Baker to Burns, OR - Selected Photos

Bob Scott USFS CG near Austin, NV

 

    I left Baker City, OR on 23 Jun and got to Burns Junction, where OR78 and US95 meet, on 28 Jun. Here are a few of the photos I took between Baker & Burns Jcn (aka Jackrabbit Jcn).
    St. Francis Cathedral, with a date of 1906 at the top of the front steps. [You Catholics can tell me whether that date was prior to the start of construction or when it was completed.]

 

 

 

 

 

    The Geiser Grand Hotel, which is likely still Baker's largest. [See links below.]

 

 

 

 

 

    [Click once to enlarge; press ESC to return here.] The Sumpter Valley, were Ira J. Lemmon settled, was the site of much hydraulic mining for many years.

 

 

 

 

 

    Mason Dam on the Powder River; it created mile-long Phillips Reservoir.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Some daisies among the ponderosa pine needles.

 

 

 

 

    At first I thought this was a rose since the wild roses in the Pacific NW tend to be purple; however, the plant on which this wildflower blossomed is clealy not a rose. [Best guess: Creeping Phlox.]

 

 

 

    Part of the roadbed for the Sumpter Valley Railroad (aka "The Stumpdodger")is now a short hiking trail. I eschewed the chance to walk it in order to mush on to the Grant County Fairgrounds in John Day.

 

 

 

 

    The Strawberry Range; the highest peak is called Strawberry Mtn.

 

 

 

 

    Strawberry Mtn (elev: 9038') as seen from the middle of US26.[N.B.While I first pulled this stunt on US395 south of Alturas, you might end up as flat as one of Jonathan Winters' "sailcats" if you try it on most U.S. highways in the Golden State.]

 

 

 

 

    The valley where Prairie City is located.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    The back side of Strawberry Mtn directly over the log cabin or barn.

 

 

 

 

 

    Just below the end of the pines and green prairies as I head for the lower, but not necessarily drier climate in and around Burns.

 

 

 

 

    A sunset from the Crystal Crane Hot Springs near the widespot in the road called Crane. I skipped the hot springs since the owner warned me about 160 degree water. [I'm not a lobster!]

 

 

 

 

    If you tend to fall asleep while driving on straight roads, avoid SE Oregon and large parts of Nevada.

 

 

 

 

 

    Aren't a lot of backpackers around these parts, Pardner. [Note the horse-trailers in this saddle at 5087'.]

 

 

 

 

 

    The mountains with snow in the distance are likely the Warner Mountains in California's Modoc County.

 

 

 

 

    [Click once to enlarge; press ESC to return here.] To the left of the tree, the Warner Mtns again. To the right, the remnants of a former RV Park. [Not shown, the remains of a gas station, cafe, and motel.] Across US95, a truck scales, which apparently operates remotely, thus cutting the payroll in the Oregon Dept. of Transportation.
--
Links:

• Photos, history, etc. of St. Francis deSales Cathedral in Baker, OR
• Brief Wikipedia article on Geiser Grand Hotel in Baker
• History of Suumpter, OR
• OregonPhotos.Com images of Strawberry Mtn & Lake
• Crystal Crane Hot Sprs website
• Warner Mtns of NE Califoria and Southern Oregon

--

Su 1 Jul Actual Route: Mill Creek BLM CG - Austin - Bob Scott CG

M 2 Jul Actual Route: Bob Scott CG - Austin - Yomba Indian Resv - Ione - Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park

T 3 Jul Actual Route: Berlin-Ichthyosaur SP - Gabbs - Middlegate Station - Sand Mtn Rec Area

W 4 Jul Actual Route: Sand Mtn Rec Area - Fallon - Sage Valley MH & RV Park

Th 5 Jul Actual Route: Sage Valley MH & RV Pk - Fallon - Silver Springs - Ft Churchill State Historic Park CG

F 6 Jul Actual Route: Ft Churchill SHP - Silver Sprs - Dayton State Park

Sa 7 Jul Actual Route: Dayton State Park - Virginia City - Carson City Walmart

Su 8 Jul Actual Route: Carson City Walmart - C.C. McDonalds - Geneo - Minden - Nevada Beach CG, Zephyr Cove

M 9 Jul Route: Nevada Beach CG - So L Tahoe - Incline Village - Mt Rose

--

Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Five Lemmon Obituries + A Photo

