# Occidentalist

> Outdoor Adventures From the Backyard to the Backcountry


## Posts

- [Signs of the Times From 2025](https://occidentalist.org/signs-of-the-times-from-2025/): Happy New Year and welcome to 2026! We were on the road through the end of 2025 and rung in the new year in the camper. I hope you had an equally good way to welcome in 2026 and say farewell to 2025. It’s well past time to look back and see what messages 2025 had for us, or shall we say, what signs we saw. Here’s our annual look back at a few fun, ridiculous, useless, or apt signs we ran across over the past 12 months or so.
- [Ten](https://occidentalist.org/ten/): Years that is. Yes, Occidentalist turns 10 today! This site has been following our travels for the past ten years! A few of the stats over those ten years: two Four Wheel Campers, two pickups, two fishing boats, about 200,000 miles, 3 countries, 38 U.S. states, two states in Mexico, 4 Canadian provinces, and about 700 nights spent in the camper(s). It’s been quite a ride over the last decade.
- [Fall in the Idaho Woods](https://occidentalist.org/fall-in-the-idaho-woods/): There has been some nice color the last few weeks in north central Idaho. The hardwoods (birch, mountain ash, cherry, cottonwood) along the rivers have been especially vibrant this fall. The western larch has been a little slower to change but seems to be hitting its peak as we turn the calendar into November.
- [The Elk City Wagon Road and Beyond](https://occidentalist.org/the-elk-city-wagon-road-and-beyond/): We’ve been on several sections of the Elk City Wagon Road but up until now, we hadn’t made a trip of driving the length of it. Time for that to change. After all, the road starts within a five minute drive of home! What is the Elk City Wagon Road? The road was constructed in 1894 and 1895 as a route from the South Fork of the Clearwater River to the goldfields of the Elk City area. Most of the route is still drivable today, even though there is very little left of the inns, stables and towns that popped […]
- [Discovering New Backroads - A Trip Through The Salmon River Mountains](https://occidentalist.org/discovering-new-backroads-a-trip-through-the-salmon-river-mountains/): We’d just finished up our backpack trip around the Alice Toxaway Loop. It took us about six hours to drive to the trailhead. We thought we’d take the backroads home, which took us about three days, where we discovered along the way entirely new (to us) parts of Idaho.
- [Backpacking the Sawtooths | Alice Toxaway Loop](https://occidentalist.org/backpacking-the-sawtooths-alice-toxaway-loop/): Where did the summer go? I’m not sure, but I think it is now in the history books. As we moved into fall the forecast for the higher elevations indicated a chance of snow. Luckily following that mid-September snow forecast was a window of ideal fall weather. It was time to load the backpacks and get a few miles on the boots before more snow made backpacking out of the question for the rest of 2025.
- [First Trip to the Gospel Hump](https://occidentalist.org/first-trip-to-the-gospel-hump/): The Gospel Hump Wilderness is fairly local to us, and it actually wasn’t on fire this year when we were able to go, so we packed up for an overnight, laced on the hiking boots and headed that way. We’ve actually been in the neighborhood of the Gospel Hump several times, including last fall, but this was are first time to make it a primary destination for a trip. There is a ‘cherry stem’ road that takes you up high and right into the middle of the wilderness area, and that seemed like a good jumping off point for a […]
- [A Loop of Washington's National Parks | Mt. Rainier National Park](https://occidentalist.org/a-loop-of-washingtons-national-parks-mt-rainier-national-park/): After picking up our tuna in Westport we spent the rest of the day moving east while avoiding Washington’s biggest cities. Making the loop from North Cascade to Olympic and then on to Rainer had the added bonus of creating a route that avoided the traffic and chaos of Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia. By late afternoon we were close enough to Mt. Rainier that we could get into the park and try and beat the big crowds we knew we’d find at Paradise. The next morning we arrived at Paradise fairly early, and just barely in time. The parking lot […]
- [A Loop of Washington's National Parks | Olympic National Park](https://occidentalist.org/a-loop-of-washingtons-national-parks-olympic-national-park/): Fresh off our overnight backpack out to the Olympic Coast we still had plenty of time in the day. The forecast was for clear-ish skies atop Hurricane Ridge so we left the low elevations of the coastal region and headed to the other end of the extremes found at Olympic National Park, the mountains. It was in the low 50’s when we arrived atop Hurricane Ridge, and just clear enough to offer a few glimpses of the impressive Olympic mountains between passing low cloud banks.
- [A Loop of Washington's National Parks | Olympic Coast](https://occidentalist.org/a-loop-of-washingtons-national-parks-olympic-coast/): After departing North Cascade National Park we headed toward Whidbey Island and hopped the ferry to the Olympic Peninsula. We swung through Port Angeles to pick up our backcountry permit at the Olympic National Park wilderness information center, and the next morning we hit the trail out to the Olympic Coast from Ozette. The “Ozette Triangle” makes for a nice overnight loop if you want to get a taste for the Olympic Coast. At just over 9 miles round trip it’s not too long, but far enough to leave a lot of the crowd behind and see a bit of […]
- [A Loop of Washington's National Parks | North Cascade National Park](https://occidentalist.org/a-loop-of-washingtons-national-parks-north-cascade-national-park/): After hiking in the North Cascades for two days without actually making it into the national park, we ventured further along highway 20 and spent our third day in the park. Besides highway 20 there are a few other access points to North Cascade National Park, but overall, even more so than most national parks, if you don’t get on the trail and take a hike or backpack trip you aren’t going to see very much here. We had pondered a backpack trip during our planning, but a couple weeks out from departure the available overnight permits were pretty few […]
- [A Loop of Washington's National Parks | Off to the North Cascades](https://occidentalist.org/a-loop-of-washingtons-national-parks-off-to-the-north-cascades/): North Cascades, Olympic, Rainier: Washington’s national parks are situated in a way that suggest a road trip tour of all three making a big loop around northwest Washington. After a bit of planning we set off to do just that on the last day of July. After a drive through the hot, dry, baked brown, eastern portion of Washington we arrived in the foothills of the North Cascades and set up a base camp near Mazama for a few days. Our first couple of days were actually spent outside North Cascades National Park, enjoying a couple hikes to some popular […]
- [Exploring the Panhandle of Idaho | Priest River and the Selkirk Mountains](https://occidentalist.org/exploring-the-panhandle-of-idaho-priest-river-and-the-selkirk-mountains/): After we left the St. Joe we continued north to the Priest River area in the northern reaches of Idaho’s panhandle. Huckleberries continued to be prolific, as did the mosquitoes, and we spent our first night in the area inside the camper listening to thunder and avoiding the pesky bloodsuckers. The next morning we picked a few cups of huckleberries before we departed camp. They made a great second round of sourdough pancakes, and went into some homemade huckleberry maple breakfast sausage once we arrived home. Yum!
