We recently camped in a peaceful campground off the McKenzie Pass. We shared the grounds with two other campers but we hardly knew they were there. For $12, you can rent a piece of real estate from the U.S. Forest Service with a river running through it for 24 hours.
The only running water in this campground was the river directly behind our site. I took "Missy" down to get a sip of mountain fresh H2O and nearly lost her to the river. It was deeper and swifter than I thought and the sand gave way under her feet. Luckily, she was still tied to her lead but I had to grab her by the scruff to pull her out of the water. My motherly instincts kicked in and I didn't care if it hurt her to pull her up by her skin. Being timid in this situation would have been deadly for her. It really did give my heart a scare. I'm not sure I'd ever be the same if I had to watch my dog drown. As I laid my head down, I couldn't shake the awful dread of what might have been. Lesson learned.
The next morning, we woke to quietness and a nice feeling of nobody knowing where we were as the phones were out of range and the only background noise was the river and occasional car driving along the pass. I got some yogurt and berries placed into a cup for breakfast and Gene toasted a piece of rye bread for himself. The coffee got started and we rolled up camp and headed down the road.
It's hard to photograph what it feels like to be out in the middle of wilderness. We go often enough to really appreciate the fresh air and quiet time. I'm hoping I can look back on this post in the middle of winter and know this will still be there the next time we travel. This photo does not really depict just how tall these trees are. They are mammoth. Oregon has some of the most beautiful trees I've ever seen.
I'm thrilled I got to see this part of the state and can hardly wait to go there again. I'm betting Fall would be even more beautiful. Perhaps another road trip ....
Until then, I'm grounded at the home real estate for now.
love, susan
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| Lava flow at McKenzie Pass |
Wow. My lungs got unstuck when I saw that view. :) All that reminds me of Colorado. Thanks, Susan.
ReplyDeleteIt's so beautiful there.. Peaceful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a scare with your dog and the river!
ReplyDeleteYour trip sounded serene and lovely. Thanks for sharing the pictures.
We really enjoyed exploring the Oregon coast, and would like to go back and visit some of the inland areas.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you were able to get your pup out of the water! I was hiking in Denali with a friend several years ago (before tourist season) and we hiked the Savage River trail. She had her yellow lab with her and Bella jumped into the river for a swim. Well, the Savage has swift water too, and heads for big boulders down stream. It was so scary to see Bella being swept away and trying to paddle for shore. She finally managed to make it to the edge, where it took three of us to pull her out! We were all so worried she was going to drown too.
Love the photos!