Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Today we went to Crater Lake National Park. This is one of the stops on this trip that I was really looking forward to. I had been here when I was a kid and all I could remember was how blue the water was, a very deep blue that made it look almost unreal.

Imagine my disappointment when we got there this morning and there is a haze hanging over the water so that we could hardly see the water. The haze is from all the wild fires. Last week there were dry (no rain) thunder storms with severe lightening. There were something like 24 different fires started by lightning strikes, most of these were put out quickly, but some grew and combined. Currently there are at least 4 major fires to the west of Crater Lake and one major fire to the east of the park. So, there isn’t much chance of the haze going away anytime soon, unless there is a really strong breeze and all of the fires are put out. Not much chance of that happening in the short time we will be here.

We went ahead and drove the rim road around the lake, since we were there. Fortunately, there was more to see than the blue of the water.  First, a short, quick history on Crater Lake.

Mount Mazama, which stood about 12,000’, is the mountain in which Crater Lake lays. Mt Mazama is part of the Cascade Range of volcanoes that were formed over 400,000 years ago, and shaped by lava flow, glacier ice and earthquakes. All of this change is evident when you look at the different kinds of layers and rock just in this one mountain. Approximately 7,700 years ago this volcano vented and oozed lava out of several places, causing the crown of the mountain to collapse in on itself. The result is Crater Lake, formed by many years of rain and snow melt (over 44’ annually). There are no underground streams feeding this lake, so there is very little sediment, it is also very deep (1948’) and that is what gives it the deep blue color.

The 33 mile rim drive has many pullouts and viewpoints and at each there is a new and different view of the lake and the sweeping curve of the rim wall (caldera). I found it fascinating that there were so many different kinds of rock,

large boulders;

small pumice stones the size and shape of popcorn,

and ragged peaks. Highlights of the Rim Drive were things like Vidae Falls.

There were several falls on the drive, but Vidae Falls was right on the road, didn’t require a hike. The Pinnacles

are not on the rim of the lake, but they are a result of the volcano blow. They are formed from volcanic ash sculpted by erosion. Pumice Castle is a narrow tower of reddish rock on the eastern caldera wall. It is another effect of erosion.

In the lake itself is an island of craggy rock that has eroded into spires that make it look like a Phantom Ship at full sail.

Everywhere we have been we have seen the effects of the pine beetle on the forests.

Crater Lake has also been affected. The biggest problem this causes, besides unsightliness, is that our forests are becoming stands of dead trees, just waiting for a lightning strike or careless match; wildfires waiting for a chance to happen. As far as I know, there is no defense against these beetles, no pesticide, and no way to protect our trees. This is frightening, our trees are crucial to our survival, to the air we breathe. Sound like a tree hugger uh? Well, I sort of am!!  

We stopped at the visitor’s center at the south entrance (we started at the north entrance), I got my park passport book stamped and we had lunch at the cafeteria. While we were wandering through the gift shop later I noticed a fire fighting team from Illinois, they had been here fighting some of the fires and were getting ready to go home. We thanked them for their service and they seemed surprised that we would. We try to make it a habit to thank all police, fire and military people for their service. It’s the right thing to do.

By the time we made it all the way around the rim, the haze had lifted a little around the edges and we could see a little of the blue water. In spite of the haze on the water, it was a good day and we saw some amazing sites.

Traveling to Diamond Lake, Oregon

August 5, 2013

Travel day for us, we headed down the 5 (that’s west coast talk for I-5) to Eugene where we headed east on Hwy 58. At Lowell we found a Covered Bridge,

this bridge had been built in 1945 and replaced the first bridge that had been built in 1909. The 1945 bridge was in operation until 1981 when a concrete bridge was built right next to it to handle the ever increasing traffic. The covered bridge was left ‘to it’s own’ so to speak. It was there as a tourist attraction, but neglected, and left to the fate of floods and vandals. In 1989, Oregon developed a Covered Bridge Program to preserve the covered bridges, but it wasn’t until 2006 that the Lowell Bridge was rehabilitated.

The bridge stands today as it did when it was built and with a majority of the same timbers that it was built with. The beam of the original bridge is on display; it was 300-400 years old when it was cut.

You don’t find that kind of timber any more unless it is part of preserved landscape.

We continued on our way, east on Highway 58, through the Cascade Summit, where Diamond Peak, standing at 8744’ is watching over Crescent Lake.

