"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood... And sorry I could not travel both. I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference." --Robert Frost

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

A Break in the Mountains - CA, Week 1

Kirkwood, CA
Scott's Lake NF


After a hectic month we are going to boondock in one of our favorite places along Hwy 88 near Kirkwood Ski Resort in Hope Valley and just relax and recharge.  Along the way up you pass several lakes. Much cooler and almost no wildfire smoke.
Silver Lake
 
Caples Lake
Red Lake as viewed at the top of the Carson Pass, 8652 ft elevation.
Ah, our spot that sits between a meadow and the pines and aspen.
Until a couple of weeks ago there were cattle grazing this meadow. It's pretty dry out this year.
Steve's office for the next 3 weeks.


There are a few others, all spaced out along the meadow.
The first week we just relaxed, walked the rivers, and hiked a little.
The West Carson River
 
 

Nice deep pools among the large boulders.
We drove some back roads and cached a little too.

Besides settlers coming to the goldrush, this area was home to Snowshoe Thompson.



Steve got a picture of me fishing in one of the pools.

I loved how the beams of sun made layers in the wildfire smoke that would settle in, in the evening.
 


 

On the weekend our son, Brennan, wanted us to meet his Girlfriends father who happened to be camping in Donner, not far from Lake Tahoe.  So we drove the 1-12 hours away and drove along beautiful Lake Tahoe.
There is so much to do all around Lake Tahoe you could stay busy for weeks.  Especially if you like outdoor activities, winter sports, gambling, concerts, etc.
They were all camped at Donner State Memorial Park.  In case you didn't hear this part of California's history, The Donner Party was a group of pioneers that set out for California in a wagon train in May 1846. Departing from Independence, Missouri, they were delayed by a series of mishaps and mistakes, and spent the winter of 1846–47 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada. Some of the pioneers resorted to cannibalism to survive. Besides the campground, they have a nice museum here.
Brennan and Alex
One of the guys here makes the most amazing Mojitos.  I don't care for them usually, but this one was pretty amazing!  And tasty!
Hurley found a new girlfriend.
Brennan had set some games up for everyone.  So we played girls against the boys and The Girls won 3 out of 5.
We kicked butt in Bocce.  The pallino (the little white ball) is thrown at random and you then throw your teams balls as close as you can.  Closest team's ball, wins.  So, it was pretty amazing that I was able to get our (Red) ball the closest to the pallino considering it was thrown between two stumps.  I threw it 30 feet and made it right between the stumps for a win!  Go Girls!!
Brennan, Alex and Alex's Dad, Sebastian.  Thanks guys for a  great time and BBQ!
 
We drove another day to Tahoe, about 20 mins, to renew Steve's drivers license and had a nice breakfast on the way out at the Hope Valley CafĂ©.  We ate at this cute little spot along the river a couple of times while here. We also saw the movie, Crazy Rich Asians.  It was pretty funny.

 

 

16 comments:

  1. I knew Hope Valley sounded familiar when I made reservations in a town of the same name in Rhode Island for next week! As much as I love forests and beaches, I love meadows and plains the best. So this spot may be my very favorite of all the wonderful places you've stayed. The views and surrounds are perfect. Glad you got to meet Alex's family - looks like a great time :-)

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    1. You've got to stay here sometime! Great spot for sure.

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  2. A week of relaxing sounds perfect after the hustle and bustle of the past month you've gone through :-) Meeting Alex's dad and having fun at the same time = perfect afternoon! I like Steve's office!!

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    1. We stayed 3 weeks and we'll be visiting with Alex's Dad today too :-)

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  3. You guys sure find some sweet spots...great pics!

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    1. This one is a favorite and now that there is cell service, it's awesome!

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  4. Looks amazing...we also saw the movie! Any plans to come to FL this year?

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    1. We might be on the east coast again in 2020/21. Not sure. Love to see you guys again!!

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  5. Looks like a great place to hang out, and of course, family time is always the best. Glad to hear you didn't have to deal with smoke from fires.

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    1. It was a very relaxing 3 weeks. Nice to be out of the smoke too.

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  6. Tahoe is a beautiful area absolutely! We stayed close to Olympic Village in June while a friend competed in the Western States 100. WE thought of you guys when we drove through Cool CA and saw signs to Placerville. That boondocker spot looks so nice and peaceful. Cheers

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    1. You were in Tahoe this past June? So close! It's a great boondocking site if you want to be near Tahoe. So much beauty in the area and things to do outside of Tahoe.

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  7. Looks like a great place to relax and unwind from everything you have had going on!

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  8. Looks like a great place to decompress for awhile.

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