Start with an active volcano that erupted multiple times between 1914 and 1921, the largest being on May 22, 1915, add boiling mudpots, steam vents, and sulfurous gases.  Now surround that volcano with thick forests, snow fields, frozen and non-frozen lakes, rivers, streams, wildflowers galore – and you have Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Go up the mountain towards Lassen Peak (elevation 10,457 feet) and the temperature drops to 68 degrees F; drive down the mountain and it is around 84 degrees F.

As we sit here writing this blog for the last of the national parks which we are visiting this trip, we are in a wooded campground called Manzanita Lake Campground.  Earlier today we walked on a lovely wooded path, Paradise Meadow, which abounded with flowing streams and wildflowers.  We did not finish the trail (it was about four miles round trip and we wanted to see other things), so we turned back, finished an hour’s walk, and had lunch. 

There is one road that goes through the park and we continued on it, stopping at several turnouts and overlooks to enjoy the views.  We saw Summit Lake and continued to Lassen Peak Trailhead at 8,512 feet in elevation.  There was still a lot of snow there (and Sima could not resist throwing a snowball, as did many folks).  Then on to Lake Helen and Emerald Lake, beautiful lakes (especially Lake Helen) which both still had ice.  

As longtime fans of Yellowstone National Park, we were interested in seeing the hydrothermal (action of heated water in the earth’s crust) elements at Lassen.  Although Bumpass Hell Trail – the largest hydrothermal area in the park – was closed for rehabilitation (it is named for Kendall Bumpass who severely burned his leg after breaking through a thin crust into a boiling pool; in fact, warnings abound about not stepping off the pavement and even in recent years, people have sustained serious injuries here by stepping into the boiling acidic water), we did get to see Sulphur Works.  There, we had the pleasure of seeing – and smelling – a boiling mudpot (just like the name), sulfurous gases, and steaming vents, evidence of the violent activity underground. 

At one of the turnoffs, U.S. Geological Survey scientists had set up equipment to monitor the movement of the earth’s crust with the goal of predicting hazardous conditions (there are several in the park).  The question is not if there will be another eruption but when.  Mount Lassen, like Mount Rainier, is an active volcano.

A visit to the Kohm Yah-mah-nee (“snow mountain”) visitors center rounded out the day. 

July 26, 2019 – Day 2 at Lassen Volcanic

We decided that the campground at Lassen was the perfect place to spend Shabbat, so we set about trying to cancel our reservations at the next campground (actually we were not really comfortable with the reservation system of the next park as they would not take a deposit or send an e-mail confirmation, a first for us). 

The problem was how do you make a phone call when you have no cellular service in the wilderness?  First, we tried the pay phones (yes, they still exist) at the campground store, but they didn’t work (but they did exist).  Then we went into the store and the sales clerk told us that he also had AT&T, and if you drive out to the stop sign a bit down the road, turn right and continue to marker 14, across the road from marker 14 there is a turnout, and at a certain spot you can get reception.  The trick was finding that exact spot, as just a foot forward or backward did not work.  After a few tries, we found the spot, canceled our reservation, and sent a WhatsApp to the family letting them know we were OK, which we think they will assume unless they hear differently.  

At marker 14 we also connected with the Chabad website which gives Shabbat start and end times for anywhere in the world. 

We went back to the campground, did laundry, dumped tanks, had an early lunch, and went for a hike around Manzanita Lake.  Easy walking in the most scenic setting of woods and lake with snow-capped mountains in the distance – and possibly the best view of Lassen Peak.  So relaxing, so comfortable, so picturesque – we walked for an hour and a half. 

Next, well you know what’s next. 

Our last Shabbat of the trip, six in all, and it was peaceful and quiet.  We are looking forward to being home soon.  For as nice and relaxing as it is to spend Shabbat in nature, it is still very special to be among family and friends in Eretz Yisrael.

Highway 101 – Oregon to California

Though Waze wanted to take us on a faster route to our next destination (in California) by taking us east to an interstate that goes 70+ mph, we wanted to drive the more scenic road, down Highway 101.  It ran along the Oregon coast, sometimes right on the water, sometimes more inland; through many small cities, some cute, some not; and through luscious forested areas – always pretty.  The road provided many overlooks for good views of the Pacific Ocean and of the large outcroppings of rocks that dot the coast.  Oregon knows that it has a beautiful coastline, and it has done a great job at making the shores and beaches accessible to the public along the Pacific.

Finally, in coming to the California state line, there was a border stop.  We thought they were looking for illegal aliens but they were only interested in fruit.

Our campsite for two nights was on the ocean near a lighthouse in Crescent City, California.  It was mostly just a parking lot with full hookups but the location was very convenient to where we wanted to be and it was on the ocean.  One of the attendants was a young man of color named Akiva (from Crown Heights; his father had a shul…).  He said we were the first people he met in the campground who recognized his name as Hebrew.

In 1964, an earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale struck Anchorage, Alaska.  Within five hours, a wave cresting at 21 feet slammed into Crescent City, killing eleven people and destroying 29 city blocks.  Although there have been other tsunamis along the coast, this was the worst tsunami disaster ever recorded in the U.S.  As a reminder of the ever-present – though, thankfully, relatively infrequent – tsunami danger, all along Highway 101 there are warnings: in Washington, tsunami evacuation routes; in Oregon, entering/leaving tsunami hazard areas. 

Redwood National and State Parks – July 23, 2019

It was a short drive from our campground to the park.  Uniquely, among all the U.S. national parks, Redwood is co-managed by the National Park Service and the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and is officially known as Redwood National and State Parks.  The three California state parks (Prairie Creek, Del Norte, and Jedediah Smith) within its boundaries were created between 1923 and 1929; the national park, whose boundary encircles these three, was established in 1968.  In 1994, the national park and the state parks joined to form one management organization.  Redwood is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve (balancing conservation with sustainable use). 