- [Exploring the Panhandle of Idaho | St. Joe River](https://occidentalist.org/exploring-the-panhandle-of-idaho-st-joe-river/): This trip started with a whoosh. Well, actually it started with a long slow drive up a rocky road, leading to that whoosh. The whoosh was the air rushing out of our right rear tire at record speed after being punctured by a rock. There’s nothing quite like spending the day working your way into a remote site in the forest to spend a few days, only to come up a mile or so short of your goal, and then feeling the need to go get a tire fixed. We passed the three options of camps we intended to stay […]
- [Dworshak Reservoir Boat, Camp and Fish](https://occidentalist.org/dworshak-reservoir-boat-camp-and-fish/): Up until this year we hadn’t had much luck at Dworshak Reservoir., which is a shame, because here is this huge reservoir that mostly has an undeveloped shoreline, nice boating amenities, but the fish we were catching were tiny. Like fall through the net tiny. That all changed this year. We started catching kokanee with a decent size to them, and figured out the technique to start catching decent numbers (hint: they are really shallow). By early June we were having 30 fish days going out for day trips. The water level topped off at full pool about then as […]
- [Floating 70 Miles of the John Day River | Clarno to Cottonwood](https://occidentalist.org/floating-70-miles-of-the-john-day-river-clarno-to-cottonwood/): Our trip started at Clarno where we departed on a 6 day trip down 70 miles of the John Day River. The deserted boat ramp at the put in was a good sign. River trips normally start with a lot of chaos as people who seemingly have no clue that the boat ramp is for rigging your raft and then moving out of peoples way mill around eating breakfast and watching their kids splash in the water. Having absolutely nobody at the boat ramp never happens. Until this trip. We received a peace and quiet bonus by getting to the […]
- [Scenery and Storms on the Smith River, Montana](https://occidentalist.org/scenery-and-storms-on-the-smith-river-montana/): I made the call at 7:01 a.m., (being 8:01 in Montana, expecting a busy signal not an answer, and definitely not expecting a positive answer to my question. The question being, “Do you have any available permit cancellations?” After the ring and the pickup, the response came, “Yes, our furthest one out is May 11.” I quickly responded, “We’ll take it” and just like that we were headed to float the Smith River in Montana.
- [Touring the Ice Age Floods of Washington, Part 2](https://occidentalist.org/touring-the-ice-age-floods-of-washington-part-2/): After an evening watching the sandhill cranes, and a night of listening to coyotes we were back on the road from Potholes Reservoir heading north to see more pieces of the Ice Age Floods puzzle. Our first stop of the day was the Ephrata Fan. We were essentially working ‘upstream’ following the floods, and the Ephrata Fan is an alluvial fan of sorts where massive debris settled after being ripped out of the basalt as the Grand Coulee was formed. There is a mixture of house size basalt rocks and Volkswagen sized granite boulders spread out for miles across the […]
- [Touring the Ice Age Floods of Washington, Part 1](https://occidentalist.org/touring-the-ice-age-floods-of-washington-part-1/): Driving around eastern Washington, I’ve always been a bit confused. Some of the landforms and supposed drainages just don’t make sense. It turns out there is a reason for that. Massive ice age floods shaped the region with forces and water at levels that are impossible to comprehend. I can only imagine the reaction when the geologist J. Harlan Bretz proposed that these features were shaped by a series of massive floods. The amount of water and the speed at which is flowed is just simply at a scale of nothing that has ever been observed. He put the pieces […]
- [A Day on the Selway](https://occidentalist.org/a-day-on-the-selway/): This day is now a ways away. Back in March we headed up the Selway to have a look around at the real world.
- [Exploring the Idaho Panhandle, A Quick Trip North](https://occidentalist.org/exploring-the-idaho-panhandle-a-quick-trip-north/): As February neared its close, winter was starting to lose its grip on northern Idaho. The change was so quick that a lot of the fields we passed on the way north were covered with standing water, rivers were bank full and brown, and fields of winter wheat were starting to green up. It was finally time to escape our winter hibernation and get out on a trip somewhere, and we chose to go north for a couple days.
- [Skiing into 2025](https://occidentalist.org/skiing-into-2025/): Happy New Year all. Wow, we are already almost two weeks into the new year. We took advantage of the winter weather in the mountains nearby and headed out for a ski. The snow on the trees was so beautiful with the bluebird skies as a backdrop I thought I’d post a few pics. It’s been foggy and rainy at home, so getting out into the bright sunshine for a ski sure brightened up the week!
- [Signs of the Times, 2024](https://occidentalist.org/signs-of-the-times-2024/): Mostly ineffective, often ignored, sometimes humorous, rarely informative. We had the occasion to come across a fair number of signs in 2024. Below are a collection of a few of them.
