Platte Clove, Day 2: High and Dry
It was a full day of scouting locations. There was little chance of getting any worthwhile photographs; the water was virtually non-existent at most of the waterfalls, compounded by perfectly clear, blue skies – great if you’re on vacation, lousy if you are a photographer. There are a number of ideal places to shoot that are within a few miles of the cabin. I visited the cheerful and quaintly named Black Chasm, Devil’s Kitchen and Hell’s Hole, among others. In the evening I met Del at North-South Lake campground, where the presence of some clouds made sunset worth shooting.
Sunset at North-South Lake campground.
Print available for purchase.
Since the day did not yield many photos, I’ll spend a little time describing my accommodations for the week. I was immediately struck by how spacious the cabin was. However, despite its roominess, the cabin does not have running water. A small, outhouse 30 yards away provides the toilet facilities. A porch with picnic table provides the perfect place to enjoy meals, with the sound of rushing water from the creek rounding out the ambiance. A large living room area (with fireplace) provides ample room to work and/or relax. A small kitchen with a stove and refrigerator adjoins it, while upstairs there are two bedrooms.
The Platte Clove artist’s cabin.
Storage shed (the outhouse is the small building behind).
View from behind the cabin.
Kitchen and dining area.
Living room with fireplace.
Plaque describing the Platte Clove area.
Front porch with picnic table overlooking a small yard.
I viewed this week of “rustic living” as a good learning experience towards my desire to transition to backpacking-based trips in the future. While I did not have to worry about shelter, I planned my meals as if I were going backpacking (i.e. one pot meals that only require adding boiling water). It also let me try out my ultralight cook set, including my homemade 0.3 ounce alcohol stove made from a cat food can! I was pleasantly surprised by its performance, it can bring 10 oz of cold water to a rolling boil in about 5 minutes. And the recipes I found weren’t half bad!
Ultralight cook set.
Dinner (rice and beans).
December 2, 2012 at 12:17 PM
That’s a great shot of the sunset! Also, diggin the little cook set. Looks efficient!
December 2, 2012 at 2:13 PM
Your photo of the sunset is just beautiful! I enjoyed seeing photos of your accommodations as well. Interesting cook set. Makes one realize how little we really need, and yet how many gadgets we really have.