Our national seniors pass gave us free parking in the day use of the state park.  Entrance to the parks themselves is free for all.

Our three-hour walk, after visiting the ranger station, began with the Jedediah Smith (fur trapper who came to the area in 1828) River Trail that followed the Smith River to a walking bridge which crossed the river and is usable only in summer.  This led us to the Stout Memorial Grove, one of Redwood’s most famous areas, an impressive, densely packed scenic stand of redwoods.  We thought that we had seen some huge trees in the Hoh Rain Forest of Olympic National Park, but these redwoods were even more impressive. 

You have the distinct feeling of being an insignificant creature walking among these giant works of wonder.  But that is not correct; we are not insignificant, we have the power to destroy these living creations of beauty to the point of extinction (which was almost the case here, with heavy logging which began in the area – after the Gold Rush – in 1851, and which built some of the stately homes in California).  We also have the ability to learn from our mistakes and say we must protect these natural jewels before it is too late.  That is the calling of national and state parks, to protect and to teach us to live in harmony with what G-d has created.

Coast redwoods, as the ones here are called, grow only in a narrow strip along the Pacific coast of California and southwestern Oregon.  They start from seeds the size of a tomato seed, yet at full growth can weigh up to 500 tons, reach a height of 380 feet, live up to 2,000 years (they average between 500-700 years old), and have a bark of up to 12 inches thick which makes them impervious to fire and insect damage.  They have no known killing diseases.

Something interesting that we learned: There are actually three distinct redwood species: dawn redwood (found in China); the giant sequoia (found on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in central California, the most famous of which is the General Sherman tree of Sequoia National Park); and the coast redwoods (found in this park).  Although the giant sequoia grows to a larger diameter and bulk, they do not grow as tall as the coast redwoods.

July 24, 2019 – Day 2 at the Redwoods

We said goodbye to Shoreline RV park and drove south on 101 to a different section of the park(s).  We took three hikes, each about 45-minutes to an hour.  Although they all went through old growth forest, we never tired of being among the trees.  It is one of the most relaxing experiences we can think of.

Our first hike began at Prairie Creek trailhead.  It was a wonderful walk through the forest, surrounded by old growth very tall trees and low growth plants; most striking, however, was that we were by ourselves as no one else was walking the trail at the time.  We could hear the forest noises, the chirping of insects, the rustle of leaves…., and because the trail was relatively narrow, we felt completely enveloped by green.  We’re not sure how the trail difficulty was rated but it was a spiral trail with a pretty decent incline.  At one point, we were level with the middle of the trees.

Then, a short drive brought us to Big Tree Wayside to see the most massive tree in the park. The trail connected to Cathedral Trees Trail for another nice walk through the forest.

The third and easiest of the hikes was through the Lady Bird Johnson Grove.  Here, in 1969, Presidents Nixon and Johnson joined Governor Reagan in dedicating a 300-acre grove to Lady Bird Johnson and her campaign to preserve America’s natural beauty.  An interpretive brochure is available at the start of the trail which nicely describes the park, its history, and its mission.

We left the park in the early afternoon and drove along beautiful Highway 299 to our new campground just outside Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Tired, but happy, we relaxed after a delightful day of walking, communing with nature, exploring, and driving along beautiful roads.  We both agree, Redwood National and State Parks is a place we would like to revisit in the future and camp inside one of the state parks (Jedediah Smith, probably) which is by reservation only.

July 17, 2019

A day of travel, stocking up on supplies at Walmart, finding our site at Elwha Dam RV Park, and doing laundry; just some of the tasks you need to do when you travel for the length of time we do.

Our site at the campground was rather unique: a converted tent site where they recently added electricity and water.  It is in a grove of trees away from almost everyone, and only a small RV like ours is able to fit into it – which answers the questions they asked when we made the reservation on the phone about how wide, long, and high our RV is.  We don’t know if everyone would like this spot as you have to maneuver significantly to get into it (there is a fire pit just in front of it), but we loved it.  The trees and the seclusion are big pluses. 

July 18, 2019 – Day 1 at Olympic

We entered Olympic National Park through the Hurricane Ridge entrance.  (The closest entrance to us was the Elwha entrance but it was closed due to storm damage.)  None of the roads from the six entrances into Olympic connect with each other, so in order to to get to different sections of the park, you must go out of the park and drive to a different entry point.  Ninety-five percent of the park is protected wilderness.

At Hurricane Ridge we drove to a few viewpoints and then to the visitors center at the top of one of the mountain’s in the Olympic Mountain Range.  The view of the surrounding mountains from that vantage point was spectacular.  Point the camera in any direction and you get a picture postcard. Mt. Olympus, the tallest mountain in the range, is 7,980 feet.

We took a hike, the Sunrise Point trail, that was mostly straight up, but when we got to the top, we were rewarded with a 360-degree view of the area.  Photos followed: of the surrounding forests, the wildflowers, and even of a family of marmots playing and foraging in the field near the path.

After a trip to the gift shop (so what else is new), we drove out of the park along Highway 101, which goes around the outskirts of the park and down the west coast of Washington State, to Marymere Falls.  We took a gentle, pretty three-mile hike through an old growth lowland forest (trees have to be over 200 years to be called old growth).  According to the ranger, some of these tall trees can grow to over 200 feet and can be 600 to 1,000 years old.  

At the end of the walk, the falls were very tall and quite striking.

