CAMPING BOON DOCKING STYLE

CAMPING June 21, 2016: 

It is really hot, 90 plus degrees. We left for Curt Gowdy to try our hand at what is called boon docking. Boon docking is where one has no hookups, so we filled our water tank before leaving and made sure the propane gas was on and we had our generators and some extra fuel. 

We left the house and after a 45 minute drive we were pulling into our campsite. As the winds had picked up from the west, we decided to park so our door faced the east. We did try to put out the awning but we did not feel comfortable having it out with the winds making it flap. The skies are full of smoke and haze, my guess if from fires burning west of us. 

We set up the camper and got it level and set out our carpet and chairs and I set up an out door kitchen. We also cranked up the frozen concoction  machine and made a slushy drink. This helped cool us off a bit. 

The camper provided us shade and we sat and planned out a trip to the Black Hills. This journey would take us along the eastern part of Wyoming camping in Gurnsey or Glendo Reservoir on the first day, then the next day at Keyhole State Park near Devils Tower. From we would go to Wall Drug and spend some time in the Badlands area. From there we would travel to Custer State Park in North Dakota so as to visit Mount Rushmore. Then head back home. 

For dinner this evening I made a yellow rice and chicken in a cast iron dutch oven. The results came out pretty darn good and provided us with a meals worth of leftovers. 

We can see right now our cooler will not be keeping ice for much more than a couple of days. So maybe one of those fancy expensive coolers might be worth it. 

We always seem to come up with something to add to a list of stuff we could use for camping. This trip we have added a set of tire locks and a device to make our refrigerator a bit colder. Seem like the fridge is having a hard time keeping things cold in this heat, cool but not as cold as I would like. 

The Boys have met a couple other dogs and made new friends. We have taken them for a couple of walks and they are sleeping as it is rather warm. 

Have had some good sightings of a humming bird as well as a Rocky Mt. Blue bird. 

We are sitting here reading and catching up on logs as the sun is still a good ways from setting. 

6/22:

We were up with The Boys at 0500 and took them for a short walk before they got their breakfast.  After they were fed we took a longer walk exploring the archery  area.  We did find a trail to take us back to our camp site. 

As quiet hours are from 9:00 pm to 7:00 am, we had to wait a bit before starting breakfast. I did get the sausage cooked and and started some coals for the dutch oven to bake the biscuits.  Just a pinch after 0700 I started putting it all together. The biscuits I had pre-made as freezer biscuits and the lesson learned is they take a bit longer to cook when starting with a cold dutch oven. Next time I think it would be better done by preheating my oven and thawing the biscuits a bit. All in all, it came out rather tasty. We did set up the coffee pot using an outdoor plug on the camper. We fired up the generator to charge the batteries as the coffee brewed. 

After breakfast we cleaned up a bit and yes took The Boys for an other short walk. The temperatures are starting to rise but there is a bit of cloud cover making  things pleasant. 

We then started reading and planning our trip to London. We do enjoy London and have a few places we need to further explore such as Kew Gardens. 

As temperatures seem decent and there are some clouds, we took The Boys for a pre-lunch walk. I did capture some photos of a Rocky Mt Blue Bird and American Goldfinch. 

Preparation for dinner this evening started at 3:00pm as I was making a Bison Pot Roast in the dutch oven. First the roast was seared and the carrots, potatoes and onions were added, seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic.  Once placed on the coals the slow cooking time would be about three hours, rotating the oven, as well as the lid,  every 15 minutes so as maintain an even cooking temperature.

At about 5:00 the skies were darkening and the wind was picking up. So before dinner we battened down the hatches and in the event it started to rain. 

At 5:30, dinner was done and Lynn declared it excellent. The Boys did get a little bite of Buffalo.  We ate inside the camper as the weather was uncertain. After dinner, we took The Boys for a walk and returned to the camper and it looks like rain in the distance, yet none at the campground yet. 

For dessert we had strawberries with Russian Cream. The Boys have crashed. We followed The Boys lead and were in bed at about 9:00pm. 

