Lava, Boots, and ....

After the long drive yesterday, I need time to regroup today and catch up on the blog, laundry, banking, emails.  I don’t rush out the door since I know the next week will be busy with Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver before turning eastward through British Columbia.

It is tempting to lounge today and read; after all, I am on vacation!  However, I head out to Newberry National Volcanic Monument to visit an area of lava flow since I wasn’t able to incorporate a visit to Lassen Volcanic NP in northern CA on this trip.

There are school buses and children running around when I arrive.  Ahhh, I remember those days of chaperoning school field trips.  A past season of my life, but good memories.

I am surprised to learn that Central OR is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, and one of the most volatile places on earth.  This area was formed by the eruption of Newberry Volcano, the largest volcano in the Cascade Mountains, over 500,000 years ago.

Massive lava flows resulted covering 1,200 square miles, and created cinder cones and lava tubes.  The last eruption was 1,300 years ago.  This sounds like ancient history, but in geological terms, I suppose it’s recent history.  Makes you feel insignificant, doesn’t it!

I spiral 500 ft. up Lava Butte on a narrow road with only a thin rail designating the roadside edge.  Beyond that is straight down!

This is a cinder cone created when pieces of magma mixed with large amounts of air and gases trapped inside accumulate in an area after an explosion. 

 I crunch along the trail at the top and look down on the lava flow below.  I’m surprised at the lack of vegetation, but the lava and cinders may be 80 ft deep.  We are in the high desert which receive about 10” of rain a year so this landscape doesn’t have much erosion to create soil.

Next stop, Lava River Cave, a mile long lava tube which formed when the top surface of the lava cooled faster than the hot flowing liquid below.  I rent a torch and head down the trail which is rated difficult with uneven and slippery surfaces.  

This is a rustic cave; the most primitive I’ve been in since spelunking with boy scouts.  There are hand rails initially, but the floor is covered with rocks from the roof collapse which revealed the lava tube.  I have to watch every step picking my way gingerly through since there is no established path and no guide.  It would be a great place to sprain or break an ankle!

I wasn’t allowed to wear my hiking boots into the cave.  WNS, White Nose Syndrome, is a fungus killing millions of bats throughout the US.  It has not been seen in OR yet, but it is spread by contamination of clothing and shoes from one location to another.  We are instructed not to wear anything that has ever been in another cave.  The toes of my boots are scraped raw from crawling through caves so they will remain in the car.

I love caves and have visited or crawled through about 15.  The commercial caves are my least favorite with the canned lights, but they offer an amazing view of God’s creation below ground.  I always wonder, though, when the next rock will fall! 

There are no formations here like limestone canes, but a stark dark beauty.  Cave kisses, water droplets percolating from above, offer good luck along my journey.  I don’t see any bats, but I can see my breath condensation in the light due to the 45 degree temp.  Turn off your light in a cave, and you realize what total darkness is like.

It’s a long mile to the end, but I make it!  I’m puffing a little, and wonder how long it will take me to get out.

45 minutes later I emerge...ankles intact!  My only injury is a hard knock on my head meeting a low spot on the roof.

I stop at Beyond the Ranch Antique shop in Redmond.  It is amazing and filled with western wear, saddles, stirrups, chaps, and boots...and more boots...along with a wide variety of vintage items and antiques.

Dinner is a repeat from the previous night and groceries.  $30 at the store provided 2 dinners of steaks, baked potatoes and mushrooms, 1 salad lunch, crackers for my cheese, and bananas.  One dinner would have cost that.  No breakfast buffets to assist me here!

Michael is vacationing in the Philippines by himself planning to scuba dive and enjoy beach time, scenery, and new friends at the hostels.  He calls to tell me he is okay but had a motorbike accident with bad road rash on his back and shoulders and a knee injury requiring stitches.  He was w/ several other people, hit some gravel maybe going too fast, and down he went.  

He is sore, but he won’t show me his back so it is probably worse than he is sharing.  I tell him to count his blessings!  He is bummed since no more diving or water time.  I encourage him to check out tours including some history!  He ends up flying to Manila, does some sightseeing and is considering taking a cooking class or food tasting tour.  This will make a good story for the future, and a wonderful learning lesson!  

Thank you, Lord, for protecting him!

