California Day 7... Dancing Bears

Thursday 8/17/2017

     It felt good to be packing up and leaving the River Park Inn behind,  I left a few reviews and was honest.  The original goal was to be up and out before dawn.  But, the Hertz counter at the Klamath Falls airport didn’t open until 8A. I pulled into the lot at 8A sharp and walked inside to the desk.

     Courtney was on duty that morning and ready to go right on time.  I explained the problem and she started the paperwork. She quickly located a different Nissan Altima in their lot.  It was no problem to swap them out. 

    We walked out to the lot and did the exterior inspection of the new vehicle.  It hadn’t been prepped from the last person yet.  Courtney offered to have it cleaned and gassed.  But, I was anxious to get going.  So, she made note of the quarter tank of gas and the dog hair in the back seat and I was on my way. 

    Courtney is the way customer service is supposed to be,  I went to the Hertz website later in the day and said so. 

   All told it was maybe a half hour.  Sure, I was behind schedule, but I didn’t have to worry about that check engine light. I even got a newer vehicle in the deal. I could deal with the slight dog smell.

   I finally arrived back in Crater Lake around 10A. I stopped in the visitor center and asked about the boat tours.  You can either do the one tour that takes you around the crater, or the other boat that 

drops you off on the island in the middle of the lake.  All were booked solid and had been for weeks.

   A short walk behind the visitor center brings you to the sculpture, Lady of the Woods.  It's the creation of Dr. Earl Bush.  He was in the park tending to the crews building the western rim road.  September rolled around and the road work was finished.  Dr. Bush found himself with two weeks of free time.  So, he started carving a sculpture in this rock.  That was September, 2017.  I was surprised there was no mention of this within the visitor center.

     Just for kicks,I did work my way through the western rim construction zones to Cleetwood Cove, the checkin spot for the tours  I asked about stand bys.  There were none to be had.  Usually, they run four boats.  This year the Park Service brought back an old rule that they needed to always have one ready to go as a rescue boat.  So, they’re down to three,  Then one boat needed it’s transmission rebuilt.  So, they’re down to two.  Perhaps next time.

    As for the construction delays, this family chose to use the time for an old fashioned snow ball fight.  

    

   I still walked down to the water though.  This is the only place you can legally access it.  The trail down is all dirt and an easy walk.  But, you do have to come back up.

    Passed the boat dock, the trail continues to an outcropping of rocks.  I saw plenty of people swimming and diving into the water.  I didn’t feel the need, especially since it’s fifty degrees.

    

    The volcano that makes up Crater Lake is named Mount Mazama,  It was named by the members of the Mazama Hiking Club in 1896.  They took their name from a native American word for mountain goat.  The mountain erupted around 5600 BC and is estimated to have been forty-two times the explosive power of Mount. St. Helens,   

    I hit  few more overlooks and worked my way back towards Hwy 62.  I was concerned  about the Blanket Creek fire.  That was causing the smokey smell within the park.  There are plenty of places to find the latest information, and it looked like I would be driving well around this one.

    Around 2P I drove through the small town of Union Creek.   When I saw a sign for something called Rogue Gorge, you knew I would just have to go check it out.  

     The parking area is shared by a place called the Union Creek Resort.  There are cabins aplenty as well as camping spots.  There was also a noticeable smokey haze and smell.  There's also a small restaurant called Becky's.  The sandwich was quite good.  It came with a side of their home made potato chips.  I couldn't quite recognize the flavor.  They make them with a hint of chipotle and cinnamon.  I asked if they were worried about the fires.  They said no, it happens all the time.  Besides, the fire causing all the smoke was contained.  

    A little further up the road I passed a sign for a a camp site and natural bridge.  Yeah, I had to check this one out, too.  Somewhere along the way, the Rogue River eroded an opening in an old lava tube.  Some of the river flowed over and some followed the tube, coming out downstream.  Cool!

