Hosting with Squeaky

Greetings from Wallowa Lake State Park in Eastern Oregon. Two months after originally planning to head out, I am on the road again with Squeaky. Covid stalled my plans and Covid changed them, but I’m happy to report Covid did not end them.

Back in March when I started to realize that perhaps a trip meandering around the country, stopping in towns and cities along the way wasn’t going to happen the way I envisioned,  I put an application in with Oregon State Parks to become a campground host. My idea was,  maybe Olive and I could spend time at one the parks on the coast.  I didn’t hear anything for a long time and assumed that all the spots were filled—especially with many of the parks delaying their openings.  I started to make plans to start driving to Boston to spend time with my family and help my sister out with my nieces and nephew.

Then about two weeks ago, I got a call, asking if I was still interested and available to be a camp host. I almost said no, because by that time, I was gearing up to head to Boston. But I listened and learned there were a few openings they still needed filled and one was here at Wallowa Lake in a week. I had a decision to make.  I hung up the phone and went for a bike ride.

I’d already made a plan and a commitment to my sister and didn’t want to let her down, but also felt like this was a once in a lifetime experience. I’d been to Wallowa Lake once before. It’s in a remote part of Eastern Oregon by the pristine Eagle Cap Wilderness and Hells Canyon. It sits at the Southend of small artist enclave of Joseph. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to and one of the places that makes Oregon so special.

On the bike ride, I imagined myself parked lakeside in a cool forest at 4,000 feet or in Boston, parked in my sister’s driveway in the hot humid Northeast summer. And while I loved the idea of spending time with my nieces and nephew and my East Coast family, I was also nervous about the cross country drive and not sure what impact the virus would have on travel. I was also having some anxiety about Olive and how she would be in city with the heat and my sister’s kids and dog.

So, after a lot of thought, talks with friends and my sister, I said yes to hosting. I packed up Squeaky and took two days to make the 7 hour drive to Joseph. I’ve only been here a few days, and I know I made the right decision. My volunteer job will be cleaning out campsites and selling firewood. I’ll write more about life as a campground host. But for now, enjoy these pictures of Joseph and Wallowa Lake.