Out West Adventure: Part 2--on to Portland

Sat. June 8—Tue. June 11: We hadn't gotten things ready to leave the night before so it took until nearly 10:00 to get packed up, dump the gray water, and make a stop for pictures of the dunes before we returned to Hwy. 101 north. We turned off at Hwy. 126 in Florence and took it east along the Siuslaw River for a while and then up through the Coastal range for about an hour. At Eugene we got on I5 and followed it north, up the Willamette Valley, through the heart of Oregon’s agricultural area, past vineyards and orchards. Snow covered Mount Jefferson and Mount Hood loomed within sight to the east for many miles. The GPS was set to take us to a Clackamas County park on the Clackamas River called Barton Park. We found a nice secluded campsite there with water and electricity, and showers in the bathhouse for only $21 a night. It is about a half an hour from Portland and should make a nice home base for our time here. Through texting we found out that we wouldn’t be able to get together with Todd Hesse and family because of his work schedule. In nearby Damascus we found groceries and propane to fill one of the tanks and had a good phone conversation with Ken and Jen. After some more setting up at the campsite we grilled a big pork steak and sweet potato wedges to have with a marinated salad we had bought. After eating we walked down the hill to the day use part of the park and then to the river and back, well over a mile. We were unable connect to the 3G hotspot and fear that the “helpful” technician I talked to before we left had disconnected us a month early. It was too late to talk to anyone about it so we will have to deal with it first thing in the morning. 

Oregon coastal dunes remind us of home

Out West Adventure: Part 2--Exploring the Oregon Coast

Fri. June 7: On Friday we got up and got going so we could drive north on the coast. First we stopped in Florence to do laundry (which took extra time when I put the detergent in the softener cup of a front load washer because it was in the opposite of position to ours at home), while also getting some blogging done and washing the truck. We set-out to go as far as Newport, which would only be about an hour away but we had many stops to make and took our time. The sky was mostly clear and the temperature stayed in the low to mid sixties all day.   The first stop was to see the Heceta Lighthouse, which, with a “first order” Fresnel lens, is the brightest light on the Oregon coast. We climbed up the half mile trail along a bank with lots of calla lilies, first to the Assistant Lighthouse Keepers home. It is now a Bed & Breakfast but wasn't open to tour because they were painting. Continuing up the hill we came to the lighthouse itself, which was also not open because they are in the midst of repairing and renovating the carriage beneath the giant lens. There were many volunteers around to answer questions and we had nice conversations with a couple who are birders and staying for two months, volunteering 4 days a week at the lighthouse, especially to help birders. The area at the base of the lighthouse overlooks two large volcanic outcroppings that are nesting place for several ocean-living birds that come ashore only to nest, including common murres, relatives of puffins. The rocks were just covered with them and cormorants and others, and the noise and the smell were almost overwhelming. The volunteers had scopes trained on the rocks across the inlet and we could see two kinds of sea lions basking in the sunlight. I asked about gray whales and was sad to hear that three mamas, each with a calf, had been spotted earlier in the day before we came. Marv and I hiked further up the hill to where we were eye level with and then above the lens in the lighthouse. While standing up there I saw a gray whale surface and blow before submerging once again, and I told Marv in time for him to see it too. That was very exciting for me. We hiked back down to report to the volunteer and ended up talking a long time to his wife about their life as full time RVers. By the time we got back on the road it was nearing 2:00, so we stopped in the next town, Yachats (pronounced Yah-hots), for lunch at Luna Sea (get it? har-har) Fish House. We both had locally caught albacore tuna baskets, Marv’s was lightly breaded and deep fat fried and mine was grilled. Both were delicious. We continued on to the Yaquina Bay lighthouse, which was only used for three years because it couldn't be seen well enough from the north, and then to the Yaquina Head lighthouse in Newport, which is the tallest on the Oregon coast and is still used, though it’s now automated. The park there was only open for half an hour so we couldn’t stay long but we did get to walk around the light and enjoy the view up and down the coast.  Back in Newport we drove through the historic Nye Beach area, which was the number one tourist attraction on the Oregon coast in the early 1900s and the Bayfront, which has been the largest commercial fishing port since the mid-1800s. Across the bay we went to the Rogue Brewery for the self-guiding tour and to enjoy 2 tasting trays of 4 samples each before we purchased some of our favorites. When we left there, fog was rolling in all along the coast and we couldn’t get quite the photos that we had hoped to get on our way south. We got back to the Heceta lighthouse right about low tide so we stopped to explore the tidal pools and sea caves along the water’s edge. It was about sunset when we got back to Florence and stopped at a McDonald’s to do some WiFi work before returning to the campsite. We were satisfied with soup and crackers for dinner after our large lunch and then read until bedtime.

