Off The Grid

My recent trip to the Northwest was a double header. In the previous post I recounted the family wedding that I attended. This post will describe how the other half of my trip played out: staying with relatives at a lake cabin in northern Idaho.

I consider myself very fortunate to have a lasting connection with Lisa and Rob. The connection formed through my late wife who was Lisa's sister. I don't know what the etiquette books say about calling Lisa my sister-in-law after the blood relation has passed away, but Lisa feels like a sister to me, and Rob like the brother I never had. There was no chance we'd drift apart; they're a cherished aunt and uncle to my daughters and I try to be the best uncle I can be to their sons, Campbell and Andrew.

Lisa volunteered to let me stay at their place in Issaquah, east of Seattle, while I attended the family wedding (my family, not theirs) of the previous post. It worked out well, since the boys were visiting their aunt and grandmother in Spokane there was a bedroom available. Plans to spend a week at the cabin with Lisa, Rob, and the boys were laid when I thought I'd have my RV by then, but I didn't want to let its delay derail that intention, particularly when I'd be in Seattle for the wedding anyway. I've vacationed with them at their cabin on several previous occasions and we always have a great time. So, I hung out at their house in Issaquah for the week after the wedding and then we all headed east for the cabin.

Along the way, I made  mental notes to come back to visit Ginkgo Petrified Forest and the nearby gorge on the Columbia River. (The Columbia River Gorge is usually associated with the Washington-Oregon border, which I've seen, but there's a very intriguing gorge higher on the river in central Washington.) It's a four hour drive from Issaquah to Spokane, where we stopped by to pick up the boys and take on some home cooked pre-prepared meals from Aunt Tami and Grandma Vi. From there, it's another two hour drive to the cabin on the east shore of Lake Pend Oreille, the last hour of which is on unimproved dirt logging roads. Pend Oreille is French for "hangs from ear", and the shape of the lake vaguely resembles an earring. 

To say the cabin is remote is an understatement. There is no landline phone, no internet, no service for my cell phone, and no TV in the cabin since broadcast went digital, so I relish being totally off the grid. Lisa's phone does get service (ATT network, I believe), but I try to pretend even that is not available. There is a local community of about a dozen cabins, of which about half are occupied at any given time during the summer. Here's the shoreline near the cabin:

Rob and Lisa's cabin is back off the lake a hundred yards or so; what's lost in a view of the lake is gained in protection from damaging storms, one of which had created considerable havoc the week before we arrived. Here's our crew at the cabin:

That's me at the top, then Rob, Lisa, Andrew, Campbell, and at the bottom, Diesel. Diesel wasn't with us the entire time, but arrived with Rob's brother, Scott, who came in at the end of the week. The stairs we're sitting on are new; I helped Rob replace a rotten set during the week. In fact, we replaced two sets. Rob had a handyman business for a while, so I deferred to him for the design and measurements, and just ran some power tools. That was a nice change of pace. In fact, Rob's in a multi-year process of renovating and adding onto the cabin. That means accommodations inside are limited. When I stayed with them last year, they had a pop-up trailer set up for me. I took that as a good tryout for living in my own RV. I enjoyed it, and it worked out well, but it had no bathroom or fridge. This year, they'd made arrangements for me to stay in a guest cabin that belongs to their neighbor, Dan. This was deluxe. Not only did I have my own private space, but a toilet and shower all to myself, as well as a fridge for my morning OJ.

Most of the lake is bordered by very steep cliffs and these continue into the water making this one of the deepest lakes in North America (1150 ft). It's used by the U.S.Navy to test submarine designs, though it's rare to see any sign of that. Here's some typical scenery from our cruises around the lake:

Our primary form of entertainment at the lake is Rob and Lisa's power boat. I actually played a role when they bought it. Though they live in Issaquah, they saw an ad for exactly the sort of used boat they wanted for sale in San Diego. I was happy to go check it out for them, though I know practically nothing about boats. Even with the shipping costs, it was cheaper than anything suitable they could find in the Seattle area. I was relieved when it arrived up north and they agreed with me that it was in great shape. This trip was my first opportunity to see it in operation. It's not the fastest boat around, but it's nice and roomy for the five of us and has a bimini (sun shade) that is much appreciated on hot sunny days. Here's a photo as we were tooling across the lake:

Last year, we also had a jet ski we could zoom around on. This year, we didn't get around to putting it out, but it was barely missed. There were kayaks available, but we didn't get around to them either this year.

