Day 62 Concrete, Washington Rasar State Campground

Captain’s Blog

Monday

August 3, 2009

We left Riverbend heading to the Cascade Mountain Range. Route 20 had been advertised as the scenic route along the cascades and it did not disappoint. We were not expecting to see any lakes with glacial run-off but we did. We stopped at a scenic overlook and were blown away by the beautiful emerald green of Ross Lake. It was breathtaking and a great surprise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We drove over Washington Pass elevation, 5,477 feet. The roads were winding and steep to say the least. The mountain range was beautiful but was covered in a smoky haze due to the multiple forest fires in the area. Because of the hot weather and lack of rain everything is brown and dry and fires are prevalent.

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped at the visitor center and took a short hike out back to check out the picket range – a range of mountains that looks like a picket fence. All of the mountain ranges we have seen are all so different but equally as beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped to get some gas (r0n NOTE: we only had 1/4 tank and I5 was about 50 miles of course at 1/4 tank we can travel 130 miles or so but we fueled up at the high price mountain prices) and there was a statue of Sasquatch sitting in front of someone’s home. Of course we had to get a picture.

We were looking for a campground and although there were several along our route they were either too small for our MH or a little scary. The area is really depressed and I think people are setting up campgrounds in their yards to make some money.

We stopped at one state CG but it was closed to campers for safety reasons. The old growth trees were falling and putting people at risk. Good reason!!!

We found a great place at Rasar State Campground. It is one of the most beautifully maintained state campgrounds we have ever seen. All the sites are paved and huge and most with water and electricity. We grabbed the last site with hook-ups and settled in for the night.

 

 

 

 

 

There were several walking trails so after dinner we went for a 90-minute hike along the river. We were in the mountains so the temp was in the 70’s making it very comfortable, finally.

Our plan is to spend one more day here since we got here so late and do the Baker Mountain Road up to Baker Lake and views of Mount Baker.

Day 61 Twisp, Washington Riverbend Campground

Captain’s Blog

Sunday

August 2, 2009

We were unable to sleep well last night for two reasons. One we foolishly went out to dinner for Mexican food that did not sit well and number two it never really cooled own enough to get a comfortable sleep.

We left Electric City around 9:30 AM with the temp hovering in the mid 90’s and very humid. On the way out of town we stopped at a windmill display by a gentleman named Gehrke. He made windmills out of discarded junk and donated them to the town. A very interesting display with unusual moving parts such as funnels, coffee cups and hammers.

 

 

 

Along route 20 we saw many glacial boulders that were dropped randomly along the landscape by the glaciers and glacial waters. Some of the boulders were swept along for thousands of miles before coming to rest along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped in Okanogan to take a picture of the replica of the old Okanogan fire department building in Legion Park. Its an exact replica of the old fire building and is now used as a fire department museum.

 

 

 

As the day progressed the temp rose back into the 100’s again with the humidity rising with the temp. By Noon we were ready to stop and get a CG with electricity so we could cool off. Ron is not usually bothered by the heat, but it really got to him. Three days of no real relief was enough so we stopped at a CG along Route 20 and were glad we did. It was great to feel the coolness of the AC and be comfortable again. Despite running the AC while we were driving the sun pouring in the massive windshield prevented any cooling effect.

Earlier in the morning Ron was reading that the area we were in was considered the desert of Washington. DUH – how smart were we planning a visit to the desert in the summer.

The CG was beautiful and we secured a spot along the river under a great big shade tree. The temp in the shade stayed at 103 degrees until 8 PM. Tomorrow is projected to be a little cooler – in the 90’s.

Day 60 Electric City, Washington Jones Bay Campground

Captain’s Blog

Saturday

August 1, 2009

As I mentioned we were able to sleep fairly well last night with the nighttime temp dropping into the mid 60’s. We decided to head out early to do some sightseeing before the temps were back into the 100’s.

Our first stop was the Dry Falls Visitor Center. As the name suggests Dry Falls no longer carries water but is the remnant of what once was the largest waterfall known to have existed on earth. Looking at the 3.5 miles of sheer cliffs that drop 400 feet it’s easy to imagine the roar of water pouring over them. The falls that existed here over 15,000 years ago dwarf Niagara Falls, which by comparison is one mile wide with a drop of 165 feet.

