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Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area (Highway 38, Oregon)
We are currently in Seaside, Oregon for the 34th Annual Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament. Today’s photo comes from our drive to Seaside. We decided to take Highway 38 (between Roseburg and Reedsport) because we never had before. Along the way we saw a couple fields on the left side of the highway (the right side was the Umpqua River) with elk.
Rogue River’s Blossom Bar
#mynwrcphoto @NWRafting
Today’s photo features our trip leader, Dustin of Northwest Rafting Co., taking a duckie (AKA single-person raft) down the river’s most difficult rapid. On average, more than one person a year dies in these rapids. We all made it through without even capsizing. However, only the guides rode the single-person rafts down. The private group after us wasn’t so lucky. They were all OK though.
Once upon a time, Blossom Bar was impassable. Glen Wooldridge made Blossom Bar passable in the 20th Century by using strategically placed charges of dynamite. He would row up to a rock, drop dynamite onto the other side of the rock, and then quickly row away. He repeated this process until Blossom Bar became configured the way it is today.
Coffee Pot on the Wild & Scenic Rogue River
Pilot Rock (Ashland, Oregon)
Just a mile over the California border lies Pilot Rock (in Oregon). I made it to the top today for the third time. However, I think this will be my last time. Today was my first time in almost eight years, and I don’t remember it being this difficult. I don’t think it has changed which means I must be the one who has. (I’m getting old.)
The trail to the top has changed and is currently changing. Recently the old part of the trail you can see in the lower-right portion of today’s photo has been covered over in branches. Instead of a straight up, wide ascent over loose gravel for this old part of the trail, a new switchback has been created. Nice. A big improvement.
The other new change to the trail is its length. Previously you could park near the intersection of the Pilot Rock trail head and the PCT. No more. They are currently turning the last mile or so of these directions into single track. I’m guessing that by the beginning of September 2015 the fire road that previously took you to the small parking lot will all be single track. The new parking lot is much bigger. The Pilot Rock hike is now a mile or so longer (each way).
If you want to see what turning a fire road into a single track hiking trail looks like, head up there in the next few days or weeks. The process is surprisingly interesting.
Also, the recently refreshed and marked Lone Pilot Trail can be accessed from the location of the old parking lot.
Lone Pilot Trail (Southern Oregon)
I would have never encountered yesterday’s great horned owl had it not been for today’s bald eagle. We were heading to the bald eagles’ nest when we encountered the owls.
Today I returned to Ashland after a couple nights in Beatty, Oregon. This photo comes from a spot near the Sycan River on Tuesday. I went back to see the owls again on Wednesday and Thursday. See them again I did. However, by the time I had my camera out, they split.
Ashland’s Grizzly Peak @ dusk during vicia season (early May)
Turdus migratorius
While the models were changing in Lithia Park last week I had a few moments to capture some of the park’s birds.
