Heading back north up into the interior regions of Oregon, we continued to experience fascinating diversity of geological wonders.
We limboed our way through Oregon Caves National monument, an intriguing limestone cave full of twisting passages, with an active stream and a wind tunnel. Outside the cave are woodland trails that lead to beautiful overlooks of the Siskiyou Mountains. We enjoyed the opportunity to stay at the rustic Oregon Caves Chateau, featured by PBS as one of the “Great Lodges of the American West”. We enjoyed some casual relaxation with our new friends in the charming lounge area. Many years earlier in this same lounge, two gentlemen cogitated over cocktails to conceive and later invent the famous 3D ViewMaster.
After attending a lecture by Geology and geophysics professor Robert Lillie, it was with enhanced knowledge that we explored and enjoyed the natural beauty and unique landscapes created by volcanoes. A mountain became a lake after a massive volcanic eruption 7,700 years ago left a deep basin where the mountain peak once stood. Now a beautiful deep blue lake of unbelievable color and clarity, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. Although visibility is often hindered by mountain mist, we enjoyed clear views of the lake below us. Later from a different viewpoint, we watched as smoke from a nearby forest fire wafted in and obscured the view.
A volcanic explosion of Lava Butte. 7,000 years ago, created miles of jagged lava rock and created an other-worldly geological landscape that served as that training ground for moon-bound astronauts. At Lava Lands at Newberry National Volcanic Monument, we hiked on the Trail of Molten Land, one of the largest currently-exposed lava fields of the Cascade Volcanic Arc.
Our travels included a stroll though the quaint town of Ferndale on July 4th, with red, white and blue remnants of that day’s parade. The Victorian restorations keep to a tradition of incorporating four colors on their trim-work, repainting one of the four colors each year to keep the beautiful decor gleaming.
We enjoyed spectacular scenery as we traveled back towards Portland including many views of the enormous mountains called The Three Sisters and majestic Mt. Hood. The final highlight of our trip was a stop at beautiful Multnomah Falls, the highest waterfall in Oregon.
Here are some more images from our journey. For best viewing, click to enlarge the first image, then arrow through the rest. Enjoy!
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