Mt. Hood National Forest

Ponderosa pines surround our beautiful, isolated, and quiet campsite, qualities which are the trade-offs for no phone, Internet, or TV service. I mean, which would you choose?

Spring Drive Campground is just about equidistant between Maupin,  22 miles east and Government Camp, 22 miles northwest.

Maupin is on the Deschutes River and caters to river rafters in the warmer months.

 riverrunlodge.net

Jeff, the dogs, and I drive here together on Monday, the 8th, to catch an Internet connection. Disappointed, we watch groups of rafters enjoying the river instead.

Government Camp, nicknamed Govy, is a winter ski Mecca.

 behance.net

Jeff scopes it out the day we arrive, Sunday, the 7th, and returns with a bag of tortilla chips.

Tuesday we return to grocery shop and search for Internet. It’s a chilly, drizzly, gray day and we sit in front of a restaurant while I try to upload pictures to post to my blog. I finally give up and we head to the local market to buy a campfire meal of hot dogs, graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows.

Wednesday afternoon, Jeff returns to Maupin and brings back bacon-wrapped steak fillets.

Today, Thursday I head out to Govy alone and this time I bring my MiFi jet pack, determined to catch up with and publish a few blogs.

Success! (…in more ways than one!!!)

First of all, the day is bright and sunny and Mt. Hood hovers above.

Secondly, I stop at the trailhead at Frog Lake Campground in the national forest and meet a hiker stopping for a break on the Pacific Crest Trail.

I learn that he began hiking on April 14th putting in from Campo, Mexico and expects to finish before it snows in October.

As I leave the rest area I pull over to take pics of the PCT as it crosses Highway 26.

Finally, after posting and uploading photos to my WordPress, I arrive home hungry. Jeff prepares the fillets on the grill and we eat early. Later, we roast marshmallows, eat s’mores, and watch the stars come out. After 10 pop out slowly and intermittently, the rest burst forth like popping corn kernels.

Spring Drive Campground is a special place!