Babe Boondocking at Mammoth Pool

I don't know what it is about blogging right now, but I've not been into it. (My blog buddy Nancy is going through the same doldrums, so perhaps it's something seasonal, astrological, or just a simple malaise.....) I'm thinking that it might be Facebook's fault. On that site, the feedback is so immediate and so chatty. Here, it's kind of a one-way street--posting off into the ether.... But, I do know that I have a few readers, and I've been called to task for not sharing last weekend.... What a blast we had at Mammoth Pool NFS. Terrible campground, as campgrounds go, but fabulous experience nonetheless. (The detail-laden campground review can be found here. If you're up for boondocking in a totally off the beaten path place, this is it for you.) The best part was the great group of gals we were camping with. 9 others, plus us, plus 4 dogs and 2 kayaks and 2 fishing poles made for an always-interesting experience. We had a lawyer, real-estate investor, social services worker, marine biologist, retired police chief, physical therapist, home inspector, college professor, etc., etc., etc. Good campfire stories and good fodder for playing storytelling games like: Tell 3 things about yourself, but one is a lie. It's always fun to get to know cool people. Somehow, we never got a whole-group photo, but here is part of the contingent: We sure missed our Nicky boy, but were actually rather relieved he wasn't there. It was too hot and there were waaaaay too many other dogs (most of the time off leash) for him. Plus, he hated getting wet and that was pretty much all there was to do. And the Pomeranian was actually the best doggie camper of them all! Tuckered out at the end of the day.... We basically spent 3 days taking turns making meals, dipping (sometimes skinny--hence the few photos posted here) in the pools made by the enormous granite boulders in the river to cool off (temps were close to 100 each day), kayaking/fishing, and hiking. Oh, and having an adult beverage or two..... And catch a few crawdaddies (yes, Louisiana kinfolk, we have them in California, apparently, too!) All the other gals of "L Troop" were tent camping, so they HAD to go to the river to cool off/clean off. We finally broke down Sunday night and showered in our RV. We took our ration of grief for smelling good. The big hit of the weekend was our first attempt at cooking with a Dutch oven in the campfire. We made a "Dump Cake," which is basically 4 cups of berries with a box of white cake mix (the kind with pudding in it) dumped on top, and a 20-oz 7-up poured over the whole thing. (I forgot the 7-up and used diet Ginger Ale to great effect.) Then hot coals on top (20 or so) and just a few underneath for about 1/2 hour. Whipped cream is also crucial. The pot was empty in a hurry. No pictures because it was pitch black by dessert time. There's talk of making it an annual event. Sign us up!