Round Lake Golf & RV Resort, Klamath Falls, OR
Sunday, June 03 - We left Mountain Gate RV Park in Redding, CA on I-5 and Hwy. 97 and arrived at Round Lake Golf & RV Resort in Klamath Falls, OR around 11:30. Klamath Falls is located at the intersections of Hwy. 140 & 97. Scenary was beautiful on I-5. We drove over a bridge crossing Shasta Lake, considered the houseboat capital of the world. The lake has 370 miles of shoreline and is considered California’s largest lake. We saw so many variations of evergreen trees on mountains and Mount Shasta in the distance. We were constantly going from one mountain or high hill to another. Lots of trucks. On Hwy. 97 there was not a whole lot of traffic. We passed through Whiskeytown and Tulelake.
Tulelake is the horseradish capital of the World, producing 1/3 of America’s harvest.
We traveled mostly in the valley with mountains surrounding us. Volcanic activity was well pronounced in the cuts made in the rocks for the roadways.
On our drive we saw our first white pelicans in the nearby waterway. Lot of cattle and horses and our elevation was a constant 4,000 ft.
We had great weather upon our arrival. The park is wide open and surrounded by trees and high mountains. The lake on adjoining golf course is beautiful and took some pictures of the birds that were flying around. There are barn sparrows everywhere, robins, red wing blackbirds, and white skimmers darting here and there. Was not surprised to read that this is a World Class Birding area with over 350 species that call this major Pacific Flyway layover home. Something I’d like to see during the summer (they say it is May – August) Here we are in June and 45 degrees is a high? Something wrong with this picture! But we want to see Crater Lake National Park.
Monday, June 4 - We got a late start to see Crater Lake. On the way we stopped at the tourist center and also saw the famous Goeller house across the street. Built in 1905 by Fred Goeller who owned a planing mill down on the river. It is a private residence today.
Ray also took a picture of the stuffed Pelican in the tourist information center.
Crater Lake NP in Southern Oregon is the deepest lake in the US at 1,932 ft. and one of the bluest lakes in the world. Eruption of Mt. Mazama more than 7,000 years ago caused the lake as it sits in a huge crater, which is bordered by walking paths, interpretive panels, and thousands of photo ops. Along our drive we saw mountains all around and on our left was Mt. McLaughlin at 9,000 + ft. with tons of snow on top. The valley has cattle everywhere and there is a levy on our left with a railroad track on top of it. There are wild flowers everywhere. We also saw deer grazing –
William Gladstone Steel is credited with the founding of Crater Lake National Park. He was fascinated with the enchanted beauty of Crater Lake when he first learned of it from a newspaper that was wrapped around his lunch when he was a school boy. His first glimpse of this exquisite beauty in 1885 inspired him to devote his life and fortune to set aside this scenery for all of us to enjoy. After 17 years of dedication and hard work, his dream came true when President Theodore Roosevelt signed the bill on May 22, 1902, to establish Crater Lake as the nation's sixth national park.
The clean, clear, cold lake water contained no fish until they were introduced by humans from 1888 to 1941. Today, rainbow trout and kokanee salmon still survive in Crater Lake. Wildflowers bloom late and disappear early here, thriving in wet, open areas. Birds and other animals often seen are ravens, jays, nutcrackers, deer, ground squirrels and chipmunks. Present but seldom seen are elk, black bear, foxes, porcupines, pine martens, chickaree squirrels and pikas.
The lake was formed after the collapse of an ancient volcano, posthumously named Mount Mazama. This volcano violently erupted approximately 7,700 years ago. That eruption was 42 times as powerful as the 1980 eruption
· Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States
· The second deepest lake in the Western Hemisphere
Tuesday, June 5 - Today we decided to stay in due to the weather. We did go into town for groceries. As soon as we arrived back home the hail about the size of a pea started but didn’t last long. At 4,000 ft. but in a flat valley, we get a constant 20 to 30 mph wind off the lake. We can see the robins outside looking for worms and we see the Mountain Bluebirds flying by every now and then.
Forecast off the internet says “chilly" air mass invading the area...frost possible at midweek... temperatures will dip into the 30s tonight and again Wednesday night. winds and cloud cover should keep frost from forming tonight...but as skies clear and winds diminish Wednesday night into early Thursday morning...the threat of frost will increase...especially in some of the protected valley areas.
Wednesday, June 06 - The rain has stopped, but it is only a high of 45 degrees today. Took Mitzy out for a brief walk and the wind cuts right through my layers. A major cold front hit northern California, all of Oregon and Washington. We didn’t go as planned originally to see the Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge and Lower Klamath National Wildlife. We also wanted to see the Lava Beds National Monument south of here. The Modoc War, which occurred largely inside what is no Lava Beds is the only Indian War in which a general was killed in US history. The Lava Beds National Monument was a training ground for the astronauts heading to the moon. Just too cold to enjoy outdoors so we will prepare for our very early departure tomorrow to Eugene.