RV Camping - Heading South For The Winter

We're out of the woods and back searching for great RV camping locations...

Winter may officially be a couple months away, but winter weather can hit just about anywhere from now on. Keeping up on weather forecasts is important to RVers this time of year. I don't know any RVers that look forward to icy road travel, so many folks head south early. But some of us full time RVers don't like spending too much time in one area, and spending 5 months in the Arizona/California desert can get kinda long for some. So how do we avoid going south too early?

Here are some tips we use to help with our seasonal RV travel plans.

Knowing the historical weather averages by month and even day can be very useful. Why? Well...if a big snow storm is heading your way, and you wouldn't leave if the weather was going to be nice, knowing that historically the weather should be quite nice tells you that this storm is unususal, should depart quickly, and the following weather should still be good for RV camping. Of course this method of travel means you travel without schedules. You can find state by state NOAA historical weather links at RV Camping by clicking on the state you wish information for, then clicking on the "Historical Weather" link.

High altitude remote camping this time of year can be problematic. We've camped in snowy conditions numerous times, but almost always in Spring or early Fall when we were confident that the snow would soon melt. Late season RVers can get into big trouble being off the beaten path as the snow may not melt until next summer.

We try and slowly change altitude from summer RV camping at around 9000 feet to winter elevations of a few hundred feet in the deserts of Arizona and California. We typically stay put until night temperatures drop into the upper 20's, then drop a couple thousand feet in altitude and repeat the process. Depending on your planning, it can take a long time to go a couple hundred miles.

Be creative. Go a different route. Take time to research state tourism web sites for travel ideas. Ask other RVers for their recommendations. Go someplace completely different. Once you get where you're headed, volunteer to help BLM, USFS, NPS, USACE, or any other organization that needs people to help out. It will make your time fly!

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Camping In Snow Again - What Was Margie Thinking?

First, I'd like to apologize for the lack of posts lately. We got ourselves into a camping situation where we're located in the trees, and our satellite internet connection doesn't work. We'll soon be correcting that. For now...

Our campsite was chosen by Margie, so I'm blaiming her! What was Margie thinking??

RV Camping Perspective - If You've Seen One Mountain...

We were recently asked for our thoughts about camping in Colorado vs our current camping experience along the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. We've been RV camping in both locations extensively, and there are some differences.

The Colorado mountains were exploited by early miners that left a network of roads and trails across the mountains that have become forest access roads, and highways. Colorado has numerous mountain passes suitable for all types of vehicles, making access across the mountains quite easy in most cases. This allows people many different areas to go outdoor recreation activities, and I feel offers the best opportunities for remote dispersed RV camping. There are numerous developed campgrounds as well.

The eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of central California are spectacular! The granite and volcanic mountains are steep and rugged, and few roads cross them. Wilderness areas and national parks such as Yosemite and Kings Canyon follow the "Sierra Crest" for hundreds of miles making RV access out of the question in many areas. Scenic areas have numerous developed campgrounds, and these are usually full of campers. California has far more developed campgrounds than Colorado. Boondocking (dispersed camping) is widely available, but access can be an issue. Much of the ground is a fine volcanic soil much like sand. Getting into many remote campsites needs to be undertaken with care.

Weather at 9000 feet elevation in California is similar to 9000 feet in Colorado. We feel that Colorado gets much more summer afternoon shower and thunderstorm activity than the California Sierra. California requires a free campfire permit for charcoal grills and campfires when there is not a fire restriction, while Colorado does not.

Do we have a favorite? Not really. We love the California Sierra Nevada for their beauty and crystal blue skies for weeks on end. We love the Colorado Rocky Mountains for their easy access to a wide range of different areas of the state.

Both offer great RV camping!

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RV Camping and cell phone service

RV Camping uses Verizon for cell service and we've had excellent coverage throughout the Western US! With the exception of Lake Havasu City, AZ. Our phone will NOT work within the city limits! Crazy!

Our plan allows for a new phone every two years, and wouldn't you know we just got to upgrade! All phones seem to have a camera feature now, and that isn't something we are interested in as we do have a digital camera we use a lot! But the kinda fun part for me is, I can take my own pictures and use them for wallpaper!

RV Camping and Good News!

Good News regarding length of stay in the Inyo National Forest, Mammoth Lakes California Ranger District! The 14 day limit has been changed to 28 days effective in 2007! Great news for us boondockers that fall in love with a certain camp spot and never want to leave!

We've enjoyed our time out on the volcanic soil...pumice! It's like living in a house with xeriscape lava rock, but you don't have to rearrange it, rake it, clean it out of your neighbors yard, or any of those other unpleasant homeowners tasks.

This is an area with lots to see and do, and the roads take off everywhere! The USFS has done an excellent job of thinning out trees and burning underbrush to help with wildfire control.

We've seen lots of BIG deer, and the chipmonks have really had a banner year for offspring! We did have a baby chipmonk INSIDE the motor home a couple days ago! Our pets didn't know what to think about him, and I'm sure he was sorry he ventured into "Gozer's House of Horrors!" He was too cute to trap so we just propped up the bed over the engine compartment and let him make a jump for it! He made it out, but his tail didn't! One of the pets separated him from it sometime during his visit. Poor little guy. Hope he tells his friends to stay away from us!

Views of the Sierra's are spectacular, and sunrises and sunsets provide amazing colors and hues. We'll be sad to leave when our time comes!

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RV Camping and Bears

While camping at the higher elevations in California, we've had the opportunity to enjoy some of the largest animals up close and personal! Bears! They are an interesting creature and their sheer size makes one respectful of them.

We saw grizzly bears in Alaska last year and were amazed to see them running on the road ahead of our tour bus--they are very fast for their size!

Mama's and cubs can be especially fun to see, but also very dangerous if you happen to get between them accidently. They are playful and enjoy romping around and giving each other a bad time. They seem to have a good sense of humor and like to interact with each other.

Their only "job" once they emerge from their winter den, is to EAT! Humans need to be more responsible towards bears and prevent them from getting "people food" or trash. Bears are smart and learn quickly how to purvey such goodies from us.

When you are fishing along the shore and a bear approaches, don't let him have your stringer of fish! Make yourself big, wave your arms in the air and order it to get away. They're not used to NOT getting their own way and will soon move along. Don't leave coolers and sandwiches out where they are a temptation. Leave such things locked in your car.

All too often people think it's cute to leave out dog food or a fish to attract a bear for a picture or just to watch it. Every time a bear encounters people food, it becomes that much closer to being "put down" by local wildlife officials. The bears won't forage for their regular diet if they can find easier pickins' and then they start to become a problem for people living around them. They will become more aggressive as they get used to "people food" and the ease of which it can be acquired.

Please do our bruins a favor and keep those tasty morsels out of sight and smell! The Forest Service doesn't always relocate problem bears, and it's sometimes easier and more cost effective to eliminate them altogether.

A fed bear IS a dead bear.

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RV Camping is California Dreamin'!

We LOVE California! Just like Ahnold says it, "Cal-E-forn-ia"! This state has it all going on....beaches for boarding, mountains for climbing, you pick your chosen form and recreate towards it!

We truly love the east side of the Sierra Nevada since it's less crowded and for our particular likes, it has everything we need. And the views! WOW!

Wanna see a big tree? Come here! Wanna see amazing wildlife? Come here! And such an abundance of areas to camp and explore without seeing another person for miles!

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