Cape Blanco, revisited.

Our first camping road trip in 2012 included a stop at Cape Blanco State Park. We loved it so much we ended up staying an extra night. Even with the massive winds famous in that the area, it was beautiful and well worth the time we spent.

So when various factors including the purchase of a new tent, Free Camping Day in Oregon state parks, Cape Blanco being just an hour from our Coos Bay housesit, Patrick's birthday, and a desperate need to get into the woods for a little while all collided a few weeks ago, we headed back for another visit.

Let the record show that Patrick, who often cannot remember conversations we had 30 minutes ago, recognized our campsite from 2012 immediately. He even remembered the campsite on the other side of the road that was our first choice, before we found lucky campsite #44. Seriously, how many dozens of campgrounds have we visited over the last five years? I actually broke character for a few minutes to look up the blog post from our 2012 trip - and then I promptly turned off data like a good camper - but holy crap, he was right. (Seriously?)

Let the record also show that Patrick, who always has to drive around the entire campground at least once (if I'm lucky - usually there are multiple loops) to find just the right campsite, went no farther than campsite #44 before declaring #43 next door this trip's winner. Seriously, I think the only times he hasn't explored every single option have been when the campground only had one vacancy or when we were assigned campsites. Although in those cases, we still had to drive through the campground to see what spot we could have had. (Seriously?)

Finally, let the record show that we are sooooo out of practice with this camping thing. Seriously! One headlamp crapped out on us that night, plus we forgot pillows, utensils, spices, salt and pepper, aluminum foil, the wool blanket we always put over our thermarests for added warmth... Even BP was a very last minute grab on our way out the door. And, horror of horrors, I forgot to take a picture of dinner. (It was tofu and veggies via campfire. Looked a lot like every other picture I've taken of tofu and veggies via campfire. Seriously.)

Anyway - yay, camping!

After a late start out of Coos Bay Saturday morning, we were pretty worried that the campsite would be full when we arrived - free camping, why wouldn't it be? - but there were just a couple dozen sites taken and the park never did fill up that night. Even the camp host was surprised.

BP wants more sunlight
but the tent ignores his pleas

We set up camp and made a quick trip to Port Orford for supplies, then we were off on an afternoon adventure. We only had about 24 hours door-to-door this time so we had to make the most of it.

the not-so-long, not-so-winding road

clouds to the left of us...

... boulders to the right,

here we are, struck by the glorious view

The path was lined with tiny wildflowers and the lilies were out in full force. Such a change from our first visit in the fall!

sail away, kill off the hours
you belong somewhere you feel free

lily...

... my one and only...

... I can hardly wait till I see her

when the lilies grow wild they will always survive -

wild lilies don't care where they grow

The path takes you along the western coastline to the northern tip of the park by the lighthouse, which was a windstorm just like last time. The clouds were amazing, though.

hold on to the thread...

... the currents will shift

From the northern tip you can meander through the trees on trails and horse paths. The difference in scenery can be quite stark with just a few turns.

come closer and see, see into the trees

(4:17:03 pm)

come closer and see, see into the dark

(4:18:22 pm)

Like last time, the lighthouse was closed so we didn't get a tour. Also like last time, we skipped the Hughes House. That's our reason to go back again. (It will probably always be our reason to go back again, because neither of us is very interested in seeing it.)

Tent test successful, hearty breakfast complete, we took a quick stroll on the beach Sunday morning before heading out of town.

you don't have to stray the oceans away...

... the sea will rise - please stand by the shore

There was definitely a strange feeling in the air. We were both ready to move on to the next campsite, to see what was next. Alas, real life called. (I don't even usually work on Mondays and I had a serious case of the pre-Mondays that Sunday morning.)

Nothing like a World Famous Hot Dog from World Famous Langlois's market on the way home to cure those back-to-work blues...

are you feeling better now?

Yeah... Didn't really help. Adulting is HARD, people.

Slowly Global vs the Avenue of the Giants... and some future pondering.

