Columbia River Gorge Part I -> Wildflowers, Lost Lakes & Fruity Loops

The fabulous Columbia River Gorge

Wildflowers at Memaloose State Park

Where to begin, where to begin. I have to admit the Gorge has me rather stumped. From what I’d heard about the place I figured I would like it before we came, but I just didn’t imagine I would like it this much. Where can you wallow in wildflowers, bike along a cliff, see mind-blowing panoramas, go wine-tasting, reflect on a snow-capped mountain, windsurf and drink a head-sized margarita in one place? I mean it’s almost too much! Ontop of everything we’ve had 5 days of forecasted solid rain which have turned into slight morning drizzles followed by stunning afternoons of full sunshine. This has driven us like mad chickens out of the RV early each day “to beat the rain” only to result in relaxing days of outdoor gorgeousness. Really now! How is one expected to survive such trying circumstances?

So yeah, I am speechless….well almost….

Polly scans the Memaloose Hills

I’m going to start with a mini-primer on the Columbia River Gorge so you can get your bearings. The Gorge is basically a large canyon, up to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) deep in spots that meanders along the banks of the Columbia River that separates Oregon from Washington. The western portion is protected as a National Scenic Area, starting around the confluence of the Deschutes River and ending in Portland, and it packs in a plethora of varying scenery from vast, flat desert-like landscape in the very east (around mile-marker 140) to rolling green hills in the middle (around mile-marker 75) ending in heavily forested cliffs just before the big city. All this wrapped in the pretty little package of the Columbia River with the white glory of Mt. St.Helens & Mt. Adams in the north and Mt. Hood in the south. Got it?

For our visit we decided to plonk ourselves in the middle of the Gorge at mile-marker 73, just east of the very cool city of Hood River (simply awesome little spot). As well as scoring a superb waterfront RV site, we’ve been in the purrrfect spot to pack in the sightseeing, and so we have….well, “to beat the rain” of course. It’s going to take a couple of blog posts to cover it all, but I’ll start you with just a taste:

1/ Wildflowers Galore

MINE, all MINE!!

This time of the year the hills east of Hood River are simply bursting with wildflowers, and if you’re into this kind of scenery (who isn’t?) you can explore several popular and some not-so-popular trails that will highlight the best of the best. On OR side the area around McCall point is a rather famous spot, but not dog friendly (pooh!), while on WA side there’s Dog Mountain which is hard-core & utterly gorgeous, but very popular. We decided to go completely off-the-beaten-path and hike an obscure trail in the Memaloose Hills*. A bit of bushwhacking required, but almost guaranteed to be perfectly alone even on the week-end…perfect! We strolled an awesome 3-mile loop simply bursting with color with nothing but the tweeting of birds to keep us company. No matter what you choose if you happen to be in the area this time of year, don’t miss the show!

*To get to Memaloose Hills take exit 69 on I-84 to Mosier. Go through town and drive 3 miles to the signed “Memaloose Overlook” parking area. You’ll see an unmarked trail going into the wildflowers opposite the overlook. FREE! Explore and enjoy!

2/ Mt.Hood & Lost Lake

A perfect reflection on a perfect day at Lost Lake

The Mt.Hood Scenic Drive

The area south of Hood River is dominated by the imposing and gorgeous Mt.Hood (well, whenever you can see it anyway). From exit 64 you can take Hwy 35 south to Hwy 26 in a huge 105-mile loop back to Portland as part of the Mt.Hood Scenic Byway. It’s reputed to be an ultra-cool drive but, being us, we were looking for something more remote. That’s when I noticed a spot called Lost Lake on the map….perfect! We tested the weather with our thumbs (yes, rain expected), loaded up doggie and made the 40-minute twisty, turny drive to the lake. WOW! We were greeted by a mirror of reflections. A perfectly flat, perfectly gorgeous deep blue framed by a clear-sky image of blazing white Mt.Hood. The easy 3-mile stroll around the lake mixed deep forest with babbling brooks and spots for Polly to swim in the water. Oh, and no-one was there. Probably the rain, you know…

*To get to Lost Lake take exit 64 at Hood River and make your way to Dee Hwy (231). Drive south until you hit Lost Lake Road, then follow the signs to the lake. $7 day-use fee.

