Hi Gram!
We headed up the mountain Monday morning to Snowbasin Resort, a ski and snowboard resort about 20-30 minutes from where we were staying. The drive up was beautiful, and we arrived early enough to snag parking right by the entrance. The lodge was very plush and warm, and I found a seat by the fire to change out of my gym shoes and into my boots. We got a lay of the land, found the gift shop and restaurants, and checked out the map to decide which lifts we wanted to take up and the route we wanted to ride down, then waited until 9am when the lifts opened. Usually, weekdays aren’t very busy but some of the manufacturers were onsite with demos for the shops in the surrounding states to try out next year’s models. That meant the lines had about 10 minute waits instead of getting right on the gondola. We got up pretty quick, though, and took in the beautiful sun-kissed views on our way to the top. After a couple runs, our friend Timmy met up with us and showed us some more of the mountain. Zibby took a break to clean the snow out of her jacket and mittens while Timmy and I made another run. The clear, sunny skies got s0cked in by clouds rolling against the mountains on our way up, making visibility a little more challenging on that run. After finding Zibby by the fireplace, the three of us checked out the weather and decided to call it for the day, as the visibility looked like it was just going to keep getting worse.
Timmy headed home to walk the dogs while Zibby and I went back to the hotel to clean up and change out of our gear. Once everyone was sufficiently warm, clean, and walked, we met up for dinner at Kathmandu, and Indian and Nepalese restaurant, in Salt Lake City. Our host was friendly and charming, the food was authentic, and our conversation flowed as easily as our drinks. Full and happy, we stopped by Timmy’s house to meet his parents and pick up some of his guns, then headed to the range to blow off some steam. We got to try out a variety of different options, from a .22 rifle up to a .45 pistol and a few other choices in between. Zibby had a great time with the AR-15 and .38 revolver. Eventually, the range closed and kicked us out, so we headed back to the hotel to pack up and get ready for our drive in the morning.
Lean to the left as you shoot – it makes you look cooler. 
But this is how it came out of the box…
Tuesday, we slept in a little later than we had planned, packed the car, and headed towards Oregon. We stopped for a quick breakfast, then headed south to drive along I-80 so Zibby could see the salt flats on our way out of town. The sun shone down on us as we listened to some podcasts and took in the terrain as it changed from grassy to scrub brush, then suddenly no vegetation. It’s probably been twenty years since I drove across the salt flats, and memories flooded my mind, reminding me of my trucking days. We crossed into Nevada as the scenery changed again, rolling through foothills and past plateaus. We stopped for fuel and lunch in Winnemucca, NV (made famous in Johnny Cash’s song, “I’ve Been Everywhere”), where I had a very good piece of meatloaf and some soup and Zibby found the almost perfect Reuben sandwich. As we were leaving town, I was stunned – STUNNED, I tell you – to find the spot my dad has been looking for since I was a child, and probably even earlier. I finally found where the Melarkey stops!
Night fell as we crossed into Oregon, driving for a hundred miles at a time before seeing another car or town or any sign of civilization. Around 8pm, we found ourselves in La Pine and checked into a hotel for the night. The lobby was gorgeous with plush furniture, old wood floors, and ornate woodwork reaching to the ceiling. The artwork on the walls was as welcoming and beautiful as the night clerk was helpful and sweet. After she explained where to find the pool, lounge, breakfast area, and ice machine, we found our way to the room and found it equally plush and comfortable. We thought about trying out the pool and hot tub, but decided that sleep sounded better. It wasn’t long before we were fast asleep, roused by an alarm set to make sure we didn’t sleep all day. After a reasonable breakfast spread the next day (with a waffle machine, which Zibby uses as her standard against which to measure whether a hotel has provided an adequate breakfast), we hit the road to finish our trip up to the Lucky Stars Ranch, a homestead that our friends Robin and Orion started in 2018. The drive out of La Pine was enchanting, now that the sun was shining. We could see the lumbering trees on either side of the car, and look ahead as we capped a hill or rounded a curve. There is so much beautiful scenery across this country, and every now and then one of us will point out the window and say “Look, honey. Nature!” to make sure the other didn’t miss a cool tree or deep stretch of the plains or wave crashing to shore. After a quick stop in Eugene to pick up some supplies, we started heading up the mountain, switching back and forth on narrow two lane roads. A haze had set in as we descended into Eugene, but we were soon above the fog again. This allowed us to see for miles when we passed clearing in the trees on the downside of the mountain. Zibby got me to stop at a couple of the turnouts so she could get out and take pictures. She got some shots of views she had only ever seen before through someone else’s lens, and was giddy by the time we reached Robin and Orion’s driveway.
I think I described their homestead last time I was there, but it’s just such a welcoming, rustic place. A sense of calm washed away any stress or anxiety that we might have been carrying before we passed through that gate and left us both smiling as they came out to greet us with big hugs. Even Leroy, their dog that they adopted last year, came out to excitedly welcome us to his stomping grounds. Once we had donned some warmer coats, Orion gave Zibby and I a quick tour of the land and showed us where we would be staying. I rearranged the luggage, spreading the bags and cases on the ground to see what we had, then Tetris-ing it all back in. Orion loaded up the bags we would be needing for the next few days into his tractor and cart and hauled everything up to our yurt-like tent. Zibby was a little nervous, knowing that I’m not the type to “rough it” camping, but we were both pleasantly surprised to find a queen bed with a real mattress, tables, and rugs in our glamping accommodations. We all headed to the kitchen after that to warm up a little and see the progress they’d made in the past year. The studs, makeshift counters and sink that emptied into a dish tub had been transformed into insulated smooth walls with pictures and art, handmade countertops and cabinets with a place for everything, and two functioning sinks (one for dishes, one for rinsing veggies and mushrooms) with hot water. They built the place to be the meeting spot for campers and workers, with seats at a bar outside that faces into the kitchen, a round table in the center, and handmade light fixtures illuminating everything.
