Honeysuckle NFS Campground

Our day started  quietly at Lost Creek Campground.  Watching the sun rise on the side of the canyon and, also, watching the black-eared rack rabbits and chipmunks running along the road was a treat.  We headed out reasonably early as we still have 10 hours of driving to reach Bend.

The drive was pleasant but full of curves and elevation changes.  David started, but Janet soon took over so that David could figure out the plan for the night.  He selected the Honeysuckle NFS campground about 25 miles off I-90.  The road in started out paved but soon turned into a well-graded and maintained gravel road.  Problem was that it was very dry. And dusty.  So dusty that from time to time the visibility was terrible.  When we reached the campground, we found there were several places to choose from.  Site 5 is very secluded.  The. Camp  host came along and greeted us,  The host explained that this campground is located in an experimental forest.  In 1933 the forest service planted a wide variety of trees to see which, besides the usual white pine, would grow best in this community.  The camp host promised us a quiet place to camp.

My he was wrong.  While we were sitting outside enjoying the trees and relative silence I heard an ATV down near the host site.  We didn’t think anything about it, but about the same time decided to walk down and talk with him about the best route back to I-90 — reversing the way we came in or one of two different routes.  As we walked up I heard the host talking on his satellite phone asking for 911.

It turns out a family of three had managed to tumble their ATV over the side of the road . A Good Samaritan had found them when the mother of the group had managed to climb up to the road. He  had brought her to the campground for help, while he left an unconscious victim (the 29-year-old driver) and his severely  concussed father.  Emergency vehicles were sent for.  Meanwhile, the father managed to climb up to the road and a second Good Samaritan drove him to the campground.  Soon a helicopter arrived.  The unconscious son was brought by ambulance to the campground where he was loaded into the helicopter.  He left and his parents were transported by ambulance.  It is a good hour drive to paved roads and we have no idea where the nearest hospital is.

After all the commotion we had a nice steak dinner with potatoes, broccoli, spinach, and salad.  This is a very nice campground.  Very secluded sites, right on the river if one wants to play in the water or fish.  Pit toilets and a water pump. No cell service.

-- Janet (text) and David (photos)