Sick baby in the mountains

(We have been without cell/data for over two weeks, this was written 5/21/18)

Kids get sick.  They get sick in the city, in the country, and when you are camping at rural campgrounds in the mountains.  Yesterday was an adventurous day until around 6pm. 

On  May 20^th, in the morning, we tried to hike the River Trail along the Kern River.  The Ranger and the handouts said it was an easy to moderate hike which may be true for adults, but when you’re roaming with a busy preschooler it was nothing but nerve wracking!  I was feeling proud of myself for remembering the things I forgot on our first hike at Joshua Tree (my walking stick and a backpack with first aid kit, hand sanitizer, and a place to put the water bottles instead of making the kids carry their own).  The trail began by crossing over the river by bridge and then descending some rather shaky stairs.  Then you follow the path forged out of the side of the mountain and it climbs slowly.  In some places it is very narrow and you find yourself looking down a steep slope to white water below.  A beautiful hike for adults, but not one you feel comfortable with a three-year old.  I had a death grip on Sister’s hand and I walked along the edge keeping her close to the mountain.  In some places she had to walk ahead of me but I never let go of her hand.  We got about this far from the bridge (see pic) before I insisted we turn back.  My mama nerves couldn’t take it.  I would have taken more pictures but I was fearing for our lives.

On the way back we climbed down the rock to a small sandy beach.  We all took off our shoes and sock and put our feet in the river.  The river became deep quickly in this area and many kayaks and rafts were putting in across from the sandy shore.  We also had a good view of the bridge.  It seemed safe enough and we all enjoyed the icy water for a bit before we cleaned the sand from our feet, got our socks and shoes back on and headed back up the rickety stairs and across the bridge to the truck.

 I had packed a picnic so driving back to our campground we looked for a site to stop and eat.  We found one along the river with a picnic table in the shade.  I had even remembered the table cloth so we had a nice spread with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hummus with whole wheat pitas (frozen before we left AZ) and veggies, trail mix, fruit,  juice and water.  It was a great picnic.  When we got back to the campground we put on our suits and headed down to the creek (I learned the water flowing behind our site is not the Kern but rather an off shoot of the Kern) where we explored an area upstream which was a little nebulous to traverse and got a bit deep (waist for me).  I had to carry Sister as I slowly and deliberately found my footing among the rocks and fallen trees in the creek.  Once I passed the deep part Sister was happy to walk in the shallow parts with her hand in mine and we looked for pretty rocks, wildflowers, butterflies (this is a monarch refuge!), and drift wood. 

We must have spent a couple of hours at the creek before we called it quits and headed up to dry off, warm up and make dinner.  We were all starving, we made refried bean burritos and Sister had a great appetite – eating two – double her usual.  Then we decided to have a movie night, we cuddled up in our bed and turned on Where the Wild Things Are – a seemingly appropriate title for our adventure – but part way through the movie sister started moaning and I realized she felt warm.  I took her temp and it was 103.5.  She became lethargic and weak within a half hour and despite giving her some Tylenol her fever did not seem to be coming down.  Luckily I remembered reading about an ER in a handout about the area.  The hospital was some 40 minutes away on the other side of Lake Isabella in Mountain Mesa, but I felt that we had to take her.  It was around 7:30 p.m. when the hospital staff took her temp for the first time and it had climbed to 104.7.  We stripped her down, put cold washcloths on her, gave her more meds and started an IV for fluids.  We didn’t leave the hospital until 6:30 a.m. and I sat with her in the ER all night while she was infused, lots of tests were run, and they finally got her fever down.  She did puke all over the ER bed (thankful that didn’t happen in the Hideout).  But ultimately it seems she had a virus as no evidence of a bacterial infection could be found.  It was horrible, but I am so glad we took her because I could have never forced fluids to the level they did and I am sure that helped her out.  I am also so thankful that I had made a mental note about the emergency facilities because without cell phone service or data we would not have been able to search for help when it was needed.  This is a good lesson – it is good to know where to go for help regardless of where you are. 

