Salmon, Snow, the Internet, and Boondocking

SALMON: Titling this post with “Salmon” is misleading because I didn’t eat any salmon while here (I should have!), but I did see some beautiful parts of the Salmon River, and I saw a lot of fisherpeople.

SNOW: After finishing my first work week on the road, as well as my two days in the patriotic RV park in McCall, I headed toward Hwy 95, Hells Canyon Recreation Area, and the Salmon River. All I had put on my itinerary for the weekend of June 25 was “Explore Snake River and Hells Canyon” and “random camping at first-come, first-served campsites.” The first problem with that is that the Snake River is on the wrong side of the mountains from where I was. I should have put “explore Salmon River.” I also didn’t realize that getting up to Hells Canyon and the 7 Devils would mean driving above the snow line.

Without that foreknowledge, I pressed ahead to a trailhead at 7 Devils campground that promised a view. When Google led me to a gravel road, and then a dirt road, with still 40 minutes of driving to go, I had a lot to say to myself in the cab of the van. “You’ve officially crossed over to crazy town,” “What are you doing here?” “This may have been a really stupid idea.” 

And then I saw snow on the side of the road. And then I saw snow IN the road. And as I sat there wondering if I could get over the first small amount of snow in the road, with my 2-wheel drive and a water tank slung under the van that might hit something, a 4-wheel drive truck came up behind me. I tried to pull over to let it go around, but it didn’t. So I decided to try going up and over the snow, rather than through the existing tire tracks, thinking that would protect my water tank. Then I started sliding all over, so I let myself slide back down again. Then I got out of the van and walked toward the truck and said to the man getting out, “Clearly I don’t know what I’m doing.” Then I saw that he was wearing flip-flops, and as he spoke to me in a thick German accent, I felt so relieved that I was not the only tourist up there!! I hadn’t seen another vehicle in about 40 minutes of driving. He told me to go through the tire tracks and that my water tank would “probably” be fine. So I did. And it was.

So I carried on with this crazy mission, until I came across a bunch of trucks and cars and jeeps parked on the side of basically a one-lane fire road, with a significant amount of snow ahead. So even the 4x4s had decided the snow was not passable! Honestly, I was just relieved to see a bunch of other crazy people making the drive.

I parked my giant vehicle, sticking out into the road a bit and hoping the big pickups trying to pass me on their way back would be able to. I chatted with some folks, hiked up beyond the snow to some waterfalls of snow melt, then came down to the van and made myself a sandwich.

The Germans had already headed back, and as I had watched them consider how to turn their truck around, they had said they would just drive in reverse until they reached a wider part of the road. After my lunch, I considered that plan. A few of the cars and trucks that had parked there had left, so I thought I had more room to turn around. I was really not confident about driving in reverse for an unknown distance, and I did not remember any “wider part of the road.” So I did a 15-point turn and got the van turned around. I departed crazy town and returned to the lowlands in search of a campsite. 

THE INTERNET: Not being connected to the outside world by WiFi or cell service is really hard. It’s lonely. It’s confusing! If a random question pops into my mind, how do I find the answer?

Before heading out, I had flagged a couple first-come first-served campsites, but I hadn’t scoped out how far they were from the main road. And sometimes if they look relatively close, it turns out they’re on the other side of a river or mountain. Once I drive into an area and see that my phone no longer says “No Service,” I pull over (well, first I cry out “Hallelujah!”) and try to get my bearings and see what’s happening in the world. Like that the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade!!!

BOONDOCKING ON BLM LAND: In the many (many!) #VanLife videos I have watched, I’ve heard many VanLifers say they were camping on BLM land for free. They always seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, with nobody around. I had never considered doing that alone. But as I sat in a parking lot in Riggins, ID, soaking up all the cell service I could, I found some recommendations for free and first-come first-served campsites. One of the first ones was raved about on Google: “Way to go, Idaho. Free camping in a spot like this!” That seemed awesome, but I doubted there would be space for me on a Saturday night. But it wasn’t far, so I went. I saw random RVs and tents on this spit of sandy land sticking out into the Salmon River. There seemed to be room, so I turned toward the entrance, which read “This land maintained by the Bureau of Land Management. 14-day maximum camping.” Eureka! I was going to boondock on BLM land. I had truly graduated to #VanLife. I found an awesome parking spot under a tree, chatted briefly with my “neighbors,” waded in the river, and generally enjoyed a peaceful Saturday night.

The next day was Workweek-Eve. Honestly, I didn’t think working from the van would be this hard: Not because of the Internet (so far, I’ve planned that well), not because of my office setup (I have a great setup in the van, actually: comfortable, adjustable; certainly not worse than some office cubicles!). Rather, it is because I had thought that it would be great to feel less stuck in a rut of work-from-home nothingness by being out on this adventure, knowing that after I logged off I would go DO things, unlike what I did back home (drink and binge watch TV, like we’ve all done during the pandemic). But that is exactly what is making it hard. I count the hours til I can turn off my computer and go wade in the river or talk to my neighbors or discover a diner or dive. At least at home I knew I wasn’t missing out on anything.

But the hour DOES come, I DO get to do those things, and it is much better than drinking and binge watching. So much so that I have to revise my opinion of RV parks. I had just stayed at the wrong kind! I really enjoyed my last parkup, where you just HAD to talk to your neighbors because you’re parked so close you are practically living together and where there is a giant gazebo with a firepit and people offer you 7&7 or a margarita. Yeah, I didn’t think it would be, but it was totally my kind of place. More on that next time.