August 14, 2007: Fish Lake campground, Steens Mountain, Harney County, OR: I awoke early, about 5:00 AM, and it occurred to me that I should start the diesel and let it run awhile. It would be some payback to our late arriving neighbors that came several hours after we had gone to bed. While I’m being grumpy I’ll vent about campgrounds in general.
These spots were originally a little more remote and part of the fun was getting there. Once the feds caught on that folks were congregating they built campgrounds with modern facilities and installed pay stations. People would complain that the roads weren’t in good shape so more money was spent fixing the roads. More people had easy access and soon the lake shore was lined with camps. Camping spots were crowded together to maximize the camping capacity. Toilets were installed, potable water sources provided and pretty soon a small city developed. Folks brought portable TV sets, radios, and the family dog. Drivers roam the roads, vehicles stirring up dust, paying no attention to the posted speed limit. You have more peace and quiet at home in the city.
Richard, our fishing buddy, brought his grand-kids to the lake for a fishing trip. He had a little flat bottomed boat that they fished from and the kids were having a great time. Richard had a little bad luck on the way back to the dock. His fishing pole slipped overboard in about twenty five feet of water and sank out of sight before he could grab it. He didn’t have a spare pole and reel so for him fishing was out of the question. It was too late to suggest a tether for stuff that doesn’t float but maybe that will save the gear next time.
We gathered our two camps together for dinner that evening. Chris was the chef, grilling steaks and burgers on our propane powered Weber grill. Packages of tossed salad came out of our portable fridge and Richard added a pot of baked beans. It was grand eating.
Richard’s grand-kids caught their in-possession limit that evening so they decided to head home in the morning. We decided to cut short our stay at Fish Lake as well. We were headed for remote Oregon desert and unimproved back roads. There are still lonely outposts in Oregon.
byLarry
