Car Trouble, Childhood Friends, and Craters of the Moon


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August 28th 2012
Published: August 28th 2012
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The Lake at EventideThe Lake at EventideThe Lake at Eventide

Despite our worries over our RV, the scenery at Angel Lake was very peaceful.
We arrived at Angel Lake in Nevada - elevation 8,378 ft. We toured the lower campground - which was beautiful, each site surrounded by greenery glowing with late afternoon sun - then decided we would check out the upper campground, which was by the lake and the falls. The climb to the top was up a steep, switchback-y road, and the day was warm, and we had already driven about 200 miles... and when we stopped at the (unmanned) fee station the engine stuttered and died. We sat for a moment in despairing disbelief. The oil was fine, the CHECK ENGINE light had not come on... we didn't know what the heck could have caused this sudden failure. Waiting several minutes, then creeping forward twenty feet, having the engine die again - we repeated this process several times until we could maneuver into a site. We blocked the road during this procedure, and several other campers had to go the wrong way around the loop to get past us.

Once settled in, Jessie went poking about under the hood, trying to see if she could figure out what was wrong, while I walked around the area, checking if any of
The World's Worst ReservoirThe World's Worst ReservoirThe World's Worst Reservoir

I don't know whether you can read this sign from Idaho, but it describes a reservoir, built in 1910, that did not fill up until 1984.
our fellow campers had much auto-smarts. One fellow, Marty, out fishing with his kids, offered to give us a ride down to town if we decided we needed it. Another guy, Chris, a Marine in the middle of a cross-country move, opined that it was our oxygen sensor causing the problem, and offered to help us unhook it. Since we couldn't determine the cause of the problem ourselves, we took his advice.

Of course, since nothing under the vehicle could be touched until it cooled down some, we killed time by taking a hike around the lake. We bushwhacked along an increasingly vague trail, past gorgeous rock strata and isolated drifts of dirty snow. Finally the trail all but vanished, leaving us to clamber over the rocks to strike the trail again in a different spot. (The trail in this area ran through dense bushes, making it much easier to follow.) Back at the RV, Chris showed Jessica how to disable the oxygen sensor, saying that sometimes ascending too fast could send it on the fritz.

We had hard times falling asleep that night, each of us consumed with worry: What if we couldn't get the vehicle to
Cinder ConesCinder ConesCinder Cones

Do not, under any circumstances, fall in.
start the next day, or what if it died on the way down the hill? What were the repair costs going to be like, and did turning off the oxygen sensor really solve the problem? Fortunately, we made it safely down the hill the next day, though Marty came by in the morning, kids in tow, to see whether we would be alright.

We stopped in at Love's Truck Stop in Wells, at the base of the mountains. I sat in their McDonald's and took advantage of the wi-fi, while Jessica went around town to various mechanics and auto parts stores seeking answers. None of them had ever heard of oxygen sensors causing issues like ours, but also none could see us for several days. Seeing as Twin Falls, Idaho, was not too far away and a much bigger town, we decided to make for there.
The ride was a grim one, both of us fearing every mumble and grumble the engine made would be its last. Yet, as we went on, the utter normalcy of its operation gradually calmed us. Reaching Twin Falls in good time, we checked in again at several mechanic shops. None of them
Watch Your StepWatch Your StepWatch Your Step

The slick and dangerous floor of Boy Scout cave.
could really tell us what might be wrong, though again the oxygen sensor was dismissed as a possible cause. The last one we went to reassured us, saying that it was probably not a big thing, and that we should just be careful about asking too much of the vehicle at the end of a long, hot day.

Happy to be relieved of this worry, we went about resolving another: the matter of the mouse. We bought some spin traps, which did not prove their effectiveness very quickly, though we did find a dead mouse in one 3 weeks later. (The saga of the mouse continues in future posts. This was but a brief skirmish.)

We drove onwards to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, a truly fantastical and beautiful landscape. If you happen to be visiting Idaho sometime, we recommend it. We intended to stay only one night, but ended up staying two. We did a short, Ranger-guided nature walk, where we learned about the local geology, climate, flora, and fauna. The ranger-talks in the evening were pretty fantastic too - one a comparison between the geology of Craters of the Moon, the actual moon,
WastelandWastelandWasteland

It may start off barren...
and Mars, the other one a presentation on the critters of the craters and their significance to both historic and modern peoples.

There was also quite a bit of discussion about the different ranger uniforms our speakers wore. The Monument is managed jointly by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The NPS looks after the lava flows, the BLM the sagebrush steppe terrain, both of which intermingle incredibly within the park.

The Visitor Center was also fantastic, though not terribly large. We paid it a visit the first morning, after which we biked down to the North Flow trailhead. The trail led out over cindery soil to which limber pine and dwarf monkey flowers clung tenaciously, through twisted, shining, and ropy pahoehoe lava flows, along the edges of old cinder cones and up to their lips. (You do not want to fall into their craters - the rocks are far too loose to provide handholds, so you could never climb out under your own power.)

Since this was a National Monument, dogs were not allowed on trails. Rascal still got some good walks around the campground and along the road - and, shh!
or Wonderlandor Wonderlandor Wonderland

...but life bursts out through the cracks.
along the trail down to the amphitheater, where he may or may not have been allowed to go. His squirrel fixation here was answered by the miniscule activities of the Least Chipmunks and the Golden Ground Squirrels, which darted in and out of the holes in the basalt rock piles.

