Having a Blast in Oregon

Oregon is a diverse state, with wild coasts, rolling wheat fields, snow capped volcanoes and high deserts all in a relatively compact area. We arrived in the Stub Stewart State Park about 30 miles NW from Portland and were amazed at seeing our first wheat fields in months. The countryside was pastoral and gentle.  Just like Portland, Oregon's main city which struck us as being a refined, inviting place unlike say Seattle or Vancouver which simple assert themselves as if they had nothing to prove. We met up with old friends from NZ who run a 'neighbourhood eatery' in the leafy suburbs serving boutique beer and gorgeous Oregon wines. Next stop was the Columbia Gorge. Here the mighty Columbia River crashes through the Cascade Mountains scurrying to the sea. In the process it has ground a huge chasm in the mountains through which the water, rail, roads and fibre cables run. Barges ply the waters rising hundreds of feet in huge locks along side salmon heading hundreds of miles upstream to spawn.

The Dalles at the eastern end is a major communications centre hosting Google's biggest data centre and centres nearby for Facebook and Microsoft. The cool dry weather, the plentiful electricity from the dams on the river and the great fibre pipes running past all combine to make this one of the most important centres on the Internet.  In the distance another active volcano makes it presence felt with glaciers covering the top of Mt Hood even in the hottest summers. We drove up there past lovely orchards and Alpaca farms.

Even at this time of the year, there were skiers on the slopes.  We moved on into the high desert on the eastern side of the Cascades and headed South to Bend. We had a lovely campground, probably the best we had ever stayed in. It was warm, sunny and dry unlike the more changeable weather on the coastal plains of Oregon. The area and in fact most of Oregon is very volcanic. Near to Bend is the Newberry Volcanic Field which covers hundreds of square miles and is the largest in the USA. We drove up a lava butte for amazing views over to the snow capped Cascades. We climbed down into the ground and traversed lava caves produced in the last major eruption only a few thousand years ago.

Then south again and into the heart of the Cascades and the remains of what was only 7000 years ago the tallest mountain in Oregon - Mt Mazama. It blew its top off and created one of the wonders of the world in the process, the beautiful Crater Lake. Words are difficult to describe it. Blue it is but it is also huge, 10 km in diameter and it sits at 7000 ft high enclosed in the remains of Mt Mazama. We drove around its rim admiring the view from many overlooks. A really special place on the beautiful day we chose to visit. In cloud and drizzle it would lose a lot.

We were camped in the valley of the Rogue River, a very pretty river formed on the slopes of Mt Mazama and flowing over boulders and through narrow gorges and past our campsite.

And now alas Oregon is but a memory as I sit on the banks of the Sacramento River in Redding in 98F heat. Heat that we had forgotten about in the past 10 weeks after we arrived in Yellowstone N.P in mid June. But its nice to sit outside in the warm evening with a cold beer watching the river flowing fast on its way to San Francisco Bay where I hope its waters will push along Team New Zealand as they battle  Oracle tomorrow. Good luck Team NZ. It will be great to have the Ole Mug back in NZ again.

This week and next we continue our slow way down through the Californian Gold Country to San Diego where we are meeting a Celebrity.