Exploring Bend, Oregon: The Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Because Michael's sister and family live in Bend, we have visited quite often over the past twenty-some years and enjoyed exploring several of the nearby attractions. 
While I was well aware that Bend is surrounded by volcanic cones, the magnitude and enormity of the geologic forces that shaped the area became more clear today. Basically, Bend is nestled among numerous ancient volcanoes and gigantic lava beds, the debris left after eons of massive and explosive geological activity. The trip to the Newberry crater revealed just how volatile this spot must have been and still possibly can be at almost any time.
Today we chose to explore the sights at the enormous caldera with its twin falls, twin lakes, and obsidian flow, located about 30 miles south of Bend. One publication compared the Newberry crater to the size of Rhode Island. Here is a link to the publication we picked up at the Visitor Center, with lots of interesting information: 
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3840921.pdf

we drove along the red road

First stop along the tour: Paulina Falls. By the way, it's not pronounced Pauleena, but Pualina with an 'eye' sound, and is the name of the chief who lived in the area.

the twin falls, about 80 feet high

the reader boards along the way provide great information

We followed the path along the rushing creek to the lake's edge.

I had to remind myself that I was standing in the middle of a sunken crater!

Next, we made a quick stop at the Visitor Center where I took a shot of the this relief map showing the new cone that pushed its way to the top, separating what originally was one lake.

Paulina Lake and East Lake separated by the volcano vent

From there, we took the winding, steep, rutted road to the top of Paulina Peak Overlook. At an elevation of 7,984 feet, the enormity of what lay below and to the horizon hit me. We were on the edge of the caldera, the lakes below us, the new cone separating them. And for as far as the eye could see, the landscape was filled with snow-sprinkled volcanic peaks and symmetrical cones of varying sizes. The ranger at the information center told us there were 400 plus cinder cones and volcanic vents covering the slopes of the volcano. This remains volatile terrain. 

Paulina Lake, the new volcanic cone, East Lake, and the obsidian flow to the right - the rim surrounding the lakes is part of
the caldera wall 

the rounded mounds are vents and cinder cones from previous volcanic activity

these tree skeletons add to the feeling of being in an alien world

despite the elevation and rugged terrain, these delicate flowers, Penstemon,
 found a home here

If the view from Paulina Peak was daunting in its grandeur and massiveness, the Big Obsidian Flow was even more amazing. It is the youngest lava flow in Oregon. Ash from the eruption 1,300 years ago, reached as far as Idaho. The lava flows extend north under portions of Bend and beyond. 
Unfortunately it is impossible to appreciate the size and scope of the flow from my photos taken from the ground. An aerial perspective courtesy of Uncle Google and the USG portrays the scene a lot better - 
 

This poster, courtesy of Uncle Google and the Oregon Dept of Geology and Mineral Industry (with Oregon LIDDAR Consortium), also provides further perspective of what we were viewing:


The flow is a mile long, covers 1.1 square miles (or 640 football fields), and is 150 feet high (the height of a 17-story building).  We followed the half-mile trail at the very edge of the lava flow, through what felt like an alien moonscape.  In fact, in 1964, astronaut Walter Cunningham tested the mobility and durability of a space suit for the Apollo Program at Big Obsidian Flow because NASA believed the volcanic landscape would closely mimic the terrain on the moon.

view from the trail, at the edge of the flow

crunching our way across 1,300-year-old crushed obsidian glass

the shiny rock is obsidian, scattered among the lava flow

The shiny black rocks are obsidian, found only in a few places in the world. This volcanic flow contains about 73% silica, the same as window glass.  The surface of this flow cooled off quickly before its atoms could form into crystals, and so it formed glass. The glass is black due to small amounts of iron oxide crystals. 

About 10% of this flow is obsidian glass, and the remaining 90% is frothy obsidian pumice. 

