Waldo Lake OR, 8-25/26/27-2020

Waldo Lake OR, 8-25/26/27-2020

Ok so its been awhile since we hit the road but, due to covid we all have been restrained. This trip is a short one to the Cascade Mountains and Waldo Lake. If have never been in the Cascade Mountains they are one most rewarding trips you can make. With hundreds of lakes, rivers, creeks and snow capped peaks there is little you could want for in an outdoor experience. We start with a great lunch at one of our favorite places Homegrown Oregon Foods in Albany OR. If you care about what you eat this is the place to come to, organic when possible, no processed foods, always made fresh. It’s sunny today and warm, climbing up the Willamette Pass brought back memories of when I first started to ski, South Eugene High School would take a school bus of us up every Saturday, it was a enriching experience for me at 16. We pass through some small towns heading up the Willamette Pass to finally reach the turn off to Waldo Lake about 65 miles from Eugene. I had been here as a child but did not remember it well. so we follow the signs as there is no GPS or cell service here. We get to where we think we should be at North Waldo Lake Campground and find the place was full. We are in a little bit of a panic because we are to meet our daughter and grandson and with out cell service a change in plans makes it difficult. We here there are some other camp grounds and head towards them. To throw another wrench in the works there are some forest fires near by and some roads are blocked. Back down the way we came in to a place called Shadow Bay which was recommended to us on the south end of Waldo. Down the road we go and who do we run in to but our daughter Alicia and our grandson Rowan thankfully. She follows us in to the Shadow Bay Park entrance and WOW, this is way nicer than the northside, wide paved roads, large campsites and best of all a space for us, lucky #7. There is lots of flat ground and a good spot for Alicia’s tent. Since we do not have power I set up the solar panel to keep the batteries charged. Once we set up we walk down to the lake about 2 blocks. There is always a camp host you can rely on for information and also note if the space has a reserved note check the date, if its in the future take the space. Waldo is an interesting lake for many reasons; It is one of the largest natural lakes in Oregon and one of the purest lakes in the world. It has no permanent inlet to bring nutrients into the lake for plant growth, so fishing is scarce. Its 420 feet deep and because of its clarity you can see the bottom in many places. No motors allowed here so the lake id full of kayaks and paddle boards. There are sandy beaches where lots of people set up day camp. Most of the trees around us are Douglas firs that tower above us and are considered old growth. I have always had an affection towards these tree with a name like Douglas and its name sake from Scotland. The Lakeside trail goes around the lake 22 Miles, a little to far for us to go today. We walk the camp to see a variety of campers from lean-tos to big rigs. Everyone is having a good time no matter what they are camping in. We did find this cozy camper, their lots of these light weight trailers that almost any vehicle can tow. The weather has been great and I should mention depending on what time of year you come, there is a mosquito factor, if it gets cold enough at night that will make them hibernate, we hardly saw any. After a few days of enjoying the outdoors we head home but not before we have a great meal at Valley River Inn that sits on the Willamette River. Its warm so we sit in the deck so the view of the river is better, the service was great and the food as well.