Reflecting Back on 2012

This year is quickly coming to an end and what a whirlwind of a year it has been for us!  We were blessed with a myriad of new adventures, visits with family and friends, and had a few setbacks along the way, just to keep things real.  Our year has been chock-full of travel (just what we nomads need to feed our souls) and our landscape has been painted in broad brushstrokes of colors and textures, by way of deserts, mountains, a nice mix of big cities and cool little towns and jaw-droppingly gorgeous coastline.  Biking, hiking, kayaking and long strolls on the beach have filled our days and allowed spirits to take flight.

Our wandering took us through the western part of the US, where we feel the most fulfilled and the flames of our passions were brightly fanned.  A medical concern for Terry early in the year diverted us away from plans to re-visit Yellowstone National Park but we were able to hike through several other national parks in lieu of the granddaddy of them all.  A trip back to the midwest to visit family rounded out the mix for us, making for a most rewarding year.

We began our year in Arizona, where we spent many of our working years, then continued on to Southern California, camphosting at San Elijo State Beach for several months, into Northern California, then lazily making our way up the Oregon coast, which was beyond breathtaking.  We crossed over into the state of Washington to take a peek at Mount St. Helens, and on the way back down south spent a few days in Nevada.  As we continued south we drove highway 395 in California (amazing), stopping to revel in the beauty of the Eastern Sierras, searching for ghost towns and Methuselah.  We met up with friends who introduced us to boondocking and when the fiery reds and golden glow of fall moved into the pronounced chill of winter, we came full-circle and returned to San Elijo State Beach, where we will stay until the end of January.  It was so good to hook up with friends we had previously met on the road and wonderful to meet a few new folks.

I’ve had my camera by my side almost every step of the way so I thought I would provide a glimpse of some of the beauty we have seen along the way.  If you have never been, hopefully you will be inspired to check out the breathtaking vistas of the Wild West.  Enjoy!

Breathtaking So Cal sunset

Tidepool starfish ~ So Cal

Giant sequoia ~ Kings Canyon NP, CA

Stunning red rocks ~ Sedona, AZ

Kayaking Sahuaro Lake ~ Mesa, AZ

Santa Catalina Mtn hike ~ Tucson, AZ

Bell tower ~ San Juan Capistrano Mission, CA

Desert sculpture ~ Anza Borrego State Park, CA

Rattlesnake ~ Sequoia NP, CA

Stunning vista ~ Yosemite NP, CA

Golden Gate Bridge ~ San Francisco, CA

Fern Canyon ~ Redwoods NP, CA

Toby’s Market ~ Pt. Reyes Station, CA

Bandon beach ~ OR coast

Mosby Creek covered bridge ~ OR

Art Deco bridge ~ Florence, OR

Cape Foulweather ~ OR coast

Mount St Helens ~ WA

Washoe Lake SP ~ NV

Virginia Lakes hike ~ Eastern Sierras, CA

Petroglyphs ~ Eastern Sierras, CA

Ghost town church ~ Bodie, CA

Wipeout ~ Swami Beach, Encinitas, CA

Brown pelicans over San Elijo beach ~ So Cal

Cape Blanco lighthouse ~ OR coast

Crater Lake NP, OR

Trinidad Bay harbor seals ~ CA coast

Mono Lake Tufa Towers ~ CA

Mobius Arch ~ Alabama Hills, CA

Ancient Bristlecone Forest ~ White Mtns, CA

Rugged OR coastline

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Sparkling Sapphire Gem ~ Crater Lake National Park

Phantom Rock moored in Crater Lake

After a week at our “service bay” home, we were on the road once again to continue our exploration of Oregon.  Thankfully before leaving Junction City we were able to enjoy an evening with friends John and Janie.  We are heading inland for a time, with our first stop being Crater Lake National Park, where we met up with friends Paul and Nina and their RV buddies Alex and Ellen, a delightful couple.  This is one of the true beauties of the RV lifestyle, slow-paced, with opportunities to meet new folks and reconnect with others.