Newberry Caldera has been a major source of obsidian for native peoples of the western US for the past 10,000 years. They used the glassy rocks to manufacture tools, weapons, jewelry, sculptures, and ceremonial objects. They would walk for days from the their winter camp along the Deschuttes River to gather a year's supply of the valuable rock. Projectile points, scrapers, and other tools from Newberry have been found as far away as British Columbia, Canada.

Further illustrating the usefulness of obsidian as a tool, one of the information boards mentioned that in the 1970's, doctors performed open heart surgery on an archaeologist, Donald Crabtree, using steel scalpels and obsidian scalpels fabricated by Crabtree. The incisions from the obsidian blades healed with hardly a trace, while the steel blades left huge scars. Obsidian blades can be shaped to a width of nearly one molecule.

Another fascinating fact I learned renders the saying about squeezing water from a stone inaccurate. Scientists from NASA came here in the mid 1960's and extracted water from these rocks (which contain 0.2% water) by heating pumice and obsidian to very high temperatures, condensing the water vapor and drinking the water. 

view of the flow edge, and the caldera rim on the horizon

As we made our way along the path, I was surprised to see spots with lichen, a little tree here and there, and the delicate purple Penstemon, triumphantly staking their claim in the inhospitable surface. 

Likewise, I wondered if any wild life could survive here, only to find out frogs appear here in August by the thousands and seem to make their way up the flow and not down towards the water. One would think that their feet would be cut to shreds by the silica.

We continued on to East Lake which marked the end of the tour, snapped a couple of pics, and made our way back home to Alpine. 

East Lake with the cone that split the original lake in two

It had been a long afternoon and there was still so much to discover and learn. We will leave those explorations to another time. Tomorrow we head home, earlier than originally planned. The reason is that we are preparing to hang the For Sale sign on our home. It's the right time, and if we plan to keep on traveling, it makes sense to get the hard part behind us as expediently and as quickly as we can to be free to continue with our vagabonding. 
We know we will be back in Bend often. The people living here have successfully turned a volcanic back yard into a recreational paradise. Who would have envisioned creating resorts, camp grounds, or hiking and biking trails in the middle of a 400,000 year old massive volcano. Soon we plan to be free to explore all the other attractions at the Newberry Volcanic Monument in a leisurely manner.

Bellevue to Cape Kiwanda, to Sisters/Bend, through Yakima back to Bellevue, 836 miles

And so ends this tale for this trip. We started out at the coast at our favorite Oregon beach, and ended up inland in the Oregon desert.  
At the RV park in Bend, there was a 5th wheel with this logo on the back. It may well be our motto too in the very near future:

Exploring Bend, Oregon: Cascade Lakes drive

Mt Bachelor, a mere 20-minute drive from Bend, popular year-round

We spent an enjoyable day today exploring the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. Described as one of the prettiest drives in the US, the road takes you through a volcanic landscape dotted with numerous lakes, and winds its way through the Deschuttes Forest. 
As we discovered, this particular area is also a very popular recreation area where folks flock to have outdoor fun. We saw numerous cyclists, cars with kayaks and tubes on their roof racks, cars pulling boats, cars pulling campers, and on this summer weekend, there were people everywhere enjoying the pristine wilderness. 

Our first stop was the newly completed Welcome Center, always a worthwhile first stop to gather information from the helpful rangers about where to go and what to see. Here, we also found out more about the geology of the area. Oregon and its mountain ranges were created through a collision process that has taken over 150 million years, during which lava reached the earth's surface resulting in the numerous volcanic peaks that dot the landscape. Basically, this region lies on the North American continental plate that is slowly drifting southwest and colliding with the Juan de Fuca oceanic plate moving northeast.  