July 19, 2019 – Day 2 at Olympic

Being ambitious, we took a two-hour drive along Highway 101 and through a work zone to the Hoh Rain Forest, elevation 500-600 feet.  What we met with upon entering the rain forest was surreal.  It is a story in layers:  from the low-lying shrubs, ferns, and mosses on the forest floor to the maple trees that grow throughout, to the huge spruce and hemlock; as in our walk the previous day, some were over 200 feet tall and have been living over 500 years.  The forms can be truly weird-looking: trees seemingly fused together at the ground; trees growing from a nurselog (a horizontal-laying log from which seeds germinate so several trees are actually growing from one log); trees all in a row; mosses dripping from trees – all one needs to add are lighting and dark shadows, and it could be a scary place indeed.

The definition of a rain forest is that the area gets at least 80 to 100 inches of rain a year; Olympic receives 130-140.  This tremendous precipitation, combined with mild winters and cool summers, nurtures the abundant and lush green through which we walked.

Actually, the entire coast from Alaska to northern California was a temperate rain forest (versus tropical) but was heavily logged to the point that this one piece of national park is just about the only place left that has not been tampered with.

There were two easy paths to walk on (actually, there was a third but that was for very experienced hikers) and we took them both.  On the first, the Spruce Nature Trail, we walked first through old growth trees, came to a river, and then continued through a new growth area.  The feeling you get while walking this very heavily forested, dense path filled with tall, wide trees and low growth plants is like going back in time to when nature was untouched by civilization.

The second path, the Hall of Mosses, had streams running through it, but what made it interesting – and added to the general weird appearance – was moss growing all over the trees.  This growth does not hurt the trees and actually helps their growth

On the way back, before we left the forest, there was a road stop cafe where we stopped for a treat of coffee and ice cream (what better treat is there?).

We arrived back at our campground in mid-afternoon to prepare for Shabbat.  Cleaning, cooking, fixing, washing, taking out Shabbat items and putting non-Shabbat items away, dumping, maneuvering into our campsite under the trees (did we say we also had a hill on either side of us?) and giving a big sigh that all was finished and we could finally relax into the Shabbat frame of mind.

July 20, 2019

A relaxing Shabbat during which we walked to the very near ex-Elwha Dam site just outside the campground.  The Elwha Dam was built in the early 1900s when this remote area of Washington needed a source of electricity.  But in 1992, due to lobbying and ecological concerns, Congress decided to remove the dam; after twenty years of planning, the largest dam removal in U.S. history began and took six months to finish.  It was completed in 2012 (a second nearby dam was deconstructed a bit later) – and the salmon returned.

Napping, walking, davening, eating, napping, reading, talking, you get the idea – that was Shabbat which ended about 10:00 pm.

July 21, 2019

A driving day is how we spent the fast.  We left the RV park and drove down Highway 101 along the west coast of Washington State, down to Oregon, and a bit of the way along the Pacific coast.  The problem was we couldn’t find the Pacific Ocean.  Now you would think something that big would be very easy to see and, at one point, we did see a place where it was supposed to be but there was so much fog that we couldn’t see anything.  Then, suddenly we came upon an overlook, turned in, and lo and behold, there was the ocean in all its glory (as the song goes, “from sea to shining sea,’’ but shouldn’t it be ocean to ocean?).  Regardless, Kosher RV has now been to both oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and all five Great Lakes.  North to south, east to west, we’ve been there and we’re excited about it.

Putting the Pacific Ocean aside, we were tired and needed to get to a more pressing matter, where to camp for the night.  We tried a private campground just off the road and they wanted too much money for no hookups and extra for dumping, so we said that we’ll keep driving for a bit.  After about half an hour, we came upon the Nehalem Bay State Park campground and even though the sign said “Full Up,” we tried anyway and they did have a site available.  We settled in, took a short walk to the beach, returned to the RV, and relaxed.

And to all a good night.

We drove through Oregon and crossed the border to another new state for us, Washington.  To say the drive was beautiful would be an understatement.  Nature does grow wild here and there is very little to interfere with it. 

When we decided it was time to stop, we checked the internet and found the Elk Ridge Campground on the Chinook Scenic Byway, about half an hour from Mt. Rainier National Park.  

The campground is unique, to say the least.  Try to imagine the side of a mountain, with the Naches River running next to it, now add a forested campground designed and decorated in the theme of Route 66 – complete with a man-made ghost town, old antique equipment, cabins with funny, quirky names, and old signs.  The owner was very friendly and gave us free firewood which we put to good use.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington – July 15 – 16, 2019

The next morning, we drove down a very forested and winding road to Mount Rainier National Park.  Though we had a good view of the mountain from the road the previous day, today it was covered in fog.

The mountain is the tallest volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range, at 14,410 feet, and has the most glaciers in the continental United States.  These massive rivers of ice (there are 25 major glaciers on Mount Rainier), up to 750 feet deep, run down all sides of the mountain. On the summit, though, steam escapes, a reminder that Mt. Rainier is still an active volcano.

We first secured a campsite at White River Campground, several miles into the park.  There are no amenities at the campground, as in all national parks, just a pretty spot in a forested area.  Then on to the visitors center in the northeastern corner of the park, Sunrise Visitors Center, a ten-mile drive from the campground and the highest point (at 6,400 feet) that a car is allowed to go inside the park. 

At Sunrise we chose to take one of the trails, the three-mile round-trip hike, with an elevation of 500 feet, to Frozen Lake, the main source of drinking water for the Sunrise area of the park.  As we started up, we noted that we were not the first Israelis here.

