Susan Creek and Crater Lake

Between football games we went down to Susan Creek, on the Umpqua River, where we met up with our daughter, son-in-law and grandson. We camped alongside the creek, enjoying the deep shade, cool weather and the sound of the Umpqua River rushing by. The weather was a bit chilly, and the chill was enhanced by the deep shade, but no complaints from us. Susan Creek is one of our favorite campgrounds, and we've been there several times before.

We used to have our pick of sites, but as we've found with several other Oregon campgrounds this year, it was fairly crowded and we had to snag the first site that was long enough. We did have a nice view of the river from the back of the site, and our own path directly down the cliff to the river. The campground has nice showers, which worked well for us as handling shower schedules for four adults in an RV is a bit of a challenge. This was little Jax's first camping trip and he took right to it. Happily exploring every stick and leaf he could reach.

Susan Creek Falls

The trail to Susan Creek falls is so well maintained that we had no trouble navigating the trail to the falls with the stroller. In spite of the low water level in the creek the falls are still beautiful, and the water is amazingly clear in the pools at the bottom.

A big change from our previous visits here, the trail to the archeological site at the top of the mountain has been blocked.  All information related to the Indian Mound site has been removed, the trail has been covered with large fallen trees and brush, and the creek bridge has been extended to block access to the trail. Based on other experiences I've had with archeological sites in Oregon, I suspect the tribes and the Forest Service have agreed to limit public access only to supervised visits.

Susan Creek bridge

This site is rather difficult to supervise as it's so remote. During our last visit we observed trash thrown behind the fence protecting the site, and other indications of a complete lack of respect for what was a ceremonial location. I would suspect that the decision reflects a reaction to that kind of behavior. There are a few photos of the area, the old information sign, and the rock mound in the album from that 2008 trip.

After a day of lounging around camp we headed out for a day trip to Crater Lake. Skot had never been to Oregon before, and Crater Lake was on his " bucket list", so off we went. Taking Hwy. 138 (N. Umpqua Highway) we took time to stretch our legs at Clearwater Falls.

The pull-off to the viewing area for the falls is on the south side of the highway. It's a small parking area, so would be difficult for large rigs, though they do have a pull off at the entrance that would serve one large vehicle. We'd never stopped there before, and what a treat! Some of the most fascinating mosses flourish in the pools below the falls, fed by the beautifully crystal clear water just gushing out of the side of the mountain. Moss grows everywhere, on logs and the side of trees, and covers the ground giving an almost fairy tale like feel to the surrounding forest. We all scrambled around on the logs and paths to photograph the falls, though I'm sure photos alone just don't do the scene justice. The falls are by a cluster of springs about a mile away, so the flow is fairly consistent year round, averaging about 12-15 cubic feet a second. It's a site definitely worth a visit.

Crater Lake was beautiful, as always, but sadly when we arrived we found the beautiful blue it's so famous for was a bit dimmed by smoke from the several fires that have been burning around the area. It's hard to completely obscure the beauty of the lake though, and as the sun's angle changed the lighting improved and the delicate coloration around the shoreline became easier to see.

Over the years we lived in Oregon we had taken several family photos in the park, all in the area of the stone wall that runs along the path near the visitors' center. It was nice, with our now enlarged family, to continue the tradition.

Jax thoroughly enjoyed the chipmunks too. Those little critters have the tourists thoroughly trained, and they eat pretty well during the tourist season. If you aren't careful they'll actually jump onto your hand, which is a little creepy if you've ever looked at their very sharp little teeth.

Lunch in the lodge was a nice break and gave us a chance to admire the restoration work. The lodge originally opened in 1915 and been in a terrible state of disrepair until it was restored. It reopened in 1994.

A short drive part way around the southern shore of the lake for views of Vidae Falls and Phantom Ship formation completed the day, and we headed back to camp with a tired little boy still clutching his favorite forest stick.

On to Eugene the next day for another football game!!

There are a few additional shots of the trip here.