The first people who frequented this region are the Native American tribes: the Warm Springs, Paiutes, and Klamath. They followed animal migration paths in search of food and water in the high country. The Paiutes typically lived in southern Oregon and northern Nevada and moved frequently following game. They camped in central Oregon to hunt and gather food. The Klamath preferred to fish and gather pond lily seeds (wocus) as their primary food source. The Warm springs lived along the Columbia River and its tributaries including the Deschuttes River. They traveled to areas in southern and central Oregon to hunt and gather food. 
By the mid-1800's, with the influx of white settlers, these indigenous tribes were displaced from their lands to reservations. The Treaty of 1855 was created to protect their sacred places and restore their cultural connection to their ancestral lands. 

Following the suggested route by the ranger from the Welcome Center, we continued on, along route 46, marveling at the diversity of the scenery.

Broken Top ahead with one of the three Sisters on the left

tell-tale signs of  ancient volcanic activity

Sparks Lake was our first stop. We were surprised at the number of cars lining both sides of the dirt road leading up to the lake, and the number of tents and campers set up in every available nook between trees. And no wonder, with such gorgeous scenery all around.

gazing across to Mt Bachelor

Sparks Lake is an obvious choice for canoers, kayakers, and anglers. 

We continued on to the next lake, passing evidence of previous volcanic residue - 

A helpful reader board provided more information about how this region was formed and why it is that certain areas have a golden colored soil. I was fascinated to learn that a volcano erupted below an ice sheet. The power and force of such an event is mind-boggling.



Our next stop was Devil's Lake, which was the most incredible blue-green color, and so clear that you could see the bottom. Once again, cars lined the road and folks camped out in every available nook, picnicking and enjoying the water.

Next along the route was Elk Lake. We had difficulty finding a spot to park. The lake, the campground, and the adjoining resort were mobbed on this hot day. Families were out in droves, and they were clearly enjoying themselves.



We enjoyed a welcome ice-cream and Michael posed with the elk at Elk Lake.

Michael ogling this little beauty, small enough to find a parking spot
 between trees at congested Elk Lake

From Elk Lake, we moved on to Lava Lake for a quick stop and photo. We watched a paddle boarder launch her board, climb on top, and paddle away. Surrounded by a chain of perfect mounds, this too is a beautiful spot, peaceful and tranquil, despite its explosive origins.


According to the ranger, we had completed the prettiest section of the byway, so after Lava Lake, we connected to Route 40 which took us through densely covered forest and eventually through Sunriver and back to Bend. 
We were glad to return "home" to Alpine and relax at our campsite, under the tree, after a successful day of sightseeing and lake hopping. Bend, in the middle of the Oregon high desert, continues to attract folks as a place to live and raise families. Today, we experienced the attraction. It is an outdoor paradise offering any number of activities from boating to cycling, hiking, and camping. Judging by the number of people we saw today, it seemed like most of Bend found their own little spot of wilderness to have fun and enjoy the great outdoors. 

Exploring Bend, Oregon: Tumalo Falls

After the NoWACA rally ended on Thursday morning, we drove the short distance to Scandia RV Park in Bend. Michael's sister and nephews live in Bend, so we stayed on to visit them and to enjoy the 4th of July long weekend together.
We have on previous visits toured several areas while in Bend. This time we explored other areas on our own.

first glimpse from the parking lot

Tumalo Falls was great. We didn't know what to expect and were surprised at the stunning view and height of the falls. The Tumalo Creek spills over an 89-foot drop, creating an almost solid white ribbon that continues along its merry way into the Deschuttes River.



















A short steep climb takes you to a viewing point right above the falls for more stunning views.

on the way up to the top 

closer still

overlooking  the top of the falls as the water rushes and spills over the edge

the stream rushing towards the lip of the falls before
plunging down 89 feet

Tumalo Creek bubbling along towards the Deschuttes River

Located on Forest Service land, the falls are located about 20 miles from Bend. The road looks like it is newly paved, and takes you through pretty forest. The last couple of miles are rough gravel road. 

20 miles along Skyliners Road, heading towards the turn-off to the falls

in a few areas you drive over washboard road

peek-a-boo glimpses of Tumalo Creek along the gravel route