Remember Winter?

It was only a few months ago that we were driving from cold to warm. Winter was upon us and with it snow and ice.  Lest I forget, here is what we were doing mid-January:

In the Columbia River Gorge

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area spans southern Washington and northern Oregon. It runs from the mouth of the Sandy River to the Deschutes River. It is designated as a National Scenic Area and encompasses nearly 300,000 acres.

The gorge offers many beautiful vistas, hikes and waterfalls.  These photos were taken on our west coast trek.

Storms are all a part of RVing

We drive through sunshine and sometimes through storms. Its all a part of trekking. Here is one long afternoon and evening driving through a fairly nasty thunderstorm.

We made it fine and this was certainly better than snow, sleet or ice.

Advantages of Induction Cooktop

Cooking in an RV can be challenging. The smaller the RV, the more the challenge. We like to do a lot of original cooking and baking. We're not into living on fast food, or packaged and reheated meals.

Our RV is a small Class B. Of course, cooking methods used in a smaller RV can be upscaled and applied to larger ones and at home. We also cook in a "home" kitchen which measures 9 ft x 10 ft, or 90 square feet. That's smaller than the kitchens in some Class A RVs. Yet, we have entertained and cooked (from scratch) for 15 guests. It really isn't what one has; it is how one uses the talents and resources one has.

The photo shows a stainless steel pot on the portable induction cooktop. To make this work, we need to use a ferromagnetic disc under the pot, which is not ferromagnetic. This is not the most efficient way to cook with an inductive top. Much better is cast iron, which is ferromagnetic. It does not need the intermediate disk. We take two Lodge cast iron skillets with us when we travel.

I want to live a life of moderation. Doing so requires choices, but does not necessarily require sacrifice.  One of my choices has been to cook smarter. Perhaps we'll save the planet, one meal at a time? While that sounds nice, it probably is not realistic.

Breckenridge, CO

We made it to Breckenridge and spent a couple of days of R&R. Mornings were crisp and cool, nights cold and mid-day was pleasant. Overall really enjoyed it. Quite a contrast to Moab.

We got a few suggestions of where to go for some sightseeing and food but had to delay until our next Colorado trek. However, we included the information in the video.

From the Divide to Breckenridge

This is part two of our trek into Breckenridge. I will include more of our stay in a later post. The ride down from the Continental Divide was enjoyable.

Crossing the Continental Divide

We crossed the continental divide in our gasoline powered Class B RV. This was easily accomplished in our 2013 Roadtrek 210P. According to a popular website couple, this wasn't possible in a gasoline powered RV. I suspect they never tried it.

I'll be posting in a few days with the video of the downward leg of this trip. It was even more fun than the upward trek!

Lassen Volcanic National Park - West Coast Trek

Lots of Vistas

Lassen Volcanic National Park is in Northeastern California, east of Redding. The park is home to steaming fumaroles, alpine meadows freckled with wildflowers, clear mountain lakes, and numerous volcanoes. According to the national park service all four types of volcanoes are represented in the park. These include  shield (Prospect Peak), plug dome (Lassen Peak), Cinder Cone (Cinder Cone), and Composite (Brokeoff Volcano) volcanoes.

An alpine meadow

Flowers abound

Flowers attract butterflies

Sulfurous fumaroles leave residue

Fires add haze

There is snow the year around

RV BBQ - Hmmm, Hmmm!

My camper van came equipped with two methods of cooking:

1. Stovetop burners (propane)
2. Microwave-Convection oven.

I added the following:

1. Portable induction (electric) cooktop
2. Propane BBQ

Portable Gas Grills

We use two. The Weber is used at home and the Coleman is used on the road. The Weber is taller and that has some advantages; we can cook more in the Weber. However, the Coleman is smaller in height and because space is a premium in a class B, we currently take it with us on our treks. 

1. Weber Go-Anywhere gas grill
2. Coleman Fold-n-Go propane grill

Some history

I've been cooking and barbecuing for years. My parents purchased a large Weber grill and rotisserie in the 1950s. We were the first on the block and the eldest children were given the chore of keeping that Weber clean.. My father taught me to cook outdoors. My mother did the same indoors; I was the eldest son and my twin sister and I were the responsible ones. To provide my mother with a break on the weekends, I became the short order cook for Sunday breakfast. I cooked pancakes, sausages, bacon and eggs to order for a family of eight. I began when I was 10 years old.

By the time of the Weber, we ate Sunday dinner outdoors each and every summer weekend. I cooked chicken, steak, chops, hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob and baked potatoes. Frequently in combination. I learned to cook steak to order, too. We never went to restaurants, as that was a luxury for our family and we had both the skill and motivation to cook well. I think I ate my first fast-food hamburger at a Henry's Hamburgers while in high school. They, by the way, were the first to open in Europe, but eventually were overcome by the McDonald's juggernaut.

My grandmother was an excellent baker. As a young adult I recall visiting her and she said "Normie, I think I'll bake a pie" and so she went to the apple tree and had me take down a dozen apples. These we cleaned and she proceeded to make a delicious pie. She didn't measure anything; simply a few handfuls of flour, and a large spoonful of shortening. She put her fingers in water and added it to the dough. The filling was cut apples, a few shakes of cinnamon and sugar. She was an inspiration.

I taught my sons to cook. I also did so for a troop of Boy Scouts. My sons are accomplished at this and one could be a chef, if he so chose. However, being an engineer was his choice.

Previous all-electric RV experience
We previously rented an all-electric campervan which included an electric stovetop. However, I prefer gas cooking at home and so too for campervan cooking and hot water. We were also limited to how much electricity we could use in that all-electric RV. If on solar/batteries and the hot water heater came on while cooking the circuit breaker would trip. In other words, all electric vehicles when off the grid require some coordination of activities. I prefer either automatic load shedding or abundant energy availability.

The disadvantages of propane stovetops

Burning propane is a chemical process. The fuel unites with the oxygen in the air and the result is heat, carbon dioxide and water vapor.  If there is insufficient oxygen for proper combustion, a byproduct may be carbon monoxide gas, which is odorless, colorless and dangerous. 

Much of the heat is transferred to whatever is being cooked, The water vapor is released into the interior of the campervan or RV. This will raise the humidity. In warmer weather the combination of heat and humidity adds to discomfiture of the occupants. 

So, if one wants to avoid this and keep cool in summer, outdoor cooking is essential.

Bodie State Historic Park - West Coast Trek

Bodie State Historic Park is an authentic California ghost town which was once a thriving mining town. It is a National Historic Site and a State Historic Park.  It nearly closed in 2008 due to a lack of funding by the state of California. Visitors can walk through a portion of a town that once had a population of nearly 10,000 people.

If you visit Yosemite National Park and drive from west to east, you will exit and go north on US 395.  Going north you will reach state highway 270, which is a gravel road. Take that east about 13 miles.

On the road to Bodie

Nearing the Entrance

The Boom and Bust of Bodie

A cemetery and ruins

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More than a flat tire

Looking into the storefront window

The bluebirds remain

Dawn of the Aerial Age

I own two drones and this is a company whose products I am interested in. The new product might be interesting. Certainly this ad is.

More Yosemite

More from our West Coast trek.

Tenaya Lake