   Here's the entrance....

 

    I also passed a sign for Woodruff Bridge and another campsite.  I drove down the road for a few miles but never saw a bridge.  I didn't know it was a foot bridge on a trail that began behind the camp ground.  

    Passing through the town of Prospect, there was a sign for Mill Creek Falls.  The route to the parking lot was well marked and there was a huge sign  pointing out the various trails.  It was perhaps a little over a mile round trip and well worth the effort.  

    Further alone I passed a parking area for the Ti'lomikh Falls.  They weren't as dramatic as Mill Creek, but the story was intriguing.  This was the homeland of the Takelma.  Every year as salmon spawning season began, they would have a ceremony on the shores of the river.  An elder would sit on a stone chair they called the Story Seat.  They would have the honor of catching the first salmon of the season.  To ensure a healthy season, the bones of the first fish would be returned to a pool below the falls.

    All was well and good until 1851 when gold was discovered.  War broke out over the land and in 1853 the Takelma agreed to move to a reservation.  By 1856, the surviving Takelma were forced to leave.  

    In 1933, John Harrington of the Smithsonian Institute brought Takelma elder Gwisgwashan and family member George Baker back to the site to record the story.   In 2007, Baker's daughter and oldest living Takelma, Grandma Agnes Baker Pilgrim returned to the site and found the Story Chair.  Over the next five years, three days were removed and the number of salmon rose.  In 2012, she came back and blessed the waters saying, "We are all water babies.  We are all people of the water."  

       I finally worked my way to the Grants Pass Knights Inn, my home for the  night.  After checking in and ditching my stuff, I went for a walk.  I had seen some bears on the drive in and wanted to check them out.

        As I walked around the neighborhood, I came across a place called the Laughing Clam.  I figured I had earned a beer for the day, so I stopped in.  They had a decent beer list and I chose a local porter which turned out to be quite good.  The light was fading and I wanted to shoot a few of the bear sculptures peppered around downtown. 

    It's all a part of Bearfest 2017.  This started a few years ago and was the idea of a local bank.  Every year they add more bears and auction a few off for charity.

    Back at the motel…I met the owner at check in. He obviously takes pride in his establishment.  Sure, it’s an inexpensive place, but it’s conspicuously clean and orderly.  It’s one of those places I would have been perfectly comfortable bringing a travel companion, unlike the previous place. There was only one drawback go the motel and I found out the hard way.

Coming Up, 

At the stroke of midnight...

       

California Day 6...Crater Lake National Park

Wednesday 8/16/17   

     So, how do you know the motel you’re staying in isn’t inexpensive, it’s cheap?  Well, the wifi barely reaches to the room, and I was only  a few doors from the lobby.  The real proof were the empty Keystone Light bottles by the parking lot trash can,  I definitely won’t be staying here again

     I only booked in Klamath Falls because the only places I found on line that were closer were all very expensive or full.  So, I stayed here, fifty miles away.  Oddly enough I did pass a few small motels along the drive.  Hmmm.

    There’s a lodge at the south entrance to Crater Lake National Park. I stopped in for breakfast. It wasn’t exactly cheap, but I really wasn’t hungry for the rest of the day.

    The ranger at the entrance gate mentioned construction and delays along the western rim road. So, I went east. I took these at a pull out.  For once the morning haze worked in my favor.

     There’s an overlook they call the Sun Notch. From the parking lot it’s a half mile loop trail to a set of overlooks.  They call that rock formation  the Phantom Ship.  It’s actually the remains of a large steam vent.  

    Just a little further is the turn off  for the Pinnacles. At the end of the road is an even shorter trail back to another series of steam vents.  The steam hardens the ash. When the ash eventually erodes away, it leaves these spires behind.

   The view from various overlooks...

   My big trail of the day was Mount Scott, named after Levi Scott, a prominent politician in the Oregon Territory in the 1850’s. It’s also the highest point in the park at 8932 feet.  On its peak sits another fire tower.

