Lessons Learned #1 – Coffee Production

I am going to capture many of the lessons that I learned on my 2015 Summer Trip.

The first lesson I learned is that while boondocking (camping without electrical and water hookups), making coffee in the morning becomes a bit more complicated. When we do have power, we have a regular coffee maker that can be prepared the night before. The morning, just plug it in, push the start button, and there you go…. coffee!

Without power, I considered a few options. A percolator? I tried it and the coffee taste was hard to get right. A french press? Maybe. I settled on http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BCS13IW. The product description says this:

The Clever Coffee Dripper combines the best features of French Press and filter drip brewing, eliminating the drawbacks of each. By adding a stopper to a filtercone, the Clever Coffee Dripper combines control over steeping time with a sediment free cup. The dripper will fit on cups and thermoses with tops wider than 1.5″ and less than 3.75″ in diameter. Of course, if you put the dripper on a very narrow thermos you should make sure it is stable. Cleaning: Cleaning the Clever Coffee Dripper is very easy. Just dispose of the used grounds and filter and rinse. Do not allow residue to build up in the filter. Lightly scrub the cone with very hot water and a sponge or brush, taking care to clean shut off mechanism lightly from the top. If necessary, use a detergent-free cleaner designed for carafes and filtercones.

It ends up being a great solution. I can easily heat water in a kettle on the stove inside the trailer (or on a camp stove outside). Add a filter with three scoops of coffee in it. Then fill up to the top with boiling water. Let sit for 15-20 minutes (that is the hard part). Then you just set the whole device on top of your mug and the coffee drips down into the mug. Awesome (and tasty).

The problem: it only makes enough coffee to fill one mug. This is a serious issue if you have more than one coffee drinker.

The solution: buy another Clever Coffee Dripper. With two, coffee can be prepared for two immediately (well… 15-20 minutes after the water boils). Once the first round is poured, the Clever Coffee Dripper can be prepared again for a second round of coffee. I now have the second Clever Coffee Dripper and will test out this solution in April or May 2016 during a test-run campout.

2016: The Grand Tour


The travel trailer is now winterized and back in storage. I was also able to get the water heater fixed and get the hitch on the tow vehicle lowered (the Land Cruiser’s hitch was about 4″ higher than that of the Tundra).

It is time to put the plans together for the 2016 Summer Trip! Only 208 days until we roll out.

I am looking at a few different possible itineraries. Much will depend on if I am able to get reservations where I need to get them.

The mission will be similar to last year’s: exploring our National Parks. The wife has never been to Yosemite (gasp!) and it would be nice to spend some time there early in the season. I have never been to the Grand Canyon (gasp!) or any of the other major national parks in Utah and Colorado.

I really enjoyed my time at Glacier National Park and would like to spend more time there. We didn’t get to see all of Yellowstone.

For reservations, I already have them for Yellowstone and Grand Teton. They start accepting reservations two years out. Yosemite is a gamble. It is hard to get reservations there and I have to wait until January or February to try. Pretty much all the rest of the parks do not take reservations until 6 months out. That puts me at the end of November and the beginning of December to get my reservations in.

Most likely I will dash out to the West first. That will take four days of driving. If I can’t get reservations in Yosemite, I could always go to neighboring Kings Canyon or Sequoia National Parks. I have never been to either.

The fastest approach would probably be taking I-70 west until hitting I-15 in Utah. Then heading towards Las Vegas, take I-15 until I hit Barstow, CA. Alternatively, I could head south first, down to I-40 and make my way to Barstow, CA by way of Albuquerque and Flagstaff.

In California, we can stay either in Yosemite, Kings Canyon, or Sequoia. This would allow us to take a day trip (or overnight) out to the Bay Area to see relatives. I most likely would come in from the south through the San Joaquin Valley and approach from the west. Alternatively, I could head north up the eastern side of the Sierras to Lee Vining, CA. From there I could take Tioga Pass into Yosemite. But that would mean that Tioga Pass was open in early June and I had reservations for Yosemite. We will see.

