Category Archives: Oregon

Marriage, Pack rats and new schedule + results of the poll

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Cycling and marriage proposal

Don’t get any ideas that I’m getting married cause that ain’t going to happen.  I am referring to a couple of cyclists that rode in here looking for water and a place to eat lunch before they headed on down the road.  Julianne and Bjorn looked pretty worn out when they arrived after climbing the long hill from Prineville, OR.  I gave them water and they plopped down to have lunch and take a relaxing break.  They are both from Spokane, WA and they drove down to Walla Walla where they started their adventure.  Then they cycled down to Crater Lake, OR which is quite a ride.  I asked them what was the biggest thrill during their trip and they mentioned that it was at Crater Lake where Bjorn proposed to Julianne and she accepted.  That is a day they will never forget.  You can read more about it at their blog at dryearthandfloods.wordpress.com  

Congratulations Julianne and Bjorn.  May you have a wonderful life together cycling all over the country.  They deserve a high five for not only their engagement but also for that fantastic cycling trip.

Discovered a pack rat

I popped my hood this morning and this is what I saw.  I actually saw the rat as well as it was sitting cozily on his bed.  I almost felt like grabbing him by the tail but I knew better then that.  It was a big one too and scampered off to another section of my engine.  Tomorrow I will head into Prineveille and see about getting something that I can kill the dirty bugger with.


I thought I would be leaving my camp hosting job at the end of September.  Now they are asking me to stay for another week until October 6.  The campground has been surprisingly busy for this time of year.  Probably has to do with the GREAT camp host, but more likely it is due to the extremely warm weather.  It has been in the 90’s three days this week and will be in the upper 80’s almost all next week.  People still want to get out and enjoy this wonderful weather before the rain begins.

It will give me about a week to travel the 400+ miles to Fernley, NV to work for Amazon.

The votes are in

I would like to thank everyone for voting in the poll last week regarding the new look of Jimbo’s Journeys Blog.  Out of 81 votes received, I have 77 (95.06%) in favor of the new look and only 4 (4.94%) in favor of the old look.  It looks like the new look is here to stay.  Thanks again for letting me know.

Only a couple of weeks to go

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Winding down

It doesn’t seem possible that I have been here at Ochoco Divide NFS campground for almost 4 1/2 months.  I am scheduled to close up the park at the end of the month.  I still keep getting a steady flow of campers although not as many.  I think it is due to the fact that this area has not gotten any rain yet, however it is getting colder at night.  Day time temps are still in the 80’s and Thursday it is supposed to go up to 90, but the night temperatures have gone done to the 40’s and even the 30’s.  There is still much to do here as I have bathroom floors and picnic tables to paint on top of the regular routine.

Not too many cyclists left

I am still getting a few cyclists coming through the campground usually looking to just take a break after climbing a long hill from Mitchell, OR and also needing water.  Dan and Isabella are from Sisters, OR and they came through here headed east about a week ago.  I gave them some water then and they headed on their way.  This past week they came through on their return trip and also stopped for a rest and some fresh water.  They had cycled to Joseph, a little town next to Hell’s Canyon and east of the Wallowa mountain range.  That must have been some beautiful scenery.

Almost to the East Coast

A few days ago I sent my friend Jack an text message asking him how he was doing and where he was.  Jack started out his cycling adventure in Florence, OR and his goal was the Atlantic Ocean.  He called me and said he was in Kentucky and only had about 450 miles to go to finish.  What an accomplishment!

Not really too much else to report but I am looking forward to hitting the road soon.

Check out this lifestyle

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I love to talk to cyclists

Whenever I see a cyclist stopped in my campground I always take the opportunity to talk with them.  They have a million stories to tell and are usually very open about sharing them with you.  A few days ago I saw Don resting at the entrance to the campground.  I naturally went up to him and asked if he needed any water.  He had plenty, but was willing to pose for a photo and share with me where he had been and where he was going.

What a lifestyle change!

Originally Don lived in San Diego, CA but this is where the adventure begins.  He sold his home and from the profits he decided to hit the road.  This is where his lifestyle varies from my.  I drive a 27 ft. RV with 6 tires down the road.  Don has 2 wheels and a small tent for his abode.  What a difference!

Many people think I am crazy living the lifestyle I live.  I think Don is crazy for the lifestyle he lives.  But everyone has their own lifestyle that they enjoy.  Whatever makes that person happy is all that counts.

Off to Europe

Well, after selling his home he went to Europe for 1 1/2 years, where he biked all over Europe.  He mentioned that it was difficult in some parts due to the language barrier.  Poland was one place he found to be very friendly.

