May 2008 LaPine Trip; May 9-12, 2008
We
finally made it up to LaPine State Park after delaying our trip from the
previous month. There was still plenty of snow at the pass level with
about 4 feet still on the ground, but the roads were dry. Almost all of
the snow had melted at LaPine State
park which is at almost 4200’ elevation, but
there were still a few isolated drifts in heavily shadowed regions. All
of the rivers and streams in the area were full or overflowing with a heavy
current of runoff from the melting snow in the nearby mountains. The
Cascades were beautiful and still covered with snow.
We left work early and made a leisurely drive to the park and leveled our rig
in a slightly irregular drive-through spot. Luckily I had a few blocks
that allowed me to get the rig leveled properly. I needed to borrow a few
rocks in order to get out front jacks down. We had a nice dinner and went
to be early due to the fact that we were all getting sleepy, probably a result
of the elevation.
Saturday morning we awoke to a sunny day, and I brought Sadie and Lillie for a
morning walk. LaPine State
Park is a very large park with miles of trails,
three loops of campsites, and several very well maintained rental cabins.
We reserved a full hookup spot near the rental cabins in a loop that was
roughly half full. The other loops were completely empty except for the
hosts.
We made an appointment for Sadie and Lillie at Bend Pet Express to get groomed,
while Holly and I went to the Black Bear Diner for
brunch. They were able to make us a last minute at the groomer, and they
did a fantastic job. Sadie and Lillie looked like show dogs after the
groomer, and we could tell that they had a good time seeing the other dogs and
getting pampered. The groomer even said that Sadie was no trouble while
she got her nails clipped even though she refuses to let me and Holly clip her
nails. We took a walk around Drake
Park in Downtown Bend and then took a scenic drive on the way back to our Campsite
about 23 miles from Bend.
When we got back, Jim Weese called and we mad
plans for them to visit later that evening. They were in LaPine, only about 10 miles away. Jim and Jan Weese Stopped by during dinner and we shared some venison
sausage, backstrap, wine, coffee, and dessert with
them as we got caught up with stories. We capped off the evening with a
walk around the campground with Sadie and Lillie.
Sunday was Monther’s day and the day started off
nice, but turned a little cold and cloudy as the day progressed. Holly
and I ate at a café in Bend
with outdoor seating called Café Sintra that also has
a location in Sunriver. We sat outside, so that
the dogs could sit by us even though it was a chilly day. The menu is
Spanish influenced with many sandwiches, excellent baked goods, and rich, cured
pork products. I had a Southwestern eggs
Benedict, and Holly ordered a salami sandwich with grilled peppers and goat
cheese. Both of our main dishes were good, but the muffin and Spanish style
biscuit that we ordered as sides were the highlight of the meal. Café Sintra is definitely worth a return trip.
After some shopping in Bend, we headed back to our campsite.
During the drive back light snow started falling. Luckily it didn’t
stick, and quickly passed. Back at the park, we did some hiking to see
the famous Big Tree, a massive Ponderosa Pine over 28 feet in
circumference. We then took another hike around the other loops of the
campsite and made a nice dinner.
On Monday we had a leisurely drive back to Corvallis.
I had brought my fishing gear, but I found out that fishing on the Deschutes river that ran right
through the campground doesn’t open until May 24th. The fishing in the area, however, is supposed
to be very good, so LaPine State
Park is on the short list for another trip later
on in the season.
Our Campsite in LaPine
Brian, Sadie, and Lillie
in the Camper.
Holly,
Sadie, and Lillie by the Big Tree
A View of the Deschutes
River