Burns, Oregon, Library
    On Saturday 23 June I stopped in Pendleton, Oregon, and visited Richard "Dick" Lemmon, a distant cousin, his wife Dona, and his daughter Diana. [N.B. There's a photo of the three below.]
    Dick and Dona have a great genealogy scrapbook. But since only some of it is on-line in the Hugh Lemmon & Descendants websites which the late Steve Stevens and I created in 2001, I thought it would help other Lemmon researchers if some of the things Dick has were on-line. I spent 3 days combined at the La Grande LDS Family History Center and the Baker Library ferreting out obituaries for Dick's relatives.
    Here are some of those.
....
Ira Jeremiah LEMMON
--
Obituary
--
Thursday 5 December 1940 Baker County Democrat - Courier, p.5
--
Ira J. Lemmon Dies Of Heart Attack
--
    Hereford -- (Special) -- Ira J. Lemmon, a well known mining man of Granite Boulder, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. M.A. Gilliam in Baker at 5 a.m. Saturday morning.
    Mr. Lemmon was taken to Baker a week ago, from the Prairie City hospital where he had been for a while, suffering from heart trouble. Mr. Lemmon was born in Topeka, Kan., February 3, 1870, and came to Oregon 41 years ago.
    He operated a mine at Granite Boulder for many years and formerly lived at Sumpter and was a member of the Eagles lodge.
    Those surviving are his widow Pearl of Baker; two daughters, Mrs. M.A. Gilliam of Baker and Wendell Lemmon of Portland; one son, Warren of Granite; two sisters, Mrs. Adria Carpenter of Stockton and Mrs. May McGalliard, Mancus, Colo., and one brother, Art Lemmon of Durango, Colo. and five grandsons.
    Funeral services were held Monday, Rev. Len B. Fishback officiating and burial [was] at Baker.
....
Pearl Alma LEMMON
--
Obituary
--
Thursday 22 April 1948 Baker Democrat-Hearld, Page One
--
Pearl Lemmon Succumbs Here
--
    Mrs. Pearl Alma Lemmon, 945 Elm street, a resident of this community for 40 yeaars, died this morning at her home.
    She was born July 3, 1876, at Jackson, Miss. She moved to Baker in 1918 and had lived here since.
    She is survived by a son, Warren of Baker; two daughters, Wilda Gilliam and Wendell Lemmon, both of Baker; two brothers, A.B. Warren of Henrietta, Tex., and Albert Warren of Stanton, Tex.; two sisters, Mrs. Henry Hunter of Woodward, Okla. and Mrs. J.E. Moffitt of Stanton; four grandsons and two great-grandchildren.
    Funeral services will be held Saturday at 10:30 a.m. from the West and Company chapel, with Dr. Sydney A. Walker officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Hope cemetery.
....
Warren Mac LEMMON
--
Obituary
--
Thursday 14 February 1974 Baker County Democrat-Courier, p.4
--
Warren Lemmon Dies, California
--
    Wolf Creek -- (Special) -- Warren Lemmon of Wallowa, Oregon, passsed away suddenly at Seal Beach, California, February 9.
    Mr. Lemmon was born in Durango, Colo., on May 6, 1899, the son of Ira and Pearl Lemmon. He came to Oregon in 1900 with his parents, who settled in Baker county. He finished his schooling in Sumpter, Oregon.
    Mr. Lemmon was a World War I Veteran, Past Commander of American Legion Post No. 41, Baker, and a member of World War I Barracks No. 79 of Baker.
    He is suvived by his wife Vera, three sons, Boyd of Laguna Niguel, Calif., Dick of Pendleton, John of Los Alamitos, Calif.; fourteen grandchildren and one great-grandson; one sister, Wendell Miller, of North Powder; one nephew, Billy Gilliam of Maryland. He was preceded in death by his parents, one son Jack who was killed in the service during World War II; [and] one sister, Wilda Gilliam.
    Funeral services were held in Wallowa on Wednesday, February 13.
....
Vera Virginia Schlaefer LEMMON
--
Obituary
--
Thursday 1 September 1988 Baker City Democrat-Herald, p2
--
    Vera Lemmon, 93, a former resident of Baker, died Wednesday, Aug. 31, 1988, in Pendleton [at the Delamarter Nursing Home].