The cover beside Heceta Lighthouse

Calla lilies on the bank remind us of Sarah

The cove from above

Heceta Lighthouse

First order Fresnel lens

Nesting sea birds

Luna Sea Fish House

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Rugged Oregon coast

Mussels on the rocks revealed by low tide

Tidal pools

Out West Adventure: Part 2--Getting to the Oregon Coast

Thu. June 6: It was pretty much all downhill leaving Diamond Lake campground and we averaged over 20 mpg. Hwy. 138 followed alongside the tumbling North Umpqua River for many miles of beautiful scenery. We crossed over it a few times and made a couple of stops to take pictures of the gorges and rapids, fisher people (one group taking pictures of their five 18-24 inch trout), and rock outcroppings. The road gradually leveled out and the river broadened and became the South Umpqua River. We stopped at the Anindor Winery (the two owner’s names, Rod and Nina, spelled backwards) for a fun wine tasting with our pourer, Maryanne, and ended up buying a case of three of their whites. Later we stopped at a sand bar in the river, hiking down a steep trail to enjoy our picnic lunch sitting on the rocks beside the famously green river. Hwy, 38 took us through the gently rolling Coastal Ranges to Reedsport. Just before we turned north on Hwy. 101 we stopped to watch a herd of Elk browsing in the meadow beside the road. Then we followed the coast up to Florence and the Honeyman State Park on the edge of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. The campground is two miles from the ocean across towering sand dunes much like those at Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan. After picking out a campsite we rode our bikes back to the self-registration booth and then to the day use area on a small lake surrounded by the dunes. On our return to the campsite it was getting chilly. Leftover chicken and rice helped warm us up and then we thoroughly enjoyed watching “The Big Year”, a comedy about three men (Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black) competing to see the most birds in one year. The most amazing thing was that they visited so many of the places we have been this year including Patagonia State Park in Arizona, Joshua Tree, Mount Shasta, and Coos Bay; turning north to Honeyman on 101, if we had gone south instead, we would have been in Coos Bay.

The very green Umpqua River

No "Fish Stories" required!

Anindor Tasting Yurt

Our server, Mary Anne

Out West Adventure: Part 2--Beautiful Crater Lake

Wed. May 5: It got down to 44° overnight and was slow to warm in the deep woods where we're camping. I was actually the first one awake for once and I got up at sunrise to take pictures of Mount Baker, looking pink in the early sun. We bundled up in the morning, Marv made a roaring fire, and we lingered over coffee and scrambled eggs with sausage, cheese and lots of veggies. 

Sunrise on Mount Baker

A breakfast feast

My manly wood cutter

We decided to take a picnic lunch with us in case the Crater Lake Lodge wasn't open yet or didn't serve lunch and we drove the short way to the National Park. As we rose to 6100ft the woods were suddenly snowy and as we went higher the banks on each side of the road were 4-6 feet deep where the snow plow had cut through. We found out that the East Rim Drive is still closed, not because it’s higher or snowier, but because they clear West Rim Drive, which connects the South and North entrances, first. They are about halfway around the East Rim Drive now and will have it finished in late June rather than the usual July opening because they got less snow this year than the usual 44 feet. The skies were perfectly clear and the sun was blazing at 7100ft elevation so, despite the snow pack, the temperature went up to 70°, far beyond the average June temperature of 58°. At our first stop there were hardly any other cars. We changed into our hiking boots to traverse the snowy hill and came upon our first view of the magnificent blue gem called Crater Lake. At over 1900 feet deep it is the deepest lake in the US and its indescribably blue color is due to that depth and the clarity of the water since no streams or rivers run into the cauldron, which resulted when the cone of Mount Mazama collapsed 6800 years ago. As we made our way around the rim we stopped at every opportunity to look at the lake and read the interpretive signs, and soon realized that most people were coming in from the South, so throughout the day we encountered more and more people. There was a Touring Drive of a group of classic Cadillac owners from Sacramento and at several stops they had a whole line of Caddies parked on display. At one of the stops two young men were strapping on their ski boots and began hiking up the tallest peak along the rim, Llao, with their skis on their backs. It was evident they meant to hike up so they could ski back down. We made our way around to the small rim-side Visitor Information cabin and stamped our Passport and asked some questions. From there we hiked along the rim on the partially cleared but still very snow covered trail to the Lodge. We enjoyed a local draft beer sitting in rocking chairs overlooking the lake before going into the restaurant and having a nice lunch. Afterwards we drove three miles to the larger Visitors Center near the south entrance and watched their film about the Lake. Then we retraced our path, making most of the same stops to see the lake in the afternoon sun.