For the first time in about three months, we did nothing this past weekend. It was amazing.

"Living like a local" for an extended period of time finds us with jobs, which means that the concept of "weekends" has meaning again, and man, are they precious! These Saturdays and Sundays, when we're not working on house and yard maintenance (which, honestly, is neither super time-consuming nor physically taxing), we're involved in local politics, which finds us attending weekend meetings and rallies on a regular basis. There's also a pleasantly surprising amount of weekend entertainment in Coos Bay which finds us enjoying everything from geology talks at the local college to drag shows downtown. "Living like a local" has been kind of exhausting, actually.

Speaking of exhausting, "living like a local" in Coos Bay also found us joining our Where Is Your Toothbrush/The Salad Lobby friends, Peter and Lindsay, for the Avenue of the Giants half-marathon a few weekends ago. They had raved about it last year and we figured the training prep would be a good way to stay in shape over the miserable, rainy-sometimes-snowy, southern coast winter. So we signed up, and joined a gym, and ran ran ran.

All those evening and weekend training hours turned out to be completely worth it. The run itself was pretty surreal - gigantic beautiful trees, perfect weather, and downhill both ways (or so it seemed - an illusion from the tall trees, perhaps?). We all finished with good times and no injuries.

before

 ran across some friends along the run

 after 

We camped in Myers Flat with our friends and some of their family who had driven up for the weekend. The campground was right next to the South Fork Eel River, and other than a pretty wicked wind each evening (and that kid riding his bike in circles playing awful country music on his portable radio), it was quite pleasant. 

 have river, need van

This was SG's first camping trip of the season. We're sad to report that we forgot to take pictures of the campsite, but we're happy to report that our tent, heretofore named Old Reliable, held up against the wind (and awful country music)... We're still buying a new tent someday, though - thanks, REI dividend!

Anyway. Monday morning, we broke camp and took the slow route home, first driving the Avenue that we'd run the day before and stopping for a few short walks.

another one for the "Subaru ad" file

    someone, somewhere, definitely heard this

 tree hugging me

or me hugging tree?

happy campers

We also took the scenic route through Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, which was well worth the detour, and spent an hour or so trying to find the Myrtle Creek Botanic Area just north of Crescent City (hint: if the park rangers at the info station haven't heard of it, maybe just keep going).

not the trail

(but turned out, we were sooooooooo close)

One last stop at Chetco Brewing Company for a taster flight, snack, and beer trivia...

Willa Nelson IPA for the win

And then it was home. "Home," I mean.

But that was two weekends ago. This past weekend? Nada. No meetings, no rallies, no entertainment, and best of all - no long runs. We got some things done, mind you, but other than a few quick errands and a short run, we didn't leave the house. It was lovely.

Even more lovely was the wanderlust inspiration that came from this Redwoods road trip. It's ironic - or maybe not? - that prolonged stability has resulted in our need for motion again. And prolonged residence next to a major town road, in a town devoid of pine trees, has resulted in our need for nature again.

We are here for a while yet, in part because our housesit hosts have a bit of wanderlust inspiration themselves and they are still figuring out their plan for returning to the area. And in part because we are (mostly) enjoying our jobs and (definitely) enjoying the bank account replenishment.

But talk has begun. Research has initiated. Ideas are being mentally filed away. Things are being assessed for long-term viability (in other words, does it fit in the car?). The jar has been counted and set aside for a planned purchase, and will be replenished according to the original methodology.

We're nowhere near a plan, and we don't expect to have one anytime soon. We want to be certain that we're running toward something. (But that's a much longer post that would be better shared over a beer someday. Come visit!)

For now, photosynthesis certainly ain't the plan, but we'll enjoy the post-yard-work happy hours in the sun while we have them.

cheers!

ExplOregon, June 2016 edition, part three.

After three days in Steens Mountain and two days exploring five geologic wonders (among other things) in Lake County, Oregon, family duties called and it was time to meander back to Eugene.

