September 7, 2026: I drove to Fresno for Whole Foods and Walmart shopping. I thought I could stay the night and have my oil changed the next day, but it was 91 degrees! I parked in the Whole Foods parking lot for a bit, testing my resolve, and thought I would melt. How am I ever going to get back to Tucson if I can't tolerate even a little heat?? So I cancelled the oil change and headed back to the Sequoia National Forest. With plenty of food to hopefully last more than two days, my new plan is to stay here for as long as I can before I get the itch to drive then head to Visalia which is out the exit of the park heading south. That's the plan...which can change every fifteen minutes! (Still dreaming about Gluten-free Chocolate Cream Pie and although Corvallis is 11 hours and 30 minutes away, I could do that in one day!! LOL!)
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| Dispersed Camp Spot #2 |
I overnighted at another camp spot just south of Tenmile Campground, just west where I stayed last night. This one seems to have more sun and a level parking area, but I'm parked right next to the highway. The high is 72 degrees - sunny, cool, comfortable, and quiet. The low is 60 degrees! No freezing at night!
September 8, 2026: I have been having the weirdest, wildest dreams lately. I have no idea why? Am I eating something toxic? Even though I buy organic and gluten-free, one never knows what is being slipped in or if the customer is being lied to about ingredients. For instance, "natural flavors." I refuse to buy anything with "natural flavors" on the package. I'm sure I've complained about this before. Product labeling for transparency is a joke.... Maybe it's in the air? I don't know. As usual, health is a mystery.
I woke up out of a weird dream this morning with the epiphany that I can't remember if I rinsed the hydrogen peroxide out of one of my gallon water jugs! When they are empty, I usually put about a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide in the jug and swish it around. I leave it in for a time then rinse it all out twice to make sure there is no left over residue. I think I forgot to rinse it out this time?? Which jug is it in? I can't dump all this water or just use it for handwashing clothes because I am two hours away from a water source and I need to be able to drink water if I am to stay multiple days in the woods. Is it safe to drink hydrogen peroxide in small amounts diluted in a gallon of water?
I looked online and it says HP is often used for various health-oriented therapies like teeth whitening, fingernail and toenail whitening, and wound care disinfecting. I've used it for wound care many times since my chefs knife is so darn sharp! It says online is not a good idea since it also destroys good cells which slows healing. Who would have known? Age-old traditions are so often refuted with modern science. I know a woman living in a van who uses HP to rinse her mouth after brushing her teeth so I know she's ingesting small amounts everyday. I tried that once. So gross.
I decided to stop the incessant worry. I'm not dumping this water. I'll drink it and if I get any side effects (stomach pains, nausea, throat burning, esophageal pain) I'll know which jug it is in. I think it'll be fine. Van life is a constant adventure!! Life threatening even!
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Speaking of life threatening...I kept seeing this bush on the sides of the roads wondering what it was. Looks like lilacs from a distance, but there is a bush in my camping spot. Blue Elderberry. I wonder if bears eat this? It says online it's used medicinally for gut health. Well! If I'm poisoned by hydrogen peroxide, I can eat these berries!
I am reading The Alice Network. It looked like a great story until I opened the pages and got slammed with some stupid woman's perfume. I almost threw the book away, but I need something to read and I had looked forward to it! I put on N96 mask and plastic gloves, sat outside in the mosquitoes, and tried very hard not to rest the book on any clothing. Pain in the ass! But it's a great story!
Sunset! The skies have been clear the past few days so no sunrises or sunsets, but all afternoon has been cloudy which was nice or it might have gotten too hot. When I first saw these dazzling colors after months of watching the wildfire warnings, my first thought was, "OMG! The sequoias are burning down!" Thankfully, they are not! Weather here is holding around 75-78 degrees for the high, and 60 degrees for the low. It's NOT been freezing these last couple nights which is nice, but the mosquitoes are out. In the valley both Visalia and Fresno are over 100 degrees. I'm patiently waiting to return to Tucson - even though I really don't want to go back.
September 9, 2026: Around 8am a white truck pulls up. I'm wondering if it's a forest ranger, but it's this random guy. He stopped because I had my hood open and thought I was having mechanical issues. He did NOT look like a mechanic so I'm not quite sure what his plan was. Nicely dressed, short, small for a man, dark hair, with a knife on his belt. I think he had a mustache. I explained I have the hood up to deter rats from chewing up the engine wires and I am fine. He said he would have felt bad just passing me if I needed help. Then he said just a little hostile, "Maybe you should put a sign?" I thanked him and told him I'll close the hood so others don't feel they need to stop. He left continuing toward Hume Lake.
