Wicked Weather Not Wonderful

When we left Saskatchewan, the frost was thick on the ground but the roads held true. Crossing the border back into the states, we had little issues coming back state side. As we approached our destination for the day, a truck passing the other direction kicked up a rock which made a small crack on the windshield; driver side. It quickly started to spread making it near impossible to fill for a temporary fix. The night was spent sleeping in the Subaru at Al's Mini Storage but don't tell Al. We figured it would save us an hour of driving and was the most secure camping we had ever done due to its padlock and barbed fence. In the morning, we hitched up the rig and headed to our next adventure. Travelling on Thanksgiving, the roads were fairly clear of other motorists for the length of the 7hr drive to western Montana.

The pr

oposed campsite for our stay outside of Missoula MT was about 15 miles outside of town at Johnsrud Park. After driving for 6+ hours with the gnome in tow, we reached what we thought would be our campsite for the night outside of Missoula Montana. The site at Johnsrud Park Road provided ample signs to say, day use only. Being the abiding campers we are, we followed signage for the campgrounds further up the road; only 5 miles.

With daylight dwindling and a light coating of snow on the ground, we pressed on. The paved road quickly turned to dirt and then to dirt with ice sheets on top. The road remained flat for some time until it then abruptly narrowed to one lane with a hill to the right and river on left. We pressed on with no turn around to name.

Then the hills started. The first had some grip issues but Subaru AWD held tight. The second hill had some good old jersey barriers to prevent falling into the river below. As I began the attempt, momentum was not my friend and about half way up, we slipped. The car begins to roll backward being pulled by the gnomes weight. I panic and hit all brakes which stops us quickly.

Option 1. Reverse down the icy slope with little control and see what happens.
Option 2. Floor it and see how it goes.

Well we try option one and I quickly begin to inadvertently and uncontrollably jackknife with the trailer heading to the rock wall and the Subaru to the river. BAD NEWS. We break again and then commit to option 2. Liz hops out to help guide the rig as I use the 'Floor It' option to slip, slide, then grip inch by inch up the 4% icy grade. The wheels spin with stress as the engine whirls in first gear. Its a last ditch effort with a lot to loose and no one around to save you.

The car holds ground and slowly works its way left then right then left again up the path. As we near the small summit, it trips and quits moving forward. I thrust my body forward towards the steering wheel and gain an inch. Again and again I repeat the moving till finally we are at the top. Out of breath and shaking, we decide our fate. Continuing is not an option so in the remaining daylight, we use the narrow space at the summit to turn around. I miscalculate the turn radius and bust a small hole in the bumper.

The rig is turned around and eased slowly down the hill it just worked so hard to get up. Luckily we had a plan B in place only 11 miles up the road. In darkness we drive and find the turn off easily enough. We take no chances and unhook the trailer in a flat parking area. We scope out the area and find a fire ring to call camp.

The next few days were wicked cold with chance of light snow. We managed to make the best of a chilly Missoula and do some window shopping along with a trial of some local brews. After a hefty flight at one brewery, we decided to enjoy a nearby park with swings, slides and amazing places to run and play. Sometime in the darkness at the park, Liz's cellphone fell out her pocket and was picked up by some tweens who preceded us. All we found left when we returned to try and find the phone was the case on the ground by the swings. Mega upset since phones are not cheap and we are very budget conscience at this point in our travels.

View of Missoula from a hilly hike

The weather decided to continue its flight into unfavorable and as we continually checked the weather forecast, the call for snow made us increasingly more nervous. We decided to move on before it all started. The next driving leg out of Missoula was a windy wintery mess as we hurtled over the i90 passes in MT, Idaho and Washington. The drive was completed at our next site which we made work. Tinkham Road, which is about an hours drive from Seattle, was our home for the next few days. It runs parallel to i90 but surrounded by thick woods which provided a great natural blanket from the rain and snow that continued to fall in the region. A tarp we saved from Dinkey Creek days provided a great rain repellent to keep the gnome dryer than not. With our weatherproof rig, we hunkered down and waited the weather out.

The next few days were spent exploring the Seattle area including a trip to their Ikea which was in a bizarre old trucking hub, a trip to Pikes Place market (the one where they throw the fish around), and a walk around some of the local gardens and parks including Kubota, a Japanese inspired garden.

