Crater Lake: Don't you make my brown eyes blue!

Just a quick update. We’re now in Bend, Oregon, getting laundered up, charged up, and stocked up. The usual for when we do a stop over in a town/city.

Since my last post, we have headed inland from the California coast and up to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. Amazing place.

Crater Lake is actually a caldera, or volcanic basin, created when the 12,000 foot high Mount Mazama collapsed 7,700 years ago following a large eruption. The lake is fed only by rain and melting snow, with no inlets or outlets. So, with an average snowfall of 533 inches per year, it’s no wonder that it’s almost 2000 feet deep, making it the seventh deepest lake in the world and the deepest in the United States. The lake averages more than five miles in diameter, and is surrounded by steep rock walls that rise up to 2000 feet that comprise the remains of the caldera’s rim.

But the most amazing feature is the water’s intense blue color, the result of the lake’s great depth, the purity and clarity of its water, and the way solar radiation interacts with water. I never imagined that water could be naturally that blue.

Since my bum ankle still precludes my doing much hiking, I found real joy in just finding a nice shady spot along the rim trail and taking in the view. Meanwhile, Jim did a few hikes, including one that was ranger-led up to one of the peaks of the caldera’s rim.

I’d say the highlight of our time there was taking a swim in the lake itself. There is only one access point to the water: the one and one-half mile Cleetwood Cove Trail, which leads to the boat dock (they offer 2-hour guided boat tours) and a rocky beach. I didn’t actually swim: just sat on a rock and soaked my ankle, which was great therapy as the water temperature averages 38 degrees. Jim of course went for a swim and even jumped off a 20-foot high cliff popular with the more daring minded.

Now, we are headed up north: First to Columbia River Gorge. Hopefully, my ankle will be well enough to let me do at least some shorter hikes. Of course, that’s wine country too, so if I can't hike, at least I can find solace at some of the wineries along the way.

From there we plan to get to Mt. St. Helen’s and then over to Olympia National Park. From there, it will probably be time to head back east, hopefully stopping at Glacier National Park and then Jackson before heading home. Can’t say when that will be. Probably last of August or first part of September.

For now, things are good. The Honey is puttin’ along. We just need to get out of this heat. Oregon is experiencing a real heat wave. In Bend today, the temp is getting close to 100 degrees, and in Portland, it’s suppose to get to 104! So, after getting all our housekeeping-type chores done, we’re heading for the high country of the Cascades on our way up north.

Love hearing from you all.


Crater Lake and Wizard Island, a cinder cone that formed after last big eruption.


The Pinnacles: Spires of fossilized ash


Swimming Beach at bottom of crater


Jim taking a dip in Crater Lake: Brrrr!

Hiker's Misery and A Walk Among the Giants

It’s been a while since I’ve had computer access, so am way behind in my blog. Since my last post, we have been in Yosemite National Park (July 6-14), King’s Canyon National Park (July 15-17), driven up Rt. 1, the California Coast highway (July 18-19), and now finishing up time in Redwood National Park. (July21-22).

At Yosemite, we spent time away from the craziness of the Valley, camping at Tuolumne Meadows and Crane Flat. Although the campground was crowded, there were convenient hiker shuttles from the campground to trailheads that get you away from maddening crowd. While there, we did two nice hikes, one to Tuolumne Falls and another to Cloud’s Rest. Since this is a 15-mile hike, I was a little intimated by the thought, especially since one section had a 800 feet elevation gain in one mile. But, we caught the very first shuttle to the trailhead, and took our time. The trail was beautiful, but the best was at the end. Cloud’s Rest is a rock outcropping that gives a spectacular view of the Valley. I didn’t go all the way out to the end point, as it involved walking (some crawl) over a rocky section no more than five feet wide with sheer drops on each side. Of course, Jim went all the way out, and got some great pictures. Although I had great views from my perch, I did regret later that I didn’t just grit my teeth and do it anyway.

On July 13 headed for a 2 night stay at Upper Pines Campground in Yosemite Valley, a place I'd rather avoid due to the crowds and amusement park-like atmosphere. However, it does offer access to some nice trails, including one highly recommended, Four mile/Panorama Trail. This too is a 15 miler, but I was feeling more confident after the Cloud’s Rest Trail. I was soon to find out just how far my confidence would take me. The first part of the trail takes you up to Glacier Point and then connects to the Panorama Trail. The trail offers spectacular views of the Valley and waterfalls. Along the way are stops at several water falls. It was at the second falls, (Nevada Falls) where I fell and sprained my ankle. I tried to get up and hobble the shortest way down, the Mist Trail, but there was just no way. The trail basically goes over rock and boulder fall. As slow as I was going, there was no way we would get down before dark, or even that night. And we weren’t prepared to spend the night out. So, nothing else to do but call 911 (thank goodness for cell phones).

The response was good. In about an hour, a Search and Rescue guy came up the trail with a medical kit. He taped my ankle, gave me some Ibuprofen, and said I shouldn’t try to go down the Mist Trail. The alternative was to go back up and catch the easier, but longer, John Muir trail. Since I was able to walk, it didn’t warrant a medi-vac out (I agreed.) So, Jim and I started out at about 6:00 for the slow, 4 mile trek out. The last mile and half was in the dark. We had just a small penlight, which didn’t do a lot for visibility. About a mile from the end, we encountered a group who had a bigger head lamp and they stayed with us until we got to our campground., which was at 9:30. Never so glad to see the old Honey.