So an hour later he stops again on his way back from the lake. I was outside sitting in my lounge chair reading. He says he hasn't eaten all day. (So what? It's only 9:00am and doesn't he carry snacks if he came to this park for the day?) He claims he went to the lake, but they had no restaurants. Now I came through that way and although I didn't pay much attention, it looked like there were restaurants or at least hotels where one could get food. It was a very big resort with lots of tourists. I said, "That is very strange. I would think they'd have food." He wondered if I had a sandwich or something he could eat.
Now I'm sure he knows I have food if I'm camping. I said "I'm sorry, no, I don't." I did not explain why I wasn't going to give him food because it's none of his business. But, for your information, it's two hours to food plus another two hours to return. I'm not giving up my food or I'll run out besides I don't want him here, sitting around, eating it while invading my privacy. Is he just lonely or is he a serial killer? He whined with just a hint of hostility like I owed him something he'll have to go all the way to the information center and drive all the way back to the lake to get there. (Oh, poor baby...it felt like it was a sociopathic targeting, like he was testing how compliant and empathetic I am. Maybe he thought I would care about him so much I would cave?) I said, "No, continue in the direction you were traveling. Drive up to the highway and take a right. The information center is not that far." He said, "Thank you. Sorry to disturb your reading." He left.
Now is that weird? Does that make your instincts tingle and your adrenaline flush? First, I think he's lying about no food at the lake. Second, who in the hell stops some random person camping and asks for food? Would he stop and ask a man? NO. Did he stop at the lake and ask all those RVers for free food? Third, he can't be that hungry. It was all very suspicious.
Normally if a man made me feel that uncomfortable, I would have left, but damn! I'm not giving up this spot and I refuse to let a man intimidate me. If he comes back, I'm locking myself in the van. I already pulled one of my knives out so it's waiting. I'll be defending myself to death. I couldn't help but feel irritated on how men always see everything as transactional...he stopped to check on me now he expects I should give up my time to feed him, cater to his needs, and entertain him???? WTF? He never came back. Maybe he made it all the way to the info center figured it was too far out of his way to return? I said, "It's not that far." LOL! Good riddance.
I was just thinking this morning, summarizing the brilliant and the bad, the fun and the frightening, the good and the ghastly of this trip and honestly, I haven't had that many scares this time. Maybe I'm due one?
Van life is a never-ending adventure!
September 10, 2026: This was a lost day! I thought it was the 9th and it's the 10th. It was hot so I was sweltering and with no books to read, it was long, sweaty, and boring. Quiet day, too, hardly anyone on the road.
September 11, 2026: It's hard to believe 9/11 was twenty-five years ago!
I got up early and did a garbage dump run at 6am before anyone was on the road. I'm sure I've complained about this before, and although staying in one place saves on gas, the accumulation of garbage is such a horror! Especially when the van gets hot - it starts to smell! I had a Whole Foods grocery bag full, wrapped in small bags in case I have to be stealth when dumping it at a gas station or a store where they don't want household garbage. There is a trailhead and campsite three miles up the road with multiple garbage recepticles for campers. Even though the national forests provides this service, I still feel guilty so I went early before anyone was awake. There is also a restroom/pit toilet that I would have loved to use, but it stunk to high heaven with flies. Nope.
As I've driven this road several times now, I've always been curious where the other dispersed campsites are. There are dirt drives into the trees. Are they campsites or private property? I decided to explore. I found a dirt drive, parked the van by the highway, and hiked in. I found a doozy!!!
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| Dispersed Camp Spot #3 |
It has a fire ring, picnic table, and room for about ten vans. Enough sky for solar and Starlink. Maybe even some shade if it gets too hot. (It's supposed to be in the mid-70s today so should be perfect.) Gorgeous view of the mountains in the distance. The problem is it's huge and there is a weekend coming up. That means I'd have to share if someone shows. Thankfully this park doesn't allow anything over 22 feet so at least I wouldn't have to deal with one of those huge RVs that look like houses filled with a dozen people, BUT I don't want to deal with free roaming dogs, unsocialized teenagers, or drunken young adults, or...anyone. I like the solitude. It's SO QUIET especially since it's off the road. I don't want to share! Later in the day I plan to hike across the road to another dirt driveway and see what's there. (It was a bigger campsite, but the road in is a little scary.)
Time for a review! I constantly see ads for "Who Gives a Crap" toilet paper. I love their marketing! It's brilliant. Every roll is wrapped with a designer paper cover (which seems an excessive waste to me, but I love the cheerfulness!) and they currently have national forest themes. Whole foods has a small four pack for about $7.49 that isn't the national forest design. This is a lot more than the cheap Walmart pack which is six rolls. One can sign up for a subscription membership and receive huge cases at a discount, but first, where would I put it? There is no room in this van for copious amounts of toilet paper! Second, where would they send it? Is it worth it the extra cost? I've read too many marketing ads saying the cheap stuff is bleached or riddled with chemicals that could cause cancer to the girl parts. Hmmm...maybe I should spend more money and do better? I decided to test it.
