Saturday, July 30 - Tuesday, August 2nd - Winnemucca - Flora, Oregon

Jon and Dad Roy caught in mid-laugh

 All of these pictures should be at the end of this missive, sorry but we screwed up.

Target practice, Neil showing his "expertise"

Roy and Lavona

Roy, Neil, Carol and Nick

Joseph Canyon

We were up early, for us and out the door - the final push to get up to Jon and Sharon's cabin just North of Flora.  A good ride up.  We stopped for lunch at a rest stop outside Baker city with the Blue Mountains looming above us.  It was a gorgeous place to stop and munch on a Turkey sandwich.  There was a kiosk with information boards explaining the surrounding area with appropriate excerpts from diary's and journals from travelers of the 1830's to the early 1900's.  Amazing to read their accounts of the hardships and travails they faced in crossing this rugged area.

The one story of the Lone Pine struck both of us.  Seems that there was one lone pine tree in the valley which became a landmark as wagons crested the hill and looked out on this immense valley framed by the "Boo Mountains".  Everyone used that tree as a road sign until one day in the 1850's, a traveler crested the hill and was confused at not seeing the tree and feeling he was lost.  He discovered how some "rowdy and vandals" had cut the Lone Pine down.  Even back then, there were assholes.

Our road took us from La Grande, up hiway 82, following the Wallowa river to the largest town in the area, Enterprise. Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tribe were the first settlers to enjoy this amazing valley with the Wallowa Mountains to the south.   We stopped and stocked up at the Safeway, made some last phone calls before heading into the wilderness and headed up hiway 3 toward the very Northeast corner of Oregon.

Part of the Wallowa's and the Nez Perce valley

We arrived at the cabin around 2:30.  The cabin is off the grid and uses wind, solar and propane to power everything.  Rainwater is collected in barrels for washing and showers while drinking water is hauled in.  Calling the cabin a slice of paradise is really an understatement.  Words fail me.  The light breeze through the Pines, dry heat that can easily be avoided by following the shade of tree's or buildings, sitting around the table with family and friends where laughter is in large supply, stories from the past that have been expanded and embellished until they reach epic proportions.  Campfires on a nightly basis where my stomach hurt from laughing so hard.  S'mores in large supply where the term, "s'more whore" was coined.  And love, lots of love. 

The cabin in the pines

Lavona and Sharon in the kitchen

I cooked pork chops over the wood fire on Saturday and with all of the side dishes of bean's, salad's and homemade carrot cake, it would have been hard to walk away hungry.

Ymmmmmmm!  Meat!

Jon, Nick, Neil and Charlie wait for dinner

Carol and Kath reunited after the long trip

Sunset, day 1

A big smile in the firelight

Sunday morning we got up to a great breakfast prepared by Sharon and Charlie, ( a wonderful man who has been a 50+ year friend to Roy, Kathy's Dad).  We then saddled up and headed down to Troy and the Grande Ronde river.  When I say down, I may be using an understatement.  Down a windy gravel, potholed road with no guard rails 2,000 feet of white knuckled, gut wrenching fun.

Scenery on the way to Troy

The Grande Ronde River from 2000 Ft. up

We passed through Troy and found a spot where people could swim and/or fish.  Jon, K and I got out our fly rods and wet some fly's.  The river was clear with a fast current, the mountains that surrounded and towered over us were jaw dropping.  North Eastern Oregon is one of those well kept secrets - the beauty, quiet, colors, wild flowers, gentle breezes, wild life and low human numbers is better then anywhere I have been.

After watching Jon haul in (and release) a basket of fish, we headed out North to Oasis, a town just over the Washington border.  We swam in the Grande Ronde at a swimming hole that was amazing.  The water cooled and refreshed, and every cell in my body felt alive and renewed.  We then drove up the hill 100 yards to Brogan's, an ice cream, hamburger joint where Oasis truly earns her name.  My chocolate/chocolate chip milkshake was amazing, where brain freeze is not such a bad thing.

Nick, Neil and Carol cooling off

Wet and Happy

Self portrait of a wet and contented woman

Home for another wonderful dinner and a sit down around a blazing fire.  I urged Kathy to bring out the mandolin and Roy dug an old harmonica out of his truck, and we had music to go with the sunset.  The "100 Summers" song had special meaning as it was written about Roy's Dad and Kathy's Grandpa, Arnold Duerst.

the resident pea-hen

Father and daughter making music

Sunset #2

Monday, Jon, K and I drove through Joseph to the Imnaha River.  The river is maybe 30 yards across but it was impressive as to how clean and clear it was.  It had the normal rush and bustle of people - we saw one guy picking blackberries.   The river winds through rock formations that looked down on us like  fortresses.  We stopped and fished at several spots, found a lovely place to pull over for lunch, and then stopped and fished again on the way back.  Kathy worked on her casting and was rewarded with catching 3 little fishes.....her first on a fly rod.  I could hear her squeals of delight over the sound of the rushing river where I was knee deep in cold water.  What a joy it was to wet a fly in such incredible surroundings.

Jon, the master fisherman

Jeff, knee deep in the Imnaha

After a nice cool swim

Lunch spot along the river

The happy fisherman

K perfecting her cast

So to review, Kathy caught 3 fish, Jon caught a dozen or more and while I did not catch any fish, I did manage to catch my leg and foot on an aggresive, large piece of Ms. Barbara Wire - she almost bled me dry.  So there I am in the middle of nowhere feeling around for various broken/bruised or bleeding body parts.  Nothing broken but one 6 inch scratch accompanied by 5 puncture wounds - 2 pretty deep.  Jon whips out his first aide kit and attends to the wounds while I sit back and try to recall when I got my last tetanus shot.  We head back but stop for one more attempt at landing Rainbow trout on the Imnaha.

We get back and I am trying to "man up" and downplay the blood bath while all the wonderful folk were filled with love, concern and kindness. Kathy and Sharon tended my wounds with hydrogen peroxide and band aids.   I apologize to anyone and everyone I may have brushed off, and label it embarressment over being the center of attention.

The big news was that Roy (K's Dad) had shot his Elk that morning.  Now this is amazing as this is an 82 year old man with only one eye who has the energy and enthusiasm of a 25 year old.  The camp was a buzz but that may have been due to the fly's hovering around Roy's pick up trying to get to the Elk's head.  Roy was one "happy camper".  We settled down to another wonderful meal around the campfire and listened to more stories of hunting exploits up in the wilds of Eastern Oregon.  Much laughter ensued.

Tuesday, Neil, Carol and Nick left early for the long trip back to the Willamette Valley.  K and I took our time and had one last breakfast, packed up and headed west.  Our goal....to achieve balance on this journey, the Yin and Yang so to speak.  Ten days ago we were in the Southeast, wading in the Atlantic ocean, feeling the warm current and avoiding "Killer Sharks".  Now, we want to end our journey in the great Northwest, wading in the freezing surf of the Pacific - how's that for balance - I am so full of yang.

We drove down the Columbia Gorge as far as Portland, got a motel for the night and are headed for the beach today (8/3) with the intention of arriving home by Saturday.  Stay tuned for more adventures!