    Her funeral will be Thursday, Sept. 8, 1988, at the United Methodist Church in Wallowa. Vault internment will follow in the Wallowa cemetery. Arrangements are being handled by Bishop Funeral Chapel of Pendleton.
    Mrs. Lemmon was born Jan 17, 1895, in Pullman, Wash., to Henry and Maud (Kitzmiller) Schleafer. She graduated from Rosalia High School in Rosalia, Wash.
    She married warren M. Lemmon in Baker on May 23, 1920. She lived most of her married life in Baker, but spent a few years in Wallowa and a few years in Feather Falls, Calif.
    Mrs. Lemmon was employed by the U.S. Forest Service in Baker, by Stoddard Lumber Company and by Basche-Sage Hardware Company in Baker.
    She moved to Pendleton in February 1986 to be near one of her sons.
    She was a Past Worthy Matron of the Order of Eastern Star in Baker, the Eastern Star in Wallowa, the American Legion Auxiliary, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and was a member of the United Methodist Church in Wallowa.
    Survivors include three sons, Richard M. Lemmon of Helix, Boyd W. Lemmon of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., and John D. Lemmon of Las Vegas; 15 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren.
    She was preceded in death by her husband Warren on Feb. 6, 1974; a son, Jack P. Lemmon, who was killed during World War II; two brothers; and a sister.
....
Jack Phillip LEMMON Sr.
--
Obituary
--
Thursday 21 February 1946 Baker County Record-Courier, Page One
--
Sgt. Jack Lemmon Killed in Action
--
Radio-Gunner's Death on Jap Raid Told
--
    T-Sgt Jack P. Lemmon, 21, was killed in action August 7, 1945, while on an air raid oveer Kyushu, Japan, according to a war department telegram received here by his wife, Mrs. Lorraine Francis Lemmon, last Thursday. He had first been been reported missing, and later a letter fro Sergeant Lemmon's commanding officer, Maj. Nathan G. Mohaffey, explained the conflicting reports of men parchuting with Lemmon caused [a] delay in reporting the sergeant's death. He was a radio-gunner on a B-24.
    Son of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Lemmon, he was born in Baker November 5, 1923. He graduated from the local high school in 1941 and attended Oregon State college where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. He also attended Texas Technical college prior to entering [the] service. He married Lorraine Francis at Santa Ana, Calif., August 28, 1943. He had been awarded the air medal with two oak leaf clusters, a personal citation for meritorious service beyond the call of duty, the good conduct and Asiatic-Pacific ribbons with five battle stars.
    Besides his widow, he is susrvived by a 16-month-old son, Jack Phillip Jr.; three brothers, First Lt. Boyd Lemmon, Richard and John Lemmon, and his grandmother, Mrs. Pearl Lemmon, all of Baker. a memorial service was held at the Church of St. Stephen, Baker, Wednesday at 8 o'clock.
[Source #1]
......................................................................
Article
--
Thursday 9 December 1948 Baker County Record-Courier, Page One
--
Bodies of Soldiers Returned to the States
--
    Bodies of two Baker servicemen were among the 4454 war dead returned to the United States recently on the army transport Dalton Victory. Listed among them are the bodies of T-Sgt Jack P. Lemmon, air force, and Pvt. Calvin C. Moffitt, marines....Next of kin [of Sgt Lemmon] is Mrs. Arvis L. Lemmon....
[Source #2]
......................................................................
Sources:
1. Thursday 21 February 1946 Baker County Record-Courier, Page One
2. Thursday 9 December 1948 Baker County Record-Courier, Page One
......................................................................
    Here's the above-mentioned photo of, from L to R, Dona Lemmon, her husband, Richard "Dick" Lemmon, and Diana Lemmon, Dick's daughter; it was taken just prior to 17 June, Fathers' Day.

