All Things Must End...

Tahkenitch Landing Campground
Gardiner, OR

As I near the end of my tenure as the campground host at Tahkenitch Landing Campground, it appears obvious that we are ending Summer and moving in to Fall along the Oregon Coast.  Last week, as I was driving back from Eugene, you couldn't help but notice that the trees were beginning to change color.  Nights are cooler recently than they have been - by about five degrees or so, requiring more covers for sleeping.  We have had more rain in the last two or three weeks, real, hard, running down the road rain, than we have had since the middle of May.  Yesterday, as I was leaving Reedsport and Gardiner on my drive back to the campground, I saw about 25 - 50 Canadian Geese on the ground in Gardiner, near the river.  And, as I was walking through the campground last evening, a flight of between 75 and 100 geese took off from the corner of the lake, formed into a "V" and headed south.  With the end of Summer and the school year beginning, the number of campers staying at the campground has dwindled to almost zip/nada/nothing.  Since Sunday, a week ago (9/15), there have only been five campsites in use.  And two of those were occupied by folks with reservations for a week.  I have had only three drop-in campers in almost 10 days.  I had a reservation last Friday (9/20), but it was raining mightily and it seemed likely she would not show up...I was correct.  I have had two nights in which I was the only camper in the campground.  Welcome to Fall in Oregon.

I thought I might share a wildlife encounter with you.  During my walks in the morning, I pass a large lily pond, just north of the campground.  All summer I have been walking past the lily pond and just last week, I noticed a rather large beaver napping on a log, close to shore.  Actually there were two beavers, one large and one not so large.  I did not have my camera with me and when I returned, about an hour later, they were nowhere to be found.  Not to be deterred, I began carrying the camera every morning and last Saturday I was rewarded with a couple of family portraits.

 

And I was blessed, in all this fall weather, to experience an evening of clear skies with a full moon. 

I was very disappointed in the camera's ability to capture the full moon.  So I tried some variations with the settings...

That was better. 

But this was what I was looking for...

I hope you enjoyed the full moon as much as I...

A walk along the Sweet Creek Trail and Falls...

Tahkenitch Landing Campground
Gardiner, OR

Full Moon Rising over Tahkenitch Lake

Last week, when some friends from Phoenix were visiting the campground for a couple of days, we took a walk along the Sweet Creek Trail.  The Sweet Creek Trail is in a canyon about 11 miles East of Mapleton, Oregon, along Sweet Creek Road.  The trail is only about a mile to a mile & a half long, but is quite fetching as a splendid place for a walk.  From the trail head, you enter the trail at about mid point.  About a hundred yards in from the trail head the trail splits left and right.  The left trail takes you up canyon to a vista point and trail's end.  The right trail takes you down canyon into the gorge.  More about the gorge later.  Sweet Creek Trail follows a stream path up and down hill.  There are about four or five water falls from the trail intersection left and ten or twelve water falls from the trail intersection right.  Left is up hill and right is down hill.  The day was sunny for the most part and warm during the walk. 

And after walking about a half mile of the trail we climbed up to a view point of several waterfalls down to the scene above.  And the sound of the water falls was just splendid.


(For Full Screen viewing, click on the square in the bottom right corner of the video)

After pausing for the view, we reversed direction and headed down the trail for the Sweet Creek Gorge. 

Portions of the lower trail is on catwalks bolted to the side of the rocks forming the gorge. 

There are more falls on the lower portion of the trail and a dedication mounted on the rock along the catwalks.

And, naturally, when hiking, it is always a good policy to take a break from the strenuous trail.

So, when are you going to come and join me on the trail...?

Visitors from Phoenix...

Tahkenitch Landing Campground
Gardiner, OR

One of 22 float houses on Tahkenitch Lake.

Last Monday (9/2), some friends from Phoenix, AZ, came to visit.  They were on their way north to the Seattle area and parked their Rialta motor home in the campground.  They visited for two nights (9/2-3) and headed north on the Wednesday the fourth.  We had a wonderful time hiking and exploring the woods nearby.

I took them on the Three Mile Lake Trail on Wednesday and the walk was wonderful.  We found some Huckleberry bushes and enjoyed handfuls of the sweet, black berries.  I spoke of the Three Mile Lake Trail in one of the earlier blog postings.  It was interesting to see the differences in the land and the lake between the first visit and the second.  

This is Three Mile Lake on July 16th:

And this is Three Mile Lake on September 4th:

The differences are remarkable.  And the very next day, we experienced the rain shown in the last blog posting.  I would almost be interested in taking the walk again to see if the rain made a difference.

Except for the rain last Thursday, the weather here has been warm by Oregon Coast standards.  The area is looking at the low 70's this week.  But, as always, the mornings are misty and cool.  Perfect camping weather.  So why aren't you here enjoying it?  Why are you still sweating in the heat everywhere but here?  You have only two and a half weeks left to come visit before I am done...

It is the last month for Campground Hosting in Oregon...

Tahkenitch Landing Campground
Gardiner, OR

In the last posting (#16) of this blog, I was "WOWED" by the possibility of rain occurring at the campground.  I believe I described it as "Not very much rain but rain any way you look at it.".  Well, last Thursday it was real rain, lots of it, with lightning, thunder and wet everywhere.  As I sat at the dining table listening to the roar of the rain on the roof of Irv, watching the water course down the road toward the lake, seeing the lightning and feeling the vibration of the thunder, I filmed some excellent video of the event.

(You can watch in 'Full Screen' by clicking on the square in the bottom right corner of the video)

The rain lasted for about three hours and it was great.  This was the first rain of any volume at Tahkenitch Landing Campground since the second and third weeks of May!

Good news!  Deborah's cataract surgery on her right eye was as successful at the surgery on her left eye.  She was stunned at her ability to see colors and clarity.  She indicated that, at first, it was hard to get used to the ability to see without glasses or contact lenses.  She kept thinking that she had to take her contact lenses out each night.  She is loving it.  She does need readers for the close work, anything within an arms reach, but driving, looking at scenery, reading street signs and highway signs are all good.  The biggest drawback to clarity of vision is now she really knows what I look like.

My post as Campground Host at Tahkenitch Landing Campground is slowly coming to a conclusion.  I will be moving Irv from the campground to a temporary storage facility on or about September 28th.  I will be meeting Deborah in Portland on the 30th and we'll be spending a couple of nights in Portland before heading to Seattle to visit with friends and family.  It has been a fabulous summer with temperatures never reaching the beastliness of Phoenix.  I love the cool, moist climate along the coast of Oregon...even when it rains.  After our visits to the Seattle area, we'll return to the neighborhood to pick up Irv and head home to Phoenix.  We should be back in town around the middle or October or so.  And I will looking for the next adventure.  We have some travel planned between now and the spring.  Wonder what will come next summer?

Suggestions anyone?