7/25/2019 Crater Lake, Oregon. Hiking at 7000’ elevation

Sandy and I decided to hike down to the gorgeous blue water of Crater Lake.  The Park Rangers say it is 1 mile down and 10 miles to get back to the top.  They also say that it is the trail that has the most accidents.  Simply due to the strenuous upward climb and the heat of the summer.  Many hike down, but are not able to make the climb out due to:

- Elevation - Do not understand the effect of the higher elevation on your  body

-Dehydration

- Lack of nourishment (food)

-  Out of shape   

We both carried backpacks with plenty of water/food.  Of course I over packed just in case, but paid for it due to the extra weight.

Not only did we do the hike down to the lake, we also took a Park boat on the lake over to Wizard Island and climbed to its summit to view the caldera.  It took us 1 hour, 15 minutes to make the climb to the caldera.  It was a strenuous hike.  The trail was approximately 3’ wide and if you stumbled or misplaced your foot down you would plummet.  This was definitely one of those hikes where you constantly watch where your next step will be.  At an age of 60+ I am happy that we were still able to make the climb 

After returning to the Park boat, the Park Ranger gave us a guided tour around the lake.

Once we finished our guided tour of the lake we then had the make the 1 mile ascent back to the car (again this is the climb that the Park Rangers say feels like a 10 mile climb).  It took us another 1 hr, 15 minutes to climb out.  The day pushed us to our limit.  Sandy recalled a quote from a friend of mine (from another hike a few years ago) as we crested the top “that’s the last time we climb out of that stinkin hole”. :-)

I am glad we did it, but we won’t do it again.

I will say that Crater Lake is gorgeous as you can tell by the attached pictures.  To me, it is definitely worth seeing once.  I don’t know that we will be back.  I think that Sandy and I have traveled to so many places that we are becoming very particular on choosing our favorite locations to return for another visit.

7/9/2019. Live Long and Prosper! Vulcan Salute

I am not a trecky. I am not even sure I spelled it right, but I did google the spelling.

Anyways, we are in Portland Oregon.  The Portland motto is keep Portland Weird.

Well yesterday an old MotorHome pulled in next to us in the campground.

On the front where you would typically see the company logo it says “V’Ger”.  On the top above the windshield it says “Phasers on Stun”.  The side reads “Home is where the Journey Ends”, and the back reads “Boldly going where we have not Gone  Before”

Now Sandy and I can relate to some of the sayings, but I am not ready to put  them on the COW.

I can only say that this couple must truly be TRECKY’s.

Of course I am waiting for an opportunity to talk with them just to see if they really carry phasers and have pointed ears but as of this writing they continue to stay held up within their space ship.  

The fact that we are in Portland, neither Sandy nor I are bothered by the sight of an Alien Space Ship Parked next to us, but if R2D2 should greet me when I pay them a visit, I guess that would throw me for a loop.

ONLY IN PORTLAND :-)

6/30/2019. Astoria, Oregon. Fort Stevens. 1st Television Cable Transmission 1948. Astoria Column

Sandy and I are along the Oregon Coast.  We drove North to the mouth of the Columbia River.  This is where the river opens up to the Pacific Ocean.  Within eyesight of the opening is the city of Astoria.  A number of years ago the President of one of the railroads had a money making idea to offer a traveling train  which would take tourists on an adventure from Chicago to the West Coast. It would travel through a number of western cities.  To create interest he offered the cities money to create/build something that would interest tourist.  The city of Astoria used the money to build the “Astoria Column”. It is a large tower containing a spiral staircase with 162 steps leading to the top.  At the top you overlook the city, the mouth of the Columbia River.  (See Attached)

The Astoria Column is also known as the spot where the 1st Cable Transmission was successfully completed to Seattle on Thanksgiving 1948 and the location of the 1st community Television Antenna February 1949.

The other surprise in the same general area was “Fort Stevens State Park”.  It is a Historic Military Site.  The site was used during the Civil War, World War I, and World War II to protect the Columbia River Channel.  The concern was that enemy submarines could travel down the Columbia River and attack cities internal to the United States.  The fort is actually hidden below ground and cannot be seen from the water level.  In 1863 it was built with twenty six 10” muzzle loading Rodman Cannons due to the presence of British and Confederate Sea Raiders.  In the 1900’s the Fort was updated numerous times.  These updates included 10” disappearing cannons, Mine Docks to deploy floating explodable mines in the rivers channel, 12” mortar, Torpedo loading room, bomb-proof and gas-proof test tanks, as well as a hospital, and other facilities.  The disappearing guns are actually below ground and are raised prior to firing.  The Japanese snuck a submarine into the Columbia River Channel on June 21 1942 by following returning fishing vessels through the net of explodable mines.  They actually fired 17 explosive shells into the surrounding area but since the fort was hidden they never hit the fort.  The commander of the base ordered the fort to turn out all its lights and not to fire back so as not to get discovered.  The concern was that by firing back they would expose their location and that the guns they had available would not reach the submarine. United States Army Air Force on a training mission spotted the submarine and called in a A-29 Bomber to attack.  The submarine successfully avoided the bombs and did escape.