Stuff happens waaaay faster than I can write about it.

And you suspected I might be leading a life of leisure.

One of the most interesting things about traveling on the ground long distances (as opposed to flying over) is that you get an intimate sense of the changes in topography, climate, plant life, and even people life. I wonder, I suspect, that a person who lives in the foggy, coastal cool humidity of Oregon might be somehow different than a person who lives in the dry, inhospitable desert sky and mountain vistas. I don't know exactly how my two hypothetical people might be different. But I am beginning to get a sense that we, I, am shaped by my physical and natural environment in only dimly understood and appreciated ways.  

Bandon to Crater Lake

A lovely drive inland to Roseburg, Oregon, and then, oops. I was supposed to take a connecting road from Hwy 5 to the Umpquah Highway to Crater Lake. One might correctly imagine that this road roughly parallels the Umpquah River. However, true to fashion, I got turned around, and ended up taking North Bank Road instead of the more heavily traveled (a relative term) correct road on the South side of the river.  It took me over hill and over dale dipsy doodle on a shall we say narrow pre-modern road that was not particularly engineered or banked to current standards. I got some funny looks from the few passing drivers. But once committed, I wasn't going to quit and I knew it would get me where I wanted to go. Besides there wasn't a place to turn around. It was a beautiful drive, the kind of road and scenery they make car commercials on. Got there in one piece, no harm done, and a boost to my driving confidence.

I was unaware that the elevation of Crater lake was around 6500 feet. The cover type is sub-alpine, scrubby trees struggling and contorting for their life in what is obviously a very harsh winter environment. Also, it is weird volcanic stuff up there, strange rocks and cliffs, pumice, and ancient National Park Service roads with zero shoulders, also pre-modern. There was many a turn where I just didn't look down to my right or my left and kept going. However, now that I drove that road, I think Hwy 1 going south to Big Sur would be doable. And my poor brakes! I stopped at the visitor's center to get my NPS passport stamp and some postcards, and to give my brakes a rest. When I got out of the cab, the hot brake stench was almost overpowering. Upon exiting the visitor's center, I could smell my brakes clear across the parking lot. And here I thought I'd been driving in a manner to minimize brake usage as much as possible. The next morning, I could still detect that brake scent.

I'm sure you've noticed that photographs on your computer monitor just don't do justice to reality. What I saw at Crater Lake, what my eyes took in, and what my ears heard, that particular high altitude silence, are only pitifully reproduced by pixels, at least my pixels. Maybe I'll come back and add some photographs later, but I would rather spend the time finding the words to give you a tiny sense, a little twist of recognition that may make you want to visit Crater Lake too.

Ach, I'm still two days behind. Fun and interesting stuff has been happening. I hope to catch up soon. And my mechanism for being able to catch up is pretty neat. I've been using a voice recorder app on my phone to make comments to myself as I'm driving along. Its a good way to stay awake on those long and straight roads through the desert. And its fun! I can read all of the signs, note all of the pass elevations, and record various observations that I would have no way of remembering, the sensory input is coming in so thick and fast.

Stopped for the night in Austin, Nevada. Got to get an early start tomorrow morning, heading to Great Basin National Park in Eastern Nevada. The wind is supposed to come up in the afternoon, and I can imagine that driving in a windy desert might be something preferably avoided.