Tag: water

Trailer at night

Random Camping in David Thompson Country, Alberta

May 18, 2021

trees and foothills in front of the Rocky Mountains
David Thompson Country

Random camping

Random camping is the experience of heading out to public or crown land and camping where you choose. You can find a spot that is exactly what you and your family are looking for. We enjoy listening to the silence away from the road and other campers. Being self-sufficient gives us pride. Dark skies for photographs are important to me. Appreciating unspoiled nature is good for our souls. If you are travelling and just need a quick spot to spend the night, random camping might be a good option.

  • trailer in the evening in the woods
    Random Camp Site
  • Trailer random camping in the trees next to a river
    Random Camp Site
Milky way
Milky Way

There are several rules on the Alberta Parks website. There are other expectations and camping limitations, however, that need to be considered before participating in this opportunity. I will try to include those here. This discussion will be specific to random camping in the Alberta Foothills known as David Thompson Country.

I live in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada. “Where Adventure Begins,” is our local motto as the land to the west of us is primarily foothills that become the Rocky Mountains as you head further west. The land belongs to the province of Alberta, so logging companies, oil and gas companies and ranchers are allowed to lease it for their commercial needs. There are also some summer camps, small rural communities, and outfitters who take people on horse trips.

Many of the campgrounds located along highway 11 are first come-first served, even during Covid challenges. Others require a reservation. Random camping is definitely in the first come-first served category.

How to Find a Spot to Random Camp

We spend a lot of time travelling the roads west of Rocky Mountain House. I enjoy photographing the beautiful waterfalls in the area, the winter bubbles at Lake Abraham and the changing seasons. We also have a wood permit and cut dead trees for firewood.

Each time we are out, we look for spots that are accessible for our 26 ft 5th wheel. Our hitch had some room to slide so we can manage a slight grade change to get onto an access road. A rock fire ring is a good sign that others have used this site.

The most popular sites are recognizable by the lack of deadfall in the forest near the site. The most frustrating sites are those with several fresh stumps from people cutting down live trees for firewood. Not only does this affect the long-term sustainability of this random spot, but live trees do not burn well at all.

  • Possible location
  • random camping site in the trees
    Random camping site

OHV Trail access

There are often OHV trails close to random camping sites. This may be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on whether you plan to ride the trails yourself. What may look like a good place to camp in the peace and solitude of the great outdoors may turn out to be a staging area for quads and side by sides. The Bighorn Backcountry Map includes areas closed to OHV travel during certain times of the year. Be aware of these regulations as well.

What do you need?

The overall view is important to us. We look for views of water or mountains. We also depend on our solar energy system when we are random camping, so we want a site that allows the sun to reach our panels for a good part of the day. Water views need to be assessed in terms of where the water level might be during runoff or heavy rain. Is the ground stable enough to hold a trailer in the wet and can we easily tow the trailer out of the site?

Busy Saturdays are good for scouting sites by noticing where others have chosen to camp. As retirees, we prefer mid-week camping so can usually use one of these locations another time.

  • foothills with mountains in the background
    Mountain views
  • Water views

How to keep track of random camping sites

Bighorn Backcountry Map

Cel service is accessible along highway 11 (David Thompson Highway). It is mostly non-existent south and north of this corridor. Google maps will show where you are as you travel without signal, but won’t let you pin a location. The best way I have found to keep track of possible random camping sites is to use Google maps and a paper map. The Bighorn Backcountry Map is available locally and in Nordegg. It shows the PLUZ-Public Land Use Zones which are primarily from Nordegg to the south and west. It is a large map to refold in your lap.

Backroads Mapbook for Central Alberta

My preferred map is the book Backroads Mapbook for Central Alberta. We keep this book in the vehicle all the time as it contains not only the highways but also all the secondary roads, logging roads, power cut lines, etc. Fishing, hiking, and ATV trails are in the adventure section.

Many of the backroads in David Thompson Country are industrial roads and a clear sign marks almost every km. By following the dot on Google maps and matching it with the km markings on the road and the curves on the paper map, I can put an X on the map when we discover a good random camping spot. We often stop and walk into the site to determine if our trailer can access it easily and take photos. I might circle an area that has multiple sites.

After we use a site, I save pictures from that site in an album and give a name to that X on the map for future reference.

Considerations for random camping

As of June 1, 2021, Alberta plans to require a permit for random camping. The bill has been proposed, but not passed at the time of writing.

