I have been ruminating about this post for several days now, thinking about September past, and planning to write about it before October is also a memory. As I sit at the computer, however, I am overwhelmed with thoughts, messages, and images bombarding my mind. Daughter Melody has in-laws in Venice, Florida. Our dear friends near Asheville were at last able to communicate with all their friends and followers about dealing with Hurricane Helene. One last bookkeeping chore to handle before I begin writing, I must call Spectrum to cancel our internet service. We at last have access to the Hunter fiber network and it was installed a few days ago and is working perfectly.
The call to Spectrum is tedious and long, with the rep insisting that I listen to many options. After ten minutes or so, suddenly in the background, I hear a tornado siren and she exclaims, "Tornado!" "Where are you?", I ask. "Florida, near Tampa". "Why are you still working? Are you in a safe place?" "Spectrum won't let us leave. I am working from home and am not allowed to stop taking calls. I need this job. I am terrified. My house is boarded up and we have sandbags, but one window is too big to board up". We talked and cried and actually laughed together before my service was finally canceled and we hung up. I had to write about this because as I write the blog post, tornados are forming over much of Florida and Milton is bearing down like some sort of huge monster.
Here, the sun shines, and the temperatures are in the pleasant mid-70s. No fires, and no smoke to mar the skies. A few solar flares allowed the aurora borealis to add some excitement to the nights. That's it. How do I step out of this mental quagmire I am in and write about my la-la-la happy birthday month of September?
I am going to try. Wish me luck. Thinking I would skip the simple pleasures of the first half of September and jump right away into the surprising magic of our camping trip to Eagle Lake, California.
I read about Eagle Lake on Nina's blog several years ago, and Mo and I have passed it a few times in our travels south near Susanville. We often thought it would be an interesting place to explore but never quite managed it. Medicine Lake is closer, and traveling that extra distance to a warmer lake in a more desert-like environment wasn't that exciting.
Last spring I finally managed to get a reservation for three days at East Lake, in the Newberry Caldera. We have camped there several times, just last year meeting with Gaelyn to share the delights of the lakes and gorgeous views from nearby Paulina Peak.
Our plans were thwarted a few days before we were to arrive with Level 1 evacuation notices for the area surrounding Paulina Lake and East Lake. On the southern and eastern side of the caldera the evacuation level was 3, go now. I called Reserve America and they would not let me cancel without paying the 18. fees despite the evacuation notice. We decided that no matter how lovely the lake was, being surrounded by fire and smoke, and not having access to cell service during an evacuation notice wasn't smart, so I canceled our reservation.
We looked around a bit and decided to try something new. I re-read Nina's blog about the camping areas around Eagle Lake, California, including a free BLM campground and several boondocking areas on the north side of the lake. Looking at maps, we could see that the southern side of the lake was deeper and darker, with less evidence of a possible algae bloom, and more conducive to kayaking. Also, on the southern side of the lake, we found a few Forest Service campgrounds, administered by the Lassen National Forest. At this time of year, no reservations were required for Eagle Campground, which surprisingly had full and partial hookups available. We decided to enter the area from the northern side, check out the BLM areas, and then continue toward the southern side and the Forest Service Campgrounds.
What an amazing surprise! The campground was open and spacious, uncrowded, with beautiful views of the expansive lake. We settled into the partial hookup loop, knowing that the dump station was just across the road from the entrance to the campground. We decided to stay four nights rather than the three that we originally planned and settled in.
With a great cell signal and a cool, cloudy afternoon, I took time to read up on Eagle Lake. I have included this Wiki article because the ecology of Eagle Lake and the Eagle Lake trout which is only supported in this watershed is fascinating. I also learned a new word, endorheic, referring to a closed basin with no outflow. The lake is alkaline and non-native fish are unable to survive the alkalinity.
In the late afternoon, before dinner, Mo and I drove the three miles or so to the Marina. We wanted to check out the launch facility and see if it would be more conducive to launching than the muddy and distant shoreline near camp.
As we approached the marina, we heard loud honking and a cacophony of noise that signaled the largest group of American white pelicans we had ever seen. In all our years of kayaking in the Klamath Basin, where white pelicans are prolific, we have never seen this many in one spot. It was amazing.
The boat launch was in good condition, and even with somewhat low water levels, we could see that launching our kayaks wouldn't be difficult. I was excited about the three days ahead that we had to relax and enjoy the lake and get our boats out on the water with the pelicans.
Mo and I decided to shift our campfire time to late afternoon. Sometimes staying up late for campfires isn't exactly perfect, and marshmallow roasting is only something I do because it seems like I should do it, not because I especially love the marshmallows. We decided that Happy Hour before dinner was much more fun with a campfire, and Mo didn't have to worry about us going to bed before the fire was fully out.
On our second day at Eagle Lake, we searched maps for back roads that would get us a good view of the lake from a higher perspective. We meandered around a bit on rough dirt roads toward Osprey Point and a short trail that led to the overlook for a better view.
The back roads led us to a couple of lakeside areas with a few summer homes where we found access to a remote sandy beach where Mattie could run freely.
The cloudy weather that we experienced on our first day dissipated and the next morning the weather was perfect for our first launch on Eagle Lake. The launch was easy with a decent cement boat ramp right next to a dock that provided me with something to hold onto when I exited my boat. No rolling down into cold water to get out!
The most thrilling part of kayaking Eagle Lake, however, was the pelicans. Literally hundreds of them, in addition to hundreds of Western grebes, all calling and making a huge racket. Paddling around the pelicans was so much fun, and it was obvious that they weren't the least bit concerned about us being near them.