    On the way up, I passed a pair of guys with Forest Service shirts taking compass readings and relaying them on their radio.  Every distant puff of smoke was relayed in to base.  About half way up the trail I paused to take a few shots. That’s where met Dave and Jane.  They’re from Sacramento and this I their first post-retirement trip. We walked the rest of the way up together.  They’ve explored a lot of California together.  They gave me a few pointers for interesting places not in the usual guidebooks.

    The view from the top

    By the time I got back to the car I was feeling really good about my day.  That’s when I noticed the Check Engine light on the dash.  From prior experience I know it can be anything from a loose seal on the gas cap to a major engine issue.

  I also know not to be too freaked out about it unless it’s flashing or the engine starts fighting.   But, I still had a week and a half left on this road trip.  I wasn’t about to risk major engine issues, especially since I knew I would be out of cell service for long swaths of his trip.  But, there was nothing I could do about it at the moment.

    So, I continued the rim road, stopping at various overlooks along the way.

    With no cell  or  internet service in the park, I drove back to Klamath Falls.  I’ve had rental car issues before and know the drill.  Back in town I called Hertz and we talked.  Yes, I had checked the gas cap. No, I didn’t think I was in imminent danger of something serious.The agent then told me I could simply take the car to the Klamath Falls airport in the morning and the agent at the Hertz counter would take care of me.  With the paper trail covered, I drove back to the motel, took a walk in the park and called it a day.

California Day 5...Some Forgotten WWII History

Tuesday 8/15/17

    From time to time I’ve stayed at motels with wifi that I just couldn’t seem to latch into.  Such was the case with the Hotel Niles.  I got a strong signal, I just couldn’t get in.  So, as soon as the car was packed I strolled across the street to the Wild Mustard coffee shop.  I could get into their wifi and their coffee was excellent.  http://wildmustardca.com/

   A few miles west Hwy 299 brought me to Hwy 193 north.  Shortly after turning off, I saw a sign I had seen scattered around saying “Support the Free State of Jefferson"   It’s a grassroots movement to create a new state out of the northern third of California and southwestern Oregon.

    Eventually I came to County Rt 97.  And the turnoff for Lava Beds National Monument. The turnoff said the visitor center was fourteen miles ahead.  The second sign warned of loose gravel.  That sign turned out to be a lie and the road was pleasantly smooth and recently paved.

   There are signs on the way in saying you MUST have a pass to enter the caves.  I actually wasn’t surprised.  When I checked in the first thing they asked was if I had been in a cave since 2005 or had I EVER been in  cave in Europe or China.  I mentioned Carlsbad Cavern and the previous day’s trip into the Subway Cave.  Since I was wearing the same pair of shoes, they gave me the option of either decontaminating my shoes, or changing them.   Figuring hiking boots would probably be the better option anyway, I changed my shoes. 

    The problem is something called  White Nose Syndrome.  It’s a virus that’s causing all sorts of problems within the bat population.  It has millions since it’s appearance in 2006. 

   After check in, they give you a map showing all the cave entrances.  There are the easy ones, the moderate ones that force one to periodically duck walk under a low ceiling, and the difficult ones that require a hard hat and knee pads.  These had sections with ceilings of three feet.  A park ranger was doing a guided tour later in the day of a cave with a section of roof a little over one foot.  Yeah, I didn’t take that tour.  

    The first cave I entered was named Gold Dome, for the splattering of gold color on the roof. It was listed as moderate and went back 2,229 feet.  The odd thing about this cave is its shape.  Somehow the flowing lava had created a figure eight of tunnels.  The ranger suggested if you get turned around to just keep walking with the wall on one side and you would eventually find your way out. 

   Heading in...

   

   The cave's gold colored roof.  Not bad considering all I had was a small penlight where otherwise the cave would have been pitch black.

