Stop your whining – It was just a little rain ! A litle rain for a LONG time. The wet weather didn't stop people from filling up the state and national parks for the kick off of the 2010 camping season.

The weekend was a good reminder that one can never have too many tarps.

This Aint Your Mom and Dad's Airstream Anymore

What recession ? If you are looking to upgrade or purchase your first RV, there are some GREAT deals out there to be had. Most of those killer deals are repossed RV's, but if you want to buy new,  make sure Airstream is on your list of travel trailers to research.

While the body design hasn't deviated from the body of yesterday, the interior certainly has evolved. Meet the 2010 International. I had the opportunity to check this one out at Spokane's local Airstream dealer, and after I saw it I definately know what the all the buzz is about Airstream.

Despite all the rain we had over the holiday weekend , Gillmore Campground at Farragut State Park is one of my favorite places to stay.

The camp hosts here do such a wonderful job keeping this place clean from the bathrooms to the individual campsites.

The only drawback for Farragut is the check-in process. You are required to check in at the visitor center before proceeding to your campsite.

During holiday weekends the office is so busy that you may have to wait onwards of a half-hour in line during peak times.

My recommendation, if you know your campsite number proceed and check in with camp host and wait until later to pick up your parking pass from the office. Thats what I did and it saved a bunch of time.

We didn’t let the wet weather dampen our spirits. We went geocaching along the Squirrel Cache Trail and I managed to smoke my soon to be famous baby back ribs…

Next stop Riley Creek.

~ Happy Camping

We had hoped we could have camped in one of the Gem Mountain free campsites, but the campground was full when we arrived. We searched hard for a suitable campground and ended up finding Piney Campground located on the shores of Georgetown Lake about 20 miles from Gem Mountain.

Georgetown Lake is a great recreational area. In addition to camping; fishing, boating, and even windsurfing are activities chosen by outdoor enthusiasts. The nearest city to Georgetown Lake is the historic copper mining town of Anaconda about 18 miles West.

Piney Campground contains 49 sites and the season is from May 15th until September 15th.

Services and Amenities

• Handicapped Accessible
• Water                           
• Established fire pits
• Boat Launch
• Toilets
• Campground Host

Piney Campground is serene, and if you are among a few of the lucky ones to score a lakesite campsite, you'll wake up to the orange glow of morning sunshine reflecting off the glassy water. Imagine yourself sitting next to a sunrise campfire, drinking coffee and the only early morning sounds you may hear are the distance sounds of loons on the lake. Thats Piney campground.

We stayed at Piney Campground early in the season, the campground hadn't officially opened for the season, because there was alot of cleanup to do from the unusally heavy snow fall. Ppening season was delayed two weeks.    

This campground is definately on our list of return visits.

If you have stayed at Piney Campground and would like to submit you own review of this campground or any other campground for that matter, please contact me at : maverick@mycampingreview.com

Happy Camping !

Kit Price Campground is one of several campgrounds resting along the banks of the Coeur D'Alene River in the Coeur D' Alene National Forest of North Idaho. The reason I like this campground is because the campsites are spread out reasonably well from each other.

Access to Kit Price is easy and the fishing along the river is great, however in order to capture the 'complete experience' of this river, I'd recommend a leisure float down during the summer months when there are some patches of white water and allot of smooth water.

Kit Price has a camp host. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table and the pads are large and level. There is no electrical service at this campground, and there are vaulted toilets throughout the campground.. Basically this is a no frills campground.

The biggest draw for us was the river. We stayed in campsite C48. This site has a partial view of the river and it the shoreline was about 25 yards away. Our site was somewhat isolated by trees and vegetation with the exception of the site behind us. The only drawback to this site was the amount of foot traffic because of the proximity to the shoreline.

Aside from floating the river, this area offers allot in terms of hiking and exploring.  There are many trails nearby to chose from. If you are a geocacher, there are five geocaches in the area, so pack your day pack and away you go.

I definitely recommend Kit Price campground, but just remember there are no services. there are no dumpstations here, but you will find a dump at the ranger station as you enter (or exit) the national forest boundaries. Reservations are available mid-May through the end of September.

Directions

From I-90, take the Kingston Exit and travel North about 32 miles until you arrive at the campground.

Happy Camping !

Gilmore Campground redeemed my opinion of Farragut State Park. Gilmore is one of the park’s newest campgrounds. I liked this campground because the sites were spaced apart enough for privacy.  

Tents are allowed at Gilmore, but all 44 spaces are asphalt and gravel pads. If you are looking for a tent campground in Farragut State Park, check out Waldron Campground. Gilmore has two camp host sites.

My personal preference in picking these campsites is to pick a site on the outer loop and Gilmore is no exception. We stayed in space #301. This space was away from all the others in the campground, and I discovered why.

Our site was only about 30 yards from South Road. All that separated us from the drivers knowing our business were a few trees and boulders. The boulders were in place to prevent a vehicle from careening off the road  into our campsite. I would not recommend staying in this particular site but there are 43 other good sites in the campground where you can’t go wrong.