The day was chilly, in the 50s F, and there were intermittent mist and rain and enough fog to almost totally block out Mt. Rainier.  But as the trail wound up, what we could see – the trees and the wildflowers and the snow near Frozen Lake – were beautiful.  We could not see Mt. Rainier, hidden in all that fog, but we knew it was there.

Back at the campground: tired, cold, and slightly wet but with a comfortable feeling of accomplishment, as we had challenged ourselves on a slightly more difficult walk than usual.  (A ranger told us that trails that are designated as easy on Mt. Rainier would be called moderate at most any other park.  It is, after all, Mt. Rainier, she said.) At night, though not freezing, the temperature was in the 40s and our nice, dry RV kept us comfortable; of course, sweats, two blankets, and turning on the furnace a bit helped too.  We love to rough it. 

Day 2 at Mt. Rainier

We would like to say it was a quiet night but it rained the entire time and the raindrops falling from the trees above us onto the metal roof of the RV did become annoying; however, it was surely better than being in a tent.  Our first order of business was to change campgrounds so that we could see another side of the park, from the Sunrise area to the Paradise area in the southwestern part of the park.  As soon as we arrived, we searched for a first-come first-served site and when we found an open spot, registered for it via a vending machine; like the previous night, it was $10 for seniors. 

We then started exploring and came upon a lovely waterfall, Christine, then continued on to Narada Falls and took a short but steep path downhill to the bottom of the falls.  The power of the waterfalls was impressive!

We ate lunch next to Narada Falls and drove up to the very crowded visitors center, watched a film about the park, and headed to the Skyline Trail.  It was listed as strenuous (if you did the whole trail) and was very steep, straight up, and we decided to do part of it.  We figured we would keep going and stop when it became too difficult.  Often, we would say that we will go to a certain point and then turn back, but then there was something more interesting just beyond, and we would continue.  Until we decided to sit for a while. 

We were rewarded with a beautiful sight of the glaciers on Mt. Rainier.  As we sat watching the mountain, the fog began to lift, ever so slowly, and the mountain began to come into view.  It is a monster of a mountain; tough-looking and foreboding, just sitting out there – for now, quiet, but you can feel its strength. 

And we knew that even with the lifting fog, there were still several thousand feet of mountain that we could not see.

Mt. Rainier is a destination for serious climbers, the first we’ve seen on our travels.  About 10,000 people each year attempt to reach the summit (14,410 feet); about half make it.  But there are many trails, including the amazing-sounding Wonderland Trail, a 93-mile hiking trail that goes around the park, going over many of Mt. Rainer’s ridges.  Not for us, but one of the beautiful things about the park is that there is something for everyone.

On the Skyline Trail we saw a large group of school children from Shanghai, traveling in the States for two weeks.  And we met up with a group of day school girls from the eastern part of the U.S. who were also walking the trail (we spoke with them when they stopped to take a picture of the group; the telltale long skirts walking up a the side of a mountain was a hint).

Back at our campground, the weather was much better than the previous evening and we settled in for a quiet night. 

Mt. Rainier is a great park.  And there is so much to it – the mountain is just the center: trees, tall trees, very tall trees, waterfalls all over, mountains that are active volcanoes, wildflowers galore – on the sides of the road and in the meadows – all adding a cascade of color to nature’s picturesque scenery.

---

 [SB1]

A travel day.  Like our trip to Great Basin National Park, we drove a long time: 9+ hours through sparsely populated and traveled areas of Nevada.  A point of trivia: 84.9% of Nevada is owned by the federal government: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Fish and Wildlife Services, Forest Service, National Park Service.  Very few cities and traffic; in fact, one of the roads we traveled on, a section of US Route 50, proudly calls itself the loneliest road in America.  We saw perhaps one or two cars the whole time.

And although the ride was long, it was easy (no traffic does that) and absolutely beautiful.  The long straight roads always had a background of mountains. 

Another reason we traveled so long is that after getting lost for 23 miles (we had no reception for Waze and missed a turn which was not clear, and our map was also not that clear) we couldn’t find a place to camp for the night, so we kept on driving.  (Did we say much of Nevada is empty?)  Eventually, we crossed the Oregon state line and stopped at the first place we saw: a gas station-bar-restaurant-RV park (not an uncommon combination here).  The lady behind the bar offered us the night in her parking lot for free instead of paying for the RV “park” just to the side of the building, which didn’t look all that desirable.  We accepted her offer.  The place closed at 9:00 pm and by 9:15 we were the only ones there.  With very little traffic on the road; we had a peaceful night’s rest.

Day 1 at Crater Lake

The next morning, we were up and out before the gas station (etc.) opened.  Still minimal traffic but very twisty and winding roads; there were a couple of warnings regarding the road and the downgrade along the way until, finally, one that said, “this is absolutely your last warning.”  And sure enough, around a tight bend we saw an overturned van with a state trooper next to it warning traffic to stay clear.  After that, we took the turns even more slowly.

We eventually came to a town called Lakeview, aptly named, where we found a Safeway grocery store to stock up on supplies for the weekend, and beyond.  It was not a Walmart but it had to do (no 50 cent pies).  Though it was still early in the day, we stopped by the campground where we had a reservation and checked in.  Our campsite was right on a river where there are a number of people fishing; it is very scenic and quiet.

After having lunch, we headed out to Crater Lake National Park, about 25 minutes to the entrance and another 20 minutes through a tall tree-covered forest till we actually arrived at the lake. 

“Oh, my gosh,” is about the only thing one can say when first seeing the lake.  It is the most stunning blue-colored body of water we have ever seen.