The trees are beginning to thin, as we are heading east, into Oregon’s high dessert. Highway 97 takes us south to Highway 138, which is just north of Crater Lake National Park. Tonight and for the next 4 nights we are camped at Diamond Lake RV Park. This is a very nice park, very rustic looking like a national or state park, but we have full hook ups and Phil got the satellite to work, so we aren’t really roughing it!!  LOL!!!

Albany, Oegon, a Visit with Friends

August 3^rd & 4^th, 2013

On Saturday (8/3) we traveled down I-5 to Albany to visit with friends Jon and Nancy Katin. Jon and Nancy were the tailgunners on the Maritime Caravan we did last summer. Next summer they will be Wagon Masters of the same caravan, and they are working hard on the details. Promises to be a much nicer caravan than we had.

On Saturday Jon and Nancy made some of the best spareribs we have ever had! They have a new smoker/BBQ that had those ribs done in two hours and they were delicious! Phil was so impressed that he has bought one.

On Sunday they did Chicken on the same BBQ, it was delicious! Then they taught us how to play Mexican Train Dominoes. It was fun, for me anyway, cause I won!! We had tried to learn this once before and found it horribly confusing, Jon and Nancy cleared up a lot of the issues.

We had a great visit, but tomorrow we head to Crater Lake and the Katins are going to the FMCA Rally in Albany, long drive!!

Ft Vancouver, Vancouver, Washington

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Wow, can’t believe it’s August already!!

We met Judie and Grant at a place called BJ’s for dinner, food was really good and we got to spend another evening with good friends!

Friday, August 2, 2013

We finally got off of our lazy butts today and did a little site seeing! We drove over to Vancouver and visited the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. A special note here, when it comes to history or historical places, I always use the facts provided in the brochures.

In the early 19^th century, the U.S. and Britain were locked in a struggle for control of the Pacific Northwest. Fur trade, especially beaver, was at it’s peak, so by 1818 the two nations had agreed to share access to the region, known by then as the Oregon Country, until they could decide on a boundary. Seven years later, in a bold move to anchor Britain’s claim to all of the Oregon Country, the Hudson’s Bay Company—the giant fur trading organization—moved its Columbia department headquarters from Fort George at the mouth of the Columbia to the newly established Fort Vancouver,

100 miles upstream. For the next two decades Ft Vancouver was the fur trade capital of the Pacific Northwest.

By the 1830’s and 40’s, American settlers were attracted to the rich farm lands of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. By 1849 the influx of Americans resulted in a division of the Oregon Country along the 49^th Parallel, a decision that left Ft Vancouver on American Soil. For a few years, the Hudson’s Bay Company traded with the settlers and Indians, but trade eventually diminished and the Company moved out in 1860. By 1866 fires and decay had destroyed all the structures

Today’s Fort Vancouver structures are reconstructions.

Starting in 1947, archeologists have excavated the site of the original fort, recovering almost two million artifacts. Study of these objects and documentary material formed the basis for the reconstructions.

With all of the budget crunches happening to the National Parks Service, they are relying heavily on volunteers to work the gift shops and act as guides through the buildings and displays. There are over 380 parks in the National Parks system and I worry about what is going to happen to the Parks if their budgets are continually cut.  Are these national treasures going to be around for the enjoyment of all for the next generation?

Smiley Family Cemetery Pictures

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

I think we are suffering from burn out. We got up late, then slept most of the day away sitting in our chairs. Did a little wash…boring stuff!!

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Phil went out to the state park office to take in the disability form and our receipt from Ft Stevens, so they have reimbursed us part of our camping fees and we now have the state park pass so we will get a discount on any other park we may stay in this trip.

While Phil was out he looked up the cemetery where his grandparents are buried,

he found it and stopped and took some pictures.

This is the Smiley side of the family, which would be our last name if his dad hadn’t legally changed his name to Taylor when he was 21.

This afternoon we went to the Cascade Shopping Center where we found one of our favorite stores; IKEA!! We spent about 4 hours walking through there, love that place!!

The highlight of our visit to Portland is to be able to see good friends Judie and Grant Rand, who Phil was stationed with in the Coast Guard when he was at Coos Bay. Judie is recovering from a serious operation and Grant has been working 10 hours a day, but they found time to visit with us tonight. They picked us up and took us to dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack over on the Washington side of the River. The food was great and we sat and talked for hours! It was so great to see them and catch up. Judie and I chat back and forth frequently, but Phil and Grant don’t do that, so they had more catching up to do.