Pine Mountain – A Guest Post by Frank

Hi!  It’s me again, Frank.  If we haven’t met yet, you can read my story at The Story of Frank.

Shortly after my previous owner, Fred, passed away, his daughter and son-in-law purchased a 5-acre lot in Pine Mountain in Sanpete County, Utah, southeast of Mount Pleasant and just east of Spring City.  Paul and Cheri brought me there for the first time last weekend.

The property sits on top of a hill.  The views are amazing and sunsets are spectacular.  The owners have built several trailer spots, a lovely sitting area and dining area, a playground complete with sand, and two horseshoe pits – so far.  Fred’s kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids come up most weekends to enjoy the property and the nearby recreation.  There are several hiking trails and easy access to the Arapeen OHV trail system.  You can drive (or ride) to several ponds and reservoirs to fish, and can walk out onto public lands to hunt.

Or you can just sit back and enjoy the peace and quiet.  Pine Mountain is a gated community.  Only owners and their guests can even access the area, and our spot is at the end of a road that the kids are in charge of naming.  During the day you can watch the hummingbirds (and chipmunks) at the feeders, and in the evening you can enjoy thousands of stars and dozens of solar lights.

I came this particular weekend to participate in a Memorial Service for Fred and his wife, JoAnn.  Fred’s children had chosen Pine Mountain as the final resting place for their ashes, and on Saturday, August 13, they honored Fred and JoAnn and buried the ashes.  Most of the family, including adopted son Paul, were there and spoke of their fond memories.  There were tears of joy and tears of gratitude.

The gravesite is marked by a tree planted in honor of Fred and JoAnn.  A simple cross and angel guard the site with their colored lights.

I think Fred and JoAnn would have loved it here.

A Frank Review of Washington Lake

A guest post by Frank

Hi, I’m Frank, Paul and Cheri’s traveling companion.  You can read my story at The Story of Frank.  Last year I wrote the review of Shady Dell and Cobblerest to rave reviews.  OK, so there were no reviews, but here I am again to write about Washington Lake.

Washington Lake has 39 campsites.  Nine are on the lake; another eight are across the road from the lake, all campsites are an easy walk to the lake.  The campground is completely paved.  Each campsite has a concrete patio with a picnic table, raised fire pit, and dutch oven table.  Talk about luxury!  They forgot only one thing – water.  There is no water system at Washington Lake.  We send our campers to either Shady Dell or Lost Creek.

Washington Lake is the newest campground on the Mirror Lake Highway.  As such, it was built to accommodate larger trailers.  Most of the sites will fit a 32’ trailer easily; some sites will accommodate those 40 – 45 footers that have such a difficult time finding a spot in the National Forest.  So, to all of Paul and Cheri’s friends who couldn’t come to see them at previous sites because the sites didn’t have a spot large enough – now’s your chance.

But be warned!  This is a very popular campground.  So far they’ve filled up every weekend.  Fourteen of the campsites can be reserved at www.recreation.gov; the other 25 are first-come, first-served.  There are also five group sites, but since they haven’t opened yet I don’t know much about them.  I do know that they are only available by reservation, again at www.recreation.gov.

The campground sits at 9,980 feet according to Paul’s GPS.  It is surrounded by evergreen forest and some of the most famous peaks in the Uintas – Bald Mountain, Haystack Mountain, and the Notch.  The views are spectacular, the air is clear, and the stars seem to have all congregated in the skies about this delightful spot in the mountains.

To reach Washington Lake, head up the Mirror Lake Highway from Kamas.  Make a left turn toward Trial Lake just past mile marker 25, but instead of turning right toward Trial Lake, keep going up that road.  You’ll see a sign marking the right turn to our campground – the same road as the Crystal Lake Trailhead.  Paul and Cheri’s trailer will be the first one you’ll come to, and they’ll be the first to welcome you to beautiful Washington Lake. 

Frank’s Tour

Hi, I’m Frank.  If you haven’t met me yet, you can read my story at The Story of Frank.  I’m guest posting on Cheri’s blog today to give you a grand tour of Shady Dell and Cobblerest campgrounds.

Spring Runoff through Shady Dell

Let’s start with Shady Dell, which is where Paul and Cheri are staying this year. The campground is situated on the Provo River in a pine and aspen forest. It has twenty sites.  All are paved, and many are large enough to accommodate large trailers and large family groups.  They even have five pull-through sites.  Fees are $18 a night with an $8 charge per night for extra vehicles.

Moving east – and up – to Cobblerest.  Cobblerest is also on the Provo River.  It has 18 paved sites.  The sites in Cobblerest are smaller and located closer together.  There are two pull-throughs.  The campground is covered in dense pine forest.  Many of the sites have great river access.  I think Cobblerest is the prettier of the two campgrounds.  The downside of Cobblerest is that there is no potable water available.  Bring your own – or you can fill your RV tanks at Soapstone, which is located about 2 miles west of Shady Dell.  Shady Dell has water, but the water system was built in the 1940s and just isn’t robust enough to handle a hose connection without the risk of backflow contamination.   Fees at Cobblerest are the same as at Shady Dell.

Provo River at Cobblerest

On the Mirror Lake Highway the rule is: the lower the elevation, the lower the fees.  Shady Dell and Cobblerest are among the lower elevation campgrounds.  The lower elevation campgrounds open earlier in the season; in fact, Cobblerest was the highest elevation campground open over Memorial Day weekend.  The high mountain lakes, Trial Lake, Moosehorn Lake, and Mirror Lake, still have several feet of snow. 

The snow is melting now – and you can see it coming through in the height and rush of the river running through Cobblerest and Shady Dell.  It’s beautiful this time of year.  Come up and see us, and don’t forget to ask for Frank.

The Story of Frank

Paul worked for Fred when he was in college, and during those years Fred became a father figure, mentor and friend.  Even after they stopped working together, Fred considered Paul a part of his extended family.  Paul and Fred bowled together; in fact, our first date was to their league’s bowling banquet.  This was when I met Fred.

We lost track of Fred over the years.  We moved.  He moved.  We found him again two years ago when we read that his wife, JoAnn, had died in an ATV accident on August 5, 2011.  Paul called him immediately.  We attended the memorial service.  We were re-acquainted with Fred’s children and met his grandchildren and several of JoAnn’s sisters.

 

For the next 8 months Paul made it a point to see Fred once a week.  He came to dinner.  They went to lunch.  They went fishing.  Fred once told me, “I was there for Paul when he needed me, and now Paul is here for me when I need him.”

Fred’s health began to decline.  When he could no longer drive, Paul would pick him up for their outings.  On April 3, 2012, Paul called Fred to see if they were still on for lunch.  Fred answered from the hospital.  They chatted briefly.  An hour later, Fred’s daughter called Paul to let him know that Fred had died.

Fred didn't want a memorial service.  The family held a small gathering to celebrate his life.  During the service, Fred’s daughter gave Paul a beautiful, hand-carved walking stick with a leather handle and the name “Frank” engraved below the handle.  Fred had told us the story of the walking stick.  It had been made by an old friend who never did get Fred’s name right.  It became a joke between them, and Fred had treasured the walking stick named Frank.

We assured Fred’s daughters and son that we would take Frank on our adventures.  So now, when you see a photo of Paul with a walking stick named Frank, you know who it is we think of with fondness and gratitude.