Just the facts: the lake is 4.54 miles across at its widest point; 1,943 feet deep (the deepest lake in the United States); holds 4.9 trillion gallons of water; and its geological name is a caldera, which is a large volcanic crater, especially one formed by a major eruption leading to the collapse of the mouth of the volcano. 

And that is what happened.  Mount Mazama is a volcano in the Oregon segment of the Cascade Range, which reaches from northern California into British Columbia.  When the mountain erupted centuries ago, magma escaped out the sides of its chamber; as this emptied, the mountain could not support its own weight and its top caved in, forming a deep caldera.  What we see now is the inside of the volcano.

The basin that was formed from the eruption was filled with centuries of rain and snowfall; with no place to run off, and no streams running into the lake, the water is perfectly clean, with very little sediment, and a deep, gorgeous blue.  Precipitation, balanced with evaporation and seepage, keep the lake level constant.

And in the middle of this lake is Wizard Island, a volcanic cinder cone which forms an island at the west end of the lake.

Mount Mazama is not an extinct volcano; someday it may go into a new eruptive phase.

The rim drive around the lake is 33 miles and is closed from mid-October till late June due to the heavy snow cover.  We explored about one-third of the rim, stopping and hiking at different points of view.

Day 2 at Crater Lake

Today we decided to go into the forest that surrounds the lake.  We first stopped at Vidae Falls, a spring-fed creek which tumbles over a glacier-carved wall, dropping 100 feet over a series of ledges.  We stopped at the bottom of the falls for a beautiful view. 

We then drove down Pinnacles Road and stopped at the trailhead of Plaikni Falls, a two-mile hike through old forest to the bottom of the falls.  The walk through the forest was nice, as forest walks are, and as we got close to the falls, we began to hear running water.  Around a few more bends the falls came into view; it was larger than Vidae Falls, and more impressive.  As the falls sloped downwards, the whole area was covered with wildflowers, all enjoying the sun and water. 

A short drive took us to Pinnacles Overlook; we had lunch there and took a hike.  As the brochure describes, the pinnacles are chimneys formed when hot ash cooled after the eruption of Mount Mazama.

Friday afternoon; time to head back.  We put “find us a gas station” on the RV’s GPS, and it took us to a former Shell gas station that was turned into a grocery store five years ago.  (We never did trust that GPS.)  After inquiring at the store, we were able to find a traveler’s services station, which was part of a casino – anything to convince you to come and gamble – and it turned out to be just down the road from our campground.  We returned to the campground to prepare for Shabbat.

Something happens when we drive into our campsite on Friday afternoon, five-six hours before Shabbat, knowing that the van will not move again until Sunday morning.  As we go about our work – cooking, cleaning, and taking care of all the other Shabbat preparations – a sense of peacefulness descends.  When we do bring in Shabbat, we are ready for quiet, for reflection, for tuning out.  Whether we are in a quiet national park or state park campground or in a busy and more crowded commercial campground, we have a sense of renewal that only Shabbat can bring.

Day 3 at Crater Lake

Shabbat was very peaceful, though long.  It came in at 8:27 pm, so we ate salads earlier and had the main part of dinner afterwards.  During the day, we davened, ate, rested, learned, walked, and then did it all over again.  Sitting on a bench next to the river, listening to the flowing water and watching the birds and a beaver go about their business, provided a sense of peaceful renewal.

Time to leave the Grand Canyon National Park; it was a wonderful five days.  We left at 6:00 am and the first order of business was to dump our waste tanks and fill up our fresh water tank at the camper services station.  While filling up with water, a group of two elk mothers and two calves came by to share in the water that was dripping from the pump.  Once they started, they wouldn’t stop, preventing Bill from turning off the water which caused the RV tank to overflow onto the road.  Eventually, a ranger came out to help chase them away by shaking a garbage bag at them.  He said it works every time.

Next, an eight-hour drive to Great Basin National Park, Nevada.  Because we were coming from the Grand Canyon, we took a route that is hardly traveled.  We were driving through the Great Basin area, an area which is mostly centered in Utah and Nevada, but which reaches from the California Sierra Nevada to Utah’s Wasatch mountain range.  It is a vast area of valleys and narrow mountain ranges; because its rivers do not have an outlet to the sea, water collects in shallow lakes and marshes and evaporates in the dry desert air.

During the drive we passed the beautiful Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam.

Our stay at Great Basin National Park was great.  Upon arriving at the park, around 2:30 pm, we went straight to the visitors center to see if there was any availability in the campgrounds.  Immediately, a bystander offered us their campsite as they were leaving early.  (Sometimes, things are meant to be.)  It was a beautiful site alongside some grey cliffs which was the campground’s name.  We were there for one night; we took a short walk before dinner and enjoyed the splendid quiet.  An additional bonus was the abundance of wildflowers all over, even the cacti were in bloom and their flowers only last about a day. 

As we wanted to stay a second night, the ranger suggested we look for a new site first thing in the morning; we did and found one with no trouble.  Since we have a National Park Seniors Pass card, the site was only $7.50; national parks are a good deal.

After securing the site, we went back to the visitors center and watched a film on the park.  We find that, without exception, the national park films are informative and interesting and, because we cannot see or read nearly enough, we enjoy hearing and watching the background material.

We then went on a ranger-led tour of Lehman Caves.  American Indians knew of it long before the rancher and miner Absalom Lehman explored it in 1885.  A single cavern despite the name, Lehman Caves extends for 1/4 mile and goes 150+ feet below the surface.  As you walk through the various rooms, there is an unworldly-looking display of stalactites, stalagmites, columns, draperies, flowstone, soda straws, and cave-popcorn, -turnips, and -bacon formations throughout.  (We have said before that the National Park Service has a sense of humor when naming things.)  The cave also hosts shields, a rarity, which are two roughly circular plates fastened like flattened shells, often with stalactites and draperies hanging from the lower plate.  There is also a wedding room (seven weddings were performed there; not recently) and a lounge, among other “rooms.”