We were at the cabin from Friday night to Sunday morning the following week. In broad terms, we had great weather Saturday through Tuesday. Tuesday night we watched a storm roll in across the lake; rain and clouds stuck around through Saturday. The last Sunday before leaving, we took a short cruise in the boat to celebrate the return of good weather. The rain, thunder, and lightning were actually just fine with me. First of all, those are rare sights for someone that's lived 30 years in San Diego. Plus, I had plenty of great reading material with me, using Kindle on my iPod. There's a good selection of DVDs at the cabin that we worked our way through. And the weather didn't interfere with the great food that's always a part of our lake experience, nor did it hinder playing board games and visiting among ourselves and with other lake residents that would drop by to visit. A completely relaxing time.

A typical good weather day consisted of a hearty bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns breakfast, after which Rob and I would work on the cabin while Lisa went on a long walk, often with nearby friends. Around noon, we'd have our big meal of the day. This could be anything from grilled steaks to Italian sausage sandwiches to chicken casserole that Tami and Vi sent up. There was always an ample selection of beers and wines to wash things down. Then we'd gather up drinks and snacks for the afternoon boat ride. Often we'd just cruise down to a cove a couple miles away and swim and visit and drink. Rough life, huh? The lake water was refreshingly cool, but not hard to get used to after a minute or two. In the evening, we might have a salad or some deli meats and cheese, then troupe down to gather with neighbors for a campfire.

Here are a few of the highlights of the week:

• The first Sunday night was a Super Moon. That's a full moon that's closer and brighter than usual. Unfortunately, I was just too tired to stay up for it - with the mountains around us, the moon didn't rise until after 10pm. The next night I was determined to see it, and, luckily, wasn't tired at all. Sure enough, it was as spectacular as everyone had made it out to be. Though it was a day past full, I couldn't tell. Not content to view it from shore, Campbell, Rob, and I took the boat out on the dark lake. Drifting with the motor off, the incandescent moon above us, and its reflection rippling across the lake is one of those memories you cherish forever.

• Monday we cruised down to Bayview, at the south end of the lake, for Rob and Campbell to get fishing licenses. That didn't exactly go smoothly - who remembers the Social Security Number for their 14 year old kid? - but it worked out. Bayview is a picturesque little town:

On the way back from Bayview, we came across a family of mountain goats:

We also found a natural arch that even old-timers at the lake didn't recall seeing:

• Eccentricity and oddball humor are not just tolerated, but encouraged in the lake culture. At our Monday evening campfire, Dan brought out Wilson the volleyball, who lives perched in a coat rack because... why not? Here's a photo Lisa snapped of Wilson and me sharing the campfire:

• Tuesday morning, Rob and Campbell went out fishing, and by the time the rest of us were ready for breakfast, they had some fresh Kokanee salmon for us to eat. The next day, there was another batch that we cooked up and crumbled into our scrambled eggs.
• Tuesday evening, we took the boat across the inlet (all of forty feet, but the alternative is balancing across a log twenty feet above the creek in the dark) for a campfire and daiquiri party at Mario and Michelle's. We sampled three batches, one made with fresh peaches, one with blueberries, and one with huckleberries. Delicious!
• Later Tuesday night, we gathered on the porch of one of the cabins to watch a storm blow in over the lake. It was mild-mannered compared to the one that had sunk boats and crushed docks a couple weeks ago, but it was still a good show of lightning, thunder, and rain.
• Wednesday, the rain let up long enough for Andrew to try out the new float that Tami and Vi had bought for the boys:

• Saturday afternoon we had another break in the weather that allowed us to cruise across the lake to the Captain's Table restaurant in Gilroy. We sat outside with a view of the harbor, watching people come and go, and, before long, Rob's cousin, Don, and his wife Susan showed up to join us. Lisa and I had trouble deciding between the chicken wings or the fish and chips, so we ordered one of each and split them. Great eating, great company, good beer, and a jolly waitress to keep us entertained.
• I caught some scenic pictures of the lake as we were driving out Sunday afternoon:

What a great vacation! Thanks, Lisa and Rob:

I got back to my place on Monday afternoon, and by the next Friday morning I was off on a road trip with friends to a Cowboy Campfire in Fiddletown. That's the subject of my next post.