After spending most of the week down and out in bed with the flu, I needed to get out of the house for some fresh air and so did my fur baby, Zola. So I packed up some things, and we hit the road mid-morning.
I headed out towards West Harrison FSR, but at the last minute decided to go up Chehalis FSR instead. I texted my husband my change of plans, my estimated return time, and got back on the road.
There was hardly any traffic on my drive up the FSR, which was a nice surprise for a sunny Saturday afternoon!
I decided to explore a side road, which brought me down to a dead end and a truck parked with a few people shooting, so after a twenty-point turn of embarrassment (at least that’s what it felt like), I went back up the hill and continued along the FSR. The second side road I found brought me down a hill to a clearing with a rock fire pit. I debated stopping here, but continued past that to see where it went and got to the top of the hill before realizing the big ditches at the top weren’t going to be a good idea in my stock truck solo, so I reversed back down the hill and set up by the fire pit.
The main thing I was looking for was a spot in the sunshine! I didn’t want to be sitting in the shade, and I was so happy to find this spot off the main road, basked in sunshine. Once I parked I let Zola out and took a deep breath of fresh air while I unloaded my chair and firewood.
The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and it was a beautiful day! Zola enjoyed exploring the area (aka running after sticks) while I sat by the fire, and it was exactly the afternoon we needed.
Just after 2 p.m. the sun disappeared behind the mountain, and the temperature dropped in the shade. I let the fire die down before extinguishing it with water and kicking the coals apart. I loaded up my truck while waiting to make sure the fire was completely out.
The drive down was beautiful and again, I only saw a few vehicles along my way, which was a nice surprise and always makes the return trip more relaxing.
This was a great reminder that all I need is a few hours and some firewood to have an amazing outing. No planning required, and I feel so blessed to live somewhere that I can drive 14km up a Forestry Road, explore, have a fire, and only burn a quarter tank of gas!
I really do love where I live! British Columbia is so beautiful and I hope I never forget that.
Of All the Paths You Take in Life, Make Sure A Few of Them Are Dirt.
John Muir
As always, thanks for reading! I hope this post inspires you to pack up and get out of the house for an afternoon, or even a few hours. Great things happen outdoors.