Dave Rogers (Grand Whazoo) and Truck Camper Escapades: It's a two fer, Winter in the desert of the Northwest

I have so many pictures of this area, and more than a few other trip reports already posted. Beware, there's more to come. Summer is the only thing that keeps me out of the Owyhee Desert, not the mountains by the same name which are much cooler, as mountains generally are. We did camp on the Desert the first of June one year, it was 101º. We left and drove up the Owyhee Mountains to camp next to a small stream in cooler temps...and it snowed all the next day.

Winter is my favorite time and so far have not gotten stuck in snow or mud, but it's been close. Winter pictures coming on...

I always wonder when I look at these pics, who took the picture? Especially since this was a solo trip.

Ma I'm home!

But I forgot to get ice at the store.

Another inch of snow and you would't know where to drive to hit the exit. It was like that on the way out and I did not stop for pictures. Once my tires were rolling I couldn't stop, or I'd be there till spring. Right about now hah.

It had rained before it snowed, making for puddles. Then the snow fell and insulated the water from freezing while hiding the puddles, making for an exciting drive. My wife usually gives a little shout when we hit them, and I hit the gas a little harder.

Luckily the snow depth wasn't so much going in that I couldn't see the go-arounds, spots that hold on to the water longer than the area surrounding them, usually with a way to go...around.

When the snow is too deep to see them, watch out and hang on. I can absolutely guarantee you there's a deep mud puddle right there just waiting for you, or me.

Then you get onto a two-track, smaller version of a road, and there is usually no room for a go-around in the tall sage brush.

It's a hassle, especially when it's real cold, to put on chains. But then again it's less of a hassle by a huge margin, than getting stuck because you did not want to go through the hassle. This time I was glad to have done it, the front at least. Especially since it snowed overnight and the snow was deeper the next day. The extra benefit is that chains help in mud as well.

I was at the end of the road, my home for the night.

A small slice of Heaven opened up over my camper.

I found this marker that looks out over the Owyhee River at the upper end of Owyhee Reservoir. In season the Lake would have its reach just below me, with the boat ramp at Leslie Gulch barely visible in the distance.

All of these pics were taken with my iPhone, in some the detail was less than I expected.

It had snowed a bit overnight and fog had settled into the canyon below me.

I had gone out to hunt chukar there but found none so I left the next day, having shot my share of the scenery but never have I gotten my limit.

On to the next trip...the two fer

In between these trips to the desert I had gone down to Arizona to bring my wife back, she had taken a travel nurse job for three months. She came back just in time to get a bird hunt before the end of season. And look, it's not about bird hunting or rock hounding or fishing, it's about solitude and scenery...

Weather is always the unpredictable factor out here where you have an almost 180º horizon, that includes the temps. Getting to the road I wanted to take it was warm at 40º. Too warm to drive in on nothing but mud.

In fact about four miles in I ran the truck up on dead grass to camp for the night, it was about 4pm anyway. This way we'd get up early to finish the 20 miles we had left and be able to drive on frozen ground and those mud puddles would be iced over.

It might be hard to tell from this picture, but the road was indeed frozen. I love it when plans work out, how about you?!

Yet that plan of mine did not include dealing with tumbleweeds, and like my last time here they had accumulated even more. I will more than likely not come back to this spot for a long time, tired as I am of buffing out the scratches on the side of my truck, desert pinstripes.

It was back to the place I'd been with Duke before he passed away, I was hoping to find chukar this time.

Daytime temps were between the teens and 40º the first two days, I call it perfect.

An evening walkabout was taken, it's our favorite time of day.

Camper Ridge

With ol Duke gone it was going to be a one dog night. A small dog at that.

Feel free to sit for a while, we have plenty of room for Friends.

And while the temps may not get above freezing the sun still melts the frozen stuff to make mud, and make me set things on top of bushes. Somewhere in my head I hear Monty Python saying, "Bring me a shrubbery." If you're like my wife and very observant you might also notice that I forgot the section of astroturf that we use at the base of the steps to wipe feet on. Walla, shoveled ice/snow worked pretty good too.

Ok sorry, you waited too long, one chair is taken. Then it was into the camper for the night, the smallest breeze makes it colder than my wimpy face can handle. I mean look, we have great heat in the camper and I'm not into self-torture like I used to be.

Morning came around, that worked out pretty good for me. Yet the carpet, ok snow, needed to be cleaned. Luckily there's new carpet just laying around.

The moon said good morning as well. The ants were still in Florida I guess, soaking up the sun, no sign of them in their anthill.

Well my job was to put the chairs up for the night, should I be fired? I wouldn't be having coffee in those things, frozen like they were. Even my ol butt started yelling, "Don't even think about it!"

It was off to a semi-early start looking for the devil birds called chukar. I will tell you that this was now old snow from a storm over a month earlier, that had melted and refroze time and again, making it hard and crunchy to try to walk on not to mention climb a hill. Kind of like trying to ski on old spring snow. And it hurts to fall on it, ask my wife how she knows...

This lichen was mondo cool. I almost wanted a pencil to draw my way out of that maze made by nature.

It sure is nice to be on the sunny side of the hill when it's time for lunch.

Lynn wants to know why I have all these pics of her in precarious positions. Well, she knows better than take pics of me, I'm the one that falls. Fell off a two story house years ago, I'm still paying for that one.

Ok it looks like our shadows were goofing off without us. Was that my Usain Bolt imitation? I can't guess what my wife's shadow was doing.

But there I was, hunting for a great truck and camper combination. I bagged it!

There we were, getting coals ready for chukar breasts. Besides the carpet for the steps I'd also forgotten charcoal. No worries, it was absolutely perfect over wood coals.