Woke up at 5:00am and The Boys were still sacked out so we did not get up till about 5:45am. Kenai decided he could best sleep fully stretched out between us. 

I took The Boys for a walk while Lynn got their breakfast together and made the bed. After The Pups had their breakfast we were off for another walk with them as the mornings are cooler and it feels like it will be a hot day. 

We got back to our campsite just before 7:00am and started getting things together for breakfast. The menu this morning is coffee, pancakes, and sausage. The two burner stove is working out really well, easy to pick up and move to a shady spot for cooking. The griddle works well and it is handy to preheat your Dutch Ovens and I even used it to start the charcoal for the ovens. 

It will be interesting to see how much propane and gas we have used during these three days. I think if we know our consumption we can better plan for future trips. Camping without hookups is working just fine. 

We did a mid morning walk with The Boys and returned as the wind started to pick up. We  had to retract the awning a good bit. Clouds are starting to fill the sky and the wind is making the temperatures pleasant. Again, I am not sure but we may get some rain today as rain had been forecast for this day at 20%. 

I finished  reading “The Ascent of Rum Doodle”, quite an enjoyable read. 

2:00pm, dark clouds are building, so we started the generator in the event the weather drives us inside for a few hours. The Boys have refused to even sit outside and are lounging on the bed. Thunder in the distance. We did get a steady rain and there was more thunder in the distance. 

About 4:00 pm the sun was out and we took The Boys for another walk. The Boys enjoy visiting with other campers and their dogs.  

We each took showers and noted the water pressure to be very good and the water was nice and warm. 

Dinner this evening was beans and hot dogs, nothing fancy but sure tasted good. After dinner, you guessed it, we went for another walk. I am glad we came up here mid week as the campground is filling up for the weekend. 

More clouds have started to come in and the wind is starting to blow hard. We have things battened down. 

On Friday morning The Boys were up at 0500 and I took them for a walk while Lynn got their breakfast together. As quiet time ends at 0700 we took The Boys for another walk exploring the campground for camp sites we would like to stay at on future outings. 

Breakfast was ham, onions, peppers and potatoes fried up in the griddle for breakfast. After breakfast we packed up and headed home. 

This was a fun trip and a good experiment at boon docking. The camper worked great, the generator keep things charged and provided for power to make the morning coffee, the hot water and water pressure was pretty darn good. This gave us the confidence to not feel tied down to hookups.  I really enjoyed cooking on the two burner stove and using the Dutch Ovens. 

Got home and unpacked, and started planning a trip to the Badlands area. Lesson learned in this planning exercise is to reserve early as this trip will not be till late August. However I have an idea for a backpacking trip in mind. The Boys need to try out their packs.   

Ketchikan

Ketchikan : 

I was up at 0530 walking the decks and enjoying the scenery. The weather seems a bit more typical Alaska, as the skies are cloudy and the wind is cool. 

We were up on Deck 10 for our arrival into Ketchikan, and as we arrived early we got off as soon as we were allowed for some shopping.  Lynn got some $9.99 ear rings and we looked for some local jellies to take home. 

Back to the boat for a sandwich and the we gathered to go on our excursion, the Rainforest, Wildlife Sanctuary, Raptor Center and Totems. This involved a bus ride to the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary. Here we were met by a guide and went for a walk in the sanctuary. A bout 200 feet into the trail I spotted a black bear crossing the trail. We the continued  as our naturalist guide shared information about the rainforest. Soon we came upon a small male black bear in a tree and there was a cub  further up the tree. We next came to a wet grassland area where they had built a boardwalk from which we were able to observed eagles and other word life. Here we could see the Whitman Hatchery home to many Pacific Salmon. We next made our way to the Fleenor Sawmill. Here several old pieces of old mill equipment can be found. Next we went to the Alaska Raptor Center where they care for injured raptors and train the for release as the are able. This is the only raptor surgical center in Alaska.  We got to see an Eagle who had tangled with a power line and a Great Horned Owl.  Next was a stop at totem carving shop. Interesting to me to learn about the apprenticeship involved with this process.  Next the obligatory gift shop before we boarded a bus back to Ketchikan. Back at the ship we made a quick shopping trip for some more stuff. We returned to the ship to drop our packs and goodies we bought. We then went out again with out our packs. It was in this trip The Boys got more treats, they are so spoiled. 

