TUESDAY, SEPT 9

TUESDAY, SEPT 9:

     The morning started off looking more auspicious than the previous two . . . blue, mostly clear skies.  The winds seem to have blown the smoke away!

     We enjoyed a slow morning, and Bill showed me where he’s been taking Pappy on his walks.  A nice path on the property which leads to the Rogue running right behind us.  There’s a dam there, which of course makes the water backed up behind it very placid.  Would have been nice to paddle upstream from there, and then float down, but there was no place that we could find to launch the kayaks.  Oh well, we probably wouldn’t have had time anyway.

     We drove on up to a landmark just below the Rogue Gorge Overlook where we stopped last evening, called Natural Bridge.  The name didn’t excite us, as we’ve seen lots of  “natural bridges” formed out of rock before.  However, this one was a first for us!  This one was formed from a lava tube, which is formed during the volcanic eruption when an outer layer of lava rock hardens all around an inner core of molten lava which is flowing through, leaving a hollow tube when the inner lava stops flowing.  Then, over the years, water began flowing through the hollow tube, which of course is underground and hidden from view.  So, at this particular place, we can see the Rogue (which took its name from the entire region and the Natives which French trappers called “rogue,” or “rascal”.  As the Forest Service sign reminded us, that name is very appropriate to the gushing river now, so stay clear of the bank!) rushing tumultuously over the rocks, and then it disappears underground.  We can see the lava bed of rocks on top.  In fact, Natives and early trappers used this rock – a “natural bridge” – to walk across the river.  35 seconds later, the river again emerges like a fire hose.  Fascinating geology, and mesmerizing to watch.  Again, we wondered how in the world anyone could navigate this part of the river.  We think that he must have portaged around this area, all through the gorge here. 

                                                              

        Made the 45-minute or so trip on into the National Park, made prettier today because of the clear skies.  And when we parked and walked to the rim, we saw what we’d come for – that absolutely amazing, indescribable blue of the lake on a clear day.  It’s just spell-binding, really. 

                                                     

 

We walked a fairly easy 2-mile (round trip) trail which parallels the rim and  had unrivaled views.
                                                   
                                            Phantom Ship island across the lake, with a tiny tour boat off to the left:

Of course, the lake is the main thing, but the surrounding old growth forest and caldera rock formations are stunning as well.

                                                           

      Got back to Rim Village in time for a nice light dinner outside on the patio before we drove up to Watchman Overlook for a Ranger-led sunset hike.

     There was a large group of us who’d gathered for this 1.5 mile round trip hike up to a fire tower.  As always, the hike was enhanced tremendously by the Ranger’s narrative as we made our way up the dusty trail.  He covered a multitude of topics: -- the early history of this Park:  the trail we were walking was the original road which encircled the park, made for Model T’s.  In fact, it was the affordable Model T which really opened up many of the country’s newly formed National Parks to mass tourism.  Until then, they were really only accessible to the wealthy, who would take the train and stay in the luxurious lodges and hotels which the railroads had built to lure them.  -- The difference in fire strategies between the NPS and the Forest Service: the NPS’s approach is to let nature take its course, unless it threatens human lives or property, while the Forest Service, being a part of the Dept of Agriculture, looks at timber as more of a “crop,” and therefore wants to suppress most fires.  The result of a century of that approach has led to dense forests, with lots of underbrush, which are now tinderboxes, especially in drought conditions which the West has been experiencing for the last few years. So the Forest Service is now trying to meet that challenge.  -- A synopsis of how the fire tower has been used throughout its life: it’s an example of how WWII opened up tremendous opportunities for women, since the men were at war.  Up until then, fire towers like this one had been manned exclusively by men . . . in 1941, women began taking their places, even though they were called “Rangerettes” and had to wear skirts to climb the dusty incline. And other topics. 

                                        

                                                      

At the end of the hike, we expressed our appreciation and admiration to him for our National Parks and what treasures they are and how much pleasure they’ve given us.  He of course totally agreed, saying that some of the best memories of his family were spent camping in our National Parks.  But for the past several years, funding has been less and less, and so fewer Rangers are being asked to do more and more.  He said that he’s definitely seen the impact . . . historic Park buildings aren’t being repaired, Ranger-led hikes such as this one are being decreased, etc.  There’s increasing political pressure to have some of the NPS Ranger functions being taken over by private enterprise, like the lodges & restaurants now are sub-contracted out.  We hope that doesn’t materialize . . . we’ll lose a resource that’s passionate about nature and its public enjoyment as cheap young labor is hired.

 

     But all of these concerns were washed away in the dimming of the day’s light over the scenes below us.
                                                        

 

     And as we walked back down the trail and reached the parking lot and trail head, an enormous moon dominated the sky, giving a blessed benediction.