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| TCM STARS: Winter 2010 Part 1 |
| Angela White | Monday, 11 January, 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Catch up with TCM Stars Frank Ross, Gary Birenkott, Carl Isner, Dr. Byron Thomas, Ed Krech, Don Teskey and Ada North, Gary Handsher, and many, many more.  From time to time, we really enjoy catching up with the community of stars who have graced the electron pages of Truck Camper Magazine. Today we catch up with TCM Stars Frank Ross, Gary Birenkott, Carl Isner, Dr. Byron Thomas, Ed Kretch, Don Teskey and Ada North, Gary Handsher, Bruce and Kim Scott, Kathy Lordier, Don and Geneda Schwanke, Barbara Linsley, David Wilson, Mary Ann Pugin, and Jerry and Paula Gale. Once again it's time to roll out the red carpet. Here come the TCM Stars! Frank Ross Article: Frank Ross: Power Wagon on the Rocks 2009 Calendar Winner
Our last truck camper trip in 2009 was to Nevada. Our camping has evolved since getting our Hallmark. We used to go to a place and stay for several days and then go home. But over the last couple of years we now do what I call, Nomadic Camping. We stay at a new place every night with an occasional exception. You can see so much more this way and life is short. Our first stop was the Lahontan Reservoir where there’s good rock hunting. The next day we went to Ely, Nevada where the BLM manages a Garnet hunting area. After that, we stopped by the Ward Charcoal ovens en-route to Cleve Creek to find Indian Petroglyphs. We didn’t find the petroglyphs, but found a nice place camp. The next day took us to a beautiful geologic area called Blue Mass complete with an old ranch. The agenda for the next day was Indian Pictographs, which we were able to find. We then went on to Wendover for a night at a hotel, showers, and a bath for Scout. From Wendover we started back west spending three more nights at nice spots. This kind of camping uses more gas, but we love exploring in the Power Wagon because it takes us off the beaten path. Gary Birenkott Article: Gary Birenkott: Rally On!
This has been an unusual year for us. Our camping adventures have been limited to our normal locations like Steamboat Rock State Park over Memorial Holiday, Mardon Resort over the Fourth of July Holiday, and two NATCOA functions: the Spring Rally at Fidalgo Bay RV Resort in Anacortes and Fourth Annual Fall Colors Caravan. We used the majority of our fun time between the daughter having her first daughter, Belle, in January and spending fifteen days in Kona on the Big Island. The new granddaughter is getting bigger every time we see her; she could be walking by her birthday. It is getting harder to keep her out of things. I hide the television remote under some sofa pillows and she just lifts them and grabs the remotes while giggling. Hazel and I found more beaches to sunbath on than days we were going to be there. I took a helicopter ride and saw lava flowing and waterfalls. We went out twice on snorkeling boat trips. I have become a member of the NATCOA Board of Directors. And I am working on a step-by-step planning guide for anyone planning a rally, that I will share when finished. Keep an eye out for NW NATCOA Spring Rally plans. Carl Isner Article #1: Carl Isner: Off-Grid Gear Report Article #2: Carl Isner: Off the Grid Systems and Components Article #3: Carl Isner’s Vision: An Alaskan Unplugged
Since last year we have made various small upgrades to our camper to make the twelve volt system more efficient. Our truck, a 2004 one ton Ford diesel, hit 125,000 miles, so we babied it with a complete fluid change to Amsoil synthetics, which it was very happy with and continues to purr. This summer we made about a dozen four day camping trips throughout the state of Colorado. In September we made a two and a half week trip to southern Oregon to sample the Bandon Cranberry festival and enjoy as much seafood and local atmosphere as possible. Currently we are in winter mode with me driving back and forth work and camping in sub-zero temperatures each weekend as we dream about warm weather and beaches once again. Dr. Byron Thomas Article: Dr. Byron Thomas: The Big Tow Prescription
