A Roamin Q & A

Recently, the Roamin Gnome team asked the world (or at least those who are looking) if they had any questions for us about our journey thus far. The questions will be answered today in addition to some that we thought the readers might gain from.

Sara K. asks: "What was your favorite and least favorite hike"

• My answer might be a bit biased but my favorite hike was in the precursor to the US road trip. Our three day backpacking across the beautiful mountains and lakes of New Zealand's South Island on the Routeburn Track was bar-none the best. Accommodations were well set in advanced, the weather held out JUST long enough (despite the downpour on our last day) and the company was pretty great. Oh yeah, and of course I was able to propose to Liz on top of the highest point, Conical Hill, with both fathers as witnesses during the second day of the hike.

• Our least favorite hike was to Cliff Lake near the Courtright Reservoir in the Sierra's. Sock related issues led Liz to form a seething blister which hurt and hindered the hike. On top of it, we trouped out too late and were unable to reach the destination. The dog continually tossed in the tent and it was a fairly sleepless night. We struggled on the sandy granite soils and the tiny rocks kicked into shoes frequently. In addition, the road to and from the trailhead was a sickening serpentine which made things just a touch worse. We told ourselves we would attempt another go with better gear and better time management but instead opted for other adventures. Maybe one day...

Robin S. asks: " Do I miss Hillmann Consulting (former employer)"

• I sure do. A few times of week, I will take a moment to remember the past including employment. Hillmann Consulting was and is an amazing company to work with and I do miss the people that worked in the friendly environment. Every so often, we will see doppelgangers or a last name of those in our past and it will remind us of where we came from and what we have learned in those times since then. I would not oppose to working with Hillmann and Co in the future [undefined] but have NOT missed the indescribable frustrations of commuting into NYC on the regular; sometimes night/weekends and always rush hour.

Daniel K. asks: "Have you done any WWOOFing and if so, how was it?"

• Liz and I spent only two weeks total WWOOFing in this great country. To start off, our options are greatly limited due to the fact that the dog must be welcomed. Our first farm, Sylvanaqua, located outside Charlottesville VA was run by a small but growing family on two plots of rented farmland. They had been working in animal raising for a few years and were not new to having WWOOFers work along side them. Unfortunately, the week we worked with them was an absolute washout and each day we returned soaking wet and tired. Luckily, Annie was an amazing chef and her food would put a smile in your belly and back on your face. Additionally, Ziggy got along quite well with their spunky pups Mini and Beebop. We hope to have Sylvanaqua help with the wedding dinner in the future [Free range Hog Roast anyone?]
• Our second week of WWOOFing was spent with Pepper and the gang at Stone Feather Farms located outside Purceville VA. We obtained a more agricultural side of farming with hopes of growing killer veggies for her organic Salsa she made and sold locally. Weeds were pulled and baby plants placed in soil to align with the lunar cycle. Big Jim, another WWOOFer at the farm, followed these cycles religiously in order to provide Pepper with an amazing bumper crop for the two years they have worked together. Once again, Ziggy got along swimmingly with their Corgi Catie and luckily the Virginia rains didn't hit us as hard.

• To read more details about our WWOOFing adventures, please follow the link below to my prior posts on the subject.

Sylvanaqua Farms

Shayna K. asks: "How have you changed since you've embarked?"

• I am still the type A/B person on the inside but with practice and opportunities, I have learned to let things slide a bit. Our adventures have led me to say "YES" to certain things that would have normally been outside my comfort zone such as inadvertently ordering cow brain tacos in Las Vegas or noshing on a fresh killed rattlesnake that was hand delivered, still dripping blood, by a machete wielding man in the hills outside Ojai California. We have also come across many people in this country who have a story to tell and with this opportunity, we took the time and chance to hear what they have to say; weather the quotes are a bit nonsense or right on target, the open-minded ability to talk with strangers about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness has led us to a better understand of the world and its many facets. We have all been raised differently in different environments and to taste and explore the options of this world has been a thought outside the box.
• Additionally, with a free floating agenda, we have the time to actually see and learn about places that most would fly by. Some days we are in hard travel mode and destinations need to be reached but when relaxed, we can explore new places, learn new facts and meet new people. The hustle bustle of NYC taught me to walk swiftly and don't talk to strangers. Now I have to time to saunter and chat.

Daniel V.K. asks: "When are you coming back to the east coast?"

• This is a loaded question. Post New Years, we will be heading back east bound to continue our journey. Texas and the Southeast states will take some time to explore and we hope to do some more WWOOFing opportunities in that region until spring. We have also been given some good tips on places to see on the east coast including Asheville NC. I don't think we will come back to the NYC metro area to settle but will be around to visit relatives, parents and friends as we can. Come summer, we would like to try and reach the New England states (*New Hampshire and the lot) and might have to settle for some more seasonal work at that time before the next chapter unfolds. We still have a lot of unknowns but we have found attraction to areas of Virginia and of course MOAB, UT stole my heart.
• We will be back in Moab in a few weeks to keep exploring and hopefully get in on a folk music festival on the 4th. I have also been looking at property to buy. Moab is expanding fast and a 10 acre parcel of undeveloped land can grow from 50k to 75-100k within a few years when the developers come to plant the next communities. The town captured out attention with its diverse and colorful people, the amazing desert atmosphere with climbing/quads/mountain biking galore and the quaint co-op, beautiful library and even a hand spun thread store for Liz. Its a unique, non-cookie cutter / sans big box stores atmosphere on par with Flagstaff and a few other places we have seen that have the potential for personal growth in a caring community.