When we got back home this morning (5/21/18) I was so exhausted I could hardly string a sentence together.  My memory is hazy about this morning as well.  I know we all came home and went to bed, but then Brother (who spent most of the night in the truck with Husband and who was the most well-rested) woke up and started playing video games.  Sister (who slept most of the night in the hospital and did not have a fever in the AM) joined him for a while, but then came back to bed with me and the three of us slept until around 2:00 p.m.  I got up a couple of times to help Brother and Sister with food, to help Sister with her toileting and change of clothes, but it seems like a dream now.  This evening her fever started to climb again but we gave her medication and it is controlled at present.  We have an alarm set so we will get up to check her when she is able to have a second dose of meds.  In the meantime it has been cathartic to write it all down. 

I feel bad about having such a busy day when she was obviously coming down with something, but I really saw no signs of it during the day.  We have guessed at what could have made her sick…did she put dirty hands in her mouth?  Did she get river water in her mouth?  She certainly has the worst hygiene practices of the family at this age…I guess we will never know.  Kids get sick and it is good to know that even when you are in the middle of the rural mountains of CA you find what you need to survive.

Living the Dream II

(We've been without cell/data for over two weeks - this was written 5/19/18)

Perhaps a few details about living off the grid in a “no hook-up” situation would be of interest?  We arrived at Headquarters Campground in the Sequoia National Forest on 5/16/18 and we leave 5/23/18 – a full seven nights in the Kern River area about 5 miles North of the very cute town of Kernville, CA.

I celebrated my BD this week and we ate at a local café called Cheryl’s Diner – they had a great selection of pie and it was excellent!

This is a primitive campground, meaning there are vault toilets.  While there is access to water at the spicket it is cloudy and does not seem to be drinking water quality.  We filled our 60 gallon fresh water tank in the Hideout when we arrived and are using the water to wash dishes, shower, and use the bathroom late at night or early in the AM when a trip to the outhouse is too inconvenient.  We have tried very hard to limit the water that goes into our grey and black tanks.  We have been capturing the water from dishes and showers and dumping it in the firepit so we have less to haul out of here when we leave and we don’t want to have to dump prior to 5/23.  We are halfway through our stay and have used quite a bit less than half of the 60 gallons and have limited the water into the waste tanks sufficiently so I am confident we will be able to finish our stay without having to move the Hideout to fill or dump tanks.  I did locate the closest dump station in Kernville at a private campground – they charge $15 to use their facility to dump.  We will be stopping there before we head to our next campground.

Without being able to plug in to the “shore” we are running on our battery charged by the sun.  The weather has been perfect and our site is ideal for solar because the Hideout is not in the shade.  We have been sliding the panels on top of the roof as that seems the best placement of them while in this site.  We can monitor the output of the panels on the app on Husband’s phone which is Bluetooth connected to the charge controller in the underneath storage.  Here is what the Hideout looks like when the panels are connected.

You can see the wires hanging down the front of the trailer; the panels are sitting on top.  There are many systems in the Hideout that run on DC power – the water pump, the awning, the hitch motor, the blower for the furnace, exhaust fans and lights are the main things.  We also have a DC outlet and we have an inverter that can be used to charge devices such as our laptop batteries, cell phones, tablets… All of our battery powered items can be charged with full sun.  The only downside of this campground is the lack of cell service and data.  But today I went to town and did some laundry and was able to connect to the world for the time I was there. 

The Hideout also carries two 30 gallon propane tanks which provide all the gas we need for hot water, cooking, and the furnace (if needed).  The main use is for cooking – we have a three burner stove and small oven inside.  I also have a propane grill that I use outside with the small camping canisters of propane.  To be honest we haven’t turned on the hot water at all.  We all showered today after spending time in the river.  The water was cold, but not as cold as the river!  Cold showers=short showers and that is what we needed to do!

Overall this experience has been a good one and has taught us a lot about what we need versus what we want.  We are surrounded by tent campers and I am ever so thankful for my bed and for not having to pack my stuff each time we move!  We’ve done a fair amount of camping and living in the Hideout is infinitely better.  It is good that we can stay in unimproved campgrounds because it gives us more options when traveling.  We are also able to enjoy scenes like theses right outside our door because we do not need full hook-ups.

