Pacific Northwest yetti
Expedition Medic
The Pendleton blankets are great! If cared for, they will survive a few generations +
Alaskan Campers
- Thread starter Pacific Northwest yetti
- Start date
WU7X
Snow on the Roof
I've been looking for info on camping sites in Oregon. I found this and think it's pretty interesting! It has made me change my plans to visit the coast in the fall instead of this coming spring. Stay away from heavy winds and rain.
www.truckcampermagazine.com
Most of the information I've dug up early on seems to be focused on black-topping travels. I fully intend to keep looking for public land tracks and routes as my dominant interest areas.
Think I'll add a random outdoorsy picture now and then just to keep up the eye candy level. Places I've been or want to see.
Happy holidays everyone!
Dale
Annacortes, WA in a winter sunset 2025.
Oregon: The Bucket List
Oregon is a year‑round truck camping playground—snow‑packed mountain passes, wildflower‑studded meadows, and jaw‑dropping coastlines.
www.truckcampermagazine.com
Most of the information I've dug up early on seems to be focused on black-topping travels. I fully intend to keep looking for public land tracks and routes as my dominant interest areas.
Think I'll add a random outdoorsy picture now and then just to keep up the eye candy level. Places I've been or want to see.
Happy holidays everyone!
Dale
Annacortes, WA in a winter sunset 2025.
WU7X
Snow on the Roof
It is a rainy Christmas Eve day here. So have been playing around in the truck, learning all the new to me buttons and knobs.
Having finished that, I decided to photograph the Raven symbols I've stuck to the sides of the vehicle on the front doors. I mentioned earlier that the Raven is my totem.
On the passenger side we have Raven stealing the sun.
On the driver's side you can see Raven stealing the moon.
For stealing the sun, moon, and stars and giving them to humans and thus bringing light to the earth, Raven, who found himself caught in the lodge's smoke hole, was punished. Before he could free himself his feathers which originally were pure white, were scorched black. And that is why all ravens are black today. There are several different versions of this story in indigenous cultures. I hope I didn't bastardize this too badly.
Having finished that, I decided to photograph the Raven symbols I've stuck to the sides of the vehicle on the front doors. I mentioned earlier that the Raven is my totem.
On the passenger side we have Raven stealing the sun.
On the driver's side you can see Raven stealing the moon.
For stealing the sun, moon, and stars and giving them to humans and thus bringing light to the earth, Raven, who found himself caught in the lodge's smoke hole, was punished. Before he could free himself his feathers which originally were pure white, were scorched black. And that is why all ravens are black today. There are several different versions of this story in indigenous cultures. I hope I didn't bastardize this too badly.
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Pacific Northwest yetti
Expedition Medic
Do not forget the dry side of Oregon. 
The Alvord, etc
The Alvord, etc
WU7X
Snow on the Roof
Many years ago, I did a small project down around the Jordan Valley. I haven't been to the Steens, the Alvord Desert, etc., YET. Thanks so much for the reminder.Do not forget the dry side of Oregon.
WU7X
Snow on the Roof
I had been driving a 5th gen 4Runner for the past 11 years. Sold that to granddaughter. Now own an American/Canadian built truck for the first time in three decades.
Here is a Noobie question; what type sockets and wrenches to I need to carry, metric or imperial to work on the Sierra? Sure wish it will be metric only.
All my other recovery gear switches over with no issues.
Pic of the day: One of SWMBO's favorite things about the new camper. Real, built-in plumbing is something we've never experienced before in over 50 years of doing this.
Here is a Noobie question; what type sockets and wrenches to I need to carry, metric or imperial to work on the Sierra? Sure wish it will be metric only.
All my other recovery gear switches over with no issues.
Pic of the day: One of SWMBO's favorite things about the new camper. Real, built-in plumbing is something we've never experienced before in over 50 years of doing this.
NOPEC
Well-known member
The correct answer is "all of the above"..... It is the dumbest reality! As well, the usual 8,10,12,14 mm common wrenches/sockets which after decades of Japanese motorcycles and Toyotas most of us could almost pick out blind, has now been replaced by lots of 9,11,13,15 mm etc., added in with of course, the SAE stuff.
edit: I must be showing my age as I forgot some of the more common fasteners on my Toyota FJ are 13mm (battery cables) and 15 mm (oil drain) so its not as cut and dry as I initially whined about......
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Pacific Northwest yetti
Expedition Medic
Travel Oregon, has some great resources. And even has trip ideas,
traveloregon.com
traveloregon.com
If you find yourself in the Pendleton area, and need a flat place to park, or a shop. Give a shout
The newer GM's have more metric, but still use both....sometimes you will need both for the same part....
7 Wonders of Oregon
We see your Wonders, world. And raise you 7 of our own. We invite you to not just see Oregon's 7 Wonders, but experience them. Because our Wonders aren’t
traveloregon.com
First-Timer’s Guide to Steens Mountain
It’s hard not to fall in love with the dreamy images of Kiger Gorge, Wildhorse Lake and rest of the backcountry wilderness that surrounds Steens Mountain in Southeastern Oregon. The Steens (yes, it’s just one mountain) is located at the opposite corner of the state from Portland, about a...
traveloregon.com
If you find yourself in the Pendleton area, and need a flat place to park, or a shop. Give a shout
The newer GM's have more metric, but still use both....sometimes you will need both for the same part....