"Who Gives a Crap" is made from recycled paper which is admirable. "Made from stuff like books and love letters." The things we love! Great marketing! They also, according to the box, donate 50% of profits toward clean water and people in need. "Your bum is a hero. You should probably get it a cape." HA! I'd buy it just because the box makes me laugh!
It does feel like paper, a little like the cheap toilet paper Europe has made for decades. Europe is probably far ahead of the U.S. for healthier toilet paper! If I use it for wiping any surface, it falls apart into tiny pieces. It doesn't soak up much liquid. I'm sure it's biodegradeable. One of their selling points online is it lasts a long time. We'll see. I started one roll yesterday so I'll keep track. (One roll lasted about five days....) Walmart toilet paper is soft, pliable, soaks liquids well, easy on the nose, and one roll lasts about four days. I like the individual wrappings and they can be recycled for...letters? Gift wrapping? Envelopes? Scratch paper? I'm saving it all!
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| Look at this massive pine cone! Maybe it's a sequoia? All that white stuff on it is pitch. The toe of my hiking book is for size comparisons. |
Besides the dust, pitch, little pieces of branches, seeds, needles, and pinecones compromising how much light gets to the solars, I'm also having difficulty charging them. Although there is clear sky, there are so many trees they filter the sun rays. I went to bed with only 30% power praying it would stay on until morning keeping my refrigerated food refrigerated! I think I need to move. There is always something that prevents me from staying in one campsite too long!
September 12, 2026: Have I mentioned my plans can change in a heartbeat? Today was one of those days!
It was a rough night. Lots of dry dust making it hard to sleep. You wouldn't think in the lush forest there would be dust, but it's been a very dry summer and this is a dusty forest. The ground, although it looks like it's covered in pine needles, the dryness pulverizes them into powder and the wind kicks it up.
Where's the sun? All morning I moved my van following the small patch of sun trying to get as much solar charging as possible. This was frustrating! Finally I packed up and headed to the trailhead parking lot at the top of the road - the one with the garbage receptacles and smelly bathroom. By the time I arrived I notice my CHECK ENGINE LIGHT was on! OMG! It's a solid light, not blinking, which indicates it's something minor, but one is instructed to get it checked out so it doesn't develop into something worse. I can't imagine being stranded way up on this mountain!!! I search to see what mechanics might be open on a Saturday in the valley and headed down.
It's Saturday in the Park! (Isn't that a song?) This is not good. Traffic on a weekend in a national park is hellish. I wanted to see some of the sites on the way down, but I doubt now if that is possible. Maybe I can come back after I check out the van? I still stopped at the Lodgepole Visitor Center and Village for a couple loads of laundry (I washed that little rug twice!) and a shower since it's on the way. Beautiful visitor center! The washing machines were only $2!!! In California??? At a tourist site? No way! Drying was only 25 cents for 7 minutes!! The shower, although rather cold especially if someone flushed the toilet, was only $1 and good enough!
I stopped at the information counter in the visitor center to ask if anyone had a code reader. I didn't really want to leave the park without seeing it. They did not, but they gave me a list of the local AAA group and other emergency contacts just in case. The woman told me she has driven for too long with that light on and as long as it's not blinking, don't panic as I should be fine. She also said going the way I came up and over Kings Canyon National Park is a much less challenging ride. I didn't want to go backwards and I assumed I'd be going downhill so I can just coast and brake all the way down without stressing my engine.
After getting all these things done, I head out to the van to leave...the check engine light is OFF! What a relief!!! I wondered if it was the dust that somehow got into the exhaust system? I have no idea, but I was thrilled!
I drove down the General Sherman Highway into the Sequoia National Forest. The sequoias are gorgeous: orange bark that looks like sponges and the trunks are MASSIVE! Unfortunately, but expected, all the parking lots were full so I didn't get to see the General Sherman Tree or walk among the giants. No photos! However, "more challenging" is an understatement! Especially for a Saturday. The highway was straight down, the deepest canyons and valleys I've ever seen with drop offs. The twisty turning switchbacks were ten miles an hour sharp and the traffic coming UP the highway was bumper to bumper. It was slow going! In the valley the temperatures climbed to 100 degrees!
I had a list of things to do in Visalia. First, oil change. Then shopping for food and water. Library to try to find free books (none) and make copies of a complaint letter to Ford. Then I left for the coast where it is in the 70s! This is what freedom looks like!! Pick your direction and drive! The mechanic at the oil change place gave me all kinds of tips. The most valuable - don't attempt going straight through to the coast as the steep hills will destroy my transmission. Do the interstates and highways to Monterey and drop down to Highway 1. It was a hot drive, but dropped from 100 degrees to about 75. Heading west, the sunset ended up in my face making driving dangerous so I pulled off to the side of Highway 152. The highway traffic noise was horrible all night. I guess Californians don't go to bed. To make up for it, here is the sunset view:
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