I was lucky yesterday as Dr. Kostadinov wanted to explore the area outside the headquarters, and he was happy to bring me along so I could run elsewhere. We parked at the Koosah Falls parking lot along the McKenzie River trail (the same trail I rode on a mountain bike a few weeks ago). Although the weather was not pleasant, running on that trail is so fantastic it was easily the most I have ever enjoyed 40 degrees and rain. I ran past the two falls (Koosah and Sahalie) and did a loop around Clear Lake. Due to the less than desirable weather, I had the trail to myself and loved every second of it. When I returned, I grabbed my camera and headed back down the Waterfalls Trail to snap some pictures of the gorgeous river.
The water churning before it topples over Koosah Falls. Look at that incredible turqoise color which arises as the water breaks on boulders beneath the surface!
A view upstream. Although I was already pretty chilled at this point despite having run, touching the river would have made things much worse. The other day after my run I jumped in to the end of Lookout Creek where the water temperature was 48 degrees, I cannot imagine how cold it must be here, several miles farther upstream into the mountains.
The crest of Koosah Falls.
The mist from Koosah Falls slowly rises creating an other-worldly feeling to the forest nearby. This photo shows the McKenzie continuing its eternal flow downstream.
The falls again.
Another view farther upstream.
The water, as seems to be the norm here, was incredibly clear.
Sometimes the trail came within inches of touching the river, making for a wild run as the waves seem to jump towards you.
Farther up near the trailhead, a network of pathways led to and from the two falls.
These two photos are for Dr. Lookingbill. Physical Geography is everywhere, yay!
Dr. Kostadinov can sometimes be hard to find in his super bright green rain gear.
Ice Cap sounds about right. We stopped at the local restaurant on the way back and had some hot tea to warm up from the soaking cold. Dr. Kostadinov is an amazing person to talk too. From Bulgaria, he came over to the United States for his undergraduate degree at the University of Richmond, and then got his PhD at UCSB. He seems to know information on every academic discipline there is, and I have already learned much from he and Dr. Lookingbill throughout this trip.
Today, Dr. Kostadinov wanted to see the lake I had run around the night before as he hadn't made it past the falls during his hike in the rain. I was excited to go with him as this would be my third trip past Clear Lake, once running, once biking, and now, once hiking. We departed in the mid-afternoon and stopped at this local drive-thru cafe from some hot chocolate (even with clear skies today it was still under 50 degrees). The picture above is of the 2 bedroom, 2 bath all pine wood cabins the restaurant rents out. They sit right along the river and have screened in porches which jut out over the water, very pretty.
This branch is of an Incense Cedar. A very beautiful tree. From all the work I have done with Dr. Lookingbill and Dr. Kostadinov the past few weeks I have gone from not even knowing the different families of conifers to having a solid grasp on the different species of fir, hemlock, pine, yew, douglas fir and cedar which grow in this area. This has also given me much respect for the beauty and diversity among these trees which I had always lumped together in my mind.
The trail map around clear lake.
Near the trail head there was a cabin/lean-to where a family had setup camp and had a large fire going. Looked the perfect place to spend the day.
Wildflower #26: Dr. Kostadinov said this may be a Dogwood. If so, that would be a wonderful addition to my collection as I have only seen Dogwoods with tree habits, never anything so small and herbaceous.
The west side of the lake is the most pure singletrack, soft dirt, and conifer needle trail I have ever...ever...been on. I remembered blissfully running along it last night in the rain, but today with the sun out it was even more magnificent.
A crisp stream pours under a little footbridge we crossed.
A view across the north end of Clear Lake, with the sun lowering towards the horizon, the shadows and reflections were just incredible.
The trail as it weaves along ridges overlooking Clear Lake.
This is Fish Lake Creek which enters the north end of Clear Lake. Clear Lake is actually the source of the McKenzie River.
Dr. Kostadinov crossing one of many skinny bridges along the McKenzie River Trail.
Wildflower #27: I believe this is False Solomon's Seal. There is a similar plant that is much smaller called Crooked Stem, or Twisted Stem, or something like that, and Dr. Lookingbill and I were trying to figure out which one was False Solomon's Seal. This patch I found along the trail here left me no doubt that this is what we were looking for.
A view all the way down Clear Lake, stunning.
This Douglas Fir has immense burn marks which scar the bark up to ~40 feet off the ground. Many other trees in this area were similarily marked, a fire had clearly scoured the area at some point in the past, but due to the thickness of the undergrowth it could have happened decades ago and the long living Douglas Fir's still bear the wounds.
Dr. Kostadinov lost in another world staring into the pool at Great Springs. What must be the true source of the McKenzie River, Great Springs (which I photographed during my bike ride) demands your attention. It is easy to find yourself, mouth agap, gazing into the blue depths...I know I have.
A nice comorant/duck/waterfowl-like bird. I wish I knew more about birds, but for now I can just appreciate what I see.
Here is the bird drifting across a shallow section of the lake which shows off the clarity of the water.
A view across the lake as the sun lights up the canopy.
Wildflower #28: Found this little bloom among the volcanic rock flows which constitute the entire eastern shore of the lake. I am not quite sure what is going on with this flower, it is very small, and very attractive though.
Crossing the bridge at the southern end of Clear Lake you can barely see the rapids in the distance marking the beginning of the McKenzie River.
This photo is 180 degrees turned from the picture above it, looking back north across Clear Lake.
Nearing out parking spot I found a good view across the lake to the eastern shore where you can see the dark piles of volcanic rubble.
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