- [2024 Retrospective](https://occidentalist.org/2024-retrospective/): Here we are halfway through December. It’s that time of year to think “what did we do in 2024?” Well, at least in terms of outdoor adventures, it takes a bit to sum it up. Mostly a collection of some memorable photos from the year, here is our 2024 retrospective. Click here on the photo below to view the PDF of the year in review.
- [Exploring the Lower Salmon River](https://occidentalist.org/exploring-the-lower-salmon-river/): The Lower Salmon is local for us. You just can’t see it from the road – or the highway at least. It was an easy trip down to Lone Pine Bar outside of Cottonwood one fall morning. We found a nice campground, white sand beaches, salmon spawning in the gravel and chukars clucking on the hills. We didn’t come home with a sample of the salmon or the chukar but it was good to find them there. Maybe next time. Fall was still hanging on, frost in the mornings, and limited sun as you are deep in the canyon. This […]
- [On The Hunt For Fall](https://occidentalist.org/on-the-hunt-for-fall/): Fall is a great time to be in the woods. Nice temperatures, generally fewer people than summer, the bugs are fading, and if you get to the right spot, the trees are starting to show off. We don’t have a lot of aspen close to home, so if we were going to see any as they transitioned from green to gold we’d have to hit the road. Southeast Idaho seemed to be a good option, with a lot of aspen and even a chance to fill a deer tag, if we were lucky.
- [Take A Hike Day 2024](https://occidentalist.org/take-a-hike-day-2024/): National “Take a Hike Day” was yesterday 11.17.24). We hit the Johns Creek trail for a couple miles on an overcast fall day. The colors were exquisite brought out by the recent rain: golds, rusty browns, reds on the twigs of dogwoods, white on the bark of birch, contrasted with the shiny green conifers, and massive ponderosa pines towering overhead, 80 feet up to their first branch. The chickadees were foraging and the squirrels were storing cones the size of themselves for winter. It is always a good day for a hike, but sometimes you just need a little nudge. […]
- [Into the Fall Woods](https://occidentalist.org/into-the-fall-woods/): Scorching temperatures and smoke, that is what July and August seem to consist of. So we were excited to see some cooling in the forecast as summer turned toward fall. The sky turned back to the blue it should be, and we turned our attention to the high country for a few days of exploring and searching for grouse.
- [To the Crazies and Back, A Whirlwind Through Montana](https://occidentalist.org/to-the-crazies-and-back-a-whirlwind-through-montana/): We had only been home from British Columbia for a couple of days, but we had worked diligently on rehabbing the truck and gear. I got the notification that Reckless Kelly was going to be in concert in the middle of Montana. Why not get back out on the road? Before we knew it we were packing the truck for a quick trip to Montana. This was a real whirlwind tour of western Montana, but it would give us a chance to see a few places we hadn’t been to yet. Eventually we plan to choose a year and focus […]
- [Videos: Parts 4 and 5 of the Grand Loop of British Columbia](https://occidentalist.org/videos-parts-4-and-5-of-the-grand-loop-of-british-columbia/): In case you missed the final two videos in the British Columbia Series they are posted below. In Part 4 we travel the Alaska Highway from Watson Lake, Yukon to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, mile 0 of the Alaska Highway: In Part 5 we finish our trip traveling through the Canadian Rockies in southern British Columbia:
- [A Loop of British Columbia, The End of the Road](https://occidentalist.org/a-loop-of-british-columbia-the-end-of-the-road/): With the Alaska Highway behind us our road trip tour around British Columbia was at the beginning of the end. Not far after Dawson Creek we found an interesting lake with just a couple campsites on it and settled in for a couple days of paddling and relaxing while overlooking the water.
- [Video: Loop of British Columbia, Part 3: Telegraph Creek and the End of the Cassiar Highway](https://occidentalist.org/video-loop-of-british-columbia-part-3-telegraph-creek-and-the-end-of-the-cassiar-highway/): Here’s the next installment of our video series detailing our loop road trip of British Columbia. We continue to enjoy BC Recreation Sites and more time on the lakes, take a side trip out to Telegraph Creek and finish up our drive on the Cassiar Highway.
- [A Loop of British Columbia, The Alaska Highway](https://occidentalist.org/a-loop-of-british-columbia-the-alaska-highway/): With the Cassiar Highway behind us we were now headed south. From Watson Lake, Yukon Territory we’d be heading to the start (end) of the ALCAN at Dawson Creek, British Columbia over the course of about a week. Beautiful rivers, majestic mountains and quite a bit of wildlife were on tap for this segment of our loop around British Columbia.
- [A Loop of British Columbia, End of the Cassiar Highway](https://occidentalist.org/a-loop-of-british-columbia-end-of-the-cassiar-highway/): After our day of bear viewing in Hyder we headed back to the Cassiar Highway and continued north toward the Yukon. Once you make it to the northern part of the Cassiar Highway you are really starting to get away from it all. Eventually even the paint on the road is left behind. There are just enough gas stations to keep you going, and the road is paved for the entire length, as far as highways go, the Cassiar is our speed. There are a few provincial parks along the way, but we passed those by preferring the less developed, […]
- [Video: Loop of British Columbia Part 2: Cassiar Highway, Salmon Glacier and Bears](https://occidentalist.org/video-loop-of-british-columbia-part-2-cassiar-highway-salmon-glacier-and-bears/): Here’s the second video installment of our Grand Loop of British Columbia, featuring the start of the Cassiar Highway, views of the majestic Salmon Glacier and a visit to Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site to see bears:
- [A Loop of British Columbia, Salmon Glacier and Bears](https://occidentalist.org/a-loop-of-british-columbia-salmon-glacier-and-bears/): We pulled out of Smithers after picking up the last of our supplies intended to last us the length of the Stewart-Cassiar Highway. At about 545 miles we planned on spending about a week on this portion of our Grand Loop road trip tour of British Columbia. Mountains, forests and lakes were a given, throw in a couple scenic glaciers and maybe a few bears, and you have all the ingredients of a good adventure. The Stewart-Cassiar did not disappoint.
