Nope, not yet. We checked out some places we like to camp in the Colville National Forest the weekend before, exploring with our car. Most of the snows were gone in spots we like to camp at but the ground was still too soft. Especially for bringing up a heavy truck and camper. A couple spots on one of the roads was already really tore up from others driving on the soft surface. While that is fine for some, we will wait. We did see deer and a bunch of elk though while out exploring. The elk were in a field on private property right before entering the forest lands.
So this weekend we decided to camp at Fort Spokane campground. The spots are all reservable in these campgrounds and the rates with my 1/2 off discount make it reasonable in price as well. No hookups and that is fine with us. At the time of our visit, half of the campground was open as it is still the off season. Too bad really, the back loop has better sites in my opinion. They are much flatter than the front loop. Do not get me wrong, there are some great sites in the front loop but you really need to pay attention to which one you reserve as some are really unlevel. Our site was fairly unlevel but long. We parked at the flatter end of the pull through and with a little ramping up, we got level. All was good.
After we got set up we just hung out at camp. We did a walk through the loop and that was about as productive as we felt like being. The rest of the night was hanging out by our propane campfire.
The night was very quiet. Even with the loop portion that was open having all but a couple sites occupied, it was quiet at night. The last couple outings we have either been alone or just a few people at camp. Even at the Oregon state park a few weeks ago, there were only a few people there. This week, there was a bunch more enjoying their outings along with us. That was fine. People were respectful and really, it was great to see and hear kids playing during the day, enjoying the outdoors.
After breakfast we went for a little walk, first down to the Spokane River. This campground is used by a lot of fisherman and people who are boating. We did neither but still enjoyed our time there.
We then walked the short 1/2 mile up to where the old fort was at. Most of he buildings are gone but the outlines are still there. They have a bunch of history signs all over along the walkways of the area. Really, it is a neat place to explore and take in the history of what this area was in the past.
The location of this fort and campground is where the Spokane River flows into the Columbia River. At camp you cannot see the river and there are only a couple sites in the other loop that you can see the Spokane River. But a nice beach is a short walk away from camp. It is still a fun area to visit.
If you want to learn more about the old fort here is a link to it. Good Fort Spokane Info link
We enjoyed our walk around and it was time to head back to camp. Joanne made a nice salad for us to have for lunch. I got the fire ready to start up as we would be trying out something we have not done before at camp, cook a meal in a pot over the campfire. Yes, we almost always cook outside but not over a campfire. We use our grills and other cooking devices.
Our dinner would be a beef roast with sun dried tomatoes, onions and a couple other items in the pot. In the end it took about 4 hours of cooking to complete. Sitting and monitoring the campfire so temperatures remained as steady as they could gave us a lot of time to relax by the fire. Also a perfect time for me to enjoy a beverage. One of the choices I had on this trip was a white stout made by Kettle House Brewing Company out of Bonner Montana, jus outside of Missoula Montana.
As the time got close to dinner being ready the smells from the pot got more and more delicious smelling. Soon it was time to eat finally. Was the time and effort to cook it over the fire worth it? Yes it was.
Dinner was outstanding and I ate until I could not eat anymore and still wanted more. I would say our first time cooking like this over the fire was a success. Sure, we have cooked hotdogs and foods like that over a fire but noting to this scale. It was actually a YouTuber that inspired us to give this kind of cooking a try. Kenny Of All Trades is someone we have been watching, going through all his videos. His link is listed in the links on this website on the right side. Thanks Kenny for the inspiration. 20 plus years of truck camping and we finally gave this cooking style a try. Heck even before when I was tent camping I never cooked like that. Too busy having beer and pretzels for dinner in my younger days. Now I still have the beer but need something more for dinner.
The rest of the night was watching the fire and the day go by. It was a good day.
While not camping out in the national forest area that I wanted to do, this was a good alternative. With the way the weather has been, it will be a few weeks still before the forest roads are not so soft. At least we have these other options to go to and spend some time.
The TC Life 
love the early season camping! A little brisk sometimes but you sure have a few more options at typically full campgrounds! We recently acquired a small modified utility trailer in addition to our roof top tent which certainly gives us more options in the way of camping and working in multiple types of weather!
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