LAVA BED GHOSTS

Have you ever been haunted?  I mean REALLY haunted?  While driving through the lava beds up on the McKenzie Pass last summer I encountered a true haunting. But I am getting ahead of myself.  My goal on that particular trip focused on the Dee Wright Observatory up on Hwy 242.  Coming from the Hwy 126 on the west side of the Cascade Range I turned off onto Hwy 242, the McKenzie Pass road.  My plan involved going over the McKenzie Pass to the observatory and into Sisters.

This 60 mile stretch of Hwy 242 is limited to short vehicles with no "tow behinds".  The road, being shared with bikers, hikers, and various other folks out for a taste of wilderness requires caution on the part of vehicle drivers.  Driving more than 10 MPH at any given place will put you upside a tree or over a bank.  The curves were so pinched I swear I could read my van's rear bumper stickers going around some of those hairpin turns.

But a more lovely drive would be hard to find. Especially on a warm day with the windows rolled down to let in that clean wilderness filtered air.  Each 1000 mile elevation point was marked as I continued up the Cascade ridge to top out at 5,300 feet.  Once on top, the view of extinct (one hopes) volcanoes, snow capped Cascade peaks and miles upon miles of lava will take your breath away.

The road straightens out for smooth sailing to about 25 MPH on top.  I was "tripping" along when the "haunting" happened.  There they were, two ghostly figures gesturing at me.  "Where's my head?" one moaned, while the other displayed shrugged shoulders and upturned palms.  I could hear her say, "How should I know?" Well, I was a quarter mile down the road, still stunned and wondering how I could get turned around and go back for a pix.  I did finally find a spot to make that turn, all the while hoping they would still be there.  Huh?  Where did I think they would go?  As I said, haunting...Well see for yourself...

For those of you who would like to receive notification of each post, you may subscribe to my blog by clicking on "comments", then enter your email address for subscription, also at the top right of the page there is a handy subscription form.  What happens then is that each time I post, you will receive an email notifying you so you won't miss a thing.  Kind of like taking a trip without leaving the farm.  Also, I appreciate all comments. And, really, who would want to miss this ghostly pair?

PACIFIC MERMAID WITH DIAMONDS

Those of us who live near the western edge of the continent are familiar with the way the sun rides low in the December sky.  While walking on the Pacific Ocean beach late in the day last week Mother Sun cast her light beams filling the surf foam with diamonds reminiscent of a jewelry store counter at Christmas.

The diamond studded foam, pushed by the incoming tide, formed a profile of a woman.  Since the sun was shining right into my eyes and camera lens, catching a shot of that sight was iffy at best.  But, I aimed and clicked away.

What I got turned out to be, indeed, the sparkly profile I was aiming for.  But what else appeared stunned me.  The sparkling effervescent mermaid in the receding surf glowed as she walked toward me with arms outstretched, hair flowing in the ripples.  Well, that will not likely happen again!

See for yourself!

Metolius River's Windex Blue

How many of you have visited the Metolius River in Central Oregon?  It is one of those memorable gems that bubble up out of the ground and runs along a bed of volcanic rock thereby leaving the water  crystal clear. The banks are filled with grasses and wild flowers running through pine forests and mountain meadows.  "Fly Fishing Only" signs are posted all along the paths that line both sides of the river. While hiking the river paths, one can see deer, a multitude of birds, butterflies galore and other folks out enjoying the beauty.

A few miles from it's source, the river runs through a rock-bed trench.  I don't know if this is what causes the "windex blue" color of the river but it is a show stopper.  Once again, I nearly did myself in when I rounded the corner and there it was:  Bluer than blue.  I grabbed my camera, opened the van door to realize that I had yet to stop, put the van in park, and THEN get out... Well, like I said before, my tombstone will say "But, She got a GREAT pix!"  So here it is, that nearly fatal shot of the impossible blue Metolius River as it runs through the Cascade Range here in Oregon.

I hope you will visit the area and experience it for yourself. Bring your camera and fly pole.  I don't know about the "Fly Fishing" part.  How do you clean the things?  Do you cook them? Think I will stick to walking the pathways and leave fishing for flys to the fishermen.

Pillars of Rome, Oregon

This morning here in Salem, Oregon we are getting our first snow of the season, indeed, the first for several years.  It isn't a lot of snow but it does remind us that it is December.  These flakes remind me of one of my first trips.  I took a week late in May to travel to Rome, Oregon to view the Pillars of Rome.  As I left Salem, I traveled over the Cascade Mountains and drove through a snow storm.  I nearly 'rethunk' the whole 'May travel' idea.  But, I kept going on into Burns where everything was frozen then turned south to Rome.  Rome is a very well kept secret here in Oregon.  The Pillars of Rome rise out of the desert floor to a height of 100', range 5 miles long by about 2 miles across.  These clay pillars house a number of birds and other wildlife.  They are exceptionally fragile and beautiful.

If you have never been, I suggest you put it on your travel list.  There is a new state park for camping right off the highway on the Owyhee River.  So I will post a pix to whet your appetite
for the Pillars of Rome.
Happy travels...

Pillars of Rome, Oregon

Painted Hills of Oregon

The primary motivation in writing the book came from folks in campgrounds and other places asking me about my traveling alone in a van.  I tried to answer those questions in Tripping on a Shoestring and perhaps motivate other single adventuresome souls to get out and enjoy the world.  While setting up a van for camping and traveling may seem like intuitive child's play to some, to other's it is a daunting task.  My goal was to take out some of the guess work and hopefully help
keep cost to a minimum. Thereby, getting people on the trail to adventure and beautiful vistas as quickly as possible. After all, time is precious and we never get back a spent moment.

When I arrived at the Painted Hills in Oregon I nearly ran off the road from the sight of such unusual beauty.  Since I seemed to be the only one on the road that morning, I stopped where I was, hopped out, camera in hand and proceeded to snap, snap away.  Never mind the traffic building up behind me since a big SUV stopped just short of running my body over.

Ducking my head and waving thanks for not squishing me on the spot, I moved out of the way while they proceeded on up through the park.  When I arrived at the viewing area, I approached the driver of the SUV to offer my thanks.  I told him they would carve on my tombstone:  "But...she got an amazing picture". So I am including one here to illustrate.  Enjoy, and take me up on the challenge:  Go Explore!

Let's GO EXPLORE

My little "how-to" missive, Tripping on a Shoestring, was published this year and is available on Amazon.com.  Also as an eBook should you be interested in that format.

If you have ever had the urge to just be able to "get up and go, get out of jail free" this little book might help you gear up.  What I like to do is be ready to go without a lot of planning, packing, and preparing prior to piling in the vehicle and heading out into the great unknown.

Just finishing up my fifth year of small 3 to 9 day adventures around the Pacific Northwest, I am ready for May, 2014 and starting my sixth year.  Come along with me as I talk to you about trips past and in the hopper for the future.  Who knows?  We may meet on the trail! And you never know what you might find.  It might be a friendly bug sunning his belly.