FIRST SPRING TRIP TO UNION CREEK

Ahhh, spring is here and with it comes thoughts of wandering the back roads and highways, experiencing the grandeur of nature, and enjoying the warmth of sunshine and family, new growth, and the melodious call of creation's splendor.

But those thoughts will have to wait for another day.

Today (Saturday), we went on a picnic to Union Creek Campground, just north of Prospect.

View Larger Map

While it's hardly a backroad, Highway 62 snakes through tall, majestic pines

 

We drove a little ways up the road and parked in front of Farewell Bend Snow Park. As you can see, the ground was not filled with fresh green, but packed snow

 

Finally, the Union Creek Campground.  Or, more accurately, the Union Creek Day Use Area.  Well, technically, the parking area. Campground closed, although if you want to trudge through the snow to the picnic areas, go for it.  We chose to eat in the van.

 

If you look very carefully, this sock and scarf left on a post looks like a grumpy face.

 

There's a little foot bridge at the day use area.  Snow wasn't bad getting to the bridge, so I decided to get a picture of the little island sitting in the creek. Anyone for a swim?

 

Fortunately, the parking lot was plowed, making a rather large barrier to access the rest of the camping and picnicing and putting a slight chill in the air. But that's okay, because I have the INCM long sleeved black t CORE shirt from CPC11 (product placement from a kidmin..whoot!).

 

And thus our first official spring outing was done.  I'm grateful for the laughter and the chance to just enjoy the day.

CAMPING ADVENTURES 09: FLAKING AT WHISKEY SPRING

Up the Butte Falls Highway, past the quaint little mountain town of Butte Falls, is another portion of the Rogue River National Forest. Willow Lake is in this section, a camping. boating,and recreation mecca. If you are following twenty recreational vehicles, at least fifteen of them will turn on the road to Willow Lake. The rest will either proceed to catch Highway 140 or they will turn into the Big Butte Watershed and the pleasant campground & picnic area known as Whiskey Spring.

This camping adventure was the least adventursome so far. For me, it was a time to get caught up on a couple of projects, to think deep thoughts, to spend time in the Word and prayer, and to do nothing (not neccesarily in that order). I did not visit the beaver pond this go around...a place where in the early dawn you might catch a glimpse of furry beavers hard at work. In fact, I didn't wander far from the campsite. I was having too much fun just flaking.

Flaking is good sometimes. I remarked on Twitter that I had permission to leave on Friday afternoon a half hour early. Not only did I not leave a half hour early, but I ended up staying nearly a half hour later! "Getting away" for the weekend is a bit of a challenge. And come July, I will be on a marathon of VBS prep. But as I get more experience in this life, I'm finding that I must deliberately, willfully, stubbornly, and doggedly carve out time to do....nothing.
And I enjoyed it.

Dog on a raft?

Dog on a raft? Where? Where?

Nope...just a dog on an air mattress, soaking up the rays at the campsite (the mattress is on a blue tarp)

CAMPING ADVENTURES 09: NATURAL BRIDGE

One of the things I enjoy about southern Oregon living is the proximity of outdoor recreation. Above the mountain town of Prospect is a group of campgrounds that border the rafting haven of the Rogue River. One of those campgrounds is the "Natural Bridge" campground. Not as big or developed as Union Creek (see previous camping adventures), the Natural Bridge campground has...the Natural Bridge.

The Natural Bridge area was formed by a series of lava tubes, one of which actually bridges the Rogue River. The river simply disappears into the tube and then reappears a little further up. Pioneers would use this land bridge to cross over the rather dangerous rapids. It's really a remarkable sight.

Rain plus sunshine makes the campsite glow

The Rogue River runs past our campsite

The famous Solar Toilet. Using solar technology to "pump" the disagreeable odors away, this is a step above the ordinary outhouse.

One of the large lava tubes. Rafters like to zip in and out. Not for me, thank you.

The Natural Bridge. The Rogue goes underneath and comes out the other side.

One of the adventures on this trip was our hike. The Natural Bridge campsites are located on the east side of the river. The viewpoint is located on the west side. A very nice footbridge leads to a gentle, paved path with interpretive signs explaining the geography of the area. But once the paved path ends, the visitor can either turn around and go back over to the east side or take the trail that borders the west side of the river. We opted for the west side, because, after all, how hard could it be?

