Our Inaugural Apache Trip...Part I

Kerri and I didn't have to wait long to take our Apache Eagle out into the wilderness. I checked the forecasts for all of southern Washington and northern Oregon to find a place that wouldn't dump rain on us. (If you haven't heard, it rains a  lot 'round these parts...) After looking everywhere from Crater Lake to Mount Baker, it looked like a trip way out east of The Dalles was the safest bet.  

We had never been to the Deschutes River State Park but we had read all about it in our favorite guide book, Curious Gorge by Hood River resident, Scott Cook. If you live in Portland and love the Gorge you HAVE to get this book. You can find it all over town and I think it runs around $12 or so. Scott Cook is the author of a few other books such as Pokin' Round the Gorge (a complete guide to secret places to get it on in the Gorge) and Bend, Overall, a guide to hiking the Bend area...

                                               BUY IT!!!


Admittedly, I was a little nervous taking the Apache out on the highway for the first time. I've never towed anything before as far as I can remember...least not anything attached to a car and not a truck. But, the Eagle towed like nothing was there at all. Very light and stress free. 

Plus, with the storage capacity of the Eagle we were able to give Tilford a little more room in the Forester. I made him a super car doggy-bed throne like space...

 
The weather was gorgeous ;) 

                                    Deschutes River State Rec. Area looking east
                                                        (there in the tree line! also, not my photo)

We went straight to the Deschutes River State Recreation Area, an hour and a half east of Portland (through the maritime section of the Gorge and into the high desert area) and were sooooo glad to be there. What a great park! This is from the Oregon State Parks and Rec website: 

"The Deschutes River State Recreation Area is a tree-shaded, overnight oasis for campers. The sparkle-laden, swift, green rush of the Deschutes converges with the Columbia here, and there's no better place for family outing activities like hiking, mountain biking, camping, rafting, world-class steelhead and trout fishing, and equestrian trail riding."
  

I did not take many photos of the actual park/camping areas but for those interested you can see some pretty nice panorama shots here. 

After tooling around a bit and having some conversation with the park ranger (?) we decided on a spot for our first Apache Eagle base camp site! Seeing as we had only done it once before, we had the Eagle open and ready in about 15 minutes. And, here she is...

I must mention here that, to me, when the door is open and the entrance is unzipped, our '72 Apache Eagle reminds me very much of this guy...

...I'm probably the only one...but I see it!

Anyhow... We loved the camp site, the proximity to the Deschutes River and all the geese. The park area is home to about a hundred Canada geese and while I can't say I enjoyed having to dodge their shit with each step toward the river, I did enjoy watching them poke around for food en masse. 

This photo does not adequately reflect the very large number of geese present at the camp site...but the memory for my camera is limited and I take large format photos...so I could only spare one for the geese.


After we set up base camp it was time to hit the trails. The Deschutes River State Rec. Area has some easy and slightly moderate trails as far as elevation and incline go. There is a loop trail near the river's edge and a longer loop that leads up to the hill tops...

 However, there are other dangers. You have to be very careful about these guys...

Gross. I've never seen as many snakes in general and rattlesnakes in particular as I did at Deschutes. And that is coming from someone who grew up in west and central Texas. Seems like they were everywhere. Later in the week I had nightmares about snakes attacking Tilford. Horrible feeling...

BUT!!! Don't let that deter you from taking a trip out here! It's BEAUTIFUL!!! 

Next up, I tell you about our adventures at Horsethief Butte and give you a preview of our next Apache Summer trip!


Peace and happy camping!


Ulysses

In Which We Fall in Love with Apaches and Find Our Eagle...Part II

See those two folks running on the beach? That's gonna be me and Kerri this summer. Our Apache Summer...

When the impulse to learn about Apaches became the impulse to buy an Apache, we really lucked-out. As it happened, in late April we returned to craigslist to hunt and we found the selection to be pretty choice. By choice I mean there were TWO for sale. On the SAME DAY. Now, that is remarkable because Vesely made a ton of these Apaches for a 30 year period but you don't find them everywhere. Luckily, we live in Portland, Oregon, a haven for outdoor enthusiasts.

  
(Oregon is the most amazing place in the US of A!!! There are mountains, coasts, deserts, rain-y forests...got it all! If you haven't read about the Columbia River Gorge or the Cascade Mountain Range, treat yourself and do it right after you finish this post.) 

 So, we drove ALL the way out to Hillsboro on a Sunday afternoon to see a rather beat-up Apache Eagle from around 1969 or so. When we got to the guy's house we could see that we were meeting someone who had the same enthusiasms as us. In his front yard there was an old 8 foot canned-ham, a 10 foot camper up on its stilts and this chocolate brown Apache Eagle... The Apache kinda looked like hell. The chocolate brown paint job was not original and was seriously flaking off of the body. But, here it was, an Apache Eagle for us to see!

