Frozen in Salt Fork State Park (OH)

“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” – John Steinbeck

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Dash Cam photo passing the mountains of west of DC

It had been a long day of driving from Washington, D.C., towards home in Indiana. We were on the road for nearly six hours, and in mid November, the farther west we traveled, the colder it got. As we passed through the eastern border of Ohio on Interstate 70, it was obvious snow was in our future.

Great sites at Salt Fork SP (OH)

Our target for the evening was Salt Fork State Park near Cambridge in southeast Ohio. Salt Fork is one of the many parks in the wonderful Ohio State Parks system. We wanted to check it off our list as we work through the many notable parks in Ohio. Once inside the greater park area, we watched for signs for the camping area. With the snow driving at an angle, at one point, Sue had to get out and brush snow off a sign to see that it indicated to turn for the camping area.

I know everyone else has camped in deep snow, but this was our first cold weather venture. As a rookie RVer, I needed to do research on cold weather camping but couldn't do it while driving. My son-in-law, a fellow RVer, went online and found out what he could about camping in sub-freezing temperatures. We weren't expecting significantly low temps but needed to know our risks if temps stayed at or below freezing for eight hours or longer. While most web sites counseled us that we had little to worry about at 30 degrees for an overnight night, we chose to act as though it was colder and for a longer time.

Sleet and snow kept us inside and the Wonder kept us warm

I had purchased a small cube ceramic heater in anticipation of cooler temperatures on this trip and now was ready to put it into play. I placed the small device (maybe 6-7 in. cubed) under the RV (out of the falling snow) in the area of the water hoses and tanks. It was far enough from any RV surface to risk overheating but close enough to generate a rising heat that kept the area above freezing. I unhooked the shore station water and emptied the hose. While we usually turn the instant water heater to economy mode at night to keep it quiet (in constant mode it frequently recycles to maximize heat), tonight we kept it on constant to keep the unit generating hot water. As to inside temperatures, we were just fine. The propane furnace kept us warm enough, but we also wore winter PJs and a stocking hat to take the edge off.

Morning after a cold night at Salt Fork SP (OH)

To prepare for future low temperature nights, I plan on getting a 60 watt trouble light which I can place closer to the utility section of the RV. I wish I had a thermostat on the ceramic heater, but none were available when I was shopping locally. I'll look for such on subsequent trips. An online friend recently posted her satisfaction with this Isiler ceramic heater, which she uses for interior heat in cold situations.

We look forward to returning to Salt Fork in warmer weather. The parking spots are paved and level. Each site is surrounded by lots of grass. Throughout the park, there are a lot of open spaces and amenities, including a beautiful lake. We are fans of Ohio State Parks and expect to return often as we travel Along the Pooka Trail.