Random camping spots may have a somewhat level space to camp, some deadfall for firewood and a great view, but there are many things you will need to provide for yourself.

Toilets/Water

You will not find toilets/outhouses, water, power or garbage cans. Tenting is possible, but you will need to find a way to manage your toilet issues that will not impact the next visitor or animals in the area. Trailers with toilets and water tanks are a good option, but you need to be aware of your capacity before deciding on the number of days you can stay in a place. Grey water is not to be dumped in a random site.

Power

Battery capacity is another consideration for random camping. Know how long you can stay, especially when the nights are cool and you use your furnace. If you plan to stay a few days, a generator may be required.

Our trailer has a solar system that can easily allow us to stay in one location for as long as our water lasts. This system is new to us this year, and although there is a price tag, we appreciate the flexibility of where we can stay without having to interrupt the peace and quiet with a generator. Professional help is important when setting up solar panels, batteries and inverter/chargers. Canadian Energy from Red Deer set us up with just what we needed. The best price for solar panels was with Amazon.

Firewood

We always bring some firewood from home. As I mentioned, the most popular spots have been cleared of all deadfall. There is lots of deadfall in the rest of David Thompson Country. A short trip with your kids should give you plenty of wood for your stay. Collecting deadfall does not require a wood permit, but cutting dead trees does.

Never cut live trees. It might seem like a fun activity but it impacts the site for years to come. The wood won’t burn and cutting trees can be very dangerous. Choose to clear out a space in the undergrowth nearby and enjoy a crackling fire with dry wood.

Check fire advisories for the area before you leave home and be sure to have enough water to completely wet your fire.

Safety

It is very dark at night once you leave the David Thompson highway corridor. This makes for wonderful night photos, but bears, deer, wild horses, cougars, wolves and coyotes live in this area. Large groups and people noise is usually enough to keep them from interacting with humans. If you are camping alone, be aware. Bear spray is essential. Stay alert. Keep your food safely stored in your vehicle or trailer. Don’t leave a cooler outside. Camp stoves and barbeques also have a strong smell for animals and should be safely stored when not in use.

Make sure to have a good first aid kit with you. It is a long way to the nearest hospital and there is no cell signal in many areas of David Thompson Country if you needed to call for help.

Be alert on the roads. Many are active logging roads with large, heavy vehicles. We have a small radio set to the company’s frequency to know where the trucks are. These frequencies are posted along the roads used by these vehicles.

Clean up

Staff are not in place to clean up your site for the next visitor. We find that a foldable leaf bag rack works well for collecting cans or other recyclables. Pick up any garbage that may have blown into your site or been left behind. Store your garbage inside at night or if you are away from your site.

Take all your garbage home. Don’t leave it in the firepit as it will attract animals. Don’t drop it at a viewpoint or day-use area. They are not designed for a weekend’s worth of garbage and also cause problems for animals.

Staking out your random camping spot

I have seen people take their trailer out to a spot very early in the week to get their favourite place for the weekend. Please keep in mind those of us who prefer to camp midweek but can’t use our favourite place even though no one else is using it. Your equipment is also at risk for damage or theft by animals or people. This land belongs to everyone and the random camping system works best when you keep others in mind.

Random camping benefits

If you love the peace and quiet of your own place in the wilderness, random camping might be for you. It is also a good choice for a large group, post-Covid who don’t want to disturb other campers. You can get away into areas that would not sustain a campground. If you are self-contained, it is fun to discover a new place and listen to the silence.

It is a bit more work to look after the site, but this is the price you pay for having a beautiful place to stay, away from the crowds.

White Rim Road… alone in the desert wilderness

September 3, 2017

Canyonlands, Utah–White Rim Road

[gmap-embed id=”1921″]

To prepare us for this road trip, we took a side trip down the Shafer Trail when we visited Canyonlands, Utah in 2016. This road has to be seen to be believed.  It heads over the side of the Mesa and in 8 km it drops 1400 ft. into the canyon.  It follows the cliff with many switchbacks and is a single track gravel trail.  We didn’t need 4 wheel drive that day, but high clearance is necessary. Once at the bottom, we turned on Potash Road and followed an interesting road out to Moab, with views of arches and the river.

There is another road that continues from where we turned off.  It is 160 km and travels around a third of the park with the Green River to the west and the Colorado River to the east.  There are a number of campgrounds available for booking along the way.  Peter decided then he wanted to take this White Rim Road and explore the desert in his truck.

Planning

This was his trip so he did most of the research and planning.  He read up on the regulations in the park.  He watched YouTube on others who had done it and checked out the route on Google Maps.  The campgrounds were analyzed and booked.  The truck had all the fluids topped up and the tires checked.  Extra water jugs were pulled out of the basement and the backup battery charger for the engine’s battery was prepared.

I was rather anxious about this kind of adventure, but I trust his driving and I knew the truck was safe, so I was in.  Not ecstatic, but in.  I thought of it more like a backpacking trip with our Coleman Instant Tent, where you needed to be self-sufficient for a number of days, in this case, 4  We had 2 coolers, 1 for ice and 1 that runs off the 12 volt.  I checked the first aid kit and made sure we had all the necessary supplies.  

After a pleasant journey through Montana, Wyoming and Colorado, we arrived at Canyonlands National Park at 5 pm on a Friday afternoon.  It is about 45 minutes north and west of Moab, Utah.  We fully expected to have to camp somewhere in the Land Management Area in order to find a spot, but drove through Horsethief Campground just in case.  It was almost empty!  We couldn’t believe our good fortune.  Our site overlooked the desert and although it didn’t have water, vault toilets were available and it was only $15.  

Desert Sunset
Sunrise

It was hot and breezy, but the sky was so dark.  The moon was almost new and I enjoyed working on my night photography skills without having to wear my toque and mittens.  The MIlky Way was so clear and it was hard to see all the constellations for the stars.  

Milky Way

Milky Way with our tent and a plane trail

Shafer Road to White Crack Day 1

We stopped at the information center at Island in the Sky to check in.  The sites we booked were confirmed and after looking at the entire trip, we decided that 3 nights would be adequate for this trip and cancelled our final night.  The fee for our back country permit was only $30 and was good for up to 7 days.  It included our camping.  

There was water available here and we topped up all of our containers.  They recommend 4 liters per person per day when travelling in the desert where temperatures were usually 35 Celsius in the day and 18 at night.  We had 47 L plus our filled water bottles.  The cooler had a variety of canned drinks as well.  There was plenty to drink, but I felt thirsty the whole time between the heat and knowing that my water supply was not unlimited.

Model of the White Rim road in red

We tipped off the top of the world onto Shafer Road.  I felt okay since we had been down this cliff before.  I had been in the back last time so hadn’t seen how many times the road seems to disappear at the corners.  The road was smooth and a little more than 1 lane wide with amazing vistas.  Looking back though, it is hard to know where you just drove.  As we wound our way to the bottom, there are sheer red cliffs above you, and sheer drops below.  Fortunately we didn’t meet anyone until the bottom.

We passed 2 tour vehicles ready to head up the trail.  We also met a park ranger whose truck you can see in the picture.  The info center told us they drive the White Rim Road daily, but this was the only official we saw in 3 days.  We were also passed by a couple of Land Cruisers.  They didn’t have any camping reservations and were driving the entire loop in one day.  They could travel much quicker than us as they had a shorter wheel base, were not loaded with equipment and could reduce their tire pressure to go over the bumps and rocks more easily.  

The Road

The road was primarily one lane wide.  It was dirt or small gravel in lots of places which made for easier driving.  The challenging sections were in the drainage and washout areas.  Rain run off had washed away all the small rocks and left large rock or sometimes bedrock called sliprock.  There were many large holes in front and behind these larger rocks that required lots of driver attention.

It wasn’t too bad in the flat areas, but the same thing happened on lots of the steep up and down climbs. Some climbs were so steep we couldn’t see past the hood of the truck. Watching for rocks sticking out from the side, holes in the road, drop offs and having no idea if the road turned left or right at the top of a climb made for full-time navigating for us both.  Fortunately the 4 wheel-low works flawlessly.  4 high did a good job too when needed.

The advantage of being 1400 ft below the usual viewpoints is that you are that much closer to the canyons.  We walked into Mussleman Arch and could look at the other hoodoos and formations and colours that are not apparent from the top.  I took a picture of Mesa Arch from the top last year and was able to look at it from behind this time.  The Washerwoman looks so interesting from close up.  It is just a tiny formation seen through Mesa Arch.

Mesa Arch and Washerwoman from above March 2016

There were a few campgrounds and picnic stops along the way.  We had a picnic in the truck and completed 60 km to our first stop.  It had taken most of the day as we were travelling between 10 and 40 km/hr. White Crack Campground was 2 km off the road and set on a rise overlooking the lower basins.  We were at the very southern tip of Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands.

White Crack Campground

The camping area can be booked by a group of up to 10 with 3 vehicles.  Since we were only 2 people with 1 vehicle, that is all they booked into this site.  It is remote and silent. The sound of jets flying over were all there was to remind us that we were still part of the modern world.

It consisted of a vault toilet with the most spectacular view in the world, a large slab or red rock and a single juniper tree that we moved our chairs around to get a little shade.  There was a short squall soon after we arrived but the wind died quite quickly and we didn’t lose any of our supplies over the cliff.

The sunset showed itself with clouds and lots of virga, although by true dark, the stars could be seen through the open windows of the tent, even without my glasses.  We got up to watch the sun come up over the mountains and light up the canyon walls in the west.  There was a short trail that took us neared the views to the south where  we could clearly see the white rim of stone that was the uppermost layer in the canyons.

White Crack to Murphy Hogback  Day 2

Our second day was much shorter than the first at only 15 km and about 1 ½ hours. We returned to the main road and travelled over several washout areas.  We stopped several times to look at rock formations.  Erosion is always at work here.  We saw towers with harder rocks balanced precariously on top.  There were some rocks that stood out from the canyon walls like fins.  

Our first real challenge for the truck was driving up Murphy’s Hogback.  It is a section of land raised up from the White Rim where we felt like we were driving straight up like those trucks you see in the commercials.  It was very scary but the truck and driver did a great job.  By the time I arrived at the top, I had a few tears of relief.

The road up!

Murphy campground

The camping area was right at the top of the Hogback at almost 1600 m.  We were there by 11 am but I was glad for a break after all the anxiety of this trip.  The steep section was a success, but I knew we had to go back down the other side.  We did see one more truck go by all day, and that was the last of humanity that we saw until we completed our trip.

This campground had 3 separate sites, but we were the only ones there. Again we had a vault toilet with a view and a friendly juniper tree to give us so more shade. There were no tables provided, but we had a portable table top that unrolls and sits on a base.  

We also had Coleman Instant Screen room.  It was really handy on our trip to the Alaska Inside Passage.  We set it up over the picnic table and used the propane fire ring in the doorway to keep us warm and dry in all the rain.  Since we were encouraged not to exert ourselves in the heat of the day, we set up the room, covered the sunny side with a tarp, spread out our camping mat and had a day off.  I worked on my blog and read.  Peter read the maps and rested from the driving of the last week.  We had lots of water to drink and finished the day with rib steaks on the grilling pan and wished we had brought wine as well.  Those kinds of meals are definitely not backpacking meals. (Pinot Grigio)

A juniper tree gives a lot of shade
shade in our screened patio
Stay out of the sun!

The sky was very cloudy around sunset.  There was rain and virga in the area, but we didn’t get moisture.  I didn’t want to have to worry about slippery roads for the way out.  After sitting and relaxing all day, we realized that we didn’t need another night in the desert so planned to drive out the rest of the way.  We planned to stop at our last camping spot and check it out just in case.  It was also the day of the North American Solar Eclipse so we needed to be somewhere open enough to see what effect an 80% eclipse had on the landscape.

Murphy’s Hogback to Potato Bottom and beyond  Day 3

Getting up so as not to miss the Canyon sunrise meant we were on the road by 7:30.  The trip down off the summit was like pointing your skis down a black run.  You just have to go.  It was steep and rough, but it was okay.  Luckily no one was coming up at the time.  We used the GPS more today to see which way the road curved before we got there.

 

The road today took us along several canyon edges and eventually down to the Green River.  The weather was clear and sunny again and the views amazing.  We could look up at towers and mesas.  We got to our booked camping spot about 9 and decided to carry on to the Mineral Bottom boat lauch for the eclipse, just past the end of White Rim Road.

Or next scary section was up Hardscrabble switchbacks which very quickly takes you up and over a high section and back down to the river again.  It really took 2 of us to get through this.  I watched for rocks and holes on the  right and Pete kept his eye on the left.  I was also responsible for any big rocks jutting out from the right although there was seldom any room on the cliff side of the road to do anything about it. Neither of us looked down.  There was one switch back that we had to enter a turn around area to get the right angle to continue up the hill.

We got back down to the river again along a narrow trail that caught us by surprise and were soon found ourselves at the exit to the White Rim Road, 3 days and 160 km of adventure later.

We got a chance to see the eclipse through some paddler’s glasses.  The light seemed to glare less off the cliffs but it was really not that noticeable, considering how much of the sun was covered by the moon.  We did notice some really interesting shadows on the sand and the temperature dropped from about 35 to 25 Celsius for a short time.

After watching the paddler’s prepare for their trip, we finished our trip on the White Rim Road by exiting up the Mineral Bottom Road.  It was steep with lots of switchbacks, but it had signs for curves and reinforced corners and felt like a highway.  It was time for a shower and dinner in Moab.

Pokhara, Nepal…Some views are good, and others not so much

March 31, 2017

Road to Pokhara

We had 10 days in Nepal and after 4 days in Kathmandu, we decided to take several people’s advice and go to Pokhara.  It’s a city about 200 km to the west.  I was told it was pristine and tranquil.  There is a big lake and the International Mountain Museum to visit.  After the noise, pollution and energy of Kathmandu, it sounded like a perfect trip.

Our hotel, the Tibet Peace Inn, organized it all for us.  We decided to book a car and driver so we could see some of the countryside.  He would also be available to take us to all the sites once we got there.  His hotel costs would be covered by us, but it would be less expensive than flying there.  In all it cost us about $300 for the transportation for 3 days.

At home, 200 km would take about 2 hours on a calm, organized highway.  In the mountains, it might take 3 hours with traffic.  Our trip to Pokhara took 6 hours with a half hour lunch stop!  The road travelled down into the valley and then mostly curved along the agricultural land and through small villages.  Where mud or rocks slid onto the toad, they were left and traffic just had to go around.

rock slide to navigate

Hundreds of buses and large, brightly decorated trucks all tried to pass each other on every curve.  The honking was constant, but along with flashing light signals, everyone seemed to know how to make it through.  I was going to say safely, but there were many close calls.  I stopped watching.  Our driver knew the road and didn’t drive as aggressively as he could have.

Nepalese Villages

The villages obviously did not expect to have that much traffic as they built there homes along old trade routes.  Houses were built close to the roads with terraced fields taking up most of the land along the valley floor and up the sides.  There were a few suspension bridges that crossed the river to allow access to more homes up on the slopes.  There didn’t appear to be any roads on the other side so most people would have to walk up and down steep slopes to get to their homes.

Water standpipes were in front of about every 6th house.  Women gathered here to wash clothes and children.  Men played games of chance on tables with cards or throwing coins at a target.  Families sat in the shade outside small shops.  Children kicked tattered soccer balls around. Farmers were already planting rice in the fields using cattle to pull a plow.  We saw one mechanical plow in our travels in Nepal.

Decorated tractor too
Family gathering
More laundry
Mom and her kids
Chickens in the yard
Bath time

We went to Pokhara on a Thursday and saw many children waiting with their parents for the school bus to pick them up.  Their traditional British uniforms seemed so out of place in these tiny, dusty villages.  Most of the women here dress in pants and Indian tunics in beautiful colours.  They really contrasted against the mostly blues and greys of the children’s clothing.  These bright sweaters were unusual.

school uniforms

Pokhara

Our arrival in Pokhara was quite disappointing.  It was cloudy and smoggy.  It is a large city (250 000) but the tourist area of Lakeside was admittedly tranquil, but certainly not pristine.  We checked into the Family Home Hotel which had been booked by our hotel in Kathmandu.  The room was large and even had a balcony to sit on and watch the goings-on of the community.  The hotels in Nepal advertise 24 hour hot water and we would agree that this shower had the best heat and pressure of any in Asia.  At breakfast the manager told us to ask for anything we wanted because we were to feel like we were at home.  From our experience, they “get” customer service here.

We walked by the lake.  I had my second surprise to see a scrum of photographers on the shore snapping pics of a woman standing in one of the boats, dressed in a lovely saree.  There was a fog machine nearby trying to create a misty scene.  I don’t know the story, but I took a picture too.  While Peter was waiting, he met a family from India who were visiting.  After a short conversation, they wanted to take our picture with their little girl.  As India is close to Nepal, there were mostly Indians and Caucasians in Pokhara.  We didn’t see many Asian visitors.

Sunrise

Our driver picked us up at 5 am and drove us to the top of a sunrise lookout.  People were waiting to be hired to show us the best place to stand.  We declined. As I was the first there, I had to choose the best place to set up my tripod.  The spot was great, but was difficult to protect once all the tour vans and buses began to arrive.  We did meet a very nice man from South Korea who was well-travelled and showed us some of his incredible mountain pictures.

The hills were still shrouded in mist and a few clouds had formed.  The sunrise looked nice and you could see several terraced fields.  Suddenly the top of a mountain appeared, way above the surrounding hills.  It had snow on the top and was barely pink in the sunrise.  This was Annapurna.  This is why people come to Pokhara.  It is the starting point of the Annapurna Circuit, a trek up the mountain.  Now I knew what all the excitement was about.  The tip of Fishtail Mountain also appeared for a few moments.  The smog and clouds soon covered all the spectacular views and left us with just hills.

Pokhara Sites

We spent the rest of the day touring the area.  We saw the White Pagoda on another viewpoint.  It was built by a Japanese Buddhist who wanted there to be 100  of these built around the world to honor the birth of Buddha in Nepal.  It was begun in 1974, but when it reached 35 feet high it was torn down by the government of the time but was finally completed in 1998.  The 4 Buddhas face the cardinal directions and were donated by countries like Thailand and Sri Lanka.  If you are not sure the expectations at a temple, look for signs.  They will usually tell you.  There was a great little coffee shop with views on the way down.

coffee shop with views
Everywhere has donuts
School tour
Expectations

In the town itself is Devi’s Falls.  It is the dry season, and you have to pay to get in to see the falls.  There are fences and walkways all around this area that is a little bigger than our back yard.  However, there is only on spot you can actually see the falls so it was a little underwhelming.

Devi’s Falls

Across the street is Gupteshwor Mahadev cave.  These were much better.  The river from the falls flows under the street and runs through a cave.  You enter through a newly (as in the cement was still being shaped) renovated entrance, past a shrine, and down many steps to see a waterfall entering the cave.  There is an opening in the rock behind the water so it was quite beautiful.

International Mountain Museum

After lunch we visited the International Mountain Museum.  It is a large, modern building.  We saw photographs and statistics on all the important mountains and when they had been climbed, including quotes from those who were the first to ascend to the peak.  There were profiles on some of the most prolific climbers and samples of some of the gear used in the past.  Descriptions of the culture of the tribes of the mountains were displayed.  Pictures comparing the glaciers in the mountains from 50 years ago to know show that the climate is changing.

Toni Hagen

There was also a display  of photographs taken by Toni Hagen in the 1950’s.  He was a Swiss geologist who came to Nepal with the United Nations to survey and map the area.  His pictures show Pokhara and the mountains at a time when there were no roads to this area. Supplies were delivered by a DC-3 plane in those days.  There is an interesting documentary about his time in Nepal that would be easier to watch with English subtitles, but the pictures and views are still worth seeing.

Neighborhood Happenings

After breakfast, we watched the neighbors across the street remove a tin addition to their small house and begin digging the dirt out from that area.  When we returned in the afternoon, the dirt had all been bagged and replaced with large stones and smaller rocks and bricks as a foundation.  A load of large cement blocks had been delivered and was waiting on the street.

The workers were resting, but 2 men on bicycles arrived.  They bagged up all the metal pieces and loaded them onto the bikes.  Even the tin walls and roof were balanced onto the bike using good knowledge of levers and balance.  They pushed the loaded bikes away from the site.

Digging out the dirt
Taking tin walls away on a bike

Sunrise #2

After being led astray by Google Maps to the wrong, but okay restaurant we planned on an early night.  A big lightning storm passed north of town for a couple of hours.  The sound of the thunder echoing around the peaks was more evidence that big mountains really do exist in this area.  We hoped some rain might clear the skies for another try at sunrise, although I worried for some friends who were trekking on the mountain at the time.

At 5 am the stars and moon were bright overhead so we were optimistic.  While the sunrise was quite lovely, and the tall peaks did appear in their entirety, the smog quickly swallowed them up so there was not much left for us to than return to Kathmandu.  Our friends who were on the mountain in the storm had arrived at their guest house early in the afternoon and got to watch the storm.  They arrived in Pokhara 3 days after we left and thought it was the beautiful place. Click the link to see what they saw. Pokhara Images.