- [A Loop of British Columbia, The Fishing Highway](https://occidentalist.org/a-loop-of-british-columbia-the-fishing-highway/): Days in Idaho were trending hot and smoky as we approached the end of July, August was looking hotter and smokier yet. It was time for an extended trip, and we set our sights north to British Columbia. British Columbia is huge. At twice the size of California, well, yes, it is that huge. Thinking of going to tour it for three to four weeks, it is hard to come up with a plan that will really give you a perspective on the province. We weren’t going to “see it all” but we had a few thoughts: try to see […]
- [Eagle Cap Backpack, 2024](https://occidentalist.org/eagle-cap-backpack-2024/): We already had all our backpack gear out from our recent trip into the White Clouds, so we consulted the backpacking “want to go” list and started looking at trails in the Wallowa Mountains of Oregon. We found a lesser used trail that would still get us up to some lakes and before long we were on our way.
- [Backpacking in the White Cloud Mountains, Idaho](https://occidentalist.org/backpacking-in-the-white-cloud-mountains-idaho/): Summer was turning into a scorcher and I started looking at the weather map for anywhere we could escape the heat for a few days. It appeared the only place in Idaho that might still stay in the 80’s during the day and cool into the 50’s overnight would be the high elevations of the Sawtooth and White Cloud mountains in the middle of the state. The White Clouds had been on our list as a backpacking “want to do” for a while, so we loaded the packs and headed that direction.
- [Video: Selway Getaway](https://occidentalist.org/video-selway-getaway/): After a lot of June passing by we needed a getaway. We headed to the Selway River for a quick trip. Fishing and pie iron cooking ensued, and we soaked in some great river views. The video is posted below, we hope you enjoy:
- [Mackay Bar, 2024](https://occidentalist.org/mackay-bar-2024/): It is always fun to study maps and dream of where to go and what is there. In the middle of Idaho the Salmon River bisects the state running east to west, and most of the country is only accessible by boat, horse, foot or plane. So when you see a switchbacked road making its way down from the high forests to the river, well, if you are curious you just want to go and check it out. We waited until we thought the snow would allow us to pass through the high country above the river (about 6400 feet […]
- [Elk Creek Falls and McCroskey State Park](https://occidentalist.org/elk-creek-falls-and-mccroskey-state-park/): Memorial Day weekend and the camping crowds that come with it were on the horizon, but we had a few days before the big weekend hit. So we picked a somewhat local location of the list of places to explore and hit the road north to Elk River. Once we crisscrossed the Elk River Backcountry Byway and found ourselves in the tiny town of Elk River we headed to the trailhead to Elk Creek Falls, just outside of town.
- [Down The Wild Owyhee, 2024](https://occidentalist.org/down-the-wild-owyhee-2024/): Flows were looking good in mid May, which isn’t always the case on a river as fickle as the Owyhee. Snowpack was good over the winter, and flows were slowly declining to what would be ideal for a trip, 2700 CFS. We packed our bags, hooked up the raft and headed to southeast Oregon for our second trip on the Wild Owyhee.
- [Video: Wildflowers and Washes of Anza Borrego | South to Spring Episode 6](https://occidentalist.org/video-wildflowers-and-washes-of-anza-borrego-south-to-spring-episode-6/): Our last episode of South to Spring is now live. We visited Anza Borrego (twice) and found lots of wildflowers and took some stunning drives up a few washes to see the stunning geology of Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Thanks for following along on our trip, South to Spring.
- [South to Spring | Anza Borrego Part 3](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring-anza-borrego-part-3/): The last day we spent in Anza Borrego was going to be a big one. Although the road system we were on connected to where we were headed for the day, I wasn’t too excited about the one way Diablo Dropoff so we got started on our trip up Fish Creek Wash by heading through Borrego Valley to the Elephant Tree loop trail. The sun felt pretty scorching by 9 am, but it seemed as though the flowers were loving it, and they carpeted the entire wash we followed on our first hike of the day.
- [South to Spring | Anza Borrego Part 2](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring-anza-borrego-part-2/): After a few days over at Organ Pipe National Monument to escape the windstorm that blew through the area, we were back at Anza Borrego Desert State Park, our last stop on our trip South to Spring. Instead of picking up where we left off in Part 1, we headed to the southern part of the park and dove off the pavement and down into Canyon Sin Nombre.
- [Video: Escape to Organ Pipe | South to Spring Episode 5](https://occidentalist.org/video-escape-to-organ-pipe-south-to-spring-episode-5/): Episode 5 of our series South to Spring is now live. We cover, you guessed it, our time in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona. This may have just been our best stop of the trip, and we initially didn’t even plan to go there! There were spectacular sunsets, amazingly green and lush vegetation, loads of birds and flowers, and some pretty great hiking. We hope you enjoy.
- [South to Spring | Organ Pipe Part 2](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring-organ-pipe-part-2/): Our second full day at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument was going to be a bit of a day off. We weren’t driving anywhere, we’d catch up on a few things and then hike from camp for the day. We were around the campground during part of the day and observed that a lot of people in the massive RV’s seem to plan their day around maximizing their generator use during the allowed hours. I’m not sure how they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on those gigantic things and they don’t even come with solar panels to keep them […]
- [South to Spring | Organ Pipe Part 1](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring-organ-pipe-part-1/): As forecasted, the wind blew through the night. Typically in our Four Wheel Camper wind doesn’t bother us, but this was another level of wind. The roof was flexing and popping and the sides of the camper were billowing in and out. It was going to be another windy day in Anza Borrego Desert State Park. We packed up camp and drove to a place where we could find internet coverage so we could study the extent of the predicted high winds. It appeared that the wind was going to last at least the next two to three days and […]
- [South to Spring | Anza Borrego Part 1](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring-anza-borrego-part-1/): We left Joshua Tree National Park and were still headed south in our quest to find spring. We were headed just about as far south as you can get without a passport, Anza Borrego State Park. At nearly 600,000 acres Anza Borrego is large for a state park, and overall it isn’t overly developed either. We were starting to see some wildflower reports so our timing was looking good.