Golden meadows and Mt. Thielsen from bike path

We have settled in the Umpqua National Forest, Diamond Lake Campground and are having one of our first experiences with “boondocking”, goin’ naked, no hookups.  We’re not nearly as well equipped as our friends, who both have solar panels on their rigs, Paul and Nina sporting 600 watts and Alex and Ellen a whopping 1000 watts.  Paul jokes of suffering from “watt envy” when Alex speaks of his solar power (lol).

Besides a visit to Crater Lake NP, which is a definite must, there is much to do here.  An 11-mile paved bike path encircles Diamond Lake, providing fantastic views of the lake, the meadows, and dramatic Mt. Thielsen with her horn-shaped peak.  Although we have not done, kayaking would be a great way to explore the lake itself.

Me – first views of Crater lake

Terry overlooking Diamond Lake and Mt. Thielsen, from Mt. Bailey trail

Cleetwood Cove on Crater Lake

The six of us, plus pooch Polly, set out to tackle Mt. Bailey, a strenuous 10-miler to the peak.  Mt. Bailey often gets overlooked standing so close to Mt. Thielsen, but she deserved some love too, all 8368 feet of her.

Although we did not summit, 7 miles for me was not bad, and the views were spectacular.  I am discovering that months lived at sea level have taken their toll on my hiking at 7000 feet.

Pumice Castle

Fire season has come to Oregon, along with many other western states so our first views of Crater Lake were rather hazy, with smoke collecting in the caldera.  We went back on a clearer day and hiked up to Watchman Tower for some better photos.

While a detailed post of Crater Lake National Park is definitely warranted, I will let one who has written before me speak more on her virtues instead.  Our friend Nina has written an excellent piece, which you should check out here.

I will leave you with my initial thoughts as I stood looking down into this magnificent deep blue lake for the first time.

Crater Lake

Long before your birth

a violent volcano stood.

So angry her nature

a catastrophic eruption occurred.

~

When dust and ash settled

You emerged in her wake.

A timeless vision of pure beauty

Sun, snow or rain.

~

Your penetrating sapphire depths

the most intriguing of all.

A refreshing drink of your waters

an elixir for the gods.

~

Ancient winds whisper your secrets

‘tho you hold some in reserve.

Beckoning us closer

with your hypnotic allure.

                 © LuAnn Oburn 2012

The formation of Crater Lake began roughly 7700 years ago, after the cataclysmic eruption of 12,000-foot Mt. Mazama, perhaps the most massive volcanic explosion in the past 640,000 years.  This breathtaking lake and its deep sapphire color is the cleanest body of water in the world, cleaner than over 80% of all water flowing from our taps, I have read.  With depths reaching 1943 feet and widths ranging from 4.5 to 6 miles, she is an impressive sight, not to be missed.

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Kiss of Two States ~ Oregon and Washington Coasts

Power of the Pacific

We’ve had one big love affair with Oregon but time only for a brief kiss, a gentle embrace, if you will, with Washington.  We have enjoyed this first encounter so we will be back for more.  Our days here are drawing to an end so I thought one last time I would pay tribute to this wild, rugged land, mentioning just a few of the great activities and sights we found along the way.

On the Oregon side:

Saddle Mountain Summit

Saddle Mountain State Natural Area

Located 20 miles east and north of the little coastal town of Seaside, the hike up Saddle Mountain is a mere 2.5 miles (5 miles round), but not quite a ‘walk in the park’.  The 1650-foot elevation gain gives you a hint of what’s to come and the last 0.5 miles is fairly steep, with wire fencing stretched and staked over the trail to allow some grip (good shoes required).

Me on summit of Saddle Mountain

But if you persevere, the views at the summit are so worth it!  We could spot Mounts Ranier, St. Helens, Hood, and Adams all peeking through the haze.

Cannon Beach

This lovely coastal town 25 miles south of Astoria carries the longstanding honor of “one of the 100 best art towns in America”.  It seems that many get her appeal, with over 750,000 visiting annually.  This was one of the most pristine beaches we had set foot on during our time in Oregon, dog and horse-friendly to boot!