The hike over snowpack to the first overlook

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Wizard Island

Hiking over the snowpack

The snowdrift beside the road

Wild flowers in the snow

Skiers hiking up to Llao Peak

Enjoying the sun, the view, and a brew before lunch

A bevy of Caddies

Reflections

We got back to the campsite by about 4:00. Marv thought he had read that there was a paved bike trail all the way around Diamond Lake and I had seen on maps that there was a road that went around so we decided to give it a try. We put our lunch that we hadn't needed into Marv’s bike pack and rode on the camp road to the south end of the campground. There we found an entrance to the John Dellenback Bike Trail. It was a wonderful paved trail that did indeed go all the way around the lake, taking us deep into the woods sometimes, when we couldn't see the road or the lake, and sometimes went right along the lakeside. There were a few moderately challenging hills but nothing we couldn't manage. At the north end of the lake we stopped to eat our picnic and then continued the trail, eventually joining back with the camp road and returning to our campsite. It was a fantastic 11 mile trip and a perfect end to a wonderful day. We again sat at lakeside as the sun dipped lower. When the sun was too hot and the glare off the lake too intense Marv built a campfire, which we enjoyed until once again the sunset  the wind died, and the mosquitoes came out in clouds, driving us inside to do the dishes and begin getting ready to leave this magical place. 

Riding around Lake Diamond

Looking down the lake with Mount Thielsen on the left

Another nice sunset

(Still to come--the Oregon Coast, Portland, Olympic Peninsula, Seattle, North Cascades. So many miles; so little time!)

Out West Adventure: Part 2--Diamond Lake

Tue. May 4: A car alarm horn going off 33 times (we counted) served as our wake-up call at 6:50 so Marv got up then and started the coffee. The early start got us on our way by 8:30. We drove the full Drury Parkway and then took 101 up to Klamath where we made our first stop. We dropped off the trailer and then took the short but scenic Coastal Drive for dramatic overlooks of the ocean. Because we were so early the views were not that great; the fog was still rolling in from the ocean and wouldn’t burn away until afternoon and the temperatures were in the low fifties. We passed by the last standing WWII Radar Station along the coast, which was built to resemble a simple farmhouse and outbuildings to fool the Japanese, who actually shelled some offshore islands with their submarines. I didn't realize the threat was that close to the continental U.S. We were passed by only one car on the narrow winding road and we saw only one parked car the whole way. 

WWII Radar station

After picking up the trailer we got some smoked salmon at a small smokehouse in the Yurok Rancheria (the word used out here instead of Reservation) and went on to Crescent City where we stopped for coffee and ice tea at a McDonald’s to use their internet, and got some groceries at a Safeway. From there the road turned inland, the skies cleared, and the temperature rose rapidly, eventually getting into the low nineties as we drove through some high valleys in Oregon. Before leaving California though we passed through the last of the three Redwood National and State Parks, Jeremiah Smith State Park. We made a quick stop to skip stones along the Smith River and then at their Visitors Center to get our last Western Area Passport Stamps. We followed the Smith River across valleys and slowly upward into the Cascade Mountains. Then we followed the Rogue River, gradually and eventually climbing to 5200ft. We were again seeing snow capped peaks and then there was an overlook and interpretive display about the massive explosion 7700 years ago of the Mazama Mountain, which defines the area for miles around and resulted in the creation of Crater Lake in its deep caldera. Just miles away from the north entrance to the National Park we came to Diamond Lake with its wonderful lakeside National Forest Campground.  Once again we had received stellar advice from Chuck Eppelheimer. For $11 a night we got a campsite on the lake with a view of a snowy peak across the lake from our camper and no near neighbors. We have no electricity or water but down at the end of the campground, near the Host, there is a bathhouse with showers, if we want them. We got set-up and then called Marv’s Mom to finish the aborted phone call we had started earlier and then driven out of our signal without completing. After we hung up I was overcome with longing to talk to my mom and wept, just missing her and knowing how much she’d love to hear all about our adventure. We walked up to the gate to pay for our site and found our nearest rest room (up the steep bank from our campsite). Dinner was smoked salmon, a bottle of Smoking Loon Chardonnay, a round loaf of sourdough bread, grapes, Pepper Jack cheese, and smoked almonds, eaten sitting at lakeside on our folding chairs.  It doesn't get any better than that! As the sun got lower Marv built a nice fire that we sat by until the sun dipped behind the mountain, the temperature dropped, the wind died, and the mosquitoes came out in droves. So we retired to the camper and watched twilight descend in the silent campground.

Rogue River

Smith River

Mount Thielsen 

A favorite campsite

Marv goofing around

Beside Lake Diamond 

Sunset from the campsite