July 23, 2026 - Go to Victoria

 

Title: July 23, 2026 -  Go to Victoria

Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking : Car

Trail: Tumwater Falls

Trail head: Brewery Park

Distance: .75   miles ¹

Elevation Rise:  218'
Descent:  219'

Maximum Elevation: 102'

 ^{1Information from plotting on Google Earth}

 

Description:

I got up around 5:20 to find that there was no lightning to report on. After yesterday’s activity, that is good for both the area and me. Me because I can use the early morning hours just to enjoy a few things. For the area, it will give people time to find any fires started in the reporting area.

People and RipTide-now called Toste-started getting up at 6:30. I had my breakfast and then packed the car. Felt pretty proud of myself: everything is below seat level in back. In the past, I have only had a tunnel to look through to see out of the rear view mirror. Lawrence leaves for work at 7:40.

We leave Andrea and Lawrence’s house at 8:45. Andrea is driving and I am in the backseat-this is a rarity. A bit of conversation for a while. I work on a couple blog entries for this trip. When Andrea gets behind a Tesla which does not seem to understand how to drive on a freeway, she notes that you can buy a beautiful car, but you cannot buy driving skills. This will go in my email signature line sometime.

When we get to a rest stop, Toutle River to be exact, I take over driving, but not for long. In about 45 minutes, we came to Brewery Park. Andrea has stopped here and highly recommends it. There is a set of falls, Tumwater Falls. This is the area where Olympia beer was brewed. It is a short walk to the upper falls. There is something about the falls, both something plain and simple-after all it is essentially a fall which was created by a dam-which is a source of refreshment to one's eyes.

Fish Ladder

But we walk further down a path, maybe a third of a mile. Some of the path has metal grates which allows you to look down onto a fish ladder. Andrea notes that when the fish are running, you can watch them as they leap up the ladder. The path is really a loop. We cross over the Deschutes River and come back to the other side. A very pleasant walk. I have marked this as a place to stop for a nice break if we are in this section of Washington.

Just as a note: We had previously walked along Deschutes River in Bend, OR. But this is a different Deschutes River. You do not expect something with that name to have several versions of the river.

I continue to drive. We need to get some bread and stuff. There is a Trader Joe’s along the way which we stopped at two years ago. We stop again. I sent a picture to the family asking do they know where we are? This starts a text chasing which seems to have no end. Finally David remembers the place from two years ago.

Sherri and Andrea crossing the Deschutes 

And along the lines of two years ago, I made the same mistake we made two years ago. The direct road to Port Angeles looks more like a side offramp than something that major. I started off wrong and realized ten seconds into the route what we did wrong then and now. It took us ten minutes to get us right.

I drove for a little ways further until Andrea finished her sandwich. Then she took over driving. I have my usual sandwich. It is another 2+ hour drive to Port Angeles. Andrea gives narrative about the places she and Lawrence enjoyed on a recent trip up here. We make it right when the ferry over to Victoria starts to accept cars. There is an almost two hour wait to load. Andrea finds some fellow Dragon Boat racers and talks with them. I read. We do hear thunder to the west of us and the waters look choppy.

 

 

The ferry has us leaving the cars in the hold and go up to the passenger deck once the ferry starts to move, the effects of the choppy waters is shown . Andrea and Sherri go outside into the wind and wet, Sherri can barely keep upright, Shortly afterwards, She comes back in and I join Andrea. I do not do much better getting out. I am able to navigate by holding onto rails. With a little practice I can go short distances without holding on. Eventually I rejoin Sherri and Andrea inside.

Someplace on the water, we get a message from Verizon. In essence it says that they are switching us over to Canadian carriers, but we can still use data, make phone calls and text.

We had left a bit late and arrived a bit late. The sides of the lanes are so narrow, we have a difficult time getting back into the car. I try to be the one who crawls over the shifter and managed to get stuck. Andrea helps to get me unstuck.

Andrea drives us to the hotel, Robin Hood Inn Room 245. Looks pleasant enough. We have two queen beds with our own kitchen. The room is a quasi-second story. The hotel is built on a hillside, so the slope has us even, even though being on the second level. After we got settled in, we ordered food for pickup from Hecklers Bar and Grill. Andrea and I got a Beef Dip while Sherri had a chicken salad. Enjoyable. I thought I wanted something light, but I ate the whole thing. Shortly after finishing, we went to bed, around 10.

 

Extra Photo's

Little waterfall by trail

Sweat Pea by the Deschutes River

Upper Tumwater Falls

Gary, Andrea, and Sherri by Tumwater Falls

Deschutes River

Gary and Sherri by the fence locks

Entrance to the ferry

Waiting for the ferry

Sherri and Andrea getting a bit wet

Weather on the crossing

More crossing conditions

Father and Daughter

 
Flowers and Plants

Sept 19, 2021 - Day Thirteen: Prineville to Bend

 

Title:Sept 19, 2021 - Day Thirteen: Prineville to Bend
Hike Info : Description 

Trail head: Parking Lot by Ben&Jerry’s

 

 

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking : Car
Trail: Deschutes River Trail
Destination: Undecided
Distance:  2.68 miles 1
Elevation Rise: 187 '
Descent: 186‘
Maximum Elevation: 3,645'
 ¹Data and maps are derived from Google Earth
Car Mileage: 37 Miles

Description:

Woke up a little after six this morning, stayed in bed while inquiring about lightning activity in my area of the Sierra-none, fortunately. Finally got up around 7:30. Today we head for Bend and camp at Tumalo State Campground. Andrea has been here before and really liked it. I think she is eager to show it to us. It is so good having a daughter who enjoys sharing the good things in her life with her parents.

