Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I have been thinking about something that is not quit a gathering but more of an expedition. Just north of where I live is an undeveloped area of the Snake River Lava Plain. Much of it is the Craters of the Moon National Monument.
May 2012
That is a little over night trip I made and some people showed interest in that area.
I am thinking of at least a 3 day 2 night trip. Maybe 4 day and 3 nights. Camping in different areas each night and seeing the sights.
I have been out there a lot but I will admit I am not the biggest desert rat by far.
I am thinking in June 2016. I was first thinking about May but after the past 2 weeks of rain here I decided June is a much better time to avoid rain. One does not want to be out there when it rains and you need to go places as you may not be able to go. I would like to go in May when the grass is green but the chance of rain is just to high. But can still rain in June. No guaranties.

So what I am thinking is to meet up by noon at a jump off area and caravan out there and start seeing the sights and find a place to camp. The roads are not to bad but high ground clearance is needed. No real need for 4x4 but they are nice if only for a 2 speed transfer case and to pull out stuck vehicles. Roads will be dusty, some will be rutted by people driving when it is wet. I think we will do at least 100 miles from pavement till we get back to pavement.
No services at all out there. Cell phone will be iffy in nearly all places. Will need to take all water and food with us.
No campfires at all as the grass will be dry and I have had my fill of fires for now.
For people with out high ground clearances bring your tents and ground sleeping gear. I can probably provide room for at least two people. Other people may chime in with offers for others.

I know that meeting up by noon then going out will put a lot of people in a bind. We could stay at my place the night before ( or after ) if you wish. If I can keep up the payments on my house that is.

Any takers? Discussion? I have been on most of the roads I am thinking of.

PS. Much of this will be in the Caters of the Moon National Monument but not the old section that has been developed and you have to pay to get in. Where I go there are no tolls. Don't worry it is good.

Wolffarmer wrote:I have been thinking about something that is not quit a gathering but more of an expedition. Just north of where I live is an undeveloped area of the Snake River Lava Plain. Much of it is the Craters of the Moon National Monument.
May 2012
That is a little over night trip I made and some people showed interest in that area.
I am thinking of at least a 3 day 2 night trip. Maybe 4 day and 3 nights. Camping in different areas each night and seeing the sights.
I have been out there a lot but I will admit I am not the biggest desert rat by far.
I am thinking in June 2016. I was first thinking about May but after the past 2 weeks of rain here I decided June is a much better time to avoid rain. One does not want to be out there when it rains and you need to go places as you may not be able to go. I would like to go in May when the grass is green but the chance of rain is just to high. But can still rain in June. No guaranties.

So what I am thinking is to meet up by noon at a jump off area and caravan out there and start seeing the sights and find a place to camp. The roads are not to bad but high ground clearance is needed. No real need for 4x4 but they are nice if only for a 2 speed transfer case and to pull out stuck vehicles. Roads will be dusty, some will be rutted by people driving when it is wet. I think we will do at least 100 miles from pavement till we get back to pavement.
No services at all out there. Cell phone will be iffy in nearly all places. Will need to take all water and food with us.
No campfires at all as the grass will be dry and I have had my fill of fires for now.
For people with out high ground clearances bring your tents and ground sleeping gear. I can probably provide room for at least two people. Other people may chime in with offers for others.

I know that meeting up by noon then going out will put a lot of people in a bind. We could stay at my place the night before ( or after ) if you wish. If I can keep up the payments on my house that is.

Any takers? Discussion? I have been on most of the roads I am thinking of.

PS. Much of this will be in the Caters of the Moon National Monument but not the old section that has been developed and you have to pay to get in. Where I go there are no tolls. Don't worry it is good.

Randy:

I spent a lot of time in that country in the early seventies chasing wind-driven range fires. Dunno how many times I've been to the top of Big Southern. I think you've got a winner of an idea for poking around that world next year.

Now to confess. I had to Google Mordor. Hadn't heard of Mordor, Idaho. Yeah, Beartrap Cave. Laidlaw etc. Been there, but Mordor? I'm thinking, how did I miss that from my Atomic City days? But I figured it out. I read a lot of fiction but obviously not Tolkien. Perhaps I need to expand my reading horizons.

It's fascinating country.

Tony

Mordor, from the Lord of the Rings.

I was on top of Big South Butte last summer for my first time. I plan to include some spots on the Great Rift where a person can jump over the cracks in the earth. And places you can't. Pillar butte for some lava hiking for those up to it. I been up there twice but I do not think I can make it any more. Only about 4 miles round trip but lava hiking is different. And I am older and more out of shape.

You think we can find a camp spot on Big South Butte? Probably not right on top. ( get blown away )

Randy

Anybody have a set of radios we can borrow? So the caravan can talk to each other?

A short list of supplies needed.