Here are a few more self asked questions from the gnome to the gnome

Favorite National Park Visited: Capitol Reef was a huge unexpected trip. We only planned to over night near the Park but as you drove down highway 24 which runs through the park, you realize that CR is very different from the rest of the lot. When we attended this park, the campground was full but that's OK because CR Visitor Center has a board of local free or cheap places to stay nearby including maps of BLM (public use) lands so you don't end up trespassing on someones desert. VERY HELPFUL :) Also, the park is both hiker and car dweller friendly. You can explore via your car fairly well and will still enjoy the beauty of the area but the short hikes are tempting to get your feet dirty. It is not over populated (yet), there are free-to-pick orchards onsite with a donation bin, a store that sells local made pies/pastries, jams and pickled items. Did I mention that the landscape is truly amazing! 

Also, make sure to buy an annual pass to the parks if you plan to visit 2-3 parks that year. The $80 pass paid for itself and we have no regrets since most parks charge $30 admission.

Hardest Challenge on a daily basis: Food consumption. As warm blooded creatures, we feel the need to feed every few hours. When you are a busy bee like us, it can be a challenge to muster the ability to make a meal three times a day; especially with limited road supplies. Liz has done a fantastic job as chief chef making sure we get the meals we need. One challenge is finding fresh fruits and veggies that aren't GMO and Pesticide ridden or shipped from around the world. We usually dont stick around enough to find and get to the farmers markets. 

Another challenge is spicing it up. We have a spice cabinet on board that Liz utilizes to its fullest but in addition to spice, its important to have varied meals. We have been in burrito mode for a while since its an easy handheld meal with minimal ingredients and little clean up. It's also versatile as you build to desire. We like having snacks in the car for those long stretches of highway with nothing in between. Costco has provided a bounty of nature valley peanut bars and fig bars which are delicious and sort of healthy. Better than chip bags each day. 

--Additionally, we consume ALOT of water; both in/on our bodies and for cleaning. Living in a house, you have little idea of your daily consumption. Run the sink or shower too long; NBD. It can be a struggle to have enough freshwater but we have managed by using a 5 gallon flexible water jug in the trunk (we like the flexible ones since it adds space as it empties), in addition to numerous 1 gallon jugs in the foot wells of the back seat. On board the camper, we have a 10 gallon holding tank for washing dishes and hands but this reserve is only available when pop'd up.

Financial Battles are another thing to keep in mind before you hit the road. When you have no income, every penny counts and making sure your bank accounts are working with you and not against you is important to track. 

• Liz realized that her bank, Wells Fargo, would charge $25/month for a 'maintenance fee' when her account was below a certain threshold and to avoid such a charge, she needed to either have X deposits per month or 10 debit charges a month. This isn't common knowledge and so when these charges popped up, she inquired and with a local branch and found the small print stipulations that might not affect someone with a steady income and spends regularly. If we are stationed and supplied somewhere, we could go a week or two without spending a dime and living off our stock.
• One trip to the grocery could cost a couple hundred dollars so its important to weed out the snacks and cereals you might want but not need to survive. Buy the generic/bulk version of just about anything but make exceptions from time to time (we like to treat ourselves to Black Label Bacon every once in a while). We buy from the bulk store to refill stocks on board including canned goods and the Dogs Food. Meals might be meager at times so make sure you eat your moneys worth when a bounty is present; I call this opportunistic eating. 
• Have an emergency stash (or multiple) of cash on hand. Credit cards are accepted most places now but its worth it to keep a few hundred on hand just in case. Additionally, make sure you have enough money to bail out of your adventures or get it going again. Determine your threshold in your bank of when you might need to call it quits, settle down or ship back to mah and pah.
• Consider the price of gas. When you add miles like there's no tomorrow, you will inevitable have to fill your rig and your wallet hurts. Use an ap like GasBuddy to help you find the cheapest rates in your area. Once again, every penny counts and can save a lot of money in the long run. We tend to hit Costco if we can since its bar-nun cheapest gas in town. Not every place has Costco gas though so we take what we can get. We also run with a 2-gallon spare can on board as a safety net. It has saved us a close call and also got it down the road to a better gas price.
• Spend the money to secure your success. This might seem counter intuitive to our spending sector here but we made sure the Subaru was in top condition before initial departure and after leaving Dinkey Creek 4 months and a couple thousand miles later; we spent a small fortune reconditioning the camper to a livable, movable space including a new axle to the tune of a grand (Estimated $2,300 spent on the gnome including purchase price and numerous modifications). We purchased a GPS and other numerous gadgets to help us live a mobile life which all cost a pretty penny.

Yosemite and Onwards

Goodbye Dinkey, Hello Highways

The Roamin Gnome got air in the tires and the Subaru had a tune up to a sum of $1,500. We were ready for action and the open road. The destinations include Denver → Saskatoon → San Diego → Phoenix AZ. The in-betweens were to be decided.

