Adventure Travel Photography Blog
I made a quick stop at Oregon’s largest Ponderosa Pine in LaPine Recreation Area. It is approximately 500 years old and stands 162 feet high with a diameter of 8.6 feet. From here, I headed south to Crater Lake.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
The skies were clear in Bend when I headed west into the Deschutes National Forest via the Cascade Lakes Highway. Once I got into the mountains; however, it was a different story: overcast and misty. I can only imagine the beauty of Sparks Lake in the sunlight. I rounded the bend and came across a golden prairie, perfectly flat like a parking lot, situated in between the evergreen covered mountains.
It was such a stark contrast that it was simply remarkable despite the poor weather. At first, I didn’t even see the lake, only a narrow stream which wound through the meadow. In fact, when I stopped to snap a photo, a placard claimed the Ray Atkeson, a professional photographer, felt this was the most stunning landscape in Oregon.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
We awoke to another dreary day which kept me from any hikes first thing in the morning. Just along the highway, we made our first stop at the reconstructed Barlow Road Tollgate. Opened by Sam Barlow in 1846, this passageway was the first toll road on the Oregon Trail. Prior to the opening, pioneers had to convert their covered wagons into rafts and ride the rapids of the Columbia River. Travelers paid 25 cents to pass through the gate and meeting the toll man was even a social occasion as they hadn’t seen anyone for miles.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!Yesterday’s rest day got a little interesting around 4pm. I ran to the grocery store which was next to the vet that Petey needed to visit for another urinary tract
infection. As I was walking across the parking lot with two plastic grocery bags and a pot of mums for Casey, I witnessed two guys chasing another guy holding a canvas basket about the size of a laundry basket in both hands as he sprinted out of the parking lot.
The chasers yelled, “Stop” and “Security”. A burglary was unfolding in front of me. I was somewhat helpless with my hands full and an injured leg, but I noticed a beat up maroon car, which had briefly squealed its wheels, pull out and drive toward the suspect. I thought, “Oh good, the long, strawberry blond haired, blue eyed guy was going to help catch the burglar, but he turned out to be driving the getaway car!
All I could do was give the two chasers his description as I heard them speaking with the 911 operator. The burglar had stolen $150 worth of merchandise from a beauty supply store, including Crest Whitening Strips! I guess he was a shoplifter with a getaway vehicle whose license plate wasn’t covered and was therefore turned into the police. Hopefully the Portland police are better detectives than the ones in Dallas who couldn’t find the burglars that stole my shingles despite having the license plates and VIN numbers to the vans they used to steel things from my home construction site!
So after a nice dinner with the family and breakfast the next day, I slowly set out toward Mount Hood. It was a rainy Sunday, and I have become a fair weather hiker as of late. I know if I lived in Oregon, I wouldn’t have that option if I ever wanted to do something outside, but I’m on the home stretch, I think I’ve hiked for 300 days in a row.
In addition, I had a bit of a headache, so instead of hiking, I drove through Sandy, stopped at Wildwood Recreation Area briefly, and then found a campground in Mount Hood National Forest where I parked VANilla and after a nap, read a book. It’s an old book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I also couldn’t resist snapping a photo of a fellow camper’s site. The person put up a hammock and tied a coconut bar and a purple lei to a post outlining the parking space. Until tomorrow…ETB
Learn more about my road trip across the USA, or click the link below for the interactive map.
Another great day in the gorge! Our morning started out at the sturgeon fish hatchery. I was expecting to take a walk to some sort of tank; see a giant, prehistoric looking fish; and then leave…a fifteen minute stop or so. I spent an entire hour there! One area was historic and included several old white buildings, one of which operated as an egg incubator house. The Bonneville Fish Hatchery incubates 15 million eggs to the eyed stage.
The hatchery purchases half a million pounds of feed to nourish 10 million fish annually. Fish is the main ingredient in the food which also includes proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Fish may be tracked in a variety of ways, but Oregon hatchery fish are tagged with a coded wire in their snout and have their adipose fin clipped.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
Another wonderful day in the Pacific Northwest! After a quick snapshot of Mount Adams, I took a short jaunt west from Trout Lake to explore an ice cave. I expected to be taken on a guided tour, but instead found myself alone in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Beneath the evergreens by a picnic area is the entrance to a lava tube. The cold air from the winter is trapped inside the cave forming an ice pool with stalagmite ice crystals poking upward from the floor.
Based on the information board map drawing there are two ice pools, a natural bridge, a crystal grotto, a crack room, and a few pits. I only explored the first ten feet of the 400 foot cave as I was alone and had no intention of falling on ice and sharp lava in the dark! I also followed a path above ground which led to the crack room and the pits. Had I had the proper equipment and a partner, I would have liked to see the crystal grotto. I bet it would be fantastic especially closer to winter time. The weak beam on my flashlight just barely illuminated the area from a distance, but neither my eyes nor my camera were successful in focusing on much!
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
Today I headed inland along the Columbia River on the Washington-Oregon border. I spent my time on the Washington State side and stopped to enjoy the panorama of Oregon’s wooded hills and of the powerful river that lay at the foot vertical cliffs from Cape Horn Viewpoint.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
I found a campsite last night at Fort Stevens State Park which didn’t make my scenic drives book. The campgrounds were enormous: 550 sites. It was like a small city. Before I left the park this morning, I enjoyed some of the sites; the first being the wreck of the Peter Iredale.
There is nothing special about the wreck of the Peter Iredale. It was simply a ship that had sailed 28 days from Mexico that was bound for Portland to pick up some cargo. Strong winds and rough seas forced it onto the shore where a portion of the ship remains today and has become a popular tourist attraction and hence its fame.
Just inland from the beach is Coffenbury Lake. The tranquil lake, nestled in the trees, is stocked with trout and a popular fishing location for campers. Petey and I took a short walk along its shore before turning north to Astoria.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
So I spent Saturday evening and the majority of Sunday with Casey, Ross, and their two wonderful children, Griffin and Claudia. The connection, as usual, is from the horse show days. Casey competed in jumpers while I rode hunters. Casey’s husband Ross owns his own software development company with another partner and enjoys cooking (more about dinner in a minute).
Griffin is a SMART fifth grader who likes Lego Robots and recently required an emergency room visit for stitches after a bicycle accident. Claudia, a bundle of energy, is a first grader who plays tennis and enjoys showing off the latest fashion. Three non-matching, colorful socks, one tied around the knee, was my personal favorite.
For dinner Ross prepared a mouth watering meal; flavorful steak on the grill, a medley of vegetables from their garden, a tomato and mozzarella salad, potatoes, and
stuffed mushrooms. Needless to say, I was in heaven!
I had planned the morning to visit Hoquiam’s Castle and Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge before heading to Portland to visit some friends from my horseback riding days. Both attempts turned out to be a bust. Hoquiam’s Castle was built in 1897 by a timber tycoon named Robert Lytle. It is a twenty room mansion, turned Bed & Breakfast. I suppose I could have wandered into the lobby and looked around, but oddly I felt like taking a full-blown house tour to change things up on this dreary day.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN!
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