--
Links:

• Ira J. Lemmon's page on the Hugh Lemmon & Decendants website, which includes some photos
• Ira J. Lemmon's page on the HL&D World Connect site [text-only]

--

 

 

 

 

 

T 26 Jun Actual Route: Grant County Fairgrounds RV Park - John Day - Seneca - Idlewild USFS CG

W 27 Jun Actual Route: Idlewild CG - Burns Lib - Burns P.O. - Crystal Crane Hot Sprs

Th 28 Jun Actual Route: Crystal Crane Hot Sprs - Burns Jcn bd

F 29 Jun Actual Route: Burns Jcn bd - McDermitt, NV - Winnemucca - Water Canyon BLM CG

Sa 30 Jun Actual Route: Water Canyon BLM CG - Winnemucca - Battle Mountain - Mill Creek BLM CG

Su 1 Jul Actual Route: Mill Creek BLM CG - Austin - Bob Scott CG

M 2 Jul Actual Route: Bob Scott CG - Austin - Yomba Indian Resv - Ione - Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park

T 3 Jul Actual Route: Berlin-Ichthyosaur SP - Gabbs - Middlegate Station - Sand Mtn Rec Area

W 4 Jul Actual Route: Sand Mtn Rec Area - Fallon - Sage Valley MH & RV Park

Th 5 Jul Actual Route: Sage Valley MH & RV Pk - Fallon - Silver Springs - Ft Churchill State Historic Park CG

F 6 Jul Actual Route: Ft Churchill SHP - Silver Sprs - Dayton State Park

Sa 7 Jul Route: Dayton State Park - Virginia City - Carson City - Genoa

--

Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Little Naches, Pasco, WA, Pendleton & La Grande, OR

Union Crk USFS CG, Phillips Reservoir, OR

    When I exited Mount Ranier National Park I stopped at the Little Naches Campground. While walking to the nearest outhouse I noticed something I don't recall seeing in 53 years of fishing & backpacking in the mountains of California: a carpenter's ant nest on the ground rather than in a downed tree.

    Zooming in, it appears some of the carpenter ants have reddish body parts. While I've thrown many of them out of my sleepings bags over the year, on awarm autumn night one wandered onto my eyelid while I was sleeping. When I opened my eye it trapped him in the folds -- and he clamped down with both jaws. After throwing him into the darkness followed by a few invectives, the lid he bit began to hurt almost immediately. Two applications of water didn't stop the pain; however, some Old Grandad did. [So, instead of calling it snake-bite medicine, call it proven ant-bite medicine. :-)>]

 

    A veiw down the Little Naches River at the WA410 bridge. A sign nearby warned visitors not to harrass the spawning chinook salmon.

 

 

 

 

 

    A look up the Columbia River at the seaport of Pasco and the girders of a bridge from Kennewick to Pasco from the edge of Sacajawea State Park.

 

 

 

 

    Turning left, here's a photo of the wind turbines which likely provide power of Richfield.
--
    Driving from Walla Walla, Washington, into Oregon, I headed for Pendleton, where distant cousin Richard "Dick" Lemmon lives. [I call all cousins who are not 1st cousins distant cousins -- saves time.] Once there, we talked principally about our respective branches of the Lemmon family and were joined by Dick's daughter Diana as well as his wife Dona. Dona maintains an excellent genealogy scrapbook.
    They invited me to stay for dinner, which was excellent -- expecially the fresh strawberries, something I have eschewed for some time in order to pay for gas. After checking e-mail using my laptop at McDonalds, I spent the night behind the Pendleton Walmart.

    I thought the country near Pendleton was going to be like that near Pullman, WA, and Moscow, ID: wheat country. But, as Dick had told me, the Blue Mountains are south of Pendleton on the way to La Grande.
    This first shot looks from a Vista Point on the climb out of the Umatilla River back toward Pendleton and SE Washington. The dark green across he center of the photos is from the many trees planted by Pendleton residents as well as trees growing along the Umatilla.

 

 

    Panning left...we see wheat fields; in the foreground: blue lupins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning left again....

 

 

 

 

 

 

    A birds-eye view of a farmer or rancher who clearly has his own water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Near the town of Perry, the modern version of an earlier concrete span which bridged both the railroad and the Grande Ronde River.

 

 

 

 

 

    A plaque explaining the importance of US30 not only to NE Oregon but also to the Columbia River Gorge. [Click once to enlarge; pres ESC to return here.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Since it was raining I rolled down my window and took this photo of a plaque explaining "Historic La Grande." As you can see, the original town was on the Oregon. Now the larger town is near the primary Interstate (84) to Boise, Idaho's capitol and largest city.
--

 

 