It was chilly in the cave, a steady 55 degrees.  When the tour was over, the first thing we wanted was hot coffee.

After a brief lunch, we drove along a 12-mile winding road, the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, that rose in elevation from 6,800 feet to 10,000 feet (the summit of Wheeler Peak is 13,065 feet).  We stopped at two overlooks, Mather (again Mather) and Wheeler Peak, and then drove up to a trailhead called Alpine Lakes.

From the trailhead, we took a two-mile walk to Stella Lake.  The trail was stunning, and different.  Early in the walk, we trudged through mud and snow (yes, still snow on the ground in July).  We were told that this winter Great Basin received twice the amount of snow as is usual, and the crews – both park service employees and volunteers – are still clearing some of the trails.  As we got higher, and the trail was more open to the sun, it became drier.  Stella Lake, below a snow-topped mountain with snow drifts on some of its edges, was the reward. 

We are writing this blog entry at our campsite, in the middle of the woods in Baker Creek Campground.  It is totally quiet, except for the sounds of birds and running water of a stream close by. 

Tomorrow we start on a two-day drive to Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.

On to the Grand Canyon

Day 1 – Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Our first stop after entering the park was the (very-crowded) visitors center.  Although there is a lot of parking there, the first two parking lots we tried were full and we were about to give up and go to our campsite when we saw a spot in the third lot.  We took a chance that it would still be there and it was.  With much maneuvering and the assistance of a very capable bystander, who could measure the distance between our van and the cars around it in inches, we were able to fit the van into a very tight spot.

At the visitors center we picked up some maps, spoke to a ranger about getting around the park, and saw a very good 22-minute introductory movie.  The movie was excellent, but the best part was the huge screen panoramic images of the canyon, something most of us cannot get with a camera.  Some of the things we learned:

• The Grand Canyon is 277 river miles long.
• The canyon varies in width from less than one mile to over 18 miles, but averages 10 miles across.
• Overall, the canyon averages one mile deep.
• All of the water for the Grand Canyon comes from Roaring Springs, more than 3,000 feet below the North Rim.  A 15-mile pipeline carries it to the South Rim.
• The Grand Canon was established as the 17^th U.S. national park by an act of Congress in 1919, signed by President Woodrow Wilson.

We walked from the visitors center to Mather Point, an overlook at the rim, and continued along the rim for a short walk.  What can one say about the most famous hole in the ground in the world? (I think we wrote this last year about the North Rim, which we loved.) The views at the South Rim of the canyon are even more stunning. 

So here we were, elevation 6,000+ feet (the average elevation of the South Rim is 6,800 feet) and looking down a mile.  The experience is humbling; standing beside this awesome beauty makes one feel so small.

Getting settled in our campsite, visiting the camp store, and having dinner rounded out the day.  We are in Mather Campground; it is huge but because vehicles over 30 feet are not allowed, and there are a lot of “tenters,” it does not seem crowded.  No internet connection, no hookups, just quiet – except from 7 am to 9 am and 6 pm to 8 pm when those who do have RVs run their generators during the park-allotted time.

Day 2 – Thursday, July 4, 2019 – Happy Independence Day

OK, we figured we deserve this.  After over a week of 100+ degrees F weather, we woke up to a beautiful day: blue skies, temperature in the 80s, good visibility.  So, we decided to expand on yesterday’s walk and do a 3+ mile walk around a portion of the South Rim.

The Grand Canyon has a free shuttle system to get around that uses natural gas instead of gasoline, and the park encourages visitors to ride the shuttles, which do not pollute, instead of taking their cars.  We took advantage of the shuttle to ride to a second visitors center in the Village area of the park which is where several lodges are located.  There we entered the El Tovar Hotel which looks as if it was built from turn of the 20th century lumber and decorated in the same manner.  Of course, we went into the really nice gift shop there.  Next to the lodge was a Hopi House (reconstructed) that sold very fine Indian art and jewelry.

We then walked back to the main visitors center at a fairly leisurely pace.  We couldn’t help ourselves; between the two of us we took over 200 photos.  The canyon looks the same from all spots, and yet it doesn’t – the colors and shadows are different and ever-changing; the formations are different with their sculpted slopes, ledges and cliffs, yet they all have a similarity; the vegetation along the rim is different….  The canyon changes from day to afternoon to evening; just moving over a few feet gives one a whole different perspective.

And all this was, and is still being, carved by the Colorado River.  From the rim, the river looks puny, yet it averages 300 feet wide; from its origins high in the Colorado Rockies, it drops more than 12,000 feet and passes through a series of canyons – including the Grand Canyon – 1,450 miles to the Gulf of California.  The Colorado’s width has not changed over time; it sculpts deep, not wide.  The cliffs, ledges, and slopes are the result of erosion.

The walk we took is called a Journey Through Time, and all along the way there are examples and explanations of the different rocks that are found in the various strata, including shale, granite, and sandstone.  Bill took photos of all of them representing a geologic cross-section dating from the beginnings of the formation of the canyon to the present.  Each rock layer represents a period when a different environment prevailed.  The oldest rocks lie more than 3,000 feet beneath the rim.

After our rim walk, we rested and ate lunch on a bench at the visitors center, not as crowded as yesterday.  Though advertised as gourmet coffee by the mall coffee shop we visited, Bill was hard-pressed to taste any actual coffee in the cup.  Sima’s ice cream bar was great.