Living the Dream

We stayed in Joshua Tree for three days, but it was not enough.  The Black Rock Campground was beautiful, we had a wonderful pull-through spot and the kids met a really wonderful family with five kids to romp around with.  It was hard to say goodbye….Joshua Tree National Park seemed like a Seussical land – the “trees” which are really part of the Agave family are unreal!  They range up to 150 years old and their age is calculated by dividing their height by 1.5 inches (annual growth).  They are a rather fast growing desert tree.  Next time we could stay longer there.

Next we traveled to East Shore RV park in San Dimas, CA.  We experienced some windy and steep mountain roads, but the Tacoma and the Hideout are a great team.  The park was an oasis near a lake in the middle of the city!  It was situated on a hill and had full accommodations.  We were also there for three days, but the reason for visiting the city was to be close enough to Universal Studies and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – I think “visiting fantasy realms” sums up the theme of our adventure. 

Brother and I visited Hogwarts together while Sister and Husband had a relaxing day at the campground climbing trees, playing at the playground and playing video games.  Meanwhile, the Wizarding World was so fun – Brother had the experience of a wand choosing him, and he loved practicing magic throughout the World.  We spent the entire day there, we ventured out of Hogwarts to go on the Transformer’s ride, watch a special effects show, and attend an animal actors show.  It was all great. 

Again I felt that we stayed at East Shore for too short of a time – I desperately wanted to enjoy a day at the campground – we didn’t even get a chance to visit the beach of the lake.  Late at night after the kids went to bed I started looking at the map for our next drive to the Sequoia National Forest.  I realized that the roads included steep inclines and curves and I honestly panicked a bit. I turned to a Facebook group to figure out the best route for our rig and I am so thankful that I did.  Through the experience of others and by calling our campground the next morning I found the best path for us and our experience level (novice).  The trip took all day and there were many parts where our top speed was 35 mph going up steep grades and then back down and around tight curves, but Husband was an expert driver – very safe and we made it to a most beautiful campground at the very southern end of the National Forest called Headquarters. 

This place is amazing.  Our site backs up to the Kern River and thankfully we are on a slow moving part of the river.  It is shallow and rocky and excellent for playing and exploring.  I am sitting by the river now listening to the awesome sounds of water over rocks and watching the kids play with rocks and water.  They are so happy – Brother said the river is better than a swimming pool.  They have been outside playing all day.  At this campground we have no hook-ups – we are boondocking for a week here.  We were able to fill our water when we got here, but we are using it very sparingly and we are trying not to fill the tank much – instead dumping our dish water in the fire pit.  There are vault toilets and we are using those to limit filling the black tank.  We will try to last as long as possible so we don’t have to move.  We have it set perfectly.  It is level and parked very well in the spot. 

We visited the Ranger Station in Kernville today and confirmed some good day trips/hikes.  I had done a fair amount of reading ahead of time, but I wanted to be sure they were places we could/should take the kids.  We will take one tomorrow to the Trail of 100 Giants.  There are also a couple trails along the Kern River that we will check out.  The town of Kearnville, where the Ranger Station is located is only 4 miles south of our campground.  We also found the laundry and a very nice grocery story/general store.  This is the life!  When looking at the picture of the Hideout above, to the right across the highway is a huge mountain…

to the left, down the hill is the river. 

Here are a few more pictures of the river…it is so clear and clean…it was a lot of fun walking around in it.

Today we just ‘were.’ We didn’t do anything really, we just sat around and soaked in all that beauty.  When you live in the city it is hard to remember that the country was once wild and if left alone would become wild again.  Our country is so vast, and there is so much room to spread out, yet we all live on top of each other just to have access to stuff…but what stuff do you really need? 

This evening I cooked potatoes, corn and broccoli on the grill and I warmed up a couple of cans of Amy’s vegan chili on the stove.  What a comforting yet simple dinner in the woods.  I can’t believe we’ve only been gone for five days!  It hasn’t even been a week yet!  Our live is so rich, so full.  We are truly living the dream.  (written 5/17/18)

A long expected journey...

Day one is in the books folks!  Tonight we are sleeping under the Joshua Trees.  It's been a long day filled with fun, stress, and beauty. 

We took our time this morning, I cooked a good breakfast, we got the Hideout ready to travel (inside we make sure nothing will shift in transit, outside we ensure systems are a go - flush the tanks, stow the hoses, disconnect the power, hitch it up...).  We are used to the 'getting ready to travel shuffle' - we moved a fair share since last June.  The difference this time is that we are leaving the state and won't be back for 12 weeks!