- [Video: Strolling Through Joshua Tree | South to Spring Episode 4](https://occidentalist.org/video-strolling-through-joshua-tree-south-to-spring-episode-4/): We made it as far as Joshua Tree National Park. In this episode we cover a couple of hikes where we were able to get out and enjoy the diversity of the park. Join us as we stroll through the Maze loop and Black Canyon, and the Panorama Loop.
- [South to Spring | Conversation With a Ranger](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring-conversation-with-a-ranger/): I heard the strange sound as the white National Park Service Vehicle approached. It might have been a hovercraft mixed with a spaceship type of sound, but really it was just the extra noise electric vehicles make to let you know they are there and running. They stopped right in front of our campsite as the driver started poking the screen of his tablet and the passenger sat there and looked on. “I have to go and ask”, I said. I had to know why Joshua Tree National Park has the most onerous and wasteful system for purchasing a campsite […]
- [South to Spring | Hiking Joshua Tree](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring-hiking-joshua-tree/): Joshua Tree wasn’t really on the list for this trip. We’d been before and had spent several days touring, hiking and camping in the park. We had a lot of other places on our list. It just so happened that we were going to be in the neighborhood after a day of trip chores. A trip into town to catch up on things we needed to do after a couple weeks on the road: laundry, a trip to the store and new tires had all been checked off the list. We needed a place to camp for the night. We […]
- [Video: Rock Art and Rough Roads | South to Spring Episode 3](https://occidentalist.org/video-rock-art-and-rough-roads-south-to-spring-episode-3/): Our latest video continues our South to Spring trip as we venture out to the Mojave Desert in search of rock art (petroglyphs and pictographs) in the Mojave Desert. We encounter a few rough roads along the way.
- [South to Spring | Beyond Barstow](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring-beyond-barstow/): After about ten days on the road it was time to swing into a town to refuel and refill the fridge. Barstow lies on the edge of the Mojave National Preserve and also happened to be on our way to our next destination, so we made a few quick stops and then we headed out beyond Barstow for a few more days of adventure.
- [Video: Meandering the Mojave | South to Spring Episode 2](https://occidentalist.org/video-meandering-the-mojave-south-to-spring-episode-2/): Here’s our second episode in our video series South to Spring. In this episode we are exploring the Mojave National Preserve including Caruthers Canyon in the New York Mountains, Hole in the Wall, the Granite Mountains, the Kelso Dunes and we end the visit to the preserve in the cinder cone and lava beds area. We hope you enjoy this installment.
- [South to Spring | Mojave National Preserve Part 3: Kelso Dunes](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring-mojave-national-preserve-part-3-kelso-dunes/): As much as we could have stayed in camp and marveled at our view of the Granite Mountains all day, the sunny skies seemed to be taunting us to get moving, so we headed down the road to our next destination, Kelso Dunes.
- [South to Spring | Mojave National Preserve Part 2: Hole in the Wall](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring-mojave-national-preserve-part-2-hole-in-the-wall/): As we packed up camp the forecasted rain was turning from a sprinkle to a deluge. By the time we were on the road the New York mountains were shrouded in fog and the road was starting to feel a bit greasy. That convinced us that we wouldn’t be exploring another canyon in the mountains and we’d instead head toward better roads and Hole in the Wall as our next destination for exploring on the Mojave National Preserve.
- [South to Spring | Mojave National Preserve Part 1: Caruthers Canyon](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring-mojave-national-preserve-part-1-caruthers-canyon/): As we left Death Valley and headed south we drove through the town of Shoshone. It’s always fun to see the price of regular unleaded there, the day we passed through it was $5.99. Only close to double what we had paid through Idaho and Nevada to get here. As we continued south toward Baker there was a near steady stream of enormous three story RV’s with names like Adrenaline, Voltage, Sandstorm, Rag’n, Man Cave, Attitude and Stealth. Ok Stealth, you aren’t sneaking up on anybody with your three axles and 50′ length. Someone actually gets paid to think up […]
- [Video: Exploring Death Valley | South to Spring Episode 1](https://occidentalist.org/video-exploring-death-valley-south-to-spring-episode-1/): Here is our first video of our South to Spring Series that covers our time in Death Valley National Park. We cover the epic drive through Echo Canyon, explore the Inyo Mine, some sights from Hole in the Wall Road, take a look at Lake Manly while it is still there, and end the trip on the divide between Gold and Greenwater Valleys. We hope you enjoy!
- [South to Spring | Exploring Death Valley Part 2: Hole in the Wall, Lake Manly and Beyond](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring-exploring-death-valley-part-2-hole-in-the-wall-lake-manly-and-beyond/): Our two day camping permit for Echo Canyon had run out. Where to go next? We thought we’d explore Hole in the Wall road, but the same regulations for camping applied there, just like Echo Canyon we needed a permit. We headed back to Furnace Creek visitor center to find out if there was a permit available. We arrived just after opening and secured the last campsite available for the night. Hole in the Wall it was.