There is a reason why the trail is not taken much. Although technically classified as a "short, easy" trail, it is actually a couple of miles of narrow, steep grades that led us up further and further up the side of the hill. At one point, we could see our campsite far down and across the raging river. At several points, we wondered if we should have turned back. We had no idea how much further we were going to climb or how far down we would have to go before being able to cross over to the east side of the river.

And, oh yes, it started to rain. Wet and tired, we eventually found an older bridge that creaked a little as we crossed over, but returned us to the trail that led to our campsite. It was enjoyable, great exercise, fresh air, being out in nature.

And then I got to thinking...

Christian life and ministry is a lot like that hike. We don't always know what the trail will be like. As much as I'd like the path to be paved and even, the reality is that the going sometimes gets rough. And it rains. And a lot of times, I feel like turning back. But then the Lord reminds me that the best way to go is forward. The past is the past. The mistakes, hurts, and tragedies of yesterday fade into the distance as we keep going up and forward. And when we reach that bridge, when we "arrive", we can look back and rejoice that the path was taken.

CAMPING ADVENTURES 09: UNION CREEK

Ahhhhh...tents, motor homes, roasting hot dogs over an open fire, waving off bugs, and watching chipmunks. Yes...our family's annual camping adventures have begun. And I have to say that for sheer ease, nothing beats going camping the weekend before Memorial weekend!

It had been a very full week, so we were looking forward to a break. Our anniversary was Friday, but my wife's sister was flying in from Hawaii the night before and wanted to go camping. So we had our anniversary dinner and movie (Star Trek, if you're curious) the weekend before and plunged into prep for the first camping adventure of 2009.

It rained on Wednesday. It rained on Thursday. It rained Friday morning. And then....sunshine! Clear skies. It was almost like a sign that as soon we were done with work, we needed to throw ourselves in the buggy and high tail it out of town. But we soon discovered that the "one more thing" syndrome hit. I felt guilty trying to get "one more thing" done before leaving, until I discovered my wife was also trying to get "one more thing" done as well.

But get done we did and soon we were zooming up Highway 62 to the Union Creek campgrounds. My wife's mother and sister were already there, with the fire going. And from Friday night to Sunday afternoon, we pretty much did absolutely nothing! And it was wonderful. I read a lot, I strategized for children's ministries, I walked around, I prayed, I napped whenever I felt like it.

The best part was that it was very quiet. Union Creek is a big campground and there were very few campers. We got our favorite site (#43, if you're ever wondering) and there was nobody next to us. Since the official opening day for camping is next weekend, I think we timed it just right.

Campsite 43: in my opinion, the best site at the Union Creek campground. It's big and roomy. The amphitheatre is just up the hill. And it is a short walking distance to the flush toilets!

Lots of room

Bridge over Union Creek. Water seemed higher this year than usual.

The Amphitheatre

No camping visit would be complete without a visit to the more traditional, uhhh, facilities. But these are brand new, spacious and clean. I took a pic of the inside, but it didn't turn out. But trust me, these are cadallac of outhouses.

What is Drea so fixated on? Let's zoom in and see....

It's a chipmunk. Union Creek and the other campgrounds in this area are full of them! We probably had fewer of the little guys because of our dog, but they are there. My sister-in-law, who lives in Hawaii, looked forward to seeing the chipmunks again because, as she said, "Mongoose are a poor substitute."

CAMPING AT WHISKEY SPRINGS

Last weekend, we finally got to take the first camping trip of the summer. Our destination was Whiskey Springs, a few miles past the charming town of Butte Falls. We had a few adventures during the trip, like a family emergency that required us to rush back home the second night. When we returned the next day, we had the privilege of helping a couple whose ride out of the campsite had "stood them up." We learned that he was a Desert Storm vet who got injured jumping out of a plane. We knew some of the same people...and we got to find out some of their church background as well.

I enjoy camping. Not only are there tall trees, fresh air, and gorgeous scenery, but it's an opportunity for me to do absolutely nothing! There are no demands on my time, no big decisions to be made, and no phones (nope, I still do not own a cell phone...and the signal is poor anyway!) I bring my laptop for writing, but there's no internet. I read, I walk, I read, I study, I walk, I attempt to grill burgers, and, oh yes, I read. And study. And think. And sleep. And plan. And dream.