All down the west coast

On his return from Europe he cycled all the way from Vancouver, BC to La Paz, MX.  What a trip that must have been!  Right now he has been on the road 3 months and has been to Washington, Montana, Yellowstone, Wyoming, Idaho and was on his way to Bend, OR.  What a magnificent journey!

Here is a pic of Don living his lifestyle.

Whether you abode is a stick house, an RV or a bike with tent as long as you love your lifestyle that is all that matters.  As different as they are both, Don and I love our own lifestyles.

A visit from RVSue and the Canine Crew

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Sue and the crew hit the divide

On the 25th I got a visit from RVSue and her Canine Crew.  I guided her to a site where she could have lots of sun for her solar panel and also be able to make use of my Internet connection.  I had my regular work to do during the day but once that was completed I was able to sit down and talk over a glass of wine.  I had originally met Sue at the Elephant Butte SP outside of Truth or Consequences, NM.

Lots of chit chat

We were able to talk about all our wonderful adventures on the road.  I do read Sues blog so I have an idea where she has been, but it was still fun hearing about it from Sue.  Of course the crew was there and made plenty of noise whenever I would come over to see them.  She stayed three nights and just left yesterday morning.  It was my day off and I was going into Prineville for food and especially propane (as I was almost out) so she felt it was a good time to leave.  I showed her several campsites I have camped at.  She is headed toward the coast and wanted to get there before the weather gets too cold.

Hold on Bridget – your turning into the woods

This is a pic of Bridget, one of Sue’s canine crew following the GPS and ready to make a left turn.  No Bridget not a left into the forest!  Click on the pic and you can see Bridget behind the wheel driving like a maniac.

There goes RVSue and the Canine Crew off to the coast for more exciting adventures.  Thanks Sue for stopping.  It was a fun 3 days.

It is always nice meeting fellow bloggers and friends on the road.

Interesting stories

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Close friends since the 1st grade

I met two ladies who arrived in the campground with a special friendship.  They have been friends since the 1st grade.

Judy on the left lives in Bridge, OR and Kate lives in Remote, OR.  These are small towns that are right next to each other not far from the Oregon coast.  Their families have a long history of growing up in these towns.  Judy’s grandmother Davis named the town of Remote back in the 1800’s.  Kate’s family now owns the town of remote.  They were using Ochoco Divide campground as a base to search for thunder eggs and geodes in the area.  What an interesting story!

Loves to compete in rallies

Will was another cyclist who stopped in for a much needed fill-up of water.  He is from Laramie, WY and he loves cycling in Central Oregon.  He mentioned he has also competed in the Cascade Lakes Rally.

Good friends experiencing the road

Also met more cyclists coming through the campground.  Peter and Cole stayed at the campground overnight on their way to Yellowstone NP.  They were both from Sebastopol, CA and had just spent some time in the Bend, OR area.

Friends that just met a few miles from here

Jonathan on the left in the next pic is from Philadelphia, PA.  He started his cross country adventure from Pleasant, NJ and is heading to Florence, OR.  Jonathan has a blog at jandhisbike.blogspot.com telling all about his travels.  He mentioned that he had broken his camera on the way out here so I promised to send him the photos.

Weston on the right was from Lawrence, KS.  He started his trip in Kansas and was heading to Portland, Seattle and then Vancouver.  They both were very thirsty when they hit here as the weather was very hot.

Jonathan and Weston met each other in Mitchell, OR just 17 miles east of here and were only going to travel together until Prineville, OR where they would each head separate ways.

Everyone coming into the campground has an interesting story.  Plus they are all usually glad to share it with you if you take the time to listen.

Meeting new friends

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John and Jean

The wonderful part of camphosting that I love the most is getting to meet lots of really nice friends.  I met John and Jean who waved to me to join them at their picnic table one evening after I made my rounds.  They were from Bend, OR and been coming to this campgrounds for 35 years.  They always stayed in site #15 since it has a small creek running through the back of the site.  They would bring their kids who would play in the stream.  Now of course the kids are grown, but they always make a point of coming back here every year.

We got to talking about all the cyclists that stop at this campground and they related the story about how for many years they used to follow cyclists with food, tents and other gear.  Of course these were cyclists that had a great deal of money and could afford to have all their gear transported for them.  John and Jean would go ahead, set up camp and prepare all their meals.  Then feed them breakfast tear down the tents, purchase more food, set up the tents and prepare the evening meal.  This would go on day after day.  What an experience!

Bob and Stacey

Also camped not far from John and Jean on the same weekend were Bob and Stacey.  I met them as they were walking around the campground.  Bob is a long distance truck driver and has a many stories to tell about his trucking adventures (especially hauling the pigs).  He is a very funny guy.  Both Bob and Stacey are really nice down to earth people.  While I was talking with them John and Jean came by and also joined in the conversation.  What a blast!