The falls were created following the catastrophic collapse

of and enormous ice dam holding back the waters of what has been named “Glacier Lake Missoula.” Water covering three thousand square miles of northwest Montana, about the volume of Lake Ontario, was locked

behind the glacial dam until the rising lake penetrated, lifted and then blew out the ice dam. The massive torrent ran wild through Idaho, the Spokane River valley, much of eastern Washington and into Oregon, flooding the area that is now the city of Portland under 400 feet of water.

Reaching the Dry Falls area, the tremendous force swept away earth and rock from a precipice 15 miles south of the falls near Soap Lake causing the falls to retreat to its present position now known as Dry Falls. The falls are said to be a spectacular example of “headward erosion.”

It was amazing to stand there and look at what once was a spectacular part of our country’s geologic development. We could only imagine the forces that were at work creating this unique but beautiful landscape. The topography in this area is mostly lava rock and tubular basalt f rom all the volcanic activity, the same type of formation found at Devils Tower. The lava flows were intermittent and continued to accumulate in some places up to 10,000 feet. The entire trip has been educational and inspiring.

While at Dry Falls I had to make a trip to the Ladies Room. Jewel is never happy when I venture off alone and she dragged Ron in search of me. She tracked me down to the Restroom and was sniffing at the door waiting for me to come out.

Our next stop was the Lake Lenore Caves.

Don’t let the title fool you there was no lake just a very steep

hike

up and over very difficult terrain – mostly lava fields. It was getting hot but we had to try to see the caves that were once occupied by aborigines. The caves

were very shallow and didn’t provide much shelter from the elements. About one hour into our hike in 97 degree weather and the sun that was getting hotter by the moment we decided to head down. About 1000 feet from the parking lot Jewel decided she wasn’t going

with us and dug in her heels and stopped. I was sweating profusely and in no mood for her antics. No amount of coaxing was getting her to move so once again Ron headed up the trail and brought her down. I’m not sure what has gotten into her but she no longer wants to ride either in the MH or Jeep.

Along the route back to the CG we stopped along the roadside, had lunch and dipped our tire hot feet into Banks Lake. The water was really cool and it felt great. The temp gauge in the Jeep registered 105 degrees and it sure felt hotter then that. At that point we decided that we would get into our bathing suits and find a good spot to swim.

Back at the MH we decided it was time to bite the bullet and turn the generator on so we could use the AC. At the site the temp was 112 degrees. It took some time to cool down the MH but it felt good to get cooled off.

We headed to a great little spot off the highway with a remote beach.

The trek to the beach was a challenge down a rocky cliff but I made it without injury. We spent some time in the water feeling very refreshed. The sun was brutal and there was no shade so after one hour we packed it in and headed back to the MH. There was a brisk breeze that had picked up so it felt a little cooler. Back at the MH the wind was really blowing making it tolerable.

Around 7 PM we went out to diner then headed into Grand Coulee to walk over the Coulee Dam bridge and read all the historical signs posted along the bridge . The temp had dropped to 92 degrees and without the sun the round trip walk on the bridge was comfortable. We decided to take in the Laser Light Show again from a different viewpoint and enjoyed the show even more the second time.

Back at the MH the breeze had diminished and it didn’t cool off as it had the night before. The temp hovered in the 70’s with the humidity causing some discomfort.

It’s hard to believe we are beginning month three of tour tremendous adventure.

Day 59 Electric City, Washington Jones Bay Campground

Captain’s Blog

Friday

July 31, 2009

 

We spent all of Friday dodging the sun. The temp was a grueling 103 degrees in the shade and 115 degrees in the sun. We had a great view looking over Banks Lake but it was just too hot to enjoy. Just sitting doing nothing we were sweating. Ron does not like to sit around but the heat slowed him to a halt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn’t get to use the AC because we were at a no frills no hook-up campground. Despite the fact there are 35 campgrounds in the area all of the CG’s with hook-ups were full.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a variety of watercraft on the lake. There was a group of young people on a double-decker pontoon boat  having a blast. They were signing and kept on partying until the wee hours of the morning. Surprisingly we liked the music and were happy to hear them having such a great time. The young couple tenting next to us weren’t so enthused. They found the music and noise annoying.

Around 9 PM the temp started to drop and surprisingly the projected temp for the night - 66 degrees. It was and we were able to sleep well.

Day 58 Grand Coulee, Washington King’s Court Campground, Grand Coulee

Captain’s Blog

Thursday

July 30, 2009

We left KOA around 10 AM heading to Grand Coulee with plans to tour the Grand Coulee Dam. The road leading into Grand Coulee was long, winding and ribbon like with wheat fields for as far as the eye could see.

