2019 10 03 - 10 09 Sonora Pass, Coleville and Lone Pine, CA

Sonora Pass, California - 3 October 2019 

Driving over the Sonora Pass took us to an elevation of 9,624 feet, the second highest pass in the Sierra Nevada on State Route 108. This is 321 feet less than the Tioga Pass. The highway (I mean really? Highway?) is extremely steep with grades exceeding 8% up and down (and don't forget the sharp, blind, almost hair pin turns). Narrow and winding, the route is not recommended for vehicles or vehicle combinations (meaning us) that are wide, heavy or long. Or any combination thereof. Guess that information would have been nice to have BEFORE we had gotten to the point of no return. Let's just say this was, without doubt, the most hair raising, nail biting, blood pressure elevating, toe curling ride I have ever taken. These pictures do not come close to showing the lack of anything beyond the pavement except the thousands of feet we could have dropped had Bob not held a stead course. I was so anxious I simply could not look out my window.  

Coelville KOA, Coleville, California - 4-7 October 2019

Following the Walker River, there are rocky troughs for catch-and-release brown, rainbow and Lahontan trout. The ATV Jamboree is held here each June after the snow melts. It is the only ATV event held in California. Behind our campground is this massive rock formation of chiseled gray granite rises up. Even though it is granite, climbing is prohibited due to instability. 

Road to Lone Pine, California - 7 October 2019

We are not sure where the namesake "Lone Pine" is located but we enjoyed the views of the famous Sierra Nevada Mountains. On the right is a small brush fire which fortunately did not become a raging wildfire. 

Manzanar War Relocation Camp, Independence, California - 8 October 2019

In 1942, the U.S. government ordered more than 110,000 men, women and children to leave their homes and detained them in remote, military-style camps. Manzanar is one of ten camps where Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were incarcerated during World War II.

President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on 19 February 1942, authorizing the military to remove "any and all persons" from the West Coast. The Army applied the order to everyone of Japanese ancestry, including over 70,000 US citizens. This scale model shows the extent of the living quarters, dining facilities, laundry, bath houses and recreation areas. 

Every person wore a numbered tag from relocation center trains to camp. Manzanar's wood and tar-paper barracks were no match for Owens Valley's wind, dust and extreme temperatures. Congressman Leland Ford, visiting Manzanar in 1942, remarked, "On dusty days one might as well be outside." Large families were assigned to one barracks. Smaller families had to co-habitat with another family.

The left picture shows the open barracks without any privacy, no interior walls, army cots with straw mattresses and plank flooring. By 1943, new screens, walls, ceilings, better mattresses, covered floors and furniture were provided. 

Thirty-six blocks of 14 barracks, housing up to 300 people with a Mess Hall, Recreation Hall, Laundry, Ironing room and Men's and Women's latrines. There were schools, churches, orchards, hospitals, fire stations, Dojos, and warehouses. Interesting, in a perverse way, the Administrative section was literally white. Surrounded and edged in white-washed rocks, the white painted bungalows stared across from the front corner at the rows of brown tarpaper barracks. 

Interior of Recreation/Mess Hall.

A reconstructed Women's latrine. Behind me is the open showers.

Several parks were built by the inmates to beautify the dusty grounds. Some were small and near their barracks. Others were larger gardens near mess halls. The above markers designate the most elaborate, Merritt Park, which was a community park where people could escape the monotony of barracks living. 

Additional areas of Merritt Park designed to be symbolic and speak of hope, resistance and beauty.

At the far back of the camp is the cemetery and monument established as a remembrance of those who were judged, not on their own character but simply by their ethnicity. The kanji inscription means "soul consoling tower". Though not permitted to bring pets, animals eventually became part of the community and were laid to rest in the Pet Cemetery. 

Inmates were required to work during their incarceration. Fields of produce for the kitchens, a chicken ranch and the camouflage net factory. Of course, surrounding the entire camp was a barbed-wire fence patrolled by Army soldiers and eight guard towers.

As a personal note, this was a troubling place to visit. For decades prior to the War, anti-Asian sentiment was fueled in the western United States. Laws prevented immigrants from becoming citizens or owning land. Children born as citizens faced prejudice based solely on their parents ancestry.  

Boulder Creek RV Resort, Lone Pine, California - 9 October 2019

Morning walk around the campground. What a surprise! several pomegranate trees. 

Alabama Hills, Owens Valley, California - 9 October 2019

Movie Road has been used by Hollywood for decades as a location for 150 of movies and about a dozen TV shows, including The Gene Autry Show, Bonanza and The Lone Ranger. One narrow valley doubled as the Khyber Pass in the 1939 epic Gunga Din. Mostly during the 1920s through 1950s, the locations have been replaced by "movie ranches" for most recent productions

The rounded contours of the Alabama Hills contrast with the sharps ridges of the Sierra Nevada to the west. The difference in wear can be accounted for by different patterns in erosion though they are both the same age geologically.

The Alabama Hills were named for the USS Alabama, a Confederate warship, by prospectors sympathetic to the Confederates. They named many mining claims after the ship and eventually to the entire range. 