This past weekend Bob and Stacey came down again and stayed for 3 nights.  We got together each day and laughed and laughed!  It was really a fun weekend.  One of the days they drove to an Orchard and brought me some fresh peaches, nectarines and cherries.  YUM!  YUM!  They were so juicy!!  Here is a pic of Bob and Stacey before they left for home.  Thanks everyone!  I really enjoyed you letting me be part of your weekends.

John and Kim

In between weeks I met John and Kim while making my rounds.  They had their musical instruments out and were playing some really sweet music.  John plays at the Prineville Eagles Club on Friday nights so if you are in the area at that time be sure and stop in and don’t forget to tell him Jimbo from Ochoco Divide says “Howdy”.  I took a movie of them playing one of the songs he had written but the internet takes way too long to upload it.  They were really fun people and John offered to show me around Prineville when I get down there again.

These are just a few of the many wonderful people that I have met during my stay at Ochoco Divide Campground.  I have met people from all over the world in this little paradise in the Ochoco Mountains.  That is really one of the best benefits of this job.

100,000 Miles

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Back to 00000

On July 31, 2012 the odometer of “The Breeze” read 00000 as you can see in the next pic.  100,000 miles!  How did that happen so fast?

I was traveling on US Highway 26 on my way from Ochoco Divide Campground to Prineville to do some shopping.  Since I don’t see too much traffic I decided to come to a complete stop and take a picture of that fantastic moment in time.  This is where I was.  I guess you can’t ask for a better spot when turning 100,000 miles.

I purchased “The Breeze back in April, 2010 .  Since then I have:

  • Put 21,855 miles on it
  • Started Fulltiming on July 12, 2010
  • Filled with 2,378 gallons of gasoline at an average cost of $3.53 Yes it is about 9.2 miles per gallon. OUCH!!!

I have had a lot of great times seeing new places and meeting great people.  I have established a lot of new friends all across the country and even into Canada and Mexico as well.

Do it now if you can!!!

If anyone is on the fence as to whether they should fulltime or not I would suggest give it a try as soon as possible.  It was the best decision I ever made.  I just wished I had done it sooner.

Way Up!

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I wonder why they call it Cougar Butte?

I took a drive on my day off and turned onto Forest Road 27 about 1/4 of a mile from the campground.  It was a great drive and soon I found myself going up and up onto what is known as Cougar Butte.

At the top of the mountain I found a place to park.  The road goes up into the higher elevations of the Ochoco Mountains.

There was also a trail head for the Scotty Creek Trail.  It didn’t look like anyone had taken that trail in a long time.

It looked like a big Christmas tree farm.  Beautiful pine trees everywhere.

Views from the top

The views from the top were fantastic.

The only problems was going downhill.  It was much steeper then it looks and I didn’t even want to lose my brakes so I had it in low gear all the way down and came to numerous stops heading down.  This is where a toad would really come in handy.  One of these days!

It was really a nice drive and I didn’t really have to go too far from my campsite.

North to Alaska!

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On a big adventure to Alaska.

In July I had an interesting RV pull into the park.  As I was driving by it in my golf cart I happened to see writing all over it.  Josh was the owner of the RV.  He came down for water and I asked him about all of the writing.  It seems he has earned a full scholarship to a college in Anchorage, Alaska and that is where he is headed with his girlfriend Amy.  He was from Wisconsin and when he found out about the scholarship he decided to purchase an RV and see the country on the way up there.

A signature RV

All his friends had signed his RV wishing him well in Alaska.

Josh was very excited about his adventure thus far.  I believe his father was going to meet him in Washington and Amy was going to return home.  Then he and his father were going to travel up to Anchorage.  He even let me sign his RV.

Here is a pic of Josh and Amy.

Prior to their leaving I had remembered a ski jump suit I had received from my good friend Randy.  He had bought a new suit and gave it to me.  It was a very expensive jump suit.  I have already dispensed of all my ski equipment except for that jump suit.  Randy didn’t want it back and told me to sell it on Ebay.  I have been carrying it in my overhead for some time now and rather then sell it I decided to give it to Josh where he could make good use of it during the long Alaska winters on the ski slopes.  He was very excited and thankful.

Good Luck Josh on your new adventure !!!

 

 

All the way from the east coast

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Cold water

This past week I have been getting more cyclists passing thru here from the east coast on their way to the west coast.  They are climbing some big hills to get here and most of them are very tired and in need of water.  I had just had my 300 gallon water tank filled and it was nice cold water.  They were all very thankful for it and also the news that the 30 mile run to Prineville, OR is all DOWN HILL.  That made each of them very happy.

