Gary-Summer: Sept 17, 2021 - Day Eleven-Craters of the Moon to Ontario

Friday, September 17, 2021

Sept 17, 2021 - Day Eleven-Craters of the Moon to Ontario

Title: Sept 17, 2021 - Day Eleven-Craters of the Moon to Ontario
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Trail head: Inferno Cone parking area

Type: Hiking : Car

Trail: Inferno Cone Trail

Destination: Inferno Cone

Distance: 0.37 miles ¹

Elevation Rise: 145 '

Descent: 149‘

Maximum Elevation: 6,161'

Hike Info:

Trail head: Indian Caves parking area

Type: Hiking

Trail: Indian Caves Trail

Destination: Indian Caves

Distance: 1.17 miles ¹

Elevation Rise: 116'

Descent: 114‘

Maximum Elevation: 5,788'

¹Hike data plotted from Google Earth

Mileage: 264 miles

Description:

Craters of the Moon Entrance

Lava Fields looking towards Craters

I was the first one up at 7am. Lawrence needs to make a dash, as much as you can dash with a teardrop trailer being towed by a Subaru. He needs to go on a more direct route to the Bay Area. So we are taking Andrea to Bend. Consequently, I am rearranging our car to take on her gear as well as her person. We should be able to do this.

Yesterday I talked about the scrub plants in the Boondoggle area. Well they got us. They have these goat-head like sticker thingys. Well one or more must have gotten into the tent. Sherri’s mattress was definitely less comfortable last night than the rest of the trip. It had deflated some-not completely but enough that the princess could feel the pea-sized rock underneath.

Inferno Cone

Lawrence makes us scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. I cannot say the broccoli and mushroom is appreciated by me, but it is by everyone else. I guess that is the price to be paid for being someone of limited tastes. I feel though that we all have bent to each other’s desires and tried to be accommodating-at least that is how I feel I have been treated.

Gary looking south on top of Inferno Cone

We have packed and are ready to leave. Andrea says goodbye to Lawrence and we leave the KOA campground at 10:30. It is only about 19 miles to the Crater of the Moon National Monument. We first stop at the Visitor Center, and get a map, along with a stamp to allow us into the caves. The idea is that there is a white fungus disease which bats get and die from. So parks with caves are pretty concerned about restricting the possibility of this disease. I bought a shot glass for Steven and got a National Parks passport stamp.

Looking South

When we enter the main part of the park, we first look at the campground. This would have been entirely suitable. Of course, we would have had to eat before coming. Also there is little or very sporadic Internet connectivity here. So it was probably best to have stayed in Arco. That is, except for that thorny issue we encountered. Andrea gets a text from Lawrence. He realized that he would be passing right by the Craters of the Moon before he heads out. So we went back out and met him.

Andrea and Lawrence

We bring him back and travel around the loop, stopping at the Inferno Cone. We had seen this when we turned out before coming into the monument.climb. This is like a cinder cone without having the interior blown away like in Lassen. (In reading further, I fond that there was a cavity at one time, but wind and erosion has filled it in.) The trail up is steep up. Lawrence and Andrea buzz right on up; I am bushed on the way up. But one step after another gets us to the top. From the top, we have a 360^o view of the area. Craters provide the most relief from the flatness, but not all. Occasionally we see another mound in the distance.

Inferno Cone Tree

Like Sentinel Dome, there is a tree standing there, defying the elements and the sun. Unlike the Sentinel Tree this one does not look worn. When we come down, we drive a little ways to the Spatter Cones and Snow Cone parking area. Here we have lunch. There are a couple formations which look interesting and has trails to them. They exhibit the formation of lava in these parts.We take the short walk to them. In some ways, they are non-descript. But they do show how these cones have a hole in the middle. There is a sign saying the reason why we cannot climb on these cones is that they have lost several inches of height due to people climbing and crawling over them.

Spatter Cone Interior

Now it is time for Lawrence to leave so he can make it down to I-80 this evening. We drove him back to his car. Then say our farewells. We-meaning, Andrea, Sherri and I go back and explore the Indian Tunnel. We get there by walking about a mile down a paved trail. There is a barren area to my eyes. Lava stretching as far as my eyes can see. But hidden out there are several lava tubes.

We find the Indian Tunnel and descend into its cavity. There are rock steps down. Towards the bottom, my toe catches a rock and I come close to tripping, rising concerns momentarily apprehension ny those who accompany me. The cavern which this lava tube must have been immense before the roof fell in. But this lets daylight to flood the tunnel and we hardly need a light except for a few places. This means the floor of the cavern is littered with boulders. We pick our way around these and walk the length of it. At the end of the tunnel, we climb out onto the lavel bed. There are steel poles marking a return route to the start of the tunnel. I am not sure I would be able to find my way without them. Everything is a series of lava bumps.

Indian Tunnel

When we get back to the car, we feel like we would love to explore more of the formations at Craters of the Moon, but we have a few miles to go before we stop tonight. So we say farewell to this barren and desolate place and hit the road. We keep going west along Highway 20. Then change out to I84 which will take us to Boise.

Gary climbing out of Tunnel

There are two questions which we have as we approach Boise. First, where to stay. But evidently there is a Boise State football game and rooms are tight. So this does not sound promising. But Sherri and Andrea find a place down the road in Ontario, OR. The second question is where to have dinner-we are getting a bit hungry. Our friend Fritz went too Boise so we messaged him. He recommends the Idaho Pizza Company. We find out there are several in Boise, but we pick one about a mile off the Interstate on Broadway.

Lava Stretching on forever

Pizza

Bread sticks

We were a little bummed when we got there. It looked like they had outdoor seating. But they no longer do. But we saw a room off to the side which we could be isolated in-Idaho is one of those low vaccination/high COVID infection states. So we decided to chance it. Both the bread sticks and pizza were great, hitting home. We filled up and were content.

With that we hit the road again for another hour up to Ontatrio in Oregon, right over the border from Idaho. We hit the Quality Inn there. They had a room for us. We got into the room and were able to relax, then fall asleep quickly.