GOOOOOD MORNING OR-E-GON!

I made it! Last Saturday I pulled into the lookout, unloaded some gear, and then drove into Bend. What a trip!

When I got to the lookout I realized I had missunderestimated my fuel situation. I was Bingo Minus at the top of the butte. Then I remembered some generator gas from last season. I found seven gallons of hi-test! Stale gas is better than no gas, any time.

There were still some facilities issues, so I have only visited the lookout to move my gear in. Yesterday I departed the lookout at 6pm and spotted a big (150# +) mountain lion within half a mile of the lookout. I had just remarked to a passenger in my truck that we were in a rock outcropping area that was where I thought a cougar might live. Everyone in Bend is now talking about the mountain lion problem in the Deschutes National Forest.

I drove out to the lookout today (Wednesday) with the intention of spending the next few nights. It was snowing, blowing, foggy, and 30-degrees. The heater had failed again. So I'm back in Bend.

Nick is doing great. He might just be the most famous dog in Bend. EVERYBODY knows Nick.


Along Oregon 31 on the west side of Summer Lake. What are these trees?


Oregon 31: what a fantastic road!


On a two-track fire road just south of Flat Rock (a Maar volcano) on the side excursion into my lookout on Saturday. The 4-wheel low gear travel required on parts of this 15 mile stretch is why I got to Bingo Minus on my fuel supply.


On the freshly-plowed road up to the lookout last Saturday (today it was all white again)


The Ice-Palace today

Many envious comments!

Mac

:hi:

I think I will wear it tomorrow. :D

Ah, welcome to the West Coast!

My god........snow?

And those trees look like poplars to me. I could be wrong, though...

I'm sure everybody knows Nick! He is a good dog!

So glad to see you here tonight!

:hi:

:hi:

Look forward to your posts!

:hi:

I have a special fondness for Oregon 31. And those are poplar trees.

As a lifelong Oregonian, this has been one of the wettest, most miserable La Niña winter/spring seasons ever here.

Lots of moisture, but that spells much understory growth later in the season, fuel for fires.

But I'm sure you know that.

Looking forward to your future dispatches and greetings to Nick.

But I'm on the desert side of the Deschutes NF, and it will be dry as a bone in four weeks. Then the lightning comes and the fires. Bet your paycheck on that!

Glad you and Nick had a safe trip. But did you have to go scaring the locals as soon as you rolled in? Or is that your new fire prevention plan--scare people away from the Deschutes? :rofl:

Nick's being the most popular half of the partnership reminds me of a friend who was a scout dog handler in-country. Because the Army invested more in the dog's training than in the grunts' training, the dog was considered more valuable and had priority over the G.I.s for extraction.

It's tough being second banana, isn't it? :)

A little of the great local red wine blend and some friends that begged to know some details got me opened up on Lam Son 719

Lombardy Poplars. If you google, you might be able to find the legend of why all their limbs point up instead of out.

Like a scene from northern Italy (DOH! Lombardy!)

with them is their relatively short life span. They live 25 years or so then begin dying and dropping limbs. We had to remove about 7 of them recently that were planted when our house was built. They became a hazard due to the number of limbs they would lose and with grandchildren running around, I was afraid they would get bonked on the head by one.

Good to hear all is well....so to speak.


The last few days for me have been......a test of patience, to say the least.

Glad to have you and Nick with us for another season. Next time I'm in downtown Bend, I'll look for their most famous dog! About the poplars, as I understand it, homesteaders used to plant them because they were fast growing and provided a good windbreak. So when you see a grove of poplars, it's a good bet there was a homestead there at one time. If you can find a copy, I'd recommend the book "High Desert of Central Oregon" by Raymond R. Hatton. It's a great history of the area, including lots of great photos.

Thanks for posting the pictures from one of my favorite parts of our beautiful state.

Peace.

:toast:

And yeah, welcome to chilly Oregon. So far this year, I have ridden to work in bike shorts exactly one time; every other day has been too cold, too rainy or too downright yucky to wear anything but full foul weather gear.

I like Bend.

the best danged corn chip ever!