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.
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