Saturday, July 24, 2010 - I flew to Seattle by way of Chicago, rented a car, and drove across Snoqualmie Pass and along the Yakima Valley
to Immigrant Springs State Park Campground in Oregon. Immigrant Springs is about half way between Seattle and Borah Peak, ID.
Hertz at the Seattle airport is over twice as expensive as the location between the airport and downtown. Expedia gave me the wrong address for the less
expensive site. When I got the correct address, they were closed. I ended up taking a cab to the downtown Hertz ($540 a week for a compact, same as the
airport).
Sunday, July 25, 2010 - I finished the drive to Craters of the Moon National Monument Campground where I would stay for three nights. The area is
made of lava flows, the most recent of which is 2100 years old. I drove the loop
tour and took the Cave Trail after dinner. There was snow at the bottom of the one spatter cone. The outside temperature was about 95. In the Boy Scout
Cave, there was ice on the floor, only about 15 feet underground. The caves are lava tubes. Many of the tubes have collapsed.
Craters of the Moon NM
Indian Cave
Monday July 26, 2010 - I woke at 2:30 am, left the campground at 3:30 am, and arrived at the trailhead at 5 am. There were two groups there. One
person was well ahead of all of us. We leapfrogged until we got to Chicken Out Ridge where I took the lead. I tried to stay high on the ridge, straying
to the right when necessary. There is a good bit of exposure (to falling) along the ridge. The person with the early start passed me on his way down.
Approaching the summit, it started to rain and the wind became very strong. Another hiker and I reached the summit together around 11 am and took each
others' pictures. With the wind and cold, we didn't sightsee. The descent took about 4 hours.
At the Summit
View on the Descent
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 - I hiked the North Crater Trail at Craters. It's about 4 miles out and back. There were only a couple of other hikers.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - The original plan was to backpack one day at Craters, but the road to the start of the wilderness trail was under
construction. I took a more relaxed drive back toward Seattle. I drove into Twin Falls passing through Carey, ID. I drove route 30 along the Snake River,
passing the Thousand Springs area. The volcanic rock holds a lot of water and in this area it pours out of springs, down cliffs, and into the Snake River.
Route 30 then goes to Hagerman, home of Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument. There is a small museum in Hagerman. Most of the fossils have been taken to
the Smithsonian or other museums. The fossil of most interest is the Hagerman Horse. Near the area where the fossils were found, the Oregon Trail passes
and there are great views of the Snake River. I returned to I-84 for a while and then exited for Bruneau Dunes State Park Campground. Bruneau Dunes are
immense sand dunes left by an old oxbow of the Snake River. Much of the landscape in the area was carved by the breaking of Bonneville Lake in Utah,
now Bonneville Salt Flats.
Carey, ID
Snake River
Snake River
Bruneau Dunes SP
Thursday, July 29, 2010 - I drove Idaho 78 and I-84 to Immigrant Springs State Park Campground. I-84 follows the old Oregon Trail. Immigrant Springs is
named for the springs where travelers on the Oregon Trail stopped for water.
Friday, July 30, 2010 - In Baker, OR, I stopped at the Bureau of Land Management's Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. This is an amazing building with many
exhibits. It really gives you a feel of what it was like to cross the country in the 1800's. There is a good view of a section of the Oregon Trail. A
walking trail takes you to an area where you can see the ruts left by the many wagons. BLM outdid themselves here. I was lucky to have stopped.
Afterwards, I finished the drive to Seattle and turned in
the rental car. A cab took me to the Mediteranean Inn in the Queen Anne section of
Seattle. I walked over to the fountain and went up the Space Needle.
Seattle Fountain
Seattle from Space Needle
Saturday, July 31, 2010 - I walked to the Wooden Boat Museum on Lake Union. There were a lot of interesting boats including small steamboats. Gear check
for Rainier was at 2 pm at Alpine Ascents. They wanted me to have a pair of light gloves, so I walked to REI and got them and to Whole Foods for bagels.
The REI in Seattle is huge.
