Eerie

The lichen adds an eerie, dreamy, sort of unreal feel to a forest.  It grows in different shapes which I always find interesting.  I'm not sure whether it kills a tree or likes to locate itself on a dead tree but the trees where it resides are quite dead looking.  I'm sure it serves a purpose in the whole scheme of nature--other than for my entertainment.

Bee-utiful

The bees were swarming all of this type of flower.  I couldn't find the name of it but it surely was a pretty dark pink.  It was located near one of the lakes so perhaps it requires quite a lot of water.

Thistle

I'm quite familiar with this wildflower and I think it has grown everywhere I've lived.  This one is different from others in that it is smaller.  But that doesn't mean it isn't just as beautiful.  Love that purplish-pink color.

Lots of White

These tiny blossoms were close knit friends, huddling next to one another on one stem.  I couldn't remember seeing this nor anything similar before.  Each tiny flower was complete in itself but together they were even more beautiful.  Do you think people are like that?

Pretty Pink

McKenzie Pass offered a nice variety of wildflowers.  Since we are relatively new to the Pacific Northwest, I'm not familiar with the names of many of the local wildflowers and I had difficulty finding the names online.  But I do know that this is fireweed, always a brilliant pink with multiple blossoms on a stock.  Very beautiful.

Nameless Lake

We almost drove past this little lake but I got a quick glimpse of it and a circular drive gave us an opportunity to get to it even though we passed the first entrance.  It wasn't on our map so we have no idea what it's name is but it was peaceful and quiet, clear and pretty.  Strangely there were other lakes on our map that we didn't find.  We figure that's reason to do a bit of research and make the trip again.

Trees

Past the summit of McKenzie Pass we found more and more lava.  And there were more trees trying to survive on nothing.  Looks like there's an option of growing tall but not too wide or wide and not too tall.  And there's the third option--don't grow.  Wonder how much snow they get up there in the winter?!

Active Little Critters

This species was the only wildlife we saw on our trip over McKenzie Pass until we were nearly back in the community of Sisters where we saw a deer.  The chipmunks were plentiful and this one, which was housed at the summit, was not at all shy.  I though he might run right up my leg but a stomp of my feet made him scurry away.  I had no food (and wouldn't have given it to him anyway) so I had nothing to offer him except a photo op.  He's sort of cute -- but still an icky rodent.

Sisters

 From the McKenzie Pass summit this is the view of two of the Sisters peaks.  I don't know which ones they are from this angle but there is North Sister, Middle Sister and South Sister.  They all exceed 10,000' elevation and although they are grouped together geographically, their composition is quite different.  According to Wikipedia, the South Sister is active and could erupt so monitoring has been updated.  I'm going to pretend I didn't read that.

A Forest?

I can't imagine that there's much of anything between all those hunks of lava and yet seeds have blown in, sprouted and trees are trying to survive.  Seems a bit of a stretch to call this a forest (Willamette National Forest) and yet there are a number of trees in various stages of vitality.  Guess it wouldn't be any fun if all the forests looked alike.

Dee Wright Observatory

Traveling further west on the McKinsey Pass  you arrive at the pass summit and Dee Wright Observatory.  It looks like it sprung right up from amongst the lava pile and it was named for an early Forest Service Ranger who spent 24 years with the Service and was foreman for the construction crew.    The building was done by the CCC and completed in 1935.  Just a few stairs and an incline take you to it's interior and they did a nice job of creating windows so you can look directly out to see the various volcanic peaks in the area.  They even tell you which one you are viewing.  Then you can climb a few more steps to the top where there is a 36" in diameter brass circle on a rock base that also points out all of the peaks.  It's quite an amazing 360° view.

Mt. Washington

And this is a closer look at Mt. Washington.  It's a volcanic plug which has been deeply eroded by glaciers in the last Ice Age.  It's elevation is 7,794'.  That's quite a bit of color.

A Little Side Trip

On Friday we took a day trip over McKenzie Pass.  It's about a 130 mile round trip west of Redmond/Sisters so was easy to do in a day.  It's an Oregon Scenic Drive and is justly designated.  Because in some places the road is narrow, steep and very curvy, it's only open in the summer months so access is limited.

From the east this is the first viewpoint, Windy Point.  One can't help but be impressed by the massive amount of lava.  This is one of the more recent flows, happening 2700 years ago and I can't imagine what it must have been line when this stuff spewed forth from the earth.  I am somewhat reassured that all of the many volcanoes in the area are inactive.  That's Mt. Washington in the far distance.