3/ Fruit Loop & Margaritas

Fruity margaritas!!

As part of our trip to Mt.Hood we drove a good portion of the Fruit Loop. This awesome 35-mile drive takes you past 30 local fruit and wine stops. Yes, believe it or not the area around Hood River is a huge wine & fruit-growing region and if you’re in the area you just can’t miss this! Many of the orchards have U-pick during season too. We’re about 2 weeks early for the stalls, plus most of the stops don’t allow dogs (a select few such as Mt View Orchards and Wy’East do) but we enjoyed the view of brilliant orchards and snagged a stop at Hood River Taqueria on the way. It’s a pooch-friendly Mexican restaurant with large outdoor patio seating that serves ultra-fresh fare and head-sized fruity margaritas. I say that counts as a fruity stop, right?

The Fruit Loop

*To get to the Fruit Loop take exit 64 at Hood River and follow the Fruit Loop Map
(you can download it or pick up a copy at the Hood River Visitor
Center).

That’s about all I can handle in one post so you’re just gonna have to wait in tense anticipation for the next installment. In the meantime we’ll be lounging in our waterfront spot, doing a few more hikes and maybe even hitting some Hood River hangouts.

Unless we get rained-out, of course

Migrating To the “Garden Of The World” -> Memaloose State Park, OR

Our new backyard at Memaloose State Park, OR

Believe it or not we’ve made it all the way to the Columbia River Gorge, the very tip of northern Oregon, and the banks of the massive estuary that divides Oregon from Washington. During our trip north we’ve followed I-84 and the footsteps of emigrants who bravely forged their way west along this very trail in the mid-1800′s. Pretty cool stuff!

The 1843 Oregon Trail Map

For those not in the know, the ~2,000-mile (3,200 km) Oregon trail was a historic migration trail that started in Missouri and led west to the “Garden Of the World” (or so it was rumored). The first big migration happened in 1843 and by 1869 over 400,000 settlers, ranchers, farmers, miners and their families had made the trip, most of them walking all the way next to their oxen-driven carts. Now, that’s what I call a hike! This year we picked up our first taste of the trail at Three Island Crossing State Park, ID and have followed it ever since (one day I’d love to follow the whole thing).

It’s a tad easier to drive the thing in an RV, I tell ‘ya

The East end of the Columbia River Gorge

And getting towards the middle…prettier and prettier

Our tire delay in Boise put us few days behind schedule. Originally I’d planned several additional stops on I-84, including some boondocking at John Day Dam (a fabulous boondocking spot, by the way), but we decided to shorten our stops and get to the middle of the Gorge as soon as we could so we could stay on-track for our June bookings on the coast. We did a quick lay-over in Emigrant Springs State Park (review coming) and then hightailed it up the road to Memaloose State Park where we are currently nestled in an awesome waterfront site. The forecast calls for a mixed bag of grey, rain & sunny weather over the next few days (pretty typical for this time of year), but we can watch the boats on the river from our window when it drizzles and lounge on the lawn with our cocktails when the sun comes out. Not too shabby!

I’ll be getting more of this ALL summer!

And you know what…we’re in OREGON!! Can’t tell you how darn excited we are to be back here. It’s actually funny to recollect that Oregon was never one of the states we planned on visiting in the RV when we started this fulltime journey. Can’t exactly say why, but it just didn’t make “the list”. The only reason we ended up here was because of our slide troubles in 2011 which started a mad 1,000 mile dash to Eugene. In a way, it was the start of our own migration to the “Garden of  The World” and the whole state turned out to be a totally unexpected, totally wonderful surprise that’s kept us coming back ever since.  With the heat creeping up down south and fire-season starting elsewhere, we’re gonna be looking forward to yet another cool, relaxing summer in wonderful Oregon. Let the adventures begin….