We considered trying our luck at Paradise Campground again, but a quick check showed that almost all the sites were reserved that night so we opted for Coldwater Cove Campground instead. Sometimes no planning really does pay off...

campsite #1 for the win

Our site was surrounded by Douglas-fir pines and steep hills on either side. Hummingbirds buzzed around the flowers all afternoon; bats swooped around the trees all evening. A funny little chipmunk kept us entertained.

OH HAI!

And? There was no generator running all night (we didn't even hear any of our neighbors)... Thank you, Universe.

There's a ~5-mile easy loop that circles Clear Lake. The trail goes from the campground through lava fields and pine forests, and offers stunning views of the lake.

 open to hikers and bikers - watch out!

about a mile of this, then forest the rest of the way

 the little boy caught his first fish!

 {hearting} Oregon right about now

snoozin'

 Washington lilies...

 ... and tiger lilies...

... and Alaskan bunchberry, oh my

 to the west

 

no filter...

... yes, the water really is that color

Many more photos start here. I cannot recommend this loop enough! If you're not up for the walk, you can rent kayaks and canoes from Clear Lake Resort. No engines are allowed on the lake so the walk/row is quite peaceful.

Leftover soup and salad after that five-mile walk didn't really cut it for dinner...

 bottom of the barrel... er, cooler

... so the next morning, we treated ourselves to a breakfast of champions at Clear Lake Resort. 

never. eating. again.

Coldwater Cove and Clear Lake were the perfect ending to our trip. Deserts and hot springs and arid flatlands with geologic wonders are fun and all, but walking (and sleeping) among those tall pines, with that crisp, cool air all around us and that glacial lake just a few hundred feet away, we felt like we were home again.

And now, if you'll excuse us...

word

ExplOregon, June 2016 edition, part two.

The first part of our FUNemployed vacation took us to Steens Mountain for a few days of gorgeous (and I do mean GORGE-ous) hikes. The second part took us to Thompson Reservoir, Hager Mountain, and five geologic wonders in Lake County, Oregon...

1. Christmas Valley Sand Dunes - the largest shifting sand dunes in Oregon. Formed from ash and pumice when Mount Mazama erupted 7,000 years ago, these dunes are popular with ATVers but we managed to find a few without too many tracks spoiling the view...

the clouds were amazing too

2. Crack In The Ground - as the name suggests, it's a crack. In the ground. A 2+ mile crack that's up to 70 feet deep in places, in fact. The crack was formed by a volcanic fissure just 1,000 years ago. The mosses and colors found on the rocks were quite beautiful and photos don't really do it justice...

not for the claustrophobic

3. Fort Rock - an old tuff ring that's nearly a full circle, where a sea used to live. OSP's web site claims that "sandals found in a nearby cave are the oldest ever discovered, dating back around 9,000-13,000 years." Pretty cool! A trail takes you around the ring if you're so inclined...

to the west

to the east

4. Derrick Cave - a 30' high lava tube that we didn't actually get to see, because the road from Fort Rock is now private for liability reasons and the alternate route would have cost us several hours. Patrick visited the cave years ago and he promises it's worth seeing!

5. Hole-In-The-Ground - again, as the name suggests, it's a hole. In the ground. A mile-wide, 300-foot-deep hole, in fact, that was formed by a volcanic eruption 13,000-100,000 years ago (depending on who you ask). We were short on time so we didn't venture down, but I've seen comments from others that walking the path is the best way to appreciate the vastness of the hole...

neither meteorite landing, nor hellmouth

Also, not a geologic wonder but a pretty special place: the Lost Forest near the Sand Dunes. Ancient ponderosa pine survive on half the water their forest counterparts require. The Lost Forest covers a remarkable 9,000 acres (~14 mi² for those of you who don't speak acreage), and is isolated from the nearest ponderosa pine forest by 40 miles, meaning it keeps itself alive just fine, thank you very much...