After leaving Dinkey, we posted up our camp nearby in the Swanee Grotto while the Subaru was worked on. With all fluids swapped and a few other unexpected fixes that lingered, we hit the road heading north. The route to our campsite right outside the south entrance of Yosemite was twisty and seemed much longer than the 2.5hr suggested time. We arrived at the Goat Meadows Snow Play Area and found our spot fairly quickly; large lot with private entrance and access to sun for the panels. GREAT. We spent a few days exploring the area of Yosemite. Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome and Vernal/Nevada Falls were excellent points to seek out and enjoy the magic of the area. Even though we traveled in early October, Yosemite was still crowded and hectic. There is just no way around the crowds unless you plan to hike the solitude of the Yosemite Wilderness which requires some trail studies and skill sets.

Viewing Vernal Falls from above.

At the top of Nevada Falls

Atop Sentinel Dome

Post Yosemite, the Gnome took Kaiser Pass to the northeast out of the park and into the Mono Lake Region. Two days were spent exploring the region but a few more could have been had. While in town, we had many explorations including the Mono Lake tufa's at Sunrise. The cold morning air chilled me to the bone but Liz powered on to capture some amazing photos of the tufa's as the sun rose. A tufa is a towering structure formed from calcite deposits in the saltwater lake. Some of these structures stood 15 -20' tall and were a valuable ecological resource for the areas bird and biological wildlife. On the way back from the tufa exploration, we stopped at the nearby Panum Crater which offered a short hike to either the rim or the plug of the volcano which hasn't erupted for at least 350 years. Should be safe. The Panum Crater lies along the Mono Lake fault line which is responsible for the chain of other volcanic mounds which line the area. Panum was fantastic for its rich obsidian and pumice rock formations.

Furthermore, we also made a visit to Bodie which is a historic ghost town a few miles north of Mono. The town was fairly inexpensive to access and the 2$ informational brochure was needed in order to read what which building was known for. As you walked the main streets, you could almost feel the stagecoaches blow by or the saloon brawls breakout. Unfortunately, due to two major fires in the late 1800's and early 1900's, the towns size had burned down to just 10% of its once magnificent size of ~8000 residents to a handful by the mid 1900's. By the 50's, the ore had gone dry and the people left for other explorations leaving the town to collect dust.

Before we left Mono, I urged Liz to drive out to one last adventure at Black Point. The miles of dirt road eventually lead to a parking zone and a suggested hiking path. We opted for our own hiking path and went straight up the terraced hill. Each terrace was filled with scrubby and thorny brush and once summited, would reveal the next unforeseen terrace. It was fairly grueling to say the least. Once on top, we quickly realized that the volcanic fissures we sought were on the other side of the peninsula and thus our hike continued. Eventually, we reach the fissures which ranged in length and depth from 10-80ft deep. The volcanic activity of this area was breathtaking and reminiscent of some sort of Indiana Jones exploration.

We packed our gnome and headed south. A quick stop by Devils Post Pile once again had us in awe of the geological powers in the area. 

On to the town of Bishop where we hoped to camp at a cheap campground called Grandview. Unfortunately, Garmin decided it would be best to direct us up a very rough dirt road which may or may not have led up the mountain slope. In the waning sunset, we consulted our options before delving too far into the world of 'dark off roading'. Liz determined that Garmin was full of it on this route and found an alternative which would take an extra hour. As we turned on the road to begin our climb to the campground, we noticed another campground right near the highway. This unnamed campground gave us a safe place to call it a day and included showers and a water supply. We gladly paid the $15 to spent the night. In the morning, before check out, we drove up the road to find the Ancient Bristlecone Pines at 10,000ft elevation. The pines, which were nothing spectacular in size, are the oldest known living organism on the earth. Their bark, weathered from years of snow and sun and the occasional fire, showed some signs of wear and tear but when the dendrochronologists got involved, they noticed that the rings of these pines aged back thousands of years. The oldest living tree was deemed Methuselah and aged back 4,500 years. Some of the fallen pines were dated to 11,000 years old. This find actually reinvented and recalibrated the carbon dating system for high altitude organisms, since now they had a visible scale to measure carbon decay rates at. Ziggy enjoyed trotting down the deserted freezing cold trail at high speeds to pee on the elders before mom and dad saw his deeds. The afternoon was spent driving the 5+ hours to Garnet Hill outside of Ely NV.

Arriving in the dark, the GPS once again led us to a extremely rough and impassible road in the hills of an unfamiliar place. We managed to make a jackknife turnaround in the dirt gully and started to head to Plan B which was 45 minutes away in the wrong direction. As we drove, we passed a sign for Garnet Hill (3 miles) and seemed like a much better option than Garmin and Plan B combined. The road took us up a hill as expected and in the dark, we managed to find, set and explore camp. Dinner was prepared and sleep was inevitable.

In the AM, we rose to explore the top of Garnet Hill which featured a free to explore policy. With hammer in hand, Liz and I began to split large rocks while Ziggy watched. The first few were nothing to be desired but upon further inspection, small maroon to black garnets were located in the smashed rock. A few are left to be extruded but we were satisfied with our haul. With rocks in pockets, the gnome bounded on towards Utah with the destination of Capitol Reef. I had no expectations or knowledge of the area and maybe that made for a bigger surprise.

