07/27 to 07/29 Cascade Locks/Portland East KOA, Oregon

  07/27 to 07/29

Cascade Locks/Portland East KOA and Sumpter RV Park

Hooray for me. As you already know, I've sent this news on the actual day but here it is a week later and I'm just catching up with my blogs..my journals...my cheat sheets for when someone asks, "Which is your favorite state? What's the most beautiful/exciting/memorable thing you experienced? The nicest/best/ campground you've stayed at? My answer will always be, "I'll have to look it up." 

To Cascade Locks/Portland East

I drove through the beautiful Olympic National Forest on my way south to the first of two stops in Oregon. The first in Cascade Locks, the second in Sumpter, OR

Some sights I captured while driving along the Columbia River.

An unexpected sight as I drove on I-84. I-84 follows the course of the Columbia River and is the border between Washington and Oregon. 

A short drive through Tooth Rock Tunnel

A first impression pulling into the Cascade Locks/East Portland KOA was that it was densely wooded with tall, old pines. Lots of shade with very little undergrowth.

Sites were spacious

Campground well attended

My back-in site with just water and electricity was against a fence that bordered the main street in town. 

Later that afternoon a young family of three pulled in, erected their tent, unloaded quite a bit of "supplies" from the back of their SUV and were all set for creating their memories.

So this makes it official. The last sticker is in place and even though it took two motor homes and ten years, my claim to fame is realized: Sleeping in all 48 contiguous states.

And so a celebration is in order. Thank you, Carlo. A toast I came across. "Here's to the achievers, the dreamers, and the doers. To crossing off another item on our bucket list, may this accomplishment be a reminder that with determination and passion, anything is possible. May we continue to dream big, live fully, and savor every moment of our extraordinary journeys. Cheers to making memories and fulfilling our wildest dreams!"

To Sumpter RV Park

A long 5-hour trip through the Umatilla National Forest gave me a first hand experience with a wildfire that we read so much about back east. I checked and saw that I-84 would pass through it.

As I approached the area, both lanes were still open but eventually road cones closed off the right lane.

The northbound side along the Columbia River was not affected.

This wildfire was part of the Durkee Fire, which had become the largest wildfire in the state this season. It has spread over 288,000 acres and is currently 49% contained.

The fire, which started on July 17 due to lightning, merged with the older Cow Valley Fire, totaling more than 422,000 acres.

I didn't see any flames up on the hills to my right; much of it seemed to be just smoldering hot spots.

I did see a helicopter hover over the river filling its large bucket and then deliver it's load higher up on mountain. How many trips would have to be made?

What looks like flames on the hillside are just the colored rocks and dirt, not flames.

And once past that danger zone, a view of the other side of the river provides a stark contrast in terrain and another WOW moment.

From the Interstate you can see the Bonneville Dam located on the Columbia River. It's a major facility for hydroelectric power generation and a significant landmark in the Columbia River Gorge near the Cascade Locks. The Dam has two powerhouses, a spillway, and a fish ladder, which allows migrating fish to bypass the dam. Fish ladders help salmon and steelhead navigate past the dam during their spawning migrations. The ladders are equipped with viewing windows and fish counting stations, allowing researchers to monitor fish populations and health.

The Sumpter RV Park is located about 30 miles off I-84...way off the beaten track... and that triggered an "uh-oh" moment. I will have to return on this road back to the Interstate to travel tomorrow. My GPS and the winding  narrow road eventually had me turn onto the dirt road leading the the campground. Yup. Location? Middle of Nowhere.

Thickly wooded. That's okay.

Rustic. That's okay.

Quaint, woodsy, no frills. That's okay.

No one in the office? Uh oh. That note of the door was addressed to me. "Charlie. We moved your site to 15 which is a better site being you're only here for one night. Will be back on site later. Shirley." Well, they knew I was coming. That's okay.

Site 15 was level with no one around me and that's okay for the overnight.

No one ever showed up to check on me. That's okay. I prepaid.

Neighbors had large rigs and most looked like they were seasonals with grills, fences for pets and many had ATVs which would be needed for this backwoods country environment.

What to do in the area? Take a look at the WEBSITE. The senior couples I could see knew one another and five of them spent the afternoon playing cards. From the sound of the automatic shuffler, it could have been Bridge. 

The next morning, the road to the right led me to the exit and I was on my way to Twin Falls, Idaho. 4+ hours and 276 miles along I-84 again. See you there.

"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." — John Muir