Monday, September 18, 2017

Road Trip! Day One and Two

It has been my desire to see the Silver Falls in Oregon ever since a young lady recommended them as better than the beautiful waterfalls along the Columbia River.  My map research said it was a trip of about 8 hours from home to Salem, and then a half-hour to the Falls, so I stopped for the night in Medford, Oregon after an easy drive along Hwy's 70, 99, and 5.  I admit it now, I am going to bore you all with the photos of my discoveries.  It was a magical trip.

The view of Lake Oroville

Travellin' with the train on Hwy 99.

Mt. Shasta is obscured by clouds and/or smoke.  This view is from Weed, CA.

Morning light, corner of Garfield Rd. and Riverside Dr. in Medford OR, where I spent my first night.  Only 5 hours to go!

I love Oregon.  Lots of hills, valleys, trees, farms, barns, and signs of working humanity.

I begin to smell smoke strongly above Roseburg, OR.

There's that sunken barn!

Saw this from the highway; found the frontage road to see it better; sorry it's so darkl.

The barn

The line of old tractors.

Saginaw; made me think of  Lucy and Dan

Almost there!!!!

Turned onto Hwy 22, then onto Hwy 214, and found myself in rolling farm country.  

Big equipment!  I love big equipment.

I've wended through all this farmland, and am wondering where the Falls are going to fall from and to.

View from the Park entrance pullout; last look at the Valley

Oh boy, oh boy, I'm here!!  I'm already excited!

Approaching the Upper North Falls.  Nice trail, eh?

Here it is!  Love the tall mossy banks

I could've sat here for hours, but knew I had more to see.

Selfie

The trees were not like we have at home!

Love the lighting

Next up; let's go see!

That's the top of the Falls there

The trail starts dropping down

Funny mossy-green roots

I was wet with vertigo-sweat after descending this stairway, and this was but one section of it.

Ahh!  Pretty!  But where does the trail go?

Oh my!  It goes behind the waterfall!  Oh dear, and oh boy!

Serenity

I'm behind it; panting like a big dog

There is no railing on the edge and it's killing me!  I must hie me thither to the far end quickly.  And I will be returning, too.

There, safe on the other side!  Wahoo!  What a blast!

Bridge to Winter Falls.

First, I'll go to this one.  Had the map not been blurred, I could've learned that there were 3 more falls a short half-mile past this, and I would've taken the time to see them.

Here's the Middle North Falls

Talk about having vertigo!

Phew!  I'm past it; but I must go back that way, too.

The Middle North Falls, with a human in the photo for perspective

Another view of it before I head back up the trail

Winter Falls is dry in mid-September

Tree down

Gnarly, man, gnarly.

There's a waterfall in this view!

Afternoon sun on the North Falls

A bit closer

This is what I did today

This is what I didn't get to see

Coming back down the hill, I saw this and thought "uh oh"

Saw signs that said it was a controlled burn

Little Christmas tree farms were seen frequently

The Farmhouse in this shot is apparently safe

One last art-shot of it

Even tinier trees, and I saw full-sized ones, too.

This field is ready to plant, and tomorrow, I will see the workers planting it.


Pretty barn/scene

My hotel room

With full kitchen!

Comfy chairs, and a bed I'll sleep very well on.
What a sublime couple of days.  I have decided that tomorrow, I'm going back to see the South side of the Silver Falls Park.  Til then!

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