Yosemite National Park

After California, I will head south and then east to Las Vegas, back up I-15 and head for Zion National Park. From Yosemite to Zion is 650 miles, making this leg a two day trip.

North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park

After spending a few days at Zion, it is a 125 mile jog south to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Zion National Park

A few days here and then up to Bryce Canyon National Park, a 150 miles north.

Bryce Canyon National Park

After Bryce Canyon, I can hop back on to I-15 and make my way towards Glacier National Park. This will be a three day trip with stops in Pocatello and Great Falls. It would be nice to spend two full weeks at Glacier. Probably mostly on the east side, but maybe the west too.

Logan Point Visitors Center on The Going To The Sun Road, Glacier National Park

From Glacier it will take one or two days down to Yellowstone. I have reservations for the Canyon Campground. I think this should put at us for a good location for exploring. We need to devote some time to see Mammoth Hot Springs. I think we could spend the day there, head east having dinner at Roosevelt Lodge near tower and then spend an early evening watching in wildlife in the Lamar Valley.

June 2015 – Bison in Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park

After Yellowstone, a week in Grand Teton exploring much of went unexplored before is in order. Then generally heading the direction of home, perhaps a few days in Rocky Mountain National Park? When all is said and done, this could be a seven week trip – but could be tailored for less if needed.

End of the season

That’s it. It is over. We were lucky enough to spend Columbus Day weekend at Perry Lake State Park near Lawrence, Kansas. The weather was great and the camping was fun. No problems with the trailer. The heater worked… it was pretty cold on the first night. The water heater worked without issue.

A new edition to the camping equipment was my grandfather’s Coleman two-burner stove. He had it in the basement of his cabin up in the California Sierra Nevadas and it had never been used. I would guess the stove is at least 20 years old, maybe older. The stove works like a champ. I got a griddle for it and used it to cook hamburgers for dinner one evening and french toast for a breakfast meal.

Another test subject during the trip was the new tow vehicle: a Toyota Land Cruiser. Compared to the older Tundra, the Land Cruiser has twice the towing capacity as well as a bigger engine. It is not quite as tall as the Tundra and quite a bit shorter (which means it is a lot easier to maneuver, park, and turn around). The towing performance was great. Even with a heavy Kansas side wind on the way home, the towing stability was great despite the shorter wheel-base of the Land Cruiser.

The travel trailer is now getting winterized and I have to start thinking about what I want to get done before I cast off for next summer’s trip:
(1) Replace three of the stabilizer jacks. I already replaced one. The other three are either rusted, bent, or both.
(2) Get the black water sensor repaired. This should have been repaired went I took my travel trailer to Camping World last spring, but Camping World ended up doing more damage to the trailer than actual repairing anything.
(3) Repair the spring latch on the screen door.
(4) Get the water heater serviced. There were many on this past summer’s trip where the water heater worked inconsistently. Either it had trouble lighting or would not stay lit.
(5) Get the roof inspected.
(6) Repack the bearings and replace the tires.
(7) Get the trailer brakes adjusted.
(8) Get a torque wrench for tightening the trailer tire lug nuts.
(9) Develop a plan for carrying the bicycles. Without a truck bed, I am going to have to get creative.

Nice to have repairs:
(1) Replace the connecting cable from the trailer to the tow vehicle. The Land Cruiser’s towing electrical connection is in a position which requires the connecting cable to be a bit longer. Right now I have an extension cable for the connection but would prefer just one cable completing the connection.
(2) Replace the propane tank to trailer hose. With my installation of the two 6v batteries, the path of the propane hose was slightly disrupted. A longer hose would fix the issue.
(3) Replace the water pump with something more electrically efficient.
(4) Install and inline water filter for the galley sink.
(5) Figure out an efficient way to carry our fishing poles.

Monarch Watch

A butterfly in front of the University of Kansas’ Monarch Waystation

We had a chance to head over to the University of Kansas and attend their open house concerning the annual Monarch butterfly migration. They have been tracking the huge decline in the Monarch butterfly population and are trying to raise awareness to how we can help restore the population.