    Our next-door neighbor for 33 years on Van Ness Avenue in Santa Cruz, California, was Jeannette Wheatley Rowland, who grew up in La Grande and taught girls PE at the high school there after her graduation from the University of Oregon.
    Here's an obituary for her mother, Christina Purvis McLaren Wheatley and an article and death certificate extraction which outlines the death of her father, William Lawrence Wheatley. Both died accidental deaths.
....
Christina Purvis McLaren WHEATLEY
--
Obituary
--
Monday 6 March 1933 La Grande Even Observer, Page One
--
Fall Fatal To Mrs. Wheatley; Dies Saturday
--
La Grande Woman of Advanced Years Will Be Buried Tomorrow After Service at 3:30 p.m.
--
    Mrs. Christina Purvis Wheatley, of 2010 Adams avenue, who suffered serious injuries a week ago Sunday morning when she fell on her way to the Methodist Episcopal church, of which she was a member, died at the Grande Ronde hospital Saturday night. Death was caused by a broken pelvis and the shock. With her advanced years she was unable to rally.
    Funeral services will be held at the Snodgrass and Zimmerman mortuary Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., with Rev. W.H. Hertzog in charge. She will be buried in the family plot in the Masonic cemetery.
    Mrs. Wheatley was born in Glasgow, Scotland, March 12, 1858, and was 74 years, 11 months and 20 days of age. She had lived in La Grande for the last 28 years and had a host of friends in this locality. She is survived by her widowed husband, William L. Wheatley; the following children, Mrs. Elizabeth Harris, of Marshfield, Ore; Mrs. Jeanette Rowland, of Santa Cruz, Cal.; Scott Wheatley, of Ashland, Ore.; Mrs. Christiana Duncan and Mrs. Miriam Ott, of La Grande; the following brothers and sisters, Mrs. Frank Emerson, of Cleveland, O.; Arthur McLaren, of Victoria, B.C.; Alexander McLaren, of Hollywood, Cal.; Miss Grisell McLaren of Claremont, Cal., and other relatives.
.......................................................................
William Lawrence WHEATLEY
--
Article
--
Saturday 4 May 1940 Baker Democrat Herald, Page One
--
La Grande Man Is Killed By Train
--
    LA GRANDE, May 4--(AP)-- W.L. Wheatley's luck ran out the second time his car stalled on a Union Pacific grade crossing here.
    He was killed instantly as a passenger train struck the vehicle. Last fall his car stalled at the same crossing and was struck by a locomotive, but he escaped serious injury.
    Officers said he was hard of hearing. He was a resident of La Grande.
[Source #1]
.......................................................................
Abstract of Union County Death Certificate #49
--
Place of Death: 4 mi east of LaGrande, Oregon (at RR crossing)
Date of Death: Abt 4:30 p.m. 3 May 1940
Cause: Hit by train while driving car crushing skull; poor vision on part of driver.
Burial: 7 May 1940, Masonic Cemetery, La Grande, Ore.
[Source #2]
.......................................................................
Sources:
1. Saturday 4 May 1940 Baker Democrat Herald, Page One
2. Union County Death Certificate #49 dated 7 May 1940
.......................................................................
--
Links:

• Wikipedia article on the Tri-Cities Area of Washington
• Wikipedia article on Pendleton, OR
• History of La Grande, OR
• Van Ness Neighbors pages for William L. and Christina Wheatley

--

M 25 Jun Actual Route: Union CG - Sumpter - John Day - Grant County Fairgrounds RV Park

T 26 Jun Actual Route: Grant County Fairgrounds RV Park - John Day - Seneca - Idlewild USFS CG

W 27 Jun Route: Idlewild CG - Burns Lib - Burns P.O.

--

Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

A June Night in the Naches, WA, City Jail, 1960

Union Creek CG, Phillips Reservoir, OR

    You are no doubt wondering what this miscreant did to be incarcerated for a night in the Naches City Jail, which was in the building you see to the right. And I had an acomplice!
    The building you see to the right was, in 1960, the town hall, fire department, police station, and jail. However, we weren't caught stealing apples. Rather, the differential on my '54 Ford locked up when I stopped going up White Pass to pull it out of overdrive.

    We had to be towed back to the nearest town, Naches, and the all-everything fellow who wore many hats, including that of dog-catcher, was a friend of the mechanic who was going to replace the innards of the differential. So he offered to let Bill Topogna and me, ROTC cadets from San Jose State, spend the night in the slammer, the door of which you see to the right.

 

    The next morning we drove to Western Union to pick up the $75 which my father had wired to repair his car. Then the mechanic and his friend drove past the outskirts of town where a wrecked Ford with Fordomatic allegedly had the same rear end. (As it turned out, that was not true, but my brother David, who was a bit of a hot-rodder, was happy to have more power because of the higher-speed rear end; of course, gas was cheap in those days so the lower gas mileage was not a problem.)
    Sometime after 1960 the City of Naches added a brick extention to the back of the building, as you can see to the right.

