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Crack in the Ground, Christmas Valley, OR
Green Mountain, Christmas Valley, OR
Hole in the Ground, Christmas Valley, OR
Who knew....
I didn't till I started looking around..
Crack in the Ground is a volcanic fissure over two miles (3 km) long and up to 70 feet (21 m) deep in central Oregon.
Short hike from the parking lot, and then down into the Abyss.. heheh,
No one has ever returned (jk)...
A little over the rocks, mostly it's a path and you can work around them.
It was a warm day, and dropping down into the Abyss, it was actually quite cool, as nice change.
Blue sky above...
It was interesting to see/walk, fun eh?
I suppose if you heard a "Rumble" you might want to seek high ground ASAP??
A shaded table is nice, the entrance is right ahead, the dark spot in pic. Gradual path downward.
So, that was interesting. I didn't go all the way as it's pretty much the same, rock walled..
Next to find a campsite.
I read that a Green Mountain is nearby and it's also posted on the billboard in the Crack's parking lot.
So "Hi-Ho, Hi-ho, down the dirt road we go"..
Dirt road is good, watch for overhead branches but basically good to go.
Just stay on the main road until it (Nav) tells you to turn. Head for the Look out station up on the hill.
As you approach, I got a little confused (and lost since I'm good at it) but you want to go to the Campground Look out view..
(Lost, went up the Lookout's road, luckily able to turn around)
I figured it was just a "Viewpoint" and not the campground proper, as, not a big surprise here, Ms Garmin said the CG was just around the corner, sort of.
Limited spots, apx 7 or so, Dry of course, but the price was right, Free. I was the only one there for a few days which was nice. Watch for low branches, I had to back up as they were a little too low.
(It's a small loop)
And I couldn't fit in, low branches, into the spot, luckily there was a space along the side what worked well. Remember, Sun for Solar, Clear for 'The DISH' and level, sorta. Had Internet, so all was good.
(low branches)
Great views of the 'Ho-ho-ho, Green Valley' and nice breeze to keep bugs away.
A nice CG, and quiet. I spent a few days there and then came back for the 4th, was filling up then so it's not completely isolated.
perfect spot for me...
and some good sunsets. Would be kewl to watch a storm blow through.
.... and the Look Out tower is a short path up the hill. I was told if the sign says open you can go to the top for views with the ranger there. I didn't, but others did.
Onward to the "Hole in the Ground".
 |
| (It's steeper than it looks) |
I was planning on staying a night here, reportedly there was some camping space a little further south of the Vista area. There was a spot or two at the vista area that could be used, but watch out for the rocks and "Clearance, Clarence".
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| (Note big rock) |
But Wait...., there's more...
There are several ways to in there, Ms Garmin led me in and kept telling me to turn Left.. Right into a tree.. The problem is that there are so many offshoot roads, some ok, some overrun by brush that it's hard to tell.
Once at the vista, figured time to find/check out the Supposedly Camping site.
the road, or more like a Path, runs a little below the rim and on around the hole.
The "Path" was a narrow one for the rig, but just right along the edges of the road... heheh, wait for it....
Rocks along the side... Wait for it...
 |
| (Front tires just along the edge, dually tires a little over the edge) |
Continuing along the narrow road.. to get outta here. Ms Garmin indicated a road to lead back to the Hwy. (see below)
Do you see a road??? Looked like Turnaround.. so got out and walked it...
Sure enough, there's a road just this side of the tree... Score one for Ms Garmin.
and proceeded down. Narrow road, too narrow and once in the woods, low branches and no place to turn around, sigh, not a good day. But wait, there IS more...
Coming back down into the woods..
So I finally got back onto the Highway and just figured, to Hell with it all, go back to the Secret Camping spot on the river and hope I can find a place. It's been crowded there. So drove along the highway, so 30-40 miles, around the average 63 mph (sweet spot for MPG) and then onto the 2 mile dirt road to the camping sites.
There was one, perfect. Got out to figure the lay of the land, Solar, DISH, Levelness. And then I saw it... (This is the "Wait for It" moment)..
Holy Krap....
I'd been driving on that since the Hole.
Tire was flat, obviously, Well Duh!!!... next stop, Les Schwab's, apx 10 miles, two back on dirt and it was, of course 4:30pm...
At first, I was afraid the tire would come off, and the rim would do something, no idea what, but then said to myself, "Self, you've been riding it from the Hole, so you're probably ok and the 3500 single wheels can carry the Fox's weight, so should be good to go." Just Cruised at apx 40mph, flashers on to Uncle Les's.
As I pulled into Schwab's just as were closing, asked to spend nice in back parking lot, ok. I originally got a spare with the truck just couldn't carry it so I needed to "Drive" down to Storage apx 12mi, pick up the spare, drop some bins to make room for it, drive back up and they would swap it out.. For Free, gotta luv Les Schwabs. I added a tire rotation as they hadn't been rotated for some 40k miles, so $60 later, I'm outta there. Could have been a lot worse, I was lucky.
Spent the night a Gordy's Truck Stop, good for One-Niters, till I could figure out where to next. As it turned out, back to the River spot..
Till the next one. Hanging out here till, I guess, WY for the Eclipse..
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