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SIGHTS:Back in Diamond Lake, OR a few days ago, we took a very nice ride to see some local waterfalls. Diamond Lake RV Park provided a rustic map to lead us in the right direction of the falls. These falls are along Rt. 138 (Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway) and quite close together. A 3 to 5 minute drive between each falls.
A nice ride and enjoyable hikes. Since I've let a few days lapse from viewing the falls and posting, I can't give much detail. I have a really terrible memory.
We stopped at
Clearwater Falls which was an easy walk to to an unimpressive 40' waterfall. But it was a beautiful area, with lots of moss covered fallen tree trunks and a nice stream that the dogs enjoyed cooling off in.
Whitehorse Falls another easy walk to a waterfall. Calling that a waterfall is stretching the common idea of a waterfall. A mere 15' high, this could be a backyard fountain. Still, pretty surroundings.
Watson Falls was a more difficult almost 1/2 mile trek on a beautiful pine needle covered path. This waterfall is almost 300 feet high and the path goes up to the top...I think. I started up the path, and I was huffing and puffing, but I know my limits. If I rested for 30 seconds here and there, I would be fine. But my worrywart husband said he didn't like leaving our truck in the parking lot out of view. We've been to other areas of the country, that had signs at trailheads stating about possessions being stolen. We saw the evidence of vandalism in those areas, by the broken car window glass in the parking lot. Since then, Scott is not comfortable, or maybe that was just his excuse and he was really worried about his middle aged/early senior citizen, out of shape wife not making it up the steep hike. Either way, I viewed the falls through the trees at ground level.
Toketee Falls is the falls to go to if you can only pick one. This is another almost 1/2 mile hike up & down with over 200 steps to deal with. A beautiful hike. Not too difficult. You end up at an observation deck with a view of the double tiered 120' high waterfall.
Another peaceful spot I would have loved to stay for a couple of hours and just read a book. This photo does not do the falls justice. Toketee Falls reminded me of a flume ride in an amusement park. You come through the cave into a narrow flume type area and then the stomach dropping plunge into the pool. Oh how I wanted to wade down there. So inviting....
The pool is actually called a "pothole"! I've never seen this kind of pothole in NJ!
"The 12-foot diameter redwood-stave flowline (pipeline) visible to your right is part of the Toketee development of the North Umpqua Hydrolectric Project.
Completed in December of 1949, the Toketee development was the first component of the Project to be built. The Toketee facility begins at teh earth-fill dam less than a mile upstream of Toketee Falls. The reservoir behind the dam is approximately 102 acres. Water enters an intake structure at the dam and then runs through the wood-stave flowline for 1,500 feet where it then transitions to concrete just before entering a tunnel through Deer Leap Rock. the water powers three generator turbines that have a capacity of 45 megawatts of electricity or enough energy for approximately 22,500 homes." Courtesy of Every Trail.
There were campgrounds or picnic areas connected to each waterfall area. But most were closed because of fallen trees and branches.
I guess the Forest Service hasn't gotten enough fees to evaluate the safety of the park, since it hasn't been done since a winter snowfall.
CRAFTS:
In my last post , I mentioned the completion of my fingerless gloves. I found a great pair for the man in your life. I'm sorry I didn't find it before Father's Day. This would have been a great present.
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WHERE WE'RE GOING:
June 25- July 8, 2013 River's End RV Park, Chinook,WA
July 9-17, 2013 Port. Hudson RV Park, Port Townsend, WA
Tentative:
Neah Bay, WA
La Push, WA
Coeur d'Alene, ID
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