The road to Whiskey Springs

Bridges cross little water streams along the hiking trail

Looking down at the creek

What secrets lurk below the pond? The beavers know! If you walk out here at early dawn or dusk, you may see a beaver or two busy in the pond.

A less than welcome tent guest (for the record, I strongly dislike spiders. However, they also fascinate me...at a distance. This is as close as I will get without a shoe or heavy, blunt object).

Our family dog contemplates the nature of...well, nature.

CAMPING ADVENTURES 07: RETURN TO UNION CREEK

Summertime has been here...well, all summer! Unfortunately, various matters have cut into our family camp time. But not long ago, an opportunity arose to go camping. I even got to leave the office a whole half hour early to head up highway 62, past the little town of Prospect, and over to Union Creek Campground.

Union Creek is one of the larger campgrounds in a network of camping locations in the Rogue River National Forest. Unfortunately, because the campground was so full, we had to settle for a spot well away from the creek! But it was enjoyable regardless...family, good food, relaxation, and no phones, tvs, or radios to interrupt some serious study!

If Union Creek sounds familiar, it's because I blogged about an earlier visit in March. Actually, we never made it to the campground itself because of the snow. Not this time...sunny and hot!

Lord willing, we'll try to get another camping trip or two in before September.

I FOUND A NEW GAME

Okay, I like games, but I'm not what one could call a devoted game player. That, plus the fact that I was very tired the afternoon of my mother-in-law's birthday picnic, caused my dear family to say, "you could take a nap in the motor home while we play games at the picnic table." I thought that sounded good...plus I brought a book and some studying materials with me.

Well, it was cold outside and leftover winter snow had buried any chance of picnic table games (see previous post for details). So the family had game time inside the R.V. Since sleep was impossible (and after a little coaxing), I participated. The game: Charoodles!

I don't know how long this game has been around (knowing how much I follow games, it's probably been blogged about a dozen times in the past decade!), but I was pleasantly surprised. It is played like charades, only the participants are given four objects to use as props: an orange foam ball, a tube like thingy, a cup, and square piece of foam. You announce the category and then you have a short time to act out as many items on the list as possible. For example, the category could be "things to do on the beach". Items would be surfing, volleyball, swimming, eating, etc. Some of the categories require you to use a specific prop, while others are open. But a prop must be used and, just like charades, you cannot say anything.

What I liked most about the game is that it reminded me of and reinforced an activity from a children's workshop I attended; namely that as children's ministers, we can look at ordinary objects in extraordinary ways. A stick becomes a sceptre. A yo-yo becomes a pendulum. A couple of paper tubes becomes a pair of binoculars. Those of us who work with children are used to "thinking on our feet" with this stuff. Of course, there's a larger lesson at work as well: we need to have the imagination and courage to think outside the proverbial box, to see things not as they neccesarily are, but what they may become.

I'm very seriously considering taking Charoodles to our next staff meeting. It'll be fun!

EARLY PICNICS IN THE WOODS

Getting out for picnics and camping trips is always a bit of a challenge for us. We enjoy it...but it seems like we get to the end of the summer and wonder if we should have done more.

Well, spring has no sooner taken hold then we have already had two..count 'em..TWO picnics in the woods. Who knows? This could be the summer of the great outdoors for our family. Here's a couple of pics from a couple of pic-nics (hey nifty play on words, there!

This is our dog Drea, half lab, half retriever, and all attitude. She likes the great outdoors...and whatever it is that gets her attention and stops her in her tracks (not sure what it was!)We ate at a campsite called "Four-Bit Ford." Technically, the campgrounds are not even open yet. The winter debris was all around, the trash cans weren't set up, and there was not a soul around. But as the afternoon sun shone through the forest, with the smoke from our hot dog fire drifting along, it was a very pleasent outing.

A week after our Four-Bit Ford adventure, we headed up Highway 62 to some of our favorite spots. We were celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday, so she took us all in her R.V. for some picnicing fun. But we encountered sign after sign that announced the campground was closed (such as Union Creek above). We finally found a spot near a campground. It's called "Wayside" and it is mostly a big parking lot with a nice restroom. An amphitheatre and meeting gazebo are mere yards away, making this a great place for meetings and get-togethers. It was too cold to eat outside, so we had lunch and played games in the motor home. All in all, a nice relaxing time.One of the issues at the campsites was snow. Here is the meeting gazebo, surrounded by about a foot (maybe a little less) of snow.Snow or no snow, southern Oregon mountains have some incredibly tall pine trees to admire! As one kid said, "God sure must be big to make something so big." Yup!