Here is a great example of what I caught in San Juan de Fuca Strait this summer. I filled two WDFW salmon catch cards with the great fishing. The Alpenlite 1150 Santa Fe camper makes a great home away from home and, without doubt, all the Torklift products like the Stable Loads, Super Hitch, Super Truss along with the Progress Engineering Equal-I-zer weight distribution hitch and Henderson Line Up Super Steer products make for a relaxed, safe and pleasant trip. We did enjoy a two week trip to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National parks with stops at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Lava Hot Springs. We also visited the EBR 1 visitors center in Arco, Idaho. This is the original site where nuclear action was witnessed as part of our national nuclear energy program. Currently the US Navy has all their nuclear ship reactors built, activated or deactivated, as the case may be, at this area. Who knew we actually built and operated two nuclear aircraft engines at this facility? President John F. Kennedy stopped the use of them since he felt they were more risk than value. You can actually see them there. So was it a great 2009 with our truck camper? You bet. Since we've become National Park "junkies" we've planned for the rest of the parks in California and Oregon. Currently the whole package of the truck camper and boat are tucked away in their winter barns. But spring is only three months away and we'll use the Alpenlite for skiing. Ed Krech Article #1: Ed Krech: On A Mission Article #2: Catching Up With Ramblin' Ralph, Ed Krech, and Wally Herrala Article #3: TCM Stars: Catching Up Part 1 2009 Calendar Winner
Sandra and I went on a thirty-six day trout fishing trip to Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. We had a great time catching many fish and introducing folks to our Trout Magnet lure: www.troutmagnet.com. I had to run for it once when a moose started chasing me while fishing around Grand Teton National Park. Then the next day had to get out of the river when an unhappy beaver wanted me to get out of river. Our trip was so exciting due to going into areas to fish which meant traveling over long stretches of dirt and gravel roads to get to the places we were wanting to fish. Having solar, generator, and large capacity tanks allowed us to stay in country for extended periods of time. We had a great time and having a truck camper allowed us that blessing. Don Teskey and Ada North Article #1: Don Teskey and Ada North: Snowriver to Oz Article #2: TCM Stars: Catching Up Part 1
I've been on my usual northern migration to the tropics in Far North Queensland over the past six months. I returned via a month in Sydney, just a week ago and we did take the Snowriver off over the weekend. We were very social as we went to a Guzzlers Dinner in a neighboring town and to visit the grandchildren on Phillip Island. We did have had some excitement however in that the day we returned from the grandkids’ visit, while restringing my internet cable through the trees, between the big house and the carport, I managed to fall off a ladder. Not unusual for me as I seem to balance on the edge a lot; but this time I didn't bounce! I came away with a broken left wrist and a new respect for gravity. I'll be in plaster for five weeks and Ada is not pleased as I am meant to be helping her prepare the house and grounds at Crosslea for the annual North Family Christmas. We are to host twenty-six people on the front porch for the big day. Gary Handsher Article: Gary Handsher: River Rising My most recent truck camping trip was to Las Vegas for the senior softball winter world championships. This was the first time my team qualified in the sixty-five and over age bracket. We played a total of eight games in three days. We lost the first game, and had to come through the losers bracket. We played four games back to back on the third day, winning all four to win the championship! It was exciting and exhausting, but at the end of each day of playing softball I camped in the parking lot of a very deserted and quiet softball complex. We were surrounded by mountains in a serene setting. It was kind of like re-charging my batteries for the subsequent days battles. Anyway, it worked for me. Bruce and Kim Scott Article: Bruce, Kim, and Spot Scott: “SPOTT” 2009 Calendar Winner
