10-02-2021 Sheldon NWR to Grants Pass Oregon 289 Miles

We woke in the early morning after a great night's sleep to crystal clear skies.  I took some time to walk around the campground again in the early light.  The pond that supplied water for the pool reflected the silky sky.  A pair of ducks flapped and quacked as I walked around the small pond, but seemed unbothered by my presence.

I took a few more photos of the campground noticing how many campers had come in last night after we did. It was clear that volunteers who loved the campground and the spring took excellent care of the place. 

A free little library sponsored by the Friends of the Denio Library was full of books and magazines, and even a pair of rubber boots.

The little campground was beautiful in the early morning.  With a light breakfast, we were on the road by 9 am. 

Driving back toward Highway 140 on the 2 miles of gravel road didn't seem as troublesome as it had yesterday. Mo drove slowly enough that the shaking and rattling was minimal.

The woven fences around the main buildings at the refuge headquarters were fascinating.  Much of the infrastructure around the refuge that is still being used today, including roads, stone buildings, water control structures, and entrance portals were built by the CCC between 1936 and 1942.

Mo continued a slow pace as she drove through the refuge, hoping to see a few wild animals.  There are pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and burros throughout the refuge. While many of the wild horses have been removed to protect the rangeland from overgrazing, we passed a couple along the highway.

East of the tiny town of Adel is a long, steep grade that I remembered from previous trips on this route.  With the torque converter feature of the MoHo keeping our use of brakes to a minimum, we descended easily and slowly.

We passed the road leading to Hart Mountain, and from that point on, the route was very familiar.  Highway 140 goes through Bly, Beatty, and Klamath Falls before reaching the southwestern shore of Klamath Lake. 

At the Howard Bay public dock, we stopped to give Mattie a break and walk around a bit to enjoy the view.  We saw pelicans roosting at the dock,  but there were so many people there that I didn't bother to attempt to get a photo of them.  At the lower end of the bay, we saw hundreds of coots staging for their winter flight south. 

We arrived home around 4 PM, happy to be there.  It was early enough in the afternoon that we unloaded all the food. We collected a few personal items, but the rest of the clothes and "stuff" of travel would have to wait until morning.

Everything at home was in great condition.  The rains that began just as we left Grants Pass turned the dry brown pasture green and the flowers were bright and happy.  My friend Maryruth's husband Gerald checked in on our place each morning.  He made sure that all the drip sprinklers were working.  It was very important to have someone check the well to make sure all was running as it should. We appreciated his care so much.  It made it much easier to come home without worrying that something may have happened to the place while we were away.
It may have been because we had been in the desert for so many days, but everything seemed especially lush on this sunny afternoon.  After a great trip, it was good to be home.