PICNIC AND HIKE AT WHISKEY SPRINGS

We enjoy camping during the summer, but for various reasons, all our camping trips got squeezed out this year. Needing a taste of the woods, but not able to get away for an extended period of time, we settled on a day long picnic near one of our regular camping locations: Whiskey Springs.

Whiskey Springs has no whiskey. Apparently, the old miners enjoyed naming the various streams in the area after alchoholic beverages.

What Whiskey Springs does have is a very pleasant 1 mile trail that loops around the campground and back.

the trailhead

Interpretive signs explain some of the sights

This picture does not do justice to the gorgeous fall colors of the trees and bushes. Nor can it capture the sound of the brooks and streams that crisscross along the trail. Since it was October, there weren't a lot of campers and picnickers, so it was relatively quiet.

Beaver Pond

The other neat thing about Whiskey Springs is its natural habitat for beavers. An observation deck along the trail overlooks the beaver pond. Since beavers are nocturnal animals, there's not a lot to see in the middle of the day. But I've been camping at Whiskey Springs in years past and have ventured forth on a cool, foggy dawn and saw the little critters swimming around and diving under what looks like debris (but what is, in actuality, their home).

Overall, a very nice day.

Camping Inspiration

The weather here in the great Pacific Northwest has been rather warm lately. So my family and I took off for a weekend of camping. Call me crazy ("your're crazy!"), call me strange ("you're strange!"), but when I go camping, I like to take stuff to study. Oh sure, I also take stuff for pure entertainment ( a favorite novel or CD) and I do "woodsy" kinds of things (great trails around the campgrounds). But I love to study in the forest! No television. No phones (believe it or not, I do not own a cell phone). Very few distractions apart from the occaisional mosquito. I can spend an entire hour in uninterrupted concentration on systematic theology, history, or whatever interests me at the moment.
My kids don't understand my joy of studying while camping, but that's okay. They still equate "study" with "school work", something they wish to blissfully repress for another 26 days, 8 hours, 12 minutes, and 45 seconds. Me? I love to learn. I am still patiently waiting and working toward the financial opportunity and time to complete my graduate studies with the ultimate goal of earning a doctorate. In the meantime, I am engaged in self-study for enrichment, ministry, and pure joy.
I spent a little more time on this camping trip in prayer for inspiration, and motivation regarding the ministries in which I am involved. Wow! Talk about clarity of thought. I almost filled a yellow legal pad (which I now buy in bulk!) with ideas for a new handbook, volunteer placement, and involving older kids in service. Much of this was stuff that was swirling around in my head, but it wasn't until I could study, read, focus, and pray without civilization encroaching upon me that the thoughts crystalized and finally got down on paper. I almost couldn't wait to get home to type it all up and show it to my children's ministries secretary (who would probably be stunned to see how organized I really am!).
Well, I am now back in civilization with all its challenges. I'm still typing. I'll let you know the outcome of these "deep thoughts", brought on courtesy of camping!

Two weeks away

Sunday, June 19th, was Father's Day. We had toyed with the idea of going camping that weekend, but my daughter's college orientation was that Saturday, so it would not have been practical. I attended my church's Father's Day Breakfast, but I had no other commitments. I had already covered my teaching and leading assignments (since I thought I would be gone), so my family decided to kidnap me for Father's Day and take me to the breakfast buffet. It always feels strange not being in church, but when I glanced at my watch and saw that the service was almost half over, I realized I had enjoyed being with my family that morning.

Well, as I write this, we are planning to go camping tomorrow through Saturday. It should be fun...for the first time in our lives, we will have a dog with us. But for the second week in a row, I will not be involved in the children's ministry at our church. It's not because I will be gone (we'll be back Saturday afternoon), but because this weekend is the high school retreat at Lake Shasta, which our pastor is attending. With the pastor leaving town, I will be giving the morning message (from 2 Thessalonians 1). This doesn't feel as strange as not going to church, but I hope I have very few instances of being gone from the kids at Children's Ministries two weeks in a row.