Strawberry Point Camping

Late Friday packed up the dog and headed for Icehouse reservoir to camp. Arrived about 7 pm or so and there were two spots left open in the Strawberry point campground. I picked the one in the center of the circle and had a great view of the lake and almost complete privacy.

I hadn't planned for it to be as cold as it was but I survived with the long sleeve fuzzy shirt over a T-shirt.

I got on the bike and headed east on the forest service road that parallels the Ice House. Commando had good fun chasing stuff and I enjoyed an easy bike ride. We did stop before the road ended because it was getting dark and I wanted to set up camp while there was still some light.

The next morning we headed up the same forest service road (in the truck) and it dead ended pretty quickly. When I was putting my boots on, I discovered that I hadn't brought any of the orthotic foot beds so I wasn't sure how comfortable the hike would be. We followed what seemed like a casual use trail up stream (Lyon Creek) and it was not very easy going. There was plenty of up and down, the hillside was steep and dusty (making it slippery) and there were downed trees. Still, I estimate we made about a mile at a gradual climb until we came to a narrowing of the stream bed through a small granite canyon. I wasn't sure I wanted to keep scrambling up stream (and risk a nasty fall into the snow melt fed stream) so we stopped and ate the hard boiled eggs I'd brought.

We sat on the granite fall on some huge slabs of rock. Commando did not like it one bit and laid down next to me and shivered every once in while looking down! I had to slide down first and then coax him where to put his feet. It's the first time I've seen him scared of the trail!

We got back to camp and lazed around the lake for most of the rest of the day. I let Commando off leash for some water splasing fun. We also took a short walk in the early evening and explored a closed road off the main road. This second night, we both slept much better.

This morning we got up and headed for a big meadow by the Wright's Lake road and Wright's Lake/Ice House Lake tie road. This time I'd brought my orthotics and the boots were much more comfortable. We headed on the west side of a creek that flows across the meadow to Lyon Creek which put us just inside the tree line on the uphill side. I wasn't sure how boggy the ground might be.

It's easy walking and we got onto what seemed to be an old, old overgrown road. We walked for about a mile or so until we came to some summer houses with no trespassing signs and turned back.

I looked at Lyon Creek to see if there might be a good place to dip a toe, but it was too fast and too cold. About 1/3 of the way into the meadow we did dip our toes into the cross meadow stream and Commando enjoyed the game of "fetch the stick then run around with it like a lunatic" very much. The water was cold but refreshing in the heat.

On the way back into the valley I looked at the Lyon Creek trailhead but it looked a little busy and Commando and I were both ready for a nap.

Great trip!

Random Update

The Jetta is deader than a doornail and it's parked in my driveway while I decide what to do with it. I just "bought" my cousin's 92 Chevy S10 pickup truck with no AC. It's good to have because I've been researching cars online and just can't decide. So far it's the Honda Element, Scion box (Xb?) or the Honda Fit, roughly in that order. I'm basking in indecision though and it's good to have a vehicle while I figure out what I want to do.

Commando is fine and ate a corncob the other day. I expected it to mess up his delicate digestion but he seems to have digested it okay. I didn't expect him to eat the cob, just perhaps taste it and maybe toss it around a little. When I came back in the room all but a few chunks had disappeared. I removed the largest chunks and Commando hoovered up the remaining small bits.

The falcons (peregrine?) are back at Paradise Beach. Last year they raised two babies and I just saw two of them back this year so it looks like they think the big pine was a good home and they should try again. It's good to see them and I can't wait to see them hunting later in the summer. Poor rodents!

I haven't seen the coyotes in a while although I do occasionally see what looks like it might possibly be coyote dung. It's a lot more crowded now along the river so perhaps they've gone downstream a bit to a quieter area.