That night, our free campsite lead was a straight success and we made camp before dark! WOOHOO. Laying in the camper bed, Liz remarks upon the high winds and being in the camper, makes suggestions for a safer option. We would hate to be stranded without a roof or risers let alone a rip to our precious and frail canvas. We opt to drop the top. The gnomes roof descends for the night and the tent is erected. The wind continues into the moons full glow and blows anything under 10lbs towards the butte face. We came to realize that the tent wasn't even an option. It was Texas all over again. Rocks were placed on the camper to keep the roof and canvas down and the tent was abandoned. Subaru's 'roomy' outback seats became the beds for our limited nights sleep.

Groggy and grumpy, we settled our camp in the morning and headed into Capitol Reef. We were not expecting the beauty and amazing geological structures that were in the park. Think Zion meets Bryce but less crowded and a majority of the viewing areas are along Highway 24 and thus free to see. If you wish to access the other parts of the park, you can pay a small fee via drop box. Additionally, the historic orchards on site are still maintained and free fruit picking is encouraged with a small donations box on site. Dont worry, the resident deer don't bite. We grabbed a few apples and dropped a few coins for our drive in the park. Make sure you're vehicle is capable of the terrain of the off road areas. Since Capitol Reef was just a stop through and our nights sleep was lacking, we decided not to pursue any of the trails this day but hope to be back soon enough for further exploration.

On to Moab we drove and arrived around 4pm. Our first campsite was about 10 miles from town. We pull off the highway and onto the dirt road and notice the massive amount of campers in the area. Every turnout had a tent or campers or someone car camping without much room to spare. In addition to this overcrowding, we checked the weather for the evening and next day and gusts of up to 30mph were predicted again. The desert doesn't offer much in the way of wind breaks so a night in a hotel was our option for a good nights sleep. We hastily got on our phones which luckily had service and surfed for the pet friendly spots in town. A couple calls led to more misinformation than we could handle. Then, Liz remembered that sister Kathryn stayed a night and two weeks more at the local Lazy Lizard Hostel. One phone call to Brett and he assured us a cabin was ready for our arrival. The cozy bunk beds let mom and dad take top while doggie bunked on bottom. As the night went on, we could hear the wind howling outside and we felt the struggle for our tent neighbors, many of which woke in their cars. We, well rested, arose and explored the center of town with its many gift shops and eateries. The gnome team located camp two and headed there after checkout. This camp is on the other side of town (opposite of Arches NP) and had about 3 other camps set. Plenty of room to find our spot and behind some berms too so any additional wind will blow over and not decimate us. Arches will be explored over the next couple days and we will be Denver bound by the end of this week.

Post Denver, our plans are still loose as we aim to stay warm. A journey south of Denver may loop us through Great Sand Dunes, Natural Bridges, Mesa Verde and Escalente which has been highly recommended by numerous people on our travels. Then a shot north to Canada in November where we will have a house to stay in. The gnome plans to stay state-side at storage while we explore Canada. That's about it for now. Thanks for reading and getting caught up with our activities.

Hittin the Old Dusty

As the season moves forward in the Sierras, the air is getting colder and the water flow, lower, thus patronage at the campground has dropped greatly. In a few short days, the Roamin Gnome will be moving on from its home at Dinkey Creek and onto the next adventures. In total we worked and lived ~70 days in the campground and we are itchin to hit the old dusty trail. The workload was fairly benign and as much complaining that occurred on the last posts, it wasn't all that bad to have money coming in and a safe place to park WITH the luxury of water/sewer/electric hookups. We have been enticed to seek employment with Dinkey Creek and CLM again next year for the whole season but are hesitant to make that sort of commitment just yet.

As for the next steps, by weeks end, we will be dusting the cobwebs, airing the tires and moving forward; albeit not that far. The gnome will travel up the road a few miles to a free camp spot while we tie up some loose ends in the area. Liz has spent hours combing through the voluminous Yosemite books from the library and is getting a list together of must-see's. I have been fairly laid back in planning so once work is done, we will set into full scale ops. Aside from Yosemite, the Gnome anticipates travelling a southern route to end up in the Denver area by mid October to visit some friends.

The cold Denver air will limit our tent campers ability to stay up there and so we will move forward past that point to somewhere warmer.

A tentative visit to our good friend Nancy is hopeful for November. Her stay in Saskatoon Saskatchewan is close enough to meet up with us around the border. These plans are still TBD and weather dependent.

