Time for a Generator

Last time we went camping, we lost battery power about halfway through the weekend.  Luckily, we were done with Saturday night dinner and the evening was warm enough that we didn't need the heater to kick on.  We were able to limp along and stay through Sunday by turning everything off and just using the stove to heat our hot water for coffee in the morning.  No one should have to do without coffee while camping.  After talking to some other campers at the campsite and doing more research when I got home, it seemed that a generator was the best way to go.  It turns out you can only let a 12V battery get down to about 10.5V before it is nearly useless.  I had no idea.  I thought you got to use up all 12 volts before you had to recharge. 

So, we are now the proud owners of a Honda EU1000i super quiet generator with an eco-throttle mode.  This thing is beautiful.  It runs at about 53-59 dB, which is pretty darn quiet for a generator.  These super quiet generators are not cheap, but I decided it is worth having and being able to use without disturbing other campers.  I hate the sound of a generator in the great outdoors, but if you have to use one, this one is pretty nice.  We should only have to run it a couple hours a day to keep the battery sufficiently charged.  We are really excited to try it out on our upcoming holiday weekend adventure.  I am hoping this will make the weekend worry-free as far as battery consumption goes.  Check them out at the Honda Website.

Tour of Utah

Highway closure for the Tour of Utah

On our way back from our last camping trip, we passed a number of cars and people waiting along the side of the road.  We finally figured out that it was the Tour of Utah bike race coming straight for us.  We are big cycling fans and had hoped to see some of the week-long race this year, but decided to go camping instead.  I guess you can have your cake and eat it too, sometimes.

About halfway up Highway 40 outside of Park City, droves of police vehicles came screaming down the road with their sirens and lights flashing and directed us to the side of the highway.  Just like that, the freeway was closed and we had front row seats to the race.  About five minutes later two packs of racers sped past us at full speed.  They must have been going 50 mph or more.  They were going so fast, we couldn't recognize any of the riders, but somewhere in the pack were big name riders like Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie and Francisco Mancebo.  The pack and its entourage sped past, and as fast as they swarmed upon us, they were gone.  We got back in the car with our hearts pounding.  What a great way to end the weekend.  Here is a little video clip of the peleton rushing past us.

Uintas, Cobblerest Campground

We spent another great weekend exploring the upper Uinta Mountains.  This time we camped at Cobblerest Campground located at about 8,000' elevation.  We stayed in Site #7 which was right next to the river.  The ambient sound of the river from our open window was quite calming.  We liked our spot by the river, but next time we would like to try the more secluded Site #17.  No electrical or water at this campsite, so we really had to "rough" it.

Wall Lake looking at the "Notch"

On Saturday we took the dogs on great hike that started at the Crystal Lake trailhead. We did a bit of a circle from the trailhead to Wall Lake and up to the Notch (which is part of the Notch Mountain trail) and then back down past Trial Lake.  In all, we were out for about 3 hours and figure we covered about 6 miles.  It was a beautiful day.

Lisa at Hope Lake

On Sunday we did a hike on the otherside of Bald Mountain known as the Highline trail.  This trail is really popular with backpackers.  In looking at the map, you can take this trail deep into the protected wilderness area of the Uintas and stay for days, if not weeks, in the backcountry. 

Mary with Darwin and Riley

We made it to Packard Lake which is about an 8 mile hike.  Near the lake is an amazing view of the Duchesne River gorge.  The precipice was so daunting I made Mary leash up the dogs.  The trip out and back took us about 5 hours.  It was another gorgeous day.

Darwin surveying the land

Packard Lake

Uintas, Lower Provo River Campground

We went camping in the Uintas this weekend.  It was another great adventure with the T@belot.  I really think we are getting the hang of this camping thing.  This was our fourth trip with the trailer and it seems to be getting easier and the set up procedures are becoming routine. 

This weekend we explored the Uintas, one of our favorite mountain escapes located just an hour east of Salt Lake City.  I have been told that the Uintas are the only major mountain range in the US with an east/west orientation.  The Uintas are also the highest mountain range in Utah.  The highest peak is Kings Peak which tops out at 13,528 feet.  Most of the hiking we do is around the 10,000' elevation range.  We stayed at the Lower Provo River Campground, Site #1.  

Karla and her dog Max joined us for the overnight adventure.  It was great to spend some quality time talking around the campfire.  Since Mary and I have not mastered (or even tried) the art of making a fire, it was great to have a fire-starter extraordinaire in our company.  The secret, Karla admitted, was dryer lint as kindling.  Who knew?  Maybe next time Mary and I can give it a try.  Karla's dark chocolate s'mores were also amazing.  Thanks for the great weekend.