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Old 01-22-2013, 05:06 AM   #1
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A hole on the highway

Continuing from the mod thread ahole in the boler.
Thanks Francesco for the tips, if we take them in I'll
Certainly post a personal review.

Today was a disaster,

I took a road that I thought was gonna be a great way to get from Portland to Highway 101, NOT!!! The road is called Meadow Lake Rd.
Started out as planned twisty little road past neat farms trees covering road sunny afternoon about 50 above heading west out of Colbert. We had been on the road for a while, stopped to stretch and walk dog by the lake, perfect!
Back in the truck around the next corner the road turned to ice and down a hill we went. Probably the only thing that kept us on the road was the build up of snow and the groves in it. So now, want to turn back but too late, no place to turn around, probably can't get back up the hill anyway, so we continue afterall we had met some traffic so the road must be passable(or did they turnaround).
We undulated through the hills in this single track in the heavily crusted snow sometimes touching the truck undercarriage,now hoping we didn't meet anyone cause no place to pass. Probably the worst spot,rounding a bend at 10 mph we look down a steep hill ,single track in the snow the ice shiny at the bottom a curve onto a bridge tried to stop but only got slowed to a crawl and half on the shoulder looking for traction.
I am good driver with lots of racing experience and ice driving but I. Was,,,,nervous! And Marilyn, I won't go there. We made it! Oh, did I mention the 3miles of gravel with frying pan pot holes! The road started to show improvement and the last few miles to 101 were beautiful. The only upside I can think of, I hadn't washed the rig yet which was now black!!!!!!!!!
So don't go west from Colbert to 101 in Or.
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Old 01-22-2013, 05:52 AM   #2
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Hi: Fred Smailes...... I love a good shortcut story, they look so innocent on the map!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
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Old 01-22-2013, 08:38 AM   #3
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Quote:
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost
cheers
Dave
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Old 01-22-2013, 09:16 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alf S. View Post
Hi: Fred Smailes...... I love a good shortcut story, they look so innocent on the map!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
Fred I feel for you. I actually took that road this summer on my way back from the Bandon meet - decided it was time to be adventuresome and take some roads less traveled rather than the same old roads I always take. It was a nice/pretty area in the summer to pass through but as you say the roads where a bit narrow and shaky in parts so I have no problem visualizing what you encountered in the winter!
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Old 01-22-2013, 11:58 AM   #5
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Hey Carol, yes I thought it would be a great route in summer too.
Today I promised we would stay on 101 ALL day, I believe in the old
Line, "Happy wife, happy life"
Fred
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Old 01-22-2013, 01:48 PM   #6
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Now, Fred, if you'd asked before you left I could have advised you as to the shortest route! Cross the Columbia at Longview, then downriver to Astoria...This of course assuming you've no reason to go through Portland.

Say-
While you're in the neighborhood...

I s'pose you've already gone through Rockaway, but if not, could you stop at the "Cheapest Pepperoni Sticks on Planet Earth" factory and pick me up a bushel?

Francesca
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Old 01-22-2013, 04:54 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by FRED SMAILES View Post
Hey Carol, yes I thought it would be a great route in summer too.
Today I promised we would stay on 101 ALL day, I believe in the old
Line, "Happy wife, happy life"
Fred
During your *slow* pass through the area did you happen to notice any camping spots/areas? I was thinking as I drove through there were some spots that looked like possibilities but by the time I noticed them there was no where to pull over and I had a couple of cars sitting on my tail pushing me through a little faster than I would have liked. By the time I found a good spot to pull over it was to far back to bother.
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Old 01-22-2013, 08:13 PM   #8
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Hi: All... Heading out of Acadia Nat. Pk. in Maine we were faced with a decision. Take either hwy# 181 or 179 north to hwy#9 east. They both run parallel along Graham Lake. We chose the more easterly of the two...WRONG!!! Narrow winding road with no shoulders and cracks across the road the size of the Grand Canyon. This is no time to notice there's no readout on the brake controller or the fact the trailer plug is now laying in the truck box!!!
By the time we could find a spot big enough to pull into it was pure luck it included a washroom. Opening the trailer revealed the fridge door had come open and the milk and potato salad were mixed together on the floor. That was some speed bump!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
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Old 01-22-2013, 08:22 PM   #9
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Fred, I live in Oregon and we have miles of "roads less traveled." Lots I wouldn't attempt tugging a trailer in the warm summer days let alone when the temperature is freezing! They're nothing more than logging roads with switchbacks every 100 yards! No matter what the map says...

Your post gave me the willies. Glad you got through safely
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Old 01-22-2013, 08:31 PM   #10
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Well, Fred's still on the road and hasn't checked in again, but as long as you're lookin' in, Donna:

Where the heck is "Colbert, Oregon"???

This displaced Oregonian has been rackin' her brain trying to figure out the route Fred's talking about, but for the life of me I don't know of a "Colbert". The best I can come up with in the Portland area is "Corbett", and that's forty miles EAST- surely the wrong direction...

