| A Well
Earned Day of Adventuring At last, a day off! fall 2016
|
|
|
We've been busy doing all the normal end of summer chores plus a few new
ones. It has been hot and dry. The days have been long and
tiring. Today was the day between end of work and beginning of
rain. To take advantage of the moment, we packed up lunch and hit
the road. It has been a long time since we've gone adventuring.
That's our name for exploring the forest. The three of us headed upriver, then up Steamboat Creek. In 1996 when we moved to Oregon we brought Patrick to see Little Falls on Steamboat Creek. He went hopping out on the rocks. That was in October after the rains had started. Below you can see the contrast between Sept. 30, 2016 on the left and Oct 6, 1996 on the right. What a difference a little rain makes. |
|
 |
|
 This is what that same waterfall looks like before the rains come |
|
 Water has its way, even with stone |
|
|
Farther upstream, we stopped at the Fish Watch. This is a large pool where hundreds of steelhead hang out all summer, waiting for the rain so they can travel farther up the creeks to spawn. A friend of ours, Lee, lives beside the pool and guards it to prevent poachers. Years ago it was called Dynamite Pool. You can figure out why. |
|
 We have taken virtually every visitor to Lee's pool. Some summers there are 500-600 fish. Lee wasn't there today, so we don't know how many fish he's counted. |
|
|
We drove higher, exploring roads we hadn't driven before. Too many of
them were tree tunnels, with no views. Hunting for a vista lunch spot,
we followed a road that on the topo map looked promising, leading to the
top of Buster Butte. The shrubbery closed in so we parked the car and
walked about a half mile farther. Sort of a view (where's a good
clearcut when you need one?) but much more interesting: many piles
of bear poop! The stuff was old and dry, but the bushes still had plenty
of berries. No need to push our luck, so we lunched back by the car.
We've renamed the place: Bear Poop Butte. |
|
 Vine maples were spectacular |
 BIG stuff!!! |
 Ridge after ridge after ridge after . . . . |
 Big leaf maple glowing in the afternoon sun |
 The creeks are really low but the reflections are beautiful |
 |
|
|
|
|
After a great day exploring, that night the rains began. Fall has truly arrived on the North Umpqua! |
|