Arriving at the Kings Court Campground    we were surprised to see its’ location and how small it was. Not to mention the unsavory people hanging around the campground fighting with each other. It was blistering hot (Washington is having an unheard of heat wave with temps in the 100’s) and we weren’t planning on living there so we settled in and promptly turned on the AC. It was 101 degrees outside so the AC was needed for sure. The spaces were so tight that if we wanted to use the picnic bench we would have to share with the camper next to us.

Around 4:30 PM we headed to the Grand Coulee Dam for a tour. The temp was still high but the sun was cloud covered so it wasn’t so steaming.

The Grand Coulee Dam is one of the largest concrete structures in the world, containing nearly 12 million cubic yards of concrete. You could build a sidewalk four feet wide and four inches thick and wrap it twice around the equator (50,000 miles).

The Grand Coulee Dam is the largest hydropower producer in the United States with total generating capacity of 6,809 megawatts. It is the fourth largest producer in the world behind Three Gorges Dam in China, (20,000 megawatts) Guri Dam in Venezuela, ( 10,000 megawatts) and Itaipu Dam on the border of Paraguay and Brazil (12,500 megawatts). In contrast, the most famous dam, Hoover Dam only generates 2,078 megawatts. Coulee stands 550 feet high (Hoover Dam –726 feet) and is 5,223 feet long (Hoover Dam 1,244 feet)

Congress authorized Grand Coulee Dam in 1935, with its primary purpose to provide water for irrigation. When the United States entered WWII in 1941, the focus of the dam shifted from irrigation to power production. It was not until 1943 that Congress authorized the Columbian Basin Project to deliver water to the farmers of central Washington State.

The Grand Coulee Dam was instrumental in providing power for the manufacture of aluminum for airplanes during WWII. It also provided power for the Hanford Plutonium reactors that produced the plutonium for Fat Boy the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.

In the United States there are a total of eleven major hydropower dams along the Columbia River. An additional six dams are located on the Canadian side of the Columbia River.

We have been to the Hoover Dam and were thoroughly impressed but the size of the Grand Coulee Dam dwarfs Hoover. Unfortunately, the incline elevator at Coulee wasn’t working so we were unable to tour the powerhouse but the rest of the tour was great.

We stopped at the visitor center and watched a great film on the Ice Age Floods that formed the Northwest. Torrents of water, ice and earth roared across the Northwest carving new canyons, creating monstrous waterfalls, instantly transforming the face of the landscape.

When geologists first saw the vast Columbia Basin, they recognized that a large volume of water sculpted the landscape of canyons (coulees), buttes, dry cataracts, boulder fields and gravel bars and felt that it was caused by normal flooding and erosion during the Ice Age.

In the 1920’s J Harlen Bretz looked more deeply into the unusual landscape and believed that the area was not formed by normal flood waters but by massive flows of very fast moving glacial water. The source of such catastrophic glacial flooding eluded Bretz and his theories were rejected by his professional colleagues.

Another geologist Joseph Pardee, earlier in 1910, described evidence of a great Ice Age lake, “Glacial Lake Missoula,” in northwestern Montana. He discovered giant ripple marks fifty feet high and 200-500 feet apart had formed on the floor of the lake. This finding proved that Glacial Lake Missoula had suddenly emptied to the west with tremendous erosive powers.

Through the work of many other geologists, evidence of more then one flood was discovered and it has been established that there were scores of Ice Age floods that swept across the Northwest. Some of which were largest and most powerful that have ever occurred on earth.

Much of the Ice Age floods story is revealed in spectacular and unusual landforms that can be seen along the highway. We were astounded to see such unusual and beautiful rock formations. It is amazing to think that the glacial waters craved through the volcanic Basalt and made the glorious canyons and boulder fields we have seen in our travels here. 

We had never expected to see such spectacular and different landscape and would not have if we hadn’t taken route 155 looking for a campground for Friday and Saturday night. What a great find for us since we enjoy the unexpected surprises.

Later in the evening we went back to Grand Coulee Dam to watch the laser light show with the water rushing over the dam as the backdrop. They open the floodgates nightly for the laser light show. The light show was great but there was a glitch so we didn’t get to see the last five minutes.

Back at the campground our neighbor came out to talk to us. She and her husband are full-time RVer’s and have been for four years. Hubby is not well and is on oxygen so she does the majority of the driving. She was adamant she would not be like other wives, have the husband die, and be stranded somewhere with an RV. (Sounds like me) She does everything and will continue her life on the road when hubby passes.