I had been spending time on Kootenay Lake, the area I am most familiar with in BC having been going there since I was a kid. I decided I had to explore at least one new area before heading back to Alberta. Across the Purcell Mountains to the east of me is an area I had been wondering about for some time with a fairly large lake. Join me as I head over there to check it out.
It was time for me to cross the Canada – USA border and head for familiar grounds. My plan was to visit Kootenay Lake for a while – it is an old familiar spot I have been to many times. I was doing my usual wait for the weather to improve enough east of the Rocky Mountains before I went to visit friends and take care of business. But first, a border crossing!
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Oregon was the last of the western coast states on my ‘to visit’ list. I had come close to the northeast corner previously, but had never quite made it into the state. While I had only a short time to visit, I was hoping to make at least a couple of stops for some boondocking. I was hugging the eastern side of the coastal mountain range to start, with the intension of heading northeast to hit the Canadian border south of Creston, BC. Upper Klamath Lake seemed like a good first stop, it is a large lake close the the Oregon – California border. The spot I had researched was not right by the lake, but I hoped to get at least a good view of the lake. Read on to see what I found. Continue reading
I was now north of Bishop, California, having headed to an area Carolyn was familiar with. It was to be our last camp together for the season as I had to head back to Canada. I also had to get out of the cold. Get out of the cold by going north, you ask? In this case, it is a valid strategy! But first, let me tell you about this area north of Bishop. Continue reading
Manzanar Cemetery Obelisk
The Eastern Sierras can seem quite remote, with long stretches of nothing with a few small towns and even fewer large centers. But there is a lot of history in the area, from agriculture to gold rushes to water works disputes. The history has resulted in some unique restrictions to the boondocking in the area, as I was finding out. A bunch of research had resulted in me identifying a potentially really nice spot, but right on the edge of private LA water works land. Read on to find out how that all worked out.
Mt Whitney, Alabama Hills in the foreground
My way back to Canada north was following a different route than what I’ve done before, up the eastern side of the Sierra Nevadas. It would be a bit chillier than what I’m used to, but I needed to test my furnace once and for all to see if it worked. The plan was to travel north with Carolyn for a while, she was familiar with the area so I’d get to benefit from her wisdom. But I was on my own for a bit as she had some RV issues to deal with. Join me as I encounter the Sierra Nevadas for the first time.
Lovell Canyon
I had a minor repair to deal with, then a bit of a drive to the Las Vegas to meet up with Carolyn. We had a vague plan to travel north together for a bit before I had to head back to Canada at the end of my six months in the USA. ‘Vague’ turned out to be a good thing as some flexibility was to be needed for the unexpected. Speaking of unexpected, I had an unexpected animal encounter. Read on to find out all the details. Continue reading
Scaddan Wash Labyrinth
I was going to have a couple of contrasting weeks ahead. First, I was heading to Quartzsite to visit friends. While some people had left due to the heat, I was still dealing with more people around than I was used to. Then I was headed to the Black Mountains east of Bullhead City. That was to be dealing with different sorts of people. Read on to see my peopling!
View to Saddle Mountain in the distance
I was headed to the Eagle Eye Road for what was hopefully more interesting boondocking. I also needed to get a little higher to avoid the worst of the heatwave we were in this early April of 2026. On top of that, I was looking for a camp with some decent cell signal for some remote work I had planned. Before trying to meet those challenges, I needed to deal with Wickenburg for grocery resupply. It was going to be an interesting day for sure.
My time exploring west of Phoenix was coming to an end for the season, due in part to the unseasonably warm weather. I had scouted out a spot not far from my first boondocking spot in the area. I figured I’d go give that a try before finding some higher ground to get away from the heat. Join me as I revisit my starting point for winter. Continue reading