After a delicious chicken and mushroom dinner that Robin whipped up and some games and laughter, our eyelids got heavy and we decided to get some sleep. We grabbed a flashlight and walked up the hill to our tent, Leroy walking beside us to make sure we got there alright. Safely inside with the flaps zipped, we heard Leroy head home to their cabin while we arranged our belongings, turned the heater to low, and climbed into bed.
I awoke on my birthday in a yurt, with my beautiful partner snuggled up to me, birds chirping and logging trucks in the distance, and no signal whatsoever from the outside world. After a few minutes comparing the warmth we had under the covers to the cool air outside the covers, our need to pee made the decision for us and we worked our way from the warm bed to some thermal layers and (eventually, from body heat…) warm clothes. After our morning routines, we met Orion down at the kitchen and had some breakfast. Robin wasn’t feeling well, so Orion checked in on her every now and then to make sure she didn’t need anything other than a warm Leroy to snuggle, which she already had. Orion and I gathered and chopped some wood while Zibby got some work done. After warming up and having lunch, Orion and I headed up into the trees to look for some mushrooms and check out the land with Leroy. It was like being a kid, climbing over fallen trees, digging in the mud, and trying to play hide and go seek with the fungus. We didn’t find much of what we were looking for, although he pointed out some new varieties of mushrooms that he’d learned about since last time I was here. Leroy did a great job of trying to help whenever Orion would find a mushroom and try to carefully dig it out. Leroy would run over and pounce on the spot, then swipe his paws at the dirt to dig out whatever it was that Orion was looking for. It was like a blind elephant trying to operate a bulldozer to dust off a fossil. While we didn’t find many mushrooms that day (some were past their prime, some were too wet, many were just the wrong variety), we had a great time and got some fresh air and exercise. Back at camp, we cleaned up a little then grabbed Zibby and headed into town for a couple errands and to meet some of Orion’s friends at their local watering spot. A fun little bar that had just changed owners, we sat out on the fenced patio for a couple drinks and stimulating conversation. We heard a little about the new owners and what the locals liked and disliked about the changes they had made, some breweries in town and where to find good cake before grabbing some groceries and heading back to the homestead. Robin made another delicious supper with mushrooms, fettuccine, and a cream sauce that, combined with some whiskey and the late hour, left us all satiated and sleepy.
Zibby and I woke up early the next morning and decided to head to town before breakfast. We had some prescriptions to pick up, needed to gas up the car, and decided to grab a cake and some drinks as long as we were there. We didn’t think Robin and Orion were even awake when we left, but found out they were just comfortable in their cabin and hadn’t ventured out yet. They heard the car doors close and set about their day, seeing our note that we’d be back in a couple hours. Once we got back, we all spent a few hours mushroom hunting, wandering through the forest and looking for mushrooms at the base of trees and in the underbrush. We worked our way up and down the hill, under or over fallen trees, through brush and leaves, across game trails and through roles left by fallen trees. There are a lot of different types of mushrooms – some are edible but most are either not tasty or possibly poisonous. Orion and Robin have become experts for what to look for, and we harvested about four pounds, which Robin turned into a chicken and mushroom casserole for dinner that night.
This area is very wet this time of year. They say “If you’re ever planning to move to the Pacific Northwest, just stand in a shower for 10 months – if you’re okay with that, you’ll love it here.” The air has been generally wet, with a mist of light drizzle every now and then while we’ve been here. The tree tops protected us from the lighter drizzle, but it wasn’t always that light. We woke up the third morning to the sound of rain drops on the tent. It’s very peaceful to lie in bed, warm under the blankets, looking up at walls glowing with the day’s light and listening to pitter-pattering raindrops all around. We lie like that for a while until we realized we both had to get up and use the bathroom, so we reluctantly got dressed and as waterproof as we could manage, then set a plan to efficiently get the generator started, both use the restroom, and regroup in the kitchen for breakfast. Luckily, Orion was up to help Zibby with the generator, and the kitchen was comfortable by the time I got there. With the rain, the four of us spent most of that day just sitting around the table, chatting and working on computers. Orion and Robin would take turns venturing out to check off a random chore. I helped him mount some lights and made some room for him in the car, but mostly the day went by without much to report. Sunday, Zibby and I packed the car and mostly stayed out of the way while they wrapped up some chores before he would be leaving for five days. He started a new job on Monday, and wanted to make sure she would be comfortable and prepared while he was gone. The wood was chopped and stacked, kindling separated from longer burning pieces, propane got refilled, heaters moved around, and other odds and ends of homesteading. He had to pick up the company car near Portland, so we packed him and his gear into the car and dropped him off at the office on our way, stopping at Sweet Life, a patisserie in Eugene, to grab some sweets for the next step in our journey. After dropping him off to meet a friendly and cheerful coworker who talked him through the car and tools, we said our goodbyes and drove another hour to our hotel. We thought about going out and seeing the town or meeting friends, but once we stepped into the room, it was clear that we were going to shower, grab dinner, and head to sleep. We were both dirty and exhausted, happy from the experience, but ready to wash off and pass out.