 

 

    But I remember the jail as being white. To the right was the drying tower which the fire department used then to dry their fire hoses after either a trial run or the real thing. By the end of the day we headed up White Pass again and successfully reported for ROTC Summer Camp the next day.
    And that's the story of my life behind bars.

 

    This year I was headed the opposite direction when I returned to Naches. But rather than use I-82 to travel to the Tri-Cities [Richland, Pasco, & Kennewick] Area, I elected to follow US22 so that I could see the farmland of the Yakima Valley.
    This photo of Mt Ranier was taken from the Legends Casino parking lot of the Yakima Indian Reservation near Toppenish. [Heard an NPR profile of an Indian comedian with a surname of Hill who liked to tell audiences, "White men used to get Indians drunk and take there money; now, with Indian casinos...." He rarely had to complete the statement. A real role reversal!]

 

    The Yakima Valley has volcanic soil and plenty of water in a climate which is much warmer than the flanks of the mountain in the distance. Not only did I see apple orchards and cold storage buildings but also vineyards, onion plots, herbs, alfalfa, wheat....in other words, just about any crop not requiring a Mediterranean climate.

 

 

 

    Zooming in on Mount Ranier....

 

 

 

 

 

    As I got further south along US22, Mount Ranier seemed less dominant.

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning to the right there's another snow-capped peak in the distance. Also, I couldn't identify the crop being grown other than that it seemed like some sort of herb.

 

 

 

 

    Don't believe the striped area is a dam; rather it may be a farmer's method of maintaining his farm. The Yakima River is in the right center of the photo.

 

 

 

 

    Another view of the Yakima River after I walked back to where I parked my rig.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Looking to the south-east note the absence of any hills or mountains. Why? That's the Tri-Cities area where the Yakima River joins the Columbia River not too far from the confluence with the Snake River.
--

 

 

Links:

• Wikipedia article on the Yakima, WA
• HistoryLink.Org history of Yakima County

--

Th 21 Jun Actual Route: Island City Walmart - La Grande VA Clinic- LDS Fmy History Center - Baker

F 22 Jun Actual Route: Baker Lib - Baker Shell Truck Stop

Sa 23 Jun Actual Route: Baker Shell Truck Stop - Baker Lib - Lake Phillips -Union CG

Su 24 Jun Actual Route: Union CG

M 25 Jun Actual Route: Union CG - Sumpter - John Day - Grant County Fairgrounds RV Park

T 26 Jun Route: Grant County Fairgrounds RV Park - John Day - Idlewild USFS CG

--

Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Park & Ride to Mount Ranier NP for Free

[Click once to enlarge; press ESC to return here.]
    Because it is not only the highest point one can reach in Mt Ranier Natl Park by vehicle but also reachable from the two southern entrances, Nisqually and Stevens Canyon, the Paradise area is often swamped with traffic.
    Here's what the NPS writes on p.4 of their May-June 201 "Lake Tahoma News": "Parking in Paradise. Due to the popularity of the Paradise area, parking in the upper Paradise lot (adjacent to the Visitor Center) is limited to 2 hours and is generally full by 1100. Parking for longer than two hours is permitted in the lower Paradise lot and along the Paradise Valley Road."

    But there are some workarounds: using free weekend shuttles. Again from the "Lake Tahoma News" here's info on the shuttles: "[From 22 Jun to 2 Sep] free shuttle service is available from Longmire to Paradise on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Additional free shuttle service between downtown Ashford and Longmire is available Saturdays and Sundays."

    "The Ashford-to-Longmire shuttle begins service at 9:15, with buses leaving every 20 minutes until 10:45, then 75 minutes thereafter. The last shuttle leaves Ashford at 5:00 p.m., with the final shuttle bus returning from Longmire by 8:15 p.m. Shuttle service is free, but park entrance fees apply." [See links below.]
[MRphoto4]
    If you're driving an RV or pulling a trailer, note that there are some Maximum Length Restrictions for the three largest campgrounds.