Flushing tanks prior to leaving AZ this AM

We drove 313 miles today and got 10 mpg.  From Mesa we drove to Quartzite (145 miles).  We stopped at a truck stop, bought gas and then pulled into a parking spot and made sandwiches in our kitchen.  It was crazy awesome to eat our own food in our own house on the road.

Leaving Mesa, AZ

From Quartzite it was roughly 170 miles to the Black Rock Campground in Joshua Tree NP.  I didn't realize when I planned out this trip that really we should gas up every 150 miles.  From the I10 we took the CA-177 North to CA-62 West.  It was a beautiful drive, but we seemed to be going up in elevation quite a bit and the needle was dropping quickly.  For many miles we had no cell or data and I freaked a bit about running out of gas in the desert.  I freak out about things before I need to...I really need to get a handle on that.  We reached Twentynine Palms, CA with a quarter of a tank (we probably could have driven at least 40 more miles on that).  

The CA desert as seen from the I10

The last 25 miles of the trip took forever because there was an accident and a detour which slowed us down quite a bit.  Average speed dropped from 55 to 35 mph and it seemed to take an hour to finish those last miles.  However, this campground is totally worth it.  We are in spot #47 it is a pull-through spot and it is a very good thing we made reservations because the campground is full.  The spot is not very level.  We determined we could use more leveling blocks; the Hideout is sloping a bit too much for my taste.  There is a potable water station for filling tanks as well as a dump station.  We filled the Hideout's white tank and have plenty of water to last us these couple of days.  The biggest unknown is how long our battery will last...that is TBD.  We could hook up the panels, but the fact they are not mounted poses a challenge for us.  We have excellent cell and data service (our carrier is TMobile).  The weather was chilly this evening - we put on our jackets to walk around the campground!  The high tomorrow is 80 degrees, nights get down to 56 degrees.  We are at an elevation of 4000'.   Here is what we see when we open our front door... What else is there to say!?  This is awesome.

Warranty saga VI (seriously?!?)

I've been loath to bring up these issues again because the saga is just too annoying - but be warned if you purchase a new RV - this is the kind of BS you have to deal with to get the warranty work done.

So...when I last updated you on these issues it was March (Spring Break) and we left the Hideout overnight so that they could install a new water heater.  Shortly after we got it back I noticed that the water heater was still leaking.  Not only that, but we were again smelling propane at the tanks even though the dealership had replaced the pigtails (on January 3 at our first warranty visit).  We have not been able to locate the leak/source of the smell.  When I stepped back and considered what an inconvenience and hassle we had been through - taking it in over three different visits - and things that were supposed to be repaired were not I decided to document and elevate our concerns to management.  I wrote an email and though I was professional and succinct the response was lack-luster.  We were then assigned to a new service tech who has a stone face and doesn't waste words on the phone.  However, Husband spoke to him a month ago and confirmed that when we brought the Hideout in May they would keep it for one night to finish the repairs.  We also had complained about the issues with the siding and this issue was elevated to the general manager at the dealership, but we never heard whether or not it was resolved until yesterday.

So...we were scheduled to bring it first thing in the morning on May 8 for an overnight visit.  As a side note, May 8 in the afternoon was also the day Husband was scheduled to have a cataract removed from his left eye (BTW. the surgery went well).  I booked us a hotel with a pool so that Husband would have a nice place to recover and I could entertain the kiddos.  His follow-up appointment was May 9 in the morning and we were scheduled to pick up the Hideout at the end of the day.  However, as the end of the day approached on May 9th, we had not heard from the dealership so we called around 3pm only to find out that they had to keep it another day.  At that point we went to the dealership - we had only packed for one night and needed additional items, but also I was curious as to how much was left to complete.  After visiting it was clear we could not take it as the bathroom wall was unfinished and part of the shower stall was removed from the wall to accommodate the repair.  After a very brief visit we left and I called back the hotel to book another night at a greatly inflated price due to the immediate nature of the reservation.  If the dealership would have told us originally that they needed it for two nights we could have planned accordingly and could have saved some money on the hotel.  It was very frustrating.  On the up side, on May 9th they let us know that the siding repairs were approved and that they will order parts.  I guess that is good and bad news because that means we get the repairs we wanted, but we have to leave it again. 