Cannon Beach with Haystack Rock in background

Sitting just off-shore is Haystack Rock, a chunk of basalt towering 235 feet, one of the largest and most photographed “sea stacks” on the Pacific Coast of North America.

Fort Stevens State Park

Spanning 84 years, from the Civil War through World War II, Fort Stevens served as the primary military installation at the mouth of the Columbia River.  Today it is one of the largest state parks in the country, a sprawling 4200 acres of history and recreational offerings, including 9 miles of biking and hiking trails. With the booming of cannons, a Civil War re-enactment took place over the Labor Day weekend.

Peter Iredale Wreckage

Hop on the bike trail system and head to the beach for a view of the century-old Peter Iredale shipwreck, fog swirling around her skeleton.  Ride a  few miles further and you arrive at the South Jetty, with a nice viewing platform to watch ships (on clear days) as they enter and leave the Columbia River.

Terry, looking out over the South Jetty

Fort Clatsop National Memorial

Tour a replica of the 1805-06 winter encampment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition; take a stroll along the Netul River Trail; or drop a kayak into the river here.

Astoria Brewery Company

With three breweries in Astoria, we decided to check out the one on the riverfront with the funky name of The Wet Dog Café.  Both the Poop Deck Porter and Old Red Beard Ale were quite tasty.

Astoria Sunday Market

Four full blocks lined with booths full of colorful produce, along with some impressive-looking crafts – enough said!

Now for some Washington sightings:

Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center overlooking the River Bar

Cape Disappointment State Park

Cape Disappointment was named by English Captain John Meares, who, in search of the Columbia River back in 1788, missed the mouth of the river bar and named the nearby headland for his failure.  Four years later American Captain Robert Gray crossed the bar and named the river.

Striking views of the Pacific Ocean, Columbia River, not one but two lighthouses (Cape Disappointment and North Head), and The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center await your exploration – lots to see and do here.

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse is one of the oldest functioning lighthouses on the West Coast, dating back to 1856, guiding mariners in from the south.  The North Head Lighthouse was constructed in 1898 when it was determined that vessels coming from the north were challenged to see Cape Disappointment Lighthouse.  Sadly both are in dire need of restoration.

If you are a history buff, The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is a must-see, in our humble opinion.  Perched on a 200-foot cliff looking out over the Columbia River, Pacific Ocean and the North and South Jetties, it tells the story of Lewis and Clark’s daring expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean.  Dismal Nitch was the name given by their party to the small cove they were trapped in for six days while they waited out a horrendous pounding given them by Mother Nature.  Imagine being huddled together in the elements, miserably cold and wet for six days.  I’ll take a pass, thank you very much!

Mount St. Helens on a breezy, ash-filled day

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

We were so thankful that the sun peeked out and we were able to see this amazing volcano and so grateful to the informative Park Ranger who gave us details we had never read.  Take the time to stop at the informative Visitor Centers where you can spend hours scouring literature and photos of Mount St. Helens’  tragic eruptions, particularly the historic explosion that occurred on May 18, 1980 that transformed lives and landscapes forever.

The vertical blast of ash and molten rock that occurred on that fateful day rose thousands of feet into the sky but it was the lateral explosion that was of historic proportions, blowing down forests as far away as 150 miles and killing 57 people, some of whom were volcano watchers, giving moment-by-moment descriptions back to a central command post of what was occurring on the mountain.  Spirit Lake, nestled on the north side of Mount St. Helens, was obliterated by the debris brought on by this eruption.  One of its residents, 83-year old Harry Truman, refused to leave his lodge and home of over 50 years when the evacuation order was given and was buried under the rubble.

Mount St Helens, compliments of Wikipedia

For months prior to this momentous day, swarms of earthquakes (several hundred a day) were being recorded and a bulge on the northwest side of the mountain was growing 5-10 feet daily, an ominous message of what was to come.  When she blew, she created new lakes and her once stately snow-capped peak towering ~9600 feet was reduced by almost 1300 feet.

