Let’s call it a Learning Experience

We decided to go to Lost Lake on Mt. Hood this weekend. Knowing it was first come, first served, we took off mid-day and got there about 4pm. All the campsites were taken. But we could stay the night in the overflow parking. Since it was approaching evening and it was a 2 hour drive, we decided to do it. We didn’t realize they’d charge $32.50 for us to camp in a parking lot. There were about 6 others also camping in the parking lot. Apparently, we had to get there on Wednesday to get a camping spot.

The lady in the store’s comment about spickets being everywhere wasn’t exactly the most helpful. We found one in the overflow parking but it had no handle. We had brought some water with us and decided to really dry camp. The camping wasn’t great. The lake was beautiful! We hiked around it the next morning in true Smith fashion-a little morning walk for Iris, me wearing sandals and Mike carrying his camera bag, turned into an unplanned stroll around the entire lake without food or water. We learned it was only three miles so we had no problems. It was a nice hike.

We came home on Saturday morning and did something awesome-we backed the Casita into the driveway in the first attempt!

Lessons: bring a water jug with funnel for those occasions where water is not convenient or easy to get to, we have to be flexible because camping in parking lots will happen.