SHORT UPDATE - MORE LATER

OK - it's been a bit since my last post - I've been way too tired to do anything but hook up the gps and radio charger then hit the sack. I woke up today with all my cloths on, on top of the covers! Jeez.

I CAN'T GET THE PHOTOS UPLOADED RIGHT NOW, SO I WILL SUPPLEMENT THIS POST LATER.

A bit of a Recap:

We made it from Winnemucca to Denio Junction sometime after noon and had some lunch. Highly recommend the burger which consisted of about half a pound of prime beef hand formed an perfectly cooked. The milkshakes are also damn fine.

After that we caught the TAT off of 140 next to a dry lake. What is it with Sam - he has half a dozen nice county gravel roads to choose from and he picks the antelope trail you would miss without a GPS! Joe and I decided to brave the trail and there is really one rule of thumb - try not to hit any rocks bigger than your head! My 400 was tossed about like a rowboat in a hurricane, and Joe's 360 took it even worse. Great view if you make it, probably death if you mess up.

If you survive the hill climb (questionable) you are presented with some really nice backroad two track. We saw a couple of groups of wild Mules and numerous Antelope on the trail.

Due to time constraints, we have decided to hit the trail in sections and slab it on to make the coast on Sunday. Hence, the blacktop called us for a section on to Lakeview. Good road, and another state line crossing.

Met up with our support truck in Lakeview, and spent too short a night at the International 8 motel. Really nice folks and the most rotund mongrel dog I have ever seen. She said the only thing it ever bit was a donut, and I am thinking it never met a donut it didn't like!

After Lakeview it was off towards our goal of Crater Lake. We took the back roads out of Lakeview and got a nice mix of forest service roads and two track through some gorgeous woods. We found a bit of snow still, and ultimately, after a dozen downed trees, some marshy stuff, we met our daily nemisis - an impassable ford. Probably 5 feet deep and rushing from the melting snow.

Another backtrack and off to Crater Lake. Just an amazing national treasure. If you are in the area and don't stop, you are a fool!

Since my headlight had bit the dust before we left Lakeview, I needed to find shelter before dark, so we ended up in Shady Cove, OR, just minutes before dark. Great hotel at the Edgewater.

We leave in about 20 minutes for some more TAT on our final leg to Port Orford, and a hopefully successful end to our saga.