Moving ever west

8/16:

Feeling refreshed from my stay over in Boise, I left sometime mid-morning to continue my journey west (I feel like I start every blog entry like this... eventually I'll go in a direction other than west, I swear). Today's destination was John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, which is about as smack dab in the middle of Oregon as you can get.

Why is it that Utah is the only state with super interesting entrance signs?

Someone told me that Oregon was full of trees and waterfalls and mist. They lied.

By the time that I actually got there, it had grown quite hot! While Jane's A/C blows a frigid 33*F, underdash A/C is no match for the amount of radiation that can come in through the windows. Especially that nice greenhouse window that all fastbacks come equipped with. Nevertheless the A/C did its job and I cruised around in relative comfort (vinyl seats are definitely not as breathable as cloth seats, I have found out) while the sun blazed down on me. I stopped in the visitor center at the Sheep Rock Unit (the park is divided into 3 separate parts) to see some cool stuff, and also to be out of the sun for a bit.

Jane and Sheep Rock. Rather desolate looking!

Interesting contrast between the green fields, arid hills, and rocky lava cap

While I was in the visitor center one of the park rangers suggested a hike for me to undertake - the Blue Basin. A three-mile loop, supposedly it would lead to some fantastic views of odd blue rocks (in a basin, of course) and make for a nice afternoon activity. Apparently he hadn't gone outside yet and had no idea how hot it was. But it had piqued my interest and so I went anyways, carrying a couple of liters of water with me as ammo against the heat.

I've got to say that the hike was definitely worth it! Though the first mile and a half is rather un-spectacular and demanding as you have to hike 800 feet upwards in a fairly short distance to get to the top of the basin, the second mile and a half makes the haul worthwhile. It's not a particularly difficult trail either as long as you are prepared for the heat and the climb (thank you, three weeks of field work in New Mexico!). So here's what I got to see - the pictures do not in any way do it justice as it was hazy out and the camera didn't pick up the striking blue-green color of the basin:

Really cool vista - you can even see the red "painted hills" in the background there!

SOMEONE (quack) told me that I need to add more pictures of myself on this adventure... so here's a selfie in which my face obscures all of the good stuff.

And here's the good stuff without my face wedged in there

Having hauled my butt around a pretty good hike, I then let Jane do some of the work (like she hasn't been hauling me around everywhere for the past few weeks) and went to see Cathedral Rock. It was just a little on-the-way thing, but still very cool!

Right at home in the wild west!

Jane and Cathedral Rock

A closer shot of Cathedral Rock without an exceptionally good looking pony car to distract you

Sheep Rock from a different angle

I headed into Dayville to spend the night at Fish House Inn (the only place in town to stay). Got some pretty decent food at the local cafe as I did not feel like grilling out. I spent my time reorganizing Jane instead and in the meantime found the source of two large thumps I had heard while driving. Thought I had lost some trim or miscellaneous parts off of the car (it's happened before), but no, this is what I hit:

By far the biggest grasshopper I've ever seen. It was probably bigger because it was smeared... everywhere...

Half of this beetle is on top of the trim. The other half is under the trim. So that's.... gross...

Needless to say, by now Jane is in need of a wash in a pretty big way. But alas, I am headed further west and by now further west means salt and the sea. So I'll wash her when I get a little further off of the coast.

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8/17:

As always, I started this morning by heading west. My first stop of the day was the Painted Hills Unit of John Day Fossil Beds. They're composed of multicolored layers of rock, tilted up and eroded into beautiful rolling hills of reds and yellows. Absolutely stunning. I had seen a picture of them at dusk some time back and they were gorgeous, so of course I wanted to see for myself! Well, when I went it was morning and the air was hazy from the South Fork Fire a few miles away, but they were nevertheless beautiful to see:

After some time of spectating, Jane and I decided that it was time to head... southwest, this time! We passed through Bend, Oregon - a cool town to stop by - and then headed on to Crater Lake.

Driving through a burn scar

The drive was made frustrating by my own paranoia and lack of planning, as always. When I got close to the park I realized I was at half a tank of gas, which would be fine... if they sold gas in the park. I had read that they did but was somewhat suspicious of my information as the brochure for the park didn't specifically state that there was a gas station available. So I drove 25 miles back the way I came to the nearest gas station, filled up, drove 25 miles back, got into the park... and promptly found the gas station. Oh well. Better safe than sorry, I suppose.

Crater Lake, as many know, is the United State's deepest freshwater lake, and likely the most pure as it is fed purely on snowmelt and rainwater instead of by creeks. It was formed by the eruption and subsequent collapse of a volcano and now sits neatly inside its dormant crater. Its waters are a deep crystalline blue and the only thing disturbing the lake's surface is a little resurgent cinder cone called Wizard Island. I had never been to Crater Lake but I'd count it pretty highly on my list of most beautiful national park sites in the US! Photos can't capture the scope or grandeur of it all, though a panorama could do a fair job. Unfortunately I have no panorama stitching features on my phone or camera, so you all have to see the substandard 4x3 pictures instead!

Waters of the lake are about the same color as Jane

I spent the afternoon on the West Rim drive cruising around and taking pictures, then headed down to Mazama Campground to the visitor center and my campspot. Unfortunately the rangers at the visitor center informed me that I would not be able to access the eastern rim drive from the campground the next day as they were closing a section of the road for reconstruction. If I wanted to see the views in the southeast (I really wanted to see the Pinnacles), I would have to drive allllll the way around the crater, then alllll the way back in the morning. I decided to forego that and opted to instead promise to be back some time.

My campspot in Mazama Campground was excellent. Best view of the stars I've had in a long time, and the people around me were very pleasant. My one complaint was that in the morning a chipmunk ate my bacon. I feel like that's a problem one should never have to complain about, but I guess even herbivores can't resist the scent of a freshly fried slab of pork. And now it's time for me to sign out - next time I post it will be from THE PACIFIC!