The last day, we hiked through more lava tubes. Tiny Dewdrop cave wasn't even a hike, just a short walk down into it and back up. At Boy Scout cave, we had scramble over high piles of rocks and under a low ceiling to enter the dark and icy cavern. The roof of long, broad Indian Tunnel was collapsed in many places, letting in the sun. At the end of that cave, you have a choice: you can either hike back the way you came, or clamber onwards through a narrow outlet back to the surface of the lava flow. After the acrobatics required to enter and exit Boy Scout cave, Indian Tunnel's exit was a breeze.

Departing Craters, we traveled through gold and green fields, spotting pronghorn with fawns along the way. We arrived in Kuna, Idaho, the Christmas card address of our oldest friends. (Literally, our oldest friends: daughter Amy was my playmate when I was two.) Since we lacked a phone number, all we could do was knock on their door and announce ourselves. The door was answered by mother Kathleen, a bit cautiously, obviously wondering what in the heck these people were doing parking their motor home in front of her house. Jessica stated our identities, and the wheels turned several seconds in her head before she remembered us, after which she was quite surprised and delighted. Younger daughter Sara was home, and father Paul arrived during our chat, but sadly, Amy was not there. We spent the better part of an hour reminiscing and catching up, but as they had things to do, we departed for nearby Nampa and an RV park there.

The park itself was merely okay, but - special treat!- they had a fenced in dog area, where I let Rascal run loose late in the evening. Since he's on a leash or in the RV 90% of the time, I worry about him getting quite enough exercise. When it's alright to let him off-leash, I enjoy doing so.

The next morning, we drove back over to Kuna
Hello!Hello!Hello!

The exit from Indian Tunnel was rather small.
to visit the farmer's market. We bought an excellent baguette, some beet greens, fresh brown eggs, rosemary salt, green onions, lettuce, an artisanal dog biscuit, elk pepperoni, and a smart red-and-gold hat for Jess.
We drove out along Highway 55, through rocky canyons where the river tumbled past in white cascades, pine trees and cool air all about us. Stopping early to leave enough time to cook, we camped near New Meadows, at a place called Zim's Hot Springs. I took Rascal down for a walk by the river, where the muddy bank crumbled beneath him and he fell half a foot into the water. He jumped hurriedly out again, shock and betrayal writ large in his outraged glance at the offending shore edge. Numerous other dogs were in the campground, and he had a great time playing with our neighbor's cocker spaniel puppy, both of them barking at magpies and yellow-headed blackbirds.

Meanwhile, Jess and I cooked up a storm. I deviled all the eggs, substituting dijon mustard and milk for mayonnaise, while Jessica cooked the beet greens in olive oil and made a cheesy chicken pasta. Needless to say, we were stuffed afterwards.

The next
Oldest FriendsOldest FriendsOldest Friends

Sara, Paul, Kathleen, but no Amy. Our neighbors and my playmates when we were very small.
day, we drove through more lovely pine forest and farmland, eventually stopping at Heyburn State Park. After a brief visit to the Visitor Center, we took a hike along the thickly wooded lakeshore. Jessica's sandals were hurting her feet, so she did most of the 1 1/2 mile hike barefoot. The path turned into deep sticky mud in some places, but planks and sticks had been laid over them, so she wasn't too badly off. Little chickadees sang all around us, and though the area showed plenty of beaver sign, including a lodge, we didn't see any of the furry beasties themselves. The end of the hike was a new-ish boardwalk built out over the marsh, where red-winged blackbirds sang in the cattails.

The next day, we intended to cross over into Canada, but checking our readiness in the town of Sand Point brought an important fact to light: Jessica and I had our new passports, but we could not find proof of Rascal's rabies vaccine. Since the shot had been given at a clinic at the local pet store, it was just a small receipt. Either it had been forgotten at home, or it had been lost along
The View from Zim'sThe View from Zim'sThe View from Zim's

Farmland nestled amongst the hills.
the way. With no other option if we wanted to bring our dog across the border, we resorted to the Sand Point Veterinary Clinic for another shot. While we waited, we decided that we would go have lunch. Panhandler's Pies sounded good, and it was. The pies we ordered were a strawberry rhubarb, which was okay, but not as tasty as the ones our mother makes, and a peanut butter chocolate pie, which was like heaven on the tongue.



Returning to the motor home, we noticed an odd lump on one of the tires. We took it by a tire repair shop, which was spacious but extremely busy. Somehow, they still managed to cram us in. The outer wall of the tire was becoming separated from the inner, so we had them replace it with our spare. Back at the vets, Rascal's shot took all of 10 minutes to complete. We had the very last patient of the day, and the nurses spent some time chatting with us and guessing at Rascal's breed.



Next time, our adventures oop north, starting with our late-night efforts to locate our cousin's home in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. (North America, Planet Earth, the Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, the Universe)

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25th October 2012

Your Visit
Hello friends, I just wanted to say that we very much enjoyed your visit. We wish it could have been longer and that Amy could have joined us. We regret we didn't have you park at our house. Your arrival was truly a shock, but a truly wonderful one. So much went through my mind when I realized that the precious daughters of a dear, long-time friend stood in front of me. Flashes of the past and some very special memories flooded my mind. I remember holding you, Julia, a tiny premie; when you were too little to even diaper, as you were lying on just a pad. How tiny you & precious were! As soon as you and Amy were old enough to interact, you were friends. How I wish you all could've grown up in close proximity to each other; and I, close to my dear friend. (I miss you, Jenny!) We were at the hospital just after you, Jessie, were born. Such a sweet little blessing. Now, our four sweet babies are beautiful young ladies. God has indeed been good to our families. Thank you so much for making us a stop on your wonderful trip. You remain in our thoughts and prayers. May God bless you and keep you safe on your travels. Love and hugs, Kathleen (& family)

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