As we work our way into December we may attempt another WWOOFing opportunity for a week or so to pace ourselves and help a local farmer with crop and stock. Hopefully they have Alpaca's :)

Finally, we have our eyes set on Christmas in San Diego with the Fulton fam followed by the first week of January in Arizona to see the Glaser gang. Then a potential swing-by Roswell NM as we head back to the east cost via Texas and the Southern states.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Since our time has been fleeting in the Fresno area, we made sure September did not go to waste. Last weekend we visited Los Gatos which is owned and operated by BLM and is on the other side of the Fresno valley. We pasted through hundreds of acres of farm and orchard lands, past the oil derricks east of Route 5 and into the foothills of the dry golden grasses of Laguna Mountain. Numerous small (5-10 sites) and FREE campsites dotted the road we traveled and being on a Monday, we had our pick of the privacy. We set up at Laguna Mtn at the top post. The view was incredible and Liz of course took some wonderful photos. The claim to fame of the region is its rich geology in Serpentine which was a main quarry for Asbestos manufacturing. The greenish/blue/teal rocks scattered around the hill sides were too good to pass up and we managed to snag a few good specimens for our collection. They also made for a cool Birthday present for our newly found friend Thor (a fellow rock hound) whose birthday was on the 16th. [Now you may be worried about my health while handling Asbestos related rocks but its only as a powdery dust form and inhaled over the course of some time in which Mesothelioma can be prevalent. We should be OK] We also met two lovely tarantulas on the trails.

View from our campsite

Hiking trail to a waterfall

Tarantula!

Additionally, this past weekend, we finally made it up to Mono Hot Springs (a Thor recommendation). The 2+ hour drive follows the contours of the mountain range and continues up Kaiser Pass which is a one lane width yet multi-directional use road that has just enough turn out space to not drive you off the cliff face. Blind turns around boulders the size of a house sometimes had you face to face with another vehicle and someone was left to put er in reverse. Upon entering the region, we stopped by the ranger station and received the best info on FREE camp sites that also allowed fires. This is a rarity since we didn't want to spend the 22$ for the cost of most basic sites in the area. We also received cookies from the older ranger lady on duty that day!

The road splits to either Florence Lake or Mono Hot Springs & Lake Edison. We parked at the resort which has rustic cabins, a general store, massage hut/bath house and a campground. The mile-ish hike to Doris Lake was a little demanding but the serenity of the destination was amazing. After that, we headed back to the car to put puppy away while we ventured to the hot springs which were tubs 5' deep and constructed of concrete. The temperature in the Iodine Pool was about 85 degrees and incredible with natural methane bubbles surfacing every so often. All the other pools were occupied and we were unable to find the old mud pools on this venture.

Following the advise of the ranger, we took Kaiser Pass back towards civilization and took the turn off for Sample Meadow. The dirt road was rugged at times but no match for the Subaru. The campground had very private sites with bear boxes, tables and fire pits and the facilities were clean and stocked with TP. Our site was the last in the lot and super exclusive right up against a stream giving us great white noise and uber privacy. We mostly enjoyed the company and campfire in the quiet of nature and not a busy populated campground. Hammocks were choice and we spent much of the next morning enjoying the sun rising over the pine tree tops while Ziggy patrolled the perimeter.

We packed up by early afternoon and decided we needed one more adventure so we took the turn towards Mount Tom Fire Lookout. With no expectations and no hesitation we followed more dirt roads snaking the mountain sides which offered beautiful vistas but it was nothing compared to the final view. The steep one lane and very tricky road which was not recommended for all vehicles took us to the peak of Tom mountain at 9,040'. We were invited into the lookout tower by the friendly young ranger lady on site. She spends the season tending the tower and spotting fires in the valley to radio to the fire crews on the ground and in copters. Although the seclusion of being alone on top of a mountain all summer is daunting, the view is absolutely phenomenal. We spent about an hour talking and learning about the instruments she uses, the mountain range we had a 360 of, and just life in general atop the rock. The journey down the steep rocky switchbacks was cautiously made and we returned back to paved roads eventually.

The rest of the waning daylight was spent driving the offshoot roads near Shaver Lake to find our next temporary home. Since the start of hunting season, these dirt roads have been crowed with hunters in tents and RVs living off the land and finding the prime spot for our pup is tedious. We have a few in mind and will settle over the weekend for a short stay before moving on once more.

Honey BooBoo's Flaming Stump

As we near the end of the season for the campground, our duties as hosts have changed a bit and we go from kiosk greeter to care and maintenance of the grounds. This isnt necessarily  the worst thing and has us doing odd jobs like walking each site to rip nails and screws from trees or dig out fire pits for the end of season. We also finally have a chance to clean the day-use creek areas where people have been shoving trash into rock cravases; because where else would it go? Some tasks still remain though like checking bathrooms for TP and clogs (as previously discussed) and performing the night time compliance for noise and fires.

{Small rant: Come 10pm, the campground is to become quiet. No generators, lowered or off canned music and no hecklin/hootin/hollerin. Apparently the woods are an accepatble SCREAM ZONE and this past weekend we have had children yelling for no specific reason other than to be loud. It gets old very quickly.

