Ingredients about 2 1/2 cups flour more or...
