Algae and snakes in Oregon

Central Oregon

This starts by getting lost. Well, not really lost, but 25 miles from where we thought we were That’s why we never did find Phillips Lake. We did find a very nice Forrest Service campground (empty) and spent the night. So the next morning we left the trailer and went looking for the lake. We also wanted to visit the small town of Sumpter which we had been told was a quaint, old, intact mining town. After driving 10 miles we came to a sign stating that Sumpter was 26 more miles. Deciding it was not worth 52 miles to see a town and realizing we were far from where we thought we were, we turned down a dirt road by a stream to find a shady spot for lunch. No shady spot by the stream was found but there was shade overlooking a pond with algae floats. Not what we were looking for but oh well, it was time for lunch. The place looked pretty lifeless. Then we noticed small snakes (garter) swimming around and slithering up onto the algae pads to sun and feed. Some swallows swooped over the pond, a couple of red tailed hawks soared over. This was becoming interesting. Then “what’s that?” something is swimming up the middle of the pond. I got to the binoculars in time to see it was an otter. The first one we’ve seen in the wild. It dove and did not re-appear in the hour we continued watching. The snakes kept us entertained though. We decided the pond was a complete world which involved snakes, otters, insects, birds and who knows what else. We left with a much greater appreciation than when we drove up.

A week or so ago we drove in the late afternoon in Lassen National Forrest. Five miles up a very dusty dirt road to be greeted by thick mosquitos at the edge of Silver Lake. Too late to search out another spot, we’d spend the night. The lake was beautiful and we watched an osprey diving for dinner. Then “what was that”. A brown grey furry animal had come bounding towards us from the direction of the lake, saw us about twenty feet away , changed directions and disappeared soundlessly into the trees. We got out the field guide and, by process of elimination decided we’d seen a marten. We have never expected to see a marten, certainly not have one almost collide with us. The lesson, if there is one, is to find someplace interesting and sit quietly and see what happens. How long we would have to sit to see another marten is anyone’s guess.

Since then we camped on the flanks of Mount Shasta, where we could look up from the nearly 100 degee heat of the afternoon to see glaciers. A dip in the Mcloud River helped cool us off.

Blue pool,

Up in the cascades we were advised to take the hike up to the "blue pool". Water of near perfect clarity rises up from a lava tube to fill this pool and it overflows to start a stream. The color speaks for itself.

Now that we’ve figured out where we are, I think, we’ll see if we can find Idaho tomorrow. It should be to the east.