Labor day was a nightmare since you could imagine we were at full capacity with just Liz and I to clean and maintain 29 restrooms and make sure all campers followed the rules. At night the sounds carry through the tall pine trees and its hard to pinpoint the source. The golf cart is so easily unmistakable that when we roll around, we pass campfires of 30+ people DEAD silent with eyes beaming at us. We not only watch but are always watched. Folks know what the cart means yet there are the disobiedient/disrespectful few who, once the cart has past, will crank up the volume. The mile long campground is impossible to monitor top to bottom with one cart. We did our best performing numerous laps at "hot-spots" and remaining up and moving until almost midnight. Even so, we recieve numerous noise complaints in the morning that this site or the other was turnt up and lit till the wee hours. Unfortunately, if its not happening in the 30 or so sites right near our camper, we dont know and cant monitor. We really arent paid enough to deal with some of this sh!t.}

Anyways, last night on rounds, the grounds were surprisingly quiet and only a handful of guests were reminded to keep it down. As we past H-loop which has maybe 4 of 14 sites occupied, I spied something of intrigue in the darkness. A small flame was licking at an otherwise quiet and unoccupied site. We came around the loop to find its origin. The occupants had, for some reason, thought it would be OK to heave a 50+lb log (uncut) onto the fire ring grill to burn. Well fun fact about circles is they roll. And this flaming log with embers shootin out the sides had fallen off the grill and was laying a few feet away on a bed of highly flamable pine needles and sticks with a low hanging branch right above.

Its 10:30pm and no one in sight. We call to the site occupants and hear a voice from within the tent. A woman the spitting image of a dirty adult Honey Boo-Boo clad in sweats and Uggs emerges and asks what the trouble is. We question, in polite words, what the actual F* was going on with this flaming log. The excuses were poor at best and when asked why their fire was unattended, the golden response was given. "We were watching it from within the tent" which, mind you, had no windows open at the time. They were in the tent because they were cold. Well isnt that what a fire is for? They also confessed to knowing that this lit log was off the grill and near to roll down the hill and into their neighbors site.

Just a fact of true negligence and possibly some unintelligence could have started the next California wildfire care of site ##. The fire, starting and speading in the night would cause a cut off of the campground leaving the upper portion stranded with no exit (and of course we are living in the upper). A mass exodus of campers would fuel a huge traffic jam down the one lane road as the dead trees around them burned to the ground. Water reserves wouldnt do much as the fires spead atop the mountain. The unseasonable winds had earlier in the day would carry embers for a distance to rapidly increase spead. All this because Honey Boo-Boo's flaming stump of a fire rolled its embering body down a hill and caught all the kindling that litters the ground igniting this forest fire.

We dumped eight gallons of water on the hulk (log) and it was still giving steam. Armed with a pint sized water bottle, the firestarters were completely unarmed to battle their blaze even when ready to turn in. Glad we caught it and were ready to assist with dousing in the dark. And believe me, Liz and I gave a stern talking to good old Boo-Boo about why this is NOT OK and how to actually have a safe fire. Hopefully next time they use a little common sense before they burn.

Camper Confusions

Hiya folks and welcome back to another installment of what we learned as campground hosts in California. When Liz and I arent cleaning up after the guests, we perform greeter and check-in duties at the front gate. This task can require alot of patience when its hot and you have a line of cars eager for their family to check in and check out. Additionally, you come across many folks who are totally out of their element in the woods. This is not to say they shouldnt be here since nature is for everyone. Instead, clueless customers should educate on proper mechanics of camping and what that may entail. The office use to provide a card to each guest stating the rules of the campground but due to the ink-jet inflation of printables, money is saved by not distubiting this list; instead the big four are stated to each guest.

1. FIRES: It wouldn't be much of a camping trip if you couldnt decimate a fallen log into splinters and burn its remains to a chared ash. Not many Fresnoids have campfires at home so the ability to light up is a huge enticement.

》》 As California continues another season of devastating drought, wildfires have taken thousands of acres of the Big Sur area which is a few hours north of us. Smaller fires rage in Los Padres where we camped earlier in our trip (see Ojai adventures) and even closer on the outskirts of Prather which is the town just down the hill from us. With fast firefighter response, the crew of 70+ engines, a dozen or more dozers and helicopter hydro dumps, stopped the hills from burning and spreading up the road to us. Banners throughout the region tell passer-bys of the SEVERE DROUGHT and that water conservation and fire safety are of extreme importance. Normally, a free fire permit must be issued by the ranger station in order to cook on gas stoves. The use of firepits or rings in the wild is strictly forbidden and punishable by a hefty fine. The smallest of sparks can start a wildfire. Where's Smokey the Bear advertisements when you need em. 《《

Anywho, as an improved campground with designated fire rings, we are aloud to have guests burn within reason. Firewood collection is aloud from the grounds since nearly 500 trees were felled earlier in the season due to bark beetle devastation (drought related). We ask each guest upon check in to PLEASE have responsible campfires. This includes no branches protruding from the top or sides of the pit and no giant tree rounds burning atop the cooking grate. This is for safety sake and also the reduction of ember travel from the fire rings. We also ask that ample water (a gallon or two) is used to douse fires out COLD before leaving site/going to bed/check-out. A hot log from the night before can still remain active hours into the next day if not properly handled. Water is provided at each bathroom so there really should be no excuse as to why fires are left hot. And yet, each day we have fire pits filled with hot logs and guests are continually asked to make their wood more manageable to not stick out the top. The issue lies in the fact that an axe/saw might be last thing a city dweller will tote to the woods. Thus they can collect wood but cant cut it to size. A basic axe costs about 10$ and the ticket for improper burning from the forest service is about $350. You choose. [And yes, forest service does do patrols in the campground on a nearly daily basis. They are more than willing to issue tickets]