Exterior

• SIDING: Siding is bowing or dented in a number of places - This has been complete BS.  We've gone back and forth on this with both the dealership and Keystone.  The shitty thing is that the dealership noted some of the damage to the siding when they received it from the manufacturer.  Keystone has denied it twice, but we were told by our salesperson when we picked it up and noted the one bigger dent, "oh, that will be fixed with your warranty work." Like it was no big thing...obviously it is a thing.  I can't wait to take it in and talk to the manager face-to-face on this one. Now that the GM is involved this repair is finally approved, but parts are on order.
• WATER HEATER - A bleed-off valve was leaking - they say they replaced it.
• PROPANE SMELL: They said the switch valve that switches between the tanks was leaking.  They said they replaced it.
• WINDOW SEAL: Last time we took it in we added this item - The main window by the table did not seem to be sealed properly - it was loose.  They did fix this with some type of adhesive.
• WHEEL WELL COVER: The trim by the wheel well has been fixed each time we take it back.  The screws are stripped and they basically just caulk all around it to try and make it stick, but it always comes apart.  They did repair it again.
• AWNING: The awning has been looked at before.  This time they said it was a bent arm and that it needs to be replaced.  We said, "so is that what you are going to do?"  and our service rep said "yes we will submit it and you can have it fixed when you come back for the siding repair."  

Interior

• CABINET / DRAWER: A couple panels and cabinets need repair- They did fix the cabinet drawer face as requested.
• BATHROOM WALL: There is a wall panel in the bathroom that has a bubbling texture -  this has been there since day one and we think we missed it at our walk-through because the lights were not on and it is not easy to see without light. (This was the repair that took so long, they had to replace a wall panel in the bathroom.  When they did it they added a seam that was not there.  It isn't great, but at least the panel is not all bubbly)

So...I was told that they will need to keep the Hideout for 3-4 days when we take it back after our trip.  They would not schedule us at this time.  They want to wait for parts to come in first.  What is done is all that is getting done.  The whole ordeal was exhausting.  My main concern was about the propane smell and I really hope they fixed it.  We did stick our noses by the propane and didn't smell anything at that moment...I hope that means it is good to go.  

So the warranty work was completed as much as possible and Husband got a new lens in his eye - those were the some of the last things we had to take care of in AZ.  Tomorrow is commencement at ASU - we will head to Joshua Tree National Park on Saturday!

In preparation...

The last few days have gone by so fast!  We are in prep mode - taking care of all our outstanding business prior to leaving for 12 weeks.  Of course we all had to wrap up the school year, Husband finished his last exam on Friday.  We then proceeded up north to The Land, AKA Rancho Status Quo.

We rented a UHaul, loaded more than half of our stuff from our 5x5 storage in the valley and moved it here.  We have been doing the stuff shuffle.  Our goal is to eventually get rid of the storage and move everything to The Land.  At present having the storage nearby our current location is convenient and helps us slim down our rig for the adventure.  

It was a fun overnight trip.  After 20 years of visiting this spot it still amazing, beautiful, peaceful and remote.  We have nice accommodations within the metal building.  Basically we sleep in a tent inside the building, our bedding, including a futon mattress, are well protected from the dust and spiders by the tent.  We leave all of our bedding in the tent and it is ready to be used the next time we visit.  

We like to take easy meals.  I brought potatoes for the grill all ready washed and wrapped in aluminum, broccoli also washed and wrapped and those Tasty Bite Chana Masala meals.  It was a great dinner and then we went for a bit of a hike around the property which is located in the high desert of the Northeastern part of AZ.

This wash runs to the Little Colorado River

Looking up the hill to the metal building

Another view standing in the wash and looking up the hill to the metal building

Anyhow, this is our playground...a wild desert with a part-time river, antelope, ranchers, jack rabbits as big as medium sized dogs, snakes, tarantulas, and cool looking lizards.  One day the building will be finished and we will have a very comfortable off-grid homestead....anyhow, for now we are using it for storage.

So that was our weekend...today we cleaned out the Hideout off all non-essential property.  We filled the 5x5 storage back up with things like kitchen appliances, books, bikes, work clothes...we plan on taking our rig to a weigh station on Wednesday.   Also today Husband installed our towing mirrors!