We are not in a rush or anything to leave the hotel. It is only about an hour drive to the campground. We have breakfast, pick up some coffee-for those who indulge-and are on our way. When we pass Redmond-no, not the Microsoft Redmond, but Oregon’s, it looks like a large fire must have passed through an area just east of it. Andrea talks about Redmond as a possible, affordable place to live.

We continued on to Bend, turning north for a few miles until we came to the Tumalo Campground, our home for the next couple of days. The campground looks quiet, well taken care of and the site has plenty of space for a comfortable stay. Plus the campground has showers! We are still good from the hotel stays, but this is nice.

After getting the campsite set up, we go downtown to REI. Maybe, just maybe it has a replacement air mattress-nope. But as a side benefit, where we park is a Ben&Jerry’s. How can we pass that up? It is a pretty cool day, but we still enjoy the ice cream outside.

As we are enjoying the ice cream, our eyes turn toward the outdoor stairs in back of the building. I am thinking San Francisco is not the only place with interesting stairs. These stairs are painted a sort of baby blue with storks and stuff. Where do they lead, we wonder? Only one way to find out.

And that is to climb them, which we do. This starts us off on our walk. It leads to a bridge across the Deschutes River. Once on the other side of the River, we walk a paved path about 15’ above the river. This is a multipurpose path-walkers, bikers, a few kayaks are around-not on the path. A good day to go on a gentle walk, following the flow of the stream. It looks like all on it are also enjoying their time as well.

There is something about walking without purpose, just enjoying your company-I think I have said that before. You get to talk with each other, maybe not about great ideas or deep personal stuff. When you can just talk about the small things in your life, there is a good measure of bonding which will be drawn on when serious matters need to be addressed (no I am not foreshadowing anything.).

One of the thoughts which wanders through this old man’s mind, who also happens to be a father, is, is this place a good fit for my daughter? Not that I have too much say in the matter. But I do have my eyes on that. So far, it is really nice. Wonder how the winters are? (I am writing this close to Christmas, and the answer is, while we will have rain, they will have a combination of snow and rain-does not sound fun.) Still, at least, this Fall, it is pleasant.

We come to the end of the pavement and walk further on a dirt path. We go a couple hundred yards on this and then decide we are getting hungry. So back we go, retreating up the same route we came down. But there are some exceptions. First, there is a nice park, with bathrooms which are open. We make use of this. Also before we cross the bridge again, we wander a little ways further up. We have been seeing posters for various acts at an amphitheater. and here it is. Not a large one, maybe about as large as where Fresno holds its Shakespeare plays at Woodward Park. It does look like a fun venue, assuming the weather is not cold.

Now to find a place to eat. We wander around, via car, in downtown Bend. Eventually we come across a parking area and make our way over to an eating establishment called Deschutes Brewery. An assortment of food, but what really caught our taste buds was a giant pretzel with a cheese sauce. It all tasted good. We then traveled by the house where Lawrence and Andrea will be staying in Bend. It looks pretty good.

By this time, we are ready to head back to camp. We do a little wander around camp before going to bed. A pretty nice, low-keyed day.

 

 

Places: OR-Deschutes

 
Deschutes River-161' (Wishram) (45.6354011, -120.9145096)
Legal: T__S, R__E, Sec__

Little Deschutes River-4,157' (Anns Butte) (43.8540071, -121.4539175)
Legal: T__S, R__E, Sec__

Deschutes Canyon-1,949' (Round Butte Dam) (44.5740280, -121.2735067)
Legal: T__S, R__E, Sec__

Upper Falls Deschutes River-3,950' (Benham Falls) (43.9787161, -121.4083706)
Legal: T__S, R__E, Sec__

Description : Trips : References : Pictures 


Description:

From GNIS:

• Deschutes River. Also called:
• Riviere des Chutes
• River of the Falls
• Falls River, State of Oregon. Department of Forestry Forest Protection District Maps: Tillamook. Salem: Oregon State Forestry Department, 1983.
• Deschutes River Scenic Waterway, State of Oregon. Department of Forestry Forest Protection District Maps: Tillamook. Salem: Oregon State Forestry Department, 1983.
• Clarks River
• Chutes River, State of Oregon. Department of Forestry Forest Protection District Maps: Tillamook. Salem: Oregon State Forestry Department, 1983.
• Riviere aux Chutes, McArthur, Lewis A. and Lewis L., Oregon Geographic Names, 5th
  Towornehiooks, Kolamkeni Koke, McArthur, Lewis A. and Lewis L., Oregon Geographic Names, 5th
• Wanawont,  McArthur, Lewis A. and Lewis L., Oregon Geographic Names, 5th
• Des Chutes River, Colton Maps, U.S. Atlas Series     December 31, 1869   
  
• Little Deschutes River. Also called:
•  East Fork
• East Fork of the  Deschutes River
• 
  

Trips:

• September 19, 2021 -Walked along the river at Bend, OR
  

References:

• National Wild and Scenic Rivers
• Wikipedia
• Visit Bend
• 
  

Pictures:

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