Today I visit the High Desert Museum in Bend.  I don’t have time to read everything which my boys use to accuse me of doing then quiz me and laugh when I didn’t know the answers!

I attend lectures and animal presentations and very impressed w/ the sawmill re-creation.  Looking at machinery from the 1800’s, I am impressed w/ their ingenuity from moving logs down a ramp on rollers, to locking it into place on a moveable sled, and adjusting levers to control board thickness.  We think we are so smart!

The animal presentations are informative and exhibit halls display the settling of the west by the pioneers...explorers, trappers, miners, farmers/ranchers, and the establishment of towns.  On the opposite wing is an exhibit of Native American culture before and after Europeans & Americans arrived.

Heading to Mt. Hood tomorrow and the Columbia River Gorge along with projected rain.  However, it will be National Donut Day.  Wonder if I can find a place to celebrate!

A Sapphire Miracle!

After a 3-hr drive, I was excited as I approached Crater Lake National Park.  Climbing the switchbacks up the mountain, snow became visible on the roadsides and woods.  It’s 60 degrees outside....70 at the base of the mountain...but there is not much evidence of melting.  In two days, the high is projected to be 29 degrees with snow!

The visitor’s center movie lays the groundwork for the history of the lake’s formation.  7,700 years ago, Mount Mazama exploded spewing magma at twice the speed of sound into the air.  Multiple additional vents opened around the mountain encircling the top.  A 12,000 ft tall peak which had taken centuries to create, collapsed inward as the magma chamber emptied in only 24 hrs.  

There are NO rivers and streams flowing into Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the US and seventh in the world.  It has been filled over the years and continues to be filled each year solely with rainfall and snow melt.  Became of this and the lack of sediment to cloud the water, the lake has been declared the clearest and cleanest large body of water in the world!

I park, gather my camera and binoculars, and walk through snow on the rim side trail for my first view of this inspiring sight.  

It is breath-taking!  Sapphire blue water so rich and deep it doesn’t seem real spreads below surrounded by a snow crusted rim.

 A sense of awe overwhelms me.  I try to capture the lake’s beauty in multiple photos from different viewpoints some of which show the walls reflected in the clear water.

The intense deep blue color result from the absorption of all colors in the light spectrum except for the blue wave-length which is seen by our eyes.  It’s the same reason the sky appears blue.  

I hike along the rim slipping in the snow and hope I can catch the narrow yellow nylon rope if I fall and begin a 1,000 ft slide down to the lake.  Luckily, I don’t get a chance to see if I can!

I spend time sitting on a rock wall and absorb the atmosphere.  I wish I could find a spot for a nap!  John Muir said, “Man needs places to play, and places to pray.”  This is one of those places.

Thank you, God!

I drive several miles to Inspiration Point, the last turn-around before the rim-side road is blocked due to snow.  I hang out with a ranger and listen to him answering questions, and as always, I’m amazed at his knowledge.

More facts:  The lake is 6 miles across, 1,943 ft deep, and holds 4.9 trillion gallons of water.  We are standing at over 7,000 ft of elevation.

Wizard Island sits in the middle of Crater Lake looking like a wizard’s hat, covered with evergreens, and is home to the lake boathouses.  Phantom Island looks like a rocky clipper ship in the lake.

Crater Lake NP is open throughout the year, but snowplows can only keep a few areas cleared continuously including the southern park entrance, visitor’s center, Rim Village, and the Crater Lake Lodge.  Otherwise, snow accumulates until the spring plowing begins in April, and all roads may not open until mid-July!

The park received 35 ft of snow this year which is below the normal winter average of 44 ft.  Snowplows work every day but can only clear 50 yards a day on the 33 mile Rim Drive.  As the ranger explained, you can always snowshoe to the other side which will take 3-4 days!

I asked if the lake contains fish, and the ranger explained it was stocked w/ rainbow trout and salmon years ago. People are welcome to fish...w/ a permit...and keep anything they catch.

A strenuous hike to the lake during the summer months deliver you to the water’s edge to catch a boat for a tour around the lake.  It is suppose be fabulous, but beware...you also have to hike back up!

