Trip report: Fordyce Lake Foray

We live just 20 minutes from the start of the Fordyce Jeep Trail made famous almost 50 years ago by the organizers of the Sierra Trek. It is one of the oldest hard-core Jeep trails in the U.S. The Sierra Trek went down last week-end, and hundreds of jeepers of all descriptions came and went. With obstacles like, "winch hill #1, 2, 3, 4,and 5, your progress is measured not in miles (it's only 12 miles of actual trail), but rather in how many times you were stuck or had to get out the winch hook.
This report is not about the Sierra Trek, but rather an extended family, 2 over-night TC trip to the Lake that feeds the fast moving Fordyce Creek. The flow just for the Trek, is reduced down to about 20 % of normal so the 6 or so creek crossings can be made in less than 5 feet of water.
Jefe and Jean loaded up the grandkids (3), our son, Matt driving an XJ with all the stuff needed to support a 6, 9, and 10 year old and a inflatable kayak as the aquatic focus. Bro Jim and his effervescent wife Vicki made a cameo appearance during the day which meant we had wine with lunch.
Only 23 road miles from our home, it still took an hour and 50 minutes to get to camp. The last 9 miles in are very rough and rocky. Of which we were in low range 80% of the time. This road was last improved in 1914 when the Nevada Irrigation District (one of the oldest water and power facilities in the U.S.) built the dam and spillway for Fordyce Lake. O.K., only 99 years ago, but you get the idea:

We eventually settled on a little sand spit in the slowly lowering lake.


This is a view of my 3 pound 9x12 ft. tarp with backpacker recycled poles and bungie cord guy ropes. I include this because a couple of hours after this pic, a tremendous gust took it out severing a long strip along the camper. Oh, well.
back to the drawing board. The tarp was decades old ripstop nylon and kept us out of the sun, rain, and snow on one occasion.


Matt, Austin, Brooke, and Madison paddle away in the inflatable Kayak:


My Queen casting off with Matt in the inflatable:

Yet another used for those pesky orange lego blocks for leveling the camper. A foot mat for using the outside shower to rinse your tootsies. Here Vicky waits for the feet to air dry before dawning her footwear:



Below is a shot of the 'warrior' TC's front end with attendant dents and scratches from the warz: notice the lack of Lance Camper stabilizers (shocks):


None of this makes much news except for the fact that the second night, for better or for worse, we had SIX people sleeping in the TC. Jean my Queen and I were in the queen. The 9 and 10 yr. olds were on the convertable dinette. Our last grandchild, Austen was in the upper bunk which we convinced him was 'cool'. With the dinette converted, it was a stretch (or should I say squeeze) to get the bathroom door open enough in the middle of the night. What about the 6th? Matt was sleeping on the ground next to the TC but got cold feet when a few field mice started to sniff around his pillow. He retreated into the back seat of the truck for an even longer night. So VI people spent a "night in the box" to quote Strother Martin from Cool Hand Luke. I report this to dissuade anyone from trying to camp more than two people in a small hardside truck camper. Does critical mass mean anything?
The temp was idyllic and the only sad part was we went in and out of the smoke plume from a nearby forest fire. The kids had an absolutely fabulous time. For the kids, every minute was brand new, not just every day.
regards, as always, jefe