We then walked back to our campsite, about half a mile along a lovely path.  While resting at our site, a herd of seven elk walked almost up to our RV grazing on the surrounding vegetation.  Though not very aggressive, there were a couple of babies, and the parents can be dangerous if they feel threatened – for example, if one gets between the mother and her calves. 

Although today was July 4^th, there were no Independence Day celebrations in the park, though we were told that the park rangers were represented in the parade of a nearby town.  Most of the visitors to the park seem to be foreign and, indeed, most of the RVs we encountered – though “tenters” made up the majority of the campers – were rented.    

We met a registered nurse who worked at the clinic in the park.  We struck up a conversation and learned that she was originally from Kenya, moved to the States as a child, and was on the U.S. Olympic track team in the London Olympics in 2012.  She has a friend who will be in Israel in March to run in one of our marathons.

After a couple of exploration walks in the surrounding area we turned in for the night.

Day 3 – Friday, July 5, 2019

We figured we had about half a day to explore before we started getting ready for Shabbat, so we took the shuttle back to the visitors center, walked to the rim, and then went in the opposite direction from yesterday.  We went past Pipe Creek Vista, a place where many people seemed to drive up to, get out of their cars, take a picture, and leave.  The walk was less traveled than yesterday’s walk, and afforded us different views of the canyon.

On the way back to the campground, we stopped off at the Market (the general store which carries food, souvenirs, and clothing; the South Rim also has a deli, bank, and post office).  A sales associate at the Market (who shared with us that when her son was a teenager, he spent a summer in Israel working on a kibbutz and that he climbed Masada in orange Converse sneakers) told us that of the 5+ million people who visit the Grand Canyon each year, only 1% go below the rim – see Sunday.

We walked back to our camper and prepared for Shabbat.

Day 4 – Saturday, July 6, 2019

It was a lovely Shabbat; the stars filled the sky at night, and the weather was perfect.  There is a beautiful paved walk through the forest which goes right along the campground and we took advantage of it to take two nice walks, the first went through the residential area (yes, there is one here), and the second towards the visitors center.  Still, surprisingly, the campground was not full, even on this 4^th of July weekend.

Day 5 – Sunday, July 7, 2019

Our last day at the Grand Canyon. 

We decided to be among the 1% of people who went down below the rim, into the canyon.  Bill had gone into the canyon with our daughter Tomi, but that was on mule back; this time we both walked in. 

We took the shuttle bus to the Bright Angel Trailhead and started our descent.  We took our time, careful not to fall on the slippery rock trail.  When you get below the rim and look across, instead of simply down, the canyon looks different.  It is even more astounding. We walked for about 40 minutes, and then decided to climb back up.  Walking uphill was faster than walking downhill because we had to be more careful on the rocks going down.  Going up just meant you were breathing harder.  After arriving back at the trailhead, we felt a definite sense of accomplishment.

Back on the shuttle, we went to Mohave Point, a lookout with the best views of the Colorado River which runs throughout the canyon.  We then had lunch literally sitting on the edge of the canyon.  We walked back to Train Depot – there is a train that runs to and from Williams, Arizona and the Grand Canyon – then walked a little more, saw an Indian tribal dance demonstration at the Hopi store, and returned to the campground via the forest trail.

• 

Epilogue

We were not quite sure what we would find at the South Rim, specifically Mather Campground.  We had read that the Grand Canyon was overcrowded, especially on holiday weekends, and we thought that was what we would find.  Gratefully, that was not the case.  Yes, when we first arrived and had a hard time finding parking at the visitors center, we were wondering if the whole park would be like that, but that was the exception, not the rule. 

The Grand Canyon is such a big place that it can handle the crowds. The campground was spacious, clean, and well patrolled.  All in all, we have had such a good time that it has gone high on our National Park Favorites List and it is a place we hope to return to.

And the Grand Canyon in a few words: “How great are your works, Hashem.”

Tomorrow we head to Great Basin National Park, Nevada.   

When we got up Sunday morning in the still very hot Bullhead City, Arizona we had no idea of where we were going, but after our morning walk, we unhooked the RV from the water and electric and headed in the direction of Kingman, Arizona.  We were going in the general direction of the Grand Canyon where we had a reservation beginning July 3 and, after looking at a map (the old-fashioned kind), we decided to take the scenic Route 66 through the Hualapai Indian Reservation.  It was there that we took another look at the map and decided where we were going – to Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Arizona.  Why did we choose that as a destination you may ask?  It was because we liked the name; anyone who knows us would understand.  And we like state parks.

We switched over to Highway 89A which took us through the Jerome-Clarkdale-Cottonwood Historic Road; a more challenging and beautiful road would be hard to find.  Twists and turns, up high in the mountains and back down again.  We compared it to someone playing a video game with the exception that if we crashed and burned, we really crashed and burned and wouldn’t be able to start over.  We took it slowly, mostly at 15 mph; there was very little traffic behind us but it did get interesting when fast-moving over-the-speed-limit traffic came from the opposite direction. 

Sima enjoyed the scenery; Bill kept his eyes straight ahead.

We stopped for a breather at an overlook and enjoyed the beautiful vista of the mountain we were on and the valley below.  Soon we were in Jerome, Arizona, once a booming copper-mining town, but now a tourist center with small-town European-size roads, again twisting down the mountain.  At the bottom we were almost at our destination

Dead Horse Ranch State Park was named by the Ireys family, the previous owners, who came from Minnesota to buy a ranch.  After seeing a few properties, Mr. Ireys asked his children which ranch they liked best and they responded, “the one with the dead horse, dad!” and that became the name.  In 1973, when Arizona State Parks acquired the park, the Ireys made retaining the name a condition of sale. 