(random apache photo to break up the block of text. not the chocolate brown apache we saw in hillsboro)

The gentleman camper and his wife demonstrated to us how it opens and sets up. All in all, set-up took less than ten minutes. He was sure to tell us that it gets easier and quicker with practice. Kerri and I were not deterred for once we got inside the thing we were already speaking in low whispers about how much cash we had between us. This things was COOL! Oh man, the first time to see the whole lay-out in person was a trip. The Eagles are spacious, especially for just two and a dog. And the chocolate brown Eagle had some great qualities. This Apache had a complete set of bed and dinette cushions, not original but custom made and in great shape. The dinette table was in working order. But the canvas was pretty shot. Still...it was cool and they were only asking $400.

We had another Eagle to go and see on Sauvie's Island, one that claimed to have been stored inside for most of its life. So we thanked the folks for showing us their Apache and told them we would let them know as soon as we saw the other one if we wanted the choco-eagle.

So, we drove over the west hills to Sauvies Island. And we promptly became owners of THIS:

A 1972 Apache Eagle in AMAZING condition. This thing HAD been stored inside for 35 years. The body is in great shape, the canvas almost 100% intact and working. The zippers work fine, the brake and turning signals fully operational, original sleeping pads, table fully functioning... Just in great shape. Just like in this ad:

Kerri and I didn't need to think long about what to do. We put a deposit on our new 1972 Apache Eagle and made an appointment to get a towing package installed on the Forester! ($300...yikes!) Next day, we brought it home.

About the only things it was missing were the dinette cushions and a set of hangers for the shell when the unit is completely set up. The tail light covers are not original. It is missing the "E" in the prominent "APACHE" hard plastic decal above the door...so it just reads "APACH". And we think the floor covering is not original. It kinda has a linoleum herring bone pattern...brown...meh, but still awesome. Other than that everything was great!  

And now...we are Apache owners. We join a nerdy national club of camping geeks who love their Apaches. Our '72 Eagle is in great working order but we dream of sprucing it up a little each year. We found a pretty great example of a 1970 Eagle in mint original condition that we'd like to emulate:

It would be sweet to find a outdoor awning canvas like the one pictured above. Especially as we gear up to take longer trips staying in one camp site for multiple days. AND, we really dig the bright orange and yellow striped cushions of this 1970 Eagle. Looks as if they have added a orange chest of drawers for additional storage and seating. Not a bad idea, but as it is that chest of drawers is right where Tilford's doggy bed is.

Before I go on to other homework, take a look at some interior photos of our Apache Eagle '72. Next post will finally include photos from our first trip with our Apache, out to Deschutes State Park!!!

Peace and happy camping!


Ulysses

In Which We Fall in Love with Apaches and Find Our Eagle, Part I

After seeing that sweet local 1967 Apache Eagle for sale Kerri and I started doing a little more research. A few websites into our search it was easy to see glory of these vintage tent trailers.

Apache trailers were made in Lapeer, Michigan by the Vesely company beginning in the late 1950s. (And ending in the late 1980s.) Vesely made a number of different sized tent trailers with graduated levels of comfort/accommodations. Early on, Vesely produced three models, the tiny Scout, the mid-sized Chief and the full-sized Eagle. (I found this advertisement from a Florida newspaper dated 1962.)

By the late sixties, Vesely was producing more elaborate pop-up "tent" trailers, the forerunners to today's modern pop-up trailers. One of the best early examples of what was to become the standard for the industry was the Golden Buffalo. I really like this model... Just so happens there is one for sale here in Portland as of today, May 25th, 2012. Would love to restore it to its original glory!

Vesely is maybe best known as the company that introduced solid-state pop-up tent trailers. That is, pop-up trailers with all hard-plastic walls rather than canvas. While I admire all the hard work and thought that went into these transformer-like trailers, my preference is still for the canvas trailers. Here are a few photos of the hard-sided Apaches...

 I'm sure to return to the subject of Apache's history in the future. If you need your history fix right away you can read about the history of the Vesely Company here. Vesely was a pioneer in the field and during the sixties and seventies it appears they were the biggest manufacturer of soft and hard sided pop-up trailers. (A big thanks to Joe Silvey, who has collected and maintains the best source of pop-up camper related historical information available anywhere on the web! I encourage other enthusiasts to check out his site, www.popupcamperhistory.com. Thanks, Joe! Your site has been a big help in our search.)

At the heart of their appeal is their ease of use and mobility. These classic canvas Apache trailers weigh less than 700 lbs. They can be towed by vehicles other than trucks. In my search I found photos of people towing their Apaches behind cars as small as Honda Accords and Volkswagen Beetles...

Also, it is not that difficult or time consuming to erect your Apache after you find a camping spot, as reflected in this vintage print ad for the Chief...

...and this video

Once we could see that these Apaches were great fits for our needs and wants we began searching for one in our area. As LUCK would have it...we found TWO EAGLES for sale in the area (other than the $1600 1967 Eagle).

Here is a couple of old pics of (roughly) the Eagles we went out to see...

and...

We love these old ads...

I gotta go do some other homework... Coming up next, I tell you about our 1972 Apache Eagle and show you some great photos from our Apache Summer 2012, so far!!!!