I stop by the Crater Lake Lodge which was saved from demolition and entirely renovated in 1985.  Built in 1920 on a shoestring budget, the outside was covered in tarpaper and interior walls were a cardboard-like particle board.  Visitors complained of cracks in the walls where you could see between rooms!

There were no private bathrooms and little furniture, but people came to stay and visit Crater Lake.

Native Americans cherish this site, and their history document the cataclysmic explosion over 7,000 years ago.  According to their folklore, two gods, one good and one evil, battled over dominance of the world.  The evil god was trapped under the mountain when it collapsed so that the good god was victorious. 

It’s been a wonderful visit even if abbreviated due to snow.  I hope to return and walk, roll, or be carried down to the lake for that boat ride!

The Oregon Coast - A Surprise Beauty!

I was sad to leave the coastal redwoods.  That is until I glimpsed the Oregon coast!

Crossing the state border and stopping at a Visitors Center, I picked up a brochure which detailed every stop along Highway 101 in increments of 1/10 mile.  I am driving, defensively aware of cars, bikes, and hikers along The Pacific Coast Scenic Byway, and now, hyper-attentive navigator.  No wonder I’m exhausted at the end of each day!

I spend my first night in OR at The Beachfront Inn in Brookings where samples of clam chowder and fudge welcomed me upon checking in.  I was up-graded to an oceanfront room, and it’s gorgeous.  I wish all my hotel rooms were as welcoming!  Sliding doors open to crashing waves on a beach covered with driftwood and water pounded rocks.  It’s too tempting to remain inside!

Dinner is at Catalyst Seafood - a boat to table restaurant where the owners catch your dinner!  I enjoy a Columbia River Steelhead Salmon on chimichurri pasta.  Absolutely delish!

Another walk on the beach, and I join people as we wait for sunset over the harbor.  A few people have started bonfires, and a couple of brave souls have their toes in the freezing water!

I wake early, but it’s difficult to leave my oceanfront retreat.  Fog has rolled in obscuring the ocean, but I still hear the wave action.  Maybe another walk on the beach!

Breakfast, and yes, I come away with more goodies for future meals....biscuits and bacon, an orange, and a bagel!  

I stop at a Visitors Center and convenient bathroom break at Port Orford.  Chatting with a volunteer, we compare the OR and CA coast.  He explains Hwy 101 in OR is far from the main interstate so it doesn’t get as much traffic as the highway in CA.  OR gets my vote as having a better coastal highway along with this cute artsy town for a stroll.

I pass cranberry bogs as I approach Bandon.  Most people know Bandon for its golf courses, but it is also the cranberry capital of the west.  Face Rock Creamery satisfies my ice cream craving along with multiple cheese tastings.  It’s Saturday so they aren’t making cheese today, but I purchase some cranberry walnut cheddar.  Yum!

As I search for lighthouses and another perfect photo, my 2 1/2 hr trip morphs into 6 hrs!  There is so much to see along this craggy coast filled with state parks and sea-stacks off shore.  I stop counting at 12 viewpoints which includes watching wind surfers for an hour while I eat lunch...and then nap!...and short walks down to the beach or along the wall.

Even though it’s late in the season, I’m determined to find a straggling gray whale migrating to Alaska for the summer.  No luck, but I do find sea lions lounging on the rocks below.

You can often hear them before you see them.  Reminds me of some people!

I had debated if I should drive further along the coast for the night, but after my surprisingly long day, Reedsport is the perfect stop.  Before dinner though, I’m on the hunt for Roosevelt Elk which congregate near here.  I’ve passed multiple signs for these elk along the highways but no sign of them.

As I approach the meadow, shaggy brown figures lift there heads.  Finally, Roosevelt Elk, the largest of the species in North America!  Watching them enjoy their grassy dinner from behind a camera or binocular lens, I am so close I hear them pulling the stems from the ground!  

Males have velvet covered antlers...some just nubs, but since this is spring and females have recently calfed, there is no aggression and fight for dominance.  I am so blessed these creatures chose to feed right by the road tonight!

Dinner is a seafood platter baked on a cedar plank with lemon and dill - halibut, cod, shrimp, and oysters.  I like 3 of the 4, but I’m willing to give that slimy crustacean another try.  Nope, don’t like them!  Which reminds me, whoever first opened an oyster and thought, “Looks good; I think I’ll eat it!”