Eye of Alabama arch on top left. Mobius arch on right and bottom.

Bob from the back side of Mobius Arch. 

Additional rock formations. We might not be on the Movie Road but could be a good Ram truck commercial. 

Mount Whitney, Sierra Nevada, California - 9 October 2019

A windy, well paved road leads up to the tallest peak in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 14, 505 feet, west-northwest of the lowest point in North America at Badwater Basin, Death Valley at 282 feet below sea level. Water from the east side flows to the Lone Pine Creek, which joins the Owens River, which in turn terminates at Owens Lake of the Great Basin.  

So intent on getting photos of the falls, most neglected to observe three deer grazing on the opposite side. 

Skittish by nature, they diverted back up the slope.

Finding the path was challenging with these giants boulders blocking the route and the view. Sometimes we just have to go through instead of around. Did I mention this is bear and mountain lion country? No? We didn't have bear spray so every few minutes a loud "Hey bear" and clapping is our safety plan.

Many peaks are above the tree line and have an alpine climate. Since it was getting late afternoon, our return trip was getting very chilly for our shorts and t-shirts. From our vantage point, we are not looking at Mount Whitney. This is the next peak to the south. 

A view of the Owens Valley and Lone Pine. A road just outside Lone Pine, heading towards the Coso Mountains in the background, and 100 miles away is Death Valley. The road to and from Mount Whitney is the same road used in the filming of "The Long Long Trailer" in 1954 staring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. 

2019 09 20 - 09 22 North Bend, OR,Crescent City and Lodi, CA

Campground at Oregon Dunes KOA - 20 September 2019

Arriving rather late, just before dusk, but extra long and extra wide pull-through sites made our set-up a breeze, even in the dark. Usually, by then there are few, if any people out and about except for the dog walkers. As advertized, this campground has direct access to the dunes for off-road-vehicles. Some sites had 4 or 5 ORVs and there were kids playing ping pong behind our site at the Activities Center up to 10pm. Nope, that is not a complaint. They were well behaved, having fun and not glued to their phones. We wondered how noisy all those ORVs would be leaving for dune riding as the sun rose. They were gone by 7am without disturbing sleeping campers. Just an overnight stay and we hit the road. 

Our rest stop on California 101 driving to our next campground in Crescent City, CA. Hey, look, it's a beach. Such pretty views of the Pacific all along this highway with plenty of pull offs, vista points and even a few large parking lots. The coastline is rugged with massive rocks jutting out of the surf offshore, crashing waves on hundred foot cliffs and then it is peaceful, windswept walkable beaches.  

Battery Point Lighthouse, Crescent City, California - 22 September 2019

A breezy, overcast day we timed our arrival to coincide with the low tide so the isthmus can be accessed with dry shoes to visit the lighthouse. The islet is cut off at high tide. Constructed in 1855 for $15000, one of 8 along the west coast, the Battery Point lighthouse is a Cape Cod style, one and one half story stone keeper's dwelling. It has a fourth-order Fresnel lens that began illuminating the night sky on 10 December 1856. Within 20 years the Lighthouse Board determined the station was dilapidated and the light was of little consequence. No vessels could enter the harbour at night or travel along the coast with safety. It was automated in 1953. The lighthouse withstood crests of over 20 feet in 1964 when the strongest earthquake to hit the northern hemisphere struck Alaska near Prince William Sound. Racing south at speed of nearly 600 mph, the resulting tsunami hit the shores of Crescent City around midnight. The curators living in the lighthouse described what they saw. "The basin was sucked dry. The water withdrew as if someone had pulled the plug. It receded a distance of three-quarters of a mile. Then the mammoth wall of water came barreling towards us...the water struck, split and swirled over both sides of the island...which had not moved."

Several trees have been carved in nautical themes. The lighthouse is no longer occupied by a keeper but now houses a caretaker who conducts tours of the premises. 

Lodi, Caliornia - 29 September 2019

Our first stop was an evening with Bob's cousin, Mike and his wife, Janet for dinner at a local Italian restaurant they enjoy. The next day we visited Mike's mother, Dorothy. She is still sharp at 94 years. We spent the rest of the day visiting a few of the local wineries.

29 Sep 2019 The First Winery we stopped at. Can't remember the name. 

Still the first winery. 

I wonder which winery this is? Apparently, it is the Viaggio Winery. This one definintely caught our eyes with its Italian villa, a river running through the expansive grounds and studded with many different vingette areas for stunning photo opportunities.

Home Repairs, Lodi, California - 30 September 2019 

Our new microwave, convection oven had to be installed by the local handyman (aka Bob). Since we had rejected the last, damaged oven in Seattle, we ordered a new one delivered here. In about an hour, this Jack-of-multiple-trades had it installed and he even cleaned up after himself. I'll probably use him again.

Dancing Fox Winery & Brewery, Lodi, California - 1 October 2019

Interesting and quirky history, The Dancing Fox began as a winery and tasting room. The name stems from a fox the boys would occasionally see in the family vineyard outside town. A restaurant was added serving house made breads (at least 8 different varieties) and pizzas in the brick oven designed in Barcelona, Spain where each brick was shipped from to construct the oven on site. Smoked turkey and cranberry sauce on walnut cranberry multigrain bread was my delicious choice. 

