A hot Saturday at the beach

This morning, we walked our 5 loops to check on campers and pick up litter.  Our work truck didn't come back as it was needed elsewhere in the park.  The ranger came around noon to put in the 6 new gell batteries in the electric GEM which we are looking forward to having back in operation soon. It carries our buckets and tools. The GEM was covered in pitch after having set for 3 weeks under dripping trees. We spent 2 hours with Lemon Pledge cleaning up the sap. We also spent a couple hours picking up litter in the group campsite across the road.  The weather was wonderfully warm, actually hot with no wind on the lake. Many swimmers, colorful umbrellas and folks on the beach.  

Around 6 PM, there was a loud bang which was hard to tell if it was a gunshot or fireworks.  No one screamed so we waited to see what might happen next.  Before too long, we discovered that the water was cut off in the showers, spigots and toilets. Not a pleasant event with 100 campsites and at least 400 (more like 500) people without flushing toilets or showers.  The lake doesn't seem to be appealing for a rinsing.  We made phone calls but those with decision making powers were at a fund raiser.  Staff got a text through to the rangers who found that a transformer had blown and that was the bang we heard.  The power company is more than an hour away in Wenatchee.  Hopefully, when they get here, they can get a fix on their first try. Porta pottys are on order but it's Saturday night....chances are pretty slim they will arrive this evening.  Campers have been by to express their frustration in numerous ways. The campfire burn irked people at first and now, no water. The public is easily excited.  One guy was mad because the sign directing to the chemical toilet was mistakenly pointed towards the lake.  He had no patience. Thankfully, we have a holding tank in our rig but we are using it sparingly.

We took the jeep and rode over to the North side campground to see if they had water. (They do). We met the camp hosts from Tri-Cities who have been full time RVers for 4 years.  We visited for a few minutes and then continued up the North side of the lake to see the cabins that burned a few weeks ago. Nothing left.  

We learned more about the "Storm of the Century" that happened here last December.  We missed the news in December because we were between homes and had no good radio or TV for weeks. This area had 2 feet of snowfall in early December, then an ice storm and then another two feet of snow.  The branches couldn't hold the snow so the tops began to snap like twigs.  We heard they even tried helicopters hovering to shake the snow from the branches but it didn't work.  They estimate 1000 trees fell in the park. Neighbors were without power for 8 days.  The workers were cutting their way through fallen trees in the road only to turn around and find more trees had fallen where they had just cut a path. Clean up was still going on in May. The South side didn't open till mid June due to on going work.

11:00 PM update:  A squirrel committed suicide on the lines and shorted out the power.  A fuse was installed but still no power so the guy tried another pole with a fuse and that fixed the power. The pump is on now and water pressure is building.  Only a couple of families with small children left the campground. The paid crew is now busily flushing the bathrooms.  Campers are quiet on this side but while we were watching the power company doing their work, the ranger got a call from the North side saying there was a drunken disturbance needing his attention.

Children's art work

Painted rocks on a tree stump

Beach area looking towards Dirty Face Mountain

Interesting float construction; would like to have seen these in the water

Out with the old, in with the new

Cleaning off the icky tree sap