The Rouge River Valley

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At every stop we have made there comes time to load up and move on and normally we are ready to go. This is the first time that we wish we had a few more days to continue exploring. Grants Pass, OR sits in the fertile Rouge Valley between the Siskiyou and Cascade mountain ranges and of course the Rouge River, spring fed by waters from Crater Lake, runs right through town. This is nice little city, clean, green and dedicated to outdoor living. Much is made of the Rouge River rafting and salmon fishing that draws tourist from all over the west but we found there are large cattle ranches and farms throughout the valley that support the local and statewide markets. Spring is beautiful here but I would like to come back in the summer when the river is not so high and fast and the fishing season is open (closed now) as we saw many spots that appear to be great salmon and trout waters. Since we couldn’t fish we did the next best thing, explore. Our first day here the weather was perfect so we took advantage of that to get back on the bike making a 100 mile trip through the hills and along the river. We stopped for a great cheeseburger and homemade macaroni and cheese lunch at little place that we just found along the way proving again that just riding until you’re hungry and stopping at some local café is always the best plan. For Mother’s Day Michelle wanted to drive to Crater Lake and as luck would have it, it was a perfect day to actually see the lake. At 7,100 feet the lake and most of the park is stuck in the clouds an average of 50% of the time (check the webcam before you leave) but in May the average is only 20%. We hit it on a nearly cloudless day. The drive up to the top was spectacular weaving through the pine forest on very good National Park Service roads without much traffic. The nations deepest lake is actually a water filled caldera from an ancient volcano that collapsed into itself after all the magma was spewed out. It is filled with only rain water and melting snow so the water is nearly pure and a stunning color of blue. Speaking of snow, there was still plenty of it up there and in fact only one of the viewing sights around the rim the is open and even there we had to trek across the snow to take pictures (the Rim Road doesn’t open until June this year). You will see in the pictures the poles and rope that mark the edge of the cliff and past that is an avalanche waiting to happen….do not walk out there. We took our pictures, raided the gift shop and made it back down the mountain stopping for some very good local Umpqua ice cream along the way. Some people do winery tours, we do ice cream shop tours!! So today we begin to pack up and get ready to leave our picturesque river front site with regrets that we didn’t have enough time to ride up to the redwoods, explore the Oregon Caverns, or experience the local vortex that is said to be magical. We spoke with a fellow RV’er that has been here at River Edge RV Resort for 8 years, I guess I can understand, but we have bigger fish to fry. Included here are some pictures from Vacaville, CA where we met Michelle’s brother Dennis for a few days of visiting and eating goodies from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory outlet store. He is doing great, Michelle talked his ears off, and we got Dennis way off his diet for a couple days. We also think he may be in the market for a new Harley…..or maybe not.

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Comments

[Marcella Goodwin]

Crater Lake is a color of blue that should have its own name. I have fond memories of the area and of rafting the Rouge in an oar boat with Dennis and friends. Indescribable beauty. It must have been spectacular on a bike.