2. Check In (Noon 12)/Check Out (2pm) times are stated clearly on the reservations form online and your printout if you brought it. We are also apt to remind you of these times when you get to the kiosk window and additionally it is stamped on the rear of your parking pass so each time you drive, you are thusly reminded of the fact. And yet we have guests who show up to the window to check in at 9am. Its just like a hotel. If another guest has used your room (or campsite) the night before you, they have up till noon to vacate. Then, a cleanup team has to come in and make sure all trash has been removed and the fire pit is cold and not over flowing. With 122 sites and only two, and sometimes one, clean up team onsite, its a struggle to juggle the ins and outs properly so everyone gets a nice clean place to set up. Alternatively, we have many guests who are enjoying their stay so much that time is nonchalantly overlooked and the clock ticks closer to noon. If the site is not vacated by 1pm, the guest will be charged an additional nights stay (30$). So get it together folks. Pack up the tents and tables, the snacks and stuff and get em going before the clock strikes 12.

3. Keep a tidy site. We are in bear country up here albeit I have yet to see one. A large portion of our campers are afraid to get mauled by a hungry bear and yet leave their trash and food all on the table while asleep or in the creek. Luckily the bears tend to leave the campground alone since its fairly populated. What campers need to consider however is the murder of crows that caw in the tree tops. Their black bird figures will sit atop the pines eyeing sites for vacancy of humans. Once the opportunity arrises, the group will descend to the ground to tear up bags and paper products. It seems they are not specifically in search of food but just want to create a fowl mess of things. (Pun intended) Furthermore, the ground squirrels come in and will rip and tear at tablecloths and other fluffy things to make nesting materials.

In addition to these pest, we have quite a bit of bugga-boos, most of which come out at night. Giant beetles, grasshoppers and moths make the rounds in the evening; namely calling the bathroom home. They are harmless creatures and yet people find the need to assert their human dominance and squish them on the walls inside and out the facilities. The one bug to worry about is the meat bee which will viciously go after the carnivore camper to get some sweet meat tastes.

4. Quiet hours are from 10pm to 6am. This rule is debated by many campers, usually sites that have a big family and more than a few brews. At 10pm we drive the golf carts around to check for 'compliance' of the rules. Most generators go off by then but some RVs need reminder of the time. The issues lie with the campfire circles that emit canned music and a cackling crowd. We are not demanding that everyone go to bed at 10 but instead to keep their noise at a reasonable volume so that their nearby neighbors can enjoy some peace and quiet and get a few winks of sleep without the perturbance of shouts and heckling. With intoxication comes ignorance and can become an issue. On a normal weekend, numerous guests will complain about the noise of their neighbors while the noisy ones who were asked to quiet down will complain about how "they really werent that loud and that we are being racist or selective". Everyone gets fair treatment here so we just ask you abide so everyone can enjoy the great outdoors.

Some rules are abided by a bit more sternly than others and so it is a constant battle to watch for 'rule breakers' and kindly ask them to change their methods so that everyone can be safe and happy. Check out the rest of the rule list in the attached photo. Glad we dont have to spew all those out to new check-ins.

Some Things We Quickly Learned as Campground Hosts

As previously stated, the Dinkey Creek Campground in the Sierra Mountain Range in California is home to 122 non-hookup sites. It is the fun zone for many families, friends and long time visitors. As you can imagine, a campground of this size requires a full time team of cleaners, greeters and maintenance. In the last two weeks of our employment at DCCG, we have come across many things that most would find bizarre and yet to others, this is the norm. Heres a short list of our ongoing discoveries of the human camper psyche.

A large portion of our work is spent making sure the facilities are well stocked and clean for the guests.

1. If someone knocks on the bathroom door and you are inside, reply with "occupied" or "Im in here" or even "Go away". We understand that what happens to us in the bathroom can be considered a private matter but we all poo and when no response is given, we assume you are incapacitated or mute. I dont automatically go in for the handle shakedown like most do, a knock is more pleasant than hearing frantic handle tugs at the door. Just please respond so I know we can move on with our tasks and we know youre in fact not dead on the toilet.

2. We all poo in all shapes, sizes, colors, smells. . . But there is something special about the camping feast. While camping, folks eat food they might not normally chow on and thus their bodies produce an output that is weird to them. Some like to bask in the glory of their creations and thus think that other will want to see, smell ... their business too. We do not. Please flush it down. DCCG is blessed with enough flush toilets to keep all campers happy so there is no reason to let the sh!t sit in the bowl for my discovery. We understand that some behemoth bowels consume the entirity of the bowl and overwhelm the flushing capacity. Please dont press press press the flush button. It only makes the matter worse. Our 'manual grinder' which is usually a stick from the wild will do the trick to unclog the beast and let the action continue down the drain.

3. If you do clog with your log, dont hide it under TP. Other guests dont need that surprise in their daily deuce. The other night on rounds, a lady flags down our golf cart to warn us of a potential log clog. We investigate to find a bathroom with a trickle coming from under the door amd out to the sidewalk. As we open the metal door, a surge of toilet water pours from the room and the bowl is seen gushing water like something from the exorcist. Luckily, we were not on the duty of fixing this doodie and radio'ed it into the next guy. The mess was solved with the manual grider and a squeegee to get the water out.