Returning to the ship we grab a small sandwich and are chilling in our room awaiting dinner.   

JUNEAU

Juneau Day 

Our plan for the day is to get a rental car we arranged and then go to Mendenhall Glacier and do some hiking. 

A very uneventful arrival in Juneau and we are docked the farthest out. After breakfast we were off to find the Avis Car Rental location in town. Easy find but the Avis desk person was late. We got our car and drove to Mendenhall Glacier. We had our packs and boots on and were soon on the trails exploring the area. First we hiked the Nugget Falls Trail to a point close to the glacier and a big waterfall. 

We then returned to the Visitors Center and learned the trails are shorter than they appear on the map, as the proportions are not to scale. Next we hiked the Trail of Time and noted spots where the foot of the Glacier was in the early 1900’s. Here we saw a squirrel. The trails were nice and well maintained. We returned to the rental car and grabbed our lunch and had a picnic. We then hiked the Steep Creek Trail where we were told there would be critters. We saw a merganser and a swallow in the distance. I feel the reason was we were there mid day. While there were clouds, it was just not the best time for critters. 

We then took the rental car and explored a good bit, driving along the river. We eventually made it back to town and bought gas and dropped off the car. We then walked along all the rubber tomahawk tourist shops. We did get sucked in to one for some items and The Boys got some Salmon Treats. I hope they like them. 

We made our way back to the ship and had a snack and caught up on logs. As it got close to sail away time we made our way to Deck 10. After casting off we sailed south with a few clouds and a good bit of blue sky, retracing our route into Juneau.  While sailing south we did see some Bald Eagles and a few whales. 

Juneau is a nice town but, for me, the smaller ports are more intimate. Yet we did fall prey to The Alaska T-Shirt Company. Well, The Boys will get some Salmon Dog Treats and we now have a bottle opener in our stash of stash of utensils that we carry with us. 

Skagway

SKAGWAY DAY 

I was up early walking the deck and taking some photos as we sailed towards Skagway. After breakfast we traveled lightly and ventured out to the metropolis of Skagway. The weather is not as forecast and it is a wonderful sunny day and warm by Alaska standards. This was confirmed by the clerks at the IGA, as we stopped there to see if they had any local jelly or jam. We did do a small amount of gift shopping and got The Boys some Alaska Dog Soap. 

Back to the ship to refit for the afternoon excursion. We did spot a Bald Eagle sitting in the tidal area but he was scared away by a couple of people walking out and they got too close. 

We have chosen the Alaskan Nature and Wildlife Expedition. There were a total of 6 clients on this excursion, us and a family of four.  We were met at the ship and transported by bus to the fast ferry dock. We did not go straight to the dock but got a short  tour of the town of Skagway. The tour had arranged for our transport to Haines by the Fast Ferry, which is about a 30 - 40 minute ferry ride. When we reached the other dock, we were met by our driver and naturalist guide. We boarded a small bus and and were driven to the the local community center where we had a lunch of a chicken wraps, chips, cookie and water and grapes. This was good. We then started our drive to Chilkoot lake along the Chilkoot River.  Along the way we made several stops to see Eagles, water foul, a fish weir and Mountain Goats. We also learned about life in the area and some of the flora of the area. We did not see any bears, and that was no surprise as the timing was not right. I did get some pictures of an eagle on a nest.  This may have been more productive had it been earlier in the morning or later in the day. When we reached the lake we did a small hike where we talked about the forest and muskeg bogs of the area. The Naturalist and driver were excellent and informative. When we returned to the dock, we boarded the ferry to return to Skagway (where the rough water meets the land).  The return was just a bit rough. We walked back to the ship, cleaned up and had fellow cruisers to our room for drinks. We then enjoyed a great dinner and celebrated a friends 50th birthday.