We have seen some thrilling sights and learned some amazing stories along this coastline that joins two beautiful states.  Here’s to those hearty souls who live on the Oregon and Washington coast, to those who love their weather, the kind that gets into your bones, not just caresses your skin.  We have loved it too and we will return.  But for now, it’s time to head inland for a bit.

Autumn’s calling card on the bank of the Netul River

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101 Things To Do ~ Humboldt County, CA

Until we read the publication “101 Things To Do – Humboldt” we thought this was to be the more relaxed, laid-back leg of our journey.  Alas, it was not to be.  Since we only have two weeks we decided to make a list of some of the things that peeked our interest.  There were many items on the list, as you might guess (too many in fact), including the Humboldt Roller Derby.  Something about athletic, sweaty women getting physical with one another, and some in fishnet stockings to boot, is intriguing right?  Well, maybe not for all of us, but I had to admit, stepping out and doing something a bit different had a certain appeal.  Unfortunately, their once-monthly schedule had passed us by so we scratched this off our list.  Sorry, I know some of you are disappointed that you won’t be seeing a post on this subject!  It’s back to more mundane hiking, biking, kayaking, and sightseeing ways for us.

Wild lily

Interesting fungi on fallen log

Besides Redwood National Park, there are many interesting state parks in Humboldt County.

Shoreline view from Wedding Rock

Patrick’s Point State Park was our first stop as it is just down the road from where we are staying at Sounds of the Sea RV Park.  A quick 1/2 mile walk and we are there, meandering through dense forest of coast redwood, spruce, fir, and red alder, on our way to the Rim Trail.  This stunning 4-mile path winds along the bluffs, providing views of sea stacks, barking sea lions lazing on the rocks below, crashing surf, and craggy cliffs.  At the north end of this trail is Agate Beach, which unfortunately can’t be accessed from here right now due to a rock slide.  If you are a tent camper, many of the sites in this park look amazing.

Terry looking out over the Pacific from Wedding Rock

Me atop Wedding Rock

Redwood National and State Parks is a bit unusual because, as the name implies, there are three state parks (Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith, and Prairie Creek Redwood State Parks) within the national park.  This unique concept, bringing the National Park Service and California Department of Parks and Recreation together for the protection of the forests and watersheds, came about in the 1920′s due to the efforts by the Save-the-Redwoods League.

Non Nobis Solum ~ Not For Us Alone

Their work formed the creation of the three state parks and in 1968 Redwood National Park was established after ~90% of the remaining coast redwood had been logged.  These four parks, with a combined total of 133,000 acres, are now a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve, setting aside these forests for everyone’s enjoyment.  Today roughly 45% of the remaining old-growth redwood are here (the tallest of the tall), some living to be 2000 years old and over 360 feet tall.  Walk among these giants and you will be humbled by just how small we truly are!

Terry walking among the giants

Fern Canyon

Arrive early to Redwood National Park if you want to see the famous Fern Canyon, location chosen by Steven Spielberg for the filming of Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World.  There wasn’t another soul around when we arrived at 9:00 am but the crowds were out in force when we returned from our hike.  This is a must-see and with just a short 0.3 mile walk you are immersed in a “hauntingly beautiful” narrow canyon, walls lushly covered by many types of ferns and mosses, dripping with moisture.

Fog swirling through the forest

After spending some time here completely in awe of its beauty, we hopped on the trail to begin our 7.5 mile adventure into the redwood.  A quick side note: do spend time in the visitor centers here.  The rangers are a wealth of knowledge, particularly about hikes available.  This particular hike quickly put us into a world that reminded us of our time spent in Costa Rica.  We felt like we were enveloped in a tropical rain forest and as we penetrated her depths, the fog swirling around us at times, the only sounds to be heard were the occasional squawking of a stellar jay and the droplets of moisture hitting the ferns covering the forest floor.  The canopy overhead was so thick that sunlight had difficulty finding its way in.

Fallen log teeming with life

Even the fungi are super-sized here!

