Wednesday, February 28: It was definitely a very cold night in Cathedral Gorge! I stayed fairly warm under my blanket and quilt but the camper was freezing when I got up in the morning. The sun was just coming up and I turned on the heat right away but still had to put on sweatpants and shirt, shoes and socks. It took the heater about an hour to warm up the camper enough to shut off. Even using my toothbrush and hairbrush was almost painful, they were so cold.

I was sitting drinking my coffee and watching Misty watch the little birds in the tree right outside the camper window when we both heard a weird sound. At first, I thought my coffee maker had turned itself back on and was bubbling the remains of condensation but then realized it was coming from the roof. I thought maybe the birds were up there so went outside to look. I couldn’t see or hear anything outside. When I went back in I saw frost on the sky light and think the noise must have been the frost melting on the roof and solar units. Or maybe the birds were up there trying to get the moisture as Misty was really freaked out about it and tried to claw her way through the roof. There was no frost on the ground or bushes outside.

Misty trying to get through to the roof and whatever was making the noise.

I looked up the temperature at Caliente this morning and at 7:00 it was 20 degrees, so I guess it was pretty cold last night! Hope nothing froze in the camper! The water worked this morning but seemed to take a while to get going so may have frozen in the pipes a bit. Don’t seem to be any leaks anywhere.

I will be heading to Wells, Nevada today and a regular RV park. Wells is about 260 miles away so it will be a long one for me and Misty.

Before packing up and leaving, however, I hiked a couple of the trails around the park. It really is a beautiful place, it is so different than anything I have ever seen. First there was a nature trail that had little signs about the vegetation and animal life in the area. Very informative. Then I checked out the original CCC picnic shelter and the water tower they built. The water tower had a well and they pumped the water up to the top and then it was piped to the picnic area. I guess it was only used for a couple of years, however, since the water was so alkaline.

The CCC Water TowerThe Original CCC Picnic area

Then I took the trail to Miller point and a lookout. I didn’t make it all the way to the top of the lookout. After walking in and then climbing the stairs about halfway up my knee was starting to bother me and I didn’t think it would take going to the top.

Part way up to the lookoutLooking up at the Lookout

I didn’t notice on the way up but on the way down I came across a pair of hiking boots. They looked fairly new so I stopped and looked around to see if someone was near by. Then I noticed there was a can in each boot and figured no one was going to take of their shoes on this rocky trail and leave empty beer cans in them. Why anyone would leave them there is a mystery to me but maybe it was in tribute to someone.

I left the park at around 10:00 and set off for Wells. Again, it was rather a monotonous drive over hills and through long, long valleys. But eventually there were some beautiful snow covered mountains surrounding the valley. There were a few cows here and there and every so often a ranch in the middle of nowhere. There were signs with what I assume were town names sometimes but I never saw any towns.

I did see a couple of dead deer. One that must have been hit by a semi as there was a huge smear in the road and the mangled remains on the side. The other was mostly whole on the side of the road. Sure glad I didn’t see any. Can’t imagine anything worse than hitting a deer (or cow) in the middle of nowhere with no cell service.

I stopped in Ely for fuel. It was the first town along the way and that was about 120 or so miles into the drive. I then went through the dying town of McGill. Practically every retail business was closed and there weren’t any people about. They did have a big Latter Day Saints church there, though.

By that time I was getting hungry and there wasn’t any place to get food. Just past the town, however, I saw a park sign so pulled in. Put Misty on her leash and put out the slide so I could get myself something to eat. Made a little plate of hard boiled eggs, cheese and crackers and went to a picnic table in the sun. It was cold there and snow was on the foothills just behind the town. It was a nice little break for both of us. Misty hardly even whined when I put her back in the truck.

The whole area I passed through was at an elevation of around 4,500 feet so a high mountain plateau. There was one pass that I went over that was 7,800 feet but there hadn’t been much of climb to get to it and not a big downhill either. The peak nearby was about 13,500 feet but didn’t seem so high as Mt. Rainier since I was on such a high plateau.

I arrived in the thriving metropolis of Wells and went to the grocery store for a few veggies and then next door to the hardware store. I decided to buy an electric heater instead of using my propane to keep the camper warm. I would just as soon not have to get propane again before I get home.

The RV park was just off the freeway and across the street from Angel Lake, hence the name New Angel Lake RV Park. The gentleman that checked me in was 90 if a day. He asked if I was Good Sam or AAA and I said nope. He gave me the Good Sam price anyway which with tax was $35. When I handed him the cash he gave me the $5 back and said my camper was small and I had a cat. He could see Misty sitting in her window seat.

Then he walked out and I drove to the spot he indicated. There is snow all around on the ground but he said it wasn’t much. He also said there was zero chance of snow tomorrow but it was supposed to freeze tonight so I probably wouldn’t want to leave my water hooked up. He tottered away and I plugged in my electrical and took out the hose to fill up my water tank.

When I was still at Bakersfield, I had tried to fill my water tank up before heading into the hard water area. I had been using the direct water since Yosemite but had used water at Yosemite. My tank showed it there was only a third left, but when I tried to add water it acted like it was full. By holding the hose up, I was able to get some water to where the gauge showed two-thirds in before it started pouring out again. So, I wasn’t sure what to expect now. Well, the water went in just fine and I was able to fill up and put the hose away.

I plugged in the heater and put away the groceries and cleaned Misty’s muddy foot prints off everything. She had been out when I first got here but not for long – just long enough to get those paws filthy.