Tahkenitch Landing Campground
Gardiner, OR
Early morning mists on Tahkenitch Lake.
I learned today, that one of my high school classmates, Tom
Fitzpatrick, died of cancer the middle of June, 2013. This is the fourth member of my graduating
high school class of 48 students, to have died of ailments related to
cancer. Rest in Peace: Tom Fitzpatrick…
The summer months, I am learning, from experience and from
anecdotal stories, the lake and coastal areas of Oregon are breezy
(understatement). Every afternoon, it
seems, the winds begin to blow out of the northwest toward the southeast. The lake waters become very busy with wave
action that has evidently caused boaters to exercise extreme caution when
rounding the headlands across from the campground. Last Sunday afternoon, the winds won the
first skirmish of the summer. On the
northwest corner of the campground, a recently deceased tree of sufficiently
epic dimensions, succumbed to the relentless breezes. At about 5:30 p.m. I was on the phone with my
sister the power in Irv (my RV), went out.
I was clueless as to the reasons for the loss of power, until I was
conducting my evening walkabout in the campground and a couple of customers
(campers) told me how they watched a tree fall in the forest. And yes, it made a noise. Knowing that the power lines ran along the
edge of the forest, I deduced that the falling of the tree could be the reason
for the loss of power at Irv. I walked
out of the campground on to Hwy 101 and immediately saw that the power line
along the highway was laying across the ground and the brush beside the
roadway. I could see the empty power
pole, barren of transmission line, standing guard over the fallen line. So now I
knew the issue.
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I called my boss, he called his boss, and she called the
Central Lincoln Electric Utility. It was about one hour from my call that the first Utility Company truck appeared in my
driveway. The second and third trucks arrived
shortly thereafter, and by bed time, the power was restored. I was impressed. A call out on a Sunday, seven miles from the
nearest Utility office, and the trucks were on station about an hour after the
call. Apparently, the tree took out two
spans of the line. The downed conductor
that I saw was just one span, but the release of tension on the line also
dropped the next span to the north. Work
was completed on both spans and power restored in less than three hours from
the arrival of the first truck. I think
an “Atta Boy” is certainly in order for Central Lincoln and for the folks in
the three trucks that responded.
I am sorry to hear about all that hot weather thrashing the West
Coast and the Southwestern U.S. Those of
us suffering through these 70 degree temperatures on the Oregon Coast
understand completely the trials and tribulations of 115 degrees in Las Vegas,
119 degrees in Phoenix, and the over 100 degree temperatures from southern
Oregon to Southern California. May the
Force (A/C) be with you all.
About two years ago, my wife (Deborah) and I (and the dogs
Bailey and Scooter) drove Irv through this area of Oregon on our way back to
Phoenix after visiting Sean in Washington.
We had driven northwest from the Napa Valley to Hwy 1 and followed the
coast of California to Crescent City before turning east to Grants Pass,
Oregon. On our return, we drove from
Seattle to Astoria, Oregon, and turned south on Hwy 101. We drove past Tahkenitch Lake, Tahkenitch
Landing Campground and Tahkenitch Campground before we turned east at Reedsport
to Roseburg, Oregon and the road south.
During these travels we had noticed the large numbers of bicyclists
traveling on the 101 and most of them were using the prevailing winds to
advantage by peddling south. We had
commented that everyone knows that North to South is obviously the best route
for a bicyclist because when you look at a map, the ride is naturally
downhill.
This summer, on any given day,
I will see four or five bicyclists a day pass the campground heading south
(downhill). Many times, a bicyclist will
pull into the campground for lunch, a break from the ride, to take pictures,
and even to spend the night. Have you
ever heard of “Biker N Hiker” campgrounds?
I had never heard the term before this summer. Apparently, the state parks in Oregon will
have a section of the campground, designed for tent camping by folks walking or
biking in Oregon. The cost, I am told,
for an overnight stay in “Hiker N Biker” campgrounds is $5.00. I understand that there are some “Hiker N
Biker” campgrounds in California also.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Forest Service does not provide inexpensive
camping for folks walking or biking along the Oregon Coast. Someone who rides a bicycle or walks/hikes
the 101 can be interesting. Here are
some of the stories as heard in the campground...
A bicyclist, who has ridden over
32,000 miles across Africa, South America and North America, is attempting to
complete the travels from Patagonia through South America, Central America and
the U.S. to Alaska by the middle of September, via the Trans-Alaska Highway.
A bicyclist, I think from Spain,
had 90 days left before the visa expired and was attempting to ride to Boston
via the Yellowstone National Park.
A couple of bicyclists, who began
their ride in Vancouver, British Columbia, via the ferry to Port Angeles, had
already ridden 450 miles on Hwy 101.
They were on their way to an Aunt in Palo Alto, California (San
Francisco area).
A bicyclist and a friend left
Florence, Oregon on June 27th (or so) for the East Coast of the U.S.
via Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas and points east. According to his route map, they are looking
at approximately 4,500 miles of riding to get to Yorktown, Virginia. Check out his blog at: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=12610&v=2F
And most recently, I encountered a
walker. Pierrette Roy (like the Hockey
Goalie Patrick Roy) is walking for peace and non-violence. She began last fall, walking from Alberta,
Canada, to Vancouver Island, British Columbia (870 Km/540 miles). At the end of April, she walked from Nanaimo,
British Columbia (on Vancouver Island) to Victoria, BC, then rode the ferry to
Port Angeles, Washington. From Port
Angeles, she has walked along Hwy 101 toward San Diego. She passed through the campground on Monday
evening/Tuesday morning on her journey.
I know that I walk for my camp host tasks and I walk two
miles each morning, just for the exercise.
But to walk the 1500 to 1700 miles or so from Vancouver Island, Canada to San
Diego, California seems beyond what I am willing to take on. I
admire her and I admire her dedication.
I wish her well.
Let me
know…
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