Thursday, August 10, 2006
Start point: 44 14.990 N, 121 29.219 W
End point: 44 09.629 N, 121 21.422 W
We got a slightly later start since we first needed to drive both vehicles 9 miles southeast from the KOA campground where we were staying, then drive one of them back. It was close to 8:15 a.m. when we started.
We had now officially left the mountains and entered the high desert of central Oregon. Technically, this is not part of the Great Basin desert, but lies north of it on the Columbia Plateau. However, the climatic effect is interrelated. The Cascade Mountains tend to draw out most of the moisture from the airflow off the Pacific Ocean, leaving a dryer climate on the east side of the mountains. What few trees we now saw were no longer ponderosa pines, but western junipers. Open meadows made for spectacular views of the line of volcanoes that so uniquely characterizes the western skyline of the Bend area: Mt. Jefferson, Black Butte, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Washington, the Three Sisters (Faith, Hope, and Charity to the pioneers, now South, Middle, and North), Broken Top, and Mt. Bachelor. Neatly-trimmed ranches bore witness to the shift of money from west and south to this area in the past couple of decades.
We found the first penny of the day about four steps into the walk, and the parade of found coins just would not quit. We found $2.20 in coins, smashing not only any one-day high for the Ocean Stew project, but also beating the highest total of coins Joe and I combined had ever found in one day on a Rulk, which was $2.16 (see March 27, 2000: Half Moon Bay). Of course, that does not include the Rulk on which I found a $20 bill – but that was an exception among exceptions.
We finished the walk just after 11:30 and drove back to KOA.
Walk rating: 8.0
Money found: Day: $2.20 (new record) Trip: $4.16 Project: $8.48
Distance: Day: 9.2 miles Trip: 54.6 miles Project: 179.5 miles
Elapsed time: Day: 3:27 Trip: 20:29 Project: 69:32
Significance: None
We ate homemade sandwiches for lunch, and then moved our stuff under cover as the sky rapidly clouded up and blew some raindrops our way. Joe worked on office work inside the store at an eating table to get out of the wind, and I sat on the covered patio by the pool and read a book. I even took a nap in the tent as the wind whipped it around a bit. We then discovered that the Camry had a dead battery. I must have left the ignition partly turned on when I removed the key. Neither of us had brought jumpers, so we decided to have AAA come out first thing in the morning to start it. We drove to Sisters in Joe’s truck, visited the library to go online, and ate dinner at El Rancho Grande again.
Back at camp, it was time for the cribbage finals. Tied at 20, we agreed that the first one to 23 would be the series champion. Joe made it quick by skunking me the first game for 2 points, and then edging me out in the second game to win the title. This would be our last night camping out for this trip.
By sundown, the clouds had cleared. However, a new smoke plume was rising from a new fire a few miles south of Black Butte.
