Convict Lake

Amazing this is just a couple miles off 395. With too much campground anxiety we drove the sites and picked 74. I mention the number because once again Francesca thinks we had the best one. It was next to a hidden bridge to walk to the store, open view, and in an embarrassment of riches was close enough to just get wifi from the fishing store.

After paying we went to the day use area and put in the boats. It was a bit windy.

The next day Francesca went boating and walked around the lake. I went on a great motorcycle ride up McGee. I got a couple of good pics of Convict Lake.

Crystal Basin

Perhaps Loon Lake and Ice House Reservoir would be a better name, but the area off Hwy 50 we went to is called Crystal Basin.

We took our time looking at everything before camping at the far end, Loon Lake. Ice House Reservoir was first. Francesca was not enamored with the large campground, but liked the smaller one in the middle. Interesting to see a dirt bike path along the north shore.

The trip to Union Reservoir proved the lake to be too big. The first campground was completely empty, but it was about to close. The big one in the middle was open, but not attractive. This lake has a 7 mile paved bike path along the east shore.

So on we went to Loon Lake much higher up in the mountains. We checked out the campground for the first time without the kind of "campground anxiety" we normally have and then wondered off to the north shore. We looked at the campground there, but is was crowded and close together. Then we checked out the beginning of the famous Rubicon Trail.

After returning to the campground we took a place next to the lake, but I couldn't help seeing a better one that the host said was taken. However I spoke to others who had seen them pack up and leave. After some tactful, well as tactful as I can get, conversation with host we set up on the better one.

 

As people came to check out the place next to us we heard them say the parking was too small and they would like to wait for us to leave for more privacy. I got the idea to make CD of barking dogs and squabbling kids with rap music to play in the RV when people are walking by. Am I a bad person?

I rode the motorcycle a short ways up the Rubicon, but then thought better of it. I came in the other way and got just past Wentworth Campground. I did take a picture up on a slab, and then went riding on the fire roads north of this which was much  more fun on a bike.

Loon Lake has exposed rock and great views of the high country

Enjoyed our wine and sunsets

The third day we went to Ice House Reservoir. It was a little low, but not bad.

Very nice day. Can't really get a picture of the two of us together.

on the way out we looked at Wright Lake, very nice