AbleGuy
Officious Intermeddler
East of Bend….the Obsidian Hills…you can walk out to look for chipped samples and find that the fractured rock you are strolling over is razor sharp, sharp enough to slice the soles of your boots! It’s easy to Grok why the Native Americans used that area for collecting material for arrowheads and spearheads.
North of there….the John Day fossil beds are a very worthy choice for your next explorations, afterwards then turn left and head up into the Ochoco’s and keep your eyes peeled for the somewhat friendly wild horse herds in those scenic forested mountains.
North of there….the John Day fossil beds are a very worthy choice for your next explorations, afterwards then turn left and head up into the Ochoco’s and keep your eyes peeled for the somewhat friendly wild horse herds in those scenic forested mountains.
WU7X
Snow on the Roof
Dang! That is what I thought. I think it was back in 1976 both the US and Canada officially converted to metric. You Canadians did a much better job in the conversion effort. As a field geologist for the federal gov't, we spent a number of years doing all our reports using the metric system. I loved it. Then lazy America slipped back into the stone age with SAE. I now think that there are only three countries still on SAE, the US, Liberia, and Myanmar. Or something to that effect. Enuf said....
WU7X
Snow on the Roof
AbleGuy, my brother and i visited the John Day fossil beds and the Ochoco mtns two years ago last May. I'd love to revisit both! We found a disbursed campsite in the Ochoco's where we had the place to ourselves for several nights. Mature Ponderosa forest. I'll make sure to check out the Obsidian Hills!
A nice off-camber two track in the Ochoco's.
On the 15th of May we left the beautiful OR countryside and headed up north toward Leavenworth, WA. I wanted to take Todd camping along Icecicle Creek (sp?) as all USFS campgrounds were supposed to open on the 15th. No such luck, every campground was still locked up. So we headed back east toward Spokane.
The east slope of the Cascades is beautiful in the spring!
We live in such incredible country here in the PNW. Any direction I go there's always something new to see and mountains to cross. These pics are from last summer in the Pioneer mtns in MT. Can't wait to get the Alaskan Camper back there!
A nice off-camber two track in the Ochoco's.
On the 15th of May we left the beautiful OR countryside and headed up north toward Leavenworth, WA. I wanted to take Todd camping along Icecicle Creek (sp?) as all USFS campgrounds were supposed to open on the 15th. No such luck, every campground was still locked up. So we headed back east toward Spokane.
The east slope of the Cascades is beautiful in the spring!
We live in such incredible country here in the PNW. Any direction I go there's always something new to see and mountains to cross. These pics are from last summer in the Pioneer mtns in MT. Can't wait to get the Alaskan Camper back there!
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Pacific Northwest yetti
Expedition Medic
Diablo lake, and the N cascades hwy are worth seeing!
WU7X
Snow on the Roof
The good news is that winter season is just about 1/3 gone! I have been spending more time looking at everything Oregon has to offer. Depending on a personal health issue, I want to visit there this summer.
I have a trip that I have to plan out for some long time friends to do the new Montana BDR in early September, 2026. We have been enjoying annual trips together since 2018. I will schedule out the MTBDR from the new tracks that will be available for downloading in February. But now that I own a very long and wide truck with the AC in the box, will be using Google maps to set up alternate tracks to bypass the really rough stuff. Two others in the group have GMC Sierras, but they both pull trailers. So I am pretty sure that they will be happy with that news. The trick will be to come up with tracks that diverge in the morning and converge in the evening so that we can spend our camp nights together. Wish me luck on that one!
The bad news is that after six years I've finally worn all the cartilage out of my right knee. I had it partially replaced right before Covid shut everything down in late February, 2020. Now I am hoping to get surgery ASAP so I can get through PT and recovery as quickly as possible. I don't want to lose too much of the upcoming summer.
I am surprised a how little "stuff" I have been buying to setup the Alaskan Camper. So far only the Pendleton blanket and some kitchen utensils. We first picked up the Queen/Full size, but that one literally covered the top of our king size bedroom bed! So we exchanged it for the Twin size. Hope that it will be adequate. Here it is folded in half. That should brighten up the camper and keep us warm at night!
I have a trip that I have to plan out for some long time friends to do the new Montana BDR in early September, 2026. We have been enjoying annual trips together since 2018. I will schedule out the MTBDR from the new tracks that will be available for downloading in February. But now that I own a very long and wide truck with the AC in the box, will be using Google maps to set up alternate tracks to bypass the really rough stuff. Two others in the group have GMC Sierras, but they both pull trailers. So I am pretty sure that they will be happy with that news. The trick will be to come up with tracks that diverge in the morning and converge in the evening so that we can spend our camp nights together. Wish me luck on that one!
The bad news is that after six years I've finally worn all the cartilage out of my right knee. I had it partially replaced right before Covid shut everything down in late February, 2020. Now I am hoping to get surgery ASAP so I can get through PT and recovery as quickly as possible. I don't want to lose too much of the upcoming summer.
I am surprised a how little "stuff" I have been buying to setup the Alaskan Camper. So far only the Pendleton blanket and some kitchen utensils. We first picked up the Queen/Full size, but that one literally covered the top of our king size bedroom bed! So we exchanged it for the Twin size. Hope that it will be adequate. Here it is folded in half. That should brighten up the camper and keep us warm at night!
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