Quinn Meadows Horse Camp - Three Sisters Wilderness

The last day of our stay at Quinn Meadows we opted to do a ride through the Three Sisters Wilderness area.

The trail is badly in need of maintenance. There are downed trees every 50 yards or so blocking the trail, most you can just step over, but some you have to ride around and eventually you just can't get past the trees.

Toward the beginning of the trail, you go through this road underpass. Apparently, the monarch butterflies like the dark warmth of the tunnel. As you ride through, the butterflies float up from their resting spots and flutter all around you. It is a really cool feeling. I don't think you can see the butterflies really well in the pictures, but there are literally dozens of butterflies all around us.

Quinn Meadow Horse Camp - Deschutes National Forest Bend, Oregon

As we took our trail ride this morning, I started to notice monarch butterflies. They were fluttering around us, diving and dodging us...all around us.  Are we on the migratory route the butterflies take every summer I wondered?

It turns out that a Land Trust working with local conservationists are raising these butterflies and releasing them into the forest hoping to replenish the butterfly population. The Monarch Butterfly population has been seriously diminished due to deforestation in Mexico and South America.

Mercy picked up a hitchhiking butterfly during our ride. 

Crossing the creek

The trails were fairly easy, a little bit rocky, but not enough to require boots. We rode the trail up to the ridge and then came down the Appaloosa Trail back to camp.

Saddled up and ready to go

There is a single hand pump that provides water to the entire camp. We have a blue bucket on wheels we use for hauling water. Russ and Nellie gave us a great tip for hauling water. Put a large garbage bag in the bucket and then close the bag while hauling to reduce water from sloshing out.

Here's the bucket filled with water and tied closed for transport in a wheel barrow.

There are vault toilets, a manure pile with wheel barrow, picnic tables, and BBQ pits.

Overall, it's a nice campground and we may return if we have to stick around Bend while we get the trailer repaired.

Onward to Quinn Meadow Horse Camp

Thursday morning we departed Quinn Meadow Horse Camp. As I was washing the breakfast dishes, we ran out of clean water...well, now we know - the water tank holds about three days water supply - without taking showers - unless we tap the spare water tank we have in the tack room. But, in order to do that, we need a transfer pump.

Thursday morning felt like a scavenger hunt. We were out of fresh water, our black tank showed as full, and Ari wanted to top off the propane for the generator. We also were low on groceries and needed to re-stock.

Kaylene had recommended we stop at the RV Camp called Lake of Woods Resort. It was along the way to Quinn Meadow and had a dump station, a general store, and a diner. Russ and Nellie had recommended the Pilot gas station in Chemult, claiming they had a dump station. Guess what? They had gas and it was a large station for truckers, but no dump station.

We stopped at the Pilot gas station (where all gas stations are full service) and the attendant filled our gas tank and the transfer tank.

As we were driving up Hwy 97, I saw a station that was selling propane, so we stopped there to top off the propane. The nice cashier offered that we could also fill up our water tank from their hose.
Gas may be full service, but propane is not. Ari was required to take the tanks off the LQ trailer and haul them over to be filled and then haul them back to the trailer and re-mount them.

OK, gas - check, propane - check, water - check. But, still no groceries and we still needed to empty our black water tank.

Folks at the gas station recommended we stop at Walt Haring Sno-Park as they have a dump station. The campsite was completely deserted, but we were able to locate the dump station and empty the black water tank. The dump station operates on the honor system with envelopes to pay $5 for usage. I wrote a check and deposited it into the ranger box.

Immediately after emptying the black water tank, I checked the indicator which said the tank is 2/3 full.

Next, we stopped for groceries at a Ray's market along the way.

We finally reached the Quinn Meadows Horse Camp around 3:30 pm.

But, hurrah and what a pleasant surprise! We have internet...we can play on our computers and catch up with the world.

Tomorrow we look forward to a most excellent ride.