June/July 2017

Where to go next is always an interesting topic when you have no agenda. No schedule. So sometimes you just pick a place because friends are in the area and you are looking for a spot kinda-sorta near an airport.

Kelly had plans to fly to Austin to be with family for the Fourth of July so we needed to be within striking distance of Salt Lake City. We had friends staying in a National Forest campground outside of Spencer, Idaho. I wanted a quiet place to chill while Kelly was out of town and I was dog sitting (?!?!?!). So Spencer, Idaho it was!

We hadn’t seen Kelly and Dave since New Years and they happened to be within a reasonable distance of Salt Lake City, so we headed their way. They were staying in a campground. Kelly and I don’t stay in campgrounds, so we had to find a boondocking spot in the immediate vicinity.

First spot we checked out wasn’t going to work for us as the cell service stunk, and it was in an area with no view. This was also the only ‘known’ boondocking spot in the area (the only one on any websites), so we had to locate a spot the old fashioned way – using a motor vehicle use map of the area and get out and explore.

Spot our location

Tucked away

“Our” road

Checking out the neighbors

Up on the hill behind camp

It wouldn’t be a new location without some white stuff (this time, hail)

We found an awesome spot under some trees, in a little nook. There were plenty of places to walk, it was easy to access the freeway to get somewhere to go grocery shopping (cuz that isn’t happening in Spencer!) and was generally really quiet.

There was a sheepherder staying a couple hundred yards away and his flock visited us one day. We are talking a flock of thousands of sheep, many of which made themselves at home in our campsite. We didn’t mind one bit! Though it did smell of sheep for several days afterwards. A small price to pay.

Kelly departed for about a week to head to Austin. Because she was flying, she couldn’t take the dogs. Which meant I was in charge of dog sitting. Kelly is rather particular about who she leaves her dogs with (as in she never leaves them with anybody), so I was honored to be trusted enough to keep an eye on them. This was an interesting experience. We all survived and I might even do it again if given the opportunity.

Bonding with Gizmo – Yes, she really is that small!