Travel – Page 7

July 10, 2022July 8, 2022

Our National Park neighbor

Surrounded by cliffs almost 2000 feet high, Crater Lake is one of the 7 wonders of Oregon and is the cleanest and clearest large body of water in the world.

Did you know there are 63 National Parks in the US? All but 14 of them are west of the Mississippi River. We’ve only visited a handful, but one is just an hour’s drive south.

Alaska and California each have eight national parks, Utah has five, and Oregon has one … Crater Lake. It’s only 180,000 acres, and while it is a spectacular sight, the lake is the park’s biggest draw.

This volcanic crater lake is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity

In Montana, I grew up minutes from Glacier National Park. That park is just over a million acres in size. Nearly every Sunday in the summer, we fished a river that defines Glacier’s western border, but only on rare occasions did we actually drive into the park. National Parks attract lots of people, so you really need to be strategic about when and how you go.

For us, Crater Lake is a perfect day trip. A road follows along the crater’s rim, with numerous pullouts, photo ops and picnic areas.

No rivers flow into or out of the lake …water is replaced mainly through rain and snowfall.

The park is snowbound and closed to vehicles through May. We usually wait for the north entrance to open and this year it happened to be late June.

An early start puts us in the park by 8:00 a.m., usually ahead of the crowds. The East Rim Road is our preferred route, though a section was still closed for repairs. A windless day put a mirror like surface on the lake, perfect photo weather.

December 12, 2021December 11, 2021

Holiday Prep

This week we finally embraced the Christmas season. A couple of things keep full holiday regalia at bay in our house , . . the first is cats, the second is a lack of Santa believers. Yup, I finally gave up on the jolly old elf.

Seriously though, we did manage to find cedar garland, a wreath and a small tree that weren’t moments away from shedding their needles. Got the exterior decorated just before the snowfall started. And strung some tiny lights on the tree. Fire up the holiday play list, cue the snow, and let the season begin.

Jack and Tip exploring Big Bend on the Crooked River

The first part of the week was a trip to the Crooked River. Seemed like we were the only ones there. Perfect time to wet a line at an area that is usually filled with RV’s, trucks and fishermen. The river levels remain low, even for winter flows, but the fishing was good. There is a reason this spot draws a crowd.

Didn’t see any raptors, but spotted loads of magpies and robins.

Winter migration is in full swing and flocks of birds filled the trees. Tip had a great time roaming the bank and keeping us company. The sun even poked out a couple of times to take the chill off. However, it is definitely winter fishing season.

We don’t go full on holiday decoration anymore. A fullsized Christmas tree is out of the question as our cats do enough damage around here already. Not really the best idea to set up a climbing post covered in shiny, breakable orbs.

We settled for a live pine tree, potted and perfect for the counter. Outside we strung some garland over the front window, hung a wreath and trimmed them with a string of lights. It may not measure up to some lightshows in the neighborhood . . . but it is festive enough for us.

November 7, 2021November 7, 2021

In The Clouds

We spotted several Blue Heron roosting in trees along the river’s edge

The main difference between weather on the Cascade’s west versus the east slope is how long it lingers. In Central Oregon a rain storm comes in and moves on in a day. The great part is you get to experience weather in a variety of stages and it seems like a sunny day is always on the way. This week we drove through clouds.

The Lower Deschutes, around Maupin, is a regular destination in the fall. There are far fewer people, the river level drops to ‘wadeable,’ and summer heat has passed.

The road ahead winds its way down through a dense cloud bank

The latter part of the week looked like a storm front coming along with wind gusts and increased rain. So we spent a bit more time on the road and headed for Maupin. On the edge of the Deschutes River canyon we drove into the clouds … literally.

The fog bank hung onto the canyon’s edge, so we slipped below the clouds and pulled up to a favorite spot on the river.

Lunch, fresh coffee and on the river. The fishing was very slow but Tip and I had fun scrambling along the bank. JQ was much more productive with the long lens on her camera snapping pix of some of the locals.

We spent an afternoon on the river without encountering a single fisherman or rafter, unusual, but made for a great day. We expect the rainy days to increase in late fall and take advantage of the drier ones. Bend / La Pine get an average of 11 inches of precipitation compared to Portland’s 44 inches, so we still get mostly desert-like weather.

September 19, 2021September 18, 2021

Head Waters

The Crooked River has been the subject of many posts on this blog, usually centered on fishing. This week, with a welcome break in poor air quality, we headed to the headwaters of our favorite stream.

Forests of Ponderosa Pine mixed with open prairie

The Ococho National forest lands sit between the saged high desert and the thickly forested cascade range.

A half hours drive east of Prineville puts you on the edge of Big Summit Prairie and a web of fresh water springs feeding into the North Fork of the Crooked River.

As the name implies this stream meanders across central Oregon, most of it through hay and pasture land.

The canyon we frequent most is some 50 or 60 miles downstream of Deep Creek Campground.

We’ve pulled in here for a bit of lunch and a cup of coffee. The air is clean, filled with the scent of Ponderosa and it feels like Fall.

Deep Creek feeds into the North Fork as it turns south, away from the road and through a forested canyon and wilderness study area. The only way to fish that stretch is by trail and today we’re not prepared for that journey.

Eagle Rock, a popular site for rock enthusiasts, and a visit for another day.

We follow USFS 42 over yet another low mountain range heading south and west. The pine forest gives way to ancient juniper and volcanic rock fields. At the junction with OR 380 we are surrounded by cattle ranches and the North Fork merges into the Crooked. It stays in this grassy valley for 30 miles before winding south into the Prineville reservoir. After which it will exit Bowman dam and wind through the basalt lined canyon we frequent.

We skirt the eastern edge of the reservoir, through Prineville and after a brief stop for chocolate soft-serve at the local DQ, head home. It was very nice to be out of the smoke and haze for a day.

September 5, 2021September 5, 2021

Annual Fruit Stand Trip

This week we headed up to Hood River and a trip through the Fruit Loop. It is a bit earlier than normal, but a great break from the smoky air that plagues Central Oregon.

The drive is an annual trek and usually focuses on Kiyokawa’s orchard, a favorite stand. The difference is this year we are early by nearly a month and thus the selection is different. We’re looking for peaches and plums with thoughts of preserving a few, and of course making Pflaumenkuchen.

Bartlett pears, red and yellow, are part of the early season harvest on the Fruit Loop.

The apple season is just starting so where normally there would be tens of varieties, this day there was maybe half a dozen to choose from. There was also a selection of pears, as they are in season as well. On the other hand, peaches are end of season, but we found some Veterans which we’ll preserve a couple of quarts to keep the pantry up to date.

The drawback to Kiyokawa is they only sell in bulk. The pandemic has curtailed open bins with tasting trays for each variety and now you buy by the pound.

We stopped at a new stand, Pearls Place. There you can pick up individual pieces, as well as boxed or bagged fruit.

Pearl’s had a great variety of stone fruit and in that mix were Italian Prune Plums, which were at the top of our list.

Individual fruit, perfect for tasting varieties like Diamond Princess and O’Henry peaches

Old-fashioned, Cream-line milk from Royal Riverside Farm in Albany, Oregon

It worked out well to hit the orchards at a different point in the season and we are enjoying the peaches as much as the apples and pears. The trip home was through Maupin with lunch on the Deschutes River. It was a great end to a nicely smoke-free day.