We were very excited about our Pike Place visit because Liz was able to get her squished engagement ring reshaped and the stone reset. We had visited numerous jewelers and all of them said the ring would have to be sent out and the fix costing more then worth. Well this local jeweler was able to mend the issues in moments and charged a measly $15 for the service. I also purchased an opal set ring for my love since she is amazing.

The weather once again was calling for snow at our Seattle digs so we decided to move on a bit earlier to our next site. The destination was less than desirable since upon arrival, we noticed signs stating closed for the season; Dec.1 – May.1 It was the second time we had miscalculated the stay. Now with one phone between us and limited connectivity, we frantically searched for the next best thing. A swath of national forest to the north would do the trick. We pressed on making our anticipated 2.5hr drive into a 5 hour trek but what cha gonna do? We set camp at a fire ring, once again not sure if we were allowed to camp there but we never received warning to remove our rig.

Our explorations around the Olympic Peninsula was divided into two days with a night of car camping spent near Port Angelas. We headed clockwise through the dense coastal rain forest with the mighty Pacific to our driver and Mt. Olympia to the passenger. We made sure to stop at some of the beaches to appreciate the incredible views. 

Carrying on, we ventured through Forks, the town known for the Twilight saga, and traveled to La Push, the western most town on the 48 continental states. Cool. We really enjoyed being in such a lush, dense, mossy green world. Things were starting to look up for our trip. That night, we bedded down on a forest road to awake to a frosty morning.

The remainder of the trip around the peninsula had few attractions but we settled on seeing the Hamma Hamma trailhead. The road quickly showed signs of the snow the night before but had tread marks from other adventurers. As we passed the trailhead, all tracks stopped but the road continued. Feeling curious, we continued up the snowy road. With no camper to weigh us down, the AWD held fine on the road. That is until we reached the ruts. The snowy surface had filled some previously made ruts and the car was finally deemed out of its element. We tried to K-turn but the ruts got us stuck for the better part of a freezing 45 minutes as we tried all tricks in the book to free the car from the slippery snowy ruts which held us tight. Using sticks, sweat, and perseverance, we freed ourselves and headed back down to safety. Not willing to risk anymore hardships, we stayed smart all the way back to the gnome for the night.

The next leg of the trip was accomplished before a heavy snow was to roll through. South we pressed towards Portland. The next site was a sure bet with numerous reviews and what we though would be easy access. As we arrived in the dark, the road split and we were to take a near %10 grade on gravel up to the sites. I backed the rig up and then gave it gas. The car had momentum but it just wasn't enough and it quit %70 up the hill. All brakes were used and I cautiously backed the load down the steep hill with Liz using flashlights to help the descent from landing us in a stream or down the embankment. What to do when you cant make it to your destination? Once again we hit emergency mode and find a nearby RV park which set us up for the night at $25 per slumber. Not ideal but we needed a place to crash.

The next morning, we woke to weather forecasts of strong wind gusts and snow for the area. Feeling defeated, we were packing up to leave Portland when Liz made a call. Her father gave great insight as to our plight and with a gracious gift, gave us a hotel for the night near Portland where we could have a warm bed, shower and place to put the camper. We are ultra thankful for this lifeline which might have seemed small to him but saved our butts from the ice storm that paralyzed the city in the next few hours. Sheets of ice, snow mix and high winds caused trucks to fail on small inclines on the highways. Traffic was a mess and apparently, Portland's single plow truck was nowhere to be found. We buckled down for the night to stay safe and warm.

The next day, we met with Lauren, another one of Liz's friends, and did lunch in the city. Lauren invited us to stay the next few nights with her while we figured out post-Portland problems like our inability to make it to Bend OR. While we were able to spend time in Portland, we made sure to check out some awesome, unique shops, try amazingly delicious foods, meet interesting folk and also got to a craft convention where a hundred or so craters displayed their beautiful artwork, jewelry or brilliant gift ideas. Unfortunately, our budget couldn't afford most of the things our eyes desired.

Up next is more coastal cruising south for Xmas. Hopefully, the weather will warm, nothing breaks and sites work out fine. Fingers crossed our luck improves.