Our Journey : Elk

10/15/2022

October 10, 2022 Travel to Florence Oregon

One of the greatest things about our travels is that we can change our mind on where we want to go. Originally we were going to head south towards the Redwoods but…being this close to the Oregon coast, I could not resist! So after saying our goodbyes and see you laters, we headed west to the coast.

Another smoky day along I-5:

2022-10-10 Travel from Shady Cove to Florence OR (10)

And the mountains we need to go thru:

Heading to the coast:

So many beautiful rivers:

We followed the Umpqua River for a while:

Then in the valley, I spot these ELK:

About 1/2 mile later, we found the herd!! Oh my, I was so excited. We pulled over and just watched them. There were so so many and it was just awesome to see.

What a real treat!!

Elk facts: https://www.rmef.org/elk-facts/

We crossed the Umpqua River and headed north on US-101.

Crossing the Siuslaw River into Florence Oregon:

We made our way to the Elks Lodge Campground, got settled in and relaxed for the rest of the evening.

I have very fond memories of Florence Oregon. In 1981, I had a 2.5 week vacation from work and decided to see the USA. And I did see some incredible things. On my way down the coast, I had trouble with my car. First place I stopped, they couldn’t help me. When I called and explained what was happening to my dad (who was a mechanic), he told me to find a Chevy dealer with a garage. So the first one I found was in Florence Oregon. My dad talked to the mechanic but it turned out that they did not have a part and it might take 2 days to get it.

So in trying to find a place to stay, the parts manager (who talked to my dad) recommended a little inn in town and to tell the owner that he sent me. Well, this woman was wonderful. She got me set up in a room. When I asked about where to do laundry, she brought me back to her area where I did my laundry while we had coffee and chatted. This was an old home/hotel where rooms were added on the side for a motel. Everything connected and the main lobby was like a living room.

How kind this woman was. I was 26 years old, traveling alone, wondering how I was going to pay for this, wondering what happens if they can’t fix it and she made me feel that everything was going to be ok. I have forgotten her name but not her kindness. I have forgotten the name or where in town the inn was located but if we are here a while, I am going to try to find it.

Now that was 41 years ago and I will say the town has expanded. It will be interesting to explore.

Stay tuned for our discoveries and enjoy today!

Stats for today:

Miles Traveled: 215 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Oregon: OR-62; I-5; OR-138; OR-38; US-101; Mercer Lake Road

6/26/2014

June 21-22, 2014 Elk, Elk, Elk

Saturday, June 21st, we just hung out so Sunday, 22nd, we were ready to go again.

As we were heading out to Bear Lake, we decided to do a quick stop at the Moraine Campground to check it out. While looking at one of the loops, we could see elk in the meadow so that was our next stop.

View from Moraine Park:

Look who is coming to greet us:

Notice the spots on the little one – OH MY! Here is short video of their crossing:

http://youtu.be/mTPyRs8TvhY

Then we saw and heard the herd – HOW EXCITING. We parked the car and went into the exclosure - both for our and the elk’s safety.

The herd – babies and more babies – moms and young ones – all playing. The sound was incredible!:

This guy was just running back and forth and playing:

OH MY!

We watched, took pictures, and watched even more. Babies following mom across the river:

We watched as two of the babies were having a problem crossing. It was so interesting to see other moms come back to help.

Here is a video – watch them playing and listen to their sound – WOW!

http://youtu.be/7zSqg6nbe6M

The herd continued on:

So we moved on. What a blessing to see the herd in the wild!

As we made our way to Bear Lake, there were signs that the parking lot was full and that there was a park and ride. We decided to drive to the end of the road anyway and….. we got a space as someone pulled out – WOW again!!!

We did the nature trail around the lake with stops along the way.

In 1900, this area had a fire that lasted for over two months. Some of the first trees to come back were the quaking aspen – which are favored by wildlife. Eventually spruce and fir will take root in the grove and shade out the aspen.

Here is another interesting tidbit we learned. Notice the green on the rocks below – that is lichens.

When the glaciers receded, they left behind a stark landscape of bare, grey rock. Lichens were the first to colonize these rock surfaces. When moistened, these tiny organisms created a weak acid that disintegrated the rock. As they lived and died, the lichens trapped small bits of dust and provided organic matter. All of these processes helped form soil. Eventually, plants such as grasses and herbs gained a foothold.

Lichens are among the hardiest living things on Earth, growing in the hottest deserts and coldest arctic regions. Lichens are actually two entities, an algae and a fungus, which live together in a mutually beneficial arrangement. The fungus provides the structure of the lichen while the smaller algae conducts photosynthesis to feed the entire organism. Neither could survive without the other.

Lichens can be very colorful and are extremely slow-growing. One lichen found in the park area grows about one millimeter every 100 years. Scientists are able to determine when the most recent glaciers advanced by measuring the size of lichens.

The boys:

Notice the curve in the tree trunk in the middle of the picture – that is called a snow-knee. Each winter, snow slides off the cliff above to form deep drifts. When the trees were young, the weight and downhill creep of the snow year after year bent them, eventually distorting the trunks.