4. Toilet paper can be flushed. To my understanding, alot of other cultures use the waste bin as a recepticle for all TP generated. This includes ones used for number 2. Often enough, the trash bin will be a container for peoples poopie papers instead of flushing it down the loo. I dont want to touch that so please flush em down. Luckily gloves are provided for our hands to stay 'clean'.

5. People love to make their mark. There is something about sitting in a stall that makes folks want to inscribe their name, number  and relationship status into the walls, sinks, doors, toilet seat etc to let the world know they found the bathroom. Im sure they could invent a graffiti proof bathroom, resistant to all spray and scratch marks, but people would still find a way to leave 'Bill ♡ Sue in '92' on the walls. No one wants this so please dont do it. Also, name carving in trees is not cool. That is unless you tattoo an image of the tree on your body; scar for scar. The tree will outlive your relationship.

6. Dont steal things. Most everything is hard fastened to the walls and is made of prison style stainless steel yet guests find a way to fiddle with whats loose. Five gallon buckets serve as the trash bin and in the past, they would go missing as people used them for filling water from the spigot or hauling trash to he dumpster.  Holes were drilled in the bottom of each pail to prevent water from being toted and this detered most but theres always the few who snag the bucket and use it for other deeds. A pail was found outside a tent that was know for its late night party the prior evening. Upon confrontation, the young man proclaimed the bucket was his but with inspection of the drilled holes in the bottom, his story carried as much water as the bucket did. He did manage to use the bucket as a pee pot and thus earned himself the glory of cleaning it out and throwing his waste away in a proper manner in his hung over stupor.

-- Additionally we have had numerous thefts of the sink handles. The push button to operate the water flow has been somehow mehanically ripped from the faucet making the sink unusable. If they left the handle there, a fix might be possible bit of course it is never to be seen again. The reasoning behind this action is still unknown since the handle provides no worth or merit to the theif. Since DCCG workes on a stickt budget, we dont have the option to head on down to the hardware store and buy a new one. A incident report will be filed and submitted and maybe by next season, funding will be alotted for the fix. This means this sink is out of order for everyone for the rest of the season. THANKS.

7. Drop toilets are NOT dumpsters.  In addition to serving the two dozen toilets on site, we also clean a handful of pit/drop toilets on and off site. The pit toilet is a simple device that only requires two things of you: Close the lid when complete. This allows the stink to air out via the exhaust pipe up top and not back flow into the stall. Second, do not dump trash into the pit. It is extrememly difficult and messy to extract and no one wants that. I would rather you leave your bag of trash out front the door for retrieval instead of dealing with an upset pump truck operater with a grabby claw and elbow-length gloves.

8. If you muck up the seat with your backdoor business, use some TP to wipe it down. Dont let it set and stick on as a dry crust. Once again, no one wants that. Our industrial clean and get it off but we have to provide the muscle and mental strength to complete the task.

9. Use the whole roll. Most restrooms are equipped with three if not four tp rolls. When restocking, I will position the rolls with less left closest to the hand that will be grabbing it. Of course folks dont want to use the scraps so instead will go for the new roll. This leaves four rolls in limbo with little left to use. The roll will remain in place until used but if all little rolls are left, it is surely the case that new tp rolls will have to be added in a short amount of time. It boggles my mind why people wont just use the last of the roll and be the victor for its demise. The world my never know.

Thats about it for now. More lessons learned to come including check-in/check-out times and what that really means.

Where the hell is Dinkey Creek?

Its been just about a week since the Gnome made its way into the Sierra Mnts about and hour and a half east of Fresno to join the Dinkey Creek Campground team. Little did we know that this momentus move would generate such an attachment to a place.

Dinkey Creek lies about 13miles north of Shaver Lake,  a popular destination for the valley and costal folk to escape to the mountains. Twisty mountainous roads lead to the area that has been historically a popular destination for vactioning and also the lumber industry. The massive pines, some of which stretch hundreds of feet high, have been growing in the forest for almost a century  or more. Nearby is McKinley Grove which is home to 150+ giant sequoias that have surpassed age definitions and are the true giants of the forest. Each day presents a pass by of these wonders as we work the satellite sites in Buck Meadow and Dinkey Fisherman.

For my part, the "challenges" of each day vary including power washing the 30 some odd bathrooms, brushing our the dumpster areas and general clean up/maintenance. Daily tasks also include compliance with campground rules, processing checkin and check outs and helping all the campers to have a wonderful time. Liz's role is namely in the entrance kiosk to help campers get in the grounds and answer any questions they may have. Puppy petting is optional but she gets to meet and greet most campers who come on by. The days are a bit longer than 8 hours but the time flys by fast and the people are extraordinary.

We may not be making millions but we get to live in the natural beauty of the area for free including water and power hookups which is a new feeling for us. So far, we are hooked on the location, grounds and people we work with. The gnome team anticipates working at DCCG for the next few months as the summer season comes to an end. This should give our bank accounts the necessary boost to keep on exploring the states post employment. We also hope our experiences and connections made will provide us with the support to move onto the next thing; what ever that may be.