Tomorrow we will drop the Hideout off at the dealership for an overnight stay to see what can be done to resolve the outstanding warranty issues. We will stay at a hotel tomorrow night.  

Thursday the Hideout is getting a wash.  We saw this company washing another rig at our previous park and we collected their business card, they will come here Thursday AM.  It's the first wash the Hideout has had since we bought it last summer...about time!  It's a bit dusty.

Friday I will attend graduation to celebrate the accomplishments of my students...We hit the road on Saturday!!!!

Sequoia & the departure date approaches!

Perhaps you knew that the United States Forest Service oversees the Sequoia National Forest, while the National Park Service oversees the Sequoia (& Kings Canyon) National Park.  I didn't know that until I started doing research on the area.  In total the entire area spans over 1.5 million acres and from the southern boundary to the northern boundary it looks like it is a about 4 hours to drive, though you can't drive straight-through, you have to drive along the western edge and enter at different points along the way to see the sights.

We will visit both the National Forest and the National Park.  We have reserved a spot for a week in the National Forest and a few days in the National Park - this will be our first significant experience boondocking (reliance on solar only and our tanks for water).  There are many day hikes, groves, rivers and nature to absorb.  I have to admit that I am a little nervous about Sister...being three going on sixteen, she seems to know better than her parents.  This is nerve-wracking given the various dangers we may encounter.  For instance at Sequoia National Forest we will camp along the Kern River which is used for recreational whitewater rafting.  It is recommended that you do not swim in the river due to strong currents....She needs to listen to us about the boundaries we will set and the restrictions on her activities while in the campground. Basically we can't trust that she will listen to our instructions.  I am sure that will change as she gets older (hopefully in a positive direction?) - but at this moment it is a concern.

There is so much to see!  However the Sequoia National Forest website is a huge disappointment.  Their maps and pdf links are broken and I can't find a list of mileage for the various hikes.  I've resolved that I will not be able to plan much until we visit the visitor's center, obtain maps, and talk to the rangers. 

The Sequoia and King's Canyon National Park website is much better than the National Forest site.  One of the things I really want to see is the Crystal Cave - the website says the first day of the season is May 25th and we are scheduled to leave May 26th.  I will celebrate my 42nd birthday in Sequoia National Park - That's the best BD in a while!  Of course we will see the worlds largest tree, the General Sherman tree as well as the Tokopah Falls.  All together we will stay with the Sequoias for 9 nights. 

Only a week and a half until we leave!  We have SO much to do before then!  This weekend we are heading up north to manage personal property and check on our land.  Next week we have to take the Hideout in for warranty work and will be staying a night in a hotel.  We will be spring cleaning and organizing everything before we leave.  While we are going to put over 6000 miles on our truck this summer it is interesting to note how few miles we have driven since we moved into the Hideout last summer.  Living in town and taking the light rail has reduced our travel so much.  It seems like we fill up the gas tank in the car about once every 1-2 weeks, that is the main vehicle we drive.  We only use the truck to drive back and forth from the park n' ride when we take the light rail.  Round-trip I think it is about 5 miles.  Currently the truck has 17,000 miles on it and we will have had it three years in August. 

Gas prices are going up -  I signed up with Gas Buddy and am looking at other options to reduce fuel costs such as cashback credit cards.  While I feel somewhat guilty about all this fuel consumption, we have taken many steps to try to make this as efficient of a trip as possible.  We have a light truck (6 cyl.), a light trailer (up to 6,500 lbs fully loaded), and minimal personal possessions.  In terms of the world of RVs we are on the efficient side for sure.  One other thing we will do next week is get the rig weighed.  After moving around personal property this weekend we should have the Hideout as slim as possible.  After we pick it up from the dealership we will find a weigh station. 

I am almost done with my semester...I have the final projects from one class left to grade and then I can upload all of the grades, attend some meetings, attend graduation, and be done!  I am still waiting to get my offer letter for the summer contract...hoping that will come this week.  Husband took a final exam yesterday and has one on Friday then he will be done.  Brother will be finishing up his third grade year on the road with many field trips and nature experiences mixed in.  Absolutely loving the flexible learning environments we have created!