Breakfast includes make your own waffles....with rainbow sprinkles!  I had seen these earlier w/ pancakes but thought it was an anomaly.  Do you put them in the batter or on top?  Must be a west coast thing, and of course, I try them!

My $7.50 Wal-Mart cooler is coming in handy as I have 2 yogurts and milk for a later meal.  I want an earlier start today since I am continuing up the OR coast to Newport before turning inland.  I don’t want my 4 1/2 hr drive to triple today!

However, I can’t resist another lighthouse!

Several miles north my brochure indicates a Sunday farmers market!  A tent where grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade soup is being made is too tempting. I don’t think I will like the Brazilian Rainbow soup with sausage, peppers, garlic, poblano peppers, and sweet potatoes, but a taste convinces me I am wrong.  It is delicious and so unusual with just mild heat.  While I wait for my sandwich to brown, I overhear people say they are here for their weekly grilled cheese fix!

A local bakery prompts a quick visit, and I cannot decide between lemon sugar cookies or molasses so I buy both.  Definitely...the crunchy lemony sugar!

Just like the redwoods, I am sad to leave the coast.  I had heard it was beautiful, but I had no idea just how beautiful it is.  

Some observations:

*With gas prices over $4/gallon in CA, it was a pleasant surprise to see them a dollar cheaper in OR!

*When I left VA, temperatures were in the 90’s.  The redwoods were pleasant in the 60’s, but the OR coast is in the 50’s during the day with brisk winds of 30mph off the cold Pacific!  I’m freezing and holding my hat so I don’t lose it in the wind.  However, I am so glad to have escaped the heat wave at home; just hand me another jacket!

Pacific NW - The Beginning of my Adventure!

Pacific NW here I come!

But first let’s start with Northern California.

Great flights to Sacramento with lovely seat mate, Carolyn, from Indiana returning to her hometown for friend’s funeral. She was wearing a head covering, and I asked if she was Mennonite.  She belongs to a similar religious group, the Church of the Brethren.  We chatted about family and travels and shared wry smiles about the man on her other side who was close to using her shoulder as a pillow while he snored!

I chatted with an interesting man waiting for our rental cars.  He was decked out in a stunning camel cowboy hat with a leather and metal band and beautiful boots.  I asked him if he was from Texas?  “ Yes, Madam, I am”.  I laughed and said I was so glad; I was afraid he would say he was from New York City or LA!  He gave me a lesson on hat quality and discussed boots.  Very informative...and his boots were crocodile skin!

I had a 4-hr drive which became 5-hrs due to construction delays to Garberville, CA.  Even though it was early afternoon I was on east coast time w/ little sleep.  Thank goodness for cat naps on both flights even if I did miss the drink cart!  Breakfast was a muffin in Chicago, and I planned to find a light lunch along the way now.  Beware when you travel; eat when you see food!  After I turned off the CA interstate and headed west into the foothills, there was NOTHING!

I saw my first coastal redwood before reaching Garberville right by the road.  Maybe I was just tired, but “Oh, my gosh” was my reaction.  It became the first of many for two full days.

Redwood National Park has been on my bucket list, but I found that the California coastal redwoods are combined into a joint state and national park.  Concerned citizens began saving groups of these giant trees in 1918 and donating them to a conservancy, Save the Redwoods League.  Only 5% of the 2 million acres of redwoods remained after the logging industry decimated them in the 1800’s and early 1900’s.  Many of the best groves were already in state parks before the national park was formed.  Helpful contributors on Fodor’s travel site steered me in the right direction, or I would have missed the most impressive trees!

A nightly wine and cheese reception greeted me at my first hotel.  Realizing I was more sleepy than hungry, dinner became cheese, crackers, salami and a glass of wine.  It was a lovely welcome after a hard day of travel.  Garberville has a cute little...I mean, 1-2 blocks...of downtown which invited a stroll but sleep now and an early morning start meant I would need to return.

Sleep was fleeting as I was up throughout the night w/ a GI bug.  Not fun, but I kept thanking God it was now and not on the plane!  Unfortunately, my toilet didn’t flush and in the middle of the night I hated to call maintenance!  As the story unfolds, I finally got a plunger in the morning.