Sarah and Emily examine some caterpillars in the garden behind Foley Hall.

Toyota Transition

This blog started in conjunction with my return to the United States in 2005 and purchase of a Toyota Tundra. After being away from the US for four years, I celebrated my return by the purchase of the new truck and a (mostly) circumnavigation of the lower 48. My first encounter with Toyota was through my friend Robb and a 1980s Toyota 4×4 he had. Robb was going to school at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Robb was fond of taking his truck to Pismo Beach and enjoying the beach and dune experience. Robb loved his truck.

After spending a year in Monterrey, CA learning Russian at the Defense Language Institute and a few months honing my listening abilities at Goodfellow Air Force Base near San Angelo, TX, I got my follow on orders to Fairbanks, Alaska (Fort Wainwright). I didn’t have a car. I was an enlisted Army soldier making not a whole lot of money. Heading way, way up north. I figured I needed a 4-wheel drive vehicle to make my life a bit more comfortable. My first thought was a Ford Ranger. But it ended up being too expensive. The most reasonable costing 4-wheel drive vehicle was a Toyota 4×4. It was 1993 and the Tacoma had not come along yet. 1993 Toyota 4×4. Manual locking hubs. Manual windows. AM/FM radio. Bench seat. No A/C. 4 cylinders. That truck was to go on to perform flawlessly in Alaska, transported me from Alaska to Georgia and several cross-country trips. Arizona. Washington State. Texas. And California. For seven years, that truck never let me down. I was heading off to Korea for a year to be followed by three in Germany. I sold the truck.

1993 Toyota 4×4, driving across western Arizona with my pet iguana
1993 Toyota 4×4, California – just before I had to sell the truck, ~December 2000
1993 Toyota 4×4, exploring south eastern Arizona near Fort Huachuca

When I was planning my return to the US, I knew I wanted to get another Toyota. I settled on the Tundra. But instead of the minimum package, I was able to swing a 2005 Toyota Tundra Limited Double Cab 4×4. This truck offered to support a newly forming family. I broke the truck in with a trip around the US. I continually upgraded my ham radio installation in the truck, further enhancing my mobile enjoyment. The Tundra performed flawlessly. Never an issue.

2005 Toyota Tundra, Fort Story, Virginia
2005 Toyota Tundra, Leavenworth, Kansas – the snowy winter of 2010

The Tundra proved to be the hero of the 2015 Summer trip. Five national parks. From Kansas to Montana, Wyoming, out to California and back. Pulling a travel trailer. No issues, no problems. Over 120,000 miles.

2005 Toyota Tundra, Lansing, Kansas – January, 2013

It was time to think about the future. A future of summer travel. Exploration of national parks in the west. Colorado. Arizona. Utah. Maybe an upgrade to the travel trailer. The 2005 Tundra had an older drive train and a towing capacity topping out at 4,200 lbs. Comparing the aging 2005 Tundra to the current available 4x4s… the 2005 had a hard time measuring up.

I wanted to find something that was as reliable and dependable. Offered increase towing capability. But maybe smaller? Truth be told, I often had difficulty parking the Tundra. The turning radius was… challenging. Was there something available in a smaller package, yet offering increased performance and towing capabilities? Oh… did I mention that it has to be a Toyota?

Wednesday, July 8th [Day 35] – Yosemite

We had a great day at Yosemite. We left the cabin at about 7:15am. It was difficult getting Emily going. I got up early and loaded the bikes the in the truck. I should have made some sandwiches but at least I packed a six pack of water bottles and two bags of Cheerios.

The total distance from the cabin to the Yosemite Valley floor in about 75 miles. The drive started pretty easy. Down the mountain on CA 108 to the junction with CA 49 heading south. CA 49 then leads to CA 120 and moves quickly until the Priest Grade. 8 miles of slow, steep and windy road. Then things moved fast again through Groveland… which reminded me of Sweeney (was he Grandpa Barrios’ brother?). I also remember the adults making a trip to the Iron Door Saloon from Family Camp one time. We passed that too.

