Yakima camping, the final day

May, 2019

After that extraordinary experience this morning with that majestic eagle, I drove back to my trailer for lunch. Sometimes I’m tempted to just relax after lunch, hang out around the trailer, sit and read, maybe chat with a neighbor or go for a little walk around the campground. But if I sit down to read after I’ve had my lunch, I find that eventually I wake up and my book has fallen to the floor. 🙂 I have fallen sound asleep for an hour or so and missed a good part of the day.

So when I’m out camping and I don’t want to miss a thing, I don’t even tempt that! I eat my lunch and then get up and get going.

This afternoon after lunch, I headed out in the big white truck towards Wenas, a small town to the northwest (again) of the city of Yakima.

And again, as with the other roads I’ve been on, the homes and small farms in the outskirts of Yakima fairly quickly gave way to larger ranches and farms. Unlike the other roads that I have been on around Yakima, however, this area sported lots of evergreen trees. Have to admit that I still do like lots of trees around me.

Remember to click on photos here to enlarge them.

I was hoping to find the Hazel Wolf bird sanctuary at the Audubon Wenas Campout area up this particular road, with thoughts of possibly attending the annual campout there one of these years. The annual Audubon campout is always held over Memorial Day Weekend near the end of May.

The road I was on was paved, though it was narrow with no shoulder, just the ditch on both sides.

After a few miles, the signs and the map above appeared.

And then a few miles later, the signs below appeared. The pavement did end shortly after these signs, but the road from there on was a very well-maintained and smooth gravel road.

A few miles further on yet and the road diverged (below).

“End of County Road.” Hmmm.

To the right was this attractive gate, but that road was marked as private.

To the left, the road seemed to continue, although the road looked very rough. I checked my State DNR maps and decided to head left.

Oh man that road was rough! I absolutely would not have brought the trailer here. Even my big, heavy truck (it weighs a lot more than the trailer does) bounced and jangled and careened over the large sharp rocks that made up the surface of this “road”. I crept along at less than 5mph until I found a place to turn around. I was sure hoping that there was road re-building being done here because no one in their right mind should be driving over a road that rough. [After I got home, I found online that the road was being re-built and there were warnings online about not driving on the road … but no signs had been posted at the road itself! I sent the DNR a friendly email. 🙂 ]

But as I was bouncing along out there on that rocky road, another little miracle happened. As I was turning the truck around so I could head back and get off this horrid road, I looked out my right/passenger window to find this person watching me (photo below). Well, hi there! No zoom lens needed … she was that close.

I sat very still for a moment. Several moments went by. And then she left.

And so I left too. I was glad to get back on that nice, smooth gravel road, although I was a bit disappointed that I had not been able to get all the way out to the Audubon Campout site. But life was good. And I was now heading back towards Yakima.

On the drive back, there was lots of country to drive through and lots of things to see and enjoy.

 

 

So … is sagebrush really part of the “sage” plant family? I don’t know.

And what is this really pretty yellow-flowered plant that was everywhere out there?

 

Hadn’t noticed this gate on my way up the road, but I certainly noticed it on my way back down the road. I loved it. What fun.

And then, finally, for you folks who love old barns, I passed this old fellow on the way back into Yakima. Since so many of you readers have said you love old barns, I am now trained to keep my eyes peeled for them. This was a great one. Thank you!

And eventually, I wended my way back into Yakima, and back to the campground and back to my little trailer.

I checked in one last time with the Camp Hosts to let them know I would be leaving in the morning. They insisted I sit and visit with them for a bit. I was happy to do so.

Then I had my supper. And hitched up the trailer to the truck right after supper, just in case it was raining in the morning.

After a good night’s sleep, I headed out the next morning with trailer in tow … north up the highway to Ellensburg, then west through the Cascade Mountains, over Snoqualmie Pass, and eventually home. What a nice trip!