Granite Flat Campground, along Truckee River, California

I don’t know what it is that brings us to Granite Flat just about year after year since we first found it back in 2013…or was it 2014.  It is right next to fairly busy, busy at times, highway 89 to Lake Tahoe.  On the other side is the Truckee River, which can be running real high, like this year, or real low, like it did the first year we were here.  But we get use to the car and trucks…the trucks are the loudest, passing by, and many times when we use it we have few neighbors.  Also, the $11 per night (golden pass rate) is real nice, but other then water spigots where you can fill your tanks, there are not other services…no dump station, pit toilets (we always use our own toilet anyway) and no  showers (again, we always use our own showers too).  I think what we like about it is that the weather, in the summer, is so nice.  Today, while Sacramento is at 107, giver or take a degree…we are at 89.  By 8 pm we will be at 78 while Sacramento will still be at 100.  Mind you, we will have to face those hot temperatures tomorrow…but for tonight, we will bask in the cooler temps, and with lows in the 40’s, close windows and use blankets.

    

June 26, 2015 above, June 22, 2017 below

    

WOW, the Truckee River is really high this year!   I read a news report about a month ago that said that by Federal Court Order, dating back nearly 100 years ago, that Lake Tahoe could only reach a certain height, and that they ‘had’ to release water at the dam into the Truckee River (only river that exits Lake Tahoe) to bring it down to that level.  Well, they have been releasing lots of water for nearly two months now, after Lake Tahoe finally filled up after the drought conditions over the past few years.  Perhaps they need to have the Federal Courts re-exam that court order issued so long ago….

    

Every year we have been here they have had signs about bears in the area…but unfortunately we have never seen one.  This year they have added Bear Proof containers at many of the camp sites.  Although motorhomes, campers and trailers don’t need them, tent people sure do.  Now in Lake Tahoe there are MANY cases where a bear had gotten into a car in the middle of the night just to get to a candy bar, or grocery bag which has been left in it.  The results are ‘not good’, to say the least.  (Sometimes these break-ins are in the day time too!)  However, most RVers will awaken and scare the bear off if they try to get into a motorhome, trailer or camper.  A good honk of the horn, or a barking dog, normally does the trick.  Good thing they have installed these bear proof containers, unless it makes RVers a more likely target now….

We did not get site 54, our favorite site…it is a handicap only site, but some else had it today.  So I picked this “first come-first serve” site along the road for two reasons….don’t have to unhook the car, and it has had shade the entire time we have been here.  For one night, it is very doable…better than a Walmart or even a Cracker Barrel…although the later we are able to go inside and get a good meal at.   Tomorrow, before it gets too hot down in the valley, we will make our way to Sandy and Arny’s house…I am sure “someone”, namely Bubba, will be very happy about that!

Granite Flat Campground

I don’t think we have we ever gone back to the same campground during the same trip, but this time we did.  We escaped the crowd at Zephyr Cove before 10 am, and pulled into the campground here around 11:15.  Construction still going on, but traffic was lighter, and we had more downhill too.  At 6 pm I took down the solar panel, and took a quick stroll around the park.  There are twice as many campers in the park now than on Monday when we arrived, but it is still quiet (so far).

   

Although there are six or seven campers behind us, there is nothing next door on either side, but in the next loop down there are a lot more campers, but they are so far away this should not cause problems.  However, the site next to us on he driver’s door is reserved starting tomorrow until July 2nd, I just hope they too are a quiet group.

The Truckee River runs along the entire eastern side of this campground.  The level as you see today (June 26th) is what it would normally look like in late August or early September.  The Truckee is the only outlet river for Lake Tahoe, and they do have it damned to time the release of water through the long hot summer and into fall.  I wonder if it is going to dry up this year before the next winter storms replenish Lake Tahoe to get it high enough for the Truckee to run again.

I really like this picture…it kind of reminds me of a Bob Ross painting.  I can see him color the canvas blue, then add the happy little clouds, then cut in the hill to the right, the water, the land to the left, then the smaller trees.  After that he would say, “Let’s see, I think one lives right here”…an proceeds to place the large trees into the picture.  The only thing missing is his trademark little cabin.

There we go…something like that.  (wonders of photoshop).

One thing about a river, you go down stream or up stream a bit and the picture changes.  Only wish the sky was blue, I think the Washington Fire smoke is reaching even over her near Truckee.

Another thing about rivers is you usually see wildlife around…all I saw was a few of these giant Robins.

I do like the layout of the park…had it not been so close to highway 89, it would be a great campground.  Looked for other NF Parks, but with the weekend, this looked like the best bet, so that is why we are back.  Three days of no electrical hookups will give me a good idea of what we are capable of doing.  I figure the generator will run first thing in the morning (after 7:30 that is) and again before we go to sleep for 30-45 minutes each.  That should keep us charged about the 50% level, which is our goal.  Tomorrow we are going to see the sites of Truckee.