- [South to Spring | Exploring Death Valley Part 1: Echo Canyon](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring-exploring-death-valley-part-1-echo-canyon/): We’d been watching the weather since the day we decided to head South to Spring. While planning our trip, yet another atmospheric river was coming on shore in southern California and was expected to wreak havoc across a wide area of the state. A lot of roads were still closed in Death Valley following the complete closure of the park due to hurricane Hillary in August 2023. Would all of our plans be put on hold or cancelled? We kept checking websites for current conditions, but it appeared that California was still on the map and enough of our planned […]
- [South to Spring](https://occidentalist.org/south-to-spring/): We were headed south on Nevada Highway 305 as another cyanide tanker whizzed past us on it’s way to the gold mine down the valley. How did we end up on this lonely highway? I suppose it all started on January 30, National Plan for Vacation Day. I’ve always believed that if you don’t do it now, you’ll be one year older when you do. Making a plan to escape your everyday routine is the first step toward making it a reality. Yes, we already had a plan to head to Baja Mexico for February and March, but due to […]
- [A Winter Camp in Winchester](https://occidentalist.org/a-winter-camp-in-winchester/): The calendar currently says it is winter. Looking out the window, not so much. We did have a short cold snap in Idaho and we headed out and about shortly thereafter to get in our first camp of 2024. The snow was already melting, the ice at Winchester Lake was already quickly turning to slush, but we’ll go ahead and call it a winter camp anyhow.
- [The Last Cast of 2023](https://occidentalist.org/the-last-cast-of-2023/): We’ve been focused on seeking out steelhead, with some limited success, during the last months of 2023. According to recent stats from the Idaho Fish and Game it is currently taking between 20-30 hours of effort to land a steelhead. That means we’re overdue for our next fish according to my records, so wish us luck as we head out to make the last cast of the year. Luckily as the year draws to a close, the steelhead are still in the river and the fishing continues in January. 
- [Signs of the Times, 2023](https://occidentalist.org/signs-of-the-times-2023/): Signs we run across while traveling continue to captivate me. See some of our past sign posts from 2019, 2020 and 2022. We covered a lot of miles this year, and ran across quite a few signs along the trail.  The most common theme was “closed for the season”, this is not new for 2023, but you would not believe, no matter the season, how often that sign is put out as if it explains it all. I’m not sure what the season is, it seems to be year round, varying location by location, or even business by business. It seems particularly prevalent in […]
- [Salmon River, 2023](https://occidentalist.org/salmon-river-2023/): Steelhead on the Salmon River? Yeah, it might sound a bit strange, but that was what we were there for. Well, yes, there’s also the camping, being on the river, a bit of wildlife, time around the campfire, all in a place not too far from home. Throw in a chance for steelhead? Count us in. And yes, there are salmon as well, but that season was winding down while steelhead should be ramping up. 
- [Searching for Surf Perch](https://occidentalist.org/searching-for-surf-perch/): We’ve searched for surf perch before. Supposedly there are little fish in the breaking waves of the Oregon Coast sucking up bits of crab, shrimp and sand worms, but our previous trip for them didn’t provide the truth. This trip turned out a bit different. (hint: yes they are there!)
- [A Trip Through the Magruder Corridor](https://occidentalist.org/a-trip-through-the-magruder-corridor/): In 1863 Lloyd Magruder was murdered while he traveled through the Bitterroot Mountains on the southern Nez Perce Trail. The travel route that now bears his name was used for centuries by the Nez Perce to travel between buffalo hunting grounds to the east and salmon fishing rivers to the west. In the 1930’s the Civilian Conservation Corps built the road through this rugged country. In 1980, when the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness was designated by Congress the “corridor” was formed, as this is the only road that divides what would otherwise be 3.5 million acres of contiguous wilderness between the […]
- [Backpacking the Seven Devils Mountains](https://occidentalist.org/backpacking-the-seven-devils-mountains/): We nearly let 2023 slip by without getting out backpacking. We planned a trip in September but it didn’t work out. October was here, we got the backpacks loaded and headed for the Seven Devils Mountains, towering above the Salmon River in Idaho.
- [Lolo Motorway 2023](https://occidentalist.org/lolo-motorway-2023/): The Lolo Motorway (also known as Forest Road 500) was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s and crosses the Bitterroot Mountains in Idaho roughly following the path Lewis and Clark used in 1805 and 1806 during the Corps of Discovery, as well as the Nee-Me-Poo trail used by the Nez Perce for hundreds of years. We took four days to follow those historic trails across the mountains of Idaho high above the Clearwater River.
- [Fly Fishing for Cutthroats](https://occidentalist.org/fly-fishing-for-cutthroats/): Wow how times flies, It seems like just yesterday we were watching cutthroats rise to a fly in the Idaho mountains, and now here we are in October! Back in August we took a week and explored a local river and met with great success in casting a few flies and reeling in a few fish.
- [Lost River Basin, 2023](https://occidentalist.org/lost-river-basin-2023/): There is a place in Idaho that has the highest mountains in the state, abundant high elevation lakes and relatively few people. It’s hard to put a label on it, and it hasn’t been branded with this or that “protection” that usually brings in the hordes and destroys the place with crowds fawning all over the place. We got to spend a few days there this August.
- [Grande Ronde River 2023](https://occidentalist.org/grande-ronde-river-2023/): After a lot of unpacking of boxes we took a week off from moving and headed to the Grande Ronde River. We thought we were timing it just right, the flow was set to drop below 1500 CFS and the fishing really picks up as the river drops. Little did we know the water would be a murky brown from intense rain. The fishing was the worst I’ve ever seen it, but getting on the river still can’t be beat.
- [Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, 2023](https://occidentalist.org/sheldon-national-wildlife-refuge-2023/): We were going to be out and about for Memorial Day and hoping to avoid the crowds. Where to go on one of the busiest outdoor weekends of the year? Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in northern Nevada was on the list and looked like a good candidate. It turned out the be a great place to get away from the crowds see some wildlife and abundant wildflowers and stretch our legs wandering among the sage.