Thank goodness I didn’t have a roommate!

Breakfast was included, and now I was hungry!  Biscuits and gravy and bacon... with yogurt for some good bacteria for my gut.  Yes, I knew better than to eat greasy foods, but my last meal was leftovers cleaning out my frig before leaving town!  Give me a break!

I also made two bacon biscuits for lunch, and grabbed two oatmeal packets for future breakfasts.  I figured I had paid for two breakfasts so I just expanded my meal opportunities!

I was just south of an amazing....that word again....grove of trees called “The Avenue of the Giants”.  Exiting Highway 101, I soon was surrounded by enormous redwoods right by the road each with a reflector so you won’t run into it.  Duh, if you miss these get your eyes checked!

Accidents unfortunately happen, and with a speed limit of 45 mph, people were zipping by.  I on the other hand was driving 30 mph because I was in awe!  (Yes, boys, there are lots of turn-outs so people can pass the slow pokes like me.)

There is a quiet reverence in the forests of these giants which range from 500 to 2,000 years old.  John Steinbeck said,”The redwoods once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always...from them comes silence and awe.”  “The most irreverent of men, in the presence of redwoods, goes under a spell of wonder and respect.”

Coastal redwoods which differ from the giant sequoias south near Yosemite National Park have been called “eternal” and are the tallest trees in the world.  Their scientific name, sempervirens, means “ever-living”.  They grow best in areas with heavy winter rains, moderate temperatures, under 2,000 ft in elevation, and climates that create banks of daily fog in the summers.  They actually absorbed moisture from the fog through their leaves and needles accounting for 40% of their water intake.

Some interesting facts:

*The fibrous bark which may be a foot thick is filled with tannic acid making the trees resistant to disease, insects, rot and even fire.

*The root system supporting these trees which may reach 60 stories high is ONLY 6-12 feet deep.  However, the network of roots extend for hundreds of yards intertwining with the roots of other trees.  Talk about it takes a village!

*Tree diameters may reach 26 feet!

*Burls develop around the trees where clones of the original tree will sprout when the tree is stressed.  These have a greater chance of survival rather than the tree from a seed.

*The pine cone is the size of an olive and the seed the size of a tomato seed.  Who said size matters!

*If fire does destroy part of the tree at the base, it forms a hollow called a “goosepen” where animals and people can find shelter.

The Eel river runs nearby, and it is a beautiful bluish green.  I was to find out later that this is due to the mineral and gives the water the lovely color.

I spent over 6 hours in this 32 mile stretch of redwoods.  There were no ranger programs, but I hiked 3 short trails, toured the visitor’s center, napped under one redwood, and ate under another....in my car so no crumbs for the critters.  I drove and walked and listened.  The quiet is so deep I felt guilty for the car engine’s noise or the squeak from my shoes.  I turned off the car’s radio since music seemed too foreign here.  I wanted to commune with the trees.  I figured they were older and wiser, and I wanted to learn from them.

Next stop, Trinidad, a quaint seaside town where I checked into a little cabin in the midst of a forest setting.

I try to save money on meals when I travel, but I definitely wanted dinner out tonight.  The recommendation of the Trinidad Bay Eatery was a winner where I was tempted by fish and chips, cioppino, the seafood platter, fried clams.  Oh my!  None of it light but settled on a simple salad and “award winning” by their account, clam chowder.

The salad was beautiful and delicious and the clam chowder good but don’t know about awards.  The blackberry cobbler was tasty, but the chef should mine!  My only regret is I was leaving in the morning without another chance to try one of the other menu choices.

Hopped on Hwy 101 and 1 1/2 hrs later I was in Crescent City, CA. to start my tour of another redwood state park and the official Redwood National Park.  I was warned at the Visitors Center to protect my valuables.  I can take my purse in my daypack but what to do w/ 2 suitcases with everything I need for the next month?  With my suv having no out-of-sight trunk, a helpful volunteer suggested tucking the suitcases behind the front seat to prevent a quick snatch and grab.  I did more than tuck; I wedged my luggage tightly so a thief would hopefully be sufficiently discouraged.  Of course, this meant I would also have to pull...and pull...and pull every stop, but my luggage was safe.  Just like a vehicle chastity belt!

