It’s a Small World

If you have ever taken that 16 personalities test, you know what a Debater is. If you know us, you know I’m married to one, tho he will go to great lengths to tell you why the test conclusions are incorrect. I’m incredibly grateful to be married to such a man! Just because the forecast on Hwy 14 is awful and every sign/website says roads are slick, does not mean it’s true. And just because the road to the campsite we discovered 10 years ago has a large sign that says “Not Suitable For Vehicles Over 24ft” does not mean our 29’ camper won’t make it just fine. My job, typically, is to hang on for the ride and pray like crazy.

The sun was starting to peek through the clouds when we headed west, over the mountains on Hwy 14 from Dayton. The road was fine, totally fine. It was a bit wet and a wee bit slushy at the top, but no ice, and the sun shone in our large front window. The mountains are filled with hunters and there’s tents and campers in all kinds of random spots.

Our home tonight is Five Springs Creek Campground. It’s a hidden gem Heath and I stumbled on way back when on a trip through, and we always vowed we’d take the boys here. That was before we’d lived in Kenya, and the road to reach it totally had me clawing the dashboard at the time. This time I was very happy to gaze down over the precipice to the wide valley below, and no, our camper didn’t have any stress at all on the switchbacks. That being said, there is only one sight in the campground that can accommodate an RV and it’s the host sight. A nonissue this time of year. The rest of the sights have little gravel paths leading to secluded tent pads. A stream flows through the middle of the campground, and if you follow a trail upstream you get to a couple of gorgeous waterfalls. We hiked back there a ways, scrambling over rocks, and climbed up to the second falls. I thought it was good for the boys to see the wooden cross where a 31 yr old lady had fallen to her death a few years ago. They can get fairly reckless with their rock climbing. I alternate between closing my eyes and yelling when we hike in hairy places.

Heath grilled steaks for supper and the boys strung up their hammocks. It’s cozy and warm in the RV, and I read our spooky book out loud in the evening. Occasionally sleet rattled on the windows, but we were safe and dry. Seth chickened out about sleeping outside when he discovered his hammock was damp, but Forrest will still not defile himself by sleeping in here. As much as he shivered with horror when we started out, I’ve noticed he certainly doesn’t just grab at chances to escape. In fact I sometimes have to kick him out so I can clean up and stuff. Who knows, maybe he’ll move in to this rig when we get home.