The bathrooms are clean and there are six private showers across from the bathrooms. There is a large area for picnics and other family events.

Farragut State Park is full of many things for families to do. There are miles of trails to hike on foot, horseback and by mountain bike. You can spend the day basking in the sun at the Beaver Bay swim area.  

You can reserve a space at Gilmore or any other Farragut State park campground by clicking onto www.reserveamerica.com .  Site rental is about $20.00 per night and all the sites include water and electric.

I enjoyed Gilmore Campground enough to make another reservation for mid June, and entertain some out of town guests. I’ll rate Gilmore Campground a solid seven.

Central Ferry State Park is a pretty park with wide open sites with lots of grass.  There are very few trees and most of the sites designed for privacy with windscreens, etc.  Site #24 is the best for spectacular water view.  Site # 17 is nice for a water view plus convenience to fishing docks & boat launch.  There is a wonderful beach/picnic area within a short walk.

There are several walking paths throughout park. We have heard there are times the campground is not mowed, but we have never experienced that.  There are many thistles so bare feet are not recommended.  There is a small grocery store on premise.

Central Ferry State Park sits along the Snake River, so it gets windy. The restrooms extremely clean. This park is a wonderful setting right next to bridge.  It is an EZ 1 &1/2 – 2 hour pull towing RV from Spokane Valley.  Check out Palouse Falls, which is close by and is a little bit of the Grand Canyon right here in Washington.  The Tucannon area is another nice drive with lots of Good hunting & fishing.

Additional Information

Facilities: 8 Tent-Only Sites, 60 Tent/RV Sites with Full Utilities, Fire Pits/Grills, Volleyball Court, Horseshoe Pits, Group Camp (maximum 200), Public Phone, Trailer Dump Station, Picnic Tables, Covered Shelters, Flush Toilets, Drinking Water, Hot Showers ($.25), Swimming Area, 4-Lane Launch Ramp, Handling Dock, Tie-Up Dock, Marine Dump Station.

Reservations

www.recreation.gov

For more information,  cick on this link

Indian Creek Campground is located in Priest Lake State Park and is a very nice campground. The campground is mostly wooded with private sites. There are wonderful tenting spaces and some tenting spaces are located along a bubbling creek. There is a great long sandy beach area (volleyball nets, etc) & boat launch. Boat moorage rental can be reserved at the office, which is a rarity for campgrounds.

There is lots of dock space. There is a beautiful Interpretive Center at Indian Creek and a small grocery store & ice cream shop located on premises. Site #47 cannot be beat for privacy & size.

There is a lot of wildlife including bears. Nice hiking trails. Indian Creek is the #1 campground on the lake. For the best campsites, reserve 9 months to the day ahead. NEED TO RESERVE EARLY. The restrooms are extremely clean. Indian Creek Campground is a EZ 2 hour RV pull from Spokane Valley.

Additional Information

Campsite Info:

Standard; Serviced Water/Electric; Serviced Water/Electric and Sewer

Rates: $12-$18

Reservations: (866) 634-3246

Winter recreation can be fun and exciting, but it can be dangerous as well. It is essential that you stay protected and equipped in case of a situation that may leave you stranded in the back woods or even along a deserted road for that matter.

Have you ever watched Survivorman or Man vs. Wild? These programs seem a little implausible because the program host is put in these seemingly perilous survival scenarios that the average Joe would be faced with.

However, there are four essential survival keys they use on their TV programs that need to be followed by anyone who is lost or stranded during anytime.

The four essential keys to survival are shelter, warmth, water and sleep. Depending on the matter at hand decides which key to survival you need to begin.

There are sites all over the net that discuss survival techniques. The Montana Department of Transportation published a winter survival guide for motorists and outdoor enthusiasts. You can download it here.

Here are a couple more sites you might find useful.

www.bcadventure.com

www.simplesurvival.net

www.outdoor-survival-guide.com

Happy Camping !

On Sunday, 24-year-old Joshua Peters of Colville, WA died in an avalanche while snowmobiling near Harts Pass in North Central Washington State. It sounds like Peters was prepared, he had a transmitting beacon and according the Wenatchee World Peters’ companions dug him out within 15 minutes but were unable to revive him.

On Monday searchers near the town of Fernie, British Columbia recovered seven of the eight bodies who died during two avalanches in the same area within minutes of each other.

With this spike in avalanche fatalities, rescue authorities are urging the public to be aware of the risk of avalanches before venturing into the backcountry.

Tips if You are Caught in an Avalanche

You can find these tips and more on the National Avalanche Center website:

If you are caught in an avalanche:

·         Travel off the slab at a 45 degree angle before it breaks up and tumbles you

·         If the slide knocks you over keep your feet downhill and try to dig into the bed surface and let as much debris as possible pass you

• Use swimming motions and FIGHT Hard

As the slide begins to slow:

• Clear an air space in front of your face

• Thrust a hand toward the snow surface

• Try to remain calm

Be safe

Swarms of small earthquakes have been detected at Yellowstone National Park.

Click here for the story.