it also makes a great Subaru commerical

The rest of our trip was "W"-themed. For example, watchtowers! We braved thousands of ticks and mosquitoes to visit Hager Mountain's watchtower (okay, "lookout" if you must) and catch some nice panoramic views. The watchtower is one of just a handful still staffed during summer months for fire observation, and available to rent in winter months - as long as you're willing to snowshoe three miles up a mountain to get there. (Honestly, we'd probably have taken the snow over the ticks and mossies this time.)

and the wind began to howl

Another "W" on this trip - wildflowers! Most were observed on the Hager Mountain hike where the hills were alive with paintbrush, Oregon sunshine, and balsamroot.

kind of making up for all the ticks and mossies...

... kind of

Most interesting on this hike was the rare green-tinged paintbrush, native to Southern Oregon. According to a plaque at the top of the trail, 95 percent of this plant's population is found only in the Fremont National Forest! Very cool.

in bloom

And the final "W" was for wildlife. We passed through Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, which gave us some up-close and personal views of some truly stunning animals...

seldom is heard a discouraging word

and the skies are not cloudy all day

(Originally established in 1936 to protect pronghorn antelopes, the refuge now hosts over 300 species of wildlife and - this is rare - no domesticated livestock. There are also hot springs in the refuge, available free to the public, so in between being in awe of amazing creatures, we partook in a quick soak in a different kind of hole in the ground.)

Anyway, back to wildlife... We were definitely still in ranchland, and cows count as wildlife to some people...

(and some cows, says Clarence)

And a very tenacious chipmunk spent the morning with us at Thompson Reservoir.

OH HAI

Not "W" related, here's a little on Thompson Reservoir's campground and camping in general... We drove through Thompson because it was close to things we wanted to explore. Reservoirs are not our favorite places to camp - only because they tend to attract boaters, and we don't like hearing boat engines all day/night - but we had a really good experience in Colorado last summer, and Thompson seemed like a quiet enough place so we thought we'd give it a shot.

Our first night, we had two neighbors who had settled on the other side of the spacious campground. We heard nothing but frogs, ducks, little brown birds, and water lapping at the shore all evening. The sunset over the reservoir was lovely and the stars came out in full force.

perfection

Our second night, an elderly couple parked their ginormous RV right next to our tent site (despite the fact that there were 16 other available sites in a 19-site campground). They took a while settling in, and then the dreaded generator started. The friendly gentleman wandered over and asked if the noise would bother us. Patrick asked how long it would be running. "Oh, all night long," the friendly gentleman replied, and then proceeded to chat Patrick up for ten more minutes while I got in the tent and banged my head on the thermarest. (Seriously.)

Look. I am sorry that his wife was on an oxygen tank and needed the generator to run all night. I am glad they were still able to enjoy the great outdoors and the world-famous all-you-can-eat soup/salad and 30 oz steak dinner just up the road from the reservoir (Friday through Sunday, $30 cash only, reservations recommended, no alcohol served... no, we didn't do it, despite the friendly gentleman's rave reviews). I appreciate him asking if the noise was going to bother us. But at that point, what could we say? "Yes, thanks for asking - could you please move immediately?"

In hindsight we should've just moved. But we are stubborn folk, and instead, we endured the hum of the generator All. Night. Long.

this was our view! would YOU have moved?

Fellow campers - especially you National Park campers! but also you local campers - please be polite and think about others. That's all I ask.

Anyway. The food was simple again this time...

remembering Vietnam with an egg noodle breakfast

the old breakfast standby, oatmeal with all the fixin's

(pretty view optional but recommended)

organic tomato soup from a box, 

fire-roasted cheese quesadillas,

and a side of cheese and crackers for good measure

Insensitive camp neighbors aside, it was very fun to check out this part of Oregon. Everything was entirely new to me and Patrick hadn't been to some of these places in 20 years. With so much variety from west to east and north to south, it really astounds me that more Oregonians don't venture out and explore...