Showers Predicted

The weatherman hasn’t said anything about showers in the future but I predict there will be several in my immediate future.  Before I left Pendleton I visited Walmart for the last time soon and purchased a Coleman Solar Shower.  It was only about $8. so I thought I might as well give it a try.  Just like any normal man I did not read the instructions: How tough can it be?  You fill it with water; put it in the sun; wait a few hours; and, enjoy a hot shower. 

When I first used it I was a little disappointed in the time it took to heat up and also in the less than hot shower.  However, when I took the pictures for the blog I just happened to read the instructions.  You are supposed to put the bag on a flat surface (I had done that) with the black side down and the clear side up.  As long as I can remember, black is the color that absorbs more energy from the Sun so I had the black side up!

The next morning the clear side was up and in about 3 hours the temperature had risen to an estimated 90 degrees and just perfect for a shower.  I’m sure most of you know the drill for a shower in an RV.  You get wet; turn off the water; soap up; turn on the water and rinse off.  You complete all the steps as quickly as possible to conserve hot water.  It works the same here except you are outdoors.  I get three showers from one 5 gallon fill up.

My shower area is at the rear, right side of Dod.  I hang the solar shower on Dod’s roof rack; place a canopy chair nearby both for privacy and for a handy shower table.  I absolutely love showering in the great outdoors.  I wait until the sun is shining on my shower area and then go natural.  After the shower I put on a pair of swim trunks and just let the sun and air dry me.  If ever there are people nearby, I will of course shower in my swim trunks!

Boondocking Paradise

We took highway 82 out of LeGrand and traveled through some beautiful farmland.  The road followed the Wallowa River most of the way to a small town called Enterprise.  From there we took highway 3 north.  It is only about 90 miles to Idaho.  Shortly after leaving Enterprise we passed a sign that said “Next Gas 79 Miles”.  I was glad I had topped of my tank in LeGrande because I can just imagine the price per gallon they will charge at the first gas station.  

The highway began a steady climb up into a dense forest. I spotted a gravel road heading west with a sign that said Wallowa 27 miles.  Gravel roads are quickly becoming my favorites.  Within 5 miles of the highway I found a great looking dirt road with signs that said “Rough Road” and “Not recommended for passenger vehicles”.  

Being foolhardy I just ignored the signs and I am so glad I did.  Just a few hundred feet up the road I located the best boondocking spot yet. 

Much like the spot we stayed at just off the Jubilee Lake Road, this is also a hunting camp. 

This is the rig they used to field dress their last victim.  It could have been a large deer but from the size of the bones, I am guessing elk.

I have been here for 3 days now and have only seen two vehicles go by.  One was a Forest Service SUV and the ranger just waved and kept going.  The other was a pickup truck with a man and his wife who were stocking up on firewood.  And I mean really stocking up!  The truck was empty when it passed my camp on Tuesday morning and when it came back by early that afternoon, it was stacked high with logs about 18 inches long and 12 inches in diameter.

There are 5 small roads within a few hundred feet of camp.  Jesse and I have hiked each one and they all have nice spots to boondock but not quite as nice as the one we are in.  I only meant to stay a night or two but it is so perfect that I wound up staying 4 nights.  I will be leaving Thursday morning; not because I want to but I have to.  I have picked up a small cold and my nose will just not stop running.  I have used up a week’s supply of toilet paper and napkins just blowing my nose.  I am down to paper towels now and they are not soft enough for my liking.

Just a quick note!

I haven’t been able to keep up with my posts due to lack of internet connection.  I haven’t been able to send or receive text messages or phone calls due to the lack of cell service.  This is to let my friends and relatives who may be worried not hearing from me for over a week that I am fine and boondocking somewhere in Idaho.

Currently I am parked near the library in Weippe, ID logged onto the internet.  I will try to schedule  all the posts I have written recently to publish automatically.  If not, it will be a week or so before I make the long drive (6 miles) back into town to post again.