Friends from Northern Ireland and the Netherlands

The first pair to arrive looking for water was Steve and Aonne.  Steve was from Antrim, North Ireland.  He started his trip from Yorktown, VA and was part of an Adventure Cyclists group.  Aonne was from Delft, Netherlands and also part of the same group.  They had been on the road since May 4 and arrived here on July 29.  They stopped for water and a brief chat and then wanted to head on down the hill to Prineville to get a motel room, where they could shower and wash clothes as well as sleep on a real bed.

My butt is sore!

The next two riders arrived on the same day.  They too were really happy to get the fresh water.  Larry was from Blue River, WI and also part of the group starting out from Yorktown.  He and his friend were also glad they were almost finished with their journey.

First recumbent

Tom was Larry’s riding partner and he road in on a recumbent bike.  He was from Bowling Green, OH and also part of the group from Yorktown.  Some of the riders had complained that their butts were sore from riding on those bicycle seats.  However Tom had no complaints as he had a big cushy seat.  I asked him how his recumbent did on the hills and he said it was not difficult climbing.

The last rider to stop for water was Franklin.  I was making my rounds in my golf cart and he was sitting at the entrance to the park.  I offered him some water but he said he didn’t need any.  I was surprised he was drinking a coke at the time.  If I am really thirsty there is nothing that will quench my thirst more then water.  After talking to him for a few minutes, he asked me if the water was cold and I assured him that it was.  He then came down and filled up his containers after having a nice cold drink of water.  Franklin was by himself, but said there were others behind him.  He was from Big Woods, KY and also part of the group from Yorktown.

Stopping for an overnight rest

Then I didn’t see any others until I returned from shopping in Redmond.  I usually take every Tuesday off to go into town but decided to skip last week as I had plenty of food, but this week took off Tuesday to do some shopping.  When I returned from Redmond Jerry was parked in Site #1 right across from my campsite.  Jerry was from Decatur, IL and had started his journey from his driveway at his home.  He had decided to spend the night in the campground as it was late and he was very tired from climbing the huge hills east of the campground.

A few minutes later Ray pulled in with Ruby (his trike recumbent bicycle).  It seems that Ray and Jerry had been riding together for some time.  They met each other in Colorado just east of Sulpher Springs and had been together ever since.  They mentioned how you tend to find someone on the road who travels at a similar pace as yourself and then travel together.

Ray was from upstate New York and also started with the group from Yorktown.  You can read more about Ray’s adventure across the US at Ray and Ruby’s Big Adventure.  It goes into detail day by day.  What an adventure these guys have!

Crazy stories

Since Jerry and Ray were spending the night I really got to talk with them about their fantastic adventure.  They said that the hardest part was traveling across Kansas, where the temperature got to 110 degrees during the day. Jerry said he was traveling at night and finding a place to stay during the day.  An interesting story he told was when riding at night in Kansas he saw a headlight way out in front of him.  From the size of the light he thought it was another cyclist coming toward him.  About a HALF HOUR later that light turned out to be a semi-truck that passed him going the other way.  How crazy is that!

Another time Ray mentioned while also traveling in Kansas he found a lone tree out in the middle of no where.  He stayed under that tree for a very long time just to have some shade.  Most of the terrain was very flat and had NO trees whatsoever.

Brewski anybody?

I wasn’t sure if they would want a beer, but I offered anyway.  They couldn’t say YES fast enough.  Then we all enjoyed a brewski and chatted about all our adventures.  It was really a blast.  These guys don’t have too far to go to the coast although they do have another uphill climb before they get there.  What an exciting adventure!

Finally contacted my friend

I have been trying to contact my friend Jack several times in the past two weeks without any luck.  All I get is his answering machine where I leave a message to let me know where he is and how he is doing.  He is on his way to the east coast as I wrote about on a previous post Bicyclists.  Finally on the 1st he sent me a text message and yesterday he called.  He is outside of Pueblo, CO and headed for the east coast.  He had climbed peaks of 11,500 feet.  I can’t even imagine going there in my RV let alone a bike.  I have a hard time going up a small hill, huffing and puffing all the way and sometimes getting off and walking.  I guess you could call me a real wuss!  Anyway he said he is glad to get out of the mountains and onto flat land.  I told him he probably wouldn’t mind a few large hills after he started going through Kansas.

I am really enjoying seeing all the cyclists passing through going to either coast.  They are really a blast to talk to and each of them have different stories.  I hope there is more to come in the future.