Ramblings from the Two Track

We made it into the wilds, but barely.

She struggled some, but still offered us smiles.

Waiting with an attitude of gold for medicine to arrive so we can depart Bend.

   It's breezy here. The cottonwoods clatter, and ripple in the wind. Ratcheting sprinklers run all day as the lush grass attests. I hear the doves. Their presence is a never ending source of comfort. Like a familiar cloak on a cold starry night, holding me close, they remind me of the vastness of Your love.

   Her stomach is off again this morning. What can we do, but wait and trust? The baby calves suckle at their mama's teats. How I wish I could feed her and food would just fix it. You alone can nourish her right now Lord. Will we make it out on the trail this year?

In Rome, Oregon.  A little sagebrush and Singapore math. (She's a bit math obsessed.)

   Nothing has changed: we are still packed to the rafters, but the gear doesn't tumble out quite so often. Kid list of essentials: survival pack, water bottles, books.

Oh yeah, & a snorkel mask and soccer clothes, for every day of the week.

   What will the desert demand of us, and why are we always so thirsty? Do wild springs fill men more deeply than rural ones? We embark into the desert with some who are yet strangers to us, like a caravan, headed off to trade in foreign lands. Will we be bound by the land or return with a bounty of inner treasure? 

Headed down there!

   In a chaotic, noisy, loud, and fanatic world the rover affords us trails where we find rest. The noise of a cracked culture gives way to the cricket. 

    Clustered on the bank of the river, they surely looked like children's toys to the fighter jets screaming overhead. 

A pristine spring. Not unvisited, but undamaged by mankind. Unusual.

  Riverside, the breeze was just enough to keep the mosquitoes at bay. Overhead, rock formations loomed large. At sunset, young antelope averse to our curiosity, crested up and over canyon walls.

Three Forks cascading into the Owyhee River.

Rovers down low. Three Forks to the right. Stretching our legs.

There is just you Lord, in the sunshine and the heat, and the drum of a child's feet. 

Up and out. I prayed the whole way!

Willow Hot Springs, near Fields, Oregon

    We crawled into our tent as dusk settled on the land. I couldn't sleep, my mind buzzing with the days activities. Alive with the day's heat, the crickets kept up their chirping, to match my chattering mind. The rustle of the tent flaps broke my concentration, or was it a coon in the garbage bag hanging outside? The abnormal chatter, all the noise, portended the 2 a.m. party that would arrive at Willow. What a racket of a night!

Sunset at Willow Hot Springs, Whitehorse Ranch

 

Breakfast in Fields, Oregon. A sweet treat. We licked our plates clean.

4 days without a shower, not to shabby, but we ain't gonna zoom in!

 Home again, a little worse for the wear, but it was worth it!

 Rovering Responsibly

   We take safety seriously, for us and God's creation. We pack, plan, prepare, and pray when we go into the outback, especially with our kids in tow. We go with others. We don't go it alone. We go with great people who also prepare. We prepare for fire, injury, and vehicle issues, because stuff happens while you are busy living life! This year, we were blessed to have a Search and Rescue Coordinator in attendance, a state highway patrolman, a variety of engineers, experienced explorers, and even an experienced Mazama, along for the ride. (The trip coordinator also took time to appropriate and rent a satellite phone. Just in case.) 

   As for our interactions with nature, the primary objective is to leave no trace. The Pacific Coast Rover Club is focused on enjoying nature safely in a way that nurtures nature for future generations to enjoy.  

Rover Girl aka no make up girl.