Breakfast, Lodi, California - 3 October 2019

 The morning we were leaving we chose to breakfast at the Michael David Winery. A hearty meal and walk around the grounds in the crisp air with all the fall decorations and set up for Halloween festivities. 

A pond, a fall decoration and giant pumpkins. 

2019 09 12 - 09 15 Mount St. Helens,WA, Portland OR.

Castle Rock, Washington - 11 September 2019

Longview North/Mount St Helens KOA, a terraced campground and we had a really nice patio. Sadly, with all the rain, we only got to use it once.  

Mount St. Helens, Washington - 14 September, 2019

Located about 25 miles from the mountain itself, there are no views from here but it's a good place to start getting information. The eruption on 18 May 1980 removed 23 square miles of the mountain,blasted sideways at 650mph. Temperatures reached 660 degrees. A massive debris avalanche was triggered by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale. This caused a lateral eruption (removal of the side) that reduced the elevation of the mountain's summit from 9,677 ft to 8,363 ft.

This is still some distance from the mountain. A tree farm owned since 1900 and measuring 63,000 acres was devastated. Within months Weyerhauser began planting 18 million seedling, by hand. Tree species of fir, hemlock and cedar now cover the slopes outside the National Volcanic Monument. The reforestation seen here is a private enterprise, not associated with the National Forest Service which is in charge of the crater and immediate surrounding areas. This is the first use of Bob's LONG lens.

At the right is a view directly into the crater which still emits smokes from several dome vents. Part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire that includes 160 active volcanoes, Mount St. Helens is well known for its ash explosions and pyroclastic flows. On the left is surrounding devastation for miles. As with wildfire, the National Forest Service let's nature takes its course.

Inside the Visitor's Center this tree shows the forceful impact of the eruption as its top was removed by the blast. 

Comparative photos of destruction and regeneration within the National Forest area. We were told that all the logs within the surrounding private areas were removed. This "windfall" (sorry) was to be sold as lumber and products.  

Over Bob's left shoulder is the crater and the valley where the pyroclastic flows at 200 mph destroyed everything in its path. During the winter of 1980-1981, a new glacier appeared, now cleverly called Crater Glacier. It is the only known advancing glacier in the US. The collapse of the northern flank mixed ice, snow and water creating lahars which flowed down the Toutle and Cowlitz Rivers destroying logging camps and bridges. A total of 3,900,000 cubic yards of material was transported 17 miles into the Columbia River.

In the valley below the crater mountain, herds of elk have returned to graze on the natural plants which have regenerated in the volcanic rich soil. 

After a long day at Mount St Helens, we needed dinner and Stuffy's II Restaurant promised comfort food. A step back in time including Betty Boop and poodle skirts. A miscue in the kitchen on my steak garnered us a huge slice of German Chocolate cake. 

Portland, Oregon - 15 September 2019

Visiting Bob's cousin, Paul and Judi. Lovely area near there apartment with plenty of walking areas, easy access to buses and trains for commuters, eateries, shops and services. 

Getting Creative with Alex and Isaac, children of Rachel and Jim. Rachel is the daughter of Paul and Judy. 

Columbia River Gorge, Washington - 18 September 2019

1.4 mile round trip with an elevation of 565 feet. The falls are 645 feet high. The path continues switch backing to a viewpoint that provides expansive views of the west Columbia River Gorge. That slug is as big as my finger. 

Just 30 minutes outside Portland, the second falls in the area are by far the most astounding. A double falls with an easy, paved walkway and bridge spanning the runoff from the upper falls. Below the bridge is the Lower Falls. A total of 611 ft of roaring, awe-inspiring icy waters. According to Native Americans lore, the falls were created to win the heart of a young princess who wanted a hidden place for bathing. The lodge nearby was built in 1925 to serve throngs of tourists. Made of every type of rock within the gorge, the historic structure houses a gift shop, a restaurant and unbeatable views of the falls.Fed by rainwater, and underground spring and snow melt, the falls are fed through all four seasons. But short on parking, we ended up leaving our vehicle at Wahkeena Falls and hiking a half mile for this view.

Selfie on Benson Bridge with the Upper Falls behind us. There is another path for about a mile that is very steep to reach the top of the falls. We didn't feel the need to include that in our day. Historic Route 30 below and the Columbia River across the way. 

We know it's getting to be old news but an update on our suspension troubles is needed. As we were getting ready to leave the Roamers Rest RV Park outside of Tualatin, Oregon we noticed that our rear tires were canting inward on top. We were lucky to find a shop only 1.5 miles away. I explained our previous problems and the minute the description of our tires was stated the technician said to drive it around back. One look underneath and we were told the axle was installed UPSIDE DOWN!! Come on...really! So, there we were, stuck for another 3 hours while they unwelded the axle, flipped it over, rewelded and added U-bolts which were much more hefty than the new ones just put on in Ellensburg.