We saw only two other hikers during our entire time in the forest, which is how we like it!  This was rated as a moderate hike, but honestly, it was easier than that.  We made a loop out of the Fern Canyon, Friendship Ridge, and West Ridge Trails and could not have asked for anything more spectacular!

View from section of Coastal Trail

The various shades of green (my favorite color) could not be believed and I’m sure I did not do justice to them with my camera.

Lichen on fire-charred tree

Just missed stepping on this little guy!

Surprise, a beautiful waterfall tucked into the forest sounded its arrival as we approached one of the final bends in the trail!

Surprise waterfall

On our drive out of the park we were treated to a herd of Roosevelt elk, largest of the elk in North America, mainly residing in the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest.  It seemed unusual to see elk in this environment, overlooking the Pacific, as we are accustomed to spotting them in the wilds of Yellowstone National Park.

Roosevelt elk

If you find yourself in Humboldt County, home to the tallest trees and 100 miles of “achingly beautiful California coastline”, you will find so many things to do, 101 Things To Do, as we have read.

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Day Trippin’ on Two Wheels ~ Yosemite National Park (Part 3)

View of the meadow as we pedaled along Tenaya Creek

One last journey into Yosemite before we push further north so we thought we would day trip it on two wheels, as in bike around Yosemite Valley.  The weather was perfect, temperature ~75°, blue skies, and no haze, probably due to the nice breeze blowing through the valley.  As Terry pulled our bikes from the truck I felt like a kid.  It may have had something to do with Terry saying, “I  don’t think I will wear my helmet but you probably should”.  He knows me well and I’m not complaining, mind you, as I have not done much biking in the past 20 years and not sure why, because I was an avid biker before that (mental note to change that).

Although there’s lots of traffic in Yosemite Valley (almost all visitors hang out here), there are still plenty of bike paths and roads less traveled for 2-wheeling adventures.  Being on a bike in a place like Yosemite reminded me of what riding a motorcycle used to feel like in the higher country, no roof over your head to obstruct your views.  After taking the circuit to get different perspectives of Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Falls and Half Dome, we opted to head to Mirror Lake, taking the road less traveled.

Terry enjoying the picture perfect day!

Mirror Lake is a small seasonal lake on Tenaya Creek.  It is a stretch to call it a lake, more like a big pool.  What it is is the last dregs of a large glacial lake that once consumed most of Yosemite Valley and today is on the verge of becoming extinct.  You don’t come here for the lake, although many do for the swimming, as it is the biggest swimming hole in the park.  What you do get, however, are some stunning views of the mountains above reflected down into the waters, most notably Mt. Watkins sitting at 8500 feet.  We had to admit that these were some of the best views we had seen in Yosemite so far, and we had seen some beauties!

Mirror Lake with Mt. Watkins reflected in her waters

While checking out the great views, I stumbled upon a little cache of stacked rocks.  It looked mystical to me, with the sun warming them and the mountains looming overhead.  I learned that those visiting the area will add a few to the collection if the mood strikes and will continue to do this throughout the season. The snows begin to fly and the rocks come tumbling down, and the process begins anew when the warmer weather moves in.  These cairns, or what looked like a small temple of hoodoos, was a great little treasure to find along the way.

Stacked rock formations at Mirror Lake

After living in Yellowstone for a couple of years, hiking puts you on high alert for some predatory animals, like grizzly, bison, moose, elk with their young,  etc. You don’t find that here but what we did see on this hike was rather unusual – a squirrel minus a tail!

That’s right, lost my tail in a fight. You shoulda seen the other guy!

Laugh all you will! I’m outta here!

The last part of our trip on two wheels took us back to Yosemite Village and to the Ansel Adams Gallery.  It was a great way to spend a little time and there are some stunning pieces of his work, as well as those of other artists.

Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Village

As we headed back out of the park, we both agreed that our trip would not feel complete unless we saw climbers on El Capitan.  We proceeded to pull over, got out the binoculars, and what did we see but four climbers inching their way up the smooth granite face.  SCORE – a perfect ending to a glorious day!

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