Gorgeous spring buds

And pine…wonderful pine!

Three Ways To Lose…Yourself, Your Pants, And Your Woman!

Didn’t expect to see this in today’s blog, I bet

We’ve been having quite the exciting and social week here at Diamond Lake. A couple of days ago our buddies Lu & Terry from Paint Your Landscape arrived, squeezed in their huge rig (we now have 3 “beastly” rigs all cozily camped at this “officially” 35-foot max park), and joined us in exploring this lovely area. Besides hanging and biking from the campground, and exploring Crater Lake there are actually tons of other activities to do around here and you can “lose” yourself (both figuratively, apparel-wise and physically) in quite a few ways. Here’s just a spattering of adventures we’ve had these past few days:

1/ Waterfalls, Waterfalls (Lose Yourself In The Wonder)

The lovely Toketee Falls

It turns our our current spot is a waterfall wonderland and you can see 4 of Oregon’s best waterfalls within ~20 miles of Diamond Lake on the very scenic Hwy 138. Toketee Falls, apparently the most famous of the lot, is gorgeously framed by long basalt columns and is just a short hike from the parking lot on Forest Service Road 34. Should the viewing spark the mood for more you can then go and explore Watson Falls, Whitehorse Falls and Clearwater Falls on your way home and lose yourself in the wonder of it all at every stop.

2/ Hot Pools (Lose Your Pants)

If you’re the type who likes a natural breeze in the nether-regions, open view (in every sense) and hot pools, then head on over to Umpqua River Hot Springs, just a few miles past Toketee Falls from #1. These natural hot springs overlook the river and are very popular with the local crowd. If you’re hiking the Umpqua River Trail (see #3) you’ll actually hit them just about 3.5 miles east of Toketee lake. They are also, in case you didn’t get the hint, clothing optional…or rather clothing-very-unlikely since most of the hot-tubbers definitely prefer dipping au naturel. Sorry, no photos folks, so you’ll just have to leave it to your imagination….

3/ Hiking (Don’t Lose Your Woman!)

Just in case the 90 miles of hiking in Crater Lake aren’t enough for you, you can indulge yourself in an additional 100+ miles or so right around Diamond Lake.

Lunch stop on the Umpqua River Trail

For a river-walk pick up any side of the lovely Umpqua River Trail which stretches almost 80 miles along…you guessed it….the Umpqua River. Everything you’d want in a pretty river trail complete with bridges, fern-lined paths, hot pools (see #2) and scenic picnic spots.

View of the “ridge crossing” from the top of Mt Bailey

Ellen enjoys the view from Mt Bailey…right before the boys “ditched us”

For the more adventurous lot, attack the 10.6 mile round-trip to ~8,400 foot Mount Bailey directly from Diamond Lake. It’s a spectacular hike with 360-degree views and a heart-racing open ridge-crossing sided by 1,500 foot drops right before the last summit stretch (I made it right up to that point). As a public service to all menkind however, I recommend keeping track of your woman. Alex and Paul he-manned up the mountain, managing to totally lose Ellen and I on the way down, and even going so far as to drive off and leave us wondering in the woods. As you can imagine the girls were not amused, and yours truly rattled off a string of $$##!! curses worthy of a drunken sailor on their eventual return. Thankfully I’m a hard lass to get rid of, but I still don’t recommend the attempt. Lads…you have been forewarned….

