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...
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