Continued: Girl Camping Moments, 2015

I ended my previous post with more 2015 Girl Camping outings left to report. Not to say that I'm done camping for the year! But between the July 4 Weekend and mid-September, I seized these other chances to be out and camping with friends:

End of July: Girl Camp! This is a privately hosted (by yours truly) camping bash in Elk River, Idaho. I chose to keep it simple by taking the smallest of my vintage trailers, this 1961 Aloha compact named Little House on the Bumper.

Things tend to go a little wild at Girl Camp. Maybe it's the matching shirts, or the crazy costumes that appear at some point!

August: Miss Shelley took her '53 Aljoa and I took Iron Pony (1972 Red Dale) for a weekend of primitive camping on the fabulous Selway River of Idaho. We soaked up the sun and soaked in the clear running water. This was camping, not glamping, though we did allow ourselves some amenities.

And it's a good thing we did, because just days later, the area was devastated by forest fire. We aren't sure whether this lovely free campground survived or not.

September: Iron Pony made the trip to Cheney, Washington, for Karen's Kamp--a weekend hosted by Miss Karen at her country home. She has the luckiest hens in the world. They live in Karen's Chicken Mansion, and it certainly is that! These chickens live in style. And so did we!

In between these trips away from home, I had plenty of chances to camp at home, too. Wherever, whenever…carpe camping!

Carpe Camping! Girl Camping Moments, 2015

'Carpe camping!' In other words, camp whenever you can.

I love all chances to go somewhere with my own little home(s) on wheels, and seize them often. Here are some carpe-camping snapshots from spring and summer 2015.

March: First outing of the year for Iron Pony, 1972 Red Dale. A group of us got pre-season campsites at Hells Gate State Park on the Snake River, Lewiston, Idaho. It was great just to be out that early in the year, but also an unforgettable Girl Camping weekend for the exciting jet boat trip we took up the Snake River into Hells Canyon.

Hold on, everyone, big rapids coming up!

End of April: Girl Camping on the Salmon River for our Spring Rendezvous at Swiftwater RV Park, White Bird, Idaho. The Airstream, third trailer from left, is my aluminum abode; it spends the winter here, and goes home right after the Rendezvous weekend.

Like Iron Pony, the Airstream is a 1972 model. Name: Big Chief. ('Big' is right, because it's over 30 feet long and weighs 5,600 pounds, empty.)

Mid-May: Girl Camping weekend at a friend's country place for her birthday celebration. Maiden voyage with the 1965 Chief trailer I bought late in 2014. It earned an A+ for remaining dry during a steady downpour!

The Chief brand was manufactured in Seattle, and that's about all I know about it. This model has beautiful turquoise/aqua appliances, and I named it Crazy Horse.

Early June: Iron Pony gets all dolled up for the Farm Chicks campout in Riverside State Park in Spokane, coinciding with the annual Farm Chicks Antique Show.

This is always a fun gathering, with attendees from far and wide.

Mid-June: An impromptu overnight stay in Montana with several fellow members of Sisters on the Fly--the log-cabin trailer belongs to Miss Linda, who was traveling with Miss Patty. I was treated to a
bunkhouse stay, as I didn't have a trailer with me.

However, I was able to furnish the first round of Happy Hour drinks on the front porch of our hostess!

July 4th Weekend: A Girl Camping weekend at GIRL CAMP! The little mountain town of Elk River, Idaho, puts on a great fireworks show, and there's nothing quite like the parade of locals down Main Street. Since we do believe in 'Sum Boyz OK,' this is a co-ed camping weekend.

Obviously OK with Mark, hubby of Miss Mig, both of whom were in the parade!

There's been more in 2015, but I'd better end this post here just so I don't keep you forever. Thanks for coming along on the ride so far!

2013 Travels With Iron Pony (1972 Red Dale)

This trailer's name is Iron Pony. She's a 1972 Red Dale, and the trailer I camp with most of the time (yep, I have more than one). Here she is the first part of April, just out of covered storage from the winter.

This also is from April, when I took the trailer out to a Sisters on the Fly event in south-central Washington.

End of April, on the Salmon River. I towed up and down several mountain grades to reach this site and thus kept the 'extra frills' to a minimum. The less weight and less load to shift in transit, the better.

Mid-May, north of Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, for Miss Mig's birthday campout. This was a rainy, chilly weekend, so no decor that couldn't get wet.

Early June, at Riverside State Park, near Spokane, Washington, for a campout held the same weekend as the Farm Chicks Antique Show. I filled the trailer with flowers before leaving home, and set them out at my camp when I arrived.

July, at Girl Camp, my little slice of heaven in the Clearwater National Forest. Iron Pony has her very own RV slab and corner bar here, and she spent a good 2 months enjoying the wonderful view that comes with both.

This fall, back on the Salmon River at Swiftwater RV Park, White Bird, Idaho. Notice the different RV rug than in previous shots? I think I may like this one the best--what about you?

July 4th Holiday at Girl Camp

Of all the holidays, I love July 4 the most. Why? Because it's summer, and a holiday of being outside!

This year, July 4 occurred on a Thursday, and that was just perfect for a long visit at Girl Camp in Elk River, Idaho.

The tiny town does a big fireworks show on the Saturday closest to the Fourth and swells with hundreds of extra people seeking old-fashoned summer fun. We usually have lots of friends, relatives, and/or fellow Girl Campers visiting for the occasion, but this year nobody was free to come. So it was 'just us kids,' meaning Hubby Ed, yours truly, and our fellow Girl Camp owner, Miss Shelley.

Different, but still great. No worries, no agenda, just pure R&R.

That's Shelley at the grill bar, rustling us up some breakfast. Her '53 Aljoa is parked up above.

She calls her trailer Cherry Lane. Although in this shot, it looks like it should be called Wild Daisy!

I stayed in Iron Pony, while Ed commanded the cabin that's across the street (with cable sports TV).

For this privilege, he got to cut the grass in the cabin's yard.

It made a lovely green carpet for some new outdoor furnishings.

The patio area by the Girl Cave got some new chairs, too. I just love that cool shade of green!

We cooked, we napped, we fished, we cooled off in Elk Creek, we visited with neighbors, and for the most part, kept our electronic devices turned off for the sake of the moment.

Which is say, I could have taken a gazillion more photos and manned the digital channels as usual, but I didn't.

Cuz after it--it was a holiday!

WINTER POSTCARD FROM THE GIRL CAMP CABIN

Hi all, spending a couple of post-Christmas days at the Girl Camp Cabin in good ol’ Elk River, Idaho. As you can see, it had snowed some since our last visit—almost a foot on Christmas Eve Day.

Girl Camp itself has about 2 1/2 feet of snow on it—no trailer parking until spring! (With many more feet of snow sure to come.) The cabin's back yard (above) is negotiable only by snowshoe.

Got the bird feeders filled—for those crazy birds who, like us, like to be here all year ‘round. Also have the woodstove well stoked, the better to melt that snow off the roof.

The Little Little Trailer & Friends

In the beginning, there was The Little Little Trailer, all by herself.  She needed a place to park and call home, which led to her slice of Idaho real estate called Girl Camp.

Then she met another tiny trailer, Cherry Lane, who also needed permanent parking. One thing led to another, and soon Girl Camp became twice as big--big enough to hold several more trailers than two.

An enormous vintage Airstream arrived and took up residence as a guest house.

Then more trailer friends arrived, some of them with watercraft, and all sorts of frivolity ensued.

Now, The Little Little Trailer is surrounded by friends, old and new, and considers herself to be the luckiest little trailer in the world.

(And she thanks you for reading this, too!)