God has a unique sense of humor. You see, I had been prepping all winter for a ski exam in Central-West Idaho mountains. This meant MANY extra hours on the slopes, and skiing in virtually all kinds of weather. Through much of this time, we experienced a mild and relatively snowless winter… until I was ready to depart McCall and head for the exam site with my camper. Literally just a few days before my planned departure, it started to snow and snow and snow. This led me to share my winter RV camp “breaking” experience HERE.
As you may have read in my previous post, I traveled safely to Ogden, Utah on Feb 23rd, took the exam (that’s a story in and of itself), and after a few days of r&r in Ogden, was ready to head SOUTH for some early Spring weather.
Not so fast!
To break up the drive south to St. George, I chose to spend 2 nights in the small town of Fillmore, Idaho and stayed at Wagons West RV Park (highly NOT recommended). On my arrival day and 2nd day in town, temperatures reached the 50’s (yay!), but on my last night, after seeing it at around 50F at 10pm, I awoke to about 10 inches of new snow at 8 am – and ultimately a FOOT of snow by 10am (and the campground NEVER BOTHERED to plow it!!)
I was determined nevertheless to get out of “dodge” and head to St. George, where I KNEW the ground was snow free.
The following video in about 4 minutes details my drive and experience…
As you can see, conditions went from bad to worse as I climbed out of Fillmore. Had it not been early March and daytime, I would NEVER have attempted a drive with a trailer in heavy snow. I knew enough about the sun and the time of year to expect relatively clear roads despite the lousy weather conditions.
Yep, it HAD to happen on my planned departure day from Fillmore – and will LIKELY be the LAST significant snow I see until next Autumn.
As you saw, conditions eventually cleared and by the time I arrived in St. George, it was sunny and over 50F. As I write this, I have now been in St. George for about a week at Sand Hollows State Park (HIGHLY recommended), and soon another week at Zion Gate RV Resort.
This region (St. George) is growing! Its a very pleasant place overall, but I know that by mid-May (and until Mid-October), its hotter than hades! But for now, kayaking and bicycle riding have become a daily activity for me – and even a day or two of skiing at Brian Head, just over an hour north (and 7000 ft. higher elevation! (and that’s the BASE of the ski area).
There is an extensive network of “multi-use” trails (bicycle trails) in the region, and two bodies of water (at the state parks) where kayaking is a great way to pass the time (and get in shape!)
Lastly, the River Rock Roasting Company has become a bit of a hang-out for me as its a great place to take in the scenery (it borders a canyon) and be inspired to share these thoughts! I’ll share a bit more about Sand Hollow State Park in my next post.
For now, enjoy your day. Please consider connecting with me by subscribing to this page (look for the subscribe link) and/or meet me on my Facebook page and subscribe there.
Hi Al: Glad you made to warmer climate safely. Pulling a camper in snow is always nerve racking. Question for you. We decided to purchase the Glacier Peak F30 RLS.
I want to buy a canoe to bring with us on trips. Is it possible to attach the canoe on the rear of the camper somehow?
I use an inflatable kayak, so, no need to attach it. I’ve seen a custom system before, but it was not commercially available at the time (about 2 years ago). I’d actually refer you to google and do a search on this topic (I did) and found a couple of youtube videos & some websites where the issue is addressed. Safe to say, not many are doing this. Al
Hi Alan –
We spent some time in McCall at the same resort that you were at this year. We did see your rig last year too!
What happened this year? Just weather? The resort, or your 5th wheel expectations? Your job at the resort?
Just curious. Your blog left us hanging on why the experience was bad, or not necessarily what you desired.
I did not (and do not) wish to publicly go into issues at the ski area – but it heavily relates to the ski area and overall how it is being managed/operated. Al
I think you meant Fillmore, UT
if I stated otherwise, yes, fillmore, ut
Thanks, I enjoyed that. We too were in a storm like that (white out conditions). Long story. Plan on doing the Big 5(?) next Fall or Spring 2019.
Thanks for sharing, what are the big 5?
Just read your post and April1 we are headed to Best Friends Sanctuary and then to the National Parks on the east side of Utah then into MT via Idaho to work for the summer. So UT roads seem to be pretty clear, thanks to your video.
Good info.
Jan, at this time of year, as the sun gets increasingly stronger, the liklihood of hitting road issues diminishes greatly. That said, overnight or early morning/evening can still be an issue. And… the farther north you travel, the less impact the sun has even now. Watch the forecasts and if heavy snow is predicted, be flexible enough to sit it out for a few hours or a day at the most.