After scouting the Harrison East Forest Service Road on a cold winters day in January, I had noticed a few campsites with good potential. Bear Creek was on my list. It’s a pretty, forested family campsite next to Bear Creek which flows into Harrison Lake. It is a popular site with families, wind surfers and beach campers.
With April daytime temperatures slowly increasing, it was time to test the new rooftop tent, and Susan’s tolerance for camping in the unpredictable Spring conditions. We packed the Jeep and headed to Bear Creek Campground.
On our way, we stopped in to check out Cascade Peninsula campground which was still closed. We walked through the forested sites, and down to the beach. The crystal clear water in Cooks Cove offers good shore fishing, and sitting on the rocky peninsular, we were amazed at the stunning scenery.
We started back towards the Jeep, and when nature calls, you have to go. Susan braved the outhouse, but soon discovered after the deed was done, there was no toilet paper available. I heard a pleading voice asking “please bring me some toilet paper”
Susan was impressed about my secret stash of toilet paper under each seat in the Jeep. She had to share this fact with her friends and immediately texted a photo to them.
We continued north, passing a number of waterfalls, and arrived at Bear Creek Campground. This early in the season, we had the campground to ourselves. We took site number nine, next to the creek and at the lake edge. We backed into the site, and proceeded to set up camp. It took less than five minutes to raise the rooftop tent, and listening to the weather forecast, we rigged up an awning over the campground table.
The weather turned, heavy clouds descended, a damp chill set in, and we pulled jackets over our hoodies. Susan fired up the camp stove and we enjoyed a hot drink to take the edge off.
After supper, we kept warm around the fire. When the last overcast light faded, we retired for the night. We were thankful for our warm winter rated sleeping bag. Overnight, the temperature dropped down to 3C (37F) making it difficult to leave our cozy cocoon in the morning.
In addition to the breeze off the waterfall, and the morning cold, a light rain started to fall, giving reason to rekindle the campfire. This was a true test for Susan – and to my relief – she embraced the conditions and still had a smile on her face. What a trooper.
We made the most of our time and walked the the lake shore, climbed the forested bank, then walked back to camp along the road. The spring flowers were everywhere, and we loved the dogwoods.
After a wonderful weekend, it was time to head back home and prepare for another work week. We took a slow drive along winding roads, and enjoyed the scenery under clear skies.
