Missed checking in on all of you since last May when we began our adventure. For first timers we did great and learned a lot. We spent the past 6 months boondocking at 10,000' in the Utah mountains. No electricity, no water, no cell, tv or radio reception on the mountain. We relied on solar power and generator which we found we needed more often then we planned since heat is required all summer. We hauled our water in 55 gallon barrels once a week when we went to town for supplies and mail. We refilled our FW tank once a week, used bottled water for drinking and caught rainwater for outdoor use. Best summer ever. When we left Utah a week ago there was 10" of snow which will accumulate to twenty feet by February. Can't wait to get back once the snow melts and the road reopens. Anyone who is hesitating about boondocking-DON'T-what you don't know now, you will learn along the way and the experience is worth it. Total peace and quiet, stars so close you think you can touch them, deer at you doorstep......almost heaven. Steve and Kate
el Rojo and Pam said
06:15 PM Oct 30, 2013
Sounds like a great time!
SnowGypsy said
09:42 PM Oct 30, 2013
That does sound wonderful! I can't imagine how refreshing and peaceful that must be. Heck, I enjoy the quiet of the electricity going off in a storm.
RVRon said
05:00 PM Oct 31, 2013
That sounds fabulous, Steve & Kate although I don't think I could survive that long without internet or TV! We've spent some time Jeeping in the La Sal Mts. and thought it would be a very peaceful place to hang out for a while. Just wondering what you did about emptying your holding tanks?
Steve and Kate said
11:42 PM Oct 31, 2013
RV Ron: We purchased the land on the mountain and had a drive, parking pad and septic system installed. We were able to dump our tanks directly into the septic system once a week. The climb to our mountain lot was up 5,000 feet in elevation with 8-10% grades, 90 degree turns and no guard rails (except for one or two places) so going up/down the mountain with a 5th wheel was not a good option! Just going down once a week for supplies in our 3/4 ton truck was enough work. Didn't need TV or internet with all the beauty nature provided. We watched the deer, woodchucks, chipmunks and birds, took long leisurely walks with our dog and generally got up and went to bed with the sun. We did use the local library once a week to catch up on news, e mails and pay bills. The only things I missed were cakes, pancakes, waffles and baked potatoes--high altitude was an issue with those items. Did learn that if you boil a potato for half an hour then bake it wrapped in foil it will eventually get done, but the texture is not the same. The baked goods just didn't work even following high altitude recipes, but most of those only go as high as 6,000 feet and we were at 10,000.
Can't wait to go back in the spring. Steve and Kate
Missed checking in on all of you since last May when we began our adventure. For first timers we did great and learned a lot. We spent the past 6 months boondocking at 10,000' in the Utah mountains. No electricity, no water, no cell, tv or radio reception on the mountain. We relied on solar power and generator which we found we needed more often then we planned since heat is required all summer. We hauled our water in 55 gallon barrels once a week when we went to town for supplies and mail. We refilled our FW tank once a week, used bottled water for drinking and caught rainwater for outdoor use. Best summer ever. When we left Utah a week ago there was 10" of snow which will accumulate to twenty feet by February. Can't wait to get back once the snow melts and the road reopens. Anyone who is hesitating about boondocking-DON'T-what you don't know now, you will learn along the way and the experience is worth it. Total peace and quiet, stars so close you think you can touch them, deer at you doorstep......almost heaven. Steve and Kate
RV Ron: We purchased the land on the mountain and had a drive, parking pad and septic system installed. We were able to dump our tanks directly into the septic system once a week. The climb to our mountain lot was up 5,000 feet in elevation with 8-10% grades, 90 degree turns and no guard rails (except for one or two places) so going up/down the mountain with a 5th wheel was not a good option! Just going down once a week for supplies in our 3/4 ton truck was enough work. Didn't need TV or internet with all the beauty nature provided. We watched the deer, woodchucks, chipmunks and birds, took long leisurely walks with our dog and generally got up and went to bed with the sun. We did use the local library once a week to catch up on news, e mails and pay bills. The only things I missed were cakes, pancakes, waffles and baked potatoes--high altitude was an issue with those items. Did learn that if you boil a potato for half an hour then bake it wrapped in foil it will eventually get done, but the texture is not the same. The baked goods just didn't work even following high altitude recipes, but most of those only go as high as 6,000 feet and we were at 10,000.
Can't wait to go back in the spring. Steve and Kate