• Couger Rock*: RV 35'/Trailer 27'
• Ohanapecosh*: RV 32'/Trailer 27'
• White River: RV: 27'/Trailer 18'

    Note that many of the park facilities were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s & 1940s, when both vehicles and recreational vehicles were much smaller.
    Three smaller CGs, Ipsut Creek, Mowich Lake, and Sunshine Point, have 29, 30, & 18 site respectively, but they too likely have length restrictions.
--
Links:

• National Park Service website pages for Mount Ranier
• Morton Depot Info Center, where a woman told me the gravel road to Mt St. Helens was closed til July

--

F 15 Jun Actual Route: Pasco Walmart - Walla Walla VA Hospital - Walla Walla Walmart

Sa 16 Jun Actual Route: Walla Walla Walmart - Milton-Freewater, OR - Pendleton - Pendleton Walmart

Su 17 Jun Actual Route: Pendleton - Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area

M 18 Jun Actual Route: Emigrant Springs SP - Perry - La Grande - Island City Walmart

T 19 Jun Actual Route: Island City Walmart - La Grande - Island City Walmart

W 20 Jun Actual Route: Island City Walmart - La Grande - LDS Fmy History Center - Island City Walmart

Th 21 Jun Actual Route: Island City Walmart - La Grande VA Clinic- LDS Fmy History Center - Baker

F 22 Jun Actual Route: Baker Lib - Baker Shell Truck Stop

Sa 23 Jun Actual Route: Baker Shell Truck Stop - Baker Lib - Lake Phillips -Union CG

Su 24 Jun Actual Route: Union CG

M 25 Jun Route: Union CG - Sumpter - John Day

--

Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Exodus from Mount Rainier National Park

Walla Walla Library, WA

 

 

 

    A waterfall [Silver Falls?] along the road back to the Ohanapecosh Campground.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    A glimpse of the top of Mt Rainier [over the top of the Whitman Crest?] on the first clear day in a couple of weeks; taken from WA123 while driving north toward Cayuse & Chinook Passes on WA410.

 

 

 

 

    As a guess, Shriner Peak (elev: 5834').

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Another peek at the top of Mt Ranier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    At last, a clearer view between the trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    A much-more wide-open view of Mt R.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Ski area in the trees to the right? Naw. It's an avalance path.

 

 

 

 

 

    Waterfall visible from WA123 near the only tunnel between Ohanaceposh and the two passes on WA410

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Several small trilliums along the left side of theroad just above the aforementioned tunnel.

 

 

 

 

 

    A closeup of a trillium, which is the Ohio State wildflower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Probably the best view of Mount Ranier towering above the White River.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Thought this shot was better than the one above, but zoomed in too much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Zooming back out....

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Seymour Peak (elev: 6337') from the parking area just below Chinook Pass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning left....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Rainier Fork of the American River below WA410, the Mather Memorial Highway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning slightly right....

 

 

 

 

 

 

    From further down WA410 looking back at Chinook Pass with Seymour Peak on the left.

 

 

 

 

    Incidentally, when I took a photo of two female bikers (pedal-type) just below the pass as evidence that they indeed had made it, thought it must have been a rather steep climb; however, as you can see, it's a long, steady climb.

 

 

 

 

 

    My rig blends in rather well with the east-side snow.
--

 

 

 

Links:

• National Park Service website for Mount Ranier Park
• Live Webcam on Mount Ranier
• Use link on Mt Ranier Webcam to reach Mt. St. Helens webcam

--

M 11 Jun Actual Route: Ohanapecosh CG - Cayuse Pass - Chinook Pass - Little Naches USFS CG

T 12 Jun Actual Route: Little Naches USFS CG - Cliffdell - Niles - Naches - Yakima - Buena bd

W 13 Jun Actual Route: Buena bd - Toppenish - Mabton - Prosser Lib - Richland Walmart

Th 14 Jun Actual Route: Richland Walmart - Kennewick - Pasco Lib - Pasco Walmart

F 15 Jun Actual Route: Pasco Walmart - Walla Walla VA Hospital - Walla Walla Walmart

Sa 16 Jun Actual Route: Walla Walla Walmart - Milton-Freewater, OR - Pendleton - Pendleton Walmart

Su 17 Jun Actual Route: Pendleton - Emigrant Springs State Heritage Area

M 18 Jun Actual Route: Emigrant Springs SP - Perry - La Grande - Island City Walmart

T 19 Jun Actual Route: Island City Walmart - La Grande - Island City Walmart

W 20 Jun Route: Island City Walmart - La Grande - Island City Walmart

--

Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.