1 gallon of water per day per person.
Food
No campfires. Trying to make it a "Leave no Trace" LNT
Good shoes. With the cheat grass being dry gusset tongues are good to have.
Shovel, Best thing to flip snakes out of the way. Rattle snakes are possible. I stopped killing them decades ago. I just go around or flip them out of the way.
Ticks are also possible.
Chain/tow strap. I should have one or two of each so if you do not have one don't sweat it.
Good tires, need not be off road type or real high traction. Just good ones to take some sharp rocks. And a good spare tire that the pressure is up on.
Tools you like to bring along. I usually have a mess of them so we do not all need them.
Lug wrench. Be sure you can remove your lug nuts. Last year I went to take my trailer tire off to do some servicing. I could not budge then with the tools I take with me, Nor my air impact wrench. I had to get the big sockets and a cheater bar out and then I spun the tire. I am glad I was not changing a flat on the road.
Gas for 100-150 miles maybe more. I usually have a 2.5 gallon can with me.
Jumper cables. I had a real good set until some idiot burned my shop down. Just so there is at least one set with us.
Porta pots and tents as we will have to make our own facilities. I have a tent but do not have a porta pot/luggable loo or what have you.
I have a 2 person tent if someone does not want to take their trailer out there and do not have a tent.

Will probably think of other stuff.

You think we can find a camp spot on Big South Butte? Probably not right on top. ( get blown away )

It's been forty years and there's a lot of dust that's blown through my memory since then. I think one might be able to camp at Second Saddle –just before you cut across the forest of minature trees. I assume they never got any bigger. But that place could be/should be windy too. Maybe down at the bottom at the airstrip?

I cleaned a fence off the north side. The navy had brought some big guns out of mothball for Viet Nam. I think they were ten inchers but don't quote me on that. They railroaded the guns out to the site and fired them across the highway into the butte. The fence was to keep the cows off the target. 2200 pound projectiles. Most of them have to be still there. Inert rounds. You can still see the impact craters.

Tony

tony.latham wrote:

You think we can find a camp spot on Big South Butte? Probably not right on top. ( get blown away )

It's been forty years and there's a lot of dust that's blown through my memory since then. I think one might be able to camp at Second Saddle –just before you cut across the forest of minature trees. I assume they never got any bigger. But that place could be/should be windy too. Maybe down at the bottom at the airstrip?

I cleaned a fence off the north side. The navy had brought some big guns out of mothball for Viet Nam. I think they were ten inchers but don't quote me on that. They railroaded the guns out to the site and fired them across the highway into the butte. The fence was to keep the cows off the target. 2200 pound projectiles. Most of them have to be still there. Inert rounds. You can still see the impact craters.

Tony

That is about where I was thinking of camping.

I did not know they used the Butte as a target. I knew they tested those big guns out there. Started back in WWII as they made the guns in Pocatello. That is how the INL got started.

My dad helped build the concrete bases they tested the guns on for their Viet Nam run. There used to be a yellow spotter tower near the airport that they called the shots from. They moved it back to the INEL and you can see it from the highway. You can see the craters on Google Earth.

T

Still not sure of the dates but Esteban from back eastish is wanting to hit IRG next year. How about the weekend before IRG? Try to make it so we get off the desert on Sunday. It is a 2 day drive from here to IRG. Will need a day to clean up and restock.

Randy

Sounds like fun. I'll stay tuned and commit when the time gets closer.

I can bring a pair of FRS talkabouts and/or CB radios. and a propane "campfire". Plus the usual necessities.

We'd love to. Sounds like our type of camping.

Depends on available vacation time though..

Doesn't look like we'll have enough, but we'll see.

Sam and Kat

Good beans. Will firm up a date when the IRG is announced. Planning on the week before for the folks coming from back east to the IRG.

Randy

Randy Haven't seen you on the forum for awhile and was hoping to see you at Walk the Winds which was a great gathering. Glad to hear from you again. Even though it would be a brutal comute for Norma and I coming all the way from Twin Falls you can count us in. I will follow this post and be ready to go. Looking forward to it. Lee

I was going to go to Walk the Winds but didn't check the dates in time and missed it. LOL

I was out on the desert almost two weeks ago to check out some roads and drove to the top of Big South Butte. I been up there before but this is the first time I drove. First few miles is like setting in a recliner with a steering wheel. Find a place up there we can park some trailers and pitch a few tents. If any one dares to pull their trailer up there. Then ease it back down the next day. I is a 5 miles road to the top. About a 2500 foot gain. Much of the road is single lane. I went up and back with a bit of looking about and did not meet another person. And this is the busy time of the year. But we can camp down on the flat if after a scouting trip people decide they do not want to try it.

I don't know if this has been posted before, but I stumbled on to a video about Craters Of The Moon (Link to Outdoor Idaho show from Idaho Public TV, 26:47 min).

Randy,

Too early to say yes. But I'm interested.
With a little luck my project will be done by that time.