Friday 29th April:

A good day is always determined by the number of photographs taken.....today was up there.

Moss covered rocks, green clear waters sometimes slow moving otherwise racing against gravity in narrow gorges.

Finally at the pass at 1800metres we are driving between huge snow drifts. Time to do the snowman thing, with just a bit of Ozzie flavour!

Continuing North and camped off H’way 97 overlooking snow covered mountains

Camp 74:  H’way 97 Camp,  Cost $ Zero

N41* 39.054 W122* 06.775

Today:  257 Kms 

Total: 18,091 Kms.

Saturday 30th April:

The day started at -4C outside, so we were away earlier than normal. Whilst travelling we Googled ‘Crater Lake’ and found the South road was opened to the crater rim. Great, turned off h’way 97 towards that.

As we climbed the snow just got thicker on the sides of the road.  The sky blue and clear.

What just got better, was at the visitors centre we learnt of a 2 hour snowshoe walk starting at the crater rim in just 40 minutes.

With snow shoes strapped to our boots we, and about 20 others plodded out into the 10 foot (3metre) deep snow.

Walking for about 2 kms through thick powder snow and large stands of Douglas Fur we learnt of the trees and animals that inhabit this region.

Then cresting a snow brow before us was the impressive Crater Lake. Formed 7,700 years ago when a huge volcano (Mt Mozama) collapsed into its cone.

It was then time for some fun in the snow.

Camp was with snow still on the ground all around us.

Camp 75:  Union Creek Snow Camp , Cost $ Zero

N42* 54.372 W122* 26.777

Today:  211 Kms 

Total: 18,302 Kms.

It is now a plus to be in the ‘country’ where we are not paying for camping every night. We really do not need RV parks and paying $35 to 65 for a piece of pavement.

Finding a track into the forest and camp is more our style.

Sunday 1st May:

Travelling in a clockwise direction around the remnants of Crater Lake Mountain, all around us is snow.

Then in front Mt Thelsen loomed up before us.

As part of the John Day Fossil Bed Complex the Painted Hill beds were laid down 44million years ago.

Here was once a wet, semi tropical forest similar to the Panama’s jungles of today. These fossil beds are rich in the remains of fruits, nuts (Chestnuts,Walnuts, & Bananas), early Magnolias and Palms were common. In the animal kingdom several giant browsing mammals and cat like predators.

Camp directions, thanks to the local ranger was up a forestry road near an old stock yard.

At only 600metres high, the outside temperature was very pleasant, and the surroundings even reminding us of camping in outback Australia.

BBQ dinner an all.

Camp 76:  Stock Yard Camp,  Cost $ Zero

N44* 37.096 W120* 11.725

Today:  364 Kms 

Total: 18,667 Kms.

Monday 2nd May:

We heard last night on the radio that Osama Bin Ladin was killed...Finally justice for 911 and many other atrocities. It may not be the end but hopefully the beginning of the end, at least for his terrorism.

Left late this morning trying to figure out the electrical problems we are having with the vehicle house supply. Voltage constantly jumps from 6V to 18V...crazy!

Today a great paleontological tour. Spending at least 2 hours in the Thomas Condon Palaeontology Centre and walking through 40 million years of fossil records.

The John Day Fossil Beds are some of the richest on Earth representing the Age of Mammals over the last 45 million years.

What you see here is no ordinary mountain.

1. 1. 7mya (Million years ago). The top black section is a lava formation of pyroclastic fallout   that covered a semi-arid grassland where horses, bears, elephants, rhinos and camels grazed.
   

2. 2. 15mya. The pink section was a grasslands and hardwood forest home to horses and camels, also the true cats from Asia.
   

3. 3. 16mya. A dark Basalt layer from a lava flow.
   

4. 4. 20mya. The grey section featured cottonwood trees, shrubs and shallow rivers. The predecessors of Rhinos, Camels and horses grazed whilst bear-dogs was the common predator.
   

5. 5.24mya. Thin Pink layer. A forest of elm, birch, oak, and pine. Grasses first start to appear. Small rodents, three toed horses and rhinos are the dominant creatures.
   

6. 6.33mya. Greenish layer at the base. The earth was cooler and drier.  Numerous volcanic eruptions covered the hardwood habitat. Three toed horses, mouse deer, beavers browsed the plants. They were hunted by bear-dogs,and saber-toothed cats.
   

7. 7.Below and exposed elsewhere are sediments that date back to 45mya.
   

Travelling west on 26, we find a forestry road after the small town of Prairie City.

Camp 77:   Forestry Road Camp,  Cost $ Zero

N44* 31.286 W118* 37.936

Today:  170 Kms 

Total: 18,838 Kms.

Tuesday 3rd May:

Here we discovered one of the only remaining gold dredges preserved where it stuck on a bank. It mined 1,600 acres of river flats and $4.5M in gold yet stopped operation right here in 1954  with $100k in debt due to the large cost of fuel (electricity).

Following the road across the Blue Mountains the snow started to dominate the road until finally a metre vertical wall of snow stopped us.

Only the local with their Arctic Snow treaded ATV’s continued.

Returning and refilled the water tanks from a mountain snow melt stream.

It was snowing slightly and very cold.

Everywhere are these cute squirrels.

Heading further east outside of Baker City we call into their Interpretative Centre.

Here they portray the Overland Oregon Trail that tells the journey of thousands of immigrants from the Eastern States to Oregon around the 1850’s. A six months wagon train journey of 1,900 miles.

Well presented.

Now heading towards Hell’s Canyon on the Snake River and more snow topped mountain country.

Just after the small town of Halfway we turned up Forestry Road NF39 and found a nice camp by the river

Camp 78:   Hell’s Canyon Camp,  Cost $ Zero

N44* 57.145 W116* 57.728

Today:  292 Kms 

Total: 19,130 Kms.

Wednesday 4th May:

Continued up NF49 however only 15kms further the road became impassable with over a metre of snow covering the road.

Returned and drove the made road up Hells Canyon to and beyond the Snake River dam.

Scenery was OK.

Lyn had been looking for Big Horned Sheep way up in the hills, then this one just walked into the car park.

Our camp was out side of town at Arrowrock Reservoir.

Camp 79:   Arrowrock Camp,  Cost $ Zero

N43* 36.6265 W115* 56.258

Today:  382 Kms 

Total: 19,513 Kms.

Thursday, Friday 5,6th May:

Had the 50,000Kms service done by the Fuso dealer in Boise and stayed overnight at an RV park in Boise. Very nice and only $21/night where we did the laundry on Friday and restocked the fridge etc. Skyped the family late in the afternoon (Saturday morning in Australia) for an early Mothers Day and returned to Arrowhead camp for Friday night.