- [The Badlands to Devils Tower - South Dakota and Wyoming 2023](https://occidentalist.org/the-badlands-to-devils-tower-south-dakota-and-wyoming-2023/): As we left Minnesota we stopped off while crossing the Mississippi River. It was starting to seem like we were really moving west crossing the Mississippi. North Dakota was one big rainstorm, so we kept driving to South Dakota to get through it. Holy Pheasants! It seemed like we were seeing dozens per mile as we crossed the plains. Our next big destination was the Badlands National Park.
- [Through the Great Lakes in the "Spring"](https://occidentalist.org/through-the-great-lakes-in-the-spring/): We finished off our “East Coast Adventure” in much more of a rush than we had planned. Things were closed for the season, and we had someone expecting us back. Now those pressures were gone. We had time and we didn’t really know where we were headed, except west. This was a luxury we didn’t have when we moved east last August, so we could take some time to wander our way back west. We did have the boat to tow, so that limits our options of adventures a tad bit. We chose a route that took us through northern […]
- [To Maine and Acadia](https://occidentalist.org/to-maine-and-acadia/): After our day at Antietam we jumped on the Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route as it crossed the Pennsylvania state line. Our trip south a few weeks earlier through Pennsylvania was one filled with traffic, congestion, and cities, but the BDR took us well off the beaten path and showed us a more rural, relaxed and beautiful side of the state that we enjoyed immensely.
- [Antietam](https://occidentalist.org/antietam/): In one day in September 1862 Antietam Creek went from the site of a quiet meandering creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland, to the site of the bloodiest day of the Civil War and of American History with about 23,000 killed, wounded or missing.
- [From the Smokies to Shenandoah](https://occidentalist.org/from-the-smokies-to-shenandoah/): After our surprise call (described in the last post) what was going to be a week long ramble along back roads up to Great Smokey Mountains National Park was done in an afternoon. We found a relatively empty Deep Creek campground to use as a base camp while we explored the park. As most of the other campgrounds seemed to be full we were happy to find Deep Creek even if it is a bit out of the way of the main part of the park. Since we only really had one day set aside to see the park at […]
- [Exploring the Mid-Atlantic Coast](https://occidentalist.org/exploring-the-mid-atlantic-coast/): We departed New Jersey by way of a ferry to Lewes, Delaware. It was a quick but choppy ride across Delaware Bay as we continued south on our East Coast Adventure. Before we knew it we left Delaware behind (blink and you’ll miss it, Delaware is tiny) and we were suddenly in Ocean City Maryland. I’ve never witnessed so many hotels and mini golf courses packed so tightly together, and the strange thing was, there was nobody here. I’m not sure what it is like in the summer, but I’m guessing it’s not pretty if you are looking to get […]
- [Video: New Jersey](https://occidentalist.org/video-new-jersey/): After a long delay, finally an update to our east coast trip. You can find the video from our New Jersey explorations below, and the rest of the trip will be rolling out over the course of July!
- [New Jersey!](https://occidentalist.org/new-jersey/): When you hear New Jersey I’m sure an image comes to your mind. It may not be thousands of acres of pine trees and white sand beaches but that is what we found while we were there.
- [Closed For The Season](https://occidentalist.org/closed-for-the-season/): And a few other thoughts from the road…
- [Introducing our East Coast Adventure](https://occidentalist.org/introducing-our-east-coast-adventure/): Hey does this site still work? Yes, it’s been pretty quiet around here lately, but that is all about to change. After working every day but one since December it is time to get back on the road and on to new adventures. We figured since we are here on the right side of the country why not give it a look around? We intended to do that when we moved to Vermont, however, it has ended up that we have only had 5 nights in the camper since last August, where we expected to have many dozens based on […]
- [Happy (Belated) Groundhog Day](https://occidentalist.org/happy-belated-groundhog-day/): It’s that quiet time of year here on the website. We’d like to be out winter camping, but sadly we’re not. We did get out and about a bit this past week to enjoy a wintry Vermont, an afternoon of ice skating, a day of cross country skiing and a half day on the ski hill (or the spa). We have since survived the brief cold snap – about -22 degrees F, maybe -40 with the wind chill, that gripped New England for a couple days. So, we thought we’d provide a quick update as we slide past Groundhog day […]
- [Signs of the Times, 2022](https://occidentalist.org/signs-of-the-times-2022/): Signs are everywhere, telling you what to do, or not. Some are more amusing than others. Here’s a few we ran across in 2022.
- [Exploring the White Mountains, New Hampshire, 2022](https://occidentalist.org/exploring-the-white-mountains-new-hampshire-2022/): After a little looking around Vermont’s only National Forest on our last trip, we decided it was time to check out neighboring New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest. With a birthday to celebrate and couple days off along with a favorable forecast (can you say 60’s and sunny in November?) we hit the road. In my opinion there’s no better way to celebrate another successful orbit around the sun than to get outside and see something new.
- [Exploring the Green Mountain National Forest, 2022](https://occidentalist.org/exploring-the-green-mountain-national-forest-2022/): After staying pretty local enjoying the fall colors we were able to escape for an overnight to the Green Mountain National Forest. The Green Mountain National Forest is Vermont’s only national forest and it was high on the list to check out, since larger areas of public land are pretty hard to come by in Vermont. We also had the Waybury Inn on the list of things to see. The Waybury (the outside) is the Inn in the show “Newhart” owned by the Loudens and known on the show as the Stratford Inn. Since we took on the new profession […]
- [Fall in Vermont, 2022, Part 3](https://occidentalist.org/fall-in-vermont-2022-part-3/): Almost as soon as the colors peaked in the maples it seemed they were starting to fade. We needed to get out and about to enjoy the colors while they lasted. We started with a tour of the Champlain Valley and the islands of Lake Champlain. As we headed out over Jay Peak the trees at the summit were starting to look like sticks, but as we dropped in elevation toward the valley it seemed like fall was just getting started.