Deep mountain views from the Mt Bailey trail

And Finally….Lounging (Bring A Glass)

The happy RVers enjoy an afternoon glass

What better way to end the day than a glass and good company around your campsite? Despite the sites here being a bit of squeeze for our size the campground boasts some enormous sitting areas, easily able to entertain a rabble of at least 50 RVers. During the day we spread out with the animals, hang a little yoga, lounge with a book, and in the evening our little group of 6 has been enjoying some relaxing get-togethers. We may have lost several things this week, but we always find each other at the end of the day

P.S. All the above activities and hikes are paw-friendly, with the bonus that doggie fits right in (as-is) for dipping in-the-free

Paul and Taggart do some yoga in camp

Ferns on the river trail

Another trail view from Mt Bailey

Flowers at the hill-top

Into The Deep Blue – Crater Lake, OR

Welcome to the deep blue! Ellen soaks in the panorama at Watchman Tower

If you’re a geek like me you’ll remember the iconic IBM machine Deep Blue that beat the world champion of chess in 1997. It was a deep moment (geekwise) and for some reason that very image popped into my mind the first time I viewed Crater Lake. What I was seeing was almost inconceivable -> an all-encompassing panorama of the most unnatural rich shade of blue. It almost seemed staged, man-made and yet it’s 100% mother earth and inevitably a deeply moving moment. How do you wrap your head around something like that? And even more how do you write about it?

A rare shot of moi, thanks to Ellen

Crater Lake is unique and sometimes spots like these are the hardest blog posts to write, for the very reason that they’ve been written about millions of times over. Nothing I can tell you has not already been said, and everything I tell you will be moot until you come here for yourself. Alex, Ellen and the two of us spent an afternoon soaking in the atmosphere and my impressions came in waves, reflecting, echoing and multiplying off the oh-so-glassy surface and rocky sides of the lake. My thoughts built to a crescendo so perhaps that’s the best way to describe them. In any case, here goes my feeble attempt to capture the gloriousness of it all:

Crater Lake is Oh-So Deep

Oh, come ye to the deep….

The lake, or rather caldera that is Crater Lake reaches down 1,932 feet (589 m). It is the deepest lake in the US and the 6th deepest in the world. The water is so clear that you can almost imagine reaching the bottom and yet it goes on beyond what you can possibly imagine. There are folks who scuba dive here, which must surely be a fabulously surreal experience (= the natural version of a sensory deprivation immersion chamber?).

Crater Lake is Oh-So-Blue

Late afternoon is oh-so-blue

You can’t help but wonder at the blueness of it all. Deep as the ocean, bright as the sky, varied as a summer day. The intense richness of the color is direct thanks to the depth and clarity of the waters. Of all the colors of the rainbow violet and blue are the shortest wavelengths, and being so very deep Crater Lake absorbs the rest and reflects back a rich blend of the two. The blueness moves with the time of day ranging from a light fluffiness to a deep baritone, reflecting the sky in almost perfect symmetry. At the shallow edges of the lake the color shifts to aqua and even shades of orange. Quite the panorama.

Crater Lake is Oh-So-Steep

Last portion of the lovely hike to Watchman Tower

You can’t go wrong with ANY of the hikes on the rim

This unearthly depression with unthinkably steep sides is actually a massive caldera the remanent of an enormous volcanic explosion 7,700 years ago. Mount Mazama grew, blew and collapsed creating the base for this enduring lake. The rim drive that circles the crater (33 miles) stops at multiple scenic views and affords over 90 miles of hikes up steep and panoramic paths (For a short, easy hike do the stunning 1.6 mile roundtrip to Watchman Tower, for a longer and steeper one indulge in the 3.4 mile Garfield Peak). The steepness and vastness of the view will draw you into another world.

Crater Lake is Oh-So Crazy

You can lounge and sip at the Rim Village Lodge with a view

This little slice of nature’s story sits at ~6,200 feet of elevation and enjoys all the craziness of mother nature’s whims. In winter it lies dormant in deep snow (~533 inches per year!), vast and seemingly dead, although rarely freezing due to its depth (the last recorded freeze was 1949). The park is hard to access during this time, but is free with rangers offering free winter snowshoe hikes too. In summer it resists the sun for many, many months finally coming out of hibernation for a short few late summer days for full access. Summertime the whole lake opens up and offers boat rides to the central island too (we just missed the season for these).