     Taking into account the absolute lack of markings and the only light was from a small penlight, I did manage to get turned around.  I was notice features again and again.  I tried the wall on the right trick and that didn’t work either.  Finally, I stacked some rocks along the wall by each junction I passed, so I would know for sure where I had and hadn’t been there.  That worked and I eventually saw the light by the tunnel entrance. 

    I tried an easy cave next called Sentinel Cave.  The ceiling is much higher, so very little ducking and crouching was needed.

 This one had deep holes in the floor and metal bridges spanning them.  I tried bracing the camera on one of the railings to shoot inside the came.  Considering this is lit only my a penlight and is a tripodless thirty second exposure…

   The craziest part was a metal staircase down.  There were perhaps twenty steps on the ladder, but you could feel it getting noticeably colder as you walked down.  It was like walking into the meat freezer.  Just wild.

    My third was one named Skull Cave.  It was named after the numerous animal and human skeletons they found deep inside.  They also discovered a thick layer of ice. I was okay with the cold air.  The bitter cold and damp metal hand rails were a little off putting.  

     Having bumped the back of my head a few times during the day, I decide to do one more easy cave. There’s not much to see in the Merrill Ice Cave, but there was a time when the ice was thick enough people would strap on ice skates and glide by lantern light.   Conditions have changed and the ice is all but gone now. But is still feels like a freezer.

    

    The highest point in the part that’s easily accessible is Schonchin Butte. 

    A road loops part of the way around and takes you perhaps a third of the way up.  From there you walk.  It’s a pretty good dirt path all the way up to a fire lookout.  The view was worth the walk.  A lot of what you see is part of the greater Medicine Lake Volcano.  You can see smaller cinder cones as well as volcanic vents and large areas of lava flows. The Park Service estimates the volcano has been active for about 500,000 years.  It’s eruptions are small and not explosive like Mount St. Helens.  The last eruption was about a thousand years ago. 

    My last stop is in a place called Captain Jack's Stronghold.  In 1873, the Modoc were being relocated to reservations.  Captain Jack and one hundred sixty others refused and holed up in a seemingly inhospitable section of lava field.  

    Captain Jack had access to a spring for water and s short trip to the neighboring Tulelake, which was much larger than it is currently.  The first attempt to capture Captain Jack and his people involved 225 soldiers and failed completely.  The second attempt involved six hundred and only succeeded once they had captured the spring and cut off access to the lake.  

     One stop outside the park boundary at a place called Petroglyph Point.

     The height of the rock carvings corresponds with the level of Tulelake.  The Modoc would take their boats to this rock.  

    After leaving the park, I crossed the border into Oregon and drove on to the town of Klamath Falls, my home for the next two nights.  On the drive through town I made a stop into the Linkville Pioneer Cemetery. 

    Deep in the cemetery sits the grave site of Edward Engin, Joan Patzke and Dick Patzke.  

     On May 5, 1956 they were with a group heading out for a picnic in the mountains.  They stopped to ask a road crew about the conditions ahead.  Some children went off to investigate something strange they had seen on the ground.  It exploded, killing six.  

     During WWII, the Japanese sent thousands of balloons into the jet stream towards the United States carrying bombs.  Their goal was to cause panic and start forest fires.  Until this incident, the balloon bombs had been kept a secret and had caused no other casualties.  

      My home for the night was the River View Inn.  The best thing I can say about it concerns its location.  It is indeed right across the street from a city park and the north shore of Lake Ewauna.   I ventured across to the lake both nights of my stay.  Yeah, and the price was cheap.  That’s pretty much it.  After interacting with the owner, I got the impression he had just given up and was going through the motions.  So no, I wouldn’t recommend this place.  Seriously, if you ever find yourself in Klamath Falls, Oregon, stay somewhere else.  You'll thank me.

      Sunset from the park...

Because...'Merica!

Coming Up on Day 6

Crater Lake National Park and a potential disaster