For those who have not heard, this last March Spot passed away at fourteen years old, so we are learning to camp on our own. I tell you it’s very different not having my buddy there saying “You’re the best” all day, every day. In August we did a trip to Saugatuck, Michigan with our good friends Chuck, Pat, and Daisy. We went to an RV parts outlet. The women checked out the wineries while the guys walked and checked out the local marina, went on a sand dune ride, went on bike rides, and had a fire at night. Daisy likes to be held just like Spot did, but it’s just not the same. In September, Kim and I celebrated our twentieth anniversary by going camping at Hocking Hills, Ohio. While there we went cave exploring, kayaking, hiking, and did a canopy tour using zip-lines and rope bridges. We had a great fire every night and wonderful four-day trip. We also attended the Ohio valley truck camper rally in East Harbor, Ohio where twelve of us from RV.net spent the weekend. We went on bike rides, went out to a local pub for a fish lunch, sat by the fire, and talked about everyone’s travels. RV.net postings: Spot Scott: The last ride, memorial travel retrospective of a good friend, Dune ride Video (Aug 2009), 20-year anniversary trip (Sept 2009), & Ohio Valley TC Weekend - East Harbor (Sept 2009) Kathy Lordier Article #1: Ladies' Week Part 1: Kathy Lordier Lets the Dogs Out Article #2: TCM Stars: Catching Up Part 1 TCM Ambassador
I've done almost no camping because I've been completely engulfed with work. However, a work friend of Ken's shared his secret lake for some great fly fishing and back country camping. We were able to pick a weekend in early October and thankfully the weather worked out perfectly. We took the camper on some rough roads to get there and parked at the end of the road at a trailhead. There was another pick-up parked there and after dark the owner appeared. He was a hunter and spent the night in the bed of his pick-up. I bet he wished he had a truck camper! In the morning we headed out with our float tubes and fly rods to find this hidden gem of a lake. I'll just say that we had a few issues finding the lake and a handheld GPS would have been nice. We enjoyed fishing our hearts out in a freezing cold lake. We both caught a number of rainbows, and I caught a brown trout, which was a first. We did release them. We hiked back to the camper after a great day and enjoyed the solitude. Don and Geneda Schwanke Article: Fifth to Camper in Ten
Well, time does fly when you are having fun. After a very busy winter and summer driving our new to us truck camper over twenty thousand pleasant miles, we needed a rest. I had to go back and read the original article in order to find out what I had done since then. One of the first items on the list after our travels, was to paint the old truck. It is an old 1997 model with well over two-hundred thousand miles, but still acts like a brand new truck. We really love her. She was looking shabby, and certainly had earned new paint, so we got her painted. Plus, I disliked the green color. In the pictures, you can see how this turned out. Labor in this area is low priced, so I felt we got a great job, for only $800, including under the hood, door jams, etc. We are just so pleased with its new looks. After I got all that hauling done, it was time to put the camper back on, but it looked sort of like it did not quite belong, so I had the painter put some of that Aqua Pearl Metallic color on the Host, so it would look more like it belonged. In the picture, you can see what she looks like now. And for comparison, I’ll include a picture of how our truck looked when the Truck Camper Magazine article was written. Barbara Linsley Article #1: Barbara Linsley: Dreams On the Oregon Trail Article #2: TCM Stars: Catching Up Part 2
This summer, my dogs and I spent forty-eight days on the road. I wish I'd had more time! I travel alone and this year for the first time I’ve used a Trac Phone. However, when you really need them, there's no reception. So when I got caught in powerful thunderstorms in Galliger Canyon in Nebraska, I was a bit worried. The road in is a track through a corn field. I'd parked down an incline by the lake. There was one other truck with two guys in the country recreational area. Really, they probably would have been thrilled to rescue a lady in distress if I'd become stuck, but I didn't want to get stuck! Fortunately, I'd bought new aggressive tires just before setting out. I did some major slipping and sliding and left deep ruts all the way out, but I made it just before the next line of black clouds and rain moved in! In California, I was looking for paths less traveled. I found a road that entered the Redwoods park from the back. It looked fun! The map didn't show that it went straight up over the mountain! The only other vehicle on the road was an old beat up truck parked at the start of the road. The ancient, bearded driver gave me a serious once-over as I passed, probably wondering if I knew what I was getting in to! Up I went! And up and up and up. The ancient pick-up came up on my tail. I let him pass. Another bout of being critically examined. There was no place to turn around and I was afraid with the steep angle of the road, that with the weight of the camper, my brakes would be crying. After about five miles, my engine dial was creeping up too high. No place to pull off. Just at the point that I was going to pull over anywhere, I hit the top! Yippee! From there, I entered civilization! There were family cars and construction vehicles. Who'd have ever thought I'd be happy so see those? And the road was not as steep. What fun to explore! David Wilson Article: David Wilson: Cycling to Win
