Last horse camping trip of the year

Here is an experpt from Doug's last missive about our camping trip last weekend

Finally on the way, we heard news that the interstate was backed up because of smoke from a brush fire. So we took the rig across a long narrow bridge across the Columbia River and onto a side road. Going into the woods the road looked familiar this time, as it turned from 2-lane asphalt to gravel, narrowing as we went. It was dusk when we arrived at the turnoff to the camping area and we pulled in… to find nobody there! We had not only the shared horse site to ourselves, but the whole place! I finally started to relax.

The rest of the weekend went smoothly… Saturday we saddled up, with Cam on Kilo and Bodh on Grace, while I hiked alongside. We proceeded through a fairly old-growth forest, climbing about a thousand feet over three and a-half miles, to a little lake, where we had a late lunch.

Sunday Bodh had had enough of sitting on a horse, so Cam and I went out on our own (well, with the dogs), in the opposite direction, away from the Wilderness Area. We could tell that the trail had been chewed up by 4-wheelers and motorcycles, and sure enough, we met several along the way.

Undeterred, we found a beautiful little spot by a stream for our lunch – though having to keep an eagle eye on the horses, who were not happy about being tethered, kept us from totally relaxing.

Cam and Kilo (Cam’s on the left).Then back to camp, and pack up, and take the rig and us home. We arrived back shortly after sunset.