Crater Lake is Oh-So Incredible

It’s quite a unique kinda place

All the facts about this spot make it interesting, but cannot possibly describe the scene. Whether you’re stopping at a viewpoint, or hiking a trail or perhaps even sipping a long drink at the lodge the lake absorbs you completely. Deep blue drawing you in and keeping you captive in a game of mother nature’s chess. No, I couldn’t possibly describe what it’s like. It’s a moment, it’s a thought, it’s a spot unlike any other….and you’ll just have to come here to soak it in yourself!

P.S. Sadly no dogs are allowed on the trails at Crater Lake. You can bring pooch on roads, parking lots and picnic areas but not on your hike. Polly stayed home for our outing.

Another great view from the rim

And yet another….

Our New Blue Back Yard (And a Little Doggie Drama) – Diamond Lake, OR

Our new blue back yard

We’ve landed in our new back yard and I’ve gotta admit it ain’t bad. We left Eugene on Thursday and drove a pretty ~140 miles on 2-lane highway into the “dry side” of Oregon welcoming deep pine, dusty trails and volcanic mountains. Our destination was Diamond Lake, a lovely 3,000 acre blue oasis at ~5,000 ft just next to Crater Lake in south-central Oregon. Lots of blue, lots of space and relaxing camping….oh yeah, not bad at all.

Paul and Alex pose for a nice silhouette on the lake bike trail at Diamond Lake

This little adventure comes with cohorts too. By pre-arranged plan our good pals Alex and Ellen (our caravan buddies from last year) joined us on the drive and are staying the week here with us. Not only does this mean lots of fun communal hiking and biking, but also allows plenty of late-night chin wags and unlimited guiltless exchange of rum and cokes.

Alex just recently got a sweeeeet 1000 watts of solar installed on his rig too, so we get to drool over the panels and gawk at his stupendous amp generation (Paul already has watt-envy).

Panoramic view of Diamond Lake and Mount Thielsen from the Mount Bailey trail

Now obviously we’re here to see Crater Lake and that story will come, but for the last few days we’ve been lazing around and enjoying our own blue right here at the campground. Diamond Lake is flanked by two volcanic beauties, ~8,400 foot Mount Bailey to the west and the dangerous-looking ~9,200 foot Mount Thielsen to the east. There’s a paved and scenic 11-mile bike ride around the lake, a small lodge, masses of hiking trails (including to both mountains), several forest service campgrounds and 5 boat ramps. You won’t come here for shopping or food, but it’s a great spot to enjoy endless trails, deep pine, sweeping views and secluded creeks. Oh, and some not-to-shabby sunsets too.

Our first afternoon dip in the lake…made for a pretty pic, but not recommended

Our idyllic stay has only been (temporarily) interrupted by a little doggie-drama. We’re staying at the national forest campground which would actually be the perfect spot if not for the bummer of toxic algae bloom in the water. This was a minor point that we totally failed to notice on our first day here.

Polly is hopping again

So we arrived at our site, dashed out for a refreshing afternoon swim and were duly rewarded with yesterday’s pooch dinner re-delivered in its’ full glory into the RV today. Polly is fine (thanks to her quick thinking in getting it all out), but sadly no more dips in the lake for her. Thankfully there are many other doggie-treats in the area including unlimited trails, oceans of chipmunks (natural doggie TV!) and bouncing fresh fresh mountain air.

And that, folks, is pretty much exactly what we’ve been doing. Soaking up nature, enjoying our RV buddies and hangin’ in the kind of back yard that RVing is all about…not too shabby at all!

A lovely afternoon at the lake

Pretty evening through the pine

Paul and Alex pose by Silent Creek

Just another great lake view from the round-the-lake bike trail

View of the striking Mt Thielsen

“The pack” on the hike up Mount Bailey