Jen and I went on a twelve hour race only fifteen minutes from our house. Well I raced, she was my pit crew. I raced Solo Singlespeed with a total of about thirty solo riders both geared and single. I won the Singlespeed category and was the second overall solo riding thirteen laps in under 11:30 for a total of around 130 miles of dirt and rock. We were able to park the camper a few feet from the course allowing really fast pits, some of which I probably should have taken some more time since I'd forget to grab enough food for the next lap or make adjustments to my gear. The rig was much easier to drive down the heinous sand trap road to the venue than the big rigs that about took out the fence line. Manuevering the not made for large events venue was a piece of cake. Needless to say, I slept well that night. Here's a link to some other pictures on my blog. Mary Ann Pugin Article #1: Ladies' Week Part 2: The Solo Adventures of Mary Anne Pugin Article #2: TCM Stars: Catching Up Part 1
I had a bit of misfortune with my Lance 1121 sometime in March 2009. I was keeping it at a storage facility near Palm Springs, California. Not long after I'd bought a condo and moved in, I got word that the camper had collapsed to the ground. Tell tale markings on the camper indicated that a larger vehicle, possibly a motorhome, had brushed against it, pushing the camper forward. The stress on the front jacks was too much and they snapped off. Galaxy Campers in Ontario, California came to the rescue and so did my insurance. My camper was fixed up in good time! In mid-September, having enough time for a brief four-week trip, I headed for Nevada. Knowing that there's much more to Nevada than Las Vegas I was looking forward to just driving around the state and making new discoveries. I learned a lot about Nevada. It's a very mountainous state with many abandoned mines and historic ghost towns. I had an incredible and most unusual experience during this trip. I visited a brothel! I'd passed a couple of brothels driving around southern Nevada and while I was at an RV park in Mina, population 150, I discovered that there was a ranch just a few miles down the road. I stopped by, and although I couldn't go inside, I had a very nice and most educational chat with the manager. I've written about it in my blog. Jerry and Paula Gale Article #1: Jerry and Paula Gale: Going the Distance Article #2: Mexico Week Part 1: Feast for the Senses Article #3: Mexico Week Part 2: People, Butterflies, and Architecture Article #4: Mexico Week Part 3: Planning A Trip to Mexico Article #5: Jerry and Paula Gale: Tales of Fun, Funny, and Fantastico
This summer, instead of heading out in our truck camper, we had other truck campers head here. It was fun having six truck campers parked in our driveway at different times, for different lengths of time, over the summer and fall. And, more importantly, it was wonderful to have truck camper folks visit and share stories about their campers and travels. Mid-September, we did get our rig out on the road to do some traveling and exploring in our home province of Nova Scotia. What a perfect time of year to travel! The roads were not busy and the campgrounds very quiet. We saw some wonderful sights. One of the most memorable stops was at a remote campground in Cape Breton, where, from our campground, we watched pilot whales feeding offshore on several occasions and an amazing basking shark, which was at least thirty feet long, hugging the shoreline all along the campground. What a treat to see such an awesome creature. As we type this, the camper is loaded onto the truck in anticipation of our winter trip to Mexico. We are itching to get back on the road for more travel and adventure. We wish all the TCM readers a happy, healthy and safe year of truck camping fun in 2010! |
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