- [Fall in Vermont, 2022, Part 2](https://occidentalist.org/fall-in-vermont-2022-part-2/): After the slow transition through September, the colors seemed to be taking off as we hit October. Reds and yellows were popping off the hillsides. We thought we’d better get out and about for a look and drove north a few miles and found Canada along the way. Yep, no border wall here, just a monument where the road quietly passes into Canada and back in to Vermont, and of course the ‘slash’ that is a cleared area along the border.
- [Fall in Vermont, 2022, Part 1](https://occidentalist.org/fall-in-vermont-2022-part-1/): Fall in Vermont seemed a bit slow to come. Way back in August there were some trees changing, but not a lot. September offered a hint of color with more coming on towards the end. Then the brilliant colors came and went. But I’m getting ahead of myself. It’s time to roll back time to September. We visited Island Pond and Spectacle Pond along with Brighton State Park for an overnight trip. There was just a hint of color coming on. We had Island Pond all to ourselves, except for the loons. We’ve yet to be on a lake in […]
- [Jay Peak & Hazen's Notch, 2022](https://occidentalist.org/jay-peak-hazens-notch-2022/): Since moving last month most of our time has been spent getting settled in and figuring out where things are. We have been out and about a bit and our first hike was on the long trail starting out at Hazen’s Notch State Park. Hazen’s Notch is a pass just south of us named for Moses Hazen who was a brigadier general in the Continental Army who led the construction of the road in 1779. It is now a State Park that provides access to Vermont’s famed Long Trail.
- [Off to Vermont!](https://occidentalist.org/off-to-vermont/): On July 30th we decided to move to Vermont. On August 1st we quit our jobs, and on the 16th we loaded everything in a U-Haul and started the drive across the country. Six days later we arrived in Vermont. We camped our way across country staying in Utah, Wyoming, Iowa, Indiana and New York. As much as you could say that staying in RV parks is camping. We normally don’t stay in locations like this, but with a U-Haul towing a boat, well, you need something not quite as remote. It was a bit of a revelation to us […]
- [Old Cascades, July 2022](https://occidentalist.org/old-cascades-july-2022/): There’s the Cascades, and then there’s the Old Cascades. Those weather worn non-descript “hills” west of the flashy snow capped peaks everyone knows about. The Old Cascades are filled with trails, small lakes and wildflowers, and lack the wilderness designation that bring the crowds. We went to explore in July hoping to catch a few wildflowers and find a quiet ridge with a view. We were successful, although the truck has a few new pinstripes from the brushy roads to prove it.
- [Yamsay Mountain, 2022](https://occidentalist.org/yamsay-mountain-2022/): July is here, it was past time to take a backpack trip, so we hit the Fremont National Recreational Trail on it’s northern end and headed toward Yamsay Mountain. We’ve been on other sections of the trail back when we were wandering the Warners, but this was our first jaunt up Yamsay. Our cool spring weather is long past, and the uphill through the lodgepole was hot and dusty. But on the plus side, we were in the mountains with nobody around. Our trip started at Antler Trailhead.
- [Northeast Oregon, 2022](https://occidentalist.org/northeast-oregon-2022/): Spring in Oregon was wet. That’s relevant here for a couple reasons. When planning out our early summer we put a couple river trips on the calendar. We had already cancelled a trip on the John Day due to high flows, and as we approached our dates for the Grande Ronde flows were similarly high. What could we do instead? We decided to still head to the northeast corner of the state, but we morphed our plans into a road trip.
- [San Juan Islands, 2022](https://occidentalist.org/san-juan-islands-2022/): There’s a few good reasons why we haven’t been to the San Juan Islands in Washington. The main one being the huge obstacle in the way of getting there, also known as Seattle. The other being that well, they are islands. Typically we’d truck camp to a destination like this but the extra step of ferrying to multiple islands made this an item that barely made the list of places to consider visiting. Then in 2021 we purchased our 16 foot Hewes Craft, also known as the Red Baron. All the sudden a visit seemed pretty intriguing and it got […]
- [John Day River, 2022](https://occidentalist.org/john-day-river-2022/): Spring is always a nice time to hit the John Day River. Wildflowers are blooming, it greens up for a short period of time, and the blackbirds and geese fill the air. We launched at Service Creek and made our way to Clarno over the course of four days in May. After a relatively dry winter, spring in Oregon has been pretty moist. This trip was no exception. Flows were pretty high, especially if you are interested in fishing. But the flowers were blooming and we had long stretches of the river to ourselves.
- [Fishing and Philosophizing on the Oregon Coast](https://occidentalist.org/fishing-and-philosophizing-on-the-oregon-coast/): We took a trip to the coast in search of fish, but returned empty handed…or did we? Sometimes just getting out is what you need.

## Pages

- [Blog Timeline](https://occidentalist.org/blog-timeline/): Below you will find a chronological listing of all the posts, from the most recent all the way back to 2015. You can also browse posts on our map or use the search function on the right sidebar of the main page if you are looking for something specific. 2026 Signs of the Times From 2025 2025 The Elk City Wagon Road and BeyondDiscovering New Backroads – A Trip Through The Salmon River MountainsBackpacking the Sawtooths | Alice Toxaway LoopFirst Trip to the Gospel HumpA Loop of Washington’s National Parks | Mt. Rainier National ParkA Loop of Washington’s National Parks […]
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- [About](https://occidentalist.org/about/): Join us as we adventure our way around the west and beyond. We’ll feature weekend and extended trips to the outdoors focusing on fishing, hiking, camping, exploring and outdoor cooking in locations we find interesting from the backyard to the backcountry. We’re currently based out of Idaho and primarily use our Four Wheel Camper on a Ford Ranger as a base for exploration. If you’d like a few more details on our Four Wheel Camper Eagle model watch our walkaround video below. Some weekends we’ll head out boating with our Hewes Craft or whitewater raft, while other weekends we’ll hit […]
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