We drove the Tracker to Susanville on our second morning at Eagle Lake to buy fuel so that we could explore back roads as much as we wanted. On our original route from Grants Pass to Eagle Lake, we drove from the north side of the lake along the western shore toward the campground. The road from the tiny community of Spalding was 15 miles of kathunk, kathunk, kathunk traveling across the pavement gaps meant to protect the road from frost heaves. It was awful, and we didn't want to have to do that again.
Instead, the road south to Susanville was winding but reasonably smooth, with some great views overlooking the valleys toward the east into basin and range country. We had lunch at a small local cafe recommended by our camp host before traveling back north to the lake.
Even though it was about an hour longer to return to Oregon using the Susanville route, we were able to skip the rough pavement toward Spalding on the day we departed Eagle Lake.
Our last morning kayaking Eagle Lake was truly spectacular. The weather was perfect, the water was still, and the skies were gorgeous.
The Eagle Lake marina was charming and especially charming was the hostess, Gina. The store was well stocked, and the quality of the goods was excellent. I had to use self-control to avoid buying another cute cup, mug, tee shirt, or sweatshirt. Lots of fridge magnets and cute little things called my name but I resisted.
In addition, Gina was a wealth of information about fishing for the famous Eagle Lake trout. When I returned home I joined the Eagle Lake Facebook page and have enjoyed dozens of photos of very big trout, and many of them caught by Gina. Lots of smiles. I had to ask if they tasted good and was told they were the very best. Looking forward to taking my daughter Deborah to this lake. She loves to fish.
On our last afternoon, we did a bit more exploring around the lake, following a dirt track to the opposite shore from the campground. The landscape in this area was much more like the high desert area we are accustomed to on the east side of the Cascades. The entire area is influenced by the volcanic rocks of Lassen to the southwest and Mammoth Mountain to the southeast.
When planning this trip, Mo and I decided that we would make a loop traveling south adjacent to Mt Shasta via I-5 and then east toward the lake on our way down. On our return trip, we traveled back north toward Klamath Falls with plans to cross the Cascades toward the west via Highway 140, a very familiar route for us after so many years of living in and near Klamath Falls.
However, by Friday afternoon we were worn out and decided that we could cut that trip in half with an overnight stay at the Kla-Mo-Ya casino in Chiloquin, north of Klamath Falls. Boondocking in the parking lot used to be free, but now the casino charges $10 per night to park. However, that also required getting a player's card with a five-dollar gambling credit. Since it was my birthday month, I also got a chance to spin the birthday wheel and won another $40. to play with. I spent all that in the slot machines, winning enough money with that free money to go home with cash in my pocket. By the time we got home the next day we were well rested and ready for the usual unloading, laundry, and cleaning that usually doesn't happen until after we have been home for another day. It was a nice change.
The rest of September was quiet, with time to complete yard chores around home, do some basic gardening, and attend to haircuts, pedicures, and doctor appointments.
Daughter Deborah often comes to our house for Sunday brunch, but one Sunday she invited us to her home for coffee and goodies. It was nice to see all the work she has completed getting settled into her new home.
That afternoon a last minute decision had the three of us visiting Red Lily Vineyards where at last Deb and I joined the wine club. Even though there are several wineries in our area that we love to visit, Red Lily is the only one that has wine I truly love.
The only cost is a commitment for Deb and I to buy a few bottles of wine every three months. Well worth it for the 30 percent discount we get for being members and especially nice that Deb and I could share the membership.
Another bit of entertainment that we shared with Deborah was a first time visit to the Steam Distillery in Grants Pass. The venue was interesting and the food delicious. They are most famous for their on-site distilled spirits, but the food is extremely good as well. There is a food truck that cooks exclusively for the distillery and the menu varies at different times. The place was popular and quite loud, but we will return even though loud restaurants aren't a favorite.
Just for fun, check out the waitress, blurred by the camera because she was always moving so quickly it was impossible to get a clear photo. Made me laugh out loud when I looked back over the photos.
As I review the month during the first weeks before our camping trip, I see a repeating pattern. In addition to having company over for snacks and cocktails, I enjoyed a coffee date with a book club friend at a lovely venue in Grants Pass I hadn't yet seen.
Mo and I combined a doctor's visit for me in Medford with a superb Mexican dinner at a restaurant new to us, El Paraiso. It was the best Mexican we have yet enjoyed anywhere in the Rogue Valley.
Our book club, now known as the KindRead Spirits met at another new venue in town, the Toasted Barrel. The snacks were excellent and I do hope to return someday when I am not driving to try out their whiskey flights.
Last but not least in this laundry list of fun for the month of September is my last birthday before I turn 80. It seemed as though I started getting cards and gifts at least a week before the actual date. Daughter Deborah took Mo and I to one of the nicest restaurants in Grants Pass for my birthday dinner which was excellent. The weather was wonderful and our outside table with a lovely view of the Rogue River was perfect, as was our meal.
I received a lovely handmade card from Loree. We have been friends for almost 20 years but have never met. I received a magical yard spinner from Daughter Melody and gorgeous David Austin roses from Daughter Deanna.
In addition to my birthday dinner from Deb, she added to my shelf of favorite drinkables. Mo topped off everything with a season pass to our local Rogue Valley Symphony. How incredibly lucky I am.
I will leave you now with an image of one of the last sunsets of September, viewed from our back deck. Somehow I feel much calmer now than I did at the beginning of writing this post. Wishing the best for everyone in the path of Milton tonight.
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