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Old 01-22-2013, 08:40 PM   #11
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Humm, I'm not much help Francesa. The only Meadow Lake Rd I know about is over near Prineville. And yes, CORBERT is east of Portland.... I've haven't heard of a lot of small burgs in Oregon and I've lived here for 50+ years!
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Old 01-22-2013, 10:13 PM   #12
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Could be wrong but I thought he was talking about the road thats called NW Meadow Lake Road and it intersects with the 47 at Carlton (just north of Yamhill) & I think it goes a bit further east - not sure though as I got off it at 47. On the coast I got it by taking a number of small roads off the 101 near Seaside cant recall all the names but one of the roads was called called Nistucca? River seem to recall it turned into Meadow Lake Road. Have no idea if this is actually how Fred went though! LOL
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Old 01-22-2013, 10:31 PM   #13
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Opening the trailer revealed the fridge door had come open and the milk and potato salad were mixed together on the floor. That was some speed bump!!!
Alf how is it that we always find the best bumps in the road at times when we have forgotten to lock the fridge shut!!
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Old 01-22-2013, 10:46 PM   #14
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SORRY. Carlton on 47 north of the Spruce Goose. West to the hamlet of Beaver on the 101.
Yes Carol there are several camping sites in there. I seen the signs but didn't. dare look around!
We only made it to Florence today. Pulled into an rv hangout called Pacific Pines on the north end of town. Decent money, we happen to stay on movie nite. Big projection screen, bunch of people from the pk watched Taken 2 which was on my to watch list. One of the few parks that have made us welcome instead of reading all the rules. Every time I see No, Must or Can't the hair just goes up on my neck! Some places are awesome but for the signs. Oh, had to buy a new gas cap today, even the pros at the pumps in Or forget things!
Tillamook sure has good cheese, but the area is pretty hard on the nose!
Later
Fred
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Old 01-23-2013, 12:06 AM   #15
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Pilot to co pilot
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Old 01-23-2013, 05:56 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carol H View Post
Alf how is it that we always find the best bumps in the road at times when we have forgotten to lock the fridge shut!!
Hi: Carol H... I did lock the fridge shut!!! HONEST I DID.
Another trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway left me breathless and the brakes so hot you could light a cigarette on them. We were looking for The Peaks Of Otter campground...got there and the gates were locked. No space to turn around so we had to keep on going. DOWN DOWN DOWN to the valley floor only to sit and let the truck recover!!! To get to the KOA at Natural Bridge and start plan "B", we had to go back UP UP UP so I said to my Co-pilot find the shortest route from the Blue Ridge Pkwy. down to I81. She did and so did I Just after turning off the Pkwy there's a huge sign that states "This road not suitable for Motor homes or RV's" and no area big enough to turn this rig around!!!
It's Every sports car enthusiasts dream... 40* banked hairpin turns and death defying plunges like no roller coaster you'd ever ride willingly . This is a testament to the agility of an under powered GMC pickup with an Escape 5.0 on its heels!!!
After getting set up at the KOA.. I can say no beer ever tasted better!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
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Old 01-23-2013, 12:33 PM   #17
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Here's a link to the highway description. It includes the campgrounds along the way! Nestucca River Back Country Byway | Scenic Drives USA

Kathie
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Old 01-23-2013, 12:55 PM   #18
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O-h-h-h-h...The Nestucca Highway!

I know that one...I've camped in the BLM campgrounds up there.

As a matter of fact, that's the road I was on when my long-overdue-for-a-changeout timing belt went kablooey....long walk to a phone, I can tell you.

Happy times!

Francesca
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Old 01-23-2013, 03:17 PM   #19
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Thanks Kathie for the link! I may venture back there next summer now that I know for sure one can legally camp some parts of the area! It looked like a nice area to explore a little more but I was on my own the time I passed through so no co-pilot to read the few signs I passed regarding camping & I needed to be in Portland by a set time.

Alf! Thats the stuff the camping memories that last for ever are made of!
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Old 01-25-2013, 12:22 AM   #20
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Well I'm back, no wifi last night.
I've started a couple of times and ruined my post by deleting it by accident so here goes again.
Rained all the way from Florence to Cresent City CA yesterday. Today was mostly fog as we entered the redwoods. We stopped at Fortuna tonite to see Ferndale.
Thought I'd throw up our reviews on where we have stayed.
1 Portland Pheasant Ridge 38$ very nice too many negative signs may not go back because of them.
2 Tillamook Pleasent Valley 27$ older decent clean nice washrooms.
3Florence Pacific Pines 30$ no grass but made you feel welcome and amenities were awesome.
4 Crescent City Camping Village 34$ older great location in a grove of redwoods. Washrooms were ok
5 Fortuna Riverwalk 38$ very nice rv pk cleanest washrooms so far!
Marilyn is a CLEAN freak so washrooms mean alot in our reviews.

Just an update on the mods Mar took over the drawer really likes the additional counter space and likes watchin the flat screen on the new lounger.
Think I'll post this before I ruin it again
Fred
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