July camping trip to Jerseydale...

Another wonderful camping trip at Jerseydale Campground, in beautiful Mariposa County, with family and friends! We spent from Monday, July 28, 2014, until Friday, camping in this beautiful campground, near Yosemite National Park.

Photo: Early Monday evening, July 28, 2014, we have a fire going, camp set up, and we're already having a good time, and getting ready for dinner. Note Dan's Honda "Rancher" quad in the center of the photo, which provided endless hours of entertainment for us during this fun camping trip to Jerseydale.

Photo: My favorite brother-in-law, Greg Wilson, enjoys a little nap in the hammock that Dan strung up between two cedar trees.

Photo: We eat good, but we eat healthy when we're camping, as Dan applies rosemary to an ear of corn, as the veggies are stir-frying in the wok. Michael looks on, and provides "technical support" to Dan, as needed. Actually, Dan's wok is an ex-disk, from a farm disking thing that, "back in the day," was pulled behind a tractor, and chewed up the ground, and lots of weeds. Now it's days of being pulled behind a tractor are over, and it's been recycled into an awesome wok, which we used to good advantage during this camping trip, to cook some of the best food that you can imagine.

Photo: The final product: Grilled pork chop, corn on the cob, cooked in the camp fire, baked - well done - potato, and stir-fried veggies. Such a wonderful dinner on this Monday evening, July 28, 2014, camping at Jerseydale!

Photo: Tuesday morning, July 29, 2014, we're up bright and early, and ready to hit the trail, and go at 'em. Left to right, Dan Wier cooks breakfast, as he's our de facto camp chef, Greg Wilson looks on, and Michael Rench waits, with plate in hand, to get a portion of the breakfast that Dan is cooking.

Photo: Breakfast on this Tuesday morning: Hash brown potatoes, stir-fried veggies, eggs, and sausage. It's a Bloody Mary morning, as since I wasn't driving, I enjoyed a Bloody Mary cocktail on the side.

Photo: Dinner tonight, as we seared the bratwurst in Dan's wok, and then transferred the sausage, along with the diced potatoes and cabbage, into the big iron pot - thanks, 50+ year friend Rosi Dieball for giving me the pot - and finished the meal over the fire. Low tech reins during our camping trips!

Photo: OK, your author, Eric Rench, had to get into the action, and the photo. We finished the meal by cooking everything in the big iron pot, over the fire, so all of the components could blend. When everything was cooked, we put the lid on, removed the pot - with everything in it - from the fire and let it rest for about a half hour. The, we enjoyed a delicious dinner!

Photo: Dinner, cooked in the cast iron pot: Bratwurst, potato and cabbage. Good campfire cookin'!

Photo: Wednesday, July 30, 2014, Dan cooks hash brown potatoes going in the wok. The ham steaks have already been cooked, on the griddle, and are resting until the potatoes and eggs are finished cooking. When we camp, we eat well!

Photo: What do you think about this plate for breakfast, when you[re camping? Ham steak, at least a quarter pound of it, hash brown potatoes, cooked with stir-fry veggies and scrambled eggs. Mmmmmmm! This is the way we eat when we're camping in Mariposa County, near Yosemite National Park.

Photo: It's not all about eatin', as we do some serious four wheeling as we climb the little-know trail, known at the Hite Mine Road. Folks, it's not a "road," as it's a trail, and unless you have a really capable four-wheel drive vehicle, equipped with a low-range transfer case, if you attempted this trail, you'd be in for the shock of your life. No problem, with my well-equipped 1997 Ford F-250, with all the off-highway accessories you could wish for,

Photo: Back at camp, on this Wednesday evening, July 30, 2014, we decided it was "Mexican night," so chef Dan is grilling corn tortillas over the propane grill, as Michael looks on to the extreme left of the photo.

Photo: My job was to cook beans. No problem! We simply chopped some onion, chili pepper, and cooked them in the wok until they were translucent. Then, we added a large can of pinto beans, did a bit of stirring, and allowed them to cook together for an hour or so, over low heat, and we were rewarded with some of the best camp beans under the planet.

Photo: Yes... we enjoyed "street" tacos as well. My dinner tonight is two tacos, featuring grilled pork, and a big side of beans. Tonight, "Mexican night" hit a favorite among our happy campers...

Photo: Thursday morning, July 31, 2014, Dan prepares breakfast of diced potatoes, sausage left over from yesterday, and lots of stir-fry veggies. Oh yes, corn tortillas are cooking on the side. This has the makin's for a great breakfast...

Photo: Mr. Chef Dan, cracks an egg, one-handed, perfectly, to add to our morning breakfast.

Photo: Thursday morning, July 31, 2014, I enjoy a breakfast of sausage, corn tortillas, hash, scrambled egg, hot sauce, and a Bloody Mary. Life is good when we go camping at Jerseydale...

Dan, Greg, Michael and I ate good, drank lots of beer, explored, swam, and did just about every fun thing that four guys can do together for four nights, and that many days. Jerseydale Campground has many amenities, lots of things to do, and it's free! Such a winning combination...

Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., custon photography for any occasion...