Jedediah Smith State Park is covered with trees, ferns, walking trails and a windy pot-holed dirt road where trees are so close you cannot open the car doors driving through.  I don’t know the speed limit, but I was going 5-10 mph with frequent stops to listen.  I kept expecting noise and sometimes you heard a distant bird but silence was dominant.  Again, awe...wonder....reverence!

Driving through these friendly giants is wonderful but to really experience them you need to walk among them.  I stretched my back bending backwards continually looking up...and up.  The forest floored is carpeted with ferns and the footpaths are a blanket of fallen needles.  It’s a great place for kids to run and yell and release energy, but I heard parents shushing them.  They must have felt it too....reverence!

Between these two parks, I spent another day...me and the trees.  While the oatmeal pack came in handy for breakfast, it wasn’t very good.  I had stopped in Eureka at a Wal-Mart for supplies so lunch was peanut butter and jelly in the shade.  I had to use my finger as a spoon;  should have gotten one from the first breakfast buffet!

A final hike through the Stout Grove and time to leave the trees and head north to the Oregon coast.

Central Oregon and Surprises

It’s early afternoon as I turn east towards a timeshare I have reserved in Redmond, near Bend.  It’s a fairly boring drive until snow capped mountains appear on the horizon dominated by Mount Washington!  Driving the curvy mountainous road is fun for me; a part of another scenic byway - Over the Rivers and Through the Woods.  I’m not kidding about the name!

After unpacking, I finish my grilled cheese for dinner. The timeshare is beautifully decorated and my decks...one off the main area and another off the upstairs master bedroom...both overlook a canyon and stream.

I’m ready for a relaxing evening until the explosions and thumping through the wall begins.  I feel like the room is vibrating and decide my neighbor must be playing a video game on their tv with a shared wall.  I try to do battle increasing my television volume.  Debating whether to knock on their door...or the wall, I call the front deck to complain.  It quiets slightly or maybe I just add this sound track into my sleepy fog on the sofa.

Heading out in the morning, I stop in Sisters, a small western town that makes me think I’m in Wyoming not Oregon.  In fact, the annual Sisters rodeo starts this week.

My plans to drive scenic McKenzie Pass is thwarted by...snow!  It’s June 3rd, but the mountainous pass doesn’t open until after Father’s Day in mid-June.  I’m definitely not in Virginia anymore!

The road is open, however, at the base for 9 miles so I head out to capture some photos of snowy peaks. 

 

Returning to Sisters, I wander through various stores including an antique shop and ReStore on the main street.  I’m amazed at all the western wear and cowboy boots at the ReStore and purchase a Christmas wreath made from a lasso rope and saddle stirrup.  I don’t think the antique mall in Williamsburg will have many of these!

The door to Sister’s Bakery magically opens...Ha, ha!...with the scent of freshly baked fluffy loaves of bread and marionberry coffee cake.  I’ve never heard of this berry which is a combo of a blackberry and a lingonberry.  Discovering new tastes are so exciting...and delicious!

Lunch/dinner is the recommended French Dip at Sisters Meat and Smokehouse - advertised as “an artisanal butchery and eatery”.  My morning yogurt is long gone, and I’m hungry for a full meal rather than a sandwich, but this small business is interesting.  A display case dominates the room with a gorgeous display of beef, chicken, jerky, and cheese.  I suspect these are all products of the real business in the back!

The sandwich is fabulous with tangy spicy mustard, thick beef and a pillowy soft bun. I want to sleep on this bun!  It is accompanied by the best baked beans ever with chucks of ham.  Wonder if I can buy a quart of these beans?

Although I have been pleasantly surprised at the beauty in Oregon, the entire reason for my trip to the state is tomorrow.  Crater Lake National Park has been on my bucket list for years!  I had planned to visit for two days to hike, take the boat ride on the lake, and absorb the atmosphere of this creation.

That is until I discovered that most of the rim roads surrounding the lake are still snow-bound!  The northern and western entrances are closed, hiking trails are covered with snow, and the boat tours don’t start until July!  However, the distant southern entrance is plowed and open along with a visitor’s center and Crater Lake Lodge.  I don’t think this will garner a 2-day visit but even with the 3-hr travel time each way, I want to go.

Tomorrow!