King’s Canyon has the giant Sequoias, which are truly magnificent. I was able to hobble around Grant’s Grove, which has the General Grant tree, the world’s second largest Sequoia (267.4 feet high and 107.6 feet circumference at base). What’s sad is that a lot of these trees were logged in the late 1800s, and you can see groves of these giant stumps. Turns out the wood is not really good for much anyone. The trees are so massive that when they fall, they splinter, rendering the wood useless for commercial purposes. While looking for the Chicago Stump, we found an nice secluded camp spot on a back Forest Service Road surrounded by massive pine trees. The Chicago Stump is from a massive tree cut down in late 1893, and parts sent to the Chicago World’s Fair. However, the crowds didn’t believe it was real as “no tree could ever be that big.” So it was called the California Hoax.

Our tree journey now took us along the Redwood Highway along the California coast. While these trees soar over 300 feet (taller than Sequoias), their bases are not as massive. But still just as impressive. A trail we took this morning, called Cathedral Trees, was indeed like being in a massive cathedral, with sunlight filtering through the trees onto the forest floor covered with giant ferns.
Now, it’s on to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, where I hope by then my ankle is healed enough to get in some hikes. More later.

View of Yosemite Valley from Cloud's Rest


View of Half Dome from Panorama Trail


Giant Sequoias



Jim on Sequoia Stump


Chicago Stump(sorry for poor picture quality but shows size of stump)


Jim and Connie with Sugar Pine Cone (it's not a Sequoia Pine Cone!)


Jim and Lacey on Beach (on California Coastal Highway)


Jim among Redwoods

A Walk Among the Ancients

We are now in Bishop, California, spending the night to get provisioned and laundry done before we head up to Yosemite National Park. The town is located in a valley between the White Mountains to the east and the Sierra Nevada range to the west.

We finally got out of Utah on June 25, when we arrived at Great Basin National Park in Nevada, just across the Utah line. It’s a relatively new national park, created in 1986. Its very remote location makes it one of the least visited and least developed of the national parks. The main attraction of the park is a Bristlecone Pine grove, with many trees in the 3,000 year range. It’s also where the tree I mentioned earlier, Prometheus, unbeknownst at the time as the world’s oldest living thing, at 4,862 years of age, was cut down. (read more at http://sonic.net/bristlecone/Martyr.html).

The Park’s name comes from the fact that all precipitation within the 200,000 square mile boundary drains internally. Bounded by the Great Salt Lake to the East, the Sierra Nevada to the west, and the Snake River Plain to the north, all precipitation in the region evaporates, sinks underground or flows into lakes (mostly saline). Creeks, streams, or rivers find no outlet to either the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific Ocean. Didn’t know that.

We took a nice hike there through the pine grove that ended at a rock glacier at the base of Wheeler Peak, which is 13,063 feet. The park is located next to the very small town (pop 200) of Baker, Nevada, which boasts the darkest skies in the lower 48 states. As a result, it’s a mecca for stargazers, and on our last night there, the Park Service hosted a public star gaze that brought attracted professional and amateur astronomers who set up their telescopes for anyone to look through. Way cool. Saw Saturn’s rings, the Swan Nebula, as well as various star systems and constellations. We also toured the park’s Lehman Cave, which is known for its elaborate and rare cave formations.

From there, the call of the Ancient Ones brought us to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of California, which is home of Methuselah, now the oldest known living thing, at 4,767 years of age. We weren't sure if we actually saw the old man as his exact location is kept secret. Not surprising considering that the visitor center there was burned to the ground by an arsonist two years ago.

What makes these trees so amazing is that the oldest trees grow where survival is the most difficult (9,500-11,000 feet elevation, alkaline soil, minimal rainfall.) Contributing to their longevity is their slow growth (some add just one inch of tree rings over a century) and their ability to cut off nutrients to parts of the tree, so that most of the wood is dead, except for a ribbon of bark that keeps one part of the tree alive. This reduces the amount of water and nutrients that the tree needs to survive. But it is this “dead” part of the tree that creates some astonishingly beautiful shapes and forms. This is due to the wood’s high resin content, which means it doesn’t rot but instead becomes beautifully sculpted and polished over the eons by the elements.

In fact, Bristlecone pine wood can remain intact for thousands of years and it is because of this that scientists have assembled a continuous tree-ring chronology extending nearly 10,000 years. Not only has this played an important role in climatology but also helped to correct a flaw in radio carbon dating that showed many archeological sites were actually 1,000 years or more older than previously thought. Yes, Bristlecone Pines have become known as the trees that rewrote history. So, you can see why these trees have intrigued us so much. And walking through one hillside in the White Mountains that contained some of the oldest trees inspired awe and reverence. It’s a place where time really doesn’t exist.

After White Mountains, we crossed the valley to the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains where we camped for three nights to hike in the Big Pine Creek Canyon area. Big Pine Canyon is the location of the southernmost glaciers in the U.S. and the largest in the Sierra Nevada. Two hikes we did there gave us good views of the glaciers as well as took us through some nice mountain meadows bursting with wildflowers.

We’re really looking forward to getting to higher country, as today the temperature in Bishop was 96. This isn’t surprising as the town is located in the same county as Death Valley, which at 282 feet below sea level is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. Interesting is that just 76 miles away is the highest peak in the continental U.S., Mt. Whitney, at 14,496 feet. Go figure.

Jim Hiking in Great Basin National Park


Rock Glacier Trail, Great Basin National Park


Bristlecone Pine in White Mountains


Connie admiring an Ancient One


Sunset in White Mountains


Curse those Varmits! (Sign posted in campground)


North Fork, Big Pine Creek Canyon Trail