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Our
high-tech electronics just keeps getting better each year.
Cooking
is a cinch....
Fall
means less sun....
Early snow can be dangerous..
We
are more patient and better able to handle the many problems with trail
and horses.
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Solar
power is the only way to go! Our high-tech electronics just keeps
getting better each year. Even with treacherous trails, there are
no casualties to any of the electronic gear so far. The laptop is
still working even in the dusty wind. Our fragile florescent light
is cracked, but still works. Our TV gets several stations on the
Crest where we ride most of the time and is very popular with the
visitors. Long distance hikers are on strict schedules and have
a hard time leaving our camps. One gal came back to our camp by
flashlight to spend the night after enjoying some popcorn and watching
"Seinfeld". One long distance "purist" spent
the night after watching "Star Trek". He felt awfully
guilty.
The two year
old water bilge is getting weak, but we use it daily and pump hundreds
of gallons of water with it. I have developed some innovations on
the battery bank and have designed a very conservative system for
charging that will extend the life of batteries during the foul
weather ahead. We tracked a small fire the wilderness with the durable
scanner. The electronics doesn't take away from the wilderness experience,
but only enhances it.
Cooking is a
cinch with our 165 pounds of dried vegetables, fruit, meat, staples,
fresh foods, cheese, butter, olive oil, and several herbs and spices.
We could easily pack enough food for the whole summer but prefer
to replenish our staples at mountain resorts. About once a month
we stock up on flour, butter, olive oil, rice, instant potatoes,
dry milk, sugar and treats. We are using more flour this year due
to the delicious bread we can cook in our new Dutch oven. We are
using a larger camp grid this year that has adequate space for four
pans. The multi-fuel camp stove is great for quickly heating water
for yeast and other cooking uses, like popcorn. We still have 125
pounds of dried foods ready to be mailed in 25 pound packages when
needed. Each dried food package is equal to over 250 pounds of food
in the last 36 days we have spent $0.0 on additional food. We have
also lost little weight thanks to our remarkable cooking system.
This summer
has been fantastic! The comforts of our new system seems almost
magical. One backpacker said he felt like he was in a fairy tale
after he spent a day at our camp. We are more patient and better
able to handle the many problems with trail and horses. Our attention
now has switched to preparation for fall and the approaching winter.
Fall usually means foul weather, less sun, and potentially lethal
blizzards. September is a time to prepare. It only rained once in
the whole month of August. A person tends to forget how to comfortably
camp and travel in poor weather. We are picking up the pace now
that the horses are in top condition. We need to put our selves
in the right area if a blizzard strikes. The last three years we
have endured early winters with above normal precipitation. We have
to be prepared for the same this year. We are truly fortunate to
be able to experience all that has come to us this year and look
forward to what is to come!
All the horses
look great. Their weight is up and they are nicely muscled. Our
two veterans from Montana look great and are spirited. We are wondering
if Damisella's breeding "took".
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