After the turn off for San Jose Family Camp (I wish we had had some extra time to take that detour) the road got a bit more windy and you could still see plenty of evidence of the Rim Fire. The park entrance is about 20 miles from the valley floor. I got the newspaper they hand out and a map. It is a windy drive down into the valley, but very pretty.

Once down on the valley floor, I pulled into parking which I thought was the Visitors Center. The drive had taken about two hours. After we parked, we started walking to find the bathrooms prior to going to the Visitors Center. Then I saw a sign that said the Visitors Center was a 10 minute walk along the bike path, or you could take a shuttle bus. I realized we were just in a parking area – no where close to the Visitors Center. Back to the truck and we unloaded the bikes. We were off.

After a short ride we arrived at the Visitors Center. We got our National Park Passports stamped and the Junior Ranger worksheets. I also got a map that showed the bike trails around the valley floor.

We then hit a nearby deli and got sandwiches…. as breakfast was kind of skipped in an effort to get out the door. Once fueled up with a bit of food, we took our bikes over to Yosemite Falls. Emily was really excited to see the waterfall. You can’t ride bikes up too far but after we parked them, it was a short hike with a pretty view of the lower falls.

Back on the bikes, we swung across the valley floor and crossed the Merced River on a bridge. When we were coming up behind people on the bikes, I gave my little bike bell a ring to get them to scoot over.

Our next stop was Camp Curry and their General Store where we got ice cream and took a quick break. Then we continued on to the Mirror Lake trailhead. We made a short hike to the lake (which looked much different than I remembered it), found some rocks, took a break and drank water.

Back on our bikes and heading down the road, we saw a small black bear just off the side of the road. He was on a fallen log, pulling it apart – probably looking for grubs. The bear was about 20 feet away.

After more riding, we stopped at The Ahwahnee – the fancy resort hotel on the valley floor. We got water there and rested a bit. Nothing we could live without in the gift shop (lots of fancy stuff).

Back to the Visitors Center. We worked on the Junior Ranger worksheet, then attended a Junior Ranger program conducted by one of the rangers. After that, the girls got their Junior Ranger badges. In recognition of their achievement, we took a trip to the gift shop where Sarah got a Yosemite Half Dome baseball cap and Emily got a puzzle with a picture of a black bear on it.

A short bike ride back to the truck. The parking lot was PACKED. I am so glad we took the bikes. After I packed up the truck (now 3:30pm) we made our way back out. Cars parked everywhere. I am glad we got there when we did.

The drive back had more traffic than the drive there.

A great day – the girls had a lot of fun.

Friday, July 3rd [Day 30] – Sparks,NV to Mi-Wuk, CA (300 miles)

The Donner Pass ended up not being too bad. Nothing compared to the Teton Pass. As I made my way over I-80 and down the western slope of the Sierras, I decided to take CA 49 south, following the foothills of the Sierras to Sonora. Mistake! Major mistake! It was twisty, hilly, with some serious grades. What was I thinking.

I arrived in Placerville and headed west of US 50 towards Sacramento. From there I picked up CA 99 south. CA 99 is a multilaned road traveling parallel to I-5. But wow! Californians drive like maniacs! Swerving, darting in and out, speeding. When I completed drivers training in California, we covered a device called the blinkers… what you use to indicate a lane change. Apparently this has been dropped from the curriculum.

CA 99 leads to Manteca and CA 120. CA 120 travels east (all the way to Yosemite) but we made the turn on to CA 108 south of Jamestown. After passing through Sonora, we headed up CA 108 gaining a bit of elevation. We made it to Mi-Wuk Village with the only trouble of backing the trailer into the driveway of my dad’s cabin. The driveway was smaller than I remember. So were the residential roads. After a few attempts, I got the trailer spotted on the driveway. We had made it to California.

