Sardine Lakes

Sardine Lake is at the base of the Sierra Buttes which are very scenic.

The Sardine Campground is at the east end of the lower lake. One great characteristic of this campground is the interpretive walkway through the marsh.

The signs talk about the beavers who swamped the place, killed all the trees, and now they are gone this is what is left. (I think this is why all the California frogs are dead too.)

The road to the upper lake is four wheel drive only.

It was listed as an intermediate bike ride so we took the bikes up there. However my wife found the rocks very difficult and has no more faith in her book about bike rides. She did ride some of it.

It is only a short distance and well worth the trip.

The off road possibility was to a Tamarack Lake. They say no camping except in campgrounds, but there was one guy up there and it looked great.

We were able to boat around in the lower lake

The Sportsmobile gave me a little grief. I remember reading a post about a guy's bolt in the joint of the two supports backing out. I just scanned it and didn't remember how he got it fixed, but now I faced the problem. The damn thing is under intense pressure with the garage springs working on them. I ended up parking on a slant with the penthouse partially up. This was what it took to get the hole to line up so there was a chance of getting it back through. Then I had to beat it with a hammer.

I know why the nut comes off. They use a nyloc nut which is right for something that is an axle, but the bolt is too short and the nylon part never gets in contact with the bolt so it is easy to wiggle off. WTF. Two thin jam nuts jammed together works. No way of getting the bolt out and replacing it with a longer one.

We checked out the lakes to the north on Gold Lake Road. Snag Lake had a campground on the lake. The big lake is Gold Lake. Allstays didn't show the campground at Gold Lake boat ramp. It looks good and is the trail head for a bunch of 4X4 roads. It said National Fee area, not National Forest. I don't know what a fee area is or how to find them on the interweb.

Jackson Meadows

Turning another day trip into a camping trip we went to Jackson Meadows Reservoir. Pretty basic Forest Service Campground, but the maps left out some things. They show one or two campgrounds but there is Fir Top, Woodlands, and Finley. Then there is Silver Top group camping 2ea and Woodlands picnic area and a boat ramp. It should be considered one campground but it good to know these names if reserving on line. The last couple of miles in is dirt, but easy. However south of the campground is rough 4X4 forest roads.

I love the Monte Carlo not recommended. Don't even try it. Since the '60's when the sign was made, swales were made to channel water, and they are big. Even where the road is good most 4X4s would high side on these.

Jackson Meadow camping was very civilized.

I brought my dirt bike to explore where the camper could not go. A 1983 Honda 200 is a bit of joke as dirt bikes go, but it did the job. I bought in new in 83 and it is good to still be using it. More of a mini bike or glorified trial 90. The rear fender with tail light broke off the first day.

I turned on the dog alarm for when I was gone.

First run was to Bowman Lake. Most people come up from Nevada City. Amazing how many people where there. Picture doesn't show how big the lake really is.

Then off to Faucherie Lake. This is very cool. Only one group campground here. Perfect place for a 4X4 Sportsmobile get together.

Then I made a run to Meadow Lake. I guess most people come in from 89 to this one. Check out this campsite right on the water!

We did our fair share of yachting. See the length of my oars. Give me a lever and I could move the world. I am totally spoiled and can never get in a kayak except for white water.

Pretty cool trip. I did not have any issues with camp gear or the Sportsmobile. I have only to find a rear fender for an obsolete motorcycle.

Swamp cooler test

It is 100 degrees in the valley, but I refuse to go. Here in the mountains it is 81 degrees and 30% humidity, not miserable, but worth a little cooling.

Swamp cooler on with no outside air to intake because it is very dry, running on low fan. Windows blocked out with sunshades, Reflectix. Penthouse down. Inside started at 81 degrees.

Half hour later outside was 82 degrees. Inside was 80 at the counter with humidity up to 40%. Floor temperature where the hose is was 79. Turned the fan to high.

Hour later outside was 82 degrees. Inside was 81 with humidity up to 45% counter and floor. Turned fan to low again and cracked a window so it would have outside air.

Hour and 45 later 80 degrees outside. Inside was 83 and humidity up to 45%.

No way it is going to cool this much space. However I took it outside, sat in the shade with one hose down my pants and one blowing on my face and was very cool.

Next test will be sitting in the shade in really hot weather and see if I am still comfortable.

Tioga

Tioga is a small National Forest Service campground on Tioga lake, a couple of miles east of the entrance to Yosemite. The campground was probably engineered for tent camping only so a Class C is a tight fit. 

It was 90% Class B so the tecno rap about RV's was a little more interesting than our first trip to Twin Lakes where we were the only Camper Van.

Forest Service allows campgrounds on the lake, National Parks do not. We could walk our boats to the lake right from the picnic table. I also like the old geezer half off price!

So what did I trip over on our second trip? Much of this I will do nothing about, but one might think of before ordering a new one. The penthouse is much more interesting than I first thought. It is more spacious than the cab over I remember from my father's camper which we called the coffin. My thought was I wish there was a zipper to open up the back of the tent part. Then one could exit to the outside and down the ladder. A zippered opening in the front would allow me to put my dirty socks and other biohazzards outside on the top of the cab. I doubt I will do any of this, it is easier to put a clothe pin on the wife's nose.

I went to great effort to have a step for entry into the back, but this created more bumps on the head. With out the step one just goes in on one's knees and never cracks the cranium.

I have just one stupid marine battery that is not a true deep cycle, but that ran the DC fridge for 2 days and 8 hours of movie watching. It was down to 11.4 volts. Then I let the motor idle for half an hour and it seemed to be back up. This was better than I expected. The fridge is rated at 2.5 amps and the NAXA 19 inch is rated at 2.5 amps. My lights are all LED. I wish I had a good battery tester rather than just checking the resting voltage.

All my effort to put in a sink, grey water bucket and the Coleman hot water heater was wasted. The 5 gallon jug on the picnic table was much more popular.

Why is the fridge not on a thermostat? I have to turn it down at night and up in the day.

My Princess and the Pee test is always the most interesting. She finds the penthouse bed a bit too firm. I wonder what kind of space foam to put on top of it? She really likes the ride. We took 8 hours to come home, a 2 hour trip. We were good on dirt roads and it got a little sandy so I think the limited slip got some work out. Never have we had a car where she was so happy in the passenger seat. She never gets the long thin pantry thing closed properly. That should be the kind of latch that works when slammed. Now I have to always check it.

Anybody else tired of stepping on the dog? I feel like putting a dog house on wheels to trail around just so she is out of the way!

And one pic of the kayaking

Ellery from the air:

Saddle bag form the air: