Spring camping on my mind

This is the first of a multi-part series about preparing for spring camping.

The 10-day forecast is calling for high temperatures in the 60s, except for one 57-degree day, with lows in the 40s, except for a few days in the mid to high 30s. The temperatures are seasonably high for this time of year.

My wife Garnet predicts the temperatures are going to stay on the high end for the entire year.

Me? I would rather we experience a normal year temperature wise.

Besides the usual yard and garden cleanup, warm weather means it's time for camping.

Garnet and I were shopping in the pickle aisle recently when Craig Dorsing appeared. We have shared camping stories for years, as we both have travel trailers.

"We are getting our trailer out after Easter," Craig said.

I relayed our trailer would be brought out of hibernation in a week or two.

"A friend said he wanted to camp in site 23 at Potholes and wait for you to show up," Craig said.

For sure, site 23 is our favorite campsite and it is 23 miles from the driveway of our house.

But if someone else was using the spot, we would camp nearby. It would be great to have a gathering of several Columbia Basin campers sharing a common campfire.

One of our exercises when at Potholes Campground is to walk from site to site, all 60 of them with full hookups, making mental notes, and some written ones, about which ones we would enjoy and why.

We wouldn't mind camping in other sites, but 23 is our favorite. Why? There are several reasons. The campground consists of six circles of 10 sites each. Each site requires backing the trailer in place.

But site 23 has an exceptional amount of grass area at the back of the campsite. This gives us what we consider to be extra privacy space. Between our circle and the circle behind our trailer is a row of trees, which also adds to the solitude.

The public restrooms and showers are close, perhaps 30 yards away.  This is desirable when friends and relatives visit.

This site is 45 feet long and 16 feet wide, making it acceptable for larger motor homes and trailers. The parking surface is gravel and has a slight slope, but so slight we don't bother to add additional leveling measures.

The grass is rich, thick and extends up to the edge of the campsite. The fire pit is in the ground, instead of resting above ground.

Three tents or shelters are allowed at the site, but the tents are allowed only on Friday and Saturday nights, as the sprinkler system comes on other days.

Campground check-in begins at 2:30 p.m. and check-out is at 1 p.m.. Campsites cannot be held for someone who might arrive later.

Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., unless otherwise noted at the park. Engine-driven electric generators may be operated only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.

From April 1 through Sept. 30, the maximum length of stay in any one park is 10 days from April 1 through Sept. 30. The rest of the year, Oct. 1 through March 31, the maximum stay is 20 days.

One camping party is allowed per site, with a maximum of eight people per site.

Feeding of wildlife is strictly prohibited.

Horses are allowed only in designated parks. Pets are allowed in most state parks, but must be under physical control at all times on a leash no more than eight feet long.

Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pets. Pets are not permitted on designated swimming beaches.

The fee for site 23 is $32 during the peak season, as it is a full-utility site, which is described as a standard campsite with the addition of electricity, water and sewer hookups.

The key to making sure you have the campsite you desire is to make a reservation, whichs are only allowed from May 15 through Sept. 15.

The state parks system provides a simple way to make a reservation. Visit the home page of the state parks system at www.parks.wa.gov. Next click on reservations and then on "Make an online reservation or find campsite availability."

At this point you have three ways to check the site you want. I use the one titled "On a map." This brings up the state divided into four quarters.

Potholes State Park is in the Southeast quarter, so click on this portion and then on the small green circle titled Potholes.

Next click on the portion with the six circles and then pick the site of your choice. Clicking on any site will bring up information about the site as listed above, plus a photo of the site is available.

Clicking on the site calendar will provide the days the site is available or not available. Notice the days of April and half of May has an R with a line through it, meaning reservations cannot be made on those days.

However beginning May 15 there are a series of red circles with an X in each one, meaning the site has been reserved on these days.

The days with a green circle and a check mark indicate the site is available on these days.

Next week: More preparations for springtime camping.