Thursday, July 2nd [Day 29] – Twin Falls, ID to Sparks, NV (460 miles)

In the back of my mind, I am starting to think about crossing the Sierras west of Reno. Well, not so much thinking about it as stressing about it. I had researched the Donner Pass. First – it is a well maintained, year-around US interstate (I-80). It is just that I have never driven the pass before. I am from California and have driven in and out of the state more times than I can remember. I have taken I-5 north (and never liked the steep part around the northern border). I have driven out of the state from the south on I-8 and I-10. One time I took I-40 west coming into California. The thing about California is that you have to pass over some type of pass to get into it. With my trailer, I was worried. But I still had another full day to worry about crossing Donner Pass.

The morning started early in Twin Falls and we got on the road heading south on US 93 to Wells, Nevada and I-80. US 93 was not too bad, no real elevation changes. There were parts that had no shoulder or lane to allow me to get over and let faster traffic pass.

We gassed up in Wells, NV and turned west. The Nevada dessert was hot but the Tundra performed flawlessly. The temp gauge never moved. I kept my speed at a solid 65 miles per hour. For lunch and gas, I decided to stop at Winnemucca. Apparently, everyone else decided to stop there as well. It was a nightmare getting through the gas station adjacent to the McDonald’s and then finding a place to park. Lesson learned, on the way back east I found a travel stop on the western edge of Winnemucca… easy in, easy out with a Subways for lunch.

The afternoon heat continued as we continued to make our way west. No significant issues, just a long day of driving… a bit over 450 miles. Well over what I like to do in a day. We arrived at our destination, just east of Reno at the Sparks Marina RV Park.

Check in was easy and the RV park looked like it had nice facilities. I dropped the trailer in our slot and headed to a nearby Jiffy Lube for an oil change. I was due. Good thing I did as I was low. Dinner was at Applebees. The RV park had a nice pool which I took advantage of with the girls. We slept soundly, with the AC on low.

Wednesday, July 1st [Day 28] – Grand Teton National Park to Twin Falls, ID (290 miles)

Wednesday was the day to depart Grand Tetons National Park and begin our travels west to California. I was unsure about the best route to take. In hindsight, I should have asked around a bit more to get a better idea of what route to take.

US 29/89/191 heads south out of the park following the Snake River. After passing an elk preserve, US 191 leads right down into Jackson, Wyoming. After making my way through Jackson, I took Wyoming Hwy 22 west. Wyoming Hwy 22 is called the Teton Pass Highway. The road crosses west over the Snake River and then starts making its way up.

I think what I should have done is have driven south through Jackson, staying on US 191 until it branches off west and becomes US 26, generally heading west, and passing the Palisade Reservoir as it passes into Idaho. Heading over the Teton Pass from Jackson to Swan Valley, ID is about 46 miles. Heading south and west on US 26 is 65 miles. The Teton Pass reaches a height of 8,400 feet with a grade of up to 10%. Hoback, Wyoming, which is along the south and west route, looks to be at about 6,000 feet. Again, all great data I should have really looked at before.

I made my up way the Teton Pass. The road was in good shape and the Tundra was doing a solid job hauling the trailer up the mountain. I reached the top of the pass and pulled over. After a brief walk around the truck and trailer seeing that everything looked okay, I continued my way west a down the pass. Needless to say, I was using my lower gears and brakes. At one point I could definitely smell my brakes. I found a place to pull over and rested the truck for a bit. I had my trailer brake controller maxed out. Wyoming 22 turns into Idaho 33 at the state border. Eventually I made my way down to Victor, Idaho got gas and checked the truck and trailer again. I had survived the Teton Pass.

After Victor and heading west on Idaho 31, the highway turns into a two-lane roller coaster. Despite blind corners and double line medians, I still had vehicles passing me. Crazy. I took my time… drive to arrive. Idaho 31 leads to US 26 which makes its way to Idaho Falls and Interstate 15. After hitting I-15, it was easy driving to Pocatello and I-86 – making my way to I-84 and Twin Falls. In all it was 289 miles and took about 8 hours. We stayed at the KOA outside of Twin Falls which had a pool. I took the girls to the pool because they had done a great job putting up with my stress over the Teton Pass. For dinner: Pizza Hut wings (delivered to the trailer). With an early start the next morning, we headed to bed shortly before sundown.