Monday, July 30, 2007

Basically, we are totally incommunicado anytime we are on the ‘net. The blog can be written off-line, but editing and adding photos (each one takes several minutes) must be done on-line. I have come to dread the long box with the green line that crawls s-l-o-w-l-y left to right as items are downloading.

Since we cannot receive phone calls while we are on-line, these things must be done when I think we are least likely to receive a phone call from home; this is somewhat anxiety-producing, as we have had calls from our daughter about car trouble, and about bills due so our electricity service will continue – things we need to know. And we want to be available when our son calls as he finds mobile phone service to update us on his family’s adventures camping in New Mexico. But I do try to update the blog when possible.

On days off, we continue to explore the territory. On a short hike near Prospect, Oregon, about 30 miles away, we found “Avenue of the Boulders,” and spent the morning climbing over, under, and through these big rocks.

Then we drove to the remote location of “National Falls,” and were stunned to find this beautiful sight at the end of a ½ mile hike down a most verdant mountainside.

What amazed us almost as much is that this place is not swarming with people. We were the only ones hiking to see the falls. Of course it is nice not to have to contend with crowded trails, but this just reminded us of how off-the-beaten-path we are here.



Is it real, you ask? If it were, I would have a different expression on my face!

More wildlife, strolling by our home :

All too soon, Captain Tom starts his work week, and must get his uniform ready, attach his stripes to his epaulets, prepare for the daily walk down Cleetwood Trail, spend 10 hours on the water, and walk back up the 1.1 miles to the rim (never less than a 12-hour day).

Some photos of his work place, Cleetwood Cove:

Tom greets passengers: Tom counts passengers:

Tom announces safety requirements for the tour.

Sometimes on a tour, Tom spies “The Old Man of the Lake,” and steers the boat near it. The Old Man is a 35-foot tree floating vertically in the water. It has been observed in Crater Lake for over 100 years (it does not decompose due to the purity of the water). The tree moves constantly in the lake, and is not always seen on the tours. So it is a “coup” to find it. (The root system keeps the tree vertical.)

Bill, Madalyn, Prissy, David, Tom, Bill, Sammye, Lynn

On July 26, six friends from Houston came for a two-day visit to Crater Lake.

This was one of several northwest destinations on their trip, and it was great to see them. Highlights:

Hiked the falls
Cooked mega-steaks

Shared a hardy breakfast at their cabin at Union Creek
Went to the ranger program
Walked the rim of Annie Creek Gorge

And on their last day, we all hiked down the Cleetwood Trail, and took a boat ride with Captain Tom. The “Old Man of the Lake” crossed our path, and the fledgling in the eagle’s nest posed nonchalantly for excited bird watchers. And Crater Lake shined, as always, clear, deep, and so incredibly blue.

Afterwards, Bill Sykes took the challenge of diving 35 feet into the 55-degree water. He had about 5 cameras documenting the feat.

The hike back up Cleetwood Trail was another feat. By 1 p.m. the sun was high in the sky, and the path was dusty, and steep. Imagine climbing one mile winding up the distance of 2+ football fields. All seven made it, but it was iffy for some of us! My friends are a hardy group, but I confess instead of providing them with ibuprofen and linament, I sent them on their way sore, sleep-deprived, and exhausted – hopefully, they had some recuperation time before their next northwest adventure.