Though our reservation was only for one night, we liked the campground so much we decided to stay for three.  There is a beautiful shade tree next to our campsite and a good distance between us and other sites.  We are surrounded by forests and mountains and there is a lovely lagoon and park nearby.  We are also not far from Cottonwood, Arizona which has a laundromat, supermarket, and of course, a Walmart.  And about a half-hour down the road are Sedona, Arizona, and Red Rock State Park, places we wanted to see.

Day 2 in the Sedona area

We headed out in the morning (fairly early to beat the heat; it was about 100 degrees F today, but honestly, we are getting used to it), to Red Rock State Park, a 286-acre nature preserve and environmental education center. Trails wind throughout the park, from the dry, smaller plants higher up to the rush riparian habitat surrounding Oak Creek which meanders throughout the park.  (We learned a new word, for us: “riparian” is where land meets water and refers to the vegetation along the banks.) 

The red sandstone rocks all around are beautiful.

We arrived just in time for a volunteer ranger-led walk and, as we were his only customers, had a private tour.  The ranger, who we guessed was probably in his 80s but walked like someone twenty years younger, was very knowledgeable about the history and geology of the park.  He led us on the Smoke Trail, where he pointed out signs of the Indian tribes who had lived there; it is called smoke because when it was later settled, charcoal mounds, remnants of cooking, were found. 

We also learned that Oak Creek was prone to flash floods during two seasons a year, March and November, and the ranger showed us the bridges over the creek that the state had built, only to be washed out (more than once, no matter what their engineers had tried).   He also pointed out a petroglyph, a rock carving.  As with others we have seen in the southwest, no one can definitively say what it represents, but Bill thinks it looks like a house.

Tlaquepaque We left Red Rock State Park and drove to Sedona, Arizona, just a few miles away.  Sedona is certainly among the most beautiful cities we have seen; it is surrounded by red-rock buttes (a hill with steep sides and a flat top) which tower above it.  Since we did not want to just walk around in the still 100 degrees F weather, we found our way to the Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village (Tuh-lah-kee-pah-kee), on the bank of the Oak Creek.

Built to replicate a town in Mexico by that name, Tlaquepaque houses over 50 shops and galleries and a few restaurants.  The name means “the best of everything,” and its shops and galleries are indeed first-class, whether sculpture, ceramics, glass, photography, jewelry…. After walking through the village and making a few purchases we ended our excursion with a trip to – you guessed it – Walmart for supplies and even more fun.

Day 3 – Three National Monuments, No Waiting

When you are in a place for three days, you are able to look for the less well-known sites.  And that is what we did.  At the suggestion of the ranger at Red Rock State Park, who saw that we were interested in “old things,” we visited three national monuments.  Old is, of course, relative, as here we are speaking of the Sinagua Indian villages of approximately 1100 – 1400 CE in the River Verde area.  Sinagua means “no water,” and in the desert, that was always a commodity hard to find (except, of course, during the flooding seasons – and then there was too much).

National monuments are not large areas, generally, and are centered around one attraction.  Each of today’s sites included a 1/3- mile walk.  It was 104 degrees F, so short walks were in order.

First, however, we did laundry.

Montezuma Castle National Monument

Then on to the first national monument, Montezuma Castle National Monument.  Not related in any way to Montezuma, the Aztec emperor of the early 1500s, but early American settlers assumed the castle was Aztec in origin and so named it after him.  Nor is it a castle, but a cliff dwelling.

The castle is a 20-room dwelling built under an overhang about 100 feet up a limestone cliff.  Access into it was by a series of portable ladders which made it difficult to penetrate and was a natural protection from the elements, as the nearby Beaver Creek flooded almost annually.  In fact, during February 2019, the creek overflowed and reached the sidewalks we were standing on (maybe 20-30 feet above river level) depositing mud and uprooting metal picnic tables (which take two people to move) and shoving them against a wall.  The Park Service closed the trail until staff could remove the mud and debris.

Not far from the castle was a much-less well-preserved castle, “Castle A,” which was even larger, a five-story apartment-like building with 45 rooms.

Montezuma Castle reminded us a bit (but in a much smaller way) of the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde. 

As a side note (pun intended), there was a musician just outside the visitor’s center playing native American flutes named Harry Seavey, a musician of some renown in Indian music.  We enjoyed his performance and struck up a delightful conversation.  It ended up with Bill buying a High Spirits flute from the gift shop.

Montezuma Well National Monument

We had seen photos of Montezuma Well National Monument, our next stop, but while climbing up to it, it was hard to imagine the surprise lake – a natural limestone sinkhole measuring approximately 100-120 yards in the middle of the desert – which awaited us.  Montezuma Well contains over 15 million gallons of water – in an area which receives less than 13 inches of rain a year – and each day it is replenished by 1.5 million gallons of new water fed by continuously flowing springs.

Here, too, there is a cliff dwelling and between the years of 1125 and 1400 CE about 100-150 people lived here.

Tuzigoot National Monument

Third, and last for the day, was Tuzigoot (Apache for “crooked water”) National Monument, built between 1000 and 1400 CE.  It is a large pueblo structure rising 120 feet above the Verde Valley and is two stories high (in some places) with 87 ground-floor rooms.  There were few exterior doors and entry was by ladders through roof openings.

The pueblo was reconstructed by the Park Service and so one gets a very good idea of how it looked.

At all of the parks there were rangers who answer questions and give lectures about what we were seeing.  And the Park Service puts many signs along the way with interesting and informative background material, including pictures.

Then, back to the campground, preparing to leave one of the nicest state park campgrounds we have been in.