The McCloud River

As we traveled south, we received some great news, Dick and Melinda…cross continental travelers extraordinaire, multi-hundred per day road warriors, off-the-grid magicians and our dear friends, are slowly…oh so very slowly…trying to work their way up north via Highway 5. Warranty work on their coach has been the culprit of their delay. It has been almost a year since we last saw them, so we are extremely excited about the chance for a possible reunion.

We chose not to stray too far from "river energy", so we made plans to travel south to Hornbrook and stay at the Blue Heron RV Resort. Nestled right on the banks of the Klamath River, our past experience reminded us that there would be no "bad" sites at this resort quality park. It was also a perfect opportunity to visit with resort owners, Bill and Cathy, still looking healthy, full of spunk, energy and dedicated to the dream of further developing their beautiful property. We enjoyed great meals at their riverfront restaurant, The Fishhook, and shared some interesting conversations with fellow guests. Although the weather was warm, the sound of rapids and hunting osprey, proved to be soothing, nourishing and relaxing...diminishing any discomfort the heat may have created. And as it turned out...we only needed to stay one night...a Rauscher rendezvous was set for the next two days in McCloud, CA.

The McCloud River is one of California's most aquatic jewels. Located near the top of California, north of the Sierra Nevada and at the southern end of the Cascade Range, the McCloud snakes its way down a scenic canyon beneath the rugged slopes of 14,000-foot Mount Shasta.

Well known to the river is a series of waterfalls which tumble over basaltic lava flows, known collectively as the Falls of the McCloud River.

These waters are also renowned for its legendary Shasta Rainbow Trout and exotic Brown trout. The river has been a fisherman's paradise ever since its original inhabitants, the Wintu Indians, speared and trapped salmon and steelhead as the fish made their seasonal journeys from the sea. And located nearby, in the town of McCloud, is Dance Country RV Resort...the site of our reunion.

Our visit with Dick and Melinda not only included months worth of catching up, but also a sampling of delightfully grilled meats & veggies and multiple glasses of tasty varietals. We did make sure though to schedule and devote some quality time to exploring this beautiful recreation area. But first we were honored to be invited to join our friends as they sadly bid a farewell to their longtime companion "Naz". No longer restrained to a leash attached to Melinda's hand during their daily walks...his romps are now painless...with infinite energy, freedom and joy...resting in his ethereal home as it stands guarded by Mt. Shasta, landscaped with beautiful trees and soothed by the sounds of a wild river...
We chose the Upper McCloud River Trail to provide us our daily dose of hiking. Considered a leisurely day hike along the upper McCloud River, this trail skirts three falls, Lower, Middle & Upper Falls. Fortunately there was plenty of shade and perfect river access to soak our feet in...for after a late evening of "tasting"...this round trip hike, with some steep climbs and long switchbacks emptied our tank at the 4.3 mile mark. It was time to get back to the rigs for some pupus and cold beers.

And as it is felt too often when in the company of such special souls...moments fly by and the time to say farewell arrives far to quickly...carrying some emptiness and sadness along with it. But memories always come to the rescue and we now look forward to seeing them after the New Year, when they again journey south to their winter "hunting" grounds...

Tomorrow we begin another leg home...

Thundering Waters

There is an old proverb, “That all good things must come to an end”, maybe truth for some, but not yet for these BlaNics… And so we left Casey’s, the Middle Fork of the Willamette River, the endless National Forest trails and the many wonderful memories shared with our fellow travelers…and took our traveling show to Canyonville and the Umpqua National Forest.

After being parked on the banks of the Willamette for two weeks, you get used to the rhythm and sounds of the river…so we (she!) made sure that our itinerary for our return trip home included a dose of blue waters.

Seven Feathers RV Resort is beautiful, surrounded by layers of healthy forests, but no river, only the intermittent sounds of Highway 5 travelers in the distance. Our fortune though is that the beautiful Wild and Scenic North Umpqua River, renowned for its outstanding fishing environments and exhilarating whitewater challenges, is only a short distance away...just drive east on Highway 138. The road meanders alongside these legendary waters, deep into forests of old growth Douglas-fir. So off we went to explore a few of its hidden treasures…the spectacular rapids and thundering falls, aquamarine pools, the groomed hiking trails and breathtaking viewpoints.

There are 11 waterfalls on the North Umpqua…and although we would have loved to find the time and foot power (all required a hike in for viewing) to see all of them, we did manage to view a couple.

Deadline Falls, is a short but powerful cascade of water, that provided an opportunity to observe sea-run steelhead jumping up the falls, as they journey toward their spawning beds upstream in the tributary waters of the Cascade Mountains. We looked and looked…and looked again, but did not see any jumping fish…may have been too early in the season.

After a nice slog up the mountain side, we were rewarded with an excellent close-up view of Watson Falls. This majestic waterfall is the highest in southwest Oregon, plunging 272 feet over the edge of a basalt lava flow.

We continued our westward drive, following the river for as far as we could, stopping and admiring the flycasters, the rafters...the beauty of the land. We realized that we were a "short" 29 miles from Diamond Lake, so we decided to explore future rv resort opportunities around the lake. As we cruised through Diamond Lake RV Resort...we were again reminded that the world of motorhoming is indeed a small one. Who do we run into? But fellow Casey's RV Park attendees and Lompoc residents, Delores, Chuck, Meriam and Leo. And just in time too! Chuck needed a reason to stop cleaning his coach and nursing cold beers with us proved to be a perfect reason. Could have visited longer with these wonderful folks if a 129 mile trip home was not awaiting us. And since we were up in the general vicinity, we decided to check out and sample a culinary experience recommended by friends Jeff and Janice...the legendary Becky's Restaurant of Prospect, Oregon. And we do agree...great food...awesome pies!

The Umpqua Valley is Oregon's oldest fine wine appellation...home to 18 family owned artisan wineries. We chose HillCrest Vineyard to do some tasting, the state's first commercial vineyard and winery established in 1961. We love the small wineries...the hospitality is warm, you get to meet the owner/winemakers and as you taste their wines you are entertained by them as they discuss their cherised craft. This vineyard produced some very bold and distinctive wines and we did not leave without making sure we took a few "vines" for a future taste.

And a trip to the country would not be complete without a visit to the local produce farm. We have found that the organic vegetables and fruits sold at these rural stands is outstanding when it comes to selection, taste, quality and freshness. We also get to pick our own blackberries...we ate as much as we picked while strolling through all the vines...so it was even a better value.